Another reason to get outside and ride!

You may think I'm nuts after you take a look at the photo I attached to this blog and read the title.  Doesn't make sense..does it?  Get outside and ride so you can encounter flooded roads like the one pictured here?  (BTW, that was River Rd. on Saturday less than 1/2 mile East of Ferry Rd. near Lumberville, PA.  I'm sure there are a lot of other places like it along the Delaware River after the recent hard rains.)

The reason I think it's important to get outside and ride when conditions are like this is because you never know if/when you have to race in conditions where there is a lot of crap in the roads and the roads are still wet.  (Granted, you won't have to ride through 4 ft. of water on a flooded road like the one pictured..ha)  Race organizers/promotors do the best they can to ensure the course is clean/clear..but I've encountered races where there was STILL "junk" in the road leftover from a storm that wasn't removed. 

The last stage of todays Paris-Nice race also made me think about riding in wet conditions.  Is that the reason why Thomas Voekler won the last stage today?  Did he have more experience riding in wet conditions than the rest of the peloton- which allowed him to descend FASTER than anyone else? Bob Roll seemed to suggest that.   (Or possibly because the peloton let him win since he's French..ha)

Do you know how your bike handles on high speed descents when the roads are wet- not to mention your brake pads and rims?  That could be the difference between winning a race and finishing in the pack.

Here's another reason to get outside and ride- regardless of the conditions.  Today I rode for 3 hrs. in the cold and wind.  How do I know that some of my races this year won't be in the same conditions?  I don't.  Some will be cold..windy!  I think riding in cold windy conditions makes you more conscience of your bike position.  How keeping an aero position can help cheat the wind.  And, how wearing the proper clothing will keep you at the correct temperature.  Dress too warm..and you're going to overheat and lose power.  Dress too light..and besides freezing your a$$ off- your body is going to burn too much energy trying to stay warm.

The racing season has officially started...so get off that indoor trainer and make each training ride count outside.  You never know if you're going to have to race under less than ideal conditions.  Besides, riding in crappy weather (including the rain) will give you confidence to ride under any condition come race time..it will give you an edge over riders that never ride in such conditions.  Trust me!

Power ON!  Coach Rob