Road and Trail Wisdom

The following cycling wisdom would take years of trial and error to learn on your own. Leave your cafe้ java server a good tip, tie your hair in a pony tail and let it whip in the wind. As you bicycle by, friends will recognize your new demeanor and say “it’s scholarly”.
 

Top Ten Danger Zones!
 Watch for these while cycling.
1. Drivers turning suddenly.
2. Potholes.
3. Loose gravel.
4. Car doors.
5. Pedestrians and the scantily clad.
6. Dogs.
7. Wet angled iron railroad tracks.
8. Drainage grates.
9. An unaware cyclist.
10. The un-strapped helmet.

Wisdom
1) Railroad crossings should be approached carefully, walk over rails that are angled or wet to prevent a crash especially if you have a load.
2) Slowdown when approaching gravel, gear up for more control.
3) Be predictable when riding, avoid sudden turns and prevent a mishap.
4) Handle your bike during turbulence caused by vehicles or a bridge, lean opposite and counter the force. Luke, there is a disturbance in the force.
5) Be alert while cycling, develop a sixth sense to respond to your environment, for example: If you hear a transport behind you in the distance, wave, and the driver will give you plenty of room.
6) Be equipped. It’s an brainy cat and mouse game. Load as much gear as possible for comfort and options, at the same time reduce the amount of weight as possible for ease of travel. Some tricks are: Use a single item for many uses, mail home gear that isn’t really used. Pack efficiently. Buy daily groceries at your last stop.
7) Einstein invented drafting! He escaped academia for a day but a party of lab-coat professors chased him for more formulas and recipes. Einstein discovered that riding single file in a group created a hole in the air, his colleagues could reduce their cycling effort 50% in a headwind.
Know where you are going to spend the night, especially if you’re Irish. You will welcome a planned destination, a shower and a hot meal as your reward.
9) Carry some food for daily staples such as pasta, rice, cereal, bagels. Also carry food for immediate fuel such as fresh fruit, fig newtons, energy bars. You can travel up to 2 hours on a full tank. Bottles of water or energy drinks are necessary, drink every 15 minutes.
10) A fellow cyclist who rides 200km in a day evolves somewhat differently at camp, than the rest of us. Beware of jabba the hut!

11) Be flexible in planning, you never know, a turn of events could provide other opportunities such as: an invitation to dinner, an excursion, a special event that you were unaware of.
12) Take time to talk to people, be sociable and find out what’s “going on”, be part of it, learn about the area, the culture, residents are usually kind and have stories to tell, you will thank yourself later.
13) Be sensitive to trespass, a trail may have a passing gate on farmland. Ask permission to ensure that the owner supports the use of the trail.
14) Be visible, predictable, scan and respond to conditions, use positive gestures as insurance, your friendly composure will help you greatly. Cyclists have the same rights as motorists, but obey the rules of the road and use hand signals. Extend your left arm to indicate a left turn. Extend your right arm to indicate a right turn. Point you’re left forearm down to indicate you are slowing down to stop.
15) Van Gogh. Always leave a good impression for the next group.
16) Add more flavor to your tour by taking side-trips or excursions such as: a mountain hike, ocean sailing, white water rafting, stealing the hearts and minds of your fellow travelers or hot air ballooning.
17) Keep informed of current conditions like the weather, political climate, economy, and act accordingly, and if you can’t act, just be yourself.
18) The Rockies are easier to negotiate than the Ozarks, the Appalachians, or most bankers.
19) Your spending on a tour for basics will equate to $15 a day for camping, $50 for an inn, $20 a day for your meals. Get a partner to share the cost and be blessed with a warm cozy tent.
20) Physical conditioning will make your cycling more enjoyable, though there have been many cases where riders jumped on a bike and conditioned as they toured.

21) Traveling a route in the direction with the prevailing winds will make your trip more enjoyable, anything else would be torture and look awkward.
22) Select a camera that is compact or disposable/landscape, avoid the SLR. Store it in your handlebar bag along with other valuables to reduce vibration, add security and easy access.
23) Don’t contemplate the next 100 or 1000km, think of where you are stopping for lunch.
24) Wet weather horse’s tricks; turn wide, no standing, avoid oil slicks and hay bails, and drag your brakes slightly to improve wet rims.
25) Form the habit of looking ahead 20yds. to avoid potholes, bumps, glass.
26) Prevent slow leaks and renegade flats by running your gloves along the circumference of the tires, this reveals any naughty bits and pieces before they become a problem. Do this a couple or few times a day.
27) Test your brakes during wet weather and determine stopping distance.
28) Favoritism: Always favor the rear brake in the rain for best control.
29) Gain more traction in the rain by decreasing tire pressure by 10psi.
30) Eat before you are hungry and drink before you are thirsty, for best cycling efficiency .
31) Ride smart with the prevailing winds, for example the west coastal tours ride north to south, cross-country tours ride west to east to maximize effort.
32) Brakes. Use 80% front, 20% rear. Shift your weight back for more control.
33) When you are day touring during a windy day, it may be better to ride into the wind to a destination, then return home with the wind at your back, it’s very gratifying.
34) The wind is almost always stronger in the afternoon than the morning. If a day dawns windy, hit the road early to avoid gales later.

35) Always walk across bridges with a low railing, especially if you are using the walkway. A gust of air or a passing vehicle can send you over.  

36) Be visible in daylight. A bright jacket is best, or a colorful pannier with a reflector. Use a flashy red light at night.
37) Be careful while cycling tight mountain roads, you want to make the most of your daring escape. If you hear a logging truck approaching full throttle, stop and let it pass.
38) If you are approaching a red traffic light in town, pace yourself so that you don’t have to stop, ride smoothly through a green light the intersection.
39) Take a day off and explore an ancient mountain or historic town.
40) Avoid the veteran cyclist’s rigor mortis. Compliment your activity with other sports. Try stretching, running, roller blading, and cross-country skiing. Situps and abdominal crunches will give you excellent standing posture automatically.
41) If you are cycling at a hot spot destination like Hawaii or Mexico, start the day’s ride as early as possible to avoid the afternoon sun, wear plenty of sun protection (block/screen/lotion) on your nose, ears, arms and legs. Put lots of lotion where your riding shorts meet your leg, “yowey, it stings”. Drink 2+ bottles of water while cycling at your hot spot and treat yourself to an ice cold sports drink. If you are sweating profusely, take a
 salt tablet to make your water more effective.
42) Java Alert! Stop at the charming caf้ you discovered and write a postcard to your mom.
43) Give yourself an 18” road shoulder to cushion your cycling. You may want to go as far right as safety permits, but it’s nice to have some leeway. Use your hand signals, left, right, stop.
44) Try and avoid unpleasant surprises such as transport trucks with slapping overloads.
45) Be aware of drain gratings, potholes, cattle guards and rumble strips.
46) If you get a flat but no patch, cut the tube at the puncture and tie it in a knot, there may be a few bumps and it will get you to the next bike shop.
47) A tire slice can be rigged by inserting some heavy paper to prevent the tube from bubbling through. Wrap some electrical or duck tape around the tire and rim to get you to a shop.
48) Cycling with a top-heavy backpack is for a different breed. Gain stability with low panniers. It feels good when your back is cool and your tee shirt is rippling in the wind, not to mention all the motorists quietly thinking, “I wish that were me.”
49) You will thank yourself to do some homework and stay at the best lodge, camp, inn, hostel, for your money.
50) Provincial / State or National Park Campgrounds offer quality sites with space and lower fees than commercial sites. They also provide cook shelters during wet weather.
51) Shop around and negotiate to get the best price for a small dwelling. If you are going to treat yourself and stay at a resort, call ahead and make a reservation as they prefer to talk prices on the phone, and will be more receptive to your bicycle mettle.
52) Bed and Breakfast. Do your homework; find out about these gems along your route.
53) Hostels. Some are restored historical landmarks: Fortresses, lighthouses, plantation houses, and mountain chalets with kitchen facilities. A membership will lower your cost even more.
54) A bike shop in your touring area will give you best local cycling information.
55) Enjoy in a visual pause to invest in a future memory.
56) Avoid roads that are short routes between two cities, get away to back roads, secondary roads, the land of legends.
57) Receiving Mail. If you want to send mail to yourself to be picked up enroute of your tour, or otherwise receive mail, you can have it sent to your name c/o general delivery, main post office, town, province and postal code. General delivery mail must be picked up within 15 days or it will be returned to sender.
58) Long steep hills are best if you go high gear and slow. Drink plenty of water before and during your ascent, pasta the night before. Pack fruit, snacks, energy bars, for carbs. during the climb.
59) A safe speed for your descent is <60km/h. Test your brakes from time to time and exhilarate.
60) When cycling in the desert or hot spot, wear white loose clothing to stay cool and look cool. If you stumble on a Lawrence of Arabia remake, you’re in.
61) You probably won’t find love in a car tunnel, so turn-on your red flashing light in case traffic proves to be a dangerous affair. And don’t give up, someone out there will fall for you.
62) Prevent breaking spokes by: reducing weight, walking over noticeable bumpy hazards, and not standing on pedals while climbing a steep hill. Your brilliant jazz singing spokes will be two-stepping to country music otherwise.
63) Don’t take pictures at Indian bars, girlyman pubs or lumberjack saloons.
64) Cycling can help you control stress and make you less anxious. Following a session of cycling, clinicians have measured a decrease in electrical activity of tensed muscles. Jittery, hyperactive people become more relaxed after an exercise. One cycling session generates 90 to 120 min. of relaxation response. Some people call this post-exercise euphoria or
endorphin response. Many neurotransmitters improve your mood and leave you relaxed. You will feel better, think of when you are physically active, that feeling of self worth. Eat better. People who cycle or exercise regularly tend to eat more nutritious food. It’s no secret that good nutrition helps your body manage stress better.
65) Don’t be unshaven, unkempt, smarty or wry at border crossings.
66) Cycling is a healthy outdoor activity and will keep your immunity to viruses strong. Though if you have an illness such as a fever, you cannot power it away with an intense workout. Moderate exercise however is fine for mild cold symptoms. Try riding at half speed for 10 min., if you feel fine increase your intensity. Stop cycling if you feel dizzy or nauseous, get some rest and plenty of fluids. Do exercise to keep your immunity strong. Researchers have found a link between regular exercise and improved immune function response. During moderate exercise, immune cells circulate more quickly through your body and are better at destroying viruses and bacteria.
67) Hill Climbing. Plan your assault on a hill by choosing your climbing gears so you don’t lose momentum. Shift as needed to maintain a cadence of 70rpm. On long climbs alternate sitting and standing, vary your position to reduce muscle fatigue and improve efficiency and enjoyment.
68) As windy as a campaigning office seeker. You can lose up to 30% cycling energy in a headwind while battling forward for distance. Your best tactic is to maintain a low profile with your body bent down or pace/draft behind other cyclists.
69) A week of bike touring can turn even the most jaded office slave into a giddy aficionado of the outdoors.
70) more coming soon!