Week nine - the weekend

This weekend I was supposed to do a couple of two hour rides.  I had every intention of doing so and, in fact, I was excited to do so because I got my NEW BIKE!!

I went for the Victoria Pendleton Initial as discussed the other day.  I ended up getting it for a brilliant price because Halfords had £50 off Pendleton bikes and an extra 10% off road bikes.  This equated to almost £100 off.

I was very excited to get it home and admire it.  We made a couple of minor adjustments (took the toe clips off, added water bottle cages) and after a quick turn up the garden I eagerly awaited the cooler evening so I could take it out on it's inagaural ride.

What I hadn't entirely banked on was quite how much harder a road bike is to ride than a nice solid hybrid. By the time I got the short distance to the end of my road I had already lost control and nearly fallen off twice.  

I continued onwards, clutching the brake in terror, determined to set some sort of new world record for the Cottisford loop.  Fairly soon into this route I usually whiz off down a hill at about 25mph.  On this occasion I wobbled precariously, still clutching the brake, down the hill, gripped by terror.

I made it to the bottom of the hill in one piece and tried to ascend up the next hill.  Here my problems really began.  I could not get the front gear to move at all, hence making it really difficult.  No problem, I thought, get up and out of the saddle and power on through.....needless to say I almost fell off again.

It became apparent that I absolutely could not move the front gear at all.  Disgruntled at having been sold a bike that a) didn't work and b) had tried to kill me several times, I turned back and headed for home.

When I got in Ant had a look at the bike and showed me what I had been doing wrong with the gears. Turns out I needed to push it over a good deal more than I expected.  Oh, and use the correct lever.....

It was agreed that I would head back out again in a little while when I'd got over my ordeal.  In the meantime I sulked indoors, avoiding the accusatory gaze of the new bike, which was clearly plotting to maim me next time we went out.

In the meantime I did a bit of reading on changing from a hybrid to a road bike and was chuffed to discover I wasn't alone.  The internet was awash with tales of people who had made the change and found that their new bike hated them just as much as mine hated me.  People found it similarly tough to get up out of the saddle without loosing all balance and also found their bikes skittish just like me.  It was suggested that it was worth going to an empty car park or similar to get used to road bikes before heading out on an actual ride.  With this advice in mind I headed over to the next village where they have a Tarmac amenity track of about 600m round the sports field.  I spent about 40 minutes doing circuits during which time I practiced changing gear and getting up out of the saddle.  It was the best idea ever.  By the end I was considerably more confident and happy on the bike.

On Sunday I decided I was ready to set out on an actual ride.  I decided to just go for an hour to continue to build up my confidence so set out on my favourite route.

It went really well, with a few exceptions.  I was too scared to descend at the speeds I normally do, but I know this will alter as I get used to it.  I'm still a bit wobbly which made getting a drink on the move was a bit of a no no.  Again though, this is a confidence thing.  I kept forgetting how much more responsive the new, lighter bike was and consequently nearly ended up in a bush a couple of times.  I did try out descending on the drops and managed it, albeit screaming as I went!

It's easy to forget how used you get to riding a particular bike.  One of the ways I knew I was getting good on the hybrid was the fact I stopped thinking about what I was doing all the time.  I'm back to that now with the new bike.  For the hour I was out I talked to myself almost constantly which is exactly what I used to do when I first started riding.  This is slightly worrisome in that it is a setback training wise but I'm hopeful I will get back up to speed quickly.

Obviously I will get better and more confident and I do like the bike. It's really quick (despite not doing any of my normal speed descents I still did the route in a 13.5mph average), and feels like a decent machine. 

I will write a proper review of it when I've had it a little longer but for now I will concede that maybe it's not plotting to kill me after all.