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!

Thank you for your contributions and a great ride!

 

  

 

What a great way to start the cycling season... group ride to raise money for Haiti!  We were very happy to have weather in the 40's with only a little headwind.  Thank you for your contributions and participating in our Haiti Benefit Ride.  We had more than 50 riders and raised over $1,000!  All contributions donated to the Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund.