A Perfect Maiden Voyage
Saturday dawned perfect and warm, the sky a beautiful cerulean blue. I was excited because I was going on the first real ride on my new bike (other than tackling ‘the hill’ I hadn’t really ridden her) and I was going for my first ride with my fabulous race club. I had sent the organizer an email warning him that I was going to be the “B”-est of the “B” group and he replied “Great! Come on down!” so I was super stoked.
I rode from my house to the store where we started, getting passed on the way by a guy in team kit. I yelled out “tell them I’m on my way – don’t leave without me!!” and tried to pick up the pace. I had thought it was about 5 miles from my house but it was closer to 7 and I was worried I’d be late. I characteristically took the wrong way into town but didn’t have any trouble cutting over a block and finding a large, obvious group of cyclists congregating in the street.
I met the women going with the “B” group. There were 3 other women – 2 of them in Wildflower jerseys – my kind of people. Then team kit guy pulled up and said, “you made it – I didn’t have to tell them at all”. I’m pretty sure he must have stopped for some eggs Benedict on the way.
I told the “B” group leader I wouldn’t go all the way because I had 14 miles round trip just between my house and the store and I wanted to do about 30 total for my first ride. After appropriately admiring my new ride (you just can’t help it – trust me!) we took off.
The greatest minds on the planet could not have conjured up a more perfect ride . The women were super nice, the course was about as flat as it gets in these parts and it was beautiful – just perfect. I rode out to my 15 mile mark but by then I had been dropped by about 1/2 a mile so I had to keep riding to the turn so the other ladies wouldn’t wait forever for me. I said my goodbyes and headed back but of course – took a wrong turn – and then another wrong turn. I’m not kidding when I say I could get lost in a walk in closet. Put a door on 2 sides and I will invariably walk out the one I didn’t use to enter.
Distance = 34.5 miles; Time 2:42:56; Bliss – Total
I’m totally in love with this bike – it is perfect! I did get a case of SGS (smashed groin syndrome) but I think that is to be expected on a first ride. I’m going to give it one more go before going back to the shop for an adjustment. Admittedly, I was a little surprised this morning that placing my pull buoy made me wince a little.
![[Bloglines]](http://21st-century-mom.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/bloglines.png)
![[Digg]](http://21st-century-mom.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[diigo]](http://21st-century-mom.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/diigo.png)
![[Facebook]](http://21st-century-mom.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Feed Me Links]](http://21st-century-mom.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/feedmelinks.png)
![[Google]](http://21st-century-mom.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[Slashdot]](http://21st-century-mom.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/slashdot.png)
![[Technorati]](http://21st-century-mom.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://21st-century-mom.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Email]](http://21st-century-mom.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
Posted by 21stcenturymom.
Filed under Cycling
Posted on Mon, 19 February 2007 at 9:55 am
Subscribe to RSS 2.0 feed.
Ok, I’m jealous
Glad to see you enjoying the new bike though and how great a team to ride with! I love group rides.
19 Feb 07 at 2:49 pm #Enjoy the new bike! Sounds like HEAVEN!!
19 Feb 07 at 3:12 pm #How green the hills are! Glad you’re enjoying your new bike. I was reading your post from last year’s Cinderella Ride and noticed the bike you rode on loan was a Specialized. I guess that marketing program paid off! What were you riding before you got this one? (I don’t mean the too-big one you bought on impulse a few weeks ago, I mean last year.)
19 Feb 07 at 4:20 pm #good luck with the SGS
) Glad you enjoyed your ride!!
19 Feb 07 at 4:58 pm #Sounds like you and your new bike are getting along just swimmingly!
19 Feb 07 at 5:53 pm #It rocks when you have a great ride on a bike that is like yours. It feels like everything is so smooth and effortless. Enjoy!!!
19 Feb 07 at 6:41 pm #I love getting lost like that. Great time. Sweeeeeeet!
19 Feb 07 at 6:41 pm #Yay, yay, yay! I am so happy for you. SGS sounds like it sucks, but a great ride overall! Keep it up; riding with a group will make you sooo much stronger!
Congratulations!
20 Feb 07 at 7:07 am #It’s cool you love your bike. I’m still afraid of mine. It like goes way to close to traffic and has no training wheels.
20 Feb 07 at 12:15 pm #you are amazing! keep it up! i get smashed groin from just 45 min of spinning, so i really canNOT imagine. They can put a man on the moon, they can’t cure this?!?!
20 Feb 07 at 12:34 pm #totally cool! i’m so glad you’re so happy with your new ride and your bike group sounds great. b-est of the b’s. you know that’s the BEST of the b’s right??? i got a little of that sgs thing going on after my ride this weekend with my new “fit” on my bike, hopefully that will go away soon.
20 Feb 07 at 4:16 pm #Glad that you got out to enjoy the weather and your new wheels.
20 Feb 07 at 5:51 pm #As my friend Dave once told me, sometimes it takes awhile to make friends with your saddle.
(To this pearl of wisdom, I add my own little nugget: and sometimes saddles just suck.)
Here’s to butt-calluses!
20 Feb 07 at 8:21 pm #So glad you had an “A” ride even tho you were in the “B” group!
23 Feb 07 at 3:09 pm #You deserved the perfect ride after the not-so-perfect ones that preceded!
You will be a hard-ass soon enuff! Keep at it!