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SPRING TRAINING ISSUE
MARCH 2010
BICYCLING.COM
10 Amazing Rides
{
Theres One Near You
}

Your 4-Week Plan

Simple Workouts


How to Get
StartedToday
FIX IT OR
REPLACE IT?
A FOOLPROOF
GUIDE
PAGE 56
TESTED: THE
WIND-CHEATING
KESTREL TALON,
PAGE 74.
DI SPL AY UNT I L 0 3 / 0 2 / 1 0
GET FIT
& FAST
PARTY
AT LANCES
PLACE
PAGE 21
5 CYCLING RULES
TO LIVE BY
Beginners
Todd, Team Capt ai n
f or Team BP, r i di ng
i n Bi ke MS si nce 1999
I T S MORE THAN THE
CHALLENGE
Gate (Cover 2)-7.25x10.25_Final_v3.indd 1 12/18/09 2:07 PM
Back (Cover 3)-7.25x10.25_Final_v3.indd 1 12/18/09 2:04 PM
J OI N THE MOVEMENT

Si nce 1980, 1. 6 mi l l i on cycl i st s have r ai sed


mor e t han $836 mi l l i on and cycl ed over
246 mi l l i on mi l es to create a worl d free of MS.
(Cover 4)-7.625x10.25_Final_v3.indd 1 12/18/09 2:41 PM
WHI CH BI KE MS RI DE WI LL
YOU CHOOSE?
Lear n mor e about our 100 Bi ke MS Ri des
t hr oughout t he count r y and f i nd out how
you can wi n 1 of 20 Speci al i zed

Bi kes.
bi keMS. or g
Page 1 Ad-7.875x10.25_Final_v3.indd 1 12/18/09 2:14 PM
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Client: GNC
Job No:
Created by: Jonathan Thompson
Applications: InDesign
Job Description: GNC Pro-Amp - Bicyling Mag. Spread
Document Name: GNC_15.75x10.5_BICY_Run_RW_09_biker/
wheyprotein.indd
Final Spread Trim: 15.75 w x 10.5 h
Bleed: 16.125 w x 10.75 h
Safety: 14.875 w x 9.75 h
Date Created: 03.13.09
Date Revised: 03.25.09
7 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 212/ 343-5829
Bicyling/Running/Runners World Sprd

Spread Trim: 15.75 w x 10.5 h
Spread Bleed: 16.125 w x 10.75 h
Spread Safety: 14.875 w x 9.75 h
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ITS YOU VS. YOU
FUEL LEAN MUSCLE, 142% FASTER.
*
NEW
THE ULTI MATE LI NE OF PEAK PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
I N V E S T I N Y O U R P E R S O N A L B E S T .
SHOP NATIONWIDE OR AT GNC.COM
The breakthrough formulations of Pro Performance

AMP are designed to increase workout


stamina, power, endurance, energy and strength. Amplied Whey Protein

gives you 142%


faster absorption of critical amino acids that fuel muscles.* Now, with Pro Performance

AMP
by GNC, you can bridge the gap between the athlete you are and the athlete you can be.
CLINICALLY TESTED. PROVEN RESULTS. ONLY AT GNC.
*In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study of 16 healthy male volunteers, subjects experienced signicantly higher maximum concentrations of total amino
acids, branched chain amino acids and leucine one hour post-ingestion of the protein blend in GNC Pro Performance

AMP Amplied Whey Protein

relative to amino acid


concentrations measured post-ingestion of whey protein concentrate. Signicant differences for the rate of change of BCAA and leucine absorption were also observed
relative to the control group. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease. Call 1.800.477.4462 or visit gnc.com for the store nearest you. 2009 General Nutrition Corporation. May not be available outside the U.S. Ad: Arnell Photo: Arnell
Competing in a race or simply doing a long training ride
demands physical and mental energy to go the distance.
Long, hard efforts deplete the natural glycogen stores
that your body needs for boosts of energy. When those
energy reserves are low toward the end of a ride, you
can hit the wall.
Pro Performance

AMP is GNCs new line of advanced


muscle performance products designed to help you
break through that wall. For years, endurance athletes
relied on carbo-loading to store up energy. However,
clinical research now indicates that adding protein to
the mix is essential to keep you strong. Protein also
has the added benet of replenishing your body with
amino acids necessary for muscle rebuilding and
recovery.
Pro Performance

AMP is a complete line of supplements


that gives endurance athletes an edge. It was developed
through rigorous clinical trials to bring you the highest
quality ingredients for the greatest possible benets.
It includes several protein supplement options as
well as products that improve endurance and help
sustain high energy levels. When training for your
next competition, give yourself an advantage with
Pro Performance

AMP.
THE NEW
BEST IN CLASS.
AMPLIFIED MUSCLE IGNITER 4X
Amplify your training performance with this four-phase workout
enhancer. It delivers 300% pre-workout calorie burn,
3
improves
physical and mental intensity, improves cardio endurance by ve
minutes
4
and provides antioxidant protection. This metabolic
modier will help you get to the next level.
300%
PRE-WORKOUT
CALORIE BURN
142%
FASTER
ABSORPTION
AMPLIFIED MAXERTION N.O.

Nitric oxide helps blood sugar deliver more oxygen and nutrients to
your muscles. Amplied Maxertion N.O.

is the rst and only nitric
oxide product clinically shown to delay muscle fatigue and boost
intensity. In fact, its been shown to improve physical performance by
20% so you can increase your power and stretch your distance.
2

AMPLIFIED WHEY PROTEIN

Get more bang for your buck with GNCs fast-acting Amplied
Whey Protein

. It delivers 40 grams of technologically enhanced


protein, which you need to build and repair muscle. And its proven
to get more key amino acids into your blood better and 142% faster
than ordinary whey protein.
1
Because its all about fast.
1
In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study of 16 healthy male volunteers, subjects experienced signicantly higher maximum concentrations of total amino acids, branched chain amino acids and leucine one hour post-ingestion of the protein blend in
GNC Pro Performance

AMP Amplied Whey Protein

relative to amino acid concentrations measured post-ingestion of whey protein concentrate. Signicant differences for the rate of change of BCAA and leucine absorption were also observed relative to the
control group.
2
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 50 healthy, untrained male volunteers were given Amplied Maxertion N.O.

or a placebo. Each subject exercised on a cycle ergometer prior to receiving the supplement or placebo and
again after the treatment period was nished. Those subjects supplemented with Amplied Maxertion N.O.

had a 20% increase in PWCFT (physical working capacity at the fatigue threshold) after four weeks of supplementation relative to the placebo group.
3
In a clinical study, a group of 25 participants exercised on the treadmill on two occasions. On one occasion they used the calorie burn blend in Amplied Muscle Igniter 4X 60 minutes before exercise and on the second occasion, they took a placebo. Results
showed a 300% increase in calorie burning before exercise when subjects consumed the calorie burn blend compared to results observed on placebo.
4
A study of 29 physically t and healthy young adult male subjects averaging about four hours of exercise
a week cycling to exhaustion at 80% VO2 max showed that these individuals were able to increase performance measured by time to exhaustion by nearly ve minutes longer than when taking a placebo. These statements have not been evaluated by the
Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Call 1.800.477.4462 or visit gnc.com for the store nearest you. 2009 General Nutrition Corporation. May not be available outside the U.S.
T
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Trim
B
l
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Bleed
Safety
S
a
f
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t
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G
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t
e
r
Client: GNC
Job No:
Created by: Jonathan Thompson
Applications: InDesign
Job Description: GNC Pro-Amp - Bicyling Mag. Spread
Document Name: GNC_15.75x10.5_BICY_Run_RW_09_biker/
wheyprotein.indd
Final Spread Trim: 15.75 w x 10.5 h
Bleed: 16.125 w x 10.75 h
Safety: 14.875 w x 9.75 h
Date Created: 03.13.09
Date Revised: 03.25.09
7 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 212/ 343-5829
Bicyling/Running/Runners World Sprd

Spread Trim: 15.75 w x 10.5 h
Spread Bleed: 16.125 w x 10.75 h
Spread Safety: 14.875 w x 9.75 h
T
r
i
m
Trim
S
a
f
e
t
y
B
l
e
e
d
Bleed
Safety
G
u
t
t
e
r
T
r
i
m
Trim
B
l
e
e
d
S
a
f
e
t
y
Safety
Bleed
T
r
i
m
Trim
Bleed
Safety
S
a
f
e
t
y
B
l
e
e
d
ITS YOU VS. YOU
FUEL LEAN MUSCLE, 142% FASTER.
*
NEW
THE ULTI MATE LI NE OF PEAK PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
I N V E S T I N Y O U R P E R S O N A L B E S T .
SHOP NATIONWIDE OR AT GNC.COM
The breakthrough formulations of Pro Performance

AMP are designed to increase workout


stamina, power, endurance, energy and strength. Amplied Whey Protein

gives you 142%


faster absorption of critical amino acids that fuel muscles.* Now, with Pro Performance

AMP
by GNC, you can bridge the gap between the athlete you are and the athlete you can be.
CLINICALLY TESTED. PROVEN RESULTS. ONLY AT GNC.
*In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study of 16 healthy male volunteers, subjects experienced signicantly higher maximum concentrations of total amino
acids, branched chain amino acids and leucine one hour post-ingestion of the protein blend in GNC Pro Performance

AMP Amplied Whey Protein

relative to amino acid


concentrations measured post-ingestion of whey protein concentrate. Signicant differences for the rate of change of BCAA and leucine absorption were also observed
relative to the control group. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease. Call 1.800.477.4462 or visit gnc.com for the store nearest you. 2009 General Nutrition Corporation. May not be available outside the U.S. Ad: Arnell Photo: Arnell
Competing in a race or simply doing a long training ride
demands physical and mental energy to go the distance.
Long, hard efforts deplete the natural glycogen stores
that your body needs for boosts of energy. When those
energy reserves are low toward the end of a ride, you
can hit the wall.
Pro Performance

AMP is GNCs new line of advanced


muscle performance products designed to help you
break through that wall. For years, endurance athletes
relied on carbo-loading to store up energy. However,
clinical research now indicates that adding protein to
the mix is essential to keep you strong. Protein also
has the added benet of replenishing your body with
amino acids necessary for muscle rebuilding and
recovery.
Pro Performance

AMP is a complete line of supplements


that gives endurance athletes an edge. It was developed
through rigorous clinical trials to bring you the highest
quality ingredients for the greatest possible benets.
It includes several protein supplement options as
well as products that improve endurance and help
sustain high energy levels. When training for your
next competition, give yourself an advantage with
Pro Performance

AMP.
THE NEW
BEST IN CLASS.
AMPLIFIED MUSCLE IGNITER 4X
Amplify your training performance with this four-phase workout
enhancer. It delivers 300% pre-workout calorie burn,
3
improves
physical and mental intensity, improves cardio endurance by ve
minutes
4
and provides antioxidant protection. This metabolic
modier will help you get to the next level.
300%
PRE-WORKOUT
CALORIE BURN
142%
FASTER
ABSORPTION
AMPLIFIED MAXERTION N.O.

Nitric oxide helps blood sugar deliver more oxygen and nutrients to
your muscles. Amplied Maxertion N.O.

is the rst and only nitric
oxide product clinically shown to delay muscle fatigue and boost
intensity. In fact, its been shown to improve physical performance by
20% so you can increase your power and stretch your distance.
2

AMPLIFIED WHEY PROTEIN

Get more bang for your buck with GNCs fast-acting Amplied
Whey Protein

. It delivers 40 grams of technologically enhanced


protein, which you need to build and repair muscle. And its proven
to get more key amino acids into your blood better and 142% faster
than ordinary whey protein.
1
Because its all about fast.
1
In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study of 16 healthy male volunteers, subjects experienced signicantly higher maximum concentrations of total amino acids, branched chain amino acids and leucine one hour post-ingestion of the protein blend in
GNC Pro Performance

AMP Amplied Whey Protein

relative to amino acid concentrations measured post-ingestion of whey protein concentrate. Signicant differences for the rate of change of BCAA and leucine absorption were also observed relative to the
control group.
2
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 50 healthy, untrained male volunteers were given Amplied Maxertion N.O.

or a placebo. Each subject exercised on a cycle ergometer prior to receiving the supplement or placebo and
again after the treatment period was nished. Those subjects supplemented with Amplied Maxertion N.O.

had a 20% increase in PWCFT (physical working capacity at the fatigue threshold) after four weeks of supplementation relative to the placebo group.
3
In a clinical study, a group of 25 participants exercised on the treadmill on two occasions. On one occasion they used the calorie burn blend in Amplied Muscle Igniter 4X 60 minutes before exercise and on the second occasion, they took a placebo. Results
showed a 300% increase in calorie burning before exercise when subjects consumed the calorie burn blend compared to results observed on placebo.
4
A study of 29 physically t and healthy young adult male subjects averaging about four hours of exercise
a week cycling to exhaustion at 80% VO2 max showed that these individuals were able to increase performance measured by time to exhaustion by nearly ve minutes longer than when taking a placebo. These statements have not been evaluated by the
Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Call 1.800.477.4462 or visit gnc.com for the store nearest you. 2009 General Nutrition Corporation. May not be available outside the U.S.
Getting dirty. To those with the go-anywhere capability of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
and a passion for mountain biking it just comes naturally. And with help from our
dedicated partners, you can be sure there will be plenty of muddy trails and a means to
enjoy them for a long time to come. Love. Its what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.
Cars and bikes united by
a mutual love of mud.
03.10
MARCH 2010 VOLUME LI NUMBER 2
74
The Most Bike
for Your Buck
We test new road machines
from Gary Fisher, Kestrel,
Motobecane, Scott and
Specializedthat deliver tons
of performance for the price.
PLUS: Jump-startor restartyour season
in just 4 weeks with this simple plan, and nd
out how much of your genetic potential youre
actually using. BY JEREMY KATZ
FIX IT OR REPLACE IT?
Keep your bikes inexpensive parts in good
working order and you wont have to replace
pricey components as often. Here are signs of
wear to watch for. BY MIKE CUSHIONBURY
10 AMAZING RIDESFIND ONE NEAR YOU
It may just be a coincidence when
bunches of riders speed through your city.
But more likely its one of the unsanctioned,
undergroundand insanely funbike races
popping up all over the country. BY MATTHEW CARD
PARTY AT LANCES PLACE
It turns out Lance Armstrong really does invite
just anyone to race at his Texas ranch. But
dont despair if you missed outhes promising
to do it again this spring. BY JASON SUMNER
5 CYCLING RULES TO LIVE BY
Even the best riders screw up every once in
awhile, says our beginners columnist. Here he
tells you how to avoid the most common
newbie errors. BY ALEX STIEDA
GET FIT AND FAST
Whether youve hit a plateau after
years of cycling or want to start a training
program, the solution is the same: You
need to change the way you ride.
56
21
48
50
COVER PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL DARTER. BRUCE WEYMAN RIDES THE KESTREL TALON (TESTED p. 74) NEAR CASTAIC, CA. LASER O2
HELMET; OAKLEY RADAR GLASSES; NALINI PRO JERSEY, PRO BIBS, ENDURANCE GLOVES; SOCK GUY LUX SOCKS; GAERNE CARBON G. MYST PLUS SHOES
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on the COVER
MARCH 2010 7
BI0310TOC.indd 7 12/30/09 3:39:16 PM
12302009153959
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14 EDITORS LETTER 18 MAIL 21 START 32 BIKE SNOB 73 GEAR 104 FINISH
Featured
A RIDE WITHZDENO CHARA
We talk with the Boston Bruins star about
why cyclings fans are crazier than hockeys.
THE RIDE OF THEIR LIVES
These kids thought theyd seen it all:
meth, teen pregnancy, gang shootings. Then
they went mountain biking in
North Dakota. BY ROBIN CHOTZINOFF
Fitness + Nutrition
THE COACH
Dont let a fear of descents get you down.
FIT CHICK
Get ready to rock your early-season
races with this no-fail plan.
FUEL
Not all energy bars are created equal.
Heres how to choose the right one.
Skills + Maintenance
THIS IS YOUR...BEHIND
Four ways to help your bike and butt get along.
MASTER IT
Learn how to avoid becoming uncomfortably
numb with some simple set-up tweaks.
Bikes + Gear
EDITORS CHOICE SUNGLASSES
Three makers battle for shield supremacy.
RACE-WORTHY WHEELS
We test four clinchers from American
Classic, Bontrager, Easton and Shimano.
TIME NXR INSTINCT
Times latest offering is comfy yet lively.
WHAT BIKE SHOULD I BUY?
These great competition bikes from Felt,
Giant and Specialized cost less than $3,500.
CARGO TRAILERS
Bring your kidsor Fidoon your next ride.
THE 5: INDOOR FITNESS TOOLS
Roll, slide, bend and lift your way to
better strength and stability on the bike.
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DEPARTMENTS
8 MARCH 2010
BI0310TOC.indd 8 1/4/10 10:37:50 AM
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EDITORIAL
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MARCH 2010 VOL. 51 NO. 2
10 Bicycling MARCH 2010
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2010 Park Tool Co.
The color BLUE is a registered trademark and
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The PFP-5 is a high performance,
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Perfect for the home mechanic.
FIX THE WORLD
ONE BIKE AT A TIME
HOME MECHANIC
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J.I. Rodale
Founder, 19421971
President, Integrated Marketing
and Sales, Chief Marketing Ofcer
Chief Operating Ofcer
Chief Financial Ofcer
Executive Vice President, General Counsel
and Chief Administrative Ofcer
Executive Vice President, General
Manager and Publisher, Rodale Books
Executive Vice President, Communications
Senior Vice President, Rodale International
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Vice President, Creative Services
and Digital Product Development
Vice President, Green Culture Services
We inspire and enable people to improve
their lives and the world around them.
Gregg Michaelson
Kenneth Citron
Thomas A. Pogash
Paul McGinley

Karen Rinaldi

Robin Shallow
Michelle Meyercord
Amy L. Plasha
Steve Madden
Anita Patterson
Rodale Inc. 33 E. Minor St. Emmaus, PA 18098 610/967-5171 rodale.com
Zack Grice Associate Publisher, Marketing
Courtney Matthews Special Projects Director
12 Bicycling MARCH 2010
march masthead.indd 12 12/30/09 10:58:34 AM
12302009105926
thePortraitPhotographer.com

www.tripsforkids.org
(415)458-2986
national@tripsforkids.org
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IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS NEXTDOOR NEIGHBOR ROB WILSON AND
me, and a few others, finding ways to while away time in our suburban neighbor-
hood, free to explore anywhere we wanted as long as we didnt leave our dead-end
street. This meant some fugitive chases through yards, jumps off plywood ramps
my brother built and kamikaze runs down the nearby grassy powerline slope.
Robs black and orange Huffy was a leaden beast, too heavy for hot pursuits
or catching air or anything really, but it was still beloved because of its twistable
grip, which emitted the sound of a revving motorcycle engine. My electric-blue
Sears special with a white banana seat lacked special effects, but was faster and
more nimble. Craving even less weight and an even more streamlined lookin
other words, exhibiting roadie tendencies from day oneI stripped off the re-
flectors, handlebar streamers, fenders and chainguard. I did everything on that
bike: I climbed the hill so steep you had to zigzag, skidded, raced. And when it got
dark, which was the only thing that could stop the ride, I turned countless circles
in the driveway under the garage floodlight.
Today, my ride was a stolen hour and seven minutes at lunchtime. A few of us
changed out of our office clothes into spandex and set out on a route that would
get us back in time for afternoon meetings. Along the way we played our games:
rotating through a two-line formation of riders, sprinting for town signs. We have
winners and losers and none of it really matters, except that all of it matters to us,
and when we return and change back into our nor-
mal clothes and sit in our offices answering e-mails,
we are better for having had our recess.
We adults have schedules that make it harder
to find ride time, but in the end bikes are still toys,
in a way. Whether we are out exploring, searching
for Sunday-morning solitude, or pinning on a num-
ber, in essence were doing the same kinds of things
on rides that we did when we were kids. As Robin
Chotzinoffs story shows (The Ride of Their Lives,
page 60), bikes can have transformative powers even
for troubled kids who have rarely experienced the
sports twin benefits of fitness and fun. And in Im
Not Racing (page 68), Matthew Card writes about a
particularly playful type of ride that is increasingly
cropping up across the countrythe underground,
unsanctioned cycling event. He observes that those
informal gatherings where someone simply draws an
imaginary start line and says go can provide some
of the most rewarding, and ridiculously fun, times
on a bike, and be no less physically taxing than any
event you actually train for. I couldnt agree more.
In Case of Emergency
Starbucks is a lightning rod among cycling
coffee connoisseurs, but I freely admit to
having a few packets of its Via instant coffee in
my travel bag. Its surprisingly passable
good, evencompared with any hotel-room
brew. Via also saves me from scavenging quick
marts for a watery predawn fix before rural
races or charity rides. starbucks.com
Coffee for Your Cause
The folks at Cafe:ine coffee spend the season
traveling to cycling events and races in their
Airstream mobile coffee shop, and believe
coffee is a personal experience. Through their
custom program, you can design a label to
support your own club or cause (Team Type 1
shown here). The dark roast is particularly
delicious. cyclingcoffeecafe.com
Feeling Jittery
Jittery Joes, the small Athens, Georgia,
roaster (Perfect Day, page 26), revolutionized
my midday buzz recently when it opened a shop
near our New York City office. Better yet, Joes
is ramping up its pro cycling sponsorship
again, with Team Mountain Khakis in 2010.
Proceeds from sales of its organic Morning
Ride blend support the team. jitteryjoes.com
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With the Editor B y L o r e n Mo o n e y
14 MARCH 2010
BI0310EDLET.indd 14 1/4/10 2:39:04 PM
01042010144016
ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT
ENTER & YOU MAY
WIN
A TRIP TO ITALY
The Taste of
Victory Contest

Italy and its legendary cyclists are central
to cyclings heritage. At the heart of Italian
culture are extra virgin olive oil, pasta,
and other foods which represent the
building blocks of good nutritionand the
fuel for many of historys greatest cyclists.

How do you incorporate the delicious
taste and health benets of extra virgin
olive oil in your diet?

Tell Bicycling in 100 words or less how
youve made extra virgin olive oil an
essential training partner. Submit your
favorite pre- or post-ride snacks or meals
that incorporate extra virgin olive oil to
Bicycling.com/tasteofvictory for a
chance to win a trip to Italy.

One winner and a guest will travel to
Verona, Italy to experience the
2010 Granfondo Eddy Merckx on
June 13th. Each of you will enjoy
the race wearing the colors of
the Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling
Team, courtesy
of Giordana.
Visit
bicycling.com/tasteofvictory
to enter and for full contest rules.
No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not
improve your chances of winning. Void Where Prohibited.
Contest begins at 12:01 a.m. ET on February 1, 2010 and ends
at 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31, 2010. The Contest is open only
to legal residents of 48 United States and District of Columbia
(excluding residents of Arizona, Rhode Island, Guam, Puerto
Rico and all other U.S. territories and possessions) who are 18
years of age or older and the age of majority in his/her state,
province, or territory of residence at the time of entry. Visit
bicycling.com/tasteofvictory for the ofcial rules. Rodale Inc.,
33 East Minor Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099, is the operator
of the Contest.The winner will be judged by the following
criteria: (1) detailed description of a food pairing that includes
extra virgin olive oil as well as other food items, (2) enthusiasm
for the effect that the extra virgin olive oil food pairing has
on cycling performance, (3) organization and development
of the ideas expressed, with clear and appropriate examples
to support them, and (4) consistency in the use of language,
variety in sentence structure and range of vocabulary, use of
proper grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Taste of
Victory
IT TAKES MORE THAN HOURS OF TRAINING TO ACHIEVE OR MAINTAIN PEAK
PERFORMANCE. It takes the right fuel for your body to perform at its best. Today we know that
means including plenty of monounsaturated fatty acids like those found in extra virgin olive oil.
Monounsaturated fats help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and increase HDL (good) cholesterol.
Extra virgin olive oil, a staple in Italian cooking, contains more monounsaturated fat per serving than
any other unprocessed cooking oil.
Cyclists oen focus on carbohydrates at the expense of fata dietary habit that can actually harm
your cycling performance. When you fuel up on starch, your body learns to burn mostly sugar, so you
burn through precious glycogen stores more quickly and set yourself up for low energy or even bonking
during long hours on the bike. When you consume more healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, you re
up your fat burning metabolism, so you can ride longer with plenty of energy to burn. Fat is also
slower to digest than carbs, so it helps you stay hunger-free longer. The end result is youll be
fasterand leaner.
The Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team relies on straightforward Italian dishes incorporating
pasta, protein, vegetables, and extra virgin olive oil to maintain a balanced intake of
nutrients. Through experience, these world-class athletes know that healthy fats like
Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil not only add avor and taste to satisfy their appetites but
also provide the perfect fuel for training and racing. Visit Colavita.com for winning recipe
ideas to rev up your rides.
And the perfect nish for a pre-race meal: Baci, Peruginas
classic Italian treat thats loaded with heart-healthy hazelnuts
enveloped in antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Learn how
chocolate can be part of a healthy lifestyle at Perugina.com.
Team Colavita cyclists celebrate the start of the
racing season in Giordana technical apparel.
Photo: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us
Try these delicious
recipes from the
teams training
table before or
after your next ride.
Colavita/Bacis Tina Pic savors victory as she captures
a record sixth national US Criterium Championship title.
Photo: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us
Find more recipes at colavita.com
For team clothing,
visit giordanaUSA.com
Italian Favorites
Colavita and Baci
are a Winning Combination
1 pound Colavita tri-color fusilli
4 plum tomatoes, diced
12 pitted black olives, sliced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1
/2 teaspoon dried basil
1
/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, blanched and minced
4 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 tablespoons Colavita Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (add more if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Drain well and rinse immediately in cold water.
Shake off the excess water, add one tablespoon of
olive oil and toss. Chill until salad ingredients are
assembled.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes,
olives, onion, basil, thyme, garlic, olive oil, vinegar,
and lemon juice with the chilled pasta. Top with the
cheese. Toss well, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 6-8.
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Colavita Test Kitchen Tip: Add grilled chicken or
salmon for extra protein. Salad can be made in
advance and refrigerated to enjoy pre- or post-ride.
Serve with Sutter Home
Pinot Grigio
1 pound Colavita ditali (or any short pasta, such as soup shells)
5 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 teaspoon tomato paste
8 ounces fresh spinach
1 14-ounce can kidney beans
Pinch of dried oregano
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, nely chopped
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet until hot.
Add onion and cook until soft (about 1-2 minutes).
Add garlic, stir, and saut for 30 seconds. Add car-
rot and celery and cook until tender. Stir in the to-
mato paste until combined. Add spinach, beans, and
oregano and stir until well blended. Pour in broth
and simmer for about 1/2 hour until all ingredients
are tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
While vegetables and beans are simmering, prepare
pasta al dente according to package and
drain. Place cooked pasta in a serving
bowl and toss with bean mixture and fresh
parsley. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon
of olive oil, sprinkle with grated cheese,
and serve. Serves 4-6.
Colavita Pasta with Kidney Beans
Colavita Test Kitchen Tip: Meatless Italian dishes like
this are rich in protein and low in saturated fat. For
variety, add more broth to serve as a hearty soup.
Serve with Sutter Home
Sauvignon Blanc
ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT
ENTER & YOU MAY
WIN
A TRIP TO ITALY
The Taste of
Victory Contest

Italy and its legendary cyclists are central
to cyclings heritage. At the heart of Italian
culture are extra virgin olive oil, pasta,
and other foods which represent the
building blocks of good nutritionand the
fuel for many of historys greatest cyclists.

How do you incorporate the delicious
taste and health benets of extra virgin
olive oil in your diet?

Tell Bicycling in 100 words or less how
youve made extra virgin olive oil an
essential training partner. Submit your
favorite pre- or post-ride snacks or meals
that incorporate extra virgin olive oil to
Bicycling.com/tasteofvictory for a
chance to win a trip to Italy.

One winner and a guest will travel to
Verona, Italy to experience the
2010 Granfondo Eddy Merckx on
June 13th. Each of you will enjoy
the race wearing the colors of
the Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling
Team, courtesy
of Giordana.
Visit
bicycling.com/tasteofvictory
to enter and for full contest rules.
No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not
improve your chances of winning. Void Where Prohibited.
Contest begins at 12:01 a.m. ET on February 1, 2010 and ends
at 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31, 2010. The Contest is open only
to legal residents of 48 United States and District of Columbia
(excluding residents of Arizona, Rhode Island, Guam, Puerto
Rico and all other U.S. territories and possessions) who are 18
years of age or older and the age of majority in his/her state,
province, or territory of residence at the time of entry. Visit
bicycling.com/tasteofvictory for the ofcial rules. Rodale Inc.,
33 East Minor Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099, is the operator
of the Contest.The winner will be judged by the following
criteria: (1) detailed description of a food pairing that includes
extra virgin olive oil as well as other food items, (2) enthusiasm
for the effect that the extra virgin olive oil food pairing has
on cycling performance, (3) organization and development
of the ideas expressed, with clear and appropriate examples
to support them, and (4) consistency in the use of language,
variety in sentence structure and range of vocabulary, use of
proper grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Taste of
Victory
IT TAKES MORE THAN HOURS OF TRAINING TO ACHIEVE OR MAINTAIN PEAK
PERFORMANCE. It takes the right fuel for your body to perform at its best. Today we know that
means including plenty of monounsaturated fatty acids like those found in extra virgin olive oil.
Monounsaturated fats help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and increase HDL (good) cholesterol.
Extra virgin olive oil, a staple in Italian cooking, contains more monounsaturated fat per serving than
any other unprocessed cooking oil.
Cyclists oen focus on carbohydrates at the expense of fata dietary habit that can actually harm
your cycling performance. When you fuel up on starch, your body learns to burn mostly sugar, so you
burn through precious glycogen stores more quickly and set yourself up for low energy or even bonking
during long hours on the bike. When you consume more healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, you re
up your fat burning metabolism, so you can ride longer with plenty of energy to burn. Fat is also
slower to digest than carbs, so it helps you stay hunger-free longer. The end result is youll be
fasterand leaner.
The Colavita/Baci Pro Cycling Team relies on straightforward Italian dishes incorporating
pasta, protein, vegetables, and extra virgin olive oil to maintain a balanced intake of
nutrients. Through experience, these world-class athletes know that healthy fats like
Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil not only add avor and taste to satisfy their appetites but
also provide the perfect fuel for training and racing. Visit Colavita.com for winning recipe
ideas to rev up your rides.
And the perfect nish for a pre-race meal: Baci, Peruginas
classic Italian treat thats loaded with heart-healthy hazelnuts
enveloped in antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Learn how
chocolate can be part of a healthy lifestyle at Perugina.com.
Team Colavita cyclists celebrate the start of the
racing season in Giordana technical apparel.
Photo: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us
Try these delicious
recipes from the
teams training
table before or
after your next ride.
Colavita/Bacis Tina Pic savors victory as she captures
a record sixth national US Criterium Championship title.
Photo: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us
Find more recipes at colavita.com
For team clothing,
visit giordanaUSA.com
Italian Favorites
Colavita and Baci
are a Winning Combination
1 pound Colavita tri-color fusilli
4 plum tomatoes, diced
12 pitted black olives, sliced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1
/2 teaspoon dried basil
1
/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, blanched and minced
4 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 tablespoons Colavita Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (add more if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Drain well and rinse immediately in cold water.
Shake off the excess water, add one tablespoon of
olive oil and toss. Chill until salad ingredients are
assembled.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes,
olives, onion, basil, thyme, garlic, olive oil, vinegar,
and lemon juice with the chilled pasta. Top with the
cheese. Toss well, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 6-8.
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Colavita Test Kitchen Tip: Add grilled chicken or
salmon for extra protein. Salad can be made in
advance and refrigerated to enjoy pre- or post-ride.
Serve with Sutter Home
Pinot Grigio
1 pound Colavita ditali (or any short pasta, such as soup shells)
5 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 teaspoon tomato paste
8 ounces fresh spinach
1 14-ounce can kidney beans
Pinch of dried oregano
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, nely chopped
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet until hot.
Add onion and cook until soft (about 1-2 minutes).
Add garlic, stir, and saut for 30 seconds. Add car-
rot and celery and cook until tender. Stir in the to-
mato paste until combined. Add spinach, beans, and
oregano and stir until well blended. Pour in broth
and simmer for about 1/2 hour until all ingredients
are tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
While vegetables and beans are simmering, prepare
pasta al dente according to package and
drain. Place cooked pasta in a serving
bowl and toss with bean mixture and fresh
parsley. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon
of olive oil, sprinkle with grated cheese,
and serve. Serves 4-6.
Colavita Pasta with Kidney Beans
Colavita Test Kitchen Tip: Meatless Italian dishes like
this are rich in protein and low in saturated fat. For
variety, add more broth to serve as a hearty soup.
Serve with Sutter Home
Sauvignon Blanc
18 MARCH 2010
WHAT YOURE UP TO
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When Joe Kurmaskie took
his wife and three kids on
a cross-country bike ride
(Fam Damily, Dec. 2009),
he fullled a dream that
many BICYCLING readers
share. Ive always wanted
to plan a trip upwards of
a week or two traveling
as many miles as I can,
writes Anthony Ploof, of
Colchester, Vermont.
This amazing story has
motivated me to nally sit
down and start planning.
Keith Misegades, of Frank-
lin, Tennessee, an experi-
enced long-distance rider,
encourages others to at-
tempt similar trips: Yes, it
might require the purchase
of a bunch of equipment
and the time to learn how
to control a heavy bicycle,
he writes. But trust me
the rewards far outweigh
the trouble.
ONE OF A KIND
I rebuild 80s BMX bikes, and a roadie shop
referred me to Kraynicks (Another Mans
Treasure, Dec.). I knew it was special when
I was greeted by Jerry: There are four
floors. Heres a flashlight. We close in a
couple of hours. I spent hours rummaging
through velo history.
JAMISON C. BAZINET, Wallingford, CT
THE CYCLISTS TELL
The illustration in Home for the Holidays
(The Coach, Dec.) amused me. But the
cyclist is missing glove-tan lines. A client
once asked if I was a cyclist. I couldnt figure
out how he knew until he explained that
hed noticed the telltale lines on my hands.
KRIS GAUMER, Lansing, MI
TURN OFF THE FAUCET
I have a suggestion for the person with
the runny nose (Cycling 101, Dec.).
The wind, light and cold make my eyes
water excessively, which then makes my
nose run. But I found that wearing glasses
really helps.
CHELSEA LUTTRALL, Colorado Springs, CO
MODEL CITIZENS
When I saw Cycle of Style (Dec.),
I first thought Id picked up my wifes
fashion magazine. No one on my ride looks
like those modelsno offense, guys
but I would love for them to join us
sometime.
ERIC KELLEY, Columbus, IN
NOW HEAR THIS
Thanks for selecting Crooked Cog(s) for
Jersey of the Month (Dec.). There are two
other clubs for cyclists who communicate
in American Sign Language (ASL): dVelo
in the District of Columbia (dvelo.com)
and California Deaf Wheelers (california
deaf wheelers.com). Also, our sponsor,
Rawland Cycles (rawlandcycles.com),
produces its own framesets and
gear. Rawlands founders and owners
communicate in ASL.
CROOKED COG(S)
CYCLING CLUB OF MINNESOTA
Talk to us via e-mail (@rodale.
com), snail mail (400 S. Tenth St., Emmaus,
PA, 18098), Twitter (@Mag) or
Facebook ( Magazine).
PEEWEE WHEELER
My husband loves BICYCLING, and our
three-year-old son, Ethan, enjoys
it just as much as his daddy does.
The magazine always ends up in the
bathroom and, just like his father,
Ethan sits down on his potty chair to
read it. He goes page by page until
he hits the back cover.
AMANDA WILLIAMS, Clinton, MO
Ethan is clearly going places, and this
Park Tool Home Mechanic Starter Kit will
help him get there someday.
LETTER OF THE MONTH
December story that got the most letters: Custom Bike Buyers Guide (11%) > Other
builders that readers wanted to see on our list: Merlin and Davidson > Most-
searched terms on BICYCLING.com in December: trainers and lights > Where to find
reviews of those products: BICYCLING.com/trainers and BICYCLING.com/lights
SPEAK UP
WHETHERE YOURE A BEGINNER, A COMMUTER OR A
VETERAN ROADIE, WE HAVE A PLACE FOR ALL KINDS OF
CYCLISTS AT FORUMS.BICYCLING.COMASK QUESTIONS, GIVE
ADVICE OR JUST BECOME PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
NEW BLOG: THE BREAKAWAY
You may fantasize about ditching your career to
race bikesJoo Correia is doing it. From New
York publishing exec (with this magazine) to lowly
Cervlo TestTeam domestique, will he crash and
burn, or become the happiest man alive? Find out
at BICYCLING.com/breakaway.
MAP YOUR RIDES
Try a new ride
todaydownload
turn-by-turn route
directions or create
your own at BICYCLING.
com/ridemaps.
MAIL
THIS MONTH ON
BI0310MAIL.indd 18 1/4/10 1:46:19 PM
01042010134651
Options shown. 2009 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
The all-new Fifth Generation 4Runner with reclining fold-fat second-row seat and
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Our technology transforms dreams into reality.
KEO BLADE
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The KEO BLADE: your dream becomes reality. The BLADE utilizes a cutting edge linear
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Check out the new KEO BLADE at www.lookcycle.com/keoblade
* Made in France. 95 grams per pedal / 258 grams per pair including cleats and hardware.
Use the KEO FIT system for optimizing your cleat position on either KEO Grip or KEO Bi Material Cleats. www. l ookcycl e. com
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LET IT BE KNOWN THAT LANCE ARMSTRONGS
interests expand far beyond bikes, Twitter and
Ryan Adams. I learned this when I was standing in
one of his garages, peering at the stuffed head of a
javelina caught on his ranch and a quartet of col-
orful kayaks he paddles on the nearby Pedernales
River. Of course, there were bikes, too. Armstrongs
garage holds about 30 of them, spanning the seven-
time Tour de France champs increasingly varied ca-
reer. U.S. Postal Service and the Discovery Channel
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER,
LANCE ARMSTRONG INVITED THE
PUBLIC TO RACE ON HIS PRIVATE
TRAILS. BY JASON SUMNER
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Armstrong
invited hundreds
of riders to
playand he
even let a couple
of them win.
BI0310START_CULTURE_2.indd 21 1/4/10 11:22:52 AM
01042010112331
team are well represented. His 2009 Leadville 100-winning ride is
there. And theres a rare softtail road frame made especially for the
2005 Paris-Roubaix, a race Armstrong ended up skipping.
Even more rare, at least until recently, is Armstrong allowing
strangersespecially the mediato get this close to his private life.
Already popular for his cancer-fighting crusade and Tour triumphs,
Armstrong has reinvented himself during his latest comeback, earn-
ing the sympathy of cycling fans for his struggles against aging and a
superior foe, and in the process expanded his global fan base. Think
of him as Lance 3.0. In early December, he had more than 2.2 million
Twitter followers, putting him inside
the social-networking websites top 20,
ahead of the New York Times and just
behind comedian Jimmy Fallon.
And on November 22, Armstrong
hosted the first-annual Mellow John-
nys Classic cross-country race, at his
Juan Pelota Ranch, an hour west of
Austin. Armstrong first conceived the
event after turning a few laps on what
was then a 7-mile loop of singletrack at
the 450-acre property. Le Boss tossed out the idea of a race to several
of his helpers, and when no one balked, event planning began al-
most immediately. The first order of business: expanding the exist-
ing trail system.
We started two months from race day, said Tobin Behling, an
Austin-area race promoter hired to direct the event, which sold out
in just four days and was named after the bike shop Armstrong co-
owns with several friends. We had to build new trails that would
work for the raceand for Lance. He likes to go fast.
Behling got help from Mountain Bike Hall of Famer Dave Wiens,
who consulted on the project while in town for Armstrongs Ride
for the Roses charity event. Lance doesnt like to use his brakes,
explained Behling. He came out a few times and told us some of the
turns were too tight. Wiens had us add some passing areas.
The finished product, according to eventual womens pro race
winner Heather Irmiger, was better than most World Cup circuits.
Its fast, she said. Its technical. You have to know how to ride a
mountain bike.
Race morning was chilly, and the ground was still wet with the
remains of a torrential rainfall two days earlier. The
start/finish area was located near the propertys high-
est point, a large, grassy field about a quarter-mile from
the main ranch house with expansive views of the
surrounding hill country: prairie grass and scrub oak,
plus the occasional cottonwood. The course, an 8-mile
cloverleaf loop, started on fast doubletrack before drop-
ping off the plateau into twisting singletrack. The trail
was smooth, fast and bermed in some areas, and pep-
pered with square-edge limestone in others. There was
no need for a granny gear; the toughest obstacle was
mud, which made some flat sections so sticky it felt like
we were riding through glue.
That didnt stop a crowd of 600 riders from showing
up. And Armstrong had used his considerable powers of
persuasion to garner maximum bike-industry support. The expo in-
cluded SRAM, Giro, Oakley and Trek. Its really a testament to who
he is, said Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, who won the mens pro race.
There arent many people who could put together an event like this
in a couple of months, have it sell out and basically have the whole
cycling industry come out and support it.
Armstrongs only real nemesis of late (besides Alberto Conta-
dor) has been flat tires. A rear puncture nearly derailed his record-
setting effort at Leadville; another flat prematurely ended his
Mellow Johnnys Classic ride. He went into his house to clean up,
then appeared trailside on a four-wheeler, snapping pictures with
his camera phone.
As you may know, Im not good at changing flats, explained
Armstrong to the vocal crowd at the postrace podium awards pre-
sentation. He then joked that hed kept looking for the team car,
but it never came.
You the man! Thanks for having us, yelled one fan as the host
drove away with his girlfriend, Anna, their baby, Max, and his kids
Luke, Gracie and Bella.
No problem, Armstrong answered. Any time.
Or not. Still, one couldnt help but wonder if this was a pre-
amble to bigger stages and bigger crowds. Mellow Johnnys has
applied to USA Cycling to host a national-level race at the ranch
this spring (May 29 to 30; mellowclassic.blogspot.com). And some
observers have speculated for years that the charismatic Texan
might someday enter the political arena. Hes hinted as much,
telling former George W. Bush advisor and political blogger Mark
McKinnon early last year: If you feel like you can do the job better
than people who are doing it nowI think you have to do that. But
he also told Sports Illustrated that he risked halving his influence
if he aligned himself with one of the two major political parties. I
need to run for one office, he said, the presidency of the cancer
fighters union of the world.
On this day, at least, these sorts of future decisions seemed far-
ther off than the Texas hill-country horizon. Even for a man who
has achieved so much, this kind of smaller-stage achievement still
brings satisfaction. Its been an amazing weekend, he said as he
headed back to the house. We had a great course, amazing rid-
ers and a bunch of great friends show up. Maybe well build it into
something bigger.
LANCE
DOESNT
LIKE TO USE
HIS BRAKES.
HE CAME OUT
AND TOLD US
SOME OF THE
TURNS WERE
TOO TIGHT.
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At the postrace
awards, Lance
captivated fans
of all ages.
LANCES RANCH contd
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FIESTA WILDFLOWER
RIDE, SAN ANTONIO, TX
HELD DURING THE CITYS
11-DAY FIESTA, THIS RIDE
OFFERS OPTIONS FROM 25
TO 100 MILES. AFTER THE
POSTRIDE LUNCH, STICK
AROUND FOR THE ARTS FAIR,
FLEA MARKET, CROQUET
TOURNEY AND FIREWORKS.
FIESTAWILDFLOWER.COM
18th
20th
HELLS GATE HUNDRED, DEATH VALLEY, CA Ride 65 or
100 miles past Artists Palette and Hells Gate, taking in
sweeping views of Death Valley. Century riders will also
cross Daylight Pass and visit the ghost town of Rhyolite,
for a total of 8,500 feet of climbing. The Borax Museum
(who knew?) is open to all. adventurecorps.com
3rd
MARCH
July 1011 or 1016:
NEW ENGLAND
CLASSIC TOUR DE
CURE, Woburn, MA
Spend a weekend or a
week riding 150 or 550
miles to combat diabe-
tes. The long ride travels
part of the Maine
and New Hampshire
coastlines as well as the
countryside of Vermont
and Massachusetts;
the weekend ride visits
three states, with an
overnight at the Univer-
sity of New Hampshire.
$600 or $2,500 fund-
raising minimum;
tour.diabetes.org
Plan Ahead
MR. FROGS
WILD RIDE
IT HAS ITS UPS
AND DOWNSAND
FREE MASSAGES
Spring may be the
most beautiful time
to ride in the Sierra
Nevada foothil lsthe
setting for Mark
Twains story The
Celebrated Jumping
Frog of Calaveras
County. You l l see
mountain views and
f lower-fil led meadows
and climb 8,300 feet
during the metric cen-
tury; masseuses and a
home-cooked barbecue
lunch wil l break up
the workout. The
downhil ls can be steep
and twisty and the
asphalt is rough: Tires
a touch wider than
your usual road rubber
might be the ticket. At
the end, wash the dust
down with our great
local beers and wines.
Robert Haymond
cool ride
MR. FROGS WILD
RIDE, MURPHYS, CA
DATE: APRIL 17, 2010
DISTANCE: 31 OR
62 MILES
INFO: MRFROGS
WILDRIDE.ORG
3rd
GATHERIN STEAM DOGWOOD BIKE RIDE, PAL-
ESTINE, TX Starting in downtown Palestine,
take on an 10-, 30, 62- or 100-mile rolling course past the
owers of Davey Dogwood Park. palestinechamber.org
3rd4th
Since 1947, French cyclists have
ridden the FLCHE VELOCIO on
Easter weekend to honor Paul de Vivie, the father of
French bicycle touring. Organize your own Stateside ver-
sion this weekend: For maximum authenticity, do it with a
team of three to ve riders, cover at least 224 miles in 24
hours, and end your excursion at a holiday party.
17th
GRANITE BAY DUATHLON, GRANITE BAY,
CA Run 4 miles, bike 13through oak for-
estsand run another 4 to vie for age-group glory. All
participants get a T-shirt, meal and massage; the Super
Sprint race cuts each distance in half. tbfracing.com
24th
TARWHEEL CENTURY, ELIZABETH CITY, NC
This at century passes through historic
downtown Elizabeth City and Edenton. Blooming azaleas
and dogwoods provide the scenery; Muddys Coffeehouse
furnishes the caffeine. rivercitycyclingclub.com
ALSO ON THE 24th > TOUR AUTAUGA, PRATTVILLE, AL
Visit the late Wilson Picketts hometown for 30, 62 or 100
miles of riding in the Appalachian foothills, then enjoy a
hot shower and pizza from Papa Johns. tourautauga.org
25th
TOUR OF THE TUCSON MOUNTAINS,
TUCSON, AZ Bike 27 or 70 timed miles
aroundnot overthe majestic Tucsons, while wee cy-
clists pedal in the Kids Fun Ride. perimeterbicycling.com
To nd more events near you, visit BICYCLING.com/event_nder.
APRIL
BIKE FLORIDA SPRING EVENT, DELAND, FL
Youll ride on the Daytona International
Speedway and around alligator-lled marsh-
es, and you might spot a dolphin as you cross
the Ponce Inlet. Off-bike activities include
bonres and a beer garden. bikeorida.org
27th-Apr. 2nd
SOUTHERN PRIDE
AG RIDE, SCREVEN,
GA Directed by long-
time cyclist Jimmy
Tootle, this 23-, 48-,
62- or 100-mile ride
covers mostly at
roads through an
area that an enthusi-
astic past participant
described as Driving
Miss Daisy country.
Camping and hot
showers are avail-
able. sparide.com
6th
PASCO CHAL-
LENGE, NEW
PORT RICHEY,
FL Come to the beautiful Jay B.
Starkey Wilderness Park for
16, 31 or 62 miles on the
Suncoast Trailand a free
pancake breakfast, courtesy
of IHOP. alzheimersfamily.org
10th
RISE ACROSS TEXAS CELEBRITY RIDE,
AUSTIN, TX Got a spare thousand bucks?
That will buy you a spot on this ride to the Salt Lick with
a peloton of yet-to-be-named celebrity riders. The event
benets nonprot Rise Schools, which serve children
with and without disabilities. riseacrosstexas.org
13th
If youve been riding through a wet winter and
your BOTTOM BRACKET sounds creaky, it
could probably stand to be cleaned and regreased. Go to
BICYCLING.com/bb for step-by-step instructions.
ALSO ON THE 20th > SPRING FEVER BIKE, SULPHUR
SPRINGS, TX Pedal 12 to 53 miles after a free breakfast.
Then come back for a free lunch buffet and entertain-
ment. sspilotclub.org
21st
Feeling a little rusty this spring? Get instant
speed by REPLACING WORN CLEATS (see
page 58). If yours feel looser than normal or youve been
having trouble clipping in and out, its time for a new pair.
27th
TOUR DE ST. GEORGE, ST. GEORGE, UT
Challenge your quads on a 30-, 65- or
100-mile ride. The century route is new, but all three
rides offer climbs, desert spectacles and average March
temperatures of 73 degrees. tourdestgeorge.com
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MARCH 2010 23
CUE SHEET Your guide to the best in cycling this month
BI0310START_CULTURE_2.indd 23 12/22/09 3:57:56 PM
12222009155837
WINNING EDGE After the 2006 winter Olympics,
speed skater KC Boutiette and then-wife Jennifer Ro-
driguez (a fellow U.S. Team member who won a bronze
in 2002) were looking for a business opportunity
when some Miami-based friends suggested they open
a bike shop. The couple loved riding, but the idea was
a little counterintuitive: The South Florida metropolis
ranked as one of the nations least bike-friendly cities
at the time. So it says something about their business
plan that Elite is thriving, with well-attended group
rides plus educational safe biking outings. And the
owners recently moved the shop to a spot adjacent to
the multiuse M-Path and added an espresso bar, which
also serves energy and recovery drinks.
THE VIBE The shop offers the latest from Orbea, Felt,
Jamis and Santa Cruz, but Elites seven employees try
to find all customers a ride that will keep them inter-
ested. Were here to be advocates for cycling, not to
sell a particular brand, says shop
manager Val Snider. The relaxed
but professional environment re-
flects that philosophy. Customers
can hang out and take in films like
Road to Roubaix on a flat-screen
TV, get their on-bike position
fine-tuned with the shops fit sys-
tem, watch the mechanics turn
wrenches in the open workshop, or just browse the
areas dedicated to cruisers, triathlon, road, mountain
anddisc golf. It is South Florida, after all.
HOUSE CALLS Elites head mechanic, Garrett Good-
man, has been the Miami areas go-to tech guy for the
last 15 years. Other shops bring their harder-core
stuff in for him to fixlike rebuilding a 10-year-old
RockShox fork, Snider says. Although the wrenches
mostly do basic maintenance, the shop goes the extra
mile, offering At Your Door service: An employee
will pick up your bike, repair it and drop it off again
the next day.
BLACK-TIE FIT Elite offers bike-fit service at three
levels; two of them are free if you buy a new bike
there. The third level includes one-on-one time with
Boutiette to discuss technique, efficiency, power out-
put and more. When you spend half an hour getting
sized for a tuxedo for a wedding,
you arent necessarily shopping
for the brand of the tuxedo, Snid-
er explains. Its about fit. And
youll only wear it for four hours
of your life. Why fudge the fit on
something that youll be actively
using for the next 10 years?
Brian Fiske
ELITE
CYCLING AND
FITNESS OFFERS
OLYMPIC
CALIBER SERVICE
TO THE MIAMI
AREA MASSES
Look it up
> ELITE CYCLING AND
FITNESS, 13108 S. DIXIE
HWY., PINECREST, FL
33156; ELITECYCLING.NET
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SHOP WE LOVE
Elite may be
owned by a
champion speed
skater, but the
shop will help
riders of every
stripe nd the
right bike.
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AST JULY, BRADLEY WALCK WAS READING A TEXT
messagebehind the wheel of his pickup when he hit a mailbox.
At least, thats what he thought he hit. But when he looked into
his rearview mirror, he saw another motorist running to the
side of the road. Walck stopped and ran back, only to discover
that he had hit Ardie Lewis, who had been riding his bike on
the shoulder of the road north of Seminole, Oklahoma. Lewis,
who was thrown 90 feet on impact, died soon after.
As cell-phone use becomes ubiquitous, there are increas-
ing numbers of documented incidents of distracted drivers hitting cyclists they never
even saw. But too many in our society think that they are somehow different and can
safely drive while using a mobile device. This is the same delusion that contributes to
drunk drivingpeople think they can handle the alcohol.
The comparison with drunk driving is more apt than any other. A University of
Utah study demonstrated that cell use while driving creates a level of impairment
equivalent to a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content, which is legally drunk in all 50
states. Other studies show that drivers who use a cell phone are four times more
likely to become involved in a collision than drivers not using a phone, and the risk of
collision rises to 20 times greater for drivers who text.
A week after Bradley Walck killed Ardie Lewis in Oklahoma, Illinois governor
Pat Quinn signed Matts Lawnamed for cyclist Matt Wilhelm, who was killed
in that state by a texting driverwhich bans composing, sending and reading
any electronic message while driving. In Utah, drivers who kill while texting
face up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine; in Alaska, the sentence can be
as much as 20 years. Still, only a handful of states have banned texting. Whats
CELL DRUNK
DRIVERS ARE INCREASINGLY IMPAIRED
BY PHONE CALLS AND TEXTS, AND CYCLISTS
WILL PAY THE PRICE UNTIL LAWS CHANGE
most remarkable is that 20 states, including Okla-
homa, have considered texting legislation, but have
failed to act.
Most states have not yet enacted limitations on
cell use while driving. The failure of the states to act
seems to be spurring the federal government: Pend-
ing legislation in the U.S. Senate would ban texting
and hand-held use while driving nationwide.
Along with drunk drivers, who factor in nearly
two-thirds of all cycling fatalities, motorists impaired
by cell phones are among the most dangerous issues
confronting cyclists today. The laws will change fast-
er if we encourage legislators to adopt punishments
reflecting the severity of the offense.
Meantime, stay off the phone when drivingyou
may think that, as a cyclist, you are more attuned
to watching for bikes, but you become impaired like
everyone else. While riding, assume that drivers are
inattentive and be ready to take evasive maneuvers.
Research and drafting by Rick Bernardi, JD
CELL USE WHILE
DRIVING CREATES IMPAIRMENT
EQUIVALENT TO A 0.08 PERCENT
BLOOD-ALCOHOL CONTENT.
PHOENIX VALLEY
FARMERS MARKET RIDE
TEMPE, ARIZONA GROUP CYCLING HAS JUST BECOME
popular over the last five years in the [Phoenix] Valley, says Jere-
my Deatherage, social rides coordinator for Tempe Bicycle Action
Group (TBAG), which hosts this ride. The out-and-back attracts
intermediate and advanced cyclists, from college students to
desk jockeys. The flat route follows the valleys light-rail line,
briefly joining a multi use trail on the Grand Canal before hit-
ting Phoenixs downtown streets. Then participants load up on
produce, jams and honeywhatever they can eat or carryat a
farmers market before heading back. We all have an apprecia-
tion for local products, says Deatherage, and this is a great way
to support independent businesses.Laura Kiniry
Tell us whats cool about your groups ride: BICYCLING@rodale.com
TEMPE
BEACH PARK,
54 W. Rio Salado
Pkwy.;
see website
for times and
routes; Saturday
year-round,
weather permitting;
18 miles;
1518 mph;
biketempe.org
Info
BOB MIONSKE
is the author of Bicycling
and the Law. For more
information, visit bicycle-
law.com or read his blog at
BICYCLING.com/roadrights.
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MARCH 2010 25
By Bob Mionske ROAD RIGHTS
Tempes
roads
take TBAG
riders
into
saguaro
country.
THINK YOUR RIDES GREAT?
BI0310START_CULTURE_2.indd 25 12/30/09 3:38:35 PM
12302009153927
and forested hills line the roads toward the Jackson County line. Bear right just
before reaching town to redline on Freeman Drive, Athenss most-hated hill.
HISTORY TOUR Cruise downtown Athens on two wheels to see the relics of its
eclectic past. Brent Buice, co-chair of alternative-transportation advocacy group
BikeAthens, recommends a 12-mile loop that begins at City Hall (301 College Ave.)
and loops west on Boulevard Street before touring Greek row. Youll hit the North
Oconee River Greenway before backtracking on College Street to downtown.
Best of Athens
YOU WANT
SWEETS
SOUL FOOD
A LOCAL
BREW
A TOP-40
PREVIEW
A BLAST FROM
THE PAST
FEEL-GOOD
COFFEE
A REASON
TO RETURN
DO THIS
Bite into the bacon-topped Elvis doughnut at
Ike & Janes Normaltown Caf and Bakery
Fill up with Hot Buttered Soul Chicken and
sweet tea at The Five Star Day Caf
Tour the Terrapin Beer Company and have a
Hopsecutioner, its brand-new IPA
Catch a live show at the Tasty World Uptowns
upstairs stage
Relive your favorite music or the Civil War
with a guide from Classic City Tours
Grab a can of Alternative Fuel at Jittery
Joesproceeds support BikeAthens
Watch cyclings rising stars at the 31st annual
Twilight Criterium
GET THERE
1307 Prince Ave.;
ikeandjane.com
229 E. Broad St.;
fivestardaycafe.com
265 Newton Bridge Rd.;
terrapinbeer.com
312 E. Broad St.;
tastyworlduptown.com
208 E. Dougherty St.;
athenswelcomecenter.com
780 E. Broad St.;
jitteryjoes.com
April 2324, 2010;
athenstwilight.com
SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY RULES HERE,
AS DO SMOOTH ROADS AND EVEN
SMOOTHER DIRT. BY KRISTY HOLLAND
ATHENS,
GEORGIA
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DOWNLOAD GPS maps and cue sheets for these rides and more at BICYCLING.com/athens.
SOUTHERN BELLE Located just below the Appala-
chian foothills, Athens mixes college prepsters, football
fanatics, boho hipsters and, best of all, great cycling.
WATSON MILL LOOP This 56-mile route begins at The
Hub bike shop (1245 S. Milledge Ave.) and warms you
up with hills on the University of Georgias campus
before turning west. At mile 6, after passing through
a business park, the route hits rural rolling hills. In
Colbert, head southeast onto a dirt road past farmland
for 6 miles. Its like youre stepping back in time, says
.com map correspondent Jered Gruber,
who claims that the red-clay roads are smoother than
asphalt. Cross the 229-foot Watson Mill Bridgethe
states longestat mile 33, then roll another 16 rural
miles before returning to the city limits.
TUESDAY NIGHT While Athenss Tuesday Night Ride
is a once-weekly hammer fest, its 29-mile loop is a
favorite with the locals anytime. Start at the Ike and
Jane Normaltown Caf and Bakery and take the Old
Jefferson Road out of town. After the left onto New
Kings Bridge Road, all hell breaks loose on the Tues-
day Night Ride, says local cyclist David Crowe. Mile
13 features a 10 percent start up Woodchip Hill. Next,
turn south on winding Nowhere Road. Farmlands
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Recipe for a
great day:
beer, coffee,
a bacon
doughnut and
a long ride.
PERFECT DAY
BI0310START_CULTURE_2.indd 26 12/29/09 11:05:57 AM
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MARCH 2010 27
A RIDE WITH...
Your dad was an athletic
trainer when you were
growing up in Slovakia.
Is that how you got started
with bikes?
Yeah, he was involved with
training the cycling team. As
a little boy I handed out food
and water at feed stations. I got
really into it, especially when
the riders were coming uphill.
You see the pack chasing a
breakaway as you are looking
for your cyclistsits really a
challenge to find them.
Speaking of challenges, you
dont spend your whole off-
season sitting on the beach.
Cycling has been a part of my
training for as long as I can
remember and eventually I
talked a couple friends into rid-
ing some stages of the Tour de
France. We pick either the Alps
or the Pyrenees. Well do five,
six or seven stages. After we
ride each one, we wait for the
racers to come. Ive been one of
those guys running alongside
the riders, trying to push them
up the hill a little.
Do you know any of
the racers?
[Alberto] Contador is a really
nice guy, a down-to-earth type
and a really good person. I am
friends with a lot of the Czech
and Slovak ridersthe Velits
brothers, Pavel Padrnos, Rene
Andrele, Jan Hruska. Hockey
players and cyclists get along
well. The riders are all huge
hockey fans. When we get to-
gether I always ask them about
cycling and they always want to
talk about hockey.
Have you had a chance to
meet Lance Armstrong?
Ive always been a big fan of
Lance, but I havent met him
yet. I was really close a few
times, but I got a little shy. He
did sign a jersey for me.
Hockey players are fighters.
Ever get into it with a driver
on the road?
There have been arguments
but not fistfights. Sometimes
drivers forget or lose sight of
cyclists. They cut you off or
almost hit you so you have to
always be aware. And, like in
hockey, wear a helmet.
At 6-foot-9 and 260
pounds, do you have a hard
time finding bikes?
It can be tough. I have two cus-
tom road bikes (from Calfee,
in California, and Trek). I have
one mountain bike but I dont
do that type of riding very
much. Its very technical and
for a pretty heavy guy like me
its not fun to fall down a hill.
Both cycling and hockey
are known for their
diehard fanswhich ones
are crazier?
They are both really passion-
ate and wild. You have so
much contact with the fans in
cycling. They can pour water
on you or touch you. In hockey
you hear the fans but they cant
get as closeat least until after
the game.
Whats more daunting
blocking a 100-mph slap shot
with your body or racing
downhill on your bike?
Both are exciting, but Im more
comfortable taking the slap
shot then doing 70 mph down
a hill. Obviously, hockey can be
dangerous, but get a flat at that
speed and youre in trouble.
The worst thing in hockey is
ending up in the boards, but if
something goes wrong on the
bike, who knows where youll
go?Stephen Camelio
The Boston Bruins All-Star
defenseman rides the Tour de France
course each summer and
stashes bikes around the world
YOU HAVE SO MUCH CONTACT
WITH THE FANS IN CYCLING. IN HOCKEY,
YOU HEAR THE FANS BUT THEY
CANT GET AS CLOSEAT LEAST
UNTIL AFTER THE GAME.
Small Talk
Favorite ride? Frances Col du Galibier. The mountain is
beautiful and makes for one of the Tours hardest stages.
Ever travel with your bike? I did at the beginning but then I
decided to just get more bikes, which is fantastic. I have one
in Boston, one in Florida, three back home in Slovakia and
one in the Czech Republic. You never know when you are
going to need to ride.
Next cycling trip? Ive heard Australia is great. And I
havent been to Hawaii. Itd be cool to ride up the volcanoes.
ZDENO CHARA
He may look
intimidating, but
even Chara gets
tongue-tied
around Lance.
BI0310START_CULTURE_2.indd 27 12/29/09 9:38:33 AM
12292009093926
THE CYCLISTS GUIDE
TO THE OLYMPICS
FIGURE SKATING
Alissa Czisny, 22
Czisny won the national
figure-skating champion-
ship last January. During
the summer, she goes on
40-mile weekend road
rides with her mom.
ALPINE SKIING
Julia Mancuso, 25
The 2006 giant slalom
gold medalist and lingerie
model rides road and
cruiser bikes near her
part-time home in Maui,
Hawaii, and spent a
recent vacation mountain
biking in Moab, Utah.
Ted Ligety, 25 He
won Olympic gold in the
2006 combined event,
and builds aerobic power
by road riding in the
spring. He and business
partner Carlo Salmini
first conceived of their
goggle company, Shred,
during a mountain bike
ride in Park City, Utah.

SPEEDSKATING
Jennifer Rodriguez, 33
The double bronze
medalist from the
2002 Olympics and
former bike-shop owner
came out of retirement
in 2008after 10
months of training
for track cycling.
NORDIC SKIING
Bill Demong, 29
World combined champ
Demong is also a bike
racer and has competed
in the Tour of the Gila
and the Tour of Utah. At
the U.S. Nordic teams
training camp in France
last summer, he and his
teammates watched the
Tour de France and rode
90 to 110 miles a day.
MANY OF THE ATHLETES HEADING TO VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA,
for the 2010 Winter Games (February 12 to 28; vancouver2010.com) have cycling
partly to thank for their superior aerobic fitnessincluding these five American
Olympic hopefuls who are also avid riders.
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CYAN
MAGENTA
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Bicycling Magazine
Mar 2010
For more than 25 years, Kendall-Jackson has dened the highest
standard of quality in wine. Weve done it by refusing to compromise,
selecting only the most extraordinary grapes from estate vineyards
and slowly hand-crafting our wines with great care.
Renowned wine critic Robert Parker awarded Kendall
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*
saying it seems to
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in America, and try our other delicious wines as well.
F R O M T H E B E S T L A N D C O M E S T H E B E S T W I N E
*Wine Advocate 12-31- 08, 2007 Vintners Reserve Chardonnay, Claim based on IRI 52 wpe 11- 01- 09, kj.com 2009 Kendall-Jackson Winery, Santa Rosa, CA
Americas Most Loved Chardonnay
THE FIRST ONES
ALWAYS FREE
THE CITY OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI, MAY HAVE FIGURED OUT HOW TO
get small-business owners to support bikes: Lend them one. The GetAbout
Columbia Errand Bike program (getaboutcolumbia.com) allows local businesses
to borrow Breezer Freedom bicycles
each equipped with a rack and cargo bag,
front and rear lights, bell, bike computer,
helmet and lockfor one to two months
at no charge. Two of the six establish-
ments that have participated bought
bikes after the loan expired so employ-
ees could keep riding. Fostering new rid-
ers on Main Street could prove beneficial
for all local cyclists: GetAbout Columbia
is now lobbying for more bike parking in
the downtown shopping district.
*Just weeks after win-
ning the Xterra off-road
triathlon world cham-
pionship, Englands
JULIE DIBENS became
the first woman to
break four hours for
the Ironman 70.3-mile
distance.
*The Garmin-
Slipstream team will
be called GARMIN-
TRANSITIONS for the
2010 season. Riders
will compete in photo-
chromic shades from
Transitions Optical.
*DUBAI is known for
indoor snowboarding,
but the government is
embracing cycling too:
It plans to install about
560 miles of bike lanes.
Hot List
YOU said it
WHICH TEAM DID YOU WANT ALBERTO CONTADOR TO JOIN FOR 2010?
Astana: 40% > Caisse dEpargne: 20% > Garmin-Transitions: 15% > Quick Step: 10% >
RadioShack: 8% > BMC: 4% > Sky: 3%
To vote in more polls, visit BICYCLING.com
PABLOVE FOUNDATION
Last fall, Jeff Castelaz raised
money to fight childhood cancer
by riding from St. Augustine,
Florida, to his son Pablos grave
in Los Angeles. Pablo died in June
at age six, but you can help keep
his fight alive by purchasing this
jersey, which is also available
with long sleeves for $125. Sizes:
S, M, L, XL; $110; pablove.org
Jersey of the Month
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BI0310START_CULTURE_2.indd 29 12/30/09 3:33:59 PM
12302009153508
CYAN
MAGENTA
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KENDALL-JACKSON KJ Most Loved Half Spd 15-3/4 x 5-1/8 trim Perfect Bound Spread
Filename: 99984_KJ_MostLoved_Bicycling_Mar10_Ad
Ad Size: B: 16-1/8 x 5-3/8; T: 15-3/4 x 5-1/8; L: 15-1/4 x 4-5/8
Final: 12/15/2009
RPA
JWE GEN P9 9984 PB
KENDALL-JACKSON
1/2 Page Spread, 4/C, Bleed
Bicycling Magazine
Mar 2010
For more than 25 years, Kendall-Jackson has dened the highest
standard of quality in wine. Weve done it by refusing to compromise,
selecting only the most extraordinary grapes from estate vineyards
and slowly hand-crafting our wines with great care.
Renowned wine critic Robert Parker awarded Kendall
-
Jackson
Vintners Reserve Chardonnay a rating of 90,
*
saying it seems to
get better with each vintage. Enjoy the most popular Chardonnay
in America, and try our other delicious wines as well.
F R O M T H E B E S T L A N D C O M E S T H E B E S T W I N E
*Wine Advocate 12-31- 08, 2007 Vintners Reserve Chardonnay, Claim based on IRI 52 wpe 11- 01- 09, kj.com 2009 Kendall-Jackson Winery, Santa Rosa, CA
Americas Most Loved Chardonnay
CYAN
MAGENTA
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KENDALL-JACKSON KJ Most Loved Half Spd 15-3/4 x 5-1/8 trim Perfect Bound Spread
Filename: 99984_KJ_MostLoved_Bicycling_Mar10_Ad
Ad Size: B: 16-1/8 x 5-3/8; T: 15-3/4 x 5-1/8; L: 15-1/4 x 4-5/8
Final: 12/15/2009
RPA
JWE GEN P9 9984 PB
KENDALL-JACKSON
1/2 Page Spread, 4/C, Bleed
Bicycling Magazine
Mar 2010
For more than 25 years, Kendall-Jackson has dened the highest
standard of quality in wine. Weve done it by refusing to compromise,
selecting only the most extraordinary grapes from estate vineyards
and slowly hand-crafting our wines with great care.
Renowned wine critic Robert Parker awarded Kendall
-
Jackson
Vintners Reserve Chardonnay a rating of 90,
*
saying it seems to
get better with each vintage. Enjoy the most popular Chardonnay
in America, and try our other delicious wines as well.
F R O M T H E B E S T L A N D C O M E S T H E B E S T W I N E
*Wine Advocate 12-31- 08, 2007 Vintners Reserve Chardonnay, Claim based on IRI 52 wpe 11- 01- 09, kj.com 2009 Kendall-Jackson Winery, Santa Rosa, CA
Americas Most Loved Chardonnay
Look Closer at Chris Carmichael
CHRIS CARMICHAEL, one of our Nissan Masters,
is the innovative coach to Lance Armstrong and other
elite athletes. Check out Chris top 5 best-ever training
videos, featuring the advice you need to truly shift your
performance, only at MasterTheShift.com.
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prohibited. Sponsor: Rodale, Inc. 733 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017.
LOOK CLOSER AT
TWO MASTERS
Elite cycling coach Chris Carmichael knows exactly where passion,
performance, and practicality intersect: He understands that
rigorous training is necessary for any cyclist to achieve peak
performance, but for Chris its a love of cycling that brings it all
together. The same is true of the Nissan Altima: This 32-MPG car has
been put through over 5,000 quality tests, showing its reliability
and fuel efciency. But the Altimas sleek new exterior design and
powerful performance also make it a car you can truly love.
WIN A NISSAN ALTIMA
Enter for your chance to win a Nissan Altima, a benchmark of
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Chris
Carmichael
*2010 EPA Fuel Economy Estimates 23 city/ 32 highway for Altima 2.5 S. Actual mileage may vary with driving conditions use for comparison only. The Nissan Altima received the lowest number of problems per 100 vehicles among midsize
cars in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Initial Quality Study
SM
. Study based on responses from 80,930 new-vehicle owners, measuring 245 models and measures opinions after 90 days of ownership. Proprietary study results
are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed in February-May 2009. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com. Always wear your seatbelt and please dont drink and drive. 2009 Nissan North America, Inc.
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Athletes stretch to prevent injury. We do 5,000 quality tests.
The New Nissan Altima Coupe
Rigorously tested to help ensure durability, the Nissan Altima takes everyday
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its sporty, newly redesigned exterior and athletic performance, the Altima is
as fun as it is tough. Now, thats quality you can love. NissanUSA.com
LETS NOT SEE
THAT THONG
FOR MOST CYCLISTS, SPANDEX SHORTS ARE
revealing enough. Then theres Richard Irby, 53, of
Tallahassee, Florida, who preferred to pedal in noth-
ing but a thonguntil it got him arrested. Prosecu-
tors dropped disorderly conduct charges against Irby after the 6-foot-3 cyclist
agreed to cover up. I finally found biker shorts that come down to about here
[just above the knee] that I can wear, he told the Tallahassee Democrat.
THE 100MILE MAN
IN 2006, JESSE ITZLER RAN 100 MILES IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO RAISE
$1 million for charity. Last fall, he opted for a more enjoyable endeavor, a century
ride, and got 100 people to join him. The City to Sand bike ride raised more than $1
million to send inner-city kids to college. Before last summer, most of the partici-
pants hadnt been on bikes since they were kids, says Itzler. Still, all of the cyclists
whose ranks included CEOs, stay-at-home moms and the rapper DMCfinished
the ride from Manhattan to the Hamptons. Another century will take place this
September (the100mileman.com), with a fund-raising minimum of $2,000.
LEVI SAVES
THE SEALS
CYCLIST LEVI LEIPHEIMER HAS MANY TALENTS: CLIMBING, TIME-
trialing, quoting Napoleon Dynamite. But as PETAs recent ad campaign against
Canadas annual hunt shows, he also has a knack for making sad baby-seal faces.
Leipheimer and his wife, former pro Odessa Gunn,
are longtime animal advocates who have fostered
more than 100 critters, from dogs and cats to squir-
rels and bats, in the United States and Europe.
The baboons are
causing havoc at my
African lodgetime
to call in the
lions!Veteran
cycling commenta-
tor Phil Liggett (@
PhilLiggett)
Sweet
Tweet
MY GARDEN
I just like to sit out there
and look at it. My wife and
I love to work there, and
every now and then one of
our five kids will join in.
MY NINTENDO DS
By far, my favorite game
ever is Golden Sun. It has
everythingadventure,
love, god, war, evil spirits.
THE POWER OF ONE BY
BRYCE COURTENAY
Its a novel about a black
man and a white man
in South Africa during
apartheid. They were not
supposed to get along,
werent allowed to get
along, and heres this old
black man teaching boxing
to the white guy. It shows
that when people stand
tall, they can overcome
anything.
My Favorite Things
YOURE
GOING DOWN
W
HEN YOU START CYCLING,
three things are bound to happen.
First, you will try clipless pedals.
Second, you will start receiving
Nashbar catalogs. (Nobody knows why this is. It just
happens.) Third, you will crash.
Even though its a virtual certainty, crashing is
something for which we rarely prepare. And when I
say prepare, I dont mean wear a helmet. You should
wear a helmet, but the helmet wont keep you from
crashingkind of like how going to the bathroom in
galoshes helps only when the toilet starts to overflow.
No, to prevent crashing you must expect it, and
the best way to do that is to think of it as a predator
and yourself as the prey. While occasionally the crash
animal might attack you while youre alone, like a wolf
fells a caribouthink falling over because you cant
get out of your clipless pedalsit usually prefers to
pounce on large groups of cyclists like a shark charg-
ing into a school of fish. You see, the main food source
for the crash animal is the midcategory road race or
criterium. These packs of colorful Cat 3s and 4s are
fast enough to arouse the animals bloodlust, but not
quick enough to escape. Unless you enjoy picking grit
out of road rash, you should avoid them at all costs.
But what if your participation in one of these rac-
es is unavoidable? Perhaps the local dental practice
that sponsors your team will go out of business with-
out the exposure. Or maybe you simply must justify
those race wheels. In that case, keep in mind that
the crash animal attacks in the final lap, when the
delusional start to mingle with the legitimately fast.
You should either position yourself in the breakaway
or drift off the back so that you appear sickly and in-
edible. I prefer the latter. When it comes to crashing,
theres danger in numbers, and the slower they are,
the softer they fall.
DONT TRY TO PREVENT
CRASHESPREPARE FOR THEM
Yes, hes talking about you.
THE BIKE SNOB
Read more of his
cultural criticism at
bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com.
<
THE CRASH ANIMAL ATTACKS
WHEN THE DELUSIONAL MINGLE
WITH THE LEGITIMATELY FAST.
JENS
VOIGT,
SAXO
BANK
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32 MARCH 2010
THE BIKE SNOB HUBBUB
BI0310START_CULTURE_2.indd 32 12/30/09 3:58:18 PM
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SPARTACUS
SLAYS
WITH SHIV
I KNEW THAT I WOULD BE VERY FAST TODAY. MY PREPARATION WAS PERFECT, AND I HAD
THE EXTRA MOTIVATION RACING IN FRONT OF SWISS CROWDS. MY LEGS WERE STRONG, BUT MY HEAD
WAS STRONGER. I WAS ABSOLUTELY FLYING. READ MORE ABOUT HOW FABIAN CANCELLARA AND
THE S-WORKS SHIV KILLED IT AT THE 2009 TT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AT I-AM-SPECIALIZED.COM
FABIAN CANCELLARA EN ROUTE TO A WORLD TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP
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THE FEAR AND HESITATION THAT RESULT FROM
crashes often last longer than the physical trauma,
but the irony for cyclists (and skiers) is that tensing up
can actually increase the chances of another wreck. At
moderate and high speeds, choosing the right line and
putting your body in the optimal position are essential.
When you make the right decisions without hesitating,
even the biggest descents proceed smoothly. Changing
your mind, overcorrecting, second-guessing and tight-
ening up only increase your anxiety, and your decisions
get progressively worse. As an experienced cyclist you
already know how to descend rapidly and safely. Your
newfound fear is just getting in the way.
The most effective method we use at my climbing
camps is to have fearful riders follow coaches down
tough descents. You can do the same with a riding bud-
dy, but choose carefully. You want someone whose de-
scending is technically superb, not someone who is fast
because he or she takes tremendous risks. You want to
emulate skill and precision, not reckless luck.
A good leader needs to go just a little faster than you
would go on your own so you can follow closely behind
and emulate his moves. Then the next time down, the
lead rider should go a little faster and gradually con-
tinue building speed. If youre more than two or three
seconds behind, the lead rider is going too fast.
Eventually youll begin leading or riding solo. In
those situations, as you regain confidence, a simple
word-association checklist might help:
HEAD: UP Keep your eyes up and looking through
corners to where you want to go.
HANDS: DROPS Lowering your center of gravity
helps improve stability at high speeds and in corners.
ELBOWS: BENT Locked arms lead to skittish han-
dling; bending lets you soak up bumps and steer with-
out overreacting.
SHOULDERS: LOOSE Youll stay more limber so you
can shift your weight and steer with confidence.
WEIGHT: OUTSIDE PEDAL/INSIDE ARM Maximize
traction and control through dry and fast corners by
focusing your weight on your outside pedal and leading
into the corner with weight on your inside arm.
You shouldnt abandon all trepidation on descents;
a little caution is warranted and necessary. Still, its im-
portant not to be ruled by fear. Be patient and focus on
technique, and your mindset will improve.
E-mail questions to Carmichael at thecoach@rodale.com
I had a bad
ski accident
several
years ago, and
Ive become
skittish on big descents. I
havent crashed on a bike, but
Im fearful nonetheless. Any
suggestions?
John Dwyer, via Facebook
No Buzz Kill
< CHRIS CARMICHAEL
is Lance Armstrongs
personal coach. For tips,
newsletters and instructional
videos, visit trainright.com.
SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT
MY CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION?
SAUL MARTINEZ, VIA FACEBOOK
In terms of optimizing performance, caffeine is
a stimulant that improves mental alertness and
focus. You can habituate to this effect, so if you
consume caffeine often youll need higher doses
to get that benefit. In other words, limit your over-
all intake if you want to get more out of it during
an important event or training session. As for de-
hydration, recent research indicates that overall
fluid loss is far lower than we previously believed.
You pee sooner, but not much (if any) more.
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THE COACH by Chris Carmichael
BI0310START_TRAINING.indd 34 12/29/09 11:22:36 AM
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UNBREAKABLE
AVOID INJURIES WITH THIS BONESTRENGTHENING ADVICE
THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCE OF A CYCLEONLY EXERCISE ROUTINE
is the loss of bone strength, says Scott Rector, PhD, author of a recent study that de-
termined that cyclists tend to have significantly less bone density than runners and
weight lifters. Among other issues, this condition increases your odds of sustaining
a fracture if you crash. Dont let your cycle-centric exercise regimen leave you vulner-
able. Include the following in your regular routine for a strong skeleton.Pete Rognli
Impact Exercises
To add both mass and density
to your skeletal structure, Rector
recommends a combination of
plyometrics (dynamic moves such
as box jumps and clapping
push-ups), rope-jumping and
resistance exercises. For results
most likely to keep you intact in
a crash, work the areas you want
to protect.
Calcium Sources
Some researchers theorize that, due to the
duration of most training rides, cyclists are more
likely than many other types of athletes to sweat
out their mineral stores. Besides the obvious
(milk), consume good calcium sources such as
kale, almonds, white beans, broccoli and figs.
Another way to get your calcium is to bask in the
sunvitamin D regulates your absorption of it.
Expose your face and arms for 15 sunscreen-free
minutes three times a week.
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BI0310START_TRAINING.indd 35 12/30/09 3:40:14 PM
12302009154101
BLOCK DAY WORKOUT
INTENSITY*
ABOVE ( ) OR
BELOW ( )
THRESHOLD
Micro 1
1 7x3-min. intervals with 6 min. RBI** 20%
2 6x6-min. intervals with 8 min. RBI 5%
3 Rest
4 6x6-min. intervals w/ 10 min. RBI 5%
5 Recovery ride 30%
6 Rest
7 7x3-min. intervals w/ 6 min. RBI 20%
8 Recovery ride 30%
Micro 2
1 7x5-min. intervals w/ 8 min. RBI 10%
2 7x3-min. intervals w/ 6 min. RBI 20%
3 Rest
4 8x1-min. intervals w/ 4 min. RBI 3040%
5 7x5-min. intervals w/ 8 min. RBI 10%
6 Rest
7 8x3-min. intervals w/ 6 min. RBI 20%
8 2 sets of 4x1-min. intervals w/ 3 min.
RBI, 5 min. RBS***
3040%
Micro 3
1 6x6-min. intervals w/ 8 min. RBI 5%
2 8x3-min. intervals w/ 6 min. RBI 20%
3 Rest
4 3 sets of 3x1-min. intervals w/ 3 min.
RBI, 5 min. RBS
3040%
5 8x3-min. intervals w/ 6 min. RBI 20%
6 2 sets of 4x1-min. intervals w/ 3 min.
RBI, 5 min. RBS
3040%
7 7x3-min. intervals w/ 6 min. RBI 20%
8 5 sets of 2x1-min. intervals w/ 2 min.
RBI, 5 min. RBS
3040%
Micro 4
1 Rest
2 2 sets of 4x1-min. intervals w/ 2 min.
RBI, 5 min. RBS
3040%
3 7x3-min. intervals w/ 6 min. RBI 20%
4 7x3-min. intervals w/ 6 min. RBI 20%
5 Rest
6 2 sets of 5x1-min. intervals w/ 1.5 min.
RBI, 5 min. RBS
3040%
7 Rest
8 5 sets of 2x1-min. intervals w/ 1.5 min.
RBI, 4 min. RBS
3040%
SELENE YEAGER,
a USA Cycling certied
coach, is here each month to
give you a solid workout as
well as tips for healthy living.
STEADY WINS
THE RACE
START THIS INTERVAL TRAINING
PLAN RIGHT NOW, AND YOULL FINISH YOUR
SEASON AS STRONG AS YOU START IT
A
FTER A LONGAND FOR SOME OF US, COLD
winter, most cyclists are gunning for the start of an-
other riding season. The problem with hammering
yourself into race shape by early spring, however, is
that you risk feeling beaten down by July.
To maximize performance over a season, Tim Pelot, CSCS, of
Pelot Performance Coaching, in Burnsville, Minnesota, recom-
mends following a plan that incorporates multiple performance
peaks. This allows you to start the season with a bang and finish it
strong while staying healthy and avoiding mental burnout, he says.
Pelot suggests eight-day microcycles (small training blocks de-
signed to build specific levels of fitness). Eight-day blocks allow you
to get more variety in your training and pave the way for a more solid
fitness foundation and faster progress, he says.
This plan will have you ready to rock by early-season races. The
duration of the rides depends upon your schedule, goals, base and
weather conditions. If youre on an indoor trainer, cap them at 90 min-
utes to two hours. Outside, extend them to 2 hours. (Note: Go to
.com/microcycle for the complete plan.)Selene Yeager
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Your Race-Ready Plan
* Intensity measured as rate of perceived exertion (RPE) on a scale of 110
14 = Pace is slow; youre able to hold a conversation
56 = Pace is steady; you can maintain it and speak during it
7 = Pace is rhythmic; youre able to speak only a few words
8 = Lactate threshold is the fastest pace you can maintain for 30 minutes
without feeling like your legs are on re. To learn how to nd yours, go to
BICYCLING.com/LT101
9 = Pace is not quite all out, but youre unable to speak
10 = Pace is an all-out effort
30% threshold=1230 BPM threshold (RPE is about 5 or 6)
510% threshold=3 BPM threshold (RPE is about a 9)
2040% threshold=6-plus BPM threshold (RPE is about a 10)
** RBI=Rest between intervals
*** RBS=Rest between sets
THE KEY
36 MARCH 2010
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FIT CHICK by Selene Yeager
<
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WE SPEND MORE
than $1.5 billion each
year on food bars
carbo hydrate, protein,
meal-replacement,
even gender-specific.
Is the dough being
spent a huge waste, or
worse, creating huge
waists? The problem
is, people dont count
the calories theyre
taking in and will eat
an energy bar or a
recovery bar or both,
then eat a meal on top
of it, says Cynthia
Sass, MPH, MA, RD,
CSSD, coauthor of The
Ultimate Diet Log. Bars
have their place, she
says. But you have to
consider what kind of
rider you are and what
you want the bar to
accomplish.
This guide outlines
different bar types and
how they can help, or
hurt, you.Selene Yeager
CHOW TIME
RIDE
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YOU RIDE: In a paceline, 20 mph (816 calories burned per hour*)
YOU WANT: Lucky Charms cereal, 200 calories per bowl**
*Based on a 150-pound cyclist **1 cup cereal and cup skim milk
45 minutes 1 hour, 30 minutes 2 hours, 45 minutes
3 bowls 6 bowls 11 bowls
ENERGY
(AKA CARBOHYDRATE)
RECOVERY
(AKA PROTEIN)
WOMENS
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MEAL REPLACEMENT
Natural ingredients. Bars
made from grains and
fruits do a better job of
simulating the nuances
of a meal, including an-
tioxidants, vitamins and
minerals.
An easy way to get carbs,
protein, fat and calories in
one convenient package.
Some people use them as
a prepackaged meal and
a way to prevent mindless
overeating.
These miscellaneous
bars, whether its because
of their carb count, protein
content or marketing, dont
fall into other categories.
Bars with fewer than
200 calories. Or mini-
barshalf-size versions
of popular barswhich
usually go down in 2 or 3
bites and serve up about
100 calories.
Provide women (as well
as smaller riders) with
the vitamins and minerals
they need, in a low-calorie,
reasonable portion.
Usually containing ingre-
dients purportedly good
for a womans general
healthcalcium, folic acid,
iron, soy protein. Generally
lower in calories and often
the go-to choice for skinny
male cyclists.
Quality protein in the
form of whey, milk and
soy. There is much debate
over which is best, but
many bars contain a blend,
which may help deliver the
benefits of each.
Helps usher carbs back into
your muscles after a hard
ride, and provides amino
acids to rebuild your muscles.
These supplements work
quickly so your body begins
recovery immediately.
High in muscle-building
protein, these bars are
marketed as much to the
Golds Gym bench-pressing
crowd as to pedal-pushing
cyclists looking for postride
and post-training recovery.
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Relying too heavily on them.
Bars are a great way to fit
in a meal on the go, but real
food offers more variety,
a wider range of nutrients
and antioxidants, and will
tend to be more satiating.
Packaging waste. Unless
you need the extra calcium,
iron or other women-
specific nutrients, you can
simply cut your regular
energy bars in half.
Again, too many calories
some as many as 500. These
bars are essentially a small
mealone can have as
much protein as 3 ounces of
chicken and as many carbs
as a cup of brown rice.
Too many caloriesenergy
bars can pack 350 or more.
Unrecognizable ingredients,
especially sugar alcohols
like xylitol or maltitol, which
are hard to digest and can
cause stomach discomfort.
A high carbohydrate count
and fewer than 2 grams of
fiber. Your best choice is
one that contains B vita-
mins, which are needed in
combination with carbs for
optimal performance.
Provides a steady stream
of carbohydrates during
your workout so you dont
bonk. After your workout,
such bars can replenish the
glycogen that youve spent.
The most crowded category
in sports foodsit grew
nearly 24% in 2004 alone.
Easily digestible and spe-
cially formulated to deliver
a big hit of carbs (about 40
grams70 percentof the
bars calories).
BAR NONE
BEFORE YOU GOBBLE ANOTHER STICKY SLAB OF FOOD, CONSIDER THIS:
YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE WORKED OUT HARD ENOUGH TO BURN IT
B
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38 MARCH 2010
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FUEL
BI0310START_FOOD.indd 38 12/30/09 3:39:15 PM
12302009154030
Test something one million kilometers and refine it
sixty times. The word obsessive comes to mind. castelli-cycling.com
L
ESS THAN FIVE YEARS AGO, TIM HORST WAS AN OVER
weight graphic designer yearning for a change. So he abruptly quit his
job and enrolled at LAcademie de Cuisine, in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Cooking was always my true love, Horst says.
Upon finishing culinary school, Horst took a restaurant job in
Washington, DC. You dont make much money when you cook, so I
bought a bike and kept my car parked, he says. And from then on, he had two loves.
He biked everywhere and within six months dropped 40 pounds.
After a stint at a vegetarian restaurant, Horst landed at Rosa Mexicano in 2009.
I love working with the different moles, or Mexican saucessome have more
than 28 ingredients, he says. His favorite dishes to prepare include layered duck
tortilla pie and salmon filet with
tropical mole.
WHERE HE BEGAN I worked at a butcher shop during culinary
school. It was great hands-on experienceincredible training.
WHERE HE RIDES Ill often take the Capital Crescent Trail, which
runs up the Potomac to Bethesda. Then Ill ride the Parkway, which
goes along the Potomac the other way up to Mount Vernon.
WHERE TO FIND HIM 575 7th Street at F Street NW, Washington, DC
20004; 202/783-5522; rosamexicano.com
THE TURNAROUND
On his day off, Horst bikes to a farmers market to
source ingredients for his homemade recipes, like the
pie below. And despite his jammed schedule, he still
finds time to ride. Last year, he upgraded from his flat-
bar road bike to a Scott Speedster frame with SRAM
Rival components. He rides 25 miles every morning
before rolling into DCs Penn Quarter neighborhood,
where the restaurant is located. Cooking is my passion,
he says. But now that I ride so much, I would have to
say they both are. I dont want to live without either of
them in my life.Christine Mattheis
CRUST
> 4 cups all-purpose
flour
> 1 tablespoon sugar
> 2 teaspoons salt
> cup water
> 1 tablespoon
cider vinegar
> 1 egg
> 1 cup shortening
FILLING
> 6 cups blackberries
or other fruit
> 5 cups mixed berries
> 5 ounces maple syrup
> cup brown sugar
> 5 ounces hot water
> 6 tablespoons
corn starch
> 6 tablespoons cold water
Sweet Treat
CALORIES
PER SERVING
491
FAT 18 grams
CARBS
6g PROTEIN
77g
Meet the Chef
TIM HORST CHANGED HIS LIFE WITH COOKING AND CYCLING
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For the crust: Mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl; set
aside. In another bowl stir together the water, vinegar
and egg; set aside. In a mixer or with a paddle, add
shortening to the first bowl and mix until it resembles
sand. Add the second mixture and stir until moist.
Remove dough from bowl and form into two rounds.
Roll both rounds to a -inch thickness, then put one
in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and bake at 300 degrees
for 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
For the filling: When the crust is cool, fill it to the
top with fruit; Horst recommends blackberries. In
a food processor blend mixed berries, maple syrup,
brown sugar and hot water. Pour into a saucepan and
bring to a boil. Mix the corn starch and cold water,
whisk the mixture into the pan until it thickens, then
pour hot over the berries.
Top pie with the other lay-
er of crust, or your favorite
pie topping, bake at 400
degrees for 15 minutes.
Serves 12.
Pop-Pops Fruit Pie
Look forward
to pie after long,
hard rides.
40 MARCH 2010
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BI0310START_FOOD.indd 40 12/22/09 4:02:06 PM
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Im looking for a way to keep
my bike looking and riding
like new. The catch is that
anything above lefty-loosey,
righty-tighty is beyond
me.65SpeedRebel
Learn by reading about it and
then doing it as you go. nSome
bike shops offer basic mainte-
nance courses for new cyclists.
Check with your LBS. nI was
in your situation last year and
bought a book, but now it just
collects dust. I like bicycletutor.
com to walk me through basics.
Can anyone explain to
me the need [for some riders]
ANYTHING GOES
WHEN IN DOUBT, ASK YOUR PEERS FOR THE
ANSWERS TO YOUR MOST INTIMATE QUESTIONS
AN INTERNET HANDLE GIVES YOU THE ANONYMITYAND THE COJONESTO ASK WHAT
ever your heart desires. We dug through pages of discussions on forums..com (go there to
join in) to see what advice youre seeking from each other. Some of you offer legit tips while others are just
there to poke funand thats the beauty of it. Heres some of the best of the constructive feedback.
to pass within a few inches
of other cyclists on the
road, then cut 2 feet in front?
This is way too close and
Im getting sick of this.
boogieman
When passing a jogger, stroller-
pusher or another bike, I sing out
loud on your left to let them
know. n It makes more sense to
do it when theyre about 10 to 15
feet behind. Then again, I can see
someone being so deep into what
theyre doing that they may not
be aware of anothers presence
(been there, done that). n I like to
pull up alongside and say hi and
actually ride with them for a few
seconds before going on ahead.
At what point should I call it
quits and get on the trainer?
Im not talking about snow,
ice and darkness; Im talking
about wind and cold.creaky
You have to find your own
limits. nOverdress rather than
underdress; its easier to remove
layers. nIf the roads are dry,
its worth a try. nIve covered
every inch of my body, including
wearing ski goggles, and biked
to work in -10 degrees F.
Occasionally I hear a loud
chirping soundlike a damn
birdwhen I stand and pedal
in the big ring.Edward G
Your cleats may be starting to
wear out. nGrease or tighten the
skewer on your front wheel. nI
had this same problem. Turned
out to be the crank. I took it apart
and gave the crank spindle a coat
of grease and the squeak is gone.
Why is using a hydration pack
on the road taboo? I asked my
brother and he made fun of me
for the next five minutes.
Tall Cool One
Five minutes sounds about
right. nCamelBak does make an
undershirt with a small reservoir
in it for short, fast rides. But for
general road use, its just dorky.
nBike jerseys breathe very well.
Slapping a CamelBak on your
back negates this cooling effect.
nLast June I ran out of water 5
miles from the nearest town. I
bought the 100-ounce CamelBak
the next day. If that tilts me over
to the Fred end of the spectrum,
so be it. nYou just survived 5
minutes of mockery. Now go ride.
If wearing a
hydration pack on
a road ride tilts me
over to the Fred
end of the spectrum,
then so be it.
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42 MARCH 2010
BEST ADVICE
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STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT EXERCISE CAN
increase brain function and stimulate the creation
of new brain cells. But what kind of exercise? Two
studies cited in a New York Times article answer
this question. In one, published in the Journal of
American College of Sports Medicine, students at
the University of Illinois were asked to complete a
memory task. Then they were given the option to
either sit quietly, run on a treadmill or lift weights
before completing the task again. The runners
were the most accurate on the retest. There
seems to be something different about aerobic
exercise, says Charles Hillman, an author of the
study. In another study, published in the Journal
of Physiology, professors at the National Cheng
Kung University, in Taiwan, used mice to conclude
that any form of aerobic exercise should be able to
maintain or increase our brain functions. Next time
you straddle your saddle, do it for different reasons.
Get Smart Not up for a fast pace to melt your
muffin top? Go slow to sharpen your wits.
Brainstorm Use your commute to work to
think of three great ideas for the morning meeting.
Decompress Ride to keep your stress levels
low and brain fucntion high. Long-term exposure to
stress hormones, such as cortisol, can shrink our
brains as we age.Jennifer Sherry
RIDING A BIKE DOESNT JUST TONE YOUR
LOVE HANDLES; IT ALSO TUNES YOUR THINKING CAP
GROW A BIG BRAIN
BEHIND
THE KEYS TO LONGHAUL REAREND COMFORT ARE SADDLE
SELECTION AND SETUPAND AS LITTLE FRICTION AS POSSIBLE
I
TS NORMAL FOR YOUR BUTT TO FEEL
tender after you return from a long off-season
or make a big jump in miles. But theres a dif-
ference between that type of soreness, which
lessens as you adapt, and chafing, where the
skin on your butt or inner thighs is rubbed raw.
Your tush is one of only three contact points between
your body and the bikeand it includes sensitive re-
gions that can make riding miserable if the connection
isnt right. Were here to demystify the butt-saddle con-
nection, dispel some taint-related myths and improve
your undercarriage-care abilityto keep you sitting
pretty no matter how long the ride.Brian Fiske
PICK YOUR SEAT A heavily padded saddle sounds like
a good solution, but it can actually exacerbate painful
saddle issues. As your weight sinks into the saddle,
the padding can press into your sensitive nooks, add-
ing pressure where you dont want it. It may be hard to
believe, but lightly cushioned seats can be better, espe-
cially for longer rides. Persistent issues? See Get Fit.
SET FOR SUCCESS The perfect saddle position puts a
platform precisely under your sit bones, without push-
ing you forward, back or to the side. To hit the spot:
> Level your saddle; center the rails in the seatpost
clamp (see A).
Get Fit
If youre sure your saddle is set properly and you still have
problems, get fit by an expert. Many manufacturers now
offer their dealers measurement tools; two of our favorites
are Specializeds Body Geometry Saddle Fit System and
Bontragers InForm system. Both utilize a cushiony seat that
retains an imprint of your butt after you sit in it; the dealers
fit expert measures the imprint to find your suggested saddle
width, which can solve lingering issues with comfort.B.F.
USE IT
> Position your seatpost so theres only a slight bend
in your knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke (see B).
> Place the bike on a trainer (level the front with the
rear), then have a friend stand behind you to watch
your hips as you pedal. If they rock, lower your seat-
post slightly.
> Stop with your cranks at 3 and 9 oclock and have
your friend hold a plumb line against the indentation
below your kneecap; the free end of the plumb line
should bisect the pedal axle. If it doesnt, move your
seat forward or back until it lines up (see C).
> Avoid messing with saddle tilt. A nose thats too far
down will force weight onto your arms; too far back will
put pressure in places you dont want to feel it.
THE DIRTY TRUTH Friction causes chafing, which can
lead to saddle sorespainful, infected abscesses or
cysts. You can avoid them by cleaning down under be-
fore and after rides, wearing clean shorts, and always
using chamois cream (Vaseline works too, but its
greasy). If you develop raw spots, clean them gently
but well, then slather on an ointment like Bag Balm
or Desitin (a diaper-rash cream). But dont continue to
mask the problem; troubleshootyour hips are rock-
ing, your thighs are rubbing the nose of the saddle,
and so onto find the cause of the chafing.
A
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MARCH 2010 43
THIS IS YOUR...
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With your right eye closed, hold this page at arms length.
Now slowly move it back and forth, left and right. Did the dot
on the other side of the page disappear? Thats your blind spot.
Your car has one, too. Fortunately, Acura has technology that
can detect objects in your blind spot. And while some other
systems can only detect objects at higher speeds, ours is capable
of detecting objects while traveling at speeds as low as six
miles per hour. The available blind spot information system
in the Acura MDX. The most innovative thinking youll find,
youll find in an Acura. Learn more at acura.com.
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With your right eye closed, hold this page at arms length.
Now slowly move it back and forth, left and right. Did the dot
on the other side of the page disappear? Thats your blind spot.
Your car has one, too. Fortunately, Acura has technology that
can detect objects in your blind spot. And while some other
systems can only detect objects at higher speeds, ours is capable
of detecting objects while traveling at speeds as low as six
miles per hour. The available blind spot information system
in the Acura MDX. The most innovative thinking youll find,
youll find in an Acura. Learn more at acura.com.
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DITCH THE TINGLES
KEEP THE FEELING IN YOUR EXTREMITIES BY TWEAKING YOUR BIKE SETUP
HANDS A long reach to your handlebar creates a wrist
extension that pinches nerves, McGlynn says. To de-
termine your correct reach, ask a friend to watch you
spin on a trainer. When your hands are on the hoods,
your elbows should be slightly bent and your arms
should be perpendicular to your torso. Vibrations
from aluminum handlebars can also rattle your hands
to sleep. McGlynn recommends installing Bontrager
BzzzKill dampers ($10/pair) to absorb road chatter.
GROIN Leaning forward on your saddle compresses the
perineal nerves (in the soft area between your groin
and butt), which cuts off blood flow and feeling. First
check your saddle tilt, says McGlynn. The top should
be parallel to the ground, which allows your sit bones
to carry most of your weight. Next, check your handle-
bar reach as described above; a long reach rotates your
hips forward and transfers weight to your perineum.
LEGS A saddle thats wrong for your body can place
excess weight on nerves and blood vessels, numbing
you from your hips down, so test-ride a few with vary-
ing shapes and thicknesses. If you still experience
numbness and loss of power after dialing in fit and
gear, you may have iliac artery impingement, a con-
dition that restricts blood flow to the legs, McGlynn
says. The affliction is rare, but can turn up in cyclists
who train in aggressive and time-trial positions. A
2004 study in Sports Medicine found the condition in
20 percent of elite cyclists surveyed. If rest and a more
relaxed position fail to solve the problem, see your
doctor.Matt Allyn
IT STARTS WITH A TINGLE IN YOUR BIG TOE OR
pinkie finger. Before long, your foot, hand or entire
leg has gone numb and you spend the rest of your
ride squirming to get the feeling back, says Paraic Mc-
Glynn, director of applied cycling science at the Serotta
International Cycling Institute. Most numbness issues
are caused by poor fit. Heres how to adjust your setup
so your extremities never fall asleep on a ride again.
FEET Ill-fitting footwear is the root cause of most
lower-extremity numbness. When shopping for shoes,
consider their width and height in addition to numeri-
cal size, says McGlynn. Shoes with more height allow
for taller arches, he says. Shoes that are too small
pinch nerves in your metatarsal arch at the ball of the
foot. The arch will collapse if its not adequately but-
tressed, so be sure yours have sufficient support.
THE TOP OF THE SADDLE
SHOULD BE PARALLEL TO
THE GROUND, WHICH ALLOWS
YOUR SIT BONES TO CARRY
MOST OF YOUR WEIGHT.
Beyond Fit
Fit specialist Paraic McGlynn warns that not all
numbness can be remedied with position adjustments
and may require medical help. Sometimes, a spinal
conditionsuch as a herniated disc, spine misalign-
ment or disc degenerationis the culprit. When these
problems occur in the lumbar (lower, inward-curving)
spine, they often cause lower-extremity discomfort or
numbness. When in the upper spine, they affect your
arms, shoulders and hands.M.A.
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MASTER IT
BI0310START_SKILLSindd 46 12/30/09 10:38:09 AM
12302009103907
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by Alex Stieda
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The Question
HOW SHOULD I RIDE
OVER RAILROAD TRACKS?
You could bunny-hop them
but that takes practice. Instead,
approach the rails squarely,
at 90 degrees, no matter what
angle the crossing sits to the
road, especially if conditions are wet. Gather
some momentum, put your hands in the drops,
rise out of the saddle with your cranks parallel
to the road and coast across. And make sure that
your tires have been pumped to the pressure rec-
ommended on the sidewall. Underinflated tires
lead to pinch flats, especially on bumps.
NOBODYS
PERFECT
< ALEX STIEDA,
the rst North American to wear the
yellow jersey in the Tour de France,
with 7-Eleven in 1986, leads tours
and skills camps (stiedacycling.com).
ALL CYCLISTS MAKE MISTAKESBUT HERES
HOW TO AVOID THE MOST COMMON NEWBIE ERRORS
Quick Tip
SOUND UPGRADES I ADVISE NEW RIDERS TO SPEND AT LEAST $1,500
ON A ROAD BIKEAND GET IT FITTED PROPERLY. WHEN YOURE READY
TO UPGRADE COMPONENTS, START WITH A LIGHTER WHEELSET AND
TIRES. REDUCING ROTATING WEIGHT WILL MAKE THAT $1,500 RIDE FEEL
LIKE A LIVE ANIMAL UNDERNEATH YOU.
AS A NEOPRO IN 1986, I D ALREADY BEEN
racing for nine years as an amateur. I thought I was
pretty hot stuff, going to Europe to race. Knowing that
I couldnt climb well, I made up my own strategy: Fade
to the back on the ascents, then bomb the descents to
get back to the front. I was having a blast until one of
the old-time pros asked my teammate Bob Roll in Ital-
ianback then most racers didnt speak Englishto
tell me to settle down or Id find myself at the bottom of
a ravine. I realized that I still had a lot to learn. Here are
five of the most frequent mistakes new riders
make and how to correct them.
BUYING THE MOST EXPENSIVE GEAR Fancy parts
dont make you a better rider. What matters is how well
you take care of your gearand that you actually use it.
The best-looking bike has a clean chain and bar tape, but
a well-worn saddle and brake hoods.
STARTING OUT TOO HARD Its fun to ride fast, but its
not fun to run out of gas in the middle of nowhere.
Use the first third of a ride to warm up, the next third
to settle into a rhythm and the final third to hammer.
This strategy prevents midride burnout and trains you
to push hard when youre already fatigued.
NOT REFUELING ENOUGH Eat before you get hungry
and drink before you get thirsty. For rides lasting more
than one hour, take some sips from your bottle every 10
minutes and eat a few small bites of food every 15 min-
utes. Finish one bottle and eat one energy bar per hour.
ACTING LIKE A KNOW-IT-ALL New riders can be over-
confident, especially if theyve enjoyed success in anoth-
er athletic discipline. Cycling is a complicated sport, and
youll progress faster once you realize that every ride
offers an opportunity to improve. When you reach the
point where you can help others, offer a single piece of
advice at a time so they can focus on improving one skill
before building to the next one.
BREAKING THE GROUP-RIDE RULES Theres a proto-
col to riding safely in a group, but new riders often dont
master the system until they get yelled at. If youre new
to pack riding, hang out at the back and watch whats
going on. Dont be afraid to ask someone for help.
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48 MARCH 2010
CYCLING 101
BI0310START_SKILLSindd 48 12/29/09 10:53:48 AM
12292009105422
NEW FEBREZE SPORT MAKES OLD GEAR
SMELL GOOD AS NEW
its a breath of fresh air 2009 P&G h air
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came through the turn at the bottom of the rise on
a good, generous wheel. I dropped back by half a bike
length then jumped, passing my lead-out 25 yards
from the first town sign on the hilltop. Mark, the summer
intern, accelerating faster, came up on my left. I lost sight
of him as my vision tunneled, but somehow, he told me
later, I held him off for all three signs. Id notched, finally,
the trifectathe three sprints marking the end of one of
our regular lunch-ride routes.
That was three years ago. Not long after my day of glory,
things began to slide backward. My routine of weekday
group rides and solo weekend outings was no longer making
me faster. Each year, the doughnut hole I found myself in
come March was deeper than the one before, and by June I
was secure in my place in the back of the pack. The con-
versation was better there, but I missed turning breath-
less circles at the tops of hills waiting for the rest of
the group. The bunch had stepped it up, and I couldnt
escape the fact that I hadnt kept pace. Id plateaued.
This is a place most cyclists come to at some time.
Plateaus happen when your body has done as much as
it can with what youve given it, says Rick Crawford, a
nationally known coach with Colorado Premier Train-
ing. Limiters, as Crawford calls them, are different for
every person, and they start to appear within just a few
seasons of committed cycling. Youre given a certain set
of tools at birth, DNA-encoded, he says. As you begin to
train, you have three to four years when your improve-
ment curve is really dramatic. Then you hit your talent
limit. Youve fulfilled the easy part of your careerthe
part when gains come easy. Getting 10 to 20 percent
better each year had seemed like the norm to me, as
Crawford says it does for most new cyclists. Once that
period ends, you can still make substantial gainsbut
you need to change the way youve been riding.
There is a basic law of adaptation, and that is the law BY JEREMY KATZ > ILLUSTRATION BY RAFAL OLBINSKI
BI0310PLATEAU.indd 51 12/29/09 9:39:02 AM
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52 MARCH 2010
of diminishing returns, says David Swain, PhD, a professor of exercise
physiology at Old Dominion University, in Virginia. The closer you get
to some inherent genetic maximum ability, the more and more work
it takes to make smaller and smaller increments of improvement. As
discouraging as that sounds, all plateaus are not created equal. Unless
youve followed an ideal training program, with flawless coaching, un-
flagging motivation and the kind of time that comes only with a profes-
sional contract or unemployment, you havent pushed all your genetic
chips into the pot. Heres how to get off your own personal plateau.
First, Rest
To maintain the foundation that youve crafted to support your
ridingyour base, your pace work, your group ridesyou need to
recover properly. A cracked foundation, worn down by too much rid-
ing and inadequate rest, can halt your progression as a cyclist. At the
end of the season, you need to fill those cracks in, says Cliff Scherb,
one of the founders of online coaching service TriStarAthlete.com.
And the best way to do that, he says with a grin, is with chocolate
and peanut butter. You need that mental switch off, otherwise youll
never be able to come back stronger. And he does mean off: Put the
bike away, he says. Dont fret about getting fat. Accept that youre go-
ing to lose fitness and that when you come back youll be as much as
70 percent off your peak. When I do come back, he tells me, Youll
appreciate going from out-of-shape guy to newly minted fast guy.
But rest isnt just for the off-season, and fatigue doesnt fly north like
Canada geese when the weather turns warm. Swain suggests asking
yourself throughout the year, Are you getting enough rest and recov-
ery? If the answer is no, that could cause a plateau. Unless youre paid
to ride, youre probably trying to slot riding in amidst
work and family, some weeks more successfully than
others. If your life is stressful off the bike, even an easy
training week can wreck you for the next one. Forget
about checking your morning heart rate or cortisol levels,
says Swain: If youre feeling fatigued and unmotivated,
youre overtrained. He suggests taking a whole week off
or at least backing off this week. Get some more sleep,
and then come back at it a little better next time.
Build a Base
Once your rest and recovery are complete, you can be-
gin constructing the foundation for a breakout season.
Building base, says Crawford, is one of the best ways
to break a plateau. Base fitness training enhances your
bodys physical infrastructuremuscle fibers, capillar-
ies and cellular energy factories. The time to build it is
in winter or early spring, when your cycling hours are at
a yearly low and a structured program may be just what
you need to get yourself outdoors. Crawford recom-
mends eight weeks of low-intensity, high-volume riding.
Skip the hammering: Mixing in higher-intensity rides,
Crawford says, calls off the production of residual fit-
ness in favor of short-term adaptations. In my case, that
means eschewing the big group ride and pedaling solo or
with a couple of like-minded friends.
During a base ride, Crawford suggests keeping your
heart rate at 70 percent of your maximum (see Max
Factor, left), varying your cadence and incorporating
sprints of three to five seconds to keep your fast-twitch
muscle fibers awake. Break up your base program into
two four-week blocks. In the first block, youll increase
your training volume for three weeks and use week
four to recover. For the second block, your intensity
will crawl up a bit each week until your recovery in week
eight. You can adjust the plan to fit your schedule, but
remember that the hours you squeeze in here will pay
off come summer.
I NOTICED THAT MY THIGHS
HAD STOPPED QUIVERING AND
MY SELF-DOUBT HAD FLED.
WHILE I HAD QUITE A CLIMB
AHEAD OF ME, I WAS LOOKING
FORWARD TO IT.
Max Factor
I
ll make the wild assumption that you dont have a soigneur scheduling your
VO
2
-max test in between wind-tunnel sessions. In fact, Im guessing that,
like me, you lust after a power meter, but when you look down at your bar
you see only a heart-rate monitor.
Thats okay: With a heart-rate monitor and a little math, you can esti-
mate your maximum heart rate and heart-rate reserve (HRR, your maximum heart
rate minus your resting heart rate). Thats all you need to do effective base training
and pace work.
First, do a solid warm-up on the bike, at least 10 minutes, suggests exercise
physiologist David Swain. Then go hard for three minutes, followed immediately by
two to three minutes of riding as hard as possible. The highest rate you observe
not a brief ash of one number but a value that is sustained for several secondsis
your maximum heart rate.
Your HRR is an excellent gauge of efciency. Its particularly useful for break-
ing through a pace plateau and for guring out how much of your genetic potential
youre using. For example, lets assume that, like most recreational athletes, you
can sustain an effort thats 70 percent of your VO
2
max. Thats roughly equivalent to
70 percent of your HRR. To gure out what your heart-rate monitor will show when
youre riding at a given percentage of VO
2
max, use this formula:
Heart rate = (percentage VO
2
x HRR) + resting heart rate
If you have a maximum heart
rate of 190 beats per minute and a
resting pulse of 60, your HRR is 130.
Heres what your heart-rate
monitor will show when youre at
70 percent of your VO
2
max:
>
151
= (0.7 x 130) + 60
To be able to sustain 80 percent
of your potential, youd need to see
this number on the monitor:
>
164 = (0.8 x 130) + 60
And the magic 90 percent?
That looks like this:
>
177
= (0.9 x 130) + 60
Try it out with your numbers. Even if youre on a plateau, you may nd you have
plenty of potential waiting to be unlocked.J.K.
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MARCH 2010 53
Break Out with Base
WEEK 1 > 8 hours @ 70% max HR
WEEK 2 > 10 hours @ 70%
WEEK 3 > 12 hours @ 70%
WEEK 4 Recovery week > 8 hours @ 6070%
WEEK 5 > 15 hours @ 70%
WEEK 6 > 15 hours @ 72%
WEEK 7 > 15 hours @ 75%
WEEK 8 Recovery week > 8 hours @ 6070%
Tap Your Potential
You can use the residual fitness gained through Crawfords base
program to shore up other weak areas of your cycling foundation.
For example, even if youve been a cyclist for years, you can increase
the pace you can sustain and the length of time you can sustain it.
Humans are incredibly capable of increasing endurance, Swain says.
In fact, most of the rides that recreational cyclists log do exactly that.
Every year, as the weather turned warmer, Id ramp up the hours
I spent in the saddle so that I could hold a steady, comfortable pace all
day on solo rides and take long pulls on the group ride. But within a
couple of months or so, Swain says, you will have reached the level that
youre going to have for that year. Dont expect to rock a five-hour ride at
group-ride pace just because youre fita mistake I made at least once a
year. To ride harder over a longer distance, you need to work on your VO
2
max, which is the amount of oxygen your body can take in and process.
No matter what you do, you cannot increase your VO
2
max beyond
a genetically predetermined limit. To see where yours stands now and
how it responds to structured training, youd have to invest in a series
of tests. Thats a great way to spend money if youre an aspiring pro,
but Id much rather put that cash into my new-bike fund. If youve
been training for a few years and see diminishing returns in your
capacity to ride harder and longer, it is a safe bet that youre starting to
bump up against the limits of your VO
2
max.
The good news is that although you cant substantially raise your
VO
2
max, you can increase the percentage of your potential that you
use. And you probably have a lot of room for improvement. Elite ath-
letes may be able to maintain an hourlong effort in excess of 90 percent
of their already-high VO
2
max, but the rest of us, Swain says, could do
that for five to 10 minutes. In order to increase the percentage of your
VO
2
max that you can draw on, Crawford recommends a progressive-
pace plan. If you can sustain an average pace of 20 mph, for example,
increase your pace to 21 mph for 30 minutes during your next ride.
Once you can do that comfortably, add five minutes at a time until
you are proficient at the faster pace. Then start all over again, one mile
per hour faster. Crawford suggests finding a fun and challenging
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
W
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k

1
Core
strength
I
1 hr. 15 min.
bike
with rolling
hills
REST
Short
sprints
REST
1 hr. 30 min.
bike with
microbursts
1 hr. 20 min.
bike
with
out-&-back
W
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2
Core
strength
II
REST
Stationary
skills ride
Race
or
short
sprints
REST
Swim
or hike;
1 hr. 30 min.
bike with
microbursts
1 hr. 20 min.
bike
with
out-&-back
W
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3
Core
strength
I
1 hr. 20 min.
bike
with rolling
hills
Short
sprints
REST REST
2 hr.
bike with
microbursts
1 hr. 20 min.
bike
with
out-&-back
W
e
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k

4
Core
strength
II
Short
sprints
REST
1 hr. 30 min.
bike
with rolling
hills
REST
Swim
or hike;
2 hr.
bike with
microbursts
1 hr. 20 min.
bike
with
out-&-back
Cliff Scherbs Plateau Buster
SEE FOOTNOTE S ON p. 54
Continued on p. 55
ONCE YOUVE BUILT YOUR BASE, USE THIS PLAN TO JUMP-START YOUR SEASONOR TO RECHARGE MIDYEAR IF YOURE FEELING STALE
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*
Core Strength I
THESE EXERCISES
ENHANCE THE TYPES
OF CORE STRENGTH
REQUIRED FOR CYCLING
SUPINE BRIDGE
(3 sets of 20 reps;
rest 1 minute between sets)
This movement works the
abdominal area.
1
]
Lie on your back with your
knees bent, feet at on the oor
and shoulder-width apart, toes
pointing straight ahead and
arms at your sides. Activate
your core by bracing your
stomach musclesas if you
were about to be punched in the
gutand squeezing your glutes.
2
]
Lift your hips off the oor so
your body forms a straight line
from knees to shoulders. Hold
and slowly return your hips to
the oor, touching down
momentarily, then repeat. Your
hips should remain even.
PRONE COBRA
(3 sets of 15 reps;
rest 90 seconds between sets)
This works the upper
extensor muscles of the spine
and counteracts the hunched-
forward riding position.
1
]
Lie on your stomach with
your arms at your sides, palms
on the oor.
2
]
Tighten your glutes and
slowly peel your upper body
off the oor for ve to 10
seconds, stopping when you
feel tension. Pause, then slowly
lower back down. Easier
option: Perform the move with
your hands resting on the back
of your head and your stomach
on top of a stability ball.
SIDE PLANK
(3 reps;
rest 1 minute between reps)
Youll strengthen the muscles
on your ribs, which you use
when climbing.

1
]
Lie on your side with legs
straight and spine aligned.
Place your elbow directly under
your shoulder for support.
2
]
Tightening your abdomen,
lift your torso off the oor so
your body forms a straight line.
Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then
lower to the oor.
*
Core Strength II
THESE WORKOUTS PROVIDE MANY OF THE SAME BENEFITS OF THE WORKOUT ABOVE, BUT ARE SLIGHTLY LESS CYCLING-SPECIFIC.
PERFORM 15 REPS OF EACH (EXCEPT PLANKS), REST ONE TO TWO MINUTES, THEN REPEAT THE SERIES.
BALL BACK EXTENSIONS
Rest your stomach and hips
against a stability ball, keeping
your toes on the oor. With
your hands behind your neck,
drape yourself over the ball,
then straighten your back,
lifting your torso off the ball.
BALL OBLIQUE TWISTS
Sit on the stability ball and put
your hands behind your head.
Twist your right shoulder toward
your left knee, then lower until
your elbow touches your knee.
Repeat on left side.
TRICEPS DIPS
Stand with your back to a table
or chair. Rest your palms,
ngers forward, on the table,
and your feet at on the oor.
Bend your elbows to 90
degrees, then return to the
starting position.
PLANK
Rest on your forearms and toes
with your elbows under your
shoulders and your abs tight.
Hold the position as long as
possible, using your abs to keep
your body at.
REVERSE CRUNCH
(3 sets of 20 reps;
rest 90 seconds between sets)
Working your lower back
creates a stable platform
for your legs and prevents
imbalances between your
abs and back.
1
]
Lie on your back, thighs
perpendicular to the oor,
knees bent at 90 degrees.
2
]
Maintaining a 90-degree
angle at the knee joint, bring
your knees toward your chest.
Pause, then return to the
starting position. Continue at a
controlled pacedont cheat
by rocking back and forth or
swinging your legsand
concentrate on your lower
abdomen throughout. Breathe
normally.
SEE CHART, p. 53
C
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BALL PUSHUPS
Put your palms on the oor
and rest your knees, shins or
toes on a stability ball. Bend
your elbows until theyre in line
with your shoulders. Push up.
BALL SQUATS
Place an exercise ball
between your back and a wall.
Squat until your knees are
bent 90 degrees, then return
to your starting position.
BALL LUNGES
Stand with your back to the ball
and pick up your right foot,
resting the top of it on
the ball. Use your hamstring
muscle to lower yourself, then
push back up with your quads,
hamstrings and glutes. Keep
your knee behind the tip of your
toe. Repeat with left foot.
BALL SITUPS
Rest your back on the ball and
slide your butt as far back on
it as you can. Relax your neck
and rest your ngertips on
your temples. Keep your arms
in line with your body. Focus
on your abs as you sit up.
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*
Rolling Hills CHALLENGING THE BACKSIDE OF A HILL
HELPS YOU METER OUT YOUR EFFORT OVER THE WHOLE CLIMB
AND DESCENT, TO MAINTAIN A STEADIER, FASTER SPEED WITH
LESS ENERGY EXPENDED.
Warm up by riding easy for 10 to 15 minutes, at a rate of perceived
exertion (RPE) of 2 or 3. (On this scale a 1 would be no exertion at all
and a 10 would be an all-out effort.) Keep your cadence at 90 rpm.
Then ride for at least 1 hour on a hilly route. Power over the last 4 or
5 meters of each climb and down the backside until you hit top
speed, then coast and recover.
*
Short Sprints THIS FUN WORKOUT WILL TEST YOUR LEGS
WITHOUT TRASHING YOUR ANAEROBIC SYSTEM. DO IT ON THE
SAME COURSE EACH WEEK (OR ON THE TRAINER) TO TRACK
YOUR PROGRESS. TO GET YOUR COMPETITIVE JUICES FLOW-
ING, RACE WITH A FRIEND.
Warm up for 20 minutes easy at a high cadence (90-plus rpm).
Main set:
5 seconds all-out, 1 minute rest
30 seconds all-out, 1 minute rest
1 minute all-out
Repeat two more times, riding three minutes easy between sets.
Cool down with 10 minutes easy at 90-plus rpm.
*
Microbursts BY ADDING SHORT, HARD EFFORTS TO YOUR
STANDARD ENDURANCE RIDES, YOULL HELP RECRUIT FAST-
TWITCH MUSCLE FIBERS FOR SPRINTING AND TRAIN YOUR
ABILITY TO CHANGE SPEEDS QUICKLY.
Warm up with 20 minutes of easy riding (RPE 2) at a higher-than-
normal cadence (95-plus rpm). During the endurance section, do a
30-second, out-of-the-saddle hard effort (RPE 9) every ve
minutes. Keep your cadence at 95-plus rpm. Between bursts,
cruise at an RPE of 2 to 4. Cool down with 15 minutes easy riding.
*
Swim LIKE A MASSAGE, SWIMMING FLUSHES TIRED
MUSCLES. AND A CHANGE OF VENUE CAN BREAK UP MENTAL
MONOTONY.
Warm up with 400 yards. Then swim 1,650 yards nonstop,
negative-splitting (the second 825 yards should be faster than
the rst). Dont go too hard too early. Cool down with 200 yards.
*
Hike IF YOU ARENT A STRONG SWIMMER OR DONT HAVE
ACCESS TO A POOL, SUBSTITUTE A ONE-HOUR HIKE.
For the rst 30 minutes shoot for an RPE of 2 to 5; during the second
half walk or jog at an RPE of 5 to 8.
*
Out-&-Back ADDING STRUCTURED CYCLING TO A RIDE
ALONG UNDISCOVERED ROADS WILL BUILD YOUR SPEED AND
REST YOUR MIND.
Warm up for 20 minutes. Then take an unknown road and ride for
20 minutes: ve minutes moderate (RPE 5 or 6), ve minutes easy
(RPE 2), ve minutes moderate, ve minutes easy. Turn around
and retrace your route, completing this sequence four times: 3
minutes hard (RPE 7 to 9), 2 minutes easy. Take note of how many
minutes you shave on the way back. Cool down for 20 minutes.
*
Stationary Skills DRILLS ON A STATIONARY BIKE OR
TRAINER HELP YOU DEVELOP A MORE EFFICIENT PEDAL
STROKE.
Warm up, then repeat the following cycle four times: 45 seconds
pedaling with one leg, 1 minute using both legs, 45 seconds
pedaling with the opposite leg. Use light resistance and keep
your cadence as high as you can without bouncing. Make sure
you are lifting from the hip exors and pushing with your quads.
You may notice dead spotstimes when youre not applying
pressure on the pedalespecially at the 12- and 6-oclock
positions. Try and apply force to the pedal along the full
revolution. Cool down with ve minutes easy.
environment in which to tackle this workout for two days straight,
followed by a recovery day. A full week would look like this.
Push the Pace
Monday > OFF
Tuesday > EASY SPIN
Wednesday > PACE PLATEAU BUSTER
Thursday > PACE PLATEAU BUSTER
Friday > RECOVERY RIDE
Saturday > PACE PLATEAU BUSTER
Sunday > PACE PLATEAU BUSTER
Its not a quick fix, but this kind of pace work can wring almost every
drop out of your genetic potential. Getting to 90 percent of VO
2
max for
an hour? Its a hard thing to accomplish, Swain cautions. But with some
dedicated training, he says, most people could do it.
Work Over Your Workout
My plateau was as much mental as it was physical: I was getting bored,
and it showed. This one-time winter rider found venturing out for
cold-weather rides growing ever more challenging. My lost fitness
rendered the group ride both impractical and embarrassing, and the
prospect of yet another right turn out of the driveway, followed by the
first left, then the third rightwell, it just wasnt enough to overcome
the sound of my neighbors flag snapping in the wind.
If youve been riding the same way for a while, you may simply need
a fresh approach. When plateaus happen, a change is necessary, says
Crawford. Getting athletes motivated to push through cruxes takes
mojo that can be summoned only if they are amped and excited about
it. Scherb, who coaches and rides for Team Type 1s triathlon team,
agrees that novelty is essential. If I give you the same stimulus week
after week, eventually youll respond to that stimulus very well, but
youll never go past that.
As a triathlete, Scherb prescribes a multisport approach. He rec-
ommends his four-week Plateau Buster block of training (see page
53) following your base work to jump-start your season. You can also
use it to mix things up midseason if youre feeling flat.
Let the Busting Begin
This past winter, I took six weeks off the bike. I took Scherbs peanut-
butter-and-chocolate advice to heart, and added some cheesecake to
it. I got fat. And then I started to ride again. I couldnt hang with
the group, but pedaling alone or on the wheels of good friends, I
reminded myself why I love this sport. Once, going 3 miles per hour,
I tipped over on an absurdly steep gravel-road climb. I dusted my-
self off and walked my bike to the top, laughing. I fell asleep when I
got home 30 agonizing miles later. When I awoke I noticed that my
thighs had stopped quivering and my self-doubt had fled. While I
had quite a climb ahead of me, I was looking forward to it. This time,
there would be no endless plateau halfway up the hill.
Writer Jeremy Katz is the founder of KatzInk, an independent literary
agency and editorial consultancy.
Continued from p. 53
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HERE ARE 11 SI MPLE WAYS
THAT ROUTI NE MAI NT ENANCE AND TI MELY REPL ACEMENT WI LL
MAKE YOUR RI DE S FA S TER,
SMOOTHER, SAFER AND MORE FUN
BY MIKE CUSHIONBURY
PHOTOGRAPHED BY THOMAS MACDONALD
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shop; the teeth of modern chainrings and cassettes are so sculpted to enhance
shifting that to an unpracticed eye they can appear misshapen even when new.
2. Chain

As the chain engages and pulls against the teeth of the cogs and
rings, the bushings between the plates become worn. Play develops between the
links until the distance between them is so great they no longer mesh evenly
with the teeth. The drivetrain becomes clattery and shifting is balky or un-
predictable. You can lengthen the life of your chain with regular cleaning and
lubing; rather than recommend a time interval, we like the basic rule that your
chain should never be dry or be wet enough to have anything stick to it. But
even a well-cared-for chain will wear out, usually between 1,000 and 2,500
miles. Check your chain monthly with a Park Tool Chain Checker or by hav-
ing your shop take a look. Ridden too long, a worn chain can in turn disfigure
the teeth of the cassette and chainrings; if this happens, you have to replace
those as well as the chain. 3. Shoes

Theres a certain style that comes with
running broken-in shoes, but once the wabi-sabi advances from blemishes and
scratches to frayed uppers and failed stitching, youre robbing yourself of pedal
power. The shoe wont cup your foot as snugly as it used to, and if you tighten
the fasteners to get a better fit youre likely to create hot spots. We recommend
overlooking (or even enjoying) cosmetic flaws but replacing a shoe when theres
a single month of sloppy winter riding. Grit and grime that gather on the disc
eat away the pad. Check weekly for large nicks or deep gouges, instead of even
wear across a more-or-less uniform surface, and if you find any, replace the pads.
6. Tires

Theres no such thing as an average life expectancy for tires. Used
for racing, some last less than 1,000 miles, while training or commuting tires
can reach 5,000 miles or more. The commonality is that, while all types of tires
can sustain some level of nicks, cuts and loss from normal wear, once you can
see threads, belts or the inner tube through an opening you have to replace the
tire. If you dont, you risk splitting the tire (as in the picture) or violently popping
a sidewall. Examine the tire at least weekly, ideally before every ride. One effec-
tive trick for prolonging the life span of road tires: When the rear is worn, swap
your old front tire to the back and install the new one up front. The rear is the
drive wheel and carries most of your weight, so it wears quicker. 7. Saddle
As with shoes, there is a certain romance to a tarnished saddle, but anything
that harms its structural integrity should be your signal to get a new one. Such
flaws include a peeled cover, bent or broken rails, chips or gouges that reach to
the inner shell, or lumpy spots caused by shifted or hardened gel or padding.
Any of these can concentrate friction and cause saddle sores, or force you to alter
(and unbalance) your riding position in an effort
to alleviate discomfort. Worse, a saddle that snaps
at the rails can cause you to lose control and crash.
In our experience, the average life span of a saddle
thats ridden about 5,000 miles a year and doesnt
experience undue damage is two to three seasons.
8. Road-brake pads You compromise your
ability to slow down (and could also harm the rim,
an expensive replacement compared with $20 pads)
if you use pads worn beyond the limit indicator. As
shown with the pad on the right in the photo, when
the bottom of the vertical gap is flush with the sur-
face, the pad needs to be replaced. (As the pad wears
toward this point, you can dial out the barrel adjust-
er to bring it closer to the rim so your braking power
doesnt diminish.) Replace all four pads at once so
you have an even application of force. To prevent
damage to the rim, at least once a week use a small
screwdriver or awl to remove embedded grit from
the pads. To ensure your brakes grab predictably
and smoothly, every two weeks roughen the surface
of the pad with sandpaper or a file. 9. Cleats

Replace them at the start of
every year or when the wear indicator says you should. (For many plastic cleats,
the signal for replacement is when a color indicator or line either disappears as
its worn away, or shows through a worn surface.) Cleats used beyond their effec-
tive life span often release unexpectedly or stick in the pedal; either can cause a
crash. Walking on cleats causes the worst premature wear. 10. Housing
At the change of each season of the year, inspect the cable housings and replace
those that are broken, bent or cracked. Damaged housing causes undue stress
and wear on the cables (necessitating more frequent replacement), detracts from
shifting and braking, and, when undetected, can cause you to fruitlessly service
all the other components on your bike in an effort to fix the clumsy shifting
or braking. 11. Cables

Although many cyclists think that frayed ends are
merely unsightly, the weakened cable is actually more likely to break. In addi-
tion, when youre fidgeting with a barrel adjuster or cleaning your bike, you can
stab your thumb on one of the tiny, rusty wires that stick out. Dont twine the
strands back together and put on a new end cap; ensure structural integrity by
buying and installing a new cable. To maintain smooth operation, we recom-
mend replacing cables once a year or whenever you spot rust.
Chainring teeth

Weve seen teeth bent
from rough handling, crashes and sloppy shifts
(almost always on the outer ring). Youll know
youve bent them: The chain will snag or derail as
you pedal. Sometimes you can bend the teeth back
into place (especially if you have a small adjustable
wrench) long enough to get home, but aluminum
teeth frequently snap. Missing teethtorn off in
a crash, usuallyare more insidious because you
can ride a long time without being able to pinpoint
the cause of your lousy shifting. (The chain usu-
ally deserves most of the blame.) For either malady,
replace the ring. If the teeth look fatally worn but
intact, double-check the diagnosis with your bike
any structural damage. 4. Handlebar

Rigor-
ous testing by major manufacturers has resulted
in incredible durability and strength from carbon
bars. But overtightened bolts, the impact of crashes
or even a deep scratch can concentrate stresses in
one area until the affected fiber fails catastrophi-
cally. Telling the difference between potentially
dangerous damage and harmless wear to the outer
clear coat can be difficult. Generally, if you can fit
your fingernail into the scratch or clearly see a dif-
ference in layers between the clear coat and the
fiber (as in the photo), theres no question that the
bar needs to be replaced. We recommend asking a
shop to check out marks. If you have an aluminum
bar, any gouge deeper than the anodizing or paint
(exposing bright silver) should trigger immediate
replacement. 5. Disc-brake pads

Fair-
weather riders might go a year without wearing
out their pads, while others might ruin theirs in
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WHAT DO YOU DO WITH 10 INNER-CITY KIDS WHOSE LIVES ARE SO
WRECKED BY SHOOTINGS, POVERTY AND METHAMPHETAMINES THAT THEY
GOT TOSSED OUT OF EVERY SCHOOL THAT TRIED TO HELP THEM? YOU
TAKE THEM OUT TO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND PUT THEM ON BIKES.
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BY ROBIN CHOTZINOFF ILLUSTRATION BY SEAN MCCABE
60 MARCH 2010
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onto a teaching moment. Why are we here? he asks. What do we
hope to get out of the trip? Any misgivings?
Heavy silence.
Anyone know the story of General Custer? Jeff asks.
He was a great American general! Yengke yells. Six months clean
from a meth habittheres a tenuous connection between that and
the rough homemade tattoos that cover his armshes the only kid in
the group who isnt afraid to show a little enthusiasm, and Jeff doesnt
embarrass him by bringing up Little Big Horn. With a class full of stu-
dents who struggle to meet eighth-grade reading standards and whose
idea of attendance is to stop by a classroom now and then, he tends to
keep lessons simple.
The ride back to the camp is downhill, requiring no fitness.
Youre out of control, August, Rick says calmly. Youre skidding,
August! Are you hearing me?
Say what? This helmet is overheating my head! Its messing with
my braids!
Back at camp, August touches up his cornrows,
picks at his dinner and wishes he were back in St.
Paul to keep an eye on his girlfriend, who not only
cheats, but also seems to inspire people to shoot at
each other.
Im only here because I need the credits, Gina
says, commiserating. I hate this shit. Im, you know,
a bad kid.
Its a fact more than a judgmentkids usu-
ally end up at Project Lead after having been
kicked out of every other public school in St. Paul,
Minnesota. Jeffs current class contains felons,
veterans of drive-by shootings, teen moms and
one person who will have to find pay phones for
daily check-ins with a probation officer, but also
students like Gina, who just dont seem to have
much drive to go to school.
A lot of my students are super seniors, which
means one or two years behind, Jeff says. Then
theres a bobblehead senior, which is three years
behindthey made up these names themselves
and at 21, youre out. Every year, we get an influx of
African-American young men who get dumped here
because the other schools are afraid of their scores.
Were dealing with kids no one wants.
But Jeff has been drawn to this sort of kid ever
since he can remember, even while growing up in
rural Iowa, and thats who hes worked with for the
past 10 years. Funding keeps disappearing and his
staff has been cut from four to two. Even in less
frugal times, promising students drop out of school
overnight, violence erupts and school administra-
tors seem poised to block any creative approach.
For now, though, Jeff is still able to indulge his
love of hiking, running and cycling, which he hopes
to communicate to his students, or at least use to
expose them to something outside their comfort
zones. His favorite destinations are all hundreds
of miles away, everywhere from Big Bend National
Park in Texas to New Hampshires Great North
Woods in winter. This time hes brought along assistant teacher Linda
Vang, a former cop who looks almost as young as the students, but is
much more comfortable in her own skin, and Rick, who believes that
a bike can change a kid.
A bike, Rick likes to say, gives you the freedom to go where you
want to go at a pace that allows you to take things in. You learn to push
yourself, to get along with people you may not understand. Rick fig-
ured this out on a two-year, round-the-world cycling trip with his wife,
Tanya, and his nonprofit, Two Wheel View, is all about passing on the
message. It also gives him the chance to rideon weekend day trips as
well as months of travel as far away as South America and Scandinavia.
Wherever he is, he likes nothing better than to sit around a campsite
drinking strong coffee and telling stories.
Ricks program for the week will earn students two credits toward
graduation with lessons in history, ecology, social interaction, and
health and fitness. It will also be his second attempt to guide a Project
N O R T H D A K O T A , S P R I N G
An old school bus, the kind that coughs and threatens not to start, arrives at a remote
campground. Ten kids in their late teensthree boys and seven girlsemerge, wear-
ing oversize hoodies, baggy pants and expensive sneakers. To them, this place is just
like the empty expanses they gazed at during the seven-hour drive that brought them
here: just a lot of dirt and sky. Worse, theres no cell-phone reception.
Five chaperones follow them out of the bus. Teacher Jeff Storck wastes no time
setting up the campsite, which sits on the banks of the Missouri River in an area that
was once visited by Lewis and Clark. Nearby, ride leader Rick McFerrin opens his
dinged-up van to reveal an interlocked snag of old, mud-caked bikes. The teenagers
gather slowly for a quick lesson in seat adjustment, helmet fitting and water-bottle
carrying. There is not now, nor will there ever be, a spandex garment in sight. Learn-
ing that there will now be a short practice ride infuriates the students because, well,
what about dinner?
August, Yengke and Siem, the only boys, decide to get it over with, attacking a
quarter-mile hill leading to a United States cavalry post once occupied by General
Custer and his troops. In the rear, a slow posse of overweight, resigned girls sets off,
eventually walking their bikes. Best friends Laurie and Loralena, both small, wiry
chain-smokers, ride in the middle. Adults monitor the group like two-wheeled cow
dogs, circling back to encourage the teens, most of whom have never exercised regu-
larly. The boys arrive so winded they have to bend over, spit and recover with cig-
arettes. Laurie and Loralena dont plan to recover at all; both suffer from asthma,
though often its onset seems suspiciously timed.
As the group watches the sunset from the roof of the cavalry lookout, Rick latches
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Lead group down the Maah Daah Hey Trail, a 97-mile
route that traverses the Badlands beginning on the
western edge of the town of Medora. Its said the Maah
Daah Hey could eventually become the next Moab, but
right now its intriguingly empty, and Rick and the other
adults can hardly wait to begin. The teens are dubious,
if not downright hostile.
Last year, I wanted to do the whole trail, Rick says,
but after the first hour on bikes, I knew I had to scale
back. This years routes will be out-and-back, using
the bus as a giant sag wagon. A typical recreational
mountain biker might not view the 1- to 25-mile days
as particularly tough, but these kids know nothing of
singletrack or bike handling, and the stiff climbs that
rise from this North Dakota moonscape will push them
well beyond their limits.
These kids will have to learn how to deal, Jeff says.
Theres a lot that breaks them down emotionally, but
not enough physical challenge. At some point, its like
the military. As the week goes along, their bodies will
get stronger. They learn you can get mad, but you dont
run away.
Still, he knows what to expect: There will be small
acts of resistancegroans, tantrums, cursesand
there may well be outright rebellion. So why bother?
Jeff is familiar with all those weepy movies about
teachers going into schools and turning around entire
classes of troubled kids, sending them off to happier
and more fulfilling lives. Theyre touching, but theyre
largely fantasy. I dont watch those noble-teacher mov-
ies, Jeff says. I cant stand them.
You dont win over a classroom of troubled city kids by standing on
a table and reciting poetry. Jeff knows that. He knows that with this
crowd, in fact, nothing will win over the whole group, period. So he
simply does what he knows best: He takes them far from home, shows
them how to wear a helmet and grip the handlebar and puts them all
on bikes.
And then he hopes that one of them, or maybe two or three, finds
something to hold onto.
The next day, in a warm spring drizzle, the St. Paul teens and a gas-
station clerk stare at each other. You can almost hear the clerk think-
ing: Why are black people passing through Mandan, North Dakota?
Fifty miles farther west, the land begins to undulate, and red
canyons and buttes appear. Bodies pile out of the bus at a Civilian
Conservation Corps campground a few miles from the Maah Daah
Hey Trail.
See this, girl? This is cow shit.
No way. Thats buffalo shit.
How you know? You aint never see no wild animals.
Todays ride is a 3-mile singletrack loop that could take 30 minutes
or two hours, depending on the groups attitude.
Doesnt matter, Rick says. Were here to have fun.
The trail roller-coasters from canyon bottoms to butte tops, over
dry creeks and chalky cliffsscenic and remote, but doable. August,
one of the few who rode enthusiastically the day before, quickly drops
the rest of the pack, taking a wrong turn. Jeff is dis-
patched to haul him back.
You cant do that, Rick explains patiently. You
gotta stay with a partner. You could get lost out here.
August, who actually rides his bike to school, looks
away. Yall aint my babysitters. Yall are haters.
But when two old couples appear on horses, he gath-
ers around with the others, curious. Are you all having
fun out here? one old lady asks. Youre from St. Paul? I
think thats just wonderful!
Sensing a politely captive audience, Loralena pushes
to the front of the group. Standing in the middle of the
trail, tough and red-haired, like a sort of hip-hop Annie
YOURE OUT OF CONTROL,
AUGUST, RICK SAYS CALMLY.
YOURE SKIDDING, AUGUST!
ARE YOU HEARING ME?
SAY WHAT? AUGUST REPLIES. THIS
HELMET IS OVERHEATING MY HEAD!
ITS MESSING WITH MY BRAIDS!
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Oakley, she launches into the story of the M tattooed
on her arm: My daughters father thinks its about him
because his name is Mark, but I was, like, 13 then, and
now it aint about him, no matter what he thinks.
The boys try to hit a few jumps while the girls cheer,
and everyone finishes the ride hungry and ready to chill
at the campground. Then the adults decide to do a sec-
ond loop, with or without kids.
Night around here is scarier for the kids, somehow,
than the worst city neighborhood. Ive been in North
Dakota before, says Laurie, sitting around the camp-
fire. Dressed in black, with a short haircut and sinewy
arms, she projects a butch look and a hardened past. I
got into some auto theft, and the judge sent me to one of these weird
old Western towns, she says.
Laurie was 13 at the time, depressed because her best friend, also
13, had hung himself. I wasnt mad, I was sad, she remembers. We
did everything together, steal cars, rob peoples houses, all like that.
They also had quieter timesLaurie still treasures the sketchbooks
her friend left behind.
Back in Minnesota, she began losing ground at school, sliding into
the orbit of two older brothers in jail who still functioned effectively as
gang soldiers. Entering Project Lead felt like her last option. The idea of
graduating from high school entered her head. In some ways, Project
Lead is her family, complete with the annoying brothers, the dorky
authority figures and Loralena, with whom she shares everything,
including cigarettes and one side of the earbuds attached to her iPod.
Some kids cant sit still all day, Laurie says, but I like it. I like
science. Hate math. But I will graduate. I want to open up my own
auto-body shopdo exteriors, interiors, everything.
Shes got that young name for it, too, Loralena chimes in. Bow
Down Customs.
The next morning, a park ranger arrives to direct the construc-
tion of a small hiking trailone of Ricks environmental awareness
activities. About 55, with Clint Eastwood looks and a starched uni-
form, the ranger enjoys his public, lecturing Project Lead on the hab-
its of the buffalo whose hulking forms can be seen dimly through the
rain. Dont call them buffalo, my dears, he says. Thats an animal
found only in Africa. These are bison.
Then he hands out pickaxes and shovels and sends everyone to
work. The sun comes out.
Everyone put on sunscreen, Jeff calls after them. Even black
folks. You sunburn just like the rest of us.
The ranger wanders around identifying birdcalls and dispensing
natural wisdom to the oddly compliant teenagers. When bison bulls
get sassy, he says, you shoot them with rock salt. The females eat their
afterbirth.
Thank you, Gina says, stunned and a little impresseda depar-
ture from her usual indifference toward learning. That was very in-
formational.
But then the kids turn surly again when the adults start talking
about another ride. You would think trail building was enough exer-
tion for one day, but no.
They lie.
More than once they be doing this to us.
But then theres no reason for them to trust adults, beginning with
parents who disappear only to return months later, full of promises
that seldom pan out. Everyone has a story of betrayal. Each one begins
in the age-old high school manner.
One time? When my parents got real bad on crack, and I was living
with my aunties?
One time? When there was a gang fight at Central and I hit him
with a lunch tray and me and him both got kicked out?
In between these incidents came long periods of inertia. Weeks of
not going to schoolyou dont plan to ditch, but you like to sleep late.
Months of waiting for housing, welfare checks, jobs, promises, any-
thing, to happen. Years when you got pregnant a couple of times and
had to stay home and watch kids for whom you hope better things will
come, if only you knew how to get them.
During the unplanned afternoon ride, nature pulls out the stops:
a Mexican gray wolf (Yengke, the recovered meth addict, spots it first),
the prehistoric call of a bison bull (Yengke comes within yards of him),
the echoes in the canyons (Yengke yells hello in Hmong). The girls
drop out after the first loop, but Yengke and August keep going, with
Siem in the rear, not minding that hes slow. Big and quiet, the son of
first-generation Cambodian parents who run a produce stand, he has
no interest in the mutinous talk the rest of the group revels in. He
reads, too. Fantasy novels are his favorite.
Its beautiful here, he says. It makes me want to explore places,
see great pyramids and camels. All I have to do is keep pedaling.
That night, while everyone else bitchesthe problem with this
bike trip is we ride these damn bikes too muchSiem merely says,
I love it. Everything about it. And he spends the rest of the evening
patching spare tubes. Rick files this away. One scholarship is available
for his summer bike trip to Argentina. Siem could qualify if he can
graduate before then and take time away from the UPS job that helps
him support three sisters and a disabled mother.
Why I got to cook the rice? comes a voice from the mess tent.
Because Im Mexican?
Thats right, girl. You cook that young rice.
In the dark, Loralena washes dishes, talking and talking, using the
chance to unload about skipping school, doing drugs, all those visits
from Child Protective Services, running away from home and her
drug-addicted mom at 12 and taking a bus to the Indian reservation at
Ft. Yates, where shed heard there was family. It turned out there wasnt
much to do there but play basketball and drink peppermint schnapps.
Didnt nobody want me, she explains matter-of-factly. At 19,
shes relatively settled, living with her two-year-old daughter and that
daughters one-year-old uncle.
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Hes my moms kid, Loralena explains. My mom takes care of
both of them while Im at school. I just love my mom. Since her mom
has been clean, anyway.
For the rest of the trip, Loralena cooks and washes dishes, enjoying
a bossy, responsible mom role of her own.
Another day of riding the red-dirt trails convinces Augustthe
groups most experienced rider, from his commute to schoolthat
the thrill of getting air justifies the many faceplants along the way.
He gets used to breaking a sweat and the slow pace of campsite living.
He draws, filling up a sketchbook with birds, on and off the wing,
and a rabbit he saw while riding, running next to me, hauling ass,
not even scared.
Its nothing like his last trip out of the city, when his father kicked
him out with nothing but a garbage bag full of clothes. Hed gone
to find his mother, in Minot, Minnesota, a small town full of white
people. After a week, his softhearted stepmom drove up from St. Paul,
saw Augusts bike leaning against a trailer, and rescued him.
I got no respect for anyone but her, he says. If it wasnt for her,
Id be doing some crazy shit. Now I wanna design stuff: graffiti, cars,
art. You notice I kept myself tattoo free. No handmade names of ex-
girlfriends scrawled on his arm. No party dotsthe inked-in circles
applied to the back of the hand at parties. Go to enough of these and
youll look like you have ink measles.
On the sixth day of the trip, ride leader Rick decides the kids
can handle 10 miles of Maah Daah Hey interspersed with a hike.
They set out in two contingentsthe boys and Loralena, who has
put her motherly role aside and is openly excited to ride, and the
larger girls, who have learned to pace themselves and ride patiently
instead of sullenly.
Laurie, who usually sticks close to Loralena, cant decide where she
belongs. When we get to that river, Im turning back, she grumbles.
I get an asthma attack, I stop right here. But she keeps riding, slowly
moving toward the middle of the group.
I never felt so healthy, Yengke exults with his typical enthusiasm,
chewing on a Clif Bar. Look, look! A female grasshopper, yall! Just
hopping along! Check it!
Were just going along easy, August agrees, shifting gears at a nice
pace. Covering ground, you know.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, Siem says.
After dumping their bikes in a communal pile at Mile Marker
61, the group hikes, in the best mood theyve been in all week, de-
spite the occasional phlegmy smokers cough. Loralena squeezes
her compact body into an ancient ice cave. The other kids pile up
behind her, marveling at the sustained chill on a 90-degree day.
A diamondbacks rattle rings out like an alarm clock, right where
Yengke was about to step.
That scared the living shit out of me, he proudly announces that
night in camp.
I guess Im thankful, says Brittany, a big, tall girl in childlike pink
sweats. I would never go camping if yall didnt make me. Im not the
type. I did play softball once, but only because I like to
swing a bat. I get a rush from that feeling. Im a bad kid.
I fight.
Youre a bad role model, Yengke suggests.
No, but Im a brat.
Violence is not the answer.
Im not violent! Brittany insists. I just got violent
ways!
Yet the atmosphere is oddly G-ratedmarshmal-
lows by the fire and teens braiding each others hair,
quietly discussing how last winters camping trip was
better than this.
They always do that, Jeff says. On the trip, theyre
cranky and swear they hate every minute of it. In a
month or so, when were back at school, theyll be tell-
ing each other, You remember when we rode down that
cliff in North Dakota? That was so tight.
On the last day, there is a tiny hint of sentimentality
in the air. That night, the kids give the surprised adults
autographed Maah Daah Hey T-shirts.
Loading the bus for the long drive home, people
plan their transitions from the wilderness. Loralena
and Laurie schedule two things: high school gradua-
tion, together, next winter, and some weekend soon, a
party featuring a tub of grain alcohol and juice.
Jeff refined his ritual years ago. He comes home,
gets a cold beer from the fridge and carries it into a
shower, where he stays for as long as the hot water holds
out. The trip has rewarded and exhausted him, and
sometimes he imagines smoother ones.
Id like to go to Sedona, he says, just three or four
T W O W H E E L S A N D H O P E
THESE PROGRAMS CONNECT AT-RISK YOUTHS WITH BIKES
TWO WHEEL VIEW In 2000, after returning from a two-year bike trip
around the world, Rick and Tanya McFerrin were inspired to create Two
Wheel View, a charitable nonprot organization for disadvantaged youths.
It was created to connect kids to the social, cultural and environmental
landscapes of the world through bicycle adventures, Rick McFerrin says.
In addition to after-school and Earn-a-Bike programs, Two Wheel View
offers two-week international bike expeditions to Norway and Argentina
for high school students 14 years and older. Info: twowheelview.org
TRIPS FOR KIDS In 1986, Marilyn Price founded Trips for Kids in the San
Francisco Bay Area. It was started to reach an underserved population
inner-city kids who would not normally be able to get out and experience
mountain biking, Price says. We wanted to get them out, to experience
nature, on a vehicle they were familiar with and loved. Bikes, Price says,
can help children learn personal responsibility, practical life skills and
environmental awareness.
By 1999, Trips for Kids chapters had popped up all over the country, and
eventually, in other parts of the world. Today, more than 60 chapters in the
United States, Canada and Israel have exposed 50,000 at-risk youths to the
joys of a bicycle. Info: tripsforkids.org
B.I.K.E. When an accident left collegiate cyclist John Benenate a paraple-
gic, he created Bicycles and Ideas for Kids Empowerment (b.i.k.e.) as a
way to stay involved with the sport and to support at-risk children. b.i.k.e.
runs several programs, including the four-day Oregon Bicycle Racing
Association Development Camp, which averages 500 participants;
KOBUSA, or Kids on Bikes USA, a six-week, six-hours-a-day, ve-days-a-
week summer camp; and a year-round bike team of about 50 kids, ages
eight to 22, who receive physical training and academic, social-skills and
career tutoring. Info: kidsofbike.orgHeather Rodenbach
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66 MARCH 2010
kids and three or four adults. Wed all be at the same level, riding four
or five hours a day. Maybe Id say, Kids, you do the grilling. Tell me
when its done. You guys be the adults and Ill be a kid.
SEPTEMBER, PROJECT LEAD CLASSROOM, ST. PAUL During sum-
mer break, Jeff, Rick and two friends formed Team Party Dot and
completed a 24-hour mountain bike race, in which they finished re-
spectably. Its now been nearly four months since the Maah Daah Hey
trip and schools been in session for six weeks. Jeffs still waiting for
textbooks. I dont think were gonna get them, either, he says.
It doesnt help that Linda Vangs assistant-teaching job was elimi-
nated, turning Project Lead into a one-man classroom with 25 kids,
and seldom the same 25, either. The class is inside a St. Paul Area
Learning Center, an alternative-education option for 16- to 19-year-
olds who cant make it in traditional high schools. Located in a rough
neighborhood across from the Love Doctor adult store, the school feels
like a ghetto version of a Fame set, with noisy, enthusiastic kids crowd-
ing the halls. Sometimes the action gets borderline violent. Right now,
for some reason, a lot of kids seem to be singing.
It can feel like an ER around here, Jeff says. You get people ban-
daged up and determine what level of trauma theyre at, try to find the
right treatment, and then grab the next one and move them along.
Today, hell focus on American history, as seen through blues mu-
sic. Rather than lecture, Jeff divides the class into small groups and
gets them started on designing podcasts. Bits of nonblues tunes float
through the air and kids talk about tomorrows bike trip, a one-day ride
along the banks of the Mississippi.
Is that gonna be any fun? a boy asks. Cause August, you said
biking was pretty tight.
Its okay, says August, who still commutes to school on his Trek
which isnt to say he comes regularly. On the other hand, it looks as if
he may graduate this year. So will Loralena. Laurie still needs to pass
the basic math-skills test, but she thinks she can pull it off in time to
graduate with Loralena.
Siem, who spent his evenings on the North Dakota trail patching
tubes, graduated last spring, then left with Rick and Two Wheel View
for Argentina, where he taught South American kids to dance hip-hop
and sometimes rode 50 miles a day. But no ones seen or heard from
him since. He might have moved away, they hear, or enlisted, in which
case hes on his way to Iraq.
Brittany got beat up in front of the projects where she lives. After
that, she never came back to school.
Yengke disappeared. Meth againor at least thats the rumor.
Rick is preparing to move Two Wheel View to Calgary, where hell
work with First Nations kids. He hopes to take some to North Dakota
this spring to ride the Maah Daah Hey with Jeff and Project Lead.
Tomorrows ride will be his last in Minnesota.
A fire alarm goes offa furniture store across the alley is burning
down. School is therefore closed for the rest of the day, but not before
August and Laurie promise to show up for the ride on time.
But when the next day comes, they dont show up at all. Of the 10
original Maah Daah Hey kids, only Loralena arrives, though at least
20 new riders fill in the slots. The ride is a mostly flat out-and-back
along the river bottoms, with lots of mud and underbrush and a cable-
ferry crossing. A girl named Peaches loses control on a downhill and
rides into a black-mud lagoon, trashing her Playboy Bunny jeans. A boy
named Jabar turns out to be fast, and soon figures out how to get even
faster. Waiting for the rest of the group at the turnaround point, he
kicks back under the willows, throwing rocks at an abandoned train
trestle until a friend catches up.
Hey Jabar, the kid says, you think you ever be doing this when
youre not in school?
Why not?
Good question, but it doesnt have an answer. By winter break, Peach-
es, Jabar and several of the others have stopped coming to school.
TWO YEARS LATER: BATTLE CREEK REGIONAL PARK, ST. PAUL
Two years have passed since Laurie last rode a bike, but this reunion
is officially her trip, and shes given it a name: the Long Ass Ride. An
8-mile trail ride from Minneapolis to St. Paul seems reasonable to Jeff,
who now spends a lot of time in the saddle as a volunteer leader with
Trips for Kids and on excursions with Rick and Two Wheel View. Worn
out by relentless budget cuts, he left Project Lead, worked at a school
for emotionally disturbed kids, then moved to the countys juvenile
detention center, where he teaches classes in math and social studies.
The population changes almost daily, and although the students ages
range from 12 to 18, some barely read at a second-grade level. But the
job fits Jeffs personality.
The classic line I hear is, I didnt do anything and I dont know
why Im here, he says. But for the most part you dont even know
theyre criminals. They want to learn and theyre in a
place where they dont have to be thugs. They dont have
to be looking over their shoulder or worrying where
their food is coming from. They get a little adult atten-
tion thats positive. Some kid in for attempted murder
will come into my classroom whining about, Oh, my
stomach hurts so bad. All he wants to hear me say is,
You know what? Youre gonna be all right.
Once in a while, that happens. Laurie, for instance,
passed her math exam, graduated, got a full-time job
at an automotive repair shop and plans to enter com-
munity college in the spring. I think I might be getting
somewhere, she says.
THE RIDE OF THEIR LIVES, continued on p. 98
THE RIDE IS A MOSTLY FLAT OUT-
AND-BACK ALONG THE RIVER
BOTTOMS, WITH LOTS OF MUD AND
UNDERBRUSH. A GIRL NAMED
PEACHES LOSES CONTROL
ON A DOWNHILL AND RIDES INTO
A BLACK-MUD LAGOON, TRASHING
HER PLAYBOY BUNNY JEANS.
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68 MARCH 2010
The ravaged Team Embrocation (on the road after the fth at, this page) reforties with
a round of carbs at the post- unofcial race party in downtown Portland (right).
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MARCH 2010 69
BY MATTHEW CARD PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFF CURTES
sanctioned, ofcial, bike races are more popular than ever
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70 MARCH 2010
Due to a complicated mix of insecurity and misan-
thropy, I gave up formal bicycle racing more than a de-
cade ago. I kept reminding myself of this wise decision
last fall, after the tight paceline set by the five other
racers on my team destroyed my ability to consume
solids and I spent 70 miles guzzling a sticky cocktail
of Gatorade and Mountain Dew.
But I wasnt telling myself, as you might expect, that Id never race again once
I finished that day. I was thinking just the opposite: that I couldnt wait to do this
againbecause while we were racing as hard as I ever had back when I took it all
too seriously, we were having more fun than Id ever had in that era.
The Rapha Gentlemens Race was a 137-mile, unsanctioned, invite-only contest
to ride from Oregons northern coast to downtown Portland as quickly as possible.
Formally there was no race at all. The waiver we signed to gain entry mentioned only
the Activity, and Slate Olson, the founder of the Gentlemens Race and Raphas U.S.
general manager, said those of us on the road were to be referred to as a coincidence.
(During last years version, Olson says, a police officer who stopped and questioned
him was highly skeptical that so many groups of cyclists riding in such an organized
fashion could really be construed as a coincidence, but ultimately waved him on.)
There were no road closures, just hot-pink hashes marking the course. There were
no marshals or rules. The only obligationsoutside of riding safelywere that each
team had to pass through two checkpoints along the course and fill up a dispos-
able camera, issued at the start, with snapshots from the road. Twenty-three teams
showed up, from around the Pacific Northwest and from as far afield as Oklahoma
and California. Every rider paid a $20 entry fee and got a T-shirt and a Rapha-branded
church key. Every team had to contribute a six-pack of beer to the prize pool, which
also included Rapha jerseys for the winners but nothing else.
Thanks to Raphas significant alternative marketing savvy, the Gentlemens Race
is a well-documented example of the recent groundswell in
similar events. Their very nature makes an objective and
accurate count impossible, but unsanctioned, informal,
underground races outside the governance of any officiat-
ing body are occurring with more frequency in every state
and disciplinefrom road and mountain bike events to
mixed-terrain adventures and the by-now classic urban,
messenger-style alley cats.
Many demand far more of the rider than the average
Formally there was no race at all.
The waiver we signed to gain entry
mentioned only the Activity, and
the founder of the Gentlemens Race
said those of us on the road were
to be referred to as a coincidence.
With no road closures or marshals, the Gentlemens Race doomed unlucky
teams to excruciating waits at stoplights, such as this especially cruel one in down-
town Portland, 130 miles from the start in Otis, Oregon (right).
D
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MARCH 2010 71
four-corner criterium or short-track circuit. The Trans-Iowa Race and
the Dirty Kanza 200 stack multiple centuries on gravel-strewn coun-
try roads, while the Tour Divide spans weeks and two countries. Some
unsanctioned races, like the Singlespeed World Championships and
Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships, are as much about
the party as the competition. But despiteor because ofthis, top-
level pros still partake. Giants Adam Craig has podiumed at both
singlespeed events. And team Konas Twin Towers, Ryan Trebon and
Barry Wicks, are stalwarts of the singlespeed cyclocross race (the
latter in a gold-lam Speedo). Winners at both championships are
rewarded with a trademark tattoobetter not win if you want to
keep your hide pristine.
The Gentlemens Race was based on a handicapped start, with
the fastest team rolling off the line more than a full hour after the
first one. Olson claimed that what he called his proprietary seeding
system relied on the racing histories and bios of each team member.
It was certainly an inexact science, because he rated me the equiva-
lent of a Cat 2 racer thanks to the company I was keeping with Team
Embrocation, the for-real racing team sponsored by the cycling jour-
nal published by Jeremy Dunn. Other teams included Portlands
boisterous Team Beer (which lived up to its name with preraceand
midracepints), T-shirted singlespeeders the Eddy Merkins, and
purposeful, there-to-win teams such as Nikes Livestrong and Mill
Valley, Californias Studio Velo. While a largely male affair, women
peppered several teams; there was one all-female squad, Veloforma.
Embrocation was one of the last teams to depart, and despite never having rid-
den together as a discrete team, we began rotating through a paceline at a speed
that just barely allowed me to notice the fogged-in coastline, farmland and 48 miles
of chip-sealed roadway punctuated by waterfalls and sandstone cliffs. By the time
we made it to Oregons rolling wine country (where the Cars-R-Coffins team did
the rounds of tasting rooms; in last years race, they stopped at a strip club), most
of us were zebra-striped with salt lines. A convenience store on the course had been
kind enough to put out tubs of ice and drag out a hose. Fifteen-odd miles from the
finish came the hardest climb of the day, an 800-foot, switchbacked demoralizer.
It was the only point of the race where we faltered as a team and found ourselves
stretched out over several hundred yards. Other teams pushed, pulled and cajoled
their broken teammates up. Im sure somebody walked, and nobody talked.
In the end, we passed a handful of teams, were passed by two others, and fin-
ished midpack, partly due to five flats. The winning team, largely composed of
employees of River City, Portlands premier bike shop, included the long-retired
ex-pro John Walrod, several serious racers (three men and one woman) and a rec-
reational riderarguably the most democratic team on the course.
Most unsanctioned races are deliberately hard to nd or dont
want to be publicized once theyre found. But here are 10 of the
more established antiestablishment events around the
country, listed with an appropriate lack of details. You might
think the Internet would be the best place to nd unofcial
races, but the motherlode of underground info comes from
bike mechanics at cool shops. They always somehow know
everything.M.C.
TRANS-IOWA RACE Grinnell, IA; April 2425, 2010; transiowa.
blogspot.com
SINGLESPEED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Rotorua,
New Zealand; October 2224, 2010; sswc10nz.com
SINGLESPEED CYCLOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Seattle,
WA; late fall 2010
DIRTY KANZA 200 Emporia, KS; June 5, 2010; heartlandrace.
com
RAPHA GENTLEMENS RACE East and West Coast editions;
rapha.cc
BILENKY CYCLE WORKS URBAN JUNKYARD CYCLOCROSS
RACE Philadelphia; December 2010; bilenky.com
COUNTY LINE JAMBOREE Santa Cruz, CA; February 2010;
singlespeed or xed-gear 40- or 100-mile options
CRANKSGIVING Nationwide. Alley Cat held the week before
Thanksgiving to collect canned goods for local food banks;
cranksgiving.org (New York City)
STUPOR BOWL Minneapolis; alley cat held during Super Bowl
weekend in February; myspace.com/stuporbowl12
RED HOOK CRITERIUM Brooklyn, NY; xed-gear night-time
criterium; trimbleracing.com
At the post-coincidence party, the faces of the riders
were road-weary but happy. Nobody looked disappoint-
ed or bitter. Joe Staples, one of my Embrocation team-
mates, said that the day was the most fun Ive had on a
bike as an adult. Otis Rubottom, a member of last years
winning team and a victim of debilitating cramps this
year, lauded what he called a distinct sense of adven-
ture, something he said he finds lacking in conventional
racing. Frame builder Tony Pereira, a veteran big-mile
bagger, simply said that the Gentlemens Race was the
hardest day Ive ever had on a bike.
And me? Well, I decided that its official: Im never
racing again, unless Im not.
Matthew Card, who lives in Portland, Oregon, is a free-
lance writer, contributing editor for Cooks Illustrated
magazine and columnist for the Oregonian.
10 TO TRY
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Kestrel Talon Road Shimano 105
AT FIRST GLANCE, THE TALON 105 APPEARS TO BE SOMETHING OF A REFINED TRI-
athlon bike, with massive airfoil tubes, a compact rear triangle and an adjustable seat an-
gle. Steven Harad, Kestrels brand manager, confirms that impression, saying, We were
the first company to focus on the aero road market.
We started in 2001 with the Talon, then updated that
frameset in 2009, making it one of the most aero road
framesets on the market.
The monocoque frame uses 700K carbon, a custom
mix of intermediate-modulus and high-modulus fibers,
to provide rigidity where its needed yet keep the frame
compliant enough for comfort on long rides. This blend
keeps the weightand the pricelow. The stretched-out
position suggests a frame thats built for speed, and at
higher velocities it slices through the wind, carves a confi-
dent arc through turns and ducks into an inside line with
subtle rider input. It has an uncanny ability to respond to
aggressive climbing and all-out attacks over the tops of
consecutive rollers, thanks to a solid pedal platform.
And the Talon delivers more than just speed; it also
offers a comfortable ride for long, easy days in the saddle.
Beginning triathletes and time-trialists will appreciate its
versatility: The bike features an adjustable seatpost that
can move from a slack road-oriented angle to a steeper,
triathlon-oriented seat-tube angle. For 2010, we use a new
Kestrel EMS Pro SL seatpost that is easily adjusted to pro-
vide an effective seat-tube angle from 73 to 79 degrees, says Harad. Because we use a slightly
longer reach on the frame, you are able to move your saddle into an aggressive position without
affecting the handling of the bike.
Tri riders (and those who stick to the flats) will appreciate the standard 53/39 chainring
combo, but some newer riders who spend time in the hills may ask for a compact crankset.
The Talon is a multitasking joy to ride.Mike Cushionbury
THE MAGIC
NUMBER
HERE ARE FIVE OF THE BEST BIKES
PER DOLLAR YOULL FIND AT ANY PRICE
Top to bottom: An
adjustable seatpost
makes the change from
road to tri geometry
exceptionally easy; this
rear-wheel cutout is
not exclusive to TT
bikes anymore; the
Talon cuts a narrow,
wind-cheating prole.
YOU DO TRIS IN
SUMMER AND ROAD
TRAINING IN WINTER
TRIATHLON IS YOUR
ONLY SPORT; YOU
WONT GET FULL VALUE
Buy
It If
>
Forget
It If
>
AT HIGHER VELOCITIES
THE TALON CARVES A CONFIDENT
ARC THROUGH TURNS
AND DUCKS INTO AN INSIDE LINE
WITH SUBTLE RIDER INPUT.
BIKE REVIEWS
74 MARCH 2010
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BI0310GEAR.indd 74 12/29/09 4:20:03 PM
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WEIGHT 18.2 lb. (55cm)
SIZES 48, 52, 55 (tested), 57, 60cm
FRAME Kestrel 700K carbon
FORK EMS Pro SL carbon
COMPONENT
HIGHLIGHTS
kestrelbicycles.com INFO
Shimano 105 shifters, brakes,
derailleurs, crankset, cassette,
chain, RS-10 wheels; Vittoria
Rubino Pro Slick tires; Prole
Aris OS handlebar, stem; EMS
Pro seatpost, Pro saddle
$2,459
MARCH 2010 75
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BI0310GEAR.indd 75 12/29/09 4:20:27 PM
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Motobecane Le Champion SL Ti
LIKE THE LE CHAMPION CF CARBON WE TESTED IN THE SEPTEMBER 09 ISSUE, THE
Le Champion SL Ti represents a great value based on the frame material and quality parts.
The SL has a 3Al/2.5V butted titanium frameset, hand-welded from laser-mitered tubes, and
a carbon-fiber fork. Geometry is semicompact, with a sloping top tube and a slightly taller
head tube compared with pure race bikes, for a slightly more upright position, a geometry that
complements tis comfortable, almost plush ride. While titanium has lost a degree of its allure
over the yearsit once was the material of choice for the pro peloton as well as for weekend
coffee-crew ridersits still a highly versatile alloy known for producing a lively ride quality
without being overly harsh. That makes ti just the ticket for all-arounders who expect their
bikes to perform rather than punish. And suitably, Le Champion climbs well, descends with
confidence and never feels dead or sluggish under power despite being noticeably comfortable
over the harshest broken asphalt or gravel roads.
While the frame is a strong selling point, the parts package shines, too. A complete 2010
Shimano Ultegra group, including pedals, provides a decidedly Dura-Ace-like feel in shifting
and braking, while the Ritchey WCS accessories round it out with a complete and finished look
that belies the bikes membership in the affordable-ride club.
Whether youre a new rider looking to add a slice of glamour to your cycling or an old hand
who wants a dose of comfort on those weekly training rides and races, the Le Champion SL Ti
will get you there in style without breaking the bank.Mike Cushionbury
WEIGHT 17.5 lb. (53cm)
SIZES 48, 51, 53 (tested), 56, 59cm
FRAME 3Al/2.5V titanium
FORK AeroCarbon SL high-modulus
monocoque, carbon steerer
COMPONENT
HIGHLIGHTS
motobecane.com INFO
Shimano Ultegra shifters,
brakes, derailleurs, crankset,
cassette, chain; Mavic Ksyrium
Equipe wheels; Vittoria Rubino
Pro Slick tires; Ritchey WCS
aluminum Ergo bar, stem, seat-
post, Pro Streem Road saddle
$4,495
Buy
It If
>
Forget
It If
>
YOU WANT A COMFORTABLE FRAME
WITH AN EYE TOWARD RETRO COOL
YOU NEED THE LATEST AND GREATEST:
TI WILL NEVER SURPASS THE VOGUE OF CARBON
BIKE REVIEWS
76 MARCH 2010
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Clockwise from left: The
carbon fork helps deaden
vibrations for a silky ride;
Shimanos second-tier
Ultegra group rivals
Dura-Ace in feel and
function; thin seatstays
are custom drawn to add
comfort on rough roads.
BI0310GEAR.indd 76 12/23/09 3:59:33 PM
12232009160021
Add Joule
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Gary Fisher Cronus
WITH THE CRONUS, GARY FISHER HAS MADE A UTILITARIAN ROAD RACE BIKE.
The company wanted to make a race bike that discreetly does a lot more than people ex-
pect, says product manager Aaron Mock. The Fisher team focused on three factors: func-
tionality, a more upright rider position and steering stiffness.
Fishers most radical rethink involved the bikes front end. Although the Cronus features
a steerer tube that tapers from 1 to 1 inches, Fisher says that much of the deflection in
cornering lies elsewhere: the fork blades and, especially, the wheel. The Wide Stance fork
features straight, widely spaced legs, partly due to the tall, wide-set flanges on the Bontrager
FCC hubat 42mm from center, each flange is set a good 4mm outboard of most hubs. This
provides a wider bracing angle for the spokes and, says Fisher, less deflection at the rim.
A taller head tube than many race bikes creates a more upright rider position. Using the
triathlon-oriented fit metrics of stack (bar height) and reach (cockpit length), our 54cm tes-
ter had identical reach to its cousin the Trek Madone, but a 9mm higher stack.
The Cronus accelerates with the kind of snap we associate with high-end carbon
framesno surprise, because the frame here is the same one found on the $6,300 Cronus
Ultimate. Its a nice touch for budget-conscious buyers. Theres also a massive down tube
and a BB90 internal bottom bracket. Asymmetrical chainstays provide superlative power
transfer. Steering is as taut and sure as the acceleration. But neither of s testers
felt that it was noticeably stiffer than other top road frames weve tested.
The Cronuss focus on utilityseen in the space allowed for 28mm tires, the standard
27.2mm seatpost and external cable routing, and the removable fender mountsmakes it a
valuable addition to the performance/carbon road category.Joe Lindsey
WEIGHT 17.39 lb. (54cm)
SIZES 45, 47, 50, 52, 54 (tested), 56,
58, 61cm
FRAME Carbon ber w/ 90mm
integrated BB shell
FORK Bontrager carbon
FCC, carbon steerer
COMPONENT
HIGHLIGHTS
sherbikes.com INFO
Shimano 105 drivetrain and
R600 compact crankset;
ProMax RC-466A brakes; Bon-
trager Race Lite stem, Blade OS
handlebar and carbon seatpost,
Race FCC wheels, Race Lite
700x23c tires
$2,630
Buy
It If
>
Forget
It If
>
YOU WANT A SINGLE BIKE
THAT CAN HANDLE ALMOST ANY RIDE
YOU PRIZE A LONG, LOW POSITION AND WONT
RIDE OUTSIDE IF THERES A PASSING RAIN CLOUD
!
More at BICYCLING.com . . .
For a complete video review,
go to BICYCLING.com/garyshercronus.
BIKE REVIEWS
78 MARCH 2010
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Clockwise from left:
The BB90 bottom
bracket provides the
widest possible down
tube for pedaling
stiffness; asymetrical
stays counteract
pedaling forces; and
the hubs wide, tall
anges and oversize,
25mm end caps provide
a stout front end.
BI0310GEAR.indd 78 12/23/09 4:00:18 PM
12232009160108

At Speedplay, were serious about making the best pedals. We obsess about speed, power, biome-
chanics, and engagement security. We obsess about user-friendliness, function, comfort, and durability.
We obsess day in and day out about boosting performance. We want you to see how we have rethought
pedals from the ground up to create a system that is truly in a class of its own. We want you to feel how
much lighter our pedals are compared to others. We want you to notice the thin, aerodynamic profile
that allows the pedal to slip through the air with less drag. We want you to see that even though the pedal
is compact, the cleat is substantial enough to provide a comfortable, stable power platform. We want
you to measure our stack height to see how much closer your foot is positioned to the spindle for better
power transmission. We want you to see how much further you can safely lean into a turn without
scraping the pedals. We want you to notice the micro-adjustable range of float and the pinpoint accuracy
of cleat setup. We want you to see that a double-sided pedal always faces up, making it much faster to
engage. We want you to see that Speedplay pedals dont require you to look down to get in because the
recessed cavity in the cleat finds the pedal like a baseball glove grabs a ball. We want you to do all-out
sprints from a standing start so you can feel how securely connected you are whenever you accelerate
hard. We want you to notice how easy it is to disengage from the pedals. We want you to feel the silky-
smooth precision of our cartridge and needle bearings. We want you to see that our premium pedals
use rustproof stainless steel and titanium components for durability and aesthetics. We want you to
notice that our pedal systems engagement edges are made of hardened alloy steel instead of plastic.
We want you to see that the locking mechanism of a Speedplay cleat is fully recessed so you cant wear
down the pedal contact area from walking. We want you to see for yourself that Speedplay pedals offer
an unmatched package of performance features and benefits, but not at the expense of strength, safety,
or functionality. We want you to see for yourself that the worlds top racers ride Speedplay pedals.
We want you to know that were serious about making the worlds most technically advanced pedal systems.
www.speedplay.com
Specialized Ruby Expert Compact
FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, SPECIALIZED HAS HAD TWO MAIN CARBON UNISEX
road-bike lines: the race-oriented Tarmac and the more forgiving Roubaix. Serious roadies
seeking women-specific geometry had one option, the Ruby, which won our Editors Choice
award for best womens road bike in 2007 and was a finalist in 2008. For 2010 Specialized is
offering two high-end womens lines as well. The Amira joins the stable as the sister bike to the
Tarmac, while the Ruby, which always had more in common with the Roubaix anyway, says
marketing director Nic Sims, goes full-on plush, with longer chainstays for stability and a taller
head tube for comfort.
The Ruby does an excellent job of fulfilling its intended purpose. Like previous versions,
it has Zertz dampers in the fork, seatpost and seatstays, which take the sting out of bumps
and rough pavement. Go ahead and take a drink, ride with no hands or look over your shoul-
derthe bike will hold its line. You wont necessarily feel like a speed demon on the Ruby, but
you will probably want to ride longerthe frame is comfortable whether youre on the hoods
or in the drops, and the upright position helps you open up your chest on climbs. The Expert
is available with either a compact (tested) or a triple crankset, and there are five models total,
from the $2,200 Elite to the $7,200 S-Works.Emily Furia
WEIGHT 17.06 lb. (54cm)
SIZES 44, 48, 51, 54 (tested), 57cm
FRAME Specialized Ruby FACT 9r
carbon w/ Zertz inserts
FORK Ruby full carbon monocoque w/
Zertz inserts
COMPONENT
HIGHLIGHTS
specialized.com INFO
Shimano Ultegra shifters,
derailleurs, brakes, crankset
(50/34), 10-speed cassette
(11-28); Roval Fuse EL wheels;
Specialized All Condition Pro
II 23c tires, Pro womens bar,
Pro-Set stem, Jet saddle
$3,300
Buy
It If
>
Forget
It If
>
YOU WANT TO RIDE
FROM DAWN TO DUSK
YOU WANT TO RACEGET THE AMIRA
(TO BE REVIEWED IN AN UPCOMING ISSUE) INSTEAD
BIKE REVIEWS
80 MARCH 2010
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Clockwise from top:
Red bar-end plugs
and white spokes
add air; Zertz
dampers and dog-
leg-style seatstays
smooth the ride.
BI0310GEAR.indd 80 12/23/09 3:53:00 PM
12232009155403
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR NATIONAL SPONSORS:
REGISTER AT
stopdiabetes.com/whyiride
1-888-DIABETES
Im one rider,
inspired by one little boy with diabetes,
to join thousands of other riders across
the nation, supported by contributions
from thousands more. I ride for the 24
million people living with diabetes, and
the 57 million more Americans currently
at risk. I ride for one little boy.
Who will you ride for?
START A CHAIN REACTION.
STOP DIABETES.

09-07026_ADA_Competitor_Mag copy.indd 1 12/29/09 12:41:05 PM
Scott Addict R3
ITS EASY TO LOVE SCOTTS TOPTIER ADDICT LTD RACE BIKE, WITH ITS FULL SRAM
Red drivetrain, Mavic Cosmic Ultimate wheels and 790-gram frameuntil you note the
$9,100 price tag. If youre the kind of person who gets a bigger thrill from a $50 small-vintner
gem than from a $200 burgundy, the Addict R3 is for you.
The R3s geometry is identical to the LTDs: Short chainstays provide snappy acceleration,
and a compact cockpit, plus low standover and a lowish bottom bracket offer easy control. Mus-
cling the R3 down a rutted dirt road, I was struck by just how stable it felt. Sprinting was just as
rewarding; the bike wants to jump. And carving corners is cake.
The catch is that the Addict R3 isnt an Addict LTD with lesser parts; its built with a lower-
grade carbon fiber. The LTD is made with Scotts HMX carbon fiber. High Modulus Xtreme
carbon is our own blend, says Scotts marketing and public relations director Adrian Mont-
gomery. Less material is needed to manufacture it, so the final product weighs less. But the
common-brew, high-modulus fiber (HMF) carbon R3 frame and fork still weigh just a claimed
900 grams (52cm). Both the R3 and LTD are built using Scotts Integrated Molding Process
(IMP), in which the top, head and down tubes are laid up as a unit for, Scott says, greater front-
end strength and a lighter frame weight, because less material is used at each junction.
Cranks are another place where the LTD and R3 differ. On all Addicts except the LTD, Scott
specs an integrated, threadless bottom-bracket system called PF-92, codeveloped with Shima-
no. It brings the crankarms as close to the frame as possible for more seamless power transfer
with less flex. (The LTD doesnt have PF-92, as SRAM Red is incompatible with the system.)
Still, the R3 has enough of the great genes of the LTD to achieve a trickle-down ideal: Its
eight-tenths the bike at less than one-third of the price.Michael Frank
WEIGHT 17.2 lb. (52cm)
SIZES 47, 49, 52 (tested), 54, 56, 58,
61cm
FRAME HMF NET IMP Carbon
FORK HMF NET Carbon, carbon
steerer and integrated carbon
dropout
COMPONENT
HIGHLIGHTS
scottusa.com INFO
Shimano 105 STI shift/brake
levers, derailleurs, brakes,
crankset (53/39), cassette
(12-27); Scott Road Team alloy
bar; Mavic Aksium wheels;
Continental Ultra 23c tires
$2,400
Buy
It If
>
Forget
It If
>
YOU WANT RACE-BIKE PERFORMANCE,
BUT DONT MAKE MARK CAVENDISH MONEY
YOU NEED SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE LAID-BACK;
TRY SCOTTS CR1 (REVIEWED NOV. 2009) INSTEAD
BIKE REVIEWS
82 MARCH 2010
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Clockwise from
left: Short
chainstays create
fast accelera-
tions; high-
modulus carbon
adds strength;
the cranks are
positioned close
to the frame
for less ex.
BI0310GEAR.indd 82 12/23/09 3:53:01 PM
12232009155404
Accidents happen. In an emergency, Road ID
can be your lifeline to proper medical treatment
and immediate contact of family. And, it could
even save your life. Visit www.RoadID.com
the Wrist ID Sport, Wrist ID Mini, Ankle ID, Shoe ID, the FIXX ID
(necklace) & Shoe Pouch ID also available.
Levi Leipheimer
Pro Cyclist
the Wrist ID Elite (shown)
READY TO WEAR
DRESS IN
SHEEPS
CLOTHING
A BREED OF SHEEP THAT ORIGINATED IN SPAIN, BUT IS NOW RAISED
in Australia and New Zealand, merino provides the finest, softest wool, making
it a great material for all types of garments, even when blended with another
fiber. And like all wools, merino keeps you warm in winter, cool in summer,
wicks moisture from your skin and remains odor free.Mike Cushionbury
THESE WOOL JERSEYS MIX VANGUARD STYLE WITH FUNCTIONALITY
Castelli Mauro $120
Its a safe bet that when Castelli does wool, itll be retro cool. The Mauros
simple design is proof: The old-school logo is mated to off-center stripes for a
classic appearance. Details include two button-closure rear pockets, modern
cuffs and a knit collar. Were jaded by the superior performance and feel of 100
percent merino (this is half wool and half acrylic), but we were still impressed
by how well the Mauro holds its own in performance and impeccable Italian
air. INFO: castelli-us.com
Joneswares Eddy $120
Made from 100 percent merino and sewn in the United States, the Eddy has
a tapered cut and white armband, and the white cuffs add a small degree of
elegance. All the necessities are included: reinforced seams, three pockets in the
back, a tall collar and a locking zipper. The t and feel are ideal, attering even if
you decide to wear it off the bike with jeans. It always feels dry against the skin,
never clammy, making it perfect for days that start cold but eventually warm up.
INFO: joneswares.com
Twin Six T6 Wooly $150
The 100 percent merino T6 has a relaxed t with abundant style, and its as at
home on a blustery bike ride as it is at the bowling lane. And it packs merinos
great moisture transfer, odor management and body-temperature control.
The three deep rear pockets can hold plenty of food or a few High Life pound-
ers. The retro look is rounded out with a tall collar, long cuffs and a quarter-
length zipper. Its machine washable, so no matter what gets sprayed or
spilled on the front, cleanup is a snap. INFO: twinsix.com
Swobo Merino 753 $110
Swobos new 753 is a blend of 23 percent merino and 77 percent polyester, and
thats where the magic lies. The ultralight merino yarns are on the inside, next
to the skinits like a thin wool base layer built into your favorite lightweight,
long-sleeve jersey, with a snug, race-ready t that includes a handy full-
length zipper and three rear pockets. For moderate temperatures, the 753
is perfect on its own: supercomfy, with a little wind-blocking capability. The
overall lightness and whisper-soft inside make it feel barely there, and it wont
sag or become heavy if youre caught in a rainstorm. We also like the subtle
good looks of the red atlock stitching over silver. INFO: swobo.com
84 MARCH 2010
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BI0310GEAR.indd 84 12/29/09 10:19:41 AM
12292009102038
Jo|n thousonos ol ||oers ol o|| ob|||t|es |n 1he ||oe to Lonquer Lonoer

, Lonooo's prem|ere
oyo||ng lunoro|ser. 1ogether we'|| trove| on unlorgettob|e, lu||ysupporteo, 2ooy ,ourney
through Lonooo's most owe|nsp|r|ng |onosoopes |n on ep|o quest to oonquer oonoer. 5paco
|s ||m|tod and thoso |dos w||| f||| up, so bo suro to socuro your spaco 1ODAY.
|cS|31c| 10 |||c L0NUUc|L^NLc|.L^
3|^Lc |3 ||M|1c|.
B|1|5H COLUMB|A
jBBB] 771B||c
ALBL1A
jBBB] 624B||c
DULBLC
jB66] 996B356
ON1A|O
jB77] 699B||c
2
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*Frame and single lens **Frame and three lenses
NOTE: Giro is offering the Havik 2 in some congurations with two lenses for $200.
GIRO HAVIK 2 OAKLEY
RADAR PATH
SMITH PIVLOCK V90
BEST FOR All-around Those who like
multiple options
Multisporters; the
style conscious
LENSES USED Silver Rose, Orange
Selector
Blue Iridium, VR28 Clear Mirror, Ignitor,
Platinum
LENS SIZES Full, compact Path, Pitch and
Range (small to
large)
Max, regular
LENS TINTS 7 options 28 options 8 options
EXTRA LENS COST $60$80 $60$160 $20 or $40
INFO giro.com oakley.com smithoptics.com
OAKLEY
RADAR PATH
The only contender
tested that offers
polarized lenses, the
Radar Path has a secure
interchange system, but
we found getting the lens
out is more difcult than
with the others, and the
straight temples can
interfere with helmet-
retention straps. A
hydrophobic coating on
the lens makes cleaning
easier.
SMITH
PIVLOCK V90
The Pivlocks extralight
frameless design offers
zero obstruction to your
view, making it excellent
for triathlons because
it also offers full wind
and sun coverage while
youre in the aero posi-
tion. The interchange
system is simple and
intuitive, but less secure
than the Havik 2s. It
garnered kudos for its
affordability.
runners-up
THE EYES HAVE IT
THE BEST GLASSES OFFER EASY LENS SWAPS AND ENHANCED VISION, AND WONT
FIGHT WITH YOUR HELMET. HERE ARE THREE OF OUR FAVORITESAND A CLEAR WINNER.
IN THEORY,
photochromic lenses
let you use one pair of
sunglasses for all light
conditions, but they
often dont change tint
quickly enough. Because
of this, we still prefer
interchangeable-lens
glasses. Here we test full-
wrap models that offer
plenty of size and tint
optionsplus sterling
visual acuity and clarity.
$140$170* $155$255 $119*$139**
THE FUSION MAKES
a great outer layer, worn
with a wind-blocking
base layer underneath.
At 240 grams, it weighs
half as much as other
synthetic microfleece
jerseys Ive tested, and
it has a trio of large
pockets that dont
sag when loaded. The
pique-like Techno fabric
is soft on the underside,
providing close-to-body
warmth, but breathes
quite well, too, and
wicks sweat rapidly.
The fabric saves grams
by not having a solid
outer-face finish, which
makes it susceptible to
snagging on branches if
you ride off-road.
Michael Frank
$
1
0
0
Giordana
Fusion
Long-
Sleeve
Jersey
BUY IT IF
You need warmth
without bulk
FORGET IT IF
TYPICAL PRICE
INFO
You ride exclusively in the
woods; this isnt burly enough
$90$300
giordanausa.com
VALUE OF THE MONTH
All-around
performance
made Giros
Havik our
winner.
*
Giro Havik 2
Relative newcomer Giro scores top honors for the Havik 2s blend of
comfortable t, excellent optical quality and easy lens changes. The Silver
Rose lens from Zeiss is one of the most versatile tints weve used. Perhaps
because of Giros experience with helmets, the Havik 2 plays best with straps
and retention systems (the pinch issues of the original Havik are largely
xed). And of the three glasses tested here, it offered the easiest lens swaps.
86 MARCH 2010
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BI0310GEAR.indd 86 12/29/09 11:06:34 AM
12292009110728
Long gone are the days of bland foods for fuel and recovery. Now you can
train hard and celebrate food, not just as a means to an end but a postworkout
rewardto eat, and to eat well.
THE ATHLETES PALATE COOKBOOK celebrates eating well with more than
120 healthy and delicious recipes from an all-star roster of chefs/athletes
including Bobby Flay, Mark Bittman, Cat Cora, and Gordon Ramsaywho
contribute to the popular Runners World column Athletes Palate.
Whether youre training or recovering, you can stop guessing and start cooking
with the right foods and nutrients to fuel your endurance tness pursuits!
ON
SALE
NOW
2
0
1
3
2
7
2
0
1
WWW.RUNNERSWORLD.COM
THESE FOUR WHEELS COMBINE THE
LATEST TECHNOLOGY WITH THE CONVENIENCE OF CLINCHERS
SUPER SPINNERS
1
2
BUY IT IF
FORGET IT IF
WEIGHT
FEATURES
INFO
$2,150
You want one do-it-all wheel
Youre looking for a high-zoot race wheel
1,105.5g (rear, sold individually)
Skewer, rim strip included; a matching front
wheel is available ($280); Shimano- and
SRAM-compatible freehub
bontrager.com
Bontrager Race Lite PowerTap
Bontragers Race Lite PowerTap occupies a pleasant middle ground between
a high-end race wheel and a durable training hoop. Its just 40 grams heavier
than the $3,000 PowerTap-equipped Bontrager Aeolus 5.0 clincher, and the
31mm-tall aluminum rim has a strong-grabbing braking surface even in wet
conditions. Acceleration is smooth and snappy, and the wheel doesnt feel
harsh over rough dirt roads, a trait common to Bontrager wheels. This great
mix, and the inclusion of a superb PowerTap SL+ power-meter hub and com-
puter makes this a splendid and versatile wheel.Mike Cushionbury
BUY IT IF
FORGET IT IF
WEIGHT
FEATURES
INFO
$1,400
You want well-balanced, high-end perfor-
mance for hard rides and races
You want specialized racing wheelsex-
tremely lightweight or best-in-class aero
649g w/ valve stem (front); 855 grams w/
valve stem (rear)
Skewers included
bike.shimano.com
Shimano Dura-Ace WH-7850-C24-TL
The construction of these tubeless-compatible hoopsa 1.5mm scandium rim
skeleton laminated with carbon beryields a comfortable, condent feel com-
pared with many high-performance wheels. The C24-TLs wont seem out of place
on training rides, especially if you run a tubeless setup with lower pressure, yet
they are light and stiff enough to be suitable for racing. The aluminum braking
surface allows for supreme stopping, even on big descents and in downpours.
Our testers praise Shimanos smooth, durable and easy-to-maintain hubs, with
their precision cup-and-cone bearing system. You could build a similar wheel for
less, but these are Shimano designed and manufactured, down to the Swiss steel
the company sources to draw and butt its own spokes.Loren Mooney
1 2
3 4
EASTONS
NEW EC90SL
OFFERS
THE BEST
BRAKING WEVE
EXPERIENCED
IN A CARBON
CLINCHER.
88 MARCH 2010
WHEELS
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12302009155842
4
3
BUY IT IF
FORGET IT IF
WEIGHT
FEATURES
INFO
$1,070*
You want a light aero clincher
You want a very light clinchercheck out the
Mag or Sprint 350 models
696g (front); 880g (rear)
Skewers and rim strips included; upgrade
options: ceramic bearings, titanium QRs
amclassic.com
American Classic 420 Aero 3
American Classic has revamped its 420 Aero rear wheel for 2010 with a new
spoke pattern that places its custom Sandvik stainless-steel-bladed J-bend
spokes in groupings of three where they meet the 34mm-deep-section 420-
gram aluminum rim. Spoke tension has been equalized by redistributing the
spokes (16 on the drive side, eight on the nondrive) and increasing the nondrive
dish angle via a larger ange for a stronger wheel. Although they dont accel-
erate quite as well as a lighter climbing wheel, the aerodynamic 420s are quick
enough to race in a crit yet also solid enough to resist the abuse midweek
training rides can dole out.Ron Koch
Easton EC90SL
The braking performance of Eastons new EC90SL is the best weve ever expe-
rienced in a carbon clincher; and may be the best of any carbon wheel, period.
Its not exactly like an aluminum brake track, but its fairly close. Easton attri-
butes this to a combination of carbon layup and coating on the braking surface.
Stiffness is goodnot game changing, but acceptable for all uses. The ride is
also a bit stiff; its not punishing, but rm. If youre on an already stiff frame,
they may not be the best partner. At 1,500 grams the EC90SL, with 18 spokes in
front and 24 in the rear, is about the same weight as a Shimano Dura Ace 7850
or Mavic Ksyrium SL, and a bit lighter than Zipp 303 and Bontrager Aeolus 5.0
clinchers. Ceramic bearings come standard with these wheels.Matt Phillips
BUY IT IF
FORGET IT IF
WEIGHT
INFO
FEATURES
SPOKES
FREEHUB
BEARINGS
18 front; 24 rear
Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo
Ceramic
$1,800
You have a fetish for carbon and dont want
to deal with tubulars
Youre in the market for the lightest
clinchers available
648g (front); 853g (rear)
eastonbike.com
Skewers, valve extenders and Swiss Stop
brake pads included; freehub compatible
with Campagnolo, Shimano and SRAM
*White Alphatype; black, $999
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12302009154505
Time NXR Instinct
FRENCH MANUFACTURER TIME HAS ADDED A NEW BIKE TO ITS 2010 LINEUP.
Called the NXR Instinct, its oriented more toward the dedicated enthusiast rider than the
racer, and for that reason it has a more comfortable fit and more pleasant ride. Time has tra-
ditionally used carbon lug construction in its frames, but the Instinct is the first to feature
a one-piece front triangle. Its made with the same exclusive RTM molding technique Time
uses to make its individual-frame tubes and although its technically a monocoque structure,
Time calls it Monobloc. The rear stays are still lugged and are exactly the same as those found
on the RXR Ulteam, as is the fork, with the exception of its alloy dropouts. The NXR has a
shorter top-tube length than that found on Times RXR Ulteam models for a more comfortable
cockpit, and Time adds Vibraser (Vectran, a type of polyester) fibers to the carbon to enhance
its vibration-damping qualities. Time also offers this frame without the integrated Translink
seatpost, called the RX Instinct, for $1,000 less than the NXR.
Even though the NXR has the same rear end as the RXR and a BB30 bottom bracket, it
doesnt have quite the same level of stiffness and efficiency at the pedals. However, the front
end resists torsional forces very well. The ride quality is silky smooth and perfect for longer
rides, but its a bit crisper and livelier than most plush category road bikes. And you dont have
to push the bike hard to reveal its smooth characterits just as pleasurable on an easy recov-
ery spin as it is when the miles nearly hit the triple digits. Riders who dont race but still like to
go fast in comfort will enjoy the NXR Instinct: It offers a smooth ride without muting the road
feel, yet still delivers enough kick and liveliness to inspire fiesty riding.Ron Koch
WEIGHT 15.62 lb. (L)
SIZES XXS, XS, S, M, L (tested), XL
FRAME RTM Integral carbon ber
FORK Safe+2 carbon
COMPONENT
HIGHLIGHTS
time-sport.com INFO
(as tested) Shimano Dura-Ace
levers, derailleurs, brakes;
FSA SL-K Light BB30 crankset;
Time Equal wheels; Michelin
Pro3 Race tires; FSA Gossamer
handlebar, OS 190 Carbon Pro
stem; Prologo Nago Evo saddle
$5,000*
Buy
It If
>
Forget
It If
>
YOU WANT FANTASTIC
HANDLING WITH A COMFORTABLE
RIDE AND SPORTY FEEL
YOURE ALL ABOUT SPEEDTHE NXR
IS MORE ABOUT COMFORT THAN THE RAW
OUTPUT OF A PURE RACE BIKE
*Frame, fork, headset, seatpost and bottle cage
CARBON COMFORT
NEW TECHNOLOGY LETS TIMES NEW NXR INSTINCT GO
FAST YET KEEPS YOU COMFORTABLE OVER THE LONGEST HAUL
BIKE REVIEWS
90 MARCH 2010
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equipped frame; the
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adjustment; headset
preload is adjusted
with the QUICKSET
collar, not the stem;
carbon hub shells are
used on Times Hi-
Tense wheels.
BI0310GEAR.indd 90 12/30/09 10:34:28 AM
12302009103521
Osprey Flap Jack
Osprey has been making backpacks since way back in
1974. Theres nothing revolutionary about the water-
resistant Flap Jackits just a well-executed pack thats
comfortable and wont clash with your J. Crew ensem-
blebut simple and comfortable done right is arguably
all you need in a great commuter bag. It has various stash
and organizer pockets, but its not obsessively subdivid-
ed; the pack is light and the materials are supple, so it
feels broken-in from the start. Stability, perhaps no sur-
prise, is absolutely top-notch.Matt Phillips
Novara Commuter
Novaras commuter backpack is very comfortable:
Theres ample padding in the shoulder straps, the cargo
weight is evenly distributed and the cushioned back panel
keeps hard or sharp objects from poking through. A
eece-lined top pocket is particularly useful for eyewear,
electronic devices and helmet battery packs, and a rain
cover keeps it all dry. The quick-access zip pocket on the
waist belt easily holds a cell phone, keys and a swipe
card. For extra green cred (beyond commuting by bike),
owners can boast that their Novara bag is made of 100
percent post-consumer recycled fabric.Deb Cosgrove
Dakine Commuter
Even with every pocket stuffedand there are many
this bag still sits comfortably on the shoulders. The
back panel is divided into three padded sections that
allow the bag to curve with your spine as you bend over
your handlebar, and a removable waist belt prevents
side-to-side shimmying. The smartly designed lined
shoe pocket keeps muddy kicks separate from the rest
of your gear, but can also be unzipped to allow access
to the rest of the pack.Christine Mattheis
Ortlieb USA Vario
The Varios most outstanding feature is the QL2 rack-
mounting system, a clamp that ts easily over your rack
rail. A padded backpack harness ts into a pocket on the
front of the pack and reattaches easily. I commuted with
the Vario in backpack mode and, other than some inter-
ference with my helmet, found it very comfortableit sits
high, making even heavy cargo feel light, and it didnt shift
on standing climbs. On one commute, the open interior
cargo space held dress boots, work clothes, bike kit and
a Thermos. A two-part pocket organizes the inside, and
there are two outer pouches.Christine Bucher
$89
BUY IT IF
FORGET IT IF
FEATURES
You want an everyday backpack
You need waterproong
SIZE 1,500 cubic inches
Laptop sleeve; light loop; reec-
tivity; key clip; sternum strap
COLORS
OPTIONS
Black, khaki and pepper
Flap Jill, 1,250 cubic inches
ospreypacks.com INFO
$110
BUY IT IF
FEATURES
You want a pocket for every item
FORGET
IT IF
SIZE
You want to grab stuff from inside
the bag without taking it off
1,917 cubic inches
Helmet and shoe pockets; laptop
sleeve; rainy; lined sunglasses
pouch; reectivity; bottle pocket
dakine.com INFO
TAKE IT WITH YOU
THESE PACKS WILL HAVE YOU CARRYING THE
MODERN ACCOUTREMENTS OF LIFE IN STYLE AND COMFORT
INFO rei.com/novara
COLORS Buzz yellow and carbon
$70
BUY IT IF You want good ecological karma
SIZE
FEATURES
FORGET IT IF
1,480 cubic inches
Light loop; key clip; lock and
hydration-reservoir pouches; re-
ectivity; sternum strap; whistle
Too many pockets confuse you
QL2 security system ($12); InPut
inner pocket ($13)
OPTIONS
$165
BUY IT IF
FORGET IT IF
SIZE
FEATURES
You use a rack yet also need to
hoof it for part of your commute
You want a streamlined look and
like only backpacks
1,220 cubic inches
Waterproof, rack attachment
system; warranty; reectivity
ortliebusa.com INFO
92 MARCH 2010
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BI0310GEAR.indd 92 12/29/09 10:19:51 AM
12292009102055
BIKE GIANT TCR ADVANCED 2 FELT F3 SPECIALIZED TARMAC EXPERT SL DOUBLE
PRICE $3,400 $3,499 $3,300
SIZES XS, S, M, M/L (tested), L, XL 50, 52, 54, 56 (tested), 58, 60cm 49, 52, 54, 56 (tested), 58, 61cm
WEIGHT 15.88 lb. (M/L) 16.7 lb. (56cm) 17.18 lb. (56cm)
FRAME Giant Advanced-grade composite Ultra-high-modulus modular carbon ber Specialized FACT 10r carbon
FORK Giant Advanced-grade composite Ultra-high-modulus carbon ber Specialized Tarmac FACT carbon monocoque
SHIFTERS Shimano Ultegra 6700 SRAM Red Shimano Ultegra 6700
DERAILLEURS Shimano Ultegra 6700 SRAM Red Shimano Ultegra 6700
CRANKSET Shimano Ultegra 6700 SRAM S900 carbon Shimano Ultegra
CASSETTE Shimano Ultegra 6700 (12-25) SRAM OG-1070 (11-25) Shimano Ultegra 6700 (11-28)
BRAKES/
LEVERS
Shimano Ultegra 6700 SRAM Red Shimano Ultegra
WHEELS Mavic Ksyrium Elite Fulcrum Racing 5 Mavic Ksyrium Equipe
TIRES Michelin Pro Race3 Vittoria Rubino Pro Specialized Mondo Pro
INFO giant-bicycles.com feltbicycles.com specialized.com
Felt F3
SUPERB SPEC While most bikes in this price
range feature midrange components like
Shimanos Ultegra, Felts F3 manages to hit
the spec out of the park with its top-drawer
SRAM Red shifters and derailleurs. SMOOTH
The F3 feels quick and accelerates well but
lacks the overall rigidity of the other two bikes.
But it does boast the most forgiving ride of the
bunch, as well as the most stable handling.
Giant TCR Advanced 2
WELL-ROUNDED With speed and frame stiffness akin to the Specialized Tarmacs, plus a ride quality
nearly as smooth as the Felt F3s, the TCR Advanced 2 manages to be aggressive yet still somewhat
comfortable. The handling is balanced, with quick reexes and superb high-speed tracking. LIGHTER
WHERE IT COUNTS The TCR is signicantly lighter than our two other picks. Most of the weight savings
is found in the wheels, tires and cassette choices. Because the lightweight parts are rotating mass, Scott
will feel the difference not only while hes climbing, but also every time he applies power to the pedals.
Scott Vanwinkle, 53, of the South Plains region of Texas, has returned to cycling
after a long hiatus from the sport. He now regularly logs 100 miles a week and wants
to join a groupand go faster, on a new bike that costs no more than $3,500. Scott
doesnt see himself riding longer than three and a half hours at a time, so we found
three carbon-framed high-performance bikes that are focused more on speed than
on long-ride comfort.
We test:
Specialized Tarmac
Expert SL Double
TRICKLE DOWN With the introduction of the new
SL3, Specialized took last years platform and
put it to use in its lower-tier Tarmac models like
this Expert. RACE FACE Although the SL frame
doesnt have the same grade of carbon as the
S-Works model that won Lige-Bastogne-Lige
and San Sebastian in 09, you can still feel its race
pedigree with every pedal stroke. Its incredibly
stiff, resulting in top-notch power transmission
and crisp, responsive handling.
SUB-$3,500
COMPETITION ROAD BIKES
Our
Pick
2
more choices
By Ron Koch
WHAT BIKE SHOULD I BUY?
Want to know which bike you should buy? Ask at whatbike@rodale.com. MARCH 2010 93
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BI0310GEAR.indd 93 12/29/09 10:29:10 AM
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1
DoggyRide Mini Dog
I drive an SUV and occasionally enjoy a glass of chardonnay, and yes, I
have a small dog. A Boston terrier. Hes not really dog-trailer compat-
ible. But if you have a small or even large dog (DoggyRide offers trail-
ers in multiple sizes) with a more balanced temperament, this pull-
behind could be fantastic. With multiple leash anchor points, an
aluminum roll cage, an adjustable hitch and a padded oor, its safe
and comfortable enough for your furry friend. Quality aside, if your pet
doesnt fancy a ride in a trailer, its probably not going to be much fun
for anyonetry a demo ride before you buy, if possible.Mark Riedy
2
BOB Yak
With the exception of added gussets, braze-on bottle mounts and an
updated lock pin, BOBs Yak has remained unchanged since its incep-
tion 15 years ago because it works. Its slick mounting system attaches
to a special rear-wheel quick-release, and removing the trailer from
the bike is as easy as pulling two pins. Because the load is low to the
ground and moves with the lean angle of the bike, heavy cargo is easy
to handle while in motioneven off road. The Yaks narrow prole
means it can t through spaces as wide as your bar, it doesnt stick out
into trafc, and it can even accompany you on singletrack adven-
tures.Ron Koch
HITCH TYPE
WHEEL SIZE
FEATURES
OPTIONS/
UPGRADES
$299
Quick-release skewer-type; BOB Nutz available for
bolt-on wheels
16 in.
70-lb. weight limit; quick-release alloy wheel;
4130 chromoly frame
Models available with custom Dry Sak (+$30); Yak 28 ($309)
available for 29er-wheel mountain bikes and 700c bikes with
fenders; suspension model available (Ibex, $369)
bobgear.com INFO
HITCH TYPE
WHEEL SIZE
FEATURES
$299
Quick-release; mounts to rear axle
12.5 in.
Alloy frame; mesh-and-nylon cabin; mesh-and-plastic
aps over main opening; sunroof; leash hooks; aluminum
rims; pneumatic tires; quick-release wheels; adjustable
tow bar; folds for storage; safety ag; can be used as a car
seat or in-home training crate; suitable for cats (as if!)
OPTIONS/
UPGRADES
Soft pet mat; rain cover; stroller conversion kit; internal
leash kit
doggyride.com INFO
GOING YOUR WAY?
FOUR WAYS TO QUICKLY ADD CAPACITY AND UTILITY TO YOUR EXISTING BIKE
1
3
2
4
94 MARCH 2010
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BI0310GEAR.indd 94 12/30/09 3:53:53 PM
12302009155440
3
Burley Nomad
Choose a trailer rather than panniers to maintain the normal balance
and ride feel of your bike. The Nomad is especially well suited for this;
the trailer tags along nicely and it rolls so smoothly I found myself
looking back to make sure it was still there. Only on standing climbs
did I feel a little jerkiness; sitting remedied the situation, as would a
smooth pedal stroke. On downhills, the trailer continued to track
straight and true in my wake. For security during your travels or
errands, Burley advises threading a cable through the frame and teth-
ering it to a bike rack with a U-lock. The Nomad has a removable inner
partition, secured by hook-and-loop fasteners; it can be left in place to
separate items or taken down when you need to use all of the space.
Sidewall pockets carry smaller items.Christine Bucher
4
Chariot CX trailer
Instead of a wind-catching bubble, the one-child Chariot is a sleek
podyou can almost picture it gliding along behind galloping stal-
lionsjust wide enough to t one kid comfortably. A rear storage area
lets you stow gear without destabilizing the rig or adding to the wind-
cheating prole, and the two-layer cover system lets you handle sud-
den swings in weather. Dont sweat the thick manual: One of the Char-
iots obvious strengths is fast, intuitive construction. You just take it
out of the box, unfold, pop the wheels on and snap the arm into the
robust VersaWing mount. The 20-inch wheels also come off easily
with the press of a button, allowing the unit to slip into most car trunks
with little hassle. The carrier also converts effortlessly into a stroller
with hand-activated brakes.David Howard
HITCH TYPE
WHEEL SIZE
FEATURES
OPTIONS/
UPGRADES
$349
Forged quick-release skewer mount; classic mount also
available for bikes with odd dropouts and disc brakes
16 in.
100-lb. capacity; quick-release wheels; weather cover, a
blinking light and a jaunty ag
Cargo rack, $85; ski kit, $230
burley.com INFO
HITCH TYPE
WHEEL SIZE
FEATURES
$825*
Axle mount w/ quick-release skewer; proprietary latch
20 in.
One or two seats; weight limit 75 lb. in one-seater, 100
lb. for two-seater ($925); quick-release wheels; tool-free
folding; parking brake; suspension; screen and rain cover
OPTIONS/
UPGRADES
Attachments available for strolling, jogging, hiking and
cross-country skiing
chariotcarriers.com INFO
*One seater
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BI0310GEAR.indd 95 1/4/10 11:17:23 AM
01042010111815
www.ryderseyewear.com eyewear: QUENCH, featuring interchangeable vented lenses, adjustable hydrophilic nose pads, hydrophilic temple tips
Yakima HoldUp $415
The HoldUp doesnt exclude any kind of
bike; its ratcheting wheel-clamp design
accommodates any wheel size as well as
frames of all types.
Loading a bike takes seconds: Pull up the
front-wheel hold-down bar, push the front-
wheel tray down (the rear-wheel tray is
stationary), place the bike on the rack, then
ratchet the hold-down bar to secure the
front wheel and fasten the rear strap to
stabilize the back wheel. The durable tray
mounts are wobble free, and the racks
high-quality nish will endure any weather.
Yakimas pin release lets you quickly and
easily fold the HoldUp into itself, so pulling
your long truck into a short garage is a
snap.Chris Cassidy
RACK EM UP
YOUR BIKE DESERVES TO RIDE IN STYLE TOO
BUY IT IF
FORGET IT IF
$415
You want a sturdy and compact
hitch rack
Hauling bikes behind you
makes you nervous
HITCH
BIKE
CAPACITY
1.25- or 2-inch
2; upgradable to 4 bikes w/
HoldUp Plus 2 add-on ($285;
available for 2-inch only)
Bottle opener; cable lock
(locks bikes to hitch pin using
standard, included Yakima lock
core); spring-loaded pull pin
FEATURES
yakima.com INFO
BUY IT IF
$380
You live in a small dwelling
where space is at a premium
FORGET IT IF Your home has plenty of
storage
HITCH
BIKE
CAPACITY
1.25- or 2-inch
2 bikes, 70 pounds (upgradable
to 3 bikes and 105 pounds)
Integrated lock; adjustable
arms using spline system;
converts to bike stand; back-
pack-type transport bag that
also holds helmet and shoes
FEATURES
saris.com INFO
BUY IT IF
FORGET IT IF
$495
You like easy-to-use, good-
looking gear
Youve had frequent rear-
end accidents, mostly your
own fault
HITCH
BIKE
CAPACITY
1.25- or 2-inch
2 bikes with wheels up to 29
inches; 4 bikes with optional
extender (2-inch only); 120-
pound maximum load
Built-in lock; foldable; built-in
workstand; lifetime warranty
FEATURES
kuatinnovations.com INFO
Saris T-Bones $380
It was sometime in the 1990s when
multitasking became a household term, yet
most racks still accomplish only a single job.
Saris decided they should do more, and thus
the T-Bones. The rack connects to a bumper
hitch to hold either two or three bikes on
your car using Sariss rock-solid system of
straps and adjustable support arms. But the
rack also detaches from the car with a
quick-release-type lever (the two-bike
model weighs just 10 pounds) and clicks into
a base that you can set up in your apartment
or garageand just like that, the T-Bones
morphs into a bike stand. Saris also throws
in a backpack-type bag for carrying the rack,
creating a clever, value-added package for
city dwellers in particular.David Howard
Kat NV $499
The aluminum hitch-mounted NV installs
easily with no toolsI had help positioning it,
but a stronger person could do it solo.
Racking a bike is even easier: Place the front
wheel in the cradle, snug the hold-arm down
near the fork and secure the rear-wheel
ratchet strap. A large quick-release lets the
NVs hauling platform fold up vertically when
not in use, and it ips down to allow access
to the rear of your vehicle. A built-in cable
threads through the rear triangles of the
bikes, both for anti-theft purposes and for
peace of mind, and theres also a built-in
workstand, a boon for the constant tinkerer
or mechanical-prone. If you haul a bike with
20- or 24-inch wheels, youll need to use the
included adaptors.Christine Bucher
96 MARCH 2010
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12292009105624
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Valslide Valkit $50
These ingenious little pads turn a carpeted
oor into a slightly slippery surface. They allow
you to replicate the kinds of exercises, such as
lunges, youd do on a health-club slideboard,
as well as slower Pilates-style compound move-
ments using multiple muscle groups to build
core strength and stability. The set includes
booties, a resistance band and an instruction
booklet and DVD from Valslide creator and tness
trainer Valerie Waters. INFO: valslide.com
The Athletes
Guide to Yoga DVD $30
Tired of standard yoga videos? This instructional
DVD features seven preset routines; you can
also arrange the segments for custom workouts
lasting from a few minutes to two hours. Instruc-
tor Sage Rountree is also a USA Cycling-certied
coach, and the sessions are tailored specically to
the needs of endurance athletes. INFO:
endurancelms.com
Reebok Speed Pac
25 adjustable dumbbells $99
Whether youre doing basic weight work or adding
a component to another type of exercise, dumb-
bells are a valuable part of a home gym. Adjust-
able dumbbells give you a complete set of weights
in a smaller package, which means less stuff to
store. Reeboks Speed Pac series offers 2.5-
pound increments up to 12.5 pounds per dumbbell
with an easy-to-use knob. Not beefy enough? Try
Bowexs SelectTech 552, which gives you more
than 50 pounds (but costs four times more). INFO:
reeboktness.com
Nimbus EnduraBead
Foam Roller $20
Part exercise, part therapy, this 6x36-inch foam
roller helps massage and loosen tight IT bands
and hamstrings. The molded foam of the Endura-
Bead wont break down over time like extruded
rollers can. The full-length 36-inch model is per-
fect for lying on lengthwise to open up your chest
and improve your on-the-bike posture and breath-
ing. Its a smart buy for any rider who battles
inexibility or muscle imbalanceswhich means
practically every cyclist. INFO: netco.com
BOSU Sport Balance Trainer $60
BOSU stands for Both Sides Utilized, and this
smaller, 45cm-diameter version of the trainers
you see in health clubs is ideal for balance
exercises on its own or combined with other
disciplines. Used at or dome-side up, BOSU
trainers are incorporated into weight, yoga and
other tness routines to help build stabilizing
muscles, particularly in the corean area cyclists
often neglect. INFO: bosu.com
2
3
4
5
USE YOUR OFF-SEASON TO BUILD A STRONGER
CORE AND START YOUR YEAR BETTER THAN EVER.
BY JOE LINDSEY AND SELENE YEAGER
4. REDUCES
TIGHTNESS
1. STRENGTHENS
YOUR CORE
5. IMPROVES
BALANCE
3. SAVES
SPACE
2. CUSTOMIZED YOGA
MARCH 2010 97
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12232009155405
As befits the future owner of Bow Down Customs, Laurie drives an
heirloom 1981 Toronado. Cars are about all she has in common any-
more with Loralena, the only other Maah Daah Hey vet whos here for
the ride.
I got watts, Loralena announces. You should hear my bass. Im
bangin!
That right? Girl, you dont know what I got in my trunk.
Yeah, but Im bangin so hard! I got the banginest car! But Lorale-
nas true prize possession is the graduation ring engraved with the
words Project Lead, which proves she made it all the way through high
school. Linda Vang, also here for the Long Ass Ride, went to see her
graduate even after her teaching-assistant position was cut.
Jeff holds the ring up to the light, possibly wondering if hell ever
see another. He knows it wont be long until Project Lead is downsized
out of existence. (The program was shuttered in June 2009).
Rick, who has flown in from Calgary for the occasion, shows up with
bikes for Laurie and Loralena, scrounged from a Two Wheel View stash.
The girls adjust their helmets and remember the rules from two
and a half years ago: All you have to do is ride the bike and treat each
other like human beings.
Rick decides to build goodwill by taking it easy, following a gentle
trail through red-gold autumn trees to bluffs overlooking the Missis-
sippi. Laurie threatens an asthma attack, just for old times sake, after
one of the trips few challenging hills.
But the uphill eventually becomes a downhill, at which point the
two girls become a little more daring than their old Maah Daah Hey
selves, screaming through the switchbacks and enjoying the speed.
Laurie flies over her handlebar twice, but cant seem to muster up a
discouraging word.
Dude, I should really do this more, she tells Rick. I should get
in shape. I should ride on weekends. She gives Jeff a critical look. I
should ride with you next weekend, she decides, but he already has a
trip plannedin Marin County, California, at a Trips for Kids meeting
hes been looking forward to for months.
That time? Loralena says, in North Dakota? It was good for us.
We had to get out of our box. You knowyour friends, your distrac-
tions, your drugs, your drinking, your phone.
No, heres what it was, Laurie says. You had to get along with oth-
er people. You had to, because there was no one else out there. Ive used
that. Ive said okay, this situation right here is like mountain biking in
North Dakota. If I can get through that, I can get through this.
What about now? Rick asks. You wanna keep riding?
We should do that last hill again, Laurie says. That last steep hill
was the best.
Yes! Loralena agrees. Im thinking to myself, I cant do it, I cant,
and then Im like yes, yes I can!
Did you see me fly over them handlebars?
You flew, Loralena says. You flew!
Robin Chotzinoff lives in Austin, Texas. She has written for Outside, the
New York Times Magazine, Food and Wine and other publications.
THE RIDE OF THEIR LIVES, continued from p. 66
BI0310KIDS.indd 98 12/30/09 3:05:04 PM
12302009150611
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Untitled-2 1 8/28/09 7:17:09 PM
ATDC 1x2.25 ad-7-17.pdf 7/17/09 2:54:00 PM
BK0310194017.indd 1 12/28/09 10:36:11 AM
7.875 x 10.5.indd 1 10/1/09 12:28:29 PM
TarmaDesigns.com
Road
Pendant
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Road-bike-Fall-09B.pdf 8/13/09 1:18:56 PM
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TERRACOTTA JOURNEYS Explore
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ADVENTURES
A CYCLISTS ULTIMATE GUIDE TO EPIC GETAWAYS AROUND THE WORLD
JOIN US FOR BRA~SU
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FREEWHEELING ADVENTURES Guided or
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CROSSROADS CYCLING ADVENTURES! Ride
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BICYCLE RIDE ACROSS GEORGIA (BRAG)
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CAMP MONDAMIN Brother / Sister Camps in
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HORSEY HUNDRED Memorial Day Weekend.
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GREAT UTAH BIKE FESTIVAL - GRUB FEST
Over 300 miles of roads and 100's dirt will make
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3 full days over Labor Day Weekend of riding,
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CANADA
ROCKY MOUNTAIN CYCLE TOURS All-inclusive
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Small groups, big smiles! 800-661-BIKE(2453)
www.rockymountaincycle.com
CANUSA CYCLE ADVENTURES Cycle the
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info@canusa-cat.com, www.canusa-cat.com
TO ADVERTISE,
CONTACT
MICHAEL AUSTRY AT
214-252-9971
OR MAUSTRY@SBCGLOBAL.NET
BK_0310_ADG_R2.indd 93 1/4/10 10:37:48 AM
FINISH
PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHRIS SEMBROT
BICYCLING (ISSN 0006-2073) Vol. 51 No. 2 is published 11 times a year (monthly except bimonthly in January/February) by Rodale Inc., 33 East Minor St., Emmaus, PA 18098.
Periodicals postage paid at Emmaus, PA 18049, and at additional mailing ofces. Postmaster: Send address changes to BICYCLING, P.O. Box 7308, Red Oak, IA 51591-0308.
In Canada: Postage paid at Gateway, Mississauga, Ontario; Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement Number 40063752. Return any address changes BICYCLING, 2930 14th
Ave., Markham, Ontario L3R 5Z8; GST #R122988611. Copyright by Rodale Inc., 2010. BICYCLING, incorporating Cyclist magazine, is published by Rodale Inc. Subscribers: If the
postal authorities alert us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within 18 months.
104 Bicycling MARCH 2010
THE RIDER Mertztown, Pennsylvanias
Bobby Lea, 26, a 2008 Olympian who now
rides for Bahati Racing
THE RIDE Fifth Street Cross, a nighttime
cyclocross event with optional shortcuts and quirky
weekly themes, held every Thursday from October
through December in Emmaus, Pennsylvania
THE FINAL WORD Fifth Street Cross brings
down the fast, promotes the slow and rewards
mediocrity. And after a long, hard season of
racing, its nice to remember how much fun it can
be to screw around on a bike.
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