Bicycle Book Club: The Rider

I hurt my back picking up a file on Monday and needed something to do after work, and so I decided “Bicycle Book Club”, where I read and then write about books related to bicycles in some respect, is my new hobby. I’m hoping to read one a month, because I am also studying for the CPA, which would probably be the better use of my time, but we all need a way to relax.

My first book for Bicycle Book Club is The Rider by Tim Krabbé. I bought it back in December, started reading it, and then had to work the usual tax accountant busy season while also passing my first CPA exam, so reading for pleasure fell to the side. I decided to read it, because I saw an article online about the writer and another one about the book and the following it has. I am not a big reader, at all, but I figured it would be a good thing to do before bed, and I like bicycles, so I figured I would enjoy it.

When I picked The Rider back up to read the second half, I finished it in one night, and drove my husband insane, because he would ask me questions and I would tell him to stop bothering me while I was reading.

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The Book is difficult to describe, because it is about a bicycle race, but it is also about cycling, the types of people who succeed in the sport, racing strategy and his own path as a cyclist. I find it difficult to discuss this book without giving away things that happen. He goes from the race and competitors to stories about past races both personal and professional so smoothly, I couldn’t stop reading, because I just wanted to know more.

The race described has all the ups and downs you expect from a bicycle race. I found myself reading about the peloton and wondering why no one tried to bridge the gap, even when the rational side of my brain knows exactly why they’re doing what their doing. I know you only have so many matches to burn, and I am fascinated by the rider’s thoughts during the race, but I had moments where I felt like the spectator who told them they weren’t even going fast.

Some of Krabbé’s narration reminded me of how it feels when you’re out riding your bike. On page 33 he writes “I believed that, while cycling, I would come up with thoughts and ideas for the stories I’d be writing for the rest of the time. Fat chance. The rest of my time I spent jotting in my cycling logbook and keeping statistics on my distances and times, and while cycling I thought of nothing at all.” He describes almost every cyclist I know. What’s truly amazing reading this paragraph in modern times is the way we have found more excuses to think about and analyze our rides. We post on and track rides on apps like Strava and TrainingPeaks, so we can find just one more excuse to spend time thinking about riding our bikes.

That last sentence perfectly describes how I feel when I am riding my bike. I don’t think about things. I go out knowing my mind won’t be focused on anything, aside from making it to the top of the hill. It’s a beautiful thing.

If I didn’t know it was fictional, I would have thought this race was real. The pain described toward the end of the race and the amount of planning that went into the final sprint at the end of the race seems sounds like something that only comes with experiencing those things first hand. Tim Krabbé’s ability to convey the experience of racing on paper kept me enthralled in the book until the very end.

If you are looking for a light read that will simultaneously keep you hooked on every single curve in the road and each rain drop that falls from the sky, then this is the book. You probably also need to ride bikes to enjoy it as much as I did, but I think this book could appeal to more than just the bicycle obsessed like me. You can purchase the book below. Also, please tell me if you want to sit down and discuss this book, because I think “Bicycle Book Club” should be a real thing. Next month I am reading The Divide: A 2700 Mile Search for Answers, also linked below, so maybe someday I will have someone to discuss my books with.

Tools Every Cyclist Should Own

I was at work the other day at the bike shop and a customer was asking about what tools he needed to be able to do some minor repairs at home, and specifically if we had Park Tool, because he used Park Tool tools in the past working on other things, because of their quality. I will be one to admit, when I first got a multi-tool to keep in my seat bag, I didn’t know what half the tools were. I also did not know until many years later I had a chain tool included in that.

The tools you need can be split into two basic categories. The first being tools you would need when out on the road. The second is tools you may need to do some repairs at home. An important thing to keep in mind when picking out tools is that bicycle bolts are all measured metrically, so you run the risk of stripping bolts if you attempt to use non-metric tools. I am going to start with the on-the-go tools and move into the home mechanic tools from there.

Tire Levers
This may seem a little obvious, but I had someone in recently who had always been able to pull their tires off with their hands, which is something a lot of us can do depending on the tire. When he got a new tire though and then had a flat tube, he couldn’t get the tire off. When it comes to tire levers I recommend having two, but only using one if you have to. I keep two with each of my flat kits, but try to just use one unless the tire is particularly tight. I also am biased to some narrow tire levers Trek used to make, but they don’t have them anymore, so I will recommend the narrow Park Tool levers or Pedro’s levers in their place.

Multi-Tool
There are a lot of options for multi-tools out there, and the vast majority of people only need a simple one. A multi-tool with just a set of hex wrenches including a 4, 5, and 6 mm should cover just about any bolt. If you are running the newer higher end derailleurs, then I also recommend a 2 mm, which will work for B-tension, limits, and front derailleur angles. This would also be where it would be useful to have a Phillips head screwdriver, but if you are not experienced with limit screws, I do not recommend messing with them for the first time out on the road. For mountain biking some people may also carry a multi-tool with a chain tool. This will allow them to remove a broken link and install a missing link if their chain breaks out on the trails.

For some bikes I do recommend some different styles of multi-tools. Depending on where some seat post bolts are on certain bikes (looking at Giant and Liv bikes I work on), certain wrenches will work better to keep from stripping the bolt. I have a mini ratchet tool I got from Giant that is perfect for this, because it does not get in the way, has all the wrenches I could need, and fits in a small carrier. I highly recommend it to anyone with a bike with this issue instead of pulling out the torque wrench every time (as long as you have gotten really good at hand tightening and won’t over or under torque the bolt). The picture at the beginning of this post is the Giant tool I am talking about. We originally received some from Liv and doubted they would be useful, until we began using them on our rental bikes every time we send them out.

Allen Key Set
Moving away from roadside repairs, I recommend having a second set or sets of hex wrenches at home. I keep a set of L-shaped wrenches and a 3-way wrench at home for convenience and ease of use. While the multi-tool may have the wrenches you need, some of the bolts on bikes are more difficult to get to, making a rounded end of the wrench useful, and a 3-way wrench has the most common sizes, and is one of the most comfortable wrenches to use.

A Pedal Wrench
An important note on this one is to know what kind of pedals you have and what kind of wrench you need. Most basic pedals and a lot of the Shimano lipless pedals use a 15 mm open wrench to remove. Other pedals, including all Look pedals, require an 8 mm hex wrench to remove. There are also some oddball pedals like some Bontrager flat pedals that require a 6 mm hex wrench. Owning a pedal wrench (and knowing the left pedal is reverse threaded) will allow you to avoid the trip to the bike shop every time you need to swap pedals or if you are traveling and taking your bike or taking your pedals to rent a bike. If you use Speedplay pedals, they are some of the most difficult to remove and I recommend getting the Park Tool PW-4 Professional Mechanic Pedal Wrench, because you can find better leverage using it, but most other pedals that require an open wrench are easily removed with the PW-5 shown above.

A Mechanic Stand
If you intend to do a significant amount of work on your bike yourself, first I recommend still taking it by the bike shop for major issues if you are unsure of fixing them, but second I do recommend a good quality stand. This will allow you to have the bike in a fixed position, so you can make necessary adjustments and see the results.

5 Things I Wish I Knew Working on My Bike for the First Time

My first exposure to building and working on bikes was in the fall of 2016 when I took a job working for Sun & Ski Sports in Franklin, TN. I had a coworker who helped me to learn to build bikes and check them before they were picked up to go home from sales when I took the position of bicycle coordinator there. I have learned a lot since my early days of wrenching, and now am certified by Trek as a repair technician, and there are some things I feel like would have been really helpful to know when I first started down this path.

Everything About Limit Screws
Understanding limit screws, the specifications of the derailleurs, and how they interact with cable tension plays a huge role in understanding how to properly adjust derailleurs. Sometimes when having shifting issues getting into the big ring or into the climbing gear in the back, I would think limit screw, when really it was cable tension. Since then, I have learned a few tricks to know which one it is, and even tricks to use my limits to set my cable tension when the cables have stretched.

Measuring Chains
The first time I installed a chain I made it too long multiple times. I also routed it incorrectly. Now that I know better, I highly recommend people search how to do this correctly, so you don’t make my mistakes. Depending on the bike, the way I measure a chain varies, but I now only get messed up when I run into bikes with front triple chainrings on road bikes. Also, the direction your chain faces can make a difference too.

Bearings Need Grease
Also, bearings, that they exist, and where they go on a bike. I will happily admit my ignorance to anyone about this. I didn't know what a bottom bracket was, or really much about the bearings in the headset of my bike either. I did learn these things quickly, and have even installed almost every common type of bottoms bracket at this point. The most embarrassing moment of this was when I discovered my bearings were not only getting worn in my headset, but also that sweat had seized all of the spacers onto my steer tube at the time.

Complexities of Cable Routing
My Felt B16W has full housing and guides within the frame for the housing. This makes it easy. Now, my Trek Madone, Domane, and Crockett, all have internal cable routing with no full housing aside from brakes. My Domane and Crockett have pretty similar routing, but the Madone with fully internal cables and wiring is a whole other animal. There are also complications when cables get crossed, or the worst cable routing to deal with, which is the zip tie in the middle of the frame of the Trek Remedy that holds all of the cable housings to keep them from rattling.

Disc Brakes are a Thing
So, when I first really started getting into my bikes, I didn’t know too much about disc brakes. I came from road and triathlon, so even road disc brakes were not super common where I came from yet in cycling. Now, I am all about them, but there was a serious learning curve when it came to brakes for me. I am now experienced in bleeding both road and disc brakes from Shimano, Sram, and TRP.

While I have learned a lot, there are always new things I can learn. There are new things like 12-speed road groups, entire gravel group sets, and synchronized shifting on electronic group sets. I will never find a day when there is not something new I should learn about bicycles. Also, I will never know everything about bottom brackets, because I feel like there is no possible way to know everything about them.

My Review: Bontrager Specter WaveCel Helmet

As previously promised, I am going to review Trek’s new helmet. I purchased a pink Bontrager Specter helmet. Yes, I get discounts. No, I do not let the discounts affect my opinions on the things I purchase, because like Bontrager shorts, I don’t always like the things I buy.

I am going to compare three helmets. First, the new Bontrager Specter Wavecel, which retails for $150. Second, the Bell Z20 MIPS, which retails for $230. Third, the Giro Cinder MIPS, which retails for $150.

Comfort Winner: Bontrager Specter Wavecel
This actually surprised me. I previously used a rental helmet from the shop where I work and had problems with the fit of the medium, feeling like it was too tight in the forehead, but when I first put on this helmet, I was pleasantly surprised. I felt like the helmet was snug where it should be, and the upgraded BOA dial from the adjustments on the Z20 and Cinder was a nice touch.

Lightest: Bell Z20 MIPS
There isn’t too much of a challenge here. The Z20 is created for the purpose of being light, and in the Tennessee summer heat, it is definitely a big advantage. The Z20 comes in at 303 grams, the Cinder is close at 305 grams, and the Specter is a far third at 341 grams.

Best Protection: It’s a Toss Up
Both the Z20 and Cinder are traditional helmets with added protection for angled impacts from the MIPS system. The Specter has Trek’s Wavecel technology, which is supposed to be a replacement for MIPS, which I have talked a little bit about here. You can also find more information directly from Trek. Based on both the testing from Trek and from independent parties, I am not making any call on the safety of these helmets compared to one another. The most important thing is that you do wear a helmet when you are out riding.

My Choice to Ride: Bell Z20 MIPS or Bontrager Specter Wavecel
I am torn between the two. I find both to be comfortable, and I like the idea of the added protection of the Wavecel, but I feel like I have more ventilation with the Z20 and a lighter helmet, which is nice for the summers here. Another important note is that on the Specter, there is nowhere to put your sunglasses on top of it, which has been mentioned many places. If I saw extremely concrete evidence that one helmet was safer than the other, my opinion may change in the future, but for now I am going to just go with the helmet I feel like using.

As for my overall opinion on the Specter, I think it is a good helmet. It is comfortable, and the lowest price point of the Wavecel helmets at the moment. I would like to see more Wavecel options, like a $100 price point or lower, as well as youth options. There are a couple things I think are missing with the Wavecel options at the moment as well. I would really like to see a road helmet with more ventilation on it, because looking at the XXX I don’t think there is enough compared to my Z20. I also noticed it is not possible to put sunglasses on the helmet when not wearing them, and as a coworker pointed out, he couldn’t scratch his head through it.

In the future I will continue to ride it, although the temperature has risen quickly in Nashville, so tonight I am going to be using my Z20 for my group ride. I can’t be a full Trek ad all the time.

The Phil Cookie: Ask a Pro Book and Cookie Review

I mentioned previously I read Phil Gaimon’s book Pro Cycling on $10 a Day: From Fat Kid to Euro Pro, so when I needed something to read when relaxing without classes for a month, I looked for another light read. I did not plan on finishing the book in a day, but I did, so I needed a new activity. Then I saw the cookie recipe in the back of the book.

This book is a compilation of Phil Gaimon’s Ask a Pro columns from Velonews with the occasional additional witty comment you would expect at this point if you are familiar with his work. I enjoyed Pro Cycling on $10 a Day, so I knew I would probably enjoy Ask a Pro, and I was not disappointed. It is rare I laugh out loud at a book, and this was one of them.

The book is split into multiple parts, based on Phil’s journey as a pro, and you can see how some of the answers seem to change throughout the book. Another thing is that some questions may get answered twice, because the answer changed, the same way cycling has changed over the years, just like how now aero bikes are for a lot more than time trials. His answers are honest, sometimes sarcastic, and on occasion point out how ridiculous some of the questions people constantly ask him tend to be when looked at from his perspective.

At the end of the book, he includes the recipe for the Phil Cookie, which includes, peanut butter, peanuts, chocolate chips, pretzels, and homemade peanut brittle. Just reading the ingredients I knew I needed to make this cookie. I also really like cookies and am always hungry right now from beginning to get my training on track for some possible 2020 racing.

I went to the grocery store, bought all of the ingredients, made a huge mess of my kitchen, and learned a few things about baking cookies. Number one was that a stand mixer is a great addition to any kitchen. I went ahead and used mine for all of my mixing for this recipe and highly recommend it. Number two is that this recipe makes twelve big cookies, meaning I had to run three batches in my single oven. If you have two ovens it will be a lot faster. Number four, peanut brittle is actually super easy to make.

After all of my struggles with spilling flour all over the kitchen when trying to sift and then pour my dry ingredients into my mixer I managed to burn my fingers a few times on the oven when adding toppings to the cookies, but the final product was worth it. The cookies are chewy in the middle, and crisp on the outside, with a texture kind of like a peanut butter cookie. They are also extremely rich, and I could only eat half of one, so I am also sending some to Ohio to my family with my dad this weekend, and I am thinking about bringing some to a group ride one night to share.

Basic Group Ride Etiquette

Recently, I have had the opportunity to begin to go on group rides a little more, although my pace is unfortunately slow at the moment. I feel like I am finally when in a group getting the hang of drafting and riding with people, where previously I rode a lot on my own and people made me nervous. When you ride alone, you don’t have to worry about drafting or someone behind you, but in a group there are a lot of other potential issues.

1. Know your pace. Right now, I am with our C group, which is 14 mph and up, but when I am in better shape, I am a B group rider, which averages 17 mph normally. Typically you will be faster in a group than on your own, but pick the group that is your speed and stick with it. Normally you will all progress similarly, so you still have a good group to ride with. If you are on a group ride that is a little faster than your usual pace, but you can hang on, sit on the back and let other riders know you are staying on the back.

2. No aero bars. You can ride your Tri bike with some groups, but no getting in aero bars when in a group on a road or Tri bike. This is for the safety of you and the other riders. I don’t care how good your bike handling is. If have to brake for a sudden red light and you’re behind me in your aero bars, there is a good chance of us both crashing.

3. Know your pace lines. Most groups employ either a single or a double pace line and will have their set ways of pulling off to the back. In a single pace line, the rider in front will typically signal they are moving to the left and going to fall to the back. In a double pace line the riders will sometimes split to the left and right, or they will both move left, so I suggest starting in back or asking if you are unsure of how the group tends to ride. My biggest pet peeve is in a double pace line when the person next to me will ride between two people instead of on their wheel.

4. Know your signals. The two most basic are your turn signals for left and right. Beyond that, we also want to point to either side and announce things like glass, potholes, and gravel. I also suggest knowing signals for slowing/stopping, and announcing this as well.

5. Announce cars. If you hear a car and you are in the back, call out that there is a car back, so everyone is aware and if you need to move to a double pace line you can.

6. Maintain a steady pace when pulling. This can be a fast pace, slow pace, or a moderate pace depending on the ride, but the goal is to maintain the pace the ride is intended to be. If you are about to pull, look on your computer to see your current pace and try to maintain that when on the front to avoid going too hard, which is easy to do.

I Rode an Allied Alfa Allroad

I like riding bikes, and I like riding new bikes. This past weekend I had the opportunity to take a demo Allied Alfa Allroad for a spin up the first hill on the Natchez Trace Parkway to see how it handled. You can find more information about Allied here. All of their bikes are made (frames and all, not just assembly), in the United States, and every bike is made to order. This means you have the options of crank length, gearing, components, and wheels you get only at a premium from other brands.

I honestly thought I wouldn’t get a chance to ride on Saturday, because it had been raining off and on, but they got the bikes out and ready to go so we could test them out. My biggest hesitation with the Allied was the sizing. They are an aggressive geometry (compared to the Trek H1 geometry), and I felt like I was somewhat in between sizes. This hesitation comes from testing an Orbea 51cm frame, which felt too long to me, and I felt like I lacked control. I almost requested the 49, but because I find a 52 works in most other brands (although my Madone is a 50), I went with the 52.

The demo bike was spec’d with Shimano Ultegra components and hydraulic brakes. For the demo they had a 42 cm bar, 172.5 mm crank and 52-36 chainrings, with what I am pretty sure was an 11-28 cassette. I mention this, because the first thing I noticed, aside from being pretty comfortable position wise, was the crank length. I have only ever ridden 170 mm cranks, so my quads were killing me with the 172.5 mm.

Further into the ride I noticed a few more things. First, it climbs really well, seated and standing. I’ve also ridden a Trek Emonda SL 8, and I just felt more comfortable on the climb on the Allied. The only problem climbing was that I normally run a compact crank.

The other big difference I noticed was the sprinting capabilities of this bike. Some of the stability I found in my final standing sprint may have been the wider bar (something coming on all of my future bikes), but I found the Allied easier to move under me when standing, which has been a struggle on both my Madone and my Domane. In addition to that stability on a sprint, the weight of the bike (lighter than anything else I’ve ridden), also affected the speed I took off at from a stop, furthering my enjoyment of this bike.

My overall decision on this bike is that I will be buying one in December when I have graduated, and maybe even in the same bubblegum pink as the demo.

I Bought New Cycling Shoes, and They're Worth The Money

I bought new cycling shoes. They’re amazing. I bought the Louis Garneau Tri Air Lite shoes. They are silver, include both a boa and a velcro closure, and additional arch support that is included with the shoes.

I point out the arch support, because I bought some very nice Bontrager shoes when I purchased my Madone. They’re stiff, light, and bright pink. They also kill my arches. I blame this on Trek’s partnership with Superfeet, because they want to sell you a pair when you buy the shoes. I have since tried on various shoes including, Liv, Giro, and the Louis Garneau I purchased.

One thing I was looking for in my new shoes was the inclusion of various arch supports that can be used with them. This is something included with all of the shoes I tried on. They typically some in a low, medium, and high arch support, with the medium in place out of the box. I always try the shoes on with the medium, then I swap them to the high if needed.

The second thing I wanted was an upgrade from my current Pearl Izumi shoes. They were a big upgrade from my first shoes, since they had carbon soles and better ventilation, but they were looking rough at the end. I have the Bontrager shoes as a good pair of road shoes, but I wanted a new pair of tri shoes as well.

My first thought putting these on without stepping on the ground (which does nothing for cycling shoe sizing) was how I could feel my arches actually supported. I then did some more research about the wonderful shoes and found out more benefits than lightweight, arch support, and boa closures.

A quick read of one article showed me the shoe was made to be the best triathlon shoe on the market. The outer material was made to reflect the sun’s light and in a home study by the writer of one of the articles, it actually kept the inside of the shoe cooler than other shoes. The shoe is also designed to accommodate swelling feet.

Another weird thing about triathlon shoes I needed was the tab to pull them on in transition. This does not become a problem until I am just out of a river and trying to get on and tighten shoes. Between the boa and one strap system and the tabs on the back, I know I will gain at least a whole second from getting my shoes on, which will probably mean nothing, but it is nice to know I will be as fast as possible without a flying mount.

Trek's New Helmet Technology: Part I

As many people anxiously awaited Trek’s announcement of how they were going to change cycling on March 19, I found out on the 16 from my B2B site at work. Can I say I was just a little disappointed it wasn’t a graphene Domane? Absolutely. Can I say I am disappointed in the announcement as a whole? No.

Trek has a major point that the biggest recent change in helmets has been MIPS, which is a slip liner designed to absorb energy from an angular impact, since the material of the helmet only absorbs energy from a direct impact. Their goal with the development of the new WaveCel technology is to have one material that is going to do both. It protects from both angular and direct impacts without the need of MIPS.

Now, before I become a Trek ad, I will point out that obviously not everyone has the money for a WaveCel helmet, and I am not going into the technology, because you can read that from Trek. The XXX and Blaze, their road and mountain bike helmets, are priced at $300, while the Specter and Charge, their all around and commuter helmets, are priced at $150. I get plenty of customers who prefer to spend $40, no matter what I pitch about the benefits of a higher priced helmet, and I understand not everyone wants to spend $100+, so what I hope to see in the future is Trek allowing this technology to trickle down into their other helmets so everyone can benefit from the added safety.

It is no longer just weight and MIPS making the difference. Instead we can honestly say that yes, based on studies this helmet is safer. Trek has definitely put money into making sure people are safe on the road. Their lineup of daytime running lights and focus on placing attention grabbing colors where people are most likely to see them on your body pairs nicely with the launch of this new helmet.

Do I think this was a little overhyped? Maybe. I think that is more just me wishing for a graphene Domane right now. I am going to be purchasing one of the helmets. Specifically, I will be purchasing the Specter.

Why the Specter and not XXX? For one, I would love to get the limited edition XXX, and I can afford it with my employee discount, but I have a really nice Bell helmet with MIPS that I love, and I don’t know if I will love the fit of a Bontrager helmet. I also would like to match my cyclocross bike in the fall and the bright pink will look amazing with it. Finally, it is cheaper, and I would like to give honest feedback of a middle of the road product, because based on my newest cycling shoes, people can tell I am a gear snob.

in addition to my purchase, I am going to be giving an honest full review of the Specter, comparing it to my Bell Z20 and Giro Cinder to give a better idea of fit with a blog post and video to go along with it.

$700 v. $7000 Bike: What is the Difference?

When talking to my husband, I frequently hear how he does not understand my bicycle obsession, because it is just a bike. I understand, because I used to be him. Until I worked in a bike shop, I knew nothing of the different between my 8-speed Claris components and 10-speed Ultegra components and the new 11-speed groups. The only difference I knew was carbon fiber versus aluminum, and for me all that meant was weight savings.

The $700 Bike

My Trek Lexa purchased in 2012 brand new. It is a full aluminum frame and fork. It had Claris 8-speed components, externally routed cables, and aluminum wheels. This was my dream at the time. I had barely ridden a road bike. it was lighter than the mountain bike I had to ride around campus, and it was purple. It also came with pedals with toe clips and straps.

The $7000 (approximately) Bike

My Trek Madone. The first bike I bought for myself. It is a carbon frame, fork, steerer. It has lightweight aluminum wheels, Ultegra 11-speed electronic components, and is red, which automatically means it is faster. It is also an aero frame with hidden cable routing.

Where does the $6300 come in?

Carbon Frame & Fork - It is more responsive, stiffer, and absorbs vibration from the road better than aluminum.
11-speed components - The number of gears alone creates smoother shifting. In addition, this system being electronic means I can shift with the click of a button and there is not a long lever throw, especially for the front shift. This makes for faster shifting, especially going up hills.
Lighter Wheels - Another weight saving move. The wheels I have on the Madone are also a little stiffer and have a wider rim, so they fit 700x25 tires better the the ones on the Lexa.
Hidden Cable Routing - I am not talking about just cable routing that is mostly in the frame. I mean you don’t see the cables on this bike. This is not only protecting the cables, but it is also reducing some air drag (although if I shrink myself that does it too).

The Real Question

Does the $7000 Bike Make Me Happier?
I don’t know. I love both bikes. I tell people I will never get rid of my Lexa, because it was my first bike, but I would sell the Madone for the newer Madone SLR 7 Disc, and I would upgrade to carbon wheels, so I guess what I am saying is that you do get something for your money, but there is nothing that can beat the feeling of having something that is yours and allows you to feel as free as I did on that first bike. I have upgraded some parts of course like any good bike mechanic would on the Lexa.