Pre-Ride Tip of the Week

2008/03/15 Be Predictable - A common mistake that cyclists make is feeling that they are not entitled to be on the road at all. This thinking is dangerous because it causes cyclists to cower in the presence of cars and act in ways that are in fact contrary to their safety. "Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles."

An example: imagine riding on a two lane road with light to medium traffic and no shoulder. A beginning cyclist might feel they need to hug the edge of the street while riding, staying as close to the white line as possible. This causes problems because it encourages cars to try to squeeze past, passing when it is not safe. It leaves no room for the person on a bike to maneuver in the event of glass, sewer grates, debris, snapping dogs, politicians, etc., that might appear suddenly on the side of the road.

The better way to ride in this situation is to behave like a car, riding in a straight line in the lane where the car’s right wheel would go. This makes you more visible, and allows you room to move when necessary, plus does not allow cars to pass when it is unsafe.

What makes this difficult for most beginning cyclists is the common fear of being struck from behind. Fortunately, this is among the rarest type of bike/auto collisions. If motorists can see and avoid a traffic cone or highway sign planted in the street, certainly they can safely observe and move around a cyclist properly positioned in the lane.

2008/03/01 Gym Weight training - What you do first you do best; what you do last suffers the most. Therefore, do the most important exercises first (leg presses, leg curls, leg extensions for biking).

2008/02/08 Anger Management: Anyone who angers you, conquers you. Recognize the 3 stages of anger:

1. You expect to be made angry, looking for something bad to happen,
2. You feel angry, but you keep quiet,
3. you express your anger. Letting off steam is immediately gratifying, but deep down it is a painful experience, yelling and cursing. It is also scary to be out of control and unhealthy to your blood pressure. You punish yourself with your anger.

• Frame it: step back and evaluate the situation as if you were an observer.
• Claim it: Admit you are upset, and now you should be clear about the true issue that is making you angry.
• Tame it: Is it unimportant, or are you upset to the point that you need to confront the person?

2008/01/26 Climbing - PULL BAR ON STEEP STUFF: For climbs with a 10-20% grade, you'll climb better by pulling up on the bar with the arm that's on the same side as the downstroke leg (as opposed to pushing down with the opposite arm). As soon as your leg starts the downward motion, pull with the same arm. This is why some climbers bob as they ascend.

2008/01/19 Things to replace yearly:

• Bar Tape
• Chain
• Tires
• Gloves
• Middle chainring
• Brake pads
• Cables

2007/12/22 Ride gear box:

• Helmet
• Shoes
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Rags
• Extra tubes
• Extra CO2
• Jersey stuffing: minitool, bike wallet (ID & $$)
• Floor pump
• This list!

• Food
• Water bottles
• Cell phone
• Wallet
• Gloves
• Indecisive weather clothes
• After biking clothes & shoes

2007/12/15 Bike Politics – Cyclists are hated. Do you ever think about becoming a bike advocate? Here are stereotypes we must fight:

• Kill a cyclist, and the public will blame the cyclist, never the driver.
• Roads are for cars: cyclists do not belong there.
• Cyclists always disobey the rules of the road.
• Cyclists do not contribute to road taxes.
• Roads are not playgrounds for your bike toys.
• Bicycles should be outlawed.

2007/11/17 Post Ride Eating

• Overhydrate. Do not mistake dehydration for hunger.
• Know what you will eat after the ride before you go out the door, not when you get home. Prepackage your food on a plate, and let that plate be the only thing you grab.
• The worst thing you can do is only eat carbs. Go high volume, low-calorie, like soup. Eat all the fruit you want
• Eat one handful of anything (250 calories) per half-hour of moderate riding. An energy bar is 250 empty calories
• You may not feel like eating right after a workout, but have something anyway. You’ll stave off the tidal wave of hunger that usually comes later.

2007/11/10 Paceline leadership – Here are three things to remember about paceline leadership.

1. When leading a paceline, keep the paceline at an even effort level. Pay attention to speed and cadence when you are second, and maintain the same level when you assume the lead. Do not increase the speed of the paceline, at least not for 20 seconds. If you pull for about 30 seconds, and then pull out, it gives everyone a chance to lead and to have a faster paceline overall. Do not slow the paceline down by continuing to lead after you are drained.
2. When the paceline in front of you is too slow, do not attack the paceline. If you are stuck in a slow paceline, do an evaluation. Has the leader been leading for more than 30 seconds? Is the paceline slowing down? Do you see other strong riders around you itching to pick up the pace? The leader is stupid or unaware of their slow pace. Encourage the leader to relinquish: "OK, you can Pick it up, please!"
3. If you are not strong enough to pull lead, stay out of the rotation. Drop to the back of the paceline, and let leaders who drop back to take a cut in front of you. If there are faster riders behind you, drop behind them, too.

2007/10/27 Particulate Matter PM25 means particulate matter size less than 2.5 microns. (1/7 width of a hair). These microscopic particles bypass the body’s natural defenses in the nose and throat and enter the lungs, where they aggravate asthma, bronchitis, lung disease, lung cancer, and heart disease. EPA standards are 0-50 Good, 51-100 Moderate, 101-150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151-200 unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy, 301-500 hazardous. PM25 levels are reported in the paper weather section.

2007/10/06 CrashesSurveys of the League of American Wheelman show riders fall about every 8,500 miles. Crashes with damage over $50 happen once every 11 years or every 32,000 miles.

2007/09/29 Predictable paceline:

1. Continuous pedaling – when biking in a pack, keep pedaling – don’t coast! If you need to slow down, you might even consider breaking while still pedaling just to keep the habit going. Coasting creates an accordion affect for those riding behind you.
2. Power up / Power down – This applies to when the group is hammering – uphill or on a fast flat effort. When you stand or sit, do it under power. Avoid the stand and jam, where your bike will drop back half a foot before you start pedaling. Avoid the sit and slow, too. Your bike needs to maintain a steady speed.
3. Hold your line – Ride in a straight line. This also means taking a less desirable approach to a curve. When riding solo, you want to cut the corner, but in a group, you need to stay in a consistent position in the road width. You do not want to cut off other riders

2007/09/15 Group tips:

1. Relax your hands, shoulders and jaw. Drum your fingers on the bar.
2. Drink. Practice removing and replacing your water bottle without looking 5 times at the start of the ride. Take a gulp every mile.
3. If you sprint for a goal, keep sprinting. If you stop sprinting, the guy drafting you will crash into you.

2007/09/07 Group tips:

1. No earplugs! We need emergency communication lines open.
2. Learn by watching & imitating good riders. When do they brake, shift, pick up? How do they corner?
3. Watch the jersey in front of you, not the wheel.

2007/09/01 Dehydration and Hyponatremia: Too little salt and/or drinking too much plain water can cause hyponatremia, where the salt concentration in your blood is too low. This is bad, and before you notice it you will be ready to pass out. Use an electrolyte drink like Gatorade, or food like saltine crackers or pretzels to prevent salt loss. The common cause of hyponatremia is drinking a lot of plain water without electrolytes, diluting the blood while salt is sweated away. There is a lot of variation due to the individual and the heat, but the general guideline is one water bottle (21oz) per hour. You lose 1 gm of sodium an hour, and a water bottle of Gatorade has only .3 gm of sodium, so you need some salty food to supplement the Gatorade. It is a balancing act that you need to get right when attempting a long ride. Dehydration will lead to these symptoms: poor performance, weakness, heat stroke, yada yada. Hyponatremia will lead to these symptoms: confusion, cramps, nausea, vomiting, death, yada yada. So on that next century ride: drink, and salt.

2007/08/25 (submitted 12/12/2007) Skin Cancer – Check all your skin every month (including back, butt, sides, back of arms, back of legs, feet, back of head & neck). Make it a partner thing. Have a regular system. Mark your self-check on your monthly calendar. While the majority of skin cancers are either basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas and easily treated, there is a chance that what your notice is melanoma – the most serious form of skin cancer. Early detection can save your life. Look for:

• Asymmetry – Melanoma (cancerous and malignant) are typically irregular in shape; benign (noncancerous) moles are typically round (symmetrical)
• Border – Melanoma often has uneven borders (ragged & notched edges); benign moles have smooth even borders.
• Color – Melanoma – Melanoma lesions often contain many shades of brown or black; benign moles usually are a single shade of brown.
• Diameter – Melanoma are often more than 6 mm in diameter (the size of a pencil eraser); benign moles are usually less than 6 mm.
• Evolution – Is the lesion changing over time?

2007/08/18 Climbing Position: Where should you sit when climbing? Greg Lemond moved back on the saddle, and designed his bikes to have a more laid back seat tube to accomplish this. Moving back away from the pedals gives your legs more reach for more power. Lance Armstrong had a more upright seat tube to put body weight over the pedals and to allow a higher cadence. Others say stand and move all around on the saddle to switch and relieve muscles.

2007/08/11 Flying with a bike – Keep the box under 50 lbs to avoid overweight charges. On some airlines you can avoid bike fees by getting a bike frame that collapses, getting a hard case with total dimension under 62 inches (ex. 26x26x10). Check-in may arbitrarily not charge a bike fee, if you are lucky. Check-in may make the owner sign a release from liability for damage. I got past check-in once by claiming my collapsing bike was a wheelchair. For detailed airline information, check out these two websites:  Leage of American Bicyclists  International Bike Fund.

2007/08/04 Cell phones – If you have one, carry it, but realize that calls to 911 from a cell phone are routed to the California State Highway Patrol in Sacramento, not to the local police or sheriff. (see here http://www.lao.ca.gov/analysis_2006/transportation/tran_05_2720_anl06.html for information about CHPs budget problems here). Find a land line in a nearby business or home if it is not too inconvenient to call 911 and have it routed to the local help center. Using a cell phone to call 911, Think about how to give your location right away. Give city, road, distance & direction to nearest cross street, for example, "I’m in Escondido on Old 395 about a mile north of Camino del Rey.

2007/07/04 Quick Turn – To quickly change direction, make an intentional countersteer by exaggerating the normal turn. To turn right, jerk the front wheel left so the bike is put into a quick right hand bank. Practice is crucial.

2007/06/30 Emergency Rock Dodge

1. Emergency
   • Avoid a hazard without changing your line of direction
   • If you are pinned by a gutter on one side and a car on the other
   • Your body travels straight while your bike avoids the hazard
2. Front wheel
   • Your front wheel is more important than your rear; you steer with the front wheel
   • Just before the hazard, jerk your front wheel around it then back
   • Your front wheel should avoid the rock, pothole or trash
3. Looking ahead
   • Keep the hazard in your periphery, but do not fixate on it
   • Other hazards may be ahead that you will need to prepare for
4. Your body
   • Your body should continue straight over the hazard while your bike moves around it
   • Standing up with your pedals level will help you maneuver your bike beneath you
   • Un-weighting the rear wheel helps in case you hit the hazard with your rear wheel
5. Rear wheel
   • Ideally you should not hit the hazard with either wheel: practice!
   • Lift up off of the saddle in case your rear wheel hits the hazard

2007/06/23 – An ounce of prevention – how can you avoid an attack by a car that is stopped on a secondary cross street when you barrel down the highway?

• Wear bright clothes – bright yellow & orange, not dark grey & brown
• Assume a "cloak of invisibility" surrounds you. Motorcycles need a bright headlamp, and are still invisible.
• Move into the middle of the highway for visibility if you are alone on your side of the road.
• Stand up for increased visibility.
• Use flasher lights in daylight, just like you turn on your headlights to be seen.
• Ride in a group.
• Get a horn (and use it often). There are loud bike horns that you pump air into a waterbottle reservoir. There are CO2 horns in boat supplies. Get attention.
• Yell "Bike!" if you have a loud voice.
• Wave your arm for an added motion that might get attention.
• If you do not get eye contact, begin evasive maneuvers (ie. Brake)

2007/06/09 – Seated Climbing

• Spin at 90 rpm. Use your aerobic system rather than your leg muscles.
• Relax – fingers, arms, shoulder, neck. Tension here is sympathetic to the work your lower is doing, but is counterproductive
• Back – keep your back straight, not humped. This makes you use your abs rather than stressing your lower back.
• Hands – Put your hands near the stem and bend your elbows
• Try sliding forward on the saddle for more power.
• Head up, looking forward. It is about an open airway, but also about keeping your attitude strong.

2007/06/02 ABC check - Air - tire pressure, tire condition, quick release (check before you mount). Brake - brake does not pull to bar, brakes rub on rim not tire, no rimrub when brakes released (check when you mount). Chain - drivechain shifts thru all gears front and rear (check as you start to ride)

2007/05/26 – Hub adjustment: Too loose: Grab your wheel by the brake while it is on the bike. Any side-to-side play is needs tightening. Too tight: Take the wheel off the bike and remove the skewer. Spin the axle with your fingers. Any binding (you feel the bearings rub like grit) is too tight.

2007/05/19 - Diana says: Rather than try to keep your elbows unlocked, try pulling them together toward each other.

2007/05/12 - Laying on of hands. Line up. Go in pairs, ride side by side the length of the parking line.

1. Alternate touching each other. Just rest your hand on the other person's shoulder or back.
2. As before, but lightly push each other forward.
3. Put hand on shoulder and very gradually begin pushing lightly sideways while the other person resists. Gradually release. Switch. No sudden push. No sudden release.

2007/05/05 – Group rides with novices are what happens when you ride in an organized recreational ride, like a century or even the NCCC.

• Be patient at starts, like a mass start or stoplights. Novice riders who you just passed are going to shoulder their way rudely to the front at stoplights. The best revenge is the secure knowledge that they will get dropped soon.
• Pass cleanly. Pass on the left with as much clearance as possible, and call out "on your left". Don’t pass on the right unless they are riding too far from the shoulder, and there is 4 feet of clearance, and call out "on your right." Make your pass a breakaway so they don’t suck your wheel.
• Pace yourself. You have a lot of energy early in the ride. It is easy to get sucked into a group that is too fast. Worse is to get caught at a light by slower riders who suck your wheel for a mile and who YOU try to impress by leading too fast. Drop back or break away, but save your real energy for the second half.

2007/04/28 Braking – Apply the front brake with twice the force of the back brake. When you break, your weight all shifts to the front wheel. The back wheel is nearly unweighted and will easily skid. The back wheel cannot handle as much brake as the front. Make dissimilar braking a habit so that it will be your standard response when you need it in an emergency. Final note: if the back wheel starts to skid, let up on the FRONT brake! You are braking too hard, and you do not want to go over the handlebar.

2007/04/21 Not the "Clear" – As a courtesy, we often shout "CLEAR" at intersections. It is time to STOP this practice. First, it is unsafe, as riders are encouraged to proceed without looking. Second, it is a liability on the shouter, who is assuming responsibility for any rider who follows the "CLEAR". Third, it encourages poor club etiquette in disobeying stop signs and road rules.

2007/04/14 Rock Dodge – You can hold your line while avoiding a rock or debris, but it takes practice. Twitch your handlebar to steer around. Sounds simple, but it takes practice to get the feel of your bike and the precise correction needed on the other side of the debris to resume a straight line.

2007/04/07 Pack Gaps - When riding in a large pack on narrow busy roads, create a gap if there are more than 7 riders packed in front of you. This will allow cars to leap frog around the pack a few bikes at a time.

2007/03/31 Group safety discussion

• Communicate hazards – slowing, car, rock, door, stick, red light, runner
• Be steady
• Anticipate lights changing
• Starting from a red light stop, start slow then work up to speed
• Check behind before passing
• Pass on left, or verbalize passing on right
• Stay focused ahead, don’t look at your bike checking your gears
• Ride single file on busy streets

2007/03/24 Three things to remember when descending:
1. As the bike tilts down, the center of gravity moves forward. Get it back where it belongs by lowering your torso and scooting your butt back.
2. Stabilize the bike by grabbing the top bar with your knees
3. Maintain control by keeping your arms relaxed.

2007/03/17 Cornering 101:
1. Stand on your outside pedal, but don't lock your knee.
2. Get your butt off the saddle
3. Rest the saddle against your inner thigh.

2007/03/10 Changing a tire:
1. Take the time to find the cause of the flat! If others stopped to help, they can do this while you prepare your tools.
2. Put air in the new tube before mounting it. It is hard to install a flat, limp tube.
3. Get the new tube into the middle of the rim all the way around the wheel before working the tire bead on. One step at a time.
4. Work the bead on the rim starting at the valve, and working the bead into the middle of the rim. If the tight bead is in the middle of the wheel rim, it will have the most free play when it comes to that last 6 inches.

2007/03/03 Three points.
1. The number 1 rule is no falling down. "Somebody's going to hurt someone, before the ride is through. Somebody's going to come undone, there's nothing we can do." In every ride there will be something dangerous happen to you: a rock, a pothole, a car incident, a bike. Be ready for it.
2. Represent the club out there. If we are courteous, then other people will see us and think, "That looks like fun. I want to ride with them."
3. Wear a mirror. Any time you move left, you need to check first for traffic or bikes.