Day 2 training: shifting gears
#redrockschallenge #defeatALS #ridemybike
Today my training is literally shifting gears. I remember my first 2-wheel bike. I got a big blue Schwinn for a birthday present. It had 2 gears: stop and go. All you had to do was pedal and brake with your feet to stop. Hand brakes? No such thing on that Schwinn. Now, at 65 years old I’m learning the intricacies of a bike: gear shifting, hand brakes, clip pedals and how to do it all together uphill, downhill, and on flats. How do I do all that? I do not know but I was so confused at first. I spent about 30 minutes with my cycling coach aka my son (who coaches cyclists for a living.) So many questions…. what and where is the large gear and small gear, what’s a cog set, what’s a crank shaft, what’s a derailleur. The list seemed to go on and on. Are there really that many parts to a bike? Feeling more confident I got on my bike to ride and practice shooting those gears. It actually all went well. Uphill,downhill, small gear large gear over and over again….and then it happened…I crossed the chains and the chain fell off. Oh no! Now what? Several youtube videos later I got it back on the gear. Now I’ve got to learn bike maintenance too! Who knew there is lots to learn just to ride a bike. Now my bike is all good for Day 3 training tomorrow. Stay tuned.