How to use the online timer
Forty-five minutes is a decent ride: long enough to leave the neighbourhood and get properly into a rhythm, short enough to fit either side of a working day. The dedicated cycle tracks out in the desert have made this an evening and pre-dawn activity for much of the year, with floodlit loops that stay usable long after the roads have become unpleasant.
Start the count when you clip in and leave it running for the whole ride. If the phone is on the bars, keep the screen awake, since a locked screen suspends the tab and the count with it. On a trainer indoors, the same forty-five minutes covers a warm-up, a main set and a spin down, and the sound at the end is easier to notice than a number on a screen.
Lights are not optional for early and late riding, front and rear, and a rear light is worth having even in daylight. Carry more water than the distance suggests: forty-five minutes in warm air empties a bottle faster than the same ride in winter, and there is very little between one stop and the next on a desert loop.
Common questions
How much water for forty-five minutes?
More than the same ride would need in a cooler climate, and more than one small bottle in the warmer months. There is very little between stops on a desert loop, so carry it rather than planning to find it.
Do I need lights for an evening ride?
Yes, front and rear, and a rear light is worth using in daylight too. Much of the riding here happens before dawn or after dark for half the year, which makes lights part of the basic kit.
Cookie policy