First Ride of the Season

March Weather

I remember some forcast last week saying that it was going to be warm this Sunday afternoon. We'll it looked warm, but wasn't in reality. It was sunny out and 40-ish. I probably should have warn my winter riding shirt and full fingered bike gloves, but I was in denial and dressed what I thought the weather SHOULD have been as opposed to the reality. I was a bit chilly riding, but it was bearable.

Benchmark Ride

Since this was my first "official" road ride of the year, I figured I would do what has become my benchmark ride. A ~16 mile loop circumnavigating the town of Franklin. It's a route I used to ride a lot on my mountain bike before learning how much better a road bike is for riding on the road. (Imagine that!)

My Knee

Over the course of the ride, my knee was beginning to complain. I remembered that this time last year it complained all the was into May (Mother's Day Ride (...and Tendonitis)) and was due to Patellar Tendonitis from a combination of an incorrect seat position and "pushing BIG gears - cadence too low" too early in the season (see: CYCLING PERFORMANCE TIPS - Leg, Knee, and Hip Pain). Armed with the knowledge (gained the hard way last year) I stayed in my small ring as more often than not.

One thing that is different this year: I think this is the first time this early in the season that found myself not wishing I had a granny gear. I guess my legs have retained some strength over the long winter...