I jumped into the shower and got ready as quick as possible and was on the rode by 7:03am! Remaining consistant the trip took about 42 minutes, although I was sure that I had increased my average speed.
During the day, my good friend Adam directed me to http://www.sheldonbrown.com/. This site is chalked full of information for cyclist. Specifically, I looked at the information on how to utilize the gears. Here are the gear ratios for my bike (the second chart is mph at each gear):
This information was very helpful in understanding which gears to use when. I figured that for these first two days, I had an average between 40-50 rpm. A quote from his site:
"Inexperienced cyclists tend to ride in higher gears than they should,
pedaling at a slower cadence. Most experienced cyclists pedal at cadences in the
range of 70-90 RPM. This puts less strain on the joints, particularly the knees.
Racing cyclists often use even higher cadences for bursts of
accelleration."
The Return Ride:
The ride home was brutal! I check the weather, just before I left for home and the Arlington Municipal Airport was reporting winds of 15 mph w/gusts up to 25 mph from...you guessed it, the South! That being said, using the information about gear ratios I learned today, the ride was better than it would have been. I did have a mechanical problem with the gear shifter for the chainrings and wound up stuck in low gear. I was able to fix that once I got home, however. I still made the trip in about 42 minutes. I do have to confess that I walked my bike up the hill from Green Oaks to Sublett. The hill and headwind were a killer at the tail end of a blustery ride. And, I think that I made it up the hill faster walking than I would have on the bike!
Once I was home it was off to the shower and then to AMH to visit a good friend's baby boy who was born today.
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