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My new toy

06.10.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 8 Comments

Every so often, something happens that reminds me I’m still a Bike Noob.

This time, it involved my cyclocomputer. At the Real Ale Ride, we were packing up to go home. I unclipped the computer from its mount, and slipped it into the back pocket of my jersey. After the bikes were securely strapped onto their carrier, it occurred to me that I could put on the spare t-shirt I had brought to the ride, so I shucked off the jersey and changed into the t-shirt.

That evening, when I looked for the computer to add its data to my ride stats (I’m a dweeb), I couldn’t find it anywhere. I finally concluded that it had fallen out of my pocket to the ground when I took off the jersey. I wasn’t too broken hearted about it. It was a good first cyclocomputer, but now I had an excuse to go shopping. (Which for men is an entirely different experience than for women. They buy clothes. We buy toys. Toys are more fun.)

Anyway, it had been suggested that I look for something that measures cadence. The winner:

The Cateye Strada Cadence.

It’s the Strada Cadence by Cateye. It just looked like a quality unit. It’s wired, which my previous computer was not, so I had to contend with that when I installed it — and it took a couple tries before I got it right. But this afternoon, I got to take it on its maiden voyage.

I did my favorite 15-mile after work ride: My house to the Veloway, three laps, then home. Map My Ride puts the distance at 14.9 miles. The old Ascent consistently called it around 14.6. Today, the Cateye had it at 14.74. Pretty close.

But there’s one hitch. The cadence sensor isn’t working. The crank on my Allez stands out pretty far from the chainstay, and I don’t think the magnet on the crank is close enough to the sensor on the chainstay for it to register. I suppose it’ll just take some experimentation on my part.

The magnet on the crank (held in place by the zip tie) is supposed to pass over the “sensor line” on the sensor mounted on the chainstay — but there’s a wide gap between the two.

Another problem is that the inside of the crank arm has a concave indentation. That forces me to mount the magnet right on the edge of the arm, to get it as close to the sensor as possible. It’s still not close enough.

Other riders have made this work, and I will, too. But if you have any experience with this particular model, let me know how you solved the problem.

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Categories // Accessories Tags // cadence, Cateye, computer, Cyclocomputer

ID

05.28.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 9 Comments

I’ve always been a bit irrational about carrying identification when I ride. That’s because early on I worried about losing my wallet with my drivers license. Even when the wallet was securely zipped in my seat bag. Even though sometimes I carry my wallet in a pants pocket that doesn’t button shut.

But that’s no matter. I just couldn’t get past the lost DL thing. So I created an ID of a sort, typing out name, address, and emergency contact info on a small piece of paper, taking it to Wal-Mart and running it through one of those cheapy laminating machines near the entrance.

It got bent up in a few rides. I didn’t want to keep going back to Wal-Mart, so I tried something different. This time, I created the ID as above, and also xeroxed my health insurance card. I cut them both to the size of a business card, then put each on either side of one of my business cards, and used clear packing tape to improvise a lamination.

I’m pretty happy with the results. The resulting card is stiff, and the packing tape makes it virtually waterproof. The first thing I do when leaving for a ride is stick it in one of the back pockets of my jersey. No need to worry about jamming my wallet into the seat bag.

My wife thinks I’m being silly. She puts both her drivers license and her health insurance card in her seat bag before every ride. Of course, she’s never had a problem.

Road ID has built a business for itself by making nice ID tags that can be fastened to a wrist, or an ankle, or most any other place. The company argues that emergency workers don’t typically go through an injured person’s pockets, and wouldn’t find an ID card there — but will see an ID tag worn outside.

I haven’t talked to an emergency worker, so I don’t know. For now, I’m comfortable with my way. But if I can be convinced, I will happily change.

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Categories // Accessories, Safety

Base layers — even in hot weather?

05.25.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 5 Comments

Speaking of jerseys, I have some base layers along the lines of Under Armour (mine are by Jockey). They fit tight to the skin, which is somewhat disturbing to look at in the mirror, but work like a charm.

The base layers are thin polyester material that wick moisture away from the body. They add to the rider’s comfort, because they can warm a bit on a chilly day, and cool a bit when it’s hot and humid. I have a t-shirt and a tank top, and have used them both throughout the spring.

But today, the temperature was already well into the 80s when I left on my ride, and it was only going to go higher. I skipped the base layer. When I got back after a 24-mile hill workout, the temperature had risen to 94°F (34°C) — hey, this is central Texas and will probably be this way until late September — and I was drenched with sweat.

If I had worn the base layer, it might have minimized some of that drenching. But it might also have made me warmer on an already hot day.

Do you use base layers? Is there a temperature cutoff point at which you won’t wear them anymore?

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Categories // Accessories, Equipment

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