By Kathryn Mosely
http://www.acerbike.com/

My days of running for pleasure and exercise ended when I
moved to the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. I had been
living in the relatively flat Willamette River Valley where
there were miles of level bark running trails. Now in the
Gorge, I encountered rocky, steep trails that were torture
to my hips and knees. It was time to find a replacement for
running.

Fortunately, the Columbia Gorge is a recreation center;
the attractions include mountain biking and windsurfing.
Since I don't like swimming, I opted for the mountain bike.
That turned out to be one of the best choices I ever made,
although I began the try-out cautiously. I didn't know
whether I'd like biking in the long-term, so I started with
a low-end bicycle that was truly heavy - in retrospect it
was a total clunker. Next, I balked at buying some of the
rather expensive gear. I'm actually not a tightwad, it
just seemed that some of the stuff was more about looks
than practical use.

As I gave some things a try however, I quickly understood
that much of the gear you can get is not to look 'cool',
but is for better function. Here are seven of my favorite
biking items that in my post-runner days I didn't think I'd
need, and now I can't imagine being without.

1. Padded shorts. They make you more comfortable,
especially for long rides. Whether you're road biking or
mountain biking, it pays to invest in these shorts.

2. Helmet, well vented. You've got to use one anyway,
don't you? If you don't wear a helmet, you're nuts. With
helmets, you'll get what you pay for: spend whatever it
takes to have one made with the type of material that can
support lots of vents - to help keep your head cooler.
Plus, the higher-end helmets tend to fit better and are
more easily adjusted.

3. Pedals and shoes with cleats (clipless). After a bit
of a learning curve on how to release quickly and be able
to lock-in going up hill, clipless becomes as automatic as
shifting gears. You especially notice the benefits when
you're road-biking; you're gaining on the entire stroke
instead of only the downward push.

4. Hydration pack (a backpack with water bladder - one
brand is Camelbak). I got one as a gift, or I might not
have tried it out. I've found that it's worth it to have
about 3 liters of water at the ready. I enjoy avoiding that
familiar but goofy move of reaching down to grab the water
bottle from the holder, and then lifting my head to drink -
losing sight of the trail in the process, and then fumbling
the water bottle back to its holder. It's no mystery why I
usually didn't drink enough during rides, and ended up a
little dehydrated every time. Another nice feature is that
the pack allows me to easily carry keys, a snack, my cell
phone, and rain gear.

One suggestion: The water bottle is a keeper because it's
great tool for dogs chasing you. Once you've gotten good
at aiming, you'll be able to squirt the dog and not miss a
stroke. The dog invariably turns away.

5. Safety goggles - yellow. Of course, you should have
protection for your eyes, but I wondered about the
necessity of yellow or orange lenses. Seemed like poser-
gear when I began to see them around. Then I used a pair.
What difference in visibility! The yellow lenses really do
brighten up shady trails and they help you a lot during
overcast or lower-light times of day.

6. Half-finger gloves. The padded palms add to your
comfort, especially for long rides. However, what they do
for you when you wipe out is reason enough to wear them. I
usually come away with my hands feeling OK, even if I've
got scrapes and cuts elsewhere.

7. The Bike. Once I accepted that biking was not only
more fun than running but was a lower-impact alternative
for the sake of my joints, I gave the heavy clunker away
and got serious about the most important piece of gear: The
Bike. I knew what I wanted now - a light and strong frame,
superior components, and suspension. To ride on a well-
designed machine~ pure delight.

Kathryn Mosely's articles on topics related to biking are
published in <a href="http://acerbike.com">Acer Bike
Newsletter</a> the cycler's favorite on-line reference.
Visit: http://www.acerbike.com/arch/ for additional
articles by Kathryn Mosely.

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