(Note: While most of my how-to type articles are pretty much geography generic, this is directed toward a specific group in the Twin Cities. But if the shoe fits - come ride with us!)
Cycling as summer cross training for skiers (or how to BARF better)
What to do in the summertime if you aren't totally addicted to rollerskiing (and you shouldn't be). Many of us are riding more in the summertime, and a number of people have made a pretty sizable investment in upgrading bikes in the past year or so. This is good. This is fun. HOWEVER – I have seen several faces that look like the fun button stays pushed down just a little too hard, and that’s no fun, and definitely not a good thing.
So you got a new bike, a snazzy helmet, new shorts, and hopefully new shoes. You've heard the hard core riders wax philosophically about chamois butter, electrolyte supplements and whether Cliff bars are better than bananas, until you really just don’t want to know more. So now go ride your bike.
But first! Make sure your helmet fits, is comfortable, and that your cleats are set correctly. If your knees hurt, they most likely aren't! Spend a little time at your LBS (local bike store) and get them set correctly. In fact, have them check saddle height, seat width (ladies, especially), and seat position – especially in relationship to your handlebars. And DO NOT get a stem that’s shorter than 90cm unless it's just morphologically impossible to fit you otherwise. OK, maybe if you are on an XS frame size, but it still should be 70-80, no shorter. Short stems make the bike twitchy, and very high stems affect your balance. Whether road or mountain your stem needs to be around the same height as your seat, and far enough out that flat part of your handlebars hides the front axle when you are in normal riding position. This may need to be modified if you have serious neck or back problems, but I’m not prepared to address those in a general discussion. Note that I’m talking about serious problems, not discomfort caused by insufficient exercise of the right muscles.
Once your bike is set up, you've got it down to a manageable weight, and ditched the ulock, extra change of clothes, 5lb of tools, and gourmet selection of food (none of which you’ll eat or use in 50 miles of summer riding), here’s what you need:
ID
Cell phone
Navigation device or maps/turn lists
$20 bill
Flashy tail light (if you want)
Spare tube
Inflation system (pump or CO2)
Patch kit
Tire irons
Multi-tool
Quick link for your chain
Rain jacket (IF it’s likely to rain)
Arm/leg warmers (IF you need them starting out)
You can fit everything on this list in a Banjo Brothers small bag
In your jersey or cages
2 water bottles with some additive like Gatorade, xceed, or similar.
500 calories worth of food
Gel pack or shot blocks
Food should not be an major issue up to 50 miles. A bar or two, a banana and drink will be enough for most people.
Eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty. Don’t eat too much, or sip. Take a good couple of pulls on the bottle, but eat in smaller chunks (like half a bar at a time).
And let’s ride.
One of the keys to riding well is to ride loose. Elbows bent and ‘soft’, hands on the bars but not in a death grip. And probably the hardest – sit light on your saddle. This allows the bike to soak up road shock instead of sending it straight to your hands, elbows, neck and back.
Pedal circles. Think about scraping gum off your shoe at the bottom of each stroke, and pulling up on the back side of the stroke. If you push and pull at the same time, you’ll be amazed how much more power you deliver. And the bike won’t rock back and forth as much. Pedaling by pushing down only is like classic skiing without using your arms.
Faster cadence, less power per stroke. Racing cyclists typically train at around 100rpm – and race at 90-95. Once you learn to ‘float’ the gears, pedaling becomes much more effortless, and the extra rpm helps smooth out the little dips and rises without you really thinking about it.
Get comfortable drafting. Drafting saves between 15 and 30% of the energy required to be at the front of the line. You don’t have to be 6” off the back wheel of the person in front – 2 feet will do fine. Watch their butt, other bikes around them, and the road out in front of them, NOT their back wheel. If you need to slow down, keep pedaling and apply slight pressure on the rear brake to adjust your distance. Again, soft elbows and hands are a big help.
When climbing, anticipate changes. Don’t wait until you are redlined to downshift. Drop your pace to that sustainable level and work it on through. You don’t jam the uphills at full speed until you have to stop on the ski trail (unless there’s a conga line), so why do it on your bike? Alternate between sitting and standing when it gets really steep, and keep pedaling circles! And if the grade gets easier, think about shifting back up a gear – even if you are going slow.
And the real key for riding something like Cty N on BARF – use the rollers. Just like on the Birkie, Silver trail at Giants Ride, or any other roller, go down as fast as you are able, be a little aggressive on the climb, and you’ll be at the top of the next climb before you know it. Use your brakes on the descent, start the roller climb slowly, and you’ll climb slowly and painfully! When you start the descent – before you even start to pick up speed, shift up 3 clicks in back, then go to the big chainring, and continue to shift up until you run out of gears or are going as fast as you feel safe. As you start up the other side, pedal fairly hard, and start to downshift (maybe 4 or 5 gears) to maintain the same feeling. Then shift to the small ring, shift back up one gear, and then continue to shift down until you get to the top. Sounds like a lot of work, but with a bit of practice this can be automatic –and very efficient. On a 5 mile stretch of N, this may save you 5-10 minutes, not to mention lots of energy!
Other areas to think about are corners and pavement surface. I'll talk about corners in another article, but pavement is easy - find the smoothest bit of pavement you can. Listen to it. Feel it. Sometimes the fastest bit may actually be a frost cracked section instead of the smooth looking center of the lane. Ride light and keep your hands soft - let your body tell you where to ride.
Bottom line - there's no reason for a reasonably competent skier not to be a reasonably competent rider as well. Doing one well will improve the other and vice versa. It's mostly a matter of mind.
Enjoy the ride!
No comments:
Post a Comment