I took off for another short ride to see how my achilles was feeling. I spend the morning cleaning my bike (which I had to do again!) and I also threw on a new Salsa 36 chain ring and put on a 16 tooth cog in the back. I was running 32 X 17 and felt like it was about right. Well, the first few pedal revolutions I was already in love with the tougher and faster gearing. On the flats it was perfect. I was riding at 14.5-16 mph over the slight peanut butter and the bike just wanted to go. It was a very fun feeling. I am still picking the sand out of my teeth! %^) Now, I have a very long ways to go to ride this gear over a long ride, but I will be giving it a shot very soon. I did have to stand on most every climb, but I could also climb faster as well. I loved it! Against the wind I was able to go just a bit faster than with 32 X 17, but I don't know if I really was having to work all that much harder. I rode 18.5 miles in 1:25 which is 13 mph. I felt good about that given the muddy conditions and the hills I rode today. I can't wait to ride it again.
Most of all, I feel my achilles is 99%. No pain what so ever. So, more riding this week.
Happy training!
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3 comments:
36x16 is my normal gravel fixed gearing, pretty versatile gear. I tried 40x16 last weekend, which was great when the roads were hard and the wind was soft, but just about more than I could handle when the wind came up and the peanut butter came out. The skinny studded tires prolly didn't help either.
I'm not sure if gears makes these rides easier or not, now.
DG
C'mon Paul, man up. or is that gear up? I am about twice as big as you and am running 38 x 16, and I eat peanut butter for breakfast.
Just giving you shit. Keep experimenting. The hills around here are about the size of a pimple on Tony Spencer's ass (Jim will get the reference), so I can a bigger gear.
Well Neve r est I am not in your league at all so there is no way I am jumping to 40 X 16, but the 36 X 16 felt good. Especially on the still frozen gravel. In the peanut butter I actually felt like I could float on it a bit better since I was able to go a little bit faster. Now, I only rode about 4-5 of those miles into the wind so it was not that long, or that windy!
Gary, you will be crushing me like a tooth pick in another two months at TI! Make sure you are at least twice my size, I need to draft off of you at least as far as I can hold on!
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