A new addition to the family....

No I am not pregnant, and I did not get a dog or a cat! Last week I welcomed a new addition to my cycling family....yep I bought another bike. Now before you laugh or curse me for getting rid of my other bikes when I left Victoria I have to tell you this one is different......really! 


The purpose of the new machine? "winter riding" - well maybe more like fall and spring....seeing that "training" is not really in my physical vocabulary lately :-) 

Here she is, Nice colour eh?





 

So why the new bike? Well I have been riding again, and now I remember how much I love it! More than any other sport we have done over the past years riding my bike is something that makes be feel like a kid again. All the triathlon training took a little of that away for a while, but with a bit of a break and a great road bike (my Argon 18) I spent to summer falling in love with the sport again. And I am so happy I did! Because of the cycling I have been doing I can even run, just a little......and thats all I want! 

So whats so special about this bike you ask? Well.....it a Fixie! Meaning of course, a fix gear - single speed bike.........no gears, no cables, no shifting....just pedalling...constantly! 

Italian, of course..... 

I can hear you now, why in the world would you buy a bike that has no gears! Seriously, one gear, thats it? The answer is yes....one gear - for those bike mechanics out there I am riding a 44 on the front and a 16 on the back......reasonable I think....I did choose to have breaks - believe it or not they were an option! 

So why, well there are a lot of reasons - a little info from the web!! 

1. Fixed disciplines your cadence/pedal stroke

A smooth fast cadence is the most efficient way to ride. On the flat and slight downhills a fixed forces you to spin your legs and develop the fast and even pedal stroke that the French refer to as 'souplesse'. 

On steeper descents your legs will learn to spin at super high speeds, laying excellent foundations for developing the capacity for a truly great sprint – just look at Mark Cavendish's average leg speed in any of his four Tour de France stage wins recently.

2. Fixed addresses your top end grunt

Hitting a rise, there's no option to shift down so you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone and power up the hill. Without the bail out of gears, every muscle involved in cycling will be recruited, strengthening not only your legs but also your backside, core and even upper body.

3. Fixed develops your speed and strength

Aside from developing physical strength, it'll teach you that an amazing number of climbs can be dealt with in this way giving you higher average speeds and a devastating attacking option. 

Some longer climbs on a fixed do turn into full-on, out-of-the-saddle honks, but these will build pure cycling-specific strength in a way that no gym training can match. 

4. Fixed puts you in a coast-free zone

Once you start riding a fixed you'll be amazed at how much time you used to spend free wheeling. Aside from the obvious down hills, coasting into your drive, rolling up to traffic lights and catching a sneaky breather cresting climbs are all times when you are out riding but doing nothing. 

With a fixed you have to earn every kilometre, making it one of the most time-effective ways to train. 

5. Fixed hones your riding skills

Riding a fixed hones your riding instincts and anticipation skills. 

So why go thorough all of this, well because int he end I still love riding my bike and if I can find ways to challenge myself I will, and trust me this type of riding is challenging....! Dwight thinks I am crazy.....well maybe a little! 

My very first ride was more than interesting.....I kept thinking about the bikes you had when you were a kid.......and remembered....worse case scenario you can always take your feet off the pedals and have them spin wildly while you throw your legs out to the side and scream! 

Now thats fun......Right? 

 (Wish me luck!) 

Till next time.......happy chatting! 

Commuting Blog # 2 – The Skytrain experience

I must admit that I am not a public transportation kind of girl but the experience of driving home from my new work location has driven me to give it a try. And, well here is what I have experienced so far…..

I cant say that I spend a lot of time looking at train schedules or really have been big on reading signs so its likely that is what caused a slight issue, on my very first attempt I got on the wrong car, which is next to impossible I am told. There are two trains going in the direction I wanted to and I innocently thought they would both end in the same place! Sizing up the situation, and the people around me, I found a rather timid looking gentleman that seemed lonely but harmless and asked where the trained ended up, sure enough……not where I wanted to be! Luckily I was able to get off a switch without much drama.

My observations thus far have led me to believe that you should always wear head phones with some sort of relaxing music, your eyes should wander out of the window but not during the stops at the stations, reading a book or newspaper is not the lost art I thought is was, and finally…people should bath more.

I really wished these guys had of gotten a grant for this! 

I wish this “smell-o-vision” technology was around so I could share some mornings with you all. At first I thought I was over sensitive and that I would acclimatize…then I realized it also has something to do with the train itself. You see there are new one’s and older ones….and yes you definitely want to be on the newer one! 

The older trains carry a au de toilet J scent, literally, and the new ones are rather dependent on who you have in the train with you. I have had a few suggestions on how to deal with this particular issue, carry a can of air deodorizer – not sure that would keep me on the train, let myself get just as smelly as everyone else…yeah not going to happen! And finally the “you will get used to it”, believe it or not I kind of am, I cant say that I am used to it, but its becoming tolerable.

The visual stimulus is rather interesting as well, looking out the window often affords nice views…. particularly on a nice sunny day the mountains and downtown are a wonderful sight. As we move through the bowls of the suburbs I can say that it’s distracting for the right reasons.. 

So why put myself through all of this? Well in a nutshell its faster, usually, the hour and a half drive home was really starting to push the barriers of my patience and the train allows me to not only make my ride home a predictable time it allows me to do stuff, yep…even write a blog! 

I should be honest and tell you that I still drive occasionally.....and I am really, really, did I say really, looking forward to moving our office downtown!

Till next time - happy chatting!