Today I had one of those rare flights where I received an Upgrade! My fellow frequent flyers know this has become a rather rare experience of late regardless of the Airline or status one may have. Ok Global Services, Diamonds, Concierge excluded.
As this was a United Express regional jet, operated by SkyWest Airlines and I was in the front row, I was able to hear a good bit of the cockpit crew discussion during preflight. Fairly methodical process with the benefit of a well organized check list. To some degree reminded me of the preflight of my buddy’s beautiful Cirrus that has on-screen prompts. (One lottery ticket away)
This all reminded me of the importance having a pre-(your sport/exercise here) checklist could be critical to a successful outing, our overall health, and safety.
So let’s dig into a basic pre-ride checklist / routine for road and mountain biking. Most of this is applicable to e-bikes however I have no, zero, zippo personal experience with them so you may need to modify for your bike.
From my recent NICA coaches clinic a simple ABCDE routine. Each does encompass more than the name suggests.
A for Air. As in tire pressure. For mountain biking you may be able to gauge your pressure by pressing onto the tire. For a road bike go with a floor pump and gauge every time. 10 PSI low may not be a problem but few people can feel the difference between 90 PSI (10 low for my Red Rocket) and 80 PSI, 20 low leading to potential pinch flats.
My recommendation is always check your tire pressure. While doing so spin the tires. Look for unusual wear, flat spots, foreign matter in the tires, and look over the wheels and brake rotors while spinning the tires.
Be on the lookout for loose wheels, bolts, axles, and quick releases.
B for Brakes and Bars. Squeeze the brakes while rolling the bike forward. Both wheels should lock with ease. Press forward more so as to compress the fork (MTB) or load the front wheel (road). The bars should not move or rotate. Keep pressing to get the back wheel to lift. Everything should feel secure in the front. Allow the back end to drop and listen for anything that suggests a problem with the rear wheel and/or suspension.
C for Chain. Helps to have one in good shape, relatively clean, and lubed recently. If you don’t remember the last time it was lubed do it now. Check the chain for tension and kinks / twists. We check more with –
D for Drive Train & Pedals. Do make certain your bike shifts up/down a few gears at least while doing a quick spin of the cranks Forward. Rear wheel off the ground. This is very important for those of us with electric shifting! If you know where to look (now is a good time to read up) check your battery charge status. Pro-tip for mountain bikes with electric shifting. Keep a set of spare batteries in your camelback or tool kit. Usually a 2032 front and OEM spare rear.
Check your pedals while spinning the cranks. Do they spin freely? Are they secure and clean? When were they last lubed?
E for Everything Else. This includes you the rider. Is your spare tube/CO2/pump/levers/tool kit attached to the bike or in your kit / camelback? Bike computer attached?
Helmet, gloves (you should wear them), shoes, head gear / sweat band, proper cycling kit, water!!! As in water bottle (s) or camelback. How about emergency ID? Think of RoadID, carry driver’s license, ICE contact card, and phone just in case.
All of this may seem like a lot. After a while it becomes routine. I can pre-ride my bicycles and motorcycle in three to ten minutes max. The latter usually means I forgot my water bottles in the house / fridge or left my head cover somewhere in the bedroom.
Develop your own pre-activity routine. It will make your next outing much more enjoyable when it goes off without a hitch and you don’t worry about XYZ while you are out there.
RAAM2CC© 
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