I am dealing with an injustice.Allow me to explain.
My Fall/Winter schedule has some challenges built into it.For various reasons, the best days for me to commute are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.The first three days of the week have impediments built into them.If I use my bike on those days, I either have to carry an enormous amount of stuff, or get home quite late, or both.I can accept that.
Now here comes the injustice.It’s the weather.Has anyone else noticed the pattern we’ve had lately?I think it’s my fault.If you haven’t been paying attention to it, here’s what’s been going on.
Sunday:Warm, sunny, and beautiful, but with clouds arriving late in the day.
Monday:It rains and gets cooler as the cold front approaches.
Tuesday:The rain continues, but is diminished, and the temperature drops.
Wednesday:The clouds go away, but the temperature keeps dropping.
Thursday:A gradual warming trend begins, however it will be cold during the morning commuting hours.
Friday:Expect a bit warm high, but it will start out quite cold.
Saturday:Warming trend continues, after a very cold start to the day.
Notice that my commuting days all start out cold!That means I’m going to have a chilly ride in to work, wearing a lot of protective clothing.By the time I ride home, the temps are more reasonable, but it is quite dark, and I still have to carry all that stuff!
Allow me to apologize to any of you who are negatively affected by this.Apparently I’ve annoyed someone.I can think of no other explanation.
We’ve done this before.This year we’ve updated the list, dropped some items, added some, and moved some things around to reflect changes in pricing.Have fun with it, and happy shopping/hinting.
Three Scenarios:
I ride.Folks I know would like to give me stuff that means something to me, but they haven’t got a clue about cycling!
Someone close to me rides a bike a lot, but I don’t know a thing about cycling.I’d like to give them something that means something to them, but I haven’t a clue what they want or need.
I’m new to the sport.I’m having fun with it, but I don’t really know what I need now.
Below you will find some cool stuff for cyclists, in varying price ranges. Just print this post out, underline or circle the items you are most interested in, and “accidentally” leave it out where your friends and family will find it. That covers hinting.
Alternatively, you could use this to identify useful or thoughtful gifts for various cyclists on your list. Note: For some of these items, it will help if you find out a bit about your target. Get clothing sizes, riding habits, and bicycle details, first! With just a bit of thought, and some applied sneakiness, it’s possible to find out almost all of this stuff, and it’s kind of fun too!
And if you are a relatively new cyclist, you might look the list over for some ideas.
Happy hinting, and happy shopping!
THE LIST:
Fill in appropriate sizes below:
Shoe size: _______________________
Pants size: _______________________
Shirt size: _______________________
Hat size or measurement around the brow in inches: _______________________
Glove size: _______________________
Bicycle:
Color of bike: _______________________
Bike type (Make &; model): _______________________
Size (measure from the middle of the center of the bottom of the frame to the center of the top tube): _______________________
Wheel size (on side of tire): _______________________
Tire Size (on side of tire)
Note: There are a lot of different kinds of tire sizes. Be prepared to note this exactly. For instance 26 X 1.5 is not the same as 26 X 1 ½. If you are not sure, just copy down all the numbers on the sidewall of the tire, in exact order. The folks at the bike shop are used to handling this.
Cassette (on rear wheel):
Number of cogs: _______________________
Number of teeth on largest cog: _______________________
Number of teeth on smallest cog: _______________________
Crankset (where the pedals are):
Number of gears: _______________________
Number of teeth on big gear: _______________________
Number of teeth on middle or small gear: _______________________
Number of teeth on smallest gear: _______________________
$10 to $100
Arm Warmers
Bar tape and installation
Bar tape or grips
Basic Tune up
Beanie or balaclava
Behind the seat bottle cage
Bell
Bike computer
Bike lock
Bottle of chain lube
Chain (check number of gears on the back wheel, it’s important!)
CO2 inflator
Cycling Cap
Fenders (check bike type and wheel size)
Food! Gel packs, sports drinks, etc.
Frame pump
Full finger mountain bike gloves
Gloves, summer
Gloves, winter
Head band light
Helmet, entry level
Hydration back pack
Jacket, Rain
Jacket, wind
Jersey, summer
Jersey, tri-sport
Jersey, winter
Knee warmers
Leg Warmers
Mirror for bike
Mirror for eyeglasses
Multi-tool
Multi-tool, Small
Package of 2 shift cables, 2 brake cables, housings for both
Last week, I finished the Repurposed Bike Project. Naturally, I rode it. It’s heavy. (More on that soon.) Add to that, I’ve been doing Spin Classes, and my usual testing of the classes. So my ride volume is down a bit, but my net intensity is up, and the power demand is way up!
I’m adjusting, and my legs are telling me I’m back in training mode. It’s like this every year. My spin stinks, and I find, when I challenge myself, that I’ve lost a good deal of both strength and stamina. The thought always occurs, “How could this be? I’ve been riding my backside off all year!”
Does anyone else feel this way about now?
~~//~~
A few notes on future activites:
Just Four Weeks until the Christmas Lights Road Ride! (That's Monday 19 December) Get your lights, reflective clothing, and cool weather gear ready. Check the South Side Cycling Club Calendar.
The Christmas Lights Path Ride is coming too! It will be on Wednesday 21 December, just a couple of days after the road edition.
And there is a NEW year coming! We’ve already been discussing the annual Penance 100+, but there will be more coming. Watch this blog. I’ll post the dates and details here first. What’s coming? Audax Tune Up Rides. The Annual Audax Ride. Maybe a touring weekend, or even a longer tour. Do stay tuned.
Below is a new video from Bicycles Unlimited. We’re pretty proud of it. See what you think.
Oh, and by the by… Tomorrow’s postwill feature an annual Bicyclist’s Hint List. Be sure to check it out!
If you read this blog regularly, you will note that I have a fascination with weather.Part of that arises from cycling, which is at core and outdoor activity.If one is going to be outdoors, it is good to have an idea of what to wear.Wisely does the Sage say,“There is no bad weather, only poor clothing choices.”I hate making poor clothing choices, and I hate missing a ride.
Throughout the course of a year, I have many conversations with other riders.Often, when the topic of rain comes up, I hear something like,“I never ride in the rain.”That baffles me a bit.When pressed, most riders reply that they don’t want to have to mess with cleaning up the bike after a rain ride.
I could accept that, but I work on a lot of those bikes, and the folks who ride them just about don’t bother to clean them up…ever.I’ve come to realize that most folks who “don’t ever ride in the rain,” have two real reasons for avoiding it.The first is fear, and the second is lack of preparation.
The fear is fairly rational, but largely misplaced.These riders are afraid that the bike will crash if ridden in the rain.Honestly, with just a little common sense and caution, it won’t.The lack of preparation comes from not paying more than cursory attention to weather forecasting, and from lack of knowledge about dressing for the weather.
Cold weather riding is a similar problem.It’s about how to dress for it.
On that note, I’d like to address another aspect.Each year, it is necessary to re-evaluate the weather gear.If one is riding in our climate some cold weather and foul weather clothing are a must.The good news is that these pieces last us a long time.The bad news is, “a long time” does not mean forever.Sadly, cold weather gear does wear out.
Base layers should provide complete coverage, and while they are thin, they should have enough material to work as a wicking layer.With repeated washings this kind of material wears and becomes thin.When that happens, it becomes almost useless, and should be replaced.
Mid layers should be fleece or micro fleece.This is the material that traps an insulating layer of warm air.It should have “loft.”With repeated wear and washing, that fleece compresses and compacts, and it flakes off in washing.
Windblocking outer layers are not immune to the wearout process either.
So, reasonably, we don’t want to have to spend more than necessary on protective clothing.But we want to be reasonably warm and dry while riding.How do we accomplish this?
Protect your investment:
Wash the stuff as soon as possible after wear.
Never subject technical athletic clothing to the dryer!Let it hang to dry.
When the season ends, wash the stuff, and then store it, in airtight containers.
Older, less effective base and mid layer pieces still have utility on the less extreme weather days.
Constantly Build capability:
Budget for added weather gear each year.
Each year, buy one or two pieces that compliment what you already have.
Evaluate your needs, and replace what is not working well.
Experiment, but control:
Don’t just trust claims on a new item.Test it!Example:I always get into the shower with new rain gear.I want to know how good it works before I depend on it.In a similar fashion, go out for short rides with new cold weather gear.You’d rather be close to home if it doesn’t work well, and you are starting to slip into hypothermia.
Learn a bit about the weather and climate:It’s a fascinating subject.And the ability to make reasonable guesses about conditions will allow you to ride more.If you wait until ride time, and then look out the window, you’ll miss more rides.
Gentlemen and ladies, here she is. The "Repurposed Bike is now a new commuter, all fresh from the reworking and ready for the first ride.
Here she is in original form, a stock Giant Escape 1
And here she is now! Readyand waiting for that first trip.
Particulars:
Saddle: An antique Brooks Professional
Driveline: Shimano 8 speed
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra 8 speed bar end
Brake Levers: Cane Creek Drop V
Brakes: Shimano Deore Vee Brakes
Pedals: Shimano dual use (flats on one side, SPD on the other)
Cargo Rack: Tubus
Fenders: SKS
Frame: Giant Escape
Wheels: Giant
Handlebar: Giant
Stem: Giant
Tires: Giant
Panniers: Old School Schwinn (Not this new, WalleyWorld crap, but real, honest-to-goodness Schwinn parts!)
The bar end shifters were chosen for their reliability, and because they were not integrated into the brakes. That choice allowed the use of road bike “drop bar” type brake levers that would function with V-brakes. Cool, huh?
This bike is a bit of an experiment. It’s a re-blend of parts, to change the purpose of the bike. This is no super lightweight racer, nor is it a heavy-duty tourist. What it is (Hopefully) is a solid, reliable, dependable, commuter. One that meets my particular needs.
Will it work? How will it handle? Will it do the intended job? I’ll keep you posted.
Notes on the “Season,” An Uncalled for Observation, and Upcoming Events
We come to this week. The week of Thanksgiving. That, it has always seemed to me, is the point where the year starts to circle the drain. It’s a confusing time. The year is winding down, and we’re all running around like mad hatters, getting ready for it. Still, we can not escape the fact that there are only six weeks left in this year. And then comes the Winter.
For cyclists, and others active in the outdoors, this is an extremely challenging time. The weather has turned a bit, and everyone we know seems to be intent on obligating us to go inside and eat. (We all know where that leads.)
Good luck all. Stay sane, and preserve your sense of humor.
An Uncalled for Observation:
Fact: The majority of Triathletes are runners first.
Fact: A triathlon consists of three distinct disciplines. They are, in order, a mass open water swim race, a bicycle time trial, and a foot race.
Fact: For those new to trisport, the greatest time gain possible is in the cycling segment.
Fact: Triathletics is the fastest growing segment of the bicycle “market.”
Fact: Triathletes (most of them, anyway) are not cyclists. They tend to regard the bicycle as a vehicle that carries them from the water to the run.
Fact: In a bicycle time trial, drafting is not allowed. This is for safety.
Fact: If folks stay in triathletics long enough, they will discover what road cyclists have always known; it’s easier to ride fast if you are drafting another rider.
Never mind that the last two facts are in direct logical conflict, they are real! More and ever more, one sees “trikes” out on the road, engaged in “group training rides.” When they are thus engaged, they will, most likely be attempting to paceline, and doing it poorly.
Recently, I had the following video called to my attention. It speaks volumes to the point above.
Incidentally, the question does arise, why would one train for a "no draft" event by attempting to draft?
Looking forward:
I hope to have a good and happy announcement in tomorrow’s Tuesday Tome. Please look for it. (If you are not on the distribution list for this weekly newsletter, and would like to be, please contact me at the.road.dragon@gmail.com )
Christmas Lights Rides:
There are two of these. With one idea. We’ll ride bikes, and look at some of the most extravagant Christmas Lighting Displays around. Both start from Bicycles Unlimited. In both cases, we’ll go at any temperature above 20 degrees F. Rain will cancel. No rain dates. (Rain is defined as water falling from the sky, in any amount or form.)
Christmas Lights Road Ride:
When: Monday 19 December, and starts at 7:00 P.M. (Sharp!)
Pace: Recreational and moderate. Group will stay together.
Distance: About 25 miles. (Expect to be out for two and a half hours.)
Required: Dress for the weather. Helmets. Good lights on both front and back. Reflective vest or sash and reflective ankle bands. (There is no such thing as being too visible!)
Christmas Light Path Ride:
When: Wednesday 21 December, and starts at 7:00 P,M. (Sharp!)
Pace: Easy recreatonal. Group will stay together. No drop.
Distance: Approx 15 miles. (Expect to be out between an hour and a half and two hours)
Required: Dress for the weather. Good lights. Helmets.
Annual Penance 100:
What can I say? It’s an annual rite for some of us. Get up early on New Year’s Day and go ride 100+ miles (with a mountain in the middle, yet), self supported. It’s a way of saying, “I’m still here!” I recommend a moderate pace. Seems like folks who try to hammer this one are the ones who tend to have trouble. That’s not universally true, but it is a Winter ride, and most of us are no longer near our Summertime “peak.” More, it’s a no SAG, no paint, no catered rest stop type of ride. It’s fun, and it certainly establishes one’s “creds.”
I do recommend that you bring plenty of water and food, as well as other prudent preparations. Usually there are some stores open along the way, but it’s not very reliable.
Start/Finish: Bicycles Unlimited
When: Sunday 1 January, at 7:00 A.M. (Promptly, please!)
Distance: is 106 miles. (There’s a “Metric 100” as a “bailout.”)
Conditions: Ride goes rain or shine, no rain dates.
Requirements: You and your bicycles, helmets of course, a cheerful attitude, and your intestinal fortitude.
Note: Cue Sheets are will be available at the start, and by email prior request.
So there you have it, a nice end to the year, and a great way to start the next one.
Wisdom is the knowledge and foresight which prevents engaging in damaging, dangerous, or tricky activities.Wisdom takes us out of trouble, and sees us through difficulties to a happy conclusion.
Where does wisdom come from?
In part, wisdom is innate.It’s a character attribute, marked by the willingness to admit ignorance, and to accept learning.Wisdom is informed by experience.
What is experience?
Experience is living through things.Usually, experience means having survived a bad situation and learned from it.The “bad situation” is usually caused by the lack of experience and wisdom.
Who designed this system!
A synopsis of the above, for technical matters, can be stated simply:Experience is proportionate to equipment ruined.
Learning experience:
This refers to getting into a terrible situation, one that a little foresight and wisdom would prevent.
The Internet Experience Fallacy:
I have recently seen the results of folks attempting to do new things.I’m usually in favor of this.Be bold!But be guided.And know that the Internet is not a reliable source of wisdom.
I’ve recently seen three examples of folks trying to do things, guided by inexperience and internet tutorials.The results weren’t pretty.
Example One:The tire change.
The individual in question looked up a tutorial online.The tire change was successful, but either the tutorial neglected to explain the need for tightening the skewers after the job was done, or the individual in question missed that step.Fortunately, an observant mechanic was present when the do-it-yourselfer complained of a wobble.It could have been a lot worse.One bump and the front wheel would have dropped out of the fork.Avoided, one bad crash, and major experience.
Example Two:The new chain.
This intrepid individual thought to save about $15.00 by learning to install a chain from the internet.After viewing the online the online tutorial, he purchased the chain from an online outlet.(It was the wrong chain for that driveline.)Then he bought a couple of tools from the same source.Equipped with all this new found stuff, he replaced his chain.The result?A trashed rear derailler, a seriously damaged rear wheel, a broken chain.
Cost?
Chain $18
Chain tool $20
Chain holder tool $10
Rear derailler f$150
Rear wheel $200
Total:$398 (plus tax)Experience:Priceless
Note:This was to “save” the expense of having the shop install the correct chain ($30 for the chain and $15 for the labor)
Example Three:The Home built wheel.
The internet made it look so easy!And the cost of a new wheel is so high.I can do it myself!That was the reasoning.So, after hours of struggling, this would-be wheel builder had something that actually looked like a wheel.It collapsed on the first ride.Fortunately the subject received relatively few injuries.Nothing a trip to the ER and some judicious stitching wouldn’t fix.Of course the wheel was a total loss, all parts damaged beyond recall, and the bike only needed a couple of hundred dollars or repair…and a new front wheel.
Experience is the best teacher, but she’s a mean one!
No, I’m not referring to anything involving alcohol!
I well remember the Summer of 1965 for many reasons.I was in my mid-teens, and a lot was happening that year.But one of the biggest events was the “Great Northeastern Blackout.”
It was amazing, and very scary.The Cold War was going on.The Cuban Missile Crisis was recent history.Life seemed normal, if a bit nervous.I was in my mid-teens.We were watching TV, when the signal went out.There were a few moments of static, and then the screen lit with a test pattern.(In those days, there was no cable, and all TV was by broadcast.)Eventually, our local station came back on the air with an announcement.They had lost network feed from New York.More, they were not able to contact anyone about it.It was as if New York, and most of the northeastern part of the country had dropped off the face of the earth.
As the evening, and the next few days passed, we learned more.There had been a massive power failure, and it had blacked out most of the north eastern United States and Canada.
I was no stranger to power outages.Snow, storms, and the occasional wildly stray motorist had caused quiet a few in my life.But this was different.This was a power outage that affected a huge area, and cut power to millions.
Most folks in New York made a party out of that first big outage.That attitude wouldn’t last.
Think about that for just a moment.Traffic lights don’t work, so traffic goes to immediate gridlock.Communications go out.Emergency services depend on communications.Heat, light, and air conditioning go away.Trains stop running.Airports can’t land aircraft.Hospitals are suddenly dark.Your friendly local policeman is likely stuck in traffic, and has no way to communicate with anyone.
In 1965 I lived in a rural town, outside of the area affected by the big blackout.
I was caught in one, not quite so massive, a bit later on.I was in Richmond, VA when it happened.I’d been down there for a bike race.The power went out in the late afternoon.For the whole city.Battery powered radio news said that the area affected was huge, and no one new exactly when power would be restored.
By that time blackouts weren’t funny any more.Usually there was a large amount of looting and lawlessness.
I had two reasons to get out of town.One was fear of the situation.The other was a job I needed to report to.Home was about 120 miles and two mountain ranges away.I packed up some food, grabbed some gear and my bike, and hit the road.
Getting out of town was a bit of a nightmare.It was better for a cyclist.The major thoroughfares in the city were blocked, but a bike is small, narrow, and maneuverable.Three hours it took me to get well outside the city.Another five hours saw me to the bus station in Charlottesville.From there it was easy to buy a ticket and ride the rest of the way.In the years since, I have used my bicycle as an emergency vehicle, an escape mode, a “second stage,” and a lifeboat on about 20 occasions.A couple of those were genuine lifesavers.It bears thinking about.
I last wrote about the “Repurposed Bike” on 9/2/11.To be honest, I haven’t done much on it since then.It’s time to get it back into action.(I have the distinct feeling I’m going to need a dedicated commuter this Winter.)So here goes a bit more.
Fender Improvements:
I’ve already mounted the fenders on this thing, and now I want to make them a bit better.This is done by fashioning some extended mud flaps.Adding a flexible flap to the bottom of the fender increases the coverage, and greatly decreases the amount of water and road gunk that is thrown onto the rider.This project has another advantage.It’s virtually free.
Start with a one gallon plastic milk jug.
I mark the jug with an indelible marking pen.
Then, using a good stout pair of shears, cut the jug along the lines.
This results in two sections.These are the raw materials for the mud flaps.
The next step involves drilling the mounting holes in the fenders.This is done with a drill and a small bit.Usually the holes will be about an eighth inch in diameter, but make sure they are just big enough to clear the hardware.
What hardware?Well, you’ll need four screws, eight nuts, and eight washers.This is small change stuff, readily available at any Ace Hardware Store.
Two holes are drilled in the fender, about one inch above the rear bottom.Be sure to make them far enough apart so that the flap is well supported.
Final shaping of the flap parts takes place.Cut and form to the fender.Removal of the remainder of the jug’s screw top, and the bottom triangular section happens here.It’s possible to choose the best orientation for the size and shape of the target fender.Some will take the “corner” quite well. With others, it’s best to simply cut and shape the flap out of one of the flat sides.
Place a washer on the screw.Insert the screw through the flap, and then the fender, from the inside.Drop a second washer over the screw, then two nuts.The first nut is tightened down, and the second serves as a locknut.
Here’s a finished view of the rear.The rear is done in a similar fashion.
Note how much more coverage this provides.It’s nice to have dry feet!
Last Tuesday, I posted a bit on the “Unnatural Laws” of cycling.I’ve had a few comments about it.They sort of devolve into two groups.Laughter, and“Gee, that’s pretty pessimistic.”
Honest, I was trying for humor.Sometimes life just isn’t worth living without a laugh or two along the way.Besides, cycling can be a cruel sport.There are those time when it certainly seems like the road is always uphill and into the wind.These times make so much sweeter, the rare occasions when the roads all seem to be flat and smooth, and the wind is at one’s back.Part of the trick is to learn to relish the challenges, and I think half that battle is learning to laugh at them.
And yes, anyone who has ridden a bike for very long has certainly experienced some of those odd phenomena.
A personal story,one almost worthy of a “Friday Follies”:Some years ago I was riding a 400K brevet in central New York State.(Don’t ask why, that’s a much longer story.)The day was not an auspicious one.Weather, mostly foul, got into the act.
As we were all lined up in the early morning gloom, waiting the start, I noticed this one guy.He was a bit older, and didn’t look like much.He was on an old, extremely beat up steel Raleigh.His cue sheet holder was improvised from a big paper clamp, tie-wraps, and duct tape.He was wearing a pair of ratty high top tennis shoes, khaki work slacks, a flannel shirt, and a pair of generic work gloves.His helmet was almost as old as the bike.
I remember thinking,“You poor soul!You have no idea what you’re getting into.”
At the start, I surged ahead with a pack of riders, and the old guy was left behind.He rumbled into the first Controle’ just as I was leaving.
The cold rain, just a degree above freezing, started in earnest on the next leg.And the old guy clattered into the second Controle’ shortly after I had arrived there.I was pretty impressed.He caught up with me again, before we hit the third Controle’, and he rode along with me for quite a way.I couldn’t shake him.
Eventually, the old guy, on the old beater bike left me behind.I later learned that he was a legend in the local rando club.He always took their annual “Mile Master” award.What can one do but marvel and laugh?
With the coming of darkness (Standard Time), and the schedule changes that go with it (instructing an evening Spin Class), I find that my cycle commuting is a bit more challenging. This is something I have to re-work every year. Those Tuesday and Thursday evening classes end at about 7:00 P.M. That means, by the time I change and ride home (in the dark) it’s close to 8:30. That’s a bit late. Confession time. On Spin Class days, I often don’t commute by bike.
So I have a pretty strong incentive to ride on days that I can do so fairly easily. But there are other challenges.
This past Friday would have been a good day (from a schedule standpoint) to ride to work. But it was going to be cold.
I tried, brethren. I tried. But Friday morning dawned evil chilly, and my heart just wasn’t in it. So I drove to work instead.
It takes time, and the gathering of mental fortitude to face elements. I need some time to marshal internal resources, before I face cold weather. I greatly prefer years when the cold comes to us gradually. Not the case this year.
So on Saturday, when it was even colder… Yes I did! I prepared Friday evening, had my cold weather gear all laid out.
Of course the Saturday morning preparations went a bit more slowly than they should have done. I’m out of practice. But I did get geared up and out I went.
{Please note the irony here. I skipped Friday, with a low of 35, to ride in on Saturday, when it was significantly colder.}
I have a thermometer on my commuter bike. It is not a rapid responding type device. It takes a while for heat or cold to “soak” the computer and bring the reading on to an accurate indication of ambient temperature.
I’d stored the bike inside. So it was indicating 65 degrees as I rolled it out. By the time I hit the end of the (not long) driveway, the reading was 59. As I rolled out of my neighborhood, just 0.4 miles later, it was showing 51. It kept going down. The readings bottomed out, as I crossed Gingercake Creek, just three miles from home, at 27 degrees. Ouch!
From the low at Gingercake, the temp began to climb, slowly. By the time I reached the shop, just at 9:15, I was seeing 41 degrees, and climbing.
Okay. I’ve done it. I’ve broken the ice, so to speak. It’s time for Winter commuting, and I’m ready for it.
I discovered I was an endurance athlete, quite by accident.It sort of started in junior high school.
As a kid I wasn’t a great runner.I have never had a lot of acceleration.Most kid’s games are based on acceleration.Tag.Baseball.Keep-away.I wasn’t good at them.A junior high school coach got me started on running distance.(Don’t worry, this post is about cycling.Just be patient.)
Distance running was a revelation to me.I always had something left at the end of the race.So?You can beat me in the mile?Let’s go for two.You got me there too?How about a 5K?If the race was long enough, I would eventually win it, through sheer will power.I’d found a talent.I could suffer real good.
That “something” I always seemed to have at the end of a race got me into early conflict with coaches.You see, I discovered that, as the race neared its end, I could summon up those reserves, and kick!I could put on a burst of speed.And it was a blast!The endorphins would kick in, the pain would fall away, my legs would become engines, and I could fly!It felt absolutely fantastic.
My coaches would point out (correctly), that if I still had that much left, I should have been running harder all along.But I wouldn’t listen.I wasn’t really there to win, I was doing it for the kick.
I didn’t manage to find the kick on a bicycle until after I discovered gears.My old singlespeed, coaster brake, clunker just wouldn’t let me get going fast enough.But, let me get on a geared bike, and I could always find a way to develop acceleration.I could upshift, put more meat on the driveline, and GO!Of course, that was an incorrect method too.It took me a long time to learn to stop being a “masher,” and develop a spin.But that kick, once I found it, was always there.
It was a big race.The biggest I’d ever been in.It was a grand and glorious day.My club team knew that, on the bike, I was a sprinter.I’d been a good boy and carried water for others throughout the season.But this particular race played to my strengths.The course was flat.Or mostly so.So we decided that, if there was a way, the rest of the team would work to put me in position for the finish.
The day worked excellently for me, and terribly for others.To begin with, it rained.Not a sprinkle or a shower, but honest to goodness rain!Pouring.With occasional bursts of deluge.Add to that, the road surfaces ranged between not good, and awful.Just my kind of racing.
Among my chief competitors, the two strongest guys got sick, and the number three was a no-show.There were crashes.I’m good with crashes.I can (mostly) stay up, and ride over chaos.There were mechanicals, but none for me.It was a suffer-party of the first order.Splendid!
The pack had thinned.I was riding with two team mates, in a group of about 15 riders.I was watching the others.They looked tired.They looked beatable.
We were less than two miles out from the line, and the group’s organization began to break up.My team mates did what they could for me, but they were pretty well spent.I left them, and surged forward with about five other riders.This was it.It was on here!
The last part of the course included a long downhill, with a vicious turn at the bottom and then about a 500 meter straight to the line.I saw three riders ahead of me, and I kicked!It worked.
That was the only time I ever won a bicycle road race.I placed a couple of times, but honestly, a good kick wasn’t enough.Truthfully, I didn’t have the talent, dedication, and the size to be truly competitive.Everything had to come together, that once, and it did.
The old Indian said, in regard to Daylight Saving Time,“You cut a foot off of the top of the blanket, and sew it to the bottom of the blanket.Only the government would think that makes a longer blanket.”Just so.Still we follow this ritual twice a year, and have just completed the Autumn edition.Suddenly it’s getting dark earlier in the day, and just at a time when we are losing daylight to the advance of the season.
I have long been amazed at the regularity and precision of our north Georgia climate.We have wet years and dry ones, cooler and warmer, but the seasons occur right on schedule.I have lived and worked in many places.I’m here to tell you that this seasonal regularity is not everywhere so constant.
As usual, mid-Autumn arrived right on schedule.Temps have dropped, and the wind has picked up.We can expect late-Autumn to arrive on or about Thanksgiving.
For cyclists, and other outdoors folk, attempting to figure out just what is coming next is always an entertaining challenge.Rest assured, we all know that Winter is coming, but what kind of a Winter are we facing?
Usually, by this time of year, I have a pretty good notion of just what we are facing.The long range forecasting and climatology folks are pretty good at what they do.But the global climate state is a bit confusing right now.Basically, it’s about even money, either we get a Winter similar to , and a bit harsher than last year, cold early, a good chance of snow events, and then an early warming.Or, we go with a warmer and drier Winter.All the big boys in the business are hedging their bets.
What does this mean to me?It means that I don’t really know just what to prepare for.So, by long standing policy, I’m getting ready for the worst.I’m digging out all of the heavy cold and wet weather gear, and making sure the trainer and roller are working well.If we get a rough one, the stationary devices can be life savers.
{Incidentally, here’s a neat trick.Last year, when the weather was truly awful, I
{pulled the trainer out onto the porch.I’d gear up for the cold part of the
{weather, but I could ride under shelter, and (mostly) out of the wind.I was still
{outside, but not facing the total challenge.
So, as the Autumn leaves finish falling, I’m getting braced for the worst, and hoping for the best.Cold weather clothing is in place.Rain gear to hand and ready.Good lights are in stock and tested.Lot’s of lubricants and cleaning supplies on hand.And I have a goodly number of indoor projects lined up.It’s time to stiffen the resolve, and (figuratively) gird the loins.Winter provides us with big challenges as we ride, but the rewards are great also.
By the way, here’s one last little bit of almost Folk Wisdom.The week of Thanksgiving seems to be a pretty good model for the Winter.Watch it and see.
