Join the Greater Dallas Bicyclists (GDB) for their 26th annual Superbowl Sunday Ride on February 6.
Folks will be taking off from different bicycle stores around the area and over 1,000 participants are expected.
Dress warm and wear your club or cycling store jersey.
The Bicycle Inc. groups will take off between 8:30 and 9am from their Hurst/Arlington locations.
For more contact information follow this link: http://www.greaterdallasbicyclists.com/specialevents/superbowlsunday.html
We need your help!!!
Today January 19th and on February 8th, there will be important hearings on the ARLINGTON HIKE AND BIKE PLAN.
The city and all Arlington cyclists could use your support for this plan. Planning and Zoning Public Hearing January 19th, 5:30pm. City Council Public Hearing February 8th, 6:30pm. Both meetings are at Arlington City Hall, 101 West Abram Street.
Please make your voice heard by showing up!
Planning and Zoning Commission Public Hearing
TOMORROW!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
City Hall, 101 West Abram Street
5:30 p.m.
City Council Public Hearing
February 8, 2011
City Hall, 101 West Abram Street
6:30 p.m.
Written and verbal comment will be accepted at both public hearings.
TDP Website: www.arlingtontx.gov/planning/TDP.html
Hike & Bike Plan Website: www.arlingtontx.gov/planning/HikeandBike.html
Thank you!
Source: NBC DFW Story on the Elliptigo
Here is a story from NBC about an interesting concept, marrying an elliptical machine with a bicycle.
For $2,500 though I’d rather buy a nice Specialized Tarmac..
…then one of these things.
That’s just me though, I might change my mind if I ever get the chance to ride one of these things.
Nick Clayton of TMI Sports Med answers your questions:
Jed from Fort Worth:
I have had this off injury where it hurts in my calf or thigh muscle like a knife. It’s not a cramp. I can ride in the seat and be fine but if I run or stand in the saddle it hurts. What is it and how can I avoid it from happening? I have had this injury three times now?
It sounds like you need to “retrain” the muscles that work on knee extension and ankle plantar flexion. In simple terms, it sounds like there is a compensation pattern going on in your lower leg. This is commonly associated with an overuse injury, bike setup, or poor mechanics. This is a really hard question to answer via the web. Do you have low back, hamstring, or knee pain? What is your typical weekly mileage?
1. Purchase a foam roller. Whether it is the answer to your question or not every endurance athlete should be religious about using it. The FR serves as a generic deep tissue massage. Perform a search on foam roll for the following areas; calves, hamstrings, inner thighs (adductors), and IT Band. This will help to increase the length of the muscle.
2. If you workout at the gym and use machines; stop. Machines aren’t bad for individuals wanting to get in shape but they do not incorporate nervous system training in addition to strength training. Stop from getting out of the saddle and any strength training for 2 weeks. Research “glute activation exercises,” you should find a variety of deep core and hip bridge-type exercises.
3. In essence, it sounds like you need to retrain your body how to “triple-extend.” Triple-extension is extension of the hip, knee, and ankle, as occurs in sprinting, jumping, or getting up in your saddle.
Hope this helps. Nick
Bike Jesus asks:
As you know, the higher the red blood cell count the better for a cyclist. This is one of the reasons why so much doping is done to increase the amount of red blood cells which in turn increases the amount of oxygen to the cells. The question is: Is there a legal way to increase the number of red blood cells in a persons system?
Hi Bike Jesus,
There are a number of supplements that claim to increase RBC count. However at this point I’m not aware of anything that has quality research supporting those claims. When it comes to RBC count you can look at training, genetics, and altitude. Assuming you’re following an ideal training program the one other area you can affect is altitude. While it’s probably not likely that you can move to Colorado anytime soon, you can look into purchasing a VO2 max/altitude tent.
Chances are there are ways to peak your VO2 through your training plan – I would recommend that avenue first.
Nick
Do you have questions for the trainer? Then send them to us and we’ll post Nick’s answer!
Nick is the Director of Performance at TMI Sports Performance in Arlington and is an avid off-road triathlete. Contact him with your injury prevention and run specific strength training questions at nick.clayton@tmisportsperformance.com – put Wheelbrothers in the subject line.
BikeTexas and Adventure Cycling Association have joined forces to host Adventure Cycling Association’s executive director, Jim Sayer, on a whirlwind visit to Texas (December 6 – 12), with stops in Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin.
Sayer will travel around the state, sharing the latest news on bicycle travel and adventures in North America (and perhaps beyond!) and looking to the year ahead, with new routes, trips, and policy and outreach initiatives to improve bicycling and bike travel in the US. Plus, BikeTexas executive director Robin Stallings will provide a sneak preview of the upcoming state legislative session as well as an update on the Texas Bicycle Tourism Trail network, and how it relates to the U.S. Bicycle Route System effort led by Adventure Cycling
There will also be time for participants to share their thoughts, ideas, and stories at these events, which are free and open to the public.
Adventure Cycling Association is the largest membership cycling organization in North America with over 44,000 members. Established in 1973, Adventure Cycling has mapped more than 40,000 miles of cycling routes, leads more than forty-five guided cycling tours each year, and advocates for improvements in cycling infrastructure nationwide.
Please join BikeTexas and Adventure Cycling for one of these fun-filled evenings. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by emailing Sarah Raz, at sraz@adventurecycling.org or by calling her at 800-755-2453 x210.
Source: BikeTexas.org
Bicycles Inc. Arlington would like to invite you to join us in their Century of the Month Ride on December 4, 2010 in the city of Arlington, TX. We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Eddie Holsopple, the Store Manger of Bicycle Inc. Arlington about their ride this week.
How long has the event been around and how did it start?
The ride started in Sept. 2008. It started as promotion for the stores new location. I have a great costumer Rick Wilson a very active member of the Ft. Worth Bicycle Association had the Idea of a century ride very month a few years ago. it had a small bit of success. We talked about what would bring more riders. So we added the shorter distances so new riders could work up the a 100 mile ride.
What was the motivation behind starting this event and if there are any who benefits from it?
We don’t charge for the ride so there is not a Beneficiary of the ride. We thought it could be good for riders of all levels(give them a monthly free ride)the store (bring riders into the store).
How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?
As far a volunteers, there has been several who help but mostly my employees. It costs a good amount every month but it is worth it.
How many port-a-potties do you have?
As far a port-a-potties and rest stops go. We set the route to go by stores where there are bathrooms and places to buy any food or water that is needed.
What’s the average number of riders who finish the ride?
We have averaged around 90 riders per month. Some months we get over huge turn out like in July we have a Tour De France ride. On that ride we make French breakfast with Sweet Crepes, Crescents, eggs and fruit. We have the Tour on TV just have fun.
What was the worst accident you had in this event?
Accidents are an unfortunate part of cycling. Lucky for us the group brakes up and the different levels of riders divide naturally. Rides at similar abilities tined to go smoother.We ask that everyone fallow the traffic laws. Remember car always win. We have had a few accident along the way. There have been mostly dog bites, and few crashes. The worst crash we’ve had have been a broken collar bone.
Any celebrities joining the ride?
Celebrities? Local cycling celebs yes(Rick Wilson, Greg Philips, Jeff & Lauri Donavon.& Casey Gordon) Entertainment celebs not yet.
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
We just want people to come out have fun ride there bikes enjoy the roads we have there in the south part of the Metroplex and Support our sport.
Thanks Eddie Holsopple for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!
Click here to view the event details for the Bicycles Inc.’s Century of the Month Ride
Ever wondered if Cycling in heat can improve your Cycling performance? This awesome article by GRETCHEN REYNOLDS of nytimes.com can answer your question about Cycling training in hot climate.
The cyclists who were heat acclimated performed anywhere from 4 to 8 percent better than they had before they trained in the heat, while the control group did not improve at all. “That’s a huge difference when you’re talking about competitive performance,” said Dr. Santiago Lorenzo, the lead author of the study and now a postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. He also competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens as a decathlete.
“We were surprised,” he continued, and not just that heat acclimation should have any positive effect on the riders’ performances, “but by the magnitude and consistency of that performance benefit. It was really quite dramatic.”
Ron who is one of the Wheelbrothers placed 4th in the Men’s California Climbing Championship. We caught up with him this week to bounce a bunch of questions of him!
Ron, tell us a little bit about you. How old are you, family? What got you into cycling?
I’ve been living in Texas since 1999. Before coming to the Lone Star state, I spend most my life in California. I’m 42 years, been married to my college sweetheart Kristie for 18 years and have two daughters aged 12 and 9.
What got me into cycling is kind of a sad story. My father was a great cyclist and rode every day. When I was younger I thought riding a bike was about the dumbest thing you could ever do. Although he would have loved for me to ride with him, I never did. It wasn’t until he passed away in 2005 that I got into cycling to honor his memory. Once I started riding, I fell in love with it. Now I know what made him so passionate about riding. Every time I get on the bike I think of him and do my best to make him proud.
How often do you train?
I train every day. Some days are harder than others but training for me is no different than eating and sleeping in the sense that it’s something I know I’m going to do every day in some capacity.
Do you have a life?
Besides cycling? Yes I do. I enjoy camping with my family and watching sports when I can catch my favorite teams on TV.
Do you listen to music while you train?
Absolutely. I couldn’t imagine training without some tunes to listen to.
What kind of music?
Mostly 70’s and 80’s music. I’m not a real fan of current day music which means I sound just like my Dad.
Do you train indoor/outdoor?
Both. I like training indoors so I can really focus on getting a hard workout in a controlled environment. It’s nice to be able to go all out to the point where you feel like you’re going to collapse and not have to worry about cars, bad roads or an aggressive dog.
Where is your favorite place to train?
I have a favorite route, which I’ve taken a lot of the Wheel Brothers on, near my house. It’s a 30-40 mile route with some good climbs; well good for Texas.
What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you regarding cycling?
When I first started riding a friend told me to remember that at the end of the day, the only person you’re truly competing against is yourself. This is the best way to measure your progress on the bike. In order to know if you’re getting better, keep a daily log and track your results. Since a lot of races and rallies are annual events, it’s always a great way to see if your performance is improving.
What would you advise a new rider to do that would be most beneficial to them?
If your goal is to become a strong rider, try to ride with people that are better than you. I’ve found that most people in this sport are always willing to support and encourage new riders. Also, don’t forget to do one ride a week by yourself. This training is important so that you understand what it feels like to not have the benefit of sucking someone’s wheel for 60 miles. There will come a time when you get dropped that you’ll have to bridge a gap on your own. When this happens, and it will, you need to know what it feels like to get in the drops, put your head down and pedal without the benefit of a draft. I see more people than you can imagine that don’t know how to ride by themselves and just give up once they’re dropped from the pack.
What does a typical day/week look like for you training wise?
During the week I train indoors and focus on a routine of various intervals and hill climb workouts for about 1 to 1 ½ hours. On the weekends, when I’m not racing, I’ll do a group ride on Saturday and an individual training ride on Sunday.
What got you into racing?
After a couple of years of training on my own and doing some rallies, which can be a great way to get prepared for race speed and tactics, I decided to see how I would do against other racers. My first race was in 2008 in Greenville. I finished 8th and had such a great time that I knew it was something that I had to do on a regular basis.
What kind of bike you ride?
I ride a Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL2.
What do you eat before big races?
Probably not the food you should. As my friends will attest, I’ve been known to go to Cici’s all you can eat pizza buffet and get my carbs by sucking down pizza and bread sticks. I’m not sure I’d recommend it for everyone but it seems to work for me.
What made you enter the climbing championship?
Since I love to climb, I was looking for challenging races across the United States that focused on climbing. When I came across the California Climbing Championship in 2008, I knew it was going to be a challenge. I mean any race that’s classified as the undisputed hardest 2-day race in the U.S. has to be the ultimate experience.
How long is the course,etc.?
The race covers 2 days and 6 mountain passes. Day one is 120 miles and 15,500 feet of climbing. Day 2 is 88 miles and 13,500. What makes this race even more challenging is that the last climb each day is the toughest. The day one climb up to South Lake is 19 miles and 6,100 feet with the last ½ mile averaging 12%. As for day two, the climb up to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine forest is the hardest climb of the event. Its 20 miles and 6,500 feet with the first 5 miles averaging 9% and the last 3 miles averaging 10%.
Tell me a little about how the race played out?
My objective was to try and not go out too hard and try and save something for the last climb each day. With the adrenaline pumping, it’s sometimes hard to back off and ride at a 90% effort. This approach worked pretty well as I felt great after the first two climbs and had something in the tank for the last climb each day.
Every day a small group of 8-10 riders would take off within the first mile. My natural tendency would be to stay with the group but I decided to stick with my strategy and not push myself too hard to soon. This approach worked very well as I caught the remnants of the lead group on the third climb and was able to pull away from them on the steeper sections of the mountain.
How do you feel about it?
Great. Now that I know what it feels like to do this ride, I’m looking forward to next year where I hope to improve my overall time by 1 hour.
What was the final result?
I raced in the men’s Public/Open classification and finished 4th on day one, 4th on day two and 4th overall with a cumulative time of 15 hours and 40 minutes.
How long did it take you to recover?
I took the next day off but go back on the bike the following day for a recovery ride. Although I kept riding and training since I had a few upcoming races in October to get ready for, it took me a good week to get back to 100% where I could go all out for an extended period.
Lastly, how did you end up becoming a Wheelbrother?
I started riding with the Wheel Brothers in 2009 via an invitation from Eugene and joined them for several training rides. Most recently we all rode the Hotter N’ Hell bike ride in August together.
Riding with the guys is a lot of fun. There are bunch of great guys, who are also pretty strong riders. I really enjoy the training rides, when some of the guys will take a run at me on a climb. I’m always on my toes when I see a climb and have to be prepared, to chase someone down who takes off. I can honestly say, that I have to go pretty deep in the effort tank to hold off some of the guys, who are definitely up to the challenge.
All in all, the best part of the Wheel Brothers is, that it’s a group of guys with varying skills that all enjoy being on the bike. Everyone is out there to make sure, that each teammate stays with the group and has a good time.
We don’t quite buy the part, about going deep in the tank but you are to kind
Congratulations on riding an incredible race and just maybe, you have one or two brothers join you next year!
Thank you Ron for taking the time to do this Interview!
Day1:
Day 2:
More about the Everest Challenge here: www.everestchallange.com
The Schlumberger Cycling Club, along with the ConocoPhillips Bike Club and the Chevron Cycling Club would like to invite you to join us at the 4th Annual Independence Ride taking place on November 13 in the city of Wallis, TX. The event raises money to help bring our disabled veterans from the Gulf war back into society and regain their independence.
We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Neil Campbell of Wallis Independence Ride to ask some questions about their upcoming event happening on November 13, 2010
How long has the event been around and how did it start? This will be our 4th annual ride. It is always held on one of the weekends bookending Veterans day in November.
What was the motivation behind starting this event and who benefits from it? A few of us in our cycling club decided to get a bunch of riders together for a long ride in the fall of 2007, each invite a friend and throw in $20-30 each. We would give all the money raised to a charity. A suggestion from one of the riders, to give the money to disabled veterans from the Gulf war was received unanimously. We contacted the Independence fund and the rest is history. That first year, with just 3 months of planning, we had close to 400 riders show up and raised over $60,000 with ride registrations plus some corporate and personal donations. We brought in a dozen disabled veterans from across the country and took great pleasure in helping many of them regain even a little piece of independence
How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past? Much of the money we have raised has paid for the expenses of the veterans to come in for the weekend (flights, hotels, transportation, meals, etc.). Anything left over has been used to help purchase ibot wheel chairs and specialized cycles to suit specific veterans disabilities.
Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances and planning it takes to put on this event? We need a team of about 240 volunteers to make the weekend go smoothly. Many of those come from the Schlumberger Cycling Club but we gets lots of unsolicited help too. I have a team of 26 committee chairs who step up for specific needs (veterans logistics, printing shirts, coordinating volunteers, arranging for food, etc.) Money is one of our biggest hurdles as we don’t really know how many veterans we can afford to make travel arrangements for until we have some idea of how much will be available. Unfortunately this year the corporate sponsorship is down so our ability to bring is lots of veterans has been hampered.
Which was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event? Two years ago we had a local vet participate in the ride. He is a triple amputee. We strapped him into the seat of a specialized hand cycle and with just one usable limb, an arm, he rode 24 miles on his own. He came back to the finish line with tears in his eyes. It wasn’t pain, but joy and excitement for what he had been able to accomplish. Each year we try to pick out one of the incoming veterans to make a special presentation of a new specially adapted cycle at the Friday evening dinner. Two years ago it was a recumbent tricycle for a young guy suffering from a traumatic brain injury. Last year it was a tandem bike for a blind guy. This year it is going to be a specialized cycle for a quadriplegic.
What’s the average number of riders per year who finish the race? They all finish….LOL…. some just do more distance than others. We had around 700 total riders last year including over 60 veterans.
How many riders do you medically assist during the average race? We have actually assisted more non-disabled veterans than disabled veterans with medical needs. The veterans are very resilient and do not ask for much assistance, even though it is available. Last year we partnered up a fit rider with most of the veterans to ride alongside and be there just in case.
What was the worst accident you had in this event? As stated above, the worst incident was a non-disabled rider. The rider got her wheel crossed with another just a few miles from the finish and went down hard. She had to be transported to the hospital by ambulance with a concussion.
What can folks do to support you and your mission? As stated above, money is always a big need. People can go online to the independence fund website at http://www.independencefund.org/ to donate or if they come to the ride they can throw donations in the box. If they are able to ride even 12 miles we encourage them to register to ride. Registration is done through our ride website at www.wallisride.com<http://www.wallisride.com>
How many port-a-potties do you have? 34, including a few handicap ones
Any celebrities joining the ride? Certainly some unsung heros but no big names this year. We are already working hard to have Gary Sinese and his world renown Lt. Dan Band to come be the key entertainment next year. Gary is better known as Lt. Dan from the Forest Gump movie and is more recently known as the boss from CSI New York. He was the celebrity figure in a similar event this year in Beaufort SC and brought in lots of participants.
Additional stuff you would like to let folks know about this years ride? Come one, come all. Watch a couple of videos below and become convinced. If any folks have items (football tickets, basketball tickets, hotel coupons, golf passes, etc. that would sell on our silent auction, we could always stand to have more items on the table. Last year we raised $4500 alone on the silent auction.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyJu_7BocR4]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIvr-5QZfe4]
Thank you Neil for granting this quick interview and we hope with this small thing we can help your cause.
Click here to view the event details for the Wallis Independence Ride
Wallis, TX.–A group of veterans from across the country will descend upon the small town of Wallis, TX this Veterans Day Weekend to participate in the 4th Annual, Wallis Independence Ride. Coordinated by the Schlumberger Cycling Club, the event has been organized for the past four years in order to raise funds for the Independence Fund, a veteran run non-profit organization that helps injured troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Indy Fund (www.independecefund.org) has purchased 20 robotic wheel chairs for injured veterans as part of its mission. The $25,000 iBOT® chairs generally are not covered by military insurance policies.
Army Sgt Major, Jesse Acosta, who was blinded in an attack in Iraq in 2006, has been to all of the Wallis Independence Rides. Acosta sees it as his duty to raise money and awareness for other injured veterans.
“We shouldn’t forget them. It is an honor they have served their nation.”
According to the Independence Fund’s founder, LtCol Steve Danyluk, “The bike ride will provide the opportunity for a myriad of organizations, caregivers, donors and concerned citizens to interact with these heroes in a personal manner that we believe will result in many other positive things.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJMjBqiZCAA]
Ride Director, Neil Campbell is also in his fourth year with the Wallis Independence Ride. “Each year we do this it gets bigger and better. It’s so important to welcome these guys home into the community.”
The Independence Fund is a 501(c)3 organization. Donations to the group are tax-deductible and help provide injured troops with the tools, therapies and guidance that they might not otherwise be receiving. The Indy Fund has no paid staff and is run entirely by combat veterans.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Steve Danyluk, Independence Fund, 434-409-0506
SMAJ Jesse Acosta, 562-447-4235
Neil Campbell, 832-607-5156
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.independencefund.org
www.wallisride.com
