Blennerhassett Bicycle club August 2009 newsletter
North Bend Rail Trail Annual BBC Trail Ride By Steve Simonton
This annual event is coming up on Saturday, August 1st. Riders and drivers should be at the lower parking lot of WVU-P no later than 7:00 AM that morning. If you can "shuttle" other riders that would be much appreciated.
In order to make sure we have enough shuttle drivers for riders and their bikes, we would like to get your name(s) if you need a ride to Wolf Summit. Send me a note at hmsfudge@suddenlink.net It is traditional for those being shuttled to the trail head to chip in $5-10 to the shuttle driver to cover his gasoline cost for his round trip.
Parking is limited at the trail head in Wolf Summit so shuttling riders will be very helpful. It's about a 75+ minute drive from WVU-P to Wolf Summit and typical departure on the trail is roughly 9:30 given the amount of time it takes to unload and get organized.
Bring plenty of water! The first stop available for water is at Salem, which isn't too far. The next available water is at West Union, then a long haul to Pennsboro from there. Have at least two bottles (if you have two cages!) and/or a hydration pack if you have one.
Lunch is Dutch treat at a restaurant in Pennsboro that's called Roberto's and comes highly recommended for their pasta. We should have an appetite by then. Ride time is approximately 6.5 to 7 hours, so prepare for a long, full day.
More information is forthcoming as I get it. Watch The Blennerhasset Bicycle Club page on Google Groups for last minute information on the ride.
About the Trail
The North Bend Rail Trail is a multi-use recreational trail operated by West Virginia State Parks. It stretches 72 miles from Interstate 77 near Parkersburg in Wood County to Wolf Summit on Rt. 50 in Harrison County, near Clarksburg.
The trail passes through wild and natural areas, farmland and a variety of small rural communities that grew up along the railroad's length. In the years before the Civil War and the creation of the state
of West Virginia of West Virginia, the former rail corridor was constructed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad between 1853 and 1857 generally following an older wagon trail
The trail originally had 23 tunnels and 50 bridges constructed by the railroad. There are 10 active tunnels along the trail plus two that have been abandoned and bypassed. Many of the original tunnels were day lighted by having the hills above them removed. There are 33 bridges on the trail today.
When the trail was officially established in 1992, it was the 501st former railroad line in the U.S. converted into a recreational trail. It is a National Recreation Trail and part of the coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail. The trail remains much as it was in the 1990s when most of the development and work done in the conversion from a railroad to a rail trail occurred.
Trailheads at places like Cairo, Pennsboro, Ellenboro, Walker and Happy Valley have more activity than other parts of the trail. There is a lot of use by North Bend Park visitors, especially the section between Cairo and Ellenboro.
The highest usage of the trail seems to be in the western section of the trail, from Happy Valley to West Union. The eastern section has less population and fewer communities in close proximity to the trail, which has limited development along that area and limited trail usage.
Annual BBC Century Ride
The Annual Century ride for the club is scheduled for August 29th. The rain date for the ride is August 30th. The starting time is set for 8 AM for either date. An earlier start time was considered but due to the possibility of early morning fog we are sticking with 8 AM unless it is foggy and the start may be delayed for a short time to make sure visibility will be safe for a group ride out on the road. The ride for the day will start and end at the Tennis Courts in the Parkersburg City Park.
In addition to a 100 mile loop, there is a 31 mile and 68 mile loop. Each loop starts and ends in the City Park. Cue sheets for all three loops are posted on the BBC Google Group page in the section under FILES
PLEASE NOTE: Depending on the desire of the group at the start of the ride, the route may be reversed. This will allow riders to cover the hardest section of the 100 mile route early in the day when it is cooler rather than in the late afternoon when it could be hot. The shorter routes can also be easily reversed to cover the same distance.
Easy Riding on a Recumbent From Wikipedia
Ever think about trying out a recumbent bike? Recumbent bikes are ones where the rider sits lower and behind the pedals, almost like what you'd get if you cross a chaise lounge with an exercise bike.
Recumbent bikes are good for people who may have back/shoulder problems which makes sitting hunched over a bike in a traditional posture problematic. Also, the recumbent bike typically has a wider, more comfortable seat that is shaped much like a regular chair, which can alleviate any problems a person might have with backside soreness. For all these reasons, a good many recumbent bikes are the preferred choice for cyclists who use them on extended tours.
A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in laid-back reclining position. For most riders, the advantage of riding a recumbent is that it is more ergonomic by positioning the rider’s weight more comfortably over a larger area of the back and buttocks. On a traditional upright bicycle, the body weight rests on a few square inches of the sit bones, the feet, and the hands.
Most recumbent models also have an aerodynamic advantage; the reclined, legs-forward position of the rider’s body presents a smaller frontal profile. A recumbent holds the world speed record for a bicycle. They were banned from international racing in 1934.
Recumbent bicycles are available in a wide range of configurations, including: long to short wheelbase; large, small, or a mix of wheel sizes; over seat, under seat, or no-hands steering; and rear wheel or front wheel drive. A variant with three wheels is a recumbent tricycle.
How to pick a saddle that suits you By David Mays
This is a very difficult question to answer. What suits me might not suit you and it's very difficult to advise others. Some folks like a narrow saddle while others look for a wide one. More gel doesn't always mean more comfort, but it can help. If the shape of your saddle is rubbing or there is uncomfortable pressure at certain points, you may want to check out other saddle shapes and gel configurations to see if there is one that may fit you better. There are some saddles that are available from shops on a test basis, try to
find a shop near you that will let you test ride different saddles.
I recently saw a device in a local bike shop that looks like a stool with a pouch of sand for the seat. When you sit on it, your pelvic bones (sit bones) leave an impression, much like marks on an etch-a-sketch. The sales person then uses a chart to match your sit bones to saddles for their brand stocked in the shop. But you can also measure how far apart these sit bones are and used that information to fit yourself to another saddle. I had my bike on the truck with my favorite saddle and we measured it for a comparison to what the charts said I needed. Well low and behold; my saddle was an exact fit to my measured sit bones! By the way, I had tried six different saddles before settling on my favorite saddle two years ago.
Guess what I forgot? By Dave Mays
Did you ever discover you forgot something after you are on the bike and down the road for 20 minutes? Like maybe your water bottle, an energy bar or snack, your gloves, your cell phone or heaven forbid…your helmet? Well, I admit to forgetting all of the above at one time or another. It’s easy to pick up a bottle of water or sport drink at a convenience store along the ride and maybe your buddy has a cell phone in case of an emergency. If you are switching bikes for a specific ride, did you move your tool kit to the bike you are going to ride?
It is good practice to take a few moments before starting a ride to check and review your needs. Maybe call out different items to your buddy so both of you can have a good ride without forgetting something you need.
Quick Tip: You're approaching a cross street and a car is sitting at the stop sign, ready to start forward. Does the driver see you or is he about to pull into your path?
First try to establish eye contact. That'll help confirm that you've been seen, although it's no guarantee as to what will happen next.
A second defensive tactic should be to eye the vehicle's front wheel. That's the surest way to tell if it's creeping forward and the driver may do something dangerous.
Be friendly and wave a thank you as you pass through the intersection. I find that most of the time the driver will wave back.
First Aid for a Punctured Tire
Ever puncture a tire with a large piece of metal that leaves a gap in the tread or side wall. I did this one time and put in a new tube, pumped it up and started to mount the wheel back on the bike…..POOF. The normal pressure for the tube pushed it through the hole in the tire and I had a blow out before making a single foot of travel on the new tube. Bummer! What could you do to make it home with that big hole in the tire? Well you need to make some kind of “boot” to cover the hole and keep the tube contained inside the tire. You could fold up a dollar bill or thin cardboard and position it between the inside of the tire and tube in the area of the hole. You could also carry a small (3-5 inch length) section of an old inner tube to make a “boot” repair.
But remember, this is just a first aid patch to get you home. Don’t depend on these fixes to last on a long ride.
Beating the Heat on a Summer Ride
Squirt Water on Your Head
During hot weather riding, you can use your water bottle to squirt water on your head through the vents in your helmet every 15 minutes or so, which will really help cool you down. First, the water itself will be cooler than your head, and so that'll be an initial and immediate blast of temperature relief. Next, the evaporation effect will continue to help keep you cool as the water dries by carrying heat away from your body as you continue to ride.
Just make sure you have access to an adequate water supply that you can replenish as necessary as you ride. You certainly don't want to whoosh away your water by squirting it all on yourself, and then leave yourself with nothing to drink.
Wrap a Wet (or Even Icy!) Bandana Around Your Neck
Wrapping a water-soaked bandana around your neck can do wonders to keep you cool. For maximum relief, you can go a step farther and do what a guy I know does. He folded a bandana in half and stitched up two of the sides, leaving the third open. He'll shove that thing full of ice cubes and wrap it around his neck. Talk about an intense and lasting chill. And as the ice melts, the frigid water drips down your back and chest. Plus, that ice supply can be replaced as necessary, giving you a freeze that'll last all day.
If you're not inclined to do-it-yourself, so-called "ice bandanas" are also commercially available.
Freeze Your Water Bottles Overnight
For colder water longer, consider freezing your water bottles overnight. The ice will melt as you ride, offering you cold water along the way, instead of the too warm stuff that's not so refreshing.
This may be a little bit trickier than the other steps, as you want to make sure the water will be melting so that it is available for drinking as you need it. Experiment with this until you know what is right for you. If you carry two water bottles, maybe freeze just one of them, saving that to be the second one you drink, after it has had the chance to melt a bit. Also remember that you should not fill your water bottles more than 3/4 full. Any more than that, and the water will bust your bottles as it expands while freezing.
Wear the Right Kinds of Clothes
Choose clothing that allows perspiration to evaporate quickly so that it can do its cooling job better. That's going to mean materials like cotton and silk are out since they absorb and hold on to sweat. Opt for "technical" fabrics instead, like Spandex and Lycra. If you don't want to look like a bike dork all decked out in this gear, you'll be glad to know that golf and tennis-style shirts are now made in technical fabrics. You can buy undershirts in this type of material that comfortable and perform well.
