Getting through the Winter: Self Sufficient & Proficient

Winter is THE TIME to work on becoming a better and more accomplished cyclist.  No one is as fast in the Winter.  Large group rides are more difficult to find.  Weather and darkness make it difficult for many to get in a lot of riding outside.  That can actually be a good thing.  Below are several suggestions for activities that will greatly improve one’s confidence and skill.  These are things that do not require a lot of time, and that should best be done on a more individual (or at least small group) basis.

Become more self-reliant:  Free yourself for the need to wait on others for ride opportunities.  Remove some of the fear associated with riding.  How?  Do a bit of learning.

I hear this in the shop a lot.  I’ll be in conversation with a rider (and not always a new one!) and will hear one of the following questions:  “What if I get a flat?”  Or, “What if something goes wrong with my bike?”  These are good questions!  If the rider does not know how to handle a flat, or how to prevent problems and fix the more common ones, then they become emergencies.  The good news is, it’s relatively easy to do a little “Winter-work” and learn to downgrade those problems from “emergency status” to “inconvenience.”

Flats:  The 4 Part Solution

• First, run good rubber, and inflate it properly.  (Most flats are caused by under-inflation!)
• Second, watch were you are going.
• Third, always carry a spare tube, a patch kit, 3 tire levers, and a pump. (see note 1)
• Fourth, Learn to fix a flat.  (see note 2)

NOTE 1:  For general riding, pumps are the answer.  Save the CO2 inflators for competition.  Pumps are multiple use devices.  With inflators, you onely get one chance.

NOTE 2:  There are lots of videos and articles the internet.  Or, you can come into the shop and ask.  You can make an appointment for some personal, “hands-on” training.

Mechanicals:  The 2 Part Solution

• First, learn to maintain your own bike, or start having it done on a very regular basis.  The first approach costs less.  Good, regular maintenance prevents the overwhelming majority of on-road mechanical problems.  (see note 3)
• Second, Learn to fix the most common of the on-road problems.  (see note 4)

NOTE 3:  Minimum maintenance involves keeping it clean and lubricated.  Any shop will explain the how-tos of this to you.  If you wish to learn to maintain your bike, and do it well, take a class.  We offer them at Bicycles Unlimited.

NOTE 4:  You can “kill two birds with one stone.”  Take our “Mechanics Class” at Bicycles Unlimited.  It’s only one evening, by appointment.  We’ll teach you how to maintain, adjust, clean, and do the most common minor repairs.

We’ll talk more about this kind of thing.  We have in mind spending a bit of time on skills and techniques too.  What are the issues that keep you from being independent and free on a bike?

Looking Forward

To start with, we have firm dates for the Audax Tune Up Rides, and for the actual Audax 200K.  These dates appear on the “Tour Calendar” to the left, but we’re listing them, with times, below.

45 Mile Tune Ups:

Tune Up 1 ~ Sunday 26 February @ 1:00 P.M.

Tune Up 2 ~ Sunday 11 March @ 1:00 P.M.

65 Mile Tune Ups:

Tune Up 3 ~ Sunday 1 April @ 11:00 A.M.

Tune Up 4 ~ Sunday 15 April l @ 11:00 A.M.

Audax 200K ~ Sunday 20 May @ 7:30 A.M.

All of the Audax related rides will start and finish at Bicycles Unlimited, in Peachtree City, GA.

There will be posts in the near future with more information on these rides, and with links to previous posts about them.

Dirt Road Riding:

In last Friday’s post, I indicated that I would start doing a bit of focused work on dirt road riding.  I envision three different dimensions to this endeavor; 1) Equipment.  2)  Cue Sheets indicating where good fun dirt road riding can be had.  3)  Group dirt road rides.

What follows is a bit of an overview of my take on equipment choices for unpaved road fun in this general area.

What Bike?

As I’ve often stated, a road bike should be capable of being ridden on any road.  That said, not all road bikes are created equal.  Most likely, a high end, super light, carbon wonderdreambike, with ultra electric, computerized parts made from pure vaporware and unobtanium is likely not the best choice for this kind of thing.  Even the elite pros use different equipment for the early Spring “Classics.”  Honest, the bikes ridden in Paris-Roubaix are not the same as the ones campaigned in “Le Tour.”

Of course, a mountain bike would work well on any non-paved road surface.  But pure mountain bikes have a drawback.  At least they do, if one’s dirt road riding is going to be in north and central Georgia.

The problem is that, we do have a lot of wonderful unpaved thoroughfares, but they tend to be rather short.  It’s hardly worth the effort to load up a mountain bike, and drive to a dirt road that is only 2 to 5 miles long.  But if one is willing to ride some pavement in between dirt stretches, then a lot can be done.  Unfortunately, mountain bikes, wonderful as they are, are not suited for long over-road excursions.

Like almost all discussions of this type, there is no definitive answer.  Things that work excellently for one individual just don’t get it for others.  What follows is based on my own experience, on trial and error, on observation of others, and on a good deal of reading and research.

Probably some kind of “road bike.”  The drop bar bike’s multiple hand positions and basic geometry work well in this kind of environment.  That said, most likely the best choice is going to be something a bit more robust.  Cyclocross frames, or tourists seem to work well.  I’d pick something that has the clearance to mount fatter tires than a typical racing type machine.  The ability to mount fenders is not essential, but can be nice, particularly if the weather turns wet.

A more relaxed seating position is good.  Most will find a “race oriented” frame to be fairly uncomfortable.  Further, the position (aggressive, deep lean, and forward stretch fit of a race oriented bike) is usually not comfortable for jouncing and rattling along. 

Stability.  Longer chain stays, lower bottom brackets help here.

Comfort.  More relaxed seat tube angles and head tube angles tend allow for a more comfortable position.  In addition, consider either double wrapping the bars, or having them wrapped with a gel padding under the tape.  Frames that are more “compliant” are usually better choices.  (In my opinion, too much “stiffness” is not necessarily a good thing.)  We are speaking of a high vibration environment.  A bike that transmits every tiny jolt and buzz is not pleasant on long stretches of dirt and gravel.

Tires.  700C is good, but the width makes a big difference.  Any width tire can be ridden on dirt roads.  However, wider, higher volume skins will yield a more comfortable ride.  Sometimes one encounters sandy sections, or ones that are “surfaced” with a deeper layer of small stone gravel.  In these cases narrow tires do tend to sink in and make handling and forward progress more difficult.  I don’t like to ride our local unpaved roads on anything less than a 700 X 25, and much prefer a bit wider tire to those.  Bikes with something between 700 X 28 and 700 X 40 tires seem to be good compromises.  The wider tires can be inflated to much lower pressures and tend to roll comfortably and smoothly over a lot of uneven stuff.

One more word on tires.  Tires with supple sidewalls, and good aramid belts are a delight.  The belts decrease the chances of punctures, and the more supple construction results in a lot less rolling resistance.

I know there are several of you out there who regularly engage in this kind of thing.  How about you chime in on the discussion?  There are a fair number of folks who are interested.

Friday Follies ~~ Maybe I’m a little Ahead of the “Curve”

Some out there my remember a little project of mine.  Last year I attempted to get some dirt road riding organized.  Over the years I’ve done a good bit of this.  Sometimes it’s a section of unpaved road on an otherwise paved ride.  Usually I’ve done this to avoid a more lengthy and less appealing end to an otherwise fun loop.  Sometimes it’s been to take a shortcut in the face of approaching bad weather.  And, on occasion, I’ve included unpaved sections because they added variety and a touch of fun, while making a particular loop feasible.

To put it mildly, I’ve met with a bit of resistance.  I am often asked before a ride,  “We’re not going to be on any dirt, are we?”  (This is usually asked with either a bit of tremble in the voice, or in a tone of defiance.)  So, I get it.  I almost always announce when there will be dirt sections.  And usually those rides are less well attended.  Hmm.

On other occasions, I’ve stated a lot of my reasons for riding road bikes on dirt and gravel roads.  I’ll do so again in the future.  But lately I’ve encountered something a bit different.  I think there is a bit of a wind of change blowing.  And it’s a larger phenomenon, not just a local one.  (It might even be a movement!)

Here’s the Evidence:

• For several years some of the folks in Randonnuers USA have been putting on Rando type rides of 200K or more either exclusively on unpaved roads, or with a very high percentage of non-pavement in them.  More, these events have been surprisingly popular.
• Then there is the widely reported, and apparently very popular D2R2
• Also, in Europe, the re-inactor race L’ Eroica runs on a lot of nonpaved roads.
• There’s a whole movement of gravel racers in the western US, such as the Barry-Roubaix  
• Or the Big Ring Dirt Road Race Series 
• And then, within the last week I’ve received email and verbal requests from several people about closely related topics, such as “where are the good unpaved roads to ride?”  Or,  “When are you planning to do another dirt road ride?”

I’m thinking the time may just be right to give the dirt road ride another go.  Or is this just another Folly?  What say you all?

Thursday Thoughts: Differences

Recently I had a somewhat unsettling conversational exchange.  I was speaking with a woman I had just met.  She styled herself a cyclist.  She was new to the area, and her question was a common one.  She asked,  “Where can you ride a bike around here?”

My stock reply to this question is to ask for clarification.  “What kind of riding are you looking for?”  I asked.

Her replies were the kind that I really like to hear.  She wanted to go to the store, to run errands, to be able to ride her hybrid for fun, and she was interested in the idea of using her bike to support her photographic business pursuits.

My immediate thought was a warm one.  This person was a vehicular cyclist.  She wants to use her bike for transportation.  Yes!

I started to extol the virtues of this general area for transportation cycling.  I was explaining, with the aid of a popular online mapping utility, various good routes and more tricky ones.  I thought we were having a great conversation.  But then the woman asked me about bike lanes and paths.  Of course I mentioned the path network in Peachtree City, and then, as per my usual, I explained that we don’t have many bike lanes around these parts, and that shoulders are scarce too.  I was continuing to explain why that shouldn’t be a problem, but I was halted in mid sentence.

“Oh.  Your one of those V.C. People,” the lady said, somewhat frostily.  She then proceeded to rip into me.

I was caught off guard.  It took me a long couple of moments to catch up to what this person was saying to me.  The gist of it was that I (and all like me) are arrogant, macho, smug, and self-righteous.

The usual reaction to something like that is to become defensive.  I was on the verge of that particular reaction, but something about the what this woman was saying caught me and stopped me.  It was her repeated reference to “You V.C. People.”  By this she meant,  Vehicular Cyclists.  More, the lady was correct.  I am one of those Vehicular Cycling People.  I am in complete agreement with John Forester, when he states,  “Cyclists fare best when they behave, and are treated, as the operators of vehicles.”

That said, the woman had some strong and valid points.

• Riding on the road, amid fast moving and often inattentive motor vehicles is intimidating.
• Motorists don’t know how to act around cyclists, and often make bad choices out of that ignorance.
• A minor error on anyone’s part will usually cause the cyclist to pay…  sometimes dearly.
• Separate the cars and the bicycles and the pedestrians, and these conflicts are removed.
• It should be possible to ride a bike to local destinations without being in fear for one’s life.

And possibly most telling:

• Vehicular Cyclists actually enable motorists by further intimidating other cyclists.

That last one is pretty thought provoking.

I can refute any of those points, and do so at length.  But there is another thing going on here.  The lady is correct in much that she says.  If she feels that she is in danger, then her fear will keep her off of the bike.  There is a place for bicycle transportation facilities.  I’m speaking of bike lanes separated from motor lanes, and dedicated bike/pedestrian pathways.  The predominant thought, here in Georgia, seems to be that facilities are for recreation, and not transportation.

It bears some thinking about, doesn’t it?

Stuff I like: Gadgets

We are often asked what particular gadget we use for various applications.  So here’s a few of our favorites, along with reasoning and justifications.  This isn’t meant to be a product endorsement (although in some cases it is); rather these are things that I have found suitable and dependable for various purposes.  These are offered in the hopes that the information will be helpful, and also a bit thought provoking.

Today’s Topic:  The Dashboard

General:  I like computers.  I use them for navigation and for keeping track of time, distance, and rate.  I’m also a fan of good navigation equipment.  I like solid strong lights.  I am a firm believer in cuesheets, and like a good, weatherproof holder for them.  I sometimes need a bit more room for all this stuff, so on some bikes, I’ve arranged for extended mounting devices.

I tend to like “stand-alone” devices.  In general, I’ve found that when too many functions are combined in a gadget, it leads to several outcomes, all undesirable.

• The thing costs more (sometimes substantially more than several other devices performing the same functions.
• If one function fails, the entire device needs to be replaced to gain it back.
• Reliability and performance seem to decrease in the high dollar, highly integrated, multi-function gadgets.

In short, I like navigation equipment that navigates (only!), heart rate monitors that only monitor heart rate, and cyclocomputers that only perform time, distance, rate functions.

CycloComputers:  Before going farther, I should state this.  I’m strongly in favor of wired computers.  I have found the wireless ones to be reliability headaches.  They cost more, require more batteries, have great huge ugly sensors that are difficult to mount, and seem to have a service life of a little more than a year.  (I have some wired computers that are ten years old, and are still working quite well.)

If there is a cadence function, and the bike is to be used in a trainer, I prefer a long-wire harness that allows speed/distance functions to be sensed from the rear wheel.

I’ve found that the Sigma computers work wonderfully.  The wired ones are accurate, and reliable.  Battery life tends to depend on how many functions the computer has, but seems to run for a year to two years.  For cadence, I prefer the Sigma BC 1609.  It’s a workhorse, and with the optional longwire harness satisfies all of my requirements.

Cateye makes a very tolerable cadence reporting computer in a wired version.  I’m speaking of the Strada Cadence model.  In the wired version the harness is designed to reach the rear of the bike for speed/distance functions.  I have only two complaints about this computer.  First, its display is small, and somewhat hard on older eyes.  Second, the calibration procedure is arcane and decidedly not user-friendly.

Hear Rate Monitors:  Again, I’m a fan of the Sigma units.  They work, and are reasonably priced.

Navigation (GPS) units:  I like Garmen for navigation.  I am decidedly not a fan of the cyclocomputer/heart-monitor/navigation gadgets they make.  Seems they are very spendy, and they tend to develop positively weird reliability problems, typically within days of the expiration of the warranty.  I prefer a solid “mapping” GPS unit with which to navigate.

A note on “GPS enabled” time-distance-rate devices.  They are not as accurate as basic wheel sensing cyclocomputers.  For technical reasons, they cannot be.  Any highly portable GPS device can be pretty good at telling you where you are, but no so much in telling you how fast you are going, or how far you’ve gone.

Dashboard extenders:

I sometimes carry nav-aids, multiple computers, a cue sheet holder, and lights all on the same bike.  (I don’t do this on every bike, but for touring/randonneurring type applications, yes I do!)  On a road bike, there simply isn’t enough room to put all this stuff on the handlebar.  One solution I’ve found to be quite solid, and quite reliable, is the Minoura “Space Bar.”  The thing clamps around the handlebar, and provides a sort of Tee-shaped auxiliary bar, with space for anywhere from one to three additional gadgets.  I have one of these on my primary ride, on my tourist, and on my Spin Class bike. (Think computer, HR monitor, stopwatch, and lesson sheet!)  These things are not expensive, and they get the job done.  Yes, they have a high “geek factor,” but as always, form follows function.

What’s your story?  Is there anything that you carry on the “dash” which has proved especially useful?  For that matter, what dashboard gadgets have given you the most trouble?

Getting through the Winter

Okay, the year is launched.  Most folks (not all!) have put away the Christmas decorations.  The greeting card companies are already gearing up for an attempt at Valentine’s day.  In somewhat typical fashion, our north Georgia Winter has arrived in earnest.  To make matters a bit worse, there are any number of bits on “resolutions” in various media.  (Most of these are pretty depressing.)  What ever are we to do?

For those of us who ride, getting through the Winter is a tough chore.  Yes, the days are getting slightly longer now, but it will be a long time before the effect is worth noting.  Winter brings us cold, rain, and dark, often all three at once.  It take some strategy to get through this.

In my experience, the biggest aid to getting through all of this is to have some goals.  Long term goals are good.  They motivate us.  Intermediate goals are mileposts that help us keep track of our progress in reaching the longer ones.  Short Term Goals and Process Goals keep us on track, and accountable, in the day-to-day routine.

For the Long Term Goal, pick something big and exciting, something that turns you on.  This isn’t a “it would be nice to…” kind of thing.  It should be something that feels like you must do it.  Something from your “bucket list.”  Don’t pick something because you feel you should, but rather go for that thing that grabs you by the throat.  The thing that makes your heart race a bit.  And yes, the thing that’s a little scary.

In my own modest way, I’d like to offer some stuff that might work in with your goals.

There will be an annual Audax Ride coming up in the Spring.  In aid of that there will be four Audax Tune Up rides.  The Seasonal Night Rides will resume with the Spring Equinox in March.  I’m considering a couple of weekend touring type rides.  These will be two or three day self-supported tours to distant locations and back.  You’ll be seeing more about all of this (dates, times, and descriptions) in the very near future.

In the shorter term, we are still offering Spin Classes at Bicycles Unlimited.  These will continue until Spring.  Don’t delay.  Come in and sign up now.  (There’s that intermediate goal thing, coupled with some process goals.)

Basically, the best suggestion I have for getting through the dark months is, “Get busy, and stay active.”  Goals help.  More to come.

Hard Start

It was a tense moment, down in the engine room.  Johann, Bill, and I were all there, at our assigned stations.  Bill was tending the gauges and clocks.  Johann and I sat at our consoles.  At the appointed hour we each inserted our keys and then turned them, right first, then full left.  For an awful moment there was only silence, then the beast coughed and shook.

“More choke!”  Bill shouted.  “Give it some spark advance!”

“Ve haff der shteam!”  Johann said, more calmly than I would have.  “Encaging der drives,”  pause,  “Unt ve haff rotation.”

“Speed looks good,”  Bill said, from his instrument console.  “Gyros are stable, rate is stable.  Track is centered.  We have a good launch.”

And so, with a shudder and a bang, and then some scrambling, we managed to get the New Year fired up.  Honest, for a moment or two, I wasn’t sure it would run.

Penance Ride:

After a shaky and somewhat uncertain year-launch a group of us met in the pre-dawn dark.  We were planning to ride the sun up into the sky of a brand new year.  Ordinarily I’d say that would be my ideal way to start a year.  (More on that a bit later on.)

Present at the start where Ryan, Amy, Tim, Doug, Chris, Amelia,  Amelia’s friend (whose name I never quite got.  Sorry.), and me.

It was still dark when we pushed off, so we positioned the two best lighted riders at the front and back of the group, and rode in good order, down the virtually deserted Peachtree Parkway.  Rick joined us along the way.

Weird weather for the start.  It was cold.  I mean it was a good bit colder than expected.  Most of us were pretty well geared up for it, but there was a surprise waiting.  As we climbed up to Senoia, at the top of the last hill on Rockaway Rd, the temp suddenly jumped a good nine degrees warmer.  We would see this effect for the next hour and a half.  The low spots were quite cold, but the hill tops were so warm and sultry that glasses fogged.

Now we come to the hard part.  Flyers say that any landing which can be walked away from is a good landing.  There is a similar (though not often stated) maxim in cycling.  Any ride that you can finish is a good ride.  My personal story for the day is one of a long grueling slog.  I started out the day a in good bit less than ideal shape.  I’ve been pretty fatigued by a tough schedule lately, and the onset of a huge and nasty cold certainly hasn’t improved my fitness.  Add to that a sprung back and a gimpy leg, along with a few other ailments, and you get the picture.  I was struggling almost from the start.

The “hard chargers” left us fairly early on.  And by the time we reached the outskirts of Greenville, I pretty much knew that I was not in it for the long route.  I bid the remainder of the crowd a happy ride, and turned for the “shorter” (68 miles) option.

I learned, from phone calls, texts, and Facebook posts that everyone had a fairly successful day.  I’m glad for that.  For myself, I managed to get back to the start under m own power.  I’m listing this one in the “moral victory” column.

Good ride, and Happy New Year all!