White Polar Bear

Any idea how much a dirty chain would affect your speed? I wonder if the cleaning or my chain is actually helping me go 1 or 2 gears higher (for similar rides). Either that or my recent derailleur tuning did the trick. (I actually rode less lately).

Even majority of the components on the bikes are 105, Tiagra, etc. some manufacturers would throw in a couple of Shimano non-series components (crankset, cassette, for example). My question is, where do these so-called non-series components fall in terms of quality and performance in the Shimano product line? I know they will not be as good as ultegra. Will they be comparable to Tiagra or will they be much worse?

When I spend time at the drop (usually due to strong head wind), I shift my contact point with the saddle and put pressure at my groin area (which is not good for a long period of time). Bike shorts with thicker padding helps and shifting seat position from time to time helps but the situation still bothers me.

In order to avoid the pressure to the groin, should I get a different saddle (any recommendation)? Or should I tilt the saddle downward, moving it backward, etc? I don't know what I can do to make it work for both the upright and aero position.

I bought my current road bike 18 months ago (I only rode on a hybrid for a year before that). I brought it back to the LBS for some fitting adjustment after 9 months or so and it felt great for a long while. I notice I am willing to go to the drops more often nowadays and not feeling I pedal as efficient and smooth as I would like to. Do I need another bike fit check? Is it common to do bike fit once in a while for newbies?

I will be doing HNH 100 in late August. I have tried various energy food and found Hammer's Perpetuem works pretty well for me during my weekend group rides. Considering the expected longer time in the heat, one will lose sodium through sweating. I wonder if I need to bring some sodium capsules with me or if the sodium in Perpetuem is enough.

This will be my 2nd year doing the 2-day MS-150 ride. It will be 85 mile on Day 1 and around 70 miles on Day 2. My question - am I better off staying with my energy bar, bananas, energy gel, etc. instead of having the PBJ sandwiches, pizza, etc. at the lunch break point? Which choice will help me maintain my energy level better?

What's the difference (besides the price tag) between training tires and the more expensive tire? I do group rides and occasionally some rallies (~100k). Does training tire last longer? What should I consider if the extra cost is justified?

When I ride with group in the city, there are enough long red light stops for me to grab my snack and little bites here and there to keep my energy up. At those bike rallies, I don't want to stop for my snack, and waiting to eat at the break stops is just not enough (I have constantly struggled after the 45 miles mark and I know I didn't push too hard. I need to eat regularly on the bike and I just don't know how. I can't ride with my both hands off the handlebar. Is that the problem?

Which one comes first - The pain of the leg muscles, the breath, or the Heart rate?

I swear there are times when my legs feel OK but my heart was pounding like crazy. There are other times my legs give in first.

Seems like Fixie is getting more popular these days. What are the common usages of a fixie? Is it mainly for local commuting? Are there anyone use it for longer trips (> 30 miles)? If you already have a good road bike, will you add a fixie to your collection? Does it help your training?

I was riding at a 100K rally this past weekend. It was close to 100 degree towards the end. I was very tired and exhausted. However, what made me concerned was I felt chilly on my forearms. Since it's over 90 degree outside, I was puzzled while I should feel that way. What does it mean and how to prevent that from happening again?

I know rust can occur on chains and frequent cleaning and lub is the way to prevent it. For crankset and cassette cogs, the maintenance guideline is to do the cleaning. I have yet read anything about putting lub on cassette cogs and/or crankset. Will these components get rusty?

I am sure wearing helmet is mandatory during any professional race now. However, while I was watching highlights of previous Tour de France, I notice they were not wearing helmets during some mountain stages.

I have a Garmin Nuvi 265. When I bring it with me on trips to other cities, I notice it takes a LONG time to search for satellite the first time I use it at the new location. Is there any tricks to make it faster?

It's quite annoying when you hooking it up in the rental car and have to wait for a long time before it can tell you where to go.

I bought the lifetime map update for my Nuvi 265W today. On my Garmin account, right next to the access code, it shows the "expiration date" as July 2011. What's going on?

In the movie"Breaking away", Dave drafted behind an 18 wheeler up to 60 mph and breaking away as the trucker gets pulled over for speeding. Power aside, I wonder what gear/cadence one need to use to get the wheels go that fast.

After I made some adjustment of the front derailer cage, the chain starts jumping towards the smaller cogs if I pedal backward. The normal shifting is just fine. What's causing it and how do I fix it.

In additional to my training, I am planning to lower my body weight by a few more pounds during this summer to get a better power/weight ratio. I wonder if I will need to have more frequent bites during the rides and the stops because my body will no longer carry as much fuel? I don't know if it has more to do with me (and the group) pushing faster or just the fuel issue.

Using the same bike, does a heavy person have more stability than a light person? Does a heavier bike provide more stability than a lighter bike? I had problems with the cross wind (with gust up to 30 mph) yesterday. I slowed down quite a bit during downhill concerning about the cross wind with the excess speed that could cause a severe crash. Are there techniques to make it more stable and safe in cross wind + downhill conditions?

I ran into a discussion about PET bottles recycling. I was told that the cap (and also that little ring left on the bottle after you open it) is not made from the same materials as the bottle itself (PET). So the question is, should I take out the cap (and probably the ring) when I recycle the bottle?