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.

Bike to Work Day is HERE!

Bike to Work Day - Friday, May 15, 2009
Time to pump up the tires, strap on the helmet, and ride your bike to work!

Running errands with my baby girl at Target.

If you are in San Diego, you have a great resource at RideLink.org.

If you are not a regular bike commuter, please have a look at their link to Bicycle Safety. Also, here is another really good site for bike safety, and How Not to Get Hit By Cars.

Most importantly, remember what you see when you drive your car, complete with blind spots, distractions, and morning aggravations, and then ride your bike accordingly. Be vigilant, make yourself visible, and don't hesitate to "own" your little section of the road.

Running a very close second behind practicing bike safety, ENJOY your ride. Enjoy breathing deeply and exercising your muscles. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the day.

If you would like to commute to work, but have questions, please contact me. I specialize in helping people feel comfortable and confident on a bike.

Great cycling articles!

With the new season starting up, I thought I'd post some great articles about group riding.

Basic Skills for Group Riding
By Gale Bernhardt
For Active.com
You don't have to be a competitive cyclist to enjoy the benefits of group rides. Utilized correctly, regular group sessions can motivate you, improve your fitness and make any ride more enjoyable. However, if you lack the technique or the fitness to ride with a group, the experience can be frustrating and leave you riding alone. In a worst case scenario, lack of skills causes you to crash, perhaps taking others down with you.

To help you get started, let's look at a few group ride basics... more



Riding in a Paceline is a Basic Cycling Skill
Edmund R. Burke, Ph.D. for Active.com

Why do many cyclists choose to go it alone when riding in club rides or centuries? Many group rides can turn into survival of the fittest, where the novice is quickly sent off the back.

Ideally, a group should contain both novices and experienced riders who don't feel compelled to prove themselves on every ride. The key is riding safely and effectively in a paceline... more.



10 Rules to Group Ride Like a Pro
By Simeon Green
PezCycling News

There are a series of basic rules to follow in order to ride properly in a group, and yet it is often surprising how few people know these rules.

You might think this doesn't apply to you; after all, you are a Cat. 1 and winner of the Thursday night or Saturday morning World Championships...so like I said, it's amazing how many people don't know how to ride in a group. If you are new to the sport, this will help for your next group ride, if you are old to the sport, this should be a useful recap of what you already know... more.

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I found these articles really helpful! Hopefully you will too. More great info can be found at http://www.active.com/cycling

-Laura

from the Trek email updates...

ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY
To see the Greatest Cyclists in the World including Lance
Right in our Own Backyard
The AMGEN Tour of California will finish in San Diego on Sunday Feb 22nd

This final stage is the most difficult the T of C has seen. We could easily see a lead change on the final day as the Cyclists have to fight over four climbs including our own "Alpe 'd Huez", Palomar Mountain. At 5,123 ft it is the highest point ever reached in the T of C. At 11.7 miles, a seven percent average grade, 4200 feet of climbing, and 21 switchbacks, this should also decide the KOM (King of the Mountains) Competition. Join us to make the most of this great Cycling Event.

Trek Store Shuttles, Palomar Viewing and Ride, Race Guide, LAF Fund Raiser and Party, plus more

Great chance to see your favorite cyclists and some great cycling action!

Race Info - Mountain Bike

Mountain Bike Race Series Schedules are up:
2009 US Cup: http://www.mtb-uscup.com/

Local to SoCal, the Southridge Winter Series
Jan 10-11
Jan 24-25
Feb 7-8
Feb 21-22
Mar 7-8
Mar 21-22 (Finals)

More to come.

Sunny Ride with my Baby Girl (Jane)

Updates to the Sunny Rides blog have been conspicuously absent for a few months, but not without good reason.

My main distraction:

Jane Anne, my new still-under-warranty baby girl burst on the scene in late October. Before she was even born, I purchased the Burley trailer and began practicing towing a sack of potatoes. I probably should have dressed up the sack of potatoes with a little hat and tiny sunglasses, but I digress.

I was nervous about taking little Jane more than a few minutes from the house... I mean, what if she started crying or something?? You new parents, you know what I'm talking about, while you parents of two or more just chuckle and roll your eyes. I know what you're thinking...

And this is where I force myself into "Mom of three small children" mode as a coping mechanism. See, a mother of one infant behaves a certain way. She jumps when her kid makes the slightest noise. But a mother of THREE, now, there's a rock. She can have one kid banging pots and pans with a spoon, another eating dirt, and the third screaming for a bottle, and all she'll do as she makes her way calmly to the kitchen is pick up the dirt-eating kid and tuck him under her arm, grab a dishrag to wrap around the spoon to muffle the noise, and sing louder than the crying kid while she prepares the bottle. Mom of one gets rattled when her infant sneezes once, while mom of three snickers and mutters under her breath, "Amateur."

I told myself that if Jane cries while in the Burley, and I know she's not in any real distress, I'll just make my way calmly to the nearest stopping point, address the issue, and continue the ride. I'll have to channel a mom of three small children to do this, but it won't be too much of a stretch. I've been channeling a ten-year-old boy since I started riding mountain bikes. What's one more person?

In preparation, Jane and I took a trip first around the neighborhood, which went very well.

In the infant snuggler inside the Burley bike trailer.

Laura and Jane riding around the neighborhood.

We went around the neighborhood for ten minutes on our first outing, then it was just a matter of making longer and longer trips.

On Sunday afternoon, we bundled up well and made our way to Donny's Cafe.

Cute happy kid.

By the time we arrived, despite a few bumps in the road, Janie was fast asleep.


It occurs to me as I write this, that many of these pictures of a kid in a Burley trailer look alike, but as a new mom, I think I'm bound by contract to show you every last one of them. Oh oh!! Here's another...



So TODAY was the big day of lots of errands. First, we went to Target to pick up some photo Christmas cards...

The folks at Target were great about letting me bring my bike and trailer into the store and park it while I picked up my photo cards. Thanks Target people :)

Then we went to Donny's Cafe where we both had snacks.


Refreshments...


After the cafe, we stopped at the bank...


Then we had one last stop to mail a CD to a friend.

Once we had all our errands done, we headed home, taking advantage of the bike path and the chance to get a little dirt under the tires.



It was a great day to be in San Diego.

The only problem we ran into was on the way home. There's this cactus called cholla that grows just about anywhere in the Southwest. This cactus is the reason that I carry pliers in my camelbak when I'm mountain biking. It tends to break off at the slightest perceived provocation and jump into your path, clinging to anything it touches, and breaking off into smaller pieces that stick to other parts of you and your bike.

This is what we came upon today, and before I knew it, I had rolled right over a small chunk that had strayed into the street. The tire of the Burley hit that bad boy and I knew immediately that I had to get it out and then get home before the tire went flat. Now I'll have to add pliers to my list of things I carry in the Burley.

We made it home with air to spare. Yay!! All in all, a great morning of work and play that I was able to share with my little girl.

Adventure in the Burley Trailer

One of the great things about San Diego is that in December (!), you can bundle up the baby, nestling the little cherub in the Burley "Baby Snuggler," and go for a bike ride around the neighborhood.

Here are a few pictures from Jane's first ride in the Burley trailer.

Snuggled up tight!

She was snoozing for most of the trip.

We only went about a mile and a half around the neighborhood. It was good for a first ride.

Here we are coming back from our ride.

Hopefully we'll have more adventures coming soon!