[Frankie]

Boy did I make a rookie mistake Thursday. My pastor and I did a 18 mile ride beside the river here in east Tennessee. He on his Trek roadbike and me on my Schwinn mountain/road bike. BTW, I was supposed to pick my new 2.3 Trek the same day, but it didn't arrive at the bike shop. Anyway, I had a horrible time staying up with him. We rode before and I stayed with him mile for mile, the problem was this: when we got back to my truck to load my bike, I rubbed up against my back tire and it didn't move an inch. To make a long story short, I rode 18 friggin miles with my back brakes on. I feel like an idiot. I did aweful that day, cramping for the first time since I have been riding. I rode 25 miles today and did fine after fixing the problem. Being new to riding I now realize I should have stopped and checked it out. I was trying to hard to keep up instead of riding my own pace where I could have noticed. Just wanted to share that with someone, it's actually pretty funny now, but Thursday it was killing me. lol lol lol Still waiting on my 2.3, maybe Monday.

 

[Industry_Hack]

A friend in Australia created a little MTB track in his back yard for training. I wondered how he could get a good workout on such a simple track. He did it dragging a car tire behind his bike...

 

[Frankie]

Ha, I can feel his pain, I'm still not over my little mistake.

 

[LarryM]

Sorry you had a hard ride.

The League of American Bicyclists suggests an ABC Quick Check before the first ride of the day to ensure a bike is in good condition to ride, and to catch small mechanical problems before they become large mechanical problems. It takes less than a minute.

Esp, check the video at this link: ABC Quick Check – Do It!

A is for Air. Are your tires pumped up to the proper pressure?
B is for Brakes. Are they adjusted correctly? Do they stop your bike?
C is for Cranks and Chains. Any looseness in the cranks when you pull on them? Is the chain moving smoothly over the sprockets?
Quick is for the Quick Release levers on your wheels. Are they tightened properly?
Check is for a checkout of the bike before riding. Hop on, pedal a little bit. Does everything seem OK?

Here is a link to a more complete presentation: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vVU57xVtog]YouTube - BikeNewYork-ABC Quick Check HQ Try[/ame]

 

[gatorguy]

On the positive side, look at the workout you got. A few of these and nobody will keep up with you.

 

[Frankie]

Thanks for the kind words guy's. It's a learning deal for me no doubt. LarryM, thanks for the ABC checklist thing, I'm learning more everyday. This forum is awesome!!!!!

 

[Frankie]

Just watched it.............. great video!!