The Newsletter for Road Cyclists

Fending off the winter blues with cross-training

eve all been there, midfebruary in most areas of the United States can be an incredibly difficult time to motivate yourself to hop on the bike for a training ride. Sub-freezing temperatures typically arent the environment that most cyclists want to ride in, even for die-hard cyclists. For years I was able to convince myself that there simply is no other alternative, I must train on the bike I would tell myself, until one year I completely lost all desire to ride. A good friend of mine, encouraged me to try something different. He himself had run into the same situation I now found myself. He called it burnout, and it wasnt fun.

Fortunately through this ordeal, I discovered that not only is it OK to add different types of training to your normal regiment, but its actually very beneficial. Cross-training in other sports helps you to build core muscle groups necessary for cycling, and helps to break up the monotony that you may feel from 10 months of strictly bike training. Weve created a sidebar to the right that summarizes several of the best cross-training activities that we have found to help improve your core muscle groups related to cycling and will give your body and your mind a rest from the typical training that you would get on the bike.

Snowshoeing. If you live anywhere where snowfall is fairly regular throughout the winter months, you can throw on a pair of snowshoes and begin your workout the minute you get outside! Cross-country Skiing. Again, this activity somewhat depends on the fact that you have snow in your area, but it provides an excellent cardiovascular workout and mixes up the routine. In-line Skating. Burnout doesnt happen only in the winter months, it can strike in the middle of racing season. When it does, put on the inline skates and enjoy the workout! Running. Careful with this one as it can put more strain on your knees than cycling does. However, the cardio benefits are tremendous and you can run regardless of the weather. Hiking. For a low-impact alternative to running, give hiking a try. Again, this can be done in virtually any weather condition and if you search out some decent climbs, you can obtain a nice mental and physical workout.

Snowshoeing is an excelling cross-training activity that will improve your cycling strength in the coming season.

Caring for Those Wheels

By Howie Spinsalot

Routine Maintenance

Your are probably one of the most important parts of your bike. They are the key component in reducing rolling resistance on your bike which is what helps to make you a faster rider. In addition, your wheels (more specifically your tires) are the only part of your bike that should come in contact with the ground. If its not the only thing that came in contact with the ground, then youve had a bad day! My point being, You dropped several hundred bucks for the wheels, yet why do they seem to get the least amount of attention when it comes to the parts of your bike? So what exactly needs to be done to those wheels and how often? Well, first and formost you should have those hubs repacked every year and possibly twice a year depending on how many miles you put on your bike and in what conditions you ride in. If youre a die hard rider that puts 5,000 plus miles on your bike each year, then youll need to have those hubs repacked twice a year. In addition, if you regularly brave the bad weather and ride in wet and rainy conditions, you fall into this category as well. When it comes to repacking those hubs, have a reputable bike shop do the work. Trust me its not worth the risk doing it yourself if you dont know what youre doing. If you are determined to do it yourself, pick up a good book or ask the local wrench at your bike shop to show you how. Often if you throw him a couple of extra bucks hell be more than happy to show you how to do it. Its not exactly the most sought after task performed by your bike shop mechanic! Either way make sure the job is done correctly. In addition to repacking the hubs, make sure that there are no broken spokes on any of your wheels. If there are, again, have them replaced. Also, make sure that none of the spokes are bent or loose, if they are, replace them as well. Once your spokes are taken care of, have the wheel trued. Nothing adds rolling resistance to a bike like an out of true wheel. Finally, make sure that you replace your tires yearly or sooner depending on your annual mileage and the conditions under which you ride. Torn or frayed sidewalls are an accident waiting to happen! Also check for dry rot. Depending on the age of the tires, having your bike hang in the garage over the winter months could cause your tires to deteriorate and show signs of dry rot. If you are going to store your bike for any length of time, its a good idea to let the air out of the tires until youre ready to ride again. Follow these tips and you are well on your way to a fun and safe year of riding. Check out this article next month when I go over proper crank maintenance. Until next issue, stay safe and keep the rubber side down!

Race Calendar
January
January 05, Jessup Jam. Jessup, MD. United States: 212.222.2222 www.jjam.com. January 05, Tour de Phoenix. Phoenix, AZ. United States: 602.333.3333 www.tourdephoenix. com. January 06, Austin Road Race. Austin, TX. United States: 512.123.45678 www.austinrr.com. January 06, Bay Area Crit. San Francisco, CA. United States: 415.222.2222 www.baycrit.com. January 06, Orlando Time Trial. Orlando, FL. United States: 407.123.4567 www.orlandott.com. January 06, Cyclocross Series 1. Bangor, ME. United States: 212.222.2222 www.wintercross. com. January 12, Boone Road Race. Boone, NC. United States: 828.555.5555 www.boonerr.com. January 12, Katahdin Cross. Mt. Katahdin, ME. United States: 207.222.2222 www.kcross.com. January 13, Indoor Time Trial Series 1. Scranton, PA. United States: 570.567.8910 www.scrantontt.com. January 19, Winter WonderRace. Cleveland, OH. United States: 216.772.2222 www.wwrace.com. January 20, Alberta Clipper. Boston, MA. United States: 617.234.2222 www.albertaclipperrace.com.

January 20, Tucson Classic. Tucson, AZ. United States: 520.222.2222 www.tucsonclassic. com. January 26, Neversink Circuit Race. Exeter, PA. United States: 610.123.8888 www.neversinkracegroup.com. January 26, White Mountain Jamboree. Albany, NY. United States: 518.222.2222 www.wmountainjam.com. January 27, Indoor Time Trial Series 2. Scranton, PA. United States: 570.567.8910 www.scrantontt.com.

February 16, Toledo Tornado. Toledo, OH. United States: 419.222.2222 www.toledotornado. com. February 16, Rocket Road Race. Atlanta, GA. United States: 404.222.2222 www.rocketrr.com. February 17, Fountain Road Hillclimb. Boulder, CO. United States: 303.222.2222 www.fountainhillclimb.com. February 23, Flagstaff Fun Ride. Flagstaff, AZ. United States: 602.222.2222 www.flagride.com. February 24, Sonoma Classic. Sonoma, CA. United States: 888.222.2222 www.sonomaclassic. com.

February
February 02, Frigid Tandem Ride. Saratoga Springs, NY. United States: 518.222.2222 www.frigidride.com. February 02, Winter Fun Cross. Morgantown, WV. United States: 304.555.6789 www.funcross.com. February 03, Indoor Time Trial Series 3. Scranton, PA. United States: 570.567.8910 www.scrantontt.com. February 03-07, Wheatfield Stage Race. Albuquerque, NM. United States: 505.222.2222 www.wheatfieldstagerace.com. February 09, Mt Washington Hill Climb. Mount Washington, VT. United States: 802.222.2222 www. mwhillclimb.com. February 10, Camelback Circuit Race. Pocono Mountain, PA. United States: 480.222.2222 www. camelbackcrit.com.

March
March 01, St Pattys Road Race. Boston, MA. United States: 617.222.2222 www.pattyrr.com. March 01, Leprechaun Crit. New York, NY. United States: 202.222.2222 www.nycrit.com. March 02, Windy City Time Trial. Chicago, IL. United States: 312.222.2222 www.windycitytt. com. March 02, Spring Classic Series 1. Atlanta, GA. United States: 404.222.2222 www.atlantawheelmen.com. March 03, Half-wheel Road Race. Reading, PA. United States: 610.222.2222 www.halfwheel.com.

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