ASK THE COACH…
Q: Are there any gear/equipment upgrades I can do to my bike for bad weather this winter? Change of tyres and /or service the gears properly for once?
A: Well, mud guards probably first, but if you don’t want them then use an Arse Saver which is easy to fit. Switch to wet chain lube, not dry, so you get less crud attached to your chain and working parts, which means they’ll last longer.
Give your bike a full service before winter comes: headset, bottom bracket, new chain and new cassette. People think bike parts last forever, they are made of moving parts so they wear, dry out, creak and then break. You drive a car, you service it; if you ride a bike then do the same!
After a wet, muddy ride, clean you bike, even if you just take a garden hose and wash it over, not with a spray jet as it will enter things like bottom bracket and remove all the grease. Keep your chain lubed, which should be sticky to the touch, not covered in oil.
For tyres, use ones such as Michelin Pro 4 Endurance, Specialized Roubaix, Panracer Evo, Hutchinson Fusion and the good old Gatorskin and you should have less punctures. Q: If I want to get into racing where is the best place to start?
A: Time trials are most people’s way into racing as you don’t really need any additional equipment other than your normal bike and it’s simply you racing against the clock to get from A to B as fast as possible and quicker than anyone else. You could do Cyclocross also, given the time of year, although of course you need a Cyclocross bike, but some races allow you to enter with MTB.
Check with British Cycling or your countries Federation, which will have lists of races you can enter. Also check your local club as they will run evening
10’s in the spring/summer too.
Time Trials are superb ways to start racing as there isn’t the close group racing of a Criterium or the endurance base needed for Road Races.
Great thing is, you will normally get a slice of cake and tea after the races have finished as part of your entry fee, or you might have to make a donation to the club organising things. Either way, it’s a great way to finish a race and a good chance to chat and get advice from those that have maybe been racing for a while. TT riders tend to be a very friendly bunch and very approachable. Give it a go, what have you got to lose!
Q: Is it worth taking out bike insurance?
A: Depends on what you are doing, how much your bikes costs, where you leave them etc. However, the best companies to look at are Cycle Plan and Cycle Guard. Bike insurance does give you peace of mind though, for sure, but like most things there will be restrictions as to where you can leave your bike and how safe it is. You can also check with the Police as they will stamp your bike, so if it gets stolen then, theoretically, it’s easier to track down too.
Q: If I wanted to help out at races/ cycling events do I need any qualifications?
A: It’s great that you want to help at races, as without people giving up their free time there simply wouldn’t be any races to watch. It’s always handy to have something like a First Aid Certificate and the other thing is to be an active cyclist; given that you are reading this magazine then that’s probably a given!
Things like The Tour Of Britain will generally get you to fill a form out and will check your relative experience, then you will attend a training/briefing day or two, after which you are ready
to go. I have found when I have marshalled races in the past, that once you have the first race under your belt then it’s pretty easy to be accepted into future events, as it all adds on to your ‘event CV’.
If you wanted to take it a little more seriously then you will have do to exams for things like time keeping and being a Commissaire, which British Cycling will run. Check the education page on the website where they will list the dates of when and where the courses will be run. Q: What’s the best way to teach children how to ride a bike?
A: DITCH STABILISERS! Worst thing ever invented. If you follow these simple tips, then the days of parents running behind kids holding the saddle will be a thing of the past.
Ten mins of patience and all kids/ adults can learn to ride a bike. First up, if the kids are little enough, as in 3 or 4, then get them a balance bike, let them ride that.
Biggest thing kids need to learn first is balance, after that its plain sailing and a balance bike allows them to skoot along with their feet occasionally touching the ground. If they have a bike already, then take the stablisers off and the pedals and the bike then becomes a balance bike. Let them get used to that.
Next, introduce brakes and how they work, so balance then stopping; then add the pedals back in and job done. For kids’ minds, balance, braking, pedalling is so damn complicated, it’s hard to co-ordinate all of that. So keep it simple, let them deal with one thing at a time and then bingo – job done!