The Shakedown Ride.

I’ll call it a shakedown. I took my 1970 Phillips out for a longer ride to see how it would go. I wanted a mid-winter check for atrophy and general malaise. Am I really ready to ride over 3000 miles on a 3 speed? Maybe.

The important thing was to just get on the old bicycle and start cranking. I gave the Phillips a basic cleaning, but aside from the addition of a shifter cable, it’s exactly how I found it. All of the parts are original, and it’s kinda old. Garage kept and not too beat. It’s a cool fifty-one bucks worth of bicycle.

The bicycle shop where I work is closed on Mondays. February temperatures in the mid 50s were an omen. It was time to see what the Phillips could do. This was our first ride longer than 5 miles - my first time out for pleasure rather than the business of my daily commute.

Pleasure was had, but there was also a certain misery. Strong headwinds kept romance at bay. The best part of the ride was breakfast at the Denny’s by the airport.

After setting off, the congested streets of Philadelphia slowly gave way to more open scenery. Steady headwinds with strong gusting persisted. I entered the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge for the first time. Snow and mud made the riding slow or impossible along the path. I walked for long stretches through this subtly molested wilderness with sections of serious pollution.

I was out there alone, and it was easy to understand why. Still, the new scenery was worth the trip. A person like me can only survive so many winter days shut away indoors. In spite of conditions that were far from optimal, I’m calling the shakedown a success. A shakedown mission is for finding facts, and I found what I was looking for.

My legs are weak, and my bicycle needs a better tuneup. My GPS unit is an excellent tool, but I need to learn how to maximize its potential.

I will soon be making significant upgrades to the 1970 Phillips. Better rims, better brakes and new tires are on the list. I will also be adding some sorely-needed cargo racks.