Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
What GPS Can't Do for You
GPS units are getting smaller and smaller and are now light and nimble enough to mount on a bicycle. I've got the Garmin Edge 305 and can now collect data that tells me the route I rode, along with speed, cadence, heart rate, elevation, and grade at any point during the ride. It can also upload the data to motionbased.com and produce a map on Google or Yahoo maps.
But this article is about what the GPS can't do, and why they fall short for the cycling world. Here's my list:
1) You can't record a route and make a bike route map out of it. In other words, the GPS data can't be turned into turn-by-turn directions or cues. When you lay out a GPS track over a map, like Street Atlas USA or Google Maps, it will display the track, but can't figure out what road the track is on. Therefore, you can't record the route and automatically produce cues for your friends.
2) You can't create a really good bicycle map using any software I know of. Maybe you can do some tricks with Photoshop, but you can't give someone a good map straight from the software. The reason: as soon as you zoom out to fit the entire map, those backroads that you ride on disappear. GPS is great for driving directions, and small hikes, but forget bike routes.
3) You can't share the routes easily. At least not the Garmin courses with course points that actually can be useful in cueing you on the ride. It's as if Garmin will make a great piece of hardware, but can't write software to work with it. In the new units, you can transmit information from unit to unit, but can you pull the course off the unit and e-mail it to someone? Sorry.
4) You can't draw a route in any software tool that will download easily to the device with the course points in them. You have to create the map outside of Garmin Training Center, then add the course points in Training Center (since you can't see the roads in TC, this is a futile exercise).
So, they've created a feature-rich device with a lot of features that you can't really use. Oh, well. There are ways to rig this thing to be more robust, but you'll probably spend more time trying to figure it out than you will biking.
But this article is about what the GPS can't do, and why they fall short for the cycling world. Here's my list:
1) You can't record a route and make a bike route map out of it. In other words, the GPS data can't be turned into turn-by-turn directions or cues. When you lay out a GPS track over a map, like Street Atlas USA or Google Maps, it will display the track, but can't figure out what road the track is on. Therefore, you can't record the route and automatically produce cues for your friends.
2) You can't create a really good bicycle map using any software I know of. Maybe you can do some tricks with Photoshop, but you can't give someone a good map straight from the software. The reason: as soon as you zoom out to fit the entire map, those backroads that you ride on disappear. GPS is great for driving directions, and small hikes, but forget bike routes.
3) You can't share the routes easily. At least not the Garmin courses with course points that actually can be useful in cueing you on the ride. It's as if Garmin will make a great piece of hardware, but can't write software to work with it. In the new units, you can transmit information from unit to unit, but can you pull the course off the unit and e-mail it to someone? Sorry.
4) You can't draw a route in any software tool that will download easily to the device with the course points in them. You have to create the map outside of Garmin Training Center, then add the course points in Training Center (since you can't see the roads in TC, this is a futile exercise).
So, they've created a feature-rich device with a lot of features that you can't really use. Oh, well. There are ways to rig this thing to be more robust, but you'll probably spend more time trying to figure it out than you will biking.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Surviving the Cold
I won't mention the rider's name, but if you know me, then you'll know who I'm talking about. After a particularly cold ride a few years ago, we stopped at a diner to get some chili and warm up. Most of us froze our fingers and toes off in temperatures in the low 20's with some snow and ice kicking up on our bikes, and hand and toe warmers only worked so well.
I don't remember the exact phrase he used, but it was enough to perk up a few ears from the patrons around me. He suddenly asked me, "Is your dick freezing? Mine is so frozen I can't feel it." Now, I couldn't feel my fingers, toes, nose, or ears, but I assured him that the family jewels were quite warm. I guess that either he wasn't well covered, or he was too covered and sweat through his clothes down there, or wet his pants.
In any case, I've developed my own system for fighting the elements to prevent such catastrophes and felt the need to type them in here so I don't forget. I'll start with how to dress for the weather, and then add some stuff about actions just before and during the ride.
Cold Weather attire:
I cover my legs below 60 degrees, my arms below 55, and fingers and shoes below 50 degrees. In sub-32 weather, I wear a dry thermal(nike fit-type stuff) layer and a long-sleeve bike jersey on top. I use tights covered by bike shorts because I never buy the tights with the chamois. I insist on Specialized Sub-Zero gloves with the core layer. I use neoprene booties that cover the entire shoe, leaving only a hole for the cleats. I also use the balaclava for sub-32 and just a head-cover from 32-45 degrees.
You can pick different levels of tights, but I only tend to use the "thermal" stuff below 32.
Cold wet weather attire:
Even if there's no rain or snow, the wet roads can kick up enough muck to make you wet and cold. I replace the neoprene booties with some waterproof booties and wrap them tight around the shoe. The tights are still important, but I use a lighter layer with some waterproof pants. Then I sub one of the layers on top with a rain jacket. Also, those little fender/blades are handy to keep the bike from kicking the water up your back.
Ride Preparation:
Your body tends to get a bit shocked when you step out of the house or car into the cold, so you'll put on extra layers to fight the cold when you're not moving. Then when you get warmed up on the ride, you'll get all hot and sweaty -- when eventually turns into cold and wet. So here's my suggestions for combating that intial shock:
1) Get completely dressed before you step out of the house. That means all Jerseys, vests, pants, headgear, shoes, and booties. If you're driving to the start of the ride, change into your bike shoes and booties before you step out of the car to unload.
2) Prep the bike as much as possible indoors. That means oiling and cleaning the chain and pumping up the tires and whatever else you want to hang on the bike. The bike should be ready to go as soon as you step outside or out of the car. When driving to the ride, the only things I leave off the bike are maps and computers.
3) If you do need to prep the bike or unload it, do everything with your cycling gloves on. If you expose your skin to the elements, it'll take a long time to warm back up once on the bike.
4) When I use handwarmers, I pull them out of the package at least a half-hour before departing. They need some fresh air to really work, so just pulling them out of the package and stuffing them in your gloves and shoes won't work as well if you don't give them time to get warm.
During the ride:
While riding - it's all about keeping warm and dry at the same time. If you're too cold, things start to go numb. If you're too warm, you sweat, get wet, then get cold and numb. Here's my strategy:
1) Peel layers at the first sign of being too warm. In other words, don't wait until you're sweaty to start stripping.
2) You should feel slightly cold to start the ride, but bring extra layers just in case. If you're still cold after a few miles, add the layers.
3) Keep your head and torso warm. If you're warm there, and the blood is flowing, the hands and feet should take care of themselves.
4) Force yourself to drink. I know that water is ice cold, so take it in little sips.
After the Ride:
Get indoors and change out of the bike clothes quickly. I like to shower just to warm my body up. But those cold and somewhat sweaty clothes will keep you cold until you get out of them. Warm liquids helps warm up your insides and can be quite tasty.
I don't remember the exact phrase he used, but it was enough to perk up a few ears from the patrons around me. He suddenly asked me, "Is your dick freezing? Mine is so frozen I can't feel it." Now, I couldn't feel my fingers, toes, nose, or ears, but I assured him that the family jewels were quite warm. I guess that either he wasn't well covered, or he was too covered and sweat through his clothes down there, or wet his pants.
In any case, I've developed my own system for fighting the elements to prevent such catastrophes and felt the need to type them in here so I don't forget. I'll start with how to dress for the weather, and then add some stuff about actions just before and during the ride.
Cold Weather attire:
I cover my legs below 60 degrees, my arms below 55, and fingers and shoes below 50 degrees. In sub-32 weather, I wear a dry thermal(nike fit-type stuff) layer and a long-sleeve bike jersey on top. I use tights covered by bike shorts because I never buy the tights with the chamois. I insist on Specialized Sub-Zero gloves with the core layer. I use neoprene booties that cover the entire shoe, leaving only a hole for the cleats. I also use the balaclava for sub-32 and just a head-cover from 32-45 degrees.
You can pick different levels of tights, but I only tend to use the "thermal" stuff below 32.
Cold wet weather attire:
Even if there's no rain or snow, the wet roads can kick up enough muck to make you wet and cold. I replace the neoprene booties with some waterproof booties and wrap them tight around the shoe. The tights are still important, but I use a lighter layer with some waterproof pants. Then I sub one of the layers on top with a rain jacket. Also, those little fender/blades are handy to keep the bike from kicking the water up your back.
Ride Preparation:
Your body tends to get a bit shocked when you step out of the house or car into the cold, so you'll put on extra layers to fight the cold when you're not moving. Then when you get warmed up on the ride, you'll get all hot and sweaty -- when eventually turns into cold and wet. So here's my suggestions for combating that intial shock:
1) Get completely dressed before you step out of the house. That means all Jerseys, vests, pants, headgear, shoes, and booties. If you're driving to the start of the ride, change into your bike shoes and booties before you step out of the car to unload.
2) Prep the bike as much as possible indoors. That means oiling and cleaning the chain and pumping up the tires and whatever else you want to hang on the bike. The bike should be ready to go as soon as you step outside or out of the car. When driving to the ride, the only things I leave off the bike are maps and computers.
3) If you do need to prep the bike or unload it, do everything with your cycling gloves on. If you expose your skin to the elements, it'll take a long time to warm back up once on the bike.
4) When I use handwarmers, I pull them out of the package at least a half-hour before departing. They need some fresh air to really work, so just pulling them out of the package and stuffing them in your gloves and shoes won't work as well if you don't give them time to get warm.
During the ride:
While riding - it's all about keeping warm and dry at the same time. If you're too cold, things start to go numb. If you're too warm, you sweat, get wet, then get cold and numb. Here's my strategy:
1) Peel layers at the first sign of being too warm. In other words, don't wait until you're sweaty to start stripping.
2) You should feel slightly cold to start the ride, but bring extra layers just in case. If you're still cold after a few miles, add the layers.
3) Keep your head and torso warm. If you're warm there, and the blood is flowing, the hands and feet should take care of themselves.
4) Force yourself to drink. I know that water is ice cold, so take it in little sips.
After the Ride:
Get indoors and change out of the bike clothes quickly. I like to shower just to warm my body up. But those cold and somewhat sweaty clothes will keep you cold until you get out of them. Warm liquids helps warm up your insides and can be quite tasty.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
What not to do in a Paceline!
In the past year, I've been in a couple of frustrating pacelines. I know, I know...not everyone's perfect. We've got to educate riders on what group riding is and we can't expect them to learn the system unless we don't explain it to them. But, some people just don't quite get it.
The basic idea of a paceline is that the rider in front leads the line until he/she feels a bit winded, then they pull over and let the next person in line take a turn at the front. The riders go at a reasonably fast pace without drastically changing from rider to rider. If everyone does this, then the line will move very quickly with everyone sharing the work at the front.
But there's always a few folks who wreck the smooth drafting machine by doing some things to seriously hurt the flow of the paceline. So here's a list of my paceline pet-peeves.
The Racer - This is the person that feels like they're running over you while going down a hill. They charge past you before you pull over, increase the pace by 5mph, slow down 8mph when they hit an incline, drop off, and stick you with the pull again.
The Wheelsucker - It's ok to not pull, but the wheelsucker always causes confusion at the back of the paceline. You'll slow down until you're along side the wheelsucker, and then he'll open a spot for you, forcing you to accelerate hard to fit in there just after you've taken a long pull.
The Baton Fumbler - A bad exchange at the front of the paceline can be dangerous. Pull out of the way first, THEN slow down. Not the other way around.
The Thoroughbred - For some reason, your signal that you're getting off the front is his signal to shoot out of the gate like a 3-year old at Churchill Downs. They kick the speed up 5mph while you're trying not to fall off the back of the line.
Lester the Rat - Named after the Beakman's world character. This is the paceliner that discharges gas, sweat, or snot in any spot other than the last spot in the line.
The Wiggler - This is the rider in the paceline that gives you motion sickness from following their side-to-side motions. Some people use too much hip, causing the bike to wiggle back and forth.
and finally....
The Hitchiker - Occasionally your like catches up to a person who latches onto the line and starts drafing with you. Introduce yourself, explain how the line works, and tell them not to do any of the above, and you'll have a new friend.
The basic idea of a paceline is that the rider in front leads the line until he/she feels a bit winded, then they pull over and let the next person in line take a turn at the front. The riders go at a reasonably fast pace without drastically changing from rider to rider. If everyone does this, then the line will move very quickly with everyone sharing the work at the front.
But there's always a few folks who wreck the smooth drafting machine by doing some things to seriously hurt the flow of the paceline. So here's a list of my paceline pet-peeves.
The Racer - This is the person that feels like they're running over you while going down a hill. They charge past you before you pull over, increase the pace by 5mph, slow down 8mph when they hit an incline, drop off, and stick you with the pull again.
The Wheelsucker - It's ok to not pull, but the wheelsucker always causes confusion at the back of the paceline. You'll slow down until you're along side the wheelsucker, and then he'll open a spot for you, forcing you to accelerate hard to fit in there just after you've taken a long pull.
The Baton Fumbler - A bad exchange at the front of the paceline can be dangerous. Pull out of the way first, THEN slow down. Not the other way around.
The Thoroughbred - For some reason, your signal that you're getting off the front is his signal to shoot out of the gate like a 3-year old at Churchill Downs. They kick the speed up 5mph while you're trying not to fall off the back of the line.
Lester the Rat - Named after the Beakman's world character. This is the paceliner that discharges gas, sweat, or snot in any spot other than the last spot in the line.
The Wiggler - This is the rider in the paceline that gives you motion sickness from following their side-to-side motions. Some people use too much hip, causing the bike to wiggle back and forth.
and finally....
The Hitchiker - Occasionally your like catches up to a person who latches onto the line and starts drafing with you. Introduce yourself, explain how the line works, and tell them not to do any of the above, and you'll have a new friend.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Indoor vs. Outdoor Miles
Every winter on the bikejournal.com forums, someone posts a question or two about riding a stationary bike or doing workouts on a trainer while they wait for better outdoor biking weather. Immediately, the biking world is split into two groups: the indoor defenders and the outdoor purists. This argument tends to sound like the "support the troops" arguers and the "Iraq war decision was bad". In other words the argument isn't a true dichotomy.
The indoor defenders will argue that you're tracking your own workouts on bikejournal.com and that whatever you'd like to track is fine. Besides, stationary bike riding is so boring that it's impossible to log as many miles indoors as you would outdoors, even though weather is no longer a factor indoors. I'd also add that there's no ability to coast the bike or make comfortable changes in positions to climb, descend, sprint, or turn. Add that to the constant resistance of the trainer, and it's actually harder to ride for an hour on a trainer than it is outdoors.
The purists believe that cycling can only be done outdoors with the bike in actual motion. The fact that you can't go up a hill indoors immediately disqualifies any indoor miles. You can't possibly simulate hills, wind resistance, changing road quality, and good scenery indoors. Besides, a trainer gives you the ability to cycle 24 hours a day, whereas the winter elements only give you an 8 hour window to ride in. Also, a purist will actually go out and brave the elements (we question whether or not the elements are in Arizona or Florida) rather than wimp out and ride indoors.
What I've done below is try to give a realistic comparison of indoor vs. outdoor miles so that folks can make a proper decision on whether or not they can be considered equivalent.
The indoor defenders will argue that you're tracking your own workouts on bikejournal.com and that whatever you'd like to track is fine. Besides, stationary bike riding is so boring that it's impossible to log as many miles indoors as you would outdoors, even though weather is no longer a factor indoors. I'd also add that there's no ability to coast the bike or make comfortable changes in positions to climb, descend, sprint, or turn. Add that to the constant resistance of the trainer, and it's actually harder to ride for an hour on a trainer than it is outdoors.
The purists believe that cycling can only be done outdoors with the bike in actual motion. The fact that you can't go up a hill indoors immediately disqualifies any indoor miles. You can't possibly simulate hills, wind resistance, changing road quality, and good scenery indoors. Besides, a trainer gives you the ability to cycle 24 hours a day, whereas the winter elements only give you an 8 hour window to ride in. Also, a purist will actually go out and brave the elements (we question whether or not the elements are in Arizona or Florida) rather than wimp out and ride indoors.
What I've done below is try to give a realistic comparison of indoor vs. outdoor miles so that folks can make a proper decision on whether or not they can be considered equivalent.
| Category | Outdoor Riding | Indoor Riding |
| Effort | Hills & Wind | Harder Gears & Resistance |
| Food | can only carry so much before you have to stop and buy more | you can put the trainer within reach of the fridge |
| Draft | If you ride with a buddy, you help each other go faster with a draft | draft position not recommended due to risk of farting |
| Music | If someone in the pack can sing, you'll have some music | IPod, stereo, radio, TV, and orchestra are all options |
| Entertainment | I've heard that some cyclists can juggle while riding | TV, DVD, computer, books, magazines.... |
| Scenery | The sky is the limit. The more you ride, the more the scenery changes. You can stop and smell the roses. | Can only change scenery if you have one of those photo album screen savers. Quite stinky unless you have a rose-flavored Glade plug-in. |
| Injury Risk | There's cars, cracks, rocks, and other cyclists that can take you down. You may find emergency response slow if you're out in the middle of nowhere. | 911 on a land-line available, but you probably wouldn't want to deal with the embarrassment of hurting yourself while riding a trainer. |
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Finding the Perfect Fit
So here's the story. See if it sounds familiar.
You walk into your local bike shop looking to get your first road bike. The bike shop doesn't have a ton of selection, but the prices all look reasonable for what's in stock. The guy selling the bikes pretty much reads the tag to you, maybe explains the difference between frame materials and component levels, and suggests a particular bike based on what you're willing to.
The next part: size. The salesperson makes an adjustment to the seat to put you on the bike. Whaddya know? It's perfect! So you walk out of the store with your perfect bike and start your new road biking hobby.
Everything is perfect until you start talking with other bikers. They talk about bike fitting, custom frames, correct posture, etc. This mumbo jumbo starts getting to you. The bike suddenly doesn't feel right. Your knees start hurting. Your back gets sore on the climbs. You can't see out of the your rear view mirror. The bike is slowing down! Oh No!
Ok, so I'm 6'2" in shoes and somehow ended up with a 56cm Cannondale road bike. Not many people have noticed that the frame is too small for me, because, well, 56cm is really not that much different between 58 or 60cm to the human eye. But I went to the LBS around here and was told I'd definitely be a 58. The higher end shops (one in Cleveland, one in Golden, CO) said I was a 60 (actually, I'm a 10, but that's just my opinion). So I figured maybe it's time for a bike fit.
At bike shop #1, I was told that you get the bike first, then they make it fit. I think bike fitting at that shop involves pulling the closest bike off the shelf and adjusting the seat. Bike shop #2 charges $100 for a true fit, which involves measuring your body parts (Inseam, Torso, Forearm, Arm, Thigh, Lower Leg, Sternal Notch, Total Height, Distance between Testicles, and Ass droop). Then they plug that into some computer fit system that spews out the "perfect" fit of frame dimensions and bike setup.
One catch, if you paid $100 and didn't apply it towards the purchase of a bike at that shop, then you probably got ripped off. You can take those measurements yourself and search the internet for a fit calculator that will give you the same somewhat useful stuff.
I say "somewhat useful" because once you've got your computerized drawing of measurements, try finding a frame that actually has those dimensions. Unless you're planning to shell out the extra bucks for a custom frame, you're going to have to find a system of getting a reasonably close frame. Some frames, you'll get the seat tube length correct, but not the top tube. The angles might not match or the stays may be too short, etc. Frames are hard to match up because measuring ass droop is difficult. Sometimes, the bike companies make it difficult by using different terms in publishing their geometries.
The most important measurement (so I've been told) is the horizontal distance between the center of the seat post and the center of the headset. The virtual line is usually taken at the point where the stem attaches to the steering tube. In my case, the computer spit out 59cm for the virtual top tube c-c length. This is hard to find because the manufacturers like even numbers (58 or 60 seem to be popular choices).
So, after all that effort, we're back to sitting on bikes and seeing if they fit. Use the computers as a guideline and then sit on as many bikes as it takes until you're comfortable with one. You can always tinker with the stem length & angle, seat setback, and seat height to get the bike to fit if the frame is very close to your perfect dimensions. Try to have a mirror around because you want to see if you look good on the bike. Make sure the frame looks cool as well because nobody will be impressed with a perfect-fitting orange and pink bike. Eyes on the prize at all times.
You walk into your local bike shop looking to get your first road bike. The bike shop doesn't have a ton of selection, but the prices all look reasonable for what's in stock. The guy selling the bikes pretty much reads the tag to you, maybe explains the difference between frame materials and component levels, and suggests a particular bike based on what you're willing to.
The next part: size. The salesperson makes an adjustment to the seat to put you on the bike. Whaddya know? It's perfect! So you walk out of the store with your perfect bike and start your new road biking hobby.
Everything is perfect until you start talking with other bikers. They talk about bike fitting, custom frames, correct posture, etc. This mumbo jumbo starts getting to you. The bike suddenly doesn't feel right. Your knees start hurting. Your back gets sore on the climbs. You can't see out of the your rear view mirror. The bike is slowing down! Oh No!
Ok, so I'm 6'2" in shoes and somehow ended up with a 56cm Cannondale road bike. Not many people have noticed that the frame is too small for me, because, well, 56cm is really not that much different between 58 or 60cm to the human eye. But I went to the LBS around here and was told I'd definitely be a 58. The higher end shops (one in Cleveland, one in Golden, CO) said I was a 60 (actually, I'm a 10, but that's just my opinion). So I figured maybe it's time for a bike fit.
At bike shop #1, I was told that you get the bike first, then they make it fit. I think bike fitting at that shop involves pulling the closest bike off the shelf and adjusting the seat. Bike shop #2 charges $100 for a true fit, which involves measuring your body parts (Inseam, Torso, Forearm, Arm, Thigh, Lower Leg, Sternal Notch, Total Height, Distance between Testicles, and Ass droop). Then they plug that into some computer fit system that spews out the "perfect" fit of frame dimensions and bike setup.
One catch, if you paid $100 and didn't apply it towards the purchase of a bike at that shop, then you probably got ripped off. You can take those measurements yourself and search the internet for a fit calculator that will give you the same somewhat useful stuff.
I say "somewhat useful" because once you've got your computerized drawing of measurements, try finding a frame that actually has those dimensions. Unless you're planning to shell out the extra bucks for a custom frame, you're going to have to find a system of getting a reasonably close frame. Some frames, you'll get the seat tube length correct, but not the top tube. The angles might not match or the stays may be too short, etc. Frames are hard to match up because measuring ass droop is difficult. Sometimes, the bike companies make it difficult by using different terms in publishing their geometries.
The most important measurement (so I've been told) is the horizontal distance between the center of the seat post and the center of the headset. The virtual line is usually taken at the point where the stem attaches to the steering tube. In my case, the computer spit out 59cm for the virtual top tube c-c length. This is hard to find because the manufacturers like even numbers (58 or 60 seem to be popular choices).
So, after all that effort, we're back to sitting on bikes and seeing if they fit. Use the computers as a guideline and then sit on as many bikes as it takes until you're comfortable with one. You can always tinker with the stem length & angle, seat setback, and seat height to get the bike to fit if the frame is very close to your perfect dimensions. Try to have a mirror around because you want to see if you look good on the bike. Make sure the frame looks cool as well because nobody will be impressed with a perfect-fitting orange and pink bike. Eyes on the prize at all times.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Manifesto of Mileage
Club miles are that exciting reward you receive every time you sign up and ride with a club that tracks miles. The more you ride, the more miles you earn. Riders flock to the club rides as often as they can and rack up those miles as if they were airline miles, or those points you find underneath your Coca-Cola bottle cap.
The difference between the bicycle club miles and those other miles is that you can't spend them. I was extremely disappointed that I couldn't cash in my 20,000 club miles for a round trip from Detroit to Toledo. I also couldn't get a Coca-Cola t-shirt, a free download on iTunes, or a cheap stuffed Pac-Man at Chuck E Cheeses. After thousands of hours of saddle-sore, you'd think I could get something for all my trouble!
Although club miles are for achieving personal goals (so they say), I can't help but feel a bit competitive when all I gotta do is ride 20 more miles on New Year's Eve to move up from number 78 to 77 on the club's mileage list. Heck, one year I rode 5 straight days in winter weather to pass Buster the dog, who accumulated miles by sitting in milk crate on the back of his owner's bike (the owner actually had many more miles than Buster). We bookmark the web page with the mileage directly and hound the mileage person to keep things up to date, especially near the end of the year.
Unfortunately, club mileage is the incentive to ride with the club, not ride your bike in general. Things like riding into the club ride, commuting, riding with the kids, or doing charity rides tend not to count. Some club riders won't ride unless there's some mileage at stake. Worse yet, they'll drive the 6 miles to and from the ride because credit isn't given for the whole trip. They'll also drive 25 miles across town instead of riding 2 miles to the closer ride because they can gain an extra 10 club miles by riding across town. And as silly as you think that might be, you actually feel compelled to keep up with these mileage junkies.
Also, there's no difference between the guy who rides 50 miles in 4 hours and 50 miles in 2.5 hours. If you've got unlimited time on your hands, you can maximize your rides and miles. I suggest a change to the system to accomodate people with less available biking time and make it fair:
1) Add mileage bonuses on the route for getting to the coffee shop or ice cream stand first. No longer is getting your food first the only incentive. Now you get 5 bonus miles.
2) Killer Hill miles. Every route I've been on, there's always a mile or two detour that you can do to climb a hill that was skipped when the route was drawn. Now you can get 10 bonus miles per Killer Hill. If you're a good climber, you can get a few centuries in on any given ride.
3) Safety bonus points. Want to get club riders to stop at your stop signs? Traffic tickets, extra signs, safety commercials - none of those work. If you really want to get a rider to stop at a stop sign, attach a coupon for 1 bonus club mile at each stop sign along the route. This will force the rider to stop the bike to pick up the coupon to turn in at the end of the ride.
4) Sprint points - there's nothing better than outmuscling your fellow riders to the end of a bridge, a sign, or some other familiar landmark, except for outmuscling your fellow riders and picking up the bonus miles that go with it. If you win enough of these bonus miles, we'll even throw in a green jersey.
5) And finally, for those who just can't ride long distances or keep up, we offer some very special bonus miles for consuming more calories along the ride than you actually burn. This may not help you get better, but it will improve the local economy.
In absence of these bonus miles, I suggest you just log your miles on bikejournal.com and be proud to be on a bike.
The difference between the bicycle club miles and those other miles is that you can't spend them. I was extremely disappointed that I couldn't cash in my 20,000 club miles for a round trip from Detroit to Toledo. I also couldn't get a Coca-Cola t-shirt, a free download on iTunes, or a cheap stuffed Pac-Man at Chuck E Cheeses. After thousands of hours of saddle-sore, you'd think I could get something for all my trouble!
Although club miles are for achieving personal goals (so they say), I can't help but feel a bit competitive when all I gotta do is ride 20 more miles on New Year's Eve to move up from number 78 to 77 on the club's mileage list. Heck, one year I rode 5 straight days in winter weather to pass Buster the dog, who accumulated miles by sitting in milk crate on the back of his owner's bike (the owner actually had many more miles than Buster). We bookmark the web page with the mileage directly and hound the mileage person to keep things up to date, especially near the end of the year.
Unfortunately, club mileage is the incentive to ride with the club, not ride your bike in general. Things like riding into the club ride, commuting, riding with the kids, or doing charity rides tend not to count. Some club riders won't ride unless there's some mileage at stake. Worse yet, they'll drive the 6 miles to and from the ride because credit isn't given for the whole trip. They'll also drive 25 miles across town instead of riding 2 miles to the closer ride because they can gain an extra 10 club miles by riding across town. And as silly as you think that might be, you actually feel compelled to keep up with these mileage junkies.
Also, there's no difference between the guy who rides 50 miles in 4 hours and 50 miles in 2.5 hours. If you've got unlimited time on your hands, you can maximize your rides and miles. I suggest a change to the system to accomodate people with less available biking time and make it fair:
1) Add mileage bonuses on the route for getting to the coffee shop or ice cream stand first. No longer is getting your food first the only incentive. Now you get 5 bonus miles.
2) Killer Hill miles. Every route I've been on, there's always a mile or two detour that you can do to climb a hill that was skipped when the route was drawn. Now you can get 10 bonus miles per Killer Hill. If you're a good climber, you can get a few centuries in on any given ride.
3) Safety bonus points. Want to get club riders to stop at your stop signs? Traffic tickets, extra signs, safety commercials - none of those work. If you really want to get a rider to stop at a stop sign, attach a coupon for 1 bonus club mile at each stop sign along the route. This will force the rider to stop the bike to pick up the coupon to turn in at the end of the ride.
4) Sprint points - there's nothing better than outmuscling your fellow riders to the end of a bridge, a sign, or some other familiar landmark, except for outmuscling your fellow riders and picking up the bonus miles that go with it. If you win enough of these bonus miles, we'll even throw in a green jersey.
5) And finally, for those who just can't ride long distances or keep up, we offer some very special bonus miles for consuming more calories along the ride than you actually burn. This may not help you get better, but it will improve the local economy.
In absence of these bonus miles, I suggest you just log your miles on bikejournal.com and be proud to be on a bike.
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