Back to Work, and back on the bike

The New Job, 101 Degrees in June, and Other News

After my last post, where I was feeling a little winded from back to back 30 mile rides on my road bike, I decided to follow my own advice and am riding shorter distances in this summer heat that is sure to become a blazing furnace by the end of August. Today marks the first over 100 degree day that we have had in Texas, and it is only the beginning of whats to come. My riding habits have shifted from riding during the day to riding at the crack of dawn or in the wee hours of the evening. Around the country, some states might reach a high UV index, or a level 10, around this time of year. Everyday since the start of June the UV index level here has been at 11, or extreme, which I believe is probably a designation only people living in Texas receive. Besides the depleting ozone layer there is another reason why I have had to adjust my riding schedule. This month I started a new job, doing what I enjoy doing as a bicycle mechanic at a bike shop.

Home repairs, car trouble, the need for a new car payment (which is an unfortunate necessity when living in Texas, especially with a family in tow), and making travel plans have all made it necessary to get a second source of income. I'm not complaining; I have enjoyed being a homemaker for over a year now and was already anxious to rejoin the workforce when I was offered this new job. I hope to show my employers my years of experience in bicycle repair and hope to turn some heads in the near future. I'm glad to get a part time job where I can pick up the slack financially as well as give me the opportunity to use my skills as a bike mechanic, while at the same time allowing my wife to continue to work in her field.

As I have already mentioned, I have been riding shorter distances of around fifteen to twenty miles at a time. Even though the distances have been shorter, the quality of my riding has improved and I am now logging faster times with less effort. I am also riding more regularly since I can squeeze more shorter rides in my schedule than longer rides that last well over an hour. I have also changed my riding style and now use the smaller front chainring for long hill climbs. The higher cadence allows me to climb some hills two or three miles an hour faster than I did before. Using this improved technique in my riding as well as moving my clip-less pedal cleats closer to the ball of my foot has eliminated the dull knee pain I was experiencing earlier. I have ordered some new pedal cleats with zero degrees of float to replace the worn out cleats I have been using for the past three years, which will prevent any future issues as well as compliment my current skill level.

So with all that being said I will have less time to blog, less time to restore old bicycles, and less time to find and score any bargains for the foreseeable future. I will try to keep the articles coming, and if nothing else will give a monthly update, as I am doing now. Stay tuned for more posts from A Bicycle's Point Of View.