The Loaner Rides...

Got the loaner back from the shop today.  As of now, the old bike is FOR SALE.  I think I'd rather pull my toenails out with rusty pliers.  First, it weighs half as much, which I already knew.  Second, it seems to have a much better gear ratio, although that may be from being so light.  Starting out in too high a gear actually threatened to pop a wheelie, and there is more later on this subject.  But mostly, the shifters are a wet dream compared to the twist shifters on the POS.  Click a small lever with the front finger, drop a sprocket, push a large lever with the thumb, climb a sprocket.  It took some getting used to, since the effect of the front is the opposite of the back, but that didn't take long.  About as long as figuring out I only had to press the rear shifter till it clicked, instead of all the way in.  Yeah, I'm sure you all are reading this and laughing at me, but this is nothing like what bikes were like when I was riding in the 70's and early 80's. 

Anyway, I picked the bike up, and I was far from my usual haunts, so I decided to take a bit of risk and experiment.  I drove home.  Once home, I installed a cheap bike computer (I'll trade the Cateye to this bike soon, but it has double stick tape and will be a pain to get off.)  Since the owner is 6'6" and I am only 6'2", I needed to ride a bit and adjust the seat.  To test my adjustments to the seat, I rode around Mansion Hills (I refuse to use the place's new name) and got it close to right.  It may still be a tad too high, as I can, if I press, lock one leg straight, but I have to try and I take most of the weight off the seat to do so, plus its only one leg or I come all the way off the seat.  So if it is too high, it can't be by much.  Then I rode to the Lion. 

That's what I meant by risk and experiment.  First of all, could I get there.  Second, could I have a few beers and ride at all.  Third, could I get back.  Well, the answer to all three is a conditional yes, but by varying degrees. 

I took the long way there, retracing the first half of the "I can't do hills" ride to Dayton Blvd.  I knew that wasn't a problem.  The first rise was to the Red Bank Tunnel, and aside from that stretch of rode being a crazy, scary place, especially the Hwy 27 onramp, it wasn't so bad.  Through the tunnel, all downhill to Market Street.  Then the rise over the bridge, and dealing with traffic plus construction (not too bad, if you are patient and wait for a lull in traffic).  Down Market with traffic, and to 4th.  Surprisingly, considering that was the steepest hill so far, it wasn't that bad.  I dropped gears, kept the cadence about 75 or so (if I am figuring it right, but definitely over one rpm), and went on up.  Hot and sweaty, yeah, but it was only 6 miles, so not too bad.  So first point, a definite "yes".

While there, I had three beers and played a game of Golden Tee, hung out with my friends, and smoked more than I should have (yeah, I know, any is too much).  As the golf game was finishing, it was starting to get dark, so I mounted up and left.  I stayed on High Street over to 3rd to go down the hill.  I probably should have went to 2nd, but 2nd is steeper, and I am still getting the feel of the brakes.  I cross 3rd, then cross High, and considering the traffic on that road is a bear, and no one was walking, I figured I'd ride the sidewalk (Yeah, WK, I know, but I did slow almost to a stop at each intersection and check for cars, so no right turn could wipe me out, but the traffic was such no one happened to be coming as I crossed.)  Getting onto the sidewalk I nearly wiped out, though, as I had too much speed coming across High, and the front tire slipped off the grassy side for a bit.  So I slowed waaaay down.  No other issues there, and I've made that mistake before on the bike path at the dam on the old bike.  So second point, a highly conditional yes, but three would probably be upper limit.  Any more and I'm liable to be totally absent minded and get myself hurt.

Then came the test.  Back over the Market Street bridge was no problem.  North Market to the Golden (Ghetto) Gallon, no problem.  But up the hill to the house?  Yes and no.  No, in that about halfway up, at the last entrance to the row of strip malls, I had to stop.  I stood there and stretched my legs a bit, drank some more water (I'd loaded up before leaving the Lion), until I thought I could go on.  Then I went from there the rest of the way home.  I was down to the lowest front and halfway down the back gear, and spinning like crazy, and probably only going about three miles an hour (don't know, as I forgot to put the computer back on, and by this time it was almost completely dark, but it really was probably faster, it just didn't feel like it.)  Huffing and puffing, I pulled into the front yard, drank some more water, leaned the bike on the porch post, and stretched my legs to get rid of the burning in the upper thighs, and to get my heart rate back down to something approaching normal (it felt like 100 beats per minute).  So, on question three, that would be a qualified "yes" as well.  Maybe next time I can do it non-stop. 

I'll probably go Veterans from if I do it again, but since I have driven Market Street so many times (I avoid Veterans while driving) that I have memorized it, I wanted to stick to a familiar place.  Plus, I didn't want to cross over Veterans at that time of day to get to Frazier.  I might try Walnut as well, and one day Forest, but not until I can do North Market non-stop and fairly easily, because Forest is much steeper and longer as well.  If I do that again, anyway.

Anyway, I'll probably catch hell for stopping for beers, but I just had to see if it could be done.  Now I know.  Remember one thing though; for me, this wasn't so much about healthy as it was about stamina.  I've already got more of that than I've had in over a decade, and plan to get more.  Healthy is secondary to me.  If this leads to that, great.  If not, great too.