Terry@rigdenage

Terry Talks Technical

Spoilers, Alloy wheels & Furry dice

The bike mags are always full of ads for the latest "Go Faster" goodies. Trouble is that the only thing most of them will make go faster is your savings. Aerodynamic brake callipers, wing shaped stems, streamlined saddles, internal cable runs and the like are not going to make any significant difference to how fast the average cyclist goes.

When the salesman gibbers on about the latest lightest "go faster" gismo. Do this simple test, hold it at arms length about three feet above the glass counter, and let it go. If it floats gently away then don't worry about the weight, or cost, if however it crashes through the counter RUN !

The big thing that slows you down is air resistance, do away with it and you could belt along at 100 mph. Now I don't know about you but I've found breathing habit forming and spacesuits are just too clumsy on a bike. So it looks like we are going to have to plough through the stuff and try and minimise its effect.

It's surprising how many people I see cycling along into the teeth of a headwind sat upright, with a big anorak open and billowing like a parachute, a built in air brake ! The best thing to do when you meet one of these is to tuck in behind and enjoy the tow.

You don't have to look a "Lycra fool" to cut down your air resistance - even normal clothes can be reasonably aerodynamic, it just takes a little thought. You could also try lowering the handlebars, but don't over do it or your back will suffer and you could start riding into things. Some people are using Tri bars, now they are great on an indoor track but are ABSOLUTELY BLOODY lethal on the road. You are just too far from the brakes, you can't look where you're going, and swerving round the prat that opens a car door on you isn't possible.

So what about some drastic solutions? Why not a motor bike style fairing Great until an artic passes you fast and close and you get either blown off the road or sucked under the trailer wheels. Recumbent bikes cut your air resistance by being long and low ( see :- Lie down and look the world in the hubcaps). But there are problems, you can't cut down the frontal area without reducing your visibility to other traffic.

Rolling resistance is your next enemy, you can minimise it by keeping the tyres at their recommended pressure and using the narrowest tyres you feel comfortable with, (28 mm is a good compromise). Do your wheels go round freely? It pays to keep the bearings adjusted, and to strip and relubricate them once a year or whenever you get up to the axles in water or drop the thing in deep mud. Brakes that rub are just making work for you. You want your effort to get you along the road, and not be dissipated in making funny noises with the chain. So keep it clean and lubricated, and if it's stretched bin it.

Weight works against you when you accelerate, brake, go round corners or up hills. The only things that benefit from extra weight are steamrollers and boat anchors. The best way to loose excess pounds (apart from giving up the beer & curry) is to replace steel wheel rims with alloy. Not only do you go faster but you can stop better as well, particularly in the wet. BUT you will need to replace your brake blocks, because they need a different sort of rubber. Next replace a steel cottered chainset with alloy cotterless cranks. While you're at it, ensure that the gearing is right for you. Many bikes are sold with gearing that is far too high for Joe Average.

Remember that everything you bolt on your bike adds weight, so any extras must earn their keep. I dislike mud in my hair so mudguards are worth it, but only the lightweight plastic type - steel ones rust, rattle, and are too heavy. Carrying stuff in a knapsack or slung over the handlebars is dangerous, so a rack and panniers are generally worthwhile. Again, alloy makes a lighter rack than steel but it's less durable.

The best way to go faster is to push harder on the pedals, and to look after the bike. Bikes are tolerant things but they punish you for neglect by making you work harder.