I made plans to go riding with a friend this afternoon. I wanted to try out my clipless pedals today. My therapist advised me to try to switch my pedals while my bike is on the stationary trainer to see if I can clip out. Bad idea. I strapped on my cycling shoes and mounted my bike. I clipped my shoes in and completed one revolution before attempting to clip my right foot out. It was like there was a ton weight that I had to push against to clip it out. I was shocked that my feet couldn't do such a simple motion. The pedals are designed to keep your foot attached to the pedal while you are cycling, but to be easy to clip out when you need to. I have my pedals on the easiest clip out setting and it was still extremely difficult to get my right foot out. I tried time and time again to get my left foot out, and nothing I tried worked. I would try the clipping out motion to the point of piercing pain, let up, and try again. I had nothing. I couldn't do it. I had to wrap my hands around my ankle and use them to force my foot out of the pedal. Once I clipped out, I got off my bike immediately and changed my pedals back to flat pedals. I'll have to ask my therapist for some strengthening exercises to work on before I try this again. Being stuck to your bike is NOT fun.
Bike
Distance: 7.28 miles
Average Speed: 8.71 mph
Duration: 00:50:09
-----------------------
Reflection
I had a terrible time at trying out my clipless pedals, but it didn't stop me from riding my bike on a trail for the first time. This is only the second time that I have ridden my bike, and the first time out of the parking lot. I handled my bike pretty well. It will take several more rides before I fully trust my handling skills again. Even before my surgeries, riding my bike is something that I had to face my fears to do every ride. Most people assume that since I am a triathlete, I am not afraid of any of the sports. To be honest, open water swimming and biking terrify me. For swimming, it is the fear of the unknown in the water. For biking, it is the speed and high likelihood of crashing that scares me. I am proud to say that I conquered my fears today and enjoyed my ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment