March - April 2004

Most of this month’s column is devoted to our spring training series. While this series is very important to the club and many of our members, I must remind you that we offer much more than Montauk training in the Spring. Spring is when many of you take your bikes out for the first time in months, and especially after such a brutal winter, you might not be ready for that 75 mile training ride in early April. Well, fear not, we have rides to cater to a wide variety of riding styles and speeds. One especially intriguing new series has been devised by new leader and club webmaster Jim Zisfein - Palisades Bike Hikes, please check them out. The March-April calendar actually runs through the start of May, because we want to give you a taste of what’s in store for Bike Month. Look for loads of special bike events, rides, and cultural happenings this May at www.BikeMonthNYC.org. There will be much more about Bike Month in the next issue of the Bicycletter.

About the Montauk Century Training Ride Series

The 5BBC Montauk Century training ride series offers a scenic and practical way to prepare for the club’s century event held in mid-May. If you come prepared, and complete all or most of the rides, you will condition yourself gradually for the Montauk Century and have loads of fun doing it with other 5BBC members.

Our Manhattan start rides will all meet at the Plaza Hotel and first head North through Central Park and over the George Washington Bridge. Once in New Jersey you’ll visit many scenic spots in Bergen and Rockland counties. These rides are hilly, so don’t be complacent if you see a few flats - the hills are waiting for us to come and beat them.

Our Queens series always meets in Cunningham Park (convenient to the last stop on the F subway line). These rides all head East along Long Island’s scenic north shore, and that means lots of long, rolling hills. Queens-based rides head for destinations such as Centre Island, Lloyd Neck, and if you’re really ambitious, Eaton’s Neck, the final 90-miler one week before the Montauk Century.

Quick Spins and the No-Drops Rides

Training rides of distances of less than 65 miles will have a “quick spin” option as long as there are enough volunteer leaders available to perform them. No matter what, there must be at least two 5BBC leaders for each group. If a quick spin group goes out, they will not use the point-drop-sweep system along the route. They will ride as a group. The speed of a quick spin group is up to the discretion of the ride leader. Please follow their directions, as they are looking out for your safety throughout the ride. If there are two leaders in the quick spin, one leader will ride in front (point), and one in the rear (sweep), keeping the group close together. All trippers joining a quick spin group will be expected to know how to read a cue sheet in case they get separated from the group. The regular group will leave a short time later and may end up picking up riders from the quick spin, but there’s no guarantee that will happen. If you are dropped from a quick spin, you had better be able to get home on your own. (Hint, carry a map of the area and a railroad pass, just in case.)

Training rides of distances of more than 65 miles may be led without drops, in similar fashion to what I just described except that there may not be a slower group riding behind. It is up to the ride leader to decide if these rides will have drops, and the ride method will be explained at the start of each ride. There must be one leader in front and at least one leader in the rear, and all trippers will be expected to follow the directions of the leaders at all times, and read and understand the cue sheet. As always, if you have questions about a particular ride, please ask the leader.

Be Prepared

If you plan on taking part on a training ride - century or metric series, you must come prepared and ready to ride. First, be sure to carry some small snacks or energy bars. You will need fuel for your engine along the way. Just a cup of coffee in the morning will not be enough to keep you going when you’re climbing these hills. Second, and just as important, is water. A 50 oz or larger hydration pack works best, in my opinion. If you prefer bottles to packs, please bring at least two. You can easily bonk or cramp up if not sufficiently hydrated, and then you’ll have trouble getting back home. In other words: drink and don’t bonk!

Make sure your vehicle is in proper working order in advance of every ride. Check the brakes, shifters, and other moving parts. Pre-lube your chain, if it needs it. Inflate your tires to the recommended pressure before you head out and you won’t have to delay the group when it’s time for the group to depart. If you haven’t done so in the past year, give your bike a tune-up before the series gets going. I always say if your bike needs some maintenance, best to see to it in the off-season, before the shops get buried in repairs.

Next, dress appropriate to the weather. The temps in the early Spring range from the low 30s to mid 50s. Dress in several layers and wear a jersey or jacket with outer pockets that can carry your food and tools and anything else you really need. Try not to pack too much on your bike or you’ll just be carrying a couple extra pounds up all of those hills.

Now, a word about equipment. You must carry a spare tube that fits your tire, a pump, patch kit, and few small tools to make adjustments or emergency road repairs. Plan to ride as if you were going on a long ride by yourself. On our training rides it is very easy to get separated from the group, especially if you want to join our quick spins. You should not assume that another rider or the ride leader will fix your bike if it breaks (they might, but you can’t plan on it). The tools I recommend carrying include multiple sizes of metric Allen wrench, a small, adjustable wrench, a small standard screwdriver, and a pocket sized chain tool. You can even get many of these all in a multi-tool (such as the Topeak Alien). Do yourself proud by taking one of the club’s basic repair classes. Bike repair classes will save you hassle and embarrassment in the future on the road.

Once on the road you will be expected to keep up with the group. Most of the training rides will be led at a ‘B’ pace. The Quick Spin groups will be aiming for a faster pace. What does that mean? It means that you have to keep moving, ride single file, and stay on the right. Don’t ride two abreast. Converse when necessary, but these rides are practical and not the relaxed, leisure rides that you see offered with the happy-face icon.

The Metric Series

If you want to train for Montauk, and you’re not ready for the full century event, the club offers a metric century and a series of 4 metric training rides to match. This is a simpler progression from 20 to 50 miles, all leaving from Manhattan and finishing at the same time as the century series.

Important Dates to Remember

Sunday, February 22nd	Manhattan Bridge Subway Service Changes
Sunday, February 29th	Leap Day
Tuesday, March 2nd	Super Tuesday - New York State Presidential Primary
Sunday, March 7th	Purim
Saturday, March 20th	First Day of Spring
Sunday, April 4th	Daylight Savings Time Begins
Monday, April 5th	Passover Begins at Sundown
Friday, April 9th	Good Friday
Sunday, April 11th	Easter Sunday
Thursday, April 15th	National Pay Your Taxes Day
Sunday, April 25th	Bike New York Pre-Ride
Saturday, May 1st	Blessing Of The Bikes
Sunday, May 2nd	Bike New York
Sunday, May 9th	Mother’s Day

Danny Lieberman
Day Trips Coordinator, 2004