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Show Touring with comfort and efficiency Editor't note: In the third of a $erie$ on the art of bicycle touring, local spokesman Gary Heine deals with how one can ride efficiently ef-ficiently as well as comfortably comfor-tably and safely. by Gary Heins , With touring bicycles more technologically advanced advanc-ed now than ever before, it would seem that riding a bicycle should be as easy as ... riding a bicycle. But that may not be true, any more, if the rider neglects to fully understand his machine.. While a 10-speed touring bike may not be comfortable to ride in town, its stretched-out stretched-out frame, narrow seat, and dropped handlebars all contribute con-tribute to comfortable body and hand position for long distances. , .', Toe-clips and straps,' securing the feet tight to the pedals, encourage upward as well as downward strokes. Especially needed when climbing a steep hill or ditching a mad dog, this is known as anting. Cadence and Shifting The gears are probably the ..most misused asset of today's 10-speed. (I use the term "10-speed" now as a 1 ' . . i.'Y generic term for all touring bicycles, whether they actually ac-tually have 10, 15, 12, or 18 speeds. The only tangible . difference between a 10-speed 10-speed and a 15-epeed is that the 15-speed has one more front chainring than the 10-speed.) 10-speed.) The rider who misuses his gears the most is the rider who has not been informed that his own precious body is the bike's motor. Just as you wouldn't think of starting your new pickup out in third gear, you , shouldn't start on your bike in eighth gear. You, being the bike's motor, have to keep your r.p.m.s up and that goes for after you've gotten started, too. You have to And your cadence. This means that you will keep your motor (your legs) running run-ning at the same constant speed regardless of how fast the bike is moving. Try to pedal with at least 70 r.p.m. anything less is hard on you and your drive train. The setup of gears you have depends on you and your physical ability. I like my Golden Steed's fifteen-speed fifteen-speed system because it lets me climb a mountain at less than 5 m.p.h. and scream down the other side at more than 30 m.p.h. with my motor running the same comfortable speed the whole time. But, if you don't want to exceed a certain speed, you may have plenty in a low-geared 10-speed. Or, if you are as strong as Eric Heiden, you won't need the low gears a fifteen-speed affords. af-fords. The more you ride, the more you'll understand gear shifting. You'll discover a way to double-shift (shift the front and rear derailleurs at the same time) in order to get a subtle change in gears necessary to accommodate a subtle breeze in the face that caused your cadence to go down just a hair. You'll discover that some gears have extreme chain angles (like when the chain goes from the outside chainwheel to the inside sprocket of the freewheel) and are best not used. Now, everything that's been said so far (including the first two installments, on the touring bicycle itself and how to pack for the tour) has been dedicated to comfort and safety, but there are a few other tilings worth mentioning. Saddle. Helmet, aad i Training I personally don't train for anything. I hate exercise per se; but I love doing fun things that, for, some reason or another, just happen to keep me in good shape (Namely, skiing and bicycling). But, if there's a part of your body that needs to be ready for a bike trip, it's your rear end. You'll die of a sore butt on a tour before you'll die of a heart attack. Building compatibility with a good leather saddle is the best idea. Now, not wanting to imply that a cyclist's brain is in his butt, a helmet is equally important. There are many bicycle helmets to choose from these days shop around and get one that is comfortable as well as protective. But remember: a helmet is not a ticket for riding dangerously. Your hands need protection, protec-tion, too. You can damage the nerves in your hands if you don't pad them against several long days of road vibration. I prefer letting the bike do the work by padding the handlebars cycling gloves are not cheap, and that's especially true when you misplace them. As I said last week, I prefer my Adidas Superstar baskeball shoes over most f bicycling shoes, because they're comfortable both on and off the bike. In fact, on hot days, I strap my rubber thongs into the toe-clips. But, if you get sore feet from ridig, shopping for cycling shoes is probably the best idea. Oh, I almost forgot to mention men-tion riding shorts. All bike shops have riding shorts galore: ones that stretch this way and that and have a chamois crotch for use without undershorts. But I like wearing clean undershorts under-shorts under my cheap cutoff cut-off painter's pants. Adequate sunglasses and sun screen are basics one would never forget. Proper raingear is essential to ward off hypothermia, especially when touring in the mountains. moun-tains. The desert may dictate dic-tate a need for a wet bandana ban-dana around the neck. But the best thing is to avoid riding in extreme weather conditions. I probably don't need to tell you to stay off narrow, busy roads and ride defensively. defen-sively. . Other than all the external considerations, watch the gas gauge. Food and nutrition right on top of the list. Just as always, give your motor the fuel it needs when it needs it, and it'll run for a lifetime. Next week: bicycle maintenance. |