Putting on the Sunscreen

Let's face it, somehow bike racers have a skewed vision of vanity. When was the last time a cyclist showed you his "great" tan lines? If you know many bike racers, it probably hasn't been long at all. But we all know that too much sun isn't good for you.

To help keep all the time in the sun in perspective, there's a great sunscreen info graphic on InformationIsBeautiful.net that has a very good description of sunscreen—what is protects against, how much to use, how long its protection lasts—and the types and dangers of skin cancer. It's definitely worth taking a look so you know what type of sunscreen to buy, how much to use, when to put it on, and what you're trying to avoid by using it ... least of which are those tan lines you worked so hard to get.

The Law of the Land

You’ve probably had it happen before: you’re enjoying a nice ride when a car drives by with a passenger yelling at you about getting off the road—or something less friendly. It’s annoying and interrupts a pleasant ride, but at least it wasn’t this disastrous situation.

Whether it is to avoid getting a ticket, defending your rights, or simply staying in the good graces of drivers, it is a good idea to know the actual laws about cycling on the highways and byways. These laws vary in every state—even different cities—so it is important to know what the local ordinances say and learn the new ones when you move or train in a new region.

In Michigan, the League of Michigan Bicyclists provides helpful information, including their What Every Michigan Bicyclist Must Know guide, which provides a nice introduction to basic Michigan traffic laws. But nothing beats going straight to the source. It is now relatively easy to find the traffic code for each state online.

From the Michigan Vehicle Code, Act 300 of 1949, Section 257.657: Operation of Bicycles, Motorcycles and Toy Vehicles: “Each person riding a bicycle … upon a roadway has all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle….” Keep that in mind, and you’ll get the sense of your rights and duties as a cyclist.

But there are some important details to consider. The portion of the Michigan Vehicle Code noted above includes 14 documents, many of which are only a sentence or two long, and are worth reading. Highlights include:

• Duty of parent or guardian
• Rights and duties of persons riding bicycle
• Operation of bicycle upon highway or street
• Riding more than 2 abreast
• Others parts of the section that may be of interest: Carrying package, bundle, or article; Parking bicycle; Riding on a sidewalk

If you are interested more broadly in the topic of cyclists and the law, VeloNews’ column Legally Speaking—written by two-time Olympian and 1990 National Champion Bob Mionske, now an attorney focusing on bicycling—is a great resource to learn about issues involving cyclists and the law. His book, Bicycling & The Law, is another excellent resource.

While it is good to know your rights and responsibilities as a cyclist, it is also good to keep in mind that staying safe should be your main goal. And in order to do that, “Obey all stop signs and signals; motorists get upset when cyclists ignore traffic laws” (League of Michigan Bicyclists’ What Every Michigan Bicyclist Must Know). An upset motorist is never safe for a cyclist, whether it is you today or your friend tomorrow.

In Case of Emergency (ICE) card

While we all work hard to avoid the many hazards involved with training and racing, it is good to be prepared in case something does happen. Many things you should bring with you on every ride are meant to help you out in case of a small mishap. But one of them is meant for those not so small emergencies when someone needs to take care of you: the “In Case of Emergency (ICE) Card”.

To make this easy, print out this ICE Card template (PDF—print and fill out, or editable MS Word version) fill it out, cut to size, and (ideally) laminate it. Finally, put it in your wallet, seat pack or tool bundle—somewhere so that you will have it with you on every ride. We hope you never need it, but in the event that you do, it will be a great asset to those people who need to help you.

Sunday Funnies: Why you should check your quick release

Bike maintenance before every ride

To keep your bike running smoothly and help ensure a safe ride, it's good to get in the habit of checking your front and rear wheels before you start any ride. It's quick and easy.

Make sure your quick release levers are closed and tight.
Few things are more terrifying while riding than having your front wheel, fork or handlebars fail—there is simply nothing you can do to prevent the inevitable header. The simplest way to avoid this is to make sure that your quick release levers are closed and tight. Do not just look, grab the lever and ensure it is firmly in the closed position.

Check the tire pressure—or simply inflate them fully.
Tires in good condition lose pressure slowly, so you want to make sure they are fully inflated for each ride, but you also want to check that there are not any slow leaks that have made them go flat in the last day or so.

Check your tires for damage.
Normal wear on your tires can lead to cuts, slices, and bare casing (the woven material normally covered by rubber). While little nicks are not often a concern for your training tires, it's good to keep an eye on them. Cuts or slices can allow your inner tube to bulge out, which is sure to lead to a flat in very little time. You need to replace your tire ASAP. Similarly, if you see casing coming through your rubber, it's time for new tires.

Make sure your brakes' release lever is closed.
If you have transported your bike recently, you may have attached your wheels but not flipped the brake's release lever back down (circled in image). Double-check this so you don't grab for your brakes and find (next to) nothing.

Check that your wheels are centered in the frame, are true, and brake pads do not rub.
Look at your wheels and make sure they are centered in the frame (see image of front wheel off-center in fork). If a wheel is not centered, loosen the quick release lever, center the wheel appropriately, and tighten the lever again. Then spin each wheel looking to see that the wheel is true (doesn't wobble from side to side) and that your brake pads do not rub at all. If necessary, adjust your brakes so the pads are properly centered. If you are not able to center them to avoid the rim rubbing at some point in its revolution, then your rim needs to be trued. If you know how to do this, great! Otherwise, find out how or take it to a local bike shop.

What you should carry with you on every ride

New riders sometimes set off from home with just their feet in the pedals and the wind in their hair. For anyone with a bit more experience, we have learned (the hard or easy way) that it pays to take a few things with you on every ride. The following items will help you

• make enough repairs to your bike to get you home (or to a phone or place where you can find help),
• be prepared in case of emergency (to you or someone else), and
• follow the golden cycling rule of fix it yourself or have the supplies so someone else can do it for you with your supplies (mooching repair supplies is tolerated but always looked down upon).

In the olden days, riders used to have to be able to get home under their own power, no matter what happened. We didn't have phones or people to come pick us up. (Heck, I have a phone but no one to come get me now, so what's the difference?) While it is infinitely easier to find help than it used to be, it is still much easier, safer, and often faster to carry a few essentials with you on every ride.

You can cram a lot of stuff in a little saddle bag. The rest goes on your bike or on you.

1. Card with ICE (In Case of Emergency) info: your identification (name, age, important medical info), names and telephone numbers (parent, spouse, sibling, friend, etc.), health insurance, and important medical info (alergies, conditions, etc.)
   
2. Cash, including a $1 bill: money for emergency ($10-20 should be good), plus a $1 bill which is handy in the event of a big tire blow out
3. Cell phone, phone card/code, or credit card number (so can call or use pay phone to contact someone)
4. Inner tube (1 or 2)
5. Tire levers
6. Tube patches: in case you get multiple flats or damage a tire severely
7. Tire pump or CO2 cartridge inflater (check cartridges and pump regularly to make sure they work)
   
8. Simple repair tools (multi-tool or individual tools) including: spoke wrench—if you break a spoke this makes the ride home a lot easier; 4, 5, 6 mm hex wrenches; and chain tool to reassemble your chain if it breaks
9. Saddle bag: just big enough to fit the items above
10. Water bottle: the water's great, but it also doubles as a wound cleaner, hand washer, and storage compartment
11. Helmet: don't leave home without one

Of course once you stock up on supplies, it will help to know how to change a flat tire, compensate for a broken spoke, reassemble a broken chain, and more. But at least you will have the tools so a riding partner can help you if something happens.