Running With Perseverance

It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since I first started cycling with my husband. He likes to tinker with bikes, and is always asking if I want to try a different seat, electronic shifters, or some other part I didn’t know existed. A few weeks ago I finally decided I was ready to invest in a new bike.

Isn’t she pretty!

How I Got A New Bike

The weekend before our vacation, we didn’t want to wear ourselves out with the Conte’s hill ride, so we opted for the somewhat easier group ride hosted by a different Conte’s store in Alexandria that’s much closer to home.

Like our matching Farm to Fork Fondo kits?

After the ride, I told Brian (the ride leader and store manager) about the numbness I’ve been getting in my fingers. I thought I needed different gloves, but he thought it was more likely due to poor bike fit.

Back when I bought my first bike, all I knew about bike fitting was that I wanted to be able to straddle my bike with my feet on the ground–not a given at my 5’1″ height. Brian put me and my bike on the trainer in their bike fitting area, took measurements of me and my bike, and thought I would do better with a smaller frame and narrower handlebars.

As luck would have it, they were having a sale on a bike Brian thought would be a great fit and my husband thought would have all the bells and whistles I could ever want–including a carbon frame, hydraulic disc brakes and 21 gears. Brian even agreed to install slightly narrower handle bars for me.

As luck would have it, he thought he would be able to get it ordered and set up by the time we got back from vacation.

As luck would have it, my bike was ready when we got back from vacation. Brian put me and my new bike on the trainer in their fitting area, and adjusted the seat and handlebars using a tape measurer to make sure everything was aligned properly. I took it out for a 10 mile test ride, and loved how smoothly I could change gears and brake.

Last weekend I took it on the Conte’s hill ride hosted by the Falls Church Conte’s store, and that’s when my luck started to run out. My bike made a clacking noise that no one could figure out–even their bike mechanic. I thought it was coming from the front wheel. My husband thought it was coming from the drive train. It was so bad it gave me a headache. I was really sad that my new bike was sounding like an old jalopy.

We decided to take it back to Brian so it would be closer to home if he needed time to figure it out. That’s when my luck ran out. Let’s just say that a rooftop bike rack and low-overhead clearance driveway do not go well together. Instead of wheeling my bike in to Brian with a mystery noise, I wheeled my bike in to Brian with a mystery noise and crunched shifters leaking brake fluid. 🙁

Luckily, Brian knew right away what the mystery noise was (a problem with the wheel bearings in the front wheel). Luckily, Brian had the same wheel (also new) he could swap in for me. Luckily, another Conte’s store had a set of the same Shimano shifters my bike came with. Luckily, Bob, their bike mechanic, was able to replace everything before the weekend rolled around again.

Fun coincidence–we met Justin (in the striped gray shirt)
at the Farm To Fork Fondo–Pennsylvania Dutch!

For my first ride with my newly rebuilt new bike, I wanted to do the Conte’s Alexandria ride with Brian in case there were any issues. Luckily, the 22 mile ride was blissfully quiet and otherwise uneventful.

With all that behind me, I am ready to enjoy my new bike. I can tell that the fit is much better, and it shifts gears smoothly and easily–important for those hills. I hope to put it to the test at the Reston Metric Century coming up in a few weeks.

I’m linking up with Rachel at Running on Happy and Lacey and Miranda at Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five.

Have you had a run of good luck lately?