Cue cycling-induced muscle soreness in 3, 2, 1…
I’m not going to lie… the first ride on our bikes was a tough one, as in, not a spec of flat ground. I’m expecting some cycling-induced muscle soreness later today, but that doesn’t dissuade me. In fact, I knew it would happen. While we may have done some hiking here and there, and of course we all know that Rebecca is a workout animal, we haven’t done any cycling since our trip up the mountain in the Galapagos, and that was an isolated incident over a year ago. So yes, it’s going to take some time to get our cycling legs, and in my case, my cycling lungs!
On the bright side, we found some awesome dirt trails not far from our daughter’s house, and our new bikes performed flawlessly. The ride was going great until some aggressive, untethered dogs forced us to do a 180 and head back the way we came! We plan on tackling some different trails later on today, hopefully sans canines. Slow and steady.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!*
*Figure of speech. No one should be eating elephants!
Big smiles from both of us.
Great photos. Love the scenery in California but yeah, that looks seriously hilly. And we both know that like waves, the camera makes hills look flatter than they really are. LOL I’m a Clydesdale so hills are even worse. And it takes a few weeks to get used to that saddle.
Yes, hills are like waves in pics!
Like Sal, when I’d take the bike out for a ride for the first time in the spring, it wasn’t my legs or lungs that were the issue. Rather, it was my arse…
You need more padding. Eat more cake over the winter. 😉
Looks like your test area is a beautiful one. I did notice that one of you had proper safety head gear on – gee, guess which one??! All kidding aside, hope your muscles adapt to the new movements soon and that you get started on your new biking adventure as planned. Looks like you are off to a great start with training.
Rebecca noted that if there was only one of us wearing a helmet, it would normally be me, as I am the safety-minded one. The truth is though that she had a helmet from her triathlons, and when the pics were taken, I had yet to buy one. That has since been resolved. 🙂
Having cycled thousands of miles in Colorado I have come to the revelation that cycling is 80%+ uphill. I know it doesn’t seem mathematically possible, but it is. Here is how the typical ride goes: UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP (whoosh) down UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP (whoosh) down. After a while you begin to dislike the downs, because you lose all of the up you worked so hard for 🙂 Keep the rubber side down!
I totally believe you!
I am intrigued. There aren’t any mud guards on those knobbly wheels/tyres. Surely you are going to get filthy on dusty tracks and soaked going on wet roads and tracks. But they look lovely bikes. Good luck with the saddle sores!
Cheers
Mike.
Everyone seems very focussed on our butts. I wonder why? 😉
Cool– You two are on your way to being C.LO.D. Really living on Dirt!!
Frost must always be on your mind though..
Not so much. She is being tended to by a pro.
Stay motivated!
If you get really ambitious, maybe you can join Sir Chris Hoy: http://road.cc/content/news/220383-sir-chris-hoy-planning-cycle-across-antarctica
I saw a photo/article of someone who cycled across Antarctica in a fatbike trike!