Woo hoo! I'm able to ride again! After 2+ months of no riding, I've missed it terribly. I finally got outside on the bike on Saturday. It was a beautiful day to ride out of Kelso, with the sun shining, a light breeze and just me on my fabulous Guru...
I was trying out a new compact crank that I had installed a couple of weeks ago, thinking that I may need the extra low gearing for a bit as I continue to rehab the groin injury... I wasn't far off the mark, so I'm glad that I opted for the change but I feel a bit like a hamster! LOL! Spin-spin-spin...
All was glorious until I fell - clipped in - and landed on a big pile of sharp, jagged rocks at the side of the beautifully pristine and newly paved road... SLAM! Wow - that one really hurt! My entire right side is covered with lacerations and bruises from shoulder to thigh. What a spaz, eh? LOL!
A nice man in a truck stopped to make sure I was okay, as I was picking small rocks out of my arm, barefoot, on the side of the road... luckily, I had a fresh pedicure so while I was covered in dust and grime, at least my bare feet looked good - ha!
I knew, of course, that I would fall - it would be inevitable that as soon as I made it outside to the open road, I would have at least one spaz cleat-related fall. It's just a really good thing that I didn't attempt this too soon - like, say, a couple of weeks ago... when a fall like that could have set me back in my rehab.
So, words to the wise: Speedplay cleats, although extremely similar to engage/disengage from pedals as Shimano, require the foot to be shot outwards to the side immediately once released - any attempt to disengage and lift the foot upwards will be futile... it doesn't release! It's probably supposed to be a safety feature or something... ;)
My second ride the following day was much less dramatic and I found a nice, quiet spot close to home where a Sunday morning short training ride can be pleasurable and empty of road traffic: an industrial area :)
Happy Trails!!
