Monday Night Cycling

Monday night Seth and I attended our first Bike Handling Class and Ride.

Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers from the Louisville Bike Club! They were great. They were very welcoming to a couple of newbies and were kind enough not point out a myriad of obvious mistakes that we made. And when they did need to correct us on something, they did not make us feel stupid or discouraged about it.
Special thanks to Laura who stayed with us after a dropped chain incident. She lead us safely through the streets of Louisville and our fun was not interrupted by our little snafoo.

Some lessons learned in addition to the ABC Quick Check that Tom went through:

• Wear pants that are snug about the ankles or that end before your leg reaches the chain-wheel. I destroyed the right leg of my favorite pair of workout pants.
• Wear a bright shirt so that you are easily seen. I wore a medium blue shirt and was very conscious of the fact that my day-glo yellow co-riders were much more visible that I was.
• It really is just like riding a bike. You don't forget. And other skills, like gear shifting, kick in quickly.
• Gloves are good. My hands hurt after the ride. You don't realize how hard you are gripping your handlebars. This will probably ease up as my brain realizes that I've got a fair chance of not dying.

Next class: Clothing & Gear, Gearing & Shifting. Become a better cyclist!. Participants should plan on attending as many sessions as possible. Classes will start promptly at 6:15 with a hands-on activity and conclude with a short 10- to 12-mile ride. Waterfront Park, Yellow Parking Lot. All skill levels welcome. RC: Tom Armstrong 502-523-9581, education@louisvillebicycleclub.org.