Bike Food

by Myra VanInwegen

What to eat and drink when you're riding.

The information in this article comes from my experiences, the nutritional information in Cycling Plus magazine, and advice from fellow riders on the newsgroup uk.rec.cycling.

Drink

Drinking enough is actually more important than eating. If you allow yourself to become dehydrated, your efficiency on the bike can drop dramatically. This is true no matter how fast or slow you ride. On the other hand, if you are riding slowly enough, you can ride without eating anything at all: your body can be trained to burn fat as you ride. (However, most people like to ride faster than this, so this isn't terribly useful in practice.)

The main methods of carrying water are water bottles and hydration packs. I tend to use water bottles for road rides, as I like to ride without anything on my back when I can. I tend to take two large water bottles with me when I'm out for any length of time. When I get down to only about a half a water bottle left, I'll stop and get some more water. Two large water bottles will last me anywhere between about 30 miles to 70 miles, depending on hot and humid it is.

When I ride off-road, I usually use a hydration pack (otherwise known as Camelbak, these are small backpacks with plastic bags with hoses to hold the water). There are two main reasons for this. First, water bottles end up covered with mud, and this deters me from wanting to drink from them. Second, a hydration pack holds more water than I can get in water bottles. You can fit a bit over 2 liters in your standard bladder, while the usual large water bottle holds about 0.8 liter, giving about 1.6 liters for two bottles. I find the larger capacity useful for off-road, when I'm less likely to be going through villages where I can get more water.

Energy Drink

Energy drink is useful for a couple of reasons. First, it is a constant feeding of calories to your body, and these calories come in a form that's ready to use as is, requiring very little in the way of digestion. If you use an energy drink you can get away with eating less solid food. Second, if you have the right stuff in the fluid, it's absorbed better than plain water.

The best mixture involves some carbohydrate with electrolytes (minerals like sodium and potassium). The purpose of the electrolytes is twofold: first, they replace some of the minerals you lose in your sweat, and second, they help get the carbohydrates and water through the lining of the gut and into the blood stream. An energy drink containing carbohydrate and electrolytes that is mixed to about the same concentration (osmolarity if you want to get technical) as the blood is called and isotonic drink. If your preferred energy drink doesn't have electrolytes in it, you can add some yourself by tossing in a pinch of salt (or Lo-salt, a mix of potassium chloride and sodium chloride) per liter of drink.

The most useful form of energy drink is the powdered kind that you add to your water. This is cheaper than the liquid kind, and it is easy to carry with you to put into your water when you refill your water bottles.

You'll get the best effect (in terms of feeding your muscles energy) if your drink is 5.5% to 7% carbohydrate. Since most energy drink powders are close to being 100% carbohydrate, 1 gram of powder will give you 1 gram of carbohydrate. Thus if you add 55 to 70 grams of your favorite energy drink powder to a liter of water (or 44 to 56 grams per typical large water bottle) you'll end up with the right mix. The best thing to do is use your kitchen scales to find out how many teaspoons give you the right number of grams, then just use the teaspoon to measure out the stuff.

If you have a higher concentration of carbohydrates than 5.5% to 7%, this will inhibit the absorption of the fluid, so this is not the thing to drink when you're exercising. However it's fine after you're finished to replentish the stores of energy in your muscles. A lower concentration of carbs is fine, especially if you don't like the sweet taste you get with the proper isotonic mix. It doesn't give you as many calories per gulp, but if it tastes better you'll end up drinking more, which is usually beneficial.

Be careful with mixing instructions on the package: often they suggest you to use quite a lot of powder, resulting in a solution with more carbohydates than the recommended amount for an isotonic beverage.

As for which energy drink to buy, I'd suggest getting the one that tastes best to you. If you want to be more scientific than that, here are some things you can look for. There are different kinds of carbohydrates. Maltose, dextrose, fructose etc are simple sugars which are broken down and get into your blood very quickly. There are "long chain" carbohydrates such as maltodextrin which take a bit longer to break down, and thus provide a more steady release of sugars into your blood. Maltodextrin isn't really sweet, so some products with lots of it use artificial sweeteners to make the drink taste sweet. If you object to this, you'll want to avoid those drinks.

If you want an isotonic drink, but don't want to pay the price for these special powders, take fruit juice and dilute it with an equal amount of water. Add a pinch of salt or Lo-Salt per liter for electrolytes.

Food

If you're cycling along at a decent pace for more than say a couple of hours, you'll need something to eat. Many people use energy bars, but I think they are a waste of money. As far as I can tell they aren't any better for you than carefully chosen normal (not exercise specific) foods. Basically, what you want to look for is something with lots of carbohydrates and low in fat (say less than 15 grams of fat per 100 grams of product). Good snacks that fall into this category are:

• malt loaf
• bagels
• fig rolls (aka Fig Newtons)
• low-fat cereal bars (granola bars). My favorite ones in the UK are Jordans Frusli bars. Quaker Harvest bars are pretty good too.
• fruits, dried (raisins are easiest to digest) or fresh
• Kellogg's Nutrigrain bars
• Garibaldi biscuits

Avoid things like high-fat cereal or granola bars, or flapjacks, as they are too high in fat. Although they've got lots of calories, it will take longer for your body to break it down and make use of it.

Post ride

It's important to get some carbohydrates into your body soon after you finish your ride. During the first hour after you finish exercising your body is especially efficient at replentishing energy stores in your muscles, so getting some energy to them then will help you prepare for your next ride. As when you're riding, the best form of calories is carbohydrates. The same foods that are good at feeding you during your ride are good for a post-ride top-up, but since you're more likely to be home you can treat yourself to something requiring a bit more preparation like pasta.

Riding your bike causes small amounts of damage to your muscles (that's what that gentle ache in your thighs means). Thus a small amount of protein in with your post-ride snack can help to repair any damage. But there's no need to overdo this: the amount of protein you get in yogurt or baked beans on toast will be plenty sufficient.

If you don't feel like eating solid food, your energy drink can be used for this post-ride replenishment. If you've been drinking enough during your ride your main concern won't be hydrating yourself, so you can mix up the energy drink a bit stronger than you would when you're riding. However, I often find myself quite thirsty after a ride (probbably not drinking enough) so I mix mine up fairly weak so it doesn't interfere with fluid absorption. As above, a small amount of protein can help to rebuild muscle, so I've taken to drinking Boots protein/energy drink after a ride (mixed up about half the concentration they recommend, 2.5 scoops per 500ml). It's easy to mix up and tastes good to me. My boyfriend hates it however, so tastes do vary!

Ride all day

For longer rides, you'll want to eat a real meal while you're out riding (typically lunch) in addition to snacks. You should choose this food carefully, as well as the breakfast you eat before starting. For breakfast you want to put complex carbohydrates into you. These will be broken down slowly, providing a steady source of energy. You should avoid highly sugary breakfasts, like donuts. These can cause your blood sugar level to skyrocket, and then a rush of insulin in response brings your blood sugar levels way down, leaving you with little energy for cycling.

The best lunches are again high in carbohydrates. Examples are: baked potatoes, sandwiches with thick bread, anything with rice, and pasta. You can eat fatty things, but they will take longer to break down. Also, a moderate amount of sweets won't hurt to boost blood sugar levels a bit.

If you're spending all day out riding, you'll need to eat alot. When I'm touring I'm riding all day for days at a time, and I tend to settle into this pattern of eating: eat a big breakfast, have a decent-sized snack around 11am, have a good-sized lunch around 1 or 2, have more snacks at 3 or 4, have a decent early dinner after cycling, at around 6 or 7. I found that I needed to eat lots of food early in the day, when I was cycling, and I didn't need any food after dinner. I estimate that I consume somewhere between 1.5 and 2 times my usual caloric intake while touring.

For balanced-diet considerations, I found it hard to eat enough fruits and veggies whilte touring: typical breakfast foods seem to be high-fat eggs & bacon, and dinners often come with high-fat chips (french fries) instead of rice or salad. I often found myself selecting dinners based on the quantity of veggies they came with. You can also increase your fruit intake by stopping in villages to buy bananas and other fresh fruits for immediate consumption. Several times I remember seeing a bunch of bananas hanging in a store window and being irresistably drawn in to buy them.

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Bike Mechanics 101

by Myra VanInwegen

How do you learn bike mechanics? At the beginning I guess I just kind of figured out much of what I know. A bike is really visible, so you can see what all the parts do. Brake pads not coming close enough to the rim? Obviously you have two choices (1) tighten the brake wire (2) fiddle with the brake pads. After lots of experience, I find that usually the second option is more likely to be useful, 'cause otherwise you end up with brake pads that don't align right on your rim.

I think that maintenance is mainly saying to yourself that you're going to do it, no matter how long it takes. You might do it and then find you did it all wrong, so you'll have to do all again. But you'll learn, and eventually you'll get so that you'll get it right the first time. It'll still take you longer than the pros in the shops, but so what?

But anyway, here are my tips

Keep the manuals that come with your bike. I learned how to adjust derailleurs (high/low screws, that kind of thing) with these. Keep the manuals that come with your parts (the instructions that came with my new V-brakes are really great) and tools (the chain tool box tells you how to do chains). I have a couple of bike repair books. The first one, Eugene Sloane's Complete Book of Bicycling, is a good general purpose reference for all kinds of bikes. Unfortunately the version I have was bought in 1989 or so, so it doesn't cover any of the new parts on my MTB. So I bought Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, which gives me the lowdown on all the new stuff (suspension forks, SPD pedals, threadless headsets, V-brakes). It also includes good instructions on how to build a wheel.

You must already have a trail kit that includes tire levers, a spare tube, a patch kit, and a pump: if you ride without these things you're silly. A flat tire is by far the most common problem.

Tools for home. If you don't have a complete set of metric Allen (hex) keys, go out and buy them right now. An alternative (or maybe a complement) is one of these Y-shaped things with hex keys on the ends that fit the most common sizes. If you have an older bike that has lots of normal nuts and bolts (as opposed to bolts with recessed hex holes) you'll need a set of normal metric wrenches as well. You may need an adjustable wrench for those pesky non-metric nuts. The most useful size is 6". Of course you need straight and Phillips screwdrivers in a few sizes. You wouldn't believe the number of places you can use black electrical tape. A good knife (like Swiss Army or Stanley craft knife) comes in real handy too.

Pliers, both regular and needle-nose, are handy for holding things like cables. I have a heavy duty wire cutter, which more or less works to cut cable housing (eventually I'm going to buy a special cable housing cutter). A file is really useful for smoothing off things that you've cut (cable housing, etc). WD-40, or similar spray lube/penetrant/water dispersant comes in handy in a number of situations. Eventually (if you have a threaded headset) the big nut where your stem comes out of the bike tubes will come loose, so you'll need a wrench of appropriate size to put that back where it belongs. (This is the first cut! Actually adjusting headset nuts is tricky, so you should really read this for more info.)

Of the specialized bike tools I have, the most useful is a brake/derailleur cable cutter. It's very useful to have a floor pump (with pressure guage) at home, 'cause then you can inflate your tires just right. A chain tool is also useful if you want to replace your chain. I have one but rarely use it. Some people manage to break chains on the trail/road, but I never have (probably because I'm not too heavy and not very strong). Also I'm far too lazy to remove the chain to clean it. But if you get a chain tool, it's best to get a big beefy Park or Shimano one, since this makes it much easier to push the pivots out of the chain.

Grease is a great thing. Whenever you thread a bolt into something, or put a nut on a bolt, put some grease on the threads. This will make it much easier to get off later.

Cleaning your bike. Another thing that's awfully useful is stuff to clean your bike. Get a bucket and a car-washing brush (works better than a sponge). When you come back from a muddy ride, wash all the junk off your frame, derailleurs, chain, and rear sprockets. Let it dry a awhile, and spray the front and rear sprockets and chain with WD-40. That will prevent it from rusting. Then before you ride again, put some chain oil on. It will work lots better clean than dirty.

If you don't get muddy when you ride (requiring the wash described above), you'll eventually build up gunk on your chain. The best way to clean your chain is to take it off the bike and slosh it around in some degreasing solution. If, like me, you're too lazy to do this, here's how to clean the chain on the bike: take some paper towels, grab your chain with one, and pedal backwards, whiping off the chain. Add some oil to the chain, let it soak in, whipe again. Repeat until your chain looks pretty clean. To clean your back sprockets (cassette or freewheel) scrape the junk off with a small screwdriver. Also clean the junk off the derailleur pulleys.

Getting grips on and off (courtesy of Paul Whitaker). When you're taking your old grips off, try inserting a thin screwdriver, and squirt in some WD-40. They should slide off esily. WD-40 is good for this application because it comes in an aerosol can with a small plastic pipe that attaches to the nozzle, so you can get it into the gap between grip and 'bar. It also evaporates and doesn't leave an oily residue. You can clean and dry the inside of the grips before putting them back on, but I use WD-40 to make it easier to side grips back on, relying on the fact that it evaporates so the grips won't turn when it dries.

Pedals are easy to take on and off, but you have to remember this crucial bit of information: the left hand pedal (when viewed from you sitting on the bike) has a left hand thread. This means that instead of tightening it by turning the pedal shaft clockwise, you tighten it by turning it counterclockwise. The right pedal has the usual right hand screw (tighten clockwise, loosen counterclockwise).

Here's my favorite method for removing a pedal. Lean the bike against a wall with the pedal you want to remove away from the wall. Put the cranks horizontal, with the pedal you want to remove pointing to the front of the bike. Attach a wrench (any wrench that fits, most of my pedals use a 15mm wrench) to the pedal shaft, aligning it with the crank as well as you can, so it's pointing roughly backwards. Make sure you get the wrench as tight as you can on the shaft, if it's an adjustable one. Now if you push down on the wrench you'll be pushing it counterclockwise if this is the right pedal, and clockwise if it's the left, i.e. this is the correct way to loosen it. Now, if your pedals have been replaced recently and threded with grease, you just push down with your hand to get the pedal loosened up. If not, then it may take more pressure. Stand on the wrench. Bounce up and down a few times.

If that doesn't work, you need two things. First, more leverage. Buy a pedal wrench (spanner). It's a wrench over a foot long that has a 15mm slot on one end. Or stick a pipe on the end of your wrench. Second, the pedal needs support so you don't knacker the bottom bracket. Prop up the pedal with bricks or chunks of wood. Reattach spanner. Bounce up and down a few more times, and you can try hitting the end of your wrench (spanner) or wrench with pipe with a sledge hammer.

If all else fails, take to the bike shop to get them to loosen up your pedals.

You should get in the habit of removing your pedals every now and then to make sure they don't screw themselves in too tight.

Wheels aren't that hard to build. Really. If you want to give it a go, get yourself a truing stand and (if you like) a dishing tool. Read Sheldon Brown's instructions, then read the following list of tips. These tips contradict some of what Sheldon says, so don't read his article without reading the additional tips. If you want to read on paper, the book Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance has good instructions for wheelbuilding (with lots of good pictures), and of course there's Jobst Brandt's definitive reference The Bicycle Wheel.

Replacing spokes. It requires a bit of attention and fiddling, but you can do it yourself.

More tips by other people

• Keith Bontrager's instructions on how to adjust cantilever brakes. Or, read Keith's long rant about why V-brakes are unnecessary.
• Sheldon Brown has a collection of bicycle repair articles. He also has a bunch of other bike-related articles at the bottom of his Harris Cyclery page.
• Jeff Napier also has some articles on bike repair, inluding complete instructions for tuning up your bike.
• Adjusting your XT and XTR V-brakes by Patty Ciesla.
• The Edinburgh BicycleFAQ page has a fair bit on maintenance.

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Cold Weather Riding

By Myra VanInwegen

This is an article about riding in very cold (freezing or below) weather.

The first thing I should say is: the most important thing is to keep all parts of your body warm. Usually when we're outside, we put on a thick jacket, maybe a hat, and we can either put on gloves or put our hands in our pockets, and we're fine for walking to classes or work. We don't worry about our legs or face, and our regular shoes are usually fine for our feet. When you go out riding, you find three things: (1) what you wear on your chest (the thick jacket) is too heavy, and you end up sweating like crazy, (2) what you wear on the rest of body is insufficient, and (3) since you're really exposed to the air, keeping the wind off you becomes very important.

What you need to aim for is a more-or-less uniform covering of yourself, top to bottom. You should have about the same thickness of stuff on you all over.

Materials : you basically need two types of fabrics. The first type of stuff is for warmth, the second to block the wind. For warmth, use polypro or any one of its cousins (thermax, caprilene, etc), polyester fleece, or wool. Silk used to be the thing, but I think that wool is warmer, and artificial fibers wick better, and silk is expensive. But if you have it already, you can use it. Cotton is not good. It soaks up water, stops insulating, and starts to feel really disgusting. To keep the wind off you, simple non-stretchy nylon is all you need. You can get fancier fabrics (Gore-Tex, Silmond microfiber, etc), but the only real difference is weight of fabic and water-restistance. It all works pretty much the same for protecting you from wind.

So, starting at the top, here are my specific recommendations.

Head : One fellow I know phrased it this way: "no balaclava, no ride". A balaclava is a piece of stretchy fabric that goes over your head, with a big hole for your face. It covers your neck, chin, and the sides, back, and top of head. If you want, you can pull it over your mouth as well. You may want even more than a balaclava. I have a Gore-Tex helmet cover. It stretches over your helmet and blocks the wind from blowing through your vents, thus holding in whatever heat escapes from your balaclava. The nice thing about the helmet cover is that it's another layer you can add that doesn't have to be crammed under your helmet. The helmet cover (about $15) is not essential; I was out riding in below freezing weather before I got it, but it does help. The balaclava is essential for weather much below freezing.

However, I haven't actually used my balaclava since moving to the UK. Instead I have some bike jerseys that have thin hoods attached. The hoods cover my neck and my entire head. They are thin enough to fit under a helmet without fiddling with the pads, and the fact that they are attached to my jersey means that they don't move around, and if it warms up I can just push it off without worrying about putting it into a pocket. These jerseys come from Performance and are about the only jerseys I wear in winter. I still use a Gore-Tex helemt cover pretty much non-stop from October to April.

Eyes : They will dry out extremely fast if you don't wear something over them. If you wear glasses this is often enough, but if it's very windy or you're descending alot, the wind can make your eyes water and make it difficult to see where you're going. Consider cycle-specific glasses. If you don't wear glasses, make sure you put something on your eyes. If you don't like sunglasses, get something clear.

Upper Body : lots of thin warm layers, with wind protection on top. I find that I generally need a bit more on my torso than on my arms. If you have a fleece vest this comes in handy as one of the layers. Or wear a wicking T-shirt or short-sleeve jersey as your base layer. You need a layer of windproof nylon on your chest (at least). This can come in the form of a vest, a cycling jacket with nylon on the front and insulating material elsewhere (a very useful cold-weather riding accessory), or a plain nylon jacket. There's no need to go for the multi-bucks approach here.

A very useful feature on a jacket for cold weather riding is pit zips. These allow you to adjust the amount of wind cooling you get, preventing you from overheating when you're working hard, but allowing you to keep out all drafts when you're not working so hard or it cools off in the evenings. My favorite fabric for cold-weather riding is Activent. It transmits moisture well, is semi-waterproof, completely windproof, and very light. I used to wear Gore-Tex alot for riding, but I find it too heavy and hot for winter riding in Britain.

Hands : warm windproof gloves. They don't have to be special cycling gloves. I have super-thick REI Gore-Tex ski gloves for extremely cold weather. As long as I keep moving, my hands don't get cold. However, they can get too warm and sweaty, so it's useful to have a range of thicknesses of gloves so you can select the gloves appropriate for the temperature.

Legs : again, several warm layers. If it's really cold (significantly below freezing) you'll want wind protection on top. You can get tights that have a wind-stopping layer in front, and these are great. If you don't have this, nylon pants over a couple pairs of tights are fine.

One item of clothing I've found very useful for winter riding are long tights with pads in them. This prevents the buildup of layers around your bum and belly, which some people (like me) find binding. I have several pairs of Performance polypro tights with pads. They are mid-weight, have a brushed inside and a good quality pad, and are very comfy. Now when I go out for winter riding, my only thoughts are: is it warm enough to wear my padded tights alone, or do I put a thin pair of unpadded tights on top?

Feet : again, several warm layers with wind protection on top. One approach is one or two layers of socks, then cycle shoes, then something on top of that. If you wear two layers of socks, make sure one of them is very thin, perhaps polypro sock liners, or perhaps Gore-tex socks. Fleece socks (mine are made by Acorn) make a very good (warm and dry) insulating layer. Shoes without mesh are best for warmth in the winter. For the top, you can use neoprene booties. An additional aid you can use if it's really cold and you've got room in your shoes are chemical heater packs.

An alternative to all this is to get winter specific cycling shoes. I use Shimano D100 boots. They aren't made anymore, but the current W100 are even better. These are solid waxy leather, like hiking boots use, and they keep the wind completely off your feet, and do a very good job of shedding rain and insulating your feet as well. Wearing just some warm hiking socks underneath I'm comfy for rides of several hours in temperatures a bit below freezing.

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Gearing Up for the Winter Mountain Bike Season

By Joeseph Pucci

Trail conditions change depending on the time on the day. In morning you may have smooth, virgin trail with a slick frozen areas. That same trail at midday maybe a muddy and rutted one. By late afternoon or early evening, the trail now has frozen ruts that will remind you of giant, greasy tree roots, which happen to run parallel with the trail.

And last but not least, make sure you have a plan for what to do with your bike when you return to the car. You may not anticipate this odd but special problem. After riding around in the mud for a bit at freezing temperatures, the mud will be frozen to any exposed metal. Don’t try knocking the icy mud off you’ll remove paint and parts. This is the reason I suggested having a plan as to what to do with the bike. If you came by car with a rack, the first step is easy, put the bike on the rack and don’t worry about it till you get home. If you put the bike in a car or van, you will want to protect the inside of the vehicle from the frozen ice and mud because it’s not going to be frozen for long. I think you’ve got the idea, I’m sure you’ll figure out the rest.

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Mountain Biking

Resources & Information

Associations
International Mountain Biking Association: worldwide organization promoting mountain biking opportunities that are environmentally sound and socially responsible. The group encourages low-impact riding, volunteer trailwork participation, and cooperation among different trail user groups. Phone: 888-442-4622.

National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA): the official sanctioning body of more than 1,000 mountain bike races around the country, NORBA promotes mountain biking as a competitive sport and outdoor activity. Phone: 719-578-4581.

Schools
Dirt Camp: training camps at resorts around the country for riders of all abilities, from beginners to experienced riders honing their technical skills. Phone: 800-711-DIRT (3478) or 303-413-0095.

Nantahala Outdoor Center: offers a variety of training options for the mountain biker, from camps to individual instruction, with more than half a million acres of wilderness to explore nearby. Phone: 888-662-1662.

Books
Mountain Bike Like a Champion, by Ned Overend
Mountain Biking: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Ride, by Bill Strickland
Off the Beaten Track series by Jim Parham

Magazines
Dirt Rag: youth-oriented magazine for "real people who ride real mountain bikes." Published seven times a year.
Mountain Bike: the most popular magazine covering the fat-wheeled world, including race news, gear reviews, and feature stories on destinations. Eleven issues a year.
Mountain Bike Action: a monthly for mountain biking enthusiasts.

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On-Line Shopping - VS - The Local Bike Shop

by Joseph Pucci

As far back as I can remember mail ordering for bicycle parts and supplies has been around. There are advantages and disadvantages to the process, depending on what's on your shopping list. Today's Local Bike Shop's can compete with the on-line companies for your riding dollar. When it comes to components that need to be installed on your bike, your local bike shop can offer great deals. You might be able to get the parts cheaper on-line but if you don't have the right tools and knowledge to install the hardware correctly, you may have just bought yourself a headache. Instead of spending your time riding your bike, you could end up wasting your time and damaging new parts. Another thing to consider is, are you ordering the correct parts for your bike. Do you need a seat post that is 27.7mm or 27.2 mm? The difference is whether you're riding your bike on the trail or riding to the post office, to send that seat post back. You can get around a simple issue like this by just checking with the manufacturer, but this still may not be as cut and dry as you think.

About a six months ago, I needed to replace my wheel set on my mountain bike. I know what your thinking, "sure.... he needed a new wheel set" but I really did! My old wheel set had 4,000 miles on them and had cracks appearing at the spoke eyelets. I noticed them a few months earlier, but I didn't want to part with the cash. I had a big ride in Pennsylvania and I didn't want to take any chances. So I did my research on the Internet, at the local shops and by asking friends. I decided that I must have a set of Mavic CrossMax wheels. The best price I could find on the Internet was $725 and they weren't in stock. I called some friends and asked them to check their local bike shops for the wheels. That afternoon I got a call about a local bike shop in Long Island that had the wheels for $750. I left work early, I told the Boss that I had an emergency and started my 23 mile journey to the "Bike Junkie". By six O'clock that night I had my wheels, no waiting and no shipping. I did have to pay a little more, plus gas, and a toll but it was worth it!

It was worth it in more ways then I realized! About two weeks ago, I was riding at one of my favorite trails when heard a loud " PING" sound and felt a not so good feeling. I dismounted to check it out and found what I was fearing. A healthy sized branch got caught in my spokes at the rear wheel and snapped the spoke! The wheel had, as you might expect a nasty wobble to it and the spokes next to the broken one were loose. On the way back to the car I considered my possible coarse of action. I could buy the spoke and true the wheel myself, but this was a 26 spoke straight lace wheel, which I have no truing experience with. Or I could just take it back to Doug at the "Bike Junkie". It wasn't a tough choice. I was going to be in Doug's neighborhood on business Tuesday so it made sense.

Tuesday. I presented my damaged rear wheel to Doug. He looked at it, spun it and announced! "I think we can straighten it". With that he called out a name and out of the basement popped a wheel mechanic to whom Doug passed the to wheel. The mechanic looks at it, squeezes the spokes, gives it a spin and says, "this is pretty bad". My heart sank! Doug shook his head and stepped from around the counter, "No not really, these rims are very strong. Replace the spoke and re-tension the wheel but don't over tighten them". The mechanic nods his head and takes the wheel to the basement. Doug turns to me and said, "It'll be fine, hang out for a little bit, he'll be done in a few minutes". I smile with great relief.

About five minutes later the mechanic emerges with the wheel and handed to me, Doug asks him "All done?", to which to the mechanic simply nods. I reach in to my pocket, searching for the texture of cash, as I approach the counter. The wheel mechanic was now at the register, Doug looks over at him and then to me. He pauses for a moment and says "Didn&'t you buy those wheels here a few months ago!" To which I replied, "Yeah, it was about six months ago?!" Doug nods his head knowingly as he recalls the event and says, "No charge, adjustments are free on the stuff you buy". The wheel mechanic nods and returns to the basement. In a state of shock, all I could say was "Really! Wow, Cool, thanks a lot!" and with that he waved and said, "Take it easy and have a good Thanksgiving Joe". I left the shop feeling great, about 30 minutes later realize that I total forgot to tip the mechanic. The next time I stop back I'll have to fix my blunder.

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Winter Training. : Skiing to improving your road trips.

by Joseph Pucci

Skiing gives you a great aerobic workout that works a lot of the same muscle groups that are used in cycling. Downhill skiing requires skills that mount biking also uses.

Just like mount biking through the woods with a quickly changing terrain, the need to read the trail remains the same in skiing. This means skills developed on the slopes or trail can often be interchanged. Some of the same techniques apply. Stay relaxed, loose and don’t panic. Getting tense can cause you some major pains. If you stay loose you can often avoid crashing and even if you do crash you may reduce your injuries.

In skiing its a good idea to pick your path by looking ahead and finding the cleanest line. This can also be applied to mount and road cycling. On the road you look for the fastest line through the turns and try to map the best break away point. In mount biking you look for the ruts, banks, trees, stumps, rocks and what every else mother nature comes up with. A technique that is useful in on and off road riding is to avoid becoming fixated on the objects and obstacles that are to close, either step around it, jump it, or absorb it but don’t stare at it.

Posture has a big part to play in your ability to respond to changing road conditions. If you ride like your a card board cut out, glued to the bike, your just using to much energy staying stiff. Your also increasing your chances of getting hurt from an accident or even from shocks of absorbing the terrain. Riding through the ruts with your mount bike, let the bicycle glide from side to side. On the steep dirt down hills, keep your hands light on the bars and hang your butt off the back of the seat.

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