Stage Two

There are two stages with every injury: getting through it and getting over it. Stage Two is in sight for me now. Xrays this week revealed substantial healing, warranting my return to two wheels. A nice parallel that. My orthopedic surgeon here warns me, however, to ride flat pedals instead of clipless. For non-cyclists, "clipless" pedals allow a cleat on bottom of your riding shoe to lock into a spring-loaded slot, so your foot is positively bound to the pedal. The lightest and safest--as well as most efficient--system to ride, whether mountain- or road-biking. You release the cleat by twisting your heel out slightly. There's the rub. The leg-strength this move requires is still beyond my level my left leg has reached. Then there's the fact that one normally mounts from the left side of the bike, opposite the power train. Add to that my still-tentative feelings and you can imagine that I've not got a lot of miles on yet. So far about 60, as a matter of fact. And all on one of my mountain bikes, chiefly because the 2.25in tires are more stable and the riding position more relaxed than my road bike. Come to think of it, crises of every sort share those two stages. I can tell you I'm glad to be moving on to the next one...