23 June 2007

Felton-Empire again

Felton It was a warm, sunny day. Perfect for a long bike ride. So I went for a short ride. To gauge my recovery, I decided to ride the route I rode last week. I had hardly ridden at all since then, having to work late and walking to and from work.

My leg felt a little better than last week. I could stand quite a bit more comfortably, but I was still definitely favoring one leg, though. More significantly, I could push to where I was working my heart and lungs, and I could tell that my fitness in that area had deteriorated quite a bit. I still used 30/25, where, prior to my injury, I would have used 30/21 or 30/19 on Felton-Empire.

After today's ride, I feel that I've recovered enough to try climbing Jamison Creek. Before the ride, I wasn't sure if I could handle the steepest bits.

My new bike, which I tried riding briefly this week for the first time since my injury, has a front wheel slightly out of true, causing a slight brake rub, and, more significantly, a rear derailleur out of whack. The chain would constantly skip in 34/26, the lowest gear, and grind in all other gears. I'll have to get it fixed soon. In the meantime, I've been riding my old bike.