Post Holiday Ride….

 

I wonder if anyone who names their bike has second thoughts on what the name should be?  I know after adding the new back light to my bike and it hit me, there might be a more perfect name for the Silver Bullet.  When you hit the button twice the red light starts bouncing back and forth. 

Maybe it is just years of being a sci-fi nerd but as soon as I hit the button the second time and the light started to bounce back and forth, I knew that my bike should have been called the Cylon b/c when the light is bouncing back and forth it looks like a Cylon is moon walking away from you.  Do you see it?  Do you?  I see it.  However, one can’t just up and change the name of a bike because a better name came along.  Although my bike is sexy like #6 (going heavy nerd here).  Thank god for Tricia Helfer, dios mio.  I do think Cylon is a great nickname for the Bullet.  Or perhaps it is a Cylon powered Silver Bullet.  Or Perhaps the Silver Bullet is jus a bad ass Cylon.  

Anywho… I was super proud of myself this a.m.  I got up and hung with Kona before taking her to daycare.  Then I came home and I decided I was going to put the Coospo on the Bullet myself.  So, that is what I did.  I figured I needed to step up and learn how to put a bike computer on a bike.  After all I would love to be a bike mechanic someday.  I think that would be awesome to be able to take care of the bike without help.  So, I pulled out the instructions and went to work.  It took me about an hour but eventually I was able to get everything working together and get the new Coospo loaded on the phone.  I even got the cadence and speed to work.  I was so freaking excited.  I had never done that before on my own.  

Soon as the computer was fully operation on the Cylon, I decided to go out for a spin.  I didn’t know how far I would go and I didn’t really care, I just wanted to go.  I was hoping to get three rides in this week because it should be slow in the office because it is post one holiday and another one is coming up.  

Learning from my mistake last week,  I made sure I layered up before I went out.  Long pants, yes.  Long sleeves, yes.  Jersey over the long sleeves, yes.  Full fingers gloves, yes.  Stocking Cap, yes.  I even tucked my sleeves into my gloves, I didn’t want to give that wind god a chance to make me cold.  It didn’t work, the wind always kicks my ass, but at least I tried.  I was pretty good most of the ride but my feet were freezing by the time I finished as were my fingers, there rest of me was pretty good though.  

Climbing hills is harder than it was this summer.  I took Greenbill #1 and it was a challenge.  I got up it, but it was work.  I mean my lungs were good.  It was just hard climbing today.  I took on another hill on a bike path and again, it was not terrible but harder than it was last summer.  The time off the bike and not attacking hills lately defiantly showed up today.   Overall, I would say I am in a good place, just not in a great place, but we will get back there.  We must.  We have lots of climbing to do in 2023, lots, and lots of climbing.  Diablo I am coming for you.  

Overall the ride was great, except when the old man on the mountain bike passed me going up Greenbill.  I know he is half my size but still.  I told you it was tough going up right now. One day I might be a great climber, and I could have caught the old man on Tesla but I didn’t want to waste my energy doing that, so I let him go.  

I ended up riding 21.32 miles today.  It took my about 2 hours.  I averaged 10.3 miles per hour. I gained 653 ft of elevation.  Average HR was 134 BPM.  I know my speed was down because I went up and down a lot more today and some of the bike paths had a lot of people and dirt on them from the rains but 10.3 was a little disappointing b/c I felt like my cadence was great today but that is ok.  I was not trying to set any world records today.  

Now, I have a brand new book I am going to dive into.  Epic Bike Rides of the Americas so that I can find some rides for next year.  :D