So, IronStar last November kicked my butt. Those teeny little 150 foot high hills hurt. IronStar was a warmup for the Boise 70.3 race - whose hills are 300 feet tall. I ran out of gear going up these tiny 150 footers and was really, really freaking out about having to go up hills twice the size. I actually planned to do weights in the off-season to strengthen my legs for those hills, except then I forgot until a week ago. Oops! And here I am, 3 weeks away from having to start training, and still in the hole for those hills.
I dropped my bike off today at the shop for its very first tune-up. Since I put 1,000 miles on Buzz last year, the tech said I needed a new chain and cassette. We were talking and I was lamenting about my wussy legs and Boise. So the tech busts out a different cassette with more gears. Why didn't I think of that??? I now feel a bit (but not much) better about those hills, knowing that I have engineering on my side.
Yay Buzz! I remember when you got him (her?). Sounds like you'll be ready to roll and that more gears will help.
ReplyDeleteHey! I'm catching up. Not sure what bike shop you're going to, but 1000 miles should NOT wear out a cassette and chain unless you are pushing super high wattage (like Lance Armstrong grade wattage) or really heavy. Extra gears aren't bad, but I skeptical of their recommendations.
ReplyDeleteLisa - I took it to Bicycle World (where I bought the bike). The chain was pretty much toast - it was pretty stretched out. Maybe its because my bike maintenance habits suck? I only cleaned the bike twice last year, so maybe that had something to do with it? I don't mind a new cassette because I should feel more confident with more gears, but I don't want to be buying a whole new cassette/chain a year from now.
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