5 Tips for Getting Back on the Bike

Last week I got back on the bike for the first time since November. While I’ve been cycling for almost my entire life, but, to be honest, at a much different level for the past 15 years, I still need to remind myself of a few things if I haven’t ridden for a while.

Check your Tires Before Every Ride

This is most important in the early spring. All winter, snow plows are pushing everything that lands on the road over to the side. That includes all the sand and salt they’ve been putting down on the snow. It also includes all other debris on the road like glass and random metal pieces, things people throw out windows, etc. You never know what you will encounter built up on the shoulders. Small pieces of embedded glass or nails that find their way into your tire and haven’t fully punctured through can be easily pulled out – and if not, could embed deep enough shortly into your ride to pop the tube.

It’s also important to check your tire pressure. You can find the PSI on the sidewall of your tire. Most road bikes with 23mm – 27mm wide tires pump to a maximum of 120 PSI but can be ridden at as low as 100 PSI. If you run them lower than the lowest recommended PSI, you run the risk of a pinch flat.

Check Your Drivetrain

Bike been in the basement or the garage all winter? Check that chain and see if it needs to be lubed. It’ll help you shift better and easier and make your drivetrain last longer.

And speaking of life expectancy of your drivetrain, if you aren’t sure how many miles you have on your chain and cassette, a quick way to find out if you have some life left in them is to pull out a ruler or tape measure. Mark off 12 chain links and if it measures more than 12 inches, your chain is spent. You can get a fancy bike chain measuring tool, but chances are you already have a ruler or tape measure lying around somewhere.

Also, a good rule of thumb is that when you change your chain, change your cassette. They should wear at roughly the same rate and a new chain on an old cassette won’t do much for smoothing out your shifting. Same if you reverse that.

Hills are Your Friend

As much as a hate them at the beginning of the season, hills make your legs stronger, give you more cardiovascular endurance and after you do the work of climbing, there’s usually just as much of a downhill afterwards. And believe it or not, they can be fun to ride up as well. I know, I don’t really believe it as I write it either.

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Right gear for right day

When I start riding in early spring I never remember how to dress for the weather. It’s like my mind just goes to “you’re going to be cold all day, so just pile on the gear,” and I dress in too many layers or in clothes that are too warm for the day.

I tend to stick with short sleeve jerseys, arm warmers, either full length bibs or shorts with knee warmers and maybe a vest or windbreaker. My general rule is to always dress for the second half of the ride. Layers are my best friend as I can strip them off as I go and just stuff them in my jersey pockets.

Happy cycling!