BDOB and Learning Valuable Lessons

BDOB means Bad Day on The Bike! Well I look happy don't I? It was not a fully bad day on the bike, it was really just a bad moment...and I did learn some valuable lessons about bike mechanicals and bike checks pre-ride.

This is my friend Christine. She and I were both happy at this moment.

I was riding along just fine until about 3/4 through the ride when my back wheel started to fish tail and rub my back brakes. I was unable to turn the pedals over. My bike was shifting itself without any help from me and we were in huge traffic and having to cross about 4 lanes of traffic. Once stopped at the traffic light, I tried to ride though the intersection when the light turned green, but I could not turn the pedals over and I could not get any momentum. I did not know what was wrong and thought it was just operator error. As we left the meet up spot, and started to climb back up, it became more and more obvious that I had a serious problem and the whole team left me in the dust and I could not get my bike to pedal and it was shifting itself like crazy.

Luckily Coach Ed was behind me and was telling me how I should proceed. He was watching what was going on with my bike. We pulled over and he made one fix. We started off again and the same problem...dovetailing, wobbling and shifting itself. We pulled over again and I got off the bike and he took an even closer look. Well glory be! My rear wheel was not tightened down by the quick release. The wheel was flipping and flopping in the hub and it had caused my brakes to engage! It was an easy fix and then we smoothly sailed up hill the rest of the way back to the finish!

The moral of the story? Give your bike a serious check up before you ride it each time. Check all the parts that could potentially cause you trouble! I take the front wheel off and never take the rear off...so I always check the front quick release and never the rear. Big mistake!

Another life lesson learned!

I am off to have my car serviced now!
Cece

The New Yorker and the Black Leopard Cubs

When a NYer goes to Santa Fe, it is like going to Big Game Country. So when Cece was cycling and doing her triathlon practice on Sunday morning, it did not surprise her to see big game! She saw 4 black leopard cubs! She was cycling along and she sucked in air...."OMG black leopard cubs!" Even though she was racing for time, she slowed down considerably and was a bit scared that the black leopards had come down to where she was cycling. She approached slowly as she watched them cantor across the road and into the bush. She was nervous that they would jump out at her....and maybe their mom would have her for lunch...where was the mom? But as she slowed and approached, she realized that they were 4 pure black kittens about 4 months old! Big game! For sure! She stopped and greeted them and then continued on her way laughing at herself. Black leopards...right!

She was doing the tri route in reverse saving the long climb back up for the end. She parked at the Indian Arts School

and saw this beautiful mural. She realized a lot about her fitness now compared to what it was this time last year. Then, she was riding with a shoulder that would eventually need surgery and that took its toll. Today the ride was so manageable and fun. She was relaxed and optimistic.

Once back at the Community Center, she worked on her running and counted exactly 200 steps she would have to run in cleats with her bike, before she could mount her bike. She practiced this. Not too bad.

Driving back into the city , she was taken a back by the beauty of the earth once again. It never ceases to surprise her and she remembered her first ride to SF when she visited over 17 years ago and fell in love with the land and sky! At that time, she knew she would move here.

She got off the highway in Bernalillo and came in from the north . It was a perfect day for a nice ride and a wonderful drive.<>

She was surprised that Bernalillo is undergoing a face lift. This time she came in from the north. Usually the opposite, so she only sees the older part of town...now there is new growth and development. She remembers when practically the only place to eat was the pizza place....now they have everything!

Cece thinks that for the next few weeks that she will make the trek to SF to practice. When you have asthma, even a few thousand feet elevation change is noticeable...so practice will be beneficial to help with the breathing!