Social Distance Riding
A cyclist rides the hills of peaceful western Massachusetts.
Here’s one article that we never thought we’d write! It’s impossible to believe social distance cycling is a new form of cycling. Considerations of a social distant ride are the following: stores are closed, you’re riding on your own so you have to do your own navigating, you might have more time on your hands so you want to ride further than usual, traffic is quieter, so that also entices you to ride further, and it’s spring, which means you may experience many types of weather. Since you’re riding alone, you need to be more self-sufficient and now if you flat, ringing an Uber to pick you up isn’t necessarily the best decision while social distancing is important.
Stores are closed
When you’re out for a ride, places you’d normally stop to fill up your water bottle are likely to be closed. Fortunately, grocery stores will probably be open, but nothing can be counted on.
Ride with your food and water so a closed store doesn’t force you to turn around early. If your bike allows for three bottle cages, install a 3rd cage and fill all three bottles. Worst case: you get a better workout by dragging around an extra two pounds of water that you didn’t end up needing!
The Honey Bikes Vermonter comes with three bottle cages and all Seven Cycles bikes offer this as an option.
If your bike doesn’t have a 3rd bottle capacity, your 3rd bottle can go in a large saddle bag, keep reading this article.
Food can be stored on your bike in numerous ways. Jersey pockets, though better than nothing, are not the best way to lug food. Bring a sandwich! Real food is better than packaged food if you can get it together.
Ortlieb bags are terrific and they come in various sizes. This one pictured is small, and has firm walls so as to not crush your sandwich, and everything else you want easy access to.
Having access to spare batteries for electricity to juice up your phone or GPS computer is helpful to have at your fingertips in a handlebar bag. Having a spare USB battery (like a Mophie) and charging cables offers you peace of mind that your phone or GPS computer won’t die on you should you choose to ride longer.
There are other handlebar bag options available, ask us if there’s one you like, we can probably get it for you and ship it to your home if we don’t already have it in the store.
Navigation
You’ve been used to riding wherever your cycling friends go; you never had to figure out routes for yourself. Uh oh! Time to get a Garmin cycling computer in order to follow routes others have put together, and record your data such as speed, distance, cadence, power. It captures almost every piece of data there is to capture including temperature and calories you burned.
We are offering a pandemic-special! If you order any Garmin computer from us, we’ll have Garmin ship the unit directly to you.
We will talk you through operation of the computer over the phone to get you going with it. (When is the last time an online retailer helped you get going with something you purchased?) Yes, we are asking you to buy what you need for cycling from us because your experience will be better for you if you have our advice, guidance, and help.
Email us with your interest in a GPS computer and we’ll offer advice as to which model is best for you based on the functionality you’re likely to use.
For those of you who think using your phone is a good way to navigate when you’re riding your bike: while this is an option, remember that your cell phone is your communication to help if you have a serious problem. Draining its battery by using it to navigate for you and having it on your handlebars, so that it’s the first thing to break if you crash, are both good reasons to have a separate GPS computer.
Routes
You have a GPS computer but now you need to know where to go! Please email us as we have a vast library of vetted rides. We will share routes appropriate with what you’re looking to experience during your ride.
Additional safety precautions
Related to the Garmin GPS computer, there is a crash-detection feature available which allows the device to call whomever you wish if you stop for too long, or come to a sudden stop an remain stopped.
Your loved ones can also follow your ride by way of your Garmin and phone working together to communicate your location.
Be sure to have a Road ID either on your wrist or on a necklace. These are the places paramedics look for ID. It can take hours for them to dig into your stuff to figure out your identity, along with understanding any of your known medical conditions. Play it safe and wear a Road ID at all times since you could experience a medical emergency while driving or out on a walk - anywhere.
Your ride is longer and temperatures vary
With such light vehicle traffic on the road, doesn’t it seem like the best opportunity ever to ride on the road? The biggest drawback to this is that one day traffic will be back to normal and you’ll have gotten spoiled.
You may be in a position to have time to ride due to not commuting or simply needing a break from being cooped up indoors all day!
Add a BIG saddle bag to your bike that holds everything. This large saddle bag will work equally well on a race bike as a touring bike. The one pictured is made by Ortlieb, we carry a few varieties of these bags.
A large saddle bag enhances your freedom when cycling.
Stuff this bag with everything you could possibly need for the ride. At this time of year, you’re likely to start your ride wearing extra clothes and you’ll want a place to put your jacket or warm stuff as the day warms up. Here is a suggested packing list:
A fully packed large saddle bag is not in the way of the cyclist for small to tall people and contains confidence-inspiring important items for an all-day ride.
Ride HQ Bug-out Bag (purchase this package from us with choice of bag):
Choice of Silca Eolo Wallet $175 or Ortlieb Bike Packing Waterproof Seat-Pack $295
2 x spare tubes
Lezyne hand pump
Tire levers x 3
Patch kit
Crank Brothers F15 Mini-tool, includes chainbreaker, allen keys, T25 torx, spoke wrenches, screw drivers & more
Food service gloves (keep hands clean if you have to touch something or fix your bike)
Sunscreen packet x 3
Chamois cream packets x 3
CO2 cartridge
PDW Shiny Object CO2 Inflator
Wallet
Arm warmers
Neck warmer
Food
Rain and/or wind jacket
Extra pair of gloves (either warmer or cooler than what you’re starting with)
Spare front and rear light, in case you’re caught out after dark
Book or eReader - ride your bike, find shade, and read!
Increase your safety with new tires
If it’s been awhile (like 2,000 miles or so long you don’t know how many miles), get new tires immediately! Old tires flat easily. Sometimes when an old tire flats, it does so by way of a sidewall blowout. This is dangerous, don’t risk it.
What do you want in a new set of tires? Assuming you’re primarily a paved road or well-packed dirt-road cyclist, here is a short list:
Fixing a flat on the road. This cyclist appears to have touched her face! We have certainly learned better not to do that now with current events. Greasy faces are certainly not ideal, either!
Puncture resistant, but not bullet-proof. The most puncture-resistant tires can ride poorly. Ask us and we’ll connect you with a pair of pleasant, yet flat-resistant tires.
Put 28mm-32mm tires on your road bike for comfort on rough, bumpy roads. No, you won’t feel slow. In fact, you might ride faster since these will increase your confidence.
28mm-32mm tires are much less likely to puncture due to hitting a pothole. These are far safer and more stable on rough, wet, or sandy roads. Too many cyclists crash on 23mm tires because of the high pressures in these tires and too little rubber contacting the road. Small bumps in the road will vibrate the bike off the pavement, leading to moments of no contact with the pavement and in these moments, a crash can occur for seemingly no reason.
Your new tires should be kevlar bead, not steel. Kevlar are much easier to change a flat on and are lighter. Weight of your tires/rims is a good place to be lighter for a better ride.
Opportunities are endless
While dealing with a pandemic is a terrible thing, we have all been given the gift of cycling as an outlet to stay healthy, keep our stress levels in check, balance our emotions, and keep peace at home.
You’ll not just feel better, you’ll get a healthy dose of vitamin D which is known to keep your body healthy. An indoor workout doesn’t have all of the benefits as an outdoor bike ride.
Ride and keep your fitness, or get fitness for the first time in a great while. Once group rides resume, you’ll be able to ride more easily with others, and get to experience the joy of togetherness on group rides. Lean on us to help you get out riding on the road and learn how to love solo cycling!