New England Racing Season – Just Around the Corner
Three race series start up next month. The 2010 Plainville CT race series runs on March 6, 13, 20, 27 and April 3, 10, and 17. It's a criterium race around a 0.5 mile course.
The Charge Pond Training Series ramps up on March 6th for four Saturdays of racing action in Plymouth, MA. And, the 2010 Bethel Spring Series runs on Sundays in Bethel, CT all of March (7, 14, 21, 28) and into April (11, 18).
Photo Credit: talldoofyirish
Two Pumps are Better Than One
There's nothing like the convenience of CO2 for a quick way to pump up your tire after repairing a flat. But, there's also nothing like the reliability of a good old fashioned hand pump.
I carry both to get the best of both world's, as Hanna Montanna would say. I've twice had CO2 cartridges fail on me. And, if you're out riding alone, finding a ride to the nearest bike shop can be a challenge. And phoning home for a ride can be a very time consuming recovery method. Better to be prepared.
I picked up the Topeak Master Blaster (affiliate link) last season and it's worked out great. It's a small, lightweight carbon fiber pump that mounts right next to the water bottle cage. I wouldn't want to pump my tires with it all the time, but it'll definitely do the job in a pinch. It's a small price to pay in terms of weight in order to avoid getting stuck by the side of the road for something silly like a simple flat tire.
February Sunday Rides
Looking for some Sunday rides this month? Well, the Charles River Wheelmen have one for every Sunday of the month, including Valentine's Day.
Holliston, MA on Sunday, February 7th
Lincoln, MA on Sunday, February 14th
Framingham, MA on Sunday, February 21st
Acton, MA on Sunday, Febrary 28th
So, if you're looking for some fun winter outings, you won't have to ride alone. Get all the details at the CRW web site.
Photo Credit: Nadya Peek
Winter Bike Maintenance
A little extra attention is needed for bike maintenance in winter time when riding outside. The Boston area conditions can be nasty to delicate bike parts. I recently came across a great blog post at bostonbiker.org that details pretty thoroughly many issues related to winter bike maintenance, along with providing specific recommendations for the perfect winter bike setup - a fixed gear aluminum bike with full fenders and a sealed bottom bracket and only a front brake. Read the article and find out why.
Photo Credit: Rowan of Ravara
Harpoon Indoor Time Trial 2.0
The second annual Harpoon Indoor Time Trial was bigger and better than last year. Hundreds of racers competed in many heats throughout the day and night. Up to 24 could race at a time, in groups of 8 surrounding a three-sided techno-center of digital race readouts. Racers and viewers could see real-time speed, distance, wattage and other stats for each rider as each race progressed. Little cyclist avatars also played out the action in real-time. Winners of each heat (male & female) got a free case of beer and overall winners (male and female) won free entry into the Harpoon Brewery to Brewery ride in June.
This year's race was a lot of fun, and more crowded. The layout was expanded with more bathrooms and larger changing areas. Since the brewery was open for tours this year (with racing on Saturday instead of Sunday), they also setup a bar down near the race warm up area. Uncle Ted's BBQ food was also available from the Forza-G racing team who were raising money for this year's PMC ride.
Boston's WBUR radio station was also on hand, interviewing various folks for its show It's Only A Game. The Harpoon ITT show should air next Saturday.
CRW Saturday Fitness Ride – Does the streak continue today?
This ride has been going on every Saturday morning since April Fools Day, 1997 - that's over 600 weeks! Just about a year ago, the ride was featured in the Boston Globe. The ride as persevered through blizzards and record cold, but I have to wonder if the streak continues today. Today's temp is 6 with a wind chill of minus 8. That's when you're standing still!
2 Easy Steps to Pack Your Bike Securely for a Day Trip
Snug as a bug in a rug! Two simple steps to packing your bike for a day trip or after-work evening ride or indoor cycling class. Here's my bike in a pretty standard size car trunk. I'm not sure of the exact classification of my car size, but it may even be "compact," so try this out at home and see if it works for you.
You do need to have an empty trunk, which may be the first challenge. Once it's clear, though, the rest is pretty easy. Just take off both wheels (if you have any hangups about removing the back wheel, just watch the video on this post about how to change a flat tire to see how easily it comes off and goes back on). Now, place the frame like so in the trunk. You'll probably need to turn the handlebars sideways as shown. Also, I've found it's a good idea to gently place the rear triangle in first just so I can keep an extra careful eye on the deraileur as I'm placing the bike in the trunk.
Next, take an old towel and place it over the frame to protect from scratches. Then, place the back wheel on the frame, balancing the rim against the frame and handlebars (being careful not to tangle the spokes in any way). Finally, place the other wheel on top, again resting the rim on solid footing, and viola! You're good to go.
This packing method keeps your bike out of sight and secure while you're toiling away at the office.
George Street Bike Challenge
The Major Taylor Association has announced the 2010 date for the George Street Bike Challenge for Major Taylor. On July 25, 2010 the uphill time trial will take place on George Street in downtown Worcester, MA. As the billing goes, "See how fast you can pedal up George Street, a two-block quad-buster that was a training ground for 1899 world champion Major Taylor." Find out more about who this champion cyclist was at their website here. Also, check out this earlier post - 100 Years Before Lance - that contains some great video footage from the event.
Boston Cycling Community Organizes Fundraiser for Haiti
On Thursday, February 4th, from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM, some of the usual suspects in the Boston area cycling community are coming together to put on an event to support Haiti.
Colivita New England Racing Team, Redbones BarBQ, and Harpoon Brewery are going to provide a feast for cyclists and others at Belmont Wheelworks in Belmont, MA.
There will be music, a Colavita pasta dinner, Redbones BBQ, Harpoon Beer, $5 raffle tickets for 'amazing' prizes (purchase raffle tix here), and cycling movies. The cost is only $15 and 100% of the proceeds will benefit Haiti. Tickets can be purchased here.
More details can be found here on the Belmont Wheelworks website.
Photo Credit: Duchamp
Drink When You Are Not Thirsty
Staying hydrated is key. Not drinking enough on your rides will lead to certain disaster. Dehydration is very difficult and time consuming to recover from. And, it's no fun at all. Better to stay on top of it.
Managing hydration starts before your ride. You should be drinking plenty of water in the hours leading up to your ride with a goal of starting out with a "full tank," so to speak. Then, a good rule of thumb is to be sure that you're drinking a bottle per hour of riding. Finding the balance between water and sports drink is personal, but a good rule of thumb is to alternate between each - water one hour, sports drink the next.
You need to consciously stay on top of hydration, as once you fall behind its difficult to catch up. A great mantra I picked up somewhere along the way is to "drink when you are not thirsty," meaning that once you're really thirsty - it's too late.
On longer rides you can keep tabs on your hydration level by monitoring urine output (yes, seriously). Your goal here is "clear and copious." You should be peeing a lot, and the clearer the color, the better. If you don't meet the "clear and copious" standard, then start drinking more immediately and make a point of catching up. Again, this may take some conscious effort.
Photo Credit: Dawin Bell
Subscribe via RSS by clicking on the icon to the left.Or receive updates in your email inbox by entering your email address below and clicking "subscribe."
