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Club Tombay

07.04.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 9 Comments

Regular readers of Bike Forums will know what I’m getting at here. I joined Club Tombay on my ride today — that is, I had a clipless fall.

Tomber is the French word for “to fall.” It is pronounced, of course, tohm-BAY. We Americans corrupt it into TOM-bay.

Anyhow, I was having a great Fourth of July ride. Pat and I started off together, but after one loop of the Veloway, she decided to head for home. I kept going, and figured I’d do about 25 miles or so.

I had just turned onto a street that leads through a residential area. It’s a hilly street, and although it’s a thorofare, it is lightly traveled. At the top of a challenging hill is a cross street with a stop sign. There were cars at the intersection, and I slowed to stop.

For some reason, I lost all my concentration. I usually disengage the pedal well before a stop, but this time I stayed clipped in while I downshifted one more time. I was slowed to a creep. The bike drifted toward the curb. I turned the front wheel slightly to the right, to maintain my balance. It hit the curb, and slid along it for a few feet while I felt the familiar, sinking feeling of going down and not being able to do anything about it.

No damage done, except to my pride and self-esteem. The driver of the car that had pulled up next to me at the stop sign looked at me like I was some kind of alien from another planet. The bar tape on the end of the right handlebar was scuffed, and the bar end button had come off. I picked it up to replace it, but dropped it, and it bounced around in the gutter before rolling into the middle of the street. Now, the remaining two cars in the intersection could watch me as I nearly fell over the bike in the other direction while grabbing at the plastic button. I finally got it, and pretended to be an expert bike mechanic while I replaced it in front of my small audience.

I got right back up on the horse, and bent it to my will as I finished my ride. Even did an extra mile and a half, just to show it who is its Lord and Master. I suppose there will be more of these, but I prefer them when they happen in my driveway, out of the glare of the public eye.

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Categories // Rides, Technique Tags // clipless fall, pedal, tombay

What I’ve learned from this blog

06.11.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 1 Comment

When I started this blog back in February, I thought of it as a place to share my experiences as an older fella who is getting reacquainted with bicycling.

I think I’ve done that most of the time, but the blog has turned out to be so much more for me. I’m getting much more out of it than I’m putting in, and it’s all because of you.

Some terrific people have taken the time to comment on my posts, many of which have been ridiculously naive or uninformed. You’ve given me tips, advice, and feedback. Several of you have become online friends, and I’ve had the good fortune to actually meet a couple of you face to face.

So what has this blog experiment brought me?

Answers to my questions on sometimes elementary biking techniques, like using clipless pedals most efficiently. The pros and cons of road and mountain clipless, and the cleats and shoes that go with them. Advice about tire selection, bike accessories, food and drink, smooth riding. I was stunned when so many chimed in on that burning question: should I wear a bandana or a headband?

I’m a better biker today than I was in February. That’s partly due to experience, and just riding more. But in large part, it’s due to all of you who have shared your expertise with this newbie.

This post is beginning to read like a valedictory, and that’s not my intent. I’ll continue to write about my efforts to become a better biker, and I hope you continue to offer your comments on my posts. I just thought it was time to give some credit where credit is due. Thanks.

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Categories // Blogging, Technique Tags // blog, Blogging

Shifting problem

05.12.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 8 Comments

Here’s a problem I’ve been running into lately — perhaps someone can suggest how to fix it. Shifting on a hill — I can’t seem to do it smoothly. Actually, I’m not even talking about hills here — more like an incline that scrubs off your speed. If I’m in the large chainring, I’m always guessing at what point to shift down to the small ring. And when I do shift down, I’m in too large a rear cog, so my pedals spin freely, and I lose forward momentum. I frantically shift up several times in rapid succession to get to the gear I need to be in. Lately, I’ve tried shifting up a cog before shifting down to the small chainring, but even that doesn’t seem to solve my problem.

This never happens when shifting up to the large chainring, because then, I’m either going downhill or am at least on a flat.

Most of the articles I’ve read on the topic of shifting seem to stop just short of the situation I describe. They tell you to shift down so that you’re pedaling at the same cadence uphill as you would on a flat. Fine, but how to do it smoothly?

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Categories // Technique

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