Are You Respectful?

This morning on my morning commute there is a certain intersection where I have to turn left and get no love from the light. I have tried, trust me. So as usual, I make sure I can make the turn without disturbing traffic. I take no chances and I try to be courteous to cars. An oncoming car had a light that turned yellow then red as I was turning. He honked at me and waved a no no finger at me. I just waved. It leads me to think of the example I personally set as a cyclist.









Here it is: I stop at 4 way stop signs (with a foot down and wait my turn) when there is traffic. If there are no cars, I will ride through the intersection. I will always stop at lights when red. The exception is early am when I know the light will not change for me. Three way stops I will not stop if I am on the side with no intersection.
There are not many intersections on my commute that do not recognize a bike. Roseville has amazing bike lanes and has gone so far as to hand paint a bicycle symbol on the pressure plates to show where to stop to get the light to change. Really cool stuff. Also, I am very fortunate that half my 22 mile (one way) commute is on the bike path. So I am only exposed to traffic and angry people 11 miles a day each way (Yes these pics are from my ride!).
We as cyclist have to do our best to set a good example. Some drivers are just angry people and the simple fact that we are on the road makes them mad. We can’t do anything about that except just be aware and safe. What we can do is be courteous and respectful so that traffic recognizes our rights to share the road.

Get involved in your communities to help build an infrastructure that includes bike lanes. Go to city council meetings, write your councilperson, and do volunteer work. We all can do something to help raise awareness to our rights as cyclist. The biggest thing we can do is to set good examples on the road.
Be safe!!

May Bicycle Month

May is National Bicycle Month. There are several events in our area to celebrate this. Powerhouse Century is this weekend.

May 21st is Bike to Work day and Department of Parks is giving us free parking to access the American River Bike Trail to ride to work.

"The Jedediah Smith Memorial Bike Trail runs 32 miles along the American River Parkway, and has consistently been rated as one of the best biking trails in the nation. By purchasing a Parks PASSPORT, for as little as $50, you can help support this region’s treasure. The Parks PASSPORT is accepted at any of our Regional Parks located in Sacramento County and all funds from the PASSPORT go to the operations and maintenance of our parks. If you purchase your PASSPORT in May through June, you will be entered to win a Trek 7000 bike, courtesy of Bicycle Works and you'll receive a coupon book valued at $250 from our sponsors Elliott's Natural Foods, Bicycles Plus, City Bicycle Works, River Rat Raft & Bike, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and others."

Coming soon an interview with Chief Ranger Steve Flannery about the bike trail. Good stuff!

Liege-Bastogne-Liege

This is one of the oldest modern sporting events. Check out Bob Roll's 5 things you must know. Click Here
It is on Versus this Sunday at Noon.

Need Lighter Equipment?

I have said this before, "instead of buying lighter equipment lose 5lbs." In my case more than that. There is a lot of very sexy equipment out there. Unfortunately it is also very expensive.

Personally a Garmin and a power meter would look very good on the Colnago. However, parting with 2K plus to make the additions does not fit into the family budget.

Now some of you may be racer fit and a few grams here or there will make a difference, but most of us could just lose some lbs to improve our performance.

Here is some geek speak from Astana's website about weight (click on link to the right) Fresh Brew. Check it out and put down the donut and go do the Donut ride!

It would be cool to be able to afford a power meter, but for now it has to be just ride hard. Fixedgear Dad is a minimalist, no computer, one brake, one gear, one bottle cage and I am sure he is rolling his eyes right now, but he rides just fine. Me, I like all the equipment, but first I need to drop a few grams or kilograms more like it.

Performance Tips

Whether you train for racing, train for centuries, or train for fitness we all have our routines and superstitions. Here are some don'ts from Hammer Nutrition:

1)Don't give in to the temptation to train too much and/or too close to race day. You will not be able to positively influence your fitness; however, you can negatively impact your race during that time (training meaning anything of significant duration or intensity).

2)Don't drink excess amounts of water in the hopes of "getting a head start" on your fluid requirements for the race. Consumption of water equivalent to roughly .5 to .6of your body weight is a good gauge (example: 180lb athlete should drink 90 to 108 ounces daily.

3)Don't stuff yourself with extra food leading up to the race in the hopes of "carbo loading." The time period for carbohydrate loading (i.e., maximizing muscle glycogen storage capabilities)has passed. The time for "carbo loading" 0-60 minutes after each workout. That is when your body's glycogen synthase is most active which controls glycogen storage.

4)Don't consume sodium in the hopes of "topping of your body stores" prior to the race. Americans already consume too much salt. Adopting a low sodium diet will improve your health and performance.

5)If your race or workout is more than 60 minutes Don't eat less than three hours before the race. The first fuel your body will use is muscle glycogen. Eating a pre-race/workout meal at the wrong time will negatively affect how your body utilizes its finite stores of glycogen, which will negatively impact your performance.

Hammer Nutrition has great products. They had gel products long before GU. Check out their website.

CYCLE FOLSOM part 2

Second part of my interview with Steve Ward of Cycle Folsom. Once again he was engaging and passionate. Not to mention the dude can lay down the hammer. Mix that with what he does for the cycling community, Steve Ward (far left) is priceless to our area. Here is the conclusion to the interview:

TC: One of the dos and don’ts of organizing group rides is don’t do the same ride every week. Your rides have a lot of variety. Was that a conscious effort on your part?

SW: Absolutely! It’s a planned variety. We have an annual theme for the way we go about the rides. In the fall we taper down and go easy. Through the winter we do the long flat base miles. In the spring throw in the rolling hills and as the season comes in and we want to get on form we add the bigger longer climbs. We have a huge data base of rides and it is expanding all the time. We find that people don’t like going down the same track all the time.

TC: You designed the course for Folsom’s Gold Rush Century. What was your thought process when you designed that course?

SW: It was a collaboration of a lot of people. It started with the city of Folsom wanting a classic ride that would stand the test of time for their Cyclebration event. They wanted a ride that would be challenging and show off the history of the area with a signature climb. We mapped out some potential rides and went out to ride them. We took into consideration the roads, the pavement, the shoulders, traffic, spacing for rest stops all that sort of thing. We threw a couple of rides away and eventually came up with what is the Gold Rush Century. It is a 102 mile ride with 9200’ feet of climbing. The signature climb is Prospector’s grade. It was a lot of fun to do. It’s a hard ride, but it’s challenging and rewarding (he gave a lot of other people credit for helping design the ride specifically Scott McKinney, Curtis Taylor).

TC: You started racing this year with Team Bicycles Plus/Sierra Nevada. Congratulations on your third place finish at Bariani Road Race. What are your racing goals?

SW: Thanks, the more I race the more I’m convinced that the number one goal is to finish each race on my wheels and not on the pavement. At first it was just to finish with the pack. Now I want to finish on the podium. Otherwise, my goals are to move up to Category 4, which I will do after the Wente Road Race next month. Then I’ll be the low man in the next bigger pond and hope to do the domestique work and to learn from more experienced teammates the finer points of racing strategies and team work.

TC: You have other members that contribute to the website and lead the group rides. How many members do you have and what does one need to do to join?

SW: We have approximately eighty members, in as much as they can be considered members. CF is a no dues, no meetings, no obligations riding club. Essentially, being a “member” of Cycle Folsom means getting on our mailing list which anyone can do by sending an email to me and requesting that they be added to the list.steve@cyclefolsom.com We put on two different levels of rides each weekend and, as you mentioned, provide ride leaders to show the way. And we have a great team of ride leaders that I would like to acknowledge: Performance Group:Ozero Lee (he goes simply by OZ – pronounced: Oh-Zee), Gary Kurtz, Phil Blay. Peloton Group: David Drahmann, Stan Schultz. I have a full refund policy if for any reason someone doesn’t like the ride, they get a refund on no membership dues (he said that laughing and we here at TC can’t imagine not liking CF’s rides).

TC: What are your goals for Cycle Folsom?
SW: In addition to our mainstays of hosting rides and providing a rides database, CF has become a distribution node within the cycling community. We forward communications relevant to cyclists from agencies, city’s, authorities, businesses, associations, other clubs and an endless stream of other entities. These communications may be related to events, road or trail closures, fund raisers, etc. Often, volunteers are found though our network to support advocacy groups, the building of bridges and trails, support for regional events such as the California International Marathon; the list goes on. Our specific goals for CF are to continue to provide quality, enjoyable rides for all levels of cyclists, from beginner to competitive racer. In this area, we are working with a local bike shop in Folsom to host a weekly ride for new cyclists. It will be a slow paced, no-drop ride around Lake Natoma with many stops to rest, drink water and ask questions; all within the relative safety of a group. A ride leader would be on hand to help with any minor mechanical difficulties that may arise so that beginners can ride with confidence that they won’t get stranded.

CYCLE FOLSOM part 1

In my quest to regain my fitness after a crash that involved a broken collar bone, I found Cycle Folsom. A local club founded by Steve Ward. Their rides are challenging to difficult. They have two levels of rides, what I call the A group and B group. They have put together a variety of rides that are second to none. Go to cyclefolsom.com and check it out. The A group are fit, fast, like to climb, and the rides are not usually swept. The B group rides are much flatter and they have a no-drop policy. The B group is not slow by any means, but not quite as fast as the A group.

TC had the opportunity to sit down with Steve and talk about Cycle Folsom. You can tell he is passionate about his club and cycling by the way he smiled and his eyes lit up. He is sincere, humble, and, I believe, part mountain goat (check out the profiles of his rides). CF has the rides posted complete with maps, profiles, and even cue cards. The weekend rides are usually posted Wednesday evenings. The rides start at Karen’s Bakery in Folsom and that is where we met.

TC: What year did you start Cycle Folsom?

SW: The best I can recall is the fall of 2006. At that point it was just a website.

TC: You have come a long way in three years. There is a lot of participation on the rides.

SW: We ride all year long. We have a solid core that rides even in the winter. It thins out a bit in the winter as you would expect and though there are not as many riders the rides are more serious. It’s a good training regimen. We have a tradition each year to ride the first or second stage of the Tour of California. This year we watched the prologue in Sacramento and then rode from Davis to Santa Rosa. Then we did the second stage from Santa Rosa to Santa Cruz.

TC: How was the first stage ride? Even the pros said it was one of the toughest days weather-wise.

SW: (laughing) We started with 11 riders and because of the weather we finished with 3. It was brutal. The first year was really unique for us because, one, it was the first year of the TOC and second, while we were riding the second stage Santa Rosa to Sacramento, the road over Trinity, we rolled up on Saul Raisin from Credit Agricole. He was making a comeback from a near fatal crash in Europe. He wasn’t doing the event, but he rode the course to get the training miles in and he shared 30 miles with us complete with support from his team car behind us. It was an awesome experience.

TC: You started because you were new to the area. How did you get people to show up for the rides?

SW: I didn’t know anyone. I started cycling, didn’t know where the roads went, I just went! The second cycling buddy, Quinn Hawkinson, I met was into networking and started a group called the Peloton. He put together a sizable riding club. He would get the people to the ride and I would lead the ride. He got tied up with other commitments and wasn’t able to maintain it so it kind of just folded. The following fall is when Cycle Folsom started and with his blessing we used his mailing list. So we started with a core of riders.

TC: You have a vast library of rides. How did you come up with the rides, trial and error?

SW: Like you I wanted to make improvement in my riding and I was finding out the way to do that is with different specific workouts. To do these workouts you need to know the terrain and where to find it. If I wanted to do a speed workout, I needed flat uninterrupted terrain. If I wanted to do hill repeats, I needed a hill the right length and steepness. I was new to the area and couldn’t find it anywhere. I figured the best way was to just make it myself. Then make it available to everyone else and THAT was the real reason for Cycle Folsom. To answer your question it was a lot of trial and error. I bought the Garmin GPS put it on my bike and recorded my rides starting and stopping right here on this corner. If I liked the ride I would download it and get the elevation chart, map, the motion based piece of it, write a description, put it all together in a package with a cue sheet and post it on the website to make it available to everyone. We all benefit from it.

Enthusiasm for LIFE!!

This is a cycling blog. We focus on mostly bicycle related posts. Having said that each day as cyclist we wake up with a passion for our sport. Cyclist tend to be happier, more fit, have better attitudes, and appreciate things you cannot from a car. Jimmy Valvano's speech is the epitome of positive attitude especially the last fifteen seconds, one of the best speeches I have heard. Take ten minutes to watch the video. The dude was dying from cancer! Live well, play hard, work hard, and ride strong!!!

HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE PART 1

We have a small group of cyclist at work that I send a daily cycling quote to. The group has a varied interest such as road, downhill, duathlon, fitness, crit racing. It got me thinking about the versatility of the bicycle. I could not think of another a piece of sport equipment that has so many uses. Maybe the ball, but the sports are very different. You ride the bicycle no matter what event. I have read that the basic engineering of the bicycle has not changed since it was invented, especially the bicycle wheel. Sure the materials have changed drastically, but the engineering has not.

The documented ancestors of today's modern bicycle were known as push bikes, draisines, or hobby horses. Being the first human means of transport to make use of the two-wheeler principle, the draisine (or mistmashine, "running machine"), invented by the German Baron Karl von Drais, is regarded as the archetype of the bicycle. It was introduced by Drais to the public in Mannheim in summer 1817 and in Paris in 1818. Its rider sat astride a wooden frame supported by two in-line wheels and pushed the vehicle along with his/her feet while steering the front wheel.














In the early 1860s, Frenchmen Pierre Michaux and Pierre Lallement took bicycle design in a new direction by adding a mechanical crank drive with pedals on an enlarged front wheel. The French creation, made of iron and wood, developed into the "penny-farthing." It featured a tubular steel frame on which were mounted wire spoked wheels with solid rubber tires. These bicycles were difficult to ride due to their very high seat and poor weight distribution. It was not unusual to flip over the top.


The dwarf ordinary addressed some of these faults by reducing the front wheel diameter and setting the seat further back. Having to both pedal and steer via the front wheel remained a problem. J. K. Starley, J. H. Lawson, and Shergold solved this problem by introducing the chain drive connecting the frame-mounted pedals to the rear wheel. These models were known as dwarf safeties, or safety bicycles, for their lower seat height and better weight distribution. Starley's 1885 Rover is usually described as the first recognizably modern bicycle. Soon, the seat tube was added, creating the double-triangle diamond frame of the modern bike.

Further innovations increased comfort and ushered in a second bicycle craze, the 1890s' Golden Age of Bicycles. In 1888, Scotsman John Boyd Dunlop introduced the pneumatic tire, which soon became universal. Soon after, the rear freewheel was developed, enabling the rider to coast. This refinement led to the 1898 invention of coaster brakes. Derailleur gears and hand-operated cable-pull brakes were also developed during these years, but were only slowly adopted by casual riders. By the turn of the century, cycling clubs flourished on both sides of the Atlantic, and touring and racing became widely popular. The bicycle has undergone continual adaptation and improvement since its inception. These innovations have continued with the advent of modern materials and computer-aided design, allowing for a proliferation of specialized bicycle types. Bicycles can be categorized in different ways: e.g. by function, by number of riders, by general construction, by gearing or by means of propulsion. The more common types include utility bicycles, mountain bicycles, racing bicycles, touring bicycles, hybrid bicycles, cruiser bicycles, and BMX bicycles. Less common are tandems, lowriders, tall bikes, fixed gear (fixed-wheel folding models and recumbents (one of which was used to set the IHPVA Hour record). Remember the beam bike?

The bicycle is extraordinarily efficient in both biological and mechanical terms. The bicycle is the most efficient self-powered means of transportation in terms of energy a person must expend to travel a given distance. From a mechanical viewpoint, up to 99% of the energy delivered by the rider into the pedals is transmitted to the wheels, although the use of gearing mechanisms may reduce this by 10-15%. In terms of the ratio of cargo weight a bicycle can carry to total weight, it is also a most efficient means of cargo transportation.

Materials used in bicycles have followed a similar pattern as in aircraft, the goal being high strength and low weight. Since the late 1930s alloy steels have been used for frame and fork tubes in higher quality machines. Celluloid found application in mudguards, and aluminum alloys are increasingly used in components such as handlebars, seat post, and brake levers. In the 1980s aluminum alloy frames became popular, and their affordability now makes them common. More expensive carbon fiber and titanium frames are now also available, as well as advanced steel alloys and even bamboo. Whatever you ride, ride strong.

This is my Serotta Nova (columbus SP) from the mid 80's. i chromed it shortly after purchase and it has been my ride ever since. i have had other bikes in between (masi , specialized M2) but nothing rides like this one. i went fixed a year ago and i now love this bike now than ever ! the statement you hear about going fixed "you are more connected" , is even more vivid with a fine steel bike that fits me as perfectly as this one does. i ride between 150-200 miles a week now and look forward to every ride. my commute (at least the route i take) and the loop i ride conatins short climbs great decents and fast corners and is more fun now than ever. the details : Campy- bottom bracket,headset,C-record crank(53t),front brake,front rim,titanium chorus seatpost. Rolls "titanio"seat, salsa stem , cane creek cross stop lever , mavic 501 front hub , dura-ace low flange fixed only on one side( whats the point otherwise) , open pro 32hole , surly 18t cog. see you on the "generic loop" in sac town or donut ride as some call it. email me at fixedgeardad@gmail.com also contact on twitter with same. now get out and ride !!!