Bike Noob

Because I'm Always Learning Something New

A Noob Goes To The Races

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The Bike Noob has never contemplated racing, but guest poster Jeff Hemmel has — and he did more than contemplate. Jeff tells about his first race, during his vacation this summer in upstate New York.

So there I was, sandwiched between a breakaway pack of 12 riders, pedaling nearly as fast as I thought humanly possible, looking at the last 90-degree corner of what had been 30 of the fastest, most hardcore miles I had ever ridden. All around me faces were dead serious, jerseys were filled with sponsor logos…legs were shaved. And then there was me, a noob, riding my very first race, jersey a plain and unassuming blue…and no real game plan what to do next.

What the hell was I thinking?

To get to that answer you need to backtrack to late July, 2010. That was when I first came up with the idea of actually trying to contest a race while vacationing in Upstate NY. Long story short I chickened out, but vowed to try again in 2011. After all, this race was perfect…it started in a picturesque riverside town, it had some of the hills that I love (and hopefully most riders would hate), and was a fundraiser for a good cause.

Most important, no one knew me. If I choked, I could fade into the background, my pride shielded by my outsider’s anonymity.

I can’t really say why I did it. Most likely it’s because, like it or not, I’m somewhat of a competitive person. While two years ago I was simply content to hang with the Sunday morning group ride, lately I had been trying to actually contest the end-of-ride sprint. I have no aspirations of signing up for every race that comes along, but I wanted to test myself, if only this once.

Which is why, this July upon arriving in New York, I not only began to rack up my usual mileage in the hills, but frequently found myself visiting the race website…mapping out the route…even watching it fly by on Google Earth. And yes, a few days before the event, traveling about 90 minutes north to plop my bike on those roads and actually riding the course. That I made about 10 wrong turns and ended up turning a 30-miler into a nearly 50-mile reconnaissance isn’t the point. The point is I took it seriously and prepared. If you looked closely at my bike at the start, you would have even seen a little piece of masking tape on the stem, labeled with various mileage points and whether the race was turning left or right.

As I said, competitive…and yes, maybe just a little bit anal.

My race day plan was simple — to spot the guys who looked like they were the most serious, and not let them get out of my sight. I figured I’d either burn out and limp to the finish at the back of the pack, or maybe, just maybe, surprise everyone (including myself) and hang on to the finish.

Well, this looks daunting.

At the start, the latter option didn’t look too promising. A well-organized team jumped away from the 100-plus rider field only a mile into the race, and I fought to stay with them, watching my speedo settle in about 26 mph. Their intent seemed to be to drop as many people as possible right off the bat, and I was almost certain I would be next. Somehow I stayed close, even joining their paceline so I could say I did my share of the work and at least earn their respect before my flameout. Miraculously, however, that moment never came. As I survived mile after mile my confidence grew and I knew I could hang with them till the finish, especially as their speed settled down slightly. As to any pipe dreams of actually dropping the pack on a climb and soloing to victory a la Andy Schleck, however, I knew I didn’t have a chance. This group was strong, and even if I found myself with an advantage on a climb, I knew they’d reel me in with ease once things flattened out.

I'm in there somewhere.

So, I I fought my impetuous instincts, rode smart, and just tried to fit in…a guy with hairy legs in a generic jersey in the midst of a bunch of logoed-up team members looking clean and mean. With about three miles to go, a three-man breakaway leapt ahead, but somehow we reeled them in about a mile from the finish. Still together at mile 29, all that remained was a bunch sprint — a scenario I had really hoped to avoid given my utter lack of racing skills. Heading into that 90-degree lefthand turn about 100 yards from the finish, I took the inside line, only to be cut off by the rest who kept up their speed and swept through the corner. I hit my brakes, lost momentum, and watched as that team led their leader out to the finish. It was actually pretty impressive.

And I still managed to finish first in my age group.

The best news for me? I did okay. I triumphed over the nerves of 2010, finished upright (the primary goal of any first-time racer a friend reminded me before the race), and was greeted at the finish line by my daughters and wife…three people in town who did recognize me.

Finish line greeting.

That’s a victory in any noob’s book.

Chasing Pavements

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Here’s a guest post from a reader on the other side of the globe, 17-year-old David Low of Singapore. (To remind our American readers, “pavement” is the U.K. English word for “sidewalk.”)

Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements? — Adele

I’m not sure how many budding teenage cyclists read Bike Noob, but as a 17 year-old kid, I thought I’d like to share my thoughts on cycling with other cyclists of my age.

I live in Singapore, a small city-state that is only 710 square kilometers large (268 sq. miles — roughly 3.5 times the size of Washington D.C). With an equatorial climate, the weather here is perfect for cycling all year round. However, the small island that my country resides on means that space is at a premium. To have dedicated bike paths that other countries can have is a luxury that we simply can’t afford.

Many beginners who are afraid to cycle on the roads start out on the pavements, and I think that’s fine. However, I feel that cyclists should try and keep off the pavements as much as they can because:

  1. Cycling on pavements is an anti-social (not to mention illegal in my country) behaviour in my opinion. People don’t expect to see a bike hurtling past them from behind, and many a time they are startled. Sometimes, they may also accidently move into the path of an oncoming bike. After a few bad experiences like this, people start to see cyclists as a menace, and we don’t want that!
  2.  It is dangerous to do so. Cycling on the pavements is always dangerous, as pavements are not designed for cyclists. Blind corners, hidden objects, potholes, and the list goes on.

It may be only two reasons, but I think that they are very important, and we can’t overlook them. Of course, sometimes the pavement can be safer for all the budding cyclists out there, but I always wondered where and how did everyone learn how to bike? Did you guys take the pavements? I’m sure the Bike Noob readers can chip in!

It’s here though that I would like to share my personal story on how I literally flew off the pavement to learn how to cycle on the road, and why I don’t recommend cycling on pavements.

In December 2007 (I was 14), as a complete newbie, I did not have the confidence to cycle on the road, and kept to the pavements like a good boy. I was cruising along at about 20 km/h on my mountain bike when I was startled to see a large gap (almost half the pavement was cut out, and it was now flush with the road level with a shiny new manhole cover where it used to be) in the pavement that didn’t use to be there. Before I could react, my front tire dropped into the gap and I came to a complete stop. While my front shock suspender largely cushioned the impact of the fall, the collision still sent me flying over the handlebars onto the road, right smack in the middle of a bus- priority lane.  You could imagine how horrified I was at the realization of where I ended up on.

Fortunately, luck was on my side, and the traffic light behind me had turned red. The few cars that were headed my way managed to avoid hitting me.

That incident got me off the pavement and onto the roads and made me a staunch advocator of keeping cyclists off the pavement. Although that close brush with death still haunts me, I am proud to announce that I am a confident cyclist today, rocking a Felt Z-80 road bike!

Sunblock – Don’t Leave Home Without It

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When the Bike Noob goes in for his annual physical exam each September, the doctor looks at his biker’s tan and asks if he uses sunblock. “SPF 30 or better,” he says. “Good. Be sure you do,” the doc answers. But today, guest poster Don Blount looks at sunblock from a different perspective.

Like many cyclists, my pre-ride preparation changes with the weather. In the fall and winter I check my warmers, long-fingered gloves and pack a rain jacket, just in case.

During the summer, instead of donning a wool cycling cap, one of the things I do before heading out on a ride is put on sunblock.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed annually, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. And about 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB) from the sun.

Now the truth is that African Americans are less likely than whites to develop skin cancer thanks to the additional pigment in dark skin. Skin cancer represents only about two percent of all cancers in African Americans.

Sunblocks, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, protect against the UV rays that cause sunburn and skin cancer.

I wear sunblock because the odds are not in my favor if I were to come down with skin cancer. The survival rate among African Americans stricken with the disease is 77 percent compared to a 91 percent survival rate among whites.

A large reason for that unfavorable figure is because skin cancer is more difficult to detect in people with dark skin. And if it is found, it is often at a much more advanced stage.

I have known plenty of people who have had moles or some other type of lesions burned off because the doctors said they were the effects of sun damage.

It seems simple enough to not take a risk.

So I slather on the skin protectant before heading out for a ride. Whether the brand is Aveeno, Neutrogena, Banana Boat or some other type of sunblock — you should do so too.

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