Has anyone taken up Bycyling?

[mbsbike2002 0]

Cute pic, TX...

[TexasFire 84]

Okay, I was confused! And of course I wondered, but didn't ask, why "the boys" were so adverse to the regular seat!

It's always fun looking for new pics, though! I didn't know if I would find anything for that.

[OH Juli 15]

Just to underscore BG's point.

When we met in August, my GF saw her and said, "why'd she get the band, she's small." or something to that...

I said, "well she got banded in February, and that's the point. Stacy's lost weight. "

The next thing I know I tell Stacy and she's all over Alison...lol. Really, as I recall Stacy, you grinned! And said you've not been called small...

But girl you're speaking the truth. When you contrast our past with our now or even our futures, people are so used to us taking up a certain kind of space. Seeing us in a different light, and sometime seeing ourselves differently, is really hard.

Things to think on.

[babygrl1234 6]

I totally did too. I was completely non sexually crushing on her for the rest of the day lol. I get called skinny a lot these days (even by my really skinny friends) but I am certainly not skinny.

[areellady 1]

Call me skinny but don't say I am unhealthy and sick looking. I am the most healthy looking that I have been in years. I like that song J, I guess I need to just let it go flying over my head. I guess if the in laws say to me that I am looking good, I will say, thats not what I hear you are saying....LOL...that would make for a great day.

When is everyone sending the SS out?

[TexasFire 84]

The 17th is what I thought. Is that right?

[babygrl1234 6]

I got a lovely Christmas card from ZZ today =)

[TexasFire 84]

Me, too! Thanx, ZZ!

[Suzzzie. 3]

Lol. No prob guys. (DId ya notice that they are penguin cards? I always send out penguins. Haha! I'm obsessed.)

I sent out like over 50 cards this year... Stamps are expensive!!

[babygrl1234 6]

HP you out there anywhere?

[mbsbike2002 0]

Hi peeps!

Just got back from the maiden voyage of the new bike.

I went to a local park, so the wife could walk the dog, and I could ride on the multi-use path. Won't be going back there for riding - paths are too narrow and too much foot traffic. I ended up cutting the ride short due to frustration with people, their kids, and dogs waking 4-5 abreast and blocking the whole path. I rode for about 45 minutes total, and was moving for about 40 of those minutes. I went 5.4 miles, which results in an average speed of about 8.4/hr. This number is much lower than the speed at which I actually pedaled, since I spent a lot of time moving but stopping, then starting again. Speed while pedaling was 13-14, which is quite a bit faster than on my upright (DF - diamond frame) bike for the same route.

Following are some observations:

• No pain - at the end of my ride, my hamstrings were a little sore since they are used differently, but no discomfort anywhere.
  
• Starts - as the great Julia Child once said, "You must have the courage of your convictions". Once I stopped thinking that if my start didn't go well, i could just put out my foot, stop & try again, they got much better. This will take the most work to get used to, but by the end of this ride, I was much, much better than at the beginning.
  
• Stops - planned stops are no more eventful than a DF, unplanned stops can be very eventful. For planned stops, it's much more important to downshift into an easier gear than on a DF - you can't put your body weight into getting going again.
  
• Downhills - Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! So very fun. I am much more aerodynamic than on my Trek, and probably more than I would be on a roadie with drop bars.
  
• Uphills - Didn't ride up the only big hill on the route at the park - some people were coming down and I didn't want to be weaving all over trying to get up past them. But - the little hills (humps really) were much easier to ride than on the DF - may be due to gearing differences, maybe due to the fact that my exercise bike is recumbent-style - more used to using my leg muscles that way.
  
• Perceived effort for a given speed is lower - most likely due to aerodynamics, but also due to aforementioned exercise bike. I stayed in middle chainring and middle cogs, so gearing may play into it some. It was easier to keep a higher cadence instead of mashing, so gearing probably is involved.
  
• Steering - twitchy. Not uncommon for short-wheel-base high bottom bracket bikes. Will take some getting used to, but after a few outings it should settle down some.
  
• Pedals - will be going clipless very soon. Had to readjust my feet to keep them on the pedals, but following spectacular crash (due to not wearing bike shoes), I also don't want to be attached to the thing until I am much better at controlling it.
  
• Spectacular crash - About 5-10 minutes in, after I started getting the hang of starts & stops and was ready to start riding in earnest, I watched in horror as my shoelace from my street shoes got sucked into the chainring. Realizing that there was no way this wasn't going to end horribly, I slammed on the brakes (Disk brakes are very effective), did as close to an end-over as you can get in a recumbent, and flopped over (since my shoelace was wrapped up, couldn't get foot down). Took me a few minutes to disengage myself, but I got up and hopped back on. Only damage I see to bike is handlebar tape is gouged up pretty good. I'll take it in this week to have them check it all out. I may look like a complete Fred, but I'll be wearing my bike shoes sans clipless pedals.
  

I hope that it doesn't rain tomorrow morning, so I can get back out there and get more riding in.

Hope everyone else is having a great day!

B

[babygrl1234 6]

B it sounds like you love the new bike. Aren't spectacular crashes fun once you look back at them? MAybe not so much as it is happening but definitely in hindsight. Not that I know about flipping over my handlebars or anything

So today was my first "long" run ever. I did 6 miles total, running 5.5 miles of it! My time was 1:25 for the whole thing. I pretty much almost died afterward, especially since the last 50 meters or so were an all out sprint. I am still pretty much in awe and a bit of shock that I actually did it.

[mbsbike2002 0]

BG - I am totally loving the new bike, and I feel like shit for banging it up on the first outing. At least handlebar tape can be easily redone... I wouldn't call it fun in hindsight, but at least I wasn't damaged too badly - legs are all beat to crap, but that's the extent of it.

Way to go on the run. Right now, I can't imagine running 5.5 miles, or even 0.5 miles. That's so awesome!!!

B

[OH Juli 15]

B

Sounds like you're a man in love with your new toy! Good for you...I'm so jealous.

BG

My new personal hero. You ran 6 miles?! I'm soooooooooo impressed. That's quite a feat! You've got to tell us how many calories the BB said you burned!

Xo

[mbsbike2002 0]

Sounds like you're a man in love with your new toy! Good for you...I'm so jealous.

Uh huh.... Now, off to do some school....

B