When it comes to riding rough country roads, preparation is key to ensuring both comfort and safety. As the 2024 Bowral Classic approaches, it’s time to check your bike and gear, making sure everything is ready for the challenge ahead. Unlike a regular bunch ride, gravel and uneven surfaces demand a different approach. From reinforcing your bar tape for better control to ensuring your bidons are snug in their cages, every detail counts. With expert tips from Schwalbe and suggestions for a smooth ride, here’s what to keep in mind as you gear up for the Bowral Classic.
- Bar Tape – take a close look at the bar tape on your bike, the Bowral Classic could be the perfect time to renew it! Look for slightly thicker and more shock absorbing tape that will allow for better comfort and control.
- Gloves – we would suggest quality gloves that grip well and have a properly padded palm.
- Bidons and Cages – bidons often bounce out of cages on rough roads and can lead to a crash. Ensure your bottles and cages are compatible – and correctly matched with the bottle fitting snugly in the cage. As for the two-bottle cage mounting screws, be sure to check and tension them before the event!
Lazer’s Z1 KinetiCore
- GPS/Computer bracket – again, ensure this is tight on the bars! There’s truly nothing worse than a slipping GPS mount.
- Gear & Helmet – Like preparing for any cycling trip, we’d suggest making a checklist and laying out the gear and equipment you are taking to the event. Kit, jersey, gloves, spare tubes, sunglasses, shoes, socks and of course your helmet. Regarding your helmet – has it been crashed, dropped, or sustained any significant impact in its lifetime? It’s worth noting helmets should be regularly inspected and replaced if necessary. Always ensure you are riding a quality lid with the Australian Standard label and manufacture date decal inside.
- In need of a new one? Be sure you check out the Lazer stall at this year’s Village.
- Group Riding – If riding with a group, we’d suggest you slow down and leave more of a gap between yourself and the rider in front. You need to be able to see bumps, imperfections, and potholes – if you’re too close to the rider in front you’ll have less response time.
Tyre Tips From Schwalbe
The quality and width of your tyres for this year’s event will be very important. Locals have said 28mm is the minimum they’d ride. So far as width goes, Guy McCausland of Schwalbe Australia offered this advice:“We’ve seen tyres of 23mm go to 25 then 28 then 30’s and now 32’s are … the worse the road the bigger the tyre should be. On bumpier roads you want to roll over obstacles rather than be deflected and ultimately lose energy from them. You want your axles to remain at a constant level above the road to help overall efficiency.”
