Trainer

It has been raining for about 6 days straight here in Western North Carolina. Usually, that would dampen my mood since I wouldn't have been able to ride my bike at all during that time, but thanks to the Irishman, that is no longer the case. For my birthday, he got me this.



This, my dears, is a bicycle trainer. It is a contraption that allows you to ride your regular bike indoors. It has a bar that suspends your back tire, allowing it to spin as it would on the road.



The benefit of purchasing a bike trainer over a stationary ride is twofold. (1) Your bike is precision adjusted just for you. Take Mo, for example.



Anyone without my exact reach and leg length would have a hell of a time riding her. I spent about a month adjusting the seat to the exact millimeter that I needed it to be. If I gained or lost 10 lbs., I'd probably need to adjust it again. It's that specific of a thing.

(2) You still get the benefit of riding a road bike. You even retain the ability to change gears to your hearts content. I've had a lot of experience with spinner bikes and I don't care what they claim, there's still no comparison. Plus, the clipless pedals are adjusted exactly to your liking.



The clips in my shoes are about 4 years old now and they are worn, but still fully functional. The pedals on my bike are adjusted to take this into account.



When I hop on a random bike at the gym, I generally find that they're either too tight of a clip or my cleat is sliding all over the place. Are you still with me? Good.

The bottom line is that riding your own bike is a pleasure and getting to ride your own bike even when it's pouring buckets outside? Well, that's priceless.