Boomers on Bicycles

City bike by Alternative Needs Transportation, photo: urbanvelo.org

Velo has recently come out with the annual best new bikes edition. Velo is the new name for VeloNews if you missed the change. Predictably, the new bikes, the really, really good ones, are ones that I may drool over, but won’t at any time in the near or other future time, buy.

Here’s the reason: money. It’s not that I’m a pauper, but there is only so much of the stuff, and so many things to do with it. I am not an elite rider, don’t race, am not planning on racing, and have only the “I like to ride my bike” designation instead of a CAT rating.

I actually have lights on the front and rear of my bike. Reflectors on the wheels. A nice bag under my saddle to carry the usual bike repair gear and my wallet. It’s added weight, yes. Since I don’t ride for the best time, shaving ounces off the total weight of my bike doesn’t mean much to me. Pounds yes, ounces, no.

A few friends who ride do care about the ounces. One has been seriously riding for 50 years, another had a CAT 5 rating and is an incredible rider. I have more body fat in my hands than he has on his entire human frame. I’ve also got 30 years on him.

The diversity of the bike world is amazing. The range and type of bikes are always fascinating to me, as is the gear and the constant drive to do better. The North American Handmade Bicycle Show will be in Sacramento, CA this year, and I am greatly looking forward to being there and covering it.

This is all to say that while I’m not going to buy a bike that Nick Legan, technical editor of Velo, and an acquaintance of mine, would do justice to, and I would look silly on, I still love it when Velo and Bicycling et al come out with their bike buying guides and issues. It’s just plain fun.

Ride on!

Bike gear at your local bike shop

New bikes mean new experiences. It’s about this time of year that those of us who haven’t ridden in a while decide that it’s time to get back to it. The resolutions for the new year kick in.

If you’re actually riding again after a long hiatus, it’s important that you ease back into it. Otherwise, it’s very likely that your two wheeled friend will soon be quietly gathering dust somewhere in the garage. Too much too soon is common, and unnecessary.

The bikes of today are lighter and more responsive than ever. Even the more modestly priced ones can prove to be over exciting if you aren’t careful. Yanking one into a turn could put you on the ground, something that is to be avoided while riding.

If you’ve been off the bike for a long while, relax. You still know how to ride. Once learned, it’s always there. Here are some tips for you.

Make sure that your new bike fits you. That should have happened at the shop where you bought it. Skinny tire road bikes can be tweeked so that your reach to the handle bars isn’t so far away that you need a map, or so close that you feel like a chimp on a bike. The saddle height should allow for just a slight bend in your knee with your foot all the way down. Why all this? You’ll ride more comfortably and safely.

Your helmet–you bought one, right?–should fit securely on the top of your head. Pushing it back so that your forehead is exposed is wrong on two accounts: you will look like a complete doof with it like that, and it won’t protect your head if you head towards the pavement. Concerned about your hairdo? Bring a comb and get over it.

When you start out after a long time of not riding, go for time, not distance. Distance may or may not figure into your plans later. Ride 10 minutes or so out, turn around and ride back. Add a couple of minutes each time you ride.

Your body will appreciate this approach. You are much more likely to continue riding if it’s fun. Trudging through a 10 mile ride first time out may be your last time out. Face it, you are out of shape and probably have a few extra pounds that you are hauling around.

Chose a mostly level route. A few gentle rollers are OK, but large climbs will simply defeat you. There isn’t any rush, and you’re not training for a Grand Tour, so take it easy.

It won’t be long before you are out for an hour or more. Each time you ride, you’ll be a bit better. Your stamina will increase as will your confidence. The enjoyment level will go up also. Riding 3 or 4 times a week is better than attempting to do it all just on one day.

When you do get to the point that you are riding for a half hour or more, remember to take water with you. The rule of thumb is one bottle for each hour that you ride. Really hot or hard rides may require more. Take something to eat as well. Power bars and fruit bars work well.

You are on your way. Riding a bike, any kind of bike, is simply a lot of fun. As time goes on you’ll probably spend a little time at your local bike shop looking at jerseys, riding shorts, bibs, tights, gloves, and at some point, maybe even shoes that clip into the new pedals that you’ll buy. It’s all good.

Ride on!

Boomers after the ride/ photo A. Molinari

We’ve launched into 2012, having bid 2011 a fond, or not, farewell. We have 365 days to enjoy, and hopefully that is just exactly what we get to do.

I counted up the days that I was able to ride last year. I got out on my bike 90 times, in a variety of places and weather conditions, road bike and mountain bike. In addition to that, we cross county skied, snowshoed, hiked, and walked throughout the year.  In short, we got out when we could.

There is quite a lot happening in the coming year. For cycling Boomers, there’s all of the pro tours that have yet to be ridden watched and commented on.

There’s the continuing drive to rid the pro ranks of doping, and the still awaited decision regarding Alberto Contrador and the 2010 Tour de France.

By now, who cares? It won’t do anyone any good to move up a notch in the 2010 standings. It’s a moot point, except for the cloud that continues to hang over the field. One simply hopes that the teams rigorously enforce the no doping ethic that is brightening the entire pro field.

Race radios, anyone? Bike weights that approach the weight of a sack of feathers, but just barely make the gram count for qualifying to be ridden in the tours. Sponsors signing off, new ones signing on. The peloton continuing to be a great surging mass to watch. Still a very complex and interesting sport, no matter what.

CycloCross racing continues to rack up the points in popularity. Muddy bikes, spandex, and riders, howling fans–must be something to it.

Mountain bikes are continuing to evolve. The 29ers (wheels are 29 inches instead of 26) are rapidly populating the field. Friends who have them tell me that they go over things with their 29er that would simply have stopped them on their old bikes. Since I’m not prone to going over anything too much, I’m not likely to be able to speak from a position of reality on this. I’ll pass on the wisdom of those who enjoy launching themselves and their bikes over rocks, logs, and other debris.

Single speed bikes, aka “fixies”, are staging a comeback. If you are of a certain age, that’s what you had to ride when you were young. The idea of shifting gears with something other than your leg power wasn’t on the menu. A good single speed today is a skinny tired marvel that costs substantially less than their geared and derailuered brethern. If you have legs like tree trunks you could ride one where I live.

Make some resolutions for the new year. I did. Here’s mine: Get out more. That completes my list. Anything more complicated or longer than that isn’t something I’m likely to remember, or do.

Have a great year. Ride on!

Good gear, stay warm photo/J Ferris

Winter has arrived. Its arrival is different depending on where in these United States you live. In my neck of the woods it’s been a cold, very dry December, with no snow. The snow we had flew in November, then stopped.

Back in the mid-west and eastern areas, it’s been a bit more wintry: snow, freezing rain, storms, the kind of thing that we expect in winter.

That leaves us with different riding conditions. At the very least, most of us are still able to ride somewhere. The main constant seems to be cold, from nippy to freeze your nose off cold. Cold still demands the same thing, regardless of the degree of cold. Layers.

It is possible to spend your nest egg on “base layer” cycling gear, and if you need to be among the elite dressers, have at it. For the rest of us unwashed types, smart wool zipped cross country type tops, bought at discounts, works just as well.

I xc ski a lot during winter and already have the LJ’s to get out into the back country and survive it. Most long johns now days are synthetic, and that’s what you need. It really doesn’t make any difference whose logo it on it. It’s basically all the same stuff. Just make sure that what you choose to wear next to your skin is either synthetic or smart wool.

Next layer up would be your jersey, long or short sleeved, and long riding pants. Anything with a windproof panel in the front is especially good. Look on-line for discounts. On top of that would be either a windproof lightweight jacket or vest.

For your hands, gloves of the correct type for the weather you will encounter are needed. It’s really tough to shift and brake when you can’t feel your fingers. I wear synthetic synchilla type gloves, and if it’s really cold, ski gloves. Actually, if it’s that cold, I’m probably having coffee inside my house.

For your head, there are all kinds of thin, warm beanies out there. Best one’s are, again, synthetic or smart wool. You will have to adjust your helmet straps to accommodate it though.

I wear smart wool socks when it’s cold out. If you live in really cold country, there are shoe covers that insulate and block wind. These are, unfortunately, a cycling exclusive, so be prepared to shell out the bucks if you need them.

Remember to turn your bike lights on whenever you ride. With the reduced sunlight during autumn and winter, that should be redundant. Remember to hydrate too. Just because you’re not sweating like a stuck pig doesn’t mean you don’t need water. You do, you just don’t know it.

So, there you have it. Shop carefully, go for discounts, forget whose logo is on the gear, and stay warm while you are pedaling. Ride on!

Haley-Noodle-Lady Lola of the Lakes

Now and again, especially at our stage of life, the wind gets knocked out of our sails and leaves us with an empty feeling.

This post has nothing to do with cycling, but everything to do with family. Those of us who have welcomed dogs into our lives learn rather quickly the joy they bring with them. The complete definition of unconditional love is embodied in one word: dogs.

In 2001 we had an addition to our family. She was a pure bred Yellow Lab, fat, fluffy, and instantly bonded with our hearts.

She went everywhere with us, except when we were cycling. She grew into one of the large ones, hitting 110 pounds in her prime. She walked, cross country skied, snowshoed, hiked, everywhere we did. She swam in every lake, stream, river, creek, and mud puddle around here.

She actually got into a canoe twice, but since her preference was to be in the water and not on top of it, she would shift her weight to look over the side, and we would have to rather quickly compensate to keep from going for a swim. She was not a canoe dog.

She was a champion swimmer. Haley had large webbed feet, and her chest was like the bow of a boat. She left quite a wake when she was powering through the water.

What she liked the most was snow, next to a lake. She would be in and out of the lake and snow until icicle’s would hang off her. She figured that this was the best thing on the planet.

She never paid any attention to ducks or geese in the lakes we constantly visited. Her focus was on retrieving her tennis ball, stick, or flying squirrel that we had thrown into the water. Like most Labs, she would stay in the water all day. She loved it.

She would hike all day too. Haley typically would cover 3 times the distance we did. She would lead out in the front, turn around and come back to us, then go back out front again. When we were returning from our hikes, she would get in between us and adopt a gentle lope, matching our pace, her head down, and walk till she knew the trail head was within sight, and then she would lead us to the car.

She never did learn ski etiquette. She would plow or porpoise through the snow in an ongoing S pattern. Always in front of one of us. Our ability to make turns of any kind on slopes was due to the need to avoid running into our gleefully bounding Haley. When we stopped for a break, her position was to lie down across a ski or two, or to at least stand on one of them.

Haley was a lover of carrots, and any food that dropped on the kitchen floor, destroyer of pine cones, and a guardian of us and her home. She always wanted to be in physical contact with us, as most Labs do. She could turn a not so good day into joy with a few tail wags and a snuggle.

She was our special lady for ten and a half years. As she aged, she slowed down, but never, ever, quit. On December 7, at 4:55 in the morning she died, as we stroked her, hugged her, and gently urged her on her way. We are devastated, our hearts broken. The family is missing an important member.

We will take her spirit with us always. We will see her in the lakes, the snow, on the trails, and curled up on our feet, always in contact.

Hug your dogs. Take them with you, explore with them. You have only now to do so.

Happy Trails Haley-Noodle-Lady Lola of the Lakes. We love you.

Fall ride--not too cold yet

I just can’t quite get enough of cycling in the fall. It’s not possible. This is hands down my favorite time of the year for cycling.

Wind, leaves–dogwood, oak, aspen–falling like rain, crunchy dry leafs on the road, filtered sunlight, pine needles floating about, cold but not overly so. That’s what I had today while out on my mountain bike. I simply smiled and laughed for about an hour, awed by the luck that put me out on my favorite ride with these kinds of conditions.

Another plus is that it’s so gorgeous that one has to slow down a bit to take it all in. That’s a good thing. When I see a parade of leaves descending from the trees, I make a point of slowing just to be in them as they swirl to the ground.

The conditions where you live may be different, but odds are that it’s still wonderful. Take advantage of autumn and ride when you can.

My time on the bike has been short over the last two weeks—a bit too much on the old plate. Not unlike many of us of a certain age who regularly ride or exercise in some other fashion, the grumpy scale goes up with not riding often enough. One ride takes care of it–endorphins work.

No matter what, get out there, take your camera, take your time, and ride. Ride on!

Great sights on autumn rides/photo J Ferris

With autumn in full burst right now, the dilemma of what to wear for your bike ride comes to the forefront. The weather in fall is generally cooler, leading to cold or even frigid temperatures, depending on where you are.

Riders in Canada and the mid-west to eastern US, and anyone in the mountains, know this all too well. Riders in Europe are familiar with cold rides as well. Actually, anyone in the northern hemisphere is going through the what-to- wear-to-stay-warm-while-riding debate right now.

A very experienced riding buddy tells me this: if you are very comfortable, or even warm, when you first mount up, you have too much on. The reason is fairly simple. As you ride, whether it’s on the flats or up and down climbs, your body produces heat. You will get warmer rather quickly, usually within about 15 minutes or so.

What to wear then? As with most outdoor ventures, layers are the best choice. The material that your layers are made up of is important as well.

If you are simply riding about town, going from one coffee shop to the next, bundle up a bit more. Wear whatever clothes you are comfortable in.

If, however, you are on a multiple mile ride, you’ll want to wear synthetic fabrics, or wool. The synthetics do a couple of things that cotton doesn’t do. Synthetics breath better, and wick moisture away from your skin. They are better at keeping you warm. Wool, especially the smartwool products, does the same thing. Cotton traps moisture and can cause you to become chilled, or downright cold.

Arm warmers, knee and leg warmers, can be a real plus, especially if the temperature is going to rise a degree or two while you’re pedaling. If it’s just plain cold, you may need to put on the long pants that have a windproof barrier built into them.

I typically put a smartwool zip shirt under my jersey. It’s from the same stash of shirts I use for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. If it’s really cold out there, I’ll put a windproof jacket over everything. I have three different weights of long riding pants to choose from. I don’t have leg or arm warmers. I can zip or un-zip as needed, and that has worked well for me. That is subject to change at the next gear sale though.

I also have different weight gloves to choose from. Windproof is best. Cold, numb fingers are a detriment to riding well, or safely. I don’t like cold hands, as I’ve been out on the xc skis a couple of times when the already low temps, loaded with the wind, have simply made my hands hurt, a lot. Not my favorite thing.

For those in really frigid areas, face masks or balaclavas, along with wool beanies, are good things to invest in.

Remember to layer up while riding in the wonderful fall weather in your area. Remember as well to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and fuel up too. Just make sure that you are out there riding. Ride on!

The autumn ride at Blue Lakes/photo Placerville Bike Shop

If I had to choose my favorite season for riding, it would be fall. Autumn just makes me smile. Everything changes: the light during the day, the smells, the colors, the temperatures. Every ride is an adventure into something new.

Probably my most favorite thing is riding through falling leaves, crunching over those already on the ground. I just simply love it.

Right now, it’s a no ride day, or couple of days. It is cold, not that cold will stop me, or you, from riding. It is the snow that fell last night, and the patches of ice that hang out on the north side of the turns in the wooded roads I ride. The trainer upstairs will begin getting more use as these kinds of days start to stack up.

For our friends in Colorado, and back east, riding outside right now may not be possible either. The east coast got hit with a fairly cold and vigorous storm last week. Snow, ice, downed trees/limbs and power lines make it a not so fun time out on the roads.

For those of us who can’t get out on the roads right now, riding the inside bike is good. If you don’t have one, jump rope, lift weights, follow a work out tape, or walk (if that’s possible in the conditions in your area). Do something active. It’s easier to stay in shape than to get in shape.

You’ll lose your fitness faster than you think possible if you let the weather keep you on the couch. For most of us who cycle, the couch isn’t that big of an option anyway.

Enjoy your autumn rides. Ride on!

Autumn riding is the best photo/J Ferris

One of the best times of the year to ride, at least for this Boomer, is fall. I love it. For most of this season, at least where I live in the Sierra, not far from Lake Tahoe, I get to ride in mild temperatures, beautiful scenery, and incredible autumn light.

The days are shorter. Heading out to ride at 5pm is not a good idea unless it’s about a 1/2 hour ride. The biggest challenge is what to wear on your ride. That will be determined by where in the US you live.

The best answer to the what to wear question is layers. It’s unlikely that any one garment is going to cover the spread of autumn temperatures, no matter where you live.

Start with this in mind: if you are perfectly comfortable as you get on your bike, you are over dressed. It will be a short time before you need to take something off. You should be just a bit cool when you start. Riding will build up body heat pretty quickly.

At this time of year, a long sleeved, light weight smart wool or synthetic shirt under your jersey is a good bet for early morning or colder daytime rides. Arm warmers work well also. If you go the arm warmer route, take a cycling vest with you. Put it into one of the pockets on your jersey. You might end up needing a bit more torso warmth, and a light weight, wind resistant cycling vest will fit the bill very nicely.

Long riding tights, or leg warmers, are good for the same colder days. The heavy duty stuff doesn’t need to come out just yet. Winter will be here soon enough.

Either full finger gloves, or glove liners under your normal riding gloves will keep your fingers warm enough to function. Very cold, hardly working fingers are simply not good. You do need them to operate the gears and brakes after all.

In some locales, you may need a beanie under your helmet. When it gets too warm to keep it on, it will easily fit into one of your jersey pockets.

The whole idea is to have layers on. Your layers should be synthetic, and you should be able to take them off and stuff them into your jersey pockets pretty easily. Bulky doesn’t work well. The importance of layers is the ability to put something on or take it off to accommodate the temperature variations you are likely to be cycling in.

If you’re new to this whole cycling thing, you’ll learn what to wear fast enough. Your local bike shop will be able to help. So will a good dose of common sense. One word of advice: leave the cotton garments at home. They simply won’t work well, especially if you build up a bit of sweat. Cotton doesn’t wick moisture anywhere. Leave it at home.

What ever you do, get outside an ride. Ride on!