Back with our first post for July after a week off. I took the opportunity to spend some quality time with my bicycle despite the raging heat in St. Louis (and brutally hot breezes directly from hell). Soon I will be enjoying a vacation in the cool(er) climes of Door County Wisconsin, one of the best places in the US to bicycle, so I’m doing a little training ahead of time to keep my over 40 body from falling apart from my usual too much cycling exuberance on vacation.

Here’s a few bicycling tips you may already know but I had to learn the hard way:

• Drink lots of water before you go out, even if you’re not thirsty. When and if I don’t my energy reserves deplete much faster.
• If you experience numbness or soreness most likely your bike is not adjusted correctly or may be the wrong size.  Keep fine tuning seat height, etc. until you get it right.
• This one is a pain in the ass but do it anyway. Practice changing your tube/tire with the tools you bring with you on your bike. On the side of the road tired and sore is not the ideal way to learn the quirks and difficulties of changing your tube/tire.
• Okay, this one was easy to learn but beer (in moderation of course) is a great way to replenish energy and electrolytes after a long ride, especially on vacation.