Heat Stroke and Exhaustion

(This article was originally published

in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the Sept. 25 to Oct. 1, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

CYCLISTS who maintain an adequate fluid intake rarely have problems with serious heat injury but it can occur and you should learn to recognize the symptoms.

Heat stroke is a breakdown of the body’s cooling system. The victim’s temperature rises rapidly (above 40.6 Celsius or 105.1 Fahrenheit) and, if not lowered quickly, can cause death.

Symptom of a heat stroke are flushed face; hot, dry skin; a strong, rapid pulse; and sometimes unconsciousness. The victim’s temperature has to be lowered by the fastest available means, including water, undressing, shade, fanning, and ice. Once the person’s temperature is back to normal, he or she should be taken to a hospital since the syndrome may recur.

Heat exhaustion is less serious, though it can turn into heat stroke.

The victim of heat exhaustion feels tired, dizzy, and often disoriented. He or she may faint. The skin is pale and clammy, the temperature is normal or cool, and the pulse may be weak and fluttery. The victim I suffering from circulatory distress, so sit the person down in the shade before he or she falls down. Elevate the legs slightly and administer fluids when the person is conscious enough to take them. The heroic cooling measures used for heat stroke are not needed but watch for signs of stroke.

Heat injuries are best avoided by keeping up your fluid intake. Cyclists should drink at least a full 16 ounces of water before exercise begins to guard against heat exhaustion. The cool water will lower your body’s temperature before you begin. Start your hot-weather cycling in small doses until you have acclimatized to the heat.

When you begin to feel the heat badly, remove yourself from any direct sunlight by finding a shady place and sit down for a drink and rest. The electrolytes in many sports drinks also provide protection against dehydration, so ingest some of these too.

Force yourself to drink frequently, at least every 15 minutes to make sure that you do not dehydrate. Even if you do not feel like you are thirsty, your body still needs fluids. Keeping your bodies electrolytes in check will make for a more successful ride, and prevent heat exhaustion.

Pay attention to the other members of your party (when riding in groups) in hot weather and don’t pressure the weaker riders to push beyond their limits. Watch for signs of heat distress among the tough guys, they often are the people who don’t have the good sense to stop in time.

According to researchers at the University of Bedfordshire in Bedford, UK, your perception of the temperature has more of an effect on your endurance than the heat itself.

In a study published in the May 2011 online issue of the "European Journal of Applied Physiology," these researchers had cyclists ride stationary bikes in a room for 30 minutes. Their findings indicate that hot weather decreases the distance that you cover when you know the correct temperature, but have no effect if you think that the temperature is approximately average.

Lastly, cycling in extreme heat may make any metal components of your bike overly hot and can reduce the performance of your chain's lube, potentially affecting the smoothness of gear shifting and riding in general. In addition, high heat can increase your chances of getting a flat tire by causing an increase in tire pressure and making your tube softer. This leads to a greater chance of flats due to both punctures and slow leaks.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time. Put on that cycling helmet each time you get on your bike. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP18)

Secondhand Bikes

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

In the Sept. 18-24, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

IF you want to buy a decent bike at a reasonable price, the best opportunities lie in the secondhand market. But there are qualifications. You must be able to wait until the right bike comes along. You have to learn enough about bikes to be able to analyze them carefully yourself or have a knowledgeable friend who is willing to come along to check out the more likely possibilities for you. You have to be cool enough to avoid buying on impulse.

A good way to locate secondhand bikes is to check the bulletin boards in bike shops and classified ads. Garage sales are also good sources.

Do some checking before you bother to make a special trip to look at the bike. Ask about the frame size. Thoroughly check over the bike you are thinking of buying. Ride the bike around, paying attention to the operation of the bearings. Spin each moving part independently, checking for binding, sticking, hesitancy and grinding noises. See if the headset (the front steering assembly bearings) produces a series of hesitations when it is turned under load. Such catching indicates brinelling (pitting) of the bearing races. Pick up the front of the bike and drop it to see if there is any rattling of the headset when the bike bounces. If there is, it is out of adjustment and you should pull the headset apart to check for brinelling. Any bearings that show any stickiness should be pulled apart and checked. Make a list of everything that needs to be replaced and the estimated cost.

Be sure to check the frame alignment. The simplest overall alignment test is to ride the bike with no hands. A properly aligned bike tracks easily, rather than pulling to one side or feeling as though it is about to swerve out of control. If the wheels are properly trued, the rims should be equidistant to from the fork blades and the chainstays. If one side is closer to the other, reverse the wheel to see whether the fault is in the wheel or in the frame. If the short side remains next to the same frame member, the error is in the frame. Stretch a string around the front of the head tube and back on either side of the bike to the read of the dropouts. The string should be the same distance from the seat tube and down the seat tube on each side. The cranks should pass the seat tube and down tube at exactly the same distance, otherwise the bottom bracket shell is not oriented exactly at a right angle to the plain of the main triangle.

Look at the frame for dimples, paint blisters, or other evidences that the bike has crashed.

One last note on buying a secondhand bike is to ask for the bike’s original sales slip and get a signed receipt. Many people won’t have them but try your best not to buy a stolen bike. Bicycle theft is a major problem for all of us who ride and you owe it to your fellow cyclists and yourself not to reward the thieves. If you come across a suspicious situation, report it to the police then follow up later to see whether they investigated. Most police departments do not tale bike theft very seriously and they won’t begin to move unless they feel the pressure from irate citizens.*

The Conference Bike

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the Sept. 11 to 17, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle
--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

Looking for a new place to have a meeting?

Introducing the ConferenceBike (CoBi for short), a 7-seat human-powered vehicle with a pedal-driven circular jointed drive-shaft and rack-and-pinion steering --- truly a unique way of bringing together people (literally speaking). It is steered by one of its passengers while everyone is free to pedal (or not).

Everyone who rides a CoBi lights up smiling. It has a magical effect on people: it lowers inhibitions and after just a few minutes even total strangers are talking to one another.

Weighing approximately 200 kilos, it is manufactured by the German company VeloSaliko and about 400 of it are now being used in 18 countries.

Originally intended as an artwork by American artist/inventor Eric Staller, CoBis are used primarily for tourism but are gaining acceptance on corporate and university campuses. Its uses include team-building, elderly and handicapped recreation, school obesity and sustainability awareness programs.

The ConferenceBike is now being enjoyed by diverse groups all over the world. It is a tour bike in London and Berlin. It is used as a tool for corporate team-building in Amsterdam and San Diego, a way for blind people to bike in Dublin, a human-powered school bus in America and a vehicle to convey people at theme parks in England, Germany and Israel. They have been also used for fund-raising events and in biking advocacy groups worldwide.

Every week, new uses are being discovered: seminars, clubs, festivals, therapy groups and are all amazed at the powerful sharing effect that these bikes have.

It is about 2.5 meters (8 feet) long, 1.8 meters (6 feet wide) and 1.4 meters (4 feet) high. It is not considered as a “speed machine” and in normal circumstances; it can go as fast as 15 kph (10mph).

In most countries, the CoBi has the same legal status as a bicycle. It costs a little under 10,000 Euros (excluding VAT and shipping).*

Shifting Gears

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled
in the Sept. 4 to 10, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle
--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

IF you do not understand fully the shifting mechanism of your bicycle, you can either turn the bike upside down or hang it from a line attached to the seat so that you can turn the pedals with one hand and shift the gears while you watch.

There is some finesse involved in using gears well. Their function is to allow you to pedal at the most efficient cadence, regardless of the wind resistance and steepness of a hill.

Once you have learned your gear pattern well, you should be able to shift smoothly as the gradient of the road changes or as you come around a corner into a wind.

A cyclist does not have to be as quick at shifting as the racer. But it is a real help to know your gears well so that you don’t have to fumble or use trial-and-error to get into the right configuration. It is therefore essential to learn to shift when you need to, rather than pushing too high a gear as beginners often tend to do. Straining too hard at the pedals results in rapid muscle fatigue.

The ease in which you can turn the pedals and the distance that the bike travels each revolution of the pedals make depend on the ratio of the number of teeth on the front gear to the number of teeth of the rear one, as well as the size of your wheels. The different ratios that result depend on the number of teeth of each cog, and the pattern of shifting in order from the lowest to the highest gear depends on the particular combination of your bike.

Once you have a basic feel of your bicycle, it is worth spending some time learning the exact shifting sequence. Then, when you are riding along into the wind and feel yourself straining just a bit to keep up a good cadence, you can shift into the next lower gear easily without breaking you rhythm.

For the beginners, the most frequent mistake in riding up hills is to try to stay in a relatively high gear too long, allowing the legs to tire and perhaps even grinding to a halt in the middle of a belated effort to shift into a lower gear.

Shift down early and save energy until you have built up the conditioning and ability to budget your strength that is necessary to ride up hills at a faster pace.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time. Put on that cycling helmet each time you get on your bike. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP13)