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Noob Mistake: Helmet on Backwards

05.07.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 5 Comments

It’s spring. In most parts of the country anyway. And that means organized rides are springing up all over. Lots of noobs turn out for their first organized rides ever, and they make their share of mistakes. Here’s one that I noticed a few years ago.

I was walking across a parking lot toward the ride start, when I passed a couple also headed in that direction. They were obvious first-timers. As I looked at the woman, something struck me as odd. She had the weirdest looking helmet I’ve ever seen.

Except on closer inspection, it wasn’t the helmet at all — that turned out to be a fairly common variety. It was the way she wore it. The black scalloped rear was facing forward.

“Your helmet is on backward,” I said quietly, as I walked past them.

She stopped, pulled off her helmet, and stared at it.

“It is? On backward? How can you tell?” she asked.

“The smooth part goes in the front,” I replied. “It’s more aerodynamic that way.”

She looked at her husband. He looked back and shrugged. She turned the helmet around and put it back on, the right way.

She’s not the first I’ve seen making that mistake. Lots of people figure that since the helmet slopes down in the rear, and had lots of openings that must suck in air, that’s the front.

This is not the front.
This is not the front.
This is the front.
This is the front.

But as we all know from basic physics, the airfoil shape of an aircraft wing is rounded in front, and tapers toward the rear.

I can understand why a noob might be confused.
I can understand why a noob might be confused.

If you see a newbie looking extra dorky on a ride this spring, come to their rescue. Show them the proper way to wear a helmet.

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Categories // Accessories, Equipment, Safety Tags // helmets, noob mistake

Sign of a Caring Bike Shop

03.21.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 1 Comment

What makes a good bike shop? In the past, we’ve noted some qualities, such as taking the time to learn your needs, treating you like a regular person rather than someone to sell something to, and knowledgeable mechanics.

A member of my bike club had one of the good experiences the other day, and let the rest of the club know about it. This particular bike shop is one of our club’s sponsors. We wear their logo on our jersey sleeves, and enjoy discounts at the shop. But it’s easy to take them for granted. My friend Buddy wrote that after about 12 to 14 miles on the bike, his foot went numb. Buddy picks up the story here:

“[It] has now progressed to foot pain anterior/superior to my arch. It was getting to the point where pain was not subsiding by the next day.

I finally decided I needed new cycling shoes. I took my current pair in to Bicycle Sports Shop this past Saturday expecting them to sell me a new pair, but I experienced quite the opposite. The sales assistant inspected my shoes and he quickly observed my insole was not optimal but there was still plenty of wear remaining on them.

He went into a full length discussion about the importance of proper fitting of shoes. He measured where my my instep was in relation to my shoe fit and marked it, he measured the type of arch I have using a thermal sensor, he measured how my feet pronated/supinated and whether their natural position was vargus or valgus.

Then he reset/repositioned my cleats, fitted and installed a proper Specialized arch insole according to my measurements, and inserted the proper wedge shim based on how my feet align under my knees. All this and the store was really busy. He could have easily just sold me a new pair of shoes and I never once mentioned that I was a member of [the club].

I figured it would take at least two or three cycling evolutions to see if I gained any benefit, but I tested them out today first time doing about 25 mi and OMG!  Just experienced slight numbness in the foot, no pain, and the apposing chronic slight knee pain and nagging lower back pain that I thought were just age related did not even occur!  I will definitely continue my patronage there for any future cycling needs.  And I will not mention any other competitors by name,  but the previous establishment I went to  basically just told me to ‘Match my shoe size and leave a little extra room in case your feet swell.’  Glad I shopped around.”

When your bike shop goes the extra mile for you, don’t take them for granted. Take your return business to them.

 

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Categories // Equipment Tags // bike shop

Saddle Feels Funny – But In A Good Way!

01.29.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 5 Comments

I’ve been bugged lately by soreness in my butt during rides. This is a problem I’ve wrestled with pretty much since I started biking. A pro bike fit a couple of years ago helped, but not entirely. And in recent months, I find myself standing on the pedals at regular and more frequent intervals to take the pressure off from down under.

I finally decided to do something about it, and last weekend I dug out the Allen wrench and went to work on the seat. Well, nothing drastic. I just thought it made sense to scooch it back about an eighth of an inch. Using the time-honored method of gauging seat fore-and-aft, I realized that when riding normally on the hoods, the front hub stuck out from under my handlebars — just a little bit.

My first ride after the adjustment Friday afternoon was inconclusive. I thought maybe it felt better, but the ride was only for 20 miles — about an hour and 20 minutes. It wasn’t enough time to get a good feel for the new placement.

On Sunday’s ride though, I did spend enough time in the saddle. My ride was almost three full hours, and we traveled 43 miles. Sure, I stood on the pedals. But on a ride of that length, who doesn’t? What I did notice was that the seat felt more comfortable. I was sitting a slight bit back, and it seemed to make a difference.

When we got to the convenience store we use for a turnaround, I propped the bike up against a wall and went in to refill my bottles. When I came out, I took a look at the bike — then looked again. That saddle seemed to have a marked tilt down! I have no idea how it got that way, except that when I loosened the bolts to move the saddle back, I must have knocked it off level.

Even a quick snapshot in my cluttered garage shows the forward tilt to the saddle.
Even a quick snapshot in my cluttered garage shows the forward tilt to the saddle.

I’ve always set my saddles so they’re level. Well, maybe I fudge a little bit, and tilt it half a bubble down, according to my carpenters level. But this was lots different. The tilt forward was noticeable just by eyeballing it. My initial reaction was to reach for my multi-tool and set things right, but then I remembered — on the ride out here, my butt wasn’t bothering me. The soreness and pressure I usually experience just wasn’t there. I decided to leave well enough alone, and ride back.

I’ve already talked about that ride in the previous post. It was an easy ride for my companions, and a challenge for me. But even during the final mile, when I was pedaling hard to keep up with one of the club’s faster women, the saddle wasn’t bothering me. In fact, I seemed to be able to apply more power to the pedals in the new position.

Last summer, I rode with an older gentleman who tilts his saddle forward at a drastic angle. I told him I was surprised that he didn’t slide off during his rides — the tilt was that severe. He pointed out that he spends most of his riding time on his aero bars, and he needs a tilted saddle to fit the bars well with a well bent-over riding position. It must work — he’s a faster rider than I am.

So even though I’m riding with a greater forward tilt than I think I should, I’m coming to the conclusion that maybe I should have been doing it this way all along. My saddle tilt isn’t as great as that fellow’s, but as I said, it’s obvious even to the casual cyclist. I’ll let you know if I decide to keep it this way.

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Categories // Equipment Tags // bike fitting, saddle

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