TOTAL MILEAGE FOR 2016 - 3134.4
Since I aired up my tires on Friday evening, with Doug's help, I had found that it made a huge difference in the ease and efficiency of my pedaling when I rode on Saturday. (I didn't ride yesterday.) The tires say 35-40 psi, but Doug told me I could run them a little higher (say, 45) for an even easier ride. So I did that before going out this morning. And it again made a massive difference. I was able to ride with an ease and at a pace that I hadn't known since shortly after getting the trike, last May 14.
I'm ashamed to confess that I hadn't added any air to the tires myself since getting the trike, although I've had a couple of flats changed since then, and they checked the pressure and added air as needed. Today, though, I was able to breeze through consecutive round trips to Marsh Park, covering the 18 miles in just a few seconds over 2 hours flat. By comparison, last Tuesday I rode it in 2:25, and Friday I did it in 2:35. (My record for that ride is 1:42:08, last May 18.)
My times had slowed drastically over recent months, and I attributed it to aging, though I was puzzled at the steep, sharp drop off. But now I see that it was merely a matter of neglect on my part, not keeping the proper air level in the tires. This, while still a problem, is less serious than aging—the tire pressure is a correctable issue, and I really am trainable, so can (and will) learn from this bout of stupidity.
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