The rain came down today and still I went out for hill repeat… I mean the “climbing and descending clinic.” I was one of two participants; the other three who showed up were Coach Patrick, Web guy Rick and Mentor Harold. Rick said it was too slick for a first-timer to go downhill safely, so he called the ride off. But he said if it were a training ride, we’d go. So I left without taking my bike off the rack.
When I got home, I pondered what to do next. I thought about going to the gym, but I’d have to change my clothes, get back in the car, blah, blah, blah. So I decided to ride the Coyote Creek Trail to get used to riding in the rain. It wasn’t raining hard when I left, barely a drizzle. And most of the ride was dry, except for the water already on the ground. I still think fenders are going to be essential. My tires kicked up a lot of water when I was using the big chain ring.
I rode south until I came to Bailey Road, then turned around. It started coming down hard when I was about two miles from home. Some kind of head or helmet cover will be helpful in that respect. Other than that, it wasn’t too bad. I had lights on the bike, a rain jacket and arm and leg warmers. I got a little cold at times, but I never thought about it much. The hot shower I took when I got home sure felt good though!
Kicking it down a notch.
About 3/4 of the way through the ride, I noticed a familiar pain in my neither regions and lower back. The Rocky Mountain was always a little big for me, but I usually just dealt with the discomfort. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought I might be able to fix it by tilting my seat forward. I think I was right, but will have to put more miles in to be sure. I’d always thought a shorter stem might help too. Mine’s a 120mm and the handle bars are a long reach away. Anyway, I guess other than the tuneup it got, I can’t be putting any more money into that bike. Gonna have to find a milk bottle solution for a front fender and deal with the back splatter.