Do you have any Pre, On or Post Ride superstitions or routines?

[Boeing]

Knowing this is a routine sport....

Me; Brush teeth before every ride, and eat a breath mint or Hals just before the start of a race or competitive group ride (evolved from youth when a mentor told me to use a mint so I would remember to breath through my nose warming up) . Also mix last seasons team bibs and this years jersey or visa-verse.. Never the same season kit.
(unless new team)

During a ride never I say the word "flat" and always click out with the right foot. Water in bottle on down tube. Energy drink on seat tube...always

Just some of the things brought to my attention. Not sure if it is habit in the routine of riding and training of my fear of rubber side up or bonking etc...


I remember reading LA would never wear matching Yellow Helmet with Jersey until Champs...

Anyone else have their own or know of strange behavior in the peloton? .

 

[veganrob]

Knowing this is a routine sport....

Me; Brush teeth before every ride, and eat a breath mint or Hals just before the start of a race or competitive group ride (evolved from youth when a mentor told me to use a mint so I would remember to breath through my nose warming up) . Also mix last seasons team bibs and this years jersey or visa-verse.. Never the same season kit.
(unless new team)

During a ride never I say the word "flat" and always click out with the right foot. Water in bottle on down tube. Energy drink on seat tube...always

Just some of the things brought to my attention. Not sure if it is habit in the routine of riding and training of my fear of rubber side up or bonking etc...


I remember reading LA would never wear matching Yellow Helmet with Jersey until Champs...

Anyone else have their own or know of strange behavior in the peloton? .

No man, that's just being weird.

 

[barn yard]

most people i ride with dont have a shower before going out on a 7.30am ride... is that odd? i have a shower when i get out of bed every day.

 

[mewmewmew13]

most people i ride with dont have a shower before going out on a 7.30am ride... is that odd? i have a shower when i get out of bed every day.

lol I do too! gotta shower to get out in the morning!

..and I could NEVER ride without at least one shot of espresso in me...

 

[barn yard]

lol I do too! gotta shower to get out in the morning!

..and I could NEVER ride without at least one shot of espresso in me...

same, some of my normal crew don't like to have a pre ride coffee and chat so i ended up having to buy a decent espresso machine for home...

still find it a bit weird that people can go out riding without having a shower first

 

[Stingray34]

A shower helps warm up the muscles, but I never wake up with enough time for one. Always pump my rear wheel first, mount the bike from the right side, clicking in left foot first. Right foot always clicks out first. I also have water on downtube and energy drink seat tube. I keep gels in seam of shorts to remind me to eat on long rides.

 

[biokemguy]

I'll 3rd the espresso. Gotta have a shot before every ride and usually after.

On the road bike, I also do water on down tube and energy drink on seat tube, but I didn't realize it until Boeing mentioned it.

 

[mewmewmew13]

I'll 3rd the espresso. Gotta have a shot before every ride and usually after.

On the road bike, I also do water on down tube and energy drink on seat tube, but I didn't realize it until Boeing mentioned it.

HA! omg I do that too

 

[Oldman]

Kind of abstract but for crits: New skinsuit is placed on the saddle. Bike is pushed and allowed to crash.
Used to work. Didn't last crit and I don't race anymore. Superstitions are stupid.

 

[nobilis]

I have some routine too that I tend to stick to it.
I also do the same for water bottles.
I clip out the right foot first.
I usually eat the same thing before a race. Muesli with soy milk and Speculoos spread.
I never shave the legs one day before the race.
The weirdest one, which is part of my OCD symptoms, I usually do one turn of a roundabout at the end of the ride just next home.

 

[Boeing]

I ride with this one dude who is always folding and adjusting his bib shorts at the end where the elastic is. Every stop. Always folds them up so sticky side is not on skin. Weird . Just constant

 

[pastronef]

wow, some weird habits

I just have 1 bottle cage, just water
clip and unclip the right foot
pause the garmin at traffic lights or when I stop at crossroads
never stop for coffee in winter-spring, I hate to restart sweaty and cold

 

[RedheadDane]

pause the garmin at traffic lights or when I stop at crossroads.

I have the setting on mine so it pauses automatically. And, yeah... I do have a Garmin that I use with my ancient bike...

The only routine I have is taking a shower after I'm done (longer for exercise rides only) but I think that's a fairly common thing...

 

[Michele]

Interesting question but I guess I dont have any particular habit...

As it's winter now, I'd often stop for an espresso during long rides while on summer it would rarely happen.

 

[Boeing]

Not sure if this counts but I put new grease on very bolt I add, remove and re screw on a bike. Anything with threads gets new grease. Every time. Then wonder if I greased the bolts enough after about 1,000 miles.

 

[Fourier]

apply sunscreen as if it were war paint

 

[42x16ss]

I always race crits with a light base layer under the jersey, deflate and reinflate my tyres before every ride (except short commutes) and never, ever stop for coffee/breakfast/lunch during a ride, only after.

 

[winkybiker]

I ride with this one dude who is always folding and adjusting his bib shorts at the end where the elastic is. Every stop. Always folds them up so sticky side is not on skin. Weird . Just constant

Rode with one guy who just cut the elastic bits off. Just roughly hacked them off with scissors or maybe even a knife. He just couldn't stand the feel of the elastic hems.

I've also seen the folding-up done. My guess was that it was about suntanning.

 

[stainlessguy1]

Wow , do you guys all shower before riding wow. I mean you must be all office type guys and don't shower before bed .
I shower before bed as a tradesman because I am covered in grinding dust and other unmentionable chemicals . Early morning is the cleanest I am going to be all day . LOL .

Yah so , mount from left or right and opposite swing leg from mount goes in last.
Stop lights means unclip (my Binda and Christophers) the left foot so I can exchange pleasantries with the motorists without falling into the vehicle . Since we do have to get closer to hear the obscenities and still have a leg at the ready to jam the door in case the door opens quickly .
I suppose if I were riding in the UK , it would be reversed.

Water bottles , depends on the ride and length and temperature. Only recently went to two water bottles , since the global warming thing. Had to convert all my bikes , as they only came with down tube threaded bosses for water bottles . Never really thought about what went where . Before the conversion the extra bottle went into my jersey .

Really long rides get 2 tubulars under the saddle , just in case of terrorist attacks or ending up in long gravelled sections that sprung up out of nowhere because of the terrorist attacks on our roadways.
( graders , backhoes , bulldozers and dumptrucks are road terrorists favourite weapons).

Still carry my Silica pump the old long style , and it works great in case of dog attack , probably much better than all those compact compressed cartridges everyone carries .
I supposed you could get the dog to sniff the cartridge and then throw it in the hopes that the nice dog wants to play fetch but , if your not quick he might catch you again .
If that doesn't work and one isn't about to give up the cartridge , carrying some doggie biscuits can work .

Pump up the tire that feels flattest first , just in case its flat again before I am dressed and ready too go .

Feel like crap going up the first hill out of the village and change the planned route on the fly .

Make plans for riding the years first Gran Fondue Tour while training downwind and really giving it . Changing plans while riding home up wind .

Ride the first few rides in vintage kits to honour the heroes of days gone by .
( other reasons , I don't have modern foul weather kits )

well if you have read this far , Have a great 2014 cycling season everybody. .

 

[Boeing]

I always race crits with a light base layer under the jersey, deflate and reinflate my tyres before every ride (except short commutes) and never, ever stop for coffee/breakfast/lunch during a ride, only after.

Deflate and inflate tires is interesting. for what reason might I ask?

I do that kinda with my mountain bike front tire. I dont deflate all the way but I do let some out and refill max the let some out to desired pressure to set bead every ride because I run tubeless and want to be sure the tire wont burp off the front

Burp crashing is something you only let happen once.

 

[42x16ss]

Deflate and inflate tires is interesting. for what reason might I ask?

I do that kinda with my mountain bike front tire. I dont deflate all the way but I do let some out and refill max the let some out to desired pressure to set bead every ride because I run tubeless and want to be sure the tire wont burp off the front

Burp crashing is something you only let happen once.

It started when I had a cr@ppy track pump that was really difficult to put that last 10-20 psi into a tyre when it was almost up to pressure so I had to let a lot of air out then pump them up. I then started using this as a chance to check for anything embedded in the tyres and just kept on doing it

 

[Boeing]

It started when I had a cr@ppy track pump that was really difficult to put that last 10-20 psi into a tyre when it was almost up to pressure so I had to let a lot of air out then pump them up. I then started using this as a chance to check for anything embedded in the tyres and just kept on doing it

I know right? Like if you missed just one day it your fault you flatted?

there is a guy I ride with now and again who always says before we push off "dont say flat" like it is Break a leg or something

 

[42x16ss]

Yeah, exactly! And the last time I bragged about how long it was since my last flat, I got a 4cm cut in the sidewall of a brand new Vittoria tubular 15 minutes later

 

[stainlessguy1]

Tire pressures

Well a lot of superstition about letting air out of tires after a training run .

That is a must , and was routine during the late sixties and early seventies and all the years we road on Tubulars tires .
The Pressures were no where near what they are today , but , when leaving wheels totally inflated in the car and windows closed the temperature soon elevated to popping level , and lots of tires did pop in the trunks and cabs .
Therefore letting out 20 to 30 psi , was good .

This doesn't apply to commuter clinchers , nor did it to the massive clinchers of days gone by .
Unless you max out your tire pressure , on a high pressure and shove it into the car at 40 degrees C , they are pretty resilient .
Fabric and silks , not so much .
However , even rubber will stretch out a bit and make your tire look a bit plumper when left always inflated . So if you want your tire to retain shape , let out a few pounds and re-pump before the ride .

One other point to make , as to why you should re-pump to your favourite tire pressure before a ride.
The thinner and lighter the tube , whether its a super thinned skin tubular or light rubber tube , the less the tube will hold the extreme tire pressures for very long .
There is a certain amount of air lost over 24 hours , and also temperature variations throughout the day .
In all forms of racing in any wheeled sport , tire pressures are the most important and often overlooked part of the equation.

 

[Boeing]

Well a lot of superstition about letting air out of tires after a training run .

That is a must , and was routine during the late sixties and early seventies and all the years we road on Tubulars tires .
The Pressures were no where near what they are today , but , when leaving wheels totally inflated in the car and windows closed the temperature soon elevated to popping level , and lots of tires did pop in the trunks and cabs .
Therefore letting out 20 to 30 psi , was good .

This doesn't apply to commuter clinchers , nor did it to the massive clinchers of days gone by .
Unless you max out your tire pressure , on a high pressure and shove it into the car at 40 degrees C , they are pretty resilient .
Fabric and silks , not so much .
However , even rubber will stretch out a bit and make your tire look a bit plumper when left always inflated . So if you want your tire to retain shape , let out a few pounds and re-pump before the ride .

One other point to make , as to why you should re-pump to your favourite tire pressure before a ride.
The thinner and lighter the tube , whether its a super thinned skin tubular or light rubber tube , the less the tube will hold the extreme tire pressures for very long .
There is a certain amount of air lost over 24 hours , and also temperature variations throughout the day .
In all forms of racing in any wheeled sport , tire pressures are the most important and often overlooked part of the equation.

hummm No tubes bro. re pump max pressure (especially if you add more stans or equivalent)to secure bead and deflate before ride to take advantage of low pressure possibility IE more traction no pinch flats. the issue with tubeless is letting tire sit at low pressure; it increases probability tire will detach from rim cornering. I just make it a habit now on mtn bike anyway
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although I enjoy your approach here it is quite readable. even if you sound a lot like a dude who left here a bit ago. no need to look at his URL mods he is cool.