Why I Ride Weekly
Consistency is key
Robbe Smith
July 17, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
In today’s send I’m going to be sharing how riding weekly, even when I’m not feeling great, is key to not only keeping my skills on point, but my mind clear.
I'll also be sharing
Why I ride weekly
In an ideal world, I can ride two to three times a week year round.
Riding at the Wicked Ride of the East in Massachusetts, 2023.
In addition to being good for my physical health, riding my bike is good for my mental health too. It is a great stress relief by getting my whole body working, my heart pumping, and my lungs working(and burning sometimes). I have never been able to replicate the workout I get on my bike any other way. I just can’t get my lungs and heart to work that hard while doing anything elsoe. While that is a big part of it, the best part of it is having to clear my mind. When riding in the woods I need to concentrate on what’s directly in front of me. Whether I am riding at a turtles pace, or at light-speed, I need to pay attention to the trees, rocks, roots, etc. in my path. It’s amazing what this can do for your physical and mental health.
Another reason to ride frequently is to build or maintain your fitness. Someone told my years ago that riding a mountain bike isn’t something you can do occasionally. While that isn’t technically true, I got his point. The more you ride, the more in shape you get. If you don’t want to throw up a lung at the top of that big climb, it’s more fun. A good fitness base is also the key to skill building. Cleaning that uphill rock garden, or clearing that next technical trail feature(TTF) is easier of you have the lungs and legs.
If you ride a mountain bike, or you are considering picking it up, there’s good chance you like being outside in the woods. There are so many awesome sights and sounds in the woods. I have seen everything from a coral snake to a barred owl swooping down over our heads while on a night ride. We live in a pretty amazing and diverse country with so many cool places and things to see that 95% of Americans never get to experience. I feel lucky to have seen and experienced everything that I have encountered in the trails.
I ride solo sometimes, but I always prefer to ride with friends when I can. Riding frequently is also a great excuse to hang with your buddies in the woods. I also have the pleasure of riding with my son sometimes which is awesome on whole different level. When I ride with friends, I tend to push a little harder. For me, this is two fold. First off, when I’m riding with someone faster than me, I do whatever I can to hold their wheel. When I am leading I always try to ride fast enough that no one is bored. Secondly, there is safety in numbers. Over the years I had to have friends help me out of the woods, and I have been the helper as many or more times.
Finally I ride every time I can because it’s FUN!
Bike I’m Eyeing
The current bike I’m eyeing is the Transition Transam. On the surface this can look like a boring bike to some. To me it’s a whole lot more. First look at the geometry, this is a getting rowdy hardtail. It’s meant to be ridden hard, and fast. Over the years I have almost always had a steel frame single speed in the stable. For the last few years I have been on an aluminum frame, and I am looking forward to being back on the steel frame. This frame checks all of my boxes. It has ISCG mounts, sliding dropouts, and external routing for brakes, deraileur etc.
ISCG stands for International Standard Chain Guide mounts. They are the three bolt holes you see around the bottom bracket. This is a great place to mount a chain guide or in my case a bash guard.
Sliding dropouts are in my opinion the best way to tension a chain for single speed use. If you wanted to run this bike with gears, you can use the sliders to keep the chainstays as short as possible. This gives the bike a bit more of a playful feel, and it’s makes getting the front end up over a TTF a little easier.
This bike also has all external cable routing. That said, there is a port for the internal dropper post routing. There is a time and place for internal cable routing, and in my opinion a steel hardtail frame isn’t that place.
Oh yeah, it’s also chrome!
Complete geared option
Frame only for custom build
How to properly lube your chain.
This may seem like something that is very simple and it is, but it needs to be done correctly to be effective.
First, you need to choose the type of lube. There are two types of lube. Wet lube, and dry lube. Wet lube will have a consistancy of oil, while dry lube is much thinner. Generally speaking the wet lube will stay on your chain longer, but it will attract more dirt, dust, grime that will form a paste that will help wear down your drivetrain. Dry lube will wash off easier if you are riding through creeks, streams etc. Because it’s a thinner lube it doesn’t attract dirt and grime. It will need to be applied more frequently. Of these options I prefer a dry lube. A clean drivetrain will cost you less money in repairs and maintenace in the long run.
The first step in lubing the chain will be cleaning the old oil off. Grab a rag or old t-shirt, and grab the chain below the chianstay. Spin the cranks backwards keeping pressure on the chain. If you are doing it right, there will be black marks on the rag. Once that is done(you aren’t seeing new black marks) put a drop of lube on each roller. The roller is the round part of the chain that links the links together. Spin the cranks backwards while dripping lube on the chain from above. I usually do this just above the cassette. Once I do that a few times, I let it sit for a minute, and then clean it off again with the rag. You only need oil on the rollers. Clean any excess off the plates of the links. Excess lube will attract dirt.
Never use WD40 or anything in a spray can. WD40 isn’t a lube, it’s a degreaser. It will strip the oils off your drivetrain. If any of the spray gets on the brake rotors it will contaminate your rotors. Once that happens, and it will happen if you use WD40, the pads need to be replaced and maybe the rotors too.
Where are you on your mountain biking journey |
What I’m reading and watching this week
My favorite things
The recommendations below include affiliate links, if you make a purchase I’ll receive a very small commission.
It’s a great in stem tool that isn’t too expensive. You will always have it with you.  | The Minion DHF is a great tire for everything from trail to downhill.  | I have been using these for years. A comfortable saddle that has a lot of price points.  |
Video of the week
This a short video of BKXC riding Zen in St. George UT. It’s cool to see what other riders say about a trail that I have ridden. If you ever find yourself in St. George UT you will likely ride this trail.
See you next Wednesday
Robbe