West Prince Triathlon - May 26

The 3rd Annual West Prince Sprint Triathlon will be taking place on May 26, 2012 at the Rodd Mill River Resort.

There will be 5 starting heats of 5 racers each.

They will start with a 750 m swim in the Pool, followed by a transition to the 20 km bike course on the roads.  The bike course is fairly flat with a few small hills to get the competitors heart rates up.  The bike ride will consist of 2 laps of a 10 km out and back loop.  Racers will then switch to the 5 km run along the same route as the bike course (only shorter).  The run will be mostly flat with one small hill near the turnaround point.

The pool swim, combined with a relatively flat course, make for a great first tri as I discovered last year.

Happy Bike to Work Day!

Enjoy your bike ride to work today :-)

2012 Ride of Silence

DATE: May 16, 2012 (always the 3rd Wednesday of May)

TIME: 7:00 pm

WHERE: Hundreds of locations world wide

Join cyclists worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 mph/20 kph) in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.

WHY DOES THIS RIDE EXIST?

• To HONOR those who have been injured or killed
• To RAISE AWARENESS that we are here
• To ask that we all SHARE THE ROAD
  
   

THE RIDE OF SILENCE WILL NOT BE QUIET

On May 16, 2012 at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.

In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride of Silence in Dallas after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and was killed. (Read full story at http://www.rideofsilence.org/main.php)

The Ride of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There are no sponsors and no registration fees. The ride, which is held during National Bike Month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured.

Host:		Cycling PEI
Type:		Recreational — Road
Location:		Provincial Government Offices Parking Lot (Adjacent the Victoria Park Bike Lane)
Registration:		No cost everyone welcome
Start Time:		7pm
Distance:		15-20km
Cost:		Free
Contact:		902-368-4985 mconnolly@sportpei.pe.ca Information Courtesy of CPEI

Friday May 18th is Bike to Work Day

International Bike To Work day is celebrated on various days around the world.  This year, here in Prince Edward Island, it is being celebrated on Friday May 18th.

While for some of us, every day is Bike to Work day, it's always great to encourage those who may not normally consider riding to work to get out there and try it.    Who knows, they may decide to take it up regularly.

Dust off the bike, give it a quick tune up, and get some exercise.  Just remember, your car costs you money and makes you fat, your bike runs on fat and saves you money.

Some tips for somebody who has never ridden to work.

• If your commute is too long for you to bike, leave earlier...Just kidding, find a parking lot part way to work and drive your car there with the bike and ride from that point... Park and Ride
• Bring a change of clothes, either use a backpack (This is what I do), or panniers on the bike with your work clothes.  Even if you don't work in an office like I do, your co-workers will probably appreciate you changing out of your sweaty bike clothes.
• Have a plan, figure out where you can change from bike to work wear.  In my case my first stop in the office is the washrooms to change.  
• Bring a lock, easy to forget if you don't commute regularly.  Make sure you have a good bike lock, and some where safe to lock it up.
• Enjoy yourself!  You're doing something great for your health and the environment :) 

Happy riding.

Nasty Pile-up

A bad wreck in the second group of the Rock Lititz Bike race on April 29, 2012.



Looks like the first guy lost it in some dust, then the second guy had nowhere to go, and things just went down hill from there...

Not sure why the spectators are more concerned with replacing the barriers as opposed to checking on the state of the riders.  People are weird.

May is CPEI Bike Month

May is bike month and to celebrate CPEI will be holding "Pedalpolooza" for the month of May with various bike related activities and events.

Events for May:
Sporting Intentions Saturday Morning Ride will recommence Sat, May 5th. Contact Geoff Murray at 902-394-3644 or peibikeguy@gmail.com for details.

Monday Night Beginner Rides will begin Monday, May 7th starting at 6pm. Short clinic on various topics each week before the ride. Meet at Sears Parking lot in west Royalty. Contact ride leadder Shannon Burt at climbingshanman@gmail.com for more info.

Thursday night road ride will start Thursday, May 17th at 6:30pm meeting at Sherwood BMR. For more info contact ride leader Jan Meulenkamp at janmeulenkamp@bellaliant.net

May 1st the Victoria Park Bike lane opens. Join CPEI at 12:30 to cruise the park. Meet at Governor's house. Let us show the critics that it is well used.

The annual Mothers Day Time Trial is the first ‘warm-up’ race of the cycling season in Prince Edward Island and takes place Saturday, May 12th at Bluefield High school starting at 9am. Open to all ability levels. If you have never raced before this is a great place to start.

The Ride of Silence will take place Wednesday, May 16th at 7pm. Meet at the Provincial Government Offices Parking Lot (Adjacent the Victoria Park Bike Lane). Join cyclists worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 mph/20 kph) in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways. First 50 people get Ride of Silence t-shirt.

International Bike to Work day is Friday, May 18th so grab your bike and leave your car at home.

The first race in the MTB Atlantic series takes place in May. Atlantic MTB Series Event #1 NS XC Victoria's Secret
Sunday, May 20th, 2012

Rigid Riders MTB Club Opening Night will be Tuesday, May 22 at Brookvale Nordic Center at 6:30. Be there early if you need to register or register online at www.cpei.ca. People are encouraged to register online before opening night to prevent a back log of people trying to register the first few Tuesdays.

Citizen Series Road Event #1 Emyvale is Tenatatively set for Sunday, May 27th at Bluefield High School. Date will be confirmed next week and posted at www.cpei.ca.

Coolest bike trailer of all time :-)

My wife and I have always wanted to get a popup camper... I wonder if this would qualify?

It doesn't come cheap though, at $899(usd) for the trailer, and an extra $219(usd) for the tent riding on top of it.  I have no idea on the build quality of this thing, but I must say I am very impressed with the overall idea.

http://store.kamprite.com/catalog/Midget-Bushtrekka-p-16143.html

Combining 2 of my favorite hobbies...

I'm a cyclist and a gamer so this caught my eye... It's a neat concept, but unfortunately I don't think it really accomplishes either task particularly well.  Oh well, It's a start.

Strength in Numbers

HOW-TO: Getting your bike ready for spring

Well spring is here, and unless you've been riding all winter, that bike could probably use a bit of TLC before you get out there for another summer. Here's some tips on how to get it rolling and keep it happy.

Should have checked those brakes...

What you need:

Allen Keys or a Multi tool
Air Pump
Tire pressure gauge (unless the pump has one).
Shock Pump if you have air shocks.
Bike Lube
Degreaser
Rags
Soap
If possible and not included with the multitool, chain break tool and spoke wrench.

First the easy stuff:

Clean the bike. Take time to hand wash the bike, use the rags and soapy water (and de-greaser as needed) to carefully clean all the gunk and grime left over from last season. Don't use high pressure water, this will just wash the grease out of the moving parts (we don't want that). Once the bike is clean and dry give it a careful inspection looking for cracks that may have gone un-noticed under the dirt and grime.

Check your tire pressure. Top up your tires to the appropriate pressure for your riding. If you ride roads, crank em up to the max listed on the sidewall of the tire. If you ride mud, go with a number that works for you. Either way, after a winter of sitting, your tires are probably not going to be where you want them.

Now to the still pretty easy stuff:

De-grease and re-lube your chain. Use the degreaser and the rags to get your chain nice and clean. If it's particularly bad, consider removing it and soaking it in a small bucket of de-greaser for a few hours. Once the chain is completely clean and dry, apply a generous dose of chain lube, wiping off the excess with a clean rag. While you're at it apply fresh lube to all the moving parts you can see.

Check shock air pressures as needed: If you have air shocks on your bike, use your shock pump to check the air pressure in the shocks and adjust as needed. Like your tires, the shock can bleed a bit of air over the off season. Or you might have gained/lost weight and need a new setting.

Check your shifting. With the bike either on a stand or while holding up the back tire turn the pedals and work trough all the gears. If shifts are not going cleanly into gear, adjust the derailleur as needed.

Now on to the slightly less easy but still pretty easy stuff:

Check your brakes. If you have rim brakes, check the pads for wear and debris. Use tweezers or a nail to remove any small bits of stuff stuck in the pad. Make sure the pads are not too worn, if so they should be replaced. If they appear to be glazed over, give them a light buff with a file to prolong their life. If you use disk brakes, check the pads as well to ensure they are not worn thin, and if needed replace them. Check and adjust the brake leaver travel to suit your preference. In the case of cable pull brakes, you may just need to loosen the nut holding the cable to the brakes, pull the cable tighter, then tighten the nut. For hydraulic systems, you may need to add more fluid to the system. See the manual for your brakes or your local bike shop for proper procedures for this.

Check your rims to ensure they are true. Give the wheel a spin and look for bends. If you are comfortable working your own rim, use a spoke wrench to tighten and loosen spokes as needed to bring the rim back into line. If you are not comfortable with this have your local shop take care of this for you. While checking the rims, also make sure no spokes are loose. Grasp each spoke pair and give them a light squeeze and if any are loose use a spoke wrench to snug them up. Just be careful not to go too tight as this can pull the rim out of true.

HUMOR: I kind of want one...mostly for the stickers.

In my day we used playing cards, or pieces of plastic from a bleach bottle or something... but we didn't get the cool amplifying exaust pipe or stickers!




Did I mention stickers?

Life Cycles

Thanks to Paulette for pointing me at these videos.



Part I



Part II



Part III



Part IV

250 lb man vs triathlon - Part 2

Continued from Part 1

Fast forward to race day.  The day dawned with drizzle and a single digit temperature.  Not the nicest way to start a race, at least the swim was going to be indoors in a heated pool.  By the time I get to the site, I'm feeling butterflies like I haven't felt in years.  Not since I used to do some X-Country Mountain bike racing had I felt like this.  I was by this point very worried, but it was too late for second though now.

The race was setup with a number of heats because the pool only had capacity for 5 at a time.  To keep the finishes relatively close, the slower swimmers such as myself and Rory were placed in the first heat.  As they count down to the start my nerves really start to get to me.  I'm vibrating in the water, I think I might puke, "please please please let me get through this swim in good shape".

GO!

We're off, I'm off on my first lap.  Feeling strong, but pushing much too hard too soon.  Pure adrenalin is charging through my veins.  3 laps later I'm gasping for air, my strokes are all out of rhythm, my technique is out the window and I'm worried.   "Just keep going.... don't stop, you can do this.  It's just like training, CALM DOWN!" I take an extra breath at the end of the pool while turning, then settle down into a proper pace and get my stroke bake in order.  I've long since lost track of how many laps I need to do, so I keep plodding along, they will let me know when I'm done.  I sneak a glance at the clock, "25 minutes in???  I better be done soon."  I start to worry that I won't make the 30 minute cut off time.  Then the most welcome site of the morning, a flutter board in the water at the end wall... My signal that I've made it through the swim.

Jump out of the pool, grab a towel and start to dry off as best I can while running out side to the transition zone where my bike is waiting for me.  Step out the door... "GASP, it's freezing out here!"  I get into my socks, bike shoes, jersey, jacket, helmet, and glasses.  Stick an energy gel and a banana into my pocket and head out.  "God it's cold...."  Out on the bike course I settle into a good comfortable pace.  I'm getting passed by several others on much faster bikes as I begin to regret using my mountain bike with off road tires for this, instead of borrowing my fathers road bike.  Rory rides by with road tires on his mountain bike...He's always been a stronger rider than me anyway.  "Oh well, I'm just here to finish, not win" I have to keep reminding myself.  If nothing else, my Mountain bike is comfortable with it's dual suspension, and familiar to me.  The ride is uneventful, but with a head wind on the outbound leg, it's a bit of a tough ride, but nothing I can't handle.  I use the "easier" time to get some nutrition, and hydration for the run ahead of me.

I arrive back at the transition zone to change to the run.  Park the bike, pop the bike shoes off, and slip on the runners.  Take one last gulp of Gatorade and head off!  "Gahhh!  I can't feel my feet!"  The combination of being wet from the pool and the tight bike shoes have completely numbed me from the waist down.  I hear my feet smacking the ground instead of taping it, I can't control them properly.  This style of running is starting to hurt my calf's, and I'm not even 1k into this thing!  I mentally put my head down, and just concentrate on my stride, as the feeling gradually returns to my feet.  As I approach the turnaround point on the run course, I see Rory heading back towards me at the same time as my father (who started in a much later heat) catches up to me.  We all exchange encouragements and then I'm all alone with my doubts again.  "This is too hard, I'm not even half way there and I'm dead.  How am I supposed to do another 3k of this???"   I hit the turnaround, the wind is now at my back, the road is down hill, and I start feeling strong.  "I can do this!  I am invincible!  Bring it on!"  The music from Rocky starts playing in the back of my mind.... Yes I know it's cheesy, but when you need encouragement, you'll take what you can get.  The next 2k pass in a blur, and I find myself on the final stretch back to the finish line.  The line is in sight!  I give it one last push and "sprint" across the line.

In the end, I made it out of the water before Rory, but he beat me badly in Bike and Run portions,
I finished dead last by about 10 seconds, I completed each of the 3 legs without taking a break, or even walking on the run portion, which in any case the my only real goal that I had set for myself.

Will I keep up the triathlons and work towards the big ones like my father and sister?  Probably not.  Will I do another sprint tri?  Definitively!

250 lb man vs triathlon - Part 1

I've been debating about writing this story because I've never been big on self promotion but I think after a few months, I do have the right to be proud of this accomplishment.


The Plan

So here's the story.  My father has been one of the organizers for a small sprint triathlon held in late May.  He had suggested I try competing in it a few times but I never really felt the desire to do so.  I was not exactly triathlete material.  I was am overweight, couldn't run any distance, and didn't know how to distance swim.  Over the winter while talking with Rory (a riding buddy), we decided to give it a shot.  Neither one of us were runners, and neither one of us had any clue how to swim distance.  At this point, the only part of it that I had any confidence in was the bike ride.  I may not have been the fastest bike out there, but I knew finishing a 20k bike ride was not going to be an issue for me.  The swim and the run however had me quite worried.

Over the last 2 years, in the winter to try and keep some fitness when the snow kept me off my bike, I had been doing some light running.  Unfortunately I had never worked my way up to the 5k required for the tri.  My outlook for swimming was even worse.  I have never done lane swimming in my entire life.  I knew how to swim, or rather not drown, but actually making any kind of time or distance was a foreign concept to me.

The training

So over the winter I start working on my running, doing 2-3 runs per week, staring with a mix of run and walk, gradually increasing the running until I was doing very little walking.  Unfortunately as May approached, I was still only able to do around 4k at a time, but figured I could grind out the last 1k if it came down to it.

At the same time I started hitting the pool.  My wife is a swimmer so she came along to show me how to do it.   My first lap I realized I might be in trouble.  I didn't know how to breath properly, kick properly, or even stroke properly.  But after a few trips to the pool I was able to start doing some distance comfortably.  Before I knew it I was able to do the required 750m in under the required 30 minutes.  Not by much, but under the limit.  I was feeling pretty good about the swim portion, confident about the bike, and only mildly nervous about the run.

TO BE CONTINUED...  PART 2

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but tracks...

Ok... time for me to climb back up on my soapbox for a new rant.

Today I'm going off about riders who leave their energy bar and gel wrappers on the trails when riding.  Why would you do such a thing?  You obviously had some place to store the food on the way into the trail, how hard is it to stick the wrapper back into that same spot?  A great part of cycling, especially mountain biking is to get out into the woods and appreciate nature.  Then you go and drop a bar wrapper on the ground like it's your own private waste bin.

Every time I ride, I come home with more trash than I brought in because I pick up this crap.  I can only assume I'm not the only one who does this, which means there are wayyyyyyy too many people who think this is acceptable behavior.   Would it be acceptable if I dumped by garbage in your yard on my way to work some morning?

I see this happening and I think of the old hiking adage


"Take nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but footprints"

So please....STOP TREATING MY TRAIL AS YOUR GARBAGE DUMP!