Got my bike at last....

FOAD
FOAD Posts: 318
edited April 2009 in Road beginners
My Cube Agree finally turned up on Friday and picked it up late afternoon, then stupidly used it to commute 13 miles to work at 5.30pm through the rush hour traffic whilst a parade was on in town, using speedplay pedals and cleats for the first time on my first road bike. Not the best idea I have had but it was an adventure.

Creamed my best MTB commute to work by about 5 minutes, but this was whilst wrestling horrendous footpain and hand pain, due to not being used to the massive wedge of the cleat I think (I suffer from plantarfasciitus), and the slightly lower bar meaning even more pressure on my ulners than usual. Also the first time I have ever worn a helmet. My first ride on my new bike was utter shite :( .

After a twelve hours at work I cycled home at 7 am, at 7.05 am it started to piss down on my new bike . :(

Anyway, I got absolutely soaked, as did the bike but managed to eradicate the foot pain by adjusting my foot angle on the down stroke slightly and the hand pain by getting my hands slightly differently set when using the hubs (most of the time).

Despite being almost always into a head wind for the whole journey back plus the rain, I chopped 11 minutes off my best MTB time on the homeward trip and despite almost forgetting to unclip as I arrived home, I have never enjoyed a bike ride so much in my life!!!

Wheeling the wet bike into the kitchen took a little explaining to the Mrs, but my 5 yr old and I had a great time drying the bike off and my brand new shoes (I left the overshoes that arrived that day at home...duh!) and I slept in complete happiness until 5pm......

A good day after an horrendous kick-off to my road biking adventure. :D

Comments

  • guilliano
    guilliano Posts: 5,495
    You are reborn my child
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/guilliano/
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    The rain was your blessing from the great god of road cycling.
  • guilliano
    guilliano Posts: 5,495
    Eddie Merckx can make it rain???
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/guilliano/
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    The man can do anything.
  • FOAD
    FOAD Posts: 318
    edited April 2009
    Eddie Merckx wasn't his name when it started to rain on my shiny new bike, more like "f***** c***" but hey, I enjoyed the rain and it's already got me thinking about a winter bike, lol....ADDICT! :D

    Edit: Napoleon, didn't know you were a fellow rozzer. Read your blog, wishing you a speedy recovery mate!
  • guilliano
    guilliano Posts: 5,495
    I know the feeling..... I'm thinking of ways to get £2.5k together for a Van Nicholas as a winter bike.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/guilliano/
  • FOAD
    FOAD Posts: 318
    lol...£2.5k for a winter bike? I was thinking of something I didn't care less about for the winter. For £2.5k I wouldn't take it out if it was raining or foggy. You were joking right, or is this how mad it gets?
  • guilliano
    guilliano Posts: 5,495
    I figure that a Ti frame will be completely weather proof so would be a good investment as a winter bike, then I'll have the carbon bike for summer
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/guilliano/
  • Barkiesnake
    Barkiesnake Posts: 244
    I know the feeling, I've only had my road bike for 2 weeks and i'm already trying to work out how to convince Mrs Snake that i need at least 1 more for each season, :D
    "If you think you can, or if you think you can't, your right" Henry Ford
  • gbs
    gbs Posts: 450
    FOAD wrote:
    but managed to eradicate the foot pain by adjusting my foot angle on the down stroke slightly :D

    Again please. Pain where exactly and how relieved?
    vintage newbie, spinning away
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    FOAD wrote:
    lol...£2.5k for a winter bike? I was thinking of something I didn't care less about for the winter. For £2.5k I wouldn't take it out if it was raining or foggy. You were joking right, or is this how mad it gets?

    Not by a long, long way!
  • Gary D
    Gary D Posts: 431
    guilliano wrote:
    I figure that a Ti frame will be completely weather proof so would be a good investment as a winter bike, then I'll have the carbon bike for summer

    Psssssssstt......................................Carbon fibre is "weatherproof" as well :wink::wink::wink:

    It's the other bits that are hung on the frame that corrode :shock: :shock:

    Gary.
    Fungus The Muffin MAn wrote:
    Oh and I feel like I've been raped by an Orangutan :shock: And I've got legs like Girders :lol:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    That new bike feeling, nothing better. its like bein 7 and its christmas eve. its like your first pint. You ride along there should be strong men weeping, virgins throwing flowers, something so beautiful i can scarcely describe it.

    Road bikes are much better than mountain bikes. There. Ive said it now, feel much better.
  • FOAD
    FOAD Posts: 318
    gbs wrote:
    FOAD wrote:
    but managed to eradicate the foot pain by adjusting my foot angle on the down stroke slightly :D

    Again please. Pain where exactly and how relieved?

    Basically I think the cause of the pain is having the heel quite a bit higher than the toes on the push down with the ball of the foot, hence stretching the tendon under the foot. By conciously dropping the heel on the down stroke it was alleviating the pain completely as long as I did it for the whole ride.

    Saying that, I rode 8 miles each way to the in-laws ( :shock: ) yesterday afternoon and on the outward trip my foot was immediately sore until I really concentrated on putting my heel down, bu after 90 minutes there the ride back was totally painless without me thinking about it. I think warming the tendons up pre-riding under each foot may have to become a ritual, as I can see it as the only reason for them not hurting on the way back (I am sure dipping the heel a little hsan't become second nature yet).

Categories