Venturing further on the bike

I bought a bike about a month ago and am feeling comfortable enough with the gears to venture further than upper Capitol Hill and loops around Lake View Cemetery and Volunteer Park.

It's not the workout that was challenging; rather, it is learning the gear shifts. I've had trouble keeping it straight: on the right side the lower lever will downshift, and on the left side the UPPER lever downshifts. WTF?

After a few rides, I still hesistate briefly when changing gears but at least I am no longer downshifting when I want to up it, or vice versa. (I actually popped the chain on a earlier ride going up a hill when I got the gears confused. Ow!)

Saturday I ventured outside my 'hood and took on 10th, Roanoke, and Lake Union. Nice ride, but bang! that 1oth is a rough road. I cruised the houseboat neighborhoods and wandered down the South Lake Union Park to check out the Maritime Heritage docks. There's five or six historical boats docked there, including this sexy beast fireboat.



The return ride was up (and up!) Eastlake to Olive to Denny, with a stop in Half Price Books. Hopefully I didn't pick out any more stinkers. (My reading cred couldn't take it.)