wearing bright orange safety vests.
There are a number other of essentials as well. I
suggest putting a little cloth “bento box” on your bike
for supplies and/or cycling jerseys with lots of pockets
for the following:
Water Just a reminder of course. Road bikes should
have at least two cages for water bottles (about ½
liter each) either on the frame or behind the seat.
Nutrition: After about 45 minutes to one hour of
riding, a shot of electrolyte/sugar gel is a useful pick-
me-up, but be sure to read labels. I’m hypoglycemic
so I need to make sure mine don’t contain caffeine.
Gel shots are great because they have electrolytes
and absorb into your bloodstream quickly without
effort. After an extended period of intense cardio,
trying to chew a Power Bar or any kind of nutrition bar
is incredibly difficult.
Identification (i.e., driver’s license), cell
phone and your health insurance card A wise
cyclist never leaves home without this information. In
case of emergency, if you are unconscious, someone
will need to identify you and find out if you have any
allergies or health problems (i.e., penicillin allergies).
Road ID makes a great identification badge. Check it
out at
http://www.roadid.com
Extras I always keep an extra tire tube and a 1-
gram CO (Carbon Monoxide) cartridge with me
in case I somehow end up with a flat tire. It does
happen, so if you don’t know what I am talking
about, enroll in a bike maintenance clinic and learn
how to change a tube and a bicycle tire. If you ride
frequently, it’s only a matter of time before you find
yourself 20 miles into a ride with a flat.
These tips cover the basics of road cycling, but
barely. The best thing to do is find a local cycling
or triathlon club and join it. The more you ride, the
better you’ll get, but there is no substitute for riding
with a group (and ladies, you never know who you’ll
meet!).
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