Joe Capezza & Jill Albro help children at local bike rodeo
The Highland Rim Bicycle Club’s membership drive for 2016 is in full swing. On a recent club ride long-time club member, Rick Orzino, recommended we let potential club members know about the club’s community involvement. He started listing projects and once again a club member’s great idea takes flight; becoming the topic of our monthly newsletter sent to current club members and the website homepage.
Winter poses all kinds of obstacles and sometimes excuses for staying off the bike. However, braving it during the winter will make you a stronger rider in the spring. Here are tips for winter cycling from a few HRBike members:
Andy Nelius – If you are comfortable when you start your ride, you’ll be too hot later on. Don’t overdress. Take enough to drink…you will sweat even though it’s cold, so you’ll have to replenish lost fluids. Hands, head, toes, and neck need to be high priorities in keeping warm. Might need spare sweatband or gloves to change to later…amazing how even a little sweat makes your extremities really cold.
I have found that just the right amount of head insulation is a cut-off sleeve of a short-sleeved t-shirt: you pull it onto your head like a do-rag, except the top part lines up with the crown of your head so it lets your excess heat vent off.
Baby, it’s cold outside. With the cold and wind, and rain and short days, what is a cyclist to do to keep that hard earned fitness level up? Recently, I queried a variety of the Highland Rim Bicycle Club members to get their secret for staying fit over the winter. The findings have inspired me, and I hope they will inspire you as well.
Before riding in the Christmas Parade I asked, 10-year old, Levi Dykes what he does in the off-season to keep his bike fitness. Levi looked at me in a quizzical way and then said, “I ride the trainer all year.” With Levi there is no off-season! What discipline! He likes Zwift, a computer generated training program.