This past weekend I went and bought a bunch of bike gear including my new cleats. I bought a pair of mountain biking shoes so it would be easy and more convenient to walk around in them (without damaging the clips).
Anyway, this whole idea of basically being attached to your bike at the feet is new to me (and also makes me nervous).
So I put the shoe on my right foot and approach my bike in the living room. I still have yet to ride it because I'm getting it fitted this weekend. I put my foot on the appropriate pedal and clip in. I move my foot around. Hmm...feels different. Then I do what the instruction book tells me and twist my heel up and out to release. Done. "Wow," I think, "I am so good at this."
Because I got confident I then decide I want to sit on the bike seat and strap my foot in. I straddle the bike which leans against the Chaise Lounge. I put my left food on the cushion so I can balance myself on the bike. Next, I clip my right foot in. The next four seconds pretty much went in slow motion.
Second one: I accidentally put a little force down into my left foot (the one on the cushion). Perhaps I was trying to readjust. Suddenly, my balance feels off. This is when I realize if I don't act soon I will fall.
Second two: Okay. I now accept that I am, in fact, falling over. I try to pull my foot out quickly, but have no luck with that. That fear about being attached to my bike is coming true. I look over and see what exactly I would fall into. I have my two plants on a plant stand and right behind them is my window.
Second three: My 6'5" body falls over. I put my hand out to try and hold myself up on the wall. I miss the wall and, instead, my palm smashes into two of my horizontal window slats and shatters them. Luckily, the screen is in front of them, so I don't get cut up. The two plants and stand fall over and dump soil everywhere.
Second four: I think I have managed to somewhat hold myself up against the less fragile window, but after half a second my body hits the ground on top of the plants and spreads more soil around.
I then look around and realize I am okay. My foot has come off the pedal (success?) and I stand up, look at my bike, and then notice the debris outside. I vacuum the soil up and, as of today, am still figuring out something to tell my landlord about why I'm missing two panes...
On that note, looking forward to getting out on the road with my bike! I just don't want to fall over into traffic and have a car run over my neck.
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