1. When opening the gates, I don't have to unclip both feet and jump off of the bike. While it might be good if I were practicing my cyclocross moves, it is not required for commuting. I can unclip one foot and roll through the gate. The pros don't unclip at all!
2. Just because I am on a trail does not mean that I have to be a hard-core mountain bike expert. Sure, there are more exciting trails in the world than the quadruple-track on my route, but these nice flat gravel trails are a joy for commuting.
3. Just look at that view.
4. My friend Neal, who had a birthday this week (Happy Birthday, Neal!) gave me some good advice: When taking a turn downhill, put your uphill pedal down (so that you don't scrape the downhill one) and put your weight on it so that your tires slide out of the turn. Now, Neal has been known to go so fast downhill that he skipped his downhill pedal on the pavement (yes, he was parallel to the ground), but his advice works equally well for novice bike commuters. Putting your weight on the uphill pedal makes your bike more steady in a turn.
5. Fuel and drink a a bit extra for the commute. Drink extra water, and if you are dieting, take a break on the commuting days so that you don't arrive at home completely spent.
3 comments:
Awesome photos. Where is your commute that you're lucky enough to ride on trails??
always stand on your outside pedal in any turn! Pressing into the pedal through the ball of your foot will really give you traction, gravel or pavement - and help you rail a turn even at high speed!
I ride between Boulder and Broomfield. The trails go up and over the mesa to and add about 3 miles to my trip, but are way fun. : )
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