The worst part is, even if you practice shifting for years and get really good at the nuances of your bike, and you adjust the front derailleur perfectly, it still happens!

So what do you do?

You need to get yourself a chain catcher!

A “chain catcher” (or “chain watcher” as some say) will prevent the chain from dropping off the small ring and onto the frame. If the chain is about to slide off the small ring, it hits the chain catcher, which pushes the chain back onto the ring. This saves time, keeps your hands clean, lessens frame damage, and could very well salvage your chances of winning a race!

The chain catcher is actually a simple device. It is nothing more than a small piece of plastic or metal that clamps to your seat tube or front derailleur and rests beside the small chainring.

They are cheap, too, so you have no excuse not to use one!

In my research, I have found six options for chain catchers. Here they are…

Third Eye Chain Watcher

This is a small piece of nylon with a built-in metal clamp. It clamps to the seat tube, and the nylon piece keeps the chain on the ring. It should fit seat tubes of 1 1/8″ to 1 3/8″, even if they’re oval.

Link: www.3rd-eye.com

Deda Elementi Dog Fang

This looks similar to the Third Eye Chain Watcher, in that it is a small piece of nylon. It fits 28.6 mm (1 1/8″), 31.7 mm (1 1/4″) and 31.8 mm (1 3/8″) round seat tubes.

Link: www.dedaelementi.com

N-Gear Jump Stop

This is a stainless steel plate with a plastic clamp. It clamps to your seat tube and the plate is there to act as a chain guide. It fits round seat tubes with a standard outside diameter of 1″ (needs shim), 1-1/8″, 1-1/4″, or 1-3/8″.

Link: www.gvtc.com

JTek DropStop

The DropStop is slightly different in that it mounts on the bottom bracket rather than the seat tube. This solves the problem of seat tube size, although it requires more time for installation.

Link: www.jtekengineering.com

K-Edge

The K-Edge is the fanciest chain catcher out there. If you want a good one, this is the one to get. But you do have to shell out $45 or more for this luxury!

Link: www.acecosportgroup.com

There is also a good story at VeloNews featuring the K-Edge.

Or… Make your own!

If you want a top-quality chain catcher but don’t want to spend a whole lot, you can make your own. It’s possible to make your own chain catcher that looks and works nearly as well as the K-Edge, while costing less than $10.

All you really do is take a piece of metal and bend it just so, then attach it to your bike via the screw on your front derailleur braze-on.

For instructions and diagrams, check out the RoadBikeRider.com ebook “How to Make a Chain Catcher (And Never Worry About a Suicide Shift Again)” by John Marsh. (Buy here; see my review of the book here.) It’s under $4 for the book, and the materials cost under $2. That’s a great value!

(Or check this thread at RoadBikeReview for some interesting ideas for homemade chain catchers.)

Yes, even the pros use chain catchers!

If you look at the pros’ bikes, you’ll see many of them have custom-made chain catchers!

Alessandro Ballan’s Wilier: click here for picture.

Paolo Bettini’s Specialized: click here for story, here for picture.

There is also a story here and another picture.

Bradley Wiggins’ Felt (equipped with a K-Edge): click here for story.

Don’t wait until you scratch your carbon frame, get a chain catcher soon!

While I am not one to live off crazy energy drinks, I do try them on occasion, especially if I find one that looks relatively healthy. One I tried is called Awake Good Morning Energy, which is 100% juice plus some energy ingredients. It comes in an “orange tangerine” flavor.

Yes, since it is juice-based, it is very high in sugar. However, most of the sugar is naturally-occurring in the fruit juice, and there isn’t a ridiculously high amount of caffeine, taurine, or similar ingredients. That, plus the fact that I found it on sale at Big Lots for 50 cents per can, made it worth trying!

Health & Nutrition

With typical energy drinks, we’re just trying to find something that’s not too unhealthy. With Awake, it’s really just a mix of fruit juice concentrates plus a few other things, so it’s off to a good start.

Juices include apple, orange, tangerine, lemon, pineapple, and passion fruit.

Then you have:

Essentra – 125mg
Taurine – 100mg
Caffeine – 80mg
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate – 15mg

Caffeine will give you a mental boost, the two amino acids are claimed to give you energy and/or help you burn fat, and Essentra is supposed to alleviate stress, reduce fatigue, and improve mental clarity while restoring energy levels.

Here is what the Awake website says about Essentra:

Essentra® is a unique, patented vitalizing and rejuvenating extract derived from a natural botanical called Ashwagandha, a powerful adaptogen that provides restorative nutrition for enhanced mind and body performance. In addition to increasing stamina and overall energy throughout the day, it has been standardized to consistently shield the body against the negative effects of stress by balancing and harmonizing the body’s systems. It helps to reduce fatigue, improve immune system functions, sharpen focus and eliminate your energy “peaks and valleys.”

That adds up to 180 calories in a 12oz can. That’s a little high, and what really takes the cake is most of those calories are from sugar – there’s 50g sugar in the can! It’s all from the fruit juice, but still, that would lead to one crazy sugar rush!

To end on a positive note, this is no added sugar or sucralose!

Taste Test

I think the tangerine and pineapple are the most prominent flavors. Orange kind of blends with the tangerine, and I do taste the apple some, but those flavors are subdued whereas the pineapple and tangerine give it that bite.

On some sips I also notice a little sour note from the lemon juice. I think I could taste the passion fruit when I consciously looked for it, but since passion fruit isn’t a staple in my diet, I didn’t really notice the flavor above any others.

Awake has a juicier texture and sweeter, less tangy flavor than the Guru Juicy tangerine flavor.

Overall the taste is good. As for texture, it’s just like drinking a tropical fruit juice mix. You can’t tell there is anything else in there.

With no carbonation and no artificial sweeteners to leave a bad aftertaste, it’s all good. I could probably drink this every morning and still enjoy the taste (not that I’d make this sugary drink a daily occurrence.)

Energy Boost

I drank a can of Awake in the morning, around 8:45 AM. It gave me a little energy boost.

Not a crazy energy boost, and not jittery; plenty for me because I don’t drink much caffeine.

The boost lasted at least till the afternoon, at which point I had a rare cup of coffee and was awake till the wee hours of the morning! I think that was the coffee, but at least I can say this isn’t one of those energy drinks that lasts 15 minutes and then results in a big crash.

My final verdict is…

If you like tropical fruit juice, and you don’t mind getting 50 grams of sugar in a single drink, this could be for you.

It’s still 50g sugar hitting your body very quickly, though, so I wouldn’t make it a habit.

Official website: www.awake-energy.com

Or maybe you went to the big ring and the chain flew off the ring and onto your shoe?

Well, here is what you can do…

If your chain drops onto the bottom bracket shell:

If you are pedaling along, shift down to the small chainring, and immediately lose all resistance at the pedals, there’s a good chance that the chain dropped off onto the bottom bracket shell.

If this happens, the first thing you should do is relax! You don’t need to panic or screech to a halt, just roll along.

Begin pedaling easily, and gently shift the front derailleur up like you’re going back to the big ring. Typically this is enough to get the chain back onto the small ring and spinning smoothly. (You don’t want to actually shift the whole way back up to the big ring.)

However, if the chain bunches up, you have a bigger problem…

If your chain digs onto the bottom bracket shell (chainsuck):

If your attempts to shift the chain back onto the chainring fail, it’s probably because the chain got jammed into the bottom bracket shell. When this happens, the chain bunches up and completely jams. This is known as chainsuck.

When this happens, you should stop pedaling! You’ll need to slow to a stop, get off the bike, and lift the chain off the bottom bracket shell and onto the chainring. Sometimes you may need to physically pull the chain out, if it is jammed in there tightly.

If you don’t want to get your hands greasy, take a tire lever and use that to pry the chain free and drop it onto the chainring.

If your chain drops off the big ring onto your foot:

Finally, what do you do if the chain flys off the big ring and ends up hanging outside the crank arm? Or perhaps it ends up on your foot?!

In this case, you gently roll along and use a similar shifting technique, except that now you are shifting down toward the small ring. So you will pedal gently and shift down, hoping the chain comes back up and over to the big ring.

This actually happened to me in the inaugural Tour de Susquehanna. I shifted the chain right off onto my foot! I had to slow down quite a bit, but by some stroke of luck, I was able to unclip my foot and lift the chain slightly (with my foot,) then it shifted back into place!

It won’t always work that well, but it’s worth a shot.

Speaking of cadence, which one is efficient in mt biking – maintaining 90 rpm, or high torque and less rpm?

Thanks,
Mountain Matt

Hi Matt,

The short answer is, “it depends.”

As discussed in my proper cadence article, the proper cadence differs between riders, even when road biking. However, it is generally accepted that maintaining a steady cadence of 90rpm is most efficient on the road.

At the other end of the spectrum (mountain biking,) there are many situations that call for different cadences. When mountain biking, you can disregard virtually everything I said about proper cadence for road biking!

In general, a slower cadence in a higher gear will offer more stability when negotiated rough, technical terrain. Having that extra resistance will make it much easier to go up, over, and/or around obstacles without losing momentum.

Let’s say you’re on very rutted terrain. You want a real big gear and slow cadence to put your weight on your feet, easing the pain on your butt. (The harder of a gear you’re pushing, the less your butt rests on the saddle.)

For technical hill climbs, you definitely want more torque and a lower cadence. This allows you to push yourself over obstacles and begin pedaling again, without spinning out.

If you’re cruising down dirt roads, go ahead and spin 90 rpm if you want to relax. But even then, I don’t always spin that fast. It’s partly due to the longer crank arms on my mountain bike, but partly because the high cadence just doesn’t feel right on the rough stuff. (Even on a regular dirt road, I like that torque.)

However, one thing I’ve heard from some of the local pros that also ride singlespeeds, is that they have successfully used a “singlespeed-esque strategy” while racing on geared bikes. (If you’ve never been on a singlespeed, it typically works like this: you stand and grind on the hills, then spin real easy on the flats.)

So using this strategy on a geared bike means you get in a fairly big gear and push really hard on the climbs. Then when you’re on the flats, you spin relatively easily to recover. The goal is to save your energy for the tough stuff, while conserving energy where extra effort doesn’t yield that much difference in speed (i.e. going hard on a hill can really put a gap on your competition, while spinning moderately on the flats is almost as fast as pushing really hard on the flats.)

What it boils down is that, in most cases, you’ll have a better experience if you push a bigger gear on your mountain bike instead of spinning at 90rpm.

Step 1: Start in a standing position with feet close together, arms at your sides.

Step 2: Now, squat down and put the palms of your hands just outside and in front of your feet.

Step 3: Support yourself with your hands, then thrust your feet backward so that you are in the traditional “up” portion for a standard pushup.

Step 4: Do a full pushup and when you return to the up position, immediately jump your feet up to your hands.

Step 5: As soon as you reach the squat position, jump up! (Instead of standing up, you do a squat jump at the end.)

This is one “rep”.

Now you’re back to the standing position and can start another rep.

Burpees video:

[video coming soon]

See more exercise guides in The Bodyweight Exercise Collection.

I have been biking and doing triathlons for about 6 years now and i am just getting competitive. I have always just used some sidi shoe that a friend gave me but they are way past their time of replacement and i finally have the money to get a new pair of shoes!

Is there a difference in a “Road” shoe and a “triathlon” shoe? if so is it so much of a difference that i would need to get both?

I am racing competitively and im not slow by any means! I have won my last 5 or 6 road races on the bike and plan to do the upcoming half ironman in new orleans. I just need to know if i need to buy two different pairs of shoes for biking or is there one that can be used for both and does not sacrifice anything.

Keep in mind i need to be able to slip out of the shoe itself in a triathlon while still riding the bike (relatively fast and easy) so i think Velcro is the way to go.

Thanks,
Triathlon Tim

Hi Tim,

The main purpose of a triathlon shoe is to let you slip in and out quickly, even with wet feet.

Typically a triathlon shoe will use a single Velcro strap, and it will have a wide foot opening (sometimes referred to as “tongueless” design.) These features make it easy to get the shoe on and off quickly. Also, there is usually a nice seamless liner that makes the shoes comfortable to wear without socks (similar to how triathlon-oriented running shoes are made.)

With a road bike shoe, you’ll probably have two or three Velcro straps and/or a buckle closure. This is great for adjusting the shoes for the perfect fit, but it’s not a time saver. Cheaper shoes might even have laces, which take a long time to tie and untie.

What it really comes down to is that road shoes are designed for comfort and performance, while tri shoes are designed for quick transitions and performance (and for sockless comfort.)

A tri shoe will look like this.

In the end, you could get by with one or the other. With the tri shoe, the fit might not be perfectly dialed in, but it should be fine.

With the road shoe, it would probably be more comfortable and stable. It would be a bit slower for the transitions, but working with two Velcro straps instead of one doesn’t add that much extra transition time.

Where the road shoe’s secure fit would really shine is in the sprinting and attacking that takes place in most road races. (Whereas you’re keeping a steady pace, usually seated, during a tri.)

Sure, I’d prefer to have both shoes, but you don’t need to start out with both. If you’re racing Cat 1/2 or Pro on the road, you definitely want dedicated road shoes.

High up in triathlons? Get a tri-specific shoe.

If I was going with just one shoe, I’d get a good road shoe with two Velcro straps.

I’m looking at upgrading several components of my Trek 1.5 I recently purchased a Ultegra rear deraileur to replace the Tiagra unit there now. I’d like to upgrade the shifters from the Sora units there now to either 105 or Ultegra units. My main question is whether it’s ok to mix and match components from the different families? I’m thinking about going with 105 components due to their reliability and relatively low cost. Thanks ahead of time for your answers.

-Mixing Mike

Hi Mike,

You should have no problem mixing and matching these components. As long as everything is either Shimano 9speed or Shimano 10speed, you’re fine. Until recently, it was hard to find a bike that had all the parts from one group, like Shimano 105. Typically you would see a bike with an Ultegra rear derailleur, maybe 105 cranks or shifters, and then Tiagra parts everywhere else.

(Then it would be called an “Ultegra bike” to make it sound better, but that’s another story…)

The one thing you do not want to do is mix and match Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo together. I consider these manufacturers separate families. You could call Sora, 105, Ultegra, etc. cousins, as they’re all part of the Shimano family and they play well together.

The only exception I’ve seen is with a few of the top end components new for 2009. For example, the Shimano Dura Ace 7900 shifters and derailleurs won’t mate to earlier versions.

But like I said, the general rule is that all levels of Shimano will work together. A bike with an Ultegra rear derailleur and everything else 105 would make for a great riding bike. All you’re really giving up to the more expensive components is weight (and at the same time, you’re probably gaining durability.)

I have a KHS Flite 100 And when I turn my feet hit the front tire. This is happening with my new soma cages and the older Mini-Clips I had. The clips are as far away from the bike as they can be.
Do I need shorter crank arms or new pedals?

I’m 6′0″ and it’s a 57. The guy said it was a perfect fit… I really don’t want to but a new bike, it doesn’t happen on my brothers swobo sanchez. (His is a 58 and it has a good inch of room.)

Sincerely,
Bigfoot

Hi Bigfoot,

I’ve had that same problem before and I know many others who deal with it too. It is commonly referred to as toe overlap.

It’s not uncommon, especially on road bikes with racing geometry. Racing bike = racing geometry = short wheelbase. (Some bikes have very relaxed geometry with a long wheelbase for stability, which is why it doesn’t happen on all bikes.)

Toe overlap can certainly be annoying, but I have come to deal with it. When you know it’s there, it’s relatively easy to avoid.

Remember this: Bikes with toe overlap are made to go fast. When you go fast, you don’t need to turn the wheel to turn – you just lean. So in most cases, you won’t actually notice the wheel/toe overlap.

I usually only notice it when doing a trackstand. In other words, when I’m going very slow or not moving at all, but still turning the front wheel back and forth.

So what you want to do is not turn when going slow. If you do need to turn when going slow, do it with your feet at 6 and 12 o’clock, and don’t twist the bars too far to either side.

It might sound like a big deal, but it’s not bad once you try. It’s pretty simple, and the trackstand is an integral component of bike handling skill, so learning is worthwhile. After a few rides, it should be second nature.

Just don’t buy new cranks or pedals! It won’t help, and it could screw up your bike fit. At your height, I don’t think you want shorter cranks. You’d have to replace the frame and/or fork with a different style to make a noticeable difference, and that’s not the best solution.

Replacing the clips/straps pedals with a clipless system could help ever so slightly, since there won’t be any sort of strap in front of the toe, but that isn’t a guarantee. (The toe overlap would have to be very slight, like 1/4″, for the pedal switch to make a difference.)

Summary: Get used to working around the toe overlap, because that happens on most race frames!

But once the ride is over, things get tougher. You have to remove the bladder and clean it thoroughly, and don’t forget the bite valve – that thing is tough to clean! (That’s what makes me opt for water bottles when they’re a feasible option.)

The good news is, once you know the drill, keeping your CamelBak’s bladder (or reservoir) clean and fresh isn’t all that difficult.

Part 1: How to Clean Your Hydration Pack

We’ll assume you have a grungy bladder at the moment, so let’s start by cleaning it!

Here are five different ways to clean it:

1. Hot water + baking soda

Fill the bladder with hot water and baking soda. Shake it up and let it sit overnight.

2. Camelbak cleaning kit

You could go all out and get Camelbak’s brush kit and cleaning tablets. It’s nice because everything comes in one package, but it isn’t the cheapest option.

3. Cold water + bleach

Try filling the bladder with cold water and 1 tsp bleach. Let that sit overnight. Just make sure you rinse thoroughly! (If I use bleach, I also clean it with the hot water + baking soda afterward to get rid of the chlorine taste.)

I don’t really like to use harsh substances like bleach, but sometimes you might have to.

4. Denture cleaning tablets

A cheaper alternative to Camelbak tablets is a box of denture cleaning tablets. (Just make sure they are flavorless, unless you want to drink mint-flavored water.)

5. Pipe cleaners and Q-tips

If your main problem is cleaning the tube, try some pipe cleaners! Q-tips also work inside the bite valve.

Part 2: Tips to Keep Your Hydration Pack Clean and Fresh

Now that the reservoir is clean, keep it that way! Here are five more tips that will keep things clean:

1. Only carry water

Without sugary sports drinks, it’s much less likely that mold will grow in the reservoir. I prefer to carry plain water or Nuun in my pack while carrying drinks like Accelerade and Perpetuem in bottles.

2. The freezer

Keep the reservoir in the freezer when not in use. The freezer provides an environment cold enough that mold can’t grow.

3. Concentrate on the bite valve

When cleaning, make sure you get the bleach or soapy water down through the hose and bite valve.

4. Air dry

Hang the reservoir to air dry after each cleaning to be sure it is totally dry.

5. Buy new

If you do carry sports drinks and get mold, it might be too late. The reservoir isn’t the worst problem – the tube and valves are. Ditch the bite valve, because the mold in there is nearly impossible to remove, no matter what detergents and brushes, toothpicks, Q-tips, etc. you try.

Just clean everything, get a new bite valve for $5, and regularly wash it all and store it in the freezer.

Step 1: Get into the standard push up position.

Step 2: Lower your chest down to the ground.

Step 3: Instead of rising up like normal, you explode up. That way, your hands come up off the ground. Then, clap your hands together in front of your chest!

When your hands hit back down, absorb shock with arms.

Repeat.

Hand Clap Push Up video:

[video coming soon]

See more exercise guides in The Bodyweight Exercise Collection.