Hi all:
I wanted to remind you of our first novice bike ride this weekend on Saturday June 12th at 9:30 a.m. Some of you have replied that you can not attend this weekend, so I hope you will excuse this additional email.
Our first Novice ride will be from Fletcher Park on June 12 at 9:30 a.m. We will be riding about 2 hours on mostly flat to rolling roads. We will breakup in groups according to pace. If you have any questions about your ability, call me before the ride.
No one will be left behind and we have club members that act as ride guides to check on you and look out for problems. They will be wearing a reflective vest. They have cell phones for an emergency. We will hand out cell phone numbers before the ride. Bring your cell phone.
We will not be having a motor vehicle following us. Any problem we have on the road, we will have to handle or wait for someone to get a vehicle. For example, We had one rider last year that had to wait for a vehicle because he did not have a tube to repair a puncture, and nor did we. He had a 26 inch wheel with a schrader valve and all our tubes were the more common presta valves. Having a tube on your bike is your responsibility.
Be sure you bike has at least one water bottle cage on it ( 2 is better) Be sure to use the type of water bottle they sell in bike shops larger is better. These bottles can be handled with one hand. Not drinking enough water is a big issue. A hydration pack with the tube that clips on the strap is another option. We will be out for a couple of hours and 40 ounces of liquid is about right .
The league of American Bicyclist use the ABC's for a pre ride check:
A. air in tires at proper inflation: Make sure the tires are inflated to the pressures marked on the tire. A Bicycle tire will only hold proper pressure for a few days. This requires you to have a good quality bike pump. The floor pumps are much easier to use. The little micro pumps are exhausting to use.
B. Brakes stopping efficiently ,working smoothly without squealing.
C. chain has been lubricated. Chain should be tracking without dropping as you shift gears. C is also for cables that need to be lubed and at correct tension to shift your gears .
If all this sounds a bit much , you should have your bike checked over by a bike shop.
Finally the "must haves".
As you know a helmet is required make sure the padding is still good, and it fits snugly.
A small pack is strongly encouraged for a tube to fit your bike, a snack or energy bar, bandaids, and sunblock.
Also, wearing gloves will cushion your hands and offer protection if you fall. If you are riding a fat tire mountain bike, you can make it easier to keep up by using tires called ( town & Country tires) that have a smoother tread and are not as wide as a true mountain bike knobby tire.
We look forward to have you join us on our first ride.
Please let us know if you are coming .
Archer Yates
828-230-8654 (cell)
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