Rides for week of June 29

Great ride options this week for all levels, Saturday ride can start at Northbrook Orchards Store

Tuesday July 1, 5:30 pm

Meet at Hot Foot, two groups will go out:

1. One group will be average to slow riders and newbies, lead by libby
2. One group will be faster riders, calling this group the Super Chicks led by my son

Group one will do 20 miles, out to Downingtown and back.

Group two route will be determined by consensus of group, speed, distance etc.

Thursday July 3, 5:30 pm

Meet at Hot Foot:

One group, all levels welcome, route and speed to be determined by who shows up.



July 5 8:40 am

Cue # 126 with TWO OPTIONS


1st option: leave from Hot Foot at 8:40 am and head to Northbrook Orchard store, on rt 842 past the Nature center.

2nd option: Pick up additional riders at the store at 9 am and do the Dog Daze ride which is about 24 miles starting at Northbrook Orchard store, (which is now re-open)

and you can park your car at the store and if open, there are restrooms and food.

Chicks Rule

Elaine, Laura and Libby threw down 52 miles today in the French Creek Iron Tour.

My son rode with us and he was dressed in all pink in honor of the chicks. A few heads turned when we went by.

Laura lives up in northern Chester County and was one fine rider. Laura also works for the Schuylkill River Heritage in public relations. Laura is tiny buy look out on the hills, her legs were machines.

Elaine has improved by about 500% this yr to date. She is also a very strong hill climber and we did have some hills on this ride. Elaine was most often in the lead on the hills, then Laura then me.

We had the "bestest" time ever. I would rate this ride as one of the best sponsored rides in our area.

They had policemen at all the busy intersections which was soooo nice. The course was unbelievable. Who knew there are so many completely car free roads in northern Chester County?

We all commented on the pure beauty of this ride and how so few cars went by. And it was so nice to be on new roads.

Remember, chicks, we got 3 rides up this week. BE THERE

Rides for week of June 23 - 29

My twin sister and I in 1963, this photo appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Tuesday June 24 TWO OPTIONS for start places

1. Meet at Hot Foot at 530 pm sharp, we bike to Shaws Bridge

2. Pick up riders at Shaws Bridge (you can park at Shaws Bridge and we will come by and get you, be there at 5:45 pm) and continue to ride down rt 842, Brandywine Creek Drive and back to Shaws Bridge

Hot Foot ride will be 22 miles, and the ride starting at Shaws Bridge will be 13 miles round trip

I did this ride today with Connie and we both agreed, easy, scenic and low traffic.

Surely you can bike 13 miles!

Thursday June 26

Malvern Ride, 18 miles total, start at Hot Foot

Both of these rides are suitable for newbies and oldies

Will try to make cues if I get a chance for Tues and Thurs so folks can bike ahead if we have enough riders. We can split by speed.

Saturday June 28

cue # 20 out to Mortonville and back, fairly flat and easy ride.

also will split into groups if enough riders and if you bring cues with you

calling all Newbies

Had a nice newbie out with us last night, Heather. She did an awesome job, and is already going to move up to cleats and new pedals.

Reminding all of you that I will be at Shaws Bridge Park at 9 am tomorrow to lead any one on a nice slow scenic ride.

So come out and have some fun.

Summer Solstice

Chicks

the big Summer Solstice Ride is on Saturday

the cues are not the best for newbie riders, long rides, one is over 40 miles and one is over 30 miles

if anyone is interested in doing a very short 15 mile ride leaving and returning to Shaws Bridge, post to me

I will lead a 15 mile easy ride for all NEWBIES or for anyone in the Biker Chicks group that just wants to be part of this event

right now i suggest getting someone to drive you to Shaws Bridge Park or i think there will be parking at the soccer fields on S Creek

which is a 1/2 mile bike ride to Shaws Bridge

I will lead this ride at 9 am, this will be a leisurely pleasant social ride, any of you that have so far been afraid to bike, this would be a good opportunity to do a little biking

and to meet the Chicks, trust me , this will be an EASY RIDE, just for fun, 9 am at Shaws Bridge

come on out and try it, what do you have to lose.

hope to hear from some of you

Libby

quote of the week

Quote of the Week:
"Unless you test yourself, you stagnate. Unless you try and go way beyond what you've been able to do before, you won't develop and grow. When you go for it 100% when you don't have the fear of "What if I fail", thats when you learn. Thats when you are really living."
Mark Allen

June 14 ride report and updates for next week's rides

Chicks

Had another great great ride, some newbies, Diana, and Julie and Mike, and Bob.

We went out King Road to Malvern and home around Cheyney University. Diana was on her inaugural ride for over 20 miles. She was awesome. A great rider and a great chick.

Today is my birthday and Ellen treated me to a beer/lemonade combo drink at Iron Hill. Now that is the way to finish a ride. What a yummy beverage and really tops off the ride nicely.

We rode about 31 miles and no one walked a hill. I fell right in town and Diana went down but we were fine and continued on. Ya just feel so stupid when you fall.

Picture in slide show of a small plant is a Bonsai Palm Tree, a present for my birthday from my hubby. It is the cutest thing ever, I love it.

Rides for next week:


NO ride tomorrow or Tuesday eve, I am heading to Stone Harbor for some kayaking and biking. Ride will be up for Thursday Eve, June 19. This ride is being dedicated to NEWBIES, so please come. It is going to be cool and nice. We will do a slow easy short ride. Probably do the 18 mile Malvern ride. But this ride is for anyone but will feature the newbies or anyone on a heavy bike or mountain bike.

SO COME, PLEASE

I promise not to repeat last Thursday's night disaster ( too long and too hilly) and I almost killed myself.

Saturday June 21

Summer Solstice Ride. This ride will take off from Shaw's Bridge Park. 4 different cues, lots of treats and beverages at Shaw's Bridge. I am going to volunteer to man the tables at Shaw's bridge and will not be riding.

But grab a partner or friend and come on and meet lots of WCCC riders. Parking is available further down S Creek at the Soccer Fields.

Sunday June 22 French Creek Iron Tour. Elaine and I are doing the 50 miles, at least I am trying the 50 miles. We will be going slow and easy if anyone wants to join us.

This is a sponsored ride with SAG support and rest stops. Registration is online or the morning of.

How to Stay Safe on the Road

http://bicyclesafe.com/

Follow the link above, very good article on how to ride on busy streets. We ride on some busy streets and some country streets. No matter where we ride, we are at risk of getting hit by cars. We have to ride defensively every time we go out.

If you can turn your head on your bike and look for traffic and maintain your bike position, YOU DO NOT need a rear view mirror. If you are like me, you need a rear view mirror as I cannot turn my head and maintain bike position.

Make getting a rear view mirror your next purchase. It is something that you must afford. You have three options. Mirrors that stick to your helmet, mirrors that attach to your glasses and mirrors that sit on your handlebars.

Hot Foot did have the Take-A-Look Eyeglass Mirror. This sits on your glasses. Take a Look also has a helmet attachment that you can buy as well.

When we cross traffic lanes, the rear view mirror can mean the difference between getting hit by a car and not getting hit by a car.

Turning your head takes time and sometimes we do not have that kind of time.

Sunglasses are also a good idea. Good cheap sunglasses can be found at Performance in Paoli. Most come with several lens so you can still wear the glasses in cloudy weather.

Ride Shout Outs that we all need to know and use:

Car up- car approaching

Car back- car overtaking

Car right, car left- used in intersections

Slowing and Stopping when you are doing either. Do not stop without an announcement to the riders behind you.

When we ride in single file and some one behind you is asking for help, you must pass the help plea up to the front rider. Shout it out loud so that the rider in front of you can hear it. If need be just shout stopping.

Ride Report for June 11

Croak,groan, ouch, glub, burp, galoop, glupp glubp, gulp, cough, choke, snoorgg, sighh, and whatever other terms you can add. I am POOPED!

Tuesday's ride ended up being a rather tough ride. I am afraid I killed a few chicks. We got lost but got back on track. Ride had way more hills that I thought.

I hit the wall on Tigue Road but we finally made it back into the boro. Alexis, who is training for an 1/2 Iron Man loved the ride and plans on doing the ride again. She said she will leave from her home in Exton, bike into the boro, do the Brintons Bridge ride, head back home and then go running.

What a gal! Alexis is a great rider and a great person and I wish her well in her training.

Great Thursday night ride, June 12

Historic Glen Mills Train Station
this is on our route tonight

Tonight's ride is 22 miles, we need to leave the lot at 5:30 pm sharp. If you need to buy a light or supplies get there earlier.

This ride heads out Westtown Road, so lights are an absolute MUST. Wear light colored clothing as well. Bring 2 water bottles, again a MUST

Front and back lights would be best. This ride is on some narrow country lanes so it is going to require good riding skills. No wondering out into the road, but sticking to the single lane formation for rides.

I drove this ride today and it is very very nice with few hills and lots of downhill.

Here is the map and cue, study it so you have some idea where we are going.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/pa/west-chester/567050674352



CUE IS FOUND in the drop down menu called NOTES

Looking forward to a fabo ride. Check bike bag for supplies, tubes, inflation system and a back up plan, someone you can call to pick you up in an emergency, print up the map and cue and give it to your back up person.

You cannot ride tonight without proper supplies.

thanks

found this on the Net, by

Frederic Premji

http://www.ineedmotivation.com

I have to say that this is one of my favorite topics to write a post about. I absolutely love biking. I used to bike very often as a kid, and in the past few years, I have rediscovered how much fun it really is, and it is a big reason why I have gotten in much healthier shape. It is currently my favorite outdoor activity to take part in, and the list of beneficial aspects to biking is huge. So I decided to create this list of important reasons why you should consider biking:

Cardio
I have to say, I have a hard time doing cardio inside of a gym. To me, it’s not very motivating to stare at a wall while running or cycling still. Biking was the perfect solution. It is much more entertaining to roam outside than it is to do cardio inside. Plus, biking doesn’t make you tired as quickly. This is because when you bike, you are not running against the clock. For example, when you do cardio on a stair master let’s say, you will always be tempted to look at how much time is left, because you are doing this activity for cardio. When I bike, I do it for a variety of reasons, which I will point out below, but cardio is just one of the perks, not the main reason why I do it. I don’t time myself when I bike, so the cardio I end up doing is longer, and provides better results. It really makes your cardio routine so much more enjoyable.
Health benefits
There are so many health benefits to biking, that I will probably miss naming out a few. If you want to improve your health, this is the one activity to do that can really transform you back into great shape. I speak from experience. I noticed vast differences in my energy and mood, as well as in my body shape after just a few weeks of biking. Here are some of the health benefits you are looking to gain by biking:

- reduces the cholesterol levels in the blood
- reduces the chances of strokes and heart attacks caused by clotting
- reduces the chances of illnesses caused by high blood pressure
- reduces the chances of diabetes
- helps you gain more energy
- makes you sleep better, helps cure insomnia
- strengthens your bones
- helps with coordination
- reduces the risk of cancer
- lowers your resting heart rate
- reduces body fat
- helps reduce stress & anxiety
- increases mental & emotional well being
- lengthens your life expectancy
- helps get you to your ideal body weight
Makes you drink more water
If you have trouble drinking those recommended glasses of water per day that we all know about, biking will solve that problem easily. I can drink the equivalent of 3-4 glasses of water per 1 hour bike ride. So going for a bike ride daily also provides me with the added benefits that drinking plenty of water has. It’s a win-win situation. Make sure to always carry water with you, as you can get tired much more easily if you are dehydrated. Drink water throughout your ride and you will have more energy and last longer.

Fresh air
Another reason why I prefer this than being indoors in a gym. You get to breathe more fresh air which makes you feel better and puts you in a better mood. If you are concerned about pollution in your city, you should be aware that you inhale more pollution driving a car than you do biking. Fresh air helps clean out your lungs, which helps you breathe deeper and this can result in increased energy and brings greater clarity to the brain. Your brain requires about 20% of the oxygen you breathe in, so the fresher it is (as compared to indoors air which can be full of dust), the better results you will get.

Helps find new places
I can’t tell you how many places I have found while biking, that I was never aware of when driving. Such parks, trails, and areas that you aren’t inclined to notice when you are in a car. These are places that you can go to for picnics, play other sports, read a book, etc. If you ever wondered what’s going on in your neighborhood, take a bike ride, and you will find so much more about where you live.

Meet new people
You will be surprised how many people are biking out there. I know I was in my region. It’s a great way to get to know people that live in your area and that are like-minded. If you are ever looking for a new way to meet people, this a great one, which is not awkward or uncomfortable. Plus you already have something in common to break the ice about.

Convenience
Maybe I am in the minority here, but I find bikes more convenient than cars for short distances. I find that I have more ways to get somewhere via a bike. Plus, you are never stuck in a traffic jam. Did you know that 40% of trips are within 2 km of home? It would be much more efficient if you used a bike, which along with all other benefits listed in this post, makes it a clear winner for convenience overall in my book. Apparently, the bike is the most efficient form of transportation ever invented.

Saves money
Do I even have to mention the gas prices we have nowadays? With soaring prices that seem to never hit a plateau, and with hybrid cars still in the minority and still relatively more expensive, taking a bike for quick errands here and there within your neighborhood could literally save you hundreds of dollars per year. Think about the parking costs you can save up as well! These can add up enormously, and with the cost of filling up your car near or over $100, I think more people should look at biking, especially for quick trips to the store nearby and the likes.
Environmentally friendly
There are tons of benefits to the environment if you bike. For example, it reduces air pollution. Biking for 4 miles keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe. Bikes don’t drip brake fluid, transmission fluid or anti freeze, so there is less water pollution as well. Think about noise pollution! Bikes are quiet and non-obnoxious. Bikes cause less road wear, and thus help prevent the addition of more asphalt and concrete into the environment. If you truly care about your CO2 emissions and its effect on climate changes, taking your bike instead of your car, even for just a few instances, greatly helps in reducing the amount of pollution spread into the atmosphere. We can all do our little part into this global problem, and biking can helps us do just that ;)

Joint club ride

Chicks

Cheryl of Delaware Valley Bicycle Club, DVBC, has been riding with the Chicks, she told me about a ride she is leading with DVBC and invited us to join her. Below are details, this would be an excellent ride for NEWBIES.

We will bike the Schuylkill River trail to Manayunk and have lunch. I am going to mark this on my calendar and hopefully make it, will post more about the ride as we get closer to the date. If any of you are home during the day, this is the ride for you.

If interested, post to me , libby.maxim@gmail.com



Thursday Jun 26, 10:15AM
Miles: 30 , Class: C/C-
Ladies Who Lunch


Join as as we cruise the Schuylkill River Trail from Betzwood to Manayunk for lunch, and then return. Bring your hybrid or mountain bike for a leisurely paced chatty ride. No one dropped. Bring water and money for lunch. Don't forget your helmet. Rain cancels.

Rides for week of June 9 - June 15

Monday June 9 5:30 pm Hot Foot Cycles, all LEVELS welcome

Thursday June 12 5:30 pm Hot Foot Cycles, all LEVELS welcome

Saturday June 14 8:40 am Hot Foot Cycles CUE # 140

go to WCCC ride page and click on Cue sheets, print it up and bring it

IF you are not riding, you are missing a chance of a lifetime for women cyclists. We had one fabo ride today. Three men also came on the ride as there were no C+ nor C riders. So the 3 men joined us, soooo nice. One guy was 27, not sure if he was single but Karen and Sara Underwood and Krissy missed riding with one nice guy.

Cheryl from Broomall is one fine rider, Barrie came, she normally rides C+, we picked up Charlot on the way and Susie joined us and has ridden lots and is quite good. She was a newbie only a few months ago.



We did 32 miles, and stopped a lot to drink. Even bought more Gatorade at the Wawa.

Strong Women

Biker Chicks are getting good, lots of newbies coming and lots of newbies getting better. It is truly a great group of women, we are all ages, 18-60 and very supportive of each other.

If you have not yet ridden, I have a newbie ride up for this Sunday at 1 pm at Hot Foot.

We will do 20 miles and we will get all of you back. Bring lots of fluid and snacks. If you do not have fluid and snacks, I will not let you ride. It will be over 90 degrees. Eat before you come and drink fluid during the morning.

So get you butts off the couch and come on out.

Newbie Rides coming

Sunday June 8 1:00 pm Hot Foot Cycles lot, out and back ride 20 miles, any bike welcome, any level welcome.

Sunday June 15 1:00 pm Shaws Bridge Park, 20 miles

Saturday June 22, 8:40 am - West Chester Cycling Club Summer Solstice Ride. You will need someone to give you a ride to Shaws Bridge Park. This is a club sponsored ride and picnic. But there is no parking at Shaws Bridge for this event.

This will be a 24 mile ride. I do not know the route yet, but this ride will focus on newbies. I will be going slow and encouraging newbies to come out and meet other WCCC riders and enjoy the picnic.

HERE is the cue, 24 miles is Leg #3
http://www.westchestercycling.com/getFile.php?daname=WCCC-Century.pdf

But you need transportation to and from Shaws Bridge. You can bike to Shaws Bridge from town but then the ride will be way over 35 miles.

This should be a very fun event and worth your time to participate. I will be at Shaws Bridge by 8:30 am on June 21.

How to ride in the heat, you must prepare

From: Kelso, Dr. T.S.
Sent: Wednesday, 2006 June 14 13:49
Subject: RE: ACS Bike-A-Thon

As you prepare for this year's ride, the one thing you certainly don't want to forget about is your nutrition. What you eat and drink before, during, and after the ride (and your training rides) can make a tremendous difference in how enjoyable the ride is and how sore you are afterwards. As I've been preparing for my major cycling events this year (two centuries already and 12 days/880 miles/56,000' starting next week), I've spent a good deal of time researching nutrition as a major part of my preparation. The good news is that current research clearly shows what you need to do--the bad news is that most people simply follow conventional wisdom marketing hype and that is usually far from the mark. During my 2,100+ miles of training already this year, I have noticed a tremendous difference following these guidelines, so if you're interested, read on.

Rule 1: Carbohydrates are your friend

While preparing for and during a ride, carbohydrates provide the fuel you need. Your body needs ATP to drive muscle contraction. ATP is produced through aerobic and anaerobic pathways, but the latter is only effective for very short bursts (8-12 seconds). Carbohydrates are the most efficient way to produce ATP (in fact, fat is only converted for low-intensity exercise and converting muscle protein results in muscle damage and soreness). Your body, however, can only store at *most* about 2 hours of carbohydrates (as glycogen and glucose) at moderate exercise levels. You must replenish your carbohydrate levels during the ride or you will bonk (you'll know it if it happens, as you will have greatly diminished energy levels and mental confusion). The best way to maintain your carbohydrate levels during a ride is through carbohydrate drinks and gels. You should plan to replace at least 25% of your carbohydrates during the ride. If you burn 400 kcal/hr, that's 100 kcal/hr (1 gel) through drinks and gels. I recommend one gel every 45-60 minutes (or about one every 10 miles) to maintain your carbohydrate levels.

Rule 2: Drink before you are thirsty

Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink. By that point, you're already becoming dehydrated. Even small reductions in your body water levels will affect your performance. A drop as small as half a percent (12 oz for a 150-pound person), will put an increased strain on your heart and by the time you get to 4%, you'll suffer reduced muscle strength, reduced fine motor skills, and heat cramps. Physical exhaustion, heat stroke, and coma can happen at 6%. For each 1% loss in body fluid, your heart beats 5-8 bpm faster and pumps less blood. If you think 12 oz is a lot of fluid to lose, consider that a typical person loses 37 oz/hr at moderate exercise intensity in 90-degree weather (typical July day in NJ). You should plan on replacing any lost fluids during the ride. Since everyone is different, you can estimate your own sweat rate (a geeky thing to do) by weighing yourself before and after a ride and keeping track of how much you drink. If you drink 16 oz during an hour ride and you lose one pound, you sweated 32 oz/hr (and should be drinking more). Remember, rates will vary with temperature and humidity, so don't skimp. I recommend establishing a regular drinking rate (I take 3-4 sips every 10 minutes).

Rule 3: Don't forget nutrition once the ride is done

Your body does its rebuilding *after* you stop and it needs the right fuel to do it. Current research shows that timing is critical, too. Failure to fuel between 15 and 30 minutes after the ride (the metabolic window) greatly diminishes your body's ability to fuel its anabolic (muscle-building) processes. By 60 minutes, it's down 40% and after 2 hours it's down by 85%. The result is a build up of the catabolic hormone cortisol which breaks down muscle (which makes you sore) and suppresses the immune system. My experience is that following this rule has almost eliminated post-ride soreness (I was amazed). Details of what you need follow.

Specifics

To get the most out of your fueling, here's what you need: drinks should have a 6-8% solution with 4:1 carbohydrate/protein (actually, branched chain amino acids or BCAAs), along with electrolytes, to speed absorption and retention. Post-ride, your best bet is a 12-15% solution drink with 4:1 carbohydrate/protein (since most people can't eat much right afterwards). You should use your ride drink to get 14-20 oz 30 minutes prior to starting your ride to kick things off. Your pre-ride meal (breakfast for the ACS ride) should be 2-3 hours before starting and avoid fats and protein (yeah, skip the bacon and eggs), as well as fiber.

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