I am ambivalent about my slippers...

You might wonder why I am ambivalent about my Ugg slippers. Seriously, what did they ever do to not be fully embraced? Sure, they are Uggs, not really glitzy or very feminine. In fact, one might say they are downright ugly what with their scuffed hide and he-man looking woolen cuffs. There are many more attractive slippers that also can keep one warm, that's for sure.

But the sheer appearance of these Ugg slippers has nothing to do with my ambivalence toward them.

Since my accident in August, I have been learning to walk again. I am now the proud stepper of someone who no longer relies on a cane to get around. I can walk, on my own, putting one foot in front of another. I don't lose my balance, I have minimal swelling around my recontructed ankle that had been spun from facing forward to attempting to walk to the left on its own and, most of the time and I can walk heel-to-toe after warming up my aging, patched up bones.

My Ugg slippers are seductive in the guise of practicality: they provide me with the stability to walk while keeping my feet warm. Each day that I keep my feet warmed inside these Uggs, is one more day I don't attempt to don the shoes of a grown-up consultant seeking additional clients or seeking business for the clients I already have. Each day I slip into my Uggs is one more day I avoid putting on my Specialized racing shoes to see if I can stuff my Size 11 Frankenstein-ish looking foot into it and 1. Will it fit in them again and 2.Will it find its home in cycling shoes once again.

I have been able to find patience over the years for children learning to potty train, for fingers learning new keyboards, for employees learning new skills and for doctors who have overbooked appointments. Finding the patience for my ankle to decide it's ready to conquer old things that are like new again has been a hunt for which I have experienced more obstacles. The alternative is foolish abandon and snubbing reality which could lead to prolonged impatience.

In the meantime, I have vowed to do those things I CANdo with full on enthusiasm--trading my Uggs for sneakers is where I am today.

It's been a while...

On August 21, 2010, I was struck by a grocer's tractor trailer while completing a metric century ride in California.

It's been a journey of humbling, challenging days in which I have struggled to maintain a positive attitude. It's sort of like being on a diet--some days the 'woe is me' in me wins but most days  it's the 'glass is half full' in me crossing the finish line first. Every day though, I win because I am here breathing, thinking, healing and appreciating all of the wonderful help I have been given.

I can't lie, there have been long moments of pushing the pictures out of my mind of the beautiful sunny fall days of being on my bike enjoying the hills in the cooler weather. I have pushed them out because, for me, this autumn, it won't be me out there. Periods have emerged where I pushed aside the snapshops of enjoying the bagels and coffee at our beloved Nosh Bagelry following a terrific November day of cruising around in temperatures that serve as our reward for withstanding Arizona summers. For this November, I'll be sitting out.

Today, there's progress to be applauded and countless people to chase down and thank. Today, I have a husband whose patience, thoughtfulness and care equals mountains of every good thing I can think of. Today, I have dreams of returning to riding sooner than later.

Everyday though, no matter what, I close my eyes as I aim for sleep, sometimes without much of a target,
and I imagine myself whole, healthy, happy and back on my bicycle. Days, weeks, months...no matter...I will continue to hope for that fine day.

Girls Gone Riding: Folks...You can wrap your handlebars yourself!

So it's a cheap job...$8-$12 bucks to pay a bike shop...That's not the point...

Empower yourself! Plus, you'll feel less guilty about changing your bar tape as often as you change your purse!

It's fun and you can do it. Subscribe for me tips from Girls Gone Riding.

Women Cyclist Shifting Tips - Basics, Nevers and Always for Girls Gone Riding

July 7th Wine Women and Wheels Shifting Clinic at Global Bikes in Gilbert, AZ

Learning to shift is among the most intimidating of skills when first learning to road bike. When heading out on a flat beginner ride, there are not too many opportunities for dangerous mistakes. It's typically when riding steeper grades that being in the correct gear could cause some headaches or even a fall

Here are some basic shifting tips to get you started:

Most of your shifting will occur using your right shifter, or rear gears.

The left or front shifter is used for bigger or more intense shifting when heading up a signficant grade. Most riding will be done in the middle ring of a triple or the larger sprocket of a double or compact double.

The biggest sprocket in the back is the one that produces the easiest pedaling.

While the largest ring in the front produces faster or harder pedalling, the large ring in the back is your easiest gear.

Gears CLOSEST TO the bike are easier. As they move further away from the bike fram, harder.

It's easier to remember this way, but you will see that the smaller ring in the front is closer to the bike and the larger ring in the back is closer to the frame.

The smallest sprocket in the back allows you to move the fastest.

When you are in your smallest, or highest number gear in the rear (usually #7, #8 or #9), it takes more pressure to move the pedals, but you can move along more quickly.

Shifting of the right (rear) will occur when pedaling is becoming too easy to too difficult. The shift will permit you to adjust to this change in terrain.

Adjust as you are moving along smaller terrain changes.

Shifting the left shifter makes a big impact, and shifting the right shifter is to fine tune your gear selection.

When you anticipate a hill ahead, don't wait until you have engaged the hill to shift, anticipate it and shift while pedalling softly before you reach the hill.

Triple vs. compact doubles – If you care what racers think of your bike, go with a compact double, if you don’t care, get a triple.

Even with a triple, a cyclist will not utilize ALL of these gear configurations, but if you don't care about weight, it's good to know the gears are there.

Rule of Thumb – Use Cogs 1-4 with small ring; Cogs 5-8 with the Large Ring.

Keep the chain as straight as possible; it can put too much strain or stretch on the chain if it becomes too angled. Never ride Large ring front/large ring back or small ring front/small ring back.

Use your fingers, save your legs!

 

Many new riders, particularly former runners tend to stay in harder gears and 'mash' as they ride. Using shifting and doing more spinning is easier on your legs and provides a more aerobic workout rather than building muscles!

Trying to diet but still riding your bike? If you cycle, you gotta eat...

If you want to perform well while cycling, a few celery sticks and a half cup of cottage cheese won't cute it.

Watch this video to learn more about what to eat when you are riding.

Girl Gone Riding: Women--You too CAN change your own tire...

Change your tire in less than 10 minutes....You can do it! Watch this and then try it yourself.

Then practice, practice, practice...

Have fun! --Sheryl

Ready yourself AND your bike for the summer heat

If you're like me and ride year-round, you have probably noticed that you and your bike perform differently in different weather. That's why it makes sense to take a few extra steps to prepare you and your trusty steed for the summer weather.

Let's start with the easier of the two, your bike.
If you haven't had your bike in for a tune-up after the months of winter riding, it's a good time to do that.
Here are points to either check out yourself if you are well-schooled in bike maintenance or to have your favorite diagnostic bike shop review it for you:

Check out your brakes. Look for the grooves in your brake pads. If the grooves are completely gone and the surface is smooth. Time to replace them.

Assess your tires. The life of road tires vary from tire to tire. If you do not feel comfortable with this assessment, get the help of a professional you trust. Obviously, the road surfaces are dramatically hotter during the summer months and having sound tires is an important element anytime but even more importantly through the heat of summer.

Check out your chain. There are different types of these gauges out there and none are very expensive. However, if you don't have one, check with your bike mechanic and have him measure your chain to be sure it is not stretched. The measurement takes about 30 seconds. If your chain is stretched, it should be replaced. Cost is minimal and you can even learn to do this yourself, but that's another blog entry.

Clean bike? If you are recreational rider who likes doing long, charity rides or you simply spend longer rides with bottles of sport drinks and other nonwater liquids in your bottles, chances are you have dribbled some of that sugary substance when putting your bottles back into their cages. Check your frame, particularly on the very bottom, underneath and below where your bottles are stored. Build-up from this can gum up your shifting cables and create slugglish shifting or worse, can cause a cable to snap. Use a mild solution of Simple Green and gently sponge this area until that build-up is dissolved and can be rinsed away.

A good diagnostic bike shop is worth its weight in gold. After a recent trek up to the towers at South Mountain, a problem arose with my middle ring gear. I discovered with the help of a couple of Gilbert's Focus Cyclery riders who were also headed up to the top, that a gear tooth had bent and was causing my chain to slip. After that ride, I took my bike to the nearby shop and commuter support facility, The Bicycle Cellar in Tempe, to have it looked at. John Romero, shop owner and bicycle mechanic, reviewed the problem for me. Within a day, he was able to repair the gear tooth and cleaned and lubed my drive train. It was also he who noticed the build-up of drink run off and promptly cleaned it up. The next ride proved to be terrific with amazingly smooth and noiseless shifting.

For more cycling information, especially for newer riders, subscribe to Girlsgoneriding blog.
Tomorrow's post: Get yourself ready for summer cycling.