|
|
 |
|
|
|
register |
bbs |
search |
rss |
faq |
about
|
|
|
meet up |
add to del.icio.us |
digg it
|
|
|
|
FAQ about bikes and bi- cycling
Archive-name: bicycles-faq/part1
Last modified: March 19, 1994
Answers to Rec.Bicycles' Frequently Asked Questions and Interesting
Information
The following monthly posting contains the answers to frequently asked
questions posed to rec.bicycles and interesting information that cyclists
might find useful. Some of the answers are from postings to rec.bicycles,
and and some are condensed from postings. Answers include the name and
email address of the author. If no author is listed, I'm the guilty party.
If you're the author and I've misspelled your name or have the wrong email
address, let me know and I'll fix it.
If you have something you feel should be included in the FAQ, please write
it up and send it to me at the address below.
Note: I don't read each and every posting to rec.bicycles.*, so suggesting
that something be included in the FAQ may not be seen. If you want
something included, summarize the discussion and send me the summary.
This FAQ is posted to rec.bicycles.misc, news.answers, and rec.answers
around the 15th of the month. It is also available via anonymous ftp from:
draco.acs.uci.edu /pub/rec.bicycles/faq.*
rtfm.mit.edu /pub/usenet/rec.bicycles.misc
Check the "Archives" section for information on how to obtain the FAQ via
email.
Mike Iglesias
[email protected]
===========================================================================
Quick Index:
(* means section hasn't been written yet. ! means updated since last
FAQ. + means new section.)
Administrivia
Abbreviations
Gopher and World Wide Web access
Archives
Posting Guidelines
! Electronic Mailing Lists
Rides
Maps
Touring supplies
Taking a bike on Amtrak
Warm Showers List
Racing
Tour de France Jerseys
Major Tour Winners 1947-1993
Rating Tour de France climbs
Social
Bicycling in America
League of American Wheelmen
Marketplace
Marketplace hints/guidelines
Bike Trailers
One Less Car T-Shirts
Panniers and Racks
Clothing
Seats
Women's Saddles
Women's Bikes
Bike Rentals
Bike Lockers
Bike Computer Features
! Recumbent Bike Info
More Recumbent Bike Info
Buying a Bike
Tech
Ball Bearing Grades
SIS Cables
Milk Jug Mud Flaps
Lubrication
Wear and Gear Slipping
Adjusting Chain Length
Hyperglide Chains
Bottom Bracket Info
Crank Noise
Cracking/Breaking Cranks
Biopace Chainrings
Snakebite flats
Blown Tube
Mounting Tires
More Flats on Rear Tires
What holds the rim off the ground?
Anodized vs. Non-anodized Rims
Reusing Spokes
Clinchers vs. Tubulars
Presta Valve Nuts
Ideal Tire Sizes
Center Pivot vs. Dual Pivot brakes
Indexed Steering
Seat adjustments
Cleat adjustments
SIS derailleur adjustments
Where to buy tools
Workstands
Workstands 2
Frame stiffness comparison
Frame materials
Bike pulls to one side
Frame repair
Frame Fatigue
Weight = Speed?
Adjusting SPD Cleats
Rim Tape Summary
STI/Ergo Summary
Roller Head Bearings
Tubular Tire Repair
Cassette or Freewheel hubs
"Sealed" Bearings
Misc
Books and Magazines
Mail Order Addresses
Technical Support Numbers
Road Gradient Units
Helmets
Terminology
Avoiding Dogs
Shaving Your Legs
Contact Lenses and Cycling
How to deal with your clothes
Pete's Winter Cycling Tips
Nancy's Cold/Wet Cycling Tips
Studded Tires
Cycling Myths
Descending I
Descending II
Trackstands
Front Brake Usage
Slope Wind, the invisible enemy
Reflective Tape
Nutrition Primer
Nuclear Free Energy Bar recipe
Powerbars
Calories burned by cycling
Road rash
Knee problems
Cycling Psychology
Mirrors
===========================================================================
Administrivia
===========================================================================
Abbreviations
Some common abbreviations used here and in rec.bicycles.*:
FAQ Frequenly Asked Question. What you are reading now is a file
containing answers to some FAQs.
IMHO In my humble opinion.
TIOOYK There Is Only One You Know. Refers to the Tour de France.
See the glossary in the ftp archives for more bicycle-related terms.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gopher and World Wide Web access
I've made the rec.bicycles ftp archives available via gopher, and have
split the FAQ up into individual files for easier access via gopher.
To connect to the gopher server, use the hostname draco.acs.uci.edu and
port 1071. Please don't ask me how to use gopher or how to configure
your gopher client; I don't know how to use all the available gopher
clients, nor do I have access to them. Please talk to your local gopher
gurus.
You can also access the archives via NCSA Mosaic, using this URL:
gopher://draco.acs.uci.edu:1071
Again, please ask your local gurus for information on how to use Mosaic
clients.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Archives
I've made available via anonymous ftp a copy of the current FAQ and a
few other items on draco.acs.uci.edu (128.200.34.12). This is the
workstation on my desk, so I'd appreciate it if people would restrict
their use to 7pm-7am Pacific time. The files are in pub/rec.bicycles.
For those without Internet access, you can use the ftpmail server at
gatekeeper.dec.com to get copies of items in the archives. I really don't
have time to email copies of files to people who can't get at them easily.
To use the ftpmail server, send an email message containing the line
help
in the body of the message to [email protected]. You'll get
a help file back with more information on how to use the ftpmail server.
Here is an example of what to put in the body of a message to to get the
README file:
connect draco.acs.uci.edu
chdir pub/rec.bicycles
get README
README for Rec.Bicycles Anonymous FTP area
arnie.light Arnie Berger's ([email protected]) "Ultimate bike light"
bike_gear.sea.hqx
Lawrence Hare's ([email protected]) copy of a
Hypercard stack to calculate gearing. Lawrence says
there is a newer version on major bbs systems.
bike.lockers David H. Wolfskill's ([email protected]) summary of
bike locker vendors.
bike.painting Sam Henry's (shenry@rice.edu) collection of articles on
how to paint a bike.
bike_power.* Ken Roberts program to calculate power output and power
consumption. See bike_power.doc for more info.
updated by Mark Grennan ([email protected])
biking_log.* Phil Etheridge's ([email protected]) hypercard stack
riding diary. It keeps track of dates, distance, time,
average speed, etc., and keeps running weekly, monthly,
and yearly totals. See biking_log.read_me for more
information.
bmb.ride Pamela Blalock's ([email protected]) report on her 1992
Boston-Montreal-Boston ride.
CA-veh-code A directory containing the California vehicle code sections
that pertain to bicycles and gopher bookmarks. See the
README in that directory for more information.
camera.tour Vivian Aldridge's ([email protected]) collection of articles
on cameras to take on a bike tour.
competitive.nutrition
Roger Marquis' ([email protected]) article from the
Feb 91 Velo News on nutrition and cycling.
faq.* The current Frequently Asked Questions posting
first.century Pamela Blalock's ([email protected]) tips on training
for your first century ride.
frame.build Terry Zmrhal's ([email protected]) writeup of
a frame building class he took.
glossary Alan Bloom's ([email protected]) glossary of bicycle terms.
law.info Robert Nordvall's ([email protected]) article
on the League of American Wheelmen.
lights Tom Reingold's ([email protected]) collection of
articles on bike lights.
lights2 More articles from rec.bicycles.* on lights.
mtb.buy Joakim Karlsson's ([email protected]) article on
buying an entry-level MTB.
pam.pactour Pamela Blalock's ([email protected]) writeup of her PAC tour
across the country.
pbp.info Pamela Blalock's ([email protected]) information
on her Paris-Brest-Paris ride.
pictures Bicycling gif pictures.
prof.sched Roland Stahl's ([email protected]) list of
scheduled professional races in many countries.
pwm.regulator Jeff Bell's ([email protected]) reposting of
an article from another newsgroup by William Hunt on
a pulse width modulated voltage regulator.
ride.index Chris Hull's/Bill Bushnell's ([email protected])
explanation of a way to "index" rides and compare the
difficulty of different rides.
ridelg22.* Found on AOL by Gary Thurman ([email protected]), a
ride diary program. The .exe file a self-extracting archive
for PCs.
spike.bike Bob Fishell's ([email protected]) Spike Bike series.
They are numbered in the order that Bob posted them to
rec.bicycles. All the Spike Bike stories are
"Copyright 1989 by Robert Fishell, all rights reserved."
spokelen11.bas Roger Marquis' ([email protected]) spoke length
calculator, written in Microsoft Quickbasic.
spokelen.c Andy Tucker's ([email protected]) port of
Roger Marquis' spokelen11.bas to C.
spokelen.hqx Eric Topp's [email protected]'s Hypercard stack that
computes spoke lengths.
studded.tires Nancy Piltch's ([email protected]) compilation
of messages on studded tires, including how to make your
own.
tandem.boxes Arnie Berger's ([email protected]) notes on how
he built a box to transport his tandem to Europe and
back. It's taken from a longer travelogue on his trip - if
you want more information, contact him at the above
address.
tech.supp.phone Joshua Putnam's ([email protected]) list of technical
support numbers for various manufacturers. This list
used to be in the FAQ but now is too long to include there.
trailers A summary posting of messages about bike trailers. Good
stuff if you're thinking of buying a trailer.
wheels.*.hqx R. Scott Truesdell's ([email protected]) Hypercard
stack to calculate spoke lengths. See wheels.readme
for more info.
wintertips Pete Hickey's ([email protected]) notes about
how to cycle in the winter.
wintertips.pam Pamela Blalock's ([email protected]) winter cycling tips.
Files available via anonymous ftp from ugle.unit.no (129.241.1.97)
in the directory local/biking. This directory is maintained by Joern
Dahl-Stamnes ([email protected]).
Last updated: 8. Mars 1993
File Date What
READ.ME 920921 Information about the other files in the directory.
bm104.zip 930308 The latest version of Bike Manager.
Bike Manager is a shareware program that help you keep a
log of your training activities. It can report summary
reports, weekly reports, monthly reports and yearly
reports. Features to analyze your activities against
your goals. And more...
brake.doc 920504 About how to make your own brake booster.
gtos91.doc 920707 A story from The Great Trial of Strength 1991.
gtos92.doc 920707 Ditto, but for the 1992 trial.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posting Guidelines
The rec.bicycles subgroups are described below - please try to post your
article to the appropriate group. The newsgroups were designed to minimize
cross posting, so please take the time to think about the most appropriate
newsgroup and post your article there.
rec.bicycles.marketplace: Bicycles, components, ancillary equipment and
services wanted or for sale, reviews of such things, places to buy
them, and evaluations of these sources. Not for discussion of general
engineering, maintenance, or repair -- see rec.bicycles.tech.
rec.bicycles.tech: Techniques of engineering, construction, maintenance
and repair of bicycles and ancillary equipment. Not for products or
services offered or wanted -- see rec.bicycles.marketplace.
rec.bicycles.rides: Discussions of tours and training or commuting routes.
Not for disussion of general riding techniques -- see rec.bicycles.misc.
rec.bicycles.soc: Social issues, cycling transportation advocacy, laws,
conduct of riders and drivers; road hazards such as potholes, dogs, and
sociopaths.
rec.bicycles.racing: Race results, racing techniques, rules, and
organizations. Not racing equipment -- see rec.bicycles.marketplace
or rec.bicycles.tech.
rec.bicycles.misc: General riding techniques, rider physiology,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Archive-name: bicycles-faq/part3
[Note: The complete FAQ is available via anonymous ftp from
draco.acs.uci.edu (128.200.34.12), in pub/rec.bicycles.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cracking/Breaking Cranks (Jobst Brandt [email protected])
[Ed note: Yes, another disputed issue is contained here - whether to
lube the crank tapers before installing the crankarms. This has
popped up from time to time on rec.bicycles, and has never been
resolved one way or the other. The text here is Jobst's viewpoint.]
Cranks break because they are aluminum and because they have high
stress at various points. The worst of these points are at the
pedal eye and where the spider fingers join the right crank. The
pedal eye is a bad place because the joint is incorrectly designed,
but since it is a standard, it may not be changed since it seems to
work. This joint always moves and causes fretting corrosion and
cracks. These cracks propagate into the crank and cause failure.
A better joint here would be a 45 degree taper instead of a flat
shoulder at the end of the pedal thread.
The thin web between the spider and crank, another common crack
origin on cranks like the Campagnolo Record, was nicely redesigned
in the C-Record crank, but to make up for that the C-Record is
otherwise weaker than the Record version. My experience is that
they break in about 1500 miles because the pedal eye has a smaller
cross section than the Record model, but maybe the alloy is poorer
too. I have subsequently used Dura Ace cranks for more than two
years with no failure yet. I don't believe in eternal life here
either.
Aluminum has no safe fatigue limit but just gets progressively safer
as stress is reduced. In contrast, steel has a threshold below
which failures cease. Therein lies some of the problem.
As for cranks loosening, one can view the junction between spindle
and crank in an exaggerated elastic model where the spindle is made
of plastic and the crank of Rubbermaid household rubber. The crank,
once properly installed and the retaining bolt in place, squirms on
the square taper when under torque. During these deformations the
crank can move only in one direction because the bolt prevents it
from coming off. The crank always slides farther up the taper.
Proof that the crank squirms is given by the fretting rouge always
found on the spindle, whether lubricated or not, when a crank is
pulled off after substantial use.
As was mentioned by various observers, the left crank bolt is
usually looser, after use, than the right one and this could be
anticipated because the two cranks differ in their loading. This
does not mean the left crank is looser. Actually it is tighter,
only the bolt is looser. The left crank is more heavily loaded
because it experiences offset twist from the pedal at the same time
it transmits torque to the spindle. The right crank, being
connected to the chain, experiences either spindle torque from the
left pedal or twist from the right pedal but not torque and twist at
the same time.
In this squirming mode, cranks wander away from the retaining bolt
and leave it loose after the first hard workout (for riders of more
than 150 lbs). The bolts should NOT be re-tightened because they
were correctly tight when installed. Cranks have been split in half
from repeated follow-up tightening, especially left cranks. The
spindle should be lubricated before installing cranks. A wipe of a
mechanic's finger is adequate since this is to prevent galling in
the interface. To prevent losing a loose crank bolt, the "dust"
cover that is in fact the lock cap should be installed.
Those who have had a crank spindle break, can attest to the greater
stress on the left side because this is the end that always breaks
from fatigue. A fatigue crack generally has a crystalline
appearance and usually takes enough time to develop that the face of
the fracture oxidizes so that only the final break is clean when
inspected. Because a notch acts to concentrate stress, the
advancing crack amplifies this effect and accelerates the advance
once the crack has initiated.
I have heard of instructions to not lubricate spindles before
installing cranks but I have never been able to find it in any
manufacturer's printed material. Although I have broken many
Campagnolo cranks, none has ever failed at the spindle. I am
certain that the standard machine practice of lubricating a taper
fit has no ill effects. I have also never had a crank come loose
nor have I re-tightened one once installed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Biopace chainrings
Biopace chainrings have fallen into disfavor in recent years. They
are hard to "pedal in circles". The early Biopace chainrings were
designed for cadences of around 50-70 rpm, while most recommend a
cadence of 80-100 rpm. Newer Biopace chainrings are less elliptical,
but the general consensus is to (if you are buying a new bike) get the
dealer to change the chainrings to round ones.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snakebite flats
Snakebite flats are usually caused by the tire and tube being pinched
between the road and the rim, causing two small holes in the tube that
look like a snakebite. The usual causes are underinflation, too
narrow a tire for your weight, or hitting something (rock, pothole)
while having your full weight on the tire.
The obvious solutions are to make sure your tires are inflated properly,
use a larger size tire if you weigh a lot, and either avoid rocks and
potholes or stand up with your knees and elbows flexed (to act like shock
absorbers) when you go over them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blown Tubes (Tom Reingold [email protected])
Charles E Newman writes:
$ Something really weird happened at 12:11 AM. My bike blew a
$ tire while just sitting parked in my room. I was awakened by a noise
$ that scared the livin ^&$% out of me. I ran in and found that all the
$ air was rushing out of my tire. How could something like happen in the
$ middle of the night when the bike isn't even being ridden? I have
$ heard of it happening when the bike is being ridden but not when it is
$ parked.
This happened because a bit of your inner tube was pinched between your
tire bead and your rim. Sometimes it takes a while for the inner tube
to creap out from under the tire. Once it does that, it has nothing to
keep the air pressure in, so it blows out. Yes, it's scary. I've had
it happen in the room where I was sleeping.
To prevent this, inflate the tire to about 20 psi and move the tire
left and right, making sure no part of the inner tube is pinched.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounting Tires (Douglas Gurr [email protected])
A request comes in for tyre mounting tricks. I suspect that this ought to be
part of the FAQ list. However in lieu of this, I offer the way it was taught
to me. Apologies to those for whom this is old hat, and also for the paucity
of my verbal explanations. Pictures would help but, as always, the best bet
is to find someone to show you.
First of all, the easy bit:
1) Remove the outer tyre bead from the rim. Leave the inner bead.
Handy hint. If after placing the first tyre lever you
are unable to fit another in because the tension in the bead is too great
then relax the first, slip the second in and use both together.
2) Pull out the tube finishing at the valve.
3) Inspect the tube, find the puncture and repair it.
Now an important bit:
4) Check tyre for thorns, bits of glass etc - especially at the point where
the hole in the tube was found.
and now a clever bit:
5) Inflate the tube a _minimal_ amount, i.e. just sufficient for it to
hold its shape. Too much inflation and it won't fit inside the tyre.
Too little (including none at all) and you are likely to pinch it.
More important bits:
6) Fit the tube back inside the tyre. Many people like to cover the tube in
copious quantities of talcum powder first. This helps to lubricate
the tyre/tube interface as is of particular importance in high pressure
tyres.
7) Seat the tyre and tube over the centre of the rim.
8) Begin replacing the outer bead by hand. Start about 90 degrees away from
the valve and work towards it. After you have safely passed the valve,
shove it into the tyre (away from the rim) to ensure that you have
not trapped the tube around the valve beneath the tyre wall.
Finally the _really_ clever bit:
9) When you reach the point at which you can no longer proceed by hand,
slightly _deflate_ the tube and try again. Repeat this process until
either the tyre is completely on (in which case congratulations)
or the tube is completely deflated. In the latter case, you will have
to resort to using tyre levers and your mileage may vary. Take care.
and the last important check:
10) Go round the entire wheel, pinching the tyre in with your fingers
to check that there is no tube trapped beneath the rim. If you
have trapped the tube, deduct ten marks and go back to step one.
Otherwise ....
11) Replace wheel and reinflate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Flats on Rear Tires (Jobst Brandt [email protected])
Most sharp obstacles except tetrahedral glass slivers and puncture
vine gets stuck more often is that the front tire upsets the sharp
object just in time for the rear tire to catch it head-on.
This front to rear effect is also true for motor vehicles. Nails lying
on the road seldom enter front tires. When dropped on the road by a
moving vehicle, the nail slides down the road aligning itself pointing
toward traffic because it tends to roll around until it is head first.
The tire rolls over it and tilts it up so that if the speed is ideal,
the rear tire catches it upright. I once got a flat from a one inch
diameter steel washer that the rear tire struck on edge after the front
tire flipped it up.
When it is wet glass can stick to the tire even in the flat orientation
and thereby get a second chance when it comes around again. To add to
this feature, glass cuts far more easily when wet as those who have cut
rubber tubing in chemistry class may remember. A wet razor blade cuts
latex rubber tubing in a single slice while a dry blade only makes a
nick.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
What holds the rim off the ground? (Jobst Brandt [email protected])
> What forces keep the rim of a wheel with pneumatic tires off the
> ground. It obviously can't be the air pressure because that's acting
> from top as well as from below.
As has been pointed out, the casing walls pull on the rim (or its
equivalent) and thereby support the load. The casing leaves the rim
at about a 45 degree angle, and being essentially a circular cross
section, it is in contact with the rim over its inner quarter circle.
At least this is a good representative model. The visualization may
be simpler if a tubular tire is considered. It makes no difference
whether the tire is held on by glue or is otherwise attaches to the
rim such as a clincher is. Either way the tire is attached to the
rim, a relatively rigid structure.
Under load, in the ground contact zone, the tire bulges so that two
effects reduce the downward pull (increase the net upward force) of
the casing. First, the most obvious one is that the casing pulls more
to the sides than downward (than it did in its unloaded condition);
the second is that the side wall tension is reduced. The reduction
arises from the relationship that unit casing tension is equivalent to
inflation pressure times the radius of curvature divided by pi. As
the curvature reduces when the tire bulges out, the casing tension
decreases correspondingly. The inflated tire supports the rim
primarily by these two effects.
Tire pressure changes imperceptibly when the tire is loaded because
the volume does not change appreciably. Besides, the volume change is
insignificant in small in comparison to the volume change the air has
undergone when being compressed into the tire. In that respect, it
takes several strokes of a frame pump to increase the pressure of a
tire from 100 psi to 101. The air has a low spring constant that acts
like a long soft spring that has been preloaded over a long stroke.
Small deflections do not change its force materially. For convenience
car and truck tires are regularly inflated to their proper pressure
before being mounted on the vehicle.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anodized vs. Non-anodized Rims (Jobst Brandt [email protected])
There are several kinds of dark coatings sold on rims. Each suggests that
added strength is achieved by this surface treatment while in fact no useful
effects other than aesthetic results are achieved. The colored rims just
cost more as do the cosmetically anodized ones. The hard anodized rims do
not get stronger even though they have a hard crust. The anodized crust is
brittle and porous and crazes around spoke holes when the sockets are riveted
into the rim. These cracks grow and ultimately cause break-outs if the
wheel is subjected to moderate loads over time.
There is substantial data on this and shops like Wheelsmith, that build many
wheels, can tell you that for instance, no MA-2 rims have cracked while MA-40
rims fail often. These are otherwise identical rims.
Hard anodizing is also a thermal and electrical insulator. Because heat is
generated in the brake pads and not the rim, braking energy must cross the
interface to be dissipated in the rim. Anodizing, although relatively thin,
impedes this heat transfer and reduces braking efficiency by overheating the
brake pad surfaces. Fortunately, in wet weather, road grit wears off the
sidewall anodizing and leaves a messy looking rim with better braking.
Anodizing has nothing to do with heat treatment and does not strengthen rims.
To make up for that, it costs more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reusing Spokes (Jobst Brandt [email protected])
>I just bent my wheel and am probably going to need a new one
>built. Can I reuse my old, 3 months, spokes in the new wheel.
>The guy at the shop gave me some mumbo jumbo about tensioning or
>something.
There is no reason why you should not reuse the spokes of your
relatively new wheel. The reason a bike shop would not choose to do
this is that they do not know the history of your spokes and do not
want to risk their work on unknown materials. If you are satisfied
that the spokes are good quality you should definitely use them for
you new wheel. The spokes should, however, not be removed from the
hub because they have all taken a set peculiar to their location, be
that inside or outside spokes. The elbows of outside spokes, for
instance, have an acute angle while the inside spokes are obtuse.
There are a few restrictions to this method, such as that new rim
must have the same effective diameter as the old, or the spokes will
be the wrong length. The rim should also be the same "handedness"
so that the rim holes are offset in the correct direction. This is
not a fatal problem because you can advance the rim one hole so that
there is a match. The only problem is that the stem will not fall
between parallel spokes as it should for pumping convenience.
Take a cotton swab and dab a little oil in each spoke socket of the
new rim before you begin. Hold the rims side by side so that the
stem holes are aligned and note whether the rim holes are staggered
in the same way. If not line the rim up so they are. Then unscrew
one spoke at a time, put a wipe of oil on the threads and engage it
in the new rim. When they are all in the new rim you proceed as you
would truing any wheel. Details of this are in a good book on
building wheels.
The reason you can reuse spokes is that their failure mode is
fatigue. There is no other way of causing a fatigue failure than to
ride many thousand miles (if your wheel is properly built). A crash
does not induce fatigue nor does it even raise tension in spokes
unless you get a pedal between them. Unless a spoke has a kink that
cannot be straightened by hand, they can all be reused.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clinchers vs. Tubulars (F.J. Brown [email protected])
[email protected] gave some useful hints on mounting clinchers,
mostly involving the use of copious quantities of baby powder, and
trying to convince me that clinchers aren't difficult to mount, so ease of
mounting isn't a valid reason for preferring tubulars.
[email protected].edu wrote that although average tubulars ride
'nicer' than average clinchers, there are some clinchers around that ride
just as 'nice'. He also said that ease of change isn't a good reason for
preferring tubulars as if you flat in a race, you're either going to swap
a wheel or drop out. He pointed out that tubulars end up costing $20 -
$80 per flat.
[email protected] gave some of the historic reasons that tubulars were
preferred: higher pressures, lower weight, stronger, lighter rims. Said
that only a few of these still hold true (rim strength/weight, total weight),
but he still prefers the 'feel' of tubulars.
[email protected] started this thread with his observations on
clinchers seperated from their rims in the aftermath of a race crash.
[email protected] comments on improperly-glued tubulars posing a threat
to other racers by rolling off, and noted that this couldn't happen with
clinchers.
[email protected] agreed with stek, with the additional note that
it is inadequate inflation that often allows tubulars to roll.
Kevin at Buffalo agreed with stek and jobst about tubulars (improperly or
freshly glued) sometimes rolling.
[email protected] says he uses clinchers for cost and convenience.
Clinchers let him carry around a tiny patch kit and some tyre irons, costing
60c, whereas tubulars would require him to carry a whole tyre, and would
cost more.
CONCLUSIONS: THE CLINCHER VS. TUBULAR WAR
Tubulars - used to be capable of taking higher pressures, had lower weight
and mounted onto stronger, lighter rims than clinchers. Clinchers
have now largely caught up, but many cyclists thinking hasn't.
Tubular tyre + rim combination still lighter and stronger.
- are easier to change than clinchers. This matters more to some
people than others - triathletes, mechanical morons and those
riding in unsupported races.
- cost megabucks if you replace them every time you puncture.
***However*** (and none of the North Americans mentioned this)
down here in Kiwiland, we ***always*** repair our punctured
tubulars (unless the casing is cut to ribbons). The process
doesn't take much imagination, you just unstitch the case, repair
the tube in the normal manner using the thinnest patches you can
buy, stitch it back up again and (the secret to success) put a
drop of Superglue over the hole in the tread.
- can roll off if improperly glued or inflated. In this case, you
probably deserve what you get. Unfortunately, the riders behind
you don't.
Clinchers - can be difficult to change (for mechanical morons) and are always
slower to change than tubulars. Most people still carry a spare
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Archive-name: bicycles-faq/part5
[Note: The complete FAQ is available via anonymous ftp from
draco.acs.uci.edu (128.200.34.12), in pub/rec.bicycles.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nancy's Cold/Wet Cycling Tips (Nancy Piltch [email protected])
Here are some clothing suggestions, mix and match as you wish:
Rain gear : I forked out the dollars for gore-tex when I did a week tour
... and I'm real glad I did. The stuff works reasonably as claimed,
waterproof, and relatively breathable. (When the humidity is high, no
fabric will work completely at letting sweat evaporate.) Unfortunately,
typical prices are high. There are cheaper rainsuits, which I haven't tried.
For short rides, or when the temperature is over about 50F, I don't
usually wear the rain pants, as wet legs don't particularly bother me.
Waterproof shoe covers. When the weather gets icky, I give up on
the cleats (I'm not riding for performance then, anyway) and put
the old-style pedals back on. This is basically because of the
shoe covers I have that work better with touring shoes. The ones
I have are made by Burley, and are available from Bikecentennial,
though I got them at a local shop. They are just the cover, no
insulation. I continue to use them in winter since they are windproof,
and get the insulation I need from warm socks. These aren't neoprene,
but rather some high-tech waterproof fabric.
Gaiters that hikers and cross-country skiers wear can help keep road
spray off your legs and feet.
Toe clip covers. I got them from Nashbar; they are insulated and fit
over the toe clips ... another reason for going back to those pedals.
They help quite a bit when the temperature goes into the 30's and below;
they are too warm above that.
For temperatures in the 40's I usually find that a polypropylene shirt,
lightweight sweater (mine is polypro) and wind shell work well; I use
the gore-tex jacket, since I have it, but any light weight jacket
is OK. I have a lightweight pair of nylon-lycra tights, suitable in
the 50's, and maybe the 40's; a heavier pair of polypro tights, for
40's, and a real warm pair of heavy, fleece-lined tights for colder
weather. (I have been comfortable in them down to about 15-deg, which
is about the minimum I will ride in.) My tights are several years
old, and I think there are lots more variations on warm tights out now.
I use thin polypro glove liners with my cycling gloves when it is a little
cool; lightweight gloves for a little bit cooler; gore-tex and thinsulate
gloves for cold weather (with the glove liners in the really cold weather.)
It is really my fingers that limit my cold weather riding, as anything
any thicker than that limits my ability to work brake levers.
(Note: this may change this year as I've just bought a mountain bike;
the brake levers are much more accessible than on my road bike. It may
be possible to ride with warm over-mitts over a wool or similar glove.)
When it gets down to the 20's, or if it's windy at warmer (!) temperatures,
I'll add the gore-tex pants from my rain suit, mostly as wind protection,
rather than rain protection. Cheaper wind pants are available (either
at bike shops or at sporting goods stores) that will work just as well
for that use.
Warm socks. There are lots of choices; I use 1 pair of wool/polypropylene
hiking socks (fairly thick). Then with the rain covers on my shoes to
keep out wind, and (if necessary) the toe clip covers, I'm warm enough.
There are also thin sock liners, like my glove liners, but I haven't
needed them; there are also neoprene socks, which I've never tried,
and neoprene shoe covers, which I've also never tried, and wool socks,
and ski socks ...
I have a polypropylene balaclava which fits comfortably under my helmet;
good to most of the temperatures I'm willing to ride in; a little too
warm for temperatures above freezing, unless it's also windy. I also have
an ear-warmer band, good for 40's and useful with the balaclava for
miserable weather. I also have a neoprene face mask; dorky looking, but
it works. It is definitely too hot until the temperature (or wind) gets
severe. I sometimes add ski goggles for the worst conditions, but they
limit peripheral vision, so I only use them if I'm desperate.
For temperatures in the 30's, and maybe 20's, I wear a polarfleece
pullover thing under the outer shell. Combining that with or without
polypro (lightweight) sweater or serious duty wool sweater gives a
lot of options. Sometimes I add a down vest -- I prefer it *outside*
my shell (contrary to usual wisdom) because I usually find it too
warm once I start moving and want to unzip it, leaving the wind
shell closed for wind protection. I only use the down vest when it's
below about 15 F.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Studded Tires (Nancy Piltch [email protected])
[A summary on studded tires compiled by Nancy. A complete copy of
the responses she received, including some that give directions for
making your own studded tires, is in the archive.]
Studded tires do help, especially on packed snow and ice. On fresh snow
and on water mixed with snow (i.e. slush) they're not significantly different
from unstudded knobbies.
On dry pavement they are noisy and heavy, but can be used; watch out for
cornering, which is degraded compared to unstudded tires.
Several people recommend a Mr. Tuffy or equivalent with them; one
respondent says he gets more flats with a liner than without.
In the U.S. the IRC Blizzard tires are commercially available. They
can also be made.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cycling Myths
Following are various myths about cycling and why they are/aren't true.
Myth: Wearing a helmet makes your head hotter than if you didn't wear one.
Actual measurements under hard riding conditions with ANSI standard
helmets show no consistent temperature difference from helmetless
riders. Part of the reason is that helmets provide insulated
protection from the sun as well as some airflow around the head.
(Les Earnest [email protected])
Myth: You need to let the air out of your tires before shipping your bike
on an airplane - if you don't, the tires will explode.
Assume your tire at sea level, pumped to 100 psi. Air pressure at sea
level is (about) 15psi. Therefore, the highest pressure which can be
reached in the tire is 100+15=115psi. Ergo: There is no need to
deflate bicycle tires prior to flight to avoid explosions.
(Giles Morris [email protected])
Addendum: The cargo hold is pressurized to the same pressure as the
passenger compartment.
(Tom ? [email protected])
Myth: You can break a bike lock with liquid nitrogen or other liquified gases
Freon cannot cool the lock sufficiently to do any good. Steel
conducts heat into the cooling zone faster than it can be removed by a
freeze bomb at the temperatures of interest. Liquid nitrogen or other
gasses are so cumbersome to handle that a lock on a bike cannot be
immersed as it must be to be effective. The most common and
inconspicuous way to break these locks is by using a 4 inch long 1
inch diameter commercial hydraulic jack attached to a hose and pump
unit.
(Jobst Brandt jobst_brandt%[email protected])
[More myths welcome!]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Descending I (Roger Marquis [email protected])
Descending ability, like any other skill, is best improved
with practice. The more time you can spend on technical descents
the more confidence and speed you will be able to develop. A few
local hot shots I know practice on their motorcycles before races
with strategic descents. While frequent group rides are the only
way to develop real bike handling skills descending with others
will not necessarily help you descend faster alone.
The most important aspect of fast descending is relaxation.
Too much anxiety can narrow your concentration and you will miss
important aspects of the road surface ahead. Pushing the speed to
the point of fear will not help develop descending skills. Work
on relaxation and smoothness (no sudden movements, braking or
turning) and the speed will follow.
A fast descender will set up well in advance of the corner
on the outside, do whatever braking needs to be done before
beginning to turn, hit the apex at the inside edge of the road,
finally exiting again on the outside (always leaving some room
for error or unforeseen road hazard). The key is to _gradually_
get into position and _smoothly_ follow your line through the
corner. If you find yourself making _any_ quick, jerky movements
take them as a sign that you need to slow down and devote a
little more attention further up the road.
Use your brakes only up to the beginning of a corner, NEVER
USE THE BRAKES IN A CORNER. At that point any traction used for
braking significantly reduces the traction available for
cornering. If you do have to brake after entering the curve
straighten out your line before applying the brakes. If the road
surface is good use primarily the front brake. If traction is
poor switch to the rear brake and begin breaking earlier. In auto
racing circles there are two schools of thought on braking
technique. One advocates gradually releasing the brakes upon
entering the corner, the other advises hard braking right up to
the beginning of the curve and abruptly releasing the brakes just
before entering the curve. A cyclists would probably combine the
techniques depending on the road surface, rim trueness, brake pad
hardness and the proximity of other riders.
Motorcyclists and bicyclists lean their bikes very
differently in a corner. When riding fast motorcyclists keep
their bikes as upright as possible to avoid scraping the bike.
Bicyclists on the other hand lean their bikes into the corner and
keep the body upright. Both motorcyclists and bicyclists extend
the inside knee down to lower the center of gravity. To _pedal_
through the corners make like a motorcyclists and lean the bike
up when the inside pedal is down.
One of the most difficult things about descending in a group
is passing. It is not always possible to begin the descent ahead
of anyone who may be descending slower. If you find yourself
behind someone taking it easy either hang out a safe distance
behind or pass very carefully. Passing on a descent is always
difficult and dangerous. By the same token, if you find yourself
ahead of someone who obviously wants to pass, let them by at the
earliest safe moment. It's never appropriate to impede someone's
progress on a training ride whether they are on a bicycle or in a
car. Always make plenty of room for anyone trying to pass no
matter what the speed limit may be. Be courteous and considerate
and you'll be forever happy.
Remember that downhill racing is not what bicycle racing is
all about. There is no need to keep up with the Jones'. This is
what causes many a crash. Compete against yourself on the
descents. Belgians are notoriously slow descenders due to the
consistently rainy conditions there. Yet some of the best
cyclists in the world train on those rainy roads. Don't get
caught pushing it on some wet or unfamiliar descent. Be prepared
for a car or a patch of dirt or oil in the middle of your path
around _every_ blind corner no matter how many times you've been
on a particular road. Take it easy, relax, exercise your powers
of concentration and hammer again when you can turn the pedals.
If you're interested in exploring this further the best book
on bike handling I've read is "Twist of The Wrist" by motorcycle
racer Keith Code. There is also data out there (Cycle Magazine)
on eye exercises designed to train depth perception adjustment,
peripheral vision and concentration. If you know where I can
find this information please send it to:
NCNCA District Coaching Office
Roger Marquis
782 San Luis Rd.
Berkeley, Ca 94707
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Descending II (Jobst Brandt [email protected])
The Art of Descending (an assessment)
Descending on a bicycle requires a combination of skills that are
more commonly used in motorcycling. Only when descending does the
bicycle have the power and speed that the motorcycle encounters
regularly, not to say that criterium racing doesn't also challenge
these skills. It requires a combination of lean angle and braking
while selecting an appropriate line through curves. Unlike
motorcycle tires, bicycle tires have little margin and even a small
slip on pavement is usually unrecoverable. Understanding the forces
involved and how to control them is more natural to some than
others. For some these skills may have atrophied from disuse at an
early age and need to be regenerated.
How to Corner
Cornering is the skill of anticipating the appropriate lean angle
with respect to the ground before you get to the apex of the turn.
The angle is what counts and it is limited by traction. This means
you must have an eye for traction. For most pavement this is about
45 degrees in the absence of oil, water or other smooth and slick
spots. So if the curve is banked 10 degrees, you could lean to 55
degrees from the vertical. In contrast, a crowned road with no
banking, where the surface falls off about 10 degrees, would allow
only 35 degrees (at the limit).
Estimating the required lean angle for a curve is derived from the
apparent traction and what your speed will be in the apex of the
turn at the current rate of braking. Anticipating the lean angle is
something humans, animals and birds do regularly in self propulsion.
When running you anticipate how fast and sharply you can turn on the
sidewalk, dirt track or lawn on which you run. You estimate the
lean for the conditions and you control your speed to not exceed
that angle. Although the consequences are more severe, the same is
true for the bicycle.
These are reflexes that are normal to most people in youth but some
have not exercised them in such a long time that they don't trust
their skills. A single fall strongly reinforces this doubt. For
this reason, it is best to improve and regenerate these abilities
gradually through practice.
Braking
Once the nuts and bolts of getting around a corner are in place the
big difference between being fast and being faster is another
problem entirely. First it must be understood that braking is a
primary skill that is greatly misunderstood. When traction is good,
the front brake should be used almost exclusively because, with it,
the bike can slow down so rapidly that the back wheel lifts off the
road. When slowing down at this rate the rear brake is obviously
useless. Once you enter the curve, more and more traction is used
by the lean angle but braking is still used to trim speed. This is
done with both brakes because neither wheel has much additional
traction to give. It is good to practice hard front braking at a
low and safe speed to develop a feel for rear wheel lift-off.
You may ask why you should be braking in the turn. If you do all
your braking before the turn you will be going too slowly too early.
Because it is practically impossible to anticipate the exact maximum
speed for the apex of the turn, you should anticipate braking in the
turn. Fear of braking usually comes from an incident caused by
injudicious braking. How you use the front and rear brake must be
adapted to various conditions. When riding straight ahead with good
traction, you can safely allow substantial transfer of weight from
the rear to the front wheel allowing strong use of the front brake.
When traction is poor, deceleration and weight transfer is small, so
light braking with both wheels is appropriate. If traction is
miserable, you should use only the rear brake because, although a
rear skid is permissible, one in the front is not.
Take for example a rider cornering on good traction, banked over at
45 degrees. With 1 G centrifugal acceleration, he can still apply
the brakes at 0.1 G. The increases in side force on the wheels is
given by the square root(1^2+0.1^2)=1.005. In other words, you can
do appreciable braking while at maximum cornering. The centrifugal
acceleration is also reduced by the square of the speed by which the
lean angle rapidly reduces. Being aware of this relationship should
leave no doubt about why racers are often seen pulling their brake
levers in max speed turns.
Suspension
Beyond lean and braking, suspension helps immeasurably in
descending. For bicycles without built-in suspension, this is
furnished by your legs. If the road has fine ripples you needn't
stand up but merely take the weight off your pelvic bones. For
rougher roads, you should rise high enough so the saddle does not
carry any weight. The reason for this is twofold. Your vision will
become blurred if you don't rise off the saddle, and traction will
be compromised by momentary overloads while skipping over bumps.
The ideal is to keep the tire on the ground at uniform load.
Some riders believe that sticking out their knee or leaning their
body away from the bike, improves cornering. Sticking out a knee is
the same thing that riders without cleats do when they stick out a
foot, it is a useless but reassuring gesture that, on uneven roads,
actually works against you. Any body weight that is not centered on
the bicycle (leaning the bike or sticking out a knee) puts a side
load on the bicycle, and side loads cause steering motions if the
road is not smooth. To verify this, ride down a straight but rough
road standing on one pedal with the bike slanted, and note how the
bike follows an erratic course. In contrast, if you ride centered
on the bike you can ride no-hands perfectly straight over rough
road. When you lean off the bike you cannot ride a smooth line over
road irregularities, especially in curves. For best control, stay
centered over your bike.
Vision
Where you look is critical to effective descending. Your central
vision involves mostly the cones in the retina of your eye. These
are color receptive and images generally are more time consuming to
interpret than information received by the rods in the peripheral
vision. For this reason you should focus on the pavement where your
tire will track while looking for obstacles and possible oncoming
traffic in your peripheral vision that is fast and good at detecting
motion. If you look at the place where an oncoming vehicle or
obstacle might appear, its appearance will bring data processing to
a halt for a substantial time. You needn't identify the color or
model of car so leave it to the peripheral vision in high speed
black and white because processing speed is essential.
The Line
Picking the broadest curve through a corner should be obvious by the
time the preceding skills are mastered but the line is both a matter
of safety and road surface. Sometimes it is better to hit a bump or
a "Bott's dot" than to alter the line, especially at high speed. In
that respect, your tire should be large enough to absorb the entire
height of a "Bott's dot" without pinching the tube.
Mental Speed
Mental speed is demanded by all of these and, it is my experience,
those who are slow to grasp an idea, do not have good hand-eye
coordination, or are "accident prone", should be extra cautious in
this. In contrast, being quick does not guarantee success either.
Above all, it is important to not be daring but rather to ride with
a margin that leaves a comfortable feeling rather than one of high
risk. At the same time, do not be blinded by the age old
presumption that everyone who rides faster than I is crazy. It is
one of the most common descriptions used by a slower observer. "He
descended like a madman!" means merely that the speaker was slower,
nothing more.
Ride bike!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trackstands (Rick Smith [email protected])
How to trackstand on a road bike.
With acknowledgments to my trackstanding mentor,
Neil Bankston.
Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice, ....
1. Wear tennis shoes.
2. Find an open area, like a parking lot that has a slight grade to it.
3. Put bike in a gear around a 42-18.
4. Ride around out of the saddle in a counter-clockwise circle, about
10 feet in diameter.
Label Notation for imaginary points on the circle:
'A' is the lowest elevation point on the circle.
'B' is the 90 degrees counterclockwise from 'A' .
'C' is the highest elevation point on the circle.
'D' is the 90 degrees counterclockwise from 'C' .
C
/ \
D B Aerial View
\ /
A
5. Start slowing down, feeling the different sensation as the bike
transitions between going uphill (B) and downhill (D).
6. Start trying to go real slowly through the A - B region of the circle.
This is the region you will use for trackstanding. Ride the rest of
the circle as you were in step 5.
The trackstanding position (aerial view again):
---| /
------| |----/
|--- /
The pedal are in a 3 o'clock - 9 o'clock arrangement (in other
words, parallel to the ground). Your left foot is forward, your
wheel is pointed left. You are standing and shifting you weight
to keep balance. The key to it all is this:
If you start to fall left, push on the left peddle to move the
bike forward a little and bring you back into balance.
If you start to fall right, let up on the peddle and let the
bike roll back a little and bring you back into balance.
7. Each time you roll through the A - B region, try to stop when
the left peddle is horizontal and forward. If you start to
lose your balance, just continue around the circle and try it
again.
8. Play with it. Try doing it in various regions in the circle,
with various foot position, and various amounts of turn in your
steering. Try it on different amounts of slope in the
pavement. Try different gears. What you are shooting for is
the feel that's involved, and it comes with practice.
The why's of trackstanding:
Why is road bike specified in the title?
A true trackstand on a track bike is done differently. A track
bike can be peddled backwards, and doesn't need a hill to
accomplish the rollback affect. Track racing trackstands
are done opposite of what is described. They take place on the
C - D region of the circle, with gravity used for the roll
forward, and back pedaling used for the rollback. This is so
that a racer gets the assist from gravity to get going again
when the competition makes a move.
Why a gear around 42-18?
This is a reasonable middle between too small, where you would
reach the bottom of the stroke on the roll forward, and too big,
where you couldn't generate the roll forward force needed.
Why is the circle counter-clockwise?
Because I assume you are living in an area where travel is done
on the right side of the road. When doing trackstands on the road,
most likely it will be at traffic lights. Roads are crowned - higher
in the middle, lower on the shoulders - and you use this crown as
the uphill portion of the circle (region A-B). If you are in a
country where travel is done on the left side of the road,
please interpret the above aerial views as subterranial.
Why is this done out of the saddle?
It's easier!! It can be done in while seated, but you lose the
freedom to do weight adjustments with your hips.
Why is the left crank forward?
If your right crank was forward, you might bump the front wheel
with your toe. Remember the steering is turned so that the back
of the front wheel is on the right side of the bike. Some bikes
have overlap of the region where the wheel can go and your foot
is. Even if your current bike doesn't have overlap, it's better
to learn the technique as described in case you are demonstrating
your new skill on a bike that does have overlap.
Why the A - B region?
It's the easiest. If you wait till the bike is around 'B', then
you have to keep more force on the peddle to hold it still. If
you are around the 'A' point, there may not be enough slope to
allow the bike to roll back.
Questions:
What do I do if I want to stop on a downhill?
While there are techniques that can be employed to keep you in
the pedals, for safety sake I would suggest getting out of the
pedals and putting your foot down.
Other exercises that help:
Getting good balance. Work through this progression:
1. Stand on your right foot. Hold this until it feels stable.
2. Close your eyes. Hold this until it feels stable.
3. Go up on your toes. Hold this until it feels stable.
4. If you get to here, never mind, your balance is already wonderful,
else repeat with other foot.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Front Brake Usage (John Forester [email protected])
I have dealt for many years with the problem of explaining front
brake use, both to students and to courtrooms, and I have reached
some conclusions, both about the facts and about the superstitions.
The question was also asked about British law and front brakes.
I'll answer that first because it is easier. British law requires
brakes on both wheels, but it accepts that a fixed gear provides the
required braking action on the rear wheel. I think that the
requirement was based on reliability, not on deceleration. That is,
if the front brake fails, the fixed-gear cyclist can still come to a
stop.
In my house (in California) we have three track-racing bikes
converted to road use by adding brakes. Two have only front brakes
while the third has two brakes. We have had no trouble at all, and we
ride them over mild hills. The front-brake-only system won't meet the
normal U.S. state traffic law requirement of being able to skid one
wheel, because that was written for coaster-braked bikes, but it
actually provides twice the deceleration of a rear-wheel-braked bike
and nobody, so far as I know, has ever been prosecuted for using such
a setup.
The superstitions about front brake use are numerous. The most
prevalent appears to be that using the front brake without using the
rear brake, or failing to start using the rear brake before using the
front brake, will flip the cyclist. The other side of that
superstition is that using the rear brake will prevent flipping the
bicycle, regardless of how hard the front brake is applied.
The truth is that regardless of how hard the rear brake is
applied, or whether it is applied at all, the sole determinant (aside
from matters such as bicycle geometry, weight and weight distribution
of cyclist and load, that can't practically be changed while moving)
of whether the bicycle will be flipped is the strength of application
of the front brake. As the deceleration to produce flip is
approached, the weight on the rear wheel decreases to zero, so that
the rear wheel cannot produce any deceleration; with no application
of the rear brake it rolls freely, with any application at all it
skids at a force approaching zero. With typical bicycle geometry, a
brake application to attempt to produce a deceleration greater than
0.67 g will flip the bicycle. (Those who advocate the cyclist moving
his butt off and behind the saddle to change the weight distribution
achieve a very small increase in this.)
A typical story is that of a doctor who, now living in the higher-
priced hilly suburbs, purchased a new bicycle after having cycled to
med school on the flats for years. His first ride was from the bike
shop over some minor hills and then up the 15% grade to his house.
His second ride was down that 15% grade. Unfortunately, the rear
brake was adjusted so that it produced, with the lever to the
handlebar, a 0.15 g deceleration. The braking system would meet the
federal requirements of 0.5 g deceleration with less than 40 pounds
grip on the levers, because the front brake has to do the majority of
the work and at 0.5 g there is insufficient weight on the rear wheel
to allow much more rear brake force than would produce 0.1 g
deceleration. (The U.S. regulation allows bicycles with no gear
higher than 60 inches to have only a rear-wheel brake that provides
only 0.27 g deceleration.) I don't say that the rear brake adjustment
of the bicycle in the accident was correct, because if the front
brake fails then the rear brake alone should be able to skid the rear
wheel, which occurs at about 0.3 g deceleration. The doctor starts
down the hill, coasting to develop speed and then discovering that he
can't slow down to a stop using the rear brake alone. That is because
the maximum deceleration produced by the rear brake equalled, almost
exactly, the slope of the hill. He rolls down at constant speed with
the rear brake lever to the handlebar and the front brake not in use
at all. He is afraid to apply the front brake because he fears that
this will flip him, but he is coming closer and closer to a curve,
after which is a stop sign. At the curve he panics and applies the
front brake hard, generating a force greater than 0.67 g deceleration
and therefore flipping himself. Had he applied the front brake with
only a force to produce 0.1 g deceleration, even 100 feet before the
curve, he would have been safe, but in his panic he caused precisely
the type of accident that he feared. He thought that he had a good
case, sued everybody, and lost. This is the type of superstition that
interferes with the cycling of many people.
My standard instruction for people who fear using the front brake
is the same instruction for teaching any person to brake properly.
Tell them to apply both brakes simultaneously, but with the front
brake 3 times harder than the rear brake. Start by accelerating to
road speed and stopping with a gentle application. Then do it again
with a harder application, but keeping the same 3 to 1 ratio. Then
again, harder still, until they feel the rear wheel start to skid.
When the rear wheel skids with 1/4 of the total braking force applied
to it, that shows that the weight distribution has now progressed as
far to the front wheel as the average cyclist should go. By repeated
practice they learn how hard this is, and attain confidence in their
ability to stop as rapidly as is reasonable without any significant
risk.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slope Wind, the Invisible Enemy (Jobst Brandt [email protected])
Wind as well as relative wind caused by moving through still air
demands most of a bicyclists effort on level ground. Most riders
recognize when they are subjected to wind because it comes in gusts
and these gusts can be distinguished from the more uniform wind caused
by moving through still air. That's the catch. At the break of dawn
there is often no wind as such but cool air near the ground, being
colder and more dense than higher air slides downslope as a laminar
layer that has no turbulent gusts.
Wind in mountain valleys generally blows uphill during the heat of the
day and therefore pilots of light aircraft are warned to take off
uphill against the morning slope wind. Slope wind, although detectable,
is not readily noticed when standing or walking because it has
negligible effect and does not come in apparent gusts. The bicyclist,
in contrast, is hindered by it but cannot detect it because there is
always wind while riding.
Slope wind, as such, can be up to 10 mph before it starts to take on
the characteristics that we expect of wind. It is doubly deceptive
when it comes from behind because it gives an inflated speed that can
be mistakenly attributed to great fitness that suddenly vanishes when
changing course. If you live near aspen or poplars that tend to fan
their leaves in any breeze, you will not be fooled.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflective Tape (Jobst Brandt [email protected])
Reflective tape is available in most better bike shops in various
forms, most of which is pre-cut to some preferred shape and designed
for application to some specific part of the bike or apparel. The most
effective use of such tape is on moving parts such as pedals, heel of
the shoe or on a place that is generally overlooked, the inside of the
rim.
First, it is appropriate to note that car headlights generally produce
white light and a white or, in fact, colorless reflector returns more
of this light to its source than ones with color filters or selective
reflection. Red, for instance, is not nearly as effective as white.
Placing reflective tape on the inside of the rims between the spokes
is a highly effective location for night riding because it is visible
equally to the front and rear while attracting attention through its
motion. It is most effective when applied to less than half the rim
in a solid block. Five inter-spoke sections does a good job. One can
argue that it isn't visible from the side (if the rim is not an aero
cross section) but the major hazard is from the front and rear.
Be seen on a bike! It's good for your health.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nutrition (Bruce Hildenbrand [email protected])
Oh well, I have been promising to do this for a while and given the present
discussions on nutrition, it is about the right time. This article was
written in 1980 for Bicycling Magazine. It has been reprinted in over 30
publications, been the basis for a chapter in a book and cited numerous
other times. I guess somebody besides me thinks its OK. If you disagree
with any points, that's fine, I just don't want to see people take exception
based on their own personal experiences because everyone is different and
psychological factors play a big role(much bigger than you would think)
on how one perceives his/her own nutritional requirements. Remember that
good nutrition is a LONG TERM process that is not really affected by short
term events(drinking poison would be an exception). If it works for you
then do it!!! Don't preach!!!!
BASIC NUTRITION PRIMER
Nutrition in athletics is a very controversial topic. However, for
an athlete to have confidence that his/her diet is beneficial he/she
must understand the role each food component plays in the body's
overall makeup. Conversely, it is important to identify and understand
the nutritional demands on the physiological processes of the body
that occur as a result of racing and training so that these needs
can be satisfied in the athlete's diet.
For the above reasons, a basic nutrition primer should help the athlete
determine the right ingredients of his/her diet which fit training and
racing schedules and existing eating habits. The body requires three
basic components from foods: 1) water; 2) energy; and 3)nutrients.
WATER
Water is essential for life and without a doubt the most important
component in our diet. Proper hydrations not only allows the body to
maintain structural and biochemical integrity, but it also prevents
overheating, through sensible heat loss(perspiration). Many cyclists have
experienced the affects of acute fluid deficiency on a hot day, better
known as heat exhaustion. Dehydration can be a long term problem,
especially at altitude, but this does not seem to be a widespread
problem among cyclists and is only mentioned here as a reminder(but
an important one).
ENERGY
Energy is required for metabolic processes, growth and to support
physical activity. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National
Academy of Sciences has procrastinated in establishing a Recommended
Daily Allowance(RDA) for energy the reasoning being that such a daily
requirement could lead to overeating. A moderately active 70kg(155lb)
man burns about 2700 kcal/day and a moderately active 58kg(128lb) woman
burns about 2500 kcal/day.
It is estimated that cyclists burn 8-10 kcal/min or about 500-600
kcal/hr while riding(this is obviously dependent on the level of
exertion). Thus a three hour training ride can add up to 1800
kcals(the public knows these as calories) to the daily energy demand
of the cyclist. Nutritional studies indicate that there is no
significant increase in the vitamin requirement of the athlete as a
result of this energy expenditure.
In order to meet this extra demand, the cyclist must increase his/her
intake of food. This may come before, during or after a ride but most
likely it will be a combination of all of the above. If for some
reason extra nutrients are required because of this extra energy
demand, they will most likely be replenished through the increased
food intake. Carbohydrates and fats are the body's energy sources and
will be discussed shortly.
NUTRIENTS
This is a broad term and refers to vitamins, minerals, proteins,
carbohydrates,
fats, fiber and a host of other substances. The body is a very complex
product
of evolution. It can manufacture many of the resources it needs to survive.
However, vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids(the building blocks of
proteins) and fatty acids cannot be manufactured, hence they must be supplied
in our food to support proper health.
Vitamins and Minerals
No explanation needed here except that there are established RDA's for most
vitamins and minerals and that a well balanced diet, especially when
supplemented by a daily multivitamin and mineral tablet should meet all
the requirements of the cyclist.
Proper electrolyte replacement(sodium and potassium salts) should be
emphasized, especially during and after long, hot rides. Commercially
available preparations such as Exceed, Body Fuel and Isostar help
replenish electrolytes lost while riding.
Proteins
Food proteins are necessary for the synthesis of the body's skeletal(muscle,
skin, etc.) and biochemical(enzymes, hormones, etc.)proteins. Contrary
to popular belief, proteins are not a good source of energy in fact they
produce many toxic substances when they are converted to the simple sugars
needed for the body's energy demand.
Americans traditionally eat enough proteins to satisfy their body's
requirement. All indications are that increased levels of exercise do
not cause a significant increase in the body's daily protein
requirement which has been estimated to be 0.8gm protein/kg body
weight.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are divided into two groups, simple and complex, and serve
as one of the body's two main sources of energy.
Simple carbohydrates are better known as sugars, examples being fructose,
glucose(also called dextrose), sucrose(table sugar) and lactose(milk sugar).
The complex carbohydrates include starches and pectins which are multi-linked
chains of glucose. Breads and pastas are rich sources of complex
carbohydrates.
The brain requires glucose for proper functioning which necessitates a
carbohydrate source. The simple sugars are quite easily broken down to
help satisfy energy and brain demands and for this reason they are an ideal
food during racing and training. The complex sugars require a substantially
longer time for breakdown into their glucose sub units and are more suited
before and after riding to help meet the body's energy requirements.
Fats
Fats represent the body's other major energy source. Fats are twice as
dense in calories as carbohydrates(9 kcal/gm vs 4 kcal/gm) but they are
more slowly retrieved from their storage units(triglycerides) than
carbohydrates(glycogen). Recent studies indicate that caffeine may help
speed up the retrieval of fats which would be of benefit on long rides.
Fats are either saturated or unsaturated and most nutritional experts
agree that unsaturated, plant-based varieties are healthier. Animal
fats are saturated(and may contain cholesterol), while plant based fats
such as corn and soybean oils are unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are
necessary to supply essential fatty acids and should be included in the
diet to represent about 25% of the total caloric intake. Most of this
amount we don't really realize we ingest, so it is not necessary to heap
on the margarine as a balanced diet provides adequate amounts.
WHAT THE BODY NEEDS
Now that we have somewhat of an understanding of the role each food
component plays in the body's processes let's relate the nutritional
demands that occur during cycling in an attempt to develop
an adequate diet. Basically our bodies need to function in three
separate areas which require somewhat different nutritional considerations.
These areas are: 1) building; 2) recovery; and 3) performance.
Building
Building refers to increasing the body's ability to perform physiological
processes, one example being the gearing up of enzyme systems necessary
for protein synthesis, which results in an increase in muscle mass, oxygen
transport, etc. These systems require amino acids, the building blocks of
proteins. Hence, it is important to eat a diet that contains quality proteins
(expressed as a balance of the essential amino acid sub units present)fish,
red meat, milk and eggs being excellent sources.
As always, the RDA's for vitamins and minerals must also be met but, as with
the protein requirement, they are satisfied in a well balanced diet.
Recovery
This phase may overlap the building process and the nutritional requirements
are complimentary. Training and racing depletes the body of its energy
reserves as well as loss of electrolytes through sweat. Replacing the
energy reserves is accomplished through an increased intake of complex
carbohydrates(60-70% of total calories) and to a lesser extent fat(25%).
Replenishing lost electrolytes is easily accomplished through the use
of the commercial preparations already mentioned.
Performance
Because the performance phase(which includes both training rides and
racing)spans at most 5-7 hours whereas the building and recovery phases
are ongoing processes, its requirements are totally different from the
other two. Good nutrition is a long term proposition meaning the effects
of a vitamin or mineral deficiency take weeks to manifest themselves.
This is evidenced by the fact that it took many months for scurvy to
show in sailors on a vitamin C deficient diet. What this means is that
during the performance phase, the primary concern is energy replacement
(fighting off the dreaded "bonk") while the vitamin and mineral demands
can be overlooked.
Simple sugars such a sucrose, glucose and fructose are the quickest
sources of energy and in moderate quantities of about 100gm/hr(too much
can delay fluid absorption in the stomach) are helpful in providing fuel
for the body and the brain. Proteins and fats are not recommended because
of their slow and energy intensive digestion mechanism.
Short, one day rides or races of up to one hour in length usually require
no special nutritional considerations provided the body's short term energy
stores (glycogen) are not depleted which may be the case during multi-day
events.
Because psychological as well as physiological factors determine performance
most cyclists tend to eat and drink whatever makes them feel "good" during a
ride. This is all right as long as energy considerations are being met and
the stomach is not overloaded trying to digest any fatty or protein containing
foods. If the vitamin and mineral requirements are being satisfied during the
building and recovery phases no additional intake during the performance phase
is necessary.
IMPLICATIONS
Basically, what all this means is that good nutrition for the cyclist is
not hard to come by once we understand our body's nutrient and energy
requirements. If a balanced diet meets the RDA's for protein, vitamins
and minerals as well as carbohydrate and fat intake for energy then everything
should be OK nutritionally. It should be remembered that the problems
associated with nutrient deficiencies take a long time to occur. Because
of this it is not necessary to eat "right" at every meal which explains
why weekend racing junkets can be quite successful on a diet of tortilla
chips and soft drinks. However, bear in mind that over time, the body's
nutritional demands must be satisfied. To play it safe many cyclists
take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement tablet which has no adverse
affects and something I personally recommend. Mega vitamin doses(levels
five times or more of the RDA) have not been proven to be beneficial and may
cause some toxicity problems.
GREY NUTRITION
"Good" nutrition is not black and white. As we have seen, the body's
requirements are different depending on the phase it is in. While the
building and recovery phases occur somewhat simultaneously the performance
phase stands by itself. For this reason, some foods are beneficial during
one phase but not during another. A good example is the much maligned
twinkie. In the performance phase it is a very quick source of energy
and quite helpful. However, during the building phase it is not necessary
and could be converted to unwanted fat stores. To complicate matters, the
twinkie may help replenish energy stores during the recovery phase however,
complex carbohydrates are probably more beneficial. So, "one man's meat
may be another man's poison."
NUTRIENT DENSITY
This term refers to the quantity of nutrients in a food for its accompanying
caloric(energy) value. A twinkie contains much energy but few vitamins and
minerals so has a low nutrient density. Liver, on the other hand, has a
moderate amount of calories but is rich in vitamins and minerals and is
considered a high nutrient density food.
Basically, one must meet his/her nutrient requirements within the
constraints of his/her energy demands. Persons with a low daily
activity level have a low energy demand and in order to maintain their
body weight must eat high nutrient density foods. As already
mentioned, a cyclist has an increased energy demand but no significant
increase in nutrient requirements. Because of this he/she can eat
foods with a lower nutrient density than the average person. This
means that a cyclist can be less choosy about the foods that are eaten
provided he/she realizes his/her specific nutrient and energy
requirements that must be met.
BALANCED DIET
Now, the definition of that nebulous phrase, "a balanced diet". Taking into
consideration all of the above, a diet emphasizing fruits and vegetables
(fresh if possible), whole grain breads, pasta, cereals, milk, eggs, fish and
red meat(if so desired) will satisfy long term nutritional demands.
These foods need to be combined in such a way that during the building and
recovery phase, about 60-70% of the total calories are coming from
carbohydrate
sources, 25% from fats and the remainder(about 15%) from proteins.
It is not necessary to get 100% of the RDA for all vitamins and minerals
at every meal. It may be helpful to determine which nutritional
requirements you wish to satisfy at each meal. Personally, I use breakfast
to satisfy part of my energy requirement by eating toast and cereal. During
lunch I meet some of the energy, protein and to a lesser extent vitamin and
mineral requirements with such foods as yogurt, fruit, and peanut butter
and jelly sandwiches. Dinner is a big meal satisfying energy, protein,
vitamin and mineral requirements with salads, vegetables, pasta, meat and
milk. Between meal snacking is useful to help meet the body's energy
requirement.
CONCLUSION
All this jiberish may not seem to be telling you anything you couldn't
figure out for yourself. The point is that "good" nutrition is not
hard to achieve once one understands the reasons behind his/her dietary
habits. Such habits can easily be modified to accommodate the nutritional
demands of cycling without placing any strict demands on one's lifestyle.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nuclear Free Energy Bar Recipe (Phil Etheridge [email protected])
Nuclear Free Energy Bars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Comments and suggestions welcome.
They seem to work well for me. I eat bananas as well, in about equal
quanities
to the Nuclear Free Energy Bars. I usually have two drink bottles, one with
water to wash down the food, the other with a carbo drink.
You will maybe note that there are no dairy products in my recipe -- that's
because I'm allergic to them. You could easily replace the soy milk powder
with the cow equivalent, but then you'd definitely have to include some
maltodextrin (my soy drink already has some in it). I plan to replace about
half the honey with maltodextrin when I find a local source. If you prefer
cocoa to carob, you can easily substitute.
C = 250 ml cup, T = 15 ml tablespoon
1 C Oat Bran
1/2 C Toasted Sunflower and/or Sesame seeds, ground (I use a food processor)
1/2 C Soy Milk Powder (the stuff I get has 37% maltodextrin, ~20% dextrose*)
1/2 C Raisins
2T Carob Powder
Mix well, then add to
1/2 C Brown Rice, Cooked and Minced (Using a food processor again)
1/2 C Peanut Butter (more or less, depending on consistency)
1/2 C Honey (I use clear, runny stuff, you may need to warm if it's thicker
and/or add a little water)
Stir and knead (I knead in more Oat Bran or Rolled Oats) until thoroughly
mixed. A cake mixer works well for this. The bars can be reasonably soft, as
a night in the fridge helps to bind it all together. Roll or press out about
1cm thick and cut. Makes about 16, the size I like them (approx 1cm x 1.5cm x
6cm).
* Can't remember exact name, dextrose something)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Powerbars (John McClintic [email protected])
Have you ever watched a hummingbird? Think about it! Hummingbirds
eat constantly to survive. We lumpish earthbound creatures are in
no position to imitate this. Simply, if we overeat we get fat.
There are exceptions: those who exercise very strenuously can
utilize - indeed, actually need - large amounts of carbohydrates.
For example, Marathon runners "load" carbohydrates by stuffing
themselves with pasta before a race. On the flip side Long-distance
cyclists maintain their energy level by "power snacking".
With reward to the cyclist and their need for "power snacking"
I submit the following "power bar" recipe which was originated
by a fellow named Bill Paterson. Bill is from Portland Oregon.
The odd ingredient in the bar, paraffin, is widely used in chocolate
manufacture to improve smoothness and flowability, raise the melting
point, and retard deterioration of texture and flavor. Butter can be
used instead, but a butter-chocolate mixture doesn't cover as thinly
or smoothly.
POWER BARS
----------
1 cup regular rolled oats
1/2 cup sesame seed
1 1/2 cups dried apricots, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup shredded unsweetened dry coconut
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups chunk-style peanut butter
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 package (12 oz.) or 2 cups semisweet chocolate
baking chips
4 ounces paraffin or 3/4 cup (3/4 lb.) butter or
margarine
Spread oats in a 10- by 15-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300 degree
oven until oats are toasted, about 25 minutes. Stir frequently to
prevent scorching.
Meanwhile, place sesame seed in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over
medium heat. Shake often or stir until seeds are golden, about 7 minutes.
Pour into a large bowl. Add apricots, raisins, coconut, almonds,
dry milk, and wheat germ; mix well. Mix hot oats into dried fruit
mixture.
Butter the hot backing pan; set aside.
In the frying pan, combine corn syrup and sugar; bring to a rolling
boil over medium high heat and quickly stir in the peanut butter,
orange extract, and orange peel.
At once, pour over the oatmeal mixture and mix well. Quickly spread
in buttered pan an press into an even layer. Then cover and chill
until firm, at least 4 hours or until next day.
Cut into bars about 1 1/4 by 2 1/2 inches.
Combine chocolate chips and paraffin in to top of a double boiler.
Place over simmering water until melted; stir often. Turn heat to low.
Using tongs, dip 1 bar at a time into chocolate, hold over pan until
it stops dripping (with paraffin, the coating firms very quickly), then
place on wire racks set above waxed paper.
When firm and cool (bars with butter in the chocolate coating may need
to be chilled), serve bars, or wrap individually in foil. Store in the
refrigerator up to 4 weeks; freeze to store longer. Makes about 4 dozen
bars, about 1 ounce each.
Per piece: 188 cal.; 4.4 g protein; 29 g carbo.; 9.8 g fat;
0.6 mg chol.; 40 mg sodium.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calories burned by cycling (Jeff Patterson [email protected])
The following table appears in the '92 Schwinn ATB catalog which references
Bicycling, May 1989:
---------
Speed
(mph) 12 14 15 16 17 18 19
Rider
Weight Calories/Hr
110 293 348 404 448 509 586 662
120 315 375 437 484 550 634 718
130 338 402 469 521 592 683 773
140 360 430 502 557 633 731 828
150 383 457 534 593 675 779 883
160 405 485 567 629 717 828 938
170 427 512 599 666 758 876 993
180 450 540 632 702 800 925 1048
190 472 567 664 738 841 973 1104
200 495 595 697 774 883 1021 1159
(flat terrain, no wind, upright position)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Road Rash Cures (E Shekita shekita@provolone.cs.wisc.edu)
[Ed note: This is a condensation of a summary of cures for road rash that
Gene posted.]
The July 1990 issue of Bicycle Guide has a decent article on road
rash. Several experienced trainers/doctors are quoted. They generally
recommended:
- cleaning the wound ASAP using an anti-bacterial soap such as Betadine.
Showering is recommended, as running water will help flush out dirt
and grit. If you can't get to a shower right away, at the very least
dab the wound with an anti-bacteria solution and cover the wound with
a non-stick telfa pad coated with bactrin or neosporin to prevent
infection and scabbing. The wound can then be showered clean when you
get home. It often helps to put an ice bag on the wound after it has
been covered to reduce swelling.
- after the wound has been showered clean, cover the wound with either
1) a non-stick telfa pad coated with bactrin or neosporin, or 2) one
of the Second Skin type products that are available. If you go the telfa
pad route, daily dressing changes will be required until a thin layer
of new skin has grown over the wound. If you go the Second Skin route,
follow the directions on the package.
The general consensus was that scabbing should be prevented and that the
Second Skin type products were the most convenient -- less dressing changes
and they hold up in a shower. (Silvadene was not mentioned, probably because
it requires a prescription.)
It was pointed out that if one of the above treatments is followed, then
you don't have to go crazy scrubbing out the last piece of grit or dirt
in the wound, as some people believe. This is because most of the grit
will "float" out of the wound on its own when a moist dressing is used.
There are now products that go by the names Bioclusive, Tegaderm,
DuoDerm, Op-Site, Vigilon, Spenco 2nd Skin, and others, that are like
miracle skin. This stuff can be expensive ($5 for 8 3x4 sheets), but
does not need to be changed. They are made of a 96% water substance
called hydrogel wrapped in thin porous plastic. Two non-porous plastic
sheets cover the hydrogel; One sheet is removed so that the hydrogel
contacts the wound and the other non-porous sheet protects the wound.
These products are a clear, second skin that goes over the cleaned
(ouch!) wound. They breathe, are quite resistant to showering, and
wounds heal in around 1 week. If it means anything, the Olympic
Training Center uses this stuff. You never get a scab with this, so you
can be out riding the same day, if you aren't too sore.
It is important when using this treatment, to thoroughly clean the
wound, and put the bandage on right away. It can be obtained at most
pharmacies. Another possible source is Spenco second skin, which is
sometimes carried by running stores and outdoor/cycling/ stores. If
this doesn't help, you might try a surgical supply or medical supply
place. They aren't as oriented toward retail, but may carry larger sizes
than is commonly available. Also, you might check with a doctor, or
university athletic department people.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knee problems (Roger Marquis [email protected])
As the weather becomes more conducive to riding and the
racing season gets going and average weekly training distances
start to climb a few of us will have some trouble with our
knees. Usually knee problem are caused by one of four things:
1) Riding too hard, too soon. Don't get impatient. It's
going to be a long season and there's plenty of time to get in
the proper progression of efforts. Successful cycling is a matter
of listening to your body. When you see riders burning out,
hurting themselves and just not progressing past a certain point
you can be fairly certain that it is because they are not paying
enough attention to what their body is telling them.
2) Too many miles. Your body is not a machine. It cannot be
expected to take whatever miles you feel compelled to ride
without time to grow and adapt. If you keep this in mind whenever
you feel like increasing your average weekly mileage by more than
forty miles over two or three weeks you should have no problems.
3) Low, low rpms (also excess crank length). Save those big
ring climbs and big gear sprints for later in the season. This is
the time of year to develop fast twitch muscle fibers. That means
spin, spin, spin. You don't have to spin all the time but the
effort put into small gear sprints and high rpm climbing now will
pay off later in the season.
4) Improper position on the bike. Unfortunately most
bicycle salespeople in this country have no idea how to properly
set saddle height. The most common error being to set it too low.
This is very conducive to developing knee problems because of the
excessive bend at the knee when the pedal is at, and just past,
top dead center.
Make sure your seat and cleats are adjusted properly by following the
adjustment procedures found elsewhere.
If after all this you're still having knee problems:
1) Check for leg length differences both below and above the
knee. If the difference is between 2 and 8 millimeters you can
correct it by putting spacers under one cleat. If one leg is
shorter by more than a centimeter or so you might experiment with
a shorter crank arm on the short leg side.
2) Use shorter cranks. For some riders this helps keep pedal
speed up and knee stress down. I'm 6 ft. 1/2 in. and I ride 170mm
cranks for most of the season.
3) Try the Fit-Kit R.A.D. cleat alignment device and/or a
rotating type cleat/pedal like the Time pedal.
4) Cut way back on mileage and intensity (This is a last
resort for obvious reasons). Sometimes a prolonged rest is the
only way to regain full functionality and is usually required
only if you try to "train through" any pain.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cycling Psychology (Roger Marquis [email protected])
Motivation, the last frontier. With enough of it any
ordinary person can become a world class athlete. Without it this
same person could end up begging for change on Telegraph ave.
Even a tremendously talented rider will go nowhere without
motivation. How do some riders always seem to be so motivated?
What are the sources of their motivation? This has been a central
theme of sports psychology since its beginning when Triplett
studied the effects of audience and competition on performance in
the late nineteenth century. Though a great deal has been written
on motivation since Triplett it is an individual construct. As an
athlete you need to identify what motivates you and cultivate the
sources of your motivation.
* One of the best sources of motivation is setting goals. Be
specific, put it down on paper. Define your goals clearly and
make them attainable. Short term goals are more important than
long term goals and should be even more precisely defined Set
long term goals such as training at least five days a week,
placing in specific races, upgrading, etc.. Set short term goals
for things like going on a good ride this afternoon, doing five
sprints, bettering your time up Wildcat, etc.. DO NOT STRESS
WINNING when defining your goals. Instead stress enjoying the
ride and doing your best in every ride and race.
* Do it together. Going to races with friends, training
together and racing as a team is great for motivation. This is
what clubs should be all about.
* Do it frequently. Regularity makes difficult tasks easy.
If you make it a point to ride every day, or at least five times
a week (to be competitive), making the daily ride will become
automatic.
* Cycling books and videos are tremendously motivating as
are new bike parts, new clothing, new roads, nice weather, losing
weight, seeing friends, getting out of the city and breathing
fresh air, riding hard and feeling good and especially that great
feeling of accomplishment and relaxation at the end of every ride
that makes life beautiful.
==============
While high levels of arousal (motivational energy) are
generally better for shorter rides and track races, be careful
not to get over-aroused before longer, harder races. Stay relaxed
and conserve precious energy for that crosswind section or sprint
where you'll need all the strength you've got. Learn how psyched
you need to be to do your best and be aware of when you are over
or under aroused.
It's not uncommon, especially for novices, to be so nervous
before the start that they are already fatigued on the line. This
much stress is dangerous and should be recognized and controlled
immediately. If you get too stressed before a race try counting
to ten, breathing deeply, stretching, talking to friends, finding
a quiet place to warm-up, or a crowded place to warm-up,
depending on your inclination, and remember that the stress will
disappearas soon as the race starts. Racing takes too much
concentration to spare any for worrying.
Every athlete needs to be adept in stress management. One
new technique used to reduce competitive anxiety is imagery.
Mental practice has been credited with almost miraculous
improvements in fine motor skills (archery, tennis) but its
greatest value in gross motor sports is in stress reduction.
Actually winning a race can also help put an end to excessive
competitive anxiety. But if you have never won nervousness may be
keeping you from winning. If you find yourself getting
overstressed whenever you think about winning, or even riding, a
race try this; Find a quiet, relaxing place to sit and think
about racing. Second; Picture yourself driving to the race in a
very relaxed and poised state of mind. Continue visualizing the
day progressing into the race and going well until you detect
some tension THEN STOP. Do not let yourself get excited at all.
End the visualization session and try it again the next day.
Continue this DAILY until you can picture yourself racing and
winning without any stress. If this seems like a lot of work
evaluate just how much you want to win a bike race.
Visualization is not meant to replace on the bike training
but can make that training pay off in a big way. Eastern European
research has found that athletes improve most quickly if visual
training comprises fifty to seventy-five percent of the total
time spent training! Like any training imagery will only pay off
if you do it regularly and frequently. My French club coach
always used to tell us: believe it and it will become true.
(C) 1989, Roger Marquis (see also Velo-News, 3-91)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mirrors (Jobst Brandt [email protected])
> Mirrors are mandatory on virtually every other type of vehicle on
> the road. Competent drivers/riders learn the limitations of the
> information available from their mirrors and act accordingly.
I suppose the question is appropriate because no one seems to have
a good explanation for this. In such an event, when there is much
evidence that what would seem obvious is not what is practiced, I
assume there are other things at work. I for one don't wear glasses
to which to attach a mirror and putting it on a helmet seems a
fragile location when the helmet is placed anywhere but on the head.
These are not the real reasons though, because I have found that when
looking in a head mounted mirror, I cannot accurately tell anything
about the following vehicle's position except that it is behind me.
That is because I am looking into a mirror whose angular position
with respect to the road is unknown. The rear view mirror in a car
is fixed with respect to the direction of travel and objects seen in
it are seen with reference to ones own vehicle, be that the rear
window frame or side of the car. I find the image in a head mounted
mirror on a bicycle to be distracting and a source of paranoia if
I watch it enough. It does not tell me whether the upcoming car is,
or is not, going to slice me.
I additionally I find it difficult to focus on objects when my
eyeballs are distorted by turning them as much as 45 degrees to the
side of straight ahead. You can try this by reading these words with
your head turned 45 degrees from the text.
I believe these two effects are the prime reasons for the unpopularity
of such mirrors. They don't provide the function adequately and still
require the rider to look back. I do not doubt that it is possible to
rely on the mirror but it does not disprove my contention that the
information seen is by no means equivalent to motor vehicle rear view
mirrors to which these mirrors have been compared. It is not a valid
comparison.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
To the best of our knowledge, the text on this page may be freely reproduced and distributed.
If you have any questions about this, please check out our Copyright Policy.
totse.com certificate signatures
|
|
|
About | Advertise | Bad Ideas | Community | Contact Us | Copyright Policy | Drugs | Ego | Erotica
FAQ | Fringe | Link to totse.com | Search | Society | Submissions | Technology
|
|
|
|
|
|
