Your First Three Years ~ Part 6:

Traffic Survival 101

A Guide for Beginner (and Experienced!) Cyclists, to the Art and Practice of Cycling.  Becoming Proficient, Fit, and Happy on your bike.

Riding on the road, in traffic is actually fairly simple.  However, like many “simple” things, it is not always easy.

NOTE:  What follows is just a “bare bones” discussion of the most basic situations and strategies.  We’ll treat a lot of this in much greater detail in future posts

At first, the mere thought of taking a bicycle out onto a roadway can be intimidating.  After all, a very small car is made up of steel, glass, plastics and weighs in around a ton.  We on bicycles are not enclosed.  If we fall, or are knocked over we will be injured.  Reason tells us that to mix in with motor traffic is crazy.  But then think a little farther.  Any collision between automobiles is extremely dangerous.  Yet we drive without giving the risk much thought.  (Perhaps this last may explain some of the highway statistics.)

The truth is, most drivers are careful and conscientious.  Most are at least marginally courteous.  More, there are rules that govern how we all behave on the roadways, and most follow them.

The first thing to remember about road cycling is that a bicycle is considered to be a vehicle.  Cyclists, on the road, are expected to behave as operators vehicles.  That means we certainly are entitled to operate on the roadways.  We are expected, and required, to ride with the direction of traffic, obey traffic signals, conform to speed limits, signal our intentions.  In short, if we follow the rules, we are just as much entitled to the use of the roadway as any motorist.  (There are exceptions.  Limited access roadways, such as Interstate Highways, are not open to cyclists.)

So, if we follow the rules, then that’s it?  Right?  Well, not quite.  Road riding takes a bit of practice, and there are some special some considerations to using a bicycle in traffic.

Be Seen!:

Bright Clothing.  Flashing tail lights.  Reflectors.  Lights (at night).  Think about the sun direction.  Ride to be visible.

Look like you belong!:

This actually makes a difference.  Wear your helmet.  Ride with respect for the rules of the road, and for other road users.  Ride with purposeful and controlled motion, and always signal.  These things convey to other road users that you know what you are dong, and that you belong out there.

Situational Awareness, Know what is going on around you:

It is not possible to overstress this one.  When riding on the road, we must be aware of our surroundings.

This means:

• Using a mirror, or the “lookback” regularly, to scan traffic behind us
• Scanning the traffic ahead for problems
• Watching driveways and parked cars
• Checking cross streets before we arrive at them
• Use your hearing too!  (Sorry, music players have no place in traffic)
• And watch for pedestrians and other cyclists, often highly unpredictable and erratic!
• Stay focused!  Be Alert!  Be Aware!

Road positioning, how to be stable:

Have you ever been driving and come up behind a cyclist?  What do you look for and what do you think?  If the rider is apparently unaware, or not in constant control, it causes you stress and confusion.  A rider who is not stable on the road, who makes abrupt zig-zags, causes you concern.  Right?  Think what that does to drivers who are not cyclists.

One of our more important tasks, while riding in traffic, is to be predicatable.  Maintaining a steady and stable position on the road is critical to this task.

When riding along the road, position yourself to the right hand side of the road, and stay stable!  This is best done by looking at a point well ahead of yourself, and riding to that point.

Do not suddenly change position on the road, and don’t change position without signalling your intent to do so.  Be confident of your position and project this confidence.

NOTE:  Often new (and not so new) road riders have a fairly rational fear of being too close to traffic.  This will cause some of us to make moves that are really dangerous.  Here’s an example:  The rider is moving steadily ahead on the road.  There is some traffic approaching from the rear.  Ahead is a side street, and there is a right turn lane.  The rider moves into the turn lane, to give traffic more room to pass.  This is a mistake!  This manuver says to an overtaking motorist,  “I am about to make a right turn, you can forget about me.”  It also sends a signal to a driver who is approaching the major road from the right.  It signals that the cyclist is turning right, and will not cross in front of that driver.

Simply put; Do NOT enter right turn lanes, unless you are about to turn right.

Get out of the Way!:

Yes, we do have a “right to be there”!  Yes, we are legitimate vehicle operators.  That said, there are times when the “better part of valor” is to make a move to make things easier for all.

Some motorists are extremely afraid to pass a cyclist.  Oddly, these can be more dangerous than the types who “buzz” us, or who will “force” a pass.  The hestitant motorist can cause a huge amount of traffic to pile up behind them.  Sooner or later someone in the long and growing line of delayed drivers will have a “mental meltdown.”  What follows can be extremely dangerous for all concerned.  Sure, the hestitant driver is the one who is actually impeding the flow of traffic.  But you are the percieved problem, and are likely to be the one who will suffer.

Sometimes, the wisest course is to pull off to the side of the road, and let traffic sort itself out.  This manuver rarely costs you more than a few seconds to a minute, and could be a life saver.

When to “Take” the road:

Georgia traffic code explicitly categorizes bicycles as vehicles.  This gives cyclists the same road “rights” as are enjoyed by other operators.  At the same time, the code requires us to ride to the right hand side of the road, so as not to impede the regular flow of traffic.  Now here’s an important point.  The code does not say we must be at the far right at all times.  There is some “safe and practicable” language in the code.  This means that if it is not safe to be at the extreme right, or there is a practical reason to be positioned farther out in the road, we may certainly  do so.

In other words, we are not required to fall into the sinkhole, or ride over the sleeping tiger.  But we are wise to spot these obstructions and “clear” traffic behind us, rather than just darting out to swerve around an obstruction.  Also, if the road is so narrow that a safe “pass” is not possible, we are allowed (possibly required) to take the center of the lane.  (Take the road.)

Do not be trapped at the far right when coming to a traffic signal.  This means stop signs, yeild signs, or traffic control lights.  Under these conditions, being at the far right “invites” the following motorist to pull up beside us, and we are in danger of being struck by a righ turning, overtaking vehicle. 

When a situation is coming up:

• Look ahead and plan
• Check behind
• Adjust speed as necessary
• “Take the lane”
• Proceed through the intersection when safe and legal
• Expedite the move through the intersection (don’t be slow)
• And then return to the right as soon as practical and safe.

Think ahead!  Always have an “out”:

Does this really require explanation?  Be prepared to “dodge” trouble, and know where and when to do so.  Remember, a fall is always preferable to a crash.  Minor damage to a bike can be easily repaired, major damage to a body is a bit harder.

Avoid confrontation:

Little is gained, and often much lost by engaging motorists in shouting matches.  So the clown called you a name, or expressed his ignorance.  How does this hurt you.  Keep the coments to yourself, and your middle finger folded around the bar.  Shouting matches don’t solve anything, and they have a nasty way of escalating.  Remember!  When you share the trail with an elephant, if anyone stumbles you lose!

What about road rage?:

True “Road Rage” is a lot more rare than many think, but it does occur.  If you are being bullied or are dealing with a truly enraged and aggressive driver…  END IT NOW!  Get off of the road.  Run up to a house.  Duck into the woods.  Get away.  Then call 911.  Honest, the police will take it seriously.  But we are not equipped to do battle with a case of irrational temper aided by a two ton weapon.

Where, When, and How to Stop:

For some inexplicable reason, many cyclists will have a tendency to stop riding while still on the road.  This can be to allow other riders to catch up, or to deal with an equipment problem, or just to take a break.  There seem to be two kinds of locations for this behavior, neither of them good or safe.  1)  At intersections.  2)  On the road for no apparent reason.  Just don’t do this!

If we need to stop, we are certainly entitled to do so.  But if we are going to stop, we should signal our intentions, and then GET OFF OF THE ROAD!  And that means completely off of the road, not just a couple of inches.  Don’t obstruct travel lanes.  Don’t obstruct traffic.  Don’t present your fellow road users with unpleasant “surprises.”

Remember always, intersections are for getting through.  They are not a good place for a party or a picnic.

Next Week: Riding in groups 101

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This series began with the post on Tuesday, 19 June 2012.  It is intended to continue for three years.  Each week, we will discuss exercises, skills, practices, and activities designed to bring the new (or “experienced”) rider a high level of cycling competence.  We’ll address common problems, and (always) stress safe practice.

~//~

A Note on Timing:  This series uses Mid-June as the starting point of the “Cyclists Year.”  We do this because this is the time that most folks decide to start riding.  If you are following this guide, you can “adjust” the timing to fit your personal “first three years.”  Do note that some of the posts will concern weather and seasonal changes.  When that starts to happen, just swap the “months” around to fit your personal timeline.

Your First Three Years ~ Part 4:

Bike Handling Essential & Emergency Skills

A Guide for Beginner (and Experienced!) Cyclists, to the Art and Practice of Cycling.  Becoming Proficient, Fit, and Happy on your bike.

Let’s start with a sort of summation.  There are three “B-4s” in cycling.

Eat Before you are hungry.

Dring Before you are thirsty.

Shift Before you need to!

Today we want to focus a bit on those first two.  Then we can move on to some truly important handling skills.

Eating and Drinking on the bike:

Honest, it is important to eat and drink while you ride.  It’s not so critical while you are taking shorter rides, but as your time in the saddle increases, you will need to eat and drink during your rides.

Drink first!  Here’s how.  Practice this a bit, in a safe place, well away from traffic.  Start with the technique we discussed last week.  Move your hands in to the center of the bar.  This will help you stabilize the bike as you lift one hand from the bar.  Now, DO NOT LOOK DOWN!  Instead, feel your way down along the headtube of the bike, then along the down tube, until you come to the top of the front bottle.  (Hint:  This is a good time to pull the valve of the bottle open.  Do it before you remove the bottle from the cage.)  Now slide your hand farther down, until it is around the main body of the bottle.  Grasp firmly, and pull the bottle up and forward, out of the cage.

Next, straighten up slowly, and raise the bottle until the valve is next to your mouth.  (Keep the bottle to the side, so you don’t obscure your vision forward.)

Drink!  Squeeze the bottle to squirt some water into your mouth, then swallow.

When you are finished with your drink, you will want to return the bottle to the cage.  Use the base of the bottle to feel your way along the downtube to the cage.  Then press the bottle into the cage, while still holding it.  Don’t let go of the bottle until you have secured it in the cage.

Eating on the bike:  This is a bit more difficult.  I do not advocate attempting to ride “hands free.”  Most food things require two hands to get opened.  More, unfortunately, most of us don’t have team cars or domestiques to come along and hand food up to us.  So the strategy has to consider ways and means to eat one-handed.  Some more solid items lend themselves to this.  Open packages first, before the ride, so that this kind of food is accessible.  But possibly a better tactic is to plan to take a short break every 20 to 25 miles.  Pull over, get off of the road, dismount, and eat your snack.  (Keep this kind of stop short and your legs will not stiffen up.)

In a future post, we’ll discuss more aspects of hydration and nutrition, but for now, start working on eating before the ride, drinking before the ride, and your in-the-saddle drinking skills.

Bike Handling:

Taking the Corners.  It’s important to remember that the thing that keeps a bike upright is a bit of physics.  Rotating masses (in this case wheels) do some magic.  They tend to resist being shifted out of position.  When one does apply force to the center of the wheel, it reacts in an odd way.  If a force is applied to the axel in one direction, the wheel tends to move at 90 degrees to that force.  (Sound complicated?  It’s not.  Keep reading.)

If the axel is forced to turn to the left (say by moving the handlbar that way), the wheel will try to lean to the right.  In a similar fashion, if the axel is force to turn around the bike’s forward axis (by pushing down on one side and pulling up on the other) the wheel will tend to turn.  If the down force is on the left side of the axel, with the bike moving forward, the wheel will try to turn to the left.

All this is completely counter-intuitive.  It’s best to go out to your big, wide, safe, no-traffic area and do some experimenting.

Get the bike up to a low-moderate speed.  Say 10 to 12 mph.  Then hold the handlbars in a straight-ahead position, and gradually lean apply weight with your hand to one side of the bar.  The bike tries to turn to that side, doesn’t it?  In fact, this is how a turn is initiated, and one follows the wheel lean by turning the bar.

After you’ve experimented with this, we’ll work on a couple more skills.

Leaning with the bike.  Turning the bike is a bit of a balancing act.  As the bike leans over to turn, there are two forces applied to the tire.  One is the acceleration to the side, and the other is the down-force of the weight of the bike and the rider.  That side-ward acceleraction is generated by friction between the tire and the ground as the wheel changes direction.  Now here comes the tricky part.  Mr. Isaac Newton tells us that the whole shebang will resist any acceleration.  So the bike “wants” to keep travelling in a straight line.  (This is that “centrifugal” force you’ve heard about.)  If the turn is sharp enough, the friction between the tired and the pavement is broken, and the bike skids.  This last is much more likely to happen if the rider is trying to keep the bike completely upright.

To corner well, the bike must be leaned into the turn.  The best and easiest way to do this it to lower your body down closer to the bike, and then follow it as it leans into the turn.  Remember, turning is accomplished by first “weighting” one side of the bar, and then following the bike’s turn with a gentle lean and a turn of the bar.

The Instant Turn.  There are times when something happens in front of the bike, something abrupt.  Often it is far better to steer around the problem, than to try and hit the brakes and attempt to stop before hitting it.  This requires an aggressive, high-performance turn, not the gentle banking we just discussed.  It is possible to make the bike turn almost immediately, using some of the same physics we just discussed.

Here’s the tactic in a short form.  To begin the “instant turn,” turn the handlbar, but turn it away from the direction of the new turn.  The bike will lean sharply in the direction opposite to the bar turn.  Then, as the bike leans, lean with it, and follow the turn quickly with the bar.

For example, suppose you are cruising down a street, and a parked car’s door suddenly opens in front of you.  You are going to need to turn left, and do it quickly.  In this case, the handlbar is turned right to initiate the turn, then as the bike leans suddenly and sharply left, the rider leans with it, and follows  the lean into the turn by bringing the bar around to the left.

This manuver takes practice.  I’d recommend doing it in a traffic free area.  Do not use clipless pedals or toe clips!  Always wear your helmet.  And be ready to straighten out, if things are getting out of hand.  As usual, start practicing this manuver at lower speeds, and gradually increase speed as you build familiarity and proficiency.

Braking:

This can seem simple.  But not really.  Many folks are scared pale at the mere thought of ever touching the front brake.  There is this urban folklore that if one should ever happen to engage the front brake, the rider will then instantly burst into flames and be hurled forward, off of the bike, into the air, and will come to rest in a tangled, broken, smoldering heap, never to rise again.  Come now.  Let us reason together.  In this litigeous age, would a manufacturer dare to install such a device on a product?  Yes, if mis-used, or over-applied, the front brake can cause problems, and lead to injury.  So can table salt.

The truth of the matter is that the front brake is the stronger of the bike’s two brakes, and is the most useful.  But it does require skill to use it effectively.  Fortunately, that skill can be acquired by any reasonably intelligent and coordinated rider.  (If my brother can figure it out, honest the rest of you can!)

Before going on, we recommend you go back to the post of June 26  There you will find some instruction and a drill for learning to control the front brake.  Id you haven’t already done so, start by working on that drill and skill.  Once you have gotten comfortable with routine handling of both brakes (and especially the front one) you will be ready to continue to the following work.

Sudden stop.  There are two keys to this manuver.  First, learn what your front brake is capable of, and how to control it.  Second, get your weight down and back.  If you’ve followed our suggestion above, and reviewed basic braking drills, you are about ready for the “Sudden Stop.”  As with the beginning braking drills, practice this one in a safe location, free of traffic.

Begin by taking the bike up to a modest speed.  Now scoot back to the farhest rearward extreme of the saddle.  Level your cranks and flex your legs.  Lower your upper body, down low, while extending your arms to move your body rearward.

From this position, apply both brakes.  Make this a brisk application, but not a severe one.  Repeat, gradually increasing the braking power with each repetition.  One of the things you are looking for here is the “lockup point.”  That is the force of brake application which will cause the wheel to lock and skid. 

Skidding is not the fastest possible stop.  In a skid, the tires have broken traction with the pavement surface and are sliding, with little loss of speed.  The key concept here is modulation.  You are modulating when you are changing pressure on the brake levers, to hold the bike just below the lockup point.  If either wheel starts to lockup and slide, reduce the pressure on that lever.  The idea behind this kind of stop is to keep the tires just short of lockup.  In other words, when the bike is going at 10 mph, the wheels should be turning at about 9.9 mph.  Practice this!

Once you are good with a hard stop from a lower speed, increase the speed a bit and repeat the drill.  This one does take practice, but it is well worth the effort.  A modern bicycle can be stopped in a remarkably short distance, even from a high speed.

           

Rock dodge.  Often, if the front tire hits a larger obstacle, it can be deflected, and cause a spill.  Sometimes the rider gets very little warning about such an obstacle.  The idea is to steer the front of the bike around the rock (obstacle) very quickly, and back onto course again.  Usually the rear wheel will hit the rock (obstacle) but this doesn’t cause more than a bit of a jolt.

To practice this one, I recommend taking a damp sponge to your practice area.  You can use the sponge to simulate your “rock” with no fear of bad consequences if you hit it.

Place the sponge on the ground.  Ride up to it, and just before the front wheel rolls over it, do the following.  Turn the wheel sharply to one side, and then bring it back in the opposite direction.  Properly done, this should steer the front wheel around the sponge (rock) and back onto the original course.  The rear wheel will usually roll over the sponge.

Once again, practice this at lower speeds first, and gradually increase speed as your skill and confidence build.  (Wearing your clipless shoes, and being clipped in is not recommended for this skill drill!)

There you have it.  That’s a pretty full quiver of skills.  You’ll be practicing these for a good while.  They are practical, and very useful.  Master them, and you are much less likely to get into trouble, and much more likely to be able to get out of it.

Next week: Next Week:  Practice Practice Practice!!

~//~

This series began with the post on Tuesday, 19 June 2012.  It is intended to continue for three years.  Each week, we will discuss exercises, skills, practices, and activities designed to bring the new (or “experienced”) rider a high level of cycling competence.  We’ll address common problems, and (always) stress safe practice.

~//~

A Note on Timing:  This series uses Mid-June as the starting point of the “Cyclists Year.”  We do this because this is the time that most folks decide to start riding.  If you are following this guide, you can “adjust” the timing to fit your personal “first three years.”  Do note that some of the posts will concern weather and seasonal changes.  When that starts to happen, just swap the “months” around to fit your personal timeline.

The “Wrong of Way”

It was a sunny day yesterday, a bit cool, but bright.  Near perfect conditions for a nice ride.  I had to go out at lunch and run a couple of work related errands, unfortunately in my truck.  I chose a more quiet and residential route back to the shop.

Ahead of me was a cyclist.  He was kitted out well, new and shiny tights, a bright wind jacket, and a high-end helmet were all I could see from behind.  He was on a road bike, and was riding along at a good clip.  He presented a good picture, a lean, fit rider, moving smoothly and steadily, along the right hand side of the roadway.  I had to smile.  I like seeing other riders out there, enjoying it and doing it well.

There was some light oncoming traffic, so I wasn’t in a position to force a pass.  I stayed well back, riding behind the cyclist, treating him as I would wish to be treated.  Yes, he was slowing me down a bit, but there really isn’t that much difference between 18 and 25 mph.

The opposing traffic would clear soon enough, and there was a longish straight coming up.  I planned to pass him just as soon as we both cleared the upcoming stop sign.  I began to brake for the stop a bit early, intending to give the rider plenty of room.

Oops.

The guy blew through the stop sign.  Not a hint of intention to slow down.  The motorist in the cross had to brake sharply to avoid clipping the guy, and now the intersection was fouled up.

I didn’t catch up to the rider until the end of the straight stretch.  A downhill curve was ahead.  He tucked and there was no reason to pass, and several not to.  Then he did it again.  Another stop sign, and he ran it full bore.

Long time readers will know that I’m not a happy motorist at this point.  I want to see my brother cyclists behaving and exercising good citizenship. 

I had almost caught up to the guy when he did it again.  Third stop sign in a row, and third time of total lack of regard for it.

There were a lot of yard contractors out, their trucks parked at the curbs.  That made passing more difficult.  I could have powered up and jumped, hoping that the way ahead would stay clear, but I did not have good sightlines, and I did not want to put either of us at risk, so I stayed behind the guy, well back, and just simmered.

I had my opportunity.  A clear, unimpeded road.  I pulled out and made a good clean pass.  But there was another problem coming up.  Yet another stop sign.  I was well ahead of the cyclist by this point, but he was in sight in my rearview.  I signaled my intended right turn and braked for the sign.  That was when it happened.

The guy didn’t slow down as I was making my stop.  Instead, he shot between my truck and the curb, on the right hand side!  Then he blasted through the intersection.

Folks, I ask you.  What would have happened if I hadn’t been attentive?  What if I’d been texting?  (I never do when driving, but others do.)  What if I’d been a harried and distracted mom, with kids making a ruckus in the back?  I’d signaled a turn.  I’d already completed my stop and was initiating the turn; my truck was in motion when he made this “suicide pass.”  How would this rider have fared, him doing an estimated 20mph, if I’d continued turning rather than making a hard brake stop?  Would he have survived the impact?  Would he have ended up under my wheel?  (Remember, many drivers “freeze” at an impact, feet staying on the controls, or even worse, accelerating.)

I suspect that, right about now, he’d be a minor news item, either dead or seriously injured, and all his friends would be shouting about the evil motorists who wantonly strike down riders.

“Share the Road,” only works if it works in both directions.  And reckless riding is as bad (if not worse) than reckless driving.

Loss of Signal

Cell phones are wonderful devices.  I won’t spend a lot of time extolling their virtues, but take it as a given, a cell phone is amazing, and potentially a life-saver.

That’s the primary reason I carry one when I’m riding.  It’s a security device.  It’s good to know that help is only a few button presses away.

On the other hand, the stinkin’ things can be incredibly annoying, and even dangerous.

I’m sometimes appalled to see what some folks are willing to do on a bike.  Talking on a phone, receiving (or worse sending) texts are high on the list.

I usually keep my phone on, and with me.  I will not carry it in a convenient jersey pocket.  That’s downright dangerous.  So when I get a call, or hear that text tone, I have to stop the bike, and fumble around to get it out.  (That’s very much by design.)

Three successive calls or four successive texts, and I “go dark.”

Let’s face it, when we are riding on the road, we are part of the traffic.  But we are the part that is most vulnerable and least protected.  Becoming distracted, or disabling one of our senses is pretty dangerous.  Better to leave the phone off, or get off the road to answer it, and leave the music player and the earbuds at home too.

How do you all deal with this?

Courtesy or Insanity?

It would be good to get some discussion going on this one.  I am at a bit of a loss.

Here’s the scenario.  A cyclist, or a small group of cyclists is riding on the road.  Traffic is light to moderate.  A driver approaches the cyclists from behind.  The motorist pulls out to pass the cyclists.  This isn’t going to be a “buzz pass.”  No.  The motorist pulls completely into the opposing lane, and accelerates hard.  But wait!  There is a car coming in that lane.  Suddenly there are two motorists “playing chicken” alongside a group of cyclists.

Does the oncoming motorist slow down?  Rarely, and not by much.

Does the passing motorist slow down?  Not at all! 

Is it a very close call?  You betcha!

Does it matter if there is a double line, indicating a no passing zone?  Not even slightly!

Is this an infuriating and potentially deadly scenario?  Without question!

Going back a ways, I rarely saw this kind of behavior.  Seems to me that it’s become much more common.  I think I started to see the increase in this kind of thing about the time that discussion of the “Three Foot Rule” became public and spirited.  I know that I’ve seen a lot more of these particular incidents in the last year, and they seem to be increasing.  It’s only a matter of time.  Somebody is going to get hurt.

Worse, in almost every one of these incidents, if the motorist waits only a few more seconds, they would have a clear and safe pass available.  The risk is huge, and the reward is very small.

Why are they doing this?  How do we calm this stuff down?  What do you think?  Does anyone have anything constructive to suggest?

BIKE LOCKS!!!!

There is an old jape.  “All bicycles weigh 50 pounds.  That’s because a 20 pound bicycle needs a 30 pound lock and chain, a 30 pound bicycle needs a 20 pound lock and chain, and a 50 pound bicycle needs no lock and chain.”

The problem of securing your precious bicycle is a constant balancing act.  Where is the bike going to be?  (The majority of bike thefts involve removing the bike from the garage or storage shed.)  Will it be unattended?  How long?  What’s the crime rating for the area?  How desirable is the bike perceived to be?

There quick anecdotes:

I once left my truck behind the shop, here in Peachtree City, with three bikes on board.  Two of the rides were extremely high-end, full-carbon, racing rigs.  The third one was a complete “beater” of a BMX bike.  Both of the road bikes were worth over $5,000, the BMXer was maybe worth the coast of hauling it to the dump.  (You see this coming don’t you?)  I was in the shop for about ten minutes.  I came out to find the BMX bike had been stolen.  The racing rigs were untouched.

My friend Guy tells a similar tale.  He lives and works in a small, rural, North Caroline Mountain town.  He left his truck unattended for a brief time.  The two fancy road bikes were untouched, but his chainsaw and weed eater had been lifted.

It was a long weekend getaway trip to Savannah.  I’d been enjoying the temperate day, and riding about the historic district on my fixie.  I stopped outside a coffee shop.  I leaned the bike against a pole.  I had not locked it yet.  A passerby asked me a question, and I stopped and turned my back on the bike.  We were chatting.  A movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention.  I turned to find a scruffy young male in the process of mounting my bike.  Right behind me, and less than three feet from me!  (He didn’t get away with it.)

Types of bike locks abound.  Some are better for one thing than another.  All have this in common.  It’s a pain in the neck to carry them.  There are various solutions to this problem.  My personal favorite is to toss the lock into my messenger bag.

Here’s one good strong suggestion:  Do NOT get into the habit of locking your lock around your bike as a means of storing it.  More than that, never store your bike with the lock locked around it!!!

We see it in the shop fairly regularly, especially in the spring.  “Can you get this lock off of here?”  the customer asks.  Sometimes the answer is,  “Yes, but it will destroy the lock.”  Sometimes the answer is, “No.”  Some locks are that good.

Remember, you are trying to protect the bike from a thief, not yourself.  And yes, you will lose the key, or forget the combination.  Lock the bike up when you leave it.  Store the lock beside the bike.  Never leave your garage door open.

Mountain Biking 101: Hydration

There isn’t a lot to say on this topic, but it bears close attention.

CamelBak ™ used to have a slogan.  “Hydrate or Die!”  That pretty much sums it up.  Exercise causes loss of fluids.  Exercise in warmer conditions accelerates this.  We need to consume at least a liter (approx one quart) of water every hour.  In warm weather this can easily double.

Failure to stay properly hydrated can lead to a host of injuries, and possible heat prostration.  It’s serious.  Pat attention. 

Get in the habit of drinking while riding.  Drink before you are thirsty.  If you wait for “dry mouth” to set in, you are already dehydrated.  It’s best to arrive at the trailhead already well hydrated.  Then drink continuously as you ride.

If you aren’t needing to make a “bladder relief stop” every couple of hours, you probably are not sufficiently hydrated.

A delicate subject:  Okay, we’re all adults, right?  Here’s the thing.  Bears do relieve themselves in the woods.  So does just about everything that lives there.  Why bring that up?  Because violent nausea and other evils are best avoided.  This just may be the best possible argument for backpack hydration systems.

You see, water bottles, mounted down on your frame, are subject to getting crud splashed or thrown onto them.  It may look like good clean dirt, as it resides around the spout of your bottle, but…  We’ll it could contain any number of nasty organisms.  If you are using bottle, use one of the types that has a protected spout.  But remember, the line and mouthpiece from a backpack system is not down in the spray from your wheels.

 Remember!  Tonight is a Novice Mountain Bike Ride, at the Baseball Soccer Complex.  Start at 6:30 P.M.  Check the South Side Cycling Club's calendar.  If we have to cancel, we'll post it there by 5:00 P.M.

Today’s Term(s):

Drop-off n.  A sudden sharp drop in the trail, usually one to two feet in height.

Step-up n.  A drop-off in the opposite direction.

Stutter-bumps n.  A series of fairly tall bumps or jolts in the trail.  These are closely spaced, and derive their name from what happens to speech while negotiating them.

Washboard n.  Smaller than stutter-bumps, and closer together.  Rough trail surface.

This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding.  By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.

Future Topics:

More on carrying “stuff”

Trail Care & Maintenance

Bike Types

Your next mountain bike  or  Mountain Biking 201

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

Thursday Thoughts ~~ Why they don’t stop!

Why is it that so many bicycle riders blast through stop signs and traffic lights?  On the surface, it would appear to be simple, self-centered lack of respect.  But let’s examine just what it takes to execute an intersection crossing in a group.

Here comes a group of cyclists.  There is traffic present, so they are riding in single file, along the right hand side of the road.  As the group approaches the intersection, the last two riders are checking to their rear.  They make a very good judgment decision.  When the group is closing on the intersection, and when there is sufficient gap in the overtaking traffic, this last pair moves out to “take” the travel lane.  They report their action to the riders ahead, and the entire group forms into pairs.  Now the whole group is making their final, brisk approach to the intersection, two by two.

The lead pair come to a complete stop, stepping to the ground with one foot, and waiting their turn in the rotation.  The moment it is their turn to cross, they push off, re-mounting and accelerating, clearing the intersection rapidly.  The moment they are completely across, they resume their single file formation.  Once they are about a hundred yards past the intersection, and still remaining in single file, they slow down sharply, waiting for the rest of the group to rejoin.

Meanwhile, back at the intersection, the second pair, and each pair in turn, repeats the actions.  Each pair pulls crisply up to the stop line, executes a definite stop, waits, and then clears the intersection with deliberate haste.  No one jumps out of turn, or disturbs the “rotation” of vehicles through the intersection.

After the entire group has cleared, they are likely to be separated by both distance, and a few intervening cars.  Because the leaders are moving slowly, in file, but are stable in their motions and course, the cars that are interspersed are able to pass and go on their way.  Also, the trailing members of the group are able to catch up and re-join.  When the last pair is re-connected, they shout this news forward, to have it echoed “All in!”  The report is repeated by middle position riders, until the lead pair hears it.  At that point, the leaders make a deliberate acceleration, returning to the ride pace.

Two things are required to make all this work.  Skill and trust.

It actually takes a lot of skill to execute an intersection stop and re-start.  A lot of things have to happen, in the correct order, and at a very quick pace.  Riders have to position their bikes, retain situational awareness, and downshift prior to the stop, while waiting until close to the intersection to brake.  They then brake with deliberate force, unclip from pedals, execute a complete stop, re-mount quickly, and accelerate, maintaining correct road position.  Properly executed, this can look like choreographed dance, or precision drill.

The other factor is trust.  Each rider has to be able to trust the riders in front and behind.  Leaders must be trusted not to blast away, taking advantage of the situation to leave others behind.  Following riders must be trustworthy also.  They must be depended upon to hold their positions, report situations, and to execute their duties correctly.

Could it be that most group riders lack the requisite skills necessary to accomplish this evolution correctly?  Could it also be that riders in the group don’t trust the leaders to wait for them?  Perhaps there is reason for both of these conditions?

Believe it.  This bears thinking about.

How to Ride in the Heat:

(See tomorrow’s post for a ride report on last night’s Solstice Celebration Night Ride.  It’s late, and I already have this column “on the spike.”)

It’s warm now.  If I’m reading the tealeaves correctly, it’s going to get warmer.  A lot warmer.  That El Nino thing has about disappeared.  That was the system that gave us such a long spell of cooler and wetter.  My best guess is, it’s gonna be a hot one.

I like heat, but there are some reservations, and precautions.

Adapt:  Give yourself time to become fully acclimated to the increased temps.  In our climate, the changes seem to come abruptly.  This can catch us by surprise.  Be aware of the changes, and allow for them.  Slow down a bit until you have had a week to two weeks to become accustomed to a given range.

Expect the Changes:  Heat stress hits you in multiple ways.  First, your body is working harder.  It takes effort to deal with the temperature alone.  You have to process a lot of moisture, and the heat itself applies loads to you.  A big caution:  Do not go as hard.  Increased athletic effort causes the body to supply less blood to the digestive system.  Guess what?  You need the digestive system to process the water that you had better be drinking.

Less Oxygen:  Honest, it’s true.  There is less air in the air.  The phenomenon is one that pilots are familiar with.  It’s called density altitude.  Two things affect this,  Temperature and Humidity.  As both increase the density altitude increases.  In our area we can see density altitudes of around 5,000 feet.  That means that it’s like riding your bike on a hot day, a mile above sea level.  So you are getting about half the charge of oxygen for each lungful of air.  So you’re working harder.

Optional discussion of density altitude:  (It’s okay to skip this section and go to the next.  This is here for those with inquiring minds.)  As air heats, it becomes less dense.  This is because it expands.  Humidity also decreases the density of air.  Each water molecule in the air displaces one molecule of oxygen or nitrogen.  A water molecule is a lot less dense (and less useful for breathing) than an oxygen molecule.  So the effect is that there is less oxygen available to support effort.  It’s exactly as if you were at a higher altitiude.  And remember, half the atmosphere is below 5,000 feet.

High Heat = Slow Down!!:  When the temp rises into the high 90s, or higher, you simply must decrease effort.  Attempting a PR at these temps is a fast way to end up in the emergency room.  At this point, it can still be a lot of fun, and good exercise to go out and ride, but stay within yourself.  Do not overexert.  Remember, as soon as you begin to go harder, your core temp starts to rise.  Likely, your cooling systems are already working hard.  Back down and live until it gets cooler.

Incidentally, it’s not a bad idea.  On the hottest days, avoid the hottest hours.  Ride in the morning, or evening.  If you find yourself stuck out on the road, seek shelter and water during the period between 2:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M.  (This is, typically the hottest time of day here in the Atlanta area.)

The practical techniques:

Start hydrating before you get on the bike.  If you are a bit dry before you start to exercise, you are going to be in trouble sooner.  Begin drinking regularly at least eight hours before riding.

Carry more water.  You’re going to need it.  You should be drinking one to two liters (bottles) every hour.  You will need to reserve one bottle for dousing.

Douse yourself.  The equivalent of a half mouthful of water, squirted through the front vents of your helmet, can have an incredible cooling effect.  Do this every ten to fifteen minutes.

Bring a bandana or two.  A dampened bandana, draped around your neck, will help drop your temperature.

Remember the sunscreen.  Skin that has just started to sunburn, is skin that has lost over half of its ability to cool you.  Apply a good strong (SPF 30 or higher) sun-block before you ride.  Put it on thick.   Reapply regularly.

With a little caution and savvy, it’s possible to ride through the Summer here, and have a blast doing it.  Good luck, and sunny days!