I’m currently on a flight from Denver to Durango after more than a week of business travel. I’m exhausted from traveling and the intense and challenging conversations I had at a few conferences. It was a great trip and I’m more excited about open source software than ever before.
The main takeaway is that I need to be posting here more. This site I have total control over and is where I can share my thoughts in perpetuity. It also a better experience for you as there’s no algorithm determining what you should read. It’s just me writing for you.
I am a little kid on Christmas morning. The anticipation has been building for days and years. Technically yesterday was new bike day as that is when FedEx delivered my Canyon Spectral 29 CF 8. This is my first new-new bike in 15 years and my excitement is well beyond 9000!
My coworker had a new bike day a few days ago and got a sweet road bike. I had to bite my tongue about getting my bike for fear of jinxing the delivery, but FedEx was on time!
Wus in here?
Canyon is a direct to consumer bike company. This means that they sell their bikes directly to you from their website. There is no bike shop selling Canyon bikes, anywhere. This allows them to save costs and give us lower prices, but it also means that you need to do some assembling of the bike once it arrives.
Putting your Canyon Bike together
I was able to assemble my bike during my lunch break and even got a quick ride down the drive way. Everything went pretty smoothly together with solid instructions provided. There was an omission of attaching the dropper post lever to the front brake handle but I figured it out.
Most safe.
First impressions are that this bike is a missile and it is ready to launch me down some trails! There are a lot of reviews on this bike that go into detail about the head angle and progressive suspension. Considering I am coming from a mountain bike that was built in 1997 this thing is basically an alien spaceship.
The only things familiar to me are the grips, seat, and pedals. The rest of the bike is totally different from anything I have ever owned. The main areas I need to get familiar with are the suspension and the hydraulic brakes. Both of these are very advanced technology to me and require training to understand better. The brakes are pretty much good to go for now but the suspension needs to be adjusted to my weight and riding style.
Put a fork in it!
Naturally it snowed all night so I guess it’s time to get some snow riding in!
Its the 2021 edition of the 100 days of blogging challenge and I am pretty excited. First of all I got up and am writing this morning which is a great start. Second I have a lot to share over the next 100 days: my birthday is in 13 days, we are going on an 8 day rafting trip in Mexico, we are still settling into our new home, I am getting my workshop setup and will be making a lot of woodworking projects, and everything else!
Today I have to make this quick as I am scheduled to get my COVID booster shot and a bunch of other shots for the aforementioned Mexico trip. To all of my fellow blogging challengers I say hello and lets have fun with this.
I think we are about double the amount of people who participated last year! Remember this is a challenge to write everyday for 100 days, not a command. Do your best and if you miss a day its ok try to make the next day.
Todays coffee is:
From our local roaster: Fahrenheit Coffee (Someone should get them a proper website)
The start of a new week after a big holiday is always a tenuous situation. On one hand four days off of work is very helpful for relaxing and remembering what is important. On the other hand it makes it more difficult to come back to work the following Monday, because even when work is great it is still work. My thoughts are of food and conversation with friends. Making the shift back to work thinking takes time and effort.
The Thanksgiving holiday in the USA is a complicated thing to celebrate. Traditionally most Americans think of Thanksgiving as celebrating when the Native Americans helped the first settlers get through their first winter, and of American Football.
Reflecting on this tradition is conflicting because it celebrates cooperation, but the consequential treatment of the Native Americans by the European settlers makes one question how much cooperation there was. My life is directly descended from these activities so I am a byproduct of them. I am thankful for living in the country and try to understand both the privileges it grants me and the tragedies it created.
When I was younger I rebelled against all of it and thought that by rejecting everything I would absolve myself somehow. As I have aged I recognize that life is utterly and completely complicated. I am far from settled on the matter of how we treated and continue to treat the Native Americans. I cannot change what has happened but I can change how I think, act, and handle situations moving forward.
Thanksgiving is also conflicting because of my own memories of Thanksgivings gone by. As a child it meant either hosting family or travelling to visit family. Some of those memories are good and some are less than good. In almost all cases there was a great food and overconsumption. This year we had friends come over and help us celebrate our first Thanksgiving in our new home. The food was great and I ate way too much.
My solution for bouncing back from vacation is routine. Getting up early and getting some type of workout in is key. First of all this is important for staying healthy and happy but also because it helps to clear the cobwebs of vacation from the mind. Once the blood is flowing its time to focus on the dogs and getting them some breakfast and their exercise.
This morning I got up and did 30 minutes of yoga. At one point in my life yoga was pretty much everything and helped me get through some interesting times. Now it is a tool I have that helps me remember how my body is changing but still the same. Each pose has a benchmark that lets me measure how much I am improving or declining.
The more I practice the more I can check the benchmark and see where things stand. If I am not able to do a pose that I once could I do not feel bad, instead I see it as reason to keep doing more yoga. If I am able to still do a post I am happy but try to remain humble and know that there are other places I can still improve. Yoga also creates a flow by linking poses together in a way that mimics natural movement. This helps me feel confident in my own body, which then extends into everything else.
Having a morning routine is somewhat new to me. For most of my life I have treated the morning with dread. Instead of seeing it as the start to the day, I saw it as the end of sleep. Changing this attitude took over 40 years but when it happened it was more like a light switch: I simply make the decision each morning to get up and out of bed.
Having a routine to follow once I am out of bed also helps me get out of bed. Rather than laying there thinking about what I could do if I got up, I already have a plan and just need to get up and follow it. There is no thinking more than what t-shirt I am going to put on.
While the routine is very important, being flexible with the routine is also important. Sometimes things come up and I cannot get a full workout in. In those cases walking the dogs replaces my workout. I am at least getting up and moving around. Plus walking my dogs is always an adventure.
They smell so many things that I do not and it is fascinating to watch them explore. We have a good amount of wildlife around our home, so there are lots of tracks and scat that I imagine creates a cornucopia of smells.
By the time work comes around I have been up for a few hours, have some type of workout in, have reviewed the days plans with the dogs, and made a nice cup of coffee. My mind may still be in vacation mode a little bit but I have removed a lot of cobwebs and am ready to go.
Kate and I hosted our 3rd group bike ride this Sunday at Chicken Creek Nordic Center in Mancos, CO. We started hosting these rides as a way to promote the monthly Sunday brunch at our local brewery. It has turned into way more fun than I had anticipated.
The original idea came up this spring when we were at the brewery for Sunday brunch and we were the only people there. We love our brewery because its a great place to meetup with folks and the owners, Kathy and Dwayne, are just great people. I suggested that we organize a group bike ride before brunch. That way everyone gets some exercise and then we go fill our faces.
The first ride was the first Sunday of June and we had a nice turnout of people. Most of them I had never met before. We chose the Nordic center as a meeting place as it is just a few miles outside of town and the trails are pretty easy for anyone to ride on. I got yelled at a few times for not stopping enough but we all had a good time.
This group ride is specifically called a no-drop ride. That means that we wait for everyone at regular intervals. For regular bike riders these types of rides are slow and boring. The good news is that they don’t have to ride with us on these rides. 😛 The goal of a no-drop ride is to make everyone feel welcome regardless of their capabilities.
Our technique for pulling a no-drop ride off is that I lead the ride on the route, and Kate brings up the rear. I then make sure to ride at a reasonable pace so that its fun for the faster riders and stop at the top of any climb. If anyone complains about us going too slow I let them know they can keep going. So far everyone has been really cool though.
There are moments on these rides when I think about how I could be riding much faster and when I was younger I would have pushed to go faster. Then I remember that the point of these rides is to encourage more people to get on their bikes and have fun. The best thing I can do is ride easy and have fun. So I talk to the other riders the whole time. This does 2 things: 1 it helps me get to know everyone, and 2 it makes me ride slow enough that I can talk.
We ended up riding just over 6 miles on a variety of terrain from single track to dirt roads and everyone did the entire route. No one crashed and there were no tears. Also this group was made up of all new riders to the group. Its pretty cool that each ride we have done the groups have been all new people. Hopefully we will get everyone who has been at separate rides on the next one and have a huge group ride.
Brunch was great and this time we were able to combine tables to have everyone sit and eat together. Feels good man. 🤠
The 4th installment of this series examines how to make riding your bike into a habit. Making riding a habit is as easy as getting on the bike and riding 3 or more times a week. Putting some thought into the why and how of riding a bike can help you find time to go riding.
Motivation
Find motivation, or a reason to ride. Then on days where you aren’t as excited to go riding, or time is short, you will have a reason to help you get it done. You will also be better at explaining to others why you are spending time and money on this new activity.
There are a lot of reasons to ride a bike:
Its a lot of fun
Its a form of exercise
You can go fast
There is more to see
Choose one, or all of them, and make up your own. There are very few downsides to getting a bike and riding it 3 times a week. If you have any medical conditions you should consult a doctor before. Otherwise anyone can take up riding a bike and have a great time.
Finding motivation for riding is the first thing you should put some thought into. Write it down if that helps. Having a reason to ride makes spending time riding more enjoyable and probable.
Finding a place to ride
Is it safe to ride from your home? Riding from home increases the probability that you go for a ride. You just put on you riding clothes, get on your bike, and go for a ride. This is also a new way to see where you live. The pace is slower so you see more. This is how I do the majority of my bike rides.
If it is not safe to ride a bike around your neighborhood; then don’t do it. The last thing you want is to be nervous and scared while riding your bike. If it makes sense to drive to a nearby park or area of town with bike lanes then drive.
If you are going off road Trailforks is the site and app to use. The data is crowdsourced, but moderated by local trail groups. In my experience it has been very accurate.
If Trailforks is a bust have a look at Strava. You can look for local riders and see where they ride. We have found some trails that were on no maps with the Strava method. Also check with the local bike shops, especially for trail conditions.
For city riding you will want to check Google Maps. They have the most cycling lane data for the planet. Search for your location, have the bike lane setting on, and the bike lanes should appear as green lines on the streets with them. Also just do a Google Search and have it in bike mode and Google will suggest routes. You can use Gmaps Pedometer (now called MilerMeter) if you want to draw your own route.
How far to ride is determined by your average speed, and how long you have to ride. If you have 20 minutes to ride and average 5mph then you need to plan a 1 mile course. Some people find they can average 10mph within a few weeks of regular riding. Then you would want a 2 mile course, and so on.
Maintain your bike
Wash after each ride
Keep chain clean and lubricated.
Keep tires inflated.
Learn how to change a flat tire.
Have your gear ready to ride
I tend to ride in the morning. Its nice to do before work and there’s less wind. It really helps if I have all of my clothing laid out and ready to wear. My water bottle is filled and the tire pump is next to the bike. My helmet is hanging next to the pump.
Software and hardware
There is no requirement that you track your rides. However tracking your bike rides is really easy to do if you have a smartphone. My first suggestion would be to use the Strava app to record your rides. It has an intuitive interface and the free version has what you need.
To begin with you just need to focus on time of ride. Go for 20 minute rides to begin with.
Riding buddies
Riding with friends and meeting new people is a great part of riding. However, currently I am not riding with anyone outside my home. Its probably going to be a little while till this changes.
One extra benefit to using Strava is that you can connect with friends. By following each other you will see when they post a new ride. This can help inspire each other to keep riding. Its also kinda cool.
Next steps
Ride for four weeks, 3 times a week, for 20 minutes at a time. Your butt is going to get sore. If it gets too sore then you may need to get a different seat. There is a lot to consider when choosing a seat. Maybe someday I will write a post about that.
Workout detail
2.5 hour ride prescribed. I rode some new trails and it was a very nice day. I felt good all ride but my seat was feeling sore in the last 10 minutes or so.
This is part 3 of a 4 part series on getting started with bicycling. In part 1 we covered getting a bike and in part 2 we covered proper clothing and tools to start cycling. In part 3 we are going to discuss how to ride your bike safely.
Its just like riding a bike
If you haven’t ridden a bike in a few years, or more, you should take some time to re-acquaint yourself with how to ride a bike. The is best done by going to either an empty parking lot or a grass sports field. Lower your seat so that you can sit on it with both feet on the ground. This ensures that if you need to stop suddenly you can just put your feet down.
Now, practice starting your bike. Put your dominant foot on the pedal at the pedal’s most forward position. If your dominant foot is your right foot the pedal will be at 3 o’clock, if looking at the bike from the right. If it is the left foot then the pedal will be at 9 o’clock, if looking at the bike from the left.
With both hands on the handlebar stand on the dominant foot and pick your other foot off of the ground. You should be moving forward and placing your non-dominant foot onto its pedal. As the pedal gets to the most forward position, push down on it. Keep repeating this alternating pedal pressure and you will continue forward.
Remain seated and adjust the handlebars either right or left to avoid objects like curbs, rocks, people, and cars (to name just a few). If your bike has handlebar breaks make sure your fingers are on them. If you need to stop pull them both gently towards the handlebar.
Once you have starting and stopping down you can work on turning. Start with making a 360 degree turn to the right. Then do them to the left. When you are comfortable with that link them together into a figure 8: Start pedaling and turn one direction until you come back to where you started. Once you are at your starting location start turning the opposite direction until you are back to where you started. Practice figure 8’s going both directions. Try getting the circles to be as small as you can without putting a foot down.
Riding on roads
In the US and many countries bicycles have to follow the same rules as cars. This means that when biking on a road you should be on the same side that cars travel. In the US this means you are on the right side of the road. Be aware that you are sharing the road with cars and try to get as far over to the right as is safe.
You need to obey all street signs and lights that a car does. This includes stop signs and lights. Try to remain predictable to cars and other bikes. This will allow them to anticipate where you are going to avoid running into you.
Always keep in mind that car to bike collisions are the most dangerous part of riding a bike. Don’t count on cars seeing you on the road. If the shoulder is small then you may want to find a safer route to ride. If there is no alternative you may consider wearing high visibility clothing and/or flashing lights:
These have been our favorite lights for a few years. They are super bright and USB rechargeable.
Riding on trails and paths
When you are riding your bike on trails and paths there is some basic etiquette to follow. Bikes should always yield to pedestrians and animals(horses, etc). There are many reasons for this, but you just need follow it. Also if you are going down a narrow trail and someone is riding up you should stop and pull off the trail.
If you need to pass anyone from behind you should alert them of your presence well before you get to them. Based on your speed this may be 20 yards or further. Let them know which side you will be passing on. This should give them enough time to adjust without jumping into your path.
Let people know where you are going
When you are setting out on a ride you should let at least one adult know where you are going, and when you expect to be back. This may mean that you get a fresh lunch or dinner when you get home. More importantly this lets people know where and when they might need to look for you.
If you get a flat tire, or worse, having someone drive and pick you up is always nice. Make sure your cell phone is fully charged before setting off for a ride as well. That way if something does come up you can either call for help or let people know you will be late.
What to take with you
Besides having your bike, wearing proper clothing, and having a water bottle there are a few essential items you should have on a ride:
Identification – If you are incapacitated from a fall having your ID on you will be invaluable.
Cash money – You may need to pay a mechanic or get some calories at a gas station. If you tear your tire’s sidewall a dollar bill can help get you home by patching it.
Multi-tool – The multi-tool you bought after yesterday’s post should fit in your pocket. Bring it.
Fully charged cell phone – Besides calling for help you can see where you are on the GPS map, and take cool photos of your ride.
Staying safe while riding is not too hard but you need to take it seriously. Overall riding bikes is a fun and safe activity. Keep this post in mind and you will be fine.
Workout Detail
Long slow ride for 2 hours. Today was another beautiful day in Colorado. I road up to the Chicken Creek Nordic Center on Road 40. From there I road on the main large trail loop and then headed home. There were some deer on the road near the start of Road 40. Overall there were not any people out that I saw.
In yesterdays post we talked about choosing a bike based on the style of riding you plan on doing. TLDR; if you are just getting started I suggest getting either a cruiser or hard tail mountain bike. Either one will be comfortable and affordable. Cruiser for pavement riding, mountain bike for dirt riding, although it will also be good on the pavement.
Today we are talking about clothing and tools. For many people the thought of riding a bike means spandex. While spandex does make cycling a lot more comfortable it is not necessary. As a beginner you want to focus on being comfortable and spending as little as possible. You still need to figure out if you want to ride a bike.
T-Shirt and Shorts
The easiest outfit to start of riding a bike in is whatever you wear for working out it already. Shorts and a t-shirt made of anything but cotton. You should avoid cotton as it absorbs moisture and that means your seat is gonna get wet. Which can cause chafing and all kinds of bad things. Athletic underwear, socks, shorts, and shirt are the best combo to keep you dry and happy. On days where I am just spinning the pedals for 30 minutes I will wear the same clothes I wear for my strength training.
Shoes
For shoes you can get away with running or tennis shoes. You should not be considering clip in pedals yet. If you don’t know what clip in pedals are then even better. You should just have flat pedals that are large enough for your foot to comfortably fit on. If you need to buy shoes you shouldn’t need to spend over $50.
Helmet
There is strong debate about whether wearing a bike helmet makes you any safer. For city riding at reasonable speeds I do not think wearing a helmet is necessary. However if you are going to ride longer distances at higher speed you should consider wearing a helmet. If you are going to do any riding on dirt or trails I think you should wear a helmet.
This is the helmet I recommend. It has MIPS technology for safety and a visor which just looks cool. 😎 Oh and the price is very reasonable and there’s a number of good color options.
Tools
The most basic tools you should have to get started are a water bottle, multi-tool, floor pump, tire levers, spare tubes, and chain lube. With these tools you will be able to stay hydrated, tighten almost any bolt on the bike, inflate the tires, change a tire, and maintain the chain.
Having a water bottle with you on a bike is a good idea. Since you are riding at a faster speed than when walking or running you will need more water to stay hydrated. Also the bike usually has one or two bottle holders just sitting there to be used. I like the Camelback Podium Chill bottles as they keep your water colder:
A good multi-tool is small enough to fit in a pocket and has enough tools to fix just about anything on your bike.
For $11 you have the multi-tool and tire levers. We call that a 2’fer.
For a bike pump I have had this Specialized Pump for years. You can find it a many local bike shops in the US, but you cannot find it on Amazon.com. Having a good pump with an accurate gauge will last you a long time. It is important that you check your tire pressure before every ride. The recommended pressure is usually written on the sidewall of the tire. Having it properly inflated will make the ride smoother and reduce the chance of a pinch flat.
Bike tubes come in a variety of sizes and even valve types. Once you get your first bike you will then know what type of bike tubes to buy. Most road type bikes are 700c and most mountain bike types are 26 inch for the diameter of the tube. There are also a variety of widths involved. The 2 valve types are Schrader and Presta and are determined by the size of the hole in you rim. Again, once you get your bike you will know what size tube and type of valve to get. Prices on tubes seem to be going up. I remember them being 2 to 3 dollars a piece but now they are more. They also vary in price. You should be able to get the lowest cost ones and be fine. Be sure to have at least 2 spare tubes and a patch kit:
$10 patch kit will keep your tubes lasting a lot longer.
On a bike with gears you need to pay attention to the chain. If it is not properly lubricated it can shift poorly or even break. You can use regular oil to lubricate the chain but it will get dirty very quickly. Before I changed to waxing my chain I used this lube:
All in all you will probably spend about $100 on the basic tools to start bike riding with. With these tools you should be able to avoid going to the bike shop unless a more serious mechanical issue occurs.
Summary
Having the right clothing to start bike riding is pretty easy. Just avoid cotton at all costs. Deciding to wear a helmet is up to you but if you are going on dirt or off road its generally a good idea as falling is more likely. Getting the basic set of tools mentioned means you will be self sufficient unless you have something break on the bike. With those tools and Youtube you will be able to keep your bike running without visiting the bike shop, unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket.
Workout Detail
Today was a strength day but last night I was up late looking for a friend who was supposed to be on a 2 hour ride. They ended up being fine but I ended up staying up late trying to get yesterdays post done. So I slept in this morning. However, after my work shift I did spend an hour working on a new trail I am building on my land. It was a decent workout and I made some good progress. I will write some articles about that process soon!
I hope this was helpful. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Tomorrow we cover how to stay safe on your bike. See you then!
