Summary: The heat finally broke, and I am back in the Winnebago Travel Studio 13F to record the fourth episode in this Survival Cycling series: The Ten Essential Skills You Need To Overcome Any Cycling Emergency Today I clarify what I mean by "emergency", and discuss what I mean by "overcoming and emergency". Today's main topic is Mechanical Skill. Mechanical failure is the quintessential bicycle survival emergency. If you ride long enough, sooner or later you WILL have a mechanical. Today we discuss these points concerning learning enough mechanical skills to get yourself or someone else out of a jam: You need a basic knowledge of physics. Knowing how things like force, friction, leverage, and momentum really will help you understand how things work. If that seems too heady, just think cause and effect. Become comfortable with using tools. Frequent use of tools improves your improvisational competence. Often specialty tools can be purchased for less than it will cost to hire someone to perform the repair for you. Learn about the inner workings of your bicycle. Gain familiarity through practice. Tear stuff apart! Some things I mentioned in today's episode: Park BBB-1 Big Blue Book of Bike Repair I use exclusively tools from Park Tool USA. I have met the owner of the company, and they make, in my opinion, the very best bicycle tools in the industry. Don't forget to connect with Survival Cycling on Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter. Let me know what you think!
