Thursday Thoughts ~~ Chain

Earlier this morning I went out for a bike ride.  I’ve been doing this a fair amount lately.  The very early morning is a good time to ride.  Folks are, mostly, not out yet.  It’s dark, cooler, and quiet.  During the Summer months, little preparation is required.  The morning temperatures are cooler, but not so low as to require careful layering.  I’ve only lately added arm warmers to my mornings.

Today I took one of the fixies.  No mess with gearing.  Quiet.  Smooth.  Lot’s of wildlife about.  The deer are out in numbers, and the coyotes seem to be tracking them.

As I rode, I sort of drifted into a bit of a reverie.  It was the chain that did it.

We cyclists depend on our drive chains, but how often do we really think about them?  The roller drive chain first appeared toward the end of the Industrial Revolution.  They came into being, and almost immediately into wide use, in the 1880s.  I don’t think it a coincidence that the modern bicycle came into being almost as soon as the roller chain was available.

Our chains are amazing.  They are (mostly) quiet, strong, incredibly efficient, and relatively trouble free.  It’s not hard to keep a chain in good working order.  Oddly, it’s not hard to really mess one up too.

A chain doesn’t ask much.  “Keep me clean and lubricated,” it says.  “Apply power smoothly.  Don’t jerk or jolt me,” it says.  “Do these things, and I will roll for a very long time.  I will get you where you wish to go.”

A typical bicycle chain has one link per inch.  That link is made up of two pins, two outer plates, two inner plates, and two roller bushings.  A multi-gear bicycle chain will usually have something like 112 to 114 links in the chain.  A road cyclist will average pulling about 1,750 links per minute.  This will happen minute after minute, hour after hour, day after day.

A decent chain, well maintained, and ridden with some finesse, can last as long as 5,000 miles.

The chains on fixed gear bikes are subjected to some unusual stresses.  Fixie riders often transfer from conventional pedaling to “adverse pedaling,” and back.  “Adverse pedaling” is the act of using the driveline “backwards,” in braking mode.  An accomplished fixed gear rider may do this many times within an hour of riding.  When the transition occurse, the chain is subjected, briefly, to twice the normal load.  And yet, it keeps on working.

My Bowrey, the bike I used this morning, has over 3,000 miles on its chain.  A lot of those miles have been rough.  It’s been through rain, mud, dusty dirt roads, several very hilly century rides, numerous commutes, and countless path rides.

It shows no significant wear, and it’s still quiet enough to allow me to sneak up on a deer in the early morning dark. 

How about a night ride?

Likely, you’ve all noticed that we are losing daylight.  The first implication is that it’s time to start carrying lights.

As a general rule, from now until about the middle of November, by policy, if starting after 4:00 PM, I’m carrying lights.  Here’s a short story, and the reasoning.

Some years ago, my daughter had grown into her late teens.  She had become a regular training partner.  On one fine early Fall afternoon, we had planned a moderate training ride together.  Our plan was to get started as soon as possible, after she finished school.  That meant about a 4:30 start.  We planned a loop that would take us about two and a half hours.  At the time, sunset was just at 6:30.

Well, I flatted.  Twice!  And that will make for an annoying ride!  It also tends to delay one.  It was getting pretty dusky by the time we got the second flat repaired.  From where we were, I had two choices.  One, ride like demons for home.  At our best possible rate, it would be totally dark about 15 minutes before we got there.  Two, go in the other direction, and ride toward the nearest convenience store.  We were closer to the store.  I chose that one, and called my wife for a ride.  Both our bikes would not fit in her car.  Two trips were required to retrieve us.  This was not a happy occasion.  But it could have been much worse.  My daughter and I made it to the store, just at full dark.

So, what’s the policy?  Rides that start after 4:00 PM, carry lights.  (This applies to the Fall.  In Winter, the time cut is earlier.)  The rule applies to even intended short rides.  The thing is, any number of things can happen, not all of them emergencies, but all of them time consuming.  And at this time of year, it doesn’t take much to put you into darkness.  Riding in the dark, without adequate lights and reflectors is foolish and incredibly dangerous.

Be smart.  Carry a tail light, and at least a “get me home” type headlight in the late afternoon.

Dual Use:  If you need lights anyway, as a good safety precaution, why not go a step farther?  Get some good strong head and tail lights.  Get a bit of reflective gear.  Then you can commute and join some of the upcoming night rides.  This will extend your riding year most wonderfully!

About Upcoming Events

I understand Johann did his usual masterful job of filling in for me yesterday.  (I’ll get to read his post later.)

As the title suggests, we are going to spend a little time on a couple of upcoming events.

Tour to Bike MS & Bike MS:  This one is on!  Perhaps you have made other arrangements.  But I’d like to invite anyone who wishes to come along.  Please join us.  We plan to leave Peachtree City on the morning of Friday, 10 September, at 09:00.  We will ride to the town of Pine mountain.

As of this writing, there are four of us.  Two plan to ride pulling utility trailers with everything we need for the weekend.  The other two are having their gear carried down by a friend.

Our plan is to ride to Pine Mountain, relax a bit, then check into our lodgings, and then ride over to the big Bike MS street party.

We are all riding in the Bike MS weekend.  After the weekend, we will ride back to Peachtree City on Monday morning.

With two of us hauling our gear behind us, you can expect the pace to be fairly mild.  It’s about a 65 mile trip, over rolling hills.  Should be fun.

Why trailers?  That is one good question.  The answer lies in our plans for the weekend.  We two (and yes, I’m one of them!) are fully capable of doing a loaded tourist bit.  But we wanted to have light, fast bikes available for the weekend’s riding.  The trailers are the answer to that.  Once we uncouple the load carriers, our bikes are light, fast, and agile.

Autumn Equinox Night Ride:  This one is coming up, right on the heels of the Bike MS weekend.  Here are the particulars.

Date:  Monday, 20 September 2010

Start Time:  7:30 PM (sharp)

Location:  Fredrick Brown Amphitheater Parking Lot, Peachtree City, GA

Distance:  Approx 45 miles

Pace:  Relaxed touring.  (Expect to be out about three hours)

Requirements:  Helmets (of course), Good headlights, good strong tail lights, reflective vest or sash, reflective ankles bands.  Dress for the weather.

Conditions:  We go rain or shine, at any temp above 20 degrees F

Why?  Because it’s fun!!  It’s a serious blast riding at night.  We’re celebrating!  Celebrating what?  Why the change of the seasons.  Why not?

But isn’t it really dangerous to be out riding on the road at night?  Actually, with proper gear and technique, no it’s not.  A bike and rider, with lights and reflectors, is much more visible at night.  A group of such riders is astonishingly visible.  More, motorists don’t know what we are, so they slow down and pass with caution.  Besides, there’s a lot less traffic out in the evening hours.

Questions or concerns?  If you have them, please post them as comments to this blog.  I’ll answer as soon as I am able.

Another Country Heard From…

Johan Here.  I am speaking for the Road Dragon today.  He was lazy this weekend.  He went to the mountains for recreation.  I think he is riding his bicycle while he is there.

Zo.  I am writing post for this day.

Here is what I have to say.  You should all go out for a bike ride.  Ride hard.  Even if it rains, you should be riding.  So what is rain?  If a little rain scares you, what are you going to do in Winter?  Hah?

I am saying something else.  I see many of you riding.  You ride like little persons.  You all have many many excuses.  “There are dogs,”  you say.  “What if it rains?”  you say.  “I don’t want to get my nice bike dirty,”  you say.

I say this.  Dogs are for sprinting practice.  Rain is good for you.  Dirt roads and pave’ make you strong and brave.  First you ride.  Then you clean the bike!  This is not a problem.

I tell you.  Be happy when you have problems.  Problems make you strong.  Problems give you a strong brain.  A strong brain makes a strong rider.

This is Johan.  Have a goot day.  Goodbye.

Friday Follies ~~ Lanterne Rouge

In the late nineteenth century cycling swept over Europe.  It was suddenly a huge craze.  Everyone was doing it.  And some were doing it more vigorously than most.  The term “scorcher” was coined.  It applied to individuals who rode their machines at a fast and furious pace.  And there were large groups of these characters.  The Tuesday Night Ride was born.  It was then, as it is now, a “race without rules.”  All Tuesday Night Rides are the same.  Everywhere, and at all times.  Even if they happen on Thursday.

Generally, cyclists don’t get along well with horses.  Horses are prey animals.  To them, a bike mimics a predator.  It is large, silent, and comes in fast.

Upset horses and startled pedestrians resulted in chaos in the streets.  Laws were enacted.  Groups of cyclists were required to announce their presence.  In the daytime the leader and the last rider were required to ring bells.  At night the leader was to have a bright lantern affixed to his bike.  The last rider in the group was required to have a red lantern attached to the back of the bike.  These measures let the other road users, carriages, wagons, pedestrians, and such, know that a group of cyclists was coming, or was ahead.

Some years ago, I participated in organized, sanctioned, bicycle racing.  I am a rather large individual, and I lived in a mountainous region.  Races are won by climbers.  “Big climber” is an oxymoron.  I have never been an exceptional climber.  Usually, I was struggling to stay with the very back of the pack.  Frequently, I was dropped completely.  I was accustomed to being the lanterne rouge in mountain races.

One such race took place near Roanoke, Virginia.  I was unfamiliar with the area.  The route was on backcountry roads, as is proper.  It involved climbing.  A lot of climbing.

I was, at that time, a Cat 4.  The Cat 4 race started late in the day, a bit after 2:00 P.M.  It was late in the season, a fall race.  (All of this has bearing.)

We started, and immediately hit a vicious climb.  I hung on desperately.  Two more wicked hills later, I was off the back.  Twenty minutes into the race, I could not even see another rider.  I soldiered on.  As Churchill says, “Never, never, never give up!”  Besides, I needed to finish in order to get home.

For a while, it wasn’t too bad.  I’d come to an intersection, and there would be a race marshal with a flag.  Then I stopped seeing those guys.  They had gone home.  It was, after all, the last race of the day, and they hadn’t seen a racer in a while.

I came to a cross roads, way out in the middle of nowhere.  I had no idea what to do, so I decided to turn, and stay on paved roads.  (I would later learn that the organizers had deliberately run the race through an unpaved section.)

An hour later I knew I was lost.  I wandered around out in the country.  Every intersection looked the same.  I worked at getting unlost by a simple expedient.  At any intersection, I chose the road that looked more maintained, wider, more trafficked.

It was getting on toward dusk, and I was going through an area that looked kind of promising.  At least there were houses, and they where starting to show up more frequently.

It was almost dark when a large car pulled up beside me.  It was an older Cadillac, a bit shabby, but still running strong, and mostly shiny.  The passenger window rolled down, and the driver, an older woman, called out,  “You need help, honey?”

I replied that I was “kind of lost.”  The lady asked me where I was trying to go.  I explained my situation, and described the school where the race had started, where my truck was parked.

“Why sugar!”  she said,  “That’s over 50 miles from here, and it’s almost dark.  Let me give you a ride!”

“We go right past my place,”  the lady said once we were under way.  (My bike had fit handily in the huge car’s trunk.)  “I should stop there for a short bit, and you look like you could use something to eat.  Would you like that?  Actually, that sounded wonderful.

In short order, we pulled up at a large old house, located in a sort of run down neighborhood.  The lady led me in through the back door, into a large kitchen.

“I have the house subdivided,”  she said.  “I take in borders, but my apartment is up those stairs.  Please go up and help yourself to the shower.  I will lay out a robe for you.”  And there was just no refusing her.

The robe she had hung, just outside the bath door, was a large terrycloth thing.  It covered me decently.  I padded downstairs again, following fabulous smells, into the big kitchen.

She insisted that I eat with her, at the large kitchen table.  And dinner was, excellent.  Pure southern comfort food.  While we were eating, my hostess got up to answer the phone several times.  She apologized to me after about the fifth occurance, and said,  some of my borders are having a party this evening.  I’m afraid I am required to officiate.  May I make a suggestion?”  I nodded and she said,  “I have a small spare room in the back.  Why don’t you stay the night?  I will drive you back to your car in the morning.  You look like you are sleepy.  Please be my guest.”

I was tired.  So I accepted.  And yes, it did sound like a party was developing in the front parts of the house.  The lady led me back upstairs, and let me into a small plain bedroom, opposite the door to her apartment.  “Sleep well, Shugar,” she said as she turned to go back downstairs.

I did sleep well.  I could hear the sounds of a rollicking party in the distance, but I was more than tired enough to drop off, undisturbed by that.

The next morning, I woke, feeling well rested and hungry.  I realized what had awakened me.  There was a soft knock at the door.  It was the lady again, asking if I would like some breakfast, or would I rather just be driven to my destination?

Breakfast was ready in the kitchen.  We ate quickly, in near silence.  Then she waited while I went back upstairs and changed back into my riding clothing.  (It was all I had with me.)

As we pulled around the house, and toward the street, I noticed that the porch light was still on.  It was quite visible in the murky light of almost-dawn.

My benefactress drove me to the school where I’d parked my truck.  I unloaded my bike, and thanked her.  I offered to pay her for her kindness, but she refused, seeming on the verge of being insulted.  “Hon,”  she said,  “this is Christian kindness, not business!”

As we parted company, she gave me a business card, saying,  “If you ever get back in town, do look me up.”  Then she drove away.  I was staring at that amazing card as she vanished.  It explained a lot.  The card said,

Millicent La Blanc

Escorts  Refined Entertainment

Parties Welcome

It explained the red glow of the porch light, I’d seen, and the oddly subdivided house.  As I loaded my bike up, I reflected that there was more than one meaning to a Lanterne Rouge.

Thursday Thoughts ~~ Tipping Points

Folks, this one is somewhat political.  Now relax.  I don’t mean Democan/Republicrat political, or Libative/Conservaral political either.  I mean, it’s political in the sense that we live in a society.  Our society is composed of groups.  Those groups have interests, and when those interests come into conflict, it gets political.

I’m addressing those of us who are cyclists.  We have certain interests.  We are interested in access to the road, to facilites, to land.  This bring us into certain friction with other groups.  Who?  Think about motorists and golfers.

Let me take you back a bit.  I started riding in this area a bit more than 25 years ago.  Back then a grown man, on a bicycle, in tight clothing, was not a common sight.  I got buzzed occasionally.  I suffered some horn honking, pretty regularly.  And on about one ride in four, I’d end up talking with a deputy, who wanted to know what I was doing.  Things have changed.

Now here comes the political part.  We, road cyclists, are becoming fairly numerous in these parts.  We’re starting to get ourselves organized.  (See Southside Cycling Club)  As such, we start becoming ever more noticeable to our motoring brethren.

Most motorists see us as a problem.  The general perception is that we are “slow and in the way.”  I’ve heard the complaint,  “Those bicyclers are always running through stop signs and lights, and they ride way out in the road, and you can’t get around them, and they get mad and flip you off if you try to.”

We are just now starting to get enough of us, organized enough, to have some real political clout.  But!!!  (And it’s a big “BUT”)  We are also starting to become a bit more of a topic in the public consciousness.  And we are precieved as an irritant.  Generally, when minority interest groups do that, they tend to get stomped flat.

Think about it.  We now enjoy a certain privilege.  In Georgia, we are considered to be operators of vehicles.  That means we are entitled to use most of the roads in the state, and are guaranteed the same protections and privileges as other vehicular users.  This could change in an instant!

Imagine this:  What if we were suddenly restricted.  If we could only use certain secondary roads?  What if we could only ride during certain hours of the day?  What if we were restricted to groups of five or less?  What if we were completely banned from riding on public roads?  Every one of these things has happened, or is happening, in some places in this country.  And yes, it can happen here!

There is a certain “Catch 22” to all this.  The rigorous statement of that law is,  “They can do anything to you that you can’t stop them from doing.”  Do you begin to see where we are going with this?  In a society, any time a visible minority interest group gets big enough, and becomes annoying enough, the majority interests tend to stomp on them.  The only thing that restrains this is for the minority group to become organized enough, and numerous enough to have sufficient political power to defend themselves.

North Georgia Cyclists!  We are almost there.  Both “theres.”  We are really starting to upset a lot of folks who are not among us, and we are almost organized and numerous enough to stand up for ourselves.  We could lose it!  There is a very narrow window we must pass through.  If we succeed it will be by some very right action in the next year.

What must YOU do?

• Be cool.  Do not annoy the motorists!  Ride with courtesy.  Respect the Law.  Keep that middle finger folded around the bar.  Return courtesy and kindness for insult.  Remember, there are more of them than there are of us.  At this point in time, they have the money, the voices, and the votes.
• Join South Side Cycling Club.
• Get every rider you know to join South Side Cycling Club.
• Recruit as many riders as possible, get these folks out on bikes.
• Attend an Effective Cycling Class.  Become a more competent and confident road cyclist.  Learn how to ride on the road, safely, and intelligently.
• Get as many riders any rider you know to sign up for Effective Cycling Classes.

A few words on recruiting:

Do you enjoy riding?  Why do you ride?  Has cycling been good to you?  (I say good.  The sport is often unkind, but that usually happens when we need it.)  Would it be fair to say that you owe something to the sport?

Here’s one absolutely excellent way to pay the sport back, and to pay our planet and our society forward.  Recruit more cyclists.

Now, if I may, I’d like to make some suggestions about how to go about that.  I’ve found, through long experience, that there are several Do’s and Don’ts to the process.

Do:

• Be positive and cheerful.  You catch a lot more flies with honey.  New riders are hesitant.  They fear (as everyone does) looking stupid.  They fear being ridiculed.  They fear failure.  This is not the time to get into tales of your most wretched death march.  Smile, and explain that everyone has those fears, and that, everyone “starts where they are.” 
• Invite and offer.  Offer to take your friend out for a ride.  Invite them to an easy ride and go along with them. 
• Ride with the newbie several times, alone.  Your friend trusts you.  Others may bring distractions.  Your friend is looking for encouragement, and they are looking to you for guidance.  Give them your complete attention for two or three rides.  It will pay dividends.
• Stay with them!  Be prepared to ride slow and easy.  Sure, you may miss out on the big town limit sprint, but you can do that once and it won’t kill you.  Take the time it takes to bring your friend along.
• Keep it short.  It’s difficult to remember just how limited you were when you got into the sport.  Even a fairly fit individual will be “feeling it,” after the first hour on the bike.  You want to stop the experience while it is still fun.
• Pick a less threatening place to ride.  You may be a fearless road warrior, but your new friend is scared to death of traffic, other riders, the side of the road, squirrels, dogs, horses, turtles, bugs, birds, and…  You get the idea.  Pick a place and time that is non-threatening.  Among these are, empty church or school parking lots, deserted paved paths, quiet rural neighborhood streets.  Stay out of the public eye, and away from challenges at first.  And always remember, the new rider is scared of everything!  That means climbing, descending, turning, or going straight, fast or slow.  It’s all a challenge to the newbie.  Keep it simple, safe, and gentle.
• Put them on an appropriate bike.  Help them pick out a bike, or arrange a suitable “loaner” for that new rider to try it out on.  Make sure the bike is right for the type of riding, and make sure it fits and works.  Comfort is paramount, with ease of operation a close second.  Putting your friend on a wreck that is too small or too big is a pretty good way to make sure you’ve seen the last of them.
• Be patient.  Expect everything to take two to five times longer with the new rider.  Be ready for it, and don’t rush things.
• Emphasize the good stuff.  Explain how the sport has benefitted you, and explain that this took time.  But definitely do talk up the things that make this a wonderful and positive activity.
• Bring them to the pros.  When your friend is showing signs of “catching the bug,” take them to your trusted shop.  It’s a good idea to tip the shop off first.  Take them there.  Go with them.  Let a shop employee fit them on a decent bike, and help them with gear selections.  Let the pros do the bike fitting.  Shop folks have seen a lot more new riders than you have, and are more likely to have good answers to specific questions and objections.

Don’t:

• Brag.  Yes, you are justifiably proud of your accomplishments.  Talking about them is sure way to turn your prospect off.  Yes, you’ve saved and scrimped to buy your “bike of all dreams,” and it is a marvel of science and technology.  But experienced riders tend to scare the bejayzus out of prospects.  One of the prime “deal breakers” for a newbie is the perception that cycling must cost a fortune.  In fact entry level is very modest.  And it’s called entry level for a reason.  It’s where the new rider starts!
• Focus on you.  An offhand remark about something that you think is insignificant, can sound like an insurmountable obstacle to a new rider.  You mention, offhandedly, that you ride to work, ten miles away.  To you, this is a short and relaxing ride.  To an outsider, this sounds like a death march.  Sure, it’s an ego-boo for you, but it puts prospects off.
• Drop them.  I will never understand this one.  Somebody brings a friend to a ride, and then hammers them into the ground, leaving them in the dust, alone and afraid.  Do we really expect this person to return?  What is accomplished with this?
• Push them.  Remember, “Enough is enough.”  Stop while it’s still fun.  Don’t encourage a new rider to go too far, and hurt.
• Be critical.  You may think it’s advice, but it can be hurtful.  Statements like,  “Keep your butt back on the saddle!”  sound like personal attacks.  New riders need to be treated gently and with a lot of tact.  I’ve actually heard someone say to a newbie,  “you know, you’ll have a lot more fun at this once you lose 30 pounds.”  That may be true, but it’s hurtful.  Keep it to yourself.
• Throw them to the wolves.  Don’t take your newbie friend to the local “hammer party” too soon.  There is a definite “fresh meat” mentality among some groups of riders.  “Wow!  We really dropped the snot out of that new guy!”  Do you really want that said of a brand new prospective rider?  Do you really expect them to get into it, after being punished for just daring to show up?
• Show that you are being patient.  You are being patient, but a comment like,  “You know, ordinarily we’d be 20 miles farther along by now,” can be really hard to take.  Newbies are afraid of being the hold up.  Do not let them feel that!
• Laugh or poke fun.  It’s amazing how sensitive folks can be.  Stuff that seems innocuous can be pretty off-putting.  Keep your smiles at their puppy antics to yourself.  Comments like,  “Boy!  You sure are having a hard time starting!  I can’t remember seeing a more clumsy beginner!”  should be swallowed.  There may come a time (years later) when you can share them.

Bringing kids into the sport.  It takes a lot of patience to bring your kids along.  It’s worth it!  The benefits and rewards you will both reap are astonishing.  Ride with your kids.  As slow and painful as it may be at times, do it!  They are the future of our sport, and we are not bringing nearly enough young riders along.

The family:  Family outings on bicycles can seem like mounting the D-Day Invasion.  The logistics are tremendous.  The interpersonal issues can be daunting.  Start with smaller parts of the family whole, and gradually work up.  I see big families riding together as teams.  It’s a blast.  They are having so much fun, and it beats the ever lovin’ snot out of the X-Box.

The significant other:  Want to know the fastest way to keep your wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend from ever joining you again?  Put them on a crappy bike, and beat them up.  It’s that simple.  I’m absolutely amazed at how many times a customer comes into the shop, looks around, and then announces,  “I’m looking for a bike for my (fill in appropriate sig oth).  It doesn’t have to be much.  They’re new, and I don’t think they’re gonna be very good.”   Talk about self-fulfilling prophecy!

If you want that important other person to get into the sport, and ride with you, then put them on the better bike!  And be prepared to bring them along as slowly as it takes.  Honest, it’s worth the effort!

The bottom line:  We need more cyclists!  We need to recruit everyone we can.  We need to bring kids into the sport.  We need to bring our friends, coworkers, and family in.  Think about how you got into it.  Wasn’t there someone encouraging and inviting you?  Didn’t you receive help, and advice, and support at critical points along the way?  Consider, if each and every one of us brought only two others to the bike in one year, the size of the sport would triple.  The triathletes, for as much as I poke fun at them, are doing a terrific job of recruiting.  Bless them!  Now lets do our part.