Tally

[owlectomy]

What I did this morning:

25 miles on my bike, in Cary, with the Slowspokes, the previously mentioned leisurely-paced cycling club. (Previous personal record is 13 or 14 miles).

Parts on me that hurt:

Legs, hands, places you don't want to know about.

Parts on my bike that need adjustment:

Wheel (needs to be trued), gears.

Parts on my bike that fell off entirely:

Kickstand.

Things I will attempt to convince myself I don't need:

Road bike, cycling pants, cycling jacket, new cyclocomputer.

Question of the day:

Better to spend my money tuning up a bike that isn't very good, or buying a new one?

Quarter-century, yay!

Comments

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

I found cycling pants helped cushion those bits I don't want to know about. OTOH a different (possibly broader, possibly more padded) saddle, or possibly new bike altogether, might help more. On the other other hand, experience says you just have to toughen the area up. You do know the bit about cotton underwear worn inside-out, yes?

New one! New one!

[meaghanchan.livejournal.com]

New bike!!

[takumashii.livejournal.com]

I got the ergonomic saddle, and the cycling shorts, so at this point it's mostly a matter of toughing it out (at least until I figure out whether I do need a better-fitting bike); it was freezing this morning, so I had to wear jeans over my cycling shorts. Not completely ineffective, but I was embarrassed about how little I fit in with the people in spandex and synthetic sports fleece.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

Ah- so even ergonomic doesn't help the owies? This isn't ergonomic with the middle part missing by any chance?

Re: New one! New one!

[takumashii.livejournal.com]

You can't tell me to get a new bike, you're one of the most financially responsible people I know! I might listen to you! Okay, why should I get a new bike?

[takumashii.livejournal.com]

Yes, one of the ones with the bit cut out.

Mostly, I suspect it's a problem of just pushing myself too hard--ideally, your arms and legs help take your weight off the seat, and by the end my arms and legs couldn't do it any more.

Re: New one! New one!

[(Anonymous)]

Well, I think it's better to get a new bike rather than souping up the one you have if you're not happy with the one you have. I mean, I don't really know bike terms- if you can true your wheels, do whatever else you need to make it rideable for now, WHILE saving up for a bike that fits you better, I think that's a fine solution... But if it's one or the other, I think it's better to go for the new bike, which fits you perfectly and does what you need it to do and will last you for a long time. Particularly since a bad fitting bike can hurt you in many, many ways (as you've already discovered), some of them potentially long-term.

It is more expensive to deal with chronic back pain, hip pain, knee pain, and whatever medications/surgeries it may require in the long term than to buy a new bike.

It's like what people advise on the running forums when people ask, "I need a reccommendation for a good pair of running shoes, but I can't afford to spend too much". They say, "can you afford knee surgery?" because the injuries that can come from running in the wrong shoes will end up costing a lot more than an exra $40. I think spending $80 on a good pair of shoes every 300-500 miles, if it keeps my knees happy, is well worth it.

That is my reasoning.

Plus new bikes are shiny.

Re: New one! New one!

[meaghanchan.livejournal.com]

err, umm, me, obviously.