Chicks that win contests...

Did you hear about Cyndi's new Giro gear?    Cyndi joined us this season and started riding with almost all hand-me-downs.  She bought Pat's Fuji hybrid, wore her son's old cracked helmet, her mother-in-law's 90's arm warmers and old men's cycling gloves.  She still managed to blow us away on the hills and the flats.

Cyndi in her old gear

It was time for her to upgrade her gear especially after she started riding her newly acquired Carbon Trek Madone 4.5.   Not one to turn down shopping for bike accessories, Theresa almost had her talked into shopping for a new helmet, when Cyndi said she wait for an upcoming birthday.  Theresa saw a Facebook promotion for a Giro Women's Gear Makeover and quickly submitted a nomination.

You can read the nomination here: Giro Women's Gear Makeover
There were a lot of very deserving women and Cyndi claimed she never wins anything. After the initial excitement and dreaming (like what if we won the lotto....) she went back to fitting in her weekday and weekend rides among all her other busy day-to-day activities.

Cyndi looking sharp in her new Giro gear

Amazingly Cyndi was one of the two women picked for the Giro Gear makeover and before she knew it she was looking through the online catalog and picking styles, colors and sizes for a new helmet, new shoes, socks and gloves.  She wasn't disappointed, when her new gear was shipped to her and she was excited to try them out for the next club ride.  She appreciated the small details on the craftsmanship of the soft "Monica" gloves and ratchet closing on her new "Factress" shoes.  After wearing her matte white and Silver "Aeon" helmet, she realizes she will never settle for men's gear again. 

Next time you see Cyndi ask her about her new gear and next time you are in your LBS, check out the Women's Giro gear.  (you can see some of their line at http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/women.html)

Chicks that ride weekends!

Did you get out and ride this weekend?  Rumor has it that Chris may have ridden a horse?

Becky did the OCW women's training ride on Saturday and was able to do 34 miles staying with the pack!  Great job.  This group will meet every Saturday morning at the Square in Irvine with your choice of ride lengths.  It will be a no-drop ride with coaching and guidance.  The aim is to increase ride lengths so that you are ready for the Amtrak century come September.

Cyndi rode with her husband in the Tour of Long Beach, benefiting the Pediatric Unit at Long Beach Memorial Hospital.  This was Cyndi's first metric in 15 years.   She had to break that new bike in with a good solid ride.  

Pat and Theresa attended the Courageous Women of Dirt mountain bike clinic at Irvine lake.  Although they only ended up with about 2 1/2 miles, being out in the sun and concentrating on all the new skills was pretty exhausting.

Pat and Theresa also joined the Tough Chik team for the International Women's ride day, CycloFeme 2013.   30 quick miles of the Santa Ana River Trail.  It was hot and there was a headwind going down, but the girls all ended with a smile on their face and ready to plan the next one.

This Wednesday will be the Ride of Silence, honoring those that have been injured or killed in a bicycling accident.   We will meet at our normal spot and ride over to meet other cyclists from all over Orange County at Irvine City Hall to begin the easy slow ride.   Be sure to bring lights.
http://www.sellin.com/silence/

Chicks that ride new bikes..

Great turnout on Monday!  Seven chicks and a trail male (he prefers to be called the wrench) along as we road out to Peter's Canyon and back.   I'm not sure if it was the bit of nip from the wind or excitement of new bikes (or maybe the impending darkness), but everyone really pushed and was able to maintain their speed on the gradual up hill.  We earned the very fun quick down hill on the return trip.

No mechanicals this week and Becky was riding her newly tuned bike.  Maleia was the surprising one with her new beautiful white Felt, that is yet to be named.

While we are still working against earlier sunsets, we will continue to wear reflective colors and bring our lights.

When we returned to the park we toasted the newly acquired bikes with some pink champagne.

Time to start planning our first Margarita ride....

See you on the road.

Chicks that maintain their bikes

If you missed last Monday's ride, you didn't learn the lesson of good regular bike maintenance.  If you are relying on a bike shop for service on your bike and depending on the amount of riding you are doing, you need to plan at least an annual visit for a tune up.

When you buy a new bike, you may start to notice some cable stretch on your gear shift and brake cables.  Most new bike purchases come with a 90-day check up to adjust these cables.

Knowing how the bike should normally feel while riding and regularly checking the bolts on your bike and on your shoe cleats, will help you steer clear of breakdowns during a ride.

Becky broke a spoke on her back tire while we were climbing up Ridgeline in Turtle Rock.  (Personally I'm thinking she really didn't want to ride to the top).   We were able to do a temporary adjustment on her brake so her wheel would turn (albeit wobbly) to get us back to the ride start.  She took her bike to Performance for a much overdue tune up which included drive train cleaning, a new chain and brake pads.

Another thing to keep in mind is regular lubrication on the moving parts.

 What Needs to Be Lubricated?

• The chain: Your chain is your bike's most "at risk" lubricated part. It should be lubed frequently to slow the rate of chain wear. Be sure to remove the chain from your bike from time to time (depending upon your riding style and conditions) to be thoroughly cleaned in a solvent and re-oiled. The more frequently you spot-lube your chain, the less necessary off-bike cleanings (and chain replacements) become. In general, lubricate your chain whenever it squeaks or appears "dry." Lubing after wet rides will help keep your chain from rusting. Keep in mind that the type of chain lube (wet, dry or a wax lube) affects how often you need to lubricate. Avoid over-lubricating.
• Brake and derailleur levers: These levers are crucial for braking and shifting. Apply a drop or two of oil to the lever pivots and the barrel adjusters from time to time to keep them functioning properly.
• Brake and derailleur cables: These cables connect your brake and the derailleur assemblies to the levers you use to control them. Check them frequently (especially in wet conditions) and re-lubricate occasionally so that they can effectively translate your commands to the component groups.
• Brake and derailleur assemblies: These assemblies are made up of a number of small moving parts. Be sure to keep an eye on their arms, wheels and pulleys so they don't bind up or become rigid. Apply lubricant to the pivot points of the assemblies.
• Bearing systems: The subject of maintenance and repair for hubs, headsets and crank sets is beyond the scope of this introductory maintenance clinic. 

R.E.I. has a great listing of cycling articles, many of which include bicycle maintenance.  http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/cycling.html

R.E.I. also offers free Bicycle Maintenance Classes, so you can learn some of the easy adjustments you can do no your own.  The Tustin Store has one on April 9.  http://www.rei.com/event/38770/session/68747/05302013

Those of you who took the Cycling 101 class with OCW last year will remember every time you ride ABC quick check - A= Air (and tires), B = Brakes (make sure they are working and in place), C = Crank, Chain and Cogs.  Always give them a once over before you swing your leg over your frame.

See you on the road.

Chicks that pedal...

It was fun to see new faces on Monday evening.  Welcome, Leslie and her smile.  We did a brisk ride on a modified Quail Hill route getting back just before dusk.

Wednesday night only two chicks and a husband showed up.   It was time to try the first-of-the-season run at Shady Canyon.  It started out a little cool, but we soon warmed up and after five miles began the ascent up the canyon.  It was a beautiful evening, perfect temperature and very few people on the path to navigate around.   Once we crested the top we had a blast flying down the well-deserved downhill that made the climb so worth it.

Everyone is doing a great job keep a quick cadence and although you don't always want to shift gears, you know you have them so you can avoid mashing big gears as the terrain changes.   I thought it would be a good time to discuss pedal efficiency.

By increasing your pedal efficiency, you can get faster over longer rides, are able to be faster with less effort and ti will help strengthen muscles in the legs that improve balance and riding ability.  Newer riders will begin to realize they can increase their power (with clipless pedals) by pulling up as well as pushing down. This is really pedaling in squares when you should be thinking of rotating in circles. If you concentrate on pulling your foot across the bottom you will immediately increase power.   Think of it like trying to scrape gum off the bottom of your shoe as you pull it back just before the pull up into the next stroke.

Here's a link to good article on improving pedaling efficiency:

http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/Try_these_drills_to_improve_your_pedaling_efficiency

Chicks that earn money while riding....

Yes, if you had been on tonight's ride you could have pocketed a $20 bill.  It pays to pay attention to the path you are riding on.   Nice easy ride - Strawberry Farms route.   We had two new to the group riders, Maleia and Cyndi.  They were strong and made short work of our little 10 mile ride.  As the days get longer we can get back to a 15 mile route.  Looks like everyone one succeeded in getting some riding in during the winter months.

It was fun to have daylight and a very light headwind. See the video as we return to the bike path trail.

Be thinking about a weekend group ride we can all plan to attend together.   See you on Wednesday.

Chicks that ride the early days...

I ran across these old photos from the late 90's or early 2000's.  It was before Karen had Gabby.   Jeri, Marni, Karen and Theresa and young Jessy rode in the Heart Association's ride in Irvine.  A lot of Scantron employees were doing the walk portion but we thought it would be more fun to ride.  Who would have thought we would still be riding more than a decade later, and Jessy as a grown up chick.

March 10th is just around the corner.  Hopefully you've gotten some time in the saddle at least on the weekends.  We are all looking forward to our evening training rides.   See you on the road.