The First Spin

Waited with bated breath till about 9.30 pm to go for my first spin. Before going out I changed the gear from 9th to 5th in the back and the smaller one in the front. Chenku told me this is what a normal bike's gearing would be for normal gentle riding on level roads where you are not trying to overtake anyone. I made up my mind that I would not change any gear during the first few rides.

Next was the question of grip or where and how to hold the handlebar. 

There are several types of grips that you can use for a drop handlebar bike. The most preferred one for normal riding is called the "hood" grip. This is what you see professionals doing in Tour de France etc when they are cruising comfortably. You place the hand on the hood of the brake lever and use two fingers to pull the brake.

See here for a detailed description of various types of hand positions. Grips. 

I tried to test it in our garage first because Someshwar had told me to use that. But I felt very uncomfortable and uncanny. Pulling the brake lever with just two fingers is going to take some time for me to get used to. I tested what I later learnt was the hook position. I felt more confident if not comfortable because with this grip your control of the brake is very good. You are essentially holding the handlebar where it bends. This gives you good braking leverage. But with this grip the riding style becomes more aggressive, in the sense you have to lean forward a bit. And if you want to see traffic coming from different angles in the front you have to raise your head a bit.

I must add here that Someshwar set the front brake of my bike in the relaxed position. This is to avoid hard front braking initially. He said change it once you are confident of braking. I think I will set it to normal hard brake soon.

After getting the grip worked out, out I went for my first test ride. I had my phone in the pocket. A towel and my Petzl. My first reaction was "oh my God. This is really uncomfortable" :-) You feel the rattles of the road immediately. The road in front of our house has been recently given the mastic asphalt treatment and it is still quite rough. I could immediately see how rough it was :-)

I went towards Peep Inn, turned left towards Southern Avenue. Turned left again from Menoka. Lake Avenue turned out to be the worst adventure with its numerous small and big pot holes. I guess I would have gone for something like  a 1.5 km ride or perhaps a little more. After a while I could feel a little strain on the right side of the back. It is also a little difficult, as I said earlier, to see traffic coming from various directions in the front when you are leaning forward. 

I forgot to notice how the seat felt. I guess it did not feel anything particularly uncomfortable. Otherwise I would have noticed it and remarked here.

I think I will just need a couple of good rides on empty roads to work out the basics and enjoy the ride. Can't wait for Sunday. I also think some push ups will help. Since my wrist fracture in Chadar in February, that has quite stopped. Must try to revive  that as soon as possible.