The BikeWriter – June 2011

Pres Sez, June 2011

John Chester

As I write this on May 27th, we have had 25 days of rain so far in May. Truthfully, I am getting depressed. If I don’t get some time outside on my bike, you are gonna see a grumpy Prez! OK, I’ve got that off my chest! I would kill for a dry evening at the Tomb Ride or a Saturday morning listening to Mike Sullivan sing during the Fusion Ride. I think Geoff Thielmeyer has a “Cancelled Due to Rain” announcement in his permanent file for the Monday night Team Cycling ride out of Hartwell. I have learned how to ensure that there will be no rain – schedule a board meeting! Both the April and May board meetings were held on beautiful sunny evenings. Scott Fraittiane even had to drive past his smiling cluster on the way to the meeting! So, if you want to ensure a good night – invite me to a meeting so that I can’t ride.

In the GOOD NEWS department, one of those two non rainy days was Saturday May 21st – THE CHILI CENTURY BIKE RIDE! It was a great day to be out. And for all that rode, I truly hope that you gave a big ole THANKYAVERYMUCH to our VP – Scott Ebbing – for running the ride this year.

Scott is in training for the Paris-Brest-Paris Radonneur 2011 beginning August 21, 2011. (http://www.paris-brest-paris.org) I doubt we will see more than a blur of Scott the next few months. I hope that he has no responsibilities for the next few months to the CCC so HE CAN GO OUT AND RIDE!!!

Perhaps I can convince folks to get on the back of his tandem and teach him French phrases. My favorites are “un crepe un crepe avec du jambon et le fromage” and “Pourquoi, oui je voudrais une autre bière.” I doubt he will use the second phrase, but the first will definitely come in handy! Scott – if you need any advice – your Club Treasurer and I went to Paris back in 1999. My two main pieces of advice would be: 1. Try to speak French. If you try, they are really nice to you. If you do not try, the French are mean and condescending. 2. Stay away from any Australians you meet in France – AS THEY ARE ALL CRAZY! Please send photos and create a blog that we can put on the CCC website. And watch out for cobblestones!

RIDE CINCINNATI – We’ve been offered a tent to hand out CCC info – flyers, applications, etc. at Ride Cincinnati on June 12th. They stated that most groups come down and leave their info BEFORE the ride, and then go to the booth AFTER. As I am doing the 48, AND WILL NOT BE BREAKING ANY SPEED RECORDS, is any one else doing the ride? Would anyone be willing to be in the booth? We would need our banner, applications, and perhaps that “What You Get From The CCC” flyer that we have been speaking of creating.

SAVE THE DATE – Sunday July 24 – for the CCC PICNIC.

The Rain Date is Sunday July 31, 2011 (After all of this year’s rain, we are including a rain date).

Izaak Walton League, 544 Branch Hill Loveland Rd , Loveland OH 45140 (map)

9am – Morning Rides

1pm – Lunch. Plenty of time to come by after church for a 1 PM lunch!

2pm – Afternoon Ride

We note that much of the Little Miami Bike Trail is COVERED, so even if it is hot, an afternoon ride in the shade can still be fun in the middle of July!

More details to come, but we will be holding the FIRST ANNUAL CCC PICNIC CONTESTS for APPETIZERS, SIDE DISHES and DESSERT!
A–F: Appetizers
G-R: Side Dishes
S–Z: Desserts (although if any A-F or G-R folks want to bring a dessert instead, we would be just fine with that idea!)

Registration Still Open for Ride Cincinnati – June 12th, 2011

The organizers of Ride Cincinnati (Sunday June 12th) would like to remind the member of the club that it’s not too late to register for the ride. Late registration will be available at all packet pick up locations and on event day.

From the Kid’s Rally to the 62.8 mile ride, there is a ride for participants of all ages and abilities. The 2011 event schedule is:

• 62.8 miles starts at 6:30 a.m.
• 45.2 miles starts at 7:30 a.m.
• 26 miles, 18.4 miles start at 8:30 a.m.
• 8.2 miles starts at 9 a.m..
• Kid’s Rally starts at 11 a.m.

A Celebration will take place after Ride Cincinnati from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., so please join us for free food, entertainment and music.

Ride Cincinnati packet pickup dates:

There are three opportunities for all participants to pick up their packets and/or register for this year’s event. Here are the dates and locations:

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 4 p.m.-8 p.m.

Jim’s Bicycle Shop, 8015 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 793-1163

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

Trek Bicycle Store of Cincinnati, 7594 Voice of America Drive, West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 755-3773

SUNDAY, JUNE 12-EVENT DAY, Starting at 5 a.m.

Yeatman’s Cove, downtown Cincinnati, 705 East Pete Rose Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Late registration is available at all Packet Pickups. Adult late registration is $45 and children (12 and under) is $20.

2011 Ride Cincinnati Course Map

Thank you to our Founding Sponsors

Ride Cincinnati would like to recognize and thank their Founding Sponsors, all of whom have supported the event for all five years, for their on-going suppport of Ride Cincinnati. They include:

• Western & Southern Financial Group
• Cincinnati Bell
• Macy’s
• Hunt Construction
• Drs. Harris, Sirkin and Kruger
• Brookwood Retirement Community
• Fleet Feet Sports Cincinnati
• Jim’s Bicycle Shop
• Trek Bicycle Shop of Cincinnati
• Kroger
• Starbucks Coffee
• Outback Steakhouse
• Skyline Chili
• Madisono’s Gelato
• Costco Wholesale
• Castellini Company
• Antonelli College
• Big Shots Photography
• Lynskey
• Goldie the Clown

Dogs – What I Do

Jim Lindner

Remember that I do not want to be responsible for anyone taking my advice and getting injured, so let your own judgment be your guide.

I have collected some advice and observations over the years of riding bikes. I started dealing with dogs when I was a teenager. I remember knowing I would meet 2 dogs at the top of the hill near where Mercy South (Fairfield) is. My strategy was to save energy going up the hill and when the dogs started after me, I would ride quickly down the hill. One day, as they came across the road after me, I moved toward them and the center of the road, trying to use oncoming traffic to shield me. They dodged the car at the last second. I then realized it was a police car. I was somewhat surprised; the police officer did not come back and talk to me. I always wondered if he went back to talk with the owner. I do not advise trying to force dogs into oncoming traffic. They may be more observant and nimble than you. The car could swerve and hit you, and you are putting the dog and driver in danger. I mentioned this as it was wrong and a really poor strategy for dealing with dogs. If you plan ahead you should make better decisions than I did.

I had a paper route that I walked and delivered those advertisements to door knobs. I learned a lot about dog behavior. I refused to deliver to houses where they hit the dog with what I brought them. Dogs hate those that bring the object of their punishment to the home, and some are very defensive of their territory. Whenever possible, it is best to let an owner know about a negative behavior of a dog. Without the knowledge, the owner will take no corrective action. If possible make the owner think that you are a dog friendly person. Bring the bike to allow the dog to recognize you and the bike are not threatening or some strange creature. Perhaps the dog can get used to a bike, but don’t go overboard, as you don’t need dogs chasing you for a treat or play. I never feed another person’s dog. Feeding dogs can get you in trouble with the owners as well. I even avoid petting the dog. I would prefer being a non-entity to the dog when on a bike.

Dogs do not naturally see you as a non-entity. Dogs likely see you as predator or prey, friend or threat. This dog’s eye view helps in understanding why dogs chase bikes. Nearly every time a dog encounters a bike the cyclist will try to accelerate away. Your action (accelerating away) can confirm to the dog that you are prey. If the dog thinks of you as a threat or intruder on its territory, chasing you away is a reinforced behavior. For a dog, when they chase and you leave, they are succeeding in what they do. Most dogs that chase have no desire to actually catch a cyclist. I remember, as a child, how our dog would bark to let us know someone had entered our yard. An older gentlemen thought that the little dog that was watching him walk down the sidewalk was one he would “teach a lesson”. He obviously had a fear of dogs. When he stepped off the sidewalk and tried to kick our dog, the dog, (a Sheltie) tried to herd him back off of our property. I was about 12 at the time and knew what the dog was trying to do, but the man would not listen when I told him to return to the sidewalk. After multiple attempts to kick the dog, the man was lying flat on his back with our dog trying to lick his face. He yelled something about wanting to kill our dog, I told him not to touch the dog and to never enter our property again. After that incident he walked down the other side of the street. My point is that a dog’s behavior and intent may not be what the human initially sees or believes.

How I react to a strange dog on the road varies, but I will explain my usual behavior. If the dog is “laying in wait”, I do not try to speed up as I want to determine my options. I look for the owner. I sometimes slow down, and always go down a gear or two, so the dog stops to gauge my speed. I want my feet to be whirling around quickly. I understand dogs will bite an ankle when a foot is on the ground or moving forward at a speed similar to their speed. If you downshift to get your feet going faster it is more likely a dog will get kicked trying to bite you, than getting clamped on you and pulling you down.

If the dog stops in the road or runs toward me, I accelerate at it. Yes, my bike is a brute. It is a mountain bike. I do not intend to catch the dog. I just intend to change the game. Most dogs when confronted by an oncoming bike aimed at them are confused. Take advantage growl, bark, yell – go home – bad dog – sit (if a dog sits, yell stay). I have seen other riders with pepper spray. I would not want to be relying on this and have to fumble with the locking device. Pepper spray can be seen as a weapon. I am not sure if it is as effective as needed, and fear if sprayed forward, a rider may ride into a cloud of the spray. I was given a small air horn, but I can yell really loud and don’t need to reach for more than a lungful of air.

Be forceful. I have had few dogs that did not run from me or at least get out of the way. Your chance at hitting the dog is slim, but be prepared to redirect to one side, so the dog can go the other way. I had one huge dog that just stood there! I think it may have been old, blind and deaf. I missed it by a hair. Most dogs when confronted by my behavior run. Hopefully the tail is between the legs and the dog realizes the road is your territory, not theirs and you are not prey. I do not consider my behavior as cruel or harmful to the dog. Causing a dog to be put down for behavior endangering riders, or killed by a car, may be avoided if the dog is conditioned to avoid traffic.

Flagging is one other “reliable” technique for changing a dog’s behavior. I was taught this as a method used by a group that traveled coast to coast. All the riders were required to have a flag. The flag increased bike visibility, but the holders for this particular group were redesigned to allow the flag to be removed and inserted while riding. Riders would remove the flag and attempt to swat at troublesome dogs. I understand a line of bikes creates a gauntlet for dogs. Dogs, being nimble, are rarely hit, but get the idea of who is the prey quickly. Often only the lead group would see dogs within striking distance of the bike flags. I heard the competition to be the first to flag a dog on a trip and counting coup was good-natured, encouraging acts of valor as no dog was too fierce to try to hit. I have one bike stilled rigged for flagging. I pulled out the flag a few times, but have never hit a dog with it. I did once pass a house where a kid released his dog with the words sic-cum. I was ahead and easily out ran the dog down the hill. I was returning an hour later and the kid saw me early. I grabbed my flag as he repeated his command and released his dog. When he looked up he saw that I had lowered the flag like a lance. He called his dog back and yelled, “Don’t kill my dog!” I flicked the flag to the side and the dog followed it. I did not have much chance or desire to contact the dog, but the kid and perhaps the dog learned a quick lesson. Writing this reminds me that just having the flag gave me some confidence around dogs. I felt as if I could get the dogs attention on the flag I was much safer. I always figured if the dog grabbed the flag I would ride on and leave the flag. If you see me riding with a flag in the future I will have a holder that provides for quick removal, as you don’t leave a flag on when transporting a bike.

I am by far not the fastest rider in the club, so I don’t consider the option of always riding away as valid for me. I also know that excessive speed has its own risks. Steve Magas The Bike Lawyer mentioned on our web site, “In my experience handling these cases, more people are injured from a fall caused by a dog than an actual bite”. I ride with my daughter and do not want her to be scared of every barking dog. I have told her why I may chase a dog and she is comfortable with it. I have chased a dog for a distance till it tired, and I slowed to let it turn around. It is not my intent to hurt the dog and would hate to hit one. I believe most dogs that get hit do not see the car or bike that hit them, or misjudge the speed of a vehicle. Note the greyhound is next to the cheetah the fastest land animal. The greyhound can reach 38mph in a 660 yard race and has been known on a dog track to reach 45-1/2mph. I think even the fastest members of our club should consider other options for a dog encounter than the, “I can outrun any dog”, concept.

For information concerning The Law and Dogs please see a great article by Steve Magas.

Cincinnatians Love 3-Ways, June 2011 Edition

We did not expect this to turn into a recurring feature, but the bike trail news keeps on coming!

Did you know there are 6.5 miles of unused railroad tracks running through some of the most popular parks, residential and shopping areas in Cincinnati…?

Rumour has it that over 200,000 people live within 2 miles of these unused railroad tracks. (No actual study found that supports these numbers, but that is what the Wasson Trail folks said)

The Wasson Road railroad tracks – the tracks running through Xavier, past Buskens and the Hyde Park Kroger – span the neighborhoods of Evanston, Norwood, Hyde Park, Oakley, Mt Lookout, Fairfax, and Mariemont. The trail begins at Xavier University, passes by Withrow High School, Rookwood Pavilion, Hyde Park Plaza, Ault Park, and ends at the beginning of the 78 mile Little Miami Bike Trail. You can go all the way to Dayton, OH or Urbana, OH on this trail! In the future, it will also connect to Cincinnati’s riverfront via the Ohio River Way Trail (which is under construction and also needs your support!).

Please note that these tracks still belong to the railroad company, but they haven’t been used for over a year. A group of volunteers supporting the transformation of these tracks into a bike and pedestrian path has been created. You can take support the group by becoming a Facebook fan. Unlike The Ohio River Way, this group hopes to NOT create a staff and an organization with overhead. They just want to turn this unused railroad into a bike trail.

At this time, the group is working with the City of Cincinnati, and will be meeting with members of City Council in June and July. Check the website above for more details. We will also be putting this info on the CCC Forum under ADVOCACY.

Cluster News

Little Miami Cluster – Fred Ferguson

The LMC has all our weekly rides up and running now that the rain is finally slowing. The Tuesday night Pizza Ride out of Nisbet park, the Thursday ride from Bishops, and our staple the Saturday Breakfast Ride are each all pulling in 40+ cyclists. Come out and enjoy our fun rides.

The Chili Ride on May 21 was organized by Scott Ebbing and had wonderful weather and was a rousing success. There were 250+ cyclists and yummy Cincinnati Chili at the finish like catered by GoldStar Chili.

The LMC has two all cluster rides coming up. Be sure to mark your calendars and save the dates.

July:
Since we are speaking of the Chili Ride, let’s discuss the Chili Repeat.

The Chili Repeat is a rerun of the popular Chili Ride and will be on Saturday, July 9. There is no cost to ride the Chili Repeat and there are no rest stops. But there are quick marts along the route and there will be FREE food at the Finish Line compliments of Kevin Armstrong and one of his clients.

Make sure you save the date and come out and enjoy some of the best rural routes in Cincinnati.

August:

On Saturday, August 13 we will be hosting the Caesars Creek Ride. This is a wonderful scenic ride that starts near the beach on Caesars Creek Reservoir. Last year’s ride featured scenic routes, multiple ride distances, and food at the finish line. Donations were accepted to benefit Juvenile Diabetes.

Have a great month of cycling everyone. See you on the road.
Little Miami Cluster – Fred Ferguson

Northern Kentucky – Tom Runyan

This year we are going to have a Cluster Wide ride and picnic – social event in Northern Ky. I am looking for a location to host the ride start and post ride party. If anyone has some suggestions please let me know. I am looking for a park or shelter area that is easily and safely reached both by bike and car to accommodate everyone. I would also like to be able to map out a shorter 30 – 35 mile ride and a longer 50 – 60 mile route from the starting location. The shorter route needs to be more accommodating where as the longer route should be a little more challenging. I think that many people are tired of riding the 8s – either Rt. 8 in Campbell County or Rt. 8 west in Boone County so if possible I would like to give those two areas a rest. I am hoping to host this event in August so if you have any recommendations or would like to help please let me know

If you are interested in leading a CCC ride please contact your cluster leader so that they can get your ride officially listed on the calendar thus making it a legit ride and getting it covered by the clubs insurance. Just posting a ride to the ride line does not legally make it a CCC ride thus you lose some of the benefits. Being a ride leader is not complicated and it can be very rewarding. If you have any questions about leading a ride or if you want to have a ride posted on the calendar, have any suggestions or questions about the Northern Ky Cluster, please contact me at the following: http://www.cincinnaticycleclub.org/contact-us/

Ride safe!

Ault Park Posse – Scott Fratianne

The Ault Park Cluster is announcing a new ride that started on May 29th and will take please every Sunday morning: CCC Sunday School

No….this not a religious ride! There will be no blessing of the bikes or biblical lessons. The purpose of the ride is TRAINING, thus the name “School.” This ride is for anyone that is interested in a faster paced ride and/or may have training goals that include completing a century ride, a triathlon, or a long charity ride such as the MS150, or just wants to improve their overall cycling skills.

The MINIMUM speed that you should be able to ride is 14MPH on the flats. Anyone that is comfortable with this minimum is welcome to join, even if you are not participating in the training activities. If we have large enough of a group, we will break into multiple speed and skill groups. If you are not able to ride at this pace or cannot ride the distance of the posted route, please contact CCC and we will be happy to recommend a ride that is aligned to your skill level and abilities.

The route for the ride will be announced the Friday prior to the ride (check the ride line for details). Each week the ride we will progressively add mileage with the goal of doing an easy century ride around the beginning of August. All rides will start on the east side of Cincinnati.

As for the training aspects of the ride, we will have seasoned cyclists and coaches participating in the ride who are willing and eager to help you achieve your goals. On the first few rides, prior to the actual ride and for those who are interested in participating in the training, we will ask each rider about their goals and skills. Regardless of your goal, this Sunday School ride will be the central activity that everyone comes together on. Based on your individual goals, you will then be provided training activities (e.g. additional rides) that are recommended for completion outside of the weekly Sunday School ride. Riders of like goals will be paired together to promote camaraderie and so that everyone has training buddies throughout the season.

Beyond training, as the season progresses, we will be adding some post-ride social activities, like grill outs, etc.

If you have any questions, please email sfratianne@gmail.com or call 513-706-1045

Ask Mr. Cranky

In case you missed me last month, my friends call me Mister Cranky. Each month I will try to offer worthless advice to your insincere cycling questions. And if I don’t get enough questions I’ll just make up some to help you get over the fear of asking me something I cannot answer. So if you have a few worthless questions about riding a bike you have come to the worst possible place for advice.

Dear Mr. Cranky,

Why are the hills so much more difficult in the spring?

John Hillshiere

Dear John,

There is a simple explanation for this, it’s called rain. You see every spring it rains a lot. All this water soaks into the ground thus causing the ground to swell and raise up making the hills taller! Did you ever wonder why they measure rain in inches? Well now you know. When summer comes the sun and heat work to dry up all that excess rain. As the rain evaporates the ground drops thus lowering the hills and making them easier to climb. This is the reason it is important to avoid hills until mid summer when they are more stable and much easier to climb.

Keep Cranking,

Mr. Cranky

————-

Dear Mr. Cranky,

With the current drug turmoil in pro-cycling how do you find someone you can admire or aspire to?

Simon

Dear Simon,

Over the years I have met and gotten autographs from some famous cyclist. I have Andy Hampsten, Greg Lemond, Gianni Bugno, Laurent Fignon and Lance Armstrong’s autograph just to name a few. These men have all won Grand Tours and yet were all courteous enough to give a cycling fan a few moments of their time. I was awe struck the day I was standing on the side of a mountain top finish. The incline was so steep that walking down from the parking lot at the finish was difficult. The lead rider came through and then Greg Lemond came up. He asked us how much farther and upon our reply Greg shifted to a harder gear, stood and flew up to the finish! It was that day that I realized how gifted pro riders are. In the Tour of Georgia I watched Lance Armstrong win back to back stages in the same day. It was then that I realized how dedicated and driven a pro rider can be. In 1990, the year after Greg Lemond won his famous time trial to win the Tour de France, I found Laurent Fignon standing over his bike waiting for the stage to start. Laurent was labeled as a “bad boy”, “nonsocial” and disliked by the press. I approached him tentatively and to my surprise I found that he was very open and courteous.

It was then that I realized everything I read in the cycling magazines weren’t always true. On another day I found Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt sitting on top of the team car sunning themselves, cutting up and taking it easy. Here were two of the hardest working cyclist in the peleton showing everyone that even pros are human and need a few moments to relax before the onslaught of racing. So over the years I have realized the “stars” of our sport perform amazing things on a bike but in reality they are just normal people in many other aspects. We need to keep that in mind when we judge them or idolize them.

I’ve also been privileged enough to ride with some of the great local riders who all of us can admire. You may not know these riders but I am sure you have met a few of your own. I’ve ridden with Sandy Sanderson, long time ride leader on the west side of town. Sandy celebrated his 70th birthday by riding 70 miles! On another ride I had one of my stronger 40ish year old riding buddies complaining about the pace only to find that Jim Obert, twenty plus years his senior, on the front and driving the pace! For the past two winters I’ve been lucky enough to ride Tim McFadden’s Urban Ride. I can only hope that I am still riding when I reach Tim’s age more or less be able to lead a ride in the dark and in the cold. So you see for me the “stars” of our sport aren’t just the youngsters winning Grand Tours. They are also the elder gents of our club that show us that getting older doesn’t mean that you have to ride slower or ride shorter distances . And most importantly, getting older doesn’t mean you are incapable of leading a ride, sharing your experiences or mentoring others. These gentlemen and the many others that I have not mentioned here show us all that we have something to look forward to. A goal that we can aspire to; one that is within our reach. I will never win a Grand Tour or even a local city race but I certainly am trying to keep up with Sandy, Jim and Tim. And as I sit in front of my TV this July wearing my “Legs Shut UP!” Tshirt and cheering Jens Voigt on I will also be thanking all of the local stars for showing us that we have a long time left to enjoy our sport.

Happy Cranking,

Mr. Cranky

Do you have a question you need help with? Ask Mr. Cranky by sending a self addressed email to AskMrCranky@gmail.com and watch for a response in an upcoming newsletter.

Disclaimer: The advice provided on Ask Mr. Cranky is, at best, of a general nature and cannot substitute for the advice from a knowledgeable bike shop or cyclist. Neither the individual contributor or the Cincinnati Cycle Club nor anyone else connected to this newsletter can take any responsibility for the results or consequences of any attempt to use or adopt any of the information or disinformation presented in this article.

Bike2Baseball – The Post Game Report

We appreciated that the Reds were willing to work with us to set up BIKE2BASEBALL. But the one thing we learned was best said by PT Barnum – “If the people do not want to come, you can’t stop them.”

While the Cincinnati Cycle Club’s main goal was to provide a fun ride and event for our members, the secondary goal (which actually was the primary goal of a number of “Bicycle Advocacy” individuals) of BIKE2BASEBALL was to see if there was an actual demand for a bike valet service such as the one there is at the SF Giants and Washington Nationals games, or to secure a supervised bike parking area in the GABP garage. While many people advocating bicycles said we should have such things, only 3 dozen last fall and now 14 people this year voted with their actual attendance. Most of the people that came, did so for the ride and the Reds game and the fun.

I would like to thank Shannon Senger of the Reds and Jim Coppock of the City Transportation for all that they did in getting BIKE2BASEBALL set up. Shannon arranged for the meetings between the bicycle advocacy individuals with the City of Cincinnati Transportation department. Additionally, she set up the Reds discounts and Reds web pages for us. Jim secured the permits from the City of Cincinnati that allowed the installation of a temporary bike rack on the GABP sidewalk. Reser Bicycle Outfitters delivered and set up temporary bike racks for both events.

Jim & Dianne Lindner, and daughter Adelaide, led the ride from Hartwell and Frank Henson led the east side ride. A big THANKYAVERYMUCH goes out to them for all their help. Frank sent us a number of photos of smiling bikers hiding under the school on stilts from the thunderstorms. He reports that, despite the rain, everyone had a good time.

Perhaps someday down the road there will be an actual demand for the services instead of just bicycle advocacy people saying that we need them. Doing the math, with 14 tickets sold in 2011, if there were 30,000 people at GABP on a Sunday, then .000466% decided to ride their bikes to the game. That is less than 1/2 of 100th of ONE PERCENT. I see no business model where such a small demand would cause a business to provide a bike parking service.

The other desire that the bicycle advocacy people had was that if they could not get the Reds to pay for a bicycle valet service was to have two GABP parking spaces converted into bike parking. If the Reds were to remove TWO parking spaces and put racks in (for non valet parking), the Reds would lose 2 x 81 games at $14 per game a year = $2,268 in parking revenue (assuming that the central garage sells out for every home game). Again, I see no business model where such a small demand would cause a business to choose to lose revenue to provide a service that only a few individuals actually supported with their purchases.

In a few months, the new bike facility in the riverfront park will be open a few hundred feet away, and anybody that wants to ride to a game, can just park over there. Once this is built, members of the Cincinnati Cycle Club can just organize a ride to a game and not need to secure permits and set up web pages and pricing. We can just go ride our bikes down and have fun at a game.

Again, thanks to Shannon Senger of the Reds and Jim Coppock of the City of Cincinnati Transportation Department for all of the work they did to set up these games.

Should I “Sit” or should I “Stand”???

Coach OB

I get asked this question A LOT, “Should I stay seated on a climb or should I stand on a climb?” Well, there is no right or wrong. There is no rule that says you must stay seated on a climb. Numerous people I coach tell me that they heard, “YOU MUST STAY SEATED ON ALL CLIMBS! You are faster that way!” Simply not true. There are too many variables to determine HOW you climb.

• What is your intended pace?

• How steep is the climb?

• How long is the climb?

• Does the climb change as it goes upwards?

• How long is the hill?

• What is YOUR individual style?

• Where in the ride/race does the hill happen? Will fatigue factor in?

All of these determine HOW you climb a hill. For the hills that we have here in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, or wherever you are training, it is best to change your position as you climb and have the ability to climb using both methods; you should train yourself to be able to do both. In my coaching, I have my clients do different climbing drills; doing a whole climb in the saddle, doing a whole climb out of the saddle AND mixing it up during the climb.

There are positives for both. While climbing in the saddle, you can generate a little more power. Your pedal stroke is a little smoother and more controlled. While you are out of the saddle, you can deal with accelerations in the pace or changes in the gradient more easily. You can also use your body weight to help you push down on the pedals. Best of all, it allows you to engage different muscles and get a good stretch at the same time.

Now, you also need to factor in the different hand positions; on the tops of the bars, on the brake hoods or in the drops. Just like the reasons listed above, your hand position while you are climbing is not set in stone. A lot to take in, I know. So much to learn……

Eat Well!

Sleep Well!

Ride SMART!

Coach OB

www.coachob.com

coachob@coachob.com

Whatever your goals, Coach OB has the experience and resources to help you improve your cycling abilities. Coach OB Has custom plans designed specifically to fit your goals with a custom built training program to fit into your schedule.

Have You Seen It?

June’s “Have You Seen It” is a wooden bike called a skuut!

Its located in one of the Greater Cincinnati Bicycle shops. If you haven’t seen it you aren’t shopping the local bike shops enough! If you have seen it please let Mr. Cranky know at AskMrCranky@gmail.com. Each month we will display another interesting photo from one of our local bike shops.

May’s ‘Have You Seen It?’ was a a rack of bikes ready to go! You can find this at Bikes and More, 6363 Glenway Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio. http://www.bicyclesandmorecyclery.net/

OKI Bike News

Don Burrell

One of the recommendations of the OKI Regional Bicycle Plan is to initiate timely communication about regional cycling issues among individuals with personal and professional interests in them. Computer technology has facilitated this through e-mail messaging. These “newsletters” will be issued on an as-needed basis as a “critical mass” of items accumulates. As the distribution list is often expanded, and issues are forwarded, previous editions are available to new readers on request. Also, Bike E-News can now be found on OKI’s web site at: http://www.oki.org/pdf/bike/info.pdf