First Training ride and other essentials

Last week was the first training ride. Much awaited as it signaled the possibility of good weather at last. But before being able to hit the road I had to do the Cycling 101 which is 45 minutes of being told things that you had forgotten since you were last in short pants haring around on a bike. 


As well as being told the obvious (for which I was secretly very pleased about ) I spent the 26 km of last week realizing that I had forgotten all about gears as well. There I was, on my (expensive) pride and joy, enjoying the admiring looks and "nice bike" & "nice outfit" comments without actually knowing how to make the damn thing go faster or slower.


This didn't prove to much of a problem until Cummers Hill aka "Bastard Hill". Half way up this hill I realized that the momentum from the previous hill was running out and I need to hit the "easy mode" but instead hit "hardest mode" and ended up getting to the top but thinking my lungs were bursting, my kidneys rupturing and wheezing like a coal miner in the 30's. Made it in one go without stopping so quite pleased with myself.


Made sure got some instruction on how to use the gears as soon as I got to the finish. Tried to use my Garmin trip computer thing and found I had ballsed that up to.


No gears, no record but a good start I thought.


P.S. Chris fell on his arse :o)