Fire Drill!

• Posted on 7 June 2023
• By KW
• 0

or "What NOT to Do in the Days and Weeks Leading Up to an Event"

We've all been there: you get to your event, whether it's a road bike race, a mountain bike endurance event, or a gravel bike trek through local cow pastures, and you blow a tire.  DOH!  While this is not really a foreseeable happenstance, it does happen.  And now we're in a fire drill situation.  But if you're prepared, you'll be all set.

What things can you think about before a ride to make sure you don't end up with an emergency?  Are there steps you can take to, if not ensure success, at least make your day less stressful?  Would I be asking these questions if I didn't have answers??

First of all, make yourself a handy-dandy checklist (you thought I was going to say "notebook," didn't you?) of things you need to bring to the event.  Here's a hint for that: ADD YOUR BIKE TO THE LIST.  Though I've never actually forgotten my bike, it did slip my mind the evening before an event a few years ago as I gathered my stuff, and a friend of mine did indeed forget hers once.

Speaking of the evening before, make your plans BEFORE that!  The Lumberjack 100 is coming up in a week.  Make your list this weekend when you're not frantic.  What should it include?  Well, what do you use on a race or ride day?  Mine has stuff like helmet, gloves, clothing (with a sub-list of cold weather gear just in case), shoes, BIKE, nutrition, spare tubes, etc.  Group your stuff in related bunches - I do shoes, helmet, and gloves separate from clothing, for instance, but you do what works for you.  Just get it all on there.  Put your eyes on it, put your hands on it, then pack it.  Lay it out on the bed or something (I use the washing machine in my basement) so you can see it.  Then pack it neatly so you can easily access what you need, rather than pawing through a pile of stuff that is haphazardly jammed in your too-small duffle.  

How about mechanical things?  "I need a new chain."  Cool.  NOT less than a week before an event unless it breaks.  Chains are going to take a bit to make sure they work well with the old cassette, etc.  Sometimes they are smooth right away; sometimes the cassette is worn and needs to be replaced.  This is not a thing to find out on Friday before a Saturday or Sunday event!  So major mechanical stuff needs to be done a minimum of two weeks in advance.  New chain.  New tires.  New saddle (OK, seriously, don't even go there with less than a month on a new saddle).  Get it done early.   And remember, as much as we love to help you out, we also like to avoid fire drill situations.  Contact us for service BEFORE the day before your event.  A Standard or Pro tune-up is usually scheduled about a week in advance.  If you call Friday for a tune-up before your Saturday triathlon, you are likely to be disappointed in our answer!

Minor stuff - airing up the tires, lubing the chain, tubeless sealant, etc.  You can air up your tires on the morning of the event if you want (I do that the night before, too), but the other stuff should be at least a couple days in advance.  It's up to you to determine what "minor" is, but the more you plan ahead, the more relaxed the morning of your event will be.

That's really your ultimate goal for the day, right?  Relax and keep calm.  I taught school for 31 years.  When fire drills happened, no matter how far in advance we were notified, they were a bit chaotic.  That's why we had procedures and protocols.  That @#!& alarm is ringing at a ridiculous decibel level and you have to get at least 30 kids to the correct meeting place and make sure you didn't leave anyone behind.  

When you're prepped and ready, the fire alarm can blare all it wants, but you will handle it.