The BikeWriter – September 2011

The Pres Sez – September 2011

John Chester

Well, I hope that you had as much fun on your bike in August as I did. August was a great month on a bike for me – Shoreline West with CCC members Cindy Male, Jennifer Clippard, Deborah Komar, John Heim, The Angry Vice Chicken and Bill Molleran to name a few. Then a couple of nice CCC rides when I got back – Mike Sullivan’s Fusion Ride and Geoff Thielmeyer’s Monday Night Ride.

The last weekend of the month was spent on the MS 150. There were too many CCC folks on the MS there to list them all. I got to spend two days riding with old friends – Roy Graybill and Karen Mittendorf. Sunday was spent with them as well as Kelly Knox and Carrie Schneider (Chester’s Angels – MS 150 division)/ But I want to especially thank Keith Curran for setting up the TEAM CCC BOOTH, where much fun was had. We will set up a TEAM CCC again next year. As always, if your company has a group – join them. But if not, we hope you join us. And as always any CCC member is welcome to visit the great tent (with a fire pit outside!) set up by Keith Curran.

September has a number of great rides in the area, and as the temperatures are beginning to cool off, it can be one of our best months to ride in. As of this writing, there are currently 60 CCC folks registered as a part of TEAM CINCINNATI on The Hope Ride!

Fall also brings us to two more Cluster picnics – Tom Runyan will be hosting the Northern Kentucky picnic on Sunday September 24^th on Route 8 near the end of the route for the No Brainer, and on Sunday October 2^nd, the C6 folks will be holding the “Pie in the Sky when you Ride day”. As they are (Allegedly) a “nice civilized urban cluster”, they state that they are “not having no stinking picnic, we go to a nice restaurant and have pie.” As that is the day after the Ghost Rider, I plan to be there! Pie of the DAY photo opportunity!

Lastly, the CCC’s fall National Ride is coming on Saturday October 1^st. We hope to see you all on the Great Ghost Rider Ramble. Scott Ebbing and Carrie Schneider are still looking for a few good volunteers.

Also, please remember that all of the profits of this ride are used to pay for all of the fun things the club provides. Your dues just pay for the boring stuff like a web page and insurance and locker rental. National Ride profits go to education, donations, and anything else the members ask us to do. Remember – every time that some one says “The club ought to ….” well this is where the money to do that comes from.

Lastly – Remember, Get on your bike, go for a ride – It’s fun!

Riding with Miss Ohio

Miss Ohio 2012, Ellen Bryan, is riding  for 27 Days to 45 Cities covering  850 Miles to raise money to bring resources and relief to the children who are part of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. For more info on her ride, please go to: http://www.missohiobiketour.com/

On Thursday September 1^st,  eleven cyclists rode with Miss Ohio from The Great American Ball Park to Hamilton Ohio. Riders rode in and out on various parts of the entire route to Hamilton. CCC Member and QCB President Frank Henson led the ride.

Miss Ohio was given a CCC Jersey, and a free club membership and a pass to a 2012 National Ride. Queen City Bike gave her a T shirt and a QCB Membership, and the OKI Regional Council of government gave her another T shirt.

GGRR Calls All Ghosts, Ghouls and Goblins!

Carrie Schneider

October 1, 2011 marks a day of great riding, horrifying people, and the best company to ride with: the Greater Ghost Rider Ramble. Once again, we are bringing back the t-shirts.  This year’s design will definitely top last year’s!!

You may ask yourself, what exactly is this ride? The Great Ghost Rider Ramble bicycle tour is geared for both the casual, recreational rider and the serious bicyclist with ride distances to suit any skill level. The GGRR is NOT a race, so ride at your own pace and enjoy the rural autumn countryside of Indiana. There are multiple routes to choose from:  beginning at 25 miles all the way up to 100 miles.

If you want to bring the kids out and enjoy a fun family ride together, we have one for you as well. This begins at 11 AM and the route will be about 20 miles. There are games and prizes at the food stop for Family Fun Ride participants. Dress the kids in their bike-friendly Halloween costumes. Experienced cyclists will accompany your family to the rest/food stop and return with you to the ride start.  (No day of ride registration available for Family Fun Ride. All Fun Rides applicants must ride with a GGRR ride leader.)

This route is relatively flat; only 1 hill returning to headquarters. Children under 10 must accompany a parent on a tandem or tag-a-long bike only. No children under 10 will be permitted to ride solo.

SAG Drivers Are Still Needed!

With the GGRR just a little over 3 weeks away, we do not have any SAG drivers as of yet. If anyone can help on this, it would be appreciated.

As this year we made a change, No one person is doing everything as in years past. Without volunteers, these rides cannot continue. Please help and keep this ride going.

Keep a lookout on the Cycle Club’s website for more information!! If you should have any questions prior to information being posted, please contact ggrr@cincinnaticycleclub.org.  Ride safe everyone!!

Cluster News:

Northern Kentucky Cluster announces 2011 Picnic – Tom Runyan

All CCC members attending the Espresso and Decaf rides (or any member who makes it to the CHCC during the ‘picnic’) will be treated to an after-ride slice of pie at the College Hill Coffee Company, courtesy of the C6 cluster. We may even have a brief cluster meeting during the ‘picnic’.

Firecracker Cluster celebrates a successful year

The Firecracker Cluster Group had a party on August 6th to celebrate another successful year. The party was hosted by CCC member Mark Greiner and attended by 20 people. A good time was enjoyed by all with a barbeque dinner and plenty of riding conversation. The Firecrackers have been riding together for about 10 years and the cluster group continues to grow. Group rides on Wednesdays and Saturdays are averaging 10 – 15 riders with several guest riders each week. Its always good to see new faces and meet other people that share a passion for riding. Come on out and enjoy a fun ride in hilly Warren County. See the CCC website for ride information. At the picnic the following co-cluster leaders (Vincent Lieu, Dan Herman, Mike Schuessler and Jim Thiry) were nominated to serve the CCC next year.

Little Miami Scenic Trail celebrates 20^th Anniversary

On Friday, September 16^th, come to Xenia Station and observe the 20th anniversary of the nation’s most admired and extensive multi-use trail during the Xenia Community Festival. All “friends of the trail” groups for the region will be there, along with vendors, businesses and everyone who loves the trail. A commemoration with original trail champions and former Governor Bob Taft will be held Saturday, September 17, at 2:00.

Safety and Education – Jim Lindner

“Weather” or not to Ride

It has been said, “In Cincinnati if you don’t like the weather don’t worry it will change”.

The spring and early summer was wet. I was behind in my commuter miles, not being overly fond of rain, and could hardly get a garden in. Now I feel like I must ride every day, because it is not raining, and my garden is about to dry up and blow away.

The change we have gotten lately has been Hot, Very-Hot, and now some Cool mornings. I had to dig out my lined windbreaker for a couple of mornings, and I am using my bike light for my morning commute. Yes, it is time to determine how long your bike season will be. Are you getting out or purchasing the equipment you may need to extend the season.

In the summer the light cool wicking material is King. As the weather cools this material still works for me as a base layer. It is time that a light windbreaker and “Wind Pants” need to be in my bag as I leave the house. It is very common for me to start down the road before I realize I need something to keep me warm. In a similar way it is easy to find yourself out late and need a light.

I ride in low, below freezing temperatures and enjoy it. When I am asked how I do it I think of the hottest days of the summer. I am limited by modesty as to what I can take off on a hot day, but I can always add another layer to ride in the cold, if I brought it with me. I do not ride when it gets too cold to repair a flat.

My point is be prepared for the seasonal changes, and you will ride longer in the year, and enjoy it.

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,

What is the best way to brake on long downhills?

Dear Kent,

Braking on a long downhill requires more than just squeezing harder on the brakes. Everyone knows except Isaac Newton that a big rider will come down a hill much faster than a smaller rider – and once a mass is in motion it will stay in motion unless a deer jumps out on the road. In my attempt to figure out braking over the years I have tried a few things, most of which haven’t been very effective.

I first tried to increase wind resistance by sitting more upright with some reasonable success. I then figured out that Club jerseys with full zippers weren’t just created for big riders, they were created for braking assistance. When you need that little drop in speed but don’t want to use the brakes you simply sit upright and unzip the jersey to about three quarters of the way down. This allows the jersey to catch the wind like a sail and help slow the bike. This is not recommended for windy days or for females since either case may cause wrecks. Also, on very hot days be sure to warn riders behind you since this procedure is known to cause sweat showers for those behind you.

One thing that I have tried and I highly recommend NOT doing is mounting CO2 cartridges to the handlebars. This was my attempt at creating reverse thrusters for the bike. The theory was that going downhill I would open a CO2 cartridge and release the compressed air which would cause a reverse thrust and slow me down.

When I tested this however it turned out to be a really bad idea. The first cartridge worked pretty well but when I fired off the second one I realized that the duct tape I used to secure them to the handle bar wasn’t strong enough. It was like a bottle rocket without the flame!  The stupid thing flew right at me! Luckily I had my Pearl Izumi jersey wide open and in full sail mode at the time otherwise it would have been a Pearl GoesInMe jersey. Don’t ask me how but that cartridge went straight for my beer cave – for those non-beer drinkers this is the cave created by drinking too many beers, aka belly button.  Before I could stop it the only thing visible was the screw top end sticking out of my belly! Now for those that don’t know it, CO2 cartridges get very very cold when discharged-as in covered with frost. Ever seen what happens when someone sticks their tongue on a frozen light post? Well, I was covered with sweat so the same process applied.

I’m not sure what was more embarrassing, going to the ER to get the cartridge unfrozen and removed or explaining to my friends and coworkers how I got frostbite on a summer bike ride.

Since neither of these attempts seemed to help my braking I decided to search the web for better answers on how to brake downhill and I was surprised with what I found.   Most, if not all the articles tell riders to use their FRONT brake for stopping – this sounds a little counter intuitive and feels that way when riding.

I’ve included a couple of links so that you can read through the articles and create your own approach to braking.

Here is what I believe is a general guide to braking especially for beginners:

1. Keep your body centered over the bike and if possible shift your weight backwards as you apply the brakes. This will help offset that feeling of going forward as you decelerate.
2.  Lightly apply your rear brake first – some call this feathering the brake.
3. As you slightly increase the rear brake pressure begin adding front brake pressure to a larger degree. You want to apply smooth continuous pressure while increasing the front brake until you stop. The front brake will add much more stopping power so it needs to be the primary brake.

I highly recommend you read through the following articles that include in depth descriptions on how to apply your brakes in various road conditions. They also explain the use of the front brake much better than I have above.

http://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/bike/web/safety_brakes.htm

http://www.bicycling.com/beginners/safety-etiquette/better-braking

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.

Coach OB

“Fear of the Gear”

You are in a paceline. Nice steady tempo going. You are doing your turns at the front and dropping back to take shelter and get a break. All of a sudden, a gap opens, might be your fault, might not be. But now you have to close that gap and quickly!  How do you do that?

One of the hardest things to teach yourself on the bike is the art of spinning. In the July article, I wrote about keeping a high cadence.  Being able to keep that targeted 85-95 rpm, is what I call, keeping your legs “supple”, or ready to spring into action when need be.

Sure, it feels easier to slog away at about 75 rpm– makes you feel strong too!   But, if you have to accelerate from 18 to 22 mph to close that gap, it is much easier to do it if your legs are supple, or not bogged down by a heavy gear. Here is an analogy for those that drive a manual transmission automobile. You are merging onto the highway and you need to accelerate because there is a big truck blocking your nice smooth entrance. Do you leave it in fifth gear while merging and need acceleration? No, you drop a gear, pick up the rpm’s of your engine (get it now???) and get in front of the truck! Same thing on your bike, it is much easier to accelerate when spinning rather than slogging away.

Same holds true as you approach that HUGE HILL. Rolling into that hill with a low cadence is going to feel like someone just added 20 pounds to your legs.  Rolling into that hill at a good cadence, or with your legs supple, you are now able to spin up that hill using much less energy!

Whenever I suggest to people that they pick up their leg speed, I hear, “This feels better” or “I USED to spin …” or “I don’t know how to spin like that!” Well, you have to train yourself to spin, it doesn’t just happen. It will take time to adapt your legs.  If you know your cadence is low, next time you are out, set a goal that you will do three or four 5 minute higher cadence sessions during your ride.  The next ride, do three or four 10 minute sessions. Before you know it, you will be spinning, and closing those gaps, like a Pro!

We only have a few more newsletters before the press shuts down for the winter.  I would love to answer some of your questions for the next newsletter.  Please email them to me: coachob@coachob.com.

Until then…

Eat Well!

Sleep Well!

Ride SMART!!

Cycling Advocacy – Ron Callahan

Federal Highway Administration Releases Rumble Strip Technical Advisory

Since early 2010, the League, the Alliance for Biking and Walking and the Adventure Cycling Association have been working with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to improve their rumble strip guidance. Many of you contacted your state departments of transportation last summer to reinforce our efforts and to help protect cycling on thousands of miles of roadways.

In May 2011, the FHWA quietly distributed a new Technical Advisory (guidance) to district offices and state DOTs on the installation of rumble strips. Unfortunately, the new FHWA guidance on the installation of both shoulder and centerline rumble strips are significantly worse for bicyclists than the 2001 guidance. On July 18th the League, Alliance and Adventure Cycling returned to FHWA where we met with a dozen FHWA and USDOT staff to express our concerns with the process and the lack of recognition of bicycling in the new guidance.

We have submitted specific points the bicycling community wants added to the guidance. No action required yet, but stay tuned!

Commuter Challenge