Thanks to fellow blogger Zarah who responded to my bleg yesterday. Zarah has started bicycling and knows that one of my favorite pasttimes is biking so here goes.
Essential Gear – cell phone, water (plenty of it!), granola bars, tire levers, extra tube, tube patch kit, CO2 cartridges, latex gloves, money, sunscreen, sunglasses
Changing a Tire – first of all, always try to ride with a guy who thinks every female needs to be rescued and then if/when you get a flat, he will beg to change it – and let him! However, you can’t depend on that scenario so your best bet is to take a bike maintenance class at a local bike shop – in Springfield I’d talk with Greg at Sunshine Bikes because I think he’s the best bike mechanic around. You also need to practice – especially on the rear tire since you’ll have to deal with the chain and the gears! You need the latex gloves so your hands don’t get filthy but you still have manual dexterity. CO2 cartridges are also easier and more efficient to carry than even a small frame pump. If all else fails and you’ve used your last good tube and can’t patch one, use the cell phone to call someone to come get you! Whenever you finish a ride it’s a good idea to check your tires to be sure you didn’t pick up any road stuff that could leave you flat when you’re ready for the next ride.
Local Routes – I have so many including Strafford (easy 20 mile loop from my house), Rogersville (good 30 mile loop from my house), Ozark (hilly 50 mile loop from my house), Wilson’s Creek (try some loops around the park), and Ash Grove (easy 30 mile loop from Ebeneezer Baptist Church). The best thing to do is join Springbike and go on some of their rides – they ride every night during the week Monday-Thursday. Or sign up for the BikeMS ride (formerly known as the MS150) and get information about their training rides held 2-3 times a month on Saturday mornings. If you want to participate in the Bike MS in September, the team to join is The Endorphins – we have cool jerseys and always have a fun party before the MS weekend!
Better yet – give me a call and let’s go out and ride!
