Whew. I didn't bike to work today, so I felt like I had a debt of riding miles that I needed to repay myself. Having no where to go I decided "north" would be a good direction and after hopping on my trusty steed (dad's old 10-speed) I got to hammering away. I didn't know where I was going and for that matter I didn't really care. I haven't traveled much more than a mile or two north of my house simply because north of here is mostly farm land, an air port and some housing that fits somewhere between rural and suburban dwellings. Whenever I hit a road, my decision was "go south to head home" or "continue north to see how far I could go." I opted for north, and then east until I hit a road that I knew would take me back home.

This route was absolutely amazing. Very few stop signs. Extremely low traffic, and the traffic that I did see was very patient and gave me plenty of room to feel safe (which I attribute to my new white Champion training jersey as well as the fact that I wasn't riding on busy roads). And, for about 50% of the ride there was a nice wide shoulder (at one time it was a lane, but the road is no longer an express way - Old US 27) and quite flat. I did encounter a moment where I almost stopped while gazing at the hill I was about to climb. There was definitely a muttering of "oh s#*(@# what did I get myself into" but I hammered away. Only twice did I stop.

I am very thankful for having my camel bag with me - it was nice to have moderately cool water whenever I wanted but I did learn that those bite valves don't let water flow as freely as I'd like. I also learned that you should stop sucking before letting go or you'll splash water all over your glasses and rear view mirror. No biggie, it felt good as its about 88 degrees here.

Another thing learned on the trip is that my seat is a very poor fit for me. My groin area never felt numb, but it definitely felt sore whenever I stood up to adjust - something I've never felt during my normal 6 mile commutes. This ride was 14 miles straight through, crankin' the whole way - which is more than I've done in a single bout, but I've only been riding for a month or two. The best part was the fact that I was just cruising the whole way, up until the end where I gave it one last sprint down the hill. I only wish I had a second harness for my PB Protege 8.0 bike computer so I could see how fast I go on the road bike (pictured below).

All in all, I learned a few things:
- Riding just to ride is fun, having not intention of where you're going to end up is a great feeling, especially if you are familiar enough with the area that you could get yourself back home at pretty much any point.
- My seat is improperly fit for me, and it can't be adjusted any further back. At times during the ride I could feel myself wishing that it was further back but it simply can't go any further back.
- The new "jersey" is great at letting air through. The sides and back are almost a mesh, where the front is a polyester wicking material. Worked quite well save for the spot on my back where I had the camel bag.
- Big hills aren't a huge challenge - they just require gearing down and keeping persistent (and having said camel bag to enjoy at the top of the hill).
- To that end, not all climbs lead to an enjoyable down hill, you just build up an insane amount of potential energy and expend it more slowly getting back home.

I mapped out my route on mapmyrun.com but... I closed the tab before saving. It worked out to 13.85 miles, but there were some streets I knew I went down but couldn't find on the map. My next milestone is 20 miles and I'll work it up from there :-D It was a very exciting feeling to be done, but also disapointing since I knew I had more in me. The only reason I stopped is that going further south after beginning the trek back would have put me into a really bad area of town. Maybe early next week I'll go for the 20+ mile ride and just keep going north even more.



That's the trusty steed that got me around. Its my dad's ~ 28 year old 10-speed All Pro bike. I overhauled the bottom bracket, tightened up the head set, un-bent the front derailleur and adjusted the brakes, so it was silky smooth and quiet to boot!

Riding "just because" is fun, isn't it? I did that today - took the long route (around the reservoir) home from a meeting near the college. My bike is only a little newer than yours (1984) - love that steel

A couple of suggestions: new saddle, which you already know; maybe a new seatpost to get you farther back; try toe clips (I find they really do make a difference on a ride over 5 miles); bring snacks; and wear padded shorts, if you aren't already.

I made a return route from Georgetown a couple days ago and did the same kind of thing -- "Hmm, wonder where this goes..." I took a couple alternate turns, made some guesses, and popped out by the White House.

That's one thing I like about biking -- you can ride for a while, choose entirely unfamiliar routes, see new stuff, but still not get so lost that you can't get back home.

I'll hold you to that Just kidding - but if you do manage to get yourself lost, chances are you haven't meandered too far away from assistance.