Compendium of errors

Watching water levels rise over much of the country this week, plus seeing a posting that the Snake River Canoe Race is going to require PFDs to be worn this year has me thinking about safety.  I started out planning to write about boating safety, but after watching the carnage at Trans Iowa, creek levels on the Almanzo course, and dodging storms driving back from Oklahoma last weekend, I'm going to broaden out a bit and write mostly about common sense.

Years ago, in another lifetime, I was a sailor.   I raced on Puget Sound in everything from 14' dinghies to 50' ocean racing yachts.  But most of the time, I was racing in 24' one design boats of one form or another.  And we raced in some truly idiotic conditions.  Usually, foul weather gear, wool pants and a wool sweater were enough to keep you pretty toasty, but with 48 degree water, 42 degree air, and often a little rain or spray - hypothermia could be a real danger.  And there's nothing like a 30knot breeze, too much sail, bad judgement and an abortive spinnaker run to put you in the water, further hampering your decision making processes.
  After a couple of instances like that, I took safety a little more seriously - in fact attending a symposium on rescue techniques and survival.  One of the presenters was a Coast Guard captain who talked about several incidents, and their chronology.  I've never forgotten the phrase "a compendium of errors" that he used to describe the chain of events leading up to the final disaster.  In most of the cases he cited, it wasn't one single event that caused the problem - it was a chain of manageable crises, any one of which could probably have been survived, but when coupled together spelled disaster. Wife unfamiliar with operating the diesel, husband knocked unconscious by the boom, poor grounding on the electrics affecting radio and instruments, no radar reflector and rapidly degrading weather.  Any one or even two of these could likely have been handled, but in the end...
A compendium of errors.

I've gotten home from springtime bike rides shaking so badly that I had a hard time opening the door and stood in the shower with my clothes on until the hot water was gone trying to warm up. A flat tire would've been more than I could've handled.  I've also done a quick strip on the side of the river to put on dry clothing after an untimely swim in mid-April, when staying wet would've likely been problematic - but dry and quickly warming up, I continued on for the rest of the 4 hour paddle.  And I've lost a good friend in a surfski accident on an inland lake due to that same compendium of errors.  Temperature and precipitation are not your friends in the spring and fall.

I haven't had a chance to talk to Trans Iowa riders yet, but I'd bet that the ones who survived and the ones who had to stop have some incredible war stories of cold, wind, rain, storms, mud and maybe a little glory.  Incredible effort this year.

OK, enough doom and gloom.  Whether riding, paddling, sailing or hiking in the spring (or any other time) be prepared for conditions.  "Check six" as pilots say - look behind you to see what the weather is doing.  If you are paddling, have a change of clothes and a warm hat.  Bring a rain jacket, fingered gloves, a vest, cape or whatever.  Bring a little extra food, and make sure you know the conditions.  Traveling in the spring often gives you a different perspective on the countryside, so enjoy it.  But be prepared for the conditions.

Common sense tips for riding gravel

There's a whole cadre of really experienced gravel/adventure riders out there, and y'all are welcome to chime in with your thoughts.  This post is for the new to gravel riders, who maybe are used to doing well organized centuries, club rides and weekend rides with friends - but not 4+ hour totally unsupported, where-the-heck-am-I rides in the puckerbush.  (Actually, Miesville isn't puckerbush. Far from it - you are <15 miles from the start no matter where you are on the course, and usually no more than 1/4 mile from somebody's farm.)
So here goes with the tip sheet.
Know where you are - bring turn list, map, GPS, phone - and KNOW HOW TO READ A MAP!!! GPS devices have batteries that die. Phones may not connect and batteries may die. Maps seldom lie.  Pay attention to your map and turns even if you are with a group.  You may decide to stop for a nature break and the group may not.  Keep track of where you are on the course!
Be prepared for the weather - and pay attention to what's coming.  If it's 85 degrees, your biggest weather concerns are hydration and sunscreen.  If it's 45, a sudden shower can bring on hypothermia.  Make sure you have enough clothing to add a layer if you have to stop for a while. (I carry a jacket, stocking cap and long finger gloves on spring rides).  No cotton is the first rule.  Know your body and the weather is the second.  Especially in the spring, be prepared for a sudden storm.  If there is any chance of thunderstorms, keep an eye on the horizon - especially behind you!  Spring storms can travel at 40+mph, and bring wind, rain, lightning and hail. Be prepared to find cover quickly if you see one approaching.
Make sure you have enough to eat.  If you are used to road rides at 15mph, and view 60 miles as a 4 hour adventure, make sure you have enough food for 5-6 hours of riding.  (400 kcal/hour is about right for most people).  Eat things that sit well on your stomach, but not simple sugar based food (like candy and pop).  These cause an insulin rush followed by a crash.  The exception - Shot blocks or gel packs are an essential element in dealing with 'the bonk'.  Quick calories to consume while your body processes better foods.
Carry enough tools, but don't go crazy.  At a minimum 2 tubes, tire irons, patches (none of which you need if you run tubeless), hand pump, optional CO2 inflators, multi-tool, $21 (1 dollar bill makes a dandy boot for a cut tire), a couple of zip ties, quick link for your chain.
Headlight/taillight.  It's amazing how much more visible you are when you use these.  If it's a gray day, maybe a neon vest, too.
Riding habits.  When the going gets rough, you need to ride more lightly.  Soften up your elbows, loosen your death grip on the bars, sit lighter on your saddle, and transfer more weight to your hands and feet.  And maybe click up a gear harder if you have them.  And don't stare at your front wheel.  It's not going anywhere, but the bumps it'll hit are up the road in front of you.  Keep searching for the smoothest hardest line.  I will change lines fairly often as I see patches that look firmer, drier, smoother, or whatever.  If you are in deep loose stuff, look at the shoulder and even at grassy strips.  Don't be afraid to experiment.
Challenge rollers - go down them as fast as you dare, pedal up as hard as you can without going over redline, and strive for the top.  You'll get a quick recovery over the top anyway, so if you can use your momentum to help blast UP that roller, you'll have much less to do to finish it.  This can save many minutes on a typical south Minnesota/Iowa rolling farm road, without spending any extra energy.

Final tip.  Don't forget to enjoy the ride.  There's always going to be someone who has their head down, hammering away and never realizes that they missed a herd of deer, or goats being silly on a farm.  They never see the green valleys, classic cars, waving farm kids or talking to the people they were riding with.  Which really makes me wonder why they are out here. Much more fun to smell the roses.

Enjoy.

~marsh

Bike riding as cross training (for seasoned Nordic skiers)

(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!