
Meet our Mechanics: Joe
How long have you lived in Denton? Just about my entire life. I was born at the old Flow hospital and live in "idiot's hill" here in Denton. How many bikes do you own? Three that work, about eight that don't Do you have a favorite tool? I use a wrench force cassette lockring tool that I haven't seen or found anywhere else. I don't use it everyday but I prefer it to newer cassette tools. What is your preferred tire size to fix a flat on? Any larger size wheel. Small wheels don
My take on (mostly) Winter riding gear
We do not have the same winter season in North Texas that most do. We do not get (much) snow. We don't have picturesque greeting card scenes. We have cold rain alternating with warm sunny days. Very rarely will we get a cold snap that ices our roads for a few days. Nothing serious .. even though we still stock up on bottled water like it's the end times. This winter has been the warmest I can remember (it has been mid-eighty twice this February). Despite this, many of us hang

Race Scenario: undergeared
The following scenario and series of questions is for learning purposes only. There is no answer key because the point is to ask more questions, debate, discuss, think critically and learn. You are undergeared in a sprint. 1. Would you consider shifting even though the sprint has already started? 2. Would you personally be better off if the gear was too big? Why or why not? 3. Do you think you could still do well in the sprint with the smaller gear? 4. Would you still try to

Keep the communication open
Keep the communication open. Sometimes this can be treated like a mantra just for marriages or sports teams. But it can be immediately important on group bike rides because it can keep us safe from cars at intersections and minimize confusion that could lead to a bike crash. Not just fast road bike rides but any ride with more than one cyclist. Even a pair of riders can benefit from keeping the communication lines open. It helps people feel confident about their role on rides

Meet Our Mechanics - Carl
How long have you lived in Denton? 12 years How many bikes do you own? Hard to put an exact number to it. Bike is kind of a subjective term. Do frames count? Do they need wheels? How “built” does a “bike” have to be? Do you have a favorite tool? My park tool multi-allen set. The big size one with the 8 and 10mm on it. I think it’s AWS-11 or something like that. I also insist on my own personal philips screw driver because it’s the smaller guage that fits perfectly into the sc

Be realistic and remember not to get all unrealistic during a bike ride...
Let's assume we all agree that when exercising you need a plan. So, when exercising on a bike, you need to leave the house for a ride with a goal in mind. Not just a general goal, like I want to lose weight or I want to get into shape. But a specific goal that you can commit to and accomplish during the ride. Since we all can agree on that: let's focus here, instead, on the how of goals and bike rides. To begin with, cycling goals need to be realistic but challenging, and the
Actually SHARE Your Bike Ride With Your Friends (by talking!)
There are a lot of ways to tell the story of your bike ride. It can be interesting to explore the different possible perspectives with friends after a ride. Here are a few examples to get you started... On the ride (before the climb): “A hill. Not so big. My legs feel great. But I don’t know.” After the ride (before the climb): “Looking ahead, the hill didn’t seem too tough as I considered the awesome feeling in my legs. I didn’t have any idea how wrong I was.” On the ride (a

Race Scenario : the pursuit
The following scenario and series of questions is for learning purposes only. There is no answer key because the point is to ask more questions, debate, discuss, think critically and learn. You are chasing one rider, who is in sight, and it's only the two of you left in the race. 1. Do you think the fastest person will win? 2. What parts of a course are most to your advantage during a chase? 3. What kind of rider would you not be able to catch? 4. What kind of thoughts would

Race Scenario : Off the front
The following scenario and series of questions is for learning purposes only. There is no answer key because the point is to ask more questions, debate, discuss, think critically and learn. You are off the front of the pack. 1. How do you know it's late enough in the race to attack? 2. Would you try to judge your gap to the pack? How? When? 3. Is there a good time to try to take a drink? 4. What is the worst thing you can do in this situation?