Weirdness & A look Ahead:

Here’s the weirdness.  This past weekend, I was completely off the bike, and away from just about all forms of exercise.  While unusual for me, a long weekend with no exercise isn’t all that weird.  The strange part is that I do not feel rested.  My legs feel much more worn out than if I actually rode or worked.  I don’t know the physiology of this sensation.  Perhaps, it’s more a psych thing.  I do know I’d be more rested if I’d been a bit more active.

Looking Ahead:  We have several rides and events coming up.  In addition to the ones I am promoting, I’d suggest that you go to the Southside Cycling Club website.  There are a lot of good rides posted on a weekly and monthly basis, and more being added frequently.  I’d expect to see a few more seasonal activities showing up at almost any time.  (See tomorrow’s post for some words on group rides.)

The Christmas Lights Rides:  These are not powerfully athletic rides.  The pace is fairly gentle, by design.  (That said, if you are planning to do these, and are new to it all, you might consider sticking to the Christmas Lights Path Ride on 22 December.)  Festive attire is okay, but let’s consider safety and comfort first. 

On safety:  Don’t do anything that interferes with your ability to see, and avoid wearing or carrying anything that could get tangled in your spokes or driveline.

            On Comfort:  Dress for the weather.  We have no way of knowing what the temps will be like on those two nights.  Watch the weather and dress accordingly.  Bear in mind, it will get cooler while we are out.

The Penance 100:  If you have been “century ready” at any time in the last two months, and you manage to do a moderate amount of riding (Spin Classes included) you should be good to go.  If you’ve never done a Century, I would not suggest this one for your first.  Remember, this will be a self supported ride, with no SAG.

Thursday Thoughts ~~ “There’s no place to ride around here.”

I hear that, and variations of it far too often.

Before I go any farther, let me clarify something.  We are talking about road cyclists here.  The complaint usually goes on to list a host of grievances.  No shoulders.  No bike lanes.  Insane drivers.  Too much traffic.

So?  Okay, this isn’t southern California or upstate New York, or downtown Chicago.  And thankful we are for that!  We have to admit that conditions could be better for us here.  We have to work to make that happen.  Some of us are doing that.

I’d like to make an a few observations.  In over 20 years, I’ve heard the “no place to ride” complaint many times.  Not once, have I heard the complainer then say anything like,  “I live here now.  I want to help fix this.  What can I do?”  For that matter, during a lot of these conversations, I’ve suggested that the complainer could join the work of improving our area for cyclists.  I don’t recall even one occasion when I received a positive response.

But lte us consider the complaint.  Usually, immediately after issuing the “no place to ride” statement, the speaker will start running down a litany of issues.  Close to the top of the list will be the terrible drivers.

Let’s face it friends, we live and ride in the United States of America.  We are not world renowned for the skill of our diving public.  Here, in Georgia, we get the rap of being pretty bad behind the wheel.  Now I’ve been around, and ridden in a lot of places.  Objectively, I’ll say that Georgia in general, and the Atlanta area in particular are not all that bad.  We are a bit worse than the best the country has to offer, Ill admit that.  But for lousy drivers, we are not on a par with such places as south Florida, central New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, or Houston.  And you know what?  Each of those places has a large and thriving cycling community.

To hear the “no place to ride” complainers talk, one would think that every driver in the state is a homicidal maniac, with a psychotic need to slaughter cyclists.  Obviously this is not the case.  If it were, the death or injury of cyclists would be something that occurred on a daily basis.  Yes, we do have more than our fair share of the stupid and the rude, but it just ain’t all that bad.

I will offer myself as an example.  I ride a bicycle a lot.  The majority of my riding is on the road.  While I do encounter a fair number of ignorant and mean drivers, I am seldom put in fear for my safety.  My observations are that cyclists are generally a larger hazard to themselves.  I see and hear of a lot of single bicycle accidents, and way too many multiple bicycle accidents.

We are blessed with a couple of things.  We have a lot of roads, and most of them are in good repair.  Our state laws recognize bicycles as vehicles.  That gives us the same rights and privileges as any other operator on the road.

What to do:  The “no place to ride” complaint is motivated by two things.  One is fear.  The other is a lack of skill on the part of the complainer.  These two things go hand in hand.  If you are in that category, or if you know someone who is, here are some positive suggestions.

Improve your skills while “facility riding”:  That’s right.  There are places where you can ride a road bike without venturing onto the road. 

Sliver Comet Trail:  It’s flat, and there are no cars on it.  For more info click here.   

Other Atlanta Trails:  Check out the Path Foundation site.  There are seveal really good facilities in Atlanta.  Click here for more info.

Peachtree City:  Surprise!  There are over 100 miles of multiuse recreational trail in Peachtree City, and YES you can ride a bike on them! For more information, you can pick up a map of the trail network at the Peachtree City Hall, or the Library, both located at 151 Wilowbend Rd.  Peachtree City, GA 30269  Or find info here Path info    Or here  Map instructions   Or go direct to a pdf download of the city street and trail map here  Path Map 

Learn to ride on the road safely:  You are strongly encouraged to contact the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition at their website, here. http://www.atlantabike.org/    If you go to the home page you will find a navigator tab for “Classes.”  Click it and you will find info on their “Confident City Cycling” classes.  These are extremely reasonable, no more than $20.00, and will teach you how to operate in traffic in a safe and sane manner.

Join the CLUB!!:  If you are a resident of the southern Atlanta area, you should really join Southside Cycling Club.  You can join up directly on the club’s website at.  Click here.     In so doing you will gain access to a wide variety of rides and events, and you will be able to go out on the road with experienced cyclists, who will (many of them) be more than willing to help you learn to ride and live on our roads.

Believe it!  Knowledge is power.  If you will just learn to use the road safely, it opens a huge vista of road riding, in one of the country’s most beautiful and gracious states.

Cars are traps.  Bicycles are the key to freedom.

Updates all over the place:

Maybe you haven’t encountered this anyplace else.  Southside Cycling Club will be holding its annual All Members General Meeting, tomorrow, at Maguire’s Irish Pub, in Senoia, Georgia.  This is an important meeting.  New officer and board elections will be held.  We’ll have a speaker.  The club is providing “horsey doovers, tea, and soft drinks.  Meeting will start at 7:00 P.M.  If you are a member, you need to be there.  Not a member?  Come anyway and join!

The Bicycles Unlimited Novice Road Ride is no longer going out on Thursday nights.  Sorry, but it’s done for the season.  However, there will be a Novice Road Ride on the second Sunday of each month, starting in November. 

• When:  Ride will be at 2:00 P.M.  14 November, 12 December, 9 January, 13 February, and 13 March.
• Where:  Start/Finish at Bicycles Unlimited.
• Distance:  23.5 miles.
• Pace:  This is a No Drop ride.  (Ride leader will stay at the back.)
• Conditions:  Ride goes rain or shine, at any temp above 20 degrees F.  (Dress appropriately for the conditions.
• Requirements:  You, your bike, and helmets must be worn.

Bicycles Unlimited Spin Classes Start:  The shop’s annual spin classes will begin on Tuesday, 2 November.  Here’s the basic rundown.

• WHEN:  Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 PM through March 10^th
• WHERE:  Bicycles Unlimited training room
• REQUIREMENTS:  Bring your bike and your stationary trainer
• SUGGESTED: (For maximum results) You should wear summer weight cycling clothing, bring a towel and plenty of water, have completed a recent Anaerobic Threshold Test, and wear your Heart Rate Monitor!
• COST:  $100 for the entire season, $30 per month, or $10 per session
• SIGN UP: Is currently going on.  Come in to the shop and get signed!
•  ***This is strenuous exercise.  You should always consult your doctor before starting any rigorous exercise program.

Don’t forget!  The mid-Fall Celebration Night Ride is coming up.  It will be on Monday, 25 October.  More details soon.

AND FINALLY:  Last week I went public with a schedule for the completion of my latest project bike.  I’m happy to report that I am on target.  The tricky wheel build is complete.  Now on to the driveline!

A Good Weekend

I don’t get many weekends off.  That’s a consequence of working in a retail business.  When I do get an “off weekend,” it’s not often that I can spend it on leisure.  This past Saturday and Sunday included some excellent riding!

Saturday was a day off.  I rode in to the shop to lead the morning path ride, and then, after a stop for a peach milkshake, took my time riding back home.  A nice morning, all told.

The Picnic:  Saturday afternoon was the South Side Cycling Club Summer Picnic.  Kudos to Dan and the others who made this a fun and happy time.  The event was held at the Peachtree City Baseball Soccer Complex, right adjacent to our new city mountain bike trails!

Yes I went.  Yes, I ate big.  And yes, I took a bike.  I took the time to dust off, lube up, and tune up the FrankenFixed.  And I did ride it on the trails.  What a gas!

The trails were a bit more technical than I remembered them, from last Winter.  On the fixed gear monster, they were more like riding observed trials than your typical mountain bike excursion.  I found I had to really gun it to get through some of the obstacles.

On a few occasions, I’d get set up for one of the long upward inclines, only to have to negotiate a tricky bit of twisty.  That robbed me of momentum, and made it necessary to stand and exert maximum power just to keep moving.

The twisty bits were a blast too.

Sunday, Urban Adventure:  At the request of a coupe of co-workers and friends, I led a small party into the depths of Atlanta, for some urban street riding.

Folks, it’s fun to get out of the sandbox from time to time.  We took MARTA, from College Park into the city, and hit the streets in Inman Park.

We did a pretty good tour of the city, including Little Five Points, Georgia State University, Centennial Park, Georgia Tech, Piedmont Park, Druid Hills, a touch on the Emory campus, a trip through Decatur, and finally, back to Inman Park to re-board MARTA.

Riding in Atlanta requires a combination of vigilance, and street-smarts, but includes long stretches of quiet residential streets too.  Lots and lots of good fun hill climbing were on the menu too.  Chris, Michael, and Chris, thanks for helping to make some great memories.

Want one sample?  I don’t think any of us will ever forget seeing Chris attempt to stop his brakeless fixie on that hill.

International Ride of Silence

(Please see the post from 5/4/10 for Audax 200K details)

On Wednesday, 19 May, at 7:00 PM EDT, the world-wide Ride of Silence will begin.  There will be rides all over the East coast.  They will last for an hour.  At the end of that hour, it will be 7:00 PM in the Central Time zone, and rides will begin there.  An hour later, in Rocky Mountain time zone, rides will begin.  For a period of 24 hours, the Ride of Silence will continue around the world.

These rides are in honor, memory, and support of riders who have fallen, killed or injured in traffic.  We will ride slowly, and respectfully.  We will ride for an hour.  We will keep silence and remember.

Please come out and ride.  Somewhere near you, there is a Ride of Silence.  For those of us who are close to Peachtree City, Georgia, the ride will start at City Hall, at 7:00 PM.  We will have a police escort.  We will ride at a pace of no more than 12 mph, for one hour, ending at City Hall.

Please come out and join us.

For further information, or to sign up, please go to the South Side Cycling Club website.

Thursday Thoughts ~~ Why Join a Bike Club?

Some obvious benefits accrue to those who join up with a cycling organization. I work in a bike shop. There are some very common questions I am asked. Among these are, “Where can you ride around here?” and, “Are there any group rides that go on here?” and, “How do I find others who like to ride the way I do?” In almost every one of those cases, the answer can be, look to the club.

Clubs are interesting creations. It’s kind of like doing the social and party scene. If you want to go to parties, you have to throw one every now and then. Clubs provide a framework for just this sort of thing. Clubs also give a structure to the social aspect of our sport. It doesn’t matter how you like to ride, likely in a larger group of folks, you’ll find others who enjoy a similar riding style.

But there is more to it. There is strength in numbers. It’s time and past time for cyclists in our area to get organized. We have a lot to learn from each other, a lot to teach each other, and a lot to teach our neighbors. If we are to improve our lot, we need to band together and present a recognizable presence. A club is a sound way to do this.

As it happens, we are working hard to build just such an organization. There is much going on. Please go to the blog at

http://ptccyclingclub.blogspot.com/

to learn more, and check out the new club website at http://www.southsidecycling.com/

The website is under construction, but it is up, and more is happening each and every day. Consider it, and please do, consider joining us.

News All Around

Good news! We have a bike club!

Last night was the organizational get together for the new cycling club. From the dormant idea of a group of idealists, and the fresh vigor of a new group of enthusiasts, comes something special.

This is great! We had a large gathering of folks interested in promoting a club. We have revived the old Fayette Biking for Life. There are a new slate of officers, a lot of new members, and a new dedication and direction. Many many thanks to those who have gone before, to Carlton, and Dick, and George, and Bonny. Thanks to you, and to the efforts of a new group of people, a flame has been rekindled. We have a new set of officers, a sound structure, and the support of a core of good and concerned people. This is the beginning of something important and profound. A new dawn is breaking. I’m not sure why, but the words of C.S. Lewis seem appropriate. “Farther in, and farther up!”

Some Thoughts on Quality Bicycle Touring:

Before I go any farther… A few words are appropriate on the basic structure of ideal of group bicycle touring. This is my ideal. While I make no claims to being the absolute authority on this, my experience leads me in this direction. So… A group tour should do the following.

1. Include a group of cyclists who are committed to riding together, and to sharing the joys and challenges of a long multi-day trip.
2. Be self-supported. Meaning that riders will carry what they need on their bikes, clothing, tools, spares, etc.
3. Not involve intentional camping! Look, sometimes “guerilla camping” is necessary on a tour, but… I love a good hard day’s riding, but I am strongly in favor of clean sheets and hot water at the end of that day. I plan to stay overnight at decent, affordable, hotels or B&Bs.
4. Include mostly scenic routes, with a specific destination of some particular attractive type; i.e. mountains, historic sites, large and significant geographical destinations, or some such point of interest.
5. The ideal route would be a loop or out-and-back, that started and ended at home. This can be modified to include “remote start and ride home,” or “offset start” (where we go to a rally point and use it as a start/finish), or “local start – distant finish.”
6. Routing and riding should be flexible. If the group decides to go longer (or shorter) on a given day, this should be possible. Stops for enjoyment of unscheduled and unplanned points of interest should be allowable.

7) The Journey is the Destination!

New Touring Ideas:

I have previously mentioned and “teased” an announcement of a new touring idea. I’m not going to go into details until tomorrow’s post, but here are several (I think) cool tour suggestions.

1) Highest Point Tours: We ride from here in Fayette, GA to the highest points in all of the states that share common borders with us. This is actually a collection of several different tours.

2) Outer Banks of NC: The basic idea is a long (maybe very long) regional tour. How does a trip to, and along the Outer Banks sound? Long ferry trips, coastal wilderness areas with unspoiled beaches, great food and amenities at the destination.

3) Key West!! What more do I need to say on this?

Stay tuned.

Onward!

A couple of you managed to figure out where I was last week. Yes, I was on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Below are a couple of shots that only begin to show how good that week was.

In Kitty Hawk, by the surfer's beach.

This was just across the street from the B & B

At the Wright Brother's Memorial.

And Now...

I know that the past week was mostly a me-centered thing. I’m glad you were bearing with me. It was fun. Now, back to things cycling, touring, commuting, training, riding, and to bicycle related politics. (Don’t stress! I’m not going to take this blog into capitol P politics. I will, from time to time, run bits when the pols are doing things that affect bikes and riders.) There’s a lot of neat stuff coming.

Hint: I have a neat new touring idea! You’ll see more on that soon.

Back to the present. There is an organizational get together TONIGHT. It’s at the library in Peachtree City. If you ride a bike in this area, you need to be there.

There’s details on the blog Dan put up, at http://ptccyclingclub.blogspot.com/

When you get to the blog, look around, but please go to the post titled “New Life for Fayette Bike for Life." That’s the one with the details for the get together.

P.S. Don't forget, Nights Under Lights, tomorrow. In front of Bicycles Unlimited at 7:00 PM.

Thursday Thoughts 11/5

Folks, things are starting to get pretty good in our area. There are a lot of exciting things going on. We cyclists are starting to get our act together and get organized. Have you noticed? We have several interlinked email lists operating now. There’s a movement afoot to get a serious cycling club organized. (for more on this, see below.) We have some real champions stepping up. There’s Jim, and Dan, Lisa C. and Lisa P, Chad, and Dave, Willard, and Mark. These folks are dedicated to making this a good place for cycling and cyclists. It’s starting to get good.

I’ve had this thought in mind a lot for the past week. Sometimes, I guess, one has to go away from home and view it from a different perspective. I am currently visiting a coastal area in a state to the north of home. The lot of cycling around here is somewhat odd.

The local cyclists refer to the “summer people.” I’ve heard something like, “The summer people and ride these clunkers and beach bikes. They ride on the wrong side of the road, and on the sidewalks, and they dart in and out of traffic. Everyone thinks we’re all like that. It makes it hard.”

Of course what makes it harder is that there are so few cyclists here. They are a lonely lot, unconnected. The nearest bike shop is over on the mainland, about 50 miles from here.

Folks, I’m telling you, we have it good. And it’s getting better.

Bike Club Organizational Get Together: Mark your calendar. November 9, 2009. At 7:00 PM. There’s details on the blog Dan put up, at http://ptccyclingclub.blogspot.com/

When you get to the blog, look around, but please go to the post titled “New LIFE for Fayette Bike for Life.” That’s the one with the details for the get together.

Please plan to attend. We all have something to gain from this.