Today was the first ‘true’ test-ride for Meg, to work and back (19.5 mi round-trip). I’m feeling pretty comfortable about this being the bike that I ride most of the time for the next 5+ years, but I’m positive now that I need to change the handlebars and I think I may need to change the saddle as well. It’s a little rounder on top than I like. It’s funny how a tiny change in the roundness (I think it’s about a 1/4 inch lower on the sides than the saddle on Maia) can make a huge difference in comfort. Both Maia and my commute saddle are more comfortable for me than the Terry (a Butterfly CrMo). Too bad, because I know a lot of people love that saddle, but apparently I’m not as round as they are!

( I think it’s quite funny that Terry supplies a saddle but not stock pedals. There are many more types of saddles than pedals, but Terry makes saddles and not pedals…)

I did discover that I was making the handlebars’ characteristics worse because of a funny way I was tucking my fingers, so that helped, but my thumbs are still sore after today’s ride. I’ll have to find out if there are any handlebars that cross the flat top with the shallow bottom.

I also learned that I probably am going to want clipless pedals on Meg. I hate the way the toeclip pedals I got work (I already took the straps off, but I don’t like the way the clip is only on one side, scrapes the bottom if I turn without being in it, and is hard to get into) and my feet were feeling a bit sore from trying to stay firm on the pedals at the higher speeds. It’s regrettable because I was hoping to use the more visible Pedalites, but the Pedalites are very expensive (though admittedly not as much as some clipless pedals) and don’t have a clip option. Not that they should, but I think that’s what I’m going to want. On the other hand, I would like to have the option of using the bike with normal shoes for errands and such. Still humming on this one. There are one-sided clipless pedals, but that still has the one-side-only issue, but less issue of being difficult to get into (cleating in is FAR easier than toe-clipping for me).

I went to look up some better bike shoes for walking around in, but the only ones I found was someone extolling the shoes I already have. They’re OK for brief walks but they’re not like normal shoes at all.

I can’t wait until I get the rack I ordered from Nashbar and can switch to panniers. I can carry a backpack comfortably for about 5 miles and then I start wishing the weight was somewhere else! I’m looking at this fancy 2WG pannier bag, or else I would probably get the waterproof German kind at REI. Any other recommended possibilities?