Rites of Fall
by J.P. Partland
As the road season is over, it might be a good idea to create a few fall rituals for yourself. A classic is to overhaul your race bike. Either do it yourself or bring it to a shop. If you have a pair of race-only wheels, clean these thoroughly, make sure they're in good shape, have them repaired if they're not, and put them away for the fall. Many put on fatter, heavier tires, to decrease the likelihood of flats in cold weather.
Another good idea is to take stock of your parts and clothing inventory. Evaluate what you need to replace before next season. Consider what things you felt you needed but didn't buy (not talking about a Colnago C-50, but aerobars or a hrm, or power meter, or clear lenses, or an extra cogset). Fall is a good time to score on some wicked sales.
Like I recommended at the start of the season, now is a good time to bone up on training knowledge. Talk to other riders, find out what they do. Look back at your season, and think about when you were good, when you were bad, if there's a way to further maximize the highs and minimize the lows. Ask yourself if you trained too much or too little last winter. Decide if you were strong throughout the season, peaked too early or came onto form too late. Read or re-read training books and articles you have accumulated. We have linked to a few coaching sites with good articles.
Position
Another good idea is to take stock of your position on the bike. Did you feel any part of your position caused discomfort anywhere? Some things, like tight muscles at the end of a long, hard ride are to be expected, other things, like consistent genital numbness, aren't. The club has a Fit Stik, which is be available to club members so they can duplicate the position on their favorite bike on their other bikes. You can find information on position in a number of training books, on websites, and if you want to pay, a number of bike shops offer good fitting services.
Cycle-Metrics has a good listing of different fit formulas and fitters. Go to www.cyclemetrics.com and click on fit links.” |
