A standard issue bike comes with two wheels, a saddle, handlebars, a chain and two pedals. Two pedals are required for making the bike move forward. It doesn’t matter if the pedals are flat, clipless or clipped. What is key is that two pedals are required….

I was pedaling merrily along in the group ride today. Felt super comfortable. Karl was just ahead of me and we were both content with sitting in and rolling along. I was adjusted to the furious accelerations that the group does after every corner or stop sign. Things were good. In fact we were pedaling up a hill and I didn’t even realize it. Yep, feeling good and happy to have waited pretty much all morning to go out on the group ride.

And then I was pedaling with one pedal. All of a sudden I felt my right foot give way. I looked down and my pedal was firmly attached to the bottom of my foot and not attached to the crank. I was now pedaling with foot and one pedal. Not so good.

This was the end of the group ride. What a drag. I was really disappointed since I was having a good time and most of all because this meant Karl had to stop as well. (It was his first time on the group ride and he doesn’t know the area yet…) Quickly got the pedal reattached but by now the group was long gone. As luck would have it there was only one group out today so we couldn’t catch the second group.

We made the best of it and still had a good ride but it wasn’t the same as we had both planned on. We ended up going on a big tour hitting up Tielt-Winge, Rillar, Aarschott, Ramsel, Herselt, Langdorp, Testelt, Averbode and finally back to Blauberg.

Guess I have to get to the bike shop and buy some new pedals now. Ah well, better this happens during training rather than in a race. All in all, still a great day out on the bike. Got in some good miles. Saw some interesting sites. Rediscovered my enjoyment of the group ride.

To top it off it is a double race weekend. Things really just keep on getting better and better.