a day of firsts..
today for the first time i...
... wore my very own bike helmet, that mostly fits my very tall head, that looks moronic and stupid on me, and i'm not at all clear as to how other people can pull this look off and look sporty while i look like i fell off the short bus, but regardless... i wore my very own bike helmet today. and there were no fiascos. i call this a success.
... rode my bike while listening to my i-pod and learned that when you have no where else to put your i-shuffle, sticking it down your bra may seem like a good idea... but it in fact makes said i-shuffle grossly dirty-slimey-sweaty and makes for weird looks while fast-forwarding to the next tune. note to self... come up with fancy-shmancy i-shuffle attatcher-to-bike-holder... thing.
... didn't puss out and skip the biking altogether just because i had nobody to bike with. yeah no.. this is a first. up until today, i have managed to either make biking plans with a friend or befriend a fellow biker in the parking lot before actually riding. for some reason until today i just completely pussed out altogether for one reason or another. but today, i finally conquered the yep i'm riding alone. yep i don't know what i'm doing. yep i have on running shoes. yep i'm this wobbly, this slow, this ridiculous looking on a bike feelings of fear and found out riding my bike by myself?! not really all that scary!!
... found out that riding your bike when your arms are still sore from the previous day's chin-up lifting routine and swimming session really really bothers the elbows. i'm not sure if i'm doing something wrong here, but the whole supporting my weight on my hands while bent over in a funny position thing?
not. comfortable.
i'm hoping this is just one of those you'll get used to it things because right now i feel like icing my arms. which after riding a bike just seems completely ridiculous.
... realized that when i pedal my left foot doesn't move the same way my right foot does, and my outter three toes go numb after about 5 miles. this is a strange, strange sensation, but i think i figured out the problem and will be testing out my pedaling theory on my next ride.
... decided that there are no two ways about it. riding my bike makes my baby-maker sore, and there is just no other way for me to say that. how, how people ride for hours and hours at a time is beyond me. maybe one of you biker chicks out there has a solution to this problem? cuz today...15 miles.. a little less than an hour? and my hmm-hmm was saying nuh-uh. yowch.
... actually passed a few guys on the back side of the loop... a few of the spandex guys, and decided that uh.. well.... yeah those guys are hawt. and if riding on my own gets me a few head nods from the hotties?! i'm all over it!
and i think that about covers it. if any of you biker folk feel the urge to lend advice... please do so.
my elbows, my i-shuffle, my toes and my uh... baby-maker... would really appreciate it!
Comments
DATE: 8:35 PM
oh man... you're too funny. i think i can pretty-much help you or point you in the right direction with everything but the whole...baby maker problem. but even then, i'm fairly certain there's a solution. err..an answer to your problem!
Posted by: J | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 9:06 PM
just dropping by but thought that point about the discomfort in the seat was hilarious. Not that I am amused by your misfortune.
Posted by: God's Child | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 8:36 PM
oops. feel free to drop me an e-mail if you want.
Posted by: J | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 9:08 PM
There are many great seats with good designs and you might want to try a new one. On the other hand, I have yet to go on a long ride and not feel like my groinal area is brusied and battered. You want to be sure you have a well padded, split seat, though.And here is the solution to your iPod problem. Cheap, too.
Posted by: 21st Century Mom | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 10:07 PM
Elbows - not too sure without seeing your position. I don't know maybe bend the elbows a bit and transfer the load to your shoulders. The more upright you ride the more comfortable, but less aerodynamic. It will take some time to get used to riding in an aero position. i-shuffle - as 21st century mom suggested, an arm band works well.Toes - Again hard to make a good assessment without seeing it, but my guess is you are putting too much pressure on the toes. Either you're curling your toes, which I sometimes do without realizing it, or you could be pointing your toes down and to the outside on each pedal stroke. Think about riding with your foot in a flat position. You may have a leg length difference, which I and many other people have. A small shim may help. Chat with a good local bike shop.Baby-maker - I have different parts down there, but how's the padding in your shorts? And yes women cyclists are hot too.
Posted by: qcmier | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 4:31 AM
a.maria, you just knew that adding the part about the baby-maker would elicit the lion's share of your comments but bravo on making me spew coffee from my nasal cavity. You never fail to find new and exciting ways to crack me up (no pun intended).
Posted by: Viper | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 4:42 AM
i've heard about gel seats? I think. Very exciting! Maybe have some bike guy check your form. Kinda like the 21st c version of dropping your hankie.
Posted by: jeanne | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 5:58 AM
so i guess there is proof out there that 'less is more' with seats...you don't want the big gel seat, because that's just more to get in your way.believe it or not, you want the hard as a rock seat, with a women specific cut out. i have a 'terry' seat that is just awesome...so i think that would help, but you do also just have to get used to some of these things...riding a bike isn't all that comfortable until you figure out how to make the bike an extension of your body, and not a separate tool...i still haven't quite conquered that though...but--BE CAREFUL listening to music out there...make sure you can still hear approaching cars, etc. drivers are ASSHOLES to bikers, so you don't want to give them an excuse to run you over...
Posted by: Curly Su | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 5:43 AM
Love this post! Way to get out there!Re. the baby maker. Specialized makes a seat *just for women* I was having huge issues with this (mainly a numb Hu hu), but when I switched to the body geometry seat, it was SO much better. The gel seat didn't help at all, though. Check out your LBS.Re. the numbness in your toes... That could be due to your seat height, so you could play around with that, too. Music on a ride? Is that safe? Just a thought....
Posted by: 'Zilla | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 5:32 AM
i agree with the 21st century mom on the split seat deal. I have one of these on my bike and it's awesome. I think you could add as much padding as you want to the seat and you are still sitting on something for hours on end. the split relieves that pain.....keep in mind that my biking is done a couple times a week to and from the train station , so nothing too serious but it did help me out a lot. Good luck.
Posted by: LeahC | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 5:15 AM
Once you develope callouses on the ol' baby maker, it won't hurt anymore.....
Posted by: Doug | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 5:11 AM
A...i bought the squishiest gel seat there was, plus wore the most ridiculously padded bike shorts, but nothing helped my wooha from becoming sore. WTF? do we just have extremely sensitive hoohas???
Posted by: Kim | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 7:37 AM
I think the funniest part is the names that the women have for their, umm, well, you know.
Posted by: Okolo | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 7:37 AM
all those things are SOOOOO the reasons i am hesitant to bike, especially the hoo-ha pain. i'll let u be my guinea pig and figure all that stuff out before i try :)
Posted by: pinaypower | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 7:34 AM
for the lop-sided leg thing: do some one legged drills. Unclip one foot and pedal with only one leg. Then switch. This will help even out your pedal stroke.foot numbness: try adjusting the position of the cleats on your shoes.Your baby maker? I've made babies but I don't think I'd ever refer to that region as 'my baby maker'- too funny. The first ride hurts but you'll get used to it by the 4th.
Posted by: stronger | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 6:56 AM
Since you are just biginning with the biking, what kind of bike are you riding? I am looking into buying a bike, so if anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear them. I hope your bottom starts to feel better, I am sure it has a lot to do with the seat! Good luck!
Posted by: teacherwoman | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 6:26 AM
ok fyi to commenters... the music was turned low enough that i could hear fellow BIKERS behind me, so the cars were NO problem. no worries, i'm being safe. (and there are virtually no cars on this route. so that helps)and second... i don't have aero-bars. i just have regular, whatever-bars... so the elbow pain isn't from that.. its from. well i'm not sure.. but not aero-bars. cuz i don't have 'em!and thanks for the heads up on the seat. i'll be looking into that pronto!and stephanie.. yeah. the downtown airport!!!
Posted by: a.maria | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 6:15 AM
Ok, I want to weigh in and say I'm just impressed that you are riding. I'm assuming you mean the downtown airport and not MCI. Because then I would have to be impressed at the lengths you will go to to find a route. Sorry about your pain, but I trust the advice of the blogging folks here will point you in the right direction to recovery/prevention.
Posted by: Stephanie | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 11:28 AM
Obviously, I have no "baby maker," "whooha" or "hu hu", but we guys have our own issues protecting el chorizo. In addition to the previous ideas, you might re-check or adjust the bike fit. If one is too stretched out (seat too far back, handle bars too far forward), this can lead to numb toes, lots of weight on the arms, and extra pressure on el chorizito or madmoiselle wooha instead of on the bones rearward of said recreational areas where you were designed to sit. In Bold's words, "no need to thank me. I'm just here to help."
Posted by: greyhound | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 10:16 AM
I love 'firsts' ... there's just something so firstly about them.
Posted by: Josh | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 7:02 AM
It's not the elbows that give me problems when I bike, it's my butt. It gets so sore from sitting on such an akward seat: My butt bones get bruised!
Posted by: Jess | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 5:08 PM
I am soo not a biker! But I used to date one a million years ago. Whenever he would talk me into riding with him, I would have problems with my elbows hurting. Turns out I was locking my elbows and they were taking the brunt of the force when I hit bumps. He had me buy some padded gloves to ride with to help absorb the shock and to concentrate on not locking my elbows. It did seem to make a big difference for me. I have no idea if that is at all helpful, as my bike knowledge in nil, but thought I'd toss it out there. Good Luck!
Posted by: runnergirl | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 4:53 PM
i actually have a solution to all of your problems.the shuffle - i use an armband or a waist clip. you should be able to get those just about anywhere (walmart, target, radio shack). if all else fails, try apple.com.the baby-maker - you GOTTA get a new seat. the same seat doesn't work for every woman, so you need to test a few out. kinda like men.the numb toes - i used to have the same thing happen to me when i biked. try focusing on pulling up on the pedal, rather than pushing down. that seems to help me. also, if that doesn't help, you may need a new pair of shoes. but, i really think if you focus on your pull-up from the spin that will help you with your form and will definitely help with the numbness. i can't help with the elbows... that's a brain twister.hope this helps.
Posted by: Nytro | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 1:38 PM
Where's your tri? Now you know how Lance feels, huh?
Posted by: tmt4TNT | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 1:29 PM
What's really interesting is with guys, it makes our "baby-makers" go numb. Interesting sensation.
Posted by: bitweever | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 6:58 PM
My source who would know agrees with Curly Su, Terry seats are designed by women for women and are a great choice. Riding a bike is not exactly natural, so it will take time to adapt for anyone.For the arms, the key is to relax. Do not lock your elbows. Try to keep your hips stable, and tilt forward slightly at the waist without leaning all your weight onto your arms. Change hand positions often, using the tops, hoods, and occasionally the drops. Standing up every few minutes to stretch, both pedaling and coasting will be good for all your discomforts...Make sure the helmet strap is adjusted properly. The helmet should not be sliding off the back of your head. If you can see all your forehead and hairline, then it is back too far. Try to adjust it so it sits lower on your forehead, basically level.Everyone had to start somewhere. Stick with it!
Posted by: solobreak | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM
DATE: 12:06 PM
Here's my two cents on all the things (somewhat ditto to Nytro, but not exactly):iPod: get the arm-band thingy. They're worth every penny.Baby-maker: this is like the dirty little secret of cycling and I went crazy last year when I got first got my road bike. Looked all over the internet, found gazillions of articles discussing men's issues with it and almost nothing on women's. It was so terribly painful for me that sex and cycling became incompatible activities. (Sidebar: did you also know women commonly get yeast infections from really long rides?! Good info to have.) I got one of those seats with the cut-out and it made all the difference in the world. There's blood vessels and nerves and such that the cut-out relieves pressure from. I also had to tilt the seat down a notch, this helped stop the bruising over the pubic bone from the aero position.Numb toes: I had this, only it was both entire feet and it was torture after about 5 miles. My solution was two-fold: find cycling shoes that fit properly (my old ones were much too narrow) and work on the "circle" pedaling technique; lifting the weight of the foot on the upstroke makes a big difference and now my toes/feet never go numb.Elbows: just had a fitting, so will tell you what the guy told me, and this only applies to aero position. I was putting my elbows right on the pads, which he said is bad and will cause pain because then they get all the pressure from the shoulders. He said hang them off the back of the pads slightly and let the forearms take your weight.Good luck!
Posted by: Siren | July 4, 2006 8:02 PM