On the evening before a sportive there is no time left for training but there is much still to be done to ensure the following day is a success.
The hours before your event are all about the final preparations and making sure you arrive at the start line on time, with everything you need for the day ahead and in good spirits.
Below is a checklist of what to do the evening before a sportive to make sure you are completely prepared.
Route review
Make sure you check out the entire route the evening before a sportive.
Checking the total distance and metres climbed will make sure you’re not in for any nasty surprises. It’s surprising how an extra 10km of riding or 500m of climbing can make a big difference when you are not expecting it.
In addition, knowing where the hills and feed zones are will allow you to pace your ride. Pacing is critical to a good day in the saddle and so checking out the route beforehand is really important.
Knowing the weather forecast informs the kit the you take with you. We suggest laying out all your kit out the night before in front of you so that you don’t forget anything the following morning.
This does not only include clothing but can also include things like sunglasses, a pump, bike tools and even a mudguard.
Prepare the bike
Make sure that your bike is in perfect working order by making any mechanical adjustments that need making. You may want to lube the chain or some of the other parts of the drivetrain as well. Also ensure you have spares such as spare inner tube to take with you on the ride. We suggest attaching a small bike bag to your steed to carry spares and bike tools such as a multi tool.
Nutrition
By the time you get to your sportive you will know what on-bike nutrition suits you. You’ve probably got your favourite snacks and fluids that keep you pedalling.
The evening before your event is the time to get all the food and drink you require for the following day ready. We suggest putting all the food you will take in an old mussette and fill three water bottles with water or a energy drink. Two for the ride and one for before and after the event.
The final thing I do on the evening before an event is go to the event website and confirm the exact location of the event HQ and my starting time.
Work out what time you need to arrive at the event (giving youself plenty of time) and then work out how long it will take to get there. Always leave yourself plenty of time, because you don’t want to be in a rush or panic before an event. Arriving 30 to 45 minutes before the event, will allow you to do bits of administration connected with the ride such as completing registration, eat, any last min best bmx bike maintenance and any form of warm up before the cycle ride.
Ever thought about making money through bicycling by offering a mobile bicycle repair service? A mobile bicycle repair service is a good idea if you really think about it. Someone is riding their bike and the chain snaps, they don’t have the tools to fix it, what do they do? They call a mobile bicycle repair service that you just so happen to own.
You can make some money with a mobile bicycle repair service if you do it right. You can charge a fee for the mobile bicycle repair of course, a travel fee and a fee to take the rider somewhere if the bike cannot be repaired on the spot. You just want to make sure you are not overcharging for your mobile bicycle repair services or you might find that you won’t be getting a whole lot of business.
Mobile Bicycle Repair Cost Savings
To save money with your mobile bicycle repair services so that you can maximize your profits, I’ve come up with a few ideas that you might want to consider using. First – use your bike to travel if it isn’t too far. The faster you can ride, the easier it will be to respond by bike. This will cut a potential fee to taking the rider somewhere but you’ll save money on gas and vehicle wear and tear at that and you would need to weigh those two things together to see which would make more sense to you and your mobile bicycle repair business. Second – You can save money by using refurbished parts or simply by buying older and used best folding bikes to salvage parts for your mobile bicycle repair business. If you do this though, make sure your customers are aware of the used parts and don’t overcharge them for it. You can save money using used parts and you can save your customer money as well.
Marketing your mobile bicycle repair service shouldn’t be that hard. You might try hanging around on organized bike ride events in case people start crashing and wrecking their bikes up. How ironic, you wrecked your bike and I own a mobile bicycle repair service or something like that comes to mind. Think about all the customers you can potentially get that day! You should also pass your business card around to cyclists, any cyclist you meet especially road bikers because they are likely riding longer distances away from home and will serious need a mobile bicycle repair service if they ever get stranded. Heck, I’d almost suggest selling jerseys, bike bags, saddle covers and RoadID bands with your business name and phone number on them so the cyclist has it when they need your mobile bicycle repair services the most.
Thanks for reading my blog post about starting your own mobile bicycle repair service. I hope this article has helped you out. This article is another article which part of a series I have written on making money with cycling – expect more to come after this one. Please help support me for writing this article by sharing it with other cyclists and especially by sharing it on your favorite social networking sites.
Your turn to comment, my friend! What do you think about a mobile bicycle repair business idea? Could you see yourself offering mobile bicycle repair services for a living?
The FoldTheBike auctions are a fun and exciting way to recycle your unused bicycle belongings.
They are also a great place to obtain the best price for your pre-loved bike kit. However, this does require a little forethought and planning. Just like internet dating, quality photographs mean more interest.
Your bikes best side
Capturing your once loved but never forgotten cycle at its best angle is an essential task in finding a happy home for your used bike. Any main image you use to show off the bike, should be side on, and capture the whole of the bike as the picture of the bike below.
Make sure that you take a photo of the “drive” side of the bike. This is with the chain and drive train on view. Take the photo at the level of the bike frame. A pointed down photo is a no no!
If you do take a angular photo of the bike, make sure the bike look proportional. Sometimes on angled shots, the wheels can look disproportional.
Location Location Location
Finding a well lit (preferably with natural light) and tidy spot in which to photograph your used bike is another essential step. A yellow tinged shot in your over crowded and dimly lit garage/shed/hallway just won’t cut the mustard.
Instead try taking the your bike outside and finding an uncluttered spot to really allow your bike to shine out amongst the other second hand bikes on the auctions. If outside, and it is a sunny day, do try to avoid shadows appearing in the photo. Details on the bike can get lost if there are too many shadows in the shot.
A photo against a wall can also work, a light background, preferably white, will show a bike off at its best.
Getting in Close
After you’ve captured a well lit and clean wide shot, it’s time to show off the finer details to potential buyers. Showing your old bike from two or three different angles allows the buyer to be confident of what they’re buying and also put them at ease about the condition of the bike. Photos without close-ups suggest the seller has something to hide.
We recommended a close up shot of the forks, the bottom bracket, chain set, front and rear gears (if applicable) and any other little touches you may feel are worth a closer look. Do make sure you give your bicycle a thorough clean though if you are photographing for sale. Any close up shot that features dirt and mud will turn off any buyer.
Use the best camera you can (actually don’t steal!)
We are in the age of the digital camera. With high numbers of people carrying a camera of some description (usually a mobile phone) everywhere they go. Despite the jump in resolution of mobile phone cameras in recent years, it’s best to avoid them in order to get the best photo of your used bike. The results are more often than not substantially poorer than those of dedicated compact devices.
If you want to get the best photo of your second-hand bike you need the best camera you can get your hands on.
Finally…
Follow our steps to good photography and you will show off your second hand bike in its best light and make it more appealing and attractive to potential bike buyers. Good luck with that next sale.
The cycle touring equipment you choose for a lengthy cycle tour, such as Lands End to John o’Groats or London to Edinburgh, will make a significant impact on your ride. For long distance rides it pays to plan ahead and carry the right kit.
However, there’s no need to take the “kitchen sink” approach to cycle touring. Space is limited on a bike, weight needs to be kept as low as possible and the cost of buying new cycling kit quickly racks up.
It is also important to choose the right equipment for your particular tour. The biggest variable is whether your ride is supported or whether you are going it alone?
To reflect the above, we have compiled two bicycle touring equipment lists. The first list is for cyclists on supported rides and the second for unsupported riders.
Although both lists adhere to a minimum viable cycling kit philosophy, we don’t advocate the approach taken by friends of Bike. They took nothing more than their cycling clothes, puncture repair kit, credit card and a toothbrush with them when they attempted a Lands End to John o’Groats ride. They soon realised it wasn’t a great decision when they had to wear wet clothes that had not dried from the previous day.
Cycle Computer – knowing how far you’ve gone and have still got to ride is good for pacing and motivation.
Lights – if there is a chance of riding in the dark
2 x water bottles
Repair kit – to include spare inner tubes, pump, tyre levers, multi-tool kit and saddle bag for carrying
Helmet
Padded cycling shorts – you’ll be grateful for these. Bibbed or normal are a matter of personal comfort
Cycling gloves – to absorb some of the vibrations from the road
Cycling shoes with cleats – makes pedalling long distances far easier and more efficient
Cycling jersey – rear pockets for storing food and extra layers
Base layers – merino stays fresh longer than polyester
Waterproof jacket – insulation dependent on time of year
Sunglasses – to protect your eyes
Hat – for warmth or to shield your eyes
Suncream
Mudguards (optional)
Unsupported ride – as above PLUS
Pannier racks
Panniers
Waterproof stuff sacks or plastic bags for gear inside panniers
Maps
Camping equipment – as required
Bike locks
4 other tips for your tour
1 – It’s a good idea to include a “dry-run” ride into your cycle tour training. This can take the form of two days cycling with a one night stopover. This helps you to gauge fitness and also to check:
your touring kit fits into your panniers and you are comfortable and stable whilst riding with panniers.
2 – Some guidelines advocate using both front & rear panniers (distributing the weight 40/60(rear)). However, our experience of using only rear racks has been fine. A dry-run will find out whether this works for you.
3 – Don’t consider undertaking your tour with a rucksack on your back. It may sound sensible but becomes uncomfortable very quickly.
4 – Pack gear with thought as to what needs to be easily accessible on route i.e. waterproofs near the top or in a pannier pocket and consider what might be needed first when arriving at the campsite i.e. your tent near the top.
If you are into mountain biking, then you have probably heard of a 29er and a 26 inch mountain bike. I myself have both a 29er (Trek Marlin) and a 26 inch (Gravity Base Camp) which I have rode many times each. A 29er has a bigger wheel and usually takes a bit more to stop but it’s better for bigger people. A 26 inch has smaller tires that most people are used to seeing. Deciding which bike is better for your is more about what feel you like better in a mountain bike.
The 29er Explained
The 29er’s big change is the tires – they are bigger and bulkier looking than the 26 inch. A 29er seems to fit a taller rider much better than the 26 inch. A heavier set person would also probably enjoy the 29er more than the 26 as well. While the 29er isn’t a sluggish bike and while it’s not difficult to work with, it is a bit more challenging to handle when comparing handling to a 26 inch mountain bike. It may take a bit more to go around corners but it isn’t anything to consider bad about riding the bike. The brake systems on a 29er work perfectly but after riding any real mountain bike terrain, you would want to make sure you inspect all brakes and gears. The great thing about a 29er is that is requires less skill to operate it.
The 26 Inch Explained
The 26 inch mountain bike has the tires that most of us are used to. Most mountain bikers will have a 26 inch mountain bike and most of us had them as kids as well. The 26 inch mountain bike does have the tendency to be a bit quicker when it comes to navigating skinny mountain bike trails and terrain. However, the 26 inch bike requires the rider to develop more skill when riding. The 29er is a bit slower and doesn’t require as much skill so seeing that the 26 inch is quicker and “looser” on the trails, you will need to get used to riding it better.
Which is better for me?
This really depends of what you like and what seems to fit you the best! My suggestion would be trying them both out (renting them both for a day or something like that) and seeing which one you like the best. I personally enjoy the 29er more than the 26 inch. The reason for that is because the 29er seems to fit me better. I am about 6 and a half feet tall so the bigger setup has less stress in my back when I am riding. However, I do notice the difference in handling and corners and such on the 29er verse my 26 inch mountain bike.
Thanks for reading my blog post on the 29er verses the 26 inch mountain bike. I hope you have enjoyed reading it. If you like what you see on my blog – then I encourage you to share it with other cyclists to help show me support for my free blog posts to you!
What do you think? Have you ever ridden a 29er mountain bike before? How about a 26 inch one? Which did you like more and why?
