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[jade]

Hey "2big4mysize"

"I used to ride the BRAT Bike ride across TN and it was a bugger running from west to east the long way instead of north to south. LOL I did the NC Mts to the sea trail but it is an individual ride."

*Sounds like a great ride. What is the average distance per year on your BRAT Ride? Ours averages from 450-550 depending on the year. We're 500+ this year.

"I don't think I ever rode in Nebraska on my cross country rides. I heard if you catch a prevailing wind you can sail cross the state LOL but if you catch head winds you will ride backwards your state is so windy in the sumnmer."

*Oh honey! A couple of years ago we had 35 mph head winds and it was 102 in the shade! As soon as we put water into our bottles, it was near boiling 10 min later. That was the first and only time I ever almost bonked on a ride. It was awful.

"You can join any challenge at any time. the new 6 week exercise challenge sign up is up so please sign up if you'd like to join that the ADBB PRES challenge is open enrollment and you can join any day you'd like too."

*Thanks! Those kinds of challenges really motivate me. Count me in!

"Have fun riding"

*Thanks! What kind of bike do you ride?

"Oh I lift weights, power walk on my treadmill doing an HIIT program and use my fitness ball as a chair for free exercise. I also have been doing the 10K aday walking program since Jan 2003"

*Excellent! I think lifting weights is one of the best things women can do for their bodies!! Especially for their bones as it works to protect you from osteoporosis!

Have a great day low carbing/exercising!
Be well-
jade :wave

[jade]

Hey"Isabeau"!

"The cycling I'm getting into is racing. Specifically, I'm training to do my first triathlon. A really good friend of mine and triathlete sold me her one year old road racing bike. It's a Davinci with a custom 'woman's' saddle, computer doo-dads, triathlon handlebars etc. All I know is that I got a 2,000 bike for 200 bucks!"

*How exciting for you! Let us know how your race goes! And great job on getting a great bike for a great price. (Make sure that your friend shows you how to use all of the 'computer doo-dads' It's no use having them on your bike if you aren't going to use them.)

"What's causing me the most problems, and I suppose with more experience it won't, is unclipping my shoes fast enough when I have to stop. It's okay if I see a stop sign in the distance, etc. and have some time to unclip my cycling shoes, but man, any sudden stops, I"m going down. Any suggestions?"

*I'm sitting here laughing to myself! The first week I ever did bike shoes I fell down alot. One particular time I was pulling in to get off to eat lunch and I'm coming closer to the curb and I ran out of road!! I could feel myself starting to fall. I called out, 'Help Me! Help Me! Help Me! as I went down. I felt sorry for the woman who was walking on the side walk parallel to the road I was on! She wanted to help but had her hands full. The ultimate was when I hit the ground I bounced! MY FEET WERE STILL CLIPPED IN TO THE PEDALS!! Hilarious! If I would've been more aware I would've said, 'I have fallen and I cannot get up!'
Anyway, my bike mentor told me that you have to anticipate those sudden stops. One of the things that helped me was to keep my pedal oiled up so that my shoe wasn't so stiff in the pedal. Have your bike maitenance man do that for you, show you what kind of oil to use and where to put in on for the future.
You can also have them adjust the tension on the attatchment points on your bike shoes so you can get out of the pedals faster.
But the best thing for you to do is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. I also practice just balancing myself on the bike. There are sometimes when the light is about to change and I don't want to have to clip in and out so I try to balance until it changes. (This is only if I know it's about to change.) I've seen elite riders sit there forever! It's all in their ability to balance.
I think that as you get to know your new bike, get use to your shoes and pedals that you're times on the ground will decrease!

Hang in there!
Be well-
jade :wave

[Isabeau]

Thanks Jade! I have a magnetic trainer that I've been using in the winter and I spend a lot of time just clipping and unclipping. I think some oil would really be of help. Great suggestion, thanks. My bike mentor (the woman that sold me the bike) sized it for me, but it's not quite right. She's making an apointment with her bike guy where the bike was built to take me to tweak it better. I really find the computer helpful especially for watching my cadence. I'm supposed to keep it at 90 no matter what gear or tension so that's very helpful. Right now that's pretty much all I'm focussing on. I think I just need to build some confidence for not falling down outside! You'll get a laugh out of this. My other friend who is a triathlete (the three of us train together) just yesterday fell down. She came to a stop on a rural road and didn't bother unclipping, just balanced 'cause she didn't figure she'd be stopped long. Well, a van pulled up beside her and she couldn't see if any cars were coming and down she went. She laughed telling me about it but just goes to show, even experienced cyclists fall down!

[jade]

Hey "Isabeau"!

"Thanks Jade! I have a magnetic trainer that I've been using in the winter and I spend a lot of time just clipping and unclipping. I think some oil would really be of help. Great suggestion, thanks."

*You're quite welcome. Been there done that with those bike shoes!!


"My bike mentor (the woman that sold me the bike) sized it for me, but it's not quite right. She's making an apointment with her bike guy where the bike was built to take me to tweak it better."

*It's a very good thing to make sure you fit your bike!

"I really find the computer helpful especially for watching my cadence. I'm supposed to keep it at 90 no matter what gear or tension so that's very helpful. Right now that's pretty much all I'm focussing on."

*Is that your racing cadence?

" She laughed telling me about it but just goes to show, even experienced cyclists fall down!"

*To be sure!! I've seen my bike mentor do the same thing. Nobody's perfect! I'm sure even Lance himself has had times when he's 'crashed and burned' because he couldn't get his foot out of the pedal fast enough.

Be well-
jade :wave

[Isabeau]

That's my training cadence and should be my racing cadence. At least that's how I understand it.

[jade]

Hey "Isabeau"
I don't race so I don't know. It sounds awfully fast to me! But then I don't race so I don't worry about cadence. I did have a cyclometer with cadence and it was a pain for me. Now I just pay attention to my mph and that does it for me.
When is your race? Sounds like a great challenge! But you sound up to it too!

Hang in there!
Be well-
jade :wave