Magic Bullet Unleashed!!

After delaying the inevitable,I finally screwed up enough courage to wrestle my bike off the CT (but not before marking the wires with written bits of masking tape). The next job was changing my trainer tire to my racing tire -- and it went pretty well! I wouldn't win any races for how quickly I changed it, but hey, I got the job done. :) :)

My first bike ride of the season was a super short ride to work. Magic Bullet (Madge for short) did very well. The gears still shifted beautifully, there was only a minimum amount of rattling and odd noises. After work, I rode a bit past my house to go up the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre hill. It's a good climb with varying grades and I totally rocked it!!!! Last year, the first time I made the climb, I was a rubbery, panting mess. This year, I must have channeled Kelsey because HOLY CRAP it was so much easier! All that time on the CT and wattage training is paying off!! YEEHAW!!!

Yesterday, I took Madge in to get "Gordo-fied" at the best freaking bike shop in the world. There is a local guy here that runs "The Tuck Shop" and he knows his bikes inside and out. He is the kind of mechanical whiz that just by eyeballing you, tells you what sort of bike you should be riding and why. He takes into account your arm length, your torso, the way you sit, everything!! When he first set me up on Madge, it took about 6 hours in total. He would make the most minute adjustment to my handlebars or to my seat, then have me go for a bike ride around the block and up a hill. I would then tell him in detail where I felt discomfort -- my shoulders feel pinched, or my lower back feels tight, and he would make another millimeter adjustment.

He also whizzed off some of the front part of Madge where the front tire fits in, so when I get a flat, or am just taking the front tire off, it just falls out easily. I don't know how many times I spent practicing changing tires under his watchful eye -- he has even come and rescued me when I got too many flats and ran out of tubes!! His daughter was a pro mountain biker and road racer for a number of years and she still kicks some serious ASS. Thus, his breadth of biking knowledge expanded even more. He is the kind of hard core dude that would pedal UPHILL with one leg for his one legged drills. Even now, after tonnes of accidents, a sore back and joints, Gord could still tear it up.

He has also come to every one of my IM races (on his Harley of course) and cheers me on!!

I only really see Gord during the spring and summer when I start taking Madge in -- so as this was the first visit of the season I was pretty excited to get Gordo-fied!! Hee-hee!!

Yesterday, I got new handlebar tape put on as my old stuff was smelling like armpit, and he tuned my bike to perfection. Changing gears is like a dream -- just slip, slide into the next one. He is a perfectionist and takes the extra time to make everything just right. I went for an easy 45 minute ride afterwards and I truly rode the Bullet! Hee-hee!!

The only downside (well, I can't really ever call outdoor riding "down"), is that I don't have any info as to my wattage now, or my speed, cadence or anything. I do have a speed/cadence thing but I am not going to put it back on my bike because I really don't need it. By now, I know what 90-100 rpm feels like, and when bugs smash into my helmet and die, I know I am going fast!! LOL!! It's just too bad they don't make a bike thingy that measures wattage and doesn't cost $1000!!!! It was either that or my CT and I chose my CT!! :) :) :)

Oh yeah -- FOR CHUCK: I experienced the slow-motion shame of falling over to the side where I hadn't unclipped!! LOL!!! I felt like such a tool -- I don't know if anyone saw (but you know, of COURSE someone did!!) but I managed not to look around to find out!! LOL!!!

I am thrilled to be biking outside again -- I LOVE IT BABY!!! :) :):)

AND -- I just remembered that IG will be racing in Lethbridge this Sunday too! YAY!! :) :):):)