I had planned on a longish ride in the country today, but a cold front is due here tonight, and the winds are kicking up in advance. Gusts have hit 36 mph, so I figured instead I’d ride on the Veloway. The path is protected by trees or bushes for most of its 3.1 miles. It’s less than three miles from my house, so was a natural choice.
The new Specialized can do things the old Raleigh couldn’t do. Like handle a stiff headwind. The compact crank gives me more options to deal with hills and wind resistance. It can get knocked about in a sidewind, though, and you must stay alert. It’s also a little skittish going into turns. The Raleigh, when pointed on its line, stayed there. The Specialized will lose the line unless you concentrate. I’ve found that looking in the direction you intend to turn helps keep the bike pointed on the right line.
Most of the other bikers out there today were roadies. A few mountain bikers were out, but not many.
I did four laps of the Veloway, for 12.4 miles. Coupled with a 5.6-mile roundtrip from home, a nice 18-mile ride. The weather for the next few days will be chilly and wet – but I’ll be working, and there won’t be much riding time.
One thing I have learned to help me through turns is to put my weight on the outside pedal, to the point that I am just about to stand. This makes the bike feel more “firm” through the turn.
Yep, it does increase traction. “Jam it!” is the advice I’ve heard — really push down hard on the outside pedal. That alone won’t do it for me, though. I have to look toward where I want to finish up, and that also helps the bike get around the way you want it to.