Hmm.... I'm hoping to remember this piece of advice on Day 3's ride out of King City....
"Take the bite out of rough roads.
Did you watch Paris-Roubaix on Versus last Sunday? Some riders love the cobblestones and use them to great advantage. They know that other riders, even some great pros, never get the hang of it and hate races on gnarly roads. They're defeated even before the flag drops.
The same goes for fast recreational riding. If you have the skill, rough stretches won't be a problem and you'll even think they're fun. But if you're intimated, you'll struggle mentally and physically, go slow and get dropped by groups you'd normally have no trouble staying with.
The good news is that even at a brisk pace, anyone can learn to handle rough sections. When a stretch of your local pavement resembles the Hell of the North, try these tips:
---Reduce tire pressure. A 160-pound rider should normally run about 100 psi in the rear and around 95 psi up front when on 700x23C tires. But when you know the day's course will be on rough roads, reduce pressure about 10 psi so tires will transfer less shock to the bike and won't chatter as badly in turns.
The importance of proper pressure was just underscored in Paris-Roubaix. British pro Roger Hammond (T-Mobile) flatted and received a front wheel from a neutral support vehicle. But it was inflated so hard that he had trouble controlling his bike on the remaining cobbled sections. "I think it cost me dearly towards the end," he says. "I was bouncing on the cobbles instead of floating over them. . . . I couldn't go over the cobbles as fast as [other riders] with the pressure in the front tire."
Caution! Don't run tires so soft that they'll pinch flat when you clobber a rock or edge of a pothole. You'll need to experiment to find the inflation pressure that works best for your weight in a variety of conditions.
---Shift to a higher gear. Use a slightly bigger gear (smaller cog) than you would if the same section of road were smooth. This lets you sit back on the saddle and pedal with a lower, steadier cadence. It puts more weight on the pedals and less on the seat, reducing uncomfortable jolts.
---Relax! Keep a secure grip on the handlebar so your hands won't bounce off, but don't squeeze it and create stiff tension throughout your arms. Instead, let the bike's front end float over the rough stuff and find its line. Tensing up holds the front wheel rigidly in place. When it hits an edge, it veers. A relaxed grip lets the bike flow."
....The road out of camp in King City is worse than cobblestone! -jb
