We have just finished the first 7-mile leg of our first of two out-and-back Lake Arthur rides and I am fretting to Lou that I had to actually walk The Rocket up the last part of the last hill. Even though the hills are not that horrible. Even though I generally knew it was coming up and was generally prepared for it. This concerns me a little because one of the not inconsequential reasons I got The Rocket was to get some more gears (my Saratoga only has seven) and therewith be able to do hills somewhat better.
So Lou adjusts the seat on The Rocket and heads off for his first little spin on it to see what I'm talking about. When he comes back, he informs me there is good news and bad news, and which do I want first.
Obviously, the good news. I always want the good news first. That way, if a boulder falls on my head or the earth implodes, at least I can die happy.
Well, he says, the good news is that the hill problem is not my bike. Of course, that means the bad news is that it's me.
Climbing hills on a recumbent is different than on an upright. You can't get out of the saddle and you're reclining, so what you do is gear down and spin. That is already how I climb on my Saratoga, for the most part, but on The Rocket, I also push my back into the seat and, because my feet are elevated, I feel it more in my knees and in my abductors than I do on an upright.
I fight off my inner protestations, that of course it's the stupid bike, that of course I am doing everything right and am in fine shape. Because actually, it is good news that Lou can do the hills as well on my bike as he can on his. Or at least, initially, without testing it out on a real hard climb. That juggernaut is for another day. It is good news because there's not a whole lot I can do about the bike but if it's me, that's something I can work on. We head back and I fail on a different hill this time. Lou is riding a little behind me and trying to encourage me (which I tell myself not to hate him for) and he, too, fails to make it to the top because he is going at my pace. So at his suggestion, I go back down the hill and tackle it again. This time, I pick up a little more speed before I downshift, and downshift a little sooner and more aggressively, and I make it without much problem.
Today's ride: Sunday, March 25. Bike trail at Lake Arthur (Moraine State Park). 30 miles, almost on the nose. Tires hit the road at 12:15. Back at the car at 4:00. Highlight: Saw a gray pelican flying over the lake.
This is among my favorite bike trails. It starts on the North Shore of Lake Arthur at the bike rental concession and winds around the lake nearly to the boat launch, passing a campground and a beach. It's twisty and has some hills, but nothing too long or too hard, just enough to always have some variation. Most of the trail is within sight of the lake and there are several restrooms along the way but they were all still closed for the season except the one at the start point. It's about 7-1/2 miles out to the Outdoor Center, so before you know it you're halfway there. Once it gets to be summer, it's much better to come on a weekday because the trail is pretty popular, especially families with young kids, many on bikes, and there are a lot of curves, so you do the math. Near-collisions are frequent.
Briefly, a catchup ride from earlier in the week:
Monday, March 19. 11 miles. North Shore Trail out to the jail and back, then out toward Washington's Landing. Tires hit the road around 4:30. Back at my office at 5:50. Highlight: Passing the kids from the Manchester Craftsman's Guild photography class and one boy, about 15, clapping his hands when he sees me, saying, "I love that bike!"
Took a nice little spin with Karen, an old friend from homeschooling days (ha ha, Karen, I just called you old). Her tires were a bit low and she couldn't get the CO2 cartridge to work so we rode over to Bicycle Heaven, which is always worth a stop any day. Met the owner, Craig, who pumped up Karen's tires, and he told me he'd sold the Hurley recumbent that was upstairs last year but he has another one -- a Gold Rush, maybe -- on display and for sale in the back of the main room. Sometime I have to go back and look around when I'm not trying to squeeze a quick ride in and feeling too crunched for time to really enjoy the rooms and rooms of Schwinns and banana seats and the smell of metal and machines. Anyway, it is always nice to have some companionship. Karen mentioned maybe trying to ride the Tour de Frack, a Freedom Ride for Awareness and Community Knowledge, a two-week trip July 15-28 or so through drilling country. In fact, there's a training ride/community event next weekend on the Butler-Freeport Trail that I'm thinking of checking out. http://www.tourdefrack.com/uploads/7/0/4/5/7045073/march_31_poster.pdf
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