Emailing - Huntington Bicycle Club

Date: 7/27/2022
Subject: Folks on Spokes, July, 2022
From: Huntington Bicycle Club

A Message From the President

Thank you to all of the members who helped put together the 40th Anniversary Gold Coast Tour. Even though this was not the fully supported version of the Gold Coast that many have come to expect, it was successful. The goal was to sponsor rides that included many new routes, in addition to raising money for worthy causes. This was certainly achieved.

All the registered Gold Coast participants received a post-ride survey. The Board will be discussing the answers from this survey at length, and using these comments in order to plan for next year. As always, please feel free to email anyone on the Board with your suggestions.

Some sad news: Longtime HBC member and hospitality chair, Joan Krawzyk passed away in December. She was an active member of the club, supplying refreshments at all the club meetings, a hard act for John to follow! She volunteered for at least 20 Gold Coast Tours, and was with Efrim Sherman (E) until he died. When her family is contacted, they will be sent souvenirs from this year's Gold Coast in her honor.

Our next meeting will be after the Gold Coast volunteer's party, and will be on August 8th at the library. We will be giving John Ray, the director of Kids Need More, a donation from the proceeds of the Gold Coast.

Be safe and see you on the road,

Karen

Starting from opening the box....

...to, the tent is up!

Registration

More registrations, hard at work!

This is for many of the new members who may not be accustomed to riding in a group

Getting comfortable with riding in a group

Cycling with your friends can be incredibly fun—you all work together to reduce drag, and the group goes faster while saving energy. Getting to speeds you can’t achieve on your own is a rush like no other!

Still, there’s one slightly intimidating thing about group rides: maintaining a short distance of several inches behind another bike. This can be a little scary, and your body may tighten with nervousness. It’s no secret that I’ve felt nervous while riding in a group or peloton during my cycling career.Riding closely behind someone else takes practice, so I’ve put together a few simple tips to make group riding less overwhelming. Keep them in mind, and you and your fellow cyclists can stay safe and enjoy the camaraderie.

Develop your mental connection. You gain confidence through experience— and when you practice patience, your newfound confidence and skill will make you a more capable rider.

Don’t let the bike get the better of you. Make your bike an extension of your body. By keeping your body relaxed and not clenching the handlebars, you can remain focused and are less likely to make an error. Sound familiar?As an advanced-level black belt in martial arts, I like the idea of using a bike as an extension of your body; the same idea is used in weapons training. You need to learn to maneuver with the bike.

Take advantage of drafting. Drafting doesn’t mean you have to ride inches from someone’s back wheel to gain aerodynamic benefits. Depending on the speed and terrain, you can reap significant energy savings as far back as three bike lengths. So if you’re timid about riding close, don’t worry—you’ll still significantly benefit from drafting.

Improve your comfort level with drafting drills. Ride with a partner! It’s best to find someone with similar abilities. Developing smooth, predictable communication can be a team effort between the two of you. The reason for predictability? Sudden, unexpected movements can be alarming for the rider behind you. This kind of proficiency is useful during group rides, and the other riders will be grateful.

To get comfortable riding with your partner, set up a slalom course in an empty parking lot and then ride two-by-two to practice cornering.
When drafting, keep your head up. It’s easy to get absorbed in looking at the wheel in front of you, but looking at your partner’s back can help you judge your distance from them. You do need to check your wheel distance from time to time, but you should eventually develop a sixth sense for when to adjust your position.
Keep your speed under control by feathering the brakes. By doing this, you maintain your speed rather than gaining momentum. Using feathering, you alternate lightly applying and releasing the front and rear brakes to control your speed to avoid sudden jerking movements.

Taking your time and learning the art of group ride dynamics will yield amazing results. As we say, practice makes perfect.

After all the months of planning, it's great to actually see it happen!

Lining up for the first ride departures

Getting safety instructions for the 62

More instructions

From the Lancaster Bike Club

Thanks, Lou!

When should a cycling helmet be replaced?
To start with, you should always replace your helmet after an impact or damage. There are many crashes where I didn’t realize I had hit my head, but sure enough, I had, and the only way I knew was because my helmet was cracked. Another common circumstance is dropping a helmet when traveling. I can’t count the number of helmets that have been damaged in a bike bag or in the back of the car with people tossing their stuff in.

Bicycle helmets can be expensive, but remember, you are rarely buying more protection but instead just a lighter or better-vented version. It’s the cost of R&D plus higher-end materials, but in the end, they all offer nearly the
same protection.

As for helmets that haven’t been compromised or damaged, they, too, should be replaced every three to five years. There are a lot of things that degrade over time, like the foam and glue used in the helmet. Your body oils, sweat and UV rays also take a toll on the material, and after five years, it is for sure compromised and not offering the intended level of protection. If you ride a lot, then I would replace it every three years. “

Registration is hopping

Relaxing after the ride

View this Newsletter on our Website at Club/Newsletters

Return to Previous Page