Newsletter Year End 2007
Winter Training? Take Your Body - If Not Your Bike - For a Spin
Does winter weather mean that you hang up your bike and seek out other ways to stay fit? Consider an indoor cycling class (brand name: Spinning) as a way to stay in cycling shape even when the weather is uncooperative.
Typically, you do Spinning in a group class on a special stationary bike. An instructor will be on a bike facing the class, and probably have a headset microphone to bark instructions, er, cajole you into grunting out extra effort. (I had a Spinning instructor once whose day job was as a nurse, and - I kid you not - her name was Payne.)
Training guru Craig Undem of Cycle University took time out from his sold-out indoor training classes to talk to me about the benefits of this workout. Read on...
Flood Damage & Cycling
From the downed trees and partial closures of the Burke-Gilman Trail to major road washouts, such as the one that closed Golden Gardens Drive in northwest Seattle, November floods hit the area hard. Taking the worst hit were communities along I-5 between Seattle and Portland. Yep, the STP route. Cascade Bicycle Club created a “good neighbor” fund to help those communities. It’s the least cyclists could do after the years of friendship experienced on the route. To date the fund has raised $29,000.
Want to help? Donate now by sending a check to United Way of Lewis County, Attn: CBC Flood Relief, 450 NW Pacific Ave., Chehalis, WA 98532.
Cycling Events - Holidays & Early 2008:
Cascade’s holiday rides:
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Monday, Dec. 24, “‘Twas the Day Before Christmas Ride.”
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Saturday, Dec. 29 “Ride a Winter Ride.” Both go from Log Boom Park to Redmond for lunch, 20-30 miles. (CBC's Events & Rides page)
Seattle Bike Swap—Feb. 23, Magnuson Park.
Chilly Hilly – Feb. 24, Bainbridge Island.
Group Health Seattle International Bike Expo – March 8-9, Terminal 30 Cruise Facility, SoDo.
Upcoming Publications:
Training for the STP article -- Seattle Metropolitan (in publication for February 2008)
Giving Back
Publishing Biking Puget Sound provided these opportunities for me to raise funds and get involved in 2007:
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Fundraiser book sale/signing for Bicycle Alliance of Washington.
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Donations of books and guided tour packages to auctions benefiting Bicycle Alliance, Cascade Bicycle Club, Sustainable Ballard, 826 Seattle, Seattle Youth Garden Works and Washington Toxics Coalition.
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Monetary donations to Cascade Bicycle Club Education Fund, Bicycle Alliance, BikeWorks, and Cascade’s flood relief fund.
