Are you as fit or conditioned mentally as you are physically for your next ride or race? Whether you are going on a road ride or mountain bike ride your mental attitude plays a big, more like the majority, role in your success. Notice I said success and not failure…..we might as well get on the “right” foot here. There is no place for negative thoughts before a ride or obstacle and positive ones can always be found.
Just as the laws of motion define the way things move, the way we think defines how we move. For every negative thought, there is an equal and opposite, positive thought. Think of every obstacle you encounter on your mountain bike as a chance to excel; not a chance to put a scratch on your shiny bike. Think of every piece of road as purposeful; the ones less traveled are builders of character and strength. Think of the wind as always blowing in your direction; at your back,it’s helping you along; in your face, it’s giving you a taste of what’s ahead; to the side, it’s keeping you from traffic or from the shoulder. Your bike never breaks by itself and would last years if you didn’t touch it; never blame your bike. Hills are great; if we didn’t have hills, Shimano wouldn’t be in business!
One of my favorite quotes and words I try to live by came from JFK, which I have written on my top tube by the way, “Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly”. A bit more profound than “Yes we can” because let’s face it, at times there are things that happen beyond our control and we can’t. If you have the chance to race against Lance, take it! Not because “you think you can” beat him, but because if you dare and he has a bad, albeit very bad, day you may succeed. If you go to a race and don’t win it’s not because you lost, it’s because someone else rode better than you and you had no control over that person. Likewise, pushing yourself to complete your first century or conquer an obstacle on your mountain bike takes a willingness to succeed.
I hope some of these thoughts help you get through your next ride; if they don’t, I’m positive you didn’t need them in the first place.
This week’s tip was inspired by a thorn in my tire which I was happy to remove from the street. When patching your tube, stretch the tube around your pump or other cylindrical object when scuffing it up. This allows the sandpaper to work better and provides a good base to support your tube. Don’t forget to remove the thorn from your tire before replacing your tube!
By the way…..Did you happen to see Lance lose the Giro or Team Astana win the Giro?
Have a good ride!
Brain picture by dierk schaefer
The climb peaked at about 8000′ and was roughly the half way point of the ride. A quick hello to another rider, an added jacket, a couple energy bars and I was on my way. After the top there is a quick, very quick, descent to the intersection of Rist Canyon and Stove Prairie Rd. I chose to turn south on Stove Prairie Rd towards Masonville, but turning right and heading down to Poudre Canyon Highway is a great ride too. From here the 3000 feet of elevation gained on the ascent quickly disappears and it was a good choice not to test my cut sidewall on the road bike. After passing through Masonville heading towards Horsetooth lake, I must have been passed by every Harley rider in Northern Colorado. There is a saying that “a loud motorcycle is a safe motorcycle”….
Finally, you can probably imagine that this week’s tip comes directly from my own experience
