Happy July, everyone, and welcome to the second half of 2021. While gas prices are reaching a seven-year high, it’s a great time to be averaging about 40 miles per burrito by bike. Hop into the saddle this weekend and order yourself an extra helping of guac.
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Generally, cyclists measure their power output (energy used over time) in watts. A watt is a unit of measurement equivalent to one joule per second, but for folks who don’t recall much from high school physics class, a joule is probably just as foreign as a watt. Let’s put a watt into more meaningful context, shall we?
A 55-inch LED TV outputs about 80 watts
A three-horsepower engine (like a lawn mower) outputs about 2,237 watts
A Tesla Model S 100D outputs about 439,000 watts (439 kilowatts)
What about humans? Specifically, how does the power output of a behemoth racing the Tour de France compare to a mere mortal like me? Answer: Tourers are laying down upwards of 1,500 watts during the final seconds of a sprint to a stage finish, and comfortably holding 300-400 watts for entire stages. Recreational athletes like me are probably averaging closer to 100-200 watts over the course of a weekend ride. If you want to see how much huffing and puffing occurs at, say, 200 vs. 300 watts, this video breaks down wattage quite nicely.
Crank It
Lean and Believe
Photo credit: Dan Garri
Confident cycling has a lot to do with trust: in your equipment, in the riders around you, and above all else, in yourself. Riding some slippery off-camber trails on my mountain bike shook my confidence recently, so I’m refreshing myself on the fundamentals of proper cornering both off-road and on pavement.
For both, picking the right line, having the proper speed on entry into the corner, and keeping my eyes on the exit have made a substantial difference in how safe I feel while blasting through a turn.
Riding on dry tarmac, avoiding loose or gravelly roads, and opting for a slightly wider tire can help you stay upright, even as your bike leans in to kiss the ground. (I urge you – resist this kiss.) Generally, the wider the tire, the greater the surface area in contact with the ground, and thus the better chance you have of maintaining traction. That’s in part why riders of MotoGP can touch a knee all the way to the pavement in a turn without the bike slipping out from under them.
Coffee Stop
Let Thirst Be Your Guide
Photo credit: Bannon Morrissey
Earlier this week, I did a 77-mile training ride along one of my favorite routes in the San Diego area. It has a bit of everything – gradual climbs, steep climbs, flats along the coast, twists and turns throughout.
It was a warm day, high 70s, and I pushed pretty hard for about five and a half hours. In a few weeks, that same route will see temps well into the 90s. Sharing this tidbit of meteorological forecasting with my wife, she asked me if I’m drinking enough water out there. I shrugged. “How much is enough?”
This response was unsatisfactory for both of us, so I set out to quench my thirst for truth. The general consensus on the internet appears to be approximately 16 oz per hour, but that figure depends on variables such as workout intensity and duration, the athlete’s size, and weather conditions. The nice folks at the Montreal Gazette summarized a 2017 study from the National Library of Medicine about hydration for endurance cyclists, which I’ll further simplify for you with the following:
Drinking water is better than not drinking any water.
Don’t drink too much water too fast.
Drinking when you’re thirsty is good.
Adjust how much you drink to the conditions of your ride.
Anyone else feeling parched? I encourage you to sip some water as you finish the remainder of this newsletter.
Jaunt Back
The Clavicle Is Not a Funny Bone
Photo credit: Harlie Raethel
The first three stages of the Tour were fraught with crashes. You hate to see them, but also somehow can’t look away from when they occur. One of the most common bike injuries is a broken clavicle (i.e. collarbone). This has always struck me as rather peculiar, since cyclists hardly ever fall directly onto the collar bone. If the impact hits elsewhere, why is the collar bone so snappy?
The collar bone acts as a strut providing structural support by connecting the top of the sternum (i.e. breast bone) to the scapula (i.e. shoulder blade). When cyclists take a spill, it’s often the shoulder or an outstretched arm connected to the shoulder that takes the greatest impact, causing the collar bone to break. This actually “helps protect the arm by dispersing force transmitted through direct contact.”
Regrettably, a broken collarbone is just a part of cycling – one of the risks we accept when climbing into the cockpit. For its part, a collar bone heals relatively quickly and easily. Immobilize it. Ice it. For simple breaks, give it about eight weeks and you’re back in action. Yes, there are more severe breaks and complications are possible, but c’mon, glass half full and all that.
There is disappointingly little useful information online about how to prevent collar bone breakage while cycling. As such, I’m left to impart general riding safety knowledge to you, dear reader. These tips that have served me well and kept me reasonably intact over the years: know your limits, leave enough following distance, assume you're invisible to drivers, and have fun. Oh, and I suppose I should add one more: take care of your bones. Odds are, they’re the only ones you’ve got for the rest of your life, and they tend to work better in one piece.
Cool Down
Derailleur Demystification
YouTube
I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m not a bicycle whisperer. When something breaks or operates sub-optimally on a bike, sometimes I can fix it. Much more of the time, I let professional mechanics work their magic and restore order to the galaxy.
Becoming a gear head is a journey I've only just started, and it starts with learning more about how bikes work. For me, one of the most intimidating parts of the bike is the rear derailleur. I know it’s the mechanism that shifts gears, but let's cut to the chase – how many tiny elves are actually moving my chain?
In plain English and fewer than five minutes, a straight-talking, mustachioed expert named Calvin talks through the different pieces of the rear derailleur and how they work together in this Park Tool video.
Peel Off
MakeAGif
Wishing all of you Americans a happy and safe Fourth of July. Be careful with those fireworks, and don't forget to hydrate!
As always, if you come upon something you think should be featured in Group Ride, please send it along.
Group Ride is a newsletter for the social cyclist. I curate content from bike manufacturers, shops and media sources to bring you information and inspiration to ride more confidently and comfortably.
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