Rain, Rain, Go Away

Rain, rain, go away, I’d like to ride my bike today.

If only it were that easy.

It seems like we’ve had several weeks of nothing but rain. We’ve had low pressure systems, noreasters, rain dances, and now we’ve got a hurricane coming that my 12-year-old son says should be spelled more like it sounds. What’s a biker to do?

The rain was hard on the trails. It even toppled this tree.

My goal for riding is 200 miles per month. Sometimes winter weather makes it hard to reach that figure. Some months in the summer and fall I can reach 300 if the weather cooperates. I got in a short 14-mile ride just before the rain started, giving me 271 miles for September. That’s a great total, except when you consider I had an entire week left in the month. It should have been easy to get to 300. But the rain started and looked like it wasn’t going to stop. Luckily there was a break on Sunday. It stopped raining that morning and the sun even tried to come out. The streets and sidewalks dried out, and I began to hope. But just as I got on the bike after lunch, it started to sprinkle. I circled back to the house as it came down harder. I checked the radar on the computer and saw that it was a thin line of rain that would be over quickly, so I waited. Sure enough it stopped and I was able to get in 34 miles. But the rain had been hard on the trails. A tree had fallen down across the Neuse trail south of Poole Road. I had to lift my bike across it to keep going. But it was a ride and it felt great. Less than an hour after I got home, the rain started coming down again, hard.

We don’t usually have this much rain day after day. A friend who has recently started riding asked me what kind of exercises you can do when you’re off the bike for so long. Here’s a short list.

• Walking or jogging: both of these are good aerobic exercises and will work your legs. You’ll want to make sure you don’t overdo it, especially with jogging. Your knees and ankles may not be used to the pounding they’ll receive.  

• Swimming: provides a total body workout with the impact of jogging or walking. You can swim laps or just play.

• Take the steps at work: if you work in a multi-story building, take the steps whenever you can. If your job keeps you at your desk, talk to your boss and taking breaks to walk the steps. It’s great exercise for your legs.

• Hit the gym: if you have access to a gym, rainy days are great for pumping some iron. Don’t just work your legs. Arm strength will help you handle a bike, especially on longer rides.

• Spin class: I’m not a big spin person, but I know other bikers who love it. They seem to enjoy spinning just as much as they do riding. That part’s lost on me, but to each his own.

When rain, work or family commitments or anything else seems to conspire to keep you off your bike, find some sort of exercise to do.  Choose one from this list, or figure it out on your own. You’ll be glad you did. And it might be a good way to distract yourself while you’re waiting to get back on your bike.

 

 

The Right Stuff

In addition to wearing the right clothes when you ride, you need the right equipment. That includes your bike, as well as accessories for hydration, repairs, and, of course, tracking your progress. As you do longer and longer rides, it’s going to occur to you that you are often 15-20 miles away from your house, sometimes more. You don’t want to get caught without something you need.

The primary piece of equipment is, of course, your bike. You need to make sure you’ve got one you’re comfortable with if you’re going to bike longer distances. There are several things to think about when getting a bike. The first is fit. Most any store that sells bikes is going to have at least one employee who knows the basics of “bike fit.”  In addition to their advice, think about the height of the bike and the handlebars. You should be able to stand comfortably with both feet on the ground while you’re on your bike. If you’re on your toes or both feet don’t reach the ground, it’s too tall. When your butt is in the seat, you should be able to put one foot flat on the ground. Again, if you’re stretching, the bike is too tall. You should be able to hold the handlebars without bending too far over and without extending your arms all the way. If you spend more than hour on your bike, you’ll be glad to have a good fit with your handlebars.

The right gear can make all the difference. Note the helmet and the hydration pack.

 

In addition to the size, you should consider what kind of bike is best for you. Road bikes are lighter and leaner, with thin tires. They are built for speed. You can go very fast on them, but you’ll need to stick to smooth surfaces. Roads and newer paved greenways are great. Unpaved surfaces or older greenway trails – which tend to have more bumps and potholes – can be harder on a road bike. Good road bikes can also cost a pretty penny. Mountain bikes are more rugged. They have wider tires and just feel heavier and more solid. You won’t get as much speed and will work harder to pedal with a mountain bike. They are great for rougher surfaces. I ride a comfort bike, which is a combination of both. It has a wider seat that’s easier on your butt and inner thighs. The handlebars are positioned a little higher so you don’t bend your back or extend your arms as much. In short, the bike is literally built to be more comfortable. If you start biking later in life (like I did), a comfort bike is a great place to start.

You'll need water. A squeeze bottle and a hydration pack
are two of your choices.

No matter what time of year you ride, you’ll need water. And if you’re going to ride any distance, you need to be able to drink without stopping. That gives you three options. The first is a bottle and holder that can attach to your bike. Most of these are made so you can reach down, grab the bottle and squeeze. It shoots a stream of water into your mouth. It’s very convenient, but doesn’t hold much for longer rides. Some people actually have two of them on their bikes. If you don’t have a holder for a bottle, you can use the water bottles that have the D-rings attached and hang it from your handlebars.  This isn’t bad, but it can be hard to remove from your handlebars while you’re riding. I started with one of those, but I recommend getting at least one bottle holder. It’s much easier to handle. The option that’s best for longer rides is a hydration pack. This is a backpack that holds a water bladder with a tube. You simply wear it and position the tube near your mouth and slurp as needed. The bladders hold 2-3 times more water than bottles. There’s also extra room in the backpack for other stuff like snacks, repair gear, wallet, phone, etc. I use a Camelbak hydration pack for longer rides in the summer and an attached bottle for shorter rides.

It only takes one wreak or near-wreck to convince you to wear protective gear like a helmet and perhaps those fingerless gloves. There are different ideas about how much protective gear you should have. I don’t use the gloves or other equipment. I do use a helmet and strongly recommend one.  These are available from most any retailer that sells bikes. You don’t have to spend a lot, either. You can get a good helmet for $20 - $25.

Map My Ride is a great way to track
your speed and distance.

The other piece of equipment you’ll want is some way to track your progress. It’s easy to overestimate how far you go on rides. Plus, as you start riding further, you’re going to want to know how far you’re going as well as your speed. There are many ways to do this. There are devices that you attach to your wheels. There are devices that use gps technology. In my opinion, you’re better off using something you should already have with you: your phone. Side note: having a phone with you is like a security blanket. You may be anywhere from 5-10 miles from home; you just need to have your phone. Even if you can change a flat tire and do other simple maintenance, it’s nice to know you can call for help if you need it.

I use an app called Map My Ride for tracking. It tracks your distance and speed, along with calories burned and other information like elevation changes. There’s a free version and a paid version (which isn’t that expensive and offers a few extra features). I use the free version, which means ads, but they’re not a major inconvenience. I love the live tracking feature and check it frequently during rides. A holder for your phone is nice to keep you from fumbling with it to check your speed while riding. I don’t use one, so I invested in a good strong phone case, just in case.

If you’re a beginner, you don’t need to invest in everything at once. Get a helmet first and some way to drink, and start adding from there. Go ahead and get an app to track your progress. That’s just fun, especially as you ride longer distances.