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Q: When I ride with a group, they all get started differently. Some sit
on the bike and push off, others stand on the left pedal and swing their
right legs over the saddle.
I even saw one rider run along side his bike
and jump on like the Lone Ranger. What’s the correct way?
A: The smoothest and safest way to start is to straddle the bike with both
feet on the ground. Clip in with one foot (you can do it with either foot,
but for purposes of illustration we’ll clip in with I the right) and slip
back on the saddle with the left foot on the ground. Simultaneously push off
with the left foot and push down on the pedal with the right to get some momentum.
Then clip in with the left foot. This works great at traffic signals too.
It’s dangerous for novice riders to jump on the bike or swing a leg over the
saddle while coasting but some cyclocross racers prefer these techniques because
they are used in their sport.
Q: I sometimes see riders brushing their road tires with their hands as they roll along. What’s that all about?
A: It’s a habit from the days when everyone rode tubular tires. They were relatively puncture-prone so riders periodically used their fingers or their gloved palm to wipe off debris—sharp flints, thorns, shards of glass— that might eventually work into the tread and pierce the casing. It’s rarely necessary with the current generation of more rugged tires (both tubular and clincher) because many feature a highly puncture-resistant Kevlar layer under the tread. Brushing off the tire can be dangerous too. Some riders got their hands caught between the whirling rear tire and the seat tube, leading to gruesome crashes. (If you do brush tires, always put your hand in front of the brake on the front tire; on the rear tire, wrap your - thumb around the brake bridge so h your hand can’t get sucked toward the seat tube.)
Q: I use a sports drink but often splash it on my gloves—or the bottle leaks around the cap—and I hate getting sticky. Any solutions?
A: Here’s one approach: Put your bottle of sports drink in the seat tube bottle cage where it will sit relatively upright and so is less likely to leak when it’s full. Fill the other bottle, in the downtube cage, with plain water. Then if you slop sticky stuff on your hand, jersey or bike, simply squirt a little plain water on the offending goo to wash it away before you draw flies or your hand gets cemented to the brake hoods. If you need more than one bottle of sports drink for long rides, carry it in two bike-mounted bottles and fill a back- mounted hydration pack with plain water.
Next: Eating and Drinking advice for Bicyclists
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