I had a great time on the trip and as I suffered on the mountains I vowed I would come back and conquer those mountains.

2012 is the year of my return to Utah. I have already started to prepare for my return. I’ve been getting to know my indoor trainer again. I am already lighter then I was when I traveled to Utah in 2005 but will focus on more weight loss once we roll into January. I also have a trip or two planned to the Shenandoah Valley and western Maryland to get some hill climbing in. Some will be day trips and at least one will be an overnight trip so I can condition my legs to multiple days of climbing in a row.

If you are interested in joining me in Utah in September let me know. Trek Travel does an amazing job and you won’t be disappointed.

Once I created an indoor training space that I could leave setup, the frequency of my indoor training went up tremendously. It made training so much easier, I just get up in the morning, make a water bottle and head downstairs to ride.

Much isn’t really needed to create your space for indoor workouts:

1. Your bike
2. Trainer
3. Metal Rear Skewer for your bike (most trainers come with this)
4. Riser block for the front wheel
5. Mat or towel for under your bike
6. Fan
7. Towel for you
8. TV or a music source
9. Workout videos
10. Rear Mount Computer
11. Heart Rate Monitor

It is important to keep indoor workouts fun and easy to make happen. Having a dedicated area with the above items is the first step.

Trainers work best on a solid surface. If the space you have is carpeted consider getting a sheet of plywood and placing your trainer on that. (I’ll cover the different trainer options in another post.)  Next you need a rubber mat for under the bike or a towel. I prefer the mat since it is easy to clean up and will protect your floor from any water from your water bottle or perspiration that might make it to the floor. A towel will accomplish the same thing as a mat but needs frequent cleaning.

The fan is the next important component of your indoor training space. Moving air across you will keep you cooler and more comfortable on the bike. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference it is to not have air moving by you as you ride.

The next component of the space is more of a personal preference. Do you prefer to work out listening to music? Or do you prefer to watch TV or a work out video. I tend to lean toward the TV option. I like to use the commercials as points in the work out for interval or sprints.

The rest of the components are fairly straight forward. So don’t delay, set up your training space today!

I break Accessories into three categories:

1.)    “The Essentials”

2.)    “You Are Going to Want Them”

3.)     “Nice to Have”

“The Essentials”

These are the accessories that I think everyone who rides needs to have.

1.)    Helmet – Need I say more? It’s a law for children under 16 years old in Maryland.

2.)    Bell or Horn – In Maryland it is a law that you have a bell or horn on your bike. Many will say that your voice counts, but it doesn’t meet the requirement of the law. A bell is such an easy way to let people know you are approaching them.

3.)    Hydration – You need to stay hydrated while you ride. A water bottle and cage is a small investment. Need to carry more water? A hydration pack can allow you to carry up to a hundred ounces of water and provide you with additional carrying capacity for stuff.

4.)    Gloves – I don’t know what you do for a living but I imagine you use your hands on a daily basis. Gloves are a lot easier to replace then to clean your hands of debris from a fall and nurse them back to health. They also make holding the grips a lot more comfortable.

5.)    Floor Pump – Proper tire inflation is one of the keys to avoid flat tires. A floor pump is the best way to inflate your tires. My favorite is the Bontrager Turbo Charger.

6.)    ID – I like RoadID so if the worst occurs people will know who to contact. Another great solution is to take a luggage tag and include your important emergency contact information and medical information on it. Place this in your jersey pocket or in your saddle bag.

“You Are Going to Want Them”

While not essential, if you ride on a regular basis the accessories in this category are going to greatly increase your riding enjoyment.

1.)    Fix a Flat Kit – Seat Bag, Inflation Device (pump or CO2), Patch Kit, Spare Tube, Tire Levers and a multi tool. In many ways I think this is an “Essential” accessory. Even if you don’t know how to fix a flat tire a fellow rider who passes by may be able to help you as long as you have the right stuff. It’s in the Cyclist Creed that you don’t ride past a fellow cyclist stop on the side of the road without asking if they are okay. Now a days with cell phones you are less likely to get stuck without a ride home, but your ride won’t have to end if you can fix your flat.

2.)    Cycling Shorts – Shorts provide you riding comfort. If you ride on a regular basis and our distances of 10 miles or more a pair of cycling shorts in going to make all the difference in the world. There are two styles Traditional and Baggy.

3.)    Shoes – Cycling shoes bring comfort to your feet by adding a constant platform for your feet. Riding longer distances, I think these move into “The Essentials” category. If your riding in cycling shoes I also think clipless pedals are a necessary accessory.

4.)    Sunglasses – To protect your eyes from the sun, bugs and road debris. Glasses for cycling will offer you greater protection for your eyes and have features that keep them from fogging up and slipping off your face.

5.)    Cycling Computer – It’s always fun to know how far you’ve gone. Did you ride your twenty mile loop faster today then last week? If you are riding in an organized ride your going to need a computer so you know where you should be turning.

7.)    Chain Lubricant – Keeping your chain properly lube will keep your bike shifting smoother and increase the life of your chain.

8.)    Car Rack – A car rack will make it easier for you to get you and your bike to all of the great places to ride. Make it easy to ride and you’ll ride more often. Check out my post about car racks.

9.)   Lock – If you are going to leave you bike somewhere while you are riding a lock is going to give you peace of mind.

When I think about important areas on the bike I always look at the contact points of your body. Consider these when you think about your cycling accessories and when you plan to purchase them.

1.)    Hands – Gloves and Grips

2.)    Rear End – Shorts and Saddles

3.)    Feet – Shoes, Socks and Gloves

“Nice to Have”

As you get more and more into your riding you’ll see many of things being added to your cycling items.

1.)    Cycling Jersey – Jerseys can keep you cooler while riding by helping your body manage it’s moisture.

2.)    Bicycle Cleaning Kit – Keeping your bike clean will increase the life span while protecting the finish. Items can be bought separately or in a kit. I recommend a bicycle cleaner like Pedro’s Green Fizz, a bicycle polish like Bike Lust, chain cleaner, some cleaning brushes and a gear cleaning brush are a good start.

3.)    Cycling Socks – A good pair of cycling socks will give your feet support and help them manage the moisture. I love Swiftwick socks and they are the only ones I’ll wear now. My wife was shocked at all the benefits a true pair of cycling socks offered. Now she is hooked!

4.)    GPS – If you’re a data junkie or just want to know where you are a GPS well serve you well.

5.)    Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) – If you’re trying to improve your fitness a HRM is a great tool to help you do that. HRM’s start around fifty dollars and also can come integrated into a cycling computer.

6.)    Lights – If you think you may be completing your ride around dusk lights are essential to keeping you safe.

7.)    Bags – If you are riding for several hours or day touring a handlebar bar or rack trunk will come in handy for storing your camera, bringing along food and much more.

8.)    Cleat Covers – If you ride with clipless pedals cleat covers will increase the life of your cleats while making them easier to walk in.

9.)    Repair Stand – If you like to clean your bike and do basic maintenance a repair stand will make your life a lot easier.

10.) Indoor Trainer – Sometimes it is just too ugly to ride outside or your schedule doesn’t permit it.

RULE  1: Purchase a bicycle that is the same style or at least a similar style that your riding partner or buddies will be riding.

This rule is made to keep the fun factor up when you’re riding. It is no fun if you are riding a different style then your friends. You know the friend that has the mountain bike and you have the hybrid bike and they head off the paved trail to explore this dirt path that they saw and you struggle with your hybrid to stay upright as they ride off. This rule levels the playing field for everyone involved. Everyone in the group will have the same advantages and challenges as the other riders in the group. This way a rider won’t be at a mechanical disadvantage from the rest of a group. (Different wheel sizes roll at different speeds, different bicycles are geared differently.) This rule is especially important to follow in relationships.

Rule 1 B: Purchase a bicycle for the majority of your riding. If you are only going to be riding off road 10% of the time, don’t purchase a bicycle that is perfect for the 10% of riding you’ll be doing. Purchase it for the 90% of the riding. If you have some epic trip planned for the 10% of the riding style, rent a bike for that ride.

RULE 2: Always buy a bicycle one step above where you think you want to be.

Bicycles have come a long way since many people have purchased a bike. At Crofton Bike Doctor we are going to do a great job of helping the customer pick out the right bike for their riding and then properly fit them. I can’t tell you how many times I have had people who came back and said “I was only going to ride once or twice a week for 5 miles and now I am riding two to three times a week with at least a ten mile ride.”  For many of these customers they feel they outgrow their bikes sooner than later. Sadly for many customers they have never ridden a properly assembled and properly fit bicycle. When they do a new world is opened to them.

Did you know? The shop you choose to purchase your bike from will have a great influence in how your bike works and fits. Bicycles are not like microwaves that are ready to work out of the box. Bicycles require about forty five to sixty minutes of assembly time. Then you have the additional fitting time.

RULE 3: I rather see you purchase the right accessories with your bike then spend all of your money on the bike and have nothing left for accessories. (This rule sort of contradicts rule 2.)

A bike is going to be a lot more fun to use with the right accessories then without. I always recommend that customers figure out what accessories they will need to purchase and then back that out of the budget with the remainder being spent on the bicycle.

Stay tuned for an upcoming blog on the “Right Accessories”

With these rules and a trip to your local bike shop you’ll be on your way to a great ride on a new bicycle.

Transporting your bike in the back of your car presents its own sets of challenges. For one if you have more than one person who you want to bring along to ride with it will be a challenge to get everything in your car. You can damage the interior of your vehicle, ripped fabric or grease on the seats are never fun to fix or clean. Damage can also occur to the bike, bending the rear derailleur or affecting the adjustments of the brakes.

The investment of a good rack will protect your bike, protect your car and make it easier for you to get out and enjoy all of the great places to ride. The price you pay for a quality bicycle rack is a small price when you consider the damage that a poor fitting or the wrong rack for your car could cause.

There are several types of racks that fit most vehicles; strap racks, receiver racks and roof racks. As with everything there are pros and cons.

STRAP RACKS

These racks are the least expensive and are designed to carry one to three bikes depending on your car.

I like racks that have six straps to secure them to the back of the car. Two straps go to the top, two to the bottom and one to each side of the vehicle to keep the rack from shifting when you go flying around an on or off ramp.

These racks mount to the back of the car on the trunk or hatch back and are an easy height to get the bikes on.

As the racks increase in price they generally come with more features to protect your bikes and to protect your car.

One of the most important things with strap racks is to check the manufactures recommended fits. Not all racks will fit all vehicles. Installing a rack on a car that it is not compatible is a big mistake. You risk damaging your car, your bike and maybe something even worse if the bike falls off while you are driving. As it is with every car rack it is important to follow the manufactures recommendations when installing your rack. Your local bicycle store will likely have trained staff that can help you install your rack on your car the first time.

Recommendations:

Old socks make great protectors for your bike. Just slide them over your pedals to prevent them from scratching your car or the other bikes on the rack.

Traveling a longer distance? Don’t forget to check the straps to make sure they are tight and then check the bikes to make sure they haven’t shifted.

Have a women’s frame? Be sure to purchase an “artificial top tube” such as a Saris Bike Beam it will make it so much easier to load your bike on the rack. These work for both strap racks and receiver racks.

When placing your bike on the rack make sure your wheels and tires aren’t near the exhaust. I learned the hard way after driving several hours on a holiday only to arrive and find my tires melted from the heat of the exhaust.

RECEIVER OR HITCH MOUNT RACKS

One of the things I love about receiver racks is that nothing physically is touching the car. Like a roof rack the car is completely protected from anything that may scratch it while driving. Their height makes it easy to load bikes on and off the rack.

There are two styles of these racks; the “original style” that the bike hangs from and a newer style where the wheels are supported by trays, much like a roof rack. I love the “new style” they are easy to get bikes on and off, and work great with women’s bikes. Many prefer this style to the hanging version. This style also keeps the bikes separated; the bikes don’t sway while they are on the rack. One down side is this style will stick out a little father then the hanging version.

These racks are designed to carry one to five bikes depending on the cars hitch and the model you purchase.

One of the challenges of these racks is that they can be a little heavy, making installation and removal a little cumbersome for some. The good news is that in the last few years lighter racks have come on the market drastically reducing the weight of the racks. When you are choosing your rack make sure that you can easily handle it. If you are only occasionally using the rack weight may not be a factor. As with most things the more you use it the easier it is to get the rack on and off the car. Your local shop will likely have some pointers for you to make it easier.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I think an essential accessory for these racks is a lock that locks the rack to the car itself. It will give you piece of mind when you are away from your vehicle. Some racks will come with these locks they will be options on other racks.

Have a women’s frame? Be sure to purchase an “artificial top tube” such as a Saris Bike Beam it will make it so much easier to load your bike on the rack. These work for both strap racks and receiver racks.

ROOF RACKS

A roof rack is my personal favorite. These are the most versatile racks, not only will they carry your bike they will carry almost everything else you can imagine. Another great thing about roof racks is they allow you access to every door on your vehicle. It never fails that you’ll need something that is buried in the very back of the trunk.

I am a huge fan of the Thule roof racks as I find their systems to fit the best and they are the OEM manufacturer for most of the auto makers. The fact that 95% of their racks are Made in the USA is a nice benefit as well.

Recommendations:

If you use a roof rack and have a garage door opener; when you have your bikes on the roof place the garage door opener in the back of the car so you don’t drive into your garage with the bikes on the roof. I’ve seen this happen more than once with varying levels of damage to the bikes, the car and the house.

Vertically Challenged? (nice words for short): If you own a vehicle that is taller than you, consider carrying a step stool to make it easier to get your bicycle on and off your car.

The ABC’s are the basic things we recommend that you check prior to every ride. They are also a good starting point for any maintenance review.

Air: You should check the air pressure in your tires before every ride. It is a great way to prevent the likelihood of flats. If you have a little more time it is always a good idea to check the tires for cuts and debris that is embedded in the tire. I sometimes prefer to do this on the post ride clean up with a beverage nearby. Need to know the proper tire pressure of the tire? It is printed on the sidewall of the tire.

Brakes: The goal here is to make sure that the brakes are properly working. Squeeze the breaks and make sure they pads hit the rims properly. I’ve seen a lot of bikes where the pads are rubbing on the sidewall of the tire and slowly damage the tire. Do the brakes contact the rim firmly before the lever hits the handlebar? Check you brake cables to make sure there is no damage to them and they are going to hold up. You should also monitor your brake pads for wear and check them for debris. I like to do this during the bike cleaning post ride clean up.

Chain: Here you want to check your chain to make sure it is properly lubricated. A lubricated chain is a happy chain and it is going to last longer and offer a quieter ride. This is also the time to run through the gears on your bike to make sure it shifts properly and doesn’t get thrown off. If your riding a single speed bike check the tension of the chain.

Regular maintenance of your bike will alert you to any problem areas before they happen.  Bike maintenance is relatively easy and can be a lot of fun. I find it very therapeutic to go out for a ride and then come home and clean up my bike. It is generally during the bike cleaning maintenance that I uncover potential issue. We’ll save that for another blog.

Now that you have done the ABC’s go out and have a great ride!

Sometimes it is a struggle to figure out what to wear for my ride. Lately I always keep pulling out three of my favorite cool weather cycling accessories; a vest, arm warmers and knee warmers.

For me this time of year it is still generally a safe bet that I start by putting on a short sleeve jersey, a base layer and bib shorts. Then I start having the internal debate of what else I want to wear. The beauty of the arm warmers and knee warmers is that if it warms up during my ride I can always take them off and easily stuff them in my pocket. The vest is perfect for keeping that morning chill off of you and can also be stowed if the sun warms me up enough. If the weather is going to warm up during the ride I will always dress with these items to offer flexibility.

I have a general rule that if it is below 55 degrees that I want my knees covered. This was a recommendation from my physical therapist and I never break this rule. When it drops into the 60’s I almost always end up with a vest and some arm warmers I may or may not wear the knee warmers.

For years I used to be a fan of a light jacket for cool weather. Recently I grew tired of all the extra wind age it creates and flapping noise it makes and have gone back to the flexibility of a vest and arm warmers. I searched for years for a properly fitting jacket that I like and was always unsuccessful. If you are a fan of a light jacket I encourage you to look for one with a double zipper so you can vent from the bottom of the jacket and not create a big sail when venting from the top.

Another benefit of the vest is that on a day that it is going to stay cool during the ride I will sometimes trade the short sleeve jersey and arm warmers for a long sleeve jersey and a vest. The vest keeps the chill off of me and then I can shed that if I get to hot. Many of my cycling friends will still be wearing arm warmers when I have donned the long sleeve jersey.

When days I know it is going to stay cool during the ride I’ll trade the knee warmers for my knickers, but if you don’t have knickers the knee warmers will continue to do the trick. I do love my knickers and I will ride wearing them well into the low 40’s.

Riding is always about layering, this time of year especially. If you want to learn a little more about dressing for cool weather, check out my other blog entry here.

Dressing for cool weather just comes down to personal preference. I encourage you to experiment to discover what works best for you, but you’ll never be upset that you own arm warmers, knee warmers and a vest. Many cyclists know the value of arm and knee warmers but have yet to discover the practicality of the cycling vest.

Tonight time presented its self.

I had someone mention to me about a company that offered really great deals on cycling clothing. The person said that the pricing “is almost too good to be true.” This individual had even ordered from this company and was happy with the first products that they received.

My initial thought was that this was an overseas company, typically in China, that goes to the factory that makes the product and has them reproduce the same items without the creator/manufactures authorization. Your purchase is made overseas with your money being spent overseas and not helping the American economy in anyway.

Factories in China are becoming more notorious for reproducing things they are making for international companies and reselling them. I have a friend who was looking into having a factory produce one of his products. He was told by more than one person to:

1. Not have everything for the product produced in the same factory.
2. Don’t tell them what the parts are for.
3. Expect them to lose the tooling for the product.
4. If he had everything made in the same factory to expect to see the same product for sale in the near future under a slightly different name but identical to his product.

Pretty scary stuff to think about.

When I jumped online a little after 10:30pm on the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend I was surprised to find the chat being marked as on-line which lead me to believe more that they were an overseas company.  I know consumers are expecting companies to be accessible 24/7/365 but we aren’t their yet and likely not for a company of this size.

I looked around the web-site to see if they said where they were from but I couldn’t confirm it on the site. So I decided I would Chat with the company and see what they said about their products. (A copy of the chat is below.)

They confirmed what I thought. They use the same factories but do it without the authorization of the company. When asked if they were “authorized products” I was told they weren’t.

I understand that people like to save money but sometimes it comes at a cost. Many consumers don’t realize that they are not getting genuine items. This website had just about every pro cycling team kit on it as well as the Lance Armstrong Foundations Livestrong kit. In this case the Livestrong Foundation isn’t realizing any revenue from their logo being used, neither are any of the other teams or companies. I am a big fan of the Livestrong Foundation and this upsets me that someone is capitalizing on the foundation without paying a fee for it.

In cases like this it is the consumer who often loses since they end up not being covered by a manufacture warranty, aren’t receiving “genuine” products. These may not be a concern for every type of product purchase. Many are likely to consider it important with electronics but maybe not so important on a cycling outfit.

When presented with these “opportunities” the consumer hopefully weighs the risk versus the rewards and the importance of the creator or designer getting their share. This is a big area of discussion and much has been written about this sort of thing as it relates to the music industry. The major sports franchises have also been battling this for years with licensed apparel sales. This issue continues to grow on almost daily bases.

Our country’s economy is built on people getting paid for their ideas and creations. These people need support to run their business. They utilize other companies and employ people to assist them. Thus jobs are created. Lots of this seems to be slowly eroding away; as this happens it will continue to hurt the individual’s ability to earn a living from their work and further damage the economy.

In the long run that savings may not be as great as you think. It could come at an even larger cost.

Chat from Sunday September 4, 2011:

Fixing a flat is something that is relatively easy to do especially if you have the right tools. Even if you don’t know how to fix a flat you will have what you need to make the repairs. That way when a fellow cyclist comes along they will be able to assist you. They may not have the right tools to fix your bike but since you are prepared you will be all set. It is in the cyclists creed to offer assistance to a fellow stranded cyclist. If you don’t know how to fix a flat you should head to your local bike store for some lessons. We offer classes throughout the year as do many shops.

So here is what I carry in my fix a flat kit:

1. Seat/saddle bag
2. Spare tube
3. Patch kit – Park VP-1
4. Pedro’s Tire levers
5. Genuine Innovations Ultraflate Plus Inflator
6. Spare 16 gram CO2 Cartridge
7. Pedro’s Multi Tool with screwdrivers
8. Park Tire Boots

If I get a flat I always replace it with a new tube. If I get a second flat I then have two tubes to choose from to patch. I pick the better or easier of the two tubes to patch. When I ride my road bike I use a CO2 inflator. When I mountain bike I use a mini pump designed for a mountain bike. These pumps push a larger volume of air. I used to use a frame or mini pump for the longest time. They are reusable and less expensive than a CO2 system in the cost per use. Unless you have the patience of a saint you’ll likely be unable to inflate a road tire to 100 plus psi. That isn’t a problem with a CO2 system it is quick and easy and great for group rides when you don’t want to hold others up. They make CO2 systems for mountain bikes which use a 25 gram cartridge called Big Air.

I like the Ultraflate Plus inflator because it is a system that has a trigger that makes it easy to control the air flow. Some people will prefer a more minimalist system to save weight. Look at the different options available to you and pick what will work best for you.

One thing I recommend doing is once you have picked your inflation device take it home and get familiar with it. Try using it in the comfort of your home. So when the day comes that you need to use it you’ll be comfortable doing so.

Saddle bags come in different sizes depending on what and how much stuff you want to carry. One of the features I look for in a saddle bag is a place on the outside to hook a flashing light to for those rainy rides, dusk and night rides.

Another thing that I used to carry in my kit was a luggage tag that I had my emergency contact information and medical information on it. I printed it out and slid the paper in the luggage tag and sealed it with packing tape. Now I have upgraded that  system to a RoadID that I wear. One advantage to the luggage tag is you can place a lot of information on it. What is nice about the RoadID is that it is attached to you and doesn’t require a first responder to search for your information. RoadID also offers a way to register your tag to a web site that will allow you to have more information available.

I’ve started carrying tire boots for those bigger cuts in the tires. In the past I have used dollar bills or old energy bar or gel wrappers. Tire boots just do a better job and make it easier to get the job done.

Getting a flat on a ride really sucks, but it is even worse when you don’t have the right tools and equipment to fix it.

Have a great ride!