Saturday, August 8, 2009

Raw Power

Power is everything. Too little and you're done for, too much and you don't even want to know what will happen.

Honestly, everything is going kind of wrong for me. Oh well, that's life shit happens doesn't it? I have to give up something in life. Something have to go man, I'm too busy to focus on one thing, my heart and my soul is never in one place. ARGH!

Anyway, cycling, very fun. Just some tips for those preparing to go long, very long distance. Power is everything. Just remember that. Power is everything. You need to have power for the climbs, power for the sprints and power for the distance. Again, power is everything. Technique is quite important as well.

Just because someone else does it, doesn't mean you have to do exactly the same. Pick your cadence, high revs or low revs is up to you, but I personally prefer a high cadence as opposed to using the monster gear. Again, it's personal reason. Climbs are torturing, so train hard and climb high. Burst are the most fun part of the ride, also the most tiring. It's pure power. So yea, basically, keep an eye on the road ahead, and for goodness sake, keep and eye on what's behind you. Falling out at that speed will be a disaster. Once you got your path lined it, get up and dance, maintain the cadence. When you're feeling comfortable get down, stay low and maintain that cadence and maintain that speed. Hold on to the bike. Fingers on brakes and keep your line clear, estimate your turning radius, it's going to be one fast turn. Know your limits. If you can't turn at that speed, don't. The brakes are there for a reason, use them.

I had an experience of sliding out during a turn. Not the best experience and definitely not one I would want to go through again. Basically 'speed is your friend'. When turning in, commit. Either give it all you can or brake hard and corner flat. Raise your pedal when turning fast. The bank angle is surprisingly high. The pedals might strike. Recovery is important once you slide out. Don't lay there and complain, get up, get off the road. Safety first, recover your bike later. Trust me on this. Please.

Preparing for a long ride is equally important. Overlook this part and you'll be in for miles of suffering, over do it and you're carrying extra weight. Obviously, check the bike. (duh!). Next, carry a spare tube, cash, and a fully charged mobile phone. Other things you might need would be like snack bars, (seriously, you'll get hungry), water and if it's a long touring ride, a camera would be nice. Don't carry those bottles with caps and stuff, carry sports bottle and just squirt the drink in. Wake up early before the ride, have a good meal two hours before the ride and then make sure you're properly hydrated. You might not see the point of this, but this would help you keep your focus, give you the strength and lessen the amount of water you need during the ride.

Ride in groups. Form a pace line. This will decrease the amount of effort required to overcome the aerodynamic drag. There are different tactics employed for different situations, so cycle in a group and gain the experience. Learn, don't copy. The important part about cycling in a group is to keep in mind that there are riders around you. Cycle safe and predictably, keep an eye out for things laying in the road and always signal when you're pulling out of the pace line.

Yea, so cycling is not as straight forward as getting on the bike and pedaling. There's a lot of thought and planning mixed with the soul and passion and the grilled with the pain and suffering when it comes to long rides. Power is everything.

"get up and dance"
~Callum

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