FYI-RBR On-line Survey

Stopping at stop signs and red lights.

More than 3,800 RBR readers voted in our poll -- "When riding, what do you do at red lights and stop signs?" Others complained that we didn't differentiate between signs and lights. These riders offered various scenarios, some quite intricate, for when they stop and when they don't. Our thinking was that "stop" means stop. Either you do, or you keep rolling. If you don't stop, what's the frequency? The poll came out this way: ---I always stop: 24%---I usually stop: 54%---I occasionally stop: 19%---I almost never stop: 4%

QUACS -

Quality Consulting Services

call: for thoughtful and discreet consultation

It Pays to Advertise - hmm but Maybe Not Here

Dual Use Helmet

see more Fail Blog

Announcing - WGAS Lite

Less frustration - Less Speed

Here it is. Stop whining - set your sights low. WGAS Lite let's you enjoy an early morning rendezvous with the ton & coffee at Starbucks in a competitive yet less stressful way.

You start by meeting all your friends then simply sacrifice some calorie burn by bonking on the Church Hill & Russian & cutting a couple miles off the route so you can meet the boys for some hot Joe. On a really fast day you can also relax a bit heading south as you watch the groupo hit 27+ heading towards plaza.

You don't miss much; BT is listening to tunes & can't hear you, Greenie won't sweat on you, & it's better for the psyche not trying to compete with Chippo, Pablo, AC or Ellman....Trust me it's all good.

One rule - NO WHINING!

Tips

Just got pointed to 10 Quick Tips at the Cycling Tips Blog. They're all good. My favorite is #5. It's one that our group seems to break constantly. "Start a ride slow, finish a ride fast. This will make for a much better quality ride and simulates what happens in a race."

Last Tuesday, we averaged 22 MPH on our ride froM HP to Wilmette. On the return trip, I checked, and it had dropped to 21.3. At my level of fitness, a 22 average is not a warm up. Let the flames in the comments begin.

Caption Contest #2

Friendly's is an ice cream shop that was a popular hang out when I was in High School. A friend of mine just went back for his 30th reunion and snapped this photo of their current menu. Thoughts?

WTF was that?

Be a Sharp Lookout for Your Group

Besides setting the right tempo, the lead rider in a paceline or pack has another vital responsibility: warning those behind of dangers in the road.

For riders who are drafting, potholes and debris are hard to see. They shouldn't need to worry about being led into danger.

But some people overdo their warnings. They yell "Pothole!" "Rock!" or "Dead skunk!" at full volume or even for minor obstacles. Others point at the object with such a violent gesture that they swerve dangerously.

Here's a better way to be the eyes of a paceline:
Alertly scan the road. You can't warn of dangers that you daydream out of existence. And if through inattention you spot something too late, your after-the-fact warning may do more harm than good. Surprised riders could veer in a panic, touch wheels and crash. So pay attention and look far enough ahead to smoothly lead the line past each hazard.
Point, don't shout. There's usually no need to call out the name of the obstacle. Your yell probably won't be understood by riders toward the back, anyway. Simply remove one hand from the bar and point down toward the side where the danger will be when you pass it. (Point down at about 45 degrees, not out, so the warning isn't mistaken for a turn signal.) Do this 5-10 seconds in advance, then move over smoothly.
A related technique is to tap the saddle or snap fingers with the hand that's coming off the bar, then point. The sound is just enough to wake up the rider behind.

Tip! One time a yell is helpful is when nasty stuff like glass, gravel, sand or ice covers the lane, like part way through a corner, and there is no way around it. As soon as you realize the predicament, call out the hazard so riders behind can fend for themselves. Same goes when you spot a dog up the road.

Potholes and such

If you aren't ready to try jumping over obstacles, you can lighten the impact by unweighting the bike so you don't hit so hard. As the pothole approaches, stop pedaling, hold the crankarms horizontal, and rise slightly off the saddle. Support your weight evenly on hands and feet. Relax your knees and elbows. Keep your head up. Have you played basketball? This is the defensive stance. Be like a cat -- light on your feet and ready for action. Then use this bike-handling technique: Just before the front wheel reaches the pothole, crouch deeper and then rise up to unweight the bike. You don't have to hop if you're inexperienced or afraid. A well-timed upward pull with your hands and feet will lighten the wheels equally and lessen the impact.

Timing is everything. Practice to develop a feel for it. Don't start with real potholes. Use cracks or seams that aren't going to be a problem. Keep trying and soon you'll get the knack. This technique works best with small potholes and other imperfections in the pavement.

Now, what if the pothole is big? You'll probably get the front wheel over safely but bang the rear tire on the sharp lip. This can cause a pinch flat like you experienced, with the tube being popped between the tire and rim.

That's why jumping your bike over a pothole can be better in terms of wheel protection. Jumping means your wheels never touch a pothole's sharp edge. The trick is to assume the position just described but increase the upward lift so both wheels leave the road simultaneously. Your speed then carries you over the danger.

Jumping is rarely necessary, though. And unless it's done correctly it can damage equipment (or cause a fall) as surely as riding into an obstacle.

The landing is as important as the take-off for avoiding wheel damage. Flex your knees so they absorb the shock of wheels coming back to pavement. Practice this move on a grassy field by jumping over something soft like a rolled-up towel before you try it on the road.

Some roadies fly over potholes or railroad tracks just for the fun of being airborne. But jumping is a tool to use in critical circumstances, not for a cheap thrill.

Caption Contest

Enter your caption in the comments.

Quench That Thirst

Bicycling Magazine online has a nice article about hydration myths and reality written by Monique Ryan. It's presented in that stupid slide show format, but the information is top notch. And now, a quick test. Which of these is not true:

1) Ideally, you should weigh yourself before and after each ride to make sure you replaced every lost ounce of fluid on the ride.

2) Caffeine lowers your rate of perceived exertion while improving your strength, endurance and mental performance.

3) Trained cyclists' performance is about the same whether they drink carbohydrate-only beverages or carbohydrate-protein beverages.