The one that got away
Last night’s Blind Date at the Dairy will forever be embedded in my brain as the one that got away. I was leading for almost two laps; when went through the little paved city part of the course for the second time I cut one of the corners too tight and took a pretty good digger. I got back on my bike but my rear tire had partially come off the hub so the wheel wouldn’t turn. I wasn’t very good at diagnosing the problem in the moment, so I just walked to the maintenance tent, where realized all I had to do was deflate the tube and roll the tire back on. By that time I was a full lap behind but got back on the course just behind the leader, thoroughly confusing everyone in my race. I could taste victory! Until I tasted asphalt…
We definitely need to do some maintenance nights. Maybe weekly things where we focus on specific issues. The more you know about how your bike works, and how to service it yourself, the better the chance of making a quick repair to get you through the race.
Possible topics…
Brakes – principles, types, adjustment, troubleshooting
Tires – principles, changing, inflation
Drivetrain – chain length, adjustment (including during race), lubrication, cleaning
Cockpit – Adjusting and fixing twisted levers, how your headset works and how to twist it back into shape
Other ideas?
Maintenance according to Sandy:
Brakes: make sure they don’t squeak
Tires: make sure they roll
Drivetrain: make sure they shift
Headset: avoid the devil ears
Yeah, I think we need these maintenance sessions.
I like it. Come up with a basic checklist of things to be ready for on any ride, and a “must-check” list for race days.
For me, the race priorities are; tire pressure, shifting, brakes, in that order. Everything else can wait ’till you clean the mud off.
As for Jill’s race. I saw her, and she was killing it! Next time gadget, next time. meowwwwwwwww…