Both times now, after renting bikes in Portland and Madison, I’ve felt more comfortable riding bigger bikes with higher seats and handlebars. I fell in love with the Gary Fisher Zebrano FS bicycle especially after renting it in Madison. But moreover, when I came back from these trips, riding my own bike felt very foreign and confining.
So, just when i was about to try to sell my bike to get a new one, I decided to make a last effort to keep my Breezer. I took it in to The Hub to see if they could adjust the seat and handlebars up a bit for me.
What a difference it made!!
My leg actually has some extension now, and I’m able to generate a lot more forward momentum! I may actually save my knees! No it’s not perfect by any means, but it feels a lot better now. I’ve saved myself the expense of buying a new bike (at least until next summer!), so that’s a very good thing.
I may see about investing in some accessories for the bike, like a few quick release levers for the seat post, and maybe the wheels, if they can put them on. My next worry: What if I get a flat tire on the road? The way the Breezer is set up, I would need a bunch of tools, and I’d rather not have to carry a ton of them with me just to take off a wheel to change a flat tire.
Now that it’s below 80 degrees, maybe it’s time to go out and ride once again in Minneapolis!
About three days ago, I noticed the start of a slight bit of pain in my left knee. This is the “other” knee that I didn’t scratch up in my fall on the light rail. I’ve been noticing a little bit of soreness and tenderness behind my left kneecap. This is not good. I have a week before I leave on Amtrak to go to Portland.
I did a lot of reading online and found that this type of knee injury is extremely common in cyclists, and is often the result of over-training. Perhaps my 30 miles in one day not paced well was not wise. I should have stopped at 25 and rested for an hour at least.
This type of tendonitis is often caused by poor positioning on the bicycle, which I’ve been feeling. I test rode a 20″ Gary Fisher Zebrano bike today, and it felt GLORIOUS. It was an easy ride that didn’t stress my muscles. If you’ve been reading a while, you know that the Zebrano is the bike I rented while I was in Madison biking everywhere. A lot of it is the bike I’m using, my seat height, and how I’ve been riding it, now that I do my research on my “injury”…
I find it very ironic that for someone who never was an athlete growing up into adulthood, that at 37, I’m getting my first sports injury. I’m going to need to rest the knee for a few days and not ride, and do some exercises to strengthen the hamstrings and muscles around the knee. Maybe it’s time to start doing yoga again.
But..if anything, I have been able to push myself well, and I’m going to take it on faith that resting is probably what I need right now before this trip. I think however, that I may have outgrown my Breezer already. 30 miles on it is a chore. The Zebrano, with 24 gears was an easy and smooth ride, and I didn’t fatigue at about 22 miles.
Lots to think about right now….
It was minor, but it could have been a lot worse. This one did not take place on a road or with a car, nor did it involve me falling off my bike. This accident, which gave me three cuts and a bruise on my leg came about when taking my bike on the Light Rail.
Maneuvering a bicycle through a sea of people to where you place your bicycle takes a lot of time. More time than what you get between door opening and closing on the train. I was just about to place my bike in the rack inside, when the train jolted and took off. I fell over, my bicycle falling and landing on two people, and me falling against my bike and a woman sitting down.
Nobody was injured really, but we were all shaken up. Bicycles need more time to negotiate the train. I filed a suggestion/complaint with Metro Transit. Waiting for my case number, and I need to write a letter to Risk Management with the Metropolitan Council.
Ahh bureaucracy…
