Education Explosion

Hi All!

Today, I met with the UC Cycling team's adviser, Dr Bruce Jayne, to talk about bike maintenance and to get some general training tips. The meeting began at 5:30pm and due to our joint interest in the topic and the endless list of things to talk about, we did not part ways until 9:30pm. It was for all intensive purposes a 4-hour crash course in everything bike related. And by everything, I mean a very small portion of everything. There is so much to learn it's impossible to fit it all in in only 4 hours.

Here are some things I learned about Bike Maintenance:

1. Clean EVERYWHERE. In the past, I'd done the occasional sweep of some paper towel over the visible parts of my bike mainly for aesthetics but as it turns out, a lot more is needed for regular upkeep. Of course this should have been intuitive considering the sheer number of moving parts on a bike and their exposure to the elements. But of course I didn't think about it. Here are just some of the things that should be cleaned on a weekly basis:

• the chain (it should also be lubed and excess lube wiped off)
• all parts of the frame
• the brake pads
• the cogs and chainrings
• the derailier
• the spokes
• the wheel rim
• the tire

You get the idea... Basically the entire bike needs to be cleaned. Every part has a specific reason for needing to be cleaned. A dirty wheel rim causes uneven wear on the break pads as well as jolty breaking. A dirt chain causes wear on the chain and cogs/chainrings. Aside from just cleanliness to avoid excess wear, going over your bike and cleaning it gives you the opportunity to inspect your bike up close and personal. This helps notice anything that may be amiss such as small cracks in the wheel rim, unbalanced wheels, uneven break pad placement, etc.

So there's the cleaning and general maintenance of the bike, then there's all the individual tweaks that make the bike suited to your particular needs. The handlebars, break horns, suicide bars, bike seat, can all be adjusted to fit different body types and cycling needs.

Here's an interesting factoid: The height of your seat should be 110% of your inseam.

Here's another interesting factoid: The height of my inseam (I'm 5'2") is only 1.5cm less than Dr Jayne's (he's 5'7")... I always knew I had long legs but that's essentially a 6" difference in torso length! Also learned today that my thighs are proportionally longer than most people. Take this plus the slight scoliosis (uneven shoulders, hips, and back), left-handedness, and the fact that I'm a female in the construction industry... I'm basically just an oddball. Thanks mom and dad! <3

I'm sure you all are bored to tears by now with all of this rambling so I'm going to wrap things up. Just wanted to share a snip-it of some of what I learned today. Talking with Dr Jayne got me all ramped up even more about cycling and made me realize just how much I have to learn.

Interesting Factoid #3: Most road cyclist ride at a cadence of 95rpm... Right now, I ride at most at around 75rpm. I have strict instructions to stop that immediately and bike at a higher cadence.

So the moral of today I guess is there are about a million and one things to learn bout cycling and then, once you think you have got that down, you find a thousand more. If there is something you are interested in, don't just do it. Get involved in it. Try to understand it. Get your hands dirty. Literally! Dig in and get involved because you never really know what it is you're saying you like until you delve into all the nuances and culture of it.

~"Supposing is good but finding out is better." -Mark Twain