Louisville Bicycle Club - May-June 2004

The summer bike handling/new rider classes will be offered every Monday evening beginning on May 3rd and continuing every Monday night through the end of August. We will not meet on Memorial Day, May 31st, or on July 5. The classes will be held in the parking lot of the Jillian’s Office Complex — 4500 Bowling Boulevard — next to the Milestone Wellness Center.

Classes will begin at 6:30 pm with instruction on various bike handling skills and will end between 8:30 and 9:00 pm after completion of a short training/practice ride. Many bike handling skills will be demonstrated and practiced during this four-month period. A short ride designed to take advantage of these skills will follow. While primarily designed for new cyclists, everyone is invited and encouraged to attend. Once again, we have lined up a collection of very competent instructors who will be able to give individual, as well as group, instruction and encouragement. These classes have been beneficial to many new cyclists in the past. Quite a few of our “graduates” have become active members of the LBC and ride on a regular basis. Last year, at least 25 of our students participated on the OKHT, both as riders and volunteers.

If you know anyone who is interested in cycling but is intimidated by road riding, received a new bike for Christmas and needs some help getting started or just needs to practice their skills in a controlled environment, please encourage them to attend. With all that has happened in the cycling community the past year, especially the rash of accidents, I would encourage any and all levels of cyclist to attend.

As an added bonus, Milestone has offered all participants the use of their lap pool, therapy pool or whirlpool after class until 10 pm. Please encourage any new cyclist or someone you meet who needs to hone their cycling skills to attend.

Additional help is always needed, especially during our practice rides. If you are interested in helping the Education Committee with these classes, please contact Steve Sarson at 499-7089 or talk with me at a club ride.

2004 Bike Handling/New Rider Classes Schedule
Monday Evenings - 6:30 pm -9:00 pm
May - June - July - August

ABC Quick Check: Things you do before every ride.

Road Rules and Etiquette: Traffic rules, hand signals, voice signals, eye contact and road courtesy.

Rock Dodging: How to avoid a rock, hole, or other hazard in the road.

Tire Changing: How to repair a flat — by yourself — 15 miles from anywhere.

Bike Fit: Fitting the bike and seat to you — the #1 problem with most new bikes and riders.

Gearing and Shifting: What gear to ride in, Number of gears available, When to change gears, When to use big or small chain ring.

Basic Bike Maintenance: What you should do regularly and what to have the shop do.

Clothing and Equipment: What is required, What you should have, Additional items that are nice to have but not always necessary.

Jumping: How to lift your bike over a hazard to avoid "snakebite" flats and tire blowouts.

Riding Tips: Things to do to improve riding safety, speed, turning, climbing, and shifting.

Bumping: How to survive a bump, avoid panic, and stay upright.

Track Stand: Definition, purpose, and advantage.

Paceline: How to ride in a paceline, Why ride in a paceline, What to avoid, Courtesy and etiquette while riding in a paceline.

Training and Nutrition: How often should you ride, How far, What you should eat and drink, How often.

Riding with the LBC: Where rides start, starting times, distances, difficulty, ride captain responsibilities, how to read directions and distances on a cue sheet, what a "Dan Henry" road marking is.

Fruit Ride: Come celebrate the end of the classes with a training ride followed by cold, fresh fruit and fellowship with fellow riders.

Every class includes the following:

45 minutes of instructions by seasoned riders, followed by practice on your bike.
An easy, 10- to 12-mile ride with traffic, signals, stop signs, lights, busy roads, park roads, and subdivision streets.
Class participants are split into smaller groups of similar ability with instructors in the front and back of each group. Individual instructions/assistance if needed.
Rest stops if and when needed — nobody gets dropped or left behind.
Follow-up discussion after the ride.
Use of the Milestone Wellness Center lap pool, therapy pool or whirlpool after class until 10 pm.

The 2004 Maintenance of the Bike and Rider classes were very successful once again. We averaged between 30 and 35 people each night. Many new cyclists were in attendance, as well as some seasoned veterans. This year’s classes took on a slightly new twist with the addition of a hands-on maintenance night and two presentations by Steve Halliday, a professional Performance Enhancement Specialist. Many people came to hear Steve, and I’ve heard many comments on his presentation.

Special thanks go to the following presenters: Glenn Todd for Basic Bike Maintenance, AB Sandefur for Bike Fit, Michael Seiler for Training and Nutrition, Steve Sarson for Clothing and Gear, and Tom Armstrong for doing the Hands-On Maintenance class. I would also like to recognize the people who led workshops: Steve Engh for Road Rules and Etiquette, Phil Patterson for Riding Tips and Techniques, Tom Armstrong for Gearing and Shifting, and John Samways and Dave Wittry for Tire Changing.

Bike Handling Classes