Day 71: Maiden Ride

When I bought my new bike on Saturday, I also got special pedals and shoes that clip into the pedals--essential gear for anyone who's more than just a recreational cyclist. I'm not gonna lie: the clippy pedals and shoes terrify me. If I'm being honest, I might admit that that fear is part of the reason I haven't gotten a new bike sooner. True, I spent my weekend rides dreaming of a better bike, but part of me was also secretly afraid of those clips and the lack of control and accompanying potential for grave bodily harm they represent. One sudden stop, without time to "unclip" your foot, and you're sprawled on the ground in a mangled, bloody mess. YIKES!

Tonight after work I took my bike out for an inaugural spin. Severe thunderstorms were in the forecast and I confess to hoping a tiny bit that it would rain so I would be spared the trauma of locking myself onto a moving vehicle that I might not be able to escape later. In spite of practicing getting in and out of the pedals last night (with the kind assistance of my brother-in-law, Jason), I was still very worried.

Ultimately, I survived unscathed. I spent close to an hour riding at a fairly leisurely pace through my own and the surrounding neighborhoods, circling the same blocks over and over while I got used to the new bike's gears and repeatedly clipped my feet in and out of the pedals. I covered several hills of varying length and grade, giving me a pretty good workout. (Leandro would be happy to know that I really worked my inner thigh and outer glutes, thanks to the new pedal-shoe combo.)

I was seriously paranoid of falling over in the middle of the road, unable to detach myself from the pedals, for the first 20 minutes or so, causing me to unclip about every 50 feet and/or anytime I approached a stop sign, corner, or suspicious-looking twig in the road.

Eventually, I relaxed a little and focused more on shifting and pace. I also felt a little bit of glee anytime I came across another person on a bike, particularly if they looked like a hard-core cyclist. Look at me! Look at my brand-name road bike with the clippy pedals! I'm bona fide! I'm a real cyclist too!

I passed a group of guys who were straddling their bikes at a corner, talking, apparently waiting for someone else to join them before they took off on a ride together. I felt them watch me as I passed, although I avoided looking at them beyond an initial glance, and I was certain they were checking out my bike. I was equally certain they were giving it--and, by extension, me--a positive appraisal. One brief ride around the block and I'm already developing a case of Bike Ego.

Ha ha. I'm just excited I survived my first ride in the clippy shoes without falling over!