[olds_cool]

"Well handlebars over cranks but properly sized handlebars should have been dealt with in the bike fit and carbon is really not necessary although it may look cool. Why would you be putting carbon handlebars and cranks on a 105 level bike?"

cause they dropped almost a half pound off the bike, and were not much more than upgrading to an ultegra crank and bb.

 

[sgt_hedgehog]

3. Ultegra vs 105s, for the money: 105s

especially for 2006!
10 SPEEEED!!!!

 

[Thommy]

Yet another bike stand

Using motorcycle tie down straps with the s-hooks. Hook one end to a cross beam and the other end around the seatpost, the other strap will hand from another cross beam (or hook) and then around the stem.

 

[RodeRash]

I use tyvec CD/DVD holders as a bag for my tubes in my seatpack. It protects the tube from my toolkit and other stuff in the bag, and can be used to boot a tire like you said.

Old cotton sock for the tube. Holes in it are OK, also the ones that show up in the laundry with no mate. Put the tube in the foot end and fold the top over. Then store the CO2 cartridge, irons, etc. in the "leg end." This does a couple things: Keeps the tube from getting chafed in the bag against the tools, but also keeps the tools from chafing your seat bag against the rails on the saddle. Finally, when you do have a flat or a minor roadside repair, you have a "grease rag" to clean up your hands.

NEVER pass up a chance to top off your water bottles!

Sodium bi-carb in the bottle with water is an electrolyte and better than salt because it will settle your stomach a bit on a hard ride. A pinch will do ya!

Leather pouch coin purse for keys and change. Keeps keys/change from poking a hole in your $100 jersey, and keeps the contents together.

Speakin' of jerseys. Zippers cost money. When looking at jerseys and comparing prices, get the one with the LONG zipper that comes all the way down to your navel. Hang the cost! It will pay for itself in the long haul. Also, put it on. Zip up the neck. It's nice if you can un-zip the neck with one hand and no fancy finger work. That's a function of fit and design. Helps too if the zipper tab is a decent size.

For the tourist types -- DON'T secure clothing on the bars. You haven't lived until that shirt comes untied and wraps around the front wheel!

 

[olr1]

Shoes? $100 plus....

Socks? $1.....

Put socks over your shoes when it rains.

 

[RodeRash]

Oh yeah. This seems obvious too.

Buy some decent riding shorts. Then leave the Jockey's and Joe Boxer's at home. That goes for the Maidenform, and Olga's too.

 

[symbo]

tire change

Lots tell how great it is to change a tire with no levers, but no one hinted at how.

When taking the tire off or on, the trick is to make sure the opposite end your are working with your hands is sunk well down into the rim. this will give those extra few milimeters on the other side that you need to pop it off or on.

For example, when taking it off, pinch the beads together (no air in tube at all) with one hand, while pulling out on the end you want to remove.

Another tip: always preinflate the tube just enough to give it shape, work the tube into the rim first, so you don't get it stuck between a bead and the rim. If you need to let it out again for the last section of bead, at least you know it's properly seated.

Also, about all these boot materials - if you really want to fix the tire and have a patch kit, clean and glue a patch over the slice (on the inside obviously) just like you would a tube. I've had realatively new tires that were sliced last until the tread was gone with a well placed patch. Saves buying a new tire.

Pop the bottle trick - (mt or city bikes) - spot a plastic bottle against the curb...pinch it between the front tire and the curb... watch it shoot into the air. I've had a friend in front of me put one right into my chest. sometimes you can even pop one over the next riders head. Beware, open bottles or cans may spray you down.

 

[DieselDan]

Cut up FedEx, UPS, DHL envelope (Tyvek)strips are better & ~~free & you still have the $5 bill to spend on a congradulatory beer for your field expediency.

A cut out section of denium works well.

 

[gcaz]

Quick Tube Tip

If your new tube doesn't have it already, wipe a bit of talcum powder over it before installing. Then pre-inflate the tube just enough to give it shape (as someone else mentioned). I use the silver rings to give the pump good purchase on the stem.

 

[dagger]

2006 105 definitely

especially for 2006!
10 SPEEEED!!!!

I don't agree with selecting 105 over Ultegra for prior years.

 

[Bryan]

Sprinkle babypowder inside your tire at your next tube change. This prevents the tube from sticking to the tire.

 

[bigrider]

tips

Learn to unclip your left foot instead of your right, and say goodbye to chainring tattooes.

When changing a flat, you never should have to touch the chain and get grease all over your hands. Have your bike in the big ring on the front and the small cog on the back. You should be able to take the wheel off and put it back on. The big ring in the front keeps more pressure on the chain and keeps it on the chainring.

If you want to check your shifting without riding, stand on the left side of your bike, bend over and place the tip of the saddle over the back of your neck and lift the back wheel off the ground. Shift with your left hand and peddle with your right.

Instead of powerbars and expensive food, buy iced oatmeal cookies from the dollar store. They have almost the same balance but taste better and are easy to pack.

Don't buy cold water at the convenience stores on a group ride. Just buy a gallon of warm water for a buck and share with the whole group. Don't worry about keeping your liquids cold, it is more trouble than it is worth.

 

[Muldoon54]

With a cut tire, where the tube will stick out and pop again, place a dollar bill (or 5 pound note...) inside and insert/inflate new tube. Done this several times and I always carry a bill with spare tubes.

I usually take an old tire and cut the bead out. When that is done, I cut the tire into different lengths (anywhere from 2" to 4") and keep them in my saddlebag. If I get a sidewall cut, place the proper length in and that usually gets me home.

As for the bunny hopping thing. I did the classic mistake on a ride with a friend. Was talking to him and not looking forward (long stretch straightaway while on the shoulder). He yelled "Watch out!" and looked up to see a huge tree limb in front of me. I had no where to go so I bunny hopped. He still talks about that to this day. You would have sworn that I won Paris-Roubaix.

 

[Uprwstsdr]

The last thing you should do

before leaving your home for a ride is drink a glass of water.

 

[Jesse D Smith]

Old cotton sock for the tube. Holes in it are OK, also the ones that show up in the laundry with no mate. Put the tube in the foot end and fold the top over. Then store the CO2 cartridge, irons, etc. in the "leg end." This does a couple things: Keeps the tube from getting chafed in the bag against the tools, but also keeps the tools from chafing your seat bag against the rails on the saddle. Finally, when you do have a flat or a minor roadside repair, you have a "grease rag" to clean up your hands.

NEVER pass up a chance to top off your water bottles!

Sodium bi-carb in the bottle with water is an electrolyte and better than salt because it will settle your stomach a bit on a hard ride. A pinch will do ya!

Leather pouch coin purse for keys and change. Keeps keys/change from poking a hole in your $100 jersey, and keeps the contents together.

Speakin' of jerseys. Zippers cost money. When looking at jerseys and comparing prices, get the one with the LONG zipper that comes all the way down to your navel. Hang the cost! It will pay for itself in the long haul. Also, put it on. Zip up the neck. It's nice if you can un-zip the neck with one hand and no fancy finger work. That's a function of fit and design. Helps too if the zipper tab is a decent size.

For the tourist types -- DON'T secure clothing on the bars. You haven't lived until that shirt comes untied and wraps around the front wheel!

The zipper comments are right on the money. Those cheap "exclamation point" zipper pulls on thin, tight, plastic zipper teeth are crap. Santini and Biemme have nice large rectangular logo pulls with thick, smooth meshing teeth.

 

[Jesse D Smith]

The other day I went over to a friend's house to get his and his wife's bikes ready for a duathlon. I asked him if he had a workstand, and he pointed to his workbench, covered in junk. I said I meant a bike stand, but I figured he did not have one. I then said "No problem, we will just make one."

Out comes the rope, tossed over a rafter, a slipknot went around the nose of the saddle, and viola! a workstand that made it easy to lube and tune the bikes.

The guy was freakin' AMAZED! He looked at me like a miracle worker.

So, and other basic tricks of the trade people would like to share? Things that you never think about twice, but that a new rider might never think of on their own?

Bonus points if your tip includes duct tape.

random tips in no particular order, but numbered for aestetic reasons.

1. When at a stop light, if you need to move over to either side to make room for cars or other bikes, squeeze front brake lever to lock front wheel. Push forward on handlebars effectively executing a slight nose wheelie. The rear end can then easily swing right or left. Let the rear wheel land to which ever side you want to move to (if swinging to right be careful to avoid hitting right calf with chain or chainring). Release front brake and lift front end over to be parallel with rear wheel. You can use this method to lift your bike from street to curb or sidewalk.

2. Handwritten direction on paper placed in jersey pocket can smear with sweat. Put the paper in a sandwich bag to keep it dry and readable.

3. If your chain drops off a ring, try backpedaling 1/4 turn to re-engage chain onto ring, then pedal forward.

4. You can park your bike upright, leaning on curb or low ledge by using a pedal and crankarm as a kickstand. To park bike on right pedal, place cranks so right pedal is between 6:30 and 8 o'clock depending on height of curb or ledge. Rest pedal on top of 4"-10"curb or ledge with wheels below level of curb or ledge with tire sidewalls touching and parallel to curb or ledge just like a parked car. Pedal and crank arm act as a kickstand, unable to rotate forward.

5. When parking bike unlocked at convenience store or cafe, shift to big ring and little cog, then tighten down brakes all the way, so pads pinch rim. Woodbee thieves who try to ride off with it will not be able to pedal away.

6. When enterring public place like cafe or convenience store, casually carry large water bottle in front of you, low and just below navel to shield your massive junk from innocent eyes. Or you can duct tape Lil Elvis 'tween the cheeks.

7. Plain old vasoline acts as total wind and water proofing for legs.

8. Coat cut off cable ends with Superglue instead of using tip caps.

9. Applying a bead of ShoeGoo around junction of shoe sole and upper, especially at toe and heel will prevent scuffing and prolong life of shoes.

10 Make all wheel sensor magnet adjustments off of bike, not while wheel is spinning. This takes some people a bit longer to learn than others.
From cyclingnews.com
Contador fractures finger
Alberto Contador (Liberty Seguros) didn't finish Stage 6 after crashing just 1.5 km into the stage, when he tried to adjust his bike computer sensor and put his hand into his wheel. Contador was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with an open fracture in the third joint of his right ring finger. He had 15 stitches to the finger, as well as five more in his right thumb.

June 11 does not seem to be an auspicious day for Contador, as last year on this date he had to be operated on to relieve a brain cavernoma that put his cycling career at risk. But Contador is confident that he will be back in action in time for the Tour de France. "I believe that this time there is no risk for the Tour," he said. "Last year I missed it because of the operation, but I believe that this problem only will force me to stay off the bike a couple of days."

Contador is the second rider from Saiz' team that has suffered an accident of this sort. In the 2000 Vuelta a España, during the Rabassa descent in the Pyrenees, Mikel Zarrabeitia (ONCE), also put his hand into the front wheel and his finger had to be partially amputated.

 

[xxl]

Best tip I haven't seen here is one I learned from a family of racers: when moving your bike in tight quarters (like between two cars in the garage), stand the bike on its rear wheel, holding it by the handlebars, and walk it. It is so much easier that trying to get your bike from scratching the side of your other non-bike stuff, and so simple.

 

[HAL9000]

Listen to this one kids. XXL is spot on.

 

[rePhil]

Did anyone say ID"

Carry ID, Cell or change for phone, couple of bucks for a snack

 

[gotbones]

Carry some first aid supplies

Hopefully you'll never need to use them, even to help someone else.

If you don't want to carry them in your pocket, put a few band-aids, gauze pads, and alcohol wipes in a baggie and stuff it into your seat post. You can wrap some duct tape around a stick and put it in there too (more useful than adhesive tape) Seal off the bottom of the seat post so you don't have to fish the supplies out of the seat tube. Check it periodically.

A spare tube can be used to apply a splint, brace a fractured clavicle, immobilize a sprained finger, ankle, etc. Mountain bike and cyclocross tubes can be cut up and used for pressure bandages. Road tubes work - just not as well.

Take a first aid course (call your local Red Cross office.) It'll apply to a lot more than cycling.