Riding a bicycle is of course a whole body activity, and one part that is often overlooked but key to keeping healthy is the epidermis. There are lots of things that can hurt the wrapping of your meat sack. There are things that can take you off the bicycle, from chafing to road rash, sunburn and even skin cancer, So it’s important to prevent what damage you can to your flesh blanket. OK, I’m out of words for skin, so let’s get into it. Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor so refer to one for more information. And I don’t get paid for mentioning these brands, though I wouldn’t mind it.
Continue readingProducts
Garmin Is Down – How to Upload Your Bike Rides to Strava
I’m not retracting my recent rave review about my Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music smart watch. On tonight’s 26-mile ride, it told me how far away I was from home, mere seconds after I was asking myself that very question. How cool is that? Maybe a little spooky, too. However, Garmin.com and Garmin Connect, the app that syncs with your phone and uploads your activities to Strava the bike and fitness tracker, are down. The word is Garmin were the target of a ransomware attack on Thursday. It’s now early Saturday. If you’re like A Dude, whose goals are tied to tracking data points (especially miles), it’s a big deal. Assuming Garmin fixes things, those activities will be uploaded then. But if you don’t want to wait for Garmin to get its act together, Strava has come to the rescue with an easy way to get your data transferred. Courtesy of A Dude Abikes. You’re most welcome.
Continue readingREVIEW: Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music Watch
As I wrote recently, my Garmin activity tracker watch stopped allowing me to record bike rides and walks. Those are my two main activit-ease, so I had to do something besides record everything as a run then edit it. My Strava friends were beginning to think I had taken up running. A Dude Don’t run. I can’t have people believing that! I have a reputation to ruin, sully, destroy, etc. So, after much Libra back-and-forthing it, I couldn’t pass up the steep discount offered for an upgrade. And voila! (or as we say in Tejas “voy-luh”) the new watch arrived. And it is GOOD!
Continue readingBike Brakes, Gears, Tires and Watch Problems – Ka-ching!
In the last week or so, I’ve had a bunch of things go wrong with Sophie the Fairdale. Several flats required professional intervention. Now I’m having to get more puncture-resistant tires and they’er not cheap. Ka-ching. My trusty Garmin watch has finally begun to give out because I basically broke the walk and bike functions by using it so much. I’m able to upgrade it even though the warranty is out. More ka-ching. The bike also needed adjustment to the gearing and brakes needed new pads. The Sun & Ski Sports bike shop mechanics say I ride a lot. Apparently I’m in the 90th percentile of people biking. I suppose I do, but I always thought they were being nice, since I know there are plenty of people doing more. One of my mantras is “Comparison is the death of joy,” said the Buddha, but sometimes that’s hard to follow. Anyway, if you ride your bike, repairs and replacement of parts are inevitable.
Continue readingCycling is All About Choices
There are many decisions that go into riding a bicycle. Here are a few. But be your own guide, consult your doctor, etc. I am not receiving any payments from any products listed, but if those companies want to chip in I’ll be glad to hear from them. Choose wisely, young or old Padawan.
Continue readingSophie Gets a New Drive Train, and She Rides Like Buttah
After pedaling 6,860 miles on Sophie, my Fairdale Weekender Archer, she was due for an overhaul. Shifting gears wasn’t hard, but the teeth on the cog were beginning to look like shark teeth — a key indicator they were wearing out. So I took her by Sun and Ski Sports and got a new chain ring, cassette and chain. (A new derailleur is probably next.) This is that story.
Continue readingSummer Is Coming: Surviving Cycling in Sunny Central Texas
If I had seen a second of that program about dragons and stuff on the Home Box Office channel, I could continue the allusion. But I haven’t so I can’t. But I can however tell you that the hotter-than-hell-fire breathing dragon that is summer in Central Texas is starting her terrifying approach. Temps are already topping out at the low 90’s in Austin, Texas. People, get ready, a lack of rain is comin’. I share my tips on how to deal. Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor in real life or TV. I’m just telling you how I deal with the heat. If you have or may have a medical condition that makes being outside dangerous, ask a real doctor, not a dude. This goes for everything on my blog. If my experience helps, great. But always use common sense, take responsibility, and you do you.
Continue readingA Dude Abikes Likes: ABUS Ultra 410 + Loop Cable Bicycle Lock
I’ve mentioned bike products that I use and like before, but today you’re in luck: I’m starting a new feature here on A Dude Abikes: A Dude Abikes Likes. (Trademark pending.) Pretty catchy, right? Today I picked a lock… up, from the Bicycle Sport Shop Guadalupe location (formerly Ozone Bikes). It’s made by ABUS, Security Tech Germany, and if you have something you need to secure, this is a very good one. (NOTE: This is not a sponsored post. But hey, ABUS, if you like my post, email A Dude, and we’ll talk!) Please click on through to read my mini-review.
Continue readingHow to Safely Ride Your Bike in the Rain
The Carolinas are getting pummeled with Hurricane Florence, and clearly no sane person is biking in that. There’s not much to do from here about it except to watch the news and just hope that people, pets and stuff make it through. Perhaps donate if you’re a person of means. Meanwhile, although it’s nothing like Hurricane Harvey that hit Houston and the Gulf of Mexico coast last year, we’ve been having a wet September here in Central Texas. I am grateful because of the lower temperatures and the relief to drought-stricken lakes, rivers, plants, pets and people. Biking is delicious when it’s not 100 degrees!
But rain does make riding a bike tricky, if not actually more dangerous than it already is. Some people won’t do it at all. A Dude Abikes however loves to ride in the rain on his Fairdale Weekender Archer named Sophie, because she’s got wider wheels and a heavy steel frame that make her more stable. I thought it might interest all tens of my readers to hear what I do to keep the rubber side down. Hop on! (Actually, don’t. I have enough weight to carry already.) Continue reading
What’s the Bib Deal? Suspenders v. Regular Bike Shorts
A bike friend had some bib shorts he was no longer using and generously offered them to me. (I trust he washed them first.) I was skeptical, because well, bib sounds like something a baby wears. But he swore by them, so I figured I’d give them a try. For the beginning cyclist or experienced one who’s not tried them, here’s what happened. Continue reading
A Dude Abikes 