My name is Amy. I got kind of known in the group early this summer as "Alaska" because my first jersey said, you guessed it, "Alaska". And yes, I did buy it at a bike shop in Alaska - last year, before I even had a road bike. I thought then I wanted to get into cycling. (Since then I have gotten the addiction and have way more than just that one jersey.)
I had a hybrid bike for over 20 years. It weighed a ton. I could ride it on the local bike paths for 15-20 miles. But I topped out at about 11-12 mph average. Occasionally I would see a big group of cyclists whiz by on the street in a pack and wonder if it was really that different on a road bike - actually riding on the road. This year I decided to pull the trigger and get a road bike and see if it really was that different. Much to my surprise, I am now totally addicted. And yes. It's totally different! Plus there are so many new skills to master.
I have never been particularly athletic , yet I have been pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was able to progress. It was a rough start though. I took Joel's safety class in May 2013. I did my first novice ride in June 2013. On that first 20 mile novice ride I thought I might puke half way through. There were lots of reasons - some of which are going to turn into a blog entry as a "lesson learned" in this series. But I made it and I came back the next week. And the next week. And the next week. I also rode a few times in between by myself just to get some more miles on my legs. My solo rides weren't as long. There weren't as many places I felt safe riding by myself and, as it turns out, it's just not as much fun riding without the group.
I love that there are so many cyclists in the Shawnee Trail Cycling Club that have cycled for years and are still passionate about it. Some have done it for so long, they might have forgotten what it's like to just be starting out. That's where I come in. My new addiction is figuring out how to ride better, faster and smarter. As I figure out something I want to share it with the other beginning and novice cyclists so they too can start to get better and ride smarter.
I hope you come back to read my blog.