Although I much prefer mountain biking over road cycling, I like to mix things up a bit and hit the road from time to time. For me this means taking my road bike, specifically designed and set up for road conditions. I always believe in using the right tool for the job in question and this is the one for handling roads. When I’m mountain biking I have a beast specifically designed to take on the trails with wider, more durable tires and suspension that soaks up any bump that comes along, but when it come to the open road, my road bike is the only way to go. Better gear ratios for speed. Narrower tires to reduce rolling resistance. Carbon fiber front fork on an aluminum frame to reduce weight. This sleek steed can fly but it sure isn’t meant to ever be taken off the paved pathways cars call home.
But with it’s speed inspired design there are certain trade offs that have to be taken into account. I’ve equipped this speed demon with the narrowest tires possible. That means the entire weight of the rider, and for me that’s a bit high at the moment, is resting on 2 small points of contact where the rubber literally meets the road.
The problem
On a recent cycling ride I ran into a problem. I was only a few miles in when I came upon a small stone, really just a little rock, on the shoulder of the road. I tried to get around it but it was directly in my path and I noticed it just a little too late to get around it. Had I been on my mountain bike things would have been different. I would have ridden straight over this small object and barely even felt it. After all, mountain trail often have much worse obstacles to ride over. But on the road bike, with these narrow tires, that wasn’t the case. My back tire managed to hit it dead center and the tube was immediately punctured. I began to hear air hissing out and I knew my ride was over.
The Risks
I realize that cycling comes with risks. I’ve had plenty of flats, broken chains, split cables, malfunctioning derailleurs, and trips over the handlebars. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that mess up a ride. Some of the obstacles can’t be avoided. Others come about from lack of attention, poor technique, or even improper maintenance. Whatever the case, problems can creep up on you.
Have you ever noticed that life can treat you the same way? Things are going fine and then out of nowhere this obstacle arises that sets you back. Sometimes it’s a minor setback that can be easily overcome. Other times it puts your life progress on hold for a while, even a long while. It’s easy to let the setbacks get us down. So what can we do about it? Be prepared. Be watchful. Take care to sure up your weak areas. And if it can’t be avoided, just learn to roll with it.
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