Over the Top

This will be the first of my posts surrounding my charity bike ride from Peoria to Washington, DC in August.  It’s an inauspicious start.  I’ve been installing various upgrades to my bike, most recommended by my future riding partner, Peter Asmuth.  I successfully installed a weird seat that is much more comfortable than typical bike seats.   I also bought a Bluetooth speaker that works with my iPhone, since headphones are strictly prohibited.

Yesterday, I tried to install some fancy new handlebars.  Peter tells me it is important to be able to switch your grip periodically on long rides.  It was  much more difficult than I thought it would be.  I had to keep track of which side the brake handles and gear shifters needed to be.  And making them fit was a bit more of a challenge than expected.  After much fumbling around, I finally got everything attached and took the bike for a very short ride.

Didn’t go well.

Fortunately, I was moving pretty slowly when I came out of the driveway without my helmet. I gently squeezed the brake and the front wheel locked, launching me over the handlebars on to the street.

I blocked my fall with my hands, but I’ve got soreness in a number of places, hands, hips, shins. I put the bike away and came inside to nurse my wounds. Not sure if the problem is my installation or that I hit the brakes too hard. I’ll get back at it this morning.

Tags: Bike, Fuller Center

Category: Uncategorized