Hi riders. I hope your training is coming along well. Hey, one quick point about this series of blog posts. I’m highlighting the MN Ironman ride, but these same ideas can be used for any early season ride that you might be planning, in case you’re not doing the MN Ironman.
Today’s topic is EQUIPMENT preparation.
What this really means is BIKE PREPARATION.
The ride is only a couple weeks away, so other than training, the MOST IMPORTANT thing you need to take care of is your bike. You may have simply put it away after your final ride last season and not looked at it since. You may have ridden it indoors on a trainer this winter. Or, you may have ridden it outdoors this winter/spring as well. Regardless, your bike is the most important piece of equipment you own and is the #1 critical piece for a fun and successful ride, so make sure it’s working flawlessly.
If you haven’t had a tuneup (or ideally a full overhaul) since last fall, take it in to your local bike shop ASAP to get it taken care of. Shops are getting quite busy already, so you likely will have to leave it for a few days (or more) as the mechanics work through the backlog of bikes. But the closer we get to the ride, the longer the backlog will get, and if you wait too long they may not be able to get your bike road-ready.
What can happen if your bike isn’t tuned up or overhauled? Here’s a partial list:
- Poor or non-existent shifting
- “Skipping” whether shifting or just riding
- Poor braking
- Flat tires resulting from old, worn out tires
- In a nutshell, a less-than-ideal ride experience. In fact, a poorly functioning bike can totally ruin the ride. So don’t hesitate, get it taken care of NOW, before the last-minute rush.
Other pieces of equipment you should scrutinize include your helmet, your pedals and your cleats.
Helmet manufacturers and shops state that they have a useful life of around 5 years. After that, the protective elements on the inside of the helmet can lose much of their ability to protect in case of a fall. So don’t take a chance if your helmet is getting old. Replace it. Even if it’s newer, examine it for cracks on the protective shell. If you see any cracks, replace it. Again, don’t take a chance.
Pedals are pretty bomb-proof, but it’s still a good idea to verify that they turn smoothly, that the tension is adequate so that your shoe unclips with the right amount of tension, and that the amount of float is acceptable.
Regarding cleats, be sure they clip smoothly and snugly into your pedals and that they don’t make any wierd noises or squeaks.
If anything is unusual or doesn’t feel right, fix it or replace it BEFORE the event.
Spend a little time and effort now to ensure that you have a great ride, rather than ignoring your machine and paying the price during the ride.
Who wants to go for a pre-IM group ride? Contact me or state your interest in the comments section. Then GET OUT AND RIDE!
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Bob:
Are you covering clothing in one of these posts? As you know from last year’s pleasant spring day that earned us permanent Ironman Status, this is critical to survival. Its important to test different combinations of clothing to get a feel for what will work best on the fourth Sunday in April. Especially important are shoe covers. This year I have road pedals and cleats, so I am bringing those rubber cleat covers so I don’t have to take my booties and shoes off in the rest stop gyms.
Hi Pete,
Yes, the 3rd installment will be about clothing. I’ll post that within the next couple days. Let’s hope the weather this year is bears no resemblance to that which we experienced last year!
Bob
Always up for a ride Bob! I think the clothing comments are goods ones. I would tell you, some of the schools at the Ironman will still make you remove your cleats even with covers. I tried that a couple years back and was told covers did not manner, shoes must come off!
The best way too dress is always layers then see what the high temp will be then split the difference in temp. If it will be 40 at the start then 60 towards the end of the ride, dress for 50, utilizing arm warmers and a vest to remove and put tin the pockets. With these two items you have lots of options and can add a with a light jacket to start the day, then adjust accordinly. if it’s going to rain, (which it won’t this year, remmber there is no such thing as waterproof anything, so you will get wet, so warm becomes more important, add warmth for another 10 degrees.
Hey Scot,
Great suggestions. Thanks.
Bob
Hi there. Thanks for your note. Can you please clarify about the difficulty you had in finding the site?