Summer is here and the Red Rocket is ready to roll! Now that most of the salt, sand and other garbage has been swept away by a combination of torrential rain and street sweepers, it’s time to start riding. Before I took to the roads this year, my ride needed a little bit of work. My handlebar tape had turned into a sticky mess towards the end of last year. Also my rear derailleur wasn’t shifting as smoothly as it could have been. Instead of heading to my LBS (Local Bike Shop) and paying for service, this year, I was determined to learn how to do it myself.
The New Bike Garage
Let’s roll back a bit before I continue this story of greasy hands and bar tape. If you’re going to buy anything bike related, the Toronto Bike Show in March is the time and place to do it. Picked up a Park Tool PCS-10 Bike Stand and I was super excited to finally use it. The Red Rocket up and positioned, removed the old sticky tape (getting residue everywhere) and got the bars cleaned up. It was amazing to have both hands to work on it while the bike stayed where I needed it. Flipped on YouTube and started watching how-to videos. I got the bars wrapped with minimal frustration and even got the rear derailleur tuned and ready to go.
Since I had everything out I went ham and got @savannahjessie’s ride ready for summer. New battery for the speed sensor, lubrication and a quick wipe down after a winter in the garage. Less work was needed for my mountain bike, but under two hours and everything on two wheels was done.
A Little Mini Brick
Since everything was spiffy, Sunday morning I headed out for the first ride of the year. It took some time to get out of the house because I had to go back for my heart rate strap. Still once I got out it was beautiful. I headed north, forgetting there were about a million big hills and just enjoyed the ride. The newly tuned gears were working like a charm and I was making good time. I finished the ride at 23.1KMs in 60 minutes with an elevation gain of 164m. I hit a blazing top speed of 61.6KM/h on the downhill on Bayview and burned about 1,000 calories according to Garmin.
Well that’s not a Brick Beez, that’s just a ride. You’re right, that’s why when I got back I threw on my running shoes and went for a 1.85KM Run. Sure it wasn’t far, but it was intense. The heart goes from pumping blood to the muscles from activity one to feeding the muscles in activity two. I couldn’t have gone 5K today, but I was happy with the 7m06s/KM pace which is really fast for me.
There’s nothing like changing up the routine a bit or stacking activities to get better results. The name of the game is all about working hard towards your fitness goal.
Beez
