Post retirement I’ve found myself drawn into cycling coaching. I coach youth in the OBC’s Youth Development Program, and I’m a Cycling Canada CanBike instructor. I also teach riding skills, traffic safety, and ride leading to adults.
The best way to learn something well is to teach it to someone else. It forces you to reflect deeply on what you think you know. This is especially true of coaching. By approaching coaching with humility and a passion for the subject, I find I’m always learning and growing.
“Given the amount of time I spend on a bike, I recognize there is a significant probability that my cycling career, or even my life, could end as a result of a serious cycling accident”. As a cyclist, the risk of injury requiring hospital treatment (per km traveled) is significantly greater than when in a motor vehicle. The more you cycle, the greater the risk.
My biggest area of growth in the last five years has been in riding skills and traffic safety. I’ve learned so much through coaching and listening to experts. I now ride very differently now than I did a few years ago.
Keep in Mind
Everyone has their own perspectives and biases, so you should be aware of mine:
“Maximize the challenge while minimizing the risk” - Everyone has their own perceptions of risk and “draw the line” in different places. I try to find all reasonable ways to minimize risk, while still participating to the fullest in my sport. For example, I like to descend fast… I’m thrilled if I can hit 80KPH on a descent. But I wear a helmet, make careful mechanical checks of my bike before every ride, carefully check my tires and replace them regularly, and will slow down if I don’t know the descent well, or can’t see around a turn. I have no problem riding on busy road in traffic, but I don’t find that fun, and I don’t commute anymore, so I try to avoid heavy traffic.
Not trying to win a World Tour Race - I don’t pour over Formula 1 technology to decide what car to buy. And while what’s used in the pro peloton is interesting, it has only peripheral applicability to much of the riding recreational and sportif cyclists do. Many of the finer points of cycling technology make such a small difference that we will never notice them on our rides (Really… you just think you notice! The Placebo Effect and Marginal Gains ) I’m concerned about what really can make a difference to me.
Considered Opinion - I try to be fact-based - I research a topic pretty thoroughly, and double-check information. I use reputable, credible references. I’ll provide links to references to back up a post. But I’m not attempting to write a definitive, scholarly article.
Many recreational cyclists are using tubeless tires without understanding how to maintain them, or their downsides.
Sealant must be replaced every few months, at least once a season.
Sealant does not always seal a hole, especially if the hole is larger than a few mm.
You need to carry either a spare tube (and a tool to remove the tubeless value) or tire plugs and a small tube of sealant
Having sealant spewing out can get really messy!
You can’t go about 75psi with tubeless tires, so tubeless and skinny tires don’t work together. Jay Heins of Hene Herse, who makes some of the world’s best tubeless tires says don’t go about 6-psi.
Valve core clogs
Tubeless tires are much more diufficult to install and remove. It can be difficult to get the bead to seal on the rim - often rapid inflation with a special “charger pump” or an air compressor is required.
In cycling, “contact points” are critical: bum on saddle, hands on handlebars, feet on pedals. But the most important one of all is “where the rubber meets the road”. Tires may be the most important component on your bike. The right tire at the right pressure makes a huge difference to your safety - your “grip” on the road - as well as to your comfort, and efficiency.
Diving into detail on tires, with a focus on tire width, tire pressure, and tire quality, we will discover:
In this article we’ll discuss how to minimize injury if to do crash. Of course there are no guarantees, but there are techniques you can use to minimize injuries when you crash. There are 3 aspects to minimizing the seriousness of your injuries - Fitness, Technique and Training.
Many serious cycling injuries happen when cyclists are slowing and preparing to stop. There are techniques we can use to prevent low speed falls. While this may seem like a lot of effort, it’s much preferable to broken bones!
“Given the amount of time I spend on a bike, I recognize there is a significant probability that my cycling career, or even my life, could end as a result of a serious cycling accident”.
As a cyclist, the risk of injury requiring hospital treatment (per km travelled) is significantly greater than when in a motor vehicle. The more you cycle, the greater the risk - You will crash!
After a crash, the adrenaline will be pumping… an injured rider will not necessarily feel pain, and often will say “I’m OK” and want to get back on their bike. NO! Take it slow and do a thorough check - there’s a post-crash list to follow.
