Bike ride!

M and I went for about a 4 mile ride along the Coastal Trail today. I used the Salsa Mukluk I bought off craigslist last spring and have barely ridden since. Before taking it out it, I dished the rear wheel a few mm to the non-drivetrain side to alleviate the chain rub that this vintage of Mukluk is known for and then I rearranged the spacers on the steerer tube to maximize the height of the handlebar. That's 4" of spacers in the photo there,

which would probably feel pretty ridiculous if you hadn't had hip surgery about 4 weeks prior. For me, it was very comfortable. Aside from a recumbent, a fat-tired snow bike might be the perfect bike for this stage of the recuperation. They are stable, built for long days in the saddle, and have easy gearing. When I picked the bike up I was surprised the previous owner hadn't cut the tube down a bit, but now I am glad he didn't.

The riding itself felt pretty good. My left foot seemed to float around a bit on the pedal, as if I was not pressing down the whole time and keeping good contact, my knee did not track in a vertical plane as it went up and down, and I had a bit of achiness in my lower thigh and outside knee. Still, it was very encouraging and I will be doing more from now on.