InKLEINED to Ride

2019 Outdoor Season: Ride #27

The Route: Lake Lap & Neighborhood Crit, 5 laps

The Miles: 20.0

The Time: 1:24

The Ave. Speed: 14.4 mph

The Weather:

Sunshine

83 degrees

Wind, 5-10 mph

Season Total Miles: 558.0

There she is.

The old Klein did just fine!

Well that was a surprise on a Sunday, Bastille Day (so I wore the Paris kit that I bought while in Paris several years ago).

After watching a stage of the Tour de France on TV in the morning, then also taking in an epic and historical five-set tiebreaker men's final at Wimbledon I decided it was my turn to get off the couch and into the real world with some exercise of my own, despite hot conditions and issues physically for me.

I awoke Saturday with my lower back slightly tweaked for some reason. Then I spent over four hours walking around at the Iola Old Car Show.

The body compensates, and then one bad thing leads to another. This morning I was sore from the I-T band over my hip replacement all the way down to my knee on that right side where all the issues are.

I decided to stretch things out on the bike, and indeed I did feel better while riding. But the real story of today's ride was the fact that it was on my backup bike, the old Klein, the first real road bike I ever owned.

As I walked past my Specialized I routinely pinched the tires to check on pressure. Back tire was flat! I must have picked up a slow leak on my last ride and there I was now with a flat tire.

No, I don't at this point want to attempt changing out a tube. I'm ready to ride NOW. Plus, I feared those tires are getting older and worn out now, so why bother with a new tube? I'm due to get tires anyway so it will be off to Cranked Bike Studio Monday.

Meantime, I pulled the old Klein out into the sun to find that I must have last ridden it in the muddy and messy spring melt, because the thing was so filthy that I had to wipe it down before I even took off on it.

This bike is so different from my Specialized. That bike is like a sports car. The Klein is like a luxury sedan. The Klein is more upright and comfortable. It even has a shock in the seat post. The Klein has a wider handlebar so my hands are spread out farther than on the Specialized.

The Klein is even a larger frame. Plus it has a Selle Italia saddle that I have always loved.

AND it has Campy on it, so the shifting is totally different from the Shimano on the Specialized.

It felt like I was riding down the road in a Caddy on this thing. I love this bike. And she was there for me when I needed her in an emergency, even with TRAINER TIRE on the back! I was expecting to hear a blowout at any minute on this ride.

So despite not feeling right physically...

Despite the heat...(who am I kidding, I love it)

Despite the bike snafu...

I did get my ride in on Bastille Day.

Viva le Tour!