July 14 Pedals and Personal Blindspots

 Pedals and Personal Blindspots

(Ps I know there are a bunch of typos and tense issues in this post. I prefer to write in the present tense and this goes back-and-forth. But I’ll have to tighten the writing when I’m back home.)

Part one

I’ve been having a hard time with my right pedal. It’s been difficult to get my shoe cleat in and it’s not releasing quickly enough.

There’s not a whole lot you can do with pedals. I’ve been lubricating it and adjusting the release tension. I repeat those steps, but no go. Doesn’t seem to change. I have resorted to lots of banging and clinging trying to get my foot in and panic trying to get my foot out. It works, but not as well as I would like.

When I was in Bodo, I went to a bike store to put more air in my tires. (I like to ride them at 60 psi. and after a week they end up at 40.)

I was amazed at the wide selection of specialized (meaning “specific”, not the brand-name “Specialized”) they have. I remember noting that they had the SPD cleats I use. It was just a passing thought, and then I left to load up on groceries and have a nap.

I spent the day in Bodo napping, eating, doing yoga, napping some more, as I attempted to prepare my body to bicycle through the night.

At 6:45

pm, I boarded the ferry and we got underway. I was thinking about what a nice town Bodo is, how impressive the bike shop was, which makes sense because although I think I’m in the middle of nowhere, really this is becoming a cycling destination. And then I remembered those cleats.

I realized I’ve been working on my pedals, but never once looked at my cleats!!!

So I turn my foot over (good thing for all those yoga workouts) and examine my shoe bottom. What a mess!

My bike shoe appears to be disintegrating and the cleat is holding on with just the finest of finesse. There is so much junk and dirt concertized in there and yet it looks like whole thing is just about to drop off. I think, “Wow! What a bummer that I didn’t think of this while I was in the bike store. I guess I’ll just have to be delicate when clicking in and clicking out. No more banging my shoe against the pedals.”

I hope the shoes and the cleat will last one more week.

I conclude that I have learned a profound lesson about relationships- I shouldn’t have assumed it was the pedal. The problem was not the pedal. I kept trying to fix the pedal. The problem was the shoe. Lesson learned.

(You may notice there is a very important step that I missed here. Stay tuned.)

Part two

I woke up this morning around 11 amafter my night of biking, and leisurely made my way north on the island. It was a beautiful ride - calm and restful. The only thing nagging me was that I need to take a ferry off of lofoten and I can’t get enough bars on my phone to get the ferry schedule.

I came around in a road and saw a parking lot filled with cars. I went past it but then convince myself to circle back. I’m curious why all the cars are here and also maybe someone can help me figure out the ferry schedule.

It’s hard for me to start a conversation with people when I’m traveling. I have to work myself up to do it. This is why I often pass and then come back.

There was a couple just getting out of their car and sorting some gear. I ask,”Do you speak English ?“ and the woman said that they did.

We have a conversation in which not only do they help my with the ferry schedule but I learn that the cars are here because there’s a famous mountain that people like to climb. I learn that they drove here from Bergen, which they consider a very long drive and can’t believe that I then rode my bike all the way here and alone. I soak in praise because I’m pretty proud of myself too! We high five all around. I really like these people. They seem like people I’d be friends with.

Boyfriend looks at my bike. Really checks out my bike And it unfolds like this.

That’s a beautiful Richie.

Thank you.

I’m a bike mechanic . Is there anything I can help you with?

I say “Let me think about that for a minute “ and go through my list in my head and explain that I’m having a lot of trouble with the right pedal.

He says, “I can help with that. Are you having trouble getting in and out?”

I reply, “Yes, but I don’t think it’s the release mechanism. I think it’s shoe. “I show him the bottom of my shoe.

He says, “the cleats just loose. I can tighten it.” And he does.

That is the crazy thing. I learned the whole big “profound” lesson about the problem being the shoe not the pedal and that we shouldn’t look for the problem in a relationship in the wrong place blah blah blah blah but it never occurred to me to try to tighten the cleat. Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

I looked at the bottom of the shoe and I saw disintegrating mess that was ready to go in the garbage. He looked at the same shoe and saw dirt that needed to be dug out with a tool and a screw that needed to be tightened.

Simple.

Uh!!!! Never occurred to me to try to fix. I may be the doctor of divinity, but I’m definitely not a bike mechanic -yet.

He asked me to take off my other shoe. He matched the cleats from both shoes. (that is the bike mechanic equivalent of family systems therapy - look at the whole system not just the individual piece.) Then he loosened the release mechanism, just a tad saying, “It’s like cream in soup. Just adding the smallest amount makes it perfect.” And it did make it perfect.

He gave my bike a complete check over, right there in the parking lot . He tightened a few things that I don’t have hand strength to tighten sufficiently, adjusted my seat a little bit, which requires a little more accuracy and finesse than I have. What a gift.

My right knees been bothering me a little because my shoe has been wrongly placed in the pedal and my seat was a little askew. Now, two days later, no knee pain. This kind man his name whose name I didn’t even ask, fixed it.

I learned a lot in this encounter. My own limitations and blind spots were revealed. But I reassure myself, that I don’t have to be able to do everything myself.

That’s why there are professionals - bike mechanics and therapists- and mentors and kind people we meet along the way.

(Ps The woman is a PT. I was very tempted to ask her if she could help my neck, but I decided I should refrain.)