The mean little machine needs some attention too

My race experience last weekend was one where I really had to thank my lucky stars. I woke up earlier than usual to a rather gloomy Sunday morning. Dark clouds were still hanging it the air, the roads were wet, but the rain had stopped. Great! I didn't mind the slippery roads, the colder summer air was perfect, and my legs were feeling pretty good.

I arrived at the race course earlier than I normally would, registered and got straight into my warm-up. A couple of laps round the course later, I was all pumped up for the race.

As I unloaded my pockets of my accessories, my bike which was parked on the curb fell to the ground. Darn. I picked it up - took one quick look and all looked good. Phew.

5 minutes before the start - my worst fear happened. I got a flat - and it was on my back wheel!! Oh crap. Ok..stay cool..don't panic. I quickly went up to the race director, and phew, being the first flat of the day, they had a spare wheel. (Turns out there was glass on the road, and I was the first of the 10 or more punctures we had that day). Wasn't exactly the best, but that would have to do. I hurried to the start line, and on the go..off I went with the bunch.

The roads still being pretty wet from the rain, the whole bunch was a little cautious and the pace was a little slower that day. About 3/4 of the way through the race, another disaster. As I launched into a sharp corner, my bike slid under me. The girl sitting on my wheel screamed thinking I was going to crash. But, somehow or other, quick reaction, and I managed to stay upright. Phew...another close call.

Still a little shaken, my bike just didn't feel right after that. Every corner after, my bike wasn't handling well and felt like it was about to slip at any moment. I took a couple of looks down at my back wheel, trying to figure out what the problem was. Didn't occur to me to take 1 lap out to check the bike. All that was going on in my head at that time was not to give up. As strong as I was mentally, it wasn't the best move. Bad call.

Well... I finished the race with the bunch and did attempt the sprint. However, my bike felt "all over the place" - I couldn't take the last corner hard, and my sprint just felt way off. Although I finished in 4th or 5th place - I was pretty dissapointed as it wasn't my best performance that day.

Turns out that a series of bad calls led on to another. At the end of the race, I was pretty shocked to find the lever of my front wheel half opened!! In all honesty, looking back, another 10 minutes of racing could have seen me flying off the bike without a front wheel! It would most probably have been from my less than ideal tightening the night before the race - and the bike falling to the ground that morning onto the lever side must have caused it to losen up. One bad call.

The borrowed wheel had a fatter rim than my normal wheel - and being in a rush, I did not losen my back brakes. The bike sliding under me had caused the wheel to move a little, and my back brake had started rubbing against the rim in the race, which led to my bike feeling really weird on the sprint. I definitely should have taken 1 lap out to check my bike. Yet another bad call.

Cycling is such an equipment-heavy sport. There's you, your helmet, and of course your bike. The bike's then broken down to the frame, handlebar, drivetrain, wheels...and the list goes on as you break it down even further. Unlike sports like running or swimming, without your mean little machine, you can't compete! With the ever-improving technology of mankind, there's tonnes of bikes in the market today. From the very affordable ones, to the omg, I want one of them - whatever your bike is, you gotta give it the attention and care that it needs.

A series of bad calls - but I was pretty lucky not to have crashed. I can only thank my guardian angels for watching over me - but like every other mistake you make, learning is the most important part of all.

As I prep up for another exciting weekend of racing, it's not just mentally and physically - but giving my bike every attention to detail that it needs. Making sure every single nut and bolt is tightened well. Wheels are in good condition - properly pumped and properly locked in place. Making a checklist - and remembering every piece of equipment that I need. Learning to be a cyclist is very much about learning to be a bike mechanic too!

Every once in a while, you take 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Every race is an experience - it's about learning from the mistakes you make, putting them behind and believing in yourself to go forward.

My mean lil' Giant..