The 7 P’s
Most of you will know this already: Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. How many times have guys been gluing tubulars the night before a race, wondering if they will hold, or not racing all together because they started flailing and gave up? Their tires has a cut in it at the start line. Pedals are loose. Creaky bottom bracket. Shifting poor. Forgot their shoes. Forgot their bibs. Forgot their helmet. Etc, etc, etc.
I have personally done some of the above, most notably forgetting my shoes once, my bibs once, my helmet once. Since then, I have packed a bag of “older” stuff and left it in the trunk of my car. While this does not prevent a future flail if I am driving with someone else, it at least addresses my tendency to be forgetful at times. I am also a huge list person. Ever since a few flails in a row when I first moved to Cali, I made a master list of what I need for every race, and I run through it as I am packing my bag. This helps prevent me from forgetting something crucial to competing. While I might still forget my phone charger, or iPod, or something not totally necessary, I never forget the essentials (as long as I use my list).
I see people fixing bikes in the parking lot before races. Especially time trials (Matt). If it isn’t done before you leave the house, it isn’t getting done. Don’t worry about swapping computers, lowering or raising bars, etc. Do it before you leave home, preferably several nights beforehand, so you have time to ride and test out whatever changes you make.
Again, plan ahead of time, or you plan to fail. Another thing my dad used to say. Along with “you can always find a reason NOT to do something,” those are probably the two most oft quoted phrases from Papa snowfugger that I utter to my clients. He said a lot of smart things, and the older I get, the more smart things he said.
So make sure your bike is shifting well before the race. Make sure your race wheels are totally dialed in (as is don’t ride them for the first time race day). Run through your list.
I can’t believe the number of people, kids mostly, who “plan” on going to races yet expect others to set up their housing and travel arrangements for them. Sorry Lance, I didn’t realize I was the one at fault here. If I really really wanted to go to a race, I would make damn sure that everything was in order before hand. This would extend further than “so, umm…what is everyone doing for xxx.” I would ask the powers that be how I might go about getting to said race if the team is carpooling/flying, or better yet, offer my own vehicle with other people to pile in. What a novel idea? You mean my car can drive? More than 25 miles? Huh.
Host housing. I never have this problem with the masters guys. They are dialed in. But why would you just assumethat there is some married, established family out there in nowhereville that is just dying to have you come over and eat their food, sleep in their little Johnny’s or Jane’s room, stink up the joint, use all their toilet paper, make a whole load of laundry in towels and sheets, complain about the cats, and leave bike grease on the garage floor. All with perhapsa thanks while squealing tires out of the driveway?
Leave no trace. That old boy scout motto, applies well in this instance. You want to make sure that these people would want to have bike racers back in the future, potentially ME! So make sure you leave a good impression, get them a thank you card, maybe make them dinner the last night, hang out with them, etc. Remember, they let you stay there because they think what you’re doing is super cool, so be sure to engage in some conversation with them about why you got dropped 5k into the race.
If all of this seems elementary, and like common sense, and like a bunch of stuff your mother should have taught you…you’d be surprised!
