Louisville Wheelmen Newsletter -- March-April 1996

Going Nowhere Fast . . .

by Kevin Clay

For those of us who attempt to get our winter riding in on a trainer we really do know the true meaning of boring. On a good day I can ride 20 to 30 minutes without too much effort. But, there are other days that I have to really push to get to that 20 minute mark. I’ve tried music.... Pink Floyd and Stevie Ray Vaughn have been best to date, but you can only listen to anything so many times before that gets old and you have to keep stopping to flip the tapes. Then there’s television.... college basketball is good, especially with UK playing, but boy are they hard to keep pace with.

Then came the trainer tours.... I don’t really remember whose idea it was, but I want to thank them anyway. Every Thursday during January and February we have been given access to the multi-purpose room at St. Matthews Elementary School to bring our trainers, or rollers, and ride (thanks to Mary Margaret Williams). It’s been the perfect way to get some serious trainer riding in. There have been 5 or 6 regular riders with as many as 14. We have all the creature comforts, like tile floors that sweat has no effect on and windows and fans to keep us cool and even a TV with VCR that allows us to show Don’s collection of Video Cycle tapes. We’ve ridden in Maine, Yellowstone, San Francisco and Hawaii. Between the tapes and conversation with the other riders it’s been easy for me to ride an hour even on my worst night and an hour and a half is relatively easy to do with this format. And I’ve never ridden for 90 minutes at home. It’s been real nice to be able to get this much saddle time in during the winter without freezing to death. The only problem is that with the Trainer Tours being FUN, it’s now harder than ever to get motivated to ride at home. Maybe we can try this twice a week next winter?

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last updated: 25 February 1996
by Duc M. Do