No matter how good you think you’re going to ride before you
set out on the bike, you never really know until you’re out there. Because we
all feel a little different every time. Strong, weak and in-between. In the
early stages of the ride, we all take a little subconscious inventory of how
much energy we have: Do the legs feel rubbery? Steely? When my legs start off
feeling mushy, it usually means a slow day for me. Steely legs are sometimes
happening at the start. They either stay that way through the ride, making for
a fast day on the bike. Or at some point they tire out and lose power. Mushy.
In other cases, rubbery legs can sometimes be called upon to
step it up. And they either have nothing, or they break out and suddenly become
steely. That’s the best feeling because once they power through the shaky stage
and into a strong cadence, they usually feel good to go for stamina through the
rest of the ride. Then, at least, there’s and indication there’s some fitness
progress goin’ on.
Working on fitness
I recently did three big rides in consecutive days in a
quest to improve fitness, and each day held a different set of challenges. The
first day it was very windy, so riding at a strong pace was a joke. By the time
I got back, I was beat down, not feeling any love from the ride.
The second ride, with my buddy John, went better. The first
25 miles of the ride had a good tailwind, and we banged it out at an average of
17.5 mph the whole way on a course that included 1,200 feet of climbing. I
hammered it all the way, and found out later that I’d burned most of my
matches. The return ride was into a nasty headwind, and I pedaled into it, but
without any power. John bolted past me and got so far ahead, it wasn’t long
until I didn’t see him anymore.
So the ride back was a suffer-fest, the complete opposite of
the first half.
On the third day there was very little wind. Riding with
John again, we prodded each other for the first 25 miles and finished a bit
faster than the day before. On the way back the legs were tired, but because
there was no headwind, it was easier going. Still the cumulative fatigue in the
legs bogged down the pace to keep the second half fairly fast for John, pretty
slow for me. When there’s still plenty of gas in the tank on the last 14.5
miles, enough to keep banging out a strong pace with managed suffering, fitness
is alive and well. But while it’s still a bog-down tired-fest, one thing is
clear: Not there yet. But hey, it’s early in the year, and faster times come
with the heat of the spring and summer. So I just keep on pedalin’.
Start out with a used
bike? Uh, yes. Uh, no.
I came across a cyclist guy I’ve talked to in the past, Jim,
while at the turnaround rest stop for my routine ride. We got to talking, as
usual, and I mentioned a guy at work who wants to get into cycling. The guy
asked me what kind of bike he should get. I told him to go to a bike shop and
look at what’s available. Do a little research. Talk to the guys at the bike
shop about what kind of riding he wants to do.
Jim said that at the advice of a friend a few years ago, he
started off with a used mountain bike, a Cannondale. It worked out well for
him, so he figures used is the way to go for someone starting out. I think new
is the way to go. Jim said used is better if you know what you’re looking for
in a frame and components. I countered that somebody starting out just wants
something to ride that works for them right off the bat. They’re not likely to
be at the stage where they’ll buy a frame they know is good, then trick it out
with nice shifters and wheel sets. They just want a turnkey bike right now.
It also depends on the person. I remember a college guy
asked me about buying a used bike, and I told him, yeah, it’ll be cheaper, but
you might just be paying for a piece of junk. Better off going new. But he
didn’t have much money, really didn’t care. If he could ride it, he was fine
with it.
So new or used when buying a bike? Harder to get quality
with used, but it’s do-able. New should give the quality you want, but it’ll
cost more. So hey, whatever floats your boat.
Wheel sets,
components, frames, oh my
Wheel sets are said to be the best way to improve your bike
and that seems right to me. But wow, the prices for wheel sets go sky high,
serving pro racers needs for speed, durability, etc. But for the weekend
roadie, how good, or expensive I should say, does a wheel set need to be?
I bought my bike for $2K nearly six years ago and it came
with a $300 wheel set. But when a back spoke broke when my heel poked into the
moving rear wheel as I tried to avoid hitting a squirrel, I upgraded to a $700
wheel set on the advice of a bike mechanic. His opinion? $700 will get you a
quality wheel set – much better than the $300 set – and he thought that’s
pretty much all the quality an amateur roadie needs. So I’ve gone with that.
But I know riders who have wheel sets costing $2K+ on their bikes. Sure they’re
great wheels. But hey, these guys aren’t in the pro peloton, so I guess my
thought is: Why pay so much more for a wheel set designed for pro riders with
one hell of a lot more firepower in their legs than you? Seems a little like buying
a Ferrari to go to the neighborhood grocery store and back. Really can’t go 120
mph on a neighborhood street with a 15 mph speed limit!
Til next time, remember to strap on a helmet every time you
get on the bike. Then keep the rubber side down, ride safely and don’t forget:
Have a blast.
-- Mark Eric Larson
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