fried bake

Adding Baking soda when washing kit prevents sweat odors from accumulating over time.

Lemond1985

Always wear a t-shirt under your jersey, not only will you be cooler, but in the event of a crash, your shoulder will be better protected from abrasions with 2 layers.

Failed to follow my own advice today, since I was wearing a long-sleeve shirt, and it was a hot day. I now have an orange-sized abrasion on my shoulder as a result of a front wheel blowout on a sharp turn. As an aside, it's shocking how little concern motorists have for a cyclist who's covered in blood, trying to ride home after a crash.

Also, always descend in the drops, and stay in the drops, because if you go down on your side, you'll only get abrasions and you won't break your collar bone. I did follow this advice and it saved me a trip to the ER.

Edit: Also, keep an eye on your front tire pressure in the mountains, lest you unknowingly develop a slow leak, which causes your front tire to roll off and blow out in a sharp S-turn.

woodcraft

Surely you jest!

Darth Lefty 

Chopsticks work way better than forks to eat salad.

I think most bike stuff I’ve learned here. That’s probably why I can’t manual. I can’t just read until I’ve learnt it.

LesterOfPuppets

I wipe tires on the fly with my shoes. Gotta be careful on the front tire, as a bit of inattention could lead to an unexpected stoppie.

noodle soup

Friends, don’t let friends ride SRAM road components.

LesterOfPuppets

For those not averse to sacrificing a watt or two to the clean tyre gods, there's ye olde tyre wipers...

Seattle Forrest

I've never found any tools while riding.

Friend of mine found an 810. Garmin helped him reunite it with its rightful owner.

canklecat

My best trick is to avoid falling down. Usually I'm pretty successful. Except for that puddle a month ago. My ribs were unhappy for a few weeks.

I think the only thing I do that's different from most roadies I know is I carry more stuff. I try not to be a touring packrat, but I do carry a few things most folks seem not to, all of which have been useful at some time (mostly for under-prepared fellow cyclists):

• mini-pump and CO2
• aluminized Mylar emergency blanket
• spare quick link
• emergency asthma/allergy meds in my saddle bag (I've shared those with friends too)
• spare Mylar packet of Drip-Drop emergency electrolyte mix (pricey but works better than anything else I've tried, including NUUN)
• multi-tool with chain and spoke tools (the Hero-Kit is one of the flattest complete multi-tools and only $20)

All that stuff will fit even in my dinky Lezyne Road Caddy, so it doesn't seem like I'm hauling a trailer of spares. And my small Serfas Speed Bag wedge back has room to spare besides all that junk.

I don't wipe my tires on the fly anymore. Too risky and tires are so much better now they don't seem to flat as often as ye olden dayes of the 1970s. I mostly ride cheap Continental Ultra Sport II and, on my old steel bike, Conti Grand Prix Classic skinwalls. No Gatorskins. They work fine. As other folks noted, usually if we're gonna flat it'll be immediately after rolling through glass. A friend tried to do the shoe-wipe thing a year or so ago. Ended up with yet another broken shoulder. Another reason I don't do that anymore. If I'm concerned enough I'll pull over and check the tires.

Lessee... I have an old HEPA recirculating air fan/filter that I use to dry my shoes, wallet, keys, etc., after a ride. Everything else goes on the shower curtain with a fan blowing to dry 'em quickly in case I don't have time or energy to wash that kit immediately. Prevents mildew on top of the sweat funk.

I use Tide Ultra or comparable Gain (same corporation now) to wash everything. Doesn't need any laundry additives or tricks. Give the enzymes 20-30 minutes to soak in lukewarm water and it'll get rid of any sweat funk and most stains.

And I use Palmolive dish soap with lactic acid (supposedly a good anti-bacterial) on my gloves so they're clean, dry and ready to go the next day. Takes about the same amount of time as washing my hands.

Fox Farm

Wow, I used those in the late 70s and early 80s. Have not seen them for years.

indyfabz

I refuse to wave. Works every time.

GlennR

h@ter

Sy Reene

I've learned that I'm uncomfortable and slow, riding tubed 25mm tires, and am in real danger of unavoidably crashing due to inferior rim brakes.

noimagination

These aren't big ones, and probably most reading this thread already know, but they have significantly reduced the frequency with which I experience flats:

- At intersections, debris tends to accumulate in a triangle formed between the paths cars take when turning right and when going straight - avoid riding through this debris, when possible ride through intersections in the path that car tires follow (whether going straight, right or left).

- Avoid riding through silt built up by the side of the road after a rain, debris tends to get washed into this silt and it is a good place to pick up a bit of glass or wire that can cause a flat.

- When riding on a wide shoulder, if possible/safe stay closer to the fog line, there is less debris.

Lemond1985

I discovered this one yesterday:

-In areas where there are a lot of goatheads, avoid riding through clippings from freshly-mowed "lawns" and overgrown areas. I picked up a couple of immature thorns yesterday, I wasn't even expecting them so early in the year.

noodle soup

I found a Glock G19 9mm once.

LesterOfPuppets

My best find was a stripper's bag.

nomadmax 

I scrub my tires after running thru questionable debris with 1/4 of a small plastic yogurt cup that's stored between my seat tube water bottle and the cage (in the front). I return it when I'm done and the lip (of the cup ) keeps it from sliding down/out of the cage. When I'm out of water on my downtube bottle I rotate them.

SethAZ 

Wow. Are you willing to sum up what you did with it? While I wouldn't mind owning a Glock, at the least I'd want to know that this wasn't a weapon of interest to the police in some crime, or if the rightful owner could be found (assuming they're legal to have it). I don't actually know what I'd do about a gun find, to be honest. I think I'd probably call the cops without touching it, let them pick it up, then put in a claim for it if it turns out to be unclaimed and not suspected of involvement in a crime.

noodle soup

I called the police, and waited for them to come pick it up. I tried to put in a claim for it, but it had been reported as stolen.

robertorolfo

Yeah, I'm pretty sure a lot of movies and TV shows start with someone finding a gun or drugs, and things inevitably get hairy for the finder.

My advice: If Laurence Fishburne wants to get into a street race with you, just let him go. But if a Cinzano truck driver wants to let you draft behind him, maybe take him up on it (safely).

Seriously though, try to "unweight" yourself over bumps you see coming, and try not to brake as you go over/hit them.

Seattle Forrest

Holy crap! We have a winner.

I found a sign at a trailhead about a lost Glock last spring.

caloso

The unweighting thing is good advice.

I've got one: when you take off your wind vest, fold it into 3ds with the collar up. When you stuff it into you pocket, leave the collar sticking out a little. Then when you need it again, you just pull it out and it unfurls right side up.

kingston 

I wrap my tubes in plastic wrap with a pair of nitrile gloves

GeneO 

Where can I find newspaper. LOL.