Bike Tips – Look

Look where you want to go. Profound, but true. Ever find that you always seem to run into that object you’re trying to avoid, like that rock? If you’re trying to avoid the rock, don’t look at it. Look next to it, where you want to go. You will miss the rock completely.

Second, try to image a riding line through said obstacles. This works well when riding through  rock gardens. The trick is to not look down, immediately in front of you, but ahead a bit, looking where you want to go (see above). With practice, you’ll cruise along.

Something to practice on your next ride.

Geeky me

Self proclaimed geek, I am. Here’s your proof:

I got a Garmin 305 GPS Bike computer for Christmas. Top 10 coolest thing ever. It came with a cadence sensor and a heart rate monitor. So, on my bi-weekly ride on Sunday morning, I had:

• Average speed of 8.6 mph
• Max speed of 18.8 mph
• Distance 9.8 miles

That’s normal for all bike computers, This also included:

• Average cadence of 55 rpm
• Average heart rate of 134 bpm
• Calories burned: 687

The software imported the ride, and mapped me in Google Earth and USGS maps.

Here’s some picts of the unit, and the cadence sensor:

Now, go wash the geek off your hands.

Bike Tips – A good jacket

I’ve decided to share my bike info with others. So, this is the beginning of bike tips. My goal is to give a tip every couple of weeks. Some will be something you already know, but some might be new.

Layering. You need a GOOD jacket. A Gore-Tex shell kinda thing. Zipper vents, ability to close it up completely, mostly waterproof (nothing but plastic is truly waterproof). Something that can go solo, or over something else. And be stuffed really small. December ’95, I got my jacket. An REI Switchback Anorak for $230.

Today there’s cheaper and better, but hey, I was young with extra money burning in my pocket. It has served me well, from topless Jeep adventures, camping, hiking, countless bike rides, two hurricanes, and even snowboarding. I had my passport photo taken while wearing it. It’s seen a few miles.

The goal here is to get a multipurpose shell that does a lot. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just quality. It needs to be handy, so that it’s not a burden to take it with you in a bag. It needs to fit you , and it needs to be comfortable. With tights (another post…), wool jersey, a wind vest, and the jacket, I’m good riding at 15ºF-20ºF. And at that point, the collar is open for ventilation. Sure my face is numb, but who need to talk.

What you want to avoid is fleece. Yes, I know it’s blanketly warm goodness, but it doesn’t breathe. You will warm up too fast, then sweat and overheat, creating a problem in colder weather. I’ve tried fleece in various layering options, but it just never works. Leave the fleece at home for that post ride Wii time.

Follow up:

To answer Jason’s question. I’m more of a innovation/function over brand loyalty kinda guy. I would look for specific features like waterproofness, vents/venting, breathability, material construction, and maybe some reflectivity. If a certain brand name made it, great. If it’s something from a little mom and pop shop in Greenland, that’s fine as well. As long as it works well, and does what it’s designed to do. Columbia Mountain Hardwear, and North Face all make killer stuff, but a certain portion of that price is for that logo. BTW, at the time when I bought my jacket, The North Face was making the same model . It was roughly twice the cost. Bottom line: Look for quality first, then narrow down from there. Try www.backcountry.com ( I like them) , or Google for “jackets, technical shell, soft shell”.