TUCK AND ROLL Cheat the wind and gain easy speed by getting as aero as possible

Transcription

1 August 2010 TUCK AND ROLL Cheat the wind and gain easy speed by getting as aero as possible BySelene Yeager Aerobars have a reputation for being uncomfortable, twitchy and sometimes even downright dangerous. And when they're improperly used, that's true. But with the right adjustments, they can make for smooth, fast and safe sailing, which is exactly what you need if you've set your sights on a time trial or are diving into a triathlon. "The biggest mistake people make is setting up their aerobars without adjusting their bike fit," says Dan Smith, of LifeSport Coaching in Victoria, British Columbia. "That alone can make you unsteady and uncomfortable." Here's what he recommends. SHIFT FORWARD AND UP Aerobars effectively move the handlebar forward, so you need to adjust your body position to accommodate that change. Shift your saddle forward, then (because you've just effectively lowered it) raise it to compensate. Some riders also prefer to tilt the nose down a degree so they'll be able to roll their hips forward. "Once you raise and shift your saddle, you'll have more weight on the aerobars, which will also make you more stable," says Smith. It can be a tricky process, so consider springing for a professional fit if you can't get comfortable. GIVE YOURSELF BREATHING ROOM You want to reduce your frontal surface area as much as possible, because that's the greatest source of wind resistance. But don't scrunch in so narrowly that you close your chest cavity and restrict your breathing. Set the pads far enough apart that you can keep your shoulders in their natural down-and-back position. A good rule of thumb: Line your elbows up with the width of your hips. If your shoulders are broad, position the bars to keep your hands close together, which minimizes the amount of air that flows through to your stomach. STACK YOURSELF Place your forearms on the pads just ahead of your elbows so your arms rest on the wide, muscular section of your forearms. In this position, your ears should be directly over your elbows. If you have a short torso, you might find the aerobars are a bit too far forward to achieve this. If so, consider a shorter stem. MIND THE TERRAIN A common aerobar mistake is staying on them past the point of efficiency, especially on inclines, says Smith. "Once your speed dips below about 12.5 mph going uphill, you're losing the benefit," he says. At that point, sit up to get more power. PRACTICE AWAY FROM THE PACK Ride using your aerobars on wide, flat roads with few driveways or feeder roads. Get comfortable, riding five to 10 minutes at a time in the aero position, building the duration gradually as you become more confident. Once you master it, riding with aerobars is stable and safe, but it still has no place in pack riding; you're simply too far from the brakes and unable to react quickly to obstacles or pack maneuvers. Get Bent THE CURRENT TREND FOR TRI BIKES: Flat aerobars, or S-bends, which are only slightly curved. But traditional ski-bend bars, which are curved up at the end, are considerably more comfortable and may provide better bike handing, especially for time-trialing or short races during which you'll be anchoring your upper body and pulling on the bars to generate power. Bicycling Magazine (

2 AUGUST RIDES Weeknight Bike Rides Tuesday Manchester, CT** August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (RC,TR,FL/RL CUE 12-22) Rides of 15, 19, 23, 25, 27, 32 mile Connecticut, East of River, CT. Prompt 6p.m. start. Meet at Jo-Ann s Fabrics: I-84 Exit 62, left at end of ramp, then left at 3rd light, shopping center on right Jo Ann s Fabric L Wayne Tursi ( Before 9p.m), bicycling@ct-amc.org L Ray Taksar ( Before 9p.m.) L David Waldburger ( Before 9PM) L Rick Merritt ( Before 9PM), bicycling@ct-amc.org L Judy Borrmann ( Before 9PM) L Bob Dickinson ( Before 9PM) ** Tuesday rides will be from beginning of April until the end of August. Weeknight Bike Rides Thursday Stony Creek, Branford, CT** August 5, 12, 19, 26 Stony Creek Pizza Run, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (SO, Fl/Rl, RG/CUE 10-12mph) Meet at 6:00pm, Stony Creek (Branford) Market on Thimble Island Road. Ride about 15 miles on some nice roads along the shoreline. We'll travel at a moderate pace and not leave anyone behind. Starting on Memorial Day, we'll have pizza afterward at Stony Creek Market overlooking the harbor (BYOB). I-95 Exit 56. Take Leetes Island Road south towards Stony Creek. At the intersection of Route 146, go straight onto Thimble Island Road. Stony Creek Market is on the left at the head of the harbor. Rain cancels. L Mike Cohen ( before 9:00pm, mrc06405@gmail.com) ** Thursday rides will be from beginning of May until the end of August. Weeknight Bike Rides Thursday Essex CT** August 5, 12, 19, 26 Start at 6:00pm sharp from Route 9, exit 3 CPL in Essex for this show and go ride (no cue sheet; stick with L). We'll ride the scenic back roads of Essex, Deep River, Chester, Westbrook and Old Saybrook. Start with 15 miles and increase mileage as days lengthen and our stamina increases. Routes at L's discretion. Rain cancels. L Finlay Ferguson ( Before 9:00pm, finlayferguon@msn.com), L Beverly Medlin ( Before 9:00pm, kayaker767@snet.net), L Mark Henebry ( Before 9:00pm, mhenebry@sbcglobal.net) ** Thursday rides will be from beginning of May until the end of August Sun., Aug. 1. Putnam Rail-Trail Ride, New York, Hudson River Valley, NY. (SO, FL, RG,10-12mph) 36 miles, L stays with group. 10:00am start. Paved rail-trail suitable for a road bike. Bring or buy lunch. Meet at Yorktown Heights shopping center, Yorktown, NY. I-84W to Brewster, NY then I-684S to Katonah (Exit 6). Take Route 35W for 6.5 miles. At the traffic light, continue straight onto Route 118. Go 0.2 miles and take first left onto Downing Drive, then first right into the Burger King parking lot. L Mike Ceruzzi ( before 9:00pm, mceruzzi@snet.net) Mon., Aug. 2. Mostly Madison Ride, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (SO, FL/RL, Cue, 10-12mph) 30.7 miles. Ride mostly in Madison and Hammonassett State Park. Prompt 10:00a.m. start. Meet at Robert's Food Center on 514 Old Toll Road, Route 80 in Madison (just east of the Route 79/80 traffic circle in North Madison. Rain cancels. L Dick Ruddock ( Before 9:00p.m., rhiker2000@aol.com)

3 AUGUST RIDES Sun., Aug. 8. Coleytown Cruiser, Westport, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (So, Fl/Rl, Cue, 10-12mph) 24.6 miles. Meet at 9:15am for a 9:30am start, Coleytown Middle School at 255 North Avenue in Westport (off Route 15 Exit 42). Tour rolling inland sections of Westport and Fairfield, complete with a flat-to-rolling cruise along some beautiful shorefront. Route 15 Exit 42, head north on Route 57, and turn right at the light onto Lyons Plains Road. Bear right onto Coleytown Road and travel 0.5 miles to a right onto North Avenue. Turn right into the first driveway. L Dale Geslien ( before 9:00pm, dalegeslien@sbcglobal.net Mon., Aug. 9. Best of Connecticut Shoreline (Short), Stonington, Connecticut, East of River, CT. (SO/RC, FL, Cue, 10-12) 33 miles. Bicycle through the scenic shoreline towns of Mystic, Groton Long Point, Noank, Stonington and the Barn Island Wildlife Management Area. Nothing beats being next to the water on a hot summer day! Bring or buy lunch. Meet to leave promptly at 10:00am at CPL, Exit 91 (Route 234) off I-95 in Stonington. CPL is north of and next to I-95 on the west side of road. Print out cue/route sheet from URL below. L Jeri Jaminet (jerijoy@cox.net), CL Jerry Jaminet Mon., Aug. 16. Mary-Jane's Horse Country Ride, Simsbury, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (SO, FL/RL, RG, Cue 11-13mph) 32 miles. Meet for a prompt 10:00am start, Stratton Brook State Park at 149 Farms Village Road. Route 10/202, center of Simsbury, head west on Route 167 and straight onto Route 309 for a total of 1.6 miles (continuing past Simsbury High School on your right) to the State Park entrance on your left. Enter the driveway to the first large parking lot on the left (0.2 miles). Scenic ride over flat and rolling terrain, passing meadows, forests and the Farmington River. Ride uses a portion of Farmington Valley Greenway. 1.4 miles of hard-packed dirt. Road bikes with thin tires OK. Ice cream stop is available within first third, will break at McLean Game Refuge, and lunch (bring own) at Salmon Brook Park, Granby. L Bob Granell ( before 9:00pm) Sat., Aug. 21. Route 7 Roundabout, Tanglewood Ride, Falls Village, Falls Village, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (RC, RL, RG, Cue, 13-14mph) 38 miles. Meet at 10:00am, ride at 10:15am from Housatonic Valley Regional High School, 246 Warren Turnpike, Falls Village, CT. Route 8N to Route 4W to Route 128 to Route 7N. Continue for 5 miles and turn left at the light on Warren Turnpike, and left again into the school. Scenic tour of Northwestern Connecticut and Southwestern Massachusetts along rolling country roads. Riders may cool off after ride with a swim in Benedict Pond (possible $5 parking fee), a short drive from Tanglewood. Attend a Tanglewood concert after the ride. See link below for Tanglewood picnic and concert details. L Tom Ebersold ( before 9:00pm, bikehikekayak123@sbcglobal.net), L Mike Giuliano ( before 9:00pm, michael-giuliano@sbcglobal.net) Sat., Aug. 21. Falls Village: Ashley Falls, Tanglewood Ride, Falls Village, Falls Village, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (RC, RL, RG, Cue, 11-12mph) 30 miles. Meet at 10:00am, ride at 10:15am from Housatonic Valley Regional High School, 246 Warren Turnpike, Falls Village, CT. Route 8N to Route 4W to Route 128 to Route 7N. Continue for 5 miles and turn left at the light onto Warren Turnpike, then left again into the school. Peaceful ride through rolling countryside in Northwestern Connecticut and Southwestern Massachusetts. Riders may cool off after ride with a swim in Benedict Pond (possible $5 parking fee), a short drive from Tanglewood. Enjoy concert at Tanglewood after the ride. See link below for Tanglewood picnic and concert details. L Mike Ceruzzi ( before 9:00pm, mceruzzi@snet.net)

4 Appalachian Mountain Club Connecticut Chapter 32 Highland Ave. Redding, CT Abbreviation Legend CPL Commuter Parking Lot CUE Cue Sheet Provided FL Flat Terrain HI/HL Hilly Terrain L/CL Leader/Co-Leader MB/MTN Mountain Bike RC Recreational ride RG Regroup during ride RL/RO Rolling terrain SASE Self-Addressed Stamp Envelope SO Social Ride SW Sweep stays with slower riders TR Training Bicycle Committee 2010 Rick Merritt, Committee Co-Chair Jo Ann Hewett, Ride Coordinator Terri Pappagallo, Newsletter Editor Wayne Tursi, Committee Co-Chair Web Site For post-publication updates, check the Bicycling calendar on-line at: click on the Bicycling button. Short Notice Rides To subscribe to ct-amc.bicycling, the notification of upcoming rides that don t make the deadlines for AMC Outdoors and AMC Cyclist, go to the website, type your address in the box of upcoming rides by and click on join now. You will receive a confirmation message from Yahoo. Follow the instructions in the message to confirm that you want to join the list.

5 AUGUST RIDES Sat., Aug. 21. Tanglewood Concert and Pot Luck, Lenox, MA, Massachusetts, Berkshires, MA. Following the activity of your choice, join fellow AMC members on the lawn at Tanglewood for a shared supper and concert. Specifically tied to the Route 7 Roundabout and Falls Village to Ashley Falls bicycle rides (see links below for details), but anyone is welcome to attend. We'll gather on the lawn behind Section 15, left of center to the rear of The Shed (the name of the concert hall at Tanglewood) at 6:30pm. This will give us a view of the orchestra as they perform. Gate to Tanglewood opens at 6:00pm. For GPS, use West Hawthorne Road, Lenox, MA, as destination. Route 7N through Great Barrington, MA. Turn left onto Route 102 for 1.8 miles, then right on Route 183N. Travel 3.9 miles, then turn right on West Hawthorne Road. Parking area will be on the right. Walk across street to Lion's Gate to buy tickets. L Tom Ebersold ( before 9:00pm, bikehikekayak123@sbcglobal.net), L Mike Ceruzzi ( before 9:00pm, mceruzzi@snet.net) Sun., Aug. 22. Riverton Roundabout, New Hartford, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (RC, RL, RG, Cue, 13-14mph) 24 miles. Meet at 10:00am, ride at 10:15am from Satan's Kingdom State Recreation Area at 92 Main Street (Route 44) in New Hartford. Take Route 8N to the end of the highway in Winsted (58 miles from where I-95 meets Routes 8/25N). Turn left onto Route 44E for 7.7 miles. Satan's Kingdom is on the left, across from Foothills Plaza. From the Hartford area, take Route 44W to Satan's Kingdom. Scenic tour of northern Connecticut, some of it along the Farmington River, including a loop through the People's State Forest. L Tom Ebersold ( before 9:00pm, bikehikekayak123@sbcglobal.net) Mon., Aug. 23. Darling Road/Gungy Road/ Devil's Hopyard Ride, Old Lyme, Connecticut, East of River, CT. (SO, RL/HL, Cue, 11-13mph) 39 miles. Ride over mostly rolling terrain through the towns of Old Lyme, Lyme, Salem and East Haddam. Lunch at picnic area in Devil's Hopyard State Park. Prompt 10:00am start. Meet at Old Lyme/Lyme Senior Center, Town Farms Road, Old Lyme, CT. Take I-95, exit 70 in Old Lyme. Follow Route 1N (easterly) about 2.5 miles from west-heading exit, or about 3.5 miles from east-heading exit, to Town Farms Road before Rogers Lake. Turn left and follow 0.4 miles to the Senior Center parking lot. L Tom & Nancy Mann (tomandnance@netzero.net) Mon., Aug. 30. Patrick's Hamden/Cheshire/ Prospect/Southington Ride, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (SO, FL, Cue, 10-12mph) Very nice flat 31.3-mile ride through sections of Hamden, Cheshire, Prospect and Southington, featuring a lunch stop at Panthorn Park in Southington. Bring lunch. There is a stop at Wentworth's ice cream parlor near the end of the ride. Meet at 10:00am for a prompt start at the Canal Line parking area located on the left side (not the lower lot on the right) on Sherman Avenue in Hamden. Take Sherman Avenue off Route 10 (Whitney Avenue), located 5.7 miles south of Route 70 and about 0.4 miles south of Mt. Carmel Road and 0.7 miles north of Route 22. Inclement forecast/weather cancels ride. Call if there is any question. L Carl Mueller ( before

6 WEEK-END TRIPS Weekend Excursion August 26-29, 2010 Cape Cod Bike Trip, Massachusetts Cape Cod, MA Stay at a house on the beach with ocean views. Open to intermediate/advanced cyclists. We'll be biking on trails and roads with a possible long ride to Provincetown. Average miles. Accommodations include bunk beds (some dorm-style, some accommodate 4-6 people). Cost is $110 and includes three breakfasts, two dinners, snacks, and social hour munchies. Limited to 30 participants maximum. No refunds unless Ls find a replacement. L Terry Bludeau (terrybb@msn.com), L Susan Wallen swallenster@gmail.com), R Terry Bludeau (2 Hearthstone Dr, Simsbury, CT 06070) Weekend Excursion September 17-19, 2010 Road Bike Upper Connecticut River Valley Biking Fairlee, VT, Green Mountains, VT Sep Road Bike Upper Connecticut River Valley Biking -Fairlee, VT, Vermont, Green Mountains, VT. Ride options of miles along quiet country roads. Stay at the Hulbert Outdoor Center in 3-4 bedroom cabins, with two per room. Optional Friday ride. Cost is $135 and includes two nights lodging, two full breakfasts, Saturday dinner, bed linens and towel. Send your name, mailing address, and phone number to Registrar with full amount payable to Finlay Ferguson. Fee is non-refundable unless Ls find a replacement. L Finlay Ferguson ( Before 9:00pm, finlayferguson@msn.com), L Mark Henebry (mhenebry@sbcglobal.net), R Finlay Ferguson (46 Mitchel Terrace, Ivoryton, CT 06442) RIDES AND LEADERS WANTED The Committee thanks all leaders who have led rides and/or trips this season. The Committee is still looking for leaders to lead rides. There is still plenty of warm weather and the fall weather is perfect cycling season with temperatures a little cooler and the colorful foliage to look at. There are plenty of rides to choose from when you go to We would like to see members step forward and lead at least one ride during the season. You can choose the area, terrain, pace, and time. All rides need to be submitted in AMC format to Jo Ann Hewett no later than the 8th of the month so they can make the AMC Outdoors magazine. We would also like to ask members/leaders to submit more rides in time for the Outdoors Magazine and AMCyclist newsletter rather than always through the short notice forum. Having your ride submitted makes for better planning of your schedule and everyone else. AMC Bicycling Committee