Lucky to be Cycling

St Patrick’s day is coming and we will be celebrating Irish history and culture and trying to find a Leprechaun to get some of that famous Irish luck.    If you find yourself stepping over cracks in sidewalks, throwing salt over your shoulder, and saying “rabbit, rabbit, rabbit” on the first day of the month then you might be like cyclists who have habits they believe gives them luck on the bike.  Here are some of the superstitions of professional bicycle racers:

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• Wear their undershirt the way it comes out of the wash. It doesn’t matter if it’s inside out or not. That’s the way it’s meant to be worn if the washing machine says so.
• If they are assigned #13 in a race, they wear it upside down. There is no telling what will happen if it is worn right-side up.
• Don’t shave their legs on the morning of the race.   A corollary for men is not to shave their face the day before a time trail. 
• Separate their cycling clothing into a “training kit” and “racing kit” and always keep training away from racing clothing.
• Identify one set of socks and one undershirt as “good luck”. These are only to be used during the races of utmost importance.
• Never wear new clothing and equipment for the first time at a big race.

Not to be outdone in the search for luck, here are some lucky practices of bike commuters:

• Always get on a bike from the same side
• Carry a lucky charm, such as a piece of jewelry; if you were carrying it the first time you had a good ride, maybe the next time will be just as good
• Have a pre-ride cup of coffee
• Clean your bike after each ride

We also have ways of wishing each others luck on our bike rides, i.e. tail winds, keep the rubber side down, or may your feet stay on the pedals and your eyes on the road.  Or it might be something as simple as “have a good ride”.