dperreno

That the one hour a week that I actually did spend on my trainer this winter must have counted for something -- I didn't get dropped on either of my first two rides this week!

Also, I realized that my road bike that I "hadn't touched" all winter actually had had the stem repaired (handlebars were a bit loose), new cranks and new pedals (had a few creaks when I laid into them). Fortunately, I had my handy multitool to tighten the stem. Tightened up the rest when I got home. No worries.

toasterada

Running into an unexpected bridge closure late in your ride with no detours posted, no GPS in hand, and no idea how else to get home will stress you out in ways I hadn't imagined possible. I finally made it home after getting directions from a couple biking with their child, stopping to beg for water at some random stranger's house, and riding along a super busy 6 lane highway bridge with no shoulder and traffic buzzing me at 50mph. I will never do that s**t again! I will never rely on just a cue sheet when riding in unfamiliar territory. Until I can afford a Garmin 705, I will always carry a pocket map with me on those long rides.

Kneez

More expensive doesn't always mean better when it comes to cycling shorts.

groovestew

That having a mirror on my bike didn't make me feel any safer, and similarly, listening to music through earbuds didn't make me feel less safe.

coasting 

bravo

JimF22003

If you know a mountain road is paved at one end, and you know it's paved where it comes out on the other end, don't assume it's paved in the middle...

Metzinger

That these tires:

...purchased locally in a 3-for-1 promotion, pick up gravel, glass, and other road debris faster than a lint roller.

nstrav10

riding with a 15lb backpack in 90 degree weather makes me much slower than I already am...

recon455

That's funny, we have a hwy 56 around here, and I have to look around to make sure I am still in the US and not riding Paris Roubaix because it's so terrible on wheels.

dperreno

That that awful knocking sound I heard going over every bump was NOT

1) a loose headset
2) a loose waterbottle holder
3) a loose seat/seatpost
4) a loose shifter

It WAS

my CO2 inflator/cartridge in my seat bag banging against my seatpost!

kutipper

only go down the roads you know at night. take a different route and there might be some potholes that you don't see, but will feel.

halfspeed

It's a conspiracy!

TMonk

That I have a big ring complex wrt climbing hills ~5% in grade or less.

From now on I will instantly downshift and wind it uo when I want to go hard. The only exception would be during a competitive ride w a hill short enough for a strong big-ring attack over the top.

mike868y

New riders don't understand the concept of inflating tires every ride.

ZXiMan

I learned today that pea sized hail hurts when you are travelling 20+ mph... LOL

njkayaker

Dude, don't assume there is a road in the middle! (No, your Camry will not make it across that deep ditch!)

Buckeye Jim

Make sure you close your bags. I lost my gps this mourning on the way to work, I was going to turn it off but it wasn't there. I remembered hearing something as I crossed a rail road track, went back six miles and found it in the middle of the road unhurt.

SkinnyLegs

I like to spin at 100rpm normally. But my ideal cadence out of the saddle for sustained hill climbing is around 75rpm. So I need to downshift 3 gears in back when I stand, not just 2 like I've been doing before and having to sit down after a minute

WhyFi

If I can't feel the ripples in the pavement on the Manhattan Bridge, my tire pressure is too low.

kindablue

9k road bikes are fun.

I should probably stick with my 50-39-? triple for my trip to CO this summer.

Wylde06

Dont go out right after eating (inhaling) dinner. Oh yea, and the wind sucks.

socalslowguy

That having your company cut the travel budget isn't a bad thing. Long Saturday bike rides beats working a weekend trade show every time!

Herbie53

"you just gotta learn to ride faster" - advice from a someone way faster than me..... I guess it must be good.

shelleyspins

If I add a few gears and stand right before the little rolling hills go up I can keep my cadence fast and rip over them without tiring my legs out.

I need to get better at distinguishing between little rolling hills and steep hills that go up, plateau a little then just keep going up.

ptle

Make sure you bring more than one water bottle to a 50 mile ride. Also eat more beforehand...

I learned this the hard way and kind of bonked.