Couloir.org | Altitude Slickness

Lessons learned during my latest singlespeed race in Winter Park:

Show up to the start on time
The group doesn’t wait for numbskulls who set their watches to the rhythm of the rustling breeze or the song of the humpback whale. As fun as it is to chase the rabbit, sometimes it’s better to be part of the herd.

If you can push a bigger gear, do it
Don’t let a scary-looking course profile make you wet your pants in fear. What they’re not showing you in the course profile is that you’ll spin out on the false flats and, let’s face it, still walk your bike up the steepest climbs.

Tension your chain correctly the first time
It might sound all 3rd grade, playing-card-in-the-spokes cool, but a chain between your stays and rotating tire is not a good thing.

Double-check your equipment
That rattling noise coming from the tip of your fork? That’s your quick-release. Tighten it next time, will ya? In the meantime, track down the person responsible for those little safety tabs welded onto every dropout made today and thank them. Lordy that was close.

Train
It seems so obvious to me now, but you apparently have to do more than sit in an office chair all day and race every other weekend to stay fit. Who knew?