Effective Cycling, seventh edition

Description

An updated edition of a classic handbook for cyclists from beginner to expert. Effective Cycling is an essential handbook for cyclists from beginner to expert, whether daily commuters or weekend pleasure trippers. This thoroughly updated seventh edition offers cyclists the information they need for riding a bicycle under all conditions: on congested city streets or winding mountain roads, day or night, rain or shine. It describes the sheer physical joy of cycling and provides the nuts-and-bolts details of how to choose a bicycle, maintain it, and use it in the most efficient manner. Effective Cycling covers the bicycle itself, repairs and maintenance, basic and advanced cycling skills, and how traffic is organized. It describes cycling with friends, bicycle tours, increasing physical endurance, racing, and even finding a cyclist as marriage partner. Throughout, author John Forester emphasizes that cyclists should consider themselves drivers of vehicles in traffic. That means obeying the rules of the road, because when all drivers obey the same rules, they don't have collisions. Forester explains why cyclists should not be afraid to cycle in traffic, and he urges them to resist being shunted off into government-sponsored bike paths as if they were incompetent children. Cyclists fare best, he says, when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles. Effective Cycling will help owners of bicycles dusty from disuse become active cyclists and veteran cyclists improve their techniques and achieve their cycling goals. Each section moves from basic to advanced topics; readers are encouraged get on a bicycle and practice each activity after reading about it. Cover Contents Prefaces 1984 Preface 2012 Preface Introduction The Joys of Cycling Competent Cycling versus Popular Cycling How to Use This Book Part I. The Bicycle Chapter 1. Mechanical Safety and Operational Inspection Basic Inspection Questions Parts Tightly Fastened Wheels Tightly Fastened Tires Rotating Parts Brakes Gears Nighttime Equipment Roadside Repair Tools Chapter 2. Bicycles, Tools, Equipment, and Clothing The Bicycle Industry and Bicycle Shops Bicycle Selection Utility Bike Mountain Bike Road Bike Tools Spare Parts Clothing Chapter 3. Steering and Handling How Bikes Steer What Stability Means Steering and Handling: Summary Sensitivity and Bike Selection Steering Troubles Chapter 4. Brakes Basic Test Quick-Stop Test Brake Types Adjustment Repair Auxiliary Levers Wet Weather Downhill Speed Control The Need for Two Brakes Which Type Is Best? Variable-Leverage Brakes Slippery Brake Cable Hydraulic Brakes Squeal Toe-In Government Testing Chapter 5. Gears Mechanical Principles Gear and Development Formulas Hub Gear Formulas Derailleur Gearing Systems Chain Sizes Derailleurs Shifting between Chainwheels Using Your Gears Correctly Warming Up Thinking Chapter 6. Shapes of Bicycles Chapter 7. Dimensional Standards Screw Threads Seatposts, Stems, and Handlebars Tires and Rims Rear Hubs Front Hubs Hub Width Adjustment General Advice Part II. Maintenance Chapter 8. Wired-On Tires and Pumps Equipment Proper Inflation Tire Valves Pump Connectors Valve Adapters Tire Pumps Pump Maintenance Rim Types Dismounting and Mounting Tires on Drop-Center Rims Dismounting and Mounting Tires on Hook-Bead Rims Repairing Tubes Repairing Casings Rim Tape for Drop-Center Rims Rim Tape for Box-Section Rims Foldable Tires with Flexible Bead Wires Folding Regular Spare Tires Chapter 9. Tubular Tires Why Use Tubulars? Preparation Mounting Tires Repairing Tubulars at Home Other Tips Chapter 10. Cleaning and Lubrication Grease or Oil? Lubrication Systems Oil Washing How Often to Lubricate? How Much Lubricant? How and Where to Lubricate? Chapter 11. Bearings Types of Bearing Which Type, Where Maintaining Separate-Cup-and-Cone Bearings Replacing Headset Bearing Races Loose or Caged Balls? Count the Balls Assemble the Bearing Adjustment Headset Adjustment Conical-Roller-Bearing Headsets Maintenance of Sealed Cartridge Bearings Chapter 12. Installing Wheels in a Frame Alignment Proper Clamping Nutted Axles Adjusting and Testing Quick Releases Chapter 13. Matching Hubs to Fork Ends Front Wheel Retention Devices Front Hub Spacing Rear Hub Spacing Correct Axle Length Hubs that Are Too Wide Fork End Alignment Chapter 14. Adjusting Derailleurs Derailleur Basics Derailleur Selection Derailleur Adjustments Control Cable Troubles Derailleur Body Position Adjustment Cage Travel Adjustment Cable Adjustment for Indexed Shifting Encouragement Adjusting Chain Length Installing a New Chain Derailleur Theory and Expert Adjustments Chain Deflectors for Triple Chainwheels Selecting and Modifying Front Derailleurs Major Derailleur Repairs Chapter 15. Hub Gears Chapter 16. Cranks and Chainwheels One-Piece Cranks Cottered Cranks Cotterless Cranks Separate Cranksets One-Piece Crank and Axle Sets Removing and Replacing Chainwheels Chapter 17. Chains Sizes Chain Tool Separating Links Joining Links Lubricating Inspection New Chain, Old Sprockets Chapter 18. Freewheels, Freehubs, and Clusters Types Freewheels Freehubs Chapter 19. Rims and Spokes Replacing Spokes Truing a Wheel Straightening Rims Chapter 20. Building Wheels Wheel Design Get Spokes of Correct Length Check the Rim Drilling Pattern Rotate Hub and Install Outside Spokes Tighten and True the Wheel Relieve Torsional Stress in Spokes File or Grind Spoke Ends Tying and Soldering or Gluing Wheels for Heavy Riders Chapter 21. Leather Part III. The Cyclist Chapter 22. Basic Skills: Posture, Pedaling, and Maneuvering Why Cycling Seduces Us Posture Saddle Selection Saddle Soreness Saddle Height and Bike Size Very Tall or Short Cyclists Very Basic Maneuvers Steering Shifting Gears Braking Pedaling Technique and Cycling Style Looking Behind Mirrors Chapter 23. Emergency Maneuvers Balancing a Bicycle No-Hands Riding Track Stands Dodging Rocks Diversion-Type Falls Turning Instant Turning Panic Stops Braking Cautions Chapter 24. Keeping Your Body Going Muscle Strength Muscular Energy with Oxygen Muscular Energy without Oxygen Heat Control, Sweating, Water, and Salt Food and Drink Long-Term Energy Aches and Pains A Long Ride A Very Long Ride: The Race Across America Chapter 25. The Physiology and Technique of Hard Riding Abilities of Cyclists Known Facts about High-Performance Cycling Cycling as Understood by Exercise Physiologists A More Reasonable Physiological Theory Difficulty in Training the Brain for High Cadence Individual Selection of Optimum Cycling Technique Difference between Training and Racing Part IV. The Cycling Environment Chapter 26. Basic Principles of Traffic Cycling Chapter 27. The Why and Wherefore of Traffic Law Traffic Law for Drivers of Vehicles Principles and Statutes Drivers and Pedestrians Conflict or Cooperation? First Come, First Served Right-of-Way at Intersections Superior and Inferior Roadways Traffic Signals Driving on the Right Overtaking and Being Overtaken Signaling Channelization Notification of Special Restrictions Human Abilities and Traffic Rules Laws and Facilities for Cyclists Alone Summary Chapter 28. Accidents History of Cycling Accident Studies Basic Accident Rate Accident Types and Frequencies, and Cyclists’ Skill Levels Falling Accidents Car-Bike Collisions Car-Overtaking-Bike Collisions Car-Bike Accidents without Collisions Bike-Bike Collisions Bicycle-Pedestrian Collisions Bike-Dog Collisions Parked-Car Collisions What Happens in an Accident How a Helmet Works Summary Chapter 29. Where to Ride on the Roadway Legal Status of Cyclist on Roadways Legal Problems The Side-of-the-Road Law Practical Instruction Chapter 30. Avoiding Straight-Road Hazards Straight-Road Riding Motorists’ Overtaking Errors Incipient Head-Ons Curbs, Chuckholes, and Railroad Tracks Slots, Ridges, and Diagonal Railroad Tracks Slippery Places Pillars, Posts, Barricades, and Berms Moving Obstructions—Dogs, Balls, and Children Chapter 31. Changing Lanes in Traffic Fear or Confidence? Low-Speed Lane Changes Medium-Speed Lane Changes Changing Lanes in High-Speed Traffic Last Resorts Allow Time and Distance Things to Remember Chapter 32. Riding the Intersections Straight Through Traffic Signals Motorists’ Right Turn on Red Turns and Channelization Cyclist’s Turning-Lane Rules Right Turns Left Turns Summary of Movements in Intersections Avoiding Motorists’ Intersection Errors Bikeway Intersections Merges, Diverges, Unions, and Separations Summary Chapter 33. Riding at Night Performance Requirements for Nighttime Protective Equipment Misinformation about Headlamps Misinformation about Rear Lamps Misinformation about Rear Reflectors, and Some True Information Information and Misinformation about Advertising that You Are a Bicycle Information and Misinformation about General Reflectorization Lighting History Lighting Recommendation Headlamp Mounting Location Reflector Mounting Brackets Lamp Adjustment Nighttime Technique Chapter 34. Riding in the Rain Mudguards Rain Clothing Riding Technique Chapter 35. Riding in Cold Weather Staying Warm Road Surfaces Traffic in the Snow Maintenance Part V. Enjoying Cycling Chapter 36. Commuting and Utility Cycling It’s Your Decision Cycle-Commuting and Urban Design Psychology, Politics, and Bikeways Cycle-Commuting and Your Job Time and Distance Dual-Mode Commuting Storing the Bicycle Clothing and Sweating Bike and Equipment “Trashmos” Selecting a Route First Ride Technique Overtaking Intimidation and Education Noncommuting Utility Cycling Baggage Trailers Chapter 37. Mountain Riding Equipment Plan Ahead Map Reading Training Climbing Descending An Example: Sonora Pass in the Sierra Nevada Chapter 38. Club Cycling Why Join a Club? Finding a Club Types of Clubs Organizations that Are Not Cycling Clubs First Ride Hard or Easy? Pick Your Group Group Riding Technique Signals Overtaking within a Group Pace-Lining Downhills Cycling Clubs: The Craft and Sport of Cycling Cycling Tradition Chapter 39. Touring The Joy of Touring Touring Styles Types of Cycling Terrain Maps Using Maps Clothing Touring Bicycles and Equipment Touring Tools Cycle Camping Equipment Riding with a Load Bikes on Airplanes Bikes on Buses and Trains A British Cycling Tour Chapter 40. Racing Paced or Unpaced Types of Courses Individual or Team Racing Bicycles Track Races Criterium Racing Road Racing Massed-Start Racing A Road Race Chapter 41. Cycling with Love Courting Tandeming: Love at Speed Trailers and Seats for Young Children Helping to Ride—Kiddie-Back Tandems and Half-Bicycle Trailers Join Other Families Adults-Only Time Starting to Ride Letting Grow and Letting Go Part VI. Cycling in Society Chapter 42. How Society Pictures Cycling Chapter 43. Bike-Safety Programs Why Accurate Public Knowledge of Cycling Is Important Traditional American Bike-Safety Programs The Social Environment for Cycling Education in America Summary of the Effects of Bike-Safety Programs The Future Chapter 44. The Federal “Safety” Regulation for Bicycles with Its Dangerous No-Headlight Standard Engineering Incompetence for Political Ends Danger without Headlamp Conclusions Chapter 45. The Cyclist-Inferiority Phobia The Cyclist-Inferiority Superstition and Phobia Phobia Definitions Cyclist-Inferiority Phobia Effects of the Cyclist-Inferiority Phobia Chapter 46. Revising Laws to Control Cyclists Our Right to Use the Roads The Bicycle as Vehicle Conclusions from the History of Traffic Laws for Cyclists Chapter 47. The Bikeway Creation Controversy Preparing for Bikeways Creating Discriminatory Laws Creating the Bikeway Standards Governmental Policy Regarding Cycling Governmental Scientific Policy Regarding Bikeways Safety Comparison of Bikeways and Roadways Convenience Comparison of Bikeways and Roadways Importance of Speed in Cycling Transportation Relative Levels of Skill Required Engineering and Scientific Summary of Bikeway Controversy The Appeal of Bikeways Chapter 48. Bikeway Results Safety Results Volume Results Psychological Results Chapter 49. Antimotoring Motivation in Bicycle Transportation Motoring-Favorable Motivation Antimotoring Motivation Chapter 50. Minute Penalties for Killing Cyclists Civil Penalties Criminal Penalties The Miller Case The Swann Case Why Was Gaylan Ray Lemmings Never Tried for the Death of Christie Lou Stefan? Wichary Case The Cyclist-Inferiority Phobia Affects Justice for Cyclists Vulnerable User Laws Conclusions Chapter 51. Policies of Cycling Organizations and Bicycle Advocacy Organizations Bicycle-Related Organizations Ideological Organizations Cycling Organizations Summary Chapter 52. Political Strategy for Cyclists The Present Situation Individual Action Create the Vehicular-Cycling Organization Conclusions Appendix: Effective Cycling Instruction and Qualification Objectives Purposes of Effective Cycling Levels of Effective Cycling Achievement and Recognition Index