Page 544 - Demo

Fools%u2019 Journey538diate problem. Because I was out-of-shape, and somewhat stiff in the joints, I had trouble lifting my leg over the seat. But, with some difficulty, I got on, and rode a few hundred feet down Bloomington%u2019s pedestrian/bicycle trail. The bike rolled and pedaled smoothly, the gears shifted easily, and the brakes worked fine%u2014all because some volunteer had tuned it up. It was priced at $110. When I got back, Lynn suggested trying something else while we were there, so another model came off the rack. The upper crossbar wasn%u2019t horizontal, nor all the way down like a girl%u2019s bike would be, and he described it as a step-through. Being much easier to mount was a definite advantage, but it was $180. A Trek model, it had an attractive green-and-silver color scheme. It was a road bike with narrow tires, but had the flat handlebars, and suspension on the front fork like a trail bike. I noticed that there were 3 sprockets on the crank and 7 on the back wheel, which meant there were 21 speeds, which seemed like overkill. As soon as I started pedaling, I noticed an even smoother ride, with better brakes, and I really liked the way the handlebar grips twisted to operate the two shifters. I could tell right away it was well worth the extra money. So we bought it, along with a $19 helmet.After we got home, I adjusted my new bike%u2019s seat, and used my air compressor to pump up the tires to the correct pressure. Then I went in the house because it was early August, and the afternoon temperature was 95%u00b0, too hot for a ride. But the next morning, I headed north on our road before the sun got too high. It was still pretty warm, but I made it to where the road dead-ended at a fire trail leading into Yellowwood State Forest. Then I came back past our house and rode to the top of the long hill that runs down to the highway. The hill looked a bit intimidating for my first ride, so I turned around and headed home. I covered the four-mile roundtrip in about a half-hour and encountered 4 yapping dogs, who must have been restrained by an invisible fence, because they ran back-and-forth but never ventured into the road. I also scared up three deer, was eyed by a pair of lethargic black cats, and was passed by three cars. It wasn%u2019t a particularly strenuous ride, but I definitely got my heart rate up, and could feel my leg muscles starting to ache when going up hills.