High School Mountain Bike Team

EASTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL CYCLING TEAM

CHULA VISTA, CA

March 2, 2013

If you are out near the trails of the Otay Reservoir or the open hillsides of Mt San Miguel on a weekday afternoon, chances are you may have seen a group of dedicated high school student athletes on mountain bikes spinning up the hills on the single-track. We are the Eastlake High School Mountain Bike Team, one of two high school mountain bike teams in San Diego County, and a part of the SoCal League of high school mountain bike racers. With 32 teams in the SoCal League, and over 300 riders, we are part of a growing movement that seeks to provide student athletes an arena in which to set and accomplish competitive goals, and to achieve their personal best. 

 

2013 marks the fourth year for the Eastlake High School Mountain Bike Team, comprised of boys and girls from freshman to senior. Our pre-season begins in October, with training consisting of skills clinics for new members, and purposeful trail rides targeted to improving the endurance and bike-handling skills of returning members.

Students come from all different backgrounds and levels of experience. Some have been riding since they can remember, while others have only just got their first bike, and are learning as they go, encouraged by their teammates.

Being a part of a mountain bike team is unique, in that while you are a part of a team and something larger than yourself, the competition is largely an individual effort. Whereas a football player who is new to the sport and perhaps at a physical disadvantage would spend time on the bench on game day, every mountain biker who comes to practice has a chance of competing on race day. If you as a cyclist know that you have put in the practice house to go the distance, and you have completed the necessary skills training to successfully navigate the obstacles on the trail, then you know your race is largely about eating properly and hydrating well in the days before the race, mentally preparing yourself for the race, mentally preparing yourself for any unexpected setbacks such as a flat tire or a crash, and putting it all together on race day so that you start and finish your race well.

If you are interested in learning more about the Eastlake Cycle Team and how you can be a part of the growing movement of enthusiast mountain bikers who want to see the sport grow (e.g., be a ride leader!) and see more young people on mountain bikes, we encourage you to contact us via this blog, through Eastlake High School, the SoCal League, or our Facebook page. And if you see a group of high school students riding together around Eastlake, wave hello and feel free to cheer us on!

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/EastlakeHSMTB

What's a Company Picnic without a Bike Care Class?

I recently had the opportunity through Team LUNA Chix San Diego Cycle to conduct a Bike Care Class at the URS Corp company picnic. It was a great experience, and the second year Team LUNA Chix has been invited to participate.

I was to present a 20-minute Basic Bike Care presentation followed by a Hands-on Flat-changing Clinic. But with all the distractions of a company picnic like hamburgers, the shade tree, and jumpy houses (seriously, there was jumpy that looked like a small version of American Gladiator), I knew I needed something to generate interest in my clinic. So I devised a contest for anyone to enter, and announced that the first correct answer drawn at random would win a new multi-tool, courtesy of Steve Richey at 2wheelogic.com (thanks for everything you taught me, Steve!).

I put two similar road bikes side-by-side with a sign:

You are commuting to work and expect to arrive home just before dusk. 

Which bike is ready to ride?

Submit your name and answer (Bike 1 or Bike 2)
along with a brief description of why you made the choice you did. 

We announced the contest, and stated that the drawing would take place just before the Basic Bike Care presentation. It worked like a charm, as people began coming over to look at the bikes, feel the tires, test out the lights, feel the brakes, etc. 

checking over the two road bikes

filling out an entry card to win the mulit-tool

When it came time to draw, there was a crowd of about 15-20 people. A woman who had answered correctly, "Bike 2 is ready because Bike 1 has no rear light" won the multi-tool. I asked the crowd what else they had noticed that might render Bike 1 not ready to ride. I was surprised that none of them, not even the seasoned riders in the crowd, noticed that the front brake caliper of Bike 1 was wide open. With steam from the drawing, I was able to segway immediately into the Basic Bike Care presentation, and the A-B-C's of riding.

A - Air. Always make sure your tires have sufficient air before you ride. On a road bike, if you can put any dent with your fingertips into the sidewall of the tire, the tire needs air. 

Before group rides, I will always go around and feel the tires. It's remarkable the number of people who think they have 100 psi when they have no more than 75 psi. Riding under-inflated tires is a quick way to get a pinch flat. Road tires should be pumped up almost every time you ride.

B - Brakes. Always spin the wheel to make sure it is not rubbing, and then grab the brake lever to make sure the brake is working properly. 

C - Chain and Cables. Make sure the chain runs smoothly across the teeth of the front rings and rear cassette. If you touch the chain and get blackened fingers from grease, it's probably you are using too much chain lube. Wipe off the excess. If you tough the chain and it feels dry, you may need to use a bit more chain lube. 

Cables are the lifelines to smooth shifting. If your cables are starting to get rusty from exposure, or you notice an end that is starting to fray, it's probably time to get a new cable installed. If you need your bike seen by a professional, do your mechanic a favor and clean up your bike before taking it in for repairs. It's a courtesy that will be greatly appreciated.

Before every ride, take 30 seconds to check your bike's A-B-C's. 

how to clean a chain

I took a moment during the presentation to show the crowd how easy it is to clean a chain, and quizzed them on the things I had just told them. Anyone who got a correct answer got a cassette brush, courtesy of Pedro's Bike Care Products. 

The Basic Bike Care presentation was followed by the Hands-on Flat-Changing Clinic. Although I only had three takers for this portion, they were eager to learn, and very excited that they could learn to remove and replace a rear wheel so easily. As a thank-you for attending, they each got either a multi-tool or a chin tool. 

Big thanks go to my "Janie-on-the-spot" LUNA teammate Cindy, who has helped me with several clinics and is always a great support! Thanks, Cindy!

Team LUNA Chix San Diego Cycle presented the Bike Care Clinic as part of an ongoing fundraising effort for the Breast Cancer Fund. I'd like to thank URS Corp, on behalf of Team LUNA Chix San Diego, for their generous donation to the cause. If you would like to make a donation to the Breast Cancer Fund, please see our donation page. 

Flat Changing Clinic - Part 1

This is Part 1 of the 3-part series on Bicycle Maintenance: Tires and Flat-changing.

When I first started cycling, my mechanic in New Jersey encouraged me to attend a flat-changing and bike maintenance clinic put on by the parks department. I remember following all the steps the instructor told me, but still being so confused, and feeling like I only got through the flat-changing part because someone more knowledgeable than me was there to help.

Since that clinic in Feb 2003, I've tried to learn as much as I could about bikes and bike maintenance. Being something of a compulsive teacher, I naturally have to pass on what I've learned, so I started teaching flat-changing clinics with women as the target audience.

Now I teach a flat-changing clinic at B+L Bike and Sports once a month. This past Sunday afternoon, I taught at the Solana Beach store where we had nine women attend. It was a great afternoon!

Jenny and Robbin watch as Monica pulls the tube out of the tire in a simulated flat.

Team LUNA Chix San Diego will be teaming up with B+L Bike and Sports to bring you flat-changing clinics once a month throughout the season at one of the two B+L locations. Please check our website or Facebook for dates, location, and details.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE FLAT-CHANGING CLINIC:

HANDS-ON LEARNING. It's important that everyone actually work on a bike and not just spectate. Doing it yourself boosts your confidence, and reinforces the notion that you can, in fact, do this yourself. 

MASTERY OF REAR WHEEL REMOVAL-REPLACEMENT. We always work on rear wheels, with at least ten minutes spent removing and replacing the rear wheel, until everyone is comfortable doing so. As with most things, there are tricks to making removing/replacing a rear wheel easy. And just to get that thought out of your head - no, you won't hurt the bike.

 Monica continues working on her tire as Bev (background) looks up from her work.

CAMARADERIE. Depending on space, there will be 4-6 bikes to work on. Attendees will work singly, in pairs, or even in groups of three to get the job done. No matter how many of us there are, we work together to make sure everyone is comfortable and no one is getting stressed out. :)
Taking turns, everyone gets a chance to practice removing and replacing the rear wheel, removing the tire, getting the tire back onto the rim, and inflating the tube with CO2.

Heather and Megan (left) and Patti and Jennifer (right) work in pairs  to install the tube.

CO2 PRACTICE. Everyone gets a chance to practice using CO2, thanks to support by Genuine Innovations. I remember being somewhat skeptical myself (read: afraid of it) at first. But once I realized how easy it is to use, and how I could eliminate ten minutes or more of exhausting frame pump arm work on the side of the road by using a CO2 cartridge that costs as little as a vanilla latte, I was sold.

Jan and Bev line up the CO2 to inflate the tire. Special shout-out to Genuine Innovations for providing MicroFlate Nano heads and CO2 cartridges for the women to practice with.

In part 2 of the blog Bicycle Maintenance: Tires and Flat-changing, I'll answer 
frequently asked questions, including:

• What do all those numbers on the tube box mean? 
• How do I know I have the right size tube?
• Do I need to take the whole tire off?
• Why are some tires perfectly slick and others have ridges (tread)?
• Is the rim and the wheel the same thing?

Please feel free to post your questions below! If I can't answer it, I'll find the answer from someone more knowledgeable than me.

Patti checks to make sure the MicroFlate head in lined up square to the rim for best air flow.

Thank yous are in order to all the attendees of my most recent clinic in Solana Beach: Monica and her friends Robbin and Jenny, Bev, Jan, Heather, Megan, Patti, and Jennifer. Thanks to the guys at B+L Bike and Sports Solana Beach: Tom, Scott, Gisan, and especially Kevin who stayed late for us. Thanks to Mark of B+L Bike and Sports who invited me into his shop and is hosting these events. And big thanks to Genuine Innovations, who supplies the MicroFlate Nano heads and the CO2 cartridges we use in class. These San Diego Flat-changing clinics exist because of your efforts.


Next clinic:
Sunday, 5/20/12, 3:45 PM
B+L Bike and Sports in San Diego (Rosecrans).
RSVP on Meetup.com

 

Bike Maintenance: So Easy, a Baby Could Do It

An important part of bicycle maintenance is keeping your bike clean, which not only keeps it looking good, but ultimately prolongs the life of your wheels and drivetrain (everything the chain touches). You don’t need a repair stand or even a water hose - you can turn your bike upside down and rest it on the handlebars, using a spray bottle, brush, and a soft cloth to do the work.

Let’s get this out of the way for you who have never done this and are concerned: You will not hurt the bike.

As long as you do not turn screws or bolts, drop large solid objects on your bike, or leave parts soaking in undiluted chemicals, you will not hurt the bike. You can pull on the chain, drop the chain off the front ring, and scrub front and rear derailleurs with a small brush. But just in case, here are some things to know.

Important reminders:

• Never use WD-40 on your bike. WD stands for “water displacement” and will make it difficult for lubricants to stick to WD-40-treated metals. You want your bike clean and lubricated.

• Dilute concentrated cleaners like Simple Green or cleaners containing citric acid very well, since the chemicals react with aluminum and may cause it to weaken structurally (that said, I use citric acid cleaners but rinse parts really well).

• Always rinse cleaning agents from your bike frame and components after cleaning.

• Never spray high-pressure water near bearing areas like hubs or bottom brackets.

Here’s what you need:

• Water - hose or spray bottle
• Brushes - thin cassette brush or toothbrush, (also a cattail brush and soft-bristle frame brush are very helpful, but optional)
• Bike cleaner - bucket of dish soap and hot water or almost any bike cleaner or Simple Green and hot water
• Bucket
• Rags

One more note before we get started: If you haven’t had a professional tune-up on your road bike in 12 months or 1000 miles (mountain bike would be more like 8 months or 500 miles), clean your bike up, make an appointment, and take your bike in. A mechanic will check your chain and tires for wear, make sure it’s shifting and braking properly, and that your spokes are properly tensioned. This 5-step bike clean-up procedure presumes that your bike is in good mechanical condition.

1. Drivetrain
I go for the messiest part first, which is usually the chain. If you can remove the chain with a quick link, do so and soak it briefly in a Simple Green and hot water solution. Then scrub it with a brush and rinse it thoroughly before letting it dry in the sun or drying it with a hair dryer. Clean the other parts of the drive train while the chain dries. If you cannot remove the chain, using a brush and a solution of Simple Green and hot water, scrub the chain thoroughly. Scrub the chain rings and the cassette. Scrub the little pulley wheels on the rear derailleur making sure you remove any caked on grease and dirt.

2. Wheels
If you have a road bike and do not have access to a hose, it’s probably best to wet a cloth with water and minimal bike cleaner, and wipe down your rims and spokes, being mindful that citrus cleanser left on your aluminum rims is not good for them. You can spray your rims with diluted solution from the bottle and use a soft brush, but make sure you rinse them well and wipe them down with a dry cloth afterward.

3. Frame
Same goes for the frame as the wheels. A damp cloth should do the trick unless you’ve been riding in the back pasture after a heavy soaker. Be sure to wipe around the bottom bracket where grease and grime can collect.

4. Finishing touches
I wipe down my handlebars, making sure to wipe in the direction of the bar tape on the road bike. At this point I take a clean cloth and make sure everything is dried off.

5. Lubricate the chain and spoke nipples
Once the bike is clean, you are ready to lube the chain. Wet lube and dry lube are both liquid, no matter what it sounds like.
WET LUBE is a wax lubricant that is usually recommended for riding in wet weather or if you live on the ocean and keep your bike outside. It allows a wax film to form on the chain, protecting it from rust. Wax lube must harden after application before you ride. You should not apply a wax lube right before you ride. Note that if you are riding in dusty areas, some wax lubes will cake up with dust and will not glide smoothly, while others shed dust very well.
DRY LUBE is more like the consistency of cooking oil and is often preferred by riders in dry climates (like San Diego). Dry lube may be applied immediately before riding.

Which is the best lube for you? Tell your local mechanic where you usually ride and ask for a recommendation.

If your chain is clean, you can put whatever you want on there to lube it. If your chain is not fresh-from-the-brush clean and it needs lube, you should re-apply whatever lube is already on the chain. The only way you can really hurt the chain is to not lube it at all.

Use Tri-flow with the needle-tube attachment to lube the spoke nipples every so often after you clean the wheels. This will keep the nipples from seizing up and preventing your mechanic from truing the wheels.

Enjoy your clean bike!

Elfin Forest Ride

I have a confession to make.

I've been a mountain biker living in San Diego for six years and I had not been to the Elfin Forest for a ride until last week. I had heard this trail had "a lot of climbing" and was difficult. Being a climbing sissy, I dismissed it as something probably not very fun. I could not have been more wrong.


While the Elfin Forest is not for everyone, if you enjoy a good technical challenge and have some power in your legs, this is one of the most beautiful climbs you will do in SoCal in under an hour.


I came out on a Wednesday morning with a buddy who also had never been there and had no idea what to expect. We were struck by the beauty of the hills, lush and green from the recent rains, the purple heather and other flowers in bloom and spread out across the hillside like a random picnic blankets.


The trail starts off by crossing a creek, then immediately ascending, leading you on a sometimes narrow and rutted, sometimes wide and easy, and sometimes impossibly rocky trail that snakes up the hill for about 2 miles.



I found out something about myself: it's not that I hate climbing, it's that I hate boring climbing. A fire road climb is simply uninteresting. But THIS climb was so technical, you were constantly looking for a good line up the hill. It was infinitely interesting. Although I had to stop a number of times to study the ground at my feet (read: hang over my handlebars gasping and wheezing till I caught my breath), I enjoyed the climb so much I came back the next day with the GoPro helmet cam to film it.

Click here to see the helmet cam video of the CLIMB.

And click here for the helmet cam video of the DESCENT.

My only disappointment was that I didn't see any elves.

MTB Clinic with LUNA PRO Danelle Kabush

Every so often the women of the Team LUNA Chix San Diego will host a bike skills or maintenance clinic. I am one of the nine team members who assisted with the mountain bike skills clinic with Danelle Kabush a couple weeks ago. For more info on beginner-friendly bike rides, skills clinics, and women's maintenance clinics in the San Diego area, please see our website or email me!

Wow! What a great way to spend an afternoon!

Meeting at the UCSD campus, mountain bikers of all abilities and backgrounds gathered Sunday to experience an afternoon of bike riding, bike handling skills and coaching with LUNA pro rider and 2x XTERRA Championship medalist Danelle Kabush. Not only were pro roadies in attendance, but the mountain bikers ranged in age from nine to... OK so nevermind on the upper limit, the youngest person there was nine years old!

After a brief discussion of proper shifting, trail etiquette, and introductions, Danelle led the group of 26 riders over to a gently sloping grassy area to coach us on some body position techniques. She emphasized the importance of understanding how your bike will move and react to your body position. Ultimately, you want your body and the bike to act in concert as one entity, not as two separate units. Taking time to pedal through the grass and note the responses from your bike when you brake first with the front, then the rear, then lean the bike from side to side as you ride is vital to developing confidence on your bike, and to understanding its nuances. (Yes! Your bike has nuances!) I remember during my second year of racing downhill, I finished a practice run and one of my teammates told me with a smile, "Hey, good work! Looks like you're finally riding like you're in control of that bike and not the other way around!" Danelle's techniques would have really facilitated that transition back then!

From the grassy hill, we headed north on campus, past the library and into the Eucalyptus Grove. A popular running trail, the Eucalyptus Grove offers the beginner as well as the advanced mountain biker a bit of everything, with wide double track, winding singletrack, challenging rocky climbs and rutted descents. Since there were so many of us, we broke into two groups, with the more advanced riders (along with the bursting-with-enthusiasm school-age crowd) chasing Danelle down the trail, and the more novice riders following me. Throughout the clinic, we tried to be sensitive to the desires of the advanced riders to challenge themselves while taking care not to overwhelm the less experienced riders. With so many options for different routes and trails at UCSD, we were able to strike a nice balance, split off and meet back up when necessary, giving everyone a fun and challenging ride. At the base of one of the hills, Danelle talked to us about the importance of finding the perfect balance point and gear ratio when climbing, and encouraged us to practice climbing a hill at different speeds and in different gears, so that we would be better able to predict the best gear and body position to use when on group rides. We then ascended the hill one by one, the young kids going first and the rest of us cheering for them as they crested the hill.

To give the advanced crowd a challenge, we took them to a short steep roll-in. The degree of difficulty was partly in rolling the descent without flipping onto your nose, and partly making the 90° turn and not rolling off the edge of the cliff. Once a couple spotters were in place, the intrepid riders lined up to make the short steep descent. Many of them had never done anything like this, and would not have thought anyone would even attempt it. Seeing so many riders take a deep breath and go for it, descending to the bottom to the cheers of their friends and fellow riders was a huge boost. I think everyone felt the collective mood and spirit of the group bubble over with excitement at having conquered the challenge.

While the advanced group made a loop down the narrow singletrack and back up a challenging climb, the rest of us wove our way through the trees to an open area that contains a winding twisty trail. This trail helps you to practice working on your body position, keeping your chin up, and anticipating the next turn. Once through these areas, we all regrouped on the fire road and headed over to the final section of trail for the day, the bridges section.

There are two bridges in the Eucalyptus Grove, one is long and wide, about 3 inches off the soft ground and has a few slight turns, the other is short (only eight feet across) but spans a dry creek bed about 3' down and is no more than six inches wide with raised edges lining the sides. While we all charged across the first bridge with most riders making it all the way across and the others simply riding off the edge like it were a curb, we all stopped at the narrow bridge to take a look and think about the technique to cross it. In addition to being confident, you have to spot the entrance, immediately spot the exit, think about giving an extra pedalstroke at the exit to make it past the roots, all while not losing your nerve or looking down. Danelle assigned two spotters to stand in the dry creekbed while the riders came one-by-one and triumphantly crossed the bridge. As with the steep roller, some of the riders had never attempted anything like this, and you could tell by their faces that they were both surprised and delighted by their having stepped up to the challenge and conquered it!

The last skill Danelle introduced us to was the pop-over-the-log skill. We didn't have enough time to do a real bunny-hopping session, but Danelle laid down the foundation of the move and encouraged us all to do our best popping over a log in the trail. Our two spotters really earned their LUNA bars this time, as they caught three or four riders in mid-air, their front wheels bouncing off the log as they anticipated the log too early. Everyone got a chance to try, and Danelle was on hand to give individual instruction to anyone who was having trouble.

From the moment we all arrived, we were excited to be there, knowing this was a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and improve our skills. The added bonus was that as we started testing what we were learning and cheering for each other, the collective enthusiasm began to grow, and we began to see ourselves less as individual riders, and more as a part of a pack. As time on the trail passed, we were more and more thankful that we were there and a part of the action.

With time running short, we finished up the trail ride and headed over the the Outback Adventure Center on campus. There, Danelle spoke to us about sports psychology. She asked us to think about what we each liked most about mountain biking or cycling, and what mental skill we saw as most important to being successful at it. She then discussed different ways in which our minds play as important a role as our bodies in truly preparing us for success in our sport. I've been racing mountain bikes since 2004, and know the importance of focus in a race, but Danelle took it one step further to say that it is important to know how to re-focus when the visualization we had for ourselves and our race is not met, be it by doing worse than we expected or even better than we had expected. What a great point! She also talked about how vital relaxation is, and that as an athlete, you must know how to actively relax your mind and body. That sounds like an entire class in and of itself that I would love to take.

Our session with Danelle at a close, we gathered our things and prepared to head back to the parking lot where we'd met before the ride. The riders all thanked us for a great ride and clinic, and filed out of the conference room, leaving just the San Diego LUNA girls and Danelle to pack up while we chatted together about how successful we felt the afternoon had been. The air was still crisp with the excitement of challenge and triumph, and we all felt it. After packing up our things, those of us on bikes headed back to the parking lot, wondering if any of the riders would still be there, even though we were only a few minutes behind them. Imagine our delight when we rolled around the building into the lot to hear one of the young girls shout, "Here come the LUNA girls!" and all the participants from our clinic stop and begin to cheer for us.

Indeed, it was a great afternoon.

Special thanks to Jay Hines and Steve Kowaluk who helped on the trail, to the Outback Adventure Center staff who provided us the room, to all our attendees, and especially to Danelle. We hope to see you all out on the trail again soon!

Riding with Children: Bonita (South SD)

Bonita, CA, just south of San Diego (near CA-54 and I-805) is another great place to ride with children. When my eight-year-old friend Esther was visiting me from New Mexico, I borrowed a Trail-a-bike, hooked it up to my bike, and off we went on our trail adventure!


The Bonita Bike Path is a great ride to do with kids, even if they are on their own bikes and not hooked up to yours, because you are on a dedicated bike path and not riding in traffic. If you don't want to cross Willow Street with children on bikes, park your car at Rohr Park and ride around the golf course to get to the bike path.

Route from Donny's Cafe (link goes to MapMyRide.com)

Location: Start at Donny's Cafe or Rohr Park
Distance: 6 miles out and back to the horse stables
Elevation gain: Almost flat
Riding time: 1-1.5 hours
Road conditions: dirt path
Traffic conditions: pedestrians, horses, bikes
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: knobby tires work best
Kid-friendly: Yes
Notes: Rest rooms at Donny's Cafe or the Bonita Library. Mostly shaded route.

Esther and I took off from Donny's Cafe, cutting through the Kaiser parking lot, and carefully crossing Willow St to get to the bike path. The bike path skirts the Bonita Golf Course and runs along Bonita Road.

Although the ride can be done on a bike with slick tires, it's best to have knobby tires, so you will have better traction in the dirt.

Once we arrived at the stables, we parked our bikes and asked the owners if we could walk through the stable and look at the horses.

Inside, we found chickens running about. It was more than we expected to find at the end of our bike trail.

From the start of our ride at Donny's Cafe down to the stables was about 3 miles. The horse stable was a good half-way point to get off the bike and stretch our legs a bit. We had some water, then got back on the bike to return home.

It was a very fun, healthy, and interesting way to spend the afternoon.

Riding with Children: Lake Miramar

One of the questions I am often asked is: Where can I ride with my kids?

We in San Diego are very fortunate to have a number of dedicated bike paths throughout the county. Over the next few months, Jane and I will be exploring some of San Diego's many great places to ride.

Lake Miramar
Location: Near I-15 and Mira Mesa Blvd.
Distance: 5 miles around the lake
Elevation gain: Almost flat
Riding time: 30 minutes
Road conditions: Paved road/path
Traffic conditions: Usually light
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: Any bicycle
Kid-friendly: Yes
Notes: Very little shade along the route. Recommended riding in the morning or early evening, or on overcast days.

Lake Miramar, located near Mira Mesa, is a great place to take a relaxing ride alone, with friends, or with children. The five-mile paved path is wide enough in most places for two cyclists to ride abreast against oncoming pedestrian and cycling traffic.


The road is virtually flat all the way around the reservoir. Two parking areas are available, a smaller area located just as you enter the park, and a parking area for RV's and boat trailers about 400 yards down the road. Restrooms and water fountains are located along the interior parking area. Additionally, you will find a port-a-john about one mile from the parking area, on the north-west side of the reservoir. Lake Miramar is a great place for a picnic, with a picnic area on the north side of the reservoir.

Lake Miramar is an ideal place for adults and children to practice skills and techniques essential to riding safely on the road, since you are in a controlled environment with no vehicular traffic.

Drills you can do while riding (Wow! What a great idea!)
Riding in a straight line without deviation. If the path is clear in both directions, try riding the white or yellow line.
Taking a hand off the handlebars to reach for a waterbottle. Replace the bottle without looking down.
Practice riding in close proximity to your riding partner by gently putting a hand on his shoulder as you ride.

These drills will help you to become a better, more confident rider.

Jane and Laura at Lake Miramar, Jan 2009

Resources: MyBikeSite.com (Lake Miramar) - info on trail conditions, routes, and a place to share your stories

Now pack up the kids and go have fun!

Cycling and an Instant Community

(cross-posted from the Bruise Chronicles)

One of the great things about riding a bike is that you have an instant community of people who share your interest for cycling and the outdoors. Regardless of your skill level, you can find people to ride with and learn from if you just look around a bit. Wait, wait! I know what you're saying: But I'm slow/not very good... there's not really anyone for me to ride with.

Au contraire!

When I learned how to mountain bike, I had the good fortune of being about as self-aware as a puppy running in a park. I had no idea that I was going out riding for my first time with a couple of guys who were Cat 1 (Expert level) downhill racers. Even if I had known, it would not have occurred to me that I might be slowing them down, and that they might enjoy their ride more without me tagging along and crashing all the time. They asked me to go riding, so I went.

Good thing I was more excited about mountain biking than worried about what other people were thinking, because the assumption that I would be a damper on their fun would have been completely wrong.

People of different abilities do things together all the time, and the more skilled have just as much fun as the novices. For example, my mom enjoys the outdoors, but is not very athletic. But if she asked me to take her hiking, I would jump at the chance. Not because I could show her how nimble-footed I am, or how much gear I can carry, or how I could make it to the top first. No way. I would enjoy just being with her, doing something challenging together, and I would delight in her triumphs up the hill. We might not even make it up to the top, but that wouldn't be important. The important part is just getting outside with good company.

Similarly, when someone of greater ability than you asks you to go bike riding, it's not because your he is looking for a hammer-fest training ride and wants to see how fast he can drop you. Especially if it's someone who knows he is a better or faster rider than you. Most people enjoy the company, and truly don't mind helping others along or waiting for them.

There will always be people better than you who will be delightful to ride with, as well as others who are miserable to ride with. Don't let your fears about holding people up, or a past bad experience with a particular rider interfere with your getting out on the bike with others. Of course, you should know what you're getting yourself into and be careful not to get in over your head, but also know that when someone asks you to ride, she usually hopes you will come along.

If you are the one doing the asking, tell the more experienced rider that you want to do a relaxed ride, and what duration you'd like the ride to be. If your hammer-head friend turns you down with no encouragement, she may be one of those who only takes long hard rides; don't take it personally. You might ask her if she knows someone you could ride with.

Finally, if you are looking for someone to ride with and simply know no one, here are a few resources:

Women's specific:

• San Diego Team LUNA Chix (click on San Diego on the map)
• South Bay Women on Wheels (WoW) Facebook page

For any cyclist looking for road or mountain riders: Bike Meet-up
Just enter your ZIP code on the right for the list of groups in your area. Or try this one.

Good list of Bike Clubs

If you've tried these places and still can't find a person or a group, contact me. I'll find you someone to ride with or gather a group of people myself. :)

Now go outside and play!

Laura is a member of the San Diego Team LUNA Chix, a group of eight women who organize and lead local bike rides, sports skills and informational clinics, and host charitable events benefiting the Breast Cancer Fund. For information on LUNA Chix bike rides, please see: teamlunachix.com, and click on San Diego.

Adventure Tour to Noble Canyon

In addition to coaching would-be cyclists and new bike commuters, Sunny Rides is branching out with an Adventure Tours Division!

We arrange your bike rental and make sure you have all the necessary equipment, then arrange the mountain bike or road bike adventure based on the information you provide about your style and skill level.


Last week, I took Eirik from Noway on a trip to Noble Canyon for a mountain bike adventure. He was here for work, and managed to set aside a day to go mountain biking. I gathered a group of people, because it's always more fun with a group, and we all met in Pine Valley on a Saturday morning.

We all load up in two vehicles and shuttle to the top of the ridge - another 2200 feet vertical and 20 minutes away by car. It's a very brisk 38º outside at about 6000 feet elevation, and we all scramble for every piece of clothing we have brought. As I don a light jacket over the two jerseys and arm warmers I'm wearing, pull on my Buff and bandana, I comment to the boys that I feel like Heidi of the Alps, but none of them get the reference to the little Swiss orphan girl who was made to wear all her clothes for the trip up the mountain, and they probably think I'm just referring to my braids. Sigh. It's OK. I'm used to blank stares when I make obscure literary references anyway.


I had set up Eirik's bike down at the bottom of the hill, so all we have to do is make sure we all have the gear we want, lock up the cars, and hit the trail. While we're getting ready, Eirik gets a call from Norway and tells his friend he is on a bike ride in Southern California. He is suddenly a rock star.

Just before the ride.

We hit the trail, hardly taking note of the crisp air biting at our fingers and toes because the ground is tacky and the trail conditions are so good.

We get to the first of several technical sections, and I tell Eirik that it's a rocky technical section, but that if you keep to the right, it's not too bad. One of the guys cocks his head, "Are you talking about 'Widdowmaker'?" he asks.

I'd never heard that this section of the trail had any name and I shake my head, "I don't think so, it's really not that bad. You just have to keep your speed and keep your head up," I say.

I don't realize that I've just unwittingly laid down a challenge until one of the other guys (the one with pads on) says, "Well, since it's not so bad, you want to school us on how it's ridden?"

Oops. There's nothing I can do now but ride it. "Well, I don't know about schooling, but I'll show you the line I take," I tell him, and get on my bike to continue down the trail. As the trail winds back and forth and I gain speed, I pray that God will have mercy on me and that I'll be able to ride the slightly damp rocks without incident. I'm always nervous entering this section, but I usually do well, and today is no exception. I have a small bobble at the end when I look down at a root rather than at my exit, but otherwise, I ride the "Widdowmaker" clean. I stop at the end and look back at the guys, "Um, watch that root at the end."

Eirik riding down the rocky chute.

Noble Canyon is great because there is a little bit of everything - miles of singletrack, challenging rock gardens, beautiful wooded areas and open exposed areas. We chose to shuttle instead of climb because of the time required and the degree of difficulty it entails. It became clear that Eirik is a good enough rider that he would have been able to climb the Indian Creek Trail up to the Noble Canyon Trail and still have enough left over for the descent, but it's challenging (and fun) as a shuttled ride.

At the end of one particularly flowy section followed by a stream crossing, I look at Eirik's face, and he is positively beaming. "So," I comment, "it looks like you're enjoying your ride!"

Absolutely! Almost any day at Noble is a good day.


For more info on taking a bike adventure in San Diego County, please email me. We are still in the "ramp up" stages, but available for tours immediately. Whether you are here for business or pleasure, I'll work to arrange a cycling tour that fits your ability and riding style.

-Sunny
(Laura Drexler)

Introduction

I swoop into the bike shop where I work part time and make a bee-line for my mechanic and good buddy Steve.

"Steve! Have I told you about my new business?" I ask excitedly.

"Um, no?" he timorously responds, hardly looking up from the tire he is changing.

"OK! So, it's called Sunny Rides, LLC, and the division I'm focusing on right now is Sunny Safe Commute. It's a bicycle commuter consultant and coaching business."

"Mmm-hmm," he says as he pops the tire onto the rim.

"So! If you don't have a bike, but want one for commuting," I pause just long enough to take a quick breath, "I'll help you choose your bike and make sure it does all the things you want to do with it besides commute. I'll teach you how to ride and make sure you're good with the shifting and everything. If you already have a bike, I can help you map out your route and teach you to change a flat tire. Oh, and I can also do all the homework that people hate to do, like locate bike lockers, or safe places to lock your bike, or find a gym that offers just a shower pass."

I pause, awaiting praise at my brilliance or, more realistically, some kind of grunt in the affirmative that tells me he's still listening.

"Uh-HUH," he says. I take this as my cue to continue.

"Yes! And I'll have a Ride with Confidence Class for people who want to feel safer on the bike, and also a Fix-a-Flat class. What do you think?"

He stands up from his work and looks at me, his face void of expression. He pauses and smiles a tight-lipped smile and says, "You need a website, and a commercial."

"What do you mean a commercial?" I ask.

"Exactly what you just did from the time you walked in. That needs to be your commercial," he says.

My eyes grow wide and I bounce just slightly on my toes, "Cool! So you think I can launch this business on my enthusiasm alone?"

He takes a deep breath and nods, "Yeah. That's exactly what I mean."

Well, it will be a while till I get the commercial, but in the mean time, I'm working on the website. We hope to be up and running soon.

Big shout out to the people who have brought me to this point, encouraged me to start my own business, and continue to inspire me to great heights.

-Laura (Sunny) Drexler