Preparing For A Bicycle Ride

by Larry Lagarde

Yesterday, the Concord Monitor published a story by Tim Jones titled "Support your bike adventures"; it's about being prepared for a blowout when on a bicycle ride.

For most cyclists, it can be months if not years before a flat happens on a bike ride but it will. The question is, what will you do when it happens. Some call home for a ride or simply trudge back home pushing their disabled bike; however, if you have everything you need, many problems that crop up while bicycling can be fixed pretty quickly on the road side.

Tim's suggestion is to be prepared with an emergency kit that includes tire wrenches to get the tire off the rim, a spare tube, a pump or CO2 cartridge inflator and perhaps a folding tool kit for other repairs or adjustments. Provided that you know what you're doing, these are all great suggestions but do you really need them?

Before Hurricane Katrina when I was riding 20 miles/day on a pristine, paved bike trail, the only preparation I made was switching out my front tire to an Air Free version, placing a Mr. Tuffy insert between the rear tire and tube, and carrying a cell phone. I rode for a year without a flat. When it finally happened, I was just 3 miles from home; it took an hour to walk back but I didn't mind. It was after work and I had nothing pressing to do that evening.

Since Hurricane Katrina, daily rides gave way to riding twice per week - if that. During the 9 months that we were displaced in Memphis, I rode with a tool kit, mini pump and patch kit. The streets were full of debris and I regularly trailered my younger step son behind me for rides of 5-10 miles. How many flats did I get? None.

When we returned from Memphis to New Orleans, everywhere I rode, there was debris... glass, nails, branches, splintered wood, shredded metal... In fact, one item regularly in the news was the frequency with which motorists were getting flats. Not a single motorist in New Orleans in 2006 that I knew drove without getting at least 1 flat. One time when I brought my wife's Saturn in for an oil change, the mechanic was kind enough to check the tires; 3 out of 4 tires had nails in them... So how many flats do you think I've had over the last year and a half bicycling over potholes & crazy storm debris? Just one.

During the 30+ years I've been bicycling, my rate of catching a flat while riding has averaged once every 2-3 years. I do ride normally with tire inserts and check my tire pressures prior to each ride; however, it's typically when I'm doing a long distance tour out of town that I ride with a spare tube or repair kit, tire tools, pump, bike multi-tool set, spoke wrench, etc. Then of course, I'm always riding a folding bike so it's no sweat to throw the bike in the trunk or back seat of a taxi if I'm in a bind here in the city.

There are other preparations that I find essential for a great bike ride. I ALWAYS ride with...
... a helmet.
... eye protection.
... a cell phone.
... identification.
... money for a snack.
... gloves.
... pants/shorts that will not get caught on the bike frame.

In addition, normally I ride with...
... sunscreen.
... a small first aid kit.
... water.
... an air horn.
... bike lighting.
... a mirror.
... a bike computer.
... a carry rack.
... a bungee to strap items to the rack.

When I'm commuting by bike, I do take the bike pump, patch kit and tire irons but for most recreational rides or just zipping a few miles to the store, I leave repair gear at home.

How do you prepare for a bike ride?
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To read the story "Support your bike adventures", visit...
http://tinyurl.com/2l9uqm