The Queen Of Improvision

     Over the years I've learned that sometimes vanity has to take a back seat if you want to survive.  I've been told I don't always do things conventionally and I agree, I'm not exactly the picture of a professional biker; the word "crazy" may have even been thrown out there a few times; I mean, look at the goofy shorts:)

     I really don't mind being called crazy or unconventional and I do what ever it takes to make my life "happen".

     A "professional biker" would have those fancy, curvy handle bars that make them more arrow dynamic.  I have up right handlebars so my arms don't go completely numb, but hey it worked for Dorothy...and Toto too!

     Most "bikers" travel light so they can get to the finish line fast.  I have to have a saddlebag with My "nerve zapper" (my turbo leg!) for my toe, so when I get off my bike I don't trip, and a battery in case it goes dead and a cover for it in case it rains... I could go on and on...

     Then a real "biker" would have those cool shoes that clip into the pedals so they can become one with the bike.  I, however, need my strong leg free so I can put it down in a second's notice when I'm forced to stop.  Then of course I need the funky "practical  shoes".

     But if I don't look goofy enough I have one more improvise that makes my life easier...

     My strong leg has always done most of the work on a bike ride and my shin has to take up the slack by balancing on my pedal at a stop,  so it's in perfect position for take off,  therefore, smooth pedals are a must if I don't want mutilation of my leg.  But my poor weak leg, as much as it wants to be helpful, is constantly slipping off the smooth pedal.

      I really wished I could have spikes on my pedals so my right leg felt secure, but it wasn't possible.  Being the queen of improvision I came up with a solution not many "cool riders" would stoop to.  I simply have two different pedals; one smooth for my poor calve on my strong leg, and spikes for my week leg to hold on to.  I may be crazy, but I'm smarter than the average bear;)

Just so you don't start making some calls to have me committed I had to show you what they look like and you'll see they don't make me look like a "total" freakazoid, and even if they did, I guess I'll except my new title, because it isn't easy being "The Queen Of Improvision":)

smooth pedal

spiked pedal

Right?!? :)

Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)

Training wheels, training or trains

     With all of my training for the Bike To The Bay over the past year I've over come many obstacles and made many interesting discoveries.

     One year ago I was very proud of myself when I made it 8 miles on my bike, and now if I don't go at  least 15 miles it isn't really a "bike ride" at all.  And I thought those "training wheels" would never come off.

     I've gone from huffing and puffing at 8 -10 miles an hour to averaging about 13 miles an hour;  All this with only one "good leg".  It's amazing what you can accomplish if you just have faith.

     The many bike trails I've discovered around the city have opened up a whole new world for me, and It's a freedom I never knew existed.

     One of my favorite bike trails is the University Parks Trail.  After riding it many times I learned a bit about the origin of this fine trail.  To my understanding this trail was built along the route of an old rail road, which you can see as you travel the path, though never a glimpse of a train in sight.

     Yesterday, however, I made another discovery and that is that this railroad is only "old" in the sense of the word, but by no means retired.

     I always pick up this trail by way of Wildwood park and for the first time I was actually stopped in my tracks (no pun intended) by a passing train.  I had to take a picture because it was so unbelievable.

     Then I had to have a kind stranger and fellow biker snap a picture of the expression on my face which meant  "WTF" (When's this finished??... come on, what were you thinking?!?!).

     So now I guess I have to rename this the University Parks Trail/railroad, and not only do I have to watch out for crossing animals, but possibly a random train or two.

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

When a grey cat crosses your path does that mean mediocre luck??

     

     The University parks trail is a trail I used to love to roller blade every day, back before this MS business decided to make things complicated.

     I would travel from one end to the other and back in about one hour; approximately 13 miles.  Every night like clock work I put on my blades and hit the trail as though there wasn't a care in the world.

    The fact that MS and foot drop has made it impossible for me to roller blade any more isn't going to stop me from hitting that trail again; only now it's on my bike.  In the past couple of weeks I went on that trail with friends, and it brought back fond memories from the past.  However, I wouldn't dream of hitting the trail by myself anymore.  What if I got a flat?? or wiped out??  Who would help me??

     The other day I had plans with friends, to ride the Wabash Cannonball trail, which starts by Fallen Timbers Mall and goes out by Oak openings park.  I was really looking forward to the ride and it was a long trail, but I planned to divide it into three parts with breaks in between to see if I could actually make it 35 miles in one day.

     However, the plans fell apart and we had to cancel the ride.  I was a little bummed; I actually had bike shorts on with padding so the long ride didn't make make my poor little booty ache for days.

     But I wasn't crazy!  I totally had to wear gym shorts over the padded shorts.  I mean, what girl wants extra padding?  We're always asking "does this make my butt look big!?!?"  Well, hello!!  padded shorts!!  Heck yes, they make your butt look big!!

     But that was neither here nor there because we weren't going anyway... But wait... this was my chance to take that leap of faith again and do my favorite trail on my own.

     At the University Parks Trail there were a lot of people who had the same idea as me, and I felt comfortable knowing that if I did break down I could surely get some help.

     But as I got further along the crowd started to thin and I knew it was time to head back;  Okay, I might be crazy, but I'm not stupid.

     At the end of my ride I came across a young couple sitting on a park bench lacing up their roller blades and I decided to ask them to take a picture for my blog before they began their ride.  

     They were more than happy to, and as the girl was taking a couple pictures the guy continued to lace his blades.  I mentioned to them that I was riding in the MS bike to the bay.  They said "good for you!" They just so happened to have a friend who was newly diagnosed with MS.

     I told them I have MS, and for many years I had roller bladed this trail, only now with the MS I've traded in my blades for a bike.

      I thanked them for taking the time to help me and the young man said " It's no problem, this is my first time on roller blades and I was glad to stall!"

     Thinking back, I knew the feeling, and I assured him one day he would love it!!

     Oh... the grey cat thing... so as I was riding, this grey cat came darting out from nowhere, and the first thing that went through my mind was "dang lucky that cat wasn't black!!"  But when a grey cat crosses your path does that mean mediocre luck?  That day I would call it GOOD!

Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)

It might look like a good idea, but it always pays to think it through;)

     Just because something looks like a good idea, it still pays to think it through...

     I've spent the last nine months training for the BTTB either on a stationary bike indoors or on the same west to east bike trail that is perfectly flat.

     I decided I needed to switch it up a bit and experience some open roads to get used to the conditions I might face when I actually do the 35 mile ride.

     The first thing I did was scope out some possible routes by car, making sure the traffic was mild and there were ample bike lanes.

     One road I found had very little traffic and the speed limit was 35 miles an hour, but most importantly, the bike lane seemed to be ideal.  I clocked the route out on my odometer and from the start to my final destination it would be 1.3 miles... piece of cake!!  I've gone much further than that a million times.

     So last Saturday the weather was perfect and I knew it was the day to take this route for a test ride.  It was very smooth sailing... that was until I saw the steep hill in the horizon.  It's funny how that hill seemed non existent when I was in my car.

     You know how I mentioned my strong leg always pushed the weak one??  Well, I soon discovered that only works on a flat surface.  I managed to make it half way up the steep hill, then I started to panic a bit when I realized my weak leg had no more power left to make the rotation.  I felt that rush you get when you're on a roller-coaster and as the cars are being pulled up by the cable you get the feeling that the cable could snap at any moment... Okay, maybe that's just me:)

     I knew the only thing I could do was get off the bike and drag it to the top, and keep in mind I wasn't wearing my turbo leg (the nerve stimulater that makes my toe go up ) so I also had to be careful not to trip on my toe.  How embarrassing would it be to admit I had gotten a bad case of "road rash" and I wasn't even riding...

     This was the other side and it may not look steep but trust me it was!!!

     Once I got to the top, the hill going down was a breeze, but as I made it to my final destination it hit me that the ride home would be exactly the same, only in reverse.  I needed to find an alternate route.

     I managed to find a way home that avoided that huge hill, but it ended up being 4 times as far, though I didn't care, at least it was flat.

     At the time I didn't think to take these pictures to show you what I was talking about, but when I got home I got in my car and went back to take a photo so I could put it in my blog.  I got out of my car and took the photo and then of course I had to go over the hill and take a photo of what it looked like coming back up.

     You can see the side street coming out.  I parked my car at the corner and got out and took a picture.  As I was getting back in my car a Sylvania police car pulled up and the police officer rolled down his window.  I thought maybe I was getting a ticket for parking my car illegally (of course you'd think he would at least get out to write it...).  He asked me if everything was okay; I smiled and said "Yes, I just wanted to take a picture for... Yes, everything is great:)", and the police officer smiled and drove away.

     Just think... If I had only gone on a told him the whole story I might be looking at a Sylvania Police officer on my team...!!  That, or I could have talked my way right into a traffic ticket;)  Sometimes you just have to know when to leave well enough alone:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

* 13 abc VIDEO :) 

Spring is inching it's way in!!

     What a difference there is from the first time I rode my bike out doors to the second.  Remember I showed you the snow that still lingered in the background?  Well look at it now!!  Not one flake of snow remains.  The sun was actually shining like it was mid July.  I was sure glad I had my sunglasses!  My ride was a lot more pleasant than the stationary bike indoors.  Even though I had to dodge a couple of squirrels and kids on scooters, it was a sign that spring is here:)

     Of course the grass and trees have to play some major catch up from the brutal winter; you can see the trees look like fire kindling at the moment, but I know it won't be long until we're experiencing the aroma of freshly cut grass and back yard barbecues.  Fingers crossed, the next time I ride outside I can loose the jacket as well;)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

     

I was bound and determined!!

          Working at the bike to the bay booth at the walk MS was surely an amazing experience, and all the hype about starting to train for the ride had me  anxious to get back on the bike trail again.

     On my way home the sun beating through the car windows was so warm and though the car thermometer said a mere 47 degrees, I just knew it had to be a mistake.

     When I got home the first thing I did was fill my bike tires.  I know I said I dusted the cob webs off, but nothing about air in the tires;)

     Before long I was on my way to the bike trail.  I had just purchased gloves that were supposed to keep my hands from going numb but finger-less gloves aren't much help when its windy and cold outside, which is what I discovered the bike trail to be.

     But I didn't care, I was bound and determined to ride out side and I wasn't backing down.  However by the time I got to about 4 miles my fingers started to feel like popsicles and the wind whipping against my ears made me feel as though at any moment they were going to turn to ice and crack right off.

     And on top of that, I noticed there were still a few small snow mounds so it must be a little chilly yet.

     This was when I started thinking up the excuses in my head, as I continued to ride, and If I could come up with a really good one then I could head back home and wait for a warmer day.

     But by the time I had convinced myself that I had a good reason to quit I was already 6 miles in; now it would be silly to quit.

     By the time I was finished I actually made it to 11.5 miles and there is nothing more rewarding then to finish something you set out to do.  Ironically, by the time I had completed my ride I was actually warm:)

     So It's official!  My outdoor riding has begun (subject to optimal weather conditions. lol) and "real Spring" can't get here soon enough!!

Have a great day!!

Christine



     

Spring is finally here; YAY!!!

          Where I come from this has been one very long winter, but now we are officially into spring!  I took this picture of the bike trail I ride and you can see that even though spring is here we still have the subtle reminder that winter isn't to far in the past.

     Yes, the mounds of snow still linger but you can see by the picture that the sun is trying to peak through letting us know the wonderful spring days are approaching us.  

     The bright rays over head remind me of the  TV  show "Touched by and angel", Remember Roma Downey?? (I might start speaking with an Irish accent!)  of course I was really hoping I could get a picture without the sun distorting it, but it was a sign that spring is finally here.

These next two pictures are proof of what the brutal winter did to the precious bike trail.

summer

now

     But I have faith that before long it will be green and cheery again!!

     In anticipation I've got my bike on deck and the cob webs are gone, so maybe just maybe, next week I'll be back to out door riding again! Fingers crossed:)

Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)

I know! I'll just imagine I'm a spin instructor!

     I have to admit, riding a stationary bike indoors three days a week can get a little monotonous,  but that doesn't stop me from doing it.  It's time to play those mind games again so I don't start pulling out the excuses.  If I was a spin class instructor could I say "I just don't want to teach today"??  I don't think so; my paycheck would rely on it and so would the classroom full of anxious students.

     Okay, so I'm not a spin instructor, and my class room consists of... well, just me, but that doesn't mean I can't trick my brain into believing someone is counting on me.  So here's what I tell myself... "yes there is a paycheck and it's called my health:)"  And who is counting on me??  Well... me of course!  Do I need a whole classroom before it matters??  Heck no!!  So I slap on those sneakers and start on my mission; before I know it my class is done.

     Sure, I don't get a room full of "great job"s at the end,  but in my mind I hear it:)  That's all the reward I need!


Have a great day!

Christine:)

The slug bank: my strategy for survival

     Anyone who has MS will tell you that most of the time we're working with an energy deficit.  I personally can tell you that most days my body feels like lead and I feel like I weigh 300 pounds.  If I were to add fifty pounds of actual weight I would probably feel like a sumo wrestler.

     I'm not complaining, my condition just makes me stronger.  We only live once so it's up to me to have a strategy to keep my body as healthy and strong as possible, so I developed "the slug bank".  If I get up early when my energy level is at it's best and get my workout in, I will have made a deposit into my slug bank for later.

     The great thing about this bank is, later in the day when the rest of the world is scrambling to get  that workout in, guess what I'm doing... yep, being a slug, a guilt free slug!

     You've heard the old cliché "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels", well I have my own cliché, "nothing tastes as good as an hour in slugville feels".  When I look at a doughnut my slug calculator kicks in.  The average person would say "I'll just work it off later".   After my one to one and a half hour work out at 4:15 in the morning I'm not in the mood to make a deposit into my slug bank later.

     Of course I have to play mind games with my self to get through my workouts.  They tell you if you find a workout you enjoy you will stay with it.  Well, I have to say at 300 "mental" pounds there isn't a workout I love.  So I have to trick myself to get through it.  It's my daily ritual to talk myself out of quitting half way through.  What else am I going to do at 4:30 in the morning, sit and stare at four walls?? Then I pray to God for strength, thank him for the great friends in my life and just keep chasing that carrot knowing I'm making a deposit into my slug bank.  As long as I have a strategy my life is good!


Have a great weekend!

Christine:)

   

It's just too cold; I'll ride to warm weather!

     With cold weather here it's time to have a plan to make it through til spring;  it's just too cold so I'll ride to warm weather!  Of course we know I tucked my road bike in for the season but that doesn't mean I can't take a "road trip".

     When I rode outside over the summer it was so nice looking at all of the scenery and wild life, but as I've transitioned to riding indoors I don't have that luxury anymore.  I'm forced to stare at the same four  walls day after day.  We know playing mind games with myself is how I operate so I needed to come up with a strategy to make it through the winter.

     I decided I would take a road trip!  Up north is way too cold, but a road trip down south would be perfect:)  So on my bike I went.  I estimated the miles I go in an average week and if you add the bike and treadmill, I'm clocking in at about 50 miles a week or 200 a month.  The hard part of getting started is behind me and now I'm well on my way;  I'll just keep riding and by spring I will have taken the most amazing road trip  "imaginable".  With my calculations I will have racked up about 1300 miles  by the time The-Bike-To-The-Bay gets here, which is a whole a lot of riding for sure; but I've got all winter:)

Come along for the ride:)


Have a great weekend!

Christine:)

The outdoor riding season has come to an end

 

      Well it's finally time to put my bike into hibernation for the winter.  Where did the summer go?  Remember the bike trail I was riding on just a couple of weeks ago??  Look at it now! Snow?!?!  Seriously!?!?  And we're not even half way through November!  Not quite enough for a snowman but I was freezing my behind off taking these photos, then again the wind didn't help:)

    Of course now that means I have to try harder than ever to keep up my riding indoors so I don't have to start all over come spring.

     To think there was a day that I couldn't ride a stationary bike five minutes without getting bored out of my mind.  Now I find myself using it like a drug.  The natural high is amazing!

     So I've committed (with witnesses)  to riding after work three afternoons a week and I'll admit I usually dread getting started, but about twenty minutes in when I feel that first bead of perspiration roll down my face I remember why I'm there.

     Once again it's the mind games that keep me going; if I have to imagine myself riding across country then that's what I'll do.  As long as I keep focused I can do anything!


Have a great day!

Christine:)

     

Why am I here?

     Today I have a confession to make, and that is that I never really wanted to ride in the bike to the bay, nor did I ever see myself as a "blogger".  It was so much easier standing on the sidelines and being a "poster child" for why others ride. I'll be honest, the thought of actually riding scared me to death.  Then once I was talked into it I thought that was my way of doing my part. 

     Soon I admitted that I would try to ride my bike inside or outdoors 3 or 4 days a week to gain strength, on top of my other daily workout and I need to hold true to my word, so there's no backing out, which is also scary because I'm not a quitter.

     Before long I was also roped into starting a committee of others to help me on this mission of making next years Bike-To-The-Bay huge.  I never imagined having a website and blogging as well.  Sure I love to write stories, and my dream has been to publish a book someday, but with the millions of books out already, what would make a book from someone like me stand out from others?? Of course where there's a will, there's a way!

     When I started my blog I was way outside of my comfort zone, I had no idea how to do it or if what I had to say would interest anyone, let alone everyone. What if I ran out of things to write about?  Some people may say I don't know what they're going through, and I probably I don't, and some may be looking for me to give them a plethora of valuable information to live by.  All I have is what's on my mind, interesting or not... and with any luck I may be able to convince others to help me with my quest while I'm at it:)

     I began to wonder just how I would write things relatable to the whole world.  But then I started to realize that if just one person was interested in what I have to say then my job is done.  

      The pictures... I know if I see a story with just words I tend to skim over it, but if I see a picture then I feel like I can relate with the person telling the story.  By no means do I claim to be a super model, but if what they say is true, smiles are contagious, then if I can put a smile on just one face then it's worth it.

     So now that I've come clean I can continue to do what I love, and that's write, and hope more days than not I'll find others that can relate to me or at least get them thinking... Oh, and I'll still keep riding!


have a great day!

Christine:)

Thank God for friends

   

  Preparing to ride in the Bike-To-The-Bay has been a true learning experience for me.  From discovering what kind of bike I need, what gadgets I need to get over the finish line safely and what my body needs to physically make the ride.

     In the process of training I learned that a flat tire is quite possible, wide tires are miserable, and hills along with wind can make my body feel like cement.  

     One very valuable discovery I made was that I am much stronger than I gave myself credit for and the harder I work at it the stronger I get.  As I've mentioned before, my strong leg is the leader and my crazy leg is the follower.  At the end of my ride I always coast into my driveway and then give my exhausted leg a chance to go back to normal.  Good strategy right!?

      But as time went on I also learned another important lesson, though my strong leg could go on for miles and miles, my weaker leg was useless on it's own.

     In the past I've been lucky and able to coast while crossing busy streets.  The timing has always been perfect.  On this last ride I wasn't as lucky.  As I was approaching a busy street I noticed a lot of traffic coming from both directions and I knew I would have to stop.  The cars were going 50 miles an hour so there was no darting out between them.

     Eventually I came to a complete stop and mind you, I had been riding my bike for almost twelve miles non-stop so my leg by this time was toast.

     Here was my dilemma... If I was to balance on the strong leg, my weak leg would take forever to pick up speed.  However, if I was to try to balance on the week leg I could come crashing down like a ton of bricks.  My decision was to balance on the strong, wait until there were no cars for about a million miles and push off with the weak leg, cross my fingers and hope for the best.

     Of course I made it across the street but not without breaking a sweat.  So now I have one more learning lesson to add to my list and that is... I may be strong willed and truly believe I've got this, but on the day of the ride I'll tell you this, I will not be riding alone:)

Have a great Day!

Christine:)

     

Could I ride my bike to work??

     It's only 4.3 miles from my home to my work and I've always wanted to ride my bike there just for kicks.  It couldn't be that hard, if you remember I rode 17.5 miles recently with my son.  My biggest dilemma was what route to take to get there in one piece with no or little bloodshed.   The route I always drive is down a road that has 50 mile an hour traffic and a very narrow bike lane.  Most of the people drive like maniacs!!

     There is another option and that is to go through a winding subdivision, which wouldn't be a straight shot but it would be safer.  My friend Jean Gist from DMC had a third option which I really liked a lot, or so I thought.  The bike route my son Matt and I took the other day which was back through a hilly rock quarry would be off the beaten path, but I would avoid all of the traffic and I wouldn't have to go through the winding neighborhood.  This route would also take me right to the main road about a half mile from my work.

     On a quiet Saturday afternoon I decided to give this route a test run.  For the "average Joe" this would be perfect; when I rode it with my 23 year old son Matt I felt very safe, but riding it on my own I pulled out my bag of "what ifs".  What if my tire slipped on a rock or a twig, what if I was halfway  up a hill and ran out of steam and flew backwards, or if I lost my balance and ended up with a major case of road rash, or worse,  requiring a full body cast...out in the middle of nowhere.

     After miles upon miles of nervous riding I was coming up to the area where I would leave the bike trail and join all of the motorists on the main road.  However, the road that connected the two happened to be about fifty yards of gravel.

   Out came the "what ifs" again.  What if my tires slipped on the gravel or what if I went so slow to make sure that didn't happen and then I stopped?  My crazy leg was already fatigued from over five miles of hilly riding and I may not have the strength to start back up again, on gravel no less.

     I did manage to make it to the main road, then subsequently  to my work unscathed, but it ended up being six miles in all.  That was a learning lesson for me.  I'll take that route again I'm sure, but doubtfully on my own.

     My route back home ended up being in the winding neighborhood after all, and it was a much more pleasant trip, not to mention a mile shorter.  Live and learn, the only way to know what works is to try, and I'll try anything once:)

Have a great weekend!

Christine:)

No more excuses

     After my last ride on the bike trail with my "tractor" tires I really started second guessing my decision to ride those thirty five miles. It seemed like it took two days to go just ten miles. However, when I got my "road" tires I crossed my fingers and hoped my mind would soon change.

     What I needed more than anything was to prove to myself that I could make it to fifteen miles and regain my confidence again. I asked my Son Matt to humor me and keep me company on the ride. That's probably the last thing a 23 year old wants to do is go on a bike ride with his mom, but to my surprise he said he would.

 

          
    Of course I kind of mentioned I just wanted to try my new tires out and it may only be five miles or so. That "or so" could really mean anything, in my case it was fifteen:) Our journey took us on a hilly trail, back along a rock quarry, and just our luck, it happened to be a windy day again.

    The one thing I learned was, by powering through a few times with the dreaded "monster truck" tires, it made the new ones feel like I was hang gliding in the clouds. When we hit the five mile mark I confessed to Matt that I was really hoping to make it ten miles "or so", (there's that "or so" again, sneaky!) But it got even funnier (for me) when we hit that ten mile mark and I said guess what... But he was a trooper, I think he was just going along with it because he wanted to see how long it would take until I keeled over and admitted defeat.

     My will power however, was stronger than he believed,  because we finally made it to my actual goal of fifteen miles...  Oh, and one more humorous tidbit... we still had two and a half miles to go before we were home:) I'll bet he was aching the next day, and I won't lie, my crazy leg was begging to quit about seven miles back, though my bossy leg wouldn't have it, but did you really think Matt was going to let his old mom show him up?!?!

And of course, I'm not using a calculator but if my math is right, seventeen and a half miles is... Yes! Half way there! We've got this!! 

Have a great day!

Christine ☺

Angels are watching over me

   

      I truly believe there are angels all around us because no sooner did I commit to this Bike-to-the-Bay  journey, and kind people were coming out of the woodwork to get involved.  one of the first soldiers in my army was my friend Michael, who I met before the Bike-to-the-Bay last year.

     Michael has health challenges of his own, but when he heard I was going on a leap of faith that I could complete the ride he immediately wanted to be a part of it.  After hearing me mention my tires were all wrong for the ride, causing total exhaustion,  he gave me a very generous gift of new tires to make sure I made it over the finish line safely.  Talk about a heart of gold.  Then my friend Robert put them on. Soldier number two!

     If there was one tiny  moment that I  thought about backing out, now there is no way I can quit. I have my guardian angel looking out for me.

Have a great weekend!

Christine:)

Tires do matter

So the first time I was outside on my bike it was a piece of cake, but what I didn't stop to consider was a friend had given me a set of slimmer tires to try out.  At the time I didn't think anything of it, I just thought it was a normal ride.
     However, I went back to my wide tires like it was suggested for training purposes, and I couldn't believe the difference.  First of all it was a very windy day and extremely humid outside, then throw on the wide tires and it felt like I was peddling through a tsunami on a tractor.




     I was only able to go about 9 miles an hour tops, which was very discouraging.  Heck with the training on wide tires, I think I'll keep building strength indoors, I need those thin tires back.  In a perfect world I'll also take less humidity and no wind... but I guess it's not a perfect world:) At least I got my ten miles in even if it did take me twenty minutes longer to do it.  That twenty minutes would have just been spent trying to recuperate anyway. I'm sure it'll get easier☺

Have a great day!

Christine:)

So many gadgets

 

     Now that I have my bike in good working order it's time to focus on all of the gadgets needed to make this ride complete. The first must have item would be a helmet, which is something I should have had way back when. I guess I wasn't using the one thing I'm now trying to protect. That was my initial purchase, safety first!

      Then I would also need a saddle bag to carry all of my stuff (pink of course!), but sadly the pink bag I ordered on line as you see below was way too small. I could barely fit a pack of gum in it. There was no way I could chew gum and ride a bike at the same time, so that would be going back. I really need something to hold my nerve zapper on the ride because it's cumbersome to wear while I'm peddling but  get me off my bike and the "turbo leg" takes over.


    
    Another thing I thought of is a cell phone holder for emergency phone calls (and maybe a picture or two...).  A good working odometer is extremely important to gauge the distance, and don't forget the very important water bottle holder, lucky for me I already had one!

      A spare inner tube is something I also never imagined I would need, until I got a flat after my first ride on the street. My guardian angel must have been looking out for me because it wasn't discovered until I was taking my bike out of my car. Maybe I should learn how to fix a flat... Note to self...

     I'm sure other things will come up down the road but at least this gets me moving in the right direction.  In the mean time I'll just keep riding...

Have a great day!

Christine ☺