Efficiency

Today I rode with a true bike enthusiast. We changed our minds about the route and rode on the Capital Crescent Trail, which runs parallel with the C&O Canal rail trail, for a little while. Basically, we rode until we crossed into Maryland and then turned around. It's a great trail, and he's a good riding partner. He is a bit older, I don't know his exact age. But he's an attorney with the EPA, and he commutes to work on his bike. He knows a lot about bikes and the trails in this area. He gave me some good advice. Namely, I need to buy a longer seat post! I'm kind of cramped and am not able to take advantage of all the power in my legs. He's right, because I can feel that sometimes when I'm pedaling. It turns out that the bike is probably too small for me. When I get a longer seat post and adjust the handle bars, he says that my average speed should increase by about 2mph. Right now, my average is a leisurely 12 or 14 mph. I didn't know all this when I was buying my bike, of course. But the girl I bought it from is not a bike enthusiast and received it as a gift. She was close to my height. She wouldn't have known that the bike was too small, either. Either way, it's still a good bike, one that I'll be able to use for a few years. Getting a new seat post should also mitigate my need for a gel seat, too, from what he said! My seat is pretty spongy, but I'm getting extra impact because my body is cramped. Amazing what getting a new seat post will do... My parents and my brother are battling out Hurricane Jeanne down in FL. They are doing pretty well despite the eye wall passing over them and losing power since 6am this morning. They have gas appliances, so they can cook and have hot water. They are doing just fine, but their old radio broke despite having new batteries. It's a little weird for them, to not know what is going on in the world around them. The storm is north of them, but they are still getting hit by the outer bands. Things should be better for them in the morning. My legs still hurt a bit. The left is good, but the right one still smarts a little. But it's definitely better than last night. More ibuprofen... sounds like a good idea right about ...oooh, now. :)