Cycling Miscellany

[bluegoose]

I have a hitch-mounted 5 bike Allen rack. I also use a locking hitch pin. Mine doesn't have a built in lock, so I just use a cable or chain lock if I need one. Many of the newer racks, especially from Thule or Yakima, come with a built in retractable locking cable. They're pretty slick.

[Pelado]

I have a hitch-mounted 5 bike Allen rack. I also use a locking hitch pin. Mine doesn't have a built in lock, so I just use a cable or chain lock if I need one. Many of the newer racks, especially from Thule or Yakima, come with a built in retractable locking cable. They're pretty slick.

So what I'm hearing is that I need to get a new vehicle with a hitch.

[bluegoose]

I like the hitch mount kind quite a bit. But I used the kind you tie onto the car trunk for a lot of years. The only problem I had was occasional scraping of the car paint, either from the carrier of the bikes themselves. It held the bike too close to the car, often getting some rubbing on the front fork or on the rear triangle.

Roof mount racks also have built in wire locks. They're pretty slick. Only downside of a roof rack is the unfortunate and hopefully rare times when you forget the bike is up there until the moment you drive it into the garage. Happened to a friend recently with a very pricey road bike. We're talking $5-6k. Ouch.

[Joe Public]

I like the hitch mount kind quite a bit. But I used the kind you tie onto the car trunk for a lot of years. The only problem I had was occasional scraping of the car paint, either from the carrier of the bikes themselves. It held the bike too close to the car, often getting some rubbing on the front fork or on the rear triangle.

Roof mount racks also have built in wire locks. They're pretty slick. Only downside of a roof rack is the unfortunate and hopefully rare times when you forget the bike is up there until the moment you drive it into the garage. Happened to a friend recently with a very pricey road bike. We're talking $5-6k. Ouch.

That's why I don't have a roof rack. That isn't a risk I'm willing to take.

[Moliere]

That's why I don't have a roof rack. That isn't a risk I'm willing to take.

Each time I put my bike on the roof I just put a rubber band around the rear view mirror over the button to open the garage. It reminds me I have a bike on top. Hasn't been a problem yet.

I've also heard of others that put the garage door opener in the trunk so they have to get out of the car to open the garage.

I guess stuff like that just minimizes the risk and doesn't eliminate it, but it's worked for me.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Cycling Miscellany

Each time I put my bike on the roof I just put a rubber band around the rear view mirror over the button to open the garage. It reminds me I have a bike on top. Hasn't been a problem yet.

I've also heard of others that put the garage door opener in the trunk so they have to get out of the car to open the garage.

I guess stuff like that just minimizes the risk and doesn't eliminate it, but it's worked for me.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I've scraped two bikes off the top of my car. but neither were into my garage, so I'm not one of those dummies.

The first one was when I had to make a bunch of last minute deliveries for the law firm I work for while at the U. In the panic of trying to make deadlines, I shot into some underground parking. My poor Bianchi never stood a chance. Mercifully, she died instantly. Somehow I convinced the firm that they should help with a portion on the costs. Stupid lawyers.

The second time, I had just picked up my girlfriend up at the airport from a two month trip to Europe. It was clear to me within the first hour of her being back that we were on the outs. And I wasn't too pleased about it. She asked if we could make a couple quick stops in town before heading up to Logan. While pulling into the Sugarhouse Wild Oats, despite being a regular, uncovered parking lot, the entrance has one of those clearance warning bars just in case you're one of the 0.0024% of the public interested in adventuring through the labyrinth into the far corner where there is rumored to be some sort of ramp into the underground.

In my fogged anger, I turned into the lot with my bike being the furthest thing from my mind. The bar was perfectly positioned to miss my bars and catch my seat post. Fortunately, that bike had carbon forks, with aluminum drop outs. The aluminum was the weak point and stripped out of the rack pretty easily, saving the frame from any major torquing.

I can't say the same for this otherwise, pretty decent person in the seat beside me. She took the brunt and as far as I know, was able to eventually find a ride back to Logan.

The Wound-Up forks were manufactured in Salt Lake. I was able to drop them off, and have new drop outs put in for like $20. Dodged a major bullet. With both girls, really.

My solution to these problems has been to get married, have kids and never ride my bike again.

[Moliere]

I shaved my legs tonight

[Dwight Schr-ute]

I shaved my legs tonight

How'd I miss this glorious announcement?! Congrats. I was WAY too prideful about my legs back when I was shaving them. Also, ingrown leg hairs are a picker's wet dream.

[Moliere]

As the LOTOJA training continues, I'm finding more and more out about long distance riding. I've been riding up around 80 miles on my long rides, and I've been struggling mightily with my nutrition. It's not that I'm hitting a wall, but after 2+ hours on the bike I really get hungry. It doesn't help that I leave for the rides around 5:30am so I don't eat a good breakfast, but then I try to eat solids on the bike (bars, bagel, banana, whatever) and it never goes well.

Realizing that I really need to figure something out, I finally decided to read up on what pros do during Ironmans. I've always heard that they just drink their carbs/calories. I decided to try some Carbo Pro today. I once had a carb loaded drink mix, but it was nasty and I wasn't doing 40+ mile rides back then so I saw no use for it and threw it out. Well today, I put in 100 miles and felt really good for the whole ride, even at the end. I did start to get hungry during the last hour, but I had run out of the carb loaded drink by then. I guess I need to take more powder so I can mix a drink to get me through the longer rides. There were obviously other factors that made todays ride great (good weather...except the wind, better pacing than before, smoother roads, etc.) but I felt good enough that I want to try the Carbo Pro again just to see how I do with it.

I've also found that a Coke in the last 1-1.5 hours of the ride really hits the spot and I can still eat bananas just fine...although I didn't touch my gels today.

Anyone have any other tips on nutrition for long rides?

Here's a link to the ride: https://connect.garmin.com/activity/816518408

[Dwight Schr-ute]

For rides where I'm just logging miles (this should be read in past tense) and not worried about stops, I liked to stop at a McDonalds ~2.5-3 hours in and get a Coke and some fries. The carbs and salt of the fries would hit the spot and help replace a lot of the salt you've sweated out.

(Although there are a couple along the route, the above nutritional advice likely doesn't help you for LOTOJA in a few months.

[BrutusBuckeye]

As the LOTOJA training continues, I'm finding more and more out about long distance riding. I've been riding up around 80 miles on my long rides, and I've been struggling mightily with my nutrition. It's not that I'm hitting a wall, but after 2+ hours on the bike I really get hungry. It doesn't help that I leave for the rides around 5:30am so I don't eat a good breakfast, but then I try to eat solids on the bike (bars, bagel, banana, whatever) and it never goes well.

Realizing that I really need to figure something out, I finally decided to read up on what pros do during Ironmans. I've always heard that they just drink their carbs/calories. I decided to try some Carbo Pro today. I once had a carb loaded drink mix, but it was nasty and I wasn't doing 40+ mile rides back then so I saw no use for it and threw it out. Well today, I put in 100 miles and felt really good for the whole ride, even at the end. I did start to get hungry during the last hour, but I had run out of the carb loaded drink by then. I guess I need to take more powder so I can mix a drink to get me through the longer rides. There were obviously other factors that made todays ride great (good weather...except the wind, better pacing than before, smoother roads, etc.) but I felt good enough that I want to try the Carbo Pro again just to see how I do with it.

I've also found that a Coke in the last 1-1.5 hours of the ride really hits the spot and I can still eat bananas just fine...although I didn't touch my gels today.

Anyone have any other tips on nutrition for long rides?

Here's a link to the ride: https://connect.garmin.com/activity/816518408

When I stop at places to refuel, I usually go with beef jerky. Coke usually hits the spot as the day wears on, but on the first stop or two, I will sometimes go for a chocolate milk.

[bluegoose]

Nice ride moliere.

It's been awhile since I've bonked on a long ride, but for me it usually has more to do with the heat than with nutrition.

I go through a lot of gu and shot blocks on a long ride. I don't do well with really heavy foods, so if I need some substance a peanut butter and jelly sandwich really hits the spot. A friend of mine has been brining rice cakes with peanut butter and chocolate chips or Nutella. I haven't tried it on a ride, but it looks amazing every time he chows down in front of me.

As for drinks, if I do Gatorade In a water bottle I have to dilute it a fair amount. But I usually just go with water and get my electrolytes from either food or a little supplement pill. A cold coke is pretty heavenly toward the end of a long hot ride.

[Eddie]

Sounds like training is going well, Moliere.

As I was doing some long rides with lots of hills, I found that one day I felt great after and a couple of weeks later I thought I was dying and puked my guts out. Like BG says, though, I think it had more to do with heat (and hydration) than anything.

I got pretty experimental with my food when I was getting ready for LOTOJA. I kept reading that eating some "regular" type foods was a little easier on the stomach. And I didn't want to spend tons of cash messing around with pricey stuff that I didn't know was going to work or not.

Some of the stuff I tried: PBJ's with bananas were good, packaged as half sandwiches. Needed to be able to drink something to get the PB down, though.

I liked fig newtons - found they had some pretty good carb/sugar ratios for me. Easy to eat one at a time, easy to package, etc.

On a hot day when I was looking to replace a lot of sodium and potassium I would take along a Campbell soup - the kind that isn't concentrated and is ready to drink right away. The chicken & stars was easy to swallow. I actually tried the tomato soup a couple of times too - which I thought was great but others told me would lead to too much acid (which was never a problem for me) and I liked it enough to take some on race day. I just drank these at room temperature - wasn't going for taste/flavor anyway.

Another, kind of unconventional, was I put some instant mashed potatoes in a snack sized ziplock. I would bite off a corner and squeeze/suck the potatoes through the hole. Loved the carbs and sodium/potassium content - and it was pretty easy to digest.

One of the best things I ate on the actual race day was a wrap made from flour tortillas, turkey, cheese, and whatever sauce my buddy's parents put on it. That was in Afton and really hit the spot.

[BrutusBuckeye]

This book looks like it has some good ideas for real food items you can pack with you.

[RC Vikings]

http://www.hammernutrition.com/produ...m-reg-.pp.html

http://www.hammernutrition.com/produ...er-gel.hg.html

Moliere for long rides I put Perpetuem in one of my bottles and just go with water in the other. I go heavy with the mix in the one to make sure I'm getting my calories but sometimes I just crave water so that's why I go heavy in one bottom and not what's suggested in the two bottles. I buy the large bottles of Hammer Gel and pour it into two separate six oz squeeze bottles. The packets can be hard to open on the go and they make a sticky mess in your jersey when you put them back in after you've sucked out all you can. I like the Apple-Cinnamon flavor the best, it's like candy. For Lotoja make sure you've got someone with cold can's of Coke in Alpine and some solid food like potatoes or a putter butter sandwich.