Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2015 i Bicycling

I HEADED OUT so early that I pedaled up my hill in darkness, but I was riding into the sunrise by the time I got to the first real climb. It was then that I ate the banana I’d brought for breakfast. I hit the rollers, then descended back to town for an espresso at the bike shop, where I sat outside wearing my cap and watching Emmaus waken to the day I’d already gotten to know. That was the most recent ride I did—the one recounted here in emoji. I savor nuance and detail and the connection between our inner and outer lives too much to ever stop writing the stories of my rides in my journal. But I also love emoji. It’s so much fun using that pictographic…

12 TO 16 MINUTES Time saved delivering by bicycle instead of by car (you can park a bike anywhere!). “When you’re hungry, that feels a lot longer,” Dumontet says. 2009 The year Dumontet turned down a job with AT&T to launch Dashed with one Trek mountain bike and an insulated Rubbermaid container, after his brother inspired him by starting the online foodordering platform Foodler. 750 NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS (AND COUNTING) THAT RELY ON DASHED PHILADELPHIA Easiest city for Dashed couriers to navigate, thanks to its flat terrain and a grid network of streets 25 ON A DAY WITH GOOD WEATHER, THE PERCENTAGE OF DELIVERIES MADE BY BIKE (THE REST ARRIVE VIA SCOOTER OR ELECTRIC SMART CAR) THINK YOU’VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES? Dumontet looks for riders who “flourish with competition…

1 Oakley Holbrook Sunglasses There are many sensible reasons to wear sunglasses made for cycling, but I can’t get past the fact that they make me look like a cyborg. The Holbrook’s casual style better fits my attitude (and my pace). The glasses block 100 percent of harmful rays, and a seemingly equally high percentage of wind, mud, and bugs. $130 2 Hardywood Cream Ale My grandmother drank cream ale, and now I do, too. I’m too much of a beer snob to enjoy Genny, her preferred brew, but this spring I discovered this refreshing, slightly sweet, nutty variety from Hardywood, a craft brewer in Virginia. The can is easy to stash in a pack or jersey pocket, and the low alcohol content (4.4 percent) means you can enjoy a…

Iwas a bike messenger for seven years. In fact, BICYCLING’s fact-checker will doubtless confirm I was the coolest, fastest courier to pedal the streets of Portland, Oregon. I could ride across the Burnside Bridge without spilling my coffee. I could carry my body weight in architectural blueprints. I could make captivating small talk in elevators about the weather. But here’s what I couldn’t do: deliver packages in a full-body banana costume. The first sign that riding a bike dressed as elongated produce might be a bad idea was that my peripheral vision was severely limited. And I was far less aerodynamic, with an unwieldy lower extension that had to be slumped over my top tube to free up my legs. But it was Halloween, so I coped—for awhile. It wasn’t…

1. FAFFING BY GUY ANDREWS WHEN I STARTED CYCLING, A ride was simple. You couldn’t be late because they’d be gone. We’d grunt “hello,” and little to nothing was said for the next five hours. Never mind thresholds and power-meter efforts, we’d ride each other into the ground. If you survived, you’d be better for it. Although, as a result, you had few friends and even less to say to the ones you had. Fortunately, times have changed. It’s 9:20 a.m. and I’m still in pajamas, eating porridge and writing an email. There’s a commentary in my head: I need 10 minutes to get to the café, it will take at least that to get dressed, there might be an extra toilet break, perhaps I forgot to lube my chain,…

ALL THE GOOD STUFF Campagnolo Super Record Apologies to the other component makers, but nobody loves them. Yes, they’re respected; their parts make our bikes better, and we praise their technological derring-do. But Campagnolo is loved. Even beloved. Why? Is it Italy, or legendary founder Tullio, or Merckx being Merckx on Campy? Perhaps the narrative: A company that changed the way we interact with the bicycle lost their way, then found it again—this time as the rebellious underdog. A company with enough soul that they seem to be a “they” and not an “it.” No parts look more elegant on a bicycle, especially one with metal tubes. The packaging is heavy and glossy, meant to be savored as part of the experience. If you like easy, these are not your…

It used to be that a skinsuit was intended only for racers chasing aerodynamic benefits in time trials, and for cyclocross. But that’s changing: Many skinsuits now have three pockets and are gaining popularity in the pro road-racing peloton. Brands like Rapha, Castelli, Louis Garneau, and Nalini also offer attractive versions without sponsor logos. Still, at first I worried about wearing the Nalini Aeprolight skinsuit—in cycling, the way we dress and the bike we ride makes a statement. I was concerned that putting on this suit, relative to my actual speed, would say, “I’m an overserious jackass.” But then I tried it, and I learned something no one ever told me about skinsuits: They can be comfortable. Like, really comfortable. More so than almost any two-piece combination I’ve worn. There…

Huey is my partner’s half-Maltese terrier, and until recently, he lived to give bike riders hell. Not a walk went by when Huey didn’t zero in on a passing cyclist and launch into a yapping, snarling rage. I was not only embarrassed by this berserk behavior, but I felt slighted by proxy, too. It was driving a wedge into our fragile stepdog/parent relationship. Then the Timbuk2 Muttmover arrived. Before the advent of the Muttmover, mutts were certainly moved by bike, though not necessarily comfortably or agreeably. This $118 messenger bag makes it easy to portage a small canine (up to 20 pounds) across town, with a large front panel that zips open so you can tuck your pooch in and then clip his collar or harness to the internal buckle.…

IS THERE ANY ETIQUETTE FOR RAINY GROUP RIDES? Here are five wet-weather rules to live by: 1) Dress for the conditions. No one likes a whiner. 2) Be prepared for anything. It’s no fun for the rest of the group to wait around in the rain while you rummage through your overstuffed saddlebag. 3) No fenders? Stay in the back so you don’t spray the group. 4) Give the rider in front of you a little extra space. This will make it easier to maneuver around road debris and puddles. 5) Brake gently. Rim brakes won’t engage as quickly in the rain, which makes sudden stops problematic. I get the worst helmet hair. Anything I can do to prevent or fix it? To avoid postride frizz, spritz your hair with…

THE IDEA OF “EATING CLEAN” IS MORE than an excuse for your friends to Instagram their salads. It means filling your plate with nutrient-rich, whole foods that have undergone as little processing as possible. Not only does it help you stay lean, it improves your energy levels and sleep quality— all of which translate to better performance on the bike. Try these five clean-food swaps to improve your fuel before, during, and after the ride. WANT MORE CLEAN FUEL OPTIONS AND DELICIOUS RECIPES? GET EAT CLEAN, STAY LEAN BY THE EDITORS OF PREVENTION MAGAZINE. KEY • NOT CLEAN • CLEAN • CLEANEST Salmon • FARM-RAISED • CANNED WILD • FRESH WILD Farm-raised salmon is far more likely to be exposed to antibiotics and persistent organic pollutants—which are associated with obesity,…

This October will be my 32nd ride. I’ve ridden the same bicycle every time. I started to ride bikes when I got to the United States from Taiwan in 1969. Everywhere I went—to church, to the post office—I would bike. I take care of myself because I take care of people. I treat them with massage. You feel tired or sore, you come to me! I was massaging a woman with MS. Her son, who was 13 years old, wanted to do this MS150 ride. I said, “If a 13-yearold can do it, why not me?” The body stops moving because you decide to stop moving. Everybody’s system works better when they ride. People come to me and say they’ve seen me riding for years. Now I’m the old one,…

YOU MAY HAVE SEEN RICHARD MITCHELSON’S WORK in the hit kids’ online game Moshi Monsters, or even sipped your morning brew from one of his “cycling legends” mugs. Now you can use his drawings to visually regale all of your friends with stories from your last ride. We talk social media, Strava, and more with the designer of BICYCLING’s brand-new (and free!) emoji keyboard.  I think cyclists have taken to Twitter and social media so massively because it’s a chance to get close to our heroes.  Emoji let you quickly express how the ride has gone. You want to tell a tale about what you’ve done, but you don’t want to be going on and on.  I like riding in the early morning. I wake up at 5 or 6…

1 SPOKE AWAY GUNK Of course you know that a clean bike is a happy bike. But how do you degrime the nooks and crannies? Easy. Take an old spoke, cut it at the threaded end, and file it to a point, advises Brandon Dwight, owner of Boulder Cycle Sport. “Bend the other end of the spoke into a loop,” he explains. “Now use it to scrape greasy gunk off cogs, chainrings, jockey wheels, and other tough-to-reach spots.” 2 TROUBLESHOOT TRAVEL When packing your bike in a box or case for a trip, try this pro hack from former WorldTour mechanic Daimeon Shanks: Zip-tie your chain to the big chainring. It’ll not only protect the chainring teeth, but also prevent nicks and dings in your frame’s paint job. 3 Silence…

JARAH EMERSON 34, founder of Gear Collective, an agency that connects cycling brands and retailers NEW YORK CITY 1. I race against cars when I’m riding, but I don’t do actual races. 2. My dog, Little Dude, is famous on his own! Look at #LittleDudeYoureSoRude on Instagram 3. I ride only fixed. My first-ever bike ride was from Chinatown, where I bought my bike, to Brooklyn. You know how a dog sticks its head out the window and looks completely panicked? I looked like that the entire ride home. It was awesome. 4. New, because that means it will mold to you. 5. My only unpaved experience was riding L’Eroica in Italy. It was the only time I’ve ever ridden a bike with gears, and I didn’t know how to…

THE BETTER YOU GET, THE MORE FUN IT IS STOP COUNTING SHEEP IF YOU CAN’T SLEEP, DON’T JUST LIE THERE AND STRESS. GET UP AND DO SOMETHING RELAXING LIKE TAKING A BATH, OR STAY IN BED AND VISUALIZE SOMETHING POSITIVE AND CALMING, SAYS CHRISWINTER, MD, A SPECIALIST INSLEEP MEDICINE INCHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA. HARD DAYS = RESTLESS NIGHTS A study of elite cyclists found that during three weeks of high-intensity training, they logged only 6.9 hours of sleep nightly, but during an easy week, they averaged 7.3 hours. “You’re amped up because you put in a big effort and your dopamine levels [a neurotransmitter that signals pleasure and increases attention] are up, so you’re going to feel very awake,” says Winter. Roll Over Start the night on your nondominant side (if you’re…

Helpful Advice From All Kinds of Riders OLD TOUR DE FRANCE VIDEOS My grandparents recorded the 2000 Tour de France on the VCR. I’d watch those videos over and over again. Dutch rider Erik Dekker of Rabobank wasn’t a climber or a sprinter, but he won three stages that year. He threw caution to the wind and just went for it. Watching him put it all on the line gave me courage. Before that I’d be happy finishing with the front of the group or getting third or fourth. But now I’ll take a risk, and if that means getting dropped, so be it. Some people are happy sitting on a wheel; I’d rather go for the win. Through the possibility of failure, there’s a bigger chance for glory. AARON…

What’s your cycling history? It wasn’t until I moved to New York in 2009 that I fell in love with cycling. To me, being underground in a subway is excruciating, and being able to get around on your own time and at your own pace is essential. Riding is fast and exciting, and there’s so much variation. You can be cruising in a bike lane or weaving around traffic in Midtown or riding by a beach. Tell me about the school you work in. It’s part of a network of public high schools that serve Englishlanguage learners new to America. Kids come from all over the world—we’re at close to 50 countries now, with 30-plus languages spoken. What is arriving there like for the kids? It’s an overwhelming experience. Many…

1 START WITH FRESH BEANS You want freshly roasted, high-quality beans. They should be light brown and dry in appearance. Oily or dark-colored beans are overroasted, which makes for bitter espresso, or they’re too old. The oil should stay in the bean until it is released during brewing. 2 PREPARE YOUR CUP Serve espresso in a three-ounce ceramic cup with thick walls that retain heat. The small size will concentrate the flavor and aromas. Run the cup under hot water or set it on top of your machine to warm. 3 PRIME THE MACHINE Flush water through the machine before pulling your shot. That way, you’ll ensure that the interior mechanisms are uniformly heated and ready to go. 4 FIND YOUR GRIND Look for a burr grinder with multiple settings,…

IN OTHER WORDS: THIS WAS NOT YOUR TYPICAL CROSS0COUNTRY RIDE The COSMIC TALE Of The WHITE DRAGON HORSE neither begins nor really ends when, after arriving in San Francisco at the conclusion of a 3,400-mile bike ride across America that was part bildungsroman, part research project, and part spiritual journey, Zilong Wang parks the bicycle he calls the White Dragon Horse—a Surly Long Haul Trucker—outside a Mexican grocery in the Mission District and goes inside to buy an orange. But this is, perhaps, the pivotal moment of the Cosmic Tale, or at least the most outrageous, so we’ll start there. “It was a warm day,” Zilong says, “and an orange seemed like just the thing.” It would be only a three-minute errand, so he didn’t worry about the White Dragon…

NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED with clipless mountain bike pedals over the last 20 years—and that’s not an exaggeration. Most are still based on variations of Shimano’s SPD or Time’s ATAC system. Shimano’s pedals grab a steel cleat with a spring-loaded jaw; Time’s use wire bails that hook over bronze cleats. The new Speedplay Syzr looks a lot like the original Shimano 737 SPD, but its retention hinges at the front, while Shimano’s clips at the rear. Where things get really different is the cleat: The Syzr’s comprises two concentric plates—one fixed to the shoe. The other, which engages with the pedal (and sports two V-shaped guides to facilitate the connection), rotates around the fixed piece. Most off-road pedals rely on gaps between the cleat and pedal to provide some float.…