The bike has a Brooks B-17 leather saddle, which is hard and slippery; not necessarily bad characteristics. The literature is divided on the break-in required for the saddle. Some say it's ok from the start. Others say 1,000 miles is mandatory. Since my dad won't have enough time to ride 1,000 mile between now and July 8, 2010, the day he departs for his trip from the Martinez Amtrak Station, he is shooting to complete 500 miles to break in the saddle.
The bike also has bar-end shifters. A smooth shifting technique is very helpful for climbing long hills, which is a technique he hopes to acquire before the 9th of July. He also must get comfortable with the peddles with clip-ins on only one side. Bill would hate to clip in and go, only to discover that he can't because the clip-in is on the other side. Another hurdle is that the bracket for the handle bar bag does not fit. Either the circumference of the handle bar is too big or the bracket is too small. Whatever the case, he may need to get a new bag.
After four rides totaling 30 miles, Bill is adjusting to his new bike. He plans to ride another 10 miles today and 25 miles this Saturday. He is slowly breaking in the bike to avoid injuries. I am sure he will be comfortable riding it in a few weeks.
