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Category: Cycling

Bicycle Training Ride

Bicycle Training Ride

Some photographs and a YouTube video of the 45 mile training ride Cousin Ray and I took last Saturday in preparation for the 66 mile Conquer the Coast ride on September 18th, 2021.

A long “Trek” but worth it!

A long “Trek” but worth it!

Ordered January 2021, delivered July 2021.

I could be forgiven for thinking that I would never take delivery of a new bike as COVID-19 took hold and, apparently, the entire stock of reasonably priced mid range bicycles was bought up by a population anxious to do something “outdoors” throughout the imposed lock down with attendant social distancing rules. If I had wanted to drop $10,000 on an all singing, all dancing, carbon framed, state of the art super bike then I could have had one before the ink was dry on the check. (Now I’m showing my age; perhaps I should have said “before the digital charge was applied to my credit card statement”) However I just wanted a decent bike that fit me better than my trusty $200 Schwinn from Academy and now I have one thanks to Bike World, San Antonio.

I took delivery of my new bike on July 3rd and so did not get to do any serious riding over the weekend of the 4th due to many other family commitments. The following week we were all stranded in Rockport with flooded streets and so my “running in” period has only just started. So far I am very pleased with the new bike; it has made riding much more comfortable, easy, and recoverable!.

Here are some of my first adventures:

Saturday is for Yard Work

Saturday is for Yard Work

So sayeth my wife on Friday evening.

Although, sadly, I had a different plan for the one day of the weekend when it was not forecast to rain.
And it did not involve the yard!
Nevertheless I have learned over the years that when my wife says we need to do yard work it is by far and away the expedient option to agree with her and ask “what do you need me to do”?
So goodbye to my morning cycle run of 20 to 30 miles, learning to use my GoPro camera, and making a video record of my adventures. One day my friends, one day.

But wait a moment. All that is required of me is to fill 12 trash bags full of leaves in advance of the first Saturday in April when the yard waste collection service starts – I can do that!
It was still light on Friday night when the bombshell was dropped so I headed out into the yard and filled two bags before dark. I then negotiated with my wife to have an early morning ride to The Big Tree where she would collect me on the way to purchasing breakfast tacos. After breakfast the other 10 bags got filled and everybody lives happily ever after.
Although is should be said that we are both feeling the pain of bagging leaves using many otherwise unused muscles .

Roll on Conquer the Coast 2021 – I’ve started my training runs.