Sara Best
Okay, it’s confession time. Those of you who have been around for a while already know this about me, but others will no doubt be shocked and appalled.
I have never ridden with clipless pedals.
I know, I know, it’s ridiculous. I watch cycling, I write about cycling, I love to ride myself. How sad is it that until today I’ve been too nervous to make the move to clipless?
But, it’s a new day in the Best household. Last week I did it. I went and bought new, clipless pedals for my bike and lovely Louis Garneau shoes to go with them.
Now, up here in Toronto we still have knee-deep snow around but as soon as things warm up I’ll be out on the road, clipped in with super-efficient power transfer like never before. I have been practicing because the shoes that I got also work on the spinning bikes in my spinning class so I’m getting used to that but I have to admit that I’m still a little bit terrified about that first ride out on the road.
Do any of you expert clipless riders out there remember when you took your first clipless ride? Give me some tips here. Dos? Don’ts?
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Riding is more fun when you ride with others! There’s no better source of motivation, networking, being social, sharing knowledge, and camaraderie than your fellow riders.
However, the prospect of joining a group ride for the first time can be intimidating. Worried that you might now know “the rules’ of a group ride? We’ve got you covered! Simply read the following suggestions.
Pick The Right Group Ride
Group rides and objectives vary. Finding out the group’s pace, distance, and goals will ensure that you join a ride that’s right for you. Is the ride social or a hammer fest? Is it considered a social ride, training ride, or a blood letting? How far will the group go? What route will the ride follow? Will the ride re-group at certain spots to let stragglers get back on? Are there any rest stops or fluid stops? Answer these questions before the ride so you don’t get yourself in over your head. If you are not sure what type of group ride you are getting yourself into, just ask.
Read the rest of this entry »
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Truing a a bicycle wheels by Bicycling.com
Click here for instructional video: Video
Roll straight and save your wheels with these 4 easy steps-and a bit of patience.
Riding with a warped wheel is like riding with your brakes on–but more dangerous. Not only are you slower (even if your rim isn’t rubbing against the brakes, its out-of-round profile causes more drag and friction), but the ride is rougher, you have less control, and you could end up on the ground if the wheel folds or a spoke breaks thanks to the pressure of uneven spoke tension. If you suspect your wheel is wobbling, don’t hesitate. The earlier you catch a small bend, the easier it will be to fix. A truing stand is the most accurate tool for the job, but you can get by using the brake pads on your caliper-brake bike. Follow these four simple steps to straighten your wheel and stop getting dragged down. Read the rest of this entry »
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Video: Rewrap Your Bars By Jennifer Sherry
Aesthetics aside, that feeling of new bar tape beneath your palms will change the way you ride–more cushion and less slip make long days in the saddle a safer and more pleasurable experience. If you’ve never replaced bar tape before, now is the time to learn. Roll up your sleeves, wash your grimy mitts and grab your new tape, then go to the link below.
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Pictured above Tyler Ford with his wife Mimi Ford and Sherry Phillips before the start of El Tour de Tucson 2007.
www.Ride-Strong.com, the blog for cyclist, was founded by Tyler Ford in 2007 as the blog for www.RoadBikeRides.com.
MORE THAN $20,000 IN PRIZES UP FOR GRABS FROM ROADBIKERIDES.COM
New Site Allows Cyclists to Share The Best Rides That The U.S. Has to Offer
TUCSON– RoadBikeRides.com is a new user-friendly, interactive cycling website that allows cyclists from across the United States to share the rides that they love. At RoadBikeRides.com road cyclists can submit information on their favorite rides including tips, maps, video clips and links, and also find a new ride in their own neighborhood or in another region of the country. Visitors can register on the site for free and begin submitting or searching for rides right away.
“It’s our mission to make you feel at ease on the road, whether it’s on a new ride in your own neighborhood or whether you’re traveling far from home,” said Tyler Ford, the man behind RoadBikeRides.com. “Our detailed maps will also provide you with suggestions on where to stop and fuel up during a ride, and where to chow down when you’re done. After visiting rides that you’ve researched on our site, you’ll feel like you never left home, because you’ll know exactly where to go.”
To launch the site, RoadBikeRides.com has developed a contest with more than $20,000 in prizes that would make any cycling lover drool. Prizes will be awarded based on the number of points that visitors accumulate. Points are earned by submitting rides, photos or video clips, posting on the message boards, or submitting articles for the site blog at Ride-Strong.com. Complete contest details can be found at www.roadbikerides.com.
The contest opens when RoadBikeRides.com goes live in January 2008 and will run until the first, second and third prizes have been awarded. Prizes include:
• 1st prize is $10,000 in cash, awarded to the first person to earn 5,000 points.
• 2nd prize is a brand new top end bike Orbea Orca Bike (or substantially similar bike) with a retail value of $5,400, awarded to the second person to earn 5,000 points.
• 3rd prize is a Zipp 404 clincher wheel set (or substantially similar wheel set) with a retail value of $2,100, awarded to the third person to earn 5,000 points.
• 4th through to 10th place winners will take home a Garmin Edge 305 GPS unit (or substantially similar GPS unit) with a retail value of $380.
Tyler Ford, the founder of RoadBikeRides.com, is an avid cyclist and triathlete who has had a passion for cycling since 1988. Ford was a top-producing loan officer in Tucson, Arizona but always had a vision of getting involved in the cycling industry in a bigger way than just riding and racing his bike.
In July, 2007 Ford decided to leave his lucrative desk job in order to pursue that dream. He purchased the RoadBikeRides.com URL and founded Outdoor Activities, LLC. Today, Ford is living his dream of serving the cycling community and even sponsors local Tucson cycling teams, GST Racing and Fair Wheel Racing Team.
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