Sawtooth Century 2010 is history, what now??

We were treated to wonderful weather for the century this year.  It was a little early in the year for me but I did it, along with some good friends.  What’s next?  There are a number of weekly rides including Nappy’s ride on Wednesdays starting in Ketchum and the Sturto’s ride on Mondays starting in Hailey.  Our women’s only ride is Tuesday evenings starting at the bike path at Fox Acres Rd. at 6:00.  Now I’ll have more time for mountain biking, too. Come on out and I’ll see you on the road or trail!

me, Laura and Shari at Alturas Lake, the farthest point on the ride

we had to stop on the way up the north side of Galena to stretch

still smiling and back in Ketchum at the Sun Valley Rhythm & Ride festival

2010 Sawtooth Century

The Sawtooth Century is 3 days away!! I know you’ve been waiting to sign up – looking at the weather and wondering why they moved the date up, we haven’t had time to train! But you can do it. You can sign up at Sportsbaseonline. You can pick up your bib bag at the Elephant’s Perch from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday. The ride starts from the Elephant’s Perch on Saturday at 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The ride finishes this year at the Sun Valley Festival Field. The proceeds go to the Wood River Bike Coalition which is used to advocate and promote bicycle and pedestrian safety, education, and access here in the valley while encouraging everyone to further utilize human power for their recreation and transportation needs. You can read more about them on their About page.

Cruiser Criterium in Ketchum June 23

the Cruiser Criterium is kicking off the Sun Valley Rhythm and Ride festival this week.

June 20 2010 Town to Summit Race, Ketchum to Trail Creek Summit

The race started at 9 a.m. with cool weather that was good for the climb.   Cold riding downhill with rain on the way back to town.  Good job, everyone!

click Here to see all the photos in the album.

Solstice ride Monday June 21, 2010

The Sturto’s Monday night riding group, 8 weeks to 100, is planning to change it up for the next ride. It will be the summer solstice and we’re riding from Prairie Creek to Galena Summit and back.

If you want to join in, meet at 6:00 at Prairie Creek. People who can offer rides will leave Sturtevant’s in Hailey at 5:00 and Sturtevant’s in Ketchum at 5:30.

Sturtevant's Monday night rides

Safe driving around cyclists

This letter was in the Idaho Statesman today.  I’ve often had this thought.  Mr. Roemer put it well.

RIGHT OF WAY

Polite drivers might get cyclists killed

Bicycles are subject to all the rules and privileges of the road, just like cars. As a biker, sometimes drivers try giving me undeserved right of way. That needs to stop.

Often, bikers will be at a stop sign, and cross-traffic will randomly stop and wave them on. However, the well-intentioned driver doesn’t mind the car behind him or her that isn’t stopping. Accepting that courtesy would then end in disaster, as the biker rides out into moving traffic.

It’s irresponsible to wave someone on in front of you if you can’t be 100 percent certain that every single other driver is also stopping. The only person who can best be sure that the way is safe is the one who bears the risk of being hit, not you.

Also, the time it takes for the driver to stop, for me to realize he or she is stopping for me, and for me to double-check for not-stopping traffic is actually greater than if the driver had just gone through the intersection without interruption and I had gone normally. It’s a nice thought, but it’s ridiculous.

Don’t give me right of way that isn’t mine. It’s illegal, confusing, and it will get people killed.

PHILLIP ROEMER, Boise

Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/06/14/1230423/letters-to-the-editor.html#ixzz0qqqFGXjS

2010 Town to Summit Hill Climb

This year Town to Summit event will be held on Sunday, June 20.  The race starts in downtown Ketchum and ends at the very top of Trail Creek summit – which means you ride on the dirt!  Want to try your mountain climbing skills?  Details are on the flyer below.

Magic Mountain road ride

Come on out to the Magic Mountain road ride.  We’re heading down to Kimberly on Sunday, June 13.  Meet at Rock Creek Store before 10 am.  Here is a link to a map on Google.  It’s a fun and beautiful ride, about 28 miles of rolling hills with a steeper section the last 5 miles or so.  It’s always fun with this group!  For more information contact Nappy at The Elephants Perch 726-3497.

Last year on the Magic Mt. ride

Group Riding for Women: an article from Bicycling Magazine

There are many alternatives for group riding in the valley. Our women’s ride last night was relaxed and friendly while including some challenges and lots of help. There are rides that really push you and help you improve your riding. Check out the group rides that include friends and customers of The Elephants Perch (road) and Sturtevants (road and mountain biking). This article from Bicycling Magazine gives some tips, some of which I’ve copied below:

Group Riding For Women
The beauty, intimidation, camaraderie, learning, testosterone, fear, speed, & exhilaration of the group ride (a woman’s guide).
By Alison Dunlap
©Jonathan Carlson

Know the group you’re joining
First, be honest with yourself: What do you want from the group? If it’s to chat about movies, the kids or what you had for dinner last night, that’s cool, but forget about going with a bunch of spandex-clad, shaved-legged guys–you can’t expect them to suppress millions of years of testosterone-fueled urges and just cruise along. Ask your local bike shop if there is a mellow or casual group in your area. Or, organize your own: I’ve put together easy spins where we all agree on the pace ahead of time and end up at the coffee shop.

If you’re a racer, or out for a challenge, then by all means find an established group ride and make those boys hurt. And don’t forget the dirt: Mountain bikers like to ride hard but they also like to stop and enjoy the view, so group rides can be fun for all. There is no pack, so the pack mentality doesn’t apply. If you know you’ll be dropped on the climbs or technical descents, then ask the guys to wait for you periodically.

Ask for help
No matter what your question, the group has answers. Those in your ride can fill you in on local races and events, how to ride in a pack, how to stay sheltered from the wind and how to read the movement of the group and anticipate accelerations, decelerations and possible crashes. Over time you’ll learn to read other riders, know who is strong, who is weak, who is a good bike handler, and who you need to avoid riding next to. Groups can also be safer: Cars can more easily spot a mass of 60 cyclists than a lone rider.

Love the pain

Fast group rides hurt; there’s no getting around it. Something about the adrenaline of trying to stay up front always made me ride harder than I would have if training alone. If you’re the type of cyclist who trains, then take advantage of the opportunity to hammer. Work hard and suffer, even if you get dropped.

Alison Dunlap, a two-time Olympian in road cycling and mountain biking and a former world champion mountain biker, is a cycling coach and leads skills camps and clinics (alisondunlap.com).

Kristin Armstrong’s Cycling Tips

Kristin held one of her cycling academies in Sun Valley at the end of May.  Karen Bossick of the Times News has written an article about some of the tips that Kristin and coaches imparted to the eager participants. click here to see the article.

“Armstrong, 36 and expecting in September, could identify with all of their desires. She was a triathlete until she developed osteoarthritis so painful she could hardly get into bed each night. She started cycling to minimize the stress on her hip joints and spent a year learning the tactical side of bicycling and bike racing.”