Change your tire!

At some point while out on your ride your going to get a flat sooner or later. Luckily i've yet to get one but I've known people who get them regular and some who get them once in a while.

Either way, it is a good idea to be prepared. When I am out on my rides I have the following in my saddlebag.

• Tire Levers
• These are used to remove the tire from the wheel to pull the tube out
• CO2 cartridges
• A quick easy way to inflate your tires
• Puncture Repair Kit
• Typically, on the road I plan to just replace the tube, but just in case you end up with a second puncture it's good to have one! Plus you can help someone out if they need one.
• Spare tube
• These are cheap, just have a couple lying around at home. Keep a couple in your car too. You never know when you'll meet a rider in need!

Here's a quick how to guide on changing your tube here. There's picture in there to so you can get an idea of what you need to do.

Alternatively there's plenty of videos on Youtube. I like this one as it shows how to do it while out on the road.

Rules of the Road - A good resource for cyclists and drivers!

Road ID has put together an excellent video series for cyclists about how to ride safely while out on the road. It's an excellent read for both riders and drivers.

You can check out the videos and articles on the Road ID website here.

As always you should be riding on the road with ID. I use a Road ID when I am out at all times. Click the links on my blog to find out more about Road ID and why you should ride with one!

Pump it up!

I’m getting into the routine of maintaining my bike on a regular basis now. As part of that I’m still trying to get in the habit of checking my tire pressure more regularly.

There are several reasons why you should be checking your tire pressure on a regular basis.

1. An under inflated tire is more prone to puncture.
2. An under inflated tire is more prone to deforming.
3. A ride can get pretty bumpy on an over inflated tire.

You can check your tire pressure a couple of ways, with a pressure gauge or with a pump with a built in pressure gauge. I prefer to use the pump, that way if it needs filling I can just do it. No changing between two devices.

Check wall of your tire for the correct PSI.

When inflating your tires make sure you’re using the correct pump for your valve. There a three main types of valves on tires and they take different extension on your pump to inflate them.

You can read more about wheels and valves here

For a pump I use a Serfas FP-200 which has a built in pressure gauge. For on the road I take some Co2 with me.

If you have a Presta valve, be sure to unscrew the small top on the valve before pumping. You don’t need to remove it, just unscrew enough so when you push down the air releases. Then clamp the pump on tight.

Here’s a short video on how to inflate a presta valve road tire

For more about tire pressure check out the articles here and here.

Basic Bicycle Maintenance

I’ve been trying to learn how to perform the basic bike maintenance procedures. I want to keep my bike in good condition and make it last as long as I can. So far I’ve come up with the following routine for maintaining my bike.

Weekly


Tires

• Check tires for damage
• Check tire pressure

I do a visual of the tires making sure there are no signs of damage. I use a Planet Bike Dial Air gauge. I use the recommended setting on the tire for PSI.

Chain

• Degrease
• Clean
• Lube

I use Park Tool’s Chain Cleaner with a diluted mixture of Simple Green and water to degrease and clean. I do two passes through the chain cleaner. The first pass is to remove all of the built up gunk and the second to give it a good cleaning. I then lube the chain with Finish Line’s Dry Lube. I use the dry lube as I only ride when it’s dry and it can get quite dusty where I ride.

Clean Bike

• Wipe off dirt with a rag
• Spray bike with diluted washing soap and water (avoiding moving parts)
• Clean the rims of the wheels
• Dry off with a rag

Fortnightly

In addition to my weekly routine, every other week I will also do the following:

Front Derailleur

• Brush off any dirt/particles
• Lube pivots & springs with a little dry lube

Rear Derailleur

• Brush off any dirt/particles
• Lube pivots & springs with a little dry lube

Monthly
This is my main maintenance routine. Once I month I will do all of the above plus:

Brake & Shift Levers

• Squirt some dry lube into the levers as I open and close the brakes
• Squirt some dry lube into the levers as I change the gears

Brake Pads

• Inspect them for wear and/or damage

Feel free to let me know how you maintain your bicycle or any tips you have for keeping it it good condition!

Essential Gear: Road ID - Awareness

A few weeks ago I posted an essential gear blog for Road ID. Today I got their e-mail newsletter and saw a request to help spread the word to first responders about looking for and using Road IDs.

The information contained on a Road ID can assist first responders greatly when needing to assist an someone in distress. We should all know where to look for a Road ID on a runner or cyclist.

The common locations to find a Road ID are:

- On the wrist
- On the ankle
- Around the neck
- On the shoe

At the very least first responders will have a number to contact someone in case of an emergency. If there is an interactive id then there is even more information available to first responders and medical teams. They can log into the road id site with your serial number and pin they will have access to:

- Your name
- Your home and work address
- Your medical information such as insurance, primary doctor and blood type
- 5 emergency contacts with both home and cell contact information

As you can imagine this information is vital in being able to get you the help you need as soon as possible!

We all should be encouraging our cyclist and runner friends to invest in a Road ID. This small investment could help save your life or that of someone you know. I often see and hear people ask what can I give as a gift to my runner & cyclist friends. The answer is a Road ID.

If you ever come across an accident involving a runner or cyclist be on the lookout for a Road ID and point it out to first responders. If you know anybody that is a first responder be it a Police Officer, EMT, Fireman, Forrest Ranger let them know about your Road ID, show them it and tell them about roadid.com. If could save someone’s life.

Road ID have even made these great flyers we can all share with family and friends who are first responders to spread the word.

You can download them here:

Debora’s Story

Gina’s Story

Lucas’ Story

Mileage Tracking - Good riddance mapmyride

After getting continually frustrated with the cluttered mess that is mapmyride.com I decided to try some other tracking websites.

The first one I tried was mapmytracks.com and their iPhone app ‘Outfront’. Their website is really nice and clean. The app was very easy to use and similar to many of the others out there. The cool thing about the website is it replays your ride for you so get a visual of how it went as you continued. You can also compare one ride to another. As for the app, you can use it for almost anything running, hiking, dog walking.

The second one I tried was strava.com. Their site is the most professional looking. You can use it for free but are limited to 5 uploads a month or if you get the iPhone app ‘Strava’ you get unlimited uploads. To remove all the restrictions it’s $6 a month or $59 for a year. I got a promo code for a free three month trial (let me know if you want one too).

I have to say that I really like the site. I was able to upload gpx files for the history from mapmytracks but not mapmyride (most likely mapmyride’s fault). One cool feature is Strava autocorrects the altitude readings on the gps trackers without altimeters in them with data from the USGS.

Another excellent feature is it gives you little awards and notifications when you set records or personal bests on popular routes.

You can also hide start/finish locations so your start and end points are hidden from people. This is really useful if you start your rides at home, work or the same point every time. There is also the option to restrict your profile to community members only which is always nice.

As with pretty much every site out there now you can choose publish your rides to Facebook/twitter. You can either auto publish or pick and choose which ones to share.

It also allows you to create these awesome posts of your rides like the one below!

I’m going to stick with Strava as it’s got everything I need

Essential Gear - Cycling Jersey

Sweet! My new cycling jersey arrived!

Front

 Back

It fits real good, not too tight across the stomach and it has three deep pockets on the back.

You can't see it in these pics but it has the Flower of Scotland Lyrics written on the inside of the collar. I'll try to get a pic of it to update later.

Essential Gear: Road ID

The road ID is a piece of kit you can wear on your neck, wrist, ankle, shoe or foot. The idea is that if you are ever in an accident someone can use the id to contact someone you know.

It comes with one of two types of info plates on it. The original has your name, address and number on it and the Interactive has website and pin on it.

The interactive id takes it a bit further. First responders can log into the site on the tag and enter your pin to access all your emergency contact information and medical information. You’ll need to be sure you keep it all up to date buy making changes whenever you change Doctor, Insurance etc.

I have the Interactive Sport id version. It goes on the wrist and has a velcro strap on it you can adjust to your size. I make sure I wear it every single time I go out the door for a run, ride or race. I find it pretty comfortable on my wrist but sometimes when I run I will put into over a sweat band cos it can start to scratch a little as you move.

They have various other versions and they come in several colors so you can tie it in with the wrest of your gear.

You can order the Road ID online at http://www.roadid.com/Common/Catalog.aspx?C=RoadID

Mileage Tracking

I've been trying a few tracking options for my mileage for running, cycling & gym workouts. So far I'm using multiple ones but consolidating them into one main website. Here's what I'm using for each.

Running
Favorite - Nike+ GPS
www.nikeplus.com

I've decided to stick with Nike+ GPS for my iphone. It's a really simple to use app and I like their online communities at nikeplus.com & nikeplusactive.com. I wish they would merge the two so I didn't have to go to two places to participate in their online activites though.

The Nike+ app has a cool feature that will post to your facebook if you set it up. It will then let people know when you start a run and if anybody comments on the post it will read it out to you!

I have previously used the Nike+ sportband. The sportband is a basic watch that when combined with a sensor in/on your shoes can track your mileage/speed/pace. I have found it to be pretty accurate for my needs. After your run you plug it into the USB port on your computer and it uploads the run to the website. I now mainly use it on the treadmill. When outside I can use the GPS app instead. The other advantage of the sportband is the price, it was pretty cheap and great for a beginner to running. The online challenges and trophies add extra incentive and fun to running.

Nike just released their own GPS Watch with TomTom which looks really nice. It's $199 and functions as a watch. It's also got some nice features to remind you to get out there and run too. You can see more about it here. I think i'll probably pick one up later this year.

As with any GPS enabled sharing program you want to be sure to change the settings on your profile to friends only.

Cycling
Favorite - Mapmyride
www.mapmyride.com

I'm currently using the mapmyride app for the iphone. The app has a nice user interface and is pretty simple to use. It will also post to your facebook/twitter if you want. I have mine set up to post to twitter once I complete a ride. It also uploads it to the mapmyride website.

As with any GPS enabled sharing program you want to be sure to change the settings on your profile to friends only.   Mapmyride allows you to make things as public or private as you want to. Be sure to read through all of your settings.

The mapmyride website is pretty good but is in transition mode at the moment from an old to new version. I find the best thing about it is the ability to find rides in the mapping tool. I'd like to use more functions but alot of them are not ready or working yet on the new site. The old site was horrible so I dont bother with it. The other downside to it is the stupid pay versions so you get annoying ads coming up alot. The features offered for the pay version are pretty useless so i'm stuck with the ads for now.

Gym Workouts
Favorite - Dailyburn
www.dailyburn.com

For my gym workouts I like Dailyburn.com's app for the iphone. The main reason I like it is that I can create my workout plans on the website and then access them on my phone while at the gym. I can log in my sets, reps & weight and submit it and it updates the website.

Home Page

Entry Choices

My saved training plans

Entry screen while at the gym

The dailyburn website has lots of other tracking tools for tracking weight, calorie intake etc but they aren't things that I use.

All in one summary
www.dailymile.com

My favorite website for keeping all my workouts together is Dailymile it looks great, it's really simple to use and has the added bonus that it can import from Nike+ and Garmin Connect. I only have to manually log my gym workouts into the site. It's got some nice charts and tracking tools also. Dailymile has a nice summary you can add to your blog too, check mine out on the right hand side of my blog --->

I really want to check out the Garmin connect import. I need to see if it will import for cycling, if it does i'm tempted to get a Garmin for my bike and ditch the mapmyride app. If anybody has used it please comment and let me know!

Some other features I like about the Dailymile site are:

1. Events - You can create/join events and have them display in your race calendar
2. Facebook Connect - It uses Facebook to login so I dont need another username
3. Motivation - You can comment on friends activity and send them little motivational badges