Back on my Bike

After a month away, I finally got back on my bike, and how lovely that was! The climate is a bit kinder than July, and the teething problems with the new bike, fitness and (maybe) altitude seem to have been fixed. Now I’m raring to go!

My first ride out was 40km on the relative flat, but since then I’ve managed to stay the course for 60kms with hills.

It’s funny how a break can sometimes help. I’d had major issues with dizziness whenever I stopped on the bike; I’d go really faint and nauseous and struggle to raise my head. One of the other cyclists suggested it might be low blood pressure caused by dehydration, and since then I’ve been religious with drinking and also eating sweets and bits of energy bar. That has made a huge difference. Now the feeling of reaching the top of a climb and stopping is one of satisfied getting-your-breath-back rather than headspinning shakiness.

Another thing which might have helped was the bike fit which Kurt had been nagging me to get done since we arrived here! We went to Mitch at Mello Velo, Broadacres, and he was brilliant. He’s raced all over the world and at one point for a Chinese team, so it was lovely to reminisce and compare notes about riding in Hong Kong and China. He found that the cleats on my shoes had been too far forward, and talked me through how that and the other adjustments he was making would help in terms of power and efficiency while I’m riding. The bike immediately felt more comfortable by the time he’d finished, and on my first ride out after it the differences were noticeable. We also opted for slightly wider handlebars; Kurt had noticed that I looked cramped and even the 1cm difference in width seems to be letting me breathe a bit easier up the hills. I still feel like my ribcage could benefit from being a bit bigger, but there’s certainly less pressure and my shoulders are less achy.

Although I’m feeling somewhat peer-pressured into entering the 94.7 race in November, FOMO is also playing a role, so despite my whingeing and making a huge issue about the hills (the whole of the second half seems to be uphill, and the hills here seem to go on forever) I really do want to go for it. This means upping the mileage again, so this Saturday will see me riding with a different group, and starting in town, rather than where we’d usually start our morning ride. I have no idea how many kilometres that will add, but I know there are a few brutal hills on that route!

This coming Saturday’s ride is stirring mixed feelings for me, though, and not just because of the hills. The regular Academy group is awesome; friendly, forgiving and above all, fun. Everyone is supportive and encouraging, and there’s no judgement if you’re a bit slower and need a push to keep up (thanks, Bev!). I’m not sure this will be the same this week, and I’m not sure if our ride will end the same way as our academy rides. Perhaps I really ought to be too old to succumb to peer-pressure, but we have recently started to indulge in a post-ride prosecco!