Offroad riding around Irvine and Newport Beach

The beauty of a MTB is that you can explore off the beaten Track places in and around Irvine. One drizzly Saturday last January I decided to don a Raincoat and just go for a 4 hour ride, this is a place I'd never been before, it's right on the Backbay in Newport and luckily enough, managed to take this Pic of my Bike, I was surprised it came out the way it did because I'm no Photographer. Well, I guess I am now.

Team Sky unveil their Pinarello Dogma

Bradley Wiggins shows off the Team Sky Pinarello Dogma

Team Sky - The new Kids on the Block

It's always a big deal whenever a new Pro-Cycling Team is thrown together, first we got news that Lance and "Team Shack" were hoping to ride in the 2010 Tour de France, then team Sky, a British team, who will be riding Pinarello Bikes which is a good choice by the way because I just bought one and recommended this Manufacturer to them. Above you can have a glimpse of what their Kit will look like which is modelled by Bradley Wiggins of Manchester, England.

The French are very picky when it comes down to which teams will be "Invited" to ride the Tour de France mainly because the French are french and in some cases their selections don't make much sense as to why some Teams are invited, some not. Oh well.

I hope Team Sky and Radio Shack are invited because they will be two Teams well worth watching!!

The Tour de France has always been one of the toughest Races in the world, if I was in charge it would be the toughest, I would make a lot of changes....

For a start, the race only covers 1800 - 2500 miles, pitiful if you ask me! I would at least double that to make it more of a challenge, after all, there are 24 hours in a Day so what's wrong with riding at night? Without Lights of course!!

Then I would make all Time Trials uphill on the steepest Climbs of the Pyranees and would hand out Horse Whips to Spectators, these would serve a dual purpose, firstly to generate more revenue for the Tour Organizers because they would have Sponsors' Logo's. secondly, the Fans would be able to encourage Riders much more effectively.
It's OK to shout "Go go go" but are the Riders really listening? A good Lashing across a Riders back would be way more effective in encouraging them to try even harder up that 30% grade, especially when they look as though they're on the verge of passing out.
After all, that's how they build the Pyramids, right??

Let's Face it, in 1903 when the Tour first started, they never rode fancy shmancy Crabon Fiber Bikes!! No way!! Real Men rode Steel! Mainly because Crabon Fiber wasn't even invented in those Days, but that's beside the point.

Sky would still be allowed to ride their Pinarello's however, they can keep their $20,000 Rigs, but the rest of the Teams would be given a $250 budget per Bike with a minimum 25 Lb weight limit, I think that's fair! I could make it 35 Lb after all...think of all the money they'd save!!

Oh, and by the way, no more fancy Hotels for the Riders - Team Sky would still be allowed to stay at the best Hotels money can buy, for free - the other Teams would have to carry their own Tents, after all, in 1903 they used to stay at Friend's Houses and sleep on the Floor!!

By the way, I don't want you to think I'm in any way biased towards Team Sky, I'm not.

There are more new rules to follow so in the meanwhile, feel free to contribute your own and I will add the best ones in the comments section, there will be a Prize for the best one so put your thinking Caps on!!

Radio Shack's new Jersey

Lance Is shown here sporting His Teams' new Jersey.

Could they have done better? After all, the Team is going to be one rolling Billboard for "the Shack" and is going to be seen by Millions of People all over the world. Try again I'd say.

It never Rains in Irvine

After all, we ARE in Southern California!

In reality, it does and because we're so spoiled, it can get pretty cold too!!

I love riding in the Rain but I would never recommend it, the Roads get slippery especially the sections with Paint!! They paint Stop at intersections, why not Fall for all us Cyclists because that is what Paint makes us do!!

It's going to be a wet week but that's no reason to stop Cycling because they invented the "Trainer" a long time ago...

There are basically two Types of Trainer, Magnetic and Fluid resistance, the Magnetic version normally costs less but they're much noisier, if you're going to use it in the Garage with your iPod, that's fine but if you want to use it in the House and catch up with your DVDR'd Soaps then the Fluid version is the best way to go.

Trainers are also the best way to get back on the Bike after an injury or Illness because the resistance can be set anywhere between very easy, for spinning to very hard for simulating Hill Climbing...

If you already have your Trainer

Warm up for about 15 minutes, get your cadence rolling at around 90 rpm in an easy gear.

Fast Cadence Spinning intervals

- Crank up to 115 rpm for 30 seconds

- Repeat intervals adding 30 seconds to the fast efforts until you reach about 3 1/2 minutes of full-speed effort.

- Recover 60 seconds between all intervals

-Cool down for 10-15 minutes at a slow, easy Cadence.

-Repeat 2 to 3 Days per week but not on back-to-back Days.

Bike Trainer DVD's are also readily available and are great motivation.

Ride on!!

Teaching your Kid to ride without Training Wheels

You don't need Pedals to ride a Bike

In fact when you're learning they get in the way, so take them off - the Left Hand Pedal is a left Hand thread- so to remove it turn it Clockwise, the right-hand Drive (Chain) side is regular anti-Clockwise to loosen. Incidentally, the Drive-side is always on the right-hand side of any Bike.....

I would highly recommend a Pedal Wrench to remove Pedals to save skinned Knuckles, or take it into the LBS you bought it from, they will remove them in 30 seconds, another good reason for supporting your LBS.

Then, because you selected the right size Bike...right? Lower the Saddle so your Child can sit on it with both Feet flat on the ground, they will immediately begin to walk the Bike along with confidence - confidence is the Key here - you won't even have to support them. Start them off at a Park on a flat surface then as they quickly gain confidence they will want to go faster, so set them off on progressively steeper slopes and they will lift their Feet off the ground and balance, they will learn how to use the Brakes - which should be properly adjusted.

Pretty soon they will yell "Put the Pedals on Dad"! And voila!! There you go!!

Leave a comment in the "Comments section" and let me know how it goes.

Buying your Kid's first Bicycle

Well, it's that time of year again and Guess what is going to be the Top of your Kids' Christmas List? A shiny new Bicycle. We all remember our first Bike, it's the one we remember the most.

Let's start off with the most important factor SAFETY , now is a good time to program your Child's mind to always wear a Helmet before even climbing onto the Bike, the exact same way you programed yourself to fasten your Seat Belt before driving off in your Car. Broken Bones and Skin Rash will heal, Head Trauma is a different story.

Helmets are very affordable and as long as they're ANSI approved you'll be OK, look for the Label inside the Helmet.

Fitting a Helmet: The Helmet should be a nice comfortable fit, not too loose and not too tight. Always make sure the Helmet is fastened correctly and always secure the Chin Strap. As a rule of Thumb, you should adjust the Strap with just enough room to fit an Adult forefinger between the Strap and the Childs' Chin - this is true for Adults too - it's always good to put their Helmet on before mounting the Bike because Head trauma can be cause by falling off a stationary Bike before they even take off.

Footwear: Laces are a definite no-no, they can get caught in the Cranks or Chainring, if this happens, your Child will come to a halt, panic and fall over because they won't be able to put their right foot down. Tennis Shoes with Velcro Straps or slip-on Shoes are the way to go.

No Scarves, they can get caught in the rear Wheel. This time of year is the best for learning to ride because you can dress them in a thick Jacket and protective Gloves which means added protection.

Selecting the right Bicycle

I would highly recommend going to your LBS (Local Bike Shop) because there is more than buying a Bicycle than meets the Eye. Fit is the most important aspect in any Bicycle purchase and your LBS will be able to help you with that. They always assemble Bikes better too, most major Stores have Kids assembling Bikes at something like $5 per unit, they want to make as much money as possible in the shortest amount of time. You don't want the Handle Bars or Wheels falling off the Bike during a ride!!

If you decide to buy from a major store be mechanically adept and have the right Tools to check the tightness of all the Nuts and Bolts, and you should re-check everything periodically to make sure nothing is coming lose, most LBS offer free minor service and adjustments for the time you own the Bike.

Support your LBS and save money in the long run! Shop early for Christmas while the Stores still have a good selection and Don't forget the Helmet.

Cycling in and around Irvine

I've lost count of how many times I've ridden the San Diego - Backbay- Trail in Irvine, at an average of three times a week for the past six years it must be a few Thousand and it never gets boring. The Trail network in and around Irvine has really grown over the past few years, it's possible to get from one side of Irvine to the other without even going on the Streets..

Irvine is one of the most Cyclist friendly Cities in the Country with smooth Road surfaces, wide Bike-Lanes and Cyclist reachable stop-light Buttons.

Ride towards the Ocean and you will come out on the PCH in Newport Beach, ride the other way and eventually finish up at Green River Golf Course on the 91 Freeway...

The Irvine Trail Network is great for those who live and work in Irvine, it makes it much safer to Commute by Bike.

This Blog is a part of Talk Irvine, you can visit the main Forums at TalkIrvine.com , I will try to keep you updated on the latest News in Cycling in our wonderful City and write about Bikes and Cycling in general.

Don't forget to leave Questions and Comments in the Comments section, even if it's just to say Hi!!



A section of the San Diego River Trail on an overcast January Day