Super Bike Stuff

OK, I've previously laid out all my swim and run stuff that I think is cool, useful, and of course not cheap (with some limited exceptions), and now it's time to look at my bike stuff.

I don't want to discuss bikes themselves, as they are a whole novel of discussion, but the stuff that goes on them, around them, with them, and on me when I'm on them. Bikes are the most expensive part of a triathlon program, and the stuff you have to have to ride them comes pretty darned close to second place in the Foolish Ways to Spend Money Category.

But, let's really be honest here, bikes are kinda fun. If you can get past the not-so-fun parts of grinding (er, spinning) your way up hills, it's still a kid-like rush to whiz down one, wind whipping in your face and your white knuckles grabbing the handlebars (areobars, brakes, whatever) as scenery rushes by you.

Here are some of the things I have for cruising around on my bike (a used Trek 2300 road bike with excellent components and wheels, sniped on eBay for me by Patient Spouse for $800):

1. Clothes and shoes. Anyone who has never ridden a bike more than 10 miles may laugh at the stuffed potato pants or shorts worn by smart bikers. Those of us in the know wear them proudly, and on occasion, backwards (like I did accidentally last week). That gel pad at the bottom really does help the back end, and the older you are, the more helpful it seems to get. Now, in a triathlon race, most athletes wear tri shorts which don't have that Saturday Night Live bulging pants gel, but a smaller chamois pad which allegedly still helps the nether ends, but doesn't weigh you down on the swim and run. Jury's out IMO on whether that narrow little chamois pad helps all that much. I can assure you that the bulging gel pack DOES help.

On training rides (not races) I wear a pair of bulging pad bike shorts (I also have a long pair of bulging gel pad bike tights for colder days). The Patient Spouse seems to have a tougher behind and usually wears form fitting spandex run shorts without a pad and manages to survive with a smile on his face. For triathlon races, I wear the tri shorts. Which means about every 12 miles in the race I have to stand up in the pedals for about half a minute and let blood flow come back into the important areas.

Cycling tops (jerseys) are often colorful, and for a very good reason. We want that person who is texting and eating lunch while speeding in his (or her, to be fair) SUV down our streets to SEE US. Most jerseys are short or long sleeved rather than sleeveless (although there are sleeveless ones, and I like to wear them in the hot Texas summers) to help protect the rider from bugs, sunburn, road debris, and the occasional tumble (had I been wearing a jersey with sleeves when I took my epic fall in March, I would not have this lovely long lasting road rash scar on my shoulder). Most jerseys have a zip up front to lower or raise your flag depending on the heat, and all have handy dandy pockets in the back for storing phones, Kleenex, gels, dollar bills, car keys, or your get out of jail free card (you didn't think there was gonna be room in those tight shorts, did you?). Cycle jerseys are made from synthetic wicking material to dry fast and keep you cool.

Do you have to have a fancy cycle jersey to ride? Well, of course not. I'd stay away from the COTTON again, but your running shirts can do double duty if you don't mind no handy dandy pocket in the back (and I have a couple of running shirts that do have those pockets, but they tend to be pretty small in nature).

If you have clip pedals (the kind where your shoes fasten into them), you will need specialized clip in cycling shoes. These make awesome clopping noises when you walk on them. Clip in pedals are not necessary--a lot of bikes still have straps and cages for your normal running shoes--but our friend Mr. Science indicates that you will go faster and more efficiently with clip ins, which causes you to pedal that whole circle 'round (up AND down) rather than just mashing down on the pedal. Straps and baskets help, but they are not as efficient. And nothing beats the spectator amusement of watching someone clipped into pedals forget that simple fact (I love to fall over at stoplights at zero speed, like Arte Johnson in Laugh In, because I forget I have to unclip before I can put my foot down. Even though unclipping is fast and simple--just a twist of the foot--your brain just doesn't want to accomplish it when you are in a hurry).

Socks--I like thin socks for both biking and running (and in triathlons, you often go sockless to save time in shorter races, but in longer ones, I do wear socks). In the winter, I have warmer biking socks because your feet can just get wicked cold on that bike.

Helmet--only really, really, REALLY stupid people bike without a helmet. We all fall down--even the best and most careful bikers. Why would anyone want to risk eating their meals through a tube the rest of their lives because a helmet looks or feels dorky? All races and bike rallies require a helmet. Find one in neat colors. No, you don't have to wear those long ended specialized aerodynamic ones that make you look like ET. They do shave a little time off, but it's so minimal that people like you and me don't need to bother. Wear a helmet. Always. And if you have a fall on it, replace it immediately.

Gloves. I like wearing bike gloves (these are fingerless models with a cushion of fabric or gel on the hands) because they help reduce vibration on my hands AND they keep a firm grip on the bars when I'm sweaty (I sweat with my hands more than anywhere else, I swear). Patient Spouse does not like gloves. It's up to you. For winter, I wear full finger gloves as your hands get almost as cold as your feet up there.

Sunglasses. Always. Bugs, dirt, and road crap in your eyes is not pleasant.

2. Lights. Did I mention that we want you to be SEEN on the bike? Well, add the flashing lights here. I always have a rear red light and I always turn it on to flash when I ride (most bike lights have lots of flashing choices, so it's fun to play with them). If you plan to ride in the dusk, a front white light is good too. Then add some reflectors to your wheels, and you still need to be careful out there. Drivers aren't looking for you, and Texas is still not a bike friendly state.

3. Carry packs and water cages. Although those handy pockets on your jerseys hold a lot, they can't hold everything on a long bike. I have a bike pack that sits neatly behind my bike seat, velcroed in place, that holds some repair gear, my phone (again, turned off: I have bike dialed people by accident before), a gel, and some cash (trust me: cash is still king. It spends everywhere). You can't get to the bike pack while you are riding, but stopping is not difficult (if you remember to unclip first). The bike shops also carry these neat little "bento boxes" that fit on top of your top bar with velcro (God bless them man who saw cockleburrs on his socks = velcro)and you can reach into that during your ride without stopping (carefully of course). I don't have one yet but am thinking of one. Currently, during triathlons, I tape a gel pack on the top handlebar because it's easier to reach than my back handy pocket (having dropped one in a training ride before doing that). A bento box may be just the thing.

You'll need to hydrate during your ride, so water bottle cages are needed. At least one, and maybe two (I have two). Underneath your bike is the best place; there are the type of cages that go on the back behind your seat but IMO they rattle and the bottles can fall out. The water bottles you buy for those cages should be insulated and with an easy top that pulls open with your teeth. You can, of course, stash a plain plastic Ozarka bottle in a cage (it won't fit well) but opening it during riding is tough, and it also will get very warmish on you. Invest in a good insulated bottle. Paint some interesting mantras or things on it to make it special (so when you lose it or drop it in a race where you don't feel like stopping to get it, you will feel really, really terrible). I have asked Patient Spouse for a water bottle system that fits between my aerobars as a birthday gift next week (some wives ask for jewelry. Me? A plastic water container with a really long straw). That will allow me to sip my beverage of choice without coming up off the bars and fumbling for my bottle every ten minutes.

4. Computer. High tech rules bikes; you gotta know how far you went, how fast you went, how much time it took you, and more. The standard bike computer measures distance, pace, average pace, and time (there are wired and wireless computers--the wired has little wires snaking down your bike--both work okay but one is cheaper than the other). However, you can also get computers that give you your cadence (how fast you pedal) and your power output. I really need to get one that has a cadence counter, and I will (one day). Maybe Christmas. Who needs jewelry.

5. Aerobars. No, you don't have to have aerobars on your bike (if you have a tri bike, you will have them anyway, but if you have a tri bike, you have more money than I do and you have more geegaws than I do). Mountain bikes and hybrids are not supposed to even consider having aerobars (although I'm of the opinion if it's your bike, do what makes you happy with it). Areobars are a triathlete's way of trying to avoid buying a triathlon specific bike and instead turning a perfectly good road bike into a slightly faster model that is steered with your forearms and a bit of old fashioned grit and fear.

Aerobars work if (a) you get you AND your bike fitted for them--this usually involves moving or changing your seat and seat post position, because the reason behind the areobars is to change your whole body position forward--if you just plop on the bars and lean over, you won't get the benefit) (b) if you intend to do a lot of triathlon racing, because the bars are not encouraged during large bike rallies as they are harder to steer and brake with in a crowd, and (c) you don't mind folding over like orgami with your brakes and gears no where near your hands, you don't mind losing a bit of steering control, you don't mind positioning your body forward over a thin strip of tire and metal, and you realize that sometimes you have to sit back up anyway when you just can't generate enough power up a hill in that position. With all that, you will shave some time off your bike if you do this right, but not so much that you will become Lance Armstong (who, like most pros, only uses bars during time trials, for all the reasons set forth above).

6. Fix it and ready it stuff. Bikes break. Chains fall off and rust. Tires implode. You will fall down and smash your derailer. If you are 20 miles from home, you had best be prepared for a little repair job by the roadside, even if you have a cell phone and your own Patient Spouse (who just may be riding beside you and no where near a car). In a triathlon race, you will have to fix your own stuff in order to keep racing (if you can't, they will come and get you, but your day is over).

Every biker needs to know how to change a flat, and should carry an extra tube, patching gear, and a pump or CO2 cartridge to do so. Any good bike shop can teach you how to fix a flat, or there are great videos on www.active.com. Practice it once at home in the calmness of your garage or driveway because when it happens out on a road with cars screaming by, it won't seem nearly as much fun. I carry a teeny weeny plastic zipbag (some earrings came in it--see? I do wear jewelry) with baby powder in my bike bag--baby powder really helps slip that newly tubed wheel back in the frame, because that is the hardest part (or you can use spit. No, really). A little hand pump that attaches (or again, velcroes) to your bike frame can be used to pump up your fresh tube, or a patched one. However, you can also buy CO2 cartridges that will inflate your tire in presto time (although they remind me of that balloon game KaBoom! that I hated as a child). Be sure and buy a nozzle adapter that fits your tire or you will be holding that cartridge wondering how to make its end go into anything that looks like a tire. Learned that one the hard way, like most of my lessons.

I also carry a small bike specific Allen wrench set for tightening most bolts on the bike (the seat and handlebars especially) if they come loose during a ride.

You'll also need these things at home or in the car: a big tire pump to pump your tires before every ride (have the bike shop tell you the right pressure for your tires), bike oil for your chain (PS when you oil it, PLEASE wipe off the excess or you will end up with an oily, dirty bike), and cleaner/degreaser for your bike. You should clean your bike and chain completely every 100 miles or every time it gets wet (rust is not your friend). Some old rags are also required to perform these services.

You may also want a bike rack for the car or truck (we have a double rack), and a chain lock for your bike if you intend to ride and then stop for a latte (put the chain through BOTH wheels and the bike frame, or you may come out to find the frame there and your wheels gone--or vice versa).

There, that wasn't a lot of stuff, was it? Ok, maybe it was. But biking is a fun sport and anyone of any reasonable ability or age can participate--it doesn't have to be a race. Go out for a Sunday ride (choose wide streets with more than one lane and stay on the right side, single file) as a family or group of friends. Pack some snacks or stop on the way at a place to eat and look at the day. Beats TV any day of the week.

Thursday was a day off. I did some planks, push ups, crunches. Tonight is a fairly short swim (2100 yards).