SpokEasy

SpokEasy

bicycling

If the Bike Fits

If the Bike Fits How does your bike fit? If the bike fits, ride it! I took the road bike for its initial Specialized Body Geometry fit in November 2015. It’s expensive; but my interest in long-distance riding made me decide that it would be worth the cost.  The fitter first asked about my cycling goals; and how long I had been riding. Next he fastened my bicycle into a stand and took various measurements, such as saddle height. Then I climbed aboard and pedaled; and the fitter watched my pedaling technique. He also checked my reach to the handlebars; and watched the angulation of my forefeet; my hip flexion; and neck flexion. To my surprise, he lowered my saddle a bit. He said that I have good hip flexion; and that lowering the saddle would let me make better use of it. I could feel the difference at first, but quickly adjusted to it. Last November I went for a refit. It was done by the same person who did my initial fitting; and this time he used something called Retul. He stuck little lights on various parts of me and my biking shoes; and filmed me as I pedaled. Somehow I never got the printout of that session’s results; and, as a re-fit is supposed to be done annually, it’s getting close to time for another! But at least my bike fits me; and if the bike fits, ride it!

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Quit Bugging Me!

Quit Bugging Me! Oh, quit bugging me! I want to enjoy my ride! Riding before daylight in temperatures above 68 degrees Fahrenheit presents certain difficulties. Yes, we have overnight lows around 80 degrees for months on end; and even riding at 5:00 am means getting very hot and sweaty. But that isn’t the worst of it. It’s all the flying insects. Sometimes there are swarms of gnats; and other times I ride through clouds of tiny moths. I need to wear my glasses if only to protect my eyes; but now and than a bug gets behind the lenses! That’s when I want to holler, “Quit bugging me!” Another problem with all those bugs in the air, is that I hardly dare to breathe through my mouth. I don’t need to choke on a winged critter; and even if I don’t choke, bugs don’t taste so good. So I wear my glasses; and I breathe through my nose as much as I can. It’s a good thing the bugs aren’t swarming like this when the weather is cold. My nose runs nonstop when it’s cold; and I’m forced to breathe through my mouth. I’d get a lot of insects into my system — which would really bug me.

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