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Archives for November 2012

Back to Normal

11.04.2012 by Ray Niekamp // Leave a Comment

“It’s a glorious day for bike ride,” exclaimed Mrs. Noob, as she walked back into the house after her Sunday morning jaunt.

I acknowledged her comment, but sitting in my robe drinking coffee and reading the New York Times on my iPad, I wasn’t in a position to dash out on my own and embark on my version of the ride. I had driven down to Austin from Dallas the night before, and I was savoring the extra hour of sleep I got from the time change, and the joy of not having to get up early for a Sunday club ride. Most of the clubbers were at a team time trial 40 miles south of here, anyway — one that I had not entered.

But she was right. Early November in Austin, and the temperature was hovering around 70 degrees (21C), the sun was out, and the wind was moderate. I got my stuff together to head out on the bike.

I decided to go to Creedmoor, since that was the route I had done two weeks ago when my wife had to sag me home because of a recurring flat. Because of the later than usual start, I knew I had to be prepared for heavy traffic around Interstate 35, but I expected the rest of the ride to be uneventful.

I was right about the traffic. I have to take the lane on Slaughter when passing under the Interstate, and even though I rode as far to the right as practicable, several bike-hating drivers laid on their horns. The ones that baffle me are the ones two lanes over, who aren’t even affected by my presence. Several versions of a speech I could give them, along the lines of, “What’s your problem, pal?” went through my head over the next few miles — from polite, reasoned discussions to profanity-laden tirades.

But it was too nice a day to spend a lot of time on that topic. I was alone on country roads by now, and when I reached the turnaround at the store in Creedmoor — 16.7 miles out — I was pleased to see that I’d reached it in just about one hour, for a 16.7 mph average speed. Since the route home was more uphill than down, I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold that average. But I was just enjoying myself today. I was pedaling steadily, with seemingly little effort, and still riding at a good speed.

On the way back, I realized that part of the reason I’d done so well on the way out was that I had a helping wind. Now, I was into the wind, and although it wasn’t strong, I did have to pedal harder against it. That just added to the interest of the ride. Negotiating the traffic at I-35 wasn’t as tough as on the way out, and the climb up the backside of Davis Hill felt easier than usual. That could be to the fact that, being in Dallas, I hadn’t done my usual rides on Friday or Saturday, and so was still fresh.

In the end, nothing earth-shaking. I rode 36 miles in a little less than two-and-a-half hours — average speed 15.0. I showered, made a sandwich, sat down to watch some football, and immediately felt myself falling asleep. I headed for the bedroom, and three hours later, woke up to find that the big chore of the day — mowing the back yard — wasn’t going to get done.

After a sub-standard October, this was a great way for me to get back in the swing of things. I expect I can resume a regular riding routine that will only be broken by Thanksgiving weekend. It feels good to be back to normal on the bike again.

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Categories // Rides Tags // Rides

Noob Mistake: Don’t Brake In a Turn

11.01.2012 by Ray Niekamp // 6 Comments

While out riding recently, I found myself in a rare position: I was moving pretty quickly. Speed is a fun sensation, and when coupled with a twisty route, the fun is doubled. Another bend was up ahead. That’s where the trouble started.

The curve tightened. Since I’d never been on this stretch of road before, I was unprepared for it. I grabbed for the brakes, and applied them.

Dumb. Noob mistake.

You don’t want to brake in turns. Braking while turning can cause you problems. For example, you must lean your bike into turns, but if you brake while leaning, you’ll affect your balance. The front wheel could slide out from under you.

Braking before a turn can cause problems as well. You could scrub off all your speed, and lose ground in the turn.

So, what is a cyclist to do?

Learn to lean. When I took my League of American Bicyclists Road I course years ago (now called Traffic Skills 101), we practices the emergency right turn. We flicked our handlebars left, which got the bike to lean right. Then we made the right turn at almost a right angle. It’s amazing how far over you can lean the bike without it sliding out from under. But, you must keep the momentum going. Braking won’t let you do that.

Like all things, it’s a matter of practice. Overcome your fear of falling by practicing the hard lean.

If you do have to brake while turning, use the rear brake only. Braking with the front during a turn could cause that slide that you don’t want. Even if the rear should lock up, you probably won’t fall.

But…for a contrary point of view, refer to our old friend Sheldon Brown, who advocates using the front brake in turns. He maintains that using the front brake shifts weight to the front, which gives it greater traction. Using the rear brake could cause the rear tire to slip, so he preferred not to use it at all.

The key is staying centered over the bike, whether riding down a straight street or leaning hard in a turn.

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Categories // Technique Tags // braking, noob mistake, turning

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