Only, I sort of fail at it.
At least now I have a bike that is the proper size, thanks to Angela and a good deal of patience. (Mostly Angela, though.) And I like my bike. It's not ugly and it gives of an aura of good personality-- that of a stolid, yet slightly mischievous horse*.
I have now learned several things in quick succession:
1) My inner thigh muscles only get exercised when I do two things: sex and bike riding. Those muscles are weak and tremulous like a baby's middle finger.
2) Stretching and drinking water helps immensely
Duh.
Still, I'm amazed at how much it helps. It's not a little bit. It's the difference between biking four miles with some stiffness or around the block with screaming cramps.
3) Somehow, I misunderstood my shifter and was constantly riding in super-low gears.
*facepalm*
I'm no longer trying to bike in the bottom tier of gears, which also helps.
That said, I don't think I'm shifting correctly. I'm a bit confused as to which shifter changes the chain to which sprocket, and it's a little hard to look while simultaneously biking. I'm pretty sure part of my problem is trying to jump the chain too far between chainwheels; I'm not shifting efficiently and as a result am causing some wear on the chain and derailer (and me). Sometimes I twist my shifter and nothing happens...and sometimes a whole lot happens and I go from working the pedals hard to simply spinning them.
One side has 6 labeled gears, and the other has...um. A whole bunch. The numbers are worn off, so I'm unsure. A lot. Am I supposed to downshift through the bunch before downshifting from 2 to 3? HOW DOES THIS WORK. BICYCLES ARE CONFUSING. THIS SHIT WAS REALLY EASY WHEN I WAS ELEVEN.
Things I need:
Head/tail light, rearview mirror, foot pump and tire gauge, helmet, water bottle holder, rack and pannier, speedometer, chain degreaser/lubricant/whatever the fuck you're supposed to put on there.
What I really need:
Bicycling 101 for Dummies.
* Her name is Horse. She's definitely a mare. If customizing her paint job wasn't a pain in the ass, I'd redo her as a palomino paint or a bay Morgan
At least now I have a bike that is the proper size, thanks to Angela and a good deal of patience. (Mostly Angela, though.) And I like my bike. It's not ugly and it gives of an aura of good personality-- that of a stolid, yet slightly mischievous horse*.
I have now learned several things in quick succession:
1) My inner thigh muscles only get exercised when I do two things: sex and bike riding. Those muscles are weak and tremulous like a baby's middle finger.
2) Stretching and drinking water helps immensely
Duh.
Still, I'm amazed at how much it helps. It's not a little bit. It's the difference between biking four miles with some stiffness or around the block with screaming cramps.
3) Somehow, I misunderstood my shifter and was constantly riding in super-low gears.
*facepalm*
I'm no longer trying to bike in the bottom tier of gears, which also helps.
That said, I don't think I'm shifting correctly. I'm a bit confused as to which shifter changes the chain to which sprocket, and it's a little hard to look while simultaneously biking. I'm pretty sure part of my problem is trying to jump the chain too far between chainwheels; I'm not shifting efficiently and as a result am causing some wear on the chain and derailer (and me). Sometimes I twist my shifter and nothing happens...and sometimes a whole lot happens and I go from working the pedals hard to simply spinning them.
One side has 6 labeled gears, and the other has...um. A whole bunch. The numbers are worn off, so I'm unsure. A lot. Am I supposed to downshift through the bunch before downshifting from 2 to 3? HOW DOES THIS WORK. BICYCLES ARE CONFUSING. THIS SHIT WAS REALLY EASY WHEN I WAS ELEVEN.
Head/tail light, rearview mirror, foot pump and tire gauge, helmet, water bottle holder, rack and pannier, speedometer, chain degreaser/lubricant/whatever the fuck you're supposed to put on there.
What I really need:
Bicycling 101 for Dummies.
* Her name is Horse. She's definitely a mare. If customizing her paint job wasn't a pain in the ass, I'd redo her as a palomino paint or a bay Morgan
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