Getting Started

The reason that I started this blog is to capture my adventures on this bike, and I think it will give me a reason to keep going ride.
There is a little back story to cover before I get into the actual first ride, so here goes.  About two months ago, my buddy Lucas started talking about getting a bike.  Around the same time another friend, Joe who lives in another state, got a bike and started riding.  Because Joe got this bike and was riding pretty often, we had to get bikes. 

The next couple weeks there was a bunch a talk about getting bikes, and some research online.  But no move toward actually getting a bike.  We discussed starting a biker gang over some beers, but I am not sure.  A part of me thinks that I would be crazy not to start a biker gang, but there are added responsibilities involved with having a gang like the expense and headache of having an offical gang jersey, other gang members to worry about, turf to defend, etc  I am staying open minded about it, so if I stick with it we will have a meeting at the headquaters [our local bar].  Then yesterday, Lucas pulled the trigger.  He walked in and said, "I've had enough.  I am going to get a bike.  You want to take a ride?"  So, we went, and he bought.  He decided on a Specialized Sirrus.  I don't know anything about bikes at this point, but it seems to be a nice bike.   I, on the other hand, took a different approach. 

My dad used to ride, and he had his old Nashbar hanging in the garage.  Following Lucas' purchase, I went to pick up some components (rim wrap, tubes, tires, chain, derailer cables) from a bike store in New Orleans, and after about 2 hours my dad's bike was semi-repaired.  [I figure it is good enough to start, and I plan on making improvments as we go.]

Initial repairs accomplished on my newly aquired bike [dad isn't getting the bike back], I wanted to give it a test ride.  Lucas broke out his bike, and we started down the street.  Lucas was riding close behind me, and I started to slow down.  Faced with the option of wrecking his new bike into me and eating pavement or crashing in some dudes front yard, he chose the yard. He swerved to miss me, hit the curb and simultaneously jumped the bike X-games style.  I looked back expecting the worse, neither of us had helmets on, but to my surprise he was fine [Raybans resting on his head and Iphone firmly in hand]. 

The new bike was another story.  The derailer was bent inward toward his spokes.  The spokes were actually hitting the derailer as the wheel spun.  We decided that I should ride to my truck and pick him up.  We took a look at it in the garage, and it seemed to be ok as long as he stayed away from his high gears.  The higher the gear the closer the derailer gets to the spokes.  So, if he stays in lower gears, which means its harder to peddal, the derailer would stay farther away from the spokes. 

Despite our set backs the previous day, this morning at 6 a.m. we left for our first ride.  We made it about 9 miles before we had to stop for a smoke break.  Here we are standing on the side of the road, next to the bikes, helmet on, smoking cigarettes.  I wish I had a picture of the smoke break to post.  I was relieved that we were taking a break, the seat on this bike is a beast.  My anatomy [this is what they call your package in the bike magazine I thought it was funny] was killing me.  Next purchase = new seat.  I felt violated.  To make matters worse, another biker (I've decided biker sounds cooler than cyclist) passes by us going in the opposite direction.  I can only imagine what he was thinking, but he gave us a fist bump and was on his way.  Smoke break accomplished, we resumed.  Next thing I knew, I heard a noise, again I turn to see Lucas stopped.  I whipped my rig around to check on the situation, and discoverd Lucas' derailer had snapped off of his frame.  I couldn't believe it.  I was thinking that if it would have been me I may have thrown the damn thing in the swamp and walked to a bar.  He took it well though.  We then decided to walk a mile back toward my house and stop at a bar at 7:15.  I am not sure why, but it was closed.  Lucas suggested I ride to get my truck, and come back to pick him up.  My grandparents live near by so I rode there instead, and returned to pick him up as he lounged under a Quality Inn sign.  The incident ended our ride, but it makes the story a little more entertaining.  I do not have exact times or distances, but I'm going to say that we rode 9 miles  and walked a mile in about 1 1/4 hrs.  It was a tough walk so it counts. 
Lucas brought his bike to the bike shop, and they are supposed to repair it and we will live to ride another day.