Do you have a question about developing a comfortable and efficient riding form, or getting the right equipment for your needs? Email Portia@bicyclingbliss.com with your question and she will add answers to to the following list of common concerns.

Portia Masterson is the owner and manager of Self-Propulsion, Inc., in Golden, Colorado. As a specialty bicycle retailer for 24 years, she has developed many of the concepts in Bicycling Bliss while helping customers to be more comfortable on their bikes and improve their riding technique. She served in the National Bicycle Dealers Association board from 1988-1995 giving special attention to rider safety and women’s issues. She has ridden a bike as basic transportation for more than 50 years with half those years as a self-contained adventure bicycle tourist. It was natural that she would dedicate time and energy to advocacy for cyclists and pedestrians.

Q. I would like to try riding in cool temperatures but don’t know how to start. Would you give me some suggestions?

A. Riding in temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit is a good range to start adapting to cool-weather riding. I think that many riders stop riding as weather cools because they fail to adapt their clothing and end up getting cold. Try these pointers:

1. Wear protection over your entire body. All body parts work better when they are warm. It is faulty to wear only a jacket to maintain your core temperature and leave your legs exposed. Your core temperature is strongly influenced by heat lost through your extremities. Your legs have a large surface area relative to their mass and will affect your temperature dramatically in cool weather if you don’t cover them. Your legs do not sense the cold as acutely as your torso does, fooling you into thinking they are comfortable. Riding with inadequate leg cover is like riding without warming up gradually. Warm muscles work better so do your legs a favor! Compare the number of layers you have on your torso with the layers on your legs. If you will add layers to your legs and remove them from your torso, making the protection nearly equal, you will discover that you perspire less, reducing the risk of chill. Additionally, your legs will work better while you stay comfortably warm.

I learned this lesson dramatically on my first bike tour. The only leg cover I had was my blue jeans. During the heat of the day, I enjoyed the freedom of riding in shorts. When the late afternoon temperatures dropped, and fatigue and hunger set in, I stopped enjoying myself. I resisted putting on my stiff, confining jeans. When I finally gave in, I was amazed and delighted to discover new stamina and lifted spirits. I felt like I had new legs.

2. Lightweight pants will keep your legs performing well and will reduce the risk of injury. You can choose either loose fitting pants or traditional tights. Select polyester or spun nylon (avoid monofilament nylon) for breathable moisture management. Always wear shorts under your tights so you can remove the tights when you warm up. Over-heating is as detrimental to pleasure and health as chilling. If you wear loose-fitting shorts, wear loose-fitting pants rather than tights to avoid the scarecrow look. Some riders wear Lycra® tights or long underwear under loose-fitting shorts but this makes it more tedious to remove your leg coverings in public. There are many types of polyester pants that provide excellent moisture management. They may be tights or loose fitting, spun woven fabric, or fleece. Test the wind resistance of any pants before buying them by placing the fabric over your mouth and trying to blow air through it. Knits usually lack wind resistance due to their loose construction. Woven fabrics can be tightly constructed and highly wind resistant. In fleece, look for Malden’s 100-weight. They make two types of fleece: stretch and basic. You can differentiate these visually. The stretch fleece looks fuzzy and has no wind resistance. It is a poor choice for cycling because it provides no warmth without a wind-breaking layer over it. The basic 100-weight Malden fleece looks more like felt and has excellent wind resistance. Laminated fleeces that claim to be wind resistant vary in effectiveness. If your insulating layer of fleece has good wind resistance, you can simply take off your wind layer when you begin to warm up and still have adequate warmth from your wind-resistant insulating layer.

Leg warmers with shorts and arm warmers are popular for moderately cool temperatures. They enable you to adjust your leg and arm coverings without stopping. Just shove them down around your ankles and wrists when you warm up and pull them back up if you cool down.

3 Use a single layer, wind jacket. If it is made of coated fabric, adjust the venting frequently to prevent perspiration build-up and eventual chilling. For temperatures above 25 degrees, avoid jackets with insulating linings that prevent you from incrementally adjusting your temperature.

4. Carry polypropylene or polyester liner gloves. They require little space to carry and are thin enough to fit under your fingerless cycling gloves. Cold hands make it difficult to control your bike and to relax.

5. Carry an ear band or Dog Earz. These convenient ear covers attach to your helmet straps with Velcro(tm) and keep the wind off your ears without affecting your hearing. They can quickly be secured or removed as temperatures change.

6. Guard against over-heating by adjusting your neck opening and removing or adding layers as frequently as is necessary to maintain a constant body temperature. Over-heating not only makes you sweat and risk chilling it can also cause nausea or loss of stamina.

Have fun getting started.

Q: It's difficult for me to keep up with my riding companions. How can I select more suitable riding partners? Anne G.

A: Make riding more fun by selecting riding companions who are compatible with your abilities and riding priorities. People tend to ride with friends and family they enjoy socially. However it is quite likely that these people are not appropriate riding companions.
     Customers coming into Self-Propulsion frequently complain about keeping up with the group they have chosen to ride with. Before they look for the reason in their equipment, I ask them to think about the experience level of their riding companions. This is especially true when joining a cycling club. Club members are usually dedicated riders who have been building their fitness base for years. Ask the riders you are considering riding with how many years they have ridden and how many miles they ride each week. Is it reasonable for you to expect to keep up with them? If you wanted to learn a new language, would you start in a third-year course? Be fair to yourself and if you want to ride with more fit cyclists to learn from their experience, carefully select less demanding routes to share with them and then ride a part of the planned ride before you turn back on your own.

The following questions will help you evaluate how compatible you will be with other riders or groups:

1. Are you willing to ride at the same speed, technical level, and distance?
2. Are you of similar abilities?
3. Are your sense of adventure and risk taking levels similar?
4. How many of these desires do you share?
        a.   Pushing for a high-energy fitness workout.
        b.   Enjoying nature and the surroundings.
        c.   Stopping to eat and relax.
        d.   Socializing and chatting while riding.
        e.   Challenging to improve technical skills.
   
5. Is it easy to discuss and negotiate a mutually satisfactory plan to meet your immediate needs?
6. Are they supportive and encouraging to you and your improvements?

Q: I’ve read your discussion of the benefits of flat handlebars on road bikes and I still think there must be some important reasons for riding with drop handlebars on the road. Why do you spend so much time discussing the benefits of flat bars? Mark H.

A: If you enjoy riding with drop handlebars, continue to use them. Many riders do not realize they have other valid choices. I take time to clarify the reasons for choosing flat or drop bars on a road bike so people can ride in comfort, benefit their health, and improve their performance rather than merely clinging to the traditional road bike setup.
     It is the way you use your body that determines your power output and the health benefits of cycling. Handlebar style does not dictate your riding position, it is their relation to the position of the seat. Most of the time handlebar position can be changed to meet the needs of the rider by replacing the stem.
     If you are experiencing strain, discomfort, or pain in your neck, shoulders, arms, or hands, you need to re-evaluate your handlebar choice and how it influenced your riding position and body use. The full arm extension requires constant contraction of upper body muscles, which does not contribute to the forward propulsion of your bike unless you are sprinting.
     The fully extended position often required on drop bars can interfere with effective breathing and diminish your performance. Observe your breathing while riding to determine if your position compresses your abdomen and chest, restricting your respiratory diaphragm and lung movement.
     I am intrigued that most riders are satisfied with the flat bars on their mountain bikes and never question their ability to ride long distances at high energy. I encourage riders to transfer their experience of comfort and control on their mountain bikes to their road bikes while they are choosing handlebars.

Q: I’m considering buying Bicycling Bliss and wonder if you cover bike maintenance and repair. Melissa M.

A: The appendices provide brief instructions on evaluating the mechanical condition of your bike and a chart to record routine maintenance such as chain replacement and wheel truing. I have confined the scope of the text to human performance and general wellness because Lennard Zinn’s Zinn and the Art of Mountain [Road] Bike Maintenance are both outstanding and comprehensive guides to bike maintenance.

Q: I’m shopping for a new bike and find the vast number of choices overwhelming and confusing. What is most important in choosing a new bike? Chuck G.

A: Most importantly, find a bike that fits you well. The bike should also meet your expectations. Shopping for a bike should be fun, so don’t labor too much over research and discussion but trust your own instincts. Find a retailer who specializes in your style of riding and who takes time to answer your questions to your satisfaction. If, for example, you are looking for a touring bike, don’t shop at stores specializing in racing.
     Be sure the sales staff has some system of fitting bikes to your body proportions. Just looking at you on the bike is inadequate. Avoid being characterized as requiring a particular frame size. Manufacturer frame sizes are not standardized nor do manufacturers measure part of the frame that is significant in fitting. The top tube length is likely to be the determining factor in fitting your body proportions and riding position to the frame. Refer to the fitting guidelines in Chapter 6 of Bicycling Bliss.
     Test ride any bike with more than a passing interest. You will need to ride over varied terrain and farther than around a few blocks. Ask for an extended test ride when you identify the bike you want to buy. Critique the way the bike handles, the style of shifters, shifting precision, and the gear range. For the best value, find the components you like best already on the bike instead of making extensive modifications. That said, you will probably need to change the saddle, pedals, tires, and handlebar position since they are truly personal choices. Expect to pay extra for these modifications.
     Determine if the bicycle was assembled by experienced, skilled mechanics or by trainees. A high quality assembly can save you money and optimize the bike’s performance.
     Also inquire about follow-up services. The retailer should include a 75-mile or 30-day check over, and a satisfaction guarantee. Most manufacturer’s warranties look similar on paper, but vary widely when you need help. Depend on your retailer to back up the product.