Bicycle Race

oh, poor Dimples...he has his hands full with me...

I did something stupid and he had to deal with it today.

You see, I seem to think I am Lance Armstrong or something (you know, since I spin and all), because I decided to look like a "real" cyclist and put "clipless pedals" on my bike.

"Clipless Pedals" seems like an oxymoron to me...because you clip into your pedals with special bike shoes that have the clips on them.

Makes no sense to me...

So it made perfect sense to do it to my bike.

I took my bike in to Sun and Ski Sports and told the bike repair guy to fix the cables and put the clipless pedals on.

I never considered that I would have to figure out how to get off and on the bike.

Because a spin bike is stationary, you know...

and a real bike...

is not...

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

But I love the way it feels to ride while clipped in so I made the idiot's decision to flirt with death and devestation to my body by putting the clip-in things on.

The first time I attempted to ride like that was the other morning.

I got up early and grabbed the bike and then could't figure out how to get on.

I know how to get on a spin bike...but it doesn't move.

Getting onto a bike that moves is a whole different thing.

So I grabbed onto my car to steady myself and clipped into the right pedal.

The left one was where I hit trouble...and then my hand slid down the side of my car because it was wet from morning dew.

crash

not a bad crash but I did fall over...onto my bum knee...

there was just a little blood

I finally got on and then I hit the road. All was well and good as long as I didn't have to stop. So I rode continually...

When I told Dimples he just looked at me and reminded me that I needed to be able to get on and off the bike.

I told him I could...

(with a little help)

So we decided to go for a ride today.

The idea was that we would ride and then stop and do some strength stuff like work with the TRX strap bands or do push ups or whatever...

The weather was perfect. It was gorgeous outside...great day for a ride.

We decide to go to Memorial Park. I picked him and his bike up and off we went.

Problem #1...me getting on the bike...

Thank God the man is strong and sweet and patient...because I could have killed him while he tried to get me on...I grabbed onto him for dear life until I was safely locked into my pedals...and then I was afraid to let go of him for fear of falling again. We looked like a father with his (very) over-grown child that was trying to learn to ride a bike.

Right then and there he told me that the clipless pedals had to go...not that he minded helping me, but rather that they were a gigantic pain...

in the ass...

(I added the "in the ass" part...he didn't)

So we got going and hit a trail.

Then came the time to stop and do some strength stuff.

Problem #2...bike shoes are not made for walking or working out

We tried...

fail...

Back on the bikes...down the trail...I crash...

the only real casualty was my left thumbnail...I broke the nail...damn...

We then went the other direction in the park...did ok for a while until we eneded up on the jogging track and he had a few people remind him that we weren't supposed to be on the jogging trail...

sigh...

we knew...but it wasn't safe for me to try and cross the street at that point.

He also figured out how to get me off and on the bike without risking bodily harm to himself as he holds the bike for me.

I asked Bacchus how to do it (he rides...a lot...)and his answer was:

"clip in one side and then the other"

Thanks, Baby...that was a lot of help...not...

Somewhere along the way I remembered that at my club we have some things that clip into the pedal clips for the spin bikes that convert the pedals from the kind you HAVE to wear bike shoes with to "regular" pedals that someone with athletic shoes can use.

I'm trying to find them online right now...

so Dimples doesn't kill me or himself...and so we can have a more effective ride.

I want to leave the clipless pedals on because when I am ONLY riding, especially if I am doing a smooth easy trail I like the way it rides...and I know I am more effectively working my legs. And taking the pedals off and on is not easy.

If you know what the clip-in things are called, please email or message me...Dimples thanks you too...because he knows "Miss Stubborn" here is going to want to keep the clips.

Because I am Lance Armstrong...

only prettier...

Inspiration Song: "Bicycle Race" by Queen...ok, reach waaaaay back...back to Queen's "Jazz" album...it spawned a lot of hits. They publicized the album by having 65 naked women do a bicyle race. And then they took a picture of it and put it in the album. Awesome...

Bye Darlings...."get on your bikes and ride"...