Top 10 Lessons Learned About Biking
November 5, 2009 at 8:15 pm | In Safety, guest post | Leave a CommentTags: guest post, Safety
Joe Ferguson
One of the mainstays of my club is Joe Ferguson, who leads our Sunday morning “A” rides. Earlier this year he got clipped by a pickup’s side view mirror while on one of those rides. He wound up at the hospital, but thankfully, his injuries weren’t too serious. Joe posted this list of things he’s learned about staying safe on a bike to our club Yahoo group, and gave me permission to share it on Bike Noob.
Several times I have been “taught a lesson” myself over the years and here’s what I’ve learned.
1. You can’t count on laws, rules, human decency, common sense, or the fear of retribution to keep you safe. Awareness of your surroundings is your best defense.
2. Flipping someone off who is blowing their horn at you rarely leads to a desirable outcome. Wave instead. It has the same meaning (if you want it to) but is less likely to be construed as inflamatory by a dispassionate observer or aggravated antagonist.
3. If an EMT offers you a ride in an ambulance, take it. Toughing it out on the ride home shows dubious judgement and you will see the doctor much faster if you take the ride than if you shower first and present later. And, you will be signing a form stating that you declined emergency service and so may be adding to your own responsibility for a negative result.
4. Even when you “take the lane” for good reasons it is not a good idea to ride more than two abreast. May even be against the law. If you have someone in the group with a good rear light they should ride in last position so as not to surprise drivers who may be (hah, scratch that) ARE distracted.
5. Not a single bike part is irreplaceable. You are the one and only you. Don’t let your ego get in the way of a good time.
6. If you live to laugh about it later it’s a good ride.
7. Truck mirrors break off (and cost a lot more to replace) nowadays but the difference between being smacked by a 1974 Ford right rear view mirror and a late model F150 driver’s side mirror is miniscule.
8. The body follows the head. Even the worst drivers tend to shift their head in their intended direction just before “heading” their vehicle that way. That turn signal may have been on longer than their Goldwater for President bumper sticker but a slight nod of the noggin makes a better indicator of where the bozo driving in front of you is going.
9. A helmet is much more than a fashion statement, it is a sacrificial offering! Get one that fits and gives both good ventilation and protection front, side and rear. They are a single use item. Don’t hesitate to replace yours if it has worked just once on your behalf.
and finally…
10. If you get hit by a truck the day before moving day when you should be packing instead of riding, your wife will be more upset with you than with the driver of the truck. He’s probably the same dummy who tried to run her down in the supermarket parking lot, but you should know better!
Give a Little Bit…
November 3, 2009 at 7:48 pm | In Rides | 8 CommentsTags: guest post, Hemmel
A few weeks ago, I signed on for my very first charity ride. Okay, it’s not really the first first, but it’s the first at which riders were encouraged to not only enter for the cause, but to do a little fundraising as well. It looked like a fun ride, a friend had done it last year, and the cause was worthy…MDA, or what most of us think of us as the Muscular Dystrophy Association. You know, Jerry’s kids. I signed on for the longest distance available, logged onto my fundraising page, and began the time-honored process of annoying friends and neighbors by asking for donations.
Charity rides are becoming commonplace in the cycling community. And why not? Charity rides give riders a chance to get together with others who share that same interest, go on a hopefully fun group ride, maybe even challenge ourselves with a distance beyond our normal routine. In the process we can put that time to good use, and hopefully raise some money for a worthy cause, all before gorging on the post-ride pasta-and-soup extravaganza, or what I like to refer to as the “eating food I would never normally touch at this hour of the morning” portion of the event.
It’s a fun time for all. Or maybe not…
My first indication that trouble may be afoot was when a family member (I’ll protect their identity) resisted my suggestion to tell their friends about what I was doing. In this person’s view, everybody is suddenly asking for money. Last week it was the breast-cancer walk, this week it’s me and MDA, next week who knows? Time’s are tough, and people like me are getting, well, annoying.
Then, I heard that person tell someone I was just doing it for the free jersey. And he or she (how’s that for careful!) wasn’t joking. Was I that shallow?
Maybe a little. To me, that’s all part of the fun of a lot of these events — the participant gets a t-shirt or jersey that says they did it. It’s a souvenir, the kind that bike geeks seem to love. Am I wrong to think the incentive for doing the ride is cool?
More to the point, why is something I originally thought would just be a nice day for a good cause turning into something I feel bad about?
I thought about that for a while. Then I went to the charity’s web site and watched a video about what the money raised is used towards. One of the main goals is to send kids with neuromuscular diseases to a summer camp. That might not sound like anything earth shattering, but if you learn more you’ll see that kids who attend these camps frequently note that it was the one, special time in their lives when they didn’t feel different. When they could relax and have fun, and just be accepted as themselves. The one time they remember when they weren’t the kid in the wheelchair, or the kid with the leg brace, but just a kid, with friends, having fun. Think about that for a moment. If you have healthy children of your own, think about it for a moment longer.
Yes, times are tough, and friends asking for money are annoying. But come on, can’t most of us spare a few dollars? And as a participant, if we can raise that money by doing something that we’re uniquely qualified to do, is it wrong that we also enjoy the event…right down to the souvenir jersey?
As long as we don’t overdo it, can’t we annoy our friends every so often if the cause is just?
In two weeks I’ll be riding for a great cause, sharing the generosity of some truly kind friends and family, and maybe even wearing a free jersey.
And feeling good about all three…
Vertigo — Part 2
October 26, 2009 at 6:47 pm | In Injury, guest post | 1 CommentTags: Blount, guest post, Injury, vertigo
Guest poster Don Blount continues the story of his recent crash — and its unexpected side effect.
I awoke early Saturday, I think it was about 4 a.m., feeling woozy. The bedroom was dark, except for the glow of a smoke detector indicator light on the ceiling. The only problem was that the light was not stationary. It seemed to be zipping clockwise around the room.
I was sweating and nauseous. I staggered a few feet to the bathroom, splashed water on my face and the dizziness went away. I made it back to bed.
Two hours later I was awakened by the same sensation. This time I stumbled to the bathroom and held on to the basin for dear life until the room stopped spinning.
I also hurled. I would do so another nine times that day.
I tried to eat some broth and some crackers but nothing stayed down.
I spent that portion of the day face down on the floor with a bucket next to me.
I remember hearing Bob Griese, Chris Spielman and another broadcaster announcing the Michigan State-Wisconsin game (Michigan State lost). I didn’t have the strength to change the channel. I heard carpet cleaners come and go, and I didn’t want to move for fear of another episode starting.
My wife was on the phone with an advice nurse. Initially it was thought I had some type of head injury from my fall days earlier. It can take up to two weeks for symptoms to develop from a head injury. But when told that every time I moved I got dizzy, the nurse surmised that I could have vertigo.
Vertigo isn’t just an inner ear problem that causes dizziness and imbalance. It can be brought on by a head injury – that was the concern with me. It can also happen for no specific cause in what is known as spontaneous vertigo.
My wife was able to get a 1:45 p.m. appointment at an after hours clinic with our health care provider. She dropped the kids off at friends and came back for me. As we drove to the office, I told her about various bill due dates and passwords she would need. At that point I thought I might have had some type of head injury and may end up unconscious or sedated. She was trying not to cry.
The doctor had me describe my symptoms and do certain balance tests, such as stand on one foot and touch my nose with my eyes closed. I wasn’t drunk, just sick. It wasn’t until I hurled in front of him like Mr. Creosote, the glutton who eats too much and blows up in Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life that he had his “Ah Ha” moment.
“I’m going to give you something for the nausea,” he said.
“Thank goodness,” I mumbled to myself.
I received that shot – in the butt, not the arm – at about 3:15 p.m. I was still dizzy but at least I wasn’t queasy. I was sent to the emergency room at another hospital for tests.
We sat in the emergency room for one hour and 40 minutes. A repeat of America’s Funniest Home Videos was airing. I just sat there with my head in my hands, asking my wife every few minutes how long we had been there.
They performed a cat scan and various blood tests but found nothing abnormal.
I was given meclizine, a drug used for motion sickness and dizziness.
I was battered but well enough to go home. We left sometime after 8 p.m.
I could function but was far from healed.
The symptoms went away in stages over the next few weeks. I couldn’t tilt my head back or move quickly and I had to sleep propped up too.
Don's new helmet.
It kept me off the bike for nearly a week. I got back on the rollers first and after that went well, was able to convince my doctors to take off the cast and let me wear a soft support — my wrist was still fractured after all. A soft support I could ride with, a cast not easily. I took my bike out on the road the following day.
Don continues to monitor himself for any return of vertigo, which the doctors now say was completely spontaneous. But it can linger.
Vertigo — Part 1
October 25, 2009 at 3:27 pm | In Injury, guest post | 1 CommentTags: Blount, guest post, Injury, vertigo
Our new guest poster, Don Blount, is getting over a nasty crash. Not only did he crack a helmet — and a wrist — but he had to deal with an unexpected side effect.
I nearly always thought of vertigo as an Alfred Hitchcock movie starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak. At least that is until I came down with it. But when I awoke early Saturday Sept. 26 and the room was spinning, I had no idea that was what I was dealing with.
But let me back up a bit. Four days earlier, on the first day of fall, I had taken a tumble from my bike halfway through a 46-mile ride.
I had ridden to a nature preserve and stopped to take in the scenery and eat. My legs felt good. I stopped at the Visitors’ Center to look for a trash can to discard a banana peel. There were no receptacles but there were plastic bags to put your trash in and take it out with you. I put the peel in one and stuffed in a jersey pocket. I got back on my bike and started on my return trip home. As I looked up I saw a car approaching and thought it would be a good idea to get as far to my right as possible. The walking path was clear and I began to drift over.
What I didn’t see was that there was a gap between the nice asphalt road and the cement walking path. My front wheel caught in it, and I went down.
Best I remember, I fell on my head and left side, fracturing my left wrist and getting some road rash on my left shoulder, hip and knee.
As I have said previously, I wouldn’t ride without a helmet. My injuries would’ve been more severe had I not been wearing one.
A couple of cracks are obvious in this shot.
The helmet did exactly what it was supposed to do. It absorbed the blow, cracking in about a half dozen places so my head would not. I still received a sizable bump on my head that would take a few weeks to fully heal.
My bike was fine aside from some torn bar tape and a scrape on a brake lever. I was able to gather myself and ride the 23 miles home, wrist and all.
I was less successful hiding the injuries from my wife.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Uh, nothing,” I replied. She followed me as I limped through the house.
“What’s wrong?” she demanded this time.
“Well,” I said, “If you must do something, help me take my jersey off because I can’t lift my arm.”
I managed to get in the shower and muffle my moans as I cleaned my road rash.
The next day my wrist was swollen and unusable and I went to see a doctor who put it in a soft support and my arm in a sling. I would miss work this day.
Two days later, Friday, I saw an orthopedist who put my wrist in a cast. I picked purple as a color because my daughters like that color.
I went to sleep that night thinking the worst was behind me and that I’d have to figure out how to make do with a cast for a few weeks.
I didn’t know how wrong I was.
What else could afflict Don? Join us again tomorrow as Bike Noob brings another installment of “Blount on Biking.”
Another writer joins the Bike Noob fold
October 20, 2009 at 7:22 pm | In guest post | 4 CommentsTags: Blount, guest post
Don Blount
It’s a pleasure for me to introduce a new guest poster to Bike Noob readers. Don Blount has been reading this blog for well over a year now, and has contributed a number of ideas for posts (You may remember the occasional reference to “Don, of California”). Now Don, who is a newspaperman by trade, has agreed to author posts of his own, rather than just send along ideas. Here’s his first opus:
It’s been a little over a year since I became a recreational road cyclist. I don’t run because of my knees and I tired of doing the elliptical trainer and treadmills in the gym. I ended up on the bike. I got sucked in slowly, starting by riding my mountain bike around town. I had fun and thought “hey, this isn’t bad.” Going 12 miles on that bike was about all I could take. (It’s a bike best suited for riding around with my kids.) After about a month I upgraded to a road bike. I came to this activity as a complete novice, knowing how to ride a bike but not knowing anything about road biking.
Here is what I’ve learned and would share with anyone looking to get into this sport:
It is about the bike
I ride a Scattante CFR Comp. For a first bike I did OK. It has a carbon frame, Shimano 105 shifters and front derailleur, Ultegra rear derailleur. I recently upgraded to Michelin Krylion tires. The bike works for me. I was actually going to buy a less expensive bike but an experienced cyclist who looked at the bikes I was considering advised me to buy this one because it had better components than the others, a carbon frame instead of an aluminum frame and would be a bike I could ride for years without getting bored with it. I spent a lot more than I had planned, but I did get a much better bike than the one I would’ve purchased without direction.
Get a professional bike fitting
I rode my bike for about five months with the setup that I received at the LBS where I made my purchase. During that time I slowly developed pain at the back of my left knee and in my lower back. My original set up wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t right on either. I went for a professional fitting and discovered that my seat was too low and too far back. I have a copy of my measurements, which I check monthly or if something doesn’t feel right to ensure sure my set up remains right. Riding without getting a fitting is akin to wearing a suit without getting it tailored. Maybe some people can wear right off the rack but not many. It’s worth the investment.
Clothing
I had sticker shock when I first looked at something as simple as a pair of shorts. That was before I understood the difference between good cycling gear and not-so-good gear. I have a friend who has no problem going into triple digits for bib shorts, tights or any other piece of bike clothing. Yet he wouldn’t dream of spending nearly as much for regular clothing. I’m a big Pearl Izumi fan because I know that brand will fit and will wear well. It took me awhile to come to this conclusion. It wasn’t until I returned a set of bib shorts three – yep count em three – times to an online retailer and paid about $15 in postage that I drove an hour to a Pearl Izumi Factory store and got the things I wanted.
Dealing with your local bike shop
I like my LBS and enjoy going in there. But one thing I noticed was that it seemed the clerks were always trying to sell me something. Well, it is a store and not a library and the clerks get commissions on their sales. They weren’t pushy and were quite nice but I’m not the kind of guy who likes to be sold. I like information. I’ve been in that shop enough now that I know just about everyone who works there by name. And I’ve learned enough and they know me well enough that they no longer try to sell me and I can go in just for the discussion. Now I spend more time talking to the mechanics about repairs and talking to others about riding. And I’ve learned a lot from them by doing this.
Wear a helmet
I’ve worn a helmet for the better part of 16 years, including just riding around with my kids. I have a hard time understanding those who say they want to be free or don’t like the feel of a helmet or give some other reason for not wearing one. I recently had a cast removed from my left hand as I took a tumble on the first day of fall, seems appropriate, and broke a bone in my left wrist. I also bruised my left hip, knee and shoulder. I’m probably lucky that I didn’t break my collarbone judging from the way I went down. I was moving out of the way of an oncoming car and my front wheel got caught in a gap between road surfaces. I was 23 miles into a 46 mile ride. The only injury to my head was a bump. But my helmet cracked in about a half dozen places. If I had not been wearing a helmet, I doubt I’d be writing this. However, I finished the last 23 miles of the ride.
Don is back on the bike, recovering nicely from the fall, and promises to send along a more detailed account of his recovery, and an unusual side effect the fall triggered.
A Few Things You Always Wanted To Know About Saddle Sores…But Were Afraid To Ask
October 15, 2009 at 6:12 pm | In soreness | 3 CommentsTags: guest post, Hemmel, saddle sore
So there I was, stripped naked, one foot up on the tub, mirror in hand, contorting myself into positions that would make an adult film star proud… all the while hoping no one walked in and said something like “Uh, honey, that’s interesting,” or, “Dad, what exactly are you doing?”
What I was doing, of course, was looking for the source of some recent riding discomfort. Problem was, I had no idea what I was looking for. Sure, I’ve heard mention of saddle sores, but I always thought they were something like a serious case of rug burn, a rough spot that was scraped one too many times by an ill-fitting pair of shorts or poor seat design. Instead, all I found was a small red spot that looked kind of like a pimple. Maybe a spider bite or something. Never seen one? Scroll down; I shot a picture of it.
Just kidding. I wouldn’t do that to you. I also wouldn’t do it to me. Imagine the above scenario of wife or child walking in, but add me trying to take a picture into the mix. Yeah, that’s an image that would be burned into a family member’s memory.
So anyway, back to saddle sores. I didn’t know what I was looking for because I’ve always been fortunate enough not to get them. I used to ride without chamois cream; lately I’ve been trying it out. But either way, I stayed mostly comfortable down there. Numb, yeah, but not subject to anything as nasty sounding as a sore.
So needless to say, I set out in search of a few answers. There was a good article on saddles in a recent issue of Bicycling that defined saddle sores. Apparently, they come in various types — a simple abrasion, something called folliculitis, even an abscess that might need serious medical care. Yeah, that latter one sounds way too foul to me, too, and I know a simple abrasion when I see it. So let’s focus on what seems to be cyclist’s most common problem — folliculitis.
The name offers a hint as to what it is — folliculitis is essentially an infection of a hair follicle. We’ve all probably heard how to avoid the problem. Stuff like getting a good bike fitting, wearing quality padded shorts, standing on occasion, choosing the proper saddle, using lube, not hanging around in your nasty shorts after finishing a ride, blah blah blah. What I rarely seem to read is how to treat it once it happens.
Apparently, keeping the area clean is a good idea. I’m not going to argue that one, as the last thing I want is some nasty bacteria invading the small piece of real estate that is situated between two relatively important body parts. Beyond that, other suggestions include a basic over-the-counter acne medicine with 10% benzoyl peroxide. Yup, you can oxy-cute ‘em! Other suggestions include treating sores with hydrogen peroxide or witch hazel, both of which apparently are astringents. Prescription solutions are available should things turn serious.
Mine’s not too bad, so for now I’m still riding. If you take the same approach, trying changing your shorts or saddle. A certain stitch or rough spot could be exacerbating the problem. Lube appears to be a good idea, although I’ve read some stories of riders being told by their doctors to stop using lube. You can even try Preparation H, apparently. It should shrink swelling and reduce the pain. Some experts suggest dabbing it on a few minutes prior to applying your normal chamois cream.
I thought mine was already on the mend before today’s ride, but two hours in the saddle proved otherwise. Though I wore my favorite shorts, I can feel something has changed. Maybe the edge of the chamois has developed a rough spot or something. I won’t stop riding, but I’m going to pay attention to it. After all, I don’t want it turning into something worse.
I would, however, like to get back to checking out some butts other than my own…
Fitting in
September 27, 2009 at 2:10 pm | In clubs, training | 4 CommentsTags: guest post, Hemmel
Jeff Hemmel is back again, telling of his recent attempt to ride with the big boys. Meanwhile, I’m still taking responses to the question, “What saddle do you ride?” Drop me an email. I’ll have a report sometime this week.
Lately I’ve been feeling a lot like that little dude Hermey, from Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. You know, the elf who wants to be a dentist, and wonders why he just “doesn’t fit in.”
That’s become me on the bike.
Once upon a time, I fit in pretty well with my good friends who were casual cyclists. We rode together occasionally, enjoying our time on our bikes. Pretty soon, however, it was clear that I was getting more serious about the relationship, while they were content playing the field. To put it in Hermey-speak, I had designs on being a dentist…while they were happy just toiling away at the North Pole.
So, at least in my cycling life, I began to fit in with a smaller group of friends. I ride with one or two of them once or twice a week, and churn out the rest of my miles solo. Occasionally I’ve even started joining a few group rides. Still, sometimes I can’t help dreaming big.
A few weekends ago, I decided to see how I fit in with a faster crowd. I knew where my ride would intersect theirs, so when they came by right on schedule, I latched on as the caboose, trying to stay politely out of the way and feel them out. I tried to ingratiate myself with a few comments during the tamer part of the ride, but no one seemed overly friendly. So, I passed the time checking them out.
They all had shaved legs; I was hairy. They all had cool jerseys from clubs and events and races; I was sporting a blank Pearl Izumi that, in its “screaming yellow” color way, also practically screamed, “watch out for the noob!” (In my defense, my ride started at dawn, in Florida. Considering the motor-vehicle reputation of our, shall I politely say aging population, you’d want to be seen too!) Eventually the pace quickened and I held my ground, even bridging the gap back to them when we briefly got mixed up with a slower ride. Hey Hermey, maybe we can fit in after all!
Then came the bridge, a towering structure over a waterway pass. Determined to not get gapped again, all I wanted to do was move myself a little further up in the pack. What happened, however, was that I found myself stuck in the lane of traffic when all of them compressed into the bike lane. I’ve got decent legs climbing, so I just did what came naturally and rode until I found an opening. It came at almost the peak of the bridge…and after I had passed all but three of the riders.
Yup, suddenly I was at the front, and with what seemed like a grand tour-sized peleton breathing down my neck. Long story short, I held my own, plunging down the bridge before settling into a fast paceline. I even took my turn as the engine of that train, doing my best to fit in with their obviously well-practiced rotation. Elated to be hanging with the cool kids? On the contrary. I started to ask myself if I’d feel comfortable having some stranger thrust himself into the midst of my group, traveling at those speeds and within such close proximity. After about a mile, I also began to question my legs. I was hanging with them at the moment, but what shape would I be in after five more miles? I had already done a decent ride before I hooked on, and now about 10 more miles with the group. Would they slow, or pick it up even further? Could I hang, or be embarrassed when I had to drop out?
Was I ready for this?
I took one more rotation through, then began to drift back. After about another mile, I let them go.
This elf, however, has now tasted life as a dentist. And while I don’t think it’s the profession for me all the time (maybe I’m content as, like, the cycling equivalent of the hygienist or something), I’d like to know I could play doctor on occasion. I’d like to, what else, fit in.
Anyone else out there caught in cycling limbo? Send a comment. I’ll read it…just as soon I finish watching Hermey pull the Abominable’s teeth.
The Road Less Traveled
September 15, 2009 at 6:28 pm | In guest post | 4 CommentsTags: guest post, Hemmel
Sometimes it’s good to get away. A lot of times, that’s exactly what cycling provides, an escape, be it from work, stress, boredom, whatever. Every so often, however, I think we need an escape from our own everyday ride. That’s why this summer, just before leaving for vacation, I put a roof rack on the car and took my bike along for the trip.
My destination alone provided enough of a diversion. My normal routes at home in Florida are flat, flatter, and flattest. There’s also usually a lot of traffic to deal with at various points of the journey. Contrast that with these scenes from the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate NY. The roads were quiet, the hills occasionally quite steep, and a lot of times the peloton consists of some pretty slow-moving guys with black spots. See, there’s a hillside full of them now:
My favorite part, however, was that I often had no idea what was around the next bend. Sure I had explored this area on mountain bike before, but with my road bike my range became so much farther, and the sights so much more unexpected. One day I pedaled down a nearly deserted road, crested a hill, and discovered this:
On the journey home, we stopped in Alexandria, VA, right across the Potomac from our nation’s capital. Though my riding gear was buried deep inside our Thule cartop carrier and the next day’s schedule called for some on-foot exploration of the monuments and Smithsonian, the friend we were visiting urged me to get up early and check out the Mt. Vernon Trail. It was worth it. Winding directly alongside the river (as well as, for a few surreal moments, the runways of Reagan National), it afforded amazing views of the city. Stuff like this…
And if you cross the bridge, this…
Sure, I could see these sights in typical tourist fashion. On my bike, however, it all seemed so much cooler. I not only had the freedom to go where I wanted to go, but I often had no idea where the path would lead. And I loved every minute of it.
I’m home now, back in Florida, and back on the familiar, flat roads and paved trails I’ve ridden time and time again. The break from the norm, however, made me appreciate even more just how great cycling is. And made me even more curious about what’s around all those corners just beyond my normal cycling backyard.
That’s why the bike rack is staying on the car this fall. Because some weekend, when the routine is getting a little too routine, I’m going to see what’s out there…even if I have to drive a few miles first to find it.
Bike-Chasing Dogs…And Dog-Chasing Bikes
July 31, 2009 at 8:43 am | In guest post | 9 CommentsTags: dogs, guest post, Hemmel
By Jeff Hemmel — Let me say first, I love dogs. Truth be told I’m not so big on cats, but dogs are my kind of pet. Just not when they’re chasing me on my bike.
Most of the time, that’s not an issue. Leash laws and traffic combine to make things pretty quiet animal-wise on my typical ride. Every summer, however, I get the chance to escape to the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate NY. And while I absolutely love the climbs, the scenery, and the lack of traffic, I don’t like the increase in furry friends I encounter during the course of my ride.
About two weeks ago, I was just beginning the steep, lengthy climb back home when a particularly ferocious dog seemingly came out of nowhere. The dog’s timing couldn’t have been better. Given the abrupt steepness of the hill, I couldn’t outrun him. The road was also narrow and I was approaching a blind curve, meaning I didn’t want to chance making a turn and speeding back downhill. I had no time to grab my water bottle and give him a squirt, and was sure if I attempted to slow and unclip I’d either let him take a chomp or fall. With every turn of the pedals my calf inched closer to dog chow.
So I let instinct take over. I yelled. Then, unable to speed away, I hit the brakes, causing the dog to briefly shoot past. I can’t call what happened next any masterful plan – it was more like pure rage. But I planted my front wheel right on the dog’s tail, like Lance pouncing on Bradley Wiggins. Muttley veered left and I followed. He veered right and I followed again. The look on the dog’s face was sweet revenge, as he clearly didn’t like the idea that my spinning tire was not threatening to take a bite out of his miserable behind. Yes, it would have been a disastrous fall had I actually hit him, but all I could think of at the time was how delighted I was to be turning the tables. Instead of a dog chasing a bike, this was now a bike chasing a dog. Take that, canine.
It worked, albeit briefly. The dog finally broke away, and I rode past, stringing together a combination of curse words that I don’t think even a linguistics professor could decipher. As the dog sat down, I turned my attention back up the road. And that’s when I heard the unsettling sound of nails against pavement.
Yup, the angry pup was answering the bell for Round Two, and I hadn’t even had the chance to rest up in my corner. This time around I lunged for the water bottle, almost wiping out in the process. Problem was he was now attacking from behind, so every twist to see where he was caused me to wobble dangerously in the road. Eventually he made a lunge, and I got him with a decent squirt. One more and he ended the chase.
In the moments that followed, the reality of what had happened began to set in. Fortunately no cars had come along at the same time. I’d hate to think what could have happened had I been worried about both the dog and traffic. I also began to think about how close I came to falling while frantically twisting from side to side to track the dog once he attacked again from behind. I was furious…and scared.
And wondering what to do the next time around. I’m sure fellow Noob readers have had similar close calls. Any suggestions? I’m wondering about keeping a small air horn in my jersey pocket. Think a deafening blast at close range would scare him off?
Does anyone bottle the scent of a vet’s office?
Review: Retül 3-D Bike Fitting System
July 25, 2009 at 6:26 pm | In Equipment, guest post | 2 CommentsTags: bike fitting, guest post
I remember the “bike fitting” I got when I bought my bike. The salesperson put the bike in a trainer, I put on my bike shoes, climbed on, and pedaled a little bit. Then she measured the angle of my knee when the pedal was at the bottom, made an adjustment to the seat, and told me the bike was “made for me.” There are better, albeit pricier, ways. Jeff Hemmel reviews one.
Bike fitting is part art, part science. Traditional fitting involves static measurements and some basic tools, like a plumb bob and ruler. My local shop sized me for my bike; later, another shop graciously fine-tuned things like cleat and seat position. Still, I never felt completely dialed in. Some of my issues may have been due to past injuries, including an ACL reconstruction and herniated disc. Others, however, were just my obsessive-compulsive wonderings, like why I never felt comfortable riding in the drops, or why my left leg often brushed the top tube. Eventually I went looking for an advanced bike fit. After all, even the priciest bike is no good if the owner doesn’t feel comfortable riding it.
Every shop seems to offer a name-brand fitting program nowadays. I chose Retül, a system that’s claim to fame is that it looks at a cyclist’s position dynamically, while the rider is actively pedaling. Small LED sensors are placed at key points of your body — wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, heel and the ball of the foot — and then a special motion-capture device tracks these positions in three-dimensional space as you pedal, relaying the info to a computer the fitter uses to analyze the data. In this way a fitter can analyze before and after positions, seeing just what works and what doesn’t as you actually ride, rather than sit stationary atop the bike.
“It’s better information,” explained experienced fitter Paul Williams, who conducted my personal fit at Clearwater, Florida’s Outspokin’ bicycle shop. “I can only make a rider’s position as good as I can with the information I have. The old-fashioned way was static, a tape measure and our ability to work with you to hold your body in the positions we were looking for. Now we don’t have to do that, we can measure you while you’re in motion, and it’s accurate, it’s repeatable.”
Williams began our two-hour session in a decidedly low-tech fashion. He asked about my riding style, experience and goals. He also brought up the subject of injuries or problem areas. Next I hopped up on a padded table, where Williams did a little bending and manipulating to get an idea of my flexibility and body mechanics. He then turned his attention to both my shoes and bike, setting everything — cleats, handlebars, seat, shift levers, etc — in a neutral position, from which we could then begin to tweak the bike to fit my body.
With everything set, the bike was locked in a trainer, I was bombarded with Velcro tabs for the various LEDs, and the LED-equipped wiring harness was attached to the left side of my body. After a good warm-up, Williams started recording the data.
Hemmel, wired.
Every so often, we’d stop to make a change. Following each and every adjustment I’d once again start pedaling at a decent cadence, the improvement, or lack thereof, shown in the data being collected on Williams’ laptop. Many positions and angles had known “target” numbers Williams was trying to achieve for best results, and the computer could record how I measured up during repeated revolutions. Some changes were dramatic. My saddle was shifted rather substantially, and my stem was flipped from its former positive to a new negative angle. Others were rather subtle, like a small repositioning of a shift/brake lever or minor tweak in cleat position. The data being generated, however, displayed a quantifiable difference. Still, the information was just a tool. It took an experienced fitter like Williams to put it to best use.
Once everything seemed good, the platform my bike was loaded upon was spun 180 degrees, sensors repositioned on my right side, and the process started anew. Amazingly, I was quite symmetrical. Both Williams and I expected problems thanks to my knee complications on the left-hand side, but apparently I’ve done some self-correction. A tracing of my left knee from the front showed a more pronounced wobble than the right, but it was within limits. A few more subtle changes followed until both of us were satisfied with the results and I hopped off the bike.
“Every fit is different,” explained Williams as we looked over the results. “We’re just working with you, the athlete, to make this the best possible fit we can so you can enjoy your bike, not get injured, ride fast, and be aero. We’re trying to create the perfect storm of all those things.”
He next produced a very cool tool called the Zin, a wand-like device that essentially digitized my bike’s geometry into the Retül program, where it would be combined with my biomechanical fit data. As he touched the Zin to various points on my bike, a stick-figure representation was being formed on the computer’s screen. With the exact measurements of these reference points, I could now exactly reproduce my position should something get changed or I decide to experiment down the road.
Paul Williams with the Zin.
The proof of the system’s value would be proven not in the shop, but on the road the following day. My primary concern was comfort. Everything felt good, with no pain or problem spots. I also felt faster and more efficient, a feeling that was verified during a familiar 30-mile ride. The most-welcome change was that I was now comfortable riding in the drops; before, I avoided it like the plague. The change gave me an additional option on the bike, letting me generate more power and be more aero when desired.
Like most advanced fittings, Retül isn’t cheap. Average cost is around $250 for a two-hour session. Most dealers slash that price with the purchase of a new bike. As to whether the investment makes sense for a noob, Williams offered a compelling argument, beyond simple comfort. “I would rather have a new rider go through the fit before they’ve acclimated to a poor position, so that you don’t have to unlearn bad habits,” he explained. “A good position can help you learn good habits. Your body will do what comes naturally if you just give it the opportunity.”
My final take? Retül doesn’t make the difference, a good, experienced fitter does. What Retül offers, however, is a quantifiable, real-world look at how you measure up on your bike. In that way, it just may be one of the best instruments currently in a fitter’s toolbox.
For more information on Retul, or to locate a Retul fitter in your area, visit www.retul.com.
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