Little Things
Little things can have a big effect in cycling. Tiny adjustments to saddle height or cleat position can have huge results in comfort. One inch can make the difference in a good draft or suffering. Some of the small things are hard to measure.
Recently I had one of the best rides of the year. Three of us worked together very hard on a sixty mile ride. Two of us ride together a lot and the third man was new to us. Just a kid to us old folks but a strong and capable rider despite his age. Points should be given for good behavior. It is hard to quantify how much better a ride can be when everyone works hard together. It is even more rare that a new person can enter into a group and add so much.
The day after the good ride I had an incident that spoiled a ride. A relatively new club member showed up on the Sunday ride. The turn out was small and a decision was made to go out as one group instead of three. The pace was slow to moderate and we rolled out at 12 mph. Less than 4 blocks into the ride the new club member called to the front to slow down the group was fragmenting. I told him that the pace was already slow enough and he told me, “We all need to stay together and if you want to ride faster you can go ride by yourself.” Jeez, give a guy a uniform and he wants to rule the world.
Little things again. The group did need to keep together but the trailing riders have a responsibility to keep up. If I want to go faster I can and should ride by myself. This guy did not know me from Adam and wearing a club jersey he should have been a little more tactful to a stranger. Once you put on the jersey, like it or not, you represent the whole club. (I am currently not a member of much of anything.) I did go off by myself and had a nice enough ride with a few other riders I picked up with on the road.
There are sometimes big rewards from little things. A different new rider brought me a bike to be repaired. It is an older hand-me-down and needs some serious repair. He has little money and lots of heart. It is not good business for me to be charitable at this point in my bike repair career but there are times you have to make exceptions. I’ll scrounge around and get some serviceable used parts for cheap and cut him a break on the labor. He’ll be on the road and I’ll feel good about cycling.
Pay attention to the details, little things do add up.
Recently I had one of the best rides of the year. Three of us worked together very hard on a sixty mile ride. Two of us ride together a lot and the third man was new to us. Just a kid to us old folks but a strong and capable rider despite his age. Points should be given for good behavior. It is hard to quantify how much better a ride can be when everyone works hard together. It is even more rare that a new person can enter into a group and add so much.
The day after the good ride I had an incident that spoiled a ride. A relatively new club member showed up on the Sunday ride. The turn out was small and a decision was made to go out as one group instead of three. The pace was slow to moderate and we rolled out at 12 mph. Less than 4 blocks into the ride the new club member called to the front to slow down the group was fragmenting. I told him that the pace was already slow enough and he told me, “We all need to stay together and if you want to ride faster you can go ride by yourself.” Jeez, give a guy a uniform and he wants to rule the world.
Little things again. The group did need to keep together but the trailing riders have a responsibility to keep up. If I want to go faster I can and should ride by myself. This guy did not know me from Adam and wearing a club jersey he should have been a little more tactful to a stranger. Once you put on the jersey, like it or not, you represent the whole club. (I am currently not a member of much of anything.) I did go off by myself and had a nice enough ride with a few other riders I picked up with on the road.
There are sometimes big rewards from little things. A different new rider brought me a bike to be repaired. It is an older hand-me-down and needs some serious repair. He has little money and lots of heart. It is not good business for me to be charitable at this point in my bike repair career but there are times you have to make exceptions. I’ll scrounge around and get some serviceable used parts for cheap and cut him a break on the labor. He’ll be on the road and I’ll feel good about cycling.
Pay attention to the details, little things do add up.
posted by Speedo at 11:07 AM
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