Got Balance

The thing that intimidates most about a triathlon is the swim. Being out in the open water getting bumped by others with no wall to grab on to between laps is indeed a bit frightening. But the thing that always kept me from trying a tri is the bike. This surprises most, I mean we are not all Lance Armstrong, but the phase, "like riding a bike" is there for a reason...we all remember how.

The strange thing is, I loved to ride my bike as a kid. Even at an early age I was more into distance the speed. I loved to watch the Tour de France on Saturdays when they recapped the whole weeks events in the days before VERSES gave us live coverage. I was probably one of the few kids who even knew who Greg LeMond was let alone what Bernard Hinault did to him. I was never into BMX stunts or jumps, I preferred instead to go on long rides with my Dad past the Ostrich farm miles away from our house.

But today, when I get on a bike, I feel like I am giving up control. I prefer the crunch of gravel under my feet as opposed to the hum of tires. Probably a lot of my fear has to do with clipless pedals.

I knew it would be a challenge to learn to ride while clipped in, so I bought some pedals and attached them to my old cheapo bike before I had picked up the new one. I hoped that by practicing on my old bike, I would get all of the falls out of the way before I was attached to anything of value.

I did fall a few times, but not the way most do. Most people fall because they forget they have them on...I fell because I could not get my foot out. I have since adjusted them a hundred times and I am getting used to them...but I don't think my falling days are over.

I still dread coming to a stop and absolutely fear a stop sign on a hill. I am convinced that the pedals freeze up in the wind chill as they seem to get progressively worse near the end of the ride...or maybe that is because my feet are just numb.