Do you have any cycling superstitions?

You often hear of people having sport-related superstitions. Someone might always wear a particular shirt when their team is playing, or maybe they don’t shave during the playoffs :thinking: :grinning:

Mine is that I always have a better ride if I have Kodiak Cakes pancakes :pancakes::pancakes::pancakes::pancakes: and lots of maple syrup for breakfast. This doesn’t seem to hold up the same with other pancakes or other carb sources (and trust me I eat alot of oatmeal and Cinnamon Toast Crunch). Yesterday as an example…I was up around 6 and made Kodiak pancakes thinking I’d ride at 9. Well, the schedule got juggled a bit and I knew I couldn’t leave untill 11:30 so I had more pancakes :rofl:. I ended up clocking in my best time for 100 miles solo and set a 5 min power PR 45 miles into the ride :cowboy_hat_face:

I’m sure this is all in my head and a good ride is a result of consistent training and better fueling…but I can’t help wonder how much of my FTP is pancake based :thinking:

Anyone else have superstitions they can share?

4 Likes

I get my hair cut at the same place before every A race.

4 Likes

Never touch the ground with my socks on. Feet go in socks and in shoes, no middleman. Sounds weird, but it does seem to work. :smile: :roll_eyes: But I can’t seem to shake it. But at least it’s not ‘unhealthy’…

2 Likes

I bought a two year supply of Kodiak cakes using the most recent Strava promo because I operate so well on them with maple syrup. Did 205 miles yesterday and set my best 180k time per strava on the road bike. A few years ago I used the supersapiens monitor and pancakes/syrup or bananas were the big observable winners for me.

4 Likes

I have a pair of olive drab Rapha socks that I always wear when it’s time to go to war. They’re especially effective on VO-Tuesday.

4 Likes

Wait, tell me more about these Kodiak cakes. Are these just their regular pancakes made from a mix or do they come pre-made? (I’m always looking for easier pre-race meals that don’t require cooking in a hotel room.)

2 Likes

4 Likes

1 week prior to the event I change both tires. Has kept me flat free. Knock on wood.
IMG_0810

4 Likes

I bought an electric waffle maker and use Kodiak mix, with egg white and milk. I love the stuff. Maple syrup is saved for very special occasions.

1 Like

The savings I get buying maple syrup at Costco vs the grocery store more than pays for the Costco membership :rofl:

3 Likes

Olive drab is worth at least +10W!

1 Like

Every time after I pump up my tires I have to press in the valve and let a little air out

7 Likes

I didn’t. After reading these I now have about 6

8 Likes

No, seems silly to me.

Any day ending in Y is a good day to ride.

3 Likes

Well that’s just a fact.

1 Like

Shave my legs 2 days before an event.

1 Like

Inherited from snowboarding, when mountain biking I never announce (out loud or even in my head) that a lap/run/descent is the last of the day. I don’t believe in superstitions, but I do think it’s plausible that knowing something is your last run of the day could allow you to subconsciously let your guard down to some degree. Coupled with end-of-day fatigue that could be a recipe for careless error. So even if I head up the climb knowing I probably only have one more lap in my legs, I still allow myself the possibility of a few more runs until I get to the bottom and can safely say “that’s it for today!”

10 Likes

Not 100% germane but, related. I try and time my signups to get 13. I’ve yet to get it! :cry:

1 Like

It seems like a well marketed and expensive mix with whey added. i put an egg and a scoop of whey in regular 1/3rd the price pancake mix and make my own “protein” pancakes.

2 Likes