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My riding inspiration

02.21.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 4 Comments

So how was it that I decided to get into biking, after never really considering it much before?

My wife.

She’s president of a professional organization that sponsors a local charity ride, and figured that as president, she’d better be a visible participant in the project. It’s a well-organized ride, and provides training rides four months before the event. They start small, and work up to substantial mileage.

At the beginning, six-mile rides left her huffing and puffing. By the month of the ride, they were after work pick-me-ups. On the weekends prior to the ride, she rode 25, 28 and 28 miles.

The effort is all the more impressive because of her bike. She rides a 15-year-old Trek hybrid. It’s heavy and slow. But she learned a lot during the training rides. She bought padded bike shorts and a jersey, and a friend “demanded” that she ditch the styrofoam helmet she owned since the early ’90s. The ride trainers also suggested she swap the knobby tires on the hybrid for narrower, smoother tires. And last but not least, she got clipless pedals and real bike shoes.

Her sister came down from Dallas to be at the finish, and the two of us drove out to the park where the riders would come in. On a narrow county road just before the park, there she was – her red biking jersey really stood out. But she was walking her bike, not riding. We pulled up alongside, and she told us she had fallen at a water crossing a few hundred yards back. She couldn’t disengage her pedal cleat fast enough as she approached the water, and went down. Injuries were minor–a few bruises and some “road rash,” and as we pulled our car into the parking area, we could see her get back up on her bike for the finish. We parked the car, grabbed the camera, and hurried to the finish line, but by the time we got there, she was already in the finishing chute with a big smile on her face.

Pat on Bike
Nearing the finish.

In the finishing chute
In the finishing chute. Her friend and ad hoc trainer, Scott, is right behind.

The ride was undoubtedly the most athletic thing this middle-aged woman had ever done in her life, and it left her with a great sense of accomplishment. It also proved to me that with a little effort, I could get there, too.

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Categories // Rides

A summertime ride

02.20.2008 by Ray Niekamp // Leave a Comment

In early summer, 2007, I had ridden the Trek mountain bike several times, simply as an alternative exercise to jogging. But I realized that the Trek was slower than I wanted, so I pulled out the Raleigh, and started riding it instead.

My helmet was one that I had bought 15 years before. It was the old-fashioned styrofoam kind, with a cloth and net cover. I had a pair of mountain bike riding shorts, with a padded bottom, but instead of a biking jersey, I wore an old t-shirt.

Not far from the house is a major 4-lane divided highway with wide shoulders–great for biking. A brief trip through neighborhood streets gets you to the highway, and a right turn onto it starts you on a small downhill stretch that lets you build your speed. From driveway to driveway, the route is almost exactly 13 miles, and in the summer of ’07, that was a good ride.

I was starting to learn the idiosyncracies of the Raleigh. Its narrow road tires indicated a maximum pressure of 100 lbs. Pumped up that high, the tires rolled with minimal resistance. But about halfway through the ride on a warm July day, a loud bang interrupted things. The rear tire had blown.

I was at the farthest point from the house on the ride. I didn’t carry a spare tube in my saddlebag. I could only start walking the bike home. It was more than three miles by the most direct route. It took more than an hour.

That weekend, I took the bike into a local bike shop to buy a new tire and tube. Since I was there, I figured they could mount the new tire for me. The mechanic beckoned me over.

“This wheel is an old one,” he said. “It doesn’t have lips to clinch the tire. If you want to keep from getting flats, I recommend you don’t inflate it more than 70 pounds.”

It seemed to ride okay at the reduced pressure. But there would be more flats. From this point on, though, I would be able to handle them.

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Categories // Bikes, Rides

My bikes

02.19.2008 by Ray Niekamp // Leave a Comment

I’ve got two bikes. The one I ride most often is a Raleigh Super Record from 1981. My wife gave it to me for my 30th birthday. Through the years, I rode it off and on, sometimes for as much as 40 miles at a time. But biking was not something we ever really got serious about.

The Raleigh is a 10-speed all steel road bike. It has stem-mounted friction shifters (you feel what gear you’re in–it’s easier than it sounds). The bike’s finish is scratched quite a bit, especially on the seat tube, where I used to mount a U-lock. It’s a heavy bike, which is great on downhills. It really flies. Uphills are another story. It slows fast.

Since starting to ride it seriously last summer, I have made a few modifications to the bike. First, I got clipless pedals. They’re a great addition for anyone planning to do a lot of road riding–even something less than a lot. I replaced the gel seat with a cutout model from Performance Bike. Although its front tire has a tan sidewall, I got an all black tire for the back, because of its name brand. For looks, I replaced the torn cloth bar tape with black, gray and white cork tape.

The Raleigh

The Raleigh with the clipless pedals, black rear tire, and splash tape.

One of these days, I might get really brave and make some extensive modifications to the bike. That would involve stripping it to the bare frame, repainting it, and replacing most components. I’d like to lose the stem mounted shifters and get the kind known as “brifters,” or shifter/brake lever combinations. I’d get new wheels, the current 700C size to replace the 27-inch heavy steel wheels, and new brakes. But that won’t happen anytime soon.

My other bike is an entry-level mountain bike, a Trek 4900. It was also a birthday present from my wife, from only about five years ago. I never really took to it. The fat knobby tires put up a lot of road resistance, which scrubs off a lot of speed. I have no interest in riding off-road, so the bike is only used as a backup, if the Raleigh is temporary out of commission. I haven’t decided if I’ll keep it or get rid of it.

Since starting to ride a lot last summer, I’ve been researching bikes, and have come to the conclusion that I need something new. I’ll continue to research, but I have a feeling that that something is just around the corner. When I get it, you’ll be the first to know.

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