click, clack

Today's ride- Click ,Clack, I have new clip in pedals, and they are great!!! No more wobbling off from a standing start, pedaling one footed while trying to stab the other foot into the basket,instead, it's a matter of placing the foot on the pedal and pushing down on my heel until I hear a click. An added benefit is a more efficient, time increasing circular pedaling motion instead of a vertical push down pull up motion. Way Cool! and much safer. So now I click when I ride, and clack just a little bit when I walk in my bike shoes. The clip portion is recessed so the clacking in minimal. Now that my Trek hybrid is about as road efficient and tuned as it can be, it only remains to do the same to the rider.

Todays ride was around the circumference George Bush Park and Barker Dam. I wanted to be soemwhere far away from traffic while I practiced stopping and starting with the new pedals. The park has a nice long bike path which was just perfect for the activity. Part of the path is through open wood, part is on a gravel road along the top of the dam and the rest is a mix of bike path and highway shoulder with a marked bike lane. The long stretch around Barker Dam on the north and east sides felt very much like riding in the Netherlands. A flat field and a ditch/canal on one side of the bike path with the mound of the dam covered with grass and wildflowers blowing in the wind very much resembling a Dutch dike. Lovely.

Ride Statistics

Distance 25 miles

Average Speed 15 mph (can I thank the new pedals for this? I think so as the wind was fierce and continually in my face and no, it was not the wind of my passing.)

Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Headwind- yes, the headwinds you have with you always, at least here in Texas

Temperature- a lovely dry 75 degrees and full sun

Highlights- The large black man dressed up in green polyester swathing to resemble Lady Liberty, advertising an income tax service by standing on the corner and happily doing the macarena over and over and over again and still doing it when I passed by an hour and half later. Dragonflies, huge 3" black ones and tiny little red and brown ones. One huge black dragonfly flew next to my face for about 50 feet so I could examine him as I rode. I think he was guarding his territory. New bike specific dark glasses work great except that the focal field in the closer distances is much stronger. Now when I look down, the ground looks very close which makes me feel like I am on a mini bike and that the road is racing and rearing up to meet me.This will pass as my eyes adjust, and it is so nice to not have to lift my head completely to see out of the dark glasses, nor be distracted by the side glare where the glasses end. More lovely wildflowers mostly in purples and blues and the waves of grass blowing in the wind on Barker Dam.

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