First Spin on the new Bike

I took my Treck 7200 for its maiden spin. The day was overcast but the roads were relatively dry.

I went from my house to the Jubilee College State Historic Site via Glenwood (near Bradley University), Columbia Terrace, Broadway, Gale, Resevoir, Highway 8, County Route 47, D-32 (Granger Hall). I missed the turn that takes you from the College Site to the Park, so I did a loop in the College site and then went down via the Jubilee-Princeville blacktop (R-40) to 150 and back.

The total was about 40 miles. The cool thing is that one can measure, map and store their routes by using a GPS map: http://www.usatf.org/routes/map/

The GPS map measures slightly short as it doesn't pick up the finer curves (the mileage it gives you is slightly shorter than what an odometer will give you), but it is close enough. My out segment was 19.36 miles (or 38.72 miles round trip) plus the mile or two I spent putzing around the college site.

I found out a couple of things. First, the bike salesman tried to direct me to ordering a higher end fitness model; he told me that this bike would feel heavy and slow compared to the one that I was used to (Schwinn Le Tour-Lux). He was right; nevertheless I like the bike that I bought as it is still plenty rugged enough to give me a good workout.
The above is the kind of road bike that I have; currently it is getting some spokes replaced.

Second, there are more hills on this route that I realized; ok, not really hills but long inclines. Third: 40 miles is still hard for me; you wouldn't think so but I have to remember that most of my cycling this summer has been very slow, short joyrides with my daughter or longer, leisurely rides with my yoga teacher.

Oh well, like anything else, getting better takes work.