Pre/Post-ride rituals

[Beastt]

It seems that most cyclists develop their own little traditions, superstitions or preparations surrounding each rendezvous with the bike. Do you wipe the tires, clean the chain, wax the frame? Perhaps you always start off in the same gear or wipe off each spoke after the ride.

What are some of your specific preparatory habits or rituals?

 

[hippy]

I'm in the habit of putting some clothes on before a ride - otherwise chaffing is a real problem...

Recently I've got into the habit of testing brakes before getting on the bike, just rocking the bike back and forward with brakes on - dunno why, just realised last night.

I never clean anything before a ride - too lazy. After dirty rides I might clean the bike down.

Post ride habits involve eating as much as possible usually.

hippy

 

[ManitouSHX]

Pre-ride, I make sure that my tires aren't low so I don't damage the rim but that's about it. But afterward, I always spray the bike down real good w/ a hose and get all the dirt off and then grease the chain back up with a little Teflon lubricant so it stays running clean and smooth and keep the "grindies" out of it. Then I, like Hippy does, go and eat like I've never eaten before cause' I'm really, really hungry after a ride usually.

 

[shokhead1]

Helmet,gloves,shoes and go.

 

[darkboong]

Originally posted by Beastt
What are some of your specific preparatory habits or rituals?

Usually just do a once over of the bike, make sure the wheels are roughly in the right place, cables aren't slack etc, saddle isn't wobbly. Usual stuff.

Post ride I like to have a really hot bath + cup of tea (in winter), or a long coolish shower + beer, preferably something like a Leffe Blonde (in summer). Also I eat a shedload, usually clear out the fridge and start working on the cupboards. Fruit juice is good too, I tend to drink a fair bit before I shower/bath.

 

[brightgarden]

pre-ride -- check tire pressure, then check brakes and get on (well, aside from the obvious part about getting dressed and loading up with the morass of junk I carry around with me on every ride).

post-ride -- wipe off chain and frame. if bike got muddy, clean it better than that. heat up leftover noodles or some other carbs and eat while i stretch. shower, then go get a jamba juice smoothie and chitchat with the beer dude.

 

[JohnO]

Yeah, I put on clothes pre-ride too, otherwise laughter is a problem...

pre-ride:

Carefully remove cycle from bag, wheels from bag, assemble.
Adjust brakes
check tire pressure
pound a Red Bull
Lace up shoes
Strap on helmet and gloves
Adjust Oakley's
Put a fiendish grin on my face
Sprint!

Post ride -


Toss cycle in back of truck
Crank up the A/C
Look for drive thru liquor store

 

[limerickman]

Pre-ride :
Make sure that I've got 2 cotton tops on under my jersey (to absorb sweat)

Check tyre pressure : oil cassette, chain ring : check pump :
check that I have water bottle on board : pack walkman :
most important of all, make sure I've got my wristwatch !

Post-ride :
Clean down frame with dry rag : change out of cycling gear :
grab a shower : steep drink bottles in warm water (hygiene) :
use damp cloth to clean frame :
Put cycling attire in to washing machine so that I'll have clean
attire for next trip !

 

[hemplands]

Limerick; You pack your walkman. I'm not letting the boys read that because that is a definite no-no here.

 

[Beastt]

Pre-Ride (road)

Aside from the obvious jersey, shorts, etc.;

· A light snack with plenty to drink.
· Wipe down chain.
· Put fresh dry-lube on chain and wipe it down again.
· Wipe any obvious build-up off the chainrings, (though since I do this before every ride, there is usually very little to clean off. )
· Then it's time to top off the tires - 105psi.
· I keep a waxy rag handy to wipe down the frame.
· Pop on the hydration pack, (yes, I don't even have cages on the bikes).
· Energy Gel pack, a few bucks and keys into jersey pockets.
· Don helmet, gloves, glasses with geek-mirror, then ear-buds for the MP3 player.
· Clear Flight Deck and HRM of data from previous ride.

- Ready to go! -



Post-Ride (road)

· Park bike in the stand.
· Gather data from the Flight Deck.
· Wipe the tires with a wet cloth. (This is a great way to check for cuts, bubbles, debris in the tire, etc.)
· Wipe the frame down with waxy cloth.
· Drop the chain onto the small ring.
· Then it's over to the computer to log the data from the Flight Deck and HRM.
- Duration
- Distance
- Odometer
- Max Speed
- Avg Speed
- - Stopwatch
- - STW Distance
- - STW Max Speed
- - STW Avg Speed
- Date
- Time started
- Time in/above/below target zone with avg & percentage for each
- HR Recovery Time
- First 120 HR samples at 1-minute intervals
- Ride Notes
· Shower
· Maybe a good snack but rarely as much as a full meal.

3 rags in all - one for the chain, one for the frame and one for the tires.

 

[bryanquinn]

pre ride
Fill water bottles
inflate tires
reset computers

post ride
clean water bottles
hang bike
mix and drink endurox
long hot bath while eating and reading anything to do with biking.

 

[limerickman]

Originally posted by hemplands
Limerick; You pack your walkman. I'm not letting the boys read that because that is a definite no-no here.

yes, it is a bad example : and I suppose I'm wrong in packing on but I only do so when I'm going to be by myself (this still doesn't excuse the fact that I shouldn't cycle with one).

We are fortunate though over here in Ireland that outside of the main urban areas traffic is not that heavy (although I have noticed it in creasing during the past 5-10 years)

 

[Beastt]

Originally posted by limerickman
yes, it is a bad example : and I suppose I'm wrong in packing on but I only do so when I'm going to be by myself (this still doesn't excuse the fact that I shouldn't cycle with one).

We are fortunate though over here in Ireland that outside of the main urban areas traffic is not that heavy (although I have noticed it in creasing during the past 5-10 years)

I think it really depends on where you ride and what other means you may have to keep an eye/ear on traffic. I ride with an MP3 player all the time. For years I would never have dreamed of doing that because I'd heard all the cautions about how it keeps you from being able to hear traffic. Certainly the ability to hear motorized vehicles is compromised to some extent but I find that I can still hear them long before they enter my safety proximity. I happen to use one of those silly looking little mirrors that attach to sunglasses and I can see cars long before I'd ever be able to hear them with or without music. Of course I do have to be looking which is not the case with listening for them. Most of my riding is done on a stretch of highway with a full rumble-strip, two lanes for the cars and a shoulder the full width of a lane where cyclists ride. A vehicle crossing over the rumble-strip could wake a hibernating sloth in plenty of time to react and I've found that a 1-second glance at the mirror two or three times per minute is just as natural on a bike as glancing at the rear or side-view mirrors of a car.

 

[Sprinter_989]

My lucky Look socks have guided me to 2nd place in State Championships and many victories, I always wear them for big races. They recently got a hole in them

 

[pineapple]

Seems to me like a fair few people here walk around their homes naked, and only put on clothes for biking.

Cool...

 

[david.poole]

I tend to cycle for stress relief so my routine sounds like a script for stressed Eric.

• Feed kids breakfast so they don't whinge and wake the wife.
• Swear under my breath because the kids have not put the shed keys back where they got them and I can't get at the bike.
• Find keys (down the loo, under the sofa, in the breadbin - delete as applicable).
• Get bike out of shed as quietly as possible.
• Ride like hell to get out of wife's screaming range.

Post ride

• Fake the "listening to the wife" routine.
• Bribe kids with the spare Mars bars to go to bed early.
• Get stuff ready for Monday morning and my life as Dilberts less successful twin.

 

[waterboy420]

Pre-Ride -

Coffee. Three cups, extra black, extra sugar, extra cream. Watch the morning weather (complain if it's raining!) Let the dog out of the house, and it's time to ride.

Post-Ride -

Water. Three glasses. Breakfast, and a long hot shower.

That is all!!!

 

[Julian Radowsky]

Pre Ride Standard Checks
Tyre pressures
Brakes
Check chain for enough lube.
Reset S710 trip and altitude

Pre Ride Crazy Rituals
Check that I am wearing my lucky earrings (yesterday I actually forgot to do this and had to return home after 2k's into my ride to get them)

Post Ride
Take of all of my kit and jump into the swimming pool (it is still quite warm here in Cape Town)

 

[vichercules]

Pre Ride:
I walk around looking for my gloves
I find them and then wonder where I left my helmet while I was looking for my gloves.
I set my gloves down and look for my helmet
The cycle continues with pump, hydration etc. until I look at the clock and notice I better hurry and run out with about 85% of what I intended to take with me.


Post Ride:
When I get back from my ride, I throw all my stuff in a pile in the back room where smelly clothes from previous rides are festering.
When the smell is great enough to seep into the shared spaces of the house, my wife complains, so I do laundry.

 

[H2OMan]

Always start off far too fast and blow up after 2 mins, and then always end by drinking my own body weight in Capuccino at the local coffee bar!!!