Battle of the Arboretum

So yesterday I got off my rotunda and bought a new bike wheel. In the process I discovered that you could buy wheel locks. They aren't bolted on but you have a key that releases them fairly quickly. I'm excited by the prospect of my wheels being difficult to steel but in my heart it still doesn't seem that secure.

So this morning we decided we would take a ride around the National Arboretum. Well I thought rolling among the flowers would be a leisurely thing to do. Boy was I wrong. It's quite hilly and after not riding or doing any type of exercise for 3 months that thing nearly killed me. After 20 minutes I was done with those hills and I wanted to go some place else that was  flat. What a confidence killer. In the process I realized that my brakes were rubbing which greatly contributed to how challenging the arboretum trails felt. Well at least that's the story I'm sticking to.

We were near B's friend's house and this guy rides a lot. So we went to his house for some light bike repair. We loosened up the pad on my breaks. Well B went riding around a bit and I see him walking back up the hill. His chain was broken. So much for going out for another ride. Instead I decided I was hungry. I said "let's find some brunch guys". B says "woman why don't you cook?" Well I don't think he expected me to go upstairs to his friends kitchen and whip up a meal. No his friend is a bachelor but he has enough food for a family of 4. So I made potato and onions, scrambled eggs and Eggo waffles with a banana caramel sauce. Mighty good if I do say so myself.

So tomorrow I'm going to sneak out the Mall early and ride by myself. I can't be embarrassed the way I was this morning. I need to get my bike mojo back. So the first step is education. I decided to look over this tutorial on how to shift gears to make sure I'm doing it right.