A Bit of Skin

So many things involved in this little ride today. It was with a broken and sore body that I headed out on my BACKUP Klein bike, fueled in part by the guilt I would feel if I did not go out when it was sunny (well, at least hazy sunshine) and near 60 degrees on March 9th in Wisconsin. I had to.

--Sore left knee is still tweaked.

--Sore left hip area muscle after yesterday's bizarre lockup

--Just tired and sore in general, coming off this odd intestinal bug I must have picked up.

It is simply amazing to me how cold 60 degrees can feel. If I had ridden to the west it would have had a warmer feel, but doing laps in my neighborhood around a frozen lake, well, brrrr. There are two stretches on each lap when the slight wind off that ice chilled me to the bone. I cut this one off at eight laps/15 miles when the cold air just got too bothersome.

Still, notable for the date, this was the first bit of skin to show outside in 2021. Open-finger gloves and knickers sans wind pants.

Let me explain now what is going on with my bikes and why I took the backup off the trainer today to ride outside today.

Just to review;

--new shoes

--new cleats

--new pedals...on the backup Klein.

Breaking in the shoes and cleats and pedals on the trainer indoors on the Klein I had no physical issues. All felt fine.

But when I rode my primary road bike outside...new shoes, new cleats, OLD pedals, I developed a tweak in my left knee. This can be caused by positioning on the bike. If that new cleat was just slightly off in terms of angle it can throw your muscles off and cause injury. While things were fine with the Klein maybe not so much on the Specialized.

That, combined with the odd sore left hip muscle after yesterday's 19 miles with the setup convinced me something is out of whack. I tried to swap pedals on the two bikes.

Good news: I was able to get the right pedal off each bike. Bad news, they do not seem interchangeable. The new pedal wouldn't slide onto the Specialized.

So I put everything back the way it was and decided to take the old Klein out and see how I felt afterward. No issues. My right foot seems and feels like it is much straighter when clipped in, and compared to the old pedals on the Specialized there is very little sloppy play when clipped in. On the Specialized that foot is so loose in the there that the inside of my heel area is getting grease on my new shoe from touching the chain. That ain't right!

So, long story longer, it looks like both bikes will be going in to Cranked Bike Studio. We'll see if indeed a swap can be made with those pedals and check on positioning on the bike. Stay tuned. I know eventually we'll come up with a plan that works for me. My guy Ezra over there is on the case.

It's a process.

*Sidebar

I do still love riding that old Klein. It was my first real road bike and we have a special connection yet. And just shifting with that old-school Campy thumb shifter is still my favorite way to go.

2021 OUTDOOR

RIDE ROUTE-- Neighborhood Crit, 8 laps

MILES-- 15.0

AVE. SPEED-- 14.2

WEATHER-- Hazy sun, 60 degrees but cold wind off lake

TOTAL OUTDOOR MILES-- 84.0

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2021 INDOOR

WORKOUT-- mph Carmichael

MILES-- 10.5

TOTAL INDOOR MILES-- 271.5