It’s that time of the year, when I’m at holiday parties and being a cyclist, I get asked about a lot about cycling. And that’s cool. I don’t mind answering the same questions over and over again. Just like when it’s bike-to-work time or Seattle to Portland season, many cyclists just don’t know the basics we know.
I’m posting the typical Q/A here as a collection and asking our readers to add to the tribal knowledge with your tips and suggestions. Those can range from eating on the bike, to riding in the rain, to what you carry in your saddle bag.
Cycling Q/A
In no particular order …
- Shaven legs?
- We do it cause it feels good in tight jeans! Actually for racers it’s to prevent infection in case you crash. Road rash is especially nasty with hair all gobbed up in the wound. With shaven legs — old school dudes oil their legs before a race — you can brush off the debris and actually slide on pavement better. It does keep you cooler in the Summer as well. No, it has nothing to do with aerodynamics. Does it show off the muscles? Yes it does and why not show off those big guns?
- Carbo Loading?
- Sports science goes back and forth on this one. For me, it depends on the length of the race or ride and the time. If I’m racing or touring in the morning, I eat big the night before and light the next morning. If it’s an afternoon race or big ride, I do the opposite. Recreational cyclists and amateurs, I don’t think burn enough calories to ever have to “carbo load.” The simple rule is eat until you’re almost full. More importanly, hydrate and learn to eat well on the bike. When it’s cold, eat more on the bike, because you’re burning more calories trying to stay warm.
- Bike Paths?
- I cringe whenever I see a cyclist out in traffic, when there’s either a good bike path or lane available. The lanes are there, we should use them. Sharrows do help yes. I ride with a bell and bling that thing all the time as I pass other cyclists, joggers, and bladers. Yes, I think teams, including my own, that ride fast on the paths and trails are assholes. Show me how fast you are out on the roads.
- Riding in Traffic?
- Cyclists must ride defensively and balance that with riding aggressively. The main issue is being seen and operating your bike as a vehicle. No, I don’t think we should blow stops signs and act like we own the road. But we shouldn’t cower along the side of the road, hoping we don’t get hit. I ride in industrial areas of Seattle, out where the warehouses are and lots of Semis. Never, ever had a problem with a semi or a truck. I’ve been yelled at and yelled at cars. I think that’s in your hands as a cyclist and I do my best to not yell anymore or give out love taps.
- Helmets?
- I wear a helmet and think everyone else should, but I don’t get on a soapbox about it. I’ve been in hard falls, seen hard, nasty bone-breaking crashes. I watched my wife land on a curb with her head and later held her hand in the hospital while she recovered from a concussion. I think cyclists often don’t realize the risks in cycling and any activity that puts you out on the road. If you choose to not wear a helmet, ok, but I don’t believe the thinking that helmets actually cause injury or other nonsense found online in some dark helmet-hating corner of the Internet. You live in Amsterdam, where there are more bikes than cars and don’t need helmets? Cool. I wish we had that here.
- Competition?
- We’re naturally competitive. Whether you’re into cargo, fixed, urban, racing, touring, or unicycles, if two cyclists are within a wheel of each other, it’s game on. I train and race and also enjoy riding, touring, and traveling with my bike. I don’t think any type of cycling is exclusive of the other. It’s all good.
- Shifting?
- When Shimano rolled out Coasting, they were addressing the biggest problem newbies and people returning to their bikes have: shifting them. It’s too complicated. Two rings, triples, 10 speeds, 11, and so on. Think of you and your bike as a bio-mechanical machine and that machine should strive for efficiency. You’re like Data in First Contact getting 1/2 a face of skin grafted on from the Borg queen — the bike will take you farther, get you in shape, and it’s fun. The bike is an extension of your body. Learn how it works and like a car, you’ve got a drivetrain with low, medium, and high gear ranges. Low is for climbing, medium for cruising, and high for going fast. Soon you’ll function like a Terminator, challenging your fellow commmuters with personal best times. Try to spin, but not at crazy spin class cadences, just comfortably.
Updates
Added new items as a think of them and fellow cyclists tell me.
- Tires
- Don’t skimp on tires, unless you’re riding around on a swept bike path. For riding in the rain, I’ve found the best way to avoid flats is run high-quality tires with the most rubber. I cycle out Michelin Pros from racing into training duty and also use Continental All-Seasons. I do not use Mr. Tuffys. I think they cause more flats from pinching and it feels like you’re pedaling in sand.
- Speed
- Want to get home a bit faster from your commute? Hang on the group ride or starting your first race? Spend your money on a new set of wheels. The most difference you can make, besides a new racing bike, is getting a fast set of wheels. Check with your local bike shop for recommendations. We’re fans here of Hed, reports are that dudes love the R-Sys, and of course Zipps.
From our Twitter followers
- Passion
- 5691gerg said: Put air in your tires, fuel in your tank and oil on your chain. a little passion goes a looooooong way.
- Common Sense
- otakgila said: The majority of cyclists don’t use common sense any more: Use hand signals. Don’t wear headphones. Watch out for car doors.
- Support your local bike shop
- probikewrench said: Find a good local bike shop and develop a good relationship with them. They will come in handy someday.
- Check your equipment, brake with care
- profileracing said: align the valve stem with the label on the tyre. Apply the rear brake and then the front brake. Smile more. Wave at everyone.
- Good Saddle
- Lindseym said: invest in a good saddle. I had real girly issues until I got one with a cut out. Always carry a spare inner tube.
Confidence This one ties right in with riding in traffic but also common sense. Make your presence clear and known. Take the lane when you need to, and make your trajectory as clear as possible to anyone else on the road/path.
I’d rather ride in the shoulder or even the lane, with cars that can see me. It’s far better to risk that than a training wheel in the spokes, the nasty bumps from tree roots, or getting T-boned in the driveways and intersections you cross through where you’re not expected. Five months later, I’m still getting collections calls for hospital and doctor bills my insurance company isn’t paying, thanks to the latter.
Another reason cyclists shave their legs: It facilitates massage. Massages feel much better when there’s no hair to get twisted up by the masseuse.
Helmets:
I think people don’t get the accidents that happen that need helmets. I watched a guy about a month ago go down crossing railroad tracks (always hit them at 90 degrees). He was going about 10 MPH. His wheel caught, he went straight into the ground forehead first. His helmet was on his handlebars. He was going slow, no cars. The guy was out on ground then came too and was holding his head, trying to sit up.
Another friend had his front quick release fail when he hit a hole. He was going 13 MPH but he still blew up his helmet and had a serious concussion.
Things happen when you are on a bike. It isn’t just being hit by a car or being in a pace line when injuries happen.
Eating on your bike:
Learn that you are eating now for what you’ll need in 30 minutes to an hour from now. If I’m on a long ride (more than 2 hours), I start eating small amounts at the 30 minute mark.
See, I really want someone to sell me on the shaved legs thing so that I don’t look quite so ridiculous on a road bike, but so far no-one has made an argument convincing enough.
It’s fine for fair-haired guys. When you’re a sasquatch like me the real question is ‘where do I stop’?
I already find shaving my face to be a hassle. Ya know?
I agree with no headphones. Not only do you do miss subtle cues when riding in traffic, but I don’t feel I should have to scream ‘passing’ at the top of my lungs and all but clip your wheel to get your attention.
@Simon,
There’s is a cultural aspect of leg shaving. It’s being in the club to shave — part of what roadies do. I’m hirsute as well and shave to the shorts line. Do it in the shower like girls do. After the first defoilage, if you stay on top of it, not that big of a deal. I’ve been shaving for over 15 years. On the other hand, if you’re riding dudes off your wheel, that’s saying enough and maybe you’ll get the name, “Gorilla Legs” or something. Just hope you don’t crash into a gravely corner with all the hair. It’s also correct that shaven legs helps athletic massages.
Also, I recently added a loud bell to my road bike to adapt to the increased use of the bike paths and headphones. Mostly roller bladers. And if they’re roller blading backwards towards me, they get extra blings of the bell.
Lighting - ride with a headlamp:
I ride with 3 lights on my bike (I’m a commuter in the Northern Mid-west). I have a Planet Bike red flasher for the back, a Planet Bike 1W LED headlight on my handlebars and the kicker - a very bright headlamp.
The headlamp lets has a 3W LED spotlight. I can point this at unknown objects in the road or sweep the road sides looking for cats, dogs, people. Most importantly, I can point it into the eyes of cars in front or to the sides of me. I can make sure they see me at night.
It is also good for finding the people who walk at night on an un-light bike path in dark clothing.
@Jim,
Good tip on lights; I was just commenting last week that LED have made amazing progress; especially hub-generated LEDs. See this tag for more on LED lights.
my axes, ground lazer-sharp:
never, ever, for any reason, assume that you are a visible cyclist.
yes. do things that make you more “visible.” why not, there’s no compelling reason not to. but the second your “visibility” leads to complacency is the second you are crushed beneath the wheels of a vehicle who simply DID NOT SEE YOU because IT WAS NOT LOOKING FOR YOU.
it’s important to harbor a sense of cynical paranoia. the only person looking out for your safety is you, and to assume that other people are (which is what you’re doing when you assume you’re “visible”) is, well, pretty dangerous.
also, if you find yourself more willing to take risks while wearing a helmet, as opposed to going bare-headed, you should stop. immediately. your helmet doesn’t protect you as much as it should, and wiping out at 40mph with a helmet is pretty much just as bad as without.
finally! have fun and don’t take it too seriously. biking rarely kills anybody and broken bones and road rash is just character-building fun.
ps, i thank robert hurst.
That brings me to a innovation I wish the industry would do — we’ve got bar-end lights and cool, but what that does is bring cars closer to a cyclists at night because they’re seeing a light that’s inline with a cyclists body. For a min of 3 feet, what if bar end lights were like either posable or we had running lights like motorcycles. Ever notice those lights are on rods that extend out?