New Shoes

I'm not going to lie - I think I enjoy purchasing the cycling equipment as much as I like cycling. I found a small bike shop in town - Spokes. They don't have the biggest selection, but the quality of their merchandise appears decent. I purchased the only pair of shoes on sale (cycling gear is pricey!!). I took them to spin class tonight - made a huge difference in my performance. I can put a lot more power into my stride, and I think my feet are happier too! Oh yeah, and my fear of getting shoe laces caught in the bike have entirely diminished :)

First trip on my new bike

I've never been one to pace myself - so my first venture on my new bike was a 20 mile trek along the Mt. Vernon trail in Alexandria, Virginia. I used to jog the trail, back in my running days. Of course, I never made it beyond the first five miles when I was traveling on foot. I was off to a rather precarious start - fumbling around turns, using all the wrong gears, and never missing a pot hole! The ride was beautiful. Rolling hills, wooden bridges, marshes, and the smell of sweet grass all around. Hard to believe such a scenic route could be found only 5 miles outside of DC! About 7 miles into the trail I managed to get lost...perhaps intentionally? I was satisfied with my distance and decided to head back. Nearly as soon as I turned my bike around, my shoe laces got stuck in my pedal. Yikes! To make matters worse, I nearly ran into an old gentleman as I tumbled off of the trail. How embarrassing.

.....Next item on my shopping list - cycling shoes with velcro straps!!

Just bought my first bike!!

Can you believe it - I signed up for a 240 mile cycling tour and I don't even own a bike! Well, after several days of researching and browsing the web, I finally decided on one. The Fuji Absolute 1.0 is a beauty. My test drive was a bit interesting, as I could barely maintain my balance. Thats ok though! Give me a couple months of training and I'll be an expert - maybe i'll even lift both hands off the handlebar!! My hubby got a bike too - a Specialized Crosstrail Elite for a great price on craigslist. So.. although I'll be doing Tour DaVita by myself, atleast I'll have a buddy to train with.

I also got the helmet..but I can't figure out how my hair fits into this thing. Do I tie it in a ponytail, should I just leave it down, on top of my head...what?

Why is riding a bike so much more complicated now than when I was a kid?