Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its trouble…
Hotter ‘n Hell tips from the Wheelbrothers!
HHH is this weekend and here are some last minute tips and tricks before the race:
1. SLEEP!!!! Make sure you get plenty of sleep from Thursday/Friday night. The day before folks usually have a hard time sleeping. So make sure you give your body the maximum amount of rest you can.
2. Pack your gear the night before: Logical right? You’d be surprised how many riders freak out in the morning because they realize they left that extra tube at home.
Here’s a Quick Checklist:
- Bike
- Helmet
- Headband/do-rag
- Gloves
- Shoes
- Socks
- Bottles (filled with water)
- Heartrate monitor/GPS/whatever you use
- Sunscreen
- Extra tubes, patch kit, emergency bike tool
- Gu/Shotblocks/whatever you eat during the ride
3. Talking about tubes, make sure you have at least two extra tubes with you on this ride. For some reason, the combination of heat and awesome Wichita Falls road conditions is really tough on them.
4. Whatever you do, do not wear underwear under your riding shorts. It’s a ‘sensitive’ subject but we speak from experience when we say that saddle sores, ingrown hairs and blisters full of puss… well, you get the picture. Some of the real manly guys use Chamois/Butt Butter. Yeah, yeah… but it works!
5. Sunscreen: You are going to be in the sun for at least 5 hours or longer at 90+ degrees. Nuff said.
6. Don’t listen to one of the Wheelbrothers called Wade. There are more then one gears on your bike. Use them!
7. Find a great group to ride with and draft, if you are experienced enough to do that. Remember to ask for permission to do so before hand. 99% of the time it’s fine but there are anal retentive goobers everywhere.
8. Draft wisely: If you do not know the folks you are drafting of be careful. Figure out if they know what they are doing and if they can hold a steady lane. If not, the potential couple minutes you are shaving of your overall time, might not be worth the road rash.
9. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!!!
10. Keep your head up and have a great time. ENJOY the ride. Don’t take it to serious and relish in the experience of riding with 13,000+ other riders. Make new friends and most importantly, if you see one of the Wheelbrothers say ‘Hi’!!!!
You never have the wind with you…
Its Impossible, said pride…
Winning starts with beginning
Winning is about the heart, not just the legs
Perseverance is not a long race…
Don’t Mess with Cyclists! (Especially not their bikes)
What would you do if your bike was stolen and a few days later you found it posted for sale on Craigslist? Would you forget about it? Cut your losses? Or would you get it back? Well Simon from Portland, Oregon loved his bike so much that he dared to go where not many people would go and set out on a mission to get it back.
Driving 160 miles from Portland to Seattle, Washington, He contacted the thief under the impression that he wanted to buy the bike. Everything was set up, he had a Seattle phone number and his friends were ready to call the police. How did it all go down, you’re wondering? Well on this particular day was a good day for Simon. A bike chase was involved, the police came and he had enough evidence recorded to bring him down, all the way to a Class B felony for trafficking stolen goods. As Simon so rightly puts it:
“This is why you don’t steal from cyclists. Because we care about our bikes. Because I’ll go 160 miles to get my $2,500 bike back.”
Can I get an ‘Amen’? It’s nice to be reminded that there is still some justice in this world! Would you follow in Simon’s footsteps if this happened to you? I’d like to think we’d all put up a fight if our bike was stolen!
Watch the video, get empowered and know that good can prevail over evil.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-GVpIaPEGM]