Trek Valencia Experience : Ride #9 (of 10)
Ride Type: Moderately difficult ride with some big hills
Distance: 10.70 miles
Ride Map and Details: Garmin Connect

My sister and her family were out of town this weekend so they asked me to stop by during their absence to feed and play with Hershey, their beagle. Google Maps identified a distance of just over four miles, one-way.

Instead of reaching for the car keys, I decided to take the Valencia…and why not? Cars create most of their pollution in the first few miles of a drive when the catalytic converter is still warming up. Time to burn some calories instead of gasoline! After pedaling out of the driveway it didn’t take long to realize that I’d embarked on a hill climbing adventure…

  • Drive Train: There was a huge, winding hill on this ride on a road called Wilderness Oak (just east of the intersection with Blanco Road). It was time to do some spinning in the smallest crank. I spent most of the climb in “1-2″ leaving the “granny gear” a click away in case I needed it. I didn’t. Whew! The 24-speed drive train on the Valencia has convinced me that the bike is ready to assist you in climbing the big hills the road may throw your way. I haven’t encountered a hill the Valencia couldn’t handle.
  • Shifting: Changing gears is usually a very snappy affair with the Shimano M50 shifters. I noticed a few shifts that were hesitant or jumpy during this ride and determined that I wasn’t doing the transmission any favors by allowing the chain to get pretty grungy. Time to give the Valencia a little TLC.
  • Disc Brakes: This is my first bike with disc brakes so I’m still learning. I recently took the Valencia in for its first “check up” and one of the items they addressed was some slight rubbing of the rear disc brake. I’ve also read that some very light rubbing is to be expected as the “newness” wears off of the brake pads and rotors.

The bike ride to my sister’s house proved to be a great workout. I decided to go home a different way and stopped by Guero’s Taco Diner to grab some breakfast for the family on the way home.

Yum!