Clincher VS Tubular Tires and what is the difference?
CLINCHER
The tire that most of us are familiar with is the clincher tire. The clincher tire consists an inner tube and a tire. The tire has a “bead” on each outer edge of the tire. On most tires, the beads consist of hoops of steel wire. The beads are what hold the tire in place on the rim.
TUBULAR
The tubular , or sew up, tire is a one piece system where a tire is sewn together around the inner tube. Tubulars are used on special rims and are held to the rim by glue or two sided tape.
Getting dropped from a group happens to all of us. Even the best riders in the world get dropped. Pick yourself up and fight to get back on.
You can fall off the group for all sorts of reasons from reaching down to grab your water bottle for a drink, taking off a layer, getting gapped by another rider, being in the wrong position in the group, etc. For whatever reason below are some key tips to bridging back to the group.
First NEVER give up! You never know what will happen up the road. The strong rider(s) in the group could flat making the lead group disorganized causing them to slow down. Or riders in the lead group could begin to suffer leaving the pulling to only a few riders causing the lead group to slow down. You just never know what is going on up the road so don’t give up.
Regroup and get help. Looking around either up the road our behind you to regroup forming a paceline and work together. Many times one of the strong riders in a group will be in the wrong position getting gapped and dropped. Working together with other riders you can have enough engine power to bridge back up to the group. It is a sign of inexperienced rides who have been drooped who don’t work together but ride solo trying to bridge the gap. Don’t make this mistake. If there are other wheels around you there is a way back to the lead pack!
Respond quickly and close the gap fast! If you do get gapped or dropped close it fast and get back on. Others are suffering just like you. Many times if you can just hold on for a split second longer or get back on the group, the group slows down allowing you to recover. Pushing air by yourself is much harder than suffering for a few seconds to get back on. It is much easier to recover riding in the pack than on your own. Put your Nike’s on and JUST DO IT; close the gap while it is small.
Put your blinders on and go into time trial mode. If the gap is large don’t panic. Relax, breath, and don’t try to bridge the gap in one sprint up to the group. You will blow up. Ease into a steady time trial pace collecting your energy to bridge the gap over time. A group bike ride is like a book of matches. You start will a full book of matches and each time you sprint, take a pull, bridge a gap you burn a match. Eventually you run out of matches and your done. Get into a steady mode where your conserving your matches and keep the pace over a period of time with the chance of getting back on.
Don’t sit on the back move to the front. Lastly, when you bridge the gap use your speed and the draft of the other cyclist to move to the front. Getting to the front will give you more protection to recover so you don’t get dropped again. It is tempting to sit on the back of the pack but your are risking getting dropped again. It actually takes more energy and is harder sometimes on the back of the pack. Move towards the front and sit in; ideal right behind the rotating paceline.
1) I love climbing (meaning “I climb well compared to others”)
2) I hate climbing (meaning “Climbing is not my strongest asset”)
There are many factors effecting climbing. They include how you train, what your natural abilities are, the tactics and strategies you use while climbing, and to some extent the equipment you use. This month I’m going to discuss the tactics and strategies that lead to more successful climbing. Next month I’ll outline some specific workouts you can use to improve your climbing fitness. I want to start with how you climb because it’s an area that, when applied, can result in immediate improvements and is often overlooked by even the athlete most dedicated to improving their climbing through training.
Regardless of your current fitness and natural abilities you can climb better by climbing smarter. Sprinters I coach have also won the Washington and Arizona State Road Race Championships by applying some of these strategies. Yes, I did have them train in a way that helped them improve their climbing and will discuss that in Part II next month, but that is just part of the equation.
Here is some of what you’ll find in my book Base Building for Cyclists and some of the advice I give my athletes.
Prius installation of rear hitch and rear bike rack. bike rack article
Have you been thinking about getting a Toyota Prius but have wondered how you will be able to carry my bike around?
There is an answer! Why not have the best of both worlds; great gas mileage and the ease of carrying two bikes around. A rear hitch-mounted bike rack is one of the best option for Toyota Prius owners or shoppers looking into buying a Prius.
Although the Toyota dealerships will install the trailer hitch for you, installation is easy and something you can do on your own. You can install the hitch in about 30 minutes or less.Things You Will Need That Are Necessary:
Trailer hitch Curt Model 11468
Socket wrench with a 14m and 17m socket
Hand socket wrench with a 10m socket
Flat head screw driver for releasing the plastic rivets holding the underbody fascia in place
Heavy scissors or tin snips to trim the plastic under-body fascia
Extra set of hands to help you lift the trailer hitch into place
Alex Ramon of www.BicycleTutor.com has done a great job putting together tons of cycling videos on various bike repairs topics.
If you have a questions about how to fix something on your bike check out BicycleTutor.com. You may be surprised at how easy working on your bike may be; like the video below on How To True a Wheel.
A couple of weeks ago Marty Mares of Genuine Innovations, #1 in CO2 Inflators, gave me a one-on-one demonstration as to how to use their CO2 inflators.
Well this weekend I had a flat and used CO2 to pump up my tire. In the past, I had alway struggled a little when using CO2. After getting the demo from Marty then using the CO2 to inflate my tire it was a piece of cake.
Check out the video below on how to use CO2 to inflate your tire.
Have you been thinking about getting a Toyota Prius but have wondered how you will you be able to carry your bike(s) around?
There is an answer! Why not have the best of both worlds; great gas mileage and the ease of carrying two bikes around. A rear hitch-mounted bike rack is one of the best option for Toyota Prius owners or shoppers looking into buying a Toyota Prius.
Although the Toyota dealerships will install the hitch for you, installation is easy and something you can do on your own. You can install the hitch in about 30 minutes or less.
For detailed instructions on how to install a hitch and bike rack on your Toyota Prius click here: bike rack article
The BicycleTutor.com is a great site that has all sorts of video tutorials on fixing your bike. Alex is a bike mechanic in Vancouver, BC and posts bike ‘how to’ tutorials on his blog that are extremely helpful.
A saddle sore can ruin a ride. Even a tiny zit can begin to feel like you’re perched on a golf ball. Nearly as painful are crotch abrasions caused by shorts that bunch or have an irritating seam.
Even the pros, hardened by thousands of miles in the saddle, fall victim to what cycling author Arnie Baker, M.D., calls “crotchitis.” Fabled tough guys like Eddy Merckx and Sean Kelly had to abandon races when the pain became too great.
Most medical experts say that saddle sores are actually boils caused by skin bacteria that invade surface abrasions. Remedies have come a long way from the era when riders would put slabs of raw steak in their shorts to cushion the abraded area.
