I realized I had not officially announced that after a lot of hemming and hawing and research and Craigslist stalking and bike riding I finally decided...TO KEEP MY FUJI! I actually came to this decision before we left San Diego. Since then, I have not even been on Craigslist, nor have I Googled different bikes and compared their components and prices. Also I have not even been on the triathlon forums! I have finally just accepted that I am on the path I am on and all I have been doing in regards to training is...actually training.
This is what I finally realized about my bike: It is the best bike for me for Ironman. I realized that a big part of my struggle was that I don't really see myself doing a lot of long rides just for the sake of riding after Ironman. Thus I was trying to find the best bike for me long term, which would also be the best bike for Ironman. Turns out these 2 bikes cannot be the same bike. By the time I realized that, I had made some adjustments to the Fuji which made it very comfortable (except the saddle!...more on that later) and we had been on a lot of rides together and, quite frankly, we had become attached.
Well, once I realized that this was in fact, my bike, there was the matter of naming it. I enlisted the help of my bike-enthusiast friend, Carol, who came up with BRUISER, because it's black and blue! It seemed perfect! So, without further ado, I would like to introduce...BRUISER!
So Bruiser and I are partners now. We are in this together. But there was still something between us. Something standing in the way of our happiness.
The saddle. I have been through 3 so far.
I don't think I have gone into too much detail on this blog, because, let's face it, we are talking about delicate areas here. But each saddle turned against me around 30 miles. And on my 87 mile ride the saddle caused me so much pain that I was on the brink of tears for the last 20 miles. And I was not back to normal for days after that ride. I understand that there is a certain amount of discomfort associated with an 87 mile, much less a 112 mile, ride. But there is no way I could have stayed on that saddle for 25 more miles! And if I can't ride again for days, how am I supposed to train?!
If I had placed a personal add looking for the perfect saddle it would have gone something like this:
SWF (Slow White Female) Looking for a saddle that is supportive yet gentle, doesn't put pressure on me, enjoys long rides. Looking for a long term relationship.
Cue SADDLE #4.
It is kind of hard to tell in the pictures, but this last saddle has very little padding. It's like the others were pillows and this is a rock. But I learned that gel and padding can actually work against you on long rides. The longer you sit on it, the more the gel compresses under your butt, and consequently bunches up under the exact delicate areas you are trying to keep pressure off! Thus, they turn against you around 30 miles!
I rode 23 miles yesterday, and 50 miles today, and I had NO ISSUES with this saddle!
I finally found THE ONE! (We are registered at Target and Bed Bath and Beyond.)
This is what I finally realized about my bike: It is the best bike for me for Ironman. I realized that a big part of my struggle was that I don't really see myself doing a lot of long rides just for the sake of riding after Ironman. Thus I was trying to find the best bike for me long term, which would also be the best bike for Ironman. Turns out these 2 bikes cannot be the same bike. By the time I realized that, I had made some adjustments to the Fuji which made it very comfortable (except the saddle!...more on that later) and we had been on a lot of rides together and, quite frankly, we had become attached.
Well, once I realized that this was in fact, my bike, there was the matter of naming it. I enlisted the help of my bike-enthusiast friend, Carol, who came up with BRUISER, because it's black and blue! It seemed perfect! So, without further ado, I would like to introduce...BRUISER!
So Bruiser and I are partners now. We are in this together. But there was still something between us. Something standing in the way of our happiness.
The saddle. I have been through 3 so far.
 |
| #1 |
 |
| #2 |
 |
| #3 |
I don't think I have gone into too much detail on this blog, because, let's face it, we are talking about delicate areas here. But each saddle turned against me around 30 miles. And on my 87 mile ride the saddle caused me so much pain that I was on the brink of tears for the last 20 miles. And I was not back to normal for days after that ride. I understand that there is a certain amount of discomfort associated with an 87 mile, much less a 112 mile, ride. But there is no way I could have stayed on that saddle for 25 more miles! And if I can't ride again for days, how am I supposed to train?!
If I had placed a personal add looking for the perfect saddle it would have gone something like this:
SWF (Slow White Female) Looking for a saddle that is supportive yet gentle, doesn't put pressure on me, enjoys long rides. Looking for a long term relationship.
Cue SADDLE #4.
It is kind of hard to tell in the pictures, but this last saddle has very little padding. It's like the others were pillows and this is a rock. But I learned that gel and padding can actually work against you on long rides. The longer you sit on it, the more the gel compresses under your butt, and consequently bunches up under the exact delicate areas you are trying to keep pressure off! Thus, they turn against you around 30 miles!
I rode 23 miles yesterday, and 50 miles today, and I had NO ISSUES with this saddle!
I finally found THE ONE! (We are registered at Target and Bed Bath and Beyond.)
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