Getting Normal With The Drops

Hi Fellow Bikers!!

Since last week biked around 100 km after the modification! As earlier blogged that I was quite apprehensive about the new posture, but now it has become indispensable! The stability of the bike has increased and it is now easier to take turn at higher speeds. Also I am able to use the upper body weight to add to the speed and lower centre of gravity.

Some of the problems which I am still facing are:
1. The metal bell is out of the reach of the right thumb.
2. The calliper breaks on the drop handle bar is not effective. So I have to ride at lower speeds while on the normal roads to ensure safety and avoid crashes!
3. The thigh and the lower calf muscles which were trained to perform at the highest strength in the earlier posture are now not that effective and are again learning to adapt to the new posture!
4. After breaking the speed, because of the traffic at an intersection in the track, it is quite difficult to quickly regain the velocity!

I hope to get ways to overcome the above. But this is the way we bikers live and like it that way!!

Best wishes!!

Experimentation And Experience With Drop Handlebars

Hi Fellow Bikers,

Recently I had modified my beloved, bike. I let the straight handle-bar go for the new shiny steel drop handle-bar. Now the bike is looking like a bull ready to horn you.

After the modification, during the test-drive, I was so scared Man!! Since, if you are accustomed to the straight ones,  now due to the drop handlebars, the upper body becomes completely parallel to the ground and head is nearly near the handle joint!! It was scary!

I took my baby to a ride on the next morning and spent about an hour with her!!! At first a few of the thigh and calf muscles were put to strain, which were not used much in the earlier posture. After a while one becomes used to the new posture and all the inhibitions slowly goes away!! One of the advantages of riding with the Drops is that the weight of the body is now distributed between the front and the rear tyres and also the upper body gets a good support -- required for the long races! Also due to the lower posture the centre of gravity also lowers and therefore the bike feels more heavy while riding it. The air drag is reduced and therefore more speed can be attained!

But one cannot deny that the loss of control on the bike with drop handle-bars is freaking! Also the bell is now out of the reach of the thumb, making it difficult to ring and alert while cruising at higher speed, without losing the rhythm.

Every posture has some advantages and therefore disadvantages along with it!! Enjoy it!! This is how we bikers live!! and will continue the same!!!

Awesome!!!

The Glory Of Biking

Hi Readers,

When we talk about the greats like Lance Armstrong, Miguel Indurain, Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx, and Jacques Anquetil, we reckon their sheer strength and determination to push the human body to its extreme.

The life-achievements of Mr. Lance Armstrong excites me the most. He is the one who is best known for winning the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. The comeback is just unmatchable just as his determination.

The thrill of speed and agility solely by the combination of a Man and a Simple Machine. The fuel is the blood of the rider and breath rustling through its nostrils.

The feeling of having the full control of the machine, with each push of the pedal accelerating it and the wind gushing by the pair of ears, makes the rider exhilarate and renders her/him breathless. Even on a day when the air is still and silent, the rider can make the same happen at her/his whims and fancies.

A rider, owning a MTB (Mountain Terrain Bike), goes off the track and takes the road less taken, traversed and traveled. The rider readies itself to tackle the narrow roads, the muddy and slippery ones, or the sagging sandy ones, or the patches of grass and rocks. The rider encounters quick turns and wins them over by executing quick and impromptu manoeuvres.

When a rider stops to catch the breath, the sweat, already overloaded on the pair of eyebrows, drips on the eyelids and flows into the eyes. It burns, yeah, it surely does, but this is an experience which only the bikers know and they cherish it! The clothes are wet with salty sweat from the collar to the socks and from one cuff to the other.

After the biking session, with an electrified mind and overcharged senses, the rider takes careful and tiny sips of the lava-hot filter coffee and start a new day!!

Such is a life, we bikers love and lead!!