Bike shops are awesome.  The folks that work at bike shops are knowledgeable and (usually) courteous.  The products they sell are of high quality and reasonably priced, when you consider the range of selection they have to keep in stock in a small store, and the immediacy of walking out the door with a product guaranteed to fit you and your bike.

However, cyclists and triathletes should not be dependent on their bike shop to do anything and everything bike-related.  There are certain repair and maintenance tasks that, if you know how to do them, will save you a lot of time, headache and most importantly, money.  Here are my Top 10.

(In the interests of saving time and space, I’m not going to explain how to do the things I’m listing here.  There are online tutorials for each of these tasks, but I’m happy to show you how to do any of these tasks if you want–just ask!)

10.  Adjust the contact points on your bike. That includes adjusting the tilt of your handlebars/shifters and changing your seat height and saddle position.  This is one of the most common adjustments you’ll make to your bike, especially if your bike is new or you use one bike for both road riding and triathlon riding.  All you need is a set of allen wrenches (4, 5 and 6mm) and some Phil Wood grease and you’re good to go!  (Be careful when tightening carbon fiber components–it’s possible to tighten them too much, causing them to crack.)

9.  True your wheels. This is a relatively intricate repair task, and requires some dedicated equipment (spoke wrench and truing stand).  However, if you ride a lot you’ll eventually need to true your wheels.  Consider making the initial investment into learning how to do this–it will save you lots of time and money in the long run.

8.  Replace your cables. On most bikes, cables are used to mechanically control the shifting and braking.  These cables should be replaced periodically for optimum performance (every year or so, if you ride a lot).  On most road bikes and entry-level triathlon bikes, the cables are routed externally, so replacing the cables is a straightforward procedure.  Remember, measure (the cable) twice, cut (the cable) once!

7.  Replace your brake pads. If you buy a secondhand bike, or ride your new bike a lot, your brake pads will need to be replaced soon.  Once the notches in the brake pad have worn almost all the way away, it’s time to switch them out.  It’s a simple procedure, involving only a tiny allen wrench and the new pads.  (You’ll also need to do this if you buy special carbon-fiber race wheels, which require specialized brake pads that are incompatible with your training wheels.)

6.  Add and remove stem spacers. This adjustment fine-tunes the fit of your bike.  Need to get more aero?  Remove some spacers!  Need more comfort?  Add some spacers!  You’ll need some allen wrenches (usually 4, 5 or 6mm) to remove the stem from your bike.  This adjustment is pretty simple, and a great way to improve your bike fit!

5.  Adjust the barrel adjusters. When you installed your cables, you had to pull them tight, in order for the shifting/braking to work properly.  The barrel adjusters make “micro” adjustments to the chain tension, allowing for crisp shifting and precision braking.  You should know how to adjust these, on the fly, during a rest stop on your ride if you notice your shifting acting strangely.  (Expert riders can, in some cases, adjust the barrel adjusters *while riding*!)

4.  Remove the pedals. This requires a special tool (a pedal wrench), but you can also use a large, sturdy adjustable wrench if you’re in a pinch.  If you ever travel with your bike or switch brands of pedals, this is an adjustment you’ll need to know how to make.  Caution–the threading on the left pedal is reverse threaded; turning clockwise loosens the pedal.  Double caution–when loosening the drive-side pedal, protect your hands and arms!  When the tension relieves itself, if you’re not careful, your arms will slam straight into the jagged edge of the chainring!  I protect myself by wearing protective gloves, putting the chain in the big ring and covering the chainring with a thick towel.

3.  Pack the bike in your car and/or bike case. Sooner or later, you’ll start a ride from a location other than your front door.  When the time comes, you’ll need to know how to get your bike to the ride start safely and conveniently.  Know whether or not you can put your bike inside your car by removing one or two wheels.

Consider purchasing a car rack, to transport your bike on the back of your car.  Know how to use it if you buy it.

If you fly with your bike, buy a sturdy, modest case that can withstand unkind handling by the overworked and underpaid baggage handlers.  But beware–a heavy, obvious bike case will increase the risk you’ll be hit with the ridiculous airline bicycle fees (as high as $175 each way)!

2.  Clean your bike. As you ride, your bike gets all kinds of crap on it from the elements, especially here in Florida, where the air is quite sandy.  Getting this junk off your bike will vastly increase the lifespan of your drivetrain components.  You should, at a minimum, perform the following cleaning tasks at the following intervals:

• Pump your tires (before every ride)
• Lube your chain (every 5 rides)
• Clean your chain thoroughly (every month or 15 rides, and before every race)
• Clean your cassette (whenever you clean your chain)
• Clean the chainrings (whenever you clean your chain)
• Clean the derailleurs (whenever you clean your chain)
• Wipe down the frame (every 1-2 months, more frequently in winter/spring)
• Re-grease all bolts (twice a season, before and after winter/spring)
• Replace handlebar tape (once a season, or whenever it gets tattered)
• Replace chain (once chain stretch exceeds 1/8″)
• Replace cassette (whenever you replace your chain)

1.  Change a flat tire.  Anywhere. All you need is a spare tube (or patch kit), some tire levers and some air (in the form of a pump or CO2 cartridge).  Read about it, watch some videos and then go practice.  Get comfortable installing a new tube in the comfort of your own home.

Eventually, you should be able to change a flat tire while you’re out on a ride.  In 42 degree weather.  In the rain.  And the wind.  On the side of a 6-lane highway.  In 3 minutes.  With other riders watching you, pissed that they’re having to wait on you.

You don’t want to be the rider who has to rely on the other riders on a group ride to change his flat tire.  Or worse, the rider who has to call his partner to pick him up in the next town over because he couldn’t repair his flat tire.

With a few notable exceptions (professional and elite short-course racing), it is illegal to draft in triathlons.  However, the specifics of what exactly is considered drafting are a bit confusing.  If you’re a new triathlete, it’s particularly important for you to understand the drafting rules, primarily for your safety and secondarily to maintain the ethics of the sport.

So, what is “drafting?”

• When cycling, riders must keep their bike more than 3 bike lengths of the rear wheel of the rider in front of them. 3 bike lengths is a long distance.  Get out your bike, pace off 3 meters (10 feet) and visualize what that distance looks like.  There is one (AND ONLY ONE) exception to this rule.  See the next point.
• If you want to pass the rider in front of you, you may do so.  You have FIFTEEN (15) seconds to pass the rider. During this time you may enter the 3 bike length draft zone.  ”Passing” is defined as the front wheel of your bike overtaking the front wheel of the other athlete’s bike.
• Once you have passed the rider in front of you, the other rider has FIFTEEN (15) seconds to drop back to the legal distance of 3 bike lengths. To assist in this, continue to maintain your speed as you pass the rider.  That way, the overtaken rider doesn’t have to hit the brakes to get behind you.
• If you get closer than 3 bike lengths to the rider in front of you, you MUST pass the athlete.  If you do not, you will get a drafting penalty. You CANNOT approach the rider and drop back without passing.  There is only one way out of the draft zone, and that’s by passing the rider.  (The reason behind this seemingly unusual rule is this–even at 3 bike lengths, there’s still a noticeable drafting benefit.  If this rule did not exist, an athlete could “hover” between 2 and 4 bike lengths behind a rider for an extended duration, getting a nice draft in the process.)
• If you take longer than 15 seconds to drop back to 3 bike lengths after being passed, you will get a drafting penalty. Men, if a lady is passing you let her go.  Don’t try to catch her.  You’ll only humiliate yourself and get a penalty in the process.
• During your 15 second passing period, you may be anywhere within the draft zone.  It is LEGAL to get right behind the rider you’re about to pass and then “slingshot” around him or her–provided you do it all within 15 seconds.
• During this whole process, you must stay as far to the right as is practicable.  When you’re riding on your own you should be to the right anyway.  When you’re passing an athlete, you should pass on the left, but stay as far right as you can.  Certainly, do not cross the yellow line.  After passing, move back to the right so as not to be in a “blocking” position (riding too far to the left).
• It is polite (but not required) to announce “on your left” as you are passing the rider.  Give the rider plenty of advance notice so they don’t get startled and swerve into you as you’re trying to pass them.

Even if the race you’re doing is crowded and/or flat, if you can follow these rules, not only will you avoid costly penalties, but you’ll be improving everyone’s race experience–including your own!

The Cemetery TT is a fixture of the Gainesville community. The Team Florida collegiate athletes use it as a benchmark to gauge their fitness, and the strongest Gainesville cyclists use it as a low-key chance to duke it out against the clock. After all, in the “race of truth,” the clock never lies.

For full disclosure, I have never participated in this race. There has only been one instance of the Cemetery TT since I moved to Gainesville, and I had a prior commitment. I have, however, participated in more than my fair share of triathlons (of which the cycling leg bears a strong resemblance to a standalone TT) and time trials of all distances.

The distinguishing feature of the Cemetery TT is the set of unique, arbitrary and unusual equipment restrictions. To quote Team Florida Cycling coach Phil Gaimon on the equipment rules:

“Equipment rules: aerobars, TT bikes, deep clincher wheels, shoe covers, and skinsuits are okay.
Aero helmets, tubular wheels, disc wheels, and trispokes are prohibited. You will not get scored if you come out on this stuff, because aero helmets aren’t as safe in the event of crashes, and no one wants to stand around while you change a flatted tubular or try to find a tube with a 2-mile valve.”

Of course, some of this reasoning is simply illogical.  Aero helmets are no less safe than regular vented helmets in a crash, and during a TT there is no one “standing around” waiting for you to change your flatted tubular.  (In fact, a flat tubular is faster to change than a flat clincher, if you do it right!)

So I followed up with Phil on this issue, and he cited two reasons for these equipment restrictions:

1. It’s the way things have always been done.
2. Since most collegiate athletes can’t afford fancy gear, we want the technological playing field to remain level.

Of course, reason #1 is fundamentally flawed.  Not only is the fact that something has been happening for a long time NOT proof that it is correct, the UCI (International Cycling Union) has a track record of changing equipment restrictions that have been in place for a long time.  Example: the retroactive changing of the Hour Record equipment rules, invalidating Boardman’s and Obree’s hour records that they set in grotesquely awesome positions with some hideously fast equipment.

Reason #2 is, in theory, a perfectly valid reason for implementing equipment restrictions.  There are few higher priorities in the sport of cycling than encouraging new athletes to compete at a high level.  The cost of TT equipment is a legitimate hurdle that these athletes must overcome to be competitive.  Setting equipment restrictions is a simple and effective way of allowing college athletes to get competitive experience without sacrificing their student loan payments.

However, the current equipment restrictions do not adequately reduce the financial barrier to entry of these cyclists.  The use of TT bikes adds a minimum of $1500 in cost to a collegiate cyclist looking to be competitive.  The use of deep clincher wheels is also another expense, as TT wheels are often deeper, heavier and less practical than the aero wheels used in road and crit racing.

Additionally, some of the equipment banned by the current rule-set makes no sense from a financial standpoint.  Aero helmets are not particularly expensive ($100-$200, about the same as a good set of clip-on aerobars, which are LEGAL under the current rule-set).  Tri-spoke wheels are perhaps the best “bang-for-your-buck” wheelset a college athlete could get.  Tubular wheels are often cheaper than their clincher counterparts, especially when obtained secondhand.  Wheel covers for a training wheel, effectively turning the wheel into a super-aero disc wheel, cost $100, a very reasonable price.  All of these pieces of equipment are banned on the pretense of either safety or convenience, both of which are largely non-factors in time trial racing.

The current equipment restrictions for the Cemetery TT are not appropriate.  They do not keep costs down for college athletes, and include the nonsensical banning of perfectly reasonable equipment.  Additionally, they do not allow those with tons of aero gear the chance to actually use a significant portion of their equipment.

So, what *should* the equipment restrictions be?

Simple.  Ban all aero equipment, period.  Run the TTs in an “Eddy Merckx” style–no aerobars, no deep wheels, no aero helmets, nothing.  Let the college athletes show up on the same road bikes they use for their weekly training rides and duke it out.  Total extra cost: $0.  (Well, maybe clip-on aerobars would be OK.   The expense is reasonable, it’s easy to install/remove them for the TTs and they get the athlete 95% of the way to a full-on TT setup in terms of the total bike/rider aerodynamic package.)

Also, maintain a “best human effort” competitive category as a throwaway.  This would be for the athletes who want to show up with their disc wheels, aero helmets and other aero gadetry.  For many athletes, simply getting a chance to use their aero gear in a competitive setting is half of the run!  (Course records could not be set in this division.  Intra-category records could, of course, be set, but the official course record would have to come from the Eddy Merckx division, just as the current Hour Record does now.)

The collegiate cycling TT equipment rules are scheduled to change next year (for all non-A riders) or the year after (for the A riders).  Aero equipment will be severely restricted.  For college athletes, this is unquestionably a GOOD thing.  It’s time that the Cemetery TT followed suit.

In warm weather, especially when it’s combined with high humidity (like we have regularly here in Gainesville), your body does two things that lead to problems:

1. Your core temperature goes up, because your body can’t remove heat as efficiently,
2. You sweat more, especially when it’s humid.

Therefore, the two most obvious things you can do when going for a ride in hot weather would be (1) to wear clothes that don’t hold in the heat, and (2) drink more.  Other than that, you should also:

1. Supplement your nutrition with more salt.  You need to replace the salt lost through your sweat in order to perform optimally.  If you only drink water on long rides, you may end up cramping due to a lack of salt.
2. Consider wearing clothes specifically designed for super-heat conditions.  Some athletes find that LONG-sleeved jerseys, designed specifically to wick sweat and shield your skin from the sun, are cooler and more comfortable than light summer short-sleeved jerseys.  Try it for yourself, though.
3. Put on plenty of sunscreen.  The sun is very strong here in Gainesville at this time of year.  It’s easy to get burned and ruin your week.
4. Stop more frequently, to allow your body’s core temperature to have a chance to drop for a few minutes.  On group rides where you can’t always stop when you want to, use your time at the back of the bunch to soft-pedal and reduce your temperature, if possible.
5. Be careful about the nutrition you intake.  Sometimes, food that works in cooler weather gives you an upset stomach in warmer weather.  Do some experimentation to figure this one out.

Stay cool!

In road cycling, the draft effect is so huge that other concerns (maneuverability, handling, comfort) can, in certain instances, supersede aerodynamics. When a rider is in a paceline and getting a 30% draft benefit most of the time, she should be more concerned about her ability to maneuver her bike, shift and brake easily, and get into a moderately aero position when it’s her turn to pull. Most road bike manufacturers place primary emphasis on handling, control and stiffness. Aerodynamics is second fiddle to these criterion.

Wheels, helmets and clothing fall in line here as well. A good road racing wheel is generally aerodynamic, but not so much that it hampers maneuverability and weight. Helmets are of the normal variety, for comfort and ventilation. Clothing is generally form-fitting, but a bit on the loose side, for comfort and to support pockets.

In triathlon cycling, the rider rides all alone, with no draft benefit. Consequently, the bike and rider must be much more streamlined, as the rider is constantly exposed to the wind. Handling is not as great a concern, as there are no other bikes near the rider. Manufacturers consequently design bikes primarily for aerodynamics, with handling, stiffness and sometimes comfort taking a backseat.

Wheels and helmets get the same treatment. On the vast majority of triathlon courses, a very deep front and a disc rear wheel is the best choice. An aero helmet is almost always the best choice for the same reason–though ventilation is compromised, the aero benefit of a pointy helmet is huge. Clothing is generally tighter than cycling clothing, for maximum aerodynamics. Long-course triathletes can get away with pockets, but short-course athletes should go with a tri-suit or skinsuit.

In summary, road cyclists are not as concerned with aerodynamics because of the need to be nimble, and the huge benefit of drafting. Triathletes should choose equipment based almost entirely on aerodynamics. The moral of the story for triathletes is: if it won’t make you more aero, you had better have a very good reason to race with it!

Caveat: I am aware that many of the equipment choices triathletes make can be, and often are, applied to road cycling, especially in shorter races such as criteriums. Even if a rider is getting a 30% benefit from drafting, the small benefit from the skinsuit or the deep dish wheel counts for something, regardless of the draft. However, the road cyclist isn’t as unilaterally concerned with aerodynamics as the triathlete (for example, one wouldn’t run 1080s during a 5 hour hilly road race), so the point still has some merit I think.

Today’s stage 12 was unusual in that the breakaway (omigosh, wait for it) stayed away!  Evidently the sprinters’ teams were not interested in exerting themselves before the upcoming difficult stages.  Cavendish remarked after the stage that he’s now concentrating on winning the sprint in Paris, which is an understandable goal.  Nicki Sorensen put together a great attack with almost 5k to go and soloed to the finish.  Very nice.

Unfortunately, Levi and Cadel lost some GC time due to a crash late in the race.  Hopefully they can get their act together for the last week and a half of the race.

The big three differences between a road bike are:

• Tube shapes.  Road bikes tend to have round tubes designed for stiffness and handling.  Triathlon bikes tend to have airfoil shaped tubes designed for aerodynamics.
• The handlebars.  Road bikes have traditional “drop” handlebars, with integrated shifters and brake levers.  Triathlon bikes have “aerobars” and “pursuit bars,” with shifters on the ends of the aerobars and brakes on the end of the pursuit bars.
• The angle of the seat tube.  This is the tube that runs from the crankset toward the saddle.  In the top of the seat tube sits the seat post.  On road bikes, this tube is positioned at approximately 73-74 degrees from horizontal (90 degrees would be perpendicular to the ground).  This gives a comfortable, powerful pedaling position while in a road position.  On triathlon bikes, this tube is positioned anywhere from 76-79 degrees from horizontal.  This helps the cyclist to rotate his or her hips forward.  The cyclist’s back can then get “flatter” and thus become more aerodynamic.  There is also some research that says that it’s easier to run following a cycle with a steep seat tube angle compared to a shallow angle.

There are a few other small differences, such as saddle choice, wheel positioning/choice and crank arm length.  However, the above three reasons are the biggest differences between road bikes and triathlon bikes.

If you’re thinking about buying a tri bike, but already have a road bike, use the road bike for a while.  You’ll be just fine.  You can even buy “clip-on aerobars” for your road bike and get the benefits of aerobars without spending $1500+ on a tri bike!  In fact, if you go to any local sprint triathlon, you no doubt will see more road bikes than tri bikes!

However, if you’re serious about triathlon, a tri bike is the way to go.  These differences really do make a difference in your speed and comfort during the cycling leg of a triathlon.

The stage came down to two stories:

The first story was that of the breakaway. Nine riders got away and distanced themselves from the fracturing peleton. One of those riders, 24 year old tall Frenchman Brice Feilieu, held on to win the first Tour de France stage of his promising career. his older brother, the (currently) more well known Roman Feilieu, finished in the grupetto and was obviously elated about the victory of his teammate and brother.

The second story played out slightly further down the slip. This was the story of the GC contenders, including half of the Astana team. Cadel Evans tried several times to attack, but he doesn’t have the explosive power necessary to make a break stick, and the contenders were able to cover him each time.

Eventually, Contador got sick of the games and busted everyone’s groove up. He attacked with a few K to go and put about half a minute into the rest of the GC contenders by the time all was said and done. His move was strong, quick and decisive, and it had to have demoralized all of the other contenders.

Armstrong chose not to respond to Contador’s attack, though he appeared like he could have at least attempted a response. He instead decided to mark the other GC contenders, knowing that if he did not follow Contador then the other GC contenders would not be able to follow either. This was, in my opinion, solid team tactics and shows that Armstrong is truly here in support of the best rider, Alberto Contador.

Now, perhaps Armstrong will attack Contador later in the Tour. We’ll see. That would be exciting if he does. However, on today’s stage, he made a tactical decision to maximize Contador’s advantage, and I believe that it was a good decision. Plus, if he decides to attack later in the tour, it will be tougher for the other GC men to overcome both him and Contador.

All in all, today’s stage creates more questions than it answers. However, one thing is for sure: Contador is ready to play. And so is Armstrong. And Cadel Evans is not.

Today’s stage featured another gutsy breakaway performance, this time from David Millar. He had a minute solo on the peleton with 10k to go, but got caught with 1500 meters to the finish. Too bad really, he was riding very strong and it would have been a great moment for him.

At any rate, the stage went to the sprinters, where, on the uphill finish, it was the strength of Thor Hushovd that prevailed over some of the more agile sprinters (such as Cavendish). Cervelo Test Team’s first victory in this year’s Tour was good to see.

Tomorrow’s mountain-top finish should be the first real test for the yellow jersey contenders. Cancellara should lose his yellow jersey, and if Contador puts in the ride we all know he’s capable of, he has a very good chance of wearing yellow after tomorrow’s stage.

Also in the mix is He Who Must Not Be Named, still 0.22 seconds behind Cancellara in the GC. We’ll see if he has the ability to keep up with Contador in the mountains. I suspect he doesn’t, but if he can, it would be a stage for the ages, as if they finish together it will be He Who Must Not Be Named who dons yellow on Saturday.

The real question (at least, according to the Internet) was: would there be friction between Armstrong and Contador? As it turns out, the answer was NO (the team rode beautifully from start to finish, with Armstrong taking strong pulls and Contador taking minimal pulls as the protected leader of the team). But I could have told you that before the stage even started–it would have been stupid for the team to fracture during the TTT! Everyone loses in that situation.

With Astana’s convincing victory in the TTT today, it made it that much harder for the other GC contenders to catch the Armstrong/Contador (Armstrontador?) pairing. Though Saxo Bank’s strong showing allowed Cancellara to keep yellow, Armstrong sits in 2nd place by a fraction of a second. Contador is not far back either.

For now, Team Astana sits in an unusually commanding position (for the first week of the TdF) over the rest of the peleton. My prediction is that Cavendish will win approximately eight consecutive stages, and then Armstrontador will duke it out in the mountains. If anyone not on Team Astana wants to win this race, they’ll have to have some special moments in the mountains and the last time trial. It’s Astana’s race to lose.