If you’re a runner (like I am on some days), you’re dependent on your body, the elements, and a small bit on your equipment (which is shoes, socks, clothing, sunscreen, a bit of lubricant, and maybe glasses, a hat, and/or a visor–and in rare situations your phone, music player, and GPS). You may have all of this equipment or a little (I generally have the shoes, socks, clothing (including headband), phone, music player, and for longer runs, sunscreen and lubricant), but it’s mostly about your body–meaning your conditioning and your self-knowledge.

If you’re a cyclist, almost all of the same applies, but you are much more dependent on your equipment. Yes, a shoe failure on a run is a disaster, but a bicycle–which is really a pretty simple machine–has many more things that can go wrong (and a shoe failure on a bike is still a disaster–I’ve had one). So while training is important–and really, is the single most important thing in preparing yourself for your personal epic ride–your bike is also important.

This post isn’t about bike maintenance or bike fit–obviously, those are important. What it is about is knowing your bike, and being able to trust it. Think about it–you could be out on the bike for seven hours or more on a century ride; even for short distances you could be moving at speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour downhill with just it between you and the pavement or an oncoming car. So how do you get to know your bike?

Ride it. Looking at your pretty bike and thinking about riding is something every cyclist does, but it’s nothing in terms of getting used to it. You have to ride–it’s the number one thing to do. When I first got my Cannondale, I kept riding until I felt comfortable on it, comfortable enough to do rides of longer and longer distances–up to 100 miles.

Adjust it. Learn a bit about bike fit–things like seat height, stem length, and stem height. Don’t be afraid to make adjustments, but don’t stray too far from the generally accepted guidelines–at least not at first. Make changes in small increments if you are going to change things, and remember that your body will tell you if your adjustments are working or not.

Prepare it and Take Care of it. If you’re going to be doing a big ride, make sure your bike is ready too. Learn a bit of basic bike maintenance. Clean it. Lube your chain. Fill your tires with enough air. Have a small tool kit for on road fixes (and keep a dollar bill with you for emergency tire boots–I know many consider this an old fashioned approach, but it’s saved me before!). Take your phone with you, a little money, ID, and if you are diabetic, consider taking a bit of food in case of hypoglycemia.

My Since Stolen Cannondale

It took me awhile to get used to my Cannondale, and I’m still getting used to its replacement, my Bianchi. Despite the fact that a cyclist is so dependent on their equipment, taking care of this aspect of things either comes automatically in the course of training (rides and adjustments) or takes a bit of time but not a ton of it (preparation and maintenance). What really counts most is the training time, which we’ll look at next time.