Do you have that in a size XXXXXL?

After our first ride, I swore I wouldn't ride till I had clip shoes and knicks which- given my size is not the easiest thing to find. However, our second ride was unfortunately delayed several weeks due to my work running behind schedule which also gave me time to find some cycling clothing.

During this time, I found some cycling knicks and leg warmers to fit me at Le Knicks which was a big, BIG relief. We stumbled onto Le Knicks as a fluke and they had size 9 in Vermarc bib knicks (size 9 = 5XL) to fit me and also some XXL Santini leg warmers which I was JUST able to fit into.

When I tried on the bib knicks in the change room I was horrified to see myself in the mirror. I called Polka Dot Lisa over to the change room and told her through the curtain that I didn't want to open the curtain as I looked like a Bulgarian Olympic Wrestler LOL! Little did I know but the shop owner was standing right next to the curtain and heard every word I said. Anyway, I took the knicks and leg warmers and they even threw in a pair of cycling socks (blue- argh.. it clashes with the bike).

When we finally did have a free weekend, our plan was to shop on the Saturday for cycling shoes for me and a winter top and mitts for both of us, and go for a decent ride on the Sunday.

After checking out a few bicycle shops looking at shoes and getting a base layer long sleeve and jacket for cycling in the city (High and Mighty menswear), we decided to go down to Dandenong to check out a Big Mans clothing shop for a polar fleece vest but they had bugger all and I left empty handed.

After wasting our time in Dandenong (man- what a hole of a place!), it was too late to go back to Fitzroy Cycles to get the shoes I settled on so we would have to get them the following morning before our ride.

So the following morning I tried to find a shop that would, a) be open on a Sunday and, b) have the shoes I want, in my size. So got up early expecting to get my shoes and hit the road, however, any shps that were open on a Sunday didn't open till 11. ARRRGGHH...

Finally I found the shoes I wanted at The Freedom Machine in Port Melbourne (I had settled on the Specialized BG Sport MTB Shoe), we went and got then, wasted time looking for a winter top for Polka Dot Lisa and eventually got home about 1.30pm.

Quickly we dressed up in our new gear and went down stairs with our bikes. But wouldn't you know it- just as we were about to open the front door it started pissing down with rain and was blowing a gale. FUCK!

With the rain falling hard and showing no signs of stopping, we turned around and rode round and round in the apartment under cover car park to allow me to get used to the shoes (where we did a total of 2k's LOL).

After getting changed we jumped in the car and went to visit family, stopping by TFM in Prahran where Lisa found a really nice reversible Jaggad top and we both got Specialized mitts (my mitts and Polka Dot Lisa's mitts) to absorb some of the jarring of the road.

While we were at TFM in Prahran we got chatting to guy in the shop and he pointed out Cadel Evans' actual bike in the window. Cool... my brush with greatness! LOL

Next- Finally, our first "real" ride.

Do you have that in a size XXXXXL?