I love learning new ways to do old things. Today I learned a new way to repair a flat tire. It's called Dutch style. This style means you don't remove the tire, just repair it while it's still attached to the frame. This nifty trick is demonstrated by the fun folks at PathLessPedaled.com
This interesting pair have a good website and provide interesting content on bike touring, activism, and life in general.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Clean Bikes Go Faster
One of my not so favorite bike chores is cleaning my bike. I put it off more than I get it done. But it really is something that should be done. Bicycles are machines. Machines require maintenance. Cleaning is a routine aspect of maintenance that shouldn't be skipped. I was surfing around on youtube.com to see what interesting videos were out there on bikey topics and found a short simple video on cleaning your bike. It is to the point and has some good tips. Check it out here.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Hydration
I doubt the importance of hydration is a new concept to any rider, but I don't doubt some people are misinformed about what and how much to drink. Because it is summer and quite warm in our riding environment, I think it's worth a little consideration.
I find this topic often leaves me dissatisfied because I believe that most of the media provide incomplete and misleading advise on how to prevent/treat dehydration. It has been a trend in amateur sports and popular advertising to emphasize the importance of replacing electrolytes with rehydration. I don't deny that electrolytes are important and necessary, but I see danger in the falsely elevated value of "sport drinks". My biggest objection is the unnecessary inclusion of sugar in these products; way too much sugar. The advertisers would have us think that anything other than their drink will result in poor performance and/or failure. If your replacement fluid consists of unnecessary sugar plus unnecessary electrolytes, it isn't doing you near as much good as you think, and is probably doing worse.
Alternative strategies can include plain water, a gel or goo product (or the "gummy"-like products) that contains small amounts of sugar plus electrolytes; small amounts of a very dilute sports drink plus plain water; plain water and food containing electrolytes. My theme of course is that plain water is good, not bad, as some people seem to want you to think. By the way, electrolytes are not some magic potion that can only be found in a commercial product manufactured to improve performance. They are naturally occurring elements found in regular old food. The main electrolytes necessary for the human body include: sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate. There are of course others, but these are the main ones. Replacing what your body looses during exercise is not a secrete that was unlocked and must be paid for by purchasing fancy products.
I want to be clear, there are circumstances when some sport drinks can be helpful. But these instances will be few and far between. One must loose a lot of sweat, over an extended period of time, to make these drinks relevant. I'm talking about extended extreme exertion (try and come up with another 3E statement!). The average athlete working out for a few hours is not likely to meet this criteria. For them, plain water (and a regular diet) will be sufficient.
Instead of emphasizing fancy products, I believe the emphasis should be on fluid replacement that can be achieved without expense or extra calories. To my way of thinking "sport drinks" are just a repackaged and modernized version of the soda pop. Don't fall into the trap, resist, and rehydrate simply, but do it well. It is necessary to drink a lot of fluid, not a lot of calories.
I find this topic often leaves me dissatisfied because I believe that most of the media provide incomplete and misleading advise on how to prevent/treat dehydration. It has been a trend in amateur sports and popular advertising to emphasize the importance of replacing electrolytes with rehydration. I don't deny that electrolytes are important and necessary, but I see danger in the falsely elevated value of "sport drinks". My biggest objection is the unnecessary inclusion of sugar in these products; way too much sugar. The advertisers would have us think that anything other than their drink will result in poor performance and/or failure. If your replacement fluid consists of unnecessary sugar plus unnecessary electrolytes, it isn't doing you near as much good as you think, and is probably doing worse.
Alternative strategies can include plain water, a gel or goo product (or the "gummy"-like products) that contains small amounts of sugar plus electrolytes; small amounts of a very dilute sports drink plus plain water; plain water and food containing electrolytes. My theme of course is that plain water is good, not bad, as some people seem to want you to think. By the way, electrolytes are not some magic potion that can only be found in a commercial product manufactured to improve performance. They are naturally occurring elements found in regular old food. The main electrolytes necessary for the human body include: sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate. There are of course others, but these are the main ones. Replacing what your body looses during exercise is not a secrete that was unlocked and must be paid for by purchasing fancy products.
I want to be clear, there are circumstances when some sport drinks can be helpful. But these instances will be few and far between. One must loose a lot of sweat, over an extended period of time, to make these drinks relevant. I'm talking about extended extreme exertion (try and come up with another 3E statement!). The average athlete working out for a few hours is not likely to meet this criteria. For them, plain water (and a regular diet) will be sufficient.
Instead of emphasizing fancy products, I believe the emphasis should be on fluid replacement that can be achieved without expense or extra calories. To my way of thinking "sport drinks" are just a repackaged and modernized version of the soda pop. Don't fall into the trap, resist, and rehydrate simply, but do it well. It is necessary to drink a lot of fluid, not a lot of calories.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Handeling the Heat
I don't want to sound like I am complaining, but we are currently experiencing unusually hot and humid weather. It is enough of a change that I need to bring this consideration into my riding plan.
With good intentions and no alarm clock, the earliest I've made it out the door on my bike this week has been 7:30. This isn't very early for one thinking they will get a good ride in before it gets hot. I cut it a little short and finished my ride at 10:00 today. It was already pretty hot: 82F with 80% humidity. I live in a desert, so humidity is much more of a problem for me than heat alone. I'm not used to it. This has given me something to think about. Weather can be relative, depending on what a person is used to.
Planning a bike trip in a climate different than one is used to may be difficult. I am beginning to realize important ways in which this experience and knowledge can make or break a plan. For example, if I were going to start a tour tomorrow by leaving my front door, I would have a plan to set my alarm very early and try to be on the road soon after first light. Riding in the cool quiet morning would be far more pleasant, and take far less of my mental energy, than trying to accomplish the same ride in the peak of the heat (which is currently mid-afternoon). It also cools down quite nicely in the late afternoon and evening here (and stays light). A good plan could include laying low in the heat of the day and then riding for another few hours in the evening if distance were a concern.
My first adjustment to the conditions I am currently facing will be to make sure I set an alarm and get on the road earlier when I plan a longer ride. Next I will look at hydration.
With good intentions and no alarm clock, the earliest I've made it out the door on my bike this week has been 7:30. This isn't very early for one thinking they will get a good ride in before it gets hot. I cut it a little short and finished my ride at 10:00 today. It was already pretty hot: 82F with 80% humidity. I live in a desert, so humidity is much more of a problem for me than heat alone. I'm not used to it. This has given me something to think about. Weather can be relative, depending on what a person is used to.
Planning a bike trip in a climate different than one is used to may be difficult. I am beginning to realize important ways in which this experience and knowledge can make or break a plan. For example, if I were going to start a tour tomorrow by leaving my front door, I would have a plan to set my alarm very early and try to be on the road soon after first light. Riding in the cool quiet morning would be far more pleasant, and take far less of my mental energy, than trying to accomplish the same ride in the peak of the heat (which is currently mid-afternoon). It also cools down quite nicely in the late afternoon and evening here (and stays light). A good plan could include laying low in the heat of the day and then riding for another few hours in the evening if distance were a concern.
My first adjustment to the conditions I am currently facing will be to make sure I set an alarm and get on the road earlier when I plan a longer ride. Next I will look at hydration.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
A Series of Small Decisions
My first tour is nearing (August), and I am beginning to think more concretely about details I must consider. There are many decisions to make, some of which I will put off until the last minute. Some of the things I will need to decide include: what kind of tires do I want to ride, what will my clothing strategy be, what electronics will I bring & how do I plan to charge/use them?
I have never been to the places the tour will travel and this leaves some uncertainty. I guess there is always some uncertainty so I won't dwell on that. I plan to stick to information gathered in research, past experience, and instinct.
What I'm thinking about a lot right now is clothing. I want to be prepared for extremes of hot and cold, but emphasize the middle ground. The obvious concepts of layers and appropriate fabrics will be easy to put into practice. I want to be comfortable on and off the bike. The decisions that feel important are about which shorts (wool, lycra, long/short, thick/thin padding), and how many? "How many" is a big question about everything. The tour is only 6 days long so it won't really matter if I go quite spare, this isn't a luxury tour. But there is a question about comfort. I've never ridden so much in a short period of time without the possibility of a thorough cleaning of my clothes. Rinsing may be the best I can expect.
As for electronics, the prospect of not being able to use my iPhone in the maner to which I have become accustomed, is too dreadful to think about. I am considering a solar charger, but I bought one a few years ago and was disappointed and returned it. I will probably check to see if the new ones are more promising.
As I continue to define my priorities and strategies, I will re-visit some of these topics. I would love input from others who have experience with some of the issues discussed here.
I have never been to the places the tour will travel and this leaves some uncertainty. I guess there is always some uncertainty so I won't dwell on that. I plan to stick to information gathered in research, past experience, and instinct.
What I'm thinking about a lot right now is clothing. I want to be prepared for extremes of hot and cold, but emphasize the middle ground. The obvious concepts of layers and appropriate fabrics will be easy to put into practice. I want to be comfortable on and off the bike. The decisions that feel important are about which shorts (wool, lycra, long/short, thick/thin padding), and how many? "How many" is a big question about everything. The tour is only 6 days long so it won't really matter if I go quite spare, this isn't a luxury tour. But there is a question about comfort. I've never ridden so much in a short period of time without the possibility of a thorough cleaning of my clothes. Rinsing may be the best I can expect.
As for electronics, the prospect of not being able to use my iPhone in the maner to which I have become accustomed, is too dreadful to think about. I am considering a solar charger, but I bought one a few years ago and was disappointed and returned it. I will probably check to see if the new ones are more promising.
As I continue to define my priorities and strategies, I will re-visit some of these topics. I would love input from others who have experience with some of the issues discussed here.
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