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| Oi, gevalt. The formatting on this page is farkakhde and apparently unfixable. Also, this Web site program doesn't have bookmarking, so I can't send you to an article mid-page. (But who can kvetch about "free"? OK, I can.) I'll try to come up with another solution. In the meantime, do your best or e-mail me if you want me to try to send you something readable. ON RIDING BETTER Articles to help you feel good in the saddle. On this page (so far):
All stories--and everything on this site--are (C) 2008 Riskin Writing & Editing. All rights reserved worldwide in all formats. Do not reprint or disemminate in whole or in part without written permission of the author. Staying Warm in Low-Tech, Low-Cost Gear in Fall/Winter (Preliminary Cheat Sheet--more to come) Keep in mind that you can get lots of this stuff used at secondhand stores, at outlet outdoor stores, gear swaps, and online. I got my best pair of heavyweight fleece pants in perfect condition at Valu Village. More how-to-shop details--and more information--at the upcoming, free, informal class. You don't have to do all these things at one time, but the more you do, the more comfy you'll be riding, depending on the weather. Also, if it's sunny and 60 in October, as it has been lately, don't wear all of this at once, or you'll look like a small child stuffed into three sweaters and a winter jacket and unable to move its arms. Layer, layer, layer! Air gets caught between the layers and warms up, keeping you toasty.
Avoid cotton! Cotton keeps the moisture (sweat, rain) against your skin and keeps you cold. Ask any baby in a cotton diaper. Instead, use wool and synthetics.
Wool, silk, and synthetics (of which there are so many besides polypro and GoreTex now, I couldn't possibly list them) will keep you warm when wet.
Nix to undies: Mind you, avoiding cotton does rather suggest skipping the cotton underpants, although I'm sure some of you will hold onto them for dear life. Nylon or at least mixed-material undies, long johns, tights, and stockings--or if you find a deal on Spandex undies (I got them half-price at REI last year) or snug Spandex shorts--will all suffice. Men: I have no idea how comfy this is for you. I will ask around. Come to the coffee klatch.
Down sucks! Down keeps birds warm because they preen oil through it to keep it waterproof. But down in clothing does not stay warm when it is wet. It is a superb insulator only when dry! When it's wet, it clumps all together, and all you're left wearing is a soggy nylon jacket with wet balls hanging about the bottom seams.
Wool and synthetics (from nylon to Polypro to all sorts of new stuff): You can get this stuff really cheaply at Goodwill or Valu Village or online on outdoor-outlet pages. Think how many old wool (and fleece--yay, even better!) garments they have at these places.
THESE WILL KEEP YOU WARM, EVEN WHEN WET. Spandex is nice and comfy (no seams in your--ouch!--crotch), but it is rare to find it used.
Dressing in the interim, if you don't have this stuff yet: If you HAVE to wear cotton in the interim because you have nothing else, wear as many layers as you can of any kind of synthetics underneath.
Secret: Women's non-cotton (like nylon, wool, silk, Spandex, or mixes without or low in cotton) tights and nylons/stockings.
Men: Get queen-size tights or stockings and say they're for your wife (you buy her feminine products, don't you?). Or talk to me because I may have spares now that I'm not queen-size anymore. But I promise you, other male cyclists are wearing them, too... and who can see?
*Warm socks! Wool or synthetics. THIS ONE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. If you're going to buy only a couple of things, make warm, NONCOTTON socks a priority. Cotton gets damp from your sweat and will freeze your toes.
*Warm gloves--don't have to break the bank at REI: Frankly, I have several times broken the bank at REI for fancy bike gloves, and they haven't done the trick. Alternatives: Wool, silk, or synthetic cloth gloves with waterproof mitten shells over them. THIS IS ANOTHER PRIORITY.
The mitten shells will probably cost you a bit, maybe $30 if you shop carefully.
There are other alternatives we'll talk about later. If you don't have the shells yet, bring what you have. The wool, silk, or synthetic material won't cut the wind, but it should help keep you warm, even when wet.
*Head help: I don't mean consulting your therapist. We all know that--what is it, 30% (this is an off-the-cuff article, which I'll clean up later)--of your heat gets lost through your head. That's why we have hair.
I'm sure you know by now to wear synthetics, silk, or wool, right?
OK, things for your head: If you have (a) a thin hat that you can fit under your helmet after loosening the straps (be sure to cinch them back down after), (b) a headband thingie that goes over your ears that you can manage to wear with your helmet, (c) modify your earmuffs with wire or duct tape or whatever it takes to fit with your helmet.
I use a chamois helmet liner, the likes of which I haven't seen since. But a helmet liner or thin (fleece?) hat that fits under your helmet IS ANOTHER PRIORITY for your money.
Climbing Hills More Easily Tips and practice dates for Easy Riders A major impediment to commuting for Easy Riders—and for joining more-difficult rides—seems to be hills. Yes, hills are hard. The following tips really do help, though: Get clip-in pedals or at least toe clips: Utilize your leg strength at all points of rotation.
Get the right shoes: Clip-in shoes or at least real bike shoes, with rigid soles, help transfer the power of your rotation directly into the pedals.
Get a granny gear: Some bicycles are geared better for hills than others. A large cog in back will make hills easier, a lot easier.
Downshift: The closer your chain is to you when you're pedaling, the easier each revolution is. In lower gears (small in front, large in back), you are pedaling more revolutions per mile, but each turn of the crank is much, much easier. You'll save your knees, and you'll stand a better chance of cresting that hill.
Time your shifting: This takes practice. Downshift slightly when approaching a hill to save your energy. But take advantage of your momentum. Time your downshifting to the point at which you're starting to lose momentum, just a few seconds before you really need to use those low-low gears.
Better to shift to a gear that's lower than you want. It's easier to shift up than it is to shift down when you're straining that crank.
Sit as upright as possible: Doing so engages your quadriceps, which are those big muscles on the tops of your thighs.
Keep your feet parallel to the ground: Quads, again. If you point your toes downward, as beginners are apt to do, you are using smaller muscles that fatigue more easily.
Focus on 6, 9, 12: Focus on pulling your pedals or toe clips with your feet at 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock, and 12 o'clock in your crank rotation. You'll get more power all the way around. Keep your arms relaxed and wide: The better to get air into those pumping lungs. Breathe evenly: Try to time your breathing with your pedaling. If you find your breathing becoming ragged, focus on the out-breath. Be sure to breathe all the way out. That should help even out your breathing before you go anaerobic.
Charge the peak: You're nearing the top... and you're fading out at the same time. Now is the time to get aggressive. Consider that last little bit your biggest challenge. The resulting flush of energy will help take you over the top.
Keep pedaling on the downhill: Yay! You've made it! Don't give up now. Keep pedaling lightly—even if you don't engage your crank. You'll clear the lactic acid out of your muscles quicker and be prepared for the next hill... or whatever comes next.
Come practice hills with Easy Riders at Discovery Park. (Stay tuned for future dates.) We'll meet at the south parking lot, off West Emerson, for a brief intro to hills followed by practice at your own pace. Bring a snack for a cliff-top picnic afterwards. Filling Your Tires How to Pump up Before You Blow Out
(C) 2008 Riskin Writing & Editing. All rights reserved worldwide in all formats. Do not reprint or disemminate in whole or in part without written permission of the author.
You need to check your tire air pressure every time you get on your bicycle, preferably before you come to a group ride. The ride leader might or might not have a pump that will work with your bicycle.
It’s worth investing in your own floor pump with a built-in pressure gauge (as opposed to the little pump you should always carry with you on your bicycle). You can get one for as little as $20, for example, at http://rei-outlet.com.
There are two common types of valves—Schraeder and Presta. Generally, Schraeder are found on most hybrid and mountain bike tires and on many touring and road bike tires. Presta valves are those tiny valves on skinny racing or road-only tires. Be sure to get a pump that works with your type of valve or that works with both.
To find the correct air pressure (PSI) for your tires:
1. Spin the front wheel until the word “PSI” along with some numbers comes into view on the sidewall of your tire.
“PSI” means “pounds per square inch” of air. Usually, these numbers are raised black rubber, so you might have to look closely to tell the correct PSI. Most likely, your correct PSI for that tire will be a range.
2. For road riding, choose the higher end of the PSI range. For off-road, such as gravel or mountain biking, choose a number toward the bottom of the range. (Touring is a different matter, which we won’t cover here.)
The higher the PSI, the harder your tire is when properly filled, and the easier it will roll on the road or paved trail. Lower PSIs give you more cushioning off-trail, but they’ll slow you down on paved surfaces and tire you out faster.
3. Repeat this procedure for your rear wheel.
The recommended PSI for your front tire and rear tire might be the same, or it might be different.
Filling up your tires with a floor bike pump is a no-brainer. Just be sure to get a good seal between the pump nozzle and your valve. Most pumps have a lever to lock the pump nozzle onto the valve.
CAUTION: Be careful not to wiggle or bend the valve, or it could spring a leak at the base. Then you’ll have to replace the tube.
You can fill up Schraeder valves with an auto air compressor, at a gas station. But it’s a little different from using a bicycle pump.
Auto air compressors push a high volume of air into a tire at one time. Using one improperly could easily explode your much-smaller bicycle tire.
To fill up your Schraeder–valve tires at a gas station:
1. Be sure that you have a tight seal between the valve and the air compressor.
If it is not tight, you will hear hissing, which means that you’re losing not adding air.
2. Add air in quick puffs, bit by bit, until a pressure gauge shows that your tires are at the correct PSI (as determined in the preceding procedure).
Doing so will (hopefully—no guarantees from this writer) prevent too much air from entering your tire at once.
3. When your tire gauge shows the tire is at the correct PSI for your activity, put the cap back on.
Now you’ll have a much easier—and more fun—ride. Working Through Shame (C)2008 Riskin Writing & Editing. All rights reserved at home and abroad in all forms and formats. No part of this article may be disseminated in any form without permission of the author. I could write a treatise about shame and the easy rider. Many slower and/or beginner riders don't want to get on their bicycles in public because:
We are ashamed of our appearances: I hear that fear of wearing Spandex, shorts, and other revealing clothing is a significant reason why many non-featherweight riders avoid riding their bicycles. Spandex is a good synthetic layer to help keep you warm, and it doesn't have seams in painful places, but synthetic long johns and layering other clothing works just as well.
I just opted out of those skin-clinging Spandex tops this summer and am wearing quick-drying button-up shirts instead. When it gets colder, my synthetic long johns and fleece will come out of the closet—and I refuse to go back in just because I'm big. (Layers of synthetic materials trap warm air and keep you warm even if they get wet from sweat or our pernicious rain.)
We are embarrassed to be the slower riders on the trails and on the streets: I've even heard that faster riders have yelled at easy riders to get off the trails.
Know what? There are more of us slow riders than fast riders. We pay more taxes for those trails and for the streets than they do (since we outnumber them), so we have every right to be there.
Besides, more of us are buying bikes because of gas prices. So we have more company now.
Bicycle ride leaders are exceeding posted paces: Easy riders, who could have completed the ride at the posted pace, are humiliated by being kicked off the ride—sometimes scornfully.
People (especially women) are conditioned to think that they we are not good enough: For example, when I decided to get back in the saddle, I had to promise myself that I would not let shame stop me regardless of sometimes having to:
Ask for help even to get my bicycle out of the car. Push my bicycle up hills. Even if I'm walking up a hill—hey, that's exercise, too. Ride slowly. Abort a ride if I'm ill. Stop a group ride for me if I'm ill. Be satisfied with a very short ride even if I'm surrounded by racers and endurance cyclists (and deep inside, I feel like a bit of an idiot or like I should ride like them).
I figure that anytime I'm outside and exercising—even for 10 minutes—I have won! Just got to keep chasing away that shame so that I can keep getting on that bicycle.
7/8/08 update: Feeling better, getting faster, riding longer, conquering some hills. Keep at it, gang! Bicycling works. 10/1/08 update: I've been off my bike for several weeks and biking less since mid-August because of medical stuff. So I've been starting over again. The shoulds are resounding in my head: Should be able to ride that hill. Should be able to ride farther. Should be able to ride faster. In August, I was riding much bigger and longer hills, riding much farther, and riding quite a bit faster. Yesterday I rode 4 miles with one 1/4-mile, not very steep incline. YAY, I'M BACK IN THE SADDLE! (I admit, it was tough to say that.) I just have to remind myself that I should be riding at my current pace, trying steeper inclines gradually, and keeping my gears low enough to prevent zorching my knee out. The only things I should be doing are getting back in the saddle and taking care not to hurt my body. I'll keep increasing my ride difficulty—if I can do it without hurting myself. That means splitting the difference between listening to my "I can'ts" and pushing myself until I injure something. 2/2/09: Oi, vey. Back to the drawing board. My body fell apart again this winter, and I'll be starting riding again this spring from scratch. Now you really know I've been in your shoes—or maybe you can come help me get back in the saddle. Anyone care to join me? New rides to be listed early March, 2009. (C)2008 Riskin Writing & Editing. All rights reserved at home and abroad in all forms and formats. No part of this article may be disseminated in any form without permission of the author. 2008 Riskin Writing & Editing. All rights reserved in all formats at home and worldwide. No part of this Web site may be copied, printed, reprinted, or otherwise disseminated without permission of the author and Web site owner. See Contact Page for more information.
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