Rodale

Friday, April 20, 2012

Preparing for a sportive

You may have put in hours of training during the run up to your first sportive, but all your good work can be undone if you neglect to prepare your bike, equipment and clothing correctly. Here's a run down of our essential tips to follow to make your big day runs smoothly.

Choose the right gears

Check your gear ratios. Is the cassette right for your style of riding and the event that you're doing? Would a larger sprocket help you climb a little easier? If you are thinking of changing then give yourself plenty of time to make the swap – first checking with your supplier as to whether the derailleur is compatible with the intended ratios. Bear in mind that this could mean getting a new chain as well. Needless to say, it's as well not to make such changes to your gearing the day before your big ride.

Preparing for a sportive:

Sit comfortably

When you're riding long distances, your closest friend should be the seatpad of your shorts. Treat it accordingly, ensuring that both you and your shorts are cleaned meticulously after every ride. Failure to do so can lead to infection, and that means time off the bike.

Smooth shifting

Preparing for a sportive:

Check the indexing of your gears. Make sure that all the changes are smooth, tweaking the adjusters where necessary. Ensure that this is completed a few days prior to your target event.

Bottle washing

Wash and sterilise your drinking bottles regularly, particularly if you've been using recovery drinks/energy products and the like. It is worth looking for bottles with a cap to cover the spout, although this will make drinking en route a little more awkward. This helps to keep the spout protected from road grime and other unpleasant substances that transfer from the road to your bike and to your mouth – such as manure.

Chamois cream

Applying 'saddle cream' to the seat of your shorts should cut down friction and soreness. This tends to be very personal, though, and you need to find out the appropriate cream for you. There are several types available, but petroleum jelly – like Vaseline – is often found useful. A coating of an antiseptic cream containing cetrimide will prevent infection occurring.

Sun safe

Preparing for a sportive:

Even in the UK the sun can be quite fierce at times, so remember to apply sun protection, not forgetting to coat your neck, nose and ears as well as exposed limbs. Don't forget your sunglasses either; these will protect your eyes from dust and insects as well as the glare.

Brake alignment

Check your brake pad alignment to ensure you have better and safer braking. The blocks should be slightly toed in at the front so that the block closes on the rim correctly and doesn't cause any squealing. This correction will improve performance and should give you more confidence when descending.

Gloves

On longer distance events your hands can take a hammering, so a good pair of close fitting cycling mitts are a must. As well as cushioning the hands when you're holding the bar, they will stop or reduce the chances of unpleasant grazes should you have an accident.

Route recce

Study and take a note of the route ahead of event day. It isn't unheard of for direction signs to have been removed. Even the best modern instruments can fail, or even suggest going the wrong way. And don't simply rely on following other riders, because they may be lost too. (There's even the chance that the cyclists you're following aren't even riding the same event!)



Hat Tip To: BikeRadar.com Road Fitness

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