ROAD BIKING 101 April 29, A special thanks to HEALTHY HOWARD

GOALS & PRINCIPLES THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES It’s Supposed to Be Fun It’s Supposed to Be Safe The Best Bike Is the One You Ride (aka Comfort) TODAY’S TOPICS Resources Equipment Safety Riding Technique

SHAMELESS PLUGS aka Resources LOCAL BIKE SHOPS (LBS) Use Them Patronize Them Buy Stuff Repairs Advice Rides LOCAL CLUBS/GROUPS APL Cycling Club Baltimore Bicycling Club/Glenelg Gang HoCo Cyclists Mid-Maryland Triathlon Club The Morning Ride Regional Clubs/Rides Baltimore Bicycling Club Potomac Pedalers Touring Club Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club Last But Not Least: BAHC

BEST BIKE The One You Ride WHAT KIND OF RIDING WILL YOU DO? Racing Recreation Touring Commuting Haul Stuff Off-Road BUYING A BIKE BIKE FIT Saddle Height Reach (Fore & Aft) Get Help From a Pro

EQUIPMENT COMFORT You Will Not Ride an Uncomfortable Bike Most Uncomfortable Bikes Do Not Fit Riding Can Be Sweaty SAFETY Be Visible FUEL & FLUIDS You Need Both Food & Fluids To Go Far THE BICYCLE It’s Been Around For A Long Time It’s A Simple Machine Two Triangles It’s A Very Efficient Machine

SADDLE  DRIVE TRAIN TOP TUBE  SEAT TUBE  FORK SEAT POST  WHEEL + TIRE) 

BRAKES + SHIFTERS   HANDLEBAR Hoods   STEM

DRIVE TRAIN IT MAKES YOU GO PEDAL CRANK CASSETTE CHAIN REAR DERAILER CHAIN RINGS     

PEDAL CASSETTE  REAR DERAILER  CHAIN RINGS   CRANK

SHIFTING YOU AREN’T A GORILLA CADENCE (aka RPMs) Match Book Theory Burn Slow, Not Fast Matches Pushing Harder On Pedals But Slower Lighter But Faster Shift Workload From Legs to Lungs Especially When Climbing ! Easier Acceleration TOO FAST, TOO SLOW rpm Bouncing on saddle  Too Fast Breathless  Too Fast (or Really Hard Hill) Burning Quads  Too Slow (or Really Hard Hill)

SHIFT OUT = HARDER SHIFT IN = EASIER BIG REAR = EASIERBIG FRONT = HARDER  

PLATFORM PEDAL TOE CLIPS WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE “CLIPLESS”

SPD PEDAL

LOOK PEDAL

SADDLES 1892 COMFORT SOFTER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER WHAT FITS ME MAY NOT FIT YOU SIT ON SIT BONES WOMEN AREN’T MEN SHAMELESS LBS PLUG TRY OUT SADDLES

FASTER = NARROWER & FIRMER MORE FORWARD, LESS WEIGHT ON SIT BONES LESS INTERFERENCE FROM SIDES HOW YOU RIDE CASUAL = WIDER & SOFTER (MAYBE) MORE UPRIGHT, MORE WEIGHT ON SIT BONES SLOWER CADENCE

SADDLE HEIGHT HEEL ON PEDAL  SLIGHT BEND IN KNEE 

FROM THE TOP YOUR HEAD IS AN EGGSHELL THAT GETS HOT PROTECTION & VENTILATION ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!!

CLOTHING TOPSBOTTOMS COMFORT WICKING FABRICS ARE GOOD UTILITY POCKETS ARE GOOD SAFETY BE VISIBLE COLORS NOT FOUND IN NATURE SHORTS TIGHT IS GOOD PADDING IS GOOD CHAFING IS BAD SEAMS ARE BAD TIGHTS & KNICKERS KEEP YOUR KNEES WARM

YOU DON'T NEED LYCRA

IT’S OK TO BE CASUAL

POCKETS ARE GOOD 

NO, IT’S NOT A DIAPER

SHOES TRANSMIT POWER TO PEDALS PROTECT FEET POWER TRANSMISSION HARD PLATFORM STIFF SOLE IS BETTER CLIPPING IN IS GOOD TYPES ROAD BIKE MOUNTAIN BIKE CASUAL

MOUNTAINROAD Hard Sole, Flat Bottom Hard Sole, Walkable

CASUAL

GLOVES & OTHER GEAR

WHAT’S IN THE BAG PATCH KIT TIRE IRON  MULTI-TOOL PUMP TUBE (PRESTA VALVE)   SCHRADER VALVE

ABC QUICK CHECK A – AIR & TIRES Air Pressure Tire Condition Spokes Wheel True B – BRAKES Do They Work? Too Loose? C – CHAIN Chain Clean? Crank Tight? Cassette Smooth? OPEN  CLOSED  Q UICK RELEASE

OPEN  CLOSED 

SAFETY ON THE ROAD Be AWARE Know What’s Around You Be VISIBLE Be Seen By All Be PREDICTABLE Keep Your Line THINK Like A CAR What Would You Do In A Car? COMMUNICATE With Cars & Riders FIVE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF RIDING SAFELY

BICYCLES ARE VEHICLES FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE ROAD Ride With Traffic Ride as Near to the Right Side of the Road as Practicable and Safe Use shoulder only if it is both safe and practicable That means not in gutter if it’s not safe or not practicable Obey the Rules of the Road Stop at stop signs Signal turns Stay off the sidewalks if you can

RIDE WITH TRAFFIC BE VISIBLE !!

SAFE & PRACTICABLE Stay Right Stay Straight But Stay Out Of The Gutter 

DO NOT GET SQUEEZED THE SQUEEZE OUTTAKE THE LANE

ASSUME YOU ARE INVISIBLE   GETTING DOORED INVISIBLE 

INVISIBLE  DON’T HIDE   NO   YES

KEEP OPTIONS OPEN BE AWARE

TURNING MAKE EYE CONTACT SIGNAL

GOING STRAIGHT Bike Lane Danger !

RIGHT TURNS  RIGHT ON RED  Parked Car  LEAVE ROOM TO PASS & TURN BEST  POSITION b. ONLY IF CAR TURNING RIGHT!

HERE   NOT HERE RIGHT TURN ONLY LANE

LEFT TURN BASIC LEFT TURN POSITION MOVE LEFT IN STEPS  LEFT TURN FROM LEFT SIDE OF LANE

LOOK BACK BEFORE CROSSING LANE RAILROAD TRACKS CROSS TRACKS PERPENDICULAR

TRAFFIC CIRCLE THINK LIKE A CAR

RAMPS TURN ONLY IF TURNING STAY STRAIGHT TO GO STRAIGHT   

RIDING WITH OTHERS BECAUSE IT’S HARD TO TALK WHILE SWIMMING

CAR BACK! CAR PASSING! COMMUNICATE HAND SIGNALS Turns Stopping Move Over Hazards VERBAL WARNINGS Slowing Cars Road Hazards Potholes Grates Runners

NAVIGATION HOW DO WE KNOW WHERE WE’RE GOING? CUE SHEETS Turn By Turn Directions MAPPING SERVICES Map My Ride Bikely Google Maps MILETURNNOTE 0.0RCOLUMBIA GATEWAY DR 0.1R[TL]COLUMBIA GATEWAY DR 1.5LROBERT FULTON DR 1.9L[TL]LEE DEFOREST DR 2.6R[TL]ROBERT FULTON DR 3.1L[T]COLUMBIA GATEWAY DR 3.7RHEALTH DEPT R = RIGHT L = LEFT S = STRAIGHT TL = TRAFFIC LIGHT

PACELINE Save Energy Go Fast Have Fun

SHARE THE ROAD BICYCLES ARE VEHICLES Respect Is Earned Promote Awareness REPORT INCIDENTS Ho Co Police Want to Know 911 Tag Number, Vehicle Description File a Report

THREE FEET IT’S THE LAW

ONE FINAL SHAMELESS PLUG BAHC organizes the bicycling community, bringing together those Howard Countians and others who are interested in bicycling and in promoting bicycling. BAHC seeks to be a point of contact and information for addressing local Howard County bicycling related concerns with government and private business by maintaining a continuous dialog with appropriate officials and business owners. Bicycle Transportation Advocacy Bicycle Safety Advocacy Bicycling Safety Education Legislative Education