It’s such a helpless feeling: you know there is a crime going on and you are powerless to stop it. That’s exactly how I felt when I overheard two unkempt young men talking on the pay phone as I was getting money out of an ATM at our city’s downtown library square. The men were negotiating the sale of “a really nice Specialized bike” for the low, low price of $50, and pleading with the guy on the other end to “get down here now” to pick up the bike. I quickly called security who watched the guys leave the building, had me fill out a report, and then told me there was nothing they could do about it. Why? Simply because there would be no proof the bike was not theirs to sell. Are you kidding, me?!  Read more…

With a Lean Wallet, Which Is The Best Value?

Budgets are tight in these economic times and when shopping for a new bicycle for you or your child, it can be very tempting to buy the cheapest bike you can find. But is it really the best value to buy an inexpensive bike at a “Big Box” store?

Our friend Josh, who manages a bike store in our town, told us about a woman who brought in a bike she had just purchased two hours earlier at a Wal-Mart for $150 that was so damaged from her first ride that it would cost another $150 to fix. The bike, it turned out, had not been built correctly with the front derailleur put on backwards. So as she put the bike through the normal shifting, it caused a literal “chain reaction” that resulted in significant damage.

Alternatively, she could have purchased an entry-level Trek mountain bike for the $300 she ended up paying. It would have been lighter, with a higher quality frame, better welding, etc. and put together by someone who knows what they are doing.

If you have children, inevitably the happy day will come, when they will want to own and ride a bicycle. With kids, it can be very tempting to go to a place like Toys R Us and buy a sparkly pink $80 bike for our young daughter or a cool looking “mountain” bike with a fake front shock for our son. After all, they will just grow out of them, right? Well, you hope so. How about another true story?

Read more…

Photo by Pam Oman

Rachel (in green) is dressed in a technical fabric top and close fitting shorts. She has on cross training athletic shoes. Annie (in red) is a more seasoned spinner and is wearing a bike jersey and lightly padded bike shorts. Her cycling shoes are fitted with an MTB cleat in order to clip in. On her wrist she wears a heart rate monitor.

Here is a summary of what  you’ll need for Spin Classes:

• Short-sleeve top made from moisture wicking fabric
• Well fitted shorts- padded bike shorts are best
• Comfortable stiff-soled shoes (for best results use cycling shoes)
• Water bottle
• Hand towel
• Cycling gloves (recommended but not required)
• Heart rate monitor

Like so many things in life, we know we have to dress for the occasion, or for the sport. Spin class is no different. You will feel more comfortable if you are in the right shoes and in clothing. You probably have everything to get you started in  your closet now.

Read more…

After her months of training, Shawna Rasmussen felt ready to take on the Florida Ironman. Her tall (6’3”), lean frame was chiseled down to a mere 14% body fat, her tri bike had been shipped across the country and was ready and waiting for her, and at sea level, she was feeling that little advantage that one can have coming down from a higher altitude.

The massive start of the Ironman. Go, Shawna, go!

The swim portion of Florida’s Ironman was held in the warm waters off the Panama City beach. She felt great at the start and enjoyed the buoyancy of the seawater: “The swim portion was great; I think I swam well.” Her only problem was that she found it hard to “sight” (i.e. keep her eye on where she was going) because of the swells caused by the incoming tropical storm Ida.

On the other hand, her transition from the swim to the bike didn’t go as well. It turned out that she had forgotten her bike shorts and socks. A helpful volunteer sweetly took off her own socks and gave them to Shawna. As for the bike shorts, she was out of luck and would have to bike the 112 miles wearing just her tri suit.

As she started on the bike, she found herself soon facing headwinds caused by the storm which, while still out to sea, was blowing hard.  She fought the headwinds constantly for 40 miles. Then the forgotten bike shorts became an issue as she suffered from chaffing and stopped five times to apply Vaseline on her sore thighs. Looking back, she felt she could have pushed harder if only she hadn’t forgotten her shorts. She felt exhausted as she peeled herself off her bike and thought, “I am so ready to be done with this!”

On her ride, Shawna faced headwinds from the incoming storm.

Then she faced the marathon. Amazingly, a mere three minutes into her run she felt better. She was using different muscles than she had on her tri bike. It felt as if the bike portion had been just a seven hour warm-up for this. Her legs felt “totally fresh” and she later said, “I don’t think I ever ran an easier marathon.”

As I interviewed Shawna, I found her thoughtful approach to her fueling during the Ironman fascinating. A few months earlier she had cycled through the grueling 206-mile LOTOJA race eating fruit and PB & J sandwiches. But she knew with a run following her cycling she wanted to only ingest what would give her immediate fuel without any digestive upset. For her that meant mostly liquids: Hammer’s Sustained Energy, (a long-distance fuel) GU packs, and salt tabs with water. She saved the caffeine until the half-marathon point of her run. At the point she most needed a boost she had it: 2 Excedrin, 4 oz. of a Blue Monster drink, and a double caffeine GU—roughly 300 mg. It worked: one minute she was tired, the next, she wasn’t. Her third leg of the marathon was her fastest.

The few, the proud, the Ironman finishers!

Shawna finished the Ironman in a respectable 12:45:03, celebrated with her friends who had also finished and her husband Ken, who had come out with her to support her. The next day she had very little muscle soreness and they were able to fly out before Tropical Storm Ida hit on Monday. The question is: would she do it again? “Yes,” then she adds, ”But not for a few years, I want to focus on speed first.” Somehow, I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.

Shawna (3rd from left) trained hard to be ready for the Ironman

 

There are triathlons of various lengths and then there is the Ironman which has the line: “Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!” Worldwide, there are only 24 Ironman Triathlon qualifying races scheduled for 2010— seven of those are in the USA, the newest is scheduled for St. George, Utah on May 1, 2010. To compete and finish an Ironman puts you in a very select group.

What does it take to become an Ironman finisher? To understate it, it really helps to have done a few other triathlons. Shawna Rasmussen signed up for the Ironman in Florida on a dare. She had done several triathlons of the Olympic length, but for the last two years had focused on running only as she pursued and met her goal of running the Boston Marathon. With the Ironman as her new goal, she knew she had to bring her training levels up to another notch. She would have to juggle the demands of work, family and more with the many hours she would spend on the bike, in the pool and on the run.

The Coach: Her friend Eric Taylor, who had run competitively in college and had received his PhD. in physiology, would be her coach. Dr. Taylor was concerned about her “neurological load” which would be comprised of the other stresses and commitments in her life with the time-consuming training for the Ironman. Her training would be just enough to do well in the Ironman, but it wouldn’t be as intense as someone trying to win their age group. Dr. Taylor had her monitor her heart rate constantly during workouts so she wouldn’t “max out” and suffer from the overtraining syndrome.

Dr. Taylor also had Shawna get a complete blood test, which revealed that her ferritin & iron levels were very low. A dosage of liquid iron twice a day, made a huge difference. “As I got to my max heart rate level, I used to feel like I was going to literally shut down and my arms would get tingly. After my iron levels got into the normal range, hitting my max on the track was tolerable. Now, I feel like I am 20-25% percent stronger as an athlete.”  

Swimming: She started swimming in a masters class at her local pool in January. This was the sport she least liked, but as she learned to improve her stroke efficiency and technique, she began to enjoy it. “The first 10-20 minutes of swimming I hate, but after 30 minutes I really enjoy it.” When she can, she trains in a lake: “I think you can really focus on technique in a lake compared to a pool.”

It wasn't love at first ride for Shawna with her tri bike, but she soon learned to love and appreciate it!

Cycling:.  Although she had been in some spin classes, Shawna hadn’t been on her bike in two years. By late spring, she was spending a lot of time out riding on her bike. She gave herself an extra challenge: she decided to take on the 206-mile LOTOJA, a cycling race that goes through three states starting Logan, Utah and finishing in Jackson, Wyoming, climbing up and over three mountain passes.  

Mid-way through her training, she got her first tri-bike. She had been comfortable with her road bike, but a tri bike would help her go faster with less effort. She didn’t like the tri bike at all during the first 5 rides she took on it. She felt very vulnerable out on the aero bars, the muscles used were different, and the new position hurt her shoulders. But she soon learned to love her tri-bike. “I don’t think I could have done it without the tri bike,” she said following her Ironman.

Running: She cut back on her typical marathon-training, usually running about 20 miles/week. She often ran for a minimum of five minutes after each bike ride doing what is called a “brick.” During her training, she even went out and ran 18 miles directly after finishing her 110 mile ride that day. That was meant to be her hardest day during training, which she did 3 weeks before the Ironman.

How did she do? See tomorrow’s post!

The relationship between motorists and cyclists has been rocky ever since cars joined cyclists on the roadways. There is bad behavior on both sides: cars often pass too close, bicyclists sometimes act as if mere traffic laws do not apply to them and at times the situation deteriorates to the point where things are thrown, fingers are flipped up and the language degrades to cussing and threats. As Rodney King once said, “Can we all just get along?”

One early spring morning, I was out on a run with my group on a narrow residential street. We were so engrossed in our conversation that we were soon spread across the road and didn’t notice a car behind us until he honked his horn. As we scrambled to get out of the way we noticed that he was rudely gesturing with his middle finger. In the moment I seemed to totally channel the Elle Woods persona from Legally Blonde. I smiled widely, enthusiastic waved and mouthed “Hey!” as in “oh, it’s you!” He appeared stunned, perhaps he thought I might be some girl he knew, but couldn’t quite remember.  His hand flipped around and he returned the wave, giving a sheepish grin as he drove off. We laughed about it at the time. But I have since thought that if motorists really thought that pedestrian or cyclist near their car might be an acquaintance, friend or neighbor they would be A LOT nicer.

My dad taught me to give a friendly wave to motorists as they considerately gave me a little extra room on the road while I was out running as a small gesture of “thanks.” As a cyclist, I have continued to try to show friendly gestures of smiles, waves and an exaggerated mouthing of “thanks!” at such places as four-way stops and the like.  I am fully conscious of drivers who might not see me as I come down the street while they contemplate pulling out of the parking lot right into my path. I try to catch their eye with a wave and follow it with another smile. They often smile and wave in return, and I know for sure then, that they won’t be pulling right out in front of me.

I call it “the charm offense,” it’s one way to get out there and win friends and influence drivers to help change their perception of cyclists. Sometimes drivers dehumanize cyclists instead of seeing them as other people sharing the road. When you get in a road rage situation, the cyclist always loses. The only way we can change that adversarial relationship is one person at a time

A great example of a city bike lane

By Curt Thompson

I ride to work once in a while with a good friend of mine, Elena, whose office is a couple buildings down from me. Although our morning commute does involve riding, it is much more a chance for her and I to talk, swap stories, ponder life, and generally shoot the bull than it is about actually getting somewhere. It’s a bit of early morning therapy, prepping us for the weirdness we know the day will hold. It was on one of these rides in to work that she shared this story with me.

Take a spin and share the road

After riding into work one day Elena decided to catch a bus back home.  So, helmet in hand and backpack full of cycling clothing, Elena hops on the bus. The bus quickly fills with college students heading the same direction, and a young girl of about twenty sits down in the empty seat next to her.

The two girls sit and have a pleasant conversation about pleasant things, and enjoy the pleasant company that is often hard to come by on public transportation. The girl then asks Elena why she has her helmet with her, thus starting the conversation about cycling and cyclists.  Elena explains to her that she had ridden into work and was taking the bus home so she could make it to an appointment. Without thinking, the young girl responds with, “Oh I hate it when I am trying to get somewhere and I get stuck behind one of those biker people. Why don’t they ride on the sidewalk? I usually just honk until they move over so I can pass.”

Letting her sharp tongue precede her thought, Elena says, “This is where our friendship ends dear.”

The girl winces and stares at her, mouth about a quarter open, eyebrows raised. Elena notices her discomfort, and quickly starts talking, keeping the girl from dwelling too long on the previous statement, and avoiding the possible ugly scene of an over-sensitive girl weeping on the bus.

There is room for everyone on the road.

Over the next twenty-five minutes, Elena explains to the girl what it is actually like to be cycling, and to suddenly be gripped with fear as someone honks furiously behind you. She explains the fact that cyclists have the same rights as cars on public roads, and that there are certain roads cyclists avoid, and certain ones they frequent. Elena also touches on the fact that people ride bikes for many different reasons; for health, for transportation, and for sport. None of these reasons though should seem offensive to drivers, and that being courteous to traffic in general is a much better and less stressful way to go. She even tells the girl that some cyclists, like drivers, can be aggressive and just plain rude, and that she shouldn’t judge them all by the actions of just one.

When the young girl signaled to get off the bus, Elena told her she was glad they could still be friends. The girl agreed, and hopefully, she got off the bus with a new patience for cyclists, and more than anything, a new view of the culture that can frustrate her, but that she did not understand before.

Over the years of cycling, I have seen some very ugly behavior, by both drivers and cyclists.  And unfortunately, because a cyclist is out in the open, dressed so visibly in bright greens and yellows, poor behavior by us seems to attract more attention than someone in a car.  We should all be ambassadors to our sport, and unfortunately this means that sometimes we will have to just suck it up and be the bigger person to avoid a rather public and heated conflict.  I believe that in the long run drivers will end up respecting us more because of it.

More than anything though, we should jump at those opportunities to talk to people while we are not on the bike to educate them and make them more aware of what commuting to work by bike is like.  We may actually get more people out on bikes with a better attitude from ourselves.

Kristin is ready to fill her bags with her groceries.

It’s an American cliché that we use a quart of gas to go buy a quart of milk, which makes for rather expensive milk. But wait, there’s more!  In fact, 25% of all trips are made within a mile of our homes and 40% off all trips are made within two miles of our home. It is those short, little trips we make in our car that can be such a problem: lower fuel efficiency, more pollution, and worse for our growing waistlines as well.

3 bags of groceries easily fit into the paniers on Kristin's bike.

Are we really saving time? Try this experiment: bike to the closest local grocery store while your friend drives there and time yourselves. As a cyclist, you can take the easiest and quickest way there and stay off the higher traffic roads, and you just might get there first. My friend and I tried this little experiment and on the uphill mile route to the store, she had me beat by 30 seconds. On the way back, I had her beat by the same 30 seconds, probably because she was held up in some traffic. Even if a car can beat you by a few minutes, the difference can be surprisingly small for a two-mile radius.

Kristin is able to ride her bike full of groceries while wearing her everyday clothes, there is no need to get decked out in Lycra to make a quik trip to the local grocery store.

Perhaps you’d like to commute to work someday—here is a small step forward in reducing the constant use of your car. It can be the start of a car-diet. To start with, use your bike for just half of those short little trips you take from your home. Take the bike to pick up a few bags of groceries from the store. You’ll save money on gas, yes, but you also won’t be tempted to buy a lot of stuff you don’t really need.

On her way home to fill her kids up with Pop Tarts and oatmeal! That was easy and fast.

To increase the likelihood that you will use the bike instead of the car, have it within easy reach and ready to go. Have the items you need organized so they are within easy reach: your helmet, your jacket, a bike lock, and ankle band, if needed. You can gradually give your bike the “make-over” it needs to become an “errand bike.” You might start with just carrying what you need in a backpack, then add a front basket, and finally a rear rack to which you can attach panniers, which are side bags that can carry your groceries with ease.  If you have a bike trailer, you can use that to carry groceries, not just the kids.

Think like a grocery bagger if you are repacking the groceries into your panniers. Place the heavy items like cans of food, squash or potatoes on the bottom. Protectively, place easily bruised fruit or eggs on top. I admit, I am very precise about how I pack the groceries, but when I send my children to the store, they are often more quick than careful and they haven’t cracked an egg…yet. Be careful about what you put in the front basket, a sudden jarring from the road can bounce a loose item right out. If you overload the front basket, your steering may be affected. That said, I often carry a gallon of milk in my wire front basket—sometimes as much as two gallons and I just have to deal with the stiffer steering for a mile or so. Finally, if you just have a small amount of items, you can package it up in a bag and then carefully tie onto the rear rack with bungee cords.

Next time you go to the store, take your bike shopping!

Some Fun Facts:

• Sixty percent (60%) of the pollution created by automobile emissions happens in the first few minutes of operation, before the pollution control devices can work effectively
• Americans could save 462 million gallons of gasoline a year by increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips.
• Just three hours of bicycling per week can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%.
• The average person loses 13 lbs. their first year of commuting by bike.

(Thanks to 1 world 2 wheels for these facts)

By Paula Heyn

This is part two of our beginning spinning article –to see part one, click here.

Intervals will have you moving up and down from the saddle

A spinning class instructor will gladly help you if you are a new rider in the class. He/she will probably explain the terminology as well as how to adjust for the various positions on the stationary bike. But just in case, here is a guide to some common spin class terminology.

• Cadence counting: This is an easy one. Choose a leg and every time you make a rotation and your leg comes to the top of the rotation, that’s a count. You can use your hand at first to help you by holding it in just the right position over your leg so it taps the leg when it comes up. The instructor will tell you when to start the count and when to stop. Then you will multiply that count by a number to get your cadence. You want to maintain the same number of counts throughout the time period to keep your cadence steady. The times it goes around is also referred to as an RPM which is “revolutions per minute.”
• Hover: First set enough resistance so you can come out of the saddle and actually “hover” over the saddle. Your legs will do all the work. Keep your upper body very still and stay in a low position over the handlebars.
• Squats: Again, enough resistance will be needed so you aren’t spinning too fast. This is more of an upright position. Hold you upper body still and your legs will be doing the work. This is a hard position to hold, so make the most of it and expect some burn!
• Climbing: Set your resistance high to mimic climbing a steep grade. You may at times get out of the saddle and then sit back in the saddle to grind through the climb.
• Sprints (aka “fast pedal”): You will take the resistance off (and your instructor may give specific directions) and then you will go as fast as you can.
• Intervals: A series of “intervals” might last an entire song and be quite grueling. This is a chance to switch it up and go from climbs to sprints or jumps (standing up for 8-16 counts, then sitting down for 8-16 counts.)
• Spin: You will use your entire leg to turn the pedals, pushing and pulling with equal pressure. Your feet should be turning in perfect circles as opposed to mashing the pedal down and then bouncing back up. The action may feel similar to wiping mud off the soles of your shoes at the bottom of every pedal stroke. It is in spinning you will concentrate on keeping it at a specific RPM, very likely 80-100 RPM.
• Recovery Spinning (aka “soft pedal”) is a recovery spin with little or no effort. Lower the resistance, spin your legs easily, get a drink from your water bottle and take it easy for the time.

• Single leg: you will take one leg off the pedal so you can pedal with just one leg, then you will repeat with the opposite leg. (This ability can come in handy on the road bike when you can’t get the other foot clipped in right away and you need to get going quickly

Set the resistance high before getting into the climbing position

Hold your upper body very still for the squat position on the bike.

Hover over the saddle and you will soon feel the burn!

With the right clothing, you can go out on your bike in all kinds of weather!

If you are living in a part of the country that regularly gets a real winter with cold temperatures and plenty of snow: read on. Safety dictates that when there is snow and ice are on the road, no more road biking (other types of cycling can still be done—but that is another article!) However as long as the roads are snow and ice free and the temperatures aren’t in the dangerous range, you can still enjoy your road bike. You can extend your road biking season into more months of the year with a few additions to your cycling wardrobe.

Temperatures can vary enough during the course of a multi-hour autumn or spring ride that it is always good to remember Mom’s advice and bring a jacket. A portable, easily packable lightweight jacket can be brought out in case the weather changes. If it is just a little nippy, you can add to your shorts knee warmers or leg warmers and to warm your fingers some long-fingered gloves. But we have a little more advice to help you be well-dressed no matter the weather:

Your Cold Weather Guide:

Cool, Dry Weather in the 50’s and 60’s
Head: just your helmet
Torso: Short-sleeve jersey with arm warmers & vest OR mid-weight long-sleeve jersey
Legs: Shorts with knee covers OR knickers
Hands: Long-fingered gloves with no insulation or glove liners over biking gloves
Feet: Shoes & socks

JoLynn's retro looking Merino Wool Jersey (Pearl Izumi PRO Woolie 1/4 zip jersey) and 3D Elite knickers are a great look for fall. She has a base layer top; the Ultra Sensor Mesh LS Crew and over her short finger gloves she can pull on the Grip-Lite liner gloves for the ideal warmth on a 50 degree day.

Another look for a 50 -60 degree day:

With weather in the 50’s, Karin feels “just right” wearing Pearl Izumi’s Cap-sleeve jersey with an Optic vest and Thermafleece arm warmers and on her legs the 3D Elite Shorts with Thermafleece knee warmers.

Colder, Dry Weather in the 40’s
Head: Headband to cover ears
Torso: Long-sleeve mid-weight base layer shirt with lightweight jacket
Legs: Tights
Hands: Insulated gloves with wind protection
Feet: Socks & shoes with toe covers

Karin can enjoy a ride with temps in the 40’s wearing Pearl Izumi’s W’s Transfer LS base layer and W’s Elite Softshell cycling tight with the lightweight and highly packable OpTik jacket. She wears the Caliente Toe Covers and Thermafleece headband for extra warmth.

Cool to Cold Rainy Weather (40’s-60’s)
Head: Hood from rain jacket, if desired
Torso & Legs: Rain jacket & rain pants
Hands: Water-resistant gloves
Feet: Water-resistant shoe covers

Karin is ready for rain showers on her ride with Pearl Izumi’s Octane Rain Jacket w/ hood, Octane Rain pants, and the Cyclone Gloves and Cyclone Shoe Covers which offer wind and water protection.

Really Cold Weather (20’s-30’s)
Head: Winter-weight Skullcap or Balaclava
Torso: Layered look: long-sleeve base-layer shirt + warm jacket or triple layer: base-layer, fleece or wool shirt for insulation and shell jacket
Legs: Fleece-lined tights that are wind-proof in the front
Hands: Insulated winter weight gloves–split finger or lobster-style are nice in the cold
Feet: Insulated booties (warm socks, too)

Jolyn is ready for the cold weather in the 20’s and 30’s F. with the warm Pearl Izumi Insulatour Jacket pulled over a base-layer jersey. The warmly insulated Am-FIB tights are wind-proof and water resistant for cold days. The Am-FIB gloves and Am-FIB shoe covers keep her hands and feet warm while the Barrier Balaclava protects her head and neck from the frigid weather.

Thanks to Pearl Izumi at the Factory Outlet in Park City, Utah for the clothing in this article.