Biking always felt pretty natural to me. The idea of getting my bike "fitted" to me seemed like something only for hard-core racers or for the elite weekend warriors. Do I really need to go to a shop to have them adjust my saddle height for me? 

After spending two hours with Jay at Collin's Cycle Shop in town, I would definitively say, "Yes - it's worth it." 

The saddle height was one of the last things that we did, and just one of many measurements and adjustments we made. First, Jay took a look at my feet (surprise - I have a decent arch!) and also discovered that my right foot naturally likes to angle in a bit. No big deal for walking - he told me - but your feet are made for walking, not for pedaling. 

Blasphemy! 

This seems like a little issue, my foot angling in. But on a bike that has repercussions that move up - to my knee. Watching myself pedal through a video, I saw how my foot angle causes my right knee to cave in when I'm applying the most power to my pedal stroke (sorry, that just got a little technical). Long story short - that explains the knee pain I had on my Olympic Park trip! 

After a few shoe insoles, switching out a saddle and stem, my bike and I were like one. 

Conclusion: A bike fit is a great idea if you aren't comfortable on your bike currently or are experiencing any pain as you ride. It can be pricey. The treatment I got normally costs $200. If you aren't planning to ride more than 30 miles in a day any time in the near future, you can probably due without it (that's just my opinion).

Thanks Jay for donating your time and expertise to help me be happy on by bike! I'm sure I'll be thanking you even more when I return to Eugene without needing an ACL replacement. 

 

Gearing up

This morning, my excitement for the summer ahead woke me... at 3am.

My mind is in high gear as the planning for the trip. Stella and I are purchasing air plane tickets today! And I'm starting to seriously think about what I need to bring on the trip and what can be left behind.

So this morning, I succumbed to my mind's chatter - What duffel bag am I going to buy? Should I replace my rain jacket that's starting to wear out? - and turned on the interwebs to answer a few more questions.

I love this part of the trip. The pre-trip planning, the dreaming, the imagining of places and people, of sights, climbs, and sore legs.

Training has been going pretty well and I am beginning to feel stronger and faster in my rides and runs. I completed a 300-mile tour in Olympic National Park three weeks ago, and aside from some initial knee pain (saddle height is of the utmost importance I'm learning quickly) the trip was gorgeous and amazing. I just kept thinking - I GET TO DO THIS ALL SUMMER! And boy, am I glad the rain will not play a main role.

And fundraising - look at that meter! I'm over half-way there! Thanks again to everyone who has supported me thus far. If you have not reached out to your communities and contacts to tell them about my mission for the summer, please do so!

That's all for now, stay tuned!

Here's a few photos from the Olympic Wet Riders 2012 bike tour: