6th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness ride

A rainy October morning couldn't keep 100 plus devotees

from riding in the poor weather for a great cause!

A cold and wet start turned into a perfectly cool ride with absolutely

fantastic riding temperatures!

And... they're off!

 Thanks to all of the Die-Hards that came out in support!

Seems like everyone had a fantastic time!

Great post ride food, drink, laughs,

conversation and Prizes! 

 Thank You! to all of our fantastic sponsors as well!

Especially Don & Heidi Parker for supplying us with delicious hot pizza

from the Pizza Factory of Lindon after the ride.

CUSTOMER APPRECIATION NIGHT!

THANK YOU TBAF FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS!!!

About a month ago, I realized that we are coming up on TBAF's Four Year Anniversary.  I was talking to Kris and Jeff about why I loved working at their store.  Most people I have crossed paths with work at a bike store because they love to ride and/or they want to be a part of "the cycling world". We definitely fall into that category but also came up with many other reasons why we love our work.  We realized a big part of the reason we enjoy being at the store is ...OUR CUSTOMERS!  In the past 4 years, we have made more friendships out of our customer relationships than we can count.  We enjoy seeing our "regulars" stop by and we look forward to meeting and helping new "friends" walk through the door.  So, whether you have let us help you from the beginning or you are walking in for the first time, THANK YOU for allowing us to help you have a positive cycling experience!!

On Friday May 21st (whoa! ... I have been a delayed blogger) we invited all of our customers for a big event - CUSTOMER APPRECIATION NIGHT! [if you didn't get an invite, then make sure you are on our email list for the future] 
We had a blast!  First we offered big savings on many bikes, wheelsets, accessories, and clothing.  We gave gift cards at the door and for every item purchased, you got a raffle ticket.  The raffle was a huge hit! Reps from Trek, Castelli, Niterider, Capo, Camelback, Giro, and Smith Glasses were either there or donated prizes such as cyclo-computers, pumps, bags, tires, shorts, jerseys, helmets, sunglasses, socks, camelback accessories, etc. Kris and Jeff even gave away 2 Gary Fisher Simple City 8-speed bikes - SUPER COOL (Too bad employees couldn't raffle because I really wanted to win one).  We also had food, desserts, and the opportunity for you to make your own margarita or daiquiri on the CycleOps bike trainer blender.  I laughed every time I walked by the CycleOps blender, especially when the kids tried to jump on and pedal a 56cm road bike and when the men were trying to out pedal... I mean out "blend" each other. 
Check out the pics below!  

Thank you Kris, Jeff, TBAF Team, Vendor Reps, spouses/friends that volunteered and OUR CUSTOMERS for a wonderful event!!

 The very popular CycleOps Bike Trainer Blender

Let's start the Raffle!

 

I Love to win!

 

                

New Helmet ... New Ride.... Awesome!

Nothing like warm weather and a new helmet to get you even more excited about riding.  I just got the new Giro Prolight Helmet and I can't believe how light it is - only 183 grams!  Plus I am in love with the really comfortable webbing system... No more hardware against the back of my head... 25 windtunnel vents...Thank you Giro!!

thanks Forrest for letting me use you as a helmet model!

The Prolight also comes in all White, all Black, and a Blue/black design just like the style in the pictures.  This helmet is perfect for those of you that either don't like to wear helmets, you want the latest technology, or you are a weight freak.  [The actual bike slang term is "weight weenie", but I thought I would try and be more "PC"] :)

The other night, I jumped on my Madone with my new prolight and found a new favorite 33 mile ride.  I love riding rollers for fun and for interval training.  I am kinda sorta addicted to adrenaline (was that a confession?) so one of the reasons I like riding rolling hills is because I can ride really FAST on the down parts!  My original plan was to add Suncrest to the route but I ran out of daylight.  I attached the link below of the route I rode. There was hardly any cars on the road with me after 7pm.  You can easily make it into a 45 or 50 mile ride by adding in a climb to Suncrest. 

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ut/american-fork/lehi/130127130459597212

Hope you enjoy the ride as much as I did. And by the way.... riding with the new Prolight is AWESOME!

RECOVERY RECOVERY RECOVERY

RECOVERY RECOVERY RECOVERY

NUTRITION NUTRITION NUTRITION

I have found that many cyclists I talk to fail to focus on these two very important topics.

There are plenty of books already written out there on Nutrition and Recovery so I will try to keep it short and just give you some tips.

Side-note:  Speaking of books... [this is where my ADD kicks in]  I have been reading a new book that has good info called "Racing Weight; how to get lean for peak performance" by Matt Fitzgerald.  He explains how endurance athletes (runners, cyclists, triathletes, cross-country skiers, rowers, swimmers) should lose weight.  His guidelines are designed to help you hit your target numbers for weight, body composition, and performance while maintaining your strength and conditioning.  It is a pretty easy read, not too technical.  He includes practical strategies, charts, recipes, strength exercises, and summarizes sports research relevant to his strategies.  I skimmed through most of the research parts, but was happy to see he included them to reinforce his strategies.  I think there are alot of books out there where the author says "do what my book says because it worked for me and by the way, I am really cool".  This one isn't like that.  I would recommend this book to athletes that are either trying to lose their "winter weight" or that have hit a plateau in achieving their performance goals.

Ok ...RECOVERY!  First of all, it is a must!  Even the pros would tell you that recovery time is just as important as training time.  Plan out your week in advance so you can schedule what days you are going to ride/train and what days you are going to recover.  Author Joe Friel says, "Some athletes, especially those over age 50 and those new to endurance sport, may need two or more recovery days following their hardest workouts of the week."

There are different types of recovery.  Depending on what my training week/event/race schedule is, I choose one of these ways to recover:
     
     1- take the day off from training
     2- ride at low intensity, easy pedal
     3- yoga or stretching
     4- a day at the spa :) massage is excellent for your body!


*Tip:  Use a training diary or calendar and pre-schedule your rides and your recoveries.  It is really good to have a plan, but it is also important to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.  Be open to adjusting your schedule to give your body more recovery time if you need it.  


The link below is an example of a 10-week training plan for a century.  There are many variations out there.  When I can't ride as long as they suggest, I make my shorter distance ride really count!  - that means... throw in some intervals!


http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-4-443-19050-1,00.html


If you are looking for more training info, check out Joe Friel's books "The Cyclist's Training Bible" and "Total Heart Rate Training".  Friel provides good info and we carry them in the store.


Also, I have heard good things about Lance Armstrong's book "The Lance Armstrong Performance Program; 7 weeks to the perfect ride".  Since he has won a "few" races here and there, it's probably worth reading, right?  I mean... yes, he was born with a heart 33% larger than the average person, he has mad Twitter skills, and Kris thinks he is really HOT (good thing Jeff isn't the jealous type :), but I am pretty sure that's not why Lance won the tour so many times.  His training coach, Chris Carmichael, co-wrote it.  Think I will pick that one up next and let you know what I think.  

Super busy at the store.  Good to see so many people excited to ride!  I will have to write more later.  Stay tuned for nutrition info... 

Forget this crazy weather- We are RIDING!

Kris and I hit the road this week trying to find a better bike course for our American Fork Duathlon on April 10th.  Construction has forced us to be creative and find something new.  

www.mapmyride.com can be a great tool for mapping a riding course (we have most of our group rides posted on there under profile TREKAF)

http://www.mapmyride.com/user_profile?u=607192876375 

However, it doesn't tell you construction issues or poor quality roads.  So this week we set off on a mission to find the perfect course.  I jumped on my Madone and Kris rode her Cyclocross XO2 (Her new road bike, 6.9 Madone, is being custom made through Trek Project One in Waterloo, WI- It's going to be super cool!)  We rode and found construction, we rode and found narrow roads, we rode some more and found great hills for interval climbs, but ..... still looking for the perfect 15 mile duathlon course. Stay tuned...

On a sidenote: Everytime we stopped for traffic signs, [well.. actually,... Kris is really good at stopping and I am still working on my bad habit of rolling slowly :) through stop signs] I couldn't help but make fun of Kris' noisy brakes.
I am mentioning this because we have had customers bringing their bikes in for service and saying their brakes are noisy during the winter/early spring time.  
Here is the solution:  Wipe off your rims and brake pads!!  This time of year there is so much debris, salt, dirt, etc on the road that the rims are filthy from it.  Also... now is a great time to check your brake pads or stop by and we will check them for you to see if there is enough rubber/cork left to brake safely.      
 
LAMBERT UPDATE:::

We had another fun adventure at Lambert Park yesterday morning.  Here was the route: Started with Middle, (found Rodeo Up was still bad) so we took River back, then up Wildcat, Indian, Zag, down Ziggy, back to Middle, then Lambert's Luge Down (look for green rock on left and then turn left) which connected with High Bench.  As soon as we got on High Bench, I looked back and Kris was right on my tail (she is really fast on the downs) so I guess the "slight competitive" side of me kicked into gear.  I started to pedal faster and took the next corner a little too "hot".  The next thing I know.... I saw alot of mud, a big tree, and a little tree.  Thinking quickly I chose the lesser of two evils and plowed right into the little tree.  See pic below ... tree saved!... bike ok! ... Kris got a huge laugh! ... Pride a little hurt.   

Think I am sticking with road biking the next few days until my balance gets on track and the snow GOES AWAY!! 


Pic- my bike nicely leaned against back of little tree after dismount

It was a two-niner day at Lambert Park!

Kris and I have been going crazy to get out on our mountain bikes, so we decided to try out Lambert Park this morning.  Since we didn't know how muddy it would be, Kris decided to ride her Gary Fisher Superfly hardtail instead of her new Superfly 100 and I rode my Gary Fisher Hi Fi Pro 29er (Yes, just like my Madone, it is red!)

As you can see in the pic, we picked up a little mud but most of the trails were actually ride-able.  If the weather cooperates, I am hoping we will start night-riding at Lambert again.  If you think Rodeo Down is fun during the day, try it at night with us.  Nite Rider makes great durable lights that are perfect for night riding.  (I need my lights very durable for my "unintentional" crazy stunts that somehow end up happening to me when I am riding behind Jeff :)

For those of you new to Lambert Park... It is located in Alpine, UT approximately 9 miles Northeast from the store.  It has 11 miles of single-track loops and even more double-track that are usually ride-able from March to early December.  Most of the single-track trails are intermediate level with some climbing options.  It can also be a great place for beginners to try single track or stay on the doubles. 
Here is a map of the area.  Single-tracks are in color.  We like to start at the southwest end by the church on E. Alpine Blvd. You can stop by the store for a larger map and ask what our favorite trails are to ride.

Today, we weren't able to ride some of my favorite trails.  There was still snow and/or mud in the north upper areas and on High Bench.  We saw quite a few tracks or should I say "ruts" coming from Rodeo Down and we didn't want to ruin the trails by adding to the "ruts".  

Trails that were ride-able today at Lambert:
Middle, River, Lambert's Luge, Ruin, Wildcat, Corkscrew, Indian, Flank, Ziggy, zag, and the Dogs.


Speaking of mountain biking and two-niners or 29er's... I absolutely love riding them!  Gary Fisher really knows how to make one!  All last year I kept trying to tell everyone they need to ride a 29er and finally riders are listening.  We have had quite the demand for the new Superfly 100 which is very hard to get.  Thank you Trek/Fisher for taking care of our customers and getting us the bikes that have not been available!

Can they make a bike better than this??  Handbuilt OCLV carbon in Waterloo, WI ... FULL suspension... 29 inch wheels... 23.5 lbs.. WHAT!!?  

We just got in the last 21" and 19"

 
Other 29er options that have also been very popular for 2010:


THE RUMBLEFISH I ... for those who want to try the "29" but live for "travel"

The Hi Fi PlUS ... for those that want the Superfly 100 but haven't found a way to hide the extra money from their spouse. 

The X-CALIBER ... an excellent hardtail 29er choice for riders that want to stay around $1,500 or for those over 35 that aren't ready to admit to their buddies that they want full suspension.  

Disclaimer: (is the end the right place for a disclaimer or should it be in the beginning?) I am not as talented as Mitch is at taking pictures, especially from my Droid phone.  So the best thing for you to do is, come in the store and see them in person so you can really get the "Love" for a 29er.  We have test rides in the parking lot and... stay tuned for future demo opportunities to ride one with us on the trails.  
 

Ladies Event on March 11th- Preparing for a cycling event

Thank you Ladies!  and thank you for the thank you's.  I am glad you thought it was "informative and entertaining".  
It was great to talk about something I absolutely Love... Cycling!  I think it would be an extremely long post if I re-capped everything we talked about.  So.... stay tuned for periodic re-caps, reviews, tips, suggestions, blunders, advice (how to not make the same mistakes I have in the past :) 

Here are some of the resources I used to discuss training plans, intervals, nutrition, hydration, and proper clothing:  

Endurance Sports Nutrition by Suzanne Girard Eberle

Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes by Monique Ryan

Total Heart Rate Training by Joe Friel (pretty much everything by him is good)

Power to the Pedals (e-book from http://www.roadbikerider.com/ )

Bicycling Magazine 

For those of you who were not there--- we have increased our Nutrition selection.  We are still carrying First Endurance EFS (because it is an excellent performance drink without the artificial colors, flavors, etc).  We also carry Clif products (bars, gels, shot blocks), Prolytes, and we have added Hammer Nutrition products and Honey Stinger Protein bars.

Stop by anytime and ask Vegas about Nutrition!  

Check out some of the pics Mitch took- he's an excellent photographer!