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Ride Your Bike to Work Month of May

Posted by admin | May 15, 2008 .
May is National Bike Month; May 12-16th is Bike-To-Work Week; and May 16th is Bike-To-Work Day. I think more of us should start doing this in this country. People from other countries use their bikes to work every day and help save the environment and save some cash.

Step 1: The Bike. If you don’t already have one, get a bike. There are all kinds of bikes available these days: road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrid bikes, recumbent bikes, and even commuter bikes. The list goes on and on. Some are better suited for commuting than others, but don’t worry if you don’t have the latest and greatest model. As long as it rolls, and as long as it’s safe, pretty much any bike will work as a commuter. But whatever bike you decide to ride, make sure it’s up to the task. Stop by your local bike shop and have them throw a tune-up on it. While you’re there, ask the shop for some commuting tips. These people ride bikes more than anybody you may know and you can learn a lot from their experience.

Step 2: The Bike Stuff. Make sure you have the biking essentials. To ride safely and comfortably, you’ll need things like a helmet, pump, tool kit, and water bottle. While not absolutely necessary, cycling-specific clothing will help make your ride more enjoyable. Cycling clothing is designed for on-bike performance and offers the latest in moisture-wicking, technical fabrics. You can ride in jeans and a t-shirt, but you’ll be more comfortable in a pair of cycling shorts and a jersey. If you’re not comfy in the tights, that’s ok. There are liners available that will put padding in all the right places and that are great for shorter commutes. Ask your local bike shop about the range of clothing options available and decide which one is right for you.

Step 3: The Route. You might be able to ride on the same roads you drive to work on, or you might need to find a more bike-friendly way to work. Consult your local bike shop to see if they have any maps showing bike-friendly routes in your area. Or, use an on-line mapping service like MapQuest to help design a route. Make sure you select the “Avoid Highways” options. Once you have a route plotted, keep in mind that it generally takes about twice as long to ride as it does to drive, so plan accordingly. You may want to ride your bike to work and back over the weekend to gauge the time and distance that will be required. A test run will also help you understand your route and make any necessary changes. If you can’t commit to a long commute, consider cutting the route in half. Drive half-way and ride the rest. Or, drive to work with your bike and then ride home. The next morning, ride to work and then drive home at the end of the day.

Step 4: The Packing. If you’re riding to work, you’ll likely need to bring a few things with you: a change of clothes, lunch, possibly a lap top. One of the most popular options is a simple backpack. Another option is a bike messenger bag. If your bike’s compatible, a rear rack is a great way to carry a load. Talk to your local bike shop about your options and select the one that’s right for you.

Step 5: The Knowledge. It’s important that you’re safe when you ride, so make sure you understand the rules of the road. Bicycles are required to follow the same road rules as cars, so make sure you obey traffic signs, signals, and pavement markings.

Step 6: The Preparation. Before you hop on your bike, make sure that your tires are properly inflated and that your brakes are adjusted properly and are working. Adopting a simple bike-check routine before each and every ride will help make sure your bike is safe and operating at peak efficiency.

Step 7: Enjoy The Ride. Riding a bike lets you see the world at a different speed that you’re probably used to and you’ll probably start to notice the things you’ve been missing sitting behind the wheel. Birds singing. Flowers blooming. Quaint neighborhoods and intriguing little shops. Soak it all in as you save money, get in shape, and help cut pollution.

Step 8: Make It A Way Of Life. Now that you’ve started, don’t stop. Set a goal to ride a certain number of days a week or a month. Before you know it, you’ll be riding more than you drive, and you’ll feel better than ever.

For more information, check out the “How to Go By Bike” section of the 1World2Wheels.org website. Also check out the “Bike to Work Commuter’s Booklet” put out by the League of American Bicyclists.

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Test Ride a Trek Bike

Posted by admin | May 9, 2008 .
Trek test ride
Check this out. You can test ride an awesome Trek Bike of your choice. Just go to Trek’s Factory Demo Website to find out the closest city to you. The Trek Factory Demo was designed to make the best bicycles from Trek and Gary Fisher available to experience firsthand. The tour travels throughout the country educating riders on product, proper bicycle fit, and offering the opportunity to ride a variety of bicycles. Find an event in your area and show up with your ID and riding gear (don’t forget a helmet) and we’ll take care of the rest.
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USA Cycling Takes Mountain Bike Development To The Next Level

Posted by admin | April 10, 2008 .
In an effort to keep improving the level of competitive mountain bike racing in America, USA Cycling has recently begun changes to its U23 and Junior mountain bike development programs. As Marc Gullickson, USA Cycling’s new mountain bike program director explains: “We will essentially be moving away from running a full-time National Team that commits all of our resources to just three or four riders in order to cast a wider net. What we want to do is give more riders a shot at gaining international racing experience.”

The new program will begin this April in a slightly smaller form due to the focus on the upcoming Olympic Games. Then, American U23 riders Sam Jurekovic (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Colin Cares (Boulder, Colo.) and Ethan Gilmour (Athens Ga.) will be sent to the World Cycling Center in Aigle, Switzerland where they will take part in a two-month long training camp. There they will have a chance to regularly compete against Europe’s best, including racing both the Houffalize and Offenburg World Cup races, as well as several other UCI mountain and road bike races.

All of this will be done with the hopes of acclimatizing America’s up and coming riders to the various rigors of the European racing scene. Jurekovic, the reigning U23 cross country national champion explained, “The racing in Europe is a lot different than here in the States. The races are a lot more intense and bring a different set of challenges.”

Gullickson was also careful to note that this new program is not meant to affront the North American racing scene but to complement it. “Our Mountain Bike National Calendar is essential for our young riders’ development and for bringing U.S. Mountain Bike riders to that next level,” said Gullickson. “What we are striving for is a system where our young riders have a support structure here in North America that allows them to get to the larger National Calendar events and where USA Cycling then comes into play in providing a support system for these riders when they are ready to get their feet wet on the international race scene. At this time the biggest and best racing outside North America is in Western Europe, so this is where we will focus our attention.”

Jurekovic, Cares and Gilmour represent some of the best young riders that America has to offer, and all of them are quite excited to be given the opportunity to race in Europe. “I’m pretty stoked,” said Jurekovic. “I love the racing in Europe and I think I thrive in that kind of scene.” And he should, given how Jurekovic has dominated the North American U23 racing calendar, winning last year’s U23 cross country national championships at Mount Snow, Vermont, as well as possessing the distinction of being the most consistent U23 mountain bike rider in the U.S., ending the 2007 season as the top-ranked U23 rider in the Mountain Bike National Calendar. Additionally, the Wyoming native also holds the U23 national four-kilometer pursuit title on the track.

Cares and Gilmour may lack the same results as Jurekovic, but, if so, only barely. Cares, a Colorado College student, is the current Division II collegiate mountain bike national champion who has managed to place third to older riders (including Jurekovic) twice in the U23 national championships.

Gilmour won the Junior 17-18 national championships in 2007 and contributed to the bronze-medal winning efforts of the team relay squad at the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, which was a first for the U.S.

For 2008, Gilmour will be racing in the U23 class for the first time so Europe will present an extra challenge for an 18-year-old who is well aware of, and excited for, the challenges he is soon to face. “I think people make a big deal about how hard racing in Europe is,” said the enthusiastic Gilmour, “but it’s where all the fast guys come from now, and I’m really excited to get over there and cut my teeth.”

Thanks to USA Cycling, from April until the Mountain Bike World Championships in June, Jurekovic, Cares and Gilmour will be given the chance to race at the highest level the sport has to offer.

“It’ll be a great learning experience and super valuable,” exclaimed Jurekovic. “The Europeans are the fastest people in the world right now.”

Hopefully, thanks to programs like this one, soon international athletes will be able to say the same about the American racing scene.
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