It must be everybody's day to take on a new hill they've been avoiding. SaiKaiTai, you seem to have that effect lately. Tonight I rode one of the Springfield bike trails and instead of turning around at the James River, I rode on up the hill out of the valley to the C-store, over the highway and headed back down again. It was very pretty. The big long hill was not as bad as I thought it might be, went up it with some caution as I knew it was long. Used all the chain rings in front, but not all the gears in the back. I was feeling pretty cocky til I got to the peak on the other side of the highway and was just ready to head down when I met a guy on his mountain bike, pulling his three year old boy in a trailer.
He WAS winded though and ready to stop for a rest. Salve to my pride it was. That hill was shorter but steeper than the other side. Pulling it with a kid in a trailer was a feat!
About the bibs in public. For my first time out in them, I think I put them to nearly the ultimate test. I had to deliver some bottled water to Lovey's two Curves stores. When I walked in, all the women stopped talking. They did not resume while I was present. Nobody died, though one lady did find it imperative to leave right away
As far as comfort goes, they're OK on the bike I guess, though overkill for what I need for 25 mile comfort. The seamless underwear and regular shorts I'd been wearing weren't causing any problems. The bike shorts didn't result in a miraculous increase in riding comfort. I will say I do not like walking around in them. The sensation is like having a wad of toilet paper in the crack of my ass that I failed to remove. I can see where they would be nice on much longer rides. The tight fit does seem like it might be a bit more efficient at the evaporative cooling effect than baggies are. Black does not seem a wise choice for summer riding? Am I wrong there?