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06-03-07, 05:09 PM
My first ride report on my blog, March 3, 2007.
http://historian2wheels.blogspot.com/2007/03/ride-report-march-3-2007.html
"Today's ride almost turned into my last. I made the mistake of revisiting what has become for me the Trail of Tears - the bike path at the Betzwood Picnic Area in Valley Forge National Park. I went to get in another 3 mile time trial for the B7 contest at Fat Cyclist. Even though traffic on the path was light today, I was extremely nervous. I fought the bike and gravity for about half a mile in a repeat of my previous disaster in January. At that point, I stopped and walked the bike back to my car. The rain began to fall, and I had evil thoughts of leaving Excelsior propped against a tree with a note saying "Give me a good home.""
Later that day...
"Excelsior and I started circling the parking lot. Nothing fancy, nothing elaborate; my bike and I were learning to trust each other. The parking lot, aside from being wet and having salt spilled over a corner, was also on a modest incline. Thus the short ends of the loop forced me to pedal uphill and control the speeding bike downhill. Also, the long parts of the loop were not on level ground, which made me adjust my body to keep in balance. The first few times I had to stop at the end of each loop. Then I decided to try to keep moving through more than one loop. Soon I had completed a dozen without stopping. I then started to add in figure eights to the loops. After 35 minutes, my back began to bother me, so I called it a day and went to the gym."
Three months ago I rode for 45 minutes and that was it. Yesterday I chalked up a hundred plus mile week. What a difference three months makes!
http://historian2wheels.blogspot.com/2007/03/ride-report-march-3-2007.html
"Today's ride almost turned into my last. I made the mistake of revisiting what has become for me the Trail of Tears - the bike path at the Betzwood Picnic Area in Valley Forge National Park. I went to get in another 3 mile time trial for the B7 contest at Fat Cyclist. Even though traffic on the path was light today, I was extremely nervous. I fought the bike and gravity for about half a mile in a repeat of my previous disaster in January. At that point, I stopped and walked the bike back to my car. The rain began to fall, and I had evil thoughts of leaving Excelsior propped against a tree with a note saying "Give me a good home.""
Later that day...
"Excelsior and I started circling the parking lot. Nothing fancy, nothing elaborate; my bike and I were learning to trust each other. The parking lot, aside from being wet and having salt spilled over a corner, was also on a modest incline. Thus the short ends of the loop forced me to pedal uphill and control the speeding bike downhill. Also, the long parts of the loop were not on level ground, which made me adjust my body to keep in balance. The first few times I had to stop at the end of each loop. Then I decided to try to keep moving through more than one loop. Soon I had completed a dozen without stopping. I then started to add in figure eights to the loops. After 35 minutes, my back began to bother me, so I called it a day and went to the gym."
Three months ago I rode for 45 minutes and that was it. Yesterday I chalked up a hundred plus mile week. What a difference three months makes!