I cycled to work today. It was all of 3 miles - probably less. That much, and only that, was on my side. Arrayed against me were my naivety regarding the weather, poorly set-up front brakes, and a sorry lack of fitness of any sort whatsoever, of which I was only dimly aware of the latter.
So the weather was 33 degrees when I set out this morning, but the wind - nay, gale - that I found myself cycling into must have come straight from the Canadian hinterland. Within 30 seconds of pulling out onto the main road, I lost the feeling in my windward parts. By the time I was at work, despite the 'windproof' gloves I was wearing, I had chillblains in the tips of my thumbs and fingers, and in the darker moments of utter exhaustion and pain (I'm really unfit, okay) I honestly wondered whether it was possible to get frostbite while cycling...
My front brake cable was set too tight. Although I did check over all my equipment yesterday (and even pumped up my tyres this morning) I hadn't done a thorough job with the brakes. All I did was balance out the tension of the springs - whereas I really needed to slacken off the cable. I found this out by cycling to and from work with the front brake 'on' the whole way there and the whole way back. Into a headwind, with the brakes on, and no fitness whatsoever... not the best way to get back into cycling.
My fitness was so bad, and the conditions so inclement, that my legs started to burn while I was going downhill. By the time I got to the junction of Benfield, Veterans and the bridge over the I-97, I had nothing left - they were agonising apendages with all the resistance and tone of gruel. I was utterly spent, demoralized by the cold, frustrated by my ineptitude with my brakes. Thankfully, when I made it to work, the wind (now behind me) took me the length of the parking lot (faster than I was cycling the other way) which allowed me enough time to recover the ability to stand upright.
I think I'll do it again tomorrow.
