Product Review

Look ahead

If you turn your head and look in the direction you want to go, you’ll instinctively head in that direction. In a similar vein, stopping distances are magnified. So if you don’t spot trouble early, you need to always be one step ahead of the action.

Stay off your seat and keep your pedals level

If you’re off your seat, you can shift weight quickly. As well, keep your pedals level. This prevents them from bottoming out on turns or on rocks and roots. It also lets you bounce and absorb when necessary.

Hold on

Grip your handlebars securely and use your brakes lightly. It sounds like a contradiction, I know, but when the ride gets bumpy you don’t want to lose control of the bike. But you still need to apply only the correct amount of force on your brakes. This is truly a physically demanding, often overlooked, aspect of riding. Train those forearms.

Use the seat and your legs

On steeper descents, control the movement of your bike by applying pressure with your inner thighs to bring the rear end of the bike around to one side or the other. This technique is especially useful when you apply the rear brakes, and slide through a steep turn.

Following these tips and techniques for getting down steep hills should make your cycling trips more invigorating and less intimidating. In fact, with practice, you should be able to ride with the speed, and not reckless abandon, that makes downhill riding so much fun in the first place.

Get the right rack for the occasion

So you’ve got the bike or kayak or canoe, but it just won’t fit in the trunk. What to do? Before purchasing a vehicle rack, you’ve got several things to consider. First, the rack needs to be relatively easy to use. You don’t want to return from a long day of skiing or snowboarding, with your hands stiff from the cold, and try to load a rack that is difficult to use. Next, make sure the rack you’re purchasing is durable, and will last a long time. Lastly, and most important, make sure the rack will be secure on your roof. Ideally, components should be made from metal – not plastic – so you can lock it up and feel safe leaving your equipment unattended. Also, consider these questions: • How many items do you want to transport (now AND in the future)? Most racks carry at least two bikes or kayaks. Some carry even more. • How frequently do you plan to use the rack? The more use your rack gets, the more rugged, durable, and easily installable it needs to be. Quality racks are stronger and last longer. • For how long a time or over what distances will you be transporting the

equipment?

Bikes and bike racks left on cars for long periods of time are more likely to get stolen (especially when unlocked), scratched or covered in abrasions. Now let’s take a close look at some sport-specific racks. Ottawa’s local suppliers will help you make the right decision when you’re ready.

Bike Rack

Swagman Twister Fold-Down Rack, Approx. $180

This unique three-bike carrier (which slides into a 2 inch, class three receiver) allows you to add an optional fourth bike cradle. Each cradle adjusts independently, allowing maximum ground clearance by rotating cradles. It comes with integrated cable locks for bikes, and a fold-down foot. As well, it has quick-release, micro-adjustable ratchet straps.

Roof Box Rack

Thule 676 - Cascade 1100, Approx. $500

This is the perfect size of box; it provides tons of storage room, and still leaves space on your roof rack when you need to carry other gear, like bikes or boats.

Special features include: • Smooth aerodynamic design for minimal wind resistance. • Universal mounting design; it attaches to all types of after-market and factory installed roof racks. • Mounts quickly with time-saving, new Variable Quick Mount™ system. No need to adjust load bars when mounting the box. • Easy, single-side opening and closing. • Rugged construction with impact resistant ABS material. • 11 cubic foot capacity. • Carries five to six pairs of skis.

The Yakima Hully Kayak Rollers make loading your boat smooth and simple. They’re sold in pairs so one set can carry one boat. They connect to both Thule™ square and Yakima™ round bars on a multi-purpose base rack system. • Fits any hull shape thanks to U-joint rollers. • Makes loading and unloading a breeze using pivoting rollers. • Long-lasting stainless steel hardware. • One fi ve-metre-long, heavy duty tie-down strap included. • Protects both vehicle and boat from scratches with padded buckle. • Complete safety with bow/stern tie-down.

Canoe Rack

Foam blocks, straps, Approx. $15

Good things come in small packages. Here’s a simple, easy way to transport a canoe on almost any vehicle. It features a low cost and extreme versatility; the foam blocks fi t over canoe gunnels and sit directly on your roof. Using Cam Buckle straps that pass through the foam, you can secure a canoe to your vehicle quickly and safely. You should also secure the canoe using bow and stern lines.

Whitewater Kayak Rack

Thule 520 Stacker, Approx. $150

The Thule 520 Whitewater Kayak Stacker can carry two whitewater kayaks, and includes front and rear stacker bars. (Note: It attaches to Thule square load bars only, and carries whitewater kayaks only.) • Two four-and-a-half-metre-long load straps are included for carrying one kayak. • Front and rear stacker bars come with the package. • Folds down when not in use. • Includes convenient “buckle bumpers.”

You’re on the go; there’s no question about it! It’s our job to make sure that your gear can keep up.

bikes boards

cargo boats

AutoRacks – 378 Richmond Road, Ottawa Tel. 613-722-5759 Fax. 613-722-0321

Banish your blisters: part

II

By Eric Martinat

Blisters are injuries. You can tell which runners theyʼve affected as athletes arrive at the transition area during a long adventure race. In only a few hours their movements have morphed from gliding, confi dent strides to a hobble. These runners no longer use an effi cient, heel-toe movement, but place each foot gingerly, fl at on the ground to mitigate the pain with each step. Their faces, once sporting self-assured smiles, now grimace and wince. Welcome to the trek section of an adventure race!

Hours in wet running shoes over uneven terrain take their toll on even the greatest adventure racers. The extent of the injury and your ability to continue will depend on how you mitigate the blisterʼs effects.

Last issue we discussed techniques to avoid blisters. But what happens when runners or hikers forget to prevent them, or when their prevention doesnʼt work? When the happy hike turns into a “torture-fest” youʼve got to deal with your foot issues! Your team is counting on you. Whatʼs the solution?

Scott Marshall, Emergency Medical Technician for the Raid the North Extreme race says, “Blister handling is much like blister prevention: what works well for one person might have minimal or no effect on another. The longer one can go without lancing a blister while keeping the area intact, the better, if only to prevent infection. However, pain, location and content can mean a blister that should be dealt with.”

Blisters happen when your outer layer of skin receives friction, causing it to separate from your inner layer of skin. The space between the two layers fi lls with a clear liquid called lymph fl uid. The outer layer is cut off from its source of oxygen and nutrition, and soon dies. If you remove the dead skin, the red layer underneath becomes susceptible to infection (and hurts like hell!). The goal of every blister treatment is to avoid infection, minimize discomfort and stop the blister from getting bigger.

To drain or not to drain

One of the more memorable sights in medical tents at adventure races is the barbaric ritual of lancing blisters. As if to placate the sore foot gods, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) don latex gloves and buzz from racer to racer, stabbing fl uid-fi lled sacks on the bottoms of racersʼ feet, while weary victims watch in terror.

Remember Scott Marshallʼs advice. If you can tape a hot spot or a small blister before it worsens, or if a clear blister emerges at the end of your race when you can rest and keep your foot dry, itʼs best to leave the site intact. But if youʼre hit with blisters in the middle of a race, youʼll need to take action.

Blisters containing clear lymph fl uid should be lanced and drained with the outer skin layer left intact. If you happen to have an EMT with sterilized needles, great! If not, do it yourself. Sterilize a pin/needle by holding it in the fl ame of a lighter. After the pin cools, make a couple of holes, usually on the side of the blister. Gently push out the fl uid. Dry the area completely before applying a dressing. Itʼs important that the site not refi ll with fl uid, so check it occasionally.

Do not drain blood-fi lled blisters. Why? Youʼll increase your risk of infection, as bacteria will be able to

enter more vulnerable, inner layers of skin more readily.

Cloudy fl uid in blisters often indicates that infection has begun. Drain the blister as above, apply antibiotic ointment and cover it ASAP. This will help prevent the infection from worsening.

If youʼve arrived at camp and plan to stay for a bit, cut some Moleskin with a hole in the center for the blister (like a donut hole… mmmm donuts). Apply antibiotic ointment over the blister and cover it with gauze. Secure the dressing with adhesive tape.

Extreme taping

One of the great inventions of our time: duct tape! Sure, you can use bandages, gauzes and moleskin if timeʼs on your side and you can keep your feet dry. But, in the middle of an adventure race, when the going is wet and tough, duct tape is perfect. Someone once told me that the adhesive in duct tape has antiseptic properties. Whatever it is, the thick, strong and adhesive tape covers your foot and stays there in adverse conditions.

Place Moleskin over the blister as above. Then stick the duct tape over the blistered area in long strips so it adheres to a dry area of your foot. Iʼve sometimes seen tape applied right over the blistered area, with nothing between the tape and blister. This extreme measure sometimes causes grief when you need to remove the tape. Remember, this is emergency fi rst aid to stop the injuryʼs progression and allow you to continue the race.

Make the taping as smooth as possible, and try not to overlap strips of tape. Remember to fl ex your foot as you apply the tape. Make sure the tape doesnʼt cut off your circulation. (Toes that turn black and fall off usually indicate that your tape is too tight!)

Finally, duct tape is the great equalizer. Women wax and men pull out their hair with duct tape. Be careful removing the tape: donʼt leave part of you body stuck to the adhesive!

What’s a medical emergency?

“Emergency” is defi ned in the eye of the race director. Before any adventure race, the director allocates resources to rescue unfortunate racers experiencing a medical emergency. While your destroyed feet may seem like a medical emergency to you, they may not appear as important to the director who approves medical evacuations. Once, in a long race, I succumbed to serious foot issues. The EMT advised that Iʼd risk permanent nerve damage if I continued the race; yet the race director wanted to stick me with the cost of the helicopter evac. He didnʼt view foot problems as a medical emergency. The moral is to clarify, before the race, the directorʼs defi nition of a medical emergency. At least youʼll know where you stand (or sit) when your foundation has crumbled and you canʼt go on.

Blister Buster Kit

A well stocked medical kit can help you treat blisters en route. Add these to your kit: • Lighter • Sewing needle • Moleskin • Gauze dressing and adhesive tape • Scissors • Duct tape • Antibacterial lotion and/or antibiotic cream.

Preventing blisters is your best strategy (see our Spring 2003 issue for details). But when your feet feel like hamburger, and you have miles to go before you sleep, a sterile needle, Moleskin, gauze and duct tape may save your race. Note: Information found in this article is not provided by a physician, and is not intended as medical advice. It is based solely (excuse the pun) on the athletic experiences of the author and other racers. For expert tips on foot care, read Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes, Second Edition, by John Vonhof (Footwork Publications). — Eric Martinat is a regular staff writer, and an avid racer.