KBCPedalPress www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org The
Newsletter of the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club February 2005
Team Active End of Winter Party
Welcome to the Electronic PedalPress
This issue of the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club PedalPress is the inaugural electronic
version. Publishing the newsletter in this format provides many benefits for
our bike club and for the environment.
It frees up money that can be used for other
biking-related purposes. It reduces volunteer labor that used to go toward
folding, tabbing, and delivering the PedalPress
to the mailing service. And it reduces the amount of paper and printing ink
that used to be consumed when each issue went to press.
In addition, a web-based newsletter allows the inclusion
of photographs to illustrate articles.
Though this is certainly a big change from the mailed,
hard copy of the PedalPress you’ve
been receiving for years, we hope you will take the time to look it over, use
its new features, and give it a fair chance. The editorial content will remain
largely unchanged, but should become more comprehensive due to the removal of
space limitations inherent in a printed format.
If you have any suggestions about how to make this
newsletter better, please contact the editor or webmaster (contact information
on the last page).
The Kalamazoo Bicycle Club does not usually publish a
February issue of the PedalPress.
However, due to this historic change, we thought you might like a glimpse of
what we’ve been up to in terms of the new newsletter. So consider this issue a
“practice” one; and we also wanted to update you on the outcome of the Recovery
Party …
January, 2005
As I
write this month’s President’s Letter, my feet are toasting near the fireplace,
a warm mug of tea is within reach, and I am looking at several inches of snow on
the ground with more on the way. The roads in my subdivision are buried under
snow. Going for a ride is out of the question unless I risk life and limb on
the rollers in the basement.
I did get out to celebrate New Years day, but that seems like a distant
memory. I don’t think that I will be on the road until the spring thaw. Such is
Michigan.
I have made a New Years
resolution: I am going to do a series of Randoneering
brevets. These are endurance bicycle rides of 200, 300, 400, and 600
kilometers. Almost all New Years resolutions are doomed to failure. I hope that
mine survives the test of hours (days?) on the saddle. The challenge of
dreaming the impossible dream leads to the breaking of self-imposed limits and
makes for a better person.
At the recovery party I had a
chance to speak with many club members who have set impressive personal goals
for 2005. There are a number of folks who are planning to do full Ironman triathlons. Some riders are planning on doing the
extended DALMAC tours on the Labor Day weekend. And still others who will be
going on international tours.
The Kalamazoo Bicycle Club as
a club should also dare to dream and to set goals for 2005. Several KBC members
have talked to me about what the club can do to make Kalamazoo a more bicycle-friendly
community. Goals for the club could be increased community outreach (a club
bicycle racing team, bicycle safety education (bike rodeos) etc.); safer roads
(two of the more serious incidents last year were in part attributable to
unsafe conditions in the road); community education (we do not want to get
stopped again by the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department while we are on a
ride); and improved KBC rider education (Zolton Cohen’s “chalk talks” last year
at the Monday and Wednesday night riders were a great learning tool). The
members of the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club represent some of the most experienced
cyclists in the Kalamazoo area; our knowledge of bicycling is a resource which
could be used to make this community bicycle-friendly.
In 2005, let us dream big. Let
us challenge ourselves. Let us become better riders and have fun doing it! Let
us make 2005 a year to remember.
Mike Boersma
President
P.S. The Recovery Party was a big success!
There was a good turnout even though there was a good foot of snow on the
street. Thanks to the Barnes family
for hosting this event again. Thanks to Michele
Intermont and Megan James for
their services as Kalamazoo Bicycle Club social directors. Thanks to Alfred E Bike, Breakaway Bicycles, and
Village Cyclery for providing schwag. Thanks to Zolton Cohen and Cricket Howard for the
slide show – and Cricket for the Beer!
Back to top
Birthdays, Expiring Memberships:
February Birthdays
Jay Campbell
Zolton Cohen
Tony Finn
Rachel Fouts
Terry Hutchins
Celine Keizer
Arianne Kindle
Jim Kindle
Tyler Kindle
Joe Kucharski
Jason Machnik
Michael McPhilamy
Mike Miles
Michael Miller
Ann O'Connell
Roy Richardson
Jane Schelhas
Megan Smothergill
David Sperry
Timothy A. Stewart
Zachary Teel
Mary White Family
Mike Wittenberg
New members
George Lombardi
February Expiring memberships
Jay Campbell
There was no January meeting, and thus there are no
meeting minutes to report this month. Next
KBC meeting: Tuesday, February 8th, 2005, 7:00 PM, YMCA in Kalamazoo on Maple
Street.
Serotta Titanium Road Bike: equipped with Ultegra 9 speed gears and other
components, two wheel sets: Zipp 404's and Mavic/Wheelsmith (650)’s. This bike is tight, smooth
and a good fit for a rider 5'3" - 5'5" with a balanced body
composition to longer legged. Finish is half metal, half paint - this bike is
sweet and in very good condition. Willing to sell Zipp
wheel set separately – package $2,400.00 / Zipp
wheels $400.00. Contact Paul Raynes @ 629-5456.
Team Active End of Winter Party
Once
again winter has descended on
The help and support of the
The 2005 end of winter party information is as follows:
The party will once again be held in the Dome Room at 25 West Michigan Avenue in
Downtown Battle Creek, on Friday,
February 25th. The party starts at
We will also be unveiling a new program to pay people to
ride their bikes in 2005. Everyone is eligible.
Our special guest is Bob
Roll, a 5-time Tour De France competitor, author, former mountain bike
racer, and current TV commentator with the Outdoor Life Network. He is an
amazing personality.
We are hosting a private dinner with Bob to give a few
people the opportunity to have some one-on-one time with him. Space for the
dinner is limited. People interested in the dinner should contact steve@teamactive.com for details.
Please RSVP to teamactive@teamactive.com
or 1-800-841-9494 to reserve your spot at the party. We ask for an RSVP so we
can plan food and beverage.
Thanks again for your help. Please call me at
1-800-841-9494 with any questions you have.
Steve Bessonny
Team Active
Mid-Winter Ramblings from the Ride Captain
The annual Recovery Party was held
on January 22 on the day of our first major snow of the year. The party was
well attended however, and everyone had great time. Many
thanks to Chris and Marion Barnes
for opening their house to all of us.
KBC is stronger than ever with many
new KBC members including numerous new faces in leadership roles. The 2005 ride
season will be starting before we know it, so I thought I would start preparing
a bit earlier than usual this year. The weather is still wintry, so we warm
weather lovers can only hope spring is on the way. The calendar says it's the
middle of January and we can expect a lot of cold weather in Feb and March. But
it is never too early to start planning the upcoming 2005 KBC ride season.
2004 was another great year riding
with the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club, with up to 60 riders turning out for club
rides some evenings. The Monday, Wednesday, and Friday rides were very well
attended. The Thursday ride had a dedicated following of 10 – 15 riders. The
ride seasons just keep getting better and better. I expect this year to be no
different.
We plan to continue the Monday
(Texas Drive Park), Wednesday (Kal-Haven Trailhead parking lot), Thursday
(Texas Drive Park), and Friday (Billy’s Bike Shop in Galesburg) rides for the
2005 season. The routes for all the weekly rides are well established. We are
always open to route changes, as well. Also, we hope to continue a weekly
Saturday Ride that was started last fall starting at St Tim’s Church on BC Ave
between Gull Lake and M-43. Paul Raynes
is the driving force behind this ride.
A few Pfizer employees and I have done a
Tuesday ride for many years from Pfizer on Tuesdays. Larry Kissinger and I recommend we make this a KBC ride on
Tuesdays starting from the Pavilion Township Hall at the corner of Q Ave and
29th St, the starting point for the KBC Time Trial. More details about this
ride will be forthcoming after we get the particulars worked out.
We’re not done yet. I was contact by
a couple of women in the club wanting to establish a morning ride during the
week. With their help we hope to establish a morning ride this year. The day or
days of the week and starting times have not yet been established. Stay tuned
for updates on these rides.
Also, we plan to continue the
special weekend rides in 2005. The rides were successful last year once again.
We had 10 – 20 riders on each of the special weekend rides and we had a great
time. We now have 7 special weekend rides and there is always room for more.
Mark your long-range calendars for some special weekend rides this summer.
·
The 5th annual W Ave Ride (48 miles) from Vicksburg High School, April
30 or May 7 (will Rick Whaley be
back from Ann Arbor to lead?)
·
The 7th annual Old Car Festival Ride (about 60 miles) from Vicksburg
High School, June 11
·
The 8th annual ride to South Haven with a stop at the beach (100
miles), on July 9
·
The 3rd annual
Family Ride from St Tim’s Church near Gull Lake in July (distance TBD)
·
The 8th annual Ride Around Kalamazoo County (100 miles), August 6 or 13
·
The 34th KBC Anniversary Ride, September 17 (15 - 40 mile routes)
·
The 2nd Fall Ride, October 1 or 8 (~40 miles)
The dates for some of these rides
are not firmly established for 2005 yet. If you have comments about the
above-mentioned rides or have suggestions for other rides, contact Randy Putt
by phone or e-mail.
Impromptu weekend rides can happen
any time the weather is suitable and someone is willing to organize them,
especially in February, March, and April. Contact a few friends and spread the
word via email and riders will likely come.
If anyone would like to lead a
weekend ride in February or March, give me a call and/or send me a description
of the ride via e-mail, or send the ride info to the KBC listserve group. If
the roads are dry, there will be riders ready to ride. I have a lengthy e-mail
list of riders, so the ride information can be transferred quickly and on short
notice. If any of you would like to be added to the e-mail list, send your
e-mail address to me at srpbike@yahoo.com
or sterling.r.putt@pfizer.com.
In March these impromptu weekend
rides are likely to become more common. KBC plans to offer at least a partial
weekly ride schedule in April as the weather permits. Look for details in the
March and April Newsletters.
BE A RIDE LEADER
There hasn’t been much warm weather so far, so riding
your bike on the road is a rare event at this time of the year. The last time I
was out riding on the road was during that unseasonable thaw just after New Year’s
Day.
I hope everyone has been doing some sort of off-season
training. If you have, you have been doing a lot better than I. There is just
too much to do at work and at home. I know there are a few of you who have
ridden outside in spite of the cold weather and slippery roads. You are
dedicated to be sure. Even more riders have been riding regularly on a wind
trainer or rollers, in spinning classes, or maybe have traveled to some exotic
location this winter. Even though the road conditions are not suitable for
regular riding now, they will be soon. It is time to start to think about the
upcoming ride season. Is spring just around the corner?
KBC had a great group of ride leaders last year and the
2004 ride season was another great year. Attendance at the rides continued to
increase with many new faces to be seen. This is my annual solicitation for
ride leaders for the upcoming ride season, so it will likely sound quite
familiar.
The usual cadre of ride leaders could use some help, and
KBC can always use more ride leaders. New leaders bring different perspectives
to the rides. We especially need leaders in 17 mph and under groups. The more
ride leaders we have the better. Please volunteer to lead some rides. It’s fun
and it is a good way to get to know other KBC members.
The routes are well established for the Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday rides. Also, check out the route maps on the KBC web site
(www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org). If you have a favorite route to include, send
the file to the Webmaster, Kathy Kirk, for inclusion in our map library. Give
it a shot. The club will be happy to help get you started leading rides.
If anyone is interested in leading rides this year,
please give me a call at 649-1814. I will be more than happy to discuss how to
lead rides with you. In fact, most any experienced KBC rider would be happy to
discuss ride leader responsibilities with you. You do not have to wait to be
asked. No experience is necessary. You just need the willingness to ride with a
great group of people who enjoy riding their bikes. We would be more than happy
to hear about other ride suggestions.
PROPOSED YEAR 2005 RIDE SCHEDULE
Descriptions of the regular weekday rides are listed
below and the full ride schedule will start in May at 6 PM. KBC plans to offer
at least a partial weekly ride schedule in April at 6 PM as the weather
permits. Look for details in the March and April Newsletters.
New Ride – Morning Ride led by Jelania Haile and Renee Mitchell. The
time, day of the week, and pace to be determined.
The Monday Ride at Texas
Drive Park will consist of 5 ride groups, which should provide a pace to suit
riders of all abilities:
The 15-20 mile distance groups will generally ride the
same route and are recommended for new riders. These groups will sometimes
combine depending on the number of riders present.
The 25-30 mile distance groups will typically ride the
same route in the early part of the season. KBC recommends the 17 mph group for
more experienced riders who are new to the club. This group is very steady and one
of the more popular ride groups. The leaders for the 17 mph and 19 - 20 mph
groups plan to keep the groups together and at a steady pace. All riders who
want to push the pace can do so in the 20+mph group. The 18 – 19 and 20+ mph
groups will most likely start riding the more hilly routes after May at the
discretion of the riders and leaders.
Plans for the 4th
year of the Tuesday Night Time Trial are in the works. The Barnes family will
run the time trial series once again this year and expect to use the same route
as last year. The route starts at the Pavilion Township Hall at the corner of Q
Ave and 28th Street. The time trial will be held on the first and third Tuesday of the month, starting
in May or June.
New Ride - The Tuesday ride is
scheduled to meet at Pavilion Township Hall to ride on east side of the county.
One ride group is currently planned at an 18-20 mph pace and the group will
stay together (led by Larry Kissinger
and Randy Putt). It is possible that other ride paces could be offered.
The Wednesday ride meets at
the Kal-Haven Trail Parking lot. KBC plans to offer at least 3 ride groups:
The
Wednesday night Hammerfest will start at Kal-Haven Trail Parking lot at 6 PM
when daylight savings time kicks in. The pace of the ride is typically greater
than 23++ mph and the route goes to Bloomingdale and back (about 46 miles).
Since the route is well known to most of the regular riders, no maps are
available for this ride. This group is typically large (more than 15 riders)
and consists of racers and other experienced riders. Typically, there is no designated
ride leader. The group can fragment into smaller groups and the riders
oftentimes do not finish together. This ride is hard and is not suitable for
inexperienced riders. Some riders can expect to be dropped from the main group.
Thursday night is a nice and easy social ride night at
Texas Drive Park and has a small loyal group, which is growing in size. Riders
of all riding abilities are welcome. The pace is typically 15-17 mph and
distance is 20-25 miles (led by Dave
Jones).
The Friday Tour de Gull meets at Billy’s Bike Shop in
Galesburg and the pace varies depending on who shows up (usually led by Randy Putt). We did have a 16-17 mph
group periodically as well as a large 22+ mph group last year. Doug Kirk also established an alternate
Southern Route, which was successful in its inaugural year. The fast group
typically leads itself. The route for this ride is well established so the ride
leader’s job is easy.
New Ride – The Saturday
Ride (~40 miles) at 10 AM from St Tim’s Church on BC Avenue between Gull Lake
and M-43 (9800 E. BC Avenue,
approximately 1.5 miles north out of Richland on M43 turn right on BC and the
church is on the right about 0.5 mile from M-43. You cannot see the church from
the road, so watch for the church sign. If you come to a big curve in the road
you’ve passed the church). Paul Raynes plans to lead this ride most Saturdays.
He will need some help leading. I suspect Paul will be riding as soon as the
roads are suitable.
An Invitation to Ride
One of the primary functions of KBC is to offer an
opportunity for club members to participate in group rides with other club
members. To this end, KBC offers road rides for casual riders, families,
tourists, fast tourists, and racers. The club has also offered mountain bike
rides from time to time. KBC offers regular rides from 10 to 35 miles at ride
paces from 10 to 23+mph. There is likely to be a ride suitable for you in this
schedule. KBC also offers longer weekend rides.
If you have never ridden in a group, the club weekly
rides are a great way to get started. Riding with a group is great fun.
Kalamazoo County is blessed with many good, low-traffic roads that are suitable
for group cycling. If KBC does note offer a ride that suits your needs, contact
any club board member or the ride captain and volunteer your services to lead a
new ride. We will be happy to get you started.
You do not need to own an expensive bicycle or clothes to
ride with KBC. We do, however, require riders to wear a helmet, and recommend
cycling shorts, bringing a water bottle, cycling gloves, a pump, a tube patch
kit or a spare tub, and tools (especially tire levers to change a flat tire)
for minor adjustments or repair along the road. You will be asked to sign a waiver of liability form when you ride with
the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club. Club members need to sign the form only once during
the season; non-members are asked to sign the form before each ride.
Flat tires and other mechanical breakdowns do happen on
occasion while riding. If you have never changed a tire on the road there likely
will be someone on the ride who can assist you. However, it is in your best
interest to learn how to perform this task on your own, using your own
equipment.
WE DO REQUIRE THAT
ALL RIDERS WEAR A BICYCLE HELMET. This requirement is a matter of safely
and common sense and is non-negotiable.
How to Lead a Club Ride
Ride leaders play an important role in our ride program.
There is room in our monthly ride schedule for any ride. Leading a ride is your
opportunity to share your cycling pleasure with other club members. It is our
opportunity to learn from your experience.
There are nine easy steps in
leading a ride:
1. Call the ride captain (Randy Putt) at 649-1814 and volunteer
to lead one of our regularly scheduled rides or propose a ride of you own
(newsletter deadline is the 20th of the month prior to the scheduled ride; for
example, the deadline for the May ride calendar is April 20).
2. Provide a map of the ride
route (these maps can be added to the KBC website for future use).
3. Arrive at the starting place
of the ride on the scheduled day about 15 minutes prior to the start time in
order to greet riders in your group.
4. Have all riders sign the liability
wavier release form (available from the ride captain) as they arrive. KBC members
need only sign once during the year while non-members must sign before each
ride.
5. Hand out maps after the
rider has signed the release form (most of the regular club rides have
established routes, and maps are available on the web page - www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org).
6. Make needed announcements
about the ride.
7. Make sure new riders feel
welcome.
8. Make sure riders stay with
the group and that no one is left alone on the ride, especially newer riders
and slower riders.
9. And most importantly, have a
great ride.
If you have any questions
about ride leader duties or would like to lead a ride, call the ride captain at
649-1814.
Well, wasn’t that a party on Saturday, January 22nd?
Unfortunately, a severe snowstorm the day before the
annual KBC Recovery Party may have kept some potential attendees home. However,
those who came (and who braved the foot-deep snow on Evergreen Street, the site
of Chris and Marian Barnes’s house)
were treated to a lively gathering that featured lots of great food, beer, a
slideshow of 2004 KBC events, a swap table, beer, awards, biking paraphernalia
raffle items, more food, and beer. Oh, and wine. And food.
KBC thanks the Barnes family for opening up their home to
partygoers for the second year in a row. It is very generous of them to do this
once, but then to come back and do it again the following year is quite
unprecedented. They must like us. They must really like us. Hopefully, the
rented entry mats and coat racks cut down on the mess a party of this size
inevitably generates.
KBC President Mike Boersma collaborates with
ex-president Doug Kirk to raffle off bicycling schwag
donated by Alfred E Bike, Breakaway Bicycles, and Village Cyclery at the
January 22nd Recovery Party.
Megan
James and Michele Intermont, KBC’s
Social Directors deserve kudus for organizing the event and providing delicious
vats of chili (which had all but disappeared by the end of the night). Michele
could not attend the party but enlisted Mary
Cohen to stand in her stead. Along with Marian’s gracious help, this core group of party planners made everyone feel welcome
– and full.
Cricket Howard deserves special mention, as he put together a nearly
hour-long slide and music show of 2004’s KBC events. He also made up a special
batch of Recovery Red Beer just for
this party. At the end of the night, his 1/6th barrel keg was sucking fumes –
testimony to a well received beverage. Thanks Cricket, for all your hard work.
KBC President Mike
Boersma did the honors as MC for the President’s Volunteer of the Year
Award – bestowed on the Barnes family, not only for the “donation” of their
home as the party site, but also for all the work they did in organizing and
putting on the Tuesday Night Time Trial Series in 2004. A well deserved
recognition for sure. This award comes with a $50.00 gift certificate, this
year from Breakaway Bicycles.
And speaking of bicycle shops, what Recovery Party would
be complete without schwag? Alfred E Bike, Breakaway Bicycles, and Village Cyclery donated
numerous biking related raffle prizes, ranging from handlebar tape and bike
shoes, to frame and floor pumps, jerseys, tubes and water bottles. Thanks go to
these generous institutions for their many gifts, not only at the party but
throughout the year as well.
Doug and Kathy
Kirk awarded their annual “Best Of” Awards, accompanied by bags of bicycle
pasta and Doug’s inimitable oratory stylings, to the
following:
Best New Event
- Cyclocross at St. Tim's; Tom Cross,
Knute Jacobson and Ken Fouts.
According to Jim Kindle, KBC’s Vice
President, the cyclocross clinic was the most fun – and most tiring - thing
he’s ever done on a bike. And the 30 or so panting riders who attended this
event agreed.
Fastest Healer
After a Crash - Matt Berner, who after landing on his
head following an encounter with a pothole on the Wednesday night Half Fast Ride,
was back on the bike three days later, bruised but unbowed.
Why Warm Up? Let’s Go Fast Now
- Zolton Cohen, who likes to set the
tone of the Half Fast ride right from the git (or from
the corner of 10th Street and G Avenue, which is very close to the git).
Best Disappearing Act - Deb Gray & Al Cergol, who used to ride with the club quite a bit, but
after their marriage last year were seldom heard from again.
Honorable Mention - Richard Wolf, who vanished into a life of toiling away at
schoolwork and child rearing duties.
Best Wheel to Suck – Cricket Howard, a tall, lean, chap who not only creates a fantastic
draft because of his size, but also can really turn the cranks on a bike.
Most Likely to Blow Up the
Paceline – Ken Fouts, who likes to
demonstrate his strength and biking prowess to all those behind him.
Perennial Honorable Mention - Steve Cox, ditto.
Most Improved TT Rider - Victor VanFleet, possibly the oldest active KBC member (though still
young at heart), who this year put on a time trialing display none of his
younger competitors could match.
Most
Improved Road Rider - Jim Eckert, on
his new Trek, that enabled him to (finally) stay up with the front group of the
Half Fast Ride the entire way. His smile could be seen for blocks; his
commentary on the incident heard even further…
Most Likely to Whip His Old Man Next
Year – John Doyle (Fred Doyle’s son). These kids (and we also mention Andrew Florian, Steve Barnes, and Taylor Birmann in
the same breath) are so good they’re scary. Why aren’t they at home like their
peers, playing computer games, sitting on the couch and eating junk food?
The Randy Putt "He's Here, Now
We Can Go" Award - Mike Boersma,
who promises that next year he’ll be on time more often. Really.
Biggest Eye Opener (& Worst Wheel to Suck) – Paul
Bruneau. Bruneau, whose name came up in nominations for many KBC awards
(including Volunteer of the Year for his work in vaulting KBC into the digital
commerce age), was officially the fastest single bike time trialer
in 2004. He has grown in his
biking ability by leaps and bounds, and still shows upside potential.
Unfortunately, he rides a recumbent, so his is the worst, most useless wheel in
the club to suck. You can’t get any draft off Paul
Bruneau. But that aside, we like him anyway.
Tough Cookie – Chris Haddock, kicked by a horse and came back riding strong. Stuff
it, Mr. Ed!
The PedalPress
would also like to honor some of KBC’s national and international competitors; Megan James, who went to Portugal for a
triathlon, Dave Bishop, who went to
Switzerland for another, and Kathy Kirk,
2004 State Time Trail Champion.
Fear Factor
With that title, I’ll bet you think this is going to be
about drunk drivers, or zooming around corners downhill at 40 miles per hour,
or getting dropped ignominiously thirty miles from town by the Wednesday Night Hammerfesterers, don’t you. Ha!
I’m writing about an indoor fear factor that grips most
of you riders right down to your cleats every winter and keeps you from the
best off-season rider-improvement tool available. I’m talking about a fear so
strong that only a few of you are able to muster the wherewithal to conquer
your irrational thought processes and reap the benefits of—Oh My God—the
rollers! I know what you’re thinking…what if I fall off?
Every winter, I see all you so-called riders sitting on
bikes clamped to trainers scientifically designed to eliminate the need for any
skill or effort other than making the cranks go ‘round. Riders retreating to
hoity-toity health clubs to straddle two hundred pound spinning machines that
aren’t going anywhere without a refrigerator dolly, featuring flywheels heavy
enough for a Peterbilt in order to smooth out the
worst pedal strokes.
Guess what? These gadgets can make you stronger, but
that’s all they’ll do to make you a better rider. In fact, trainers require no
cycling skills whatsoever. It’s all fine and good to generate more power, but
it’s not going to help much if you don’t improve your other skills at the same
time.
Real bicycling requires balancing the bike, not to
mention being able to ride smoothly and in a straight line. Rollers don’t just
require all the basic skills of riding; riding rollers will improve all
your basic riding skills, guaranteed.
Because the rollers are only about fifteen inches wide
and the wheels sit atop cylindrical drums rather than flat pavement, you’ve got
to ride straight and smooth—very little wobbling allowed. If you don’t pay
attention or if you aren’t smooth, you’ll ride right off one side or the other,
guaranteed. Rollers are without a doubt far more sensitive than are trainers to
the quality of one’s pedaling. But here’s the key—falling off is not the end of
the world. Not even the end of life as you know it.
Most likely, no one will even see you, so you don’t even have to be embarrassed
about it. And it’s highly unlikely you’ll get hurt if you do fall.
Rollers are all about the quality of the effort you put
forth, not the quantity. And the quality rollers foster is also the most
important quality in bicycling—a smooth, fast cadence. Pick any aspect of the
sport—climbing, sprinting, pack riding, steering. Among riders of equal
strength, the smooth rider is not only the faster rider, he’s the rider you
enjoy riding with.
Anybody can hop on a trainer and flail away. Only
skillful riders last more than a few seconds on the rollers. To which camp do
you belong? And why are (most of) you afraid to use the off-season to truly
cultivate the skills cycling rewards?
Go ahead. Take a Brave Pill and use your off season to
actually become a better rider. Beg, borrow or buy a set of rollers and adjust
them so that the axle of the front roller is barely in front of the bike’s
front axle. Use the big chainring and one of middle cogs to start. It’s OK to ask
someone to help you out the first time or two.
Yes, you might look a bit awkward getting on and off the
first few times, but if you set the roller frame up in a doorway so that your
head is behind the doorframe, mounting and dismounting isn’t so bad. Hold onto
the doorframe with one hand while you get the feel for it, and—gulp—let go.
Then work on your spin—the faster the better.
Yes, you can fall, and the bike is about four inches
higher, too. But you grab the doorway on the way down and it’s not a big deal.
Mountain bikers fall all the time and keep getting up. No, the bike will not
shoot across the floor even if you’re spinning 35 mph at the time. The wheels
just stop.
Want to be a better rider? Get on some rollers.
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Contact information for the Kalamazoo
Bicycle Club
2005 KBC Executive
Committee:
President: Mike Boersma Phone:
720-1409 email: m_e_boersma@voyager.net
Vice President: Jim Kindle Phone:
382-8053 email: remax.kindle@charter.net
Secretary: Mike Berry Phone: 427-7204 email: tourmalet03@yahoo.com
Treasurer: Tom Keizer Phone:
382-4737 email: tom.keizer@juno.com
Other Important KBC Folks:
Database Manager: Paul Bruneau Phone:
343-6016 email: paul@ethicalpaul.com
Newsletter Editor: Zolton Cohen Phone:
344-0200 email: zcohen@ameritech.net
Ride Captain: Randy Putt Phone:
649-1814 email: SRBike@aol.com
Social Director: Michele Intermont Phone: 373-8929 email:
intermon@kzoo.edu
Webmaster: Kathy Kirk Phone: 388-5045 email: klkirk@ameritech.net
Monthly club meetings are held on the second Tuesday of
each month (except January), at the YMCA on Maple Street in Kalamazoo. Time is
7:00 PM. All members are encouraged to attend.
Membership fees for the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club are as
follows:
Yearly Adult
Membership-----------------------------$15.00
3 Year Adult
Membership-----------------------------$40.00
Yearly Family
Membership---------------------------$17.00
3 Year Family
Membership---------------------------$45.00
Yearly Senior (60+)
Membership--------------------$13.00
3 Year Senior (60+)
Membership--------------------$35.00
Please go to our website at www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org to
sign up for membership and for more information about KBC.