Chad's spot for various thoughts, musings, poetry, ideas and whatnot

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

For the first time since the crash I rode my time trial bike yesterday. The crash has sprung the old frame and shattered the fork of my original bike so I had to replace both. After several weeks of stops and starts with All3Sports (I can no longer, in good conscience, recommend them as a shop to get work done at) I finally got my bike back and with the help of EBay I was able to replace my damaged or destroyed wheels.

Knowing the tendancy of the bike to ask more of me than I usually plan to give I waited until after I had finished my recovery week to take her out on the shakedown cruise. The plan was that I would go hard but not all out over a 46 mile route I usually like to use for TT training. I had hoped to do the distance in under two hours and six minutes but didn't really think I'd beat 2h10m.

As I set out I was surprised to find myself settling into the aerobars with almost no trouble and little uncertainty. It was like riding a bike as they say. I did the first couple of miles in the small ring to remind my legs and back which muscles I had to use now in this once familiar position. I was rewarded with a few twinges from my left gluteal muscles that soon disappeared and after my brief warmup I was able to switch up to the by 54 tooth front ring and begin to power.

I had forgotten how much fun it is to ride the TT bike. The whole way in which power is applied is different. You don't really do intervals or surge but instead give a strong, continuous effort where it's as important to have a good rhythm as it is to be able to produce power. Over the course of the next two hours I powered my way around the course, flying though the tiny country villages that dot the area: Milner, Orchard Hill, High Falls, Unionville, Liberty Hill. I expected for my wrists and shoulders to give me problems after an hour and they didn't. I expected for my hip flexors to start complaining after ninety minutes and they didn't. I was haulin' the mail and loving it.

As I pulled up to my home I looked at the time and I had done the route in 1h57m for an average of over 23 mph. Wow! That was without any areodynamic stuff like a skinsuit or TT helmet or disk wheel. The State TT Championships are a little less than two weeks away and I might just be able to go and do something or at least avoid embarrassing myself.

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