Here We Go Again...

I gave up biking a couple of years ago after much frustration with my bike and a knee injury, and for a long time I was fine with it. I had been really uncomfortable and scared when riding the road bike, and I made myself forget my triathlon goals. But something in the past couple of months made me revisit biking. I can't say exactly what it was, but the ladies at the Bia packing party and my friends Robin and Mike definitely played a part. I found myself researching bike company websites and reading reviews, and before I knew it I was test riding bikes at Sports Basement one day after work.

Talking to the sales guy made me feel much better; we discussed my past bike issues and what I didn't like, then went through frame types and what could work better for me. I test rode quite a few styles and brands, and the next thing I knew the Cannondale Synapse found it's way into my car. Even though I had a Cannondale before (the CAAD10), it was pretty surprising to me just how much the frame size and type could make the difference. It was helpful to ride different frames and to discover what worked and what really didn't work. I'd learned a lot from my initial road biking experience and I'm confident I did a better job at choosing a bike this time.

The Cannondale Synapse getting ready to come home with me.

Happy bike selfie!

I also switched from Shimano pedals to Speedplay pedals and I'm loving the change so far; it's much easier to get in and out of the pedals, plus the foot moves more in the pedals themselves. Because my knee injury was related to the pedals forcing my foot into one place, I specifically looked for more play in the pedals this time.

I've put about 42 miles on the bike so far and I'm feeling good about it. These were easy miles - commuting to work and playing on the bike trail in the evening - but I'll get to harder workouts in time. Right now I'm enjoying myself, getting used to riding again, and taking it slower than I did the first time. No hardcore riding groups and hill workouts for me yet.

Ok, but I DID sign up for the Mermaid Duathlon in October. I'm excited about taking the bike to an event but I'm not all in for the tri yet. Next year!