Preparedness Training

This article is primarily targeted at this year's Bike & Build participants. If you're not riding, have you considered donating? I need to raise $4,000 before the end of May. http://www.bikeandbuild.org/

It is now officially warm enough to be riding outside! Isn't it awesome! Of course, this means that it's high time for another year of Bike & Build riders to start learning how to use their bicycles.

Do you have clipless pedals? If not, get them now, using our excellent sponsorship deals. If so, it's high time to start using them. Having your feet locked into your bicycle gives you the very real advantage of being able to apply more power to the pedals, and the marked disadvantage of needing to know how to escape. (Twist your ankles *away* from the frame.)

If you've never owned a road bike before, this will likely be a very new experience. A road bike has very different handling than any other bike. It's lighter, faster, more responsive, and somewhat twitchy. Make sure to get plenty of time out there so that you know how everything works.

Here's your goal: ride every single day. It can be for as little as 10 minutes a day, just stick to that plan. Every little bit helps, and if you're new to this, you'll be amazed at how quickly your skills sharpen.