Wednesday, 02 June 2010 Cycling - How to Be Efficient at Organized Ride Rest Stops
While most of us cyclists don’t race, there
is an increase in the popularity of gran fondos and other
semi-competitive timed events.
Even though
such events require participants to obey all traffic laws, there is
still a desire by most cyclists to record as fast a time as possible.
Since all the rules of the road must be obeyed, running red lights and
stop signs are not part of the equation when trying to go as fast as
possible. That leaves three major ways of minimizing your riding time:
* Training hard *
Finding a fast group with which to ride * Having
efficient rest stop technique
Of the three areas mentioned above,
being quick and efficient while at rest stops is the easiest way to
improve your finishing time. And you don’t need to spend extra money on
boutique carbon components or slog through long hours riding in the rain
to be fast through the rest stops. Focus and concentration are key.
Plan What You’ll Take
The
first and most important aspect is to have a plan. While the riders
unconcerned with their finishing time treat a rest stop like a buffet
lunch, if you are planning on going fast, you should have a very good
idea exactly what you want to eat to keep the fire burning.
That
usually means generic rest stop food such as bananas or cookies. It is
all about carbohydrates and a little bit of fat, so you don’t need to be
picky; just choose foods that are easy to digest and keep down.
Next,
when it comes to liquids, make sure you know what you are putting in
your bottle. Personally, I prefer plain water, but if you need
electrolytes make sure the brand being offered is one that doesn’t upset
your stomach. Fill your bottles quickly and put them back in their
cages. You can drink from them when you are on the bike heading down the
road.
Hydration packs are more difficult to fill and should only
be used if the distance between rest stops is so great that you can’t
make it on two full bottles.
Keep
Your Lid On
I used to think that this next point was
pretty obvious, but I see people taking off their helmet and gloves at
every rest stop. This is an unnecessary waste of time. A properly
adjusted helmet should fit almost as if it wasn’t on top of your head.
If
you take the time to make sure your helmet is properly adjusted, you
can keep it on your head for the entire ride. Removing one’s gloves is
also a time waster. There is no need to take your gloves off to eat and
fill your bottles. Again, if your gloves are properly sized and
well-fitting, you should be able to wear them all day.
Anticipate Nature’s Call
Answering the call of nature is another
potential time waster. Anticipate the need to relieve ones self and make
every effort to do so at a rest stop. Having to search for cover out on
the road can cost you a lot of time and is illegal in most instances.
Also, if you have to drop out of a fast group in order to relieve
yourself you can lose some really major time.
Be Grateful
Lastly, and
probably most importantly, don’t forget to take the time to thank the
volunteers manning the rest stops. These people are giving up a day to
make your ride more enjoyable. Putting a few ducats in the karma bank
can’t hurt when you are slugging up that final climb before the finish.
Author: Bruce Hildenbrand (27 May
2010) courtesy of ENTRYTIME - www.entrytime.com
