Pine Mountain
Volunteer
Fire & Rescue
Y'all come
and ride with us
Blount County Alabama Covered
Bridges
Covered
Bridge
Century Bike Ride
and famous
PMVFR Barbeque/Spaghetti Feast
Pine Mountain
Remlap
- Blount County -Alabama
Sorry NO
ride this year.
Walt,
the ride director, is in Canada for family reasons.
SUBARU
is one of the
safest and
best built cars.
We
recently shopped for one and got the best price in
the South East and friendly service from Lee Carroll at
Serra Subaru Birmingham
205-853-2906 800-NEW-CHEV
Tell him Walt sent you
This
event would not be possible were it not for the
support of our sponsors. In
turn, your support of these
sponsors helps them decide if they'll be back next
year.
The
beginning rider often has to learn the hard way that it is important
that your bicycle be checked before a ride. The following brief
examination before you leave and before you start off on a ride will, in
the long run, save you a lot of grief.
1.
Using a rag or your gloves to protect your hand, run your hand along
the entire circumference of the tire to feel for foreign items stuck
in your tires. At the same time, look carefully at your tires for
damage. If you see a problem, fix it immediately - it is a lot
easier than later on the road.
2.
Inflate your tire to the proper pressure. A low tire takes more
energy to ride and is much more likely to be damaged during the
ride.
3.
Standing beside your bike, squeeze your brake handles after first
making sure that the quick release is locked. Push against the bike.
Both tires should skid if the brakes are working properly. If the
brake handles touch the handlebars when you squeeze as hard as
possible your brakes are unsafe. THEY MUST BE ADJUSTED BEFORE THE
RIDE.
4.
Lift up the bike and spin each of the wheels. Make sure that they do
not touch the bicycle at any point. They should show no wobble. It
may be necessary to loosen the quick release lever on a wheel so
that the wheel can be properly remounted. If a side-to-side wobble
is noted, the wheel should be examined by a competent person to
determine whether or not the spokes need to be readjusted or if the
hub bearing are too loose. Have broken spokes replaced before the
ride. Have a repairman look at wheels with obvious loose spokes.
5.
Make sure that the quick release levers on the wheels are tight and
that the lever is pointed toward the rear. A forward pointed lever
could catch on something and cause an accident.
6.
Check the tightness of the various nuts and screws. Look at the
crank and make sure that the crank nut is on securely.
7.
Pay particular attention to all items that could get caught in the
front wheel or chain. A loose strap that gets caught in the front
wheel can become a disaster.
8.
If you are not mechanically inclined, it is a good idea to let a
competent mechanic give your bike an inspection and tune-up at least
once a year.
Clothing
There
are lots of arguments as to the best clothing to wear on a ride. If you
are going to ride for a short distance, clothing might not be a big
deal. If however, you are going to ride a hundred miles then it can mean
the difference between torture and enjoyment. Always dress for the
temperature that you expect to encounter. A cold ride can become
debilitating to the rider. On the other hand, a hot day requires good
coverage of your body to prevent over cooking. If it looks like rain
then you would do well to carry some raingear.
Do
not hesitate to ask questions. Especially at your local bike shop. They
are not in the business of steering you wrong. We learned a long time
ago that we, at least, were better off to buy the best that we could
afford in the way of clothing. In that way, we were assured of the
maximum comfort.
There
is one item however, that is subject to no debate and that is color. One
of the important features of bicycling clothing is the bright, attention
getting colors that they have. They are designed as attention getters.
They can even be seen by ill-tempered motorists that believe that roads
are only for automobiles, by high school girls that have decided that
because of their popularity at school they are beyond common people and
the laws of the masses, and by fools in general that have barely the
intelligence to do more than convince their dads that they are paragons
of safety and consideration while behind the wheel. COLOR will help
protect you from accidents. Pick out bright reds, oranges, whites for
outer clothing. Wear dark colors only for shorts.
Tools
It
doesn’t take much to prepare for all but the most unlikely breakdown,
such as a cable that snaps or a crank arm that works itself loose.
Regular, preventive maintenance can take care of most situations such as
those, and if you’re on a long tour, you’d probably take spare parts
or tools to cover such emergencies. For normal everyday riding,
everything can be carried UNDER YOUR SEAT.
PATCH
KIT. Be sure to keep it filled with patches and don’t allow the cement
to dry up.
TIRE
IRONS. The plastic or fiber ones are the lightest and easiest to use.
SPARE
TUBE. Some people get by with just a patch kit, but on occasion you’ll
damage a tube beyond repair when you get a flat. Besides, it is quicker
to change the tube than to fix a puncture on the roadside.
ADJUSTABLE
WRENCH. Some people carry an 8-9-10 mm "Y" wrench instead. Be
sure the wrench you carry will accommodate all the nuts on your bike.
Make sure you get a high quality wrench, Crescent or Craftsman for
example, and not something out of the "Any Tool $1.00" bin.
ALLEN
WRENCHES. 4, 5 and 6 mm wrenches are the ones you’ll most likely need.
SCREWDRIVER.
Useful for derailleur adjustments and other jobs. Don’t use it as a
tire iron.
RAG.
To wipe off greasy fingers after you have performed those roadside
repairs.
MONEY.
For on-the-road nourishment and emergency phone calls.
OTHER
USEFUL ITEMS. For the fanatic: lip balm, shoelace, street map, aspirin,
Swiss army knife, towelette, Presta valve adapter.
All
this equipment will fit in a small wedge pack that straps securely UNDER
YOUR SEAT.
Buffalo
Rock
