Great Weekend! Reports and Notes:

It really was a great weekend.  The weather, as you all know, was a gift.  Sure it was a tease, and we will see more Winter, but it was certainly welcome.  More, the balmy weather provided an ideal condition set for all kinds of outdoor activity.

Our First Ever Novice Mountain Bike Ride:

To begin with, we had a great turn out.  There were somewhere between 25 and 30 folks out there.  I’d say at least half of those were brand spanking new to mountain biking as a sport.

It wasn’t possible for me to be everywhere, but judging from the laughter and the hoots of glee I heard, most were having a great time.  The trails at the Baseball Soccer Complex provide a good mix of conditions for beginners.  The outer loop is pretty gentle, and the inner one has a few really good gully-crossing and steep climb opportunities.  I was surprised at the number of folks who took to the inner loop.

I owe an apology to one rider (who will go nameless) for misdirecting us into the heavy stuff before strictly ready.  Honest, I didn’t mean to, and it will never happen again.

I spent the afternoon, escorting several groups through the loops, as did my co-workers Ty and Selvin.

Again, there were lots of smiles and a lot of laughter.

Special Thanks to Dan Christensen and the good offices of the Southside Cycling Club for providing some refreshments, a tent, and keys to the restrooms!

The big question for the day was,  “Will you do this again?”  The answer is a resounding YES!  Watch this space, the Tuesday Tome, and our shop emails for specifics.  But we do plan to do this monthly, through the remainder of the Winter.

We’re also looking at setting up a bit more frequent evening schedule.  That will have to wait until we have a bit more daylight.  Keep watching for details.

One Last Note:  I’ll be launching a series on Mountain Bike Basics in this blog.

Grins and laughs all around.  Have a great week, folks!

Friday Follies ~~ Short Winter Vacation

I was all packed.  The bike was loaded.  I had a long weekend ahead.  The forecast was not good, but that did not deter.  I was totally committed to this.  It was time to get on the bike and put some distance between me and all the. ..   STUFF!

It was a time much like this one.  Winter had gripped us with an iron hand.  We’d had a lot of snow, and ice, and cold, and misery.  The last snowfall was several weeks behind us.  The roads were clear, and I was, no two ways about it, going!

There is a phenomenon in flying called “gethomitis.”  It often leads to a bad incident, as the pilot focuses on an objective and ignores multiple danger signals.  There is another one.  It’s called “Target Fixation.”  That one comes from World War II.  Fighter pilots tend to be a very highly dedicated and extremely focused lot.  When practicing aerial gunnery, they would become so intent on hitting the target with the guns that they would sometimes fly right into the ground.

Given the right set of circumstances, I can get into a frame of mind much like those.  On the occasion in question, that set of circumstances was in place.

It was cold and cloudy as I started out, and the bike was heavy.  In fact it was overloaded.  It wallowed and was a struggle to control.  At least part of that was lack of practice.  I hadn’t ridden a loaded bike in months.  “At least,”  I thought,  “it’s not raining.  It’s so hard to get on the bike when it’s already raining.”

The first drops of rain began about an hour into the ride.  It wasn’t heavy or hard, just an occasional spit-spat.  “No big thing, and probably won’t last,”  I thought, ignoring forecasts and common sense.

Another hour passed.  I was climbing by then, headed for the high country.  I stopped and pulled on rain gear, then re-mounted and continued to ride.  Shortly after that, I started noticing that oncoming cars had some snow on them.  I ignored that too.

I reached my turn off, onto a small mountain road.  By then there was some snow/sleet/slush mixed in with the rain.  The road was closed, but I’d expected that.  This particular road was often closed and blocked off all Winter long.  I rode around the barrier and into six inches of crusty, unbroken snow.

The heavy bike was handling the snow well.  My wide touring tires were crunching through the top and, as long as I didn’t stand and crush the pedals, I had good traction.  It was a bit harder riding.  The snow was giving me more resistance.  Somewhere in the next hour or two the conditions changed to steady snow.  At the time, I didn’t notice the transition.

I realized I was getting cold, and hungry, so I pulled the bike over to the side and propped it against a pine tree.  The tree was affording some cover; the ground under it was almost free of accumulated snow.  I pulled my poncho off the bike and rooted around in the panniers.  In short order, I’d set up a temporary lean-to, had my trusty little pack stove going, and was heating hot chocolate.  I munched on a cold sandwich as I warmed up.  About then I looked up and noticed that it was snowing harder.  A lot harder.  I could not see my bike, parked only about twenty feet from the opening of my hasty shelter.

Friends, I still did not get it.

I warmed up, finished my snack, put the stove out, and (carefully) packed it.  I made a decision and rather than rolling the poncho up and packing it, pulled it on over the rest of my clothing.  I spent some few minutes knocking snow off of my bike and then mounted up.

Climbing through rapidly accumulating snow.  Each pedal stroke was a marvel.  My foot would go down into the snow.  It was only a bit past noon, but it was getting darker, and I was having trouble seeing where the road was.

The third time I dropped into a ditch…  I decided that I’d come up here to camp and get away.  I knew I wasn’t near as far as I’d intended, but this looked like a good spot.

I dragged the bike with me, back into the woods.  I found a spot that was mostly sheltered, and began setting up my camp.

I was lucky.  The snow that was heated and softened by my small fire, waited until after I’d cooked my dinner.  Then it dropped off of the trees and extinguished my fire.  I crawled into the tent.  Once again, I started the little pack stove.  I ran it just long enough to heat the interior of the tent.  Then I struggled out of my sodden clothing, and crawled into my sleeping bag.  From inside the bag, I extinguished the stove, and then closed the tent up for the night.

It was quiet in there.  There is an uncanny quiet to being in a tent, in a snowfall.  For a while there is a hissing as the snow accumulates on the tent, but then that goes away, muffled by the layer already there, and all sound is shut out.

It was still snowing in the morning, but looked like it might be near the end.  The sky was brightening a bit to the south.  I stayed in the tent for most of the day, watching the snow gradually taper off.

It took me two days to get back home.  I later measured my “tour.”  I’d covered only a bit more than forty miles from my home, before conditions stopped me in my tracks.  It could have been bad, but it wasn’t.  I was lucky, and I’d needed the break.

The two day trip home, through the aftermath of a blizzard, was a nightmare.  I loved every minute of it, but I have not gone Winter camping (excepting some military experiences) since.  These days my feet and hands do not warm themselves.  I avoid cold, don’t like it much.  In a way that’s a pity.

Thursday Thoughts: Sanity/Reality Check

I will preface this by saying that I am a bike helmet user.  I have a firm belief in the benefits of wearing a helmet.  It’s like this, ride a bike long enough and you are going to fall down.  There’s an old saw that goes,  “As long as you are still riding, you are going to fall.”  I am a careful and somewhat skillful rider.  And yet, I have had the occasional bad fall.  On at least three occasions, I have hit hard enough to completely destroy a helmet.  The fact that I am typing these words demonstrates that the helmet did its job.  I strongly encourage helmet use.

All of that said, I would far rather see folks ride safely without helmets, than see them ride dangerously, or stupidly while wearing them.

Please read that last sentence again.

Want an example?  I routinely see folks blasting through stop signs or other traffic signals.  Usually, these folks are all “kitted out,” and are wearing very nice, shiny, high end, brain buckets.  Here’s a newsflash:  If a car smacks you hard from the side, it probably won’t matter if your head is protected.  All of us have seen road-killed deer.

A few examples of other dangerous behavior would include (but are not limited to), obstructing traffic (three abreast or more, failure to permit following motorists to pass, sidewalk riding, wrong way riding, night time riding without effective lighting and reflective gear, failure to signal intentions, abrupt swerving (squirrelly riding), and inattention to possible road hazards.

Simply put, please do wear your helmet, but don’t think that makes you immune to impact injury.  Ride with care and attention, and please, ride legall

A Different Project

Folks, I’ll bring you the next episode in the current series on bike maintenance, but it will be next week.  I’m taking a short “time out” on that project to do some testing on another one.

Of course this new project involves riding, and I’ll let you know what it is, and the results in the very near future.  Just this one hint, I needed the right weather conditions for this test, and this morning’s rain and cold are just about perfect for it.  I have to strike while the iron is hot.

More in the very near future.

Fun Theory

Okay.  Follow this link.  You’ll enjoy it, I promise.

Click HERE

Now for a little syllogism… 

As the musical stairs are to the escalator, so the bicycle is to a car.

That’s it.  That’s our lesson for today.

Why on Earth would anyone want to go mountain biking?

There are a lot of possible answers to the title question.  Some are quite serious, some a bit less so.

• Its fun!
• Mountain bikes can go anywhere.
• There aren’t any cars in the woods.
• A lot of road skills (and fitness) transfer readily to the mountain bike thing.
• Off road riding will help you become a better bike handler.
• It’s not as cold riding in the woods.
• There is more to look at.
• It’s quieter away from the traffic.
• It’s a lot of fun!
• After a bit of instruction and a couple of hours of practice, you will be doing things you would not believe.
• It doesn’t hurt as much when you fall down.
• Different is good.
• It helps keep you motivated and turned on.
• Smiling and laughing is good for you.
• It’s good exercise.
• People will wonder why you are smiling more.
• It’s fun!
• A trip into the woods doesn’t cost as much as a movie.
• We have some great trails here in town now.
• You get to show off.
• If you show off too much, you’ll fall down and remember who you are.
• It’s really nice and social…  Sort of.
• It’s faster than golf.
• It’s safer than base jumping.
• You don’t need a parachute.
• It’s a lot of fun!

Novice Mountain Bike Ride:

This is a group ride, with the emphasis on learning and on fun.  Members of the Bicycles Unlimited staff will be on hand to provide instruction and support.

When:  Sunday 30 January, at 2:00 P.M.

Where:  Peachtree City Baseball Soccer Complex (on GA-74 south, just south of Cooper lighting.)

Requirements:  You, a suitable bike, and a helmet.  (Helmets must be worn when you are on the bike)

Conditions:  These trails are fairly gentle, and a good location for entry to mountain biking.  Ride will go at any temp above 30 degrees.  Rain or wet trail conditions cancel.

COME OUT AND JOIN US!!!!

Friday Follies ~~ Lost

“I don’t reckon I’ve ever been lost.  I been bewildered a time or two.”  …Daniel Boone.

I’ve always had a good sense of direction and a good visual memory.  I may never have known exactly where I was, but I’ve always been able to get back.  I’ve always known that home was over that way.  I was somewhere around age 10, when I realized that other people actually could get lost.

But roads don’t always cooperate.  Roads have a way of being stubborn.  They insist that you go where they are going, not where that innate direction tells you want to go.

  Add in rivers, mountains, and other terrain features such as fences or deep ravines and finding one’s way home can be a challenge.

I’ve moved about a good deal, in a long and busy life.  When I’ve shifted to a new town, I’ve always enjoyed exploring, on foot, by car, and by bike.  The basic pattern is one I worked out many years ago.  As soon as possible, right after unloading all the goods into the new apartment/house, take off with no particular destination, wander around aimlessly, and see what there is to be seen.  Usually, these treks leave me not knowing quite where I am for a good bit of the way.  But the idea is always to get back home, preferably without asking directions.

I am not one of those guys who never stop to ask directions, but I prefer to do that when I am trying to find something specific.  I’ve learned to notice firehouses; they have to know where things are!  Mail carriers are good too.  Way back, when “gas station” meant more than gas pumps, and there was always a mechanic shop attached, I found those to be good sources.  In this day and age, I’ve learned to avoid asking directions at convenience stores.

There’s something very satisfying about getting good and lost, and then finding one’s way back home.  I’ve discovered some of the most interesting things along these rambles.  Parks that no one seems to know about, interesting houses, useful alternate routes, fascinating food establishments, to name just a few.

I’ve lived where I do now for longer than I’ve been anywhere else in my life, over 25 years now.  It’s almost impossible for me to get lost in this area.  I have to go farther and farther away to accomplish the trick now.  Anyone interested in doing some wandering over toward Alabama?

NOTE:  Remember, the first of our Novice Mountain Bike Rides will be a week from this coming Sunday, That's 30 January, and the Baseball Soccer Complex.  2:00 PM.

Thursday Thoughts: Revolution

Wheels turn.  They revolve.  Each turn of the wheel is a revolution.  The word has other meanings too.

Way back in time, if you wanted to get anywhere, at least anywhere not in your immediate vicinity, you had to walk, ride a horse, or hitch a wagon to a horse or an ox.

Horses were expensive.  The harnessing, feed, and parking space cost a lot.  And it took time to care for them.  Horses need to be groomed, curried, blanketed in the cold, stabled, exercised, doctored.  Their hooves require the special expertise of a farrier.  One could either devote that time or hire the work done.  Regardless, horses were expensive.  That mean that the majority of people (especially women) just could not afford them.

So travel was expensive.

Along came the Industrial Revolution.  (There’s that word again.)  After about a hundred year, or so, of increasing mechanization, and the establishment of the factory system, someone invented the bicycle.  (This was around about the last quarter of the 1800s.)  They were all the rage in Europe, and they caught on here pretty well too.

But roads were, to say the least, rough, so those early “high wheelers” were the answer.  Rough roads are hard on horses and wagons too.  By then a lot of commercial traffic was traveling on the roads.  So folks started investing in better paving.  Cobble replaced the old corduroy log roads.  In cities, brick was used for paving.  Then asphalt revolutionized paving.  Better roads meant that the high wheelers weren’t necessary, and the introduction of the “safety bicycle” occurred.  “Safeties” looked pretty much like our modern bikes.  The front and rear wheels are the same size. 

With the advances in manufacturing technique, these things were within the reach of a lot more people.  Suddenly transportation to places farther away than an hour’s walk fell within the reach of a majority of people.  Transportation, mobility, and independence, this was a real revolution.

You know what happened next.  The automobile came along.

We have become addicted to automobiles.  You all know what that means.  But think about this.

If only 10% of our automotive trips were done by bicycle, our nation would save about 10 billion gallons of gasoline per year.  That’s something like forty billion dollars that would go to something else in the economy.

Further, if 10% of our trips were by bike, we’d reduce traffic by about 10%.  Don’t think that’s significant?  Consider this.  Isn’t it nice commuting to work on days when school is not in session?  That’s because about 10% of commuting hour traffic is school traffic.  Imagine reducing traffic volume by that much on a daily basis!

“Not possible!” you say?  One last statistic.  The typical trip in this country is five miles, with a single passenger, and five pounds of cargo.  Brothers and sisters, that can be done on a bike!  Would that qualify as a revolution?

It’s a thought.

Winter Projects ~ Wrapping Handlebars

This is one of the more satisfying things you can do to your bike.  With a bit of practice, you can turn out a very nice job, and fresh bar tape is a pleasure to grip, and dresses up the bike nicely.  Besides, if you plan to do a full re-string, this becomes essential.

NOTE:  We used an old bar, clamped in a repair stand for this demonstration.  This one has a very old, and small brake lever.  On a more modern setup, you would peel the rubber brake hoods back, so that the tape work would be under the rubber hood.  Otherwise, this is just how we wrap bars.

Here’s a step-by-step:

First, remove the old tape, and clean the bars thoroughly.  (This is a good time to inspect the bars carefully for corrosion and cracks.

Got that done?  Good!  Now open your new tape, and start…

Begin at the end of the bar, and wrap from the inside to the outside, as shown below,

Notice that we’ve started a with about a third of the tape beyond the end of the bar.  This will be important later.

This direction of wrap helps keep the tape from unwrapping under your hands as you ride.

Overlap the tape by about a third of the wrap.  Keep the tape firmly taut as you proceed.  Once you have finished the wrap, come back here, fold the free end of the tape inside the bar, and press the end caps (supplied with the tape) into the bar.  This will tidy up and secure the tape at the end of the bar. 

As you approach the brake levers, prepare to do a "Figure Eight Wrap."

Don't Panic.  We're going to go through this together.  Follow below.

One more wrap, with a little closer spacing to go under the control lever.

Now, we're going straight up on the inside of the control.

Shown from the inside here.

And over the top of the control.

Seen again from the outside.

Now we turn and go behind the bar again.  But watch the next closely.

You see it from the inside of the control again here...

Now under the control to the outside,

Seen from the outside here.

Now straight up on the outside of the control...

Seen from the inside view.

Still seen from the inside, we now wrap the tape around the bar.

Now we're ready to finish the wrap.  Except...

Look for this!

Notice that little triangle of uncovered bar in the middle of the wrap?  To fix this, unwrap what you just did, adjust the tape position slightly, and re-wrap as above.

When you have it this tidy, on both sides of the control, you are ready to finish.

Keep wrapping toward the middle of the bar.  Resume your one third overlap here.

When you reach the stopping point, cut the excess tape on on the diagonal, as shown.  Be careful, and don't let go of the tape!

Okay.  Another tricky part.  Hold the tape in place and reach for your finishing tape.

Finish off by wrapping the finishing tape in the same direction as your bar wrapping.

Cut the finish tape off square, and smooth it out.

Trim any rough edges of the tape that might protrude from your finish.

Remember that excess we left beyond the bar, at the beginning of this?  Go back to it.  Fold it inside of the bar, and push the bar end plug in.  It should be pretty tight.  That tidies up the beginning of the wrap, hold it in place, and safely dresses the open end of the bar.

Congratulations!  you're ready to do the other side.  It's the same, just a mirror image of the work you've already done.

Language

Newsflash! I have just discovered that Yehuda Moon’s Van Sweringen city bike is actually a Beloved Cycles Morton .

Seriously (or maybe not so) the Yehuda Moon cartoon is well worth reading, and apparently the folks at Beloved Cycles are quite serious in offering some very expensive semi-custom frames.  I mean a $4200.00 fixie porteur?  By the way, “portuer” would be “porter” in English, as in somebody who carries stuff around.  Just as “derailleur” is French for “gear changing thingy.”

Incidentally, I usually spell that last thingy “derailler,” and pronounce it Dee-rail-ehr. There’s a reason for that.

Back in the early ‘60s a French car company coat–tailed the VW, and introduced a little bug they called the Renault Dauphine, which they pronounced Ren-alt Doe-feen.  A bit later they start getting toney, and changed the pronunciation of the company to Rey-noah.  I was actually dickering for a car at the time, and I was looking at one of their R-10s.  But I quit looking when the sales weasel corrected my pronunciation.  I figure, I speak American.  This is America.  And if you want to sell it here, you’ll use the language correctly.  (Incidentally, I never even thought about looking at one of those French Pig-ots.)

Some years ago, a man walked into the bike shop, leaned on the repair counter, and started chatting away at us wrenches.  He had all the earmarks of a first rate poser.  (Or poseur.)  But he kept referring to his zhee-ahn bicycle.  My coworker, Kevin and I kept trading “I haven’t the foggiest” glances.

The penny dropped for both of us at the same time.  The guy was talking about a Giant!  (This was years before we became a Giant dealer.)  Kevin fled into the back, and left me to try and keep a straight face.  All the while, I could hear Kevin snorting and choking back there with laughter.

Incidentally, among the bikes in my current stable is a Giant bicycle (the brand name, is Giant, the bike really isn’t that big) that does not have a gear changer thingy.  It’s a fixed gear bike, named (appropriately) Bowrey.  I might add, no one corrected my pronunciation when I was buying it.

Getting Better All the Time…

I sometimes think that the universe is run by three departments.  There is the Business as Usual Department, the Practical Joke Department, and the Fairy Godmother Department.

The first tow agencies don’t take much explanation.  They are vast bureaucracies, and they are in charge of “Life as we know it.” 

The third department consists of one elderly female GS-9 clerk.  She takes a lot of leave, and generally doesn’t do much.  But occasionally, something comes across her desk, and she picks it up and does something nice about it.

I doubt any of us will have much trouble figuring out which Department was responsible for the last week.  Winter has sure had some fun with us, but the latest blast is now receding rapidly.  In fact it looks kinda like we’re gonna get a bit of a break from the cold and nasty, at least for the next couple of days.

This past weekend, we were treated to a definite act of the FGM Dept.  First off, we had the privilege of hosting a book signing and social for the South Side Cycling Club.  The guest of honor was Saul Raisin.  Saul was signing his book Tour de Life.  The proceeds from the sale of this book benefit research at the Shepherd Center.  It was a pretty nice evening, a chance to meet a truly remarkable individual, and to socialize among the tribe of local cyclists.

Then on Sunday, a bunch of us went out for a ride with Saul.  It was a fun ride, with lots of laughter, and good conversation.  For a change, the north Georgia weather cooperated nicely.  It was a brisk clear morning, with temps that were only slightly on the cool side, and no wind.  A joyous ride, indeed!

One more happy note:

It’s staying light out a little longer!  It’s now not dark at 6:00 P.M.  That’s always a first step toward the end of Winter.  In fact, this coming Saturday, sunset will occur at exactly 6:00 P.M. and civil twilight will last until 6:27 P.M.  I always mark this as the turning point in the Winter.  Yes, we have about six more weeks of real Winter ahead, and we certainly have ample chance of the Practical Joke Department to do its work on us, but the end of the annual trial is in sight.

Friday Follies ~~ The View From the Top

A road bike was a major discovery for me.  At the time I lived in a mountainous region.  Climbing hills on my old Schwinn monster was more than a chore, it was almost impossible.  A bike with ten gears was an amazing thing.  Funny to think that now.  By today’s standards, that ten speed was geared way too high.  But it was such an improvement over what had gone before!

Gradually I extended my range.  I roved out into the countryside.  I went farther and farther.  Of course, I never approached the mountains on that bike.  That is, I didn’t approach them until I entered a race.  That race was a major learning experience.  The single lap that we Cat 4s had to do was about 35 miles long.  But it went right up the side of the Massanutten Mountain, down the other side, and thence into the town of Luray, before turning around.

I did a miserable job in that race.  I sort of stayed with the pack, until we hit the climb.  Then I got spit out the back.  I’d almost made it to the top of the climb before the lead riders were coming back the other way.  And when I tried descending that thing…  Terror doesn’t come close to describing my state.

To say I was challenged would be to put it mildly.  I was determined.  These other guys all seemed to do the climb fairly well.  What did they know that I didn’t?

I learned.  I got so I could climb.  I couldn’t stay with the real climbers, but I could hang.  Some of that was learning techniques.  Some of it was in gaining fitness and strength.  Some of it was in acquiring better equipment.  I learned, and grew, and got better.

Then I got cocky.

Once I learned how to handle mountain descents, I had fun on them.  That was enough to lure me to go climb mountain roads at the any opportunity.

It was a fairly modest ride.  We planned to start from home, and ride over through Waynesboro, then up onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, and south to the visitor’s center at Humpback Rocks.  There was a great hiking trail, leading up onto the top of the rocks.  It debouched onto the top of the formation through a narrow defile.  I’d always loved the place.  It was high, with an unobstructed view to the west, out over the Shenandoah Valley.

We rode out there, did the climb up the side of the mountains, out of Waynesboro, and the big rollers south to “The Rocks.”  There were several of us, and cyclists were not that common in the area in those days of yore.

We locked our bikes up, and climbed the trail up to the top of the huge outcropping.  We sat in the warm late afternoon sun, eating our picnic, and watching the hawks glide, and the sun slowly slide down the sky.

At some point, we all decided that it would be fun to watch the sunset, from up there on the rocks.  We were rewarded with a spectacular light show.

At first the trip back down wasn’t bad.  The long lingering twilight helped us.  But we were stumbling around, and groping in the dark, long before we got down to the visitor’s center.

The trip north on the Parkway wasn’t too bad.  It was a weekday night, and there was not much traffic.  A fairly large moon, only a bit past full, helped light the way.  But then came the descent.

With the modern light systems we now have, night time mountain descending requires care and thought.  In that day, such lighting as was available, was far from adequate to the task.  But that didn’t matter.  None of us had anything like a light on our bikes.  I might add that the brakes of the late ‘60s were not much to brag on either.

That descent was, in a word, harrowing.  That none of us crashed is a small miracle.  As we entered the lights and bustle of the small town of Waynesboro, a bit of sanity broke out.  We all swallowed our pride, and called for rides.

But you know what?  I want to do it again.  I’d love to do that trip with a modern bike and good, strong dependable lights.  But more, I’d do it again with the primitive equipment we had then.  Just to be there, to see the sun go down from that height, to live through it all...  I’d happily do that again.

Thursday Thoughts: Stuck

Let’s do something different.

It’s normal.  We all tend to get stuck into routines.  Sometimes various of these patterns will block others, and then that becomes a routine in itself.

Those of us who use our bikes to commute to work will tend to seek out routes.  We’ll refine them.  We’ll fine tune them.  This street is a little longer, but it’s faster.  This route is more hilly, but it’s shorter.  This route is longer, but with less afternoon traffic.  Eventually we find optimums, and then the routine settles in.

We tend to do this throughout our lives.  But there is a trap here.  A routine becomes a rut.  Boredom sets in.  A rut is a grave with the ends kicked out.

As a society we fall victim to the same kind of thing.  We may have great fun arguing politics, and shouting at each other, but we tend to seek comforting and familiar patterns.  We get in the car, when we could as well walk or ride a bike.  Why?  Because it’s familiar, and habitual.  We insist our pols give us roads, and we want them to go directly between our desired and habitual destinations.

Traffic congestion is caused by not enough highway capacity.  Right?  So we build more roads, and enlarge the ones we have.  Each build phase seems to alleviate the problem.  For a little while…

Do umbrellas cause rain?  The thing is, if it is easy enough to drive, then we drive.  And so do others.  More roads encourage more building, over a wider area.  And that, in turn causes more traffic, canalized on those big, new, high capacity roads.

As the congestion increases, some will seek alternatives, and soon those are targeted for expansion.  And traffic attracts commercial enterprise.  And more congestion.

Oddly, restricting traffic (intentionally increasing congestion) tends to decrease traffic.  We find ourselves looking for alternate methods.  Telecommuting?  Car-pooling?  Transit?  Walking?  Cycling?  We don’t usually do this voluntarily.  We’ll take our ruts, thank you very much.  It generally takes some kind of change, obstruction, or event to jolt us out of our patterns.

Sometimes, that jolt is a good thing.  It can cause us to re-evaluate, recalculate, and reconsider.  That’s where personal growth and development can occur.

What would happen if each and every one of us got on a bike, once a month, and rode it to somewhere we had to go?  (Office, store, library, post office, doctor’s office, etc.)  How if it was once a week?  Would that change traffic patterns in our area?  Perhaps the presence of a fair number of cyclists, on a given set of roadways, would have an effect on traffic patterns.  Maybe, if enough of us did it, and we got kind of organized about it, and sort of vocal, we wouldn’t have to use our cars to carry our bikes to someplace else for a ride.

What’s the difference between a rut and a groove?

Winter Projects ~ Maintenance:

In case it happened to escape your attention, we’ve been through a spot of nasty weather the past couple of days.  It’s still icy and tricky out there, difficult to drive and extremely difficult to ride.  It’s tough.  First it gets darker, and then colder, and now this.  Trainers and spin classes help, but it is hard to stay motivated.

But spring will come…  And usually, the first bits of nice weather catch a lot of us by surprise.  The tires are flat.  The shifting is off, and the brakes aren’t working well.  Maybe the headset is draggy, and the bottom bracket creaks.

Oddly these two conditions can help remedy each other…

As the title suggests, this is a good time to catch up on some good old fashioned maintenance.  This stuff can be done indoors, and it helps to keep one motivated.  There is a distinct sense of satisfaction from prepping a bike, and leaving it shiny and ready for action.

Preparing for Action:

You will want to do a couple of things before you just grab the bike.  First inventory your resources.  What tools do you have on hand?  Do you know how to use them?  What experience and skills do you have?  Do you have a suitable place to do the work?  What supplies will you need?

Hmm…  Sounds like the beginning of a series here.

Let’s start with the essentials.

Place to work:  It should be well lighted.  It should be warm enough so that your hands don’t chill while you work, and so that lubricants still flow freely.  There should be enough space to work on the bike without crashing into things.  It should be an area where the overspray and unavoidable spills will not damage the carpet or other valuable things.

Supplies:

Clean shop rags  (You’ll want lots of them!)

Cleaners such as Simple Green

Degreasers (such as Finish Line’s Speed Degreaser, or Pedros Oranj Peelz Citrus)

Light lubricants (Boeshield T-9)

Quality Grease (Rock N Roll Super Web Grease)

Chain lube (Rock N Roll makes several, ask the shop to help you match to your needs)

Q-tips

Brushes

Tools (the most basic ones):

Metric allen wrenches, ranging from 2.5mm to 10mm  (especially the 4, 5, and 6mm)

A couple of common screwdrivers

A couple of Phillips screwdrivers

Needle nose pliers

Clean First:

Remove the wheels and set them aside for now.

Start at one end of the bike, at the top.  If the bike is excessively dirty, go slowly.  Dampen the deposits of dirt and grime with cleaner or degreaser, and then use a brush to dislodge the thickest and biggest deposits.  Then gradually continue on that area, until there is no more than a smear of surface dirt.  This can be moistened with cleaner, and then wiped clean.

Continue through the bike in this manner.  Save the chain, gears, and wheels for last.

Now use a good chain degreaser to clean your chain thoroughly.  Then do the same with the chain rings.  (Those are the gear type things on the cranks).  Treat pedals with degreaser too.

Time to work on the wheels.  Use degreaser, a brush, and rags on the cassette.  (That’s the gear cluster on the rear wheel.)  Then clean the wheels thoroughly.

Inspection:

Before you remount the wheels, do a minute inspection of the bike from front to back, and top to bottom.  Have some paper and a pen handy and note any problems.

• Handlebars ~ Tape or grips in good shape?  Computer mount secure?  Computer wiring not too loose or tight?  Cracks or nicks in the handlebars?  Controls free and smooth?  Barrel adjusters turn freely?  Corrosion developing around fasteners or other areas?
• Stem/Headset ~ Fasteners look good?  Corrosion?  Stem and spacers free of corrosion?  Bars turn smoothly?  Headset bearing loose?
• Saddle/Seatpost ~ Tears in saddle?  Saddle tight and secure in clamps?  Corrosion around saddle clamping area, or around saddle clamp bolt(s)?  Any accessories mounted securely?  Seatpost shows scratches?  Seatpost clamp secure and free of corrosion?
• Frame ~ Inspect for corrosion.  Look at cable stops, are they free of corrosion, clean, tidy, no frayed cables showing?  Check the cables while you’re at it.  Are they clean, not rusty or corroded, not fraying at any point?  Any dents in the frame?  Signs of cracks?
• Cranks and pedals ~ Does the crank rotate freely and smoothly?  Is there any sideplay or looseness?  How about the pedals?  Are they spinning freely?  Look for cracks around the bolts on the cranks, and around the pedal shanks.  Do the chainrings look good, or are they showing signs of wear?
• Brakes ~ Do the calipers move smoothly?  Are the pads worn?  Is there foreign material embedded in the pads?  How do the cables look?
• Wheels ~ Start with the hubs.  Look at each spoke hole, and inspect for cracks, corrosion, or other problems.  Do the axels turn freely?  Is there any excessive side-to-side movement of the axels?  Do the quick release skewers slide into and out of the hubs freely?  Is the quick release action smooth and correct?  Spokes, are they rusty or corroded?  Any spokes bent or gouged?  Now look at the rim, and check each of the spoke nipples.  Are they free of corrosion?  Does the area around the nipples look okay?  Are there any bulges or cracks around the nipples?  Now go over the rims, all the way around, looking for cracks, deep scratches, worn braking surfaces.
• Tires ~ Look for wear, cord showing, cracks in the rubber, dry rot, cuts, gouges, fraying or wear at the beads.

Got all that?  Now you are ready to re-install the wheels and think about making repairs.

Consider your list carefully.  Don’t attempt any repair you are not capable and confident of.  You can always take your problem list (along with your freshly cleaned bike!) to the shop.  Your mechanic will appreciate our concerns, the tidiness of your bike, and your attention to detail.

You are ready to lubricate things.  That’s next week.

Winter Hills:

Winter will change your thinking about hills.  When it’s cold out, you want to climb something, so you get warmer.  The extra work of the climb and the lower speed help to warm you up.

Suddenly descending becomes a whole lot less enjoyable.  The increased speed means more windchill.  Riders tend to slow down on descents in cold weather.  Actually, this is a poor technique.  When it’s cold, the proper approach is to streamline as much as possible, and go down as fast as is safe.

There are two reasons for this.  By going into an aero position, the rider decreases the amount of frontal area presented to the wind.  This diminishes the colling effect somewhat.  But more importantly, the time spent cooling is decreased.  Yes, the added speed increases the cooling effect, but the time is the enemy.  Get it over with, and get back to making power.  In that fashion, heat loss is decreased, and more time is spent doing work, which produces heat.

A good time to work on technique & a good technique to work on:

Premises: 

It’s not possible, or proper, to ride fast and hard all the time. 

No one rides as fast in cold weather.

Winter is a time to work on base riding, and technique.

Efficient Hill Drills:

We’ve all heard the advice;  “On a hill, don’t go anaerobic too soon.”

That’s sound advice.  But…  If you can not choose the exact moment that you go anaerobic, then you are not able to follow that advice.  If the hill decides when you will blow, you are not in command of it.  How do we remedy this?  By learning how to climb and when it is possible to increase exertion.

The Drill:

Climb a hill, while holding your heart rate in a pre-selected, artificially low range.

Start by warming up thoroughly.  Recover to low aerobic levels before beginning your climb.

How to do it:

Select two heart rate ranges.  These should be very low.  To begin with, try 75% of anaerobic threshold (AT) and 80% of AT.

Your goal is to climb your hill at or below that 75% range.  The 80% is your “do not exceed ceiling.  If you should hit 80%, you must stop, and recover in place until you are below 70% AT.  Then continue your climb.  (You will need the additional lower heart rate, as the act of starting on a hill will push you up a bit.

Do everything you can to keep your heart rate in the selected zone.  Shift down to easier gears.  Reduce cadence if necessary.  Learn to relax your upper body, hands, facial muscles.  Focus on your breathing.

Baby Steps First:

For your first attempts, select a hill that is not too long or too steep.  This is going to be a frustrating exercise, at the beginning.  But it will pay huge dividends.  Speed is not an issue here.  The climb will take the time it takes.

Do not do more than three attempts per session, then go and do some other, more entertaining work.

Going Farther:

As you begin to realize some success, there are two additional steps to take.  First, apply the same technique to climbing bigger hills.  Second, lower those heart rate numbers even farther.

Why bother?  Because it will make you a more proficient and efficient rider.  The techniques you learn from this exercise will allow you to ride faster or farther.  It’s all about using what you have, but using it to the maximum effort.