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Available on the web at: www.capitalbicyclingclub.org and at finer local bike shops Olympia,WA May 2014 NEWS Capital Bicycling Club Presidents Corner STP Training in the Beautiful Northwest By Bill Stevenson, CBC President Upcoming 2014 CBC Board and General Meetings Capital Coach House 211 21st Avenue SW, Olympia (off of Capitol Way and 22nd Street) First Wednesday of the Month: Next meeting - May 7th Board Meetings - 6:30 pm; General Mtg. Programs - 7:30 pm Contact Shawn Stevenson for program information or to offer your ideas for programs. 360-878-3967 or [email protected] Some of you may have heard that my son Shawn and I have committed to riding Seattle to Portland this year on our tandem. We started upping our mileage the first Sun- day in February. A natu- ral question might be why? I think the answer is simply that both of us work better if we have a goal to shoot for. This isn’t the first rodeo for either one of us. I think that we rode STP to- gether for the first time thirty years ago when Shawn was twelve. I’d already ridden it several times prior to that, and in fact was one of 64 riders who rode it the very first year when STP was a 200 mile time trial, with no drafting allowed. And no we aren’t really riding with the idea of setting a fast time. The sub 8-hour ride I did comfortably in the middle of 150 or so riders is safe. STP was a different ride then, in fact they don’t even keep rider times anymore, which honestly makes me kind of sad. I enjoyed being “tested”, and what better way than a long, hard, fast ride with published times that allowed your friends and acquaintances to compare their time with yours. But we do want to do the ride in what I would describe as “good style”. And what does that mean exactly? Well I’m sure that it varies from rider to rider, but I think that for Shawn and I it means that we prepare well enough that we aren’t forced to struggle, that we ride strong, and finish stronger, pacing ourselves, but riding close enough to our limits that there is no sure thing. I’ve already noticed some major improvement. We are riding better and faster. It’s still amazing how a big increase in mileage will provide quick and often big improve- ment. Sure we’ve suffered some equipment issues and a rash of tire problems but better now then during a big ride. A couple of things have become clear as well. First off, I still love riding my bike, as hard and fast as I can. And secondly, I really enjoy riding and spending time with my son. That I still have both of these pluses in my life makes me a very lucky man. Finally, I think all of us who live in the Northwest need to take a deep breath and look around. Last weekend, as part of our STP warm up Shawn and I went up to Ort- ing to ride the Daffodil Century. Neither of us had ridden it for a few years, and they have changed the course. I’d heard some grumbling about too much traffic and rude drivers, and frankly it isn’t perfect. But damn, what a great place to ride a bike. It was the first really nice day of the year, but it wasn’t just that. It looked like you could just about reach out and touch Mount Rainier which certainly helps but it wasn’t just that either. It’s finally spring in Washington and every- thing is growing. Much of it in that special green of each unique species that you only see in the Northwest in the spring. And finally there really is no place nicer than our region to ride a bicycle anywhere. You heard it here “The nicest place to ride a bike anywhere”. What cars? Interested in reading more of Bill’s articles on cycling? He and his son Shawn blog at cyclesportive.wordpress.com.

CapitalBicyclingClub neWs May 2014 Olympia,WA ride emphasizes fitness and paceline riding skills, with a tempo of 18+ mph. Distance is about 25 miles. Arrive 10-15 minuteswho early

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Available on the web at: www.capitalbicyclingclub.org and at finer local bike shops

Olympia,WA

May 2014neWsCapitalBicyclingClub

Presidents CornerSTP Training in the Beautiful NorthwestBy Bill Stevenson, CBC President

Bill Keim - CBC member and booth volunteer

Upcoming 2014 CBC Board and

General Meetings

Capital Coach House • 211 21st Avenue SW, Olympia (off of Capitol Way and 22nd Street)

First Wednesday of the Month: Next meeting - May 7thBoard Meetings - 6:30 pm; General Mtg. Programs - 7:30 pmContact Shawn Stevenson for program information or to offer your ideas for programs. 360-878-3967 or [email protected]

SomeofyoumayhaveheardthatmysonShawnandIhavecommittedtoridingSeattletoPortlandthisyearonourtandem.WestarteduppingourmileagethefirstSun-dayinFebruary.Anatu-ralquestionmightbewhy?Ithinktheanswerissimplythatbothofusworkbetterifwehaveagoaltoshootfor.Thisisn’tthefirstrodeoforeitheroneofus.IthinkthatwerodeSTPto-getherforthefirsttimethirtyyearsagowhenShawnwastwelve.I’dalreadyriddenitseveraltimespriortothat,andinfactwasoneof64riderswhorodeittheveryfirstyearwhenSTPwasa200miletimetrial,withnodraftingallowed. Andnowearen’treallyridingwiththeideaofsettingafasttime.Thesub8-hourrideIdidcomfortablyinthemiddleof150orsoridersissafe.STPwasadifferentridethen,infacttheydon’tevenkeepridertimesanymore,whichhonestlymakesmekindofsad.Ienjoyedbeing“tested”,andwhatbetterwaythanalong,hard,fastridewith

publishedtimesthatallowedyourfriendsandacquaintancestocomparetheirtimewithyours.ButwedowanttodotherideinwhatIwoulddescribeas“goodstyle”.And

whatdoesthatmeanexactly?WellI’msurethatitvariesfromridertorider,butIthinkthatforShawnandIitmeansthatwepreparewellenoughthatwearen’tforcedtostruggle,thatweridestrong,andfinishstronger,pacingourselves,butridingcloseenoughtoourlimitsthatthereisnosurething. I’vealreadynoticedsome

majorimprovement.Weareridingbetterandfaster.It’sstillamazinghowabigincreaseinmileagewillprovidequickandoftenbigimprove-ment.Surewe’vesufferedsomeequipmentissuesandarashoftireproblemsbutbetternowthenduringabigride.Acoupleofthingshavebecomeclearaswell.Firstoff,Istillloveridingmybike,ashardandfastasIcan.Andsecondly,Ireallyenjoyridingandspendingtimewithmyson.ThatIstillhavebothoftheseplusesinmylifemakesmeaveryluckyman.

Finally,IthinkallofuswholiveintheNorthwestneedtotakeadeepbreathandlookaround.Lastweekend,aspartofourSTPwarmupShawnandIwentuptoOrt-ingtoridetheDaffodilCentury.Neitherofushadriddenitforafewyears,andtheyhavechangedthecourse.I’dheardsomegrumblingabouttoomuchtrafficandrudedrivers,andfranklyitisn’tperfect.Butdamn,whatagreatplacetorideabike.Itwasthefirstreallynicedayoftheyear,butitwasn’tjustthat.ItlookedlikeyoucouldjustaboutreachoutandtouchMountRainierwhichcertainlyhelpsbutitwasn’tjustthateither.It’sfinallyspringinWashingtonandevery-thingisgrowing.MuchofitinthatspecialgreenofeachuniquespeciesthatyouonlyseeintheNorthwestinthespring.And

finallytherereallyisnoplacenicerthanourregiontorideabicycleanywhere.Youheardithere“Thenicestplacetorideabikeanywhere”.Whatcars?

InterestedinreadingmoreofBill’sarticles

oncycling?HeandhissonShawnblogatcyclesportive.wordpress.com.

CBC Spring Road Ride Roster2014

2 capitalbicyclingclub.org

sunday Morning skills Ride■ This ride runs year-roundDeparts11:00a.m.fromTheBikeStand(newlocation!)408OlympiaAveNE,Rainorshine.Relaxedfitness/pacelinesDistance:25-45+miles.Pace:16-18mph.Leader–BillStevenson

WewillbedoinglongermilesontheSundayride,soasaresulttheformatfortherideleavingat11:00amonSundayswillbechangingtoincludelongerdistances.

Astheseasongoesontheserideswillgetlonger.

➧ Beginning Riders Training GroupSponsoredbyJoy Ride Bikes

Thepurposeoftheridesistoimproveridingskills.Theparticipantsmayrideanystyleofbike.Theridewilllastandhourtoanhourandahalf.

The rides will start the first Monday in May and run thru the end of August.

MeetatJoyRideBikesonMondays at 6 pm (exceptholidays).Participantsinneedofthemostbasicskillsshouldmeetat5:30pmforadditionaltraining.

RideleadersareMichelleKautzmanandJennyMercer.

JoyRideBikes:1225RuddellRdSE,Lacey,WA98503(360)491-9551

■ social RideTherideemphasizesfunandmeetingothercyclistswhilegettingamoderateworkoutandbuildinggroupridingskills.Theridewilloftenbreakintomultiplegroups.Atminimum,par-ticipantsshouldbeabletomaintainapaceof14-16mphoverlevelground.Distancerangesbetween15-30milesdependingonavailabledaylight.Raincancelsthisride.Arrive10-15minutesearlytogetreadysoyoudon’tdelayotherriders.Pacemayvarydependingonwhoshowsuptorideonanygivenday.

Ride Days: Tuesdays&Thursdays(April–Sept.) Location: MarathonPark-DeschutesParkway,Olympia Depart time: 6:00pm Ride Leader/Organizer: DavidBrine Phone: 360-280-9898 Email: [email protected]

■ Fitness Ride 1Thisrideemphasizesfitnessandpacelineridingskills,withatempoof18+mph.Distanceisabout25miles.Arrive10-15minutesearlytogetreadysoyoudon’tdelayotherriders.Pacemayvarydependingonwhoshowsuptorideonanygivenday.

Ride Days: Tuesdays&Thursdays(April–Sept.) Location: TheBikeStandparkinglot-408OlympiaAveNE,Olympia Depart time: 6:00pm Ride Leader/Organizer: BillStevenson Phone: 360-402-2234

■ Fitness Ride 2 Thisrideisgearedforstrongcyclistswhoarelookingtoridefastandbuildfitness.Thepaceis18-21mph.Distancerangesbetween25-40miles.Rideleaderswillrotateamong4-5volunteers.Arrive10-15minutesearlytogetreadysoyoudon’tdelayotherriders.Pacemayvarydependingonwhoshowsuptorideonanygivenday.Tuesdays&Thursdays

Ride Days: Tuesdays&Thursdays(April–Sept.) Location: TumwaterFallsPark-110DeschutesPkwy.SW,Tumwater Depart time: 6:00pm Ride Leader/Organizer: BillSloane Phone: 360-943-6774ext.108(w)or360-688-7008(h) Email: [email protected]

➧ Tuesday/Thursday night rides

sunday Afternoon Leisure Ride SundayAfternoonLeisureridesaredesignedtobelowkey,non-pacelineridesthatarenomorethan12to15milesinlength.Wewillstaytogether,regroupasnecessary,waitforriderswithmechanicalproblemsandmaybestopforcoffeeoricecreamsomewhereontheroute.Strongridersmightnotbeinterestedinthisseriesofrides,butriderswhoarejuststarting,riderswhoarerecoveringfrominjury,andfolkswhowanttorideforlessthantwohours.Kidswhobringanadultarewelcometocomealong.

Allridesdepartat1:30p.m.Pleasearrive10-15minutesearlyandbereadytogoatthedeparturetime.

April 27 LittlerockElementarySchool-12710LittlerockRdSW,LittlerockMay 4 TeninoAuntKate’sChocolates-296SussexAveW,TeninoMay 11 ChehalisWesternTrailParkingLot-nearintersectionofLemonandWoodardBayRoadMay 18 TBA-NeedarideleaderMay 25 KettleviewPark-1250EagleBendDriveSE,Olympia

Unlessotherwiseindicated,[email protected]

Capital Bicycling Club neWs May 2014

capitalbicyclingclub.org 3

Ride DescriptionsWhen members are reviewing organized rides to determine their suitability, it helps to use a common language. For this reason, the club will be using a defined set of terms that will cover pace, terrain, regrouping, and rain consid-erations. These terms were developed by Cascade Bicycle Club and have worked nicely for their large biking population.

The descriptions are as follows:

PAcE Thisreferstotherangeofspeedsonlevelgroupwithoutbreaks.Downhillsmaybefaster,uphillsslower.

■ Easy:under10mph■ Leisurely:10-12mph■ Steady:12-14mph■ Moderate:14-16mph■ Brisk:16-18mph■ Strenuous:18-21mph■ SuperStrenuous:22+mph

Note:ForrideswheretheterrainisdescribedasHilly,considerchoosingapaceonestepdownfromyourusualcomfortlevel.

TERRAINThesedescriptionsshouldbeconsideredinthecontextofthepaceandlengthoftheride.

Mostlyflat:trainsand/ormostlyflatroadswithapossiblegentleupgrade.Rolling:climbsareshortandeasy,nottoonumerous.Somehills:afewshort,steephills,somemoderateupgradesand/orlongergentleclimbs.Hilly:manytruehillsbutnoneoutrageousExtremelyhilly:steepandlongclimbswithgradesapproximately9%and/ormountainpasses.Unlimited:“outofcategory”onlyforthoseverysureoftheirabilitytoclimbanygrade,anylengthoftheadvertisedride.Offroad:significantunpavedsections.

MAPWhetherornotamaporcuesheetisprovided.

REGROUPIndicateshowoftentheleaderstopstoregroup.Generallyfaster-pacedandlonger-mileageridesregrouplessfrequently.“None”and“occasional”regroupcategoriesgenerallyexpectexperiencedrideswhocanfixtheirownminormechanicalproblemsandfollowamaporcuesheetiftheygetseparatedfromthegroup.

Stay-together/Frequent/Occasional/None

RAINIndicateswhetherornotcertainweatherconditionscanceltheride.

ShowerscancelSteadyraincancelsIce/snowcancelsNoraincancellation….Weride!

REPAIRSAllridesareexpectedtocarrythenecessaryequipmenttofixaflat(tube,patchkit,pump).Rideleadersarenotresponsibleformechanicalproblems.

neW AnD ReneWinGCLUB MeMBeRs

WilmaPutt,HieuNguyen,SaraMeyer,ColinFieman,SteveDuBois,

MikePolodna,SherwoodSmith,SallyFrensen,ToddCorbin,KenSauke,MatthewSponseller,KrisFranse,RichardBrowning,SandraHohn,

JamesDaniles,PeterMarkos,DuncanGreen,AvelinTacon,TeriClay-Poole,JenniferMorgenstern,Nathanand

YoshiWilliams,EmilieGarlich

Come join us and have your name listed here and enjoy the benefits

of club membership!

Approved Helmets are ReQUiReD

on ALL Club Rides• Listedstarttimesmeansthe

timeatwhichtheactionwillbegin,notthetimeatwhichyoupullintotheparkinglot.

• Come10-15minutesearlytogetreadysoyoudon’tdelayotherriders.

• Pacemayvarydependingonwhoshowsuptorideonanygivenday.

Due to the club’s insurance policy, participants may ride once as a guest of the club. Return riders must be members in good stand-ing of the CBC. Please ask ride leader for membership informa-tion or check the CBC website: www.capitalbicyclingclub.org

CBC

IMPORTANT INFO !➧

4 capitalbicyclingclub.org

Capital Bicycling Club neWs May 2014

Calendardatesstillopen:May3,17,24;June7,21,28;July5,26;August2,23,30;September6,13,20,27Tovolunteertoleadaridepleaseemail:[email protected]

■ May 10Lions Park Mccorkle Loop–35miles/993ft.elevationgainThisisafairlyeasyrideoveracombina-tionofcountryroadsandbiketrails.Itwillbeamoderatepace,14-16mphaverage.Thereafewhills,themostsignificantbeingMcCorkleRd.fromtheeastside.Therewillbeoccasionalregroupstopsandawater/foodstopat23miles.Steadyraincancels.ThestartpointisinOlympiaonthewestsideofLionsParkwhichisat9thAve.andWilsonSt.afewblockswestofBoulevardRd.Rideleader:BillKeim,360-481-1165keimstal@comcast.net.Routemapandcuesheetavailableathttp://ridewith-gps.com/routes/4102132

■ May 31Route to be determined.Rideleader:AnitaOlszyk,[email protected].

■ June 14All Around Oly South–38miles/1082ft.elevationgainThisisafairlyeasyrideoveracombina-tionofcountryroadsandbiketrails.Itwillbeamoderatepace,14-16mphaverage.Thereafewhills,themostsignificantbeingMcCorkleRd.fromtheeastside.Therewillbeoccasionalregroupstopsandawater/foodstopat25miles.Steadyraincancels.ThestartisattheCityparkinglotinOlympianeartheartesianwellat5thAveSEandJeffersonSt.Rideleader:BillKeim,360-481-1165keimstal@comcast.net.Routemapandcuesheetavailableathttp://ridewith-gps.com/routes/4102364.

■ June 22 (Sunday)Two-county Double Metric century

saturday social Rides schedule - 2014

Do you have a favorite ride you’d like to share with club members? We’d love to have you volunteer as a CBC ride

leader. it’s easy – to volunteer, please email:

[email protected]

Please check the club website for the most

up-to-date ride schedules

Sunday, June 22nd5 routes - from 37 KM to a full 200 KMPlanned by cyclists for cyclists! TheTwo-CountyDoubleMetricCenturyofferscycliststheopportunitytoexplorebeautifulLewis&Thurstoncountiesandtoconquerchallengingdistancesofupto200km. Riderscanselectfromanyoneof5well-markedandfullysupportedroutes.Theshort-estisaneasy,family-friendly23-mile(37km)loop.Longerlooproutesof32,76,and105milescanalsobechosen.Thelongestrouteisa125mile(200km)loopthatwillchallengeex-periencedcyclists.Allroutesarescenic.Cartrafficisusuallylight.Youwon’tbelievethefoodatthereststops!ThisisagreattrainingridefortheSeattletoPortland(STP)andRAPSODY.

New Start/finish: Tumwater city Hall, 555 Israel Road SW, Tumwater WA. Registrationisopenfrom7:00amto1:00pm,but125-mileridersmustregisterby8:30am.Hopetoseeyouthere!

Onlineregistrationisavailableat:http://www.cbcstore.org/events/2county14/.Eventdetailsareavailableat:http://capitalbicycleclub.org/2County/.

http://capitalbicycleclub.org/2county/

Online Registration now Available

Come join us for our annual Two-County Double Metric Century club-sponsored ride!

■ July 12Bike-n-Brats–25,45mileroutes/Steadypaceat12to14mphLotsofshorthills-includesJohnsonPoint,FishTrapLoopandBostonHarbor.BeginatOlszykresidence:681044thAve.NE.Coldbeverages,bratsandsnacksafterwards.44thAve.isaleft-handturnoffMarvinRoadgoingnorthtowardTolmieStatePark.ThehouseistheredonethatislastontherightbeforetheForestParkEquestrianCenter.LightRainOK.AnitaOlszyk360-456-2896oranitaolszyk@gmail.com

■ July 19Route to be determinedRideleader:DavidGrenier,360-350-2638,[email protected]

■ August 9Boistfort Valley ride-70milesRideleader:AnitaOlszyk,[email protected]

■ August 16Bordeaux Tour of capitol Forest-63miles,Steady(12-14mph)toModeratepace(14-16mph).RidestartsattheWestsideSafeway-3215HarrisonAveN.W.Olympia.Variedterrain,withsomechallenginghills.WeridedowntoMudBayandtakeHwy101andHwy8almosttoMcCleary,proceed-ingtoBordeauxHillviaHwy12andCapitolForest“D”Line.ReturnsviathescenicDelphiValley.FoodandwateravailableatPorterandLittlerock.Raincancels.Rideleader:DarhlAvery,360-790-0782,[email protected]

capitalbicyclingclub.org 5

CBC members, help the club by making your amazon.com purchases through the Capital Bicycling Club website. Click through the Amazon banner on the CBC homepage, and the club will get a portion of the purchase price, at no extra cost to you!!!

CBC and

Location:UniversityofPugetSoundMemorialFieldhouse,N11thAveandUnion,Tacoma,WA

Time:10:00am–2:00pm

Description:TheTacomaBikeSwapisbackinits6thyear!Whetheryouarelook-ingtobuy,sell,orsimplylookingtofindotherrid-ers,joinusforthisexcitingcommunityevent!Whileyou’rethere,checkoutthesehighlights:

• FreeBikeCorralforanyonewithjustoneortwobikestosell--withanewsectionthisyearjustforkidsbikes,scoots,andtrailers!

• Low-costadultandchildren’shelmetsandfreehelmetfittingswithDown-townOntheGo!

• BikeexpertsfromlocalbikeshopstoofferadviceattheBikeCorralanddominorbikerepairs

• MapMastershandingoutthe2013PierceCountyBikemapandofferingadvice

• Children’sBikeRodeo,hostedbyKidicalMassTacoma

Formoreinformationortoregis-terasavendor,visithttp://tacom-abikeswap2014.eventbrite.comoremailestrong@cityoftacoma.org.Hosted by:UniversityofPugetSound

6th AnnualTacoma Bike SwapSaturday, May 3rd

CBC Board Meeting Minutes • April2,2014April 2ndTheofficialmeetingbeganatabout6:30pm.

Board Members Present: BillStevenson,ShawnStevenson,J.D.Miller,BillKeim,DarhlAvery,StefanieRandolph,KenGrubb,DavidBrine

Agenda Topics: Website Update ThenewwebsiteseemstobeworkingwellandDavidhasreceivedpositivecommentsaboutit.Theoldsitecan’tbetakendownyetanduntilpeoplecleanthataddressoutoftheircomputercachesomearebeingdirectedthere.Davidisworkingtohavetheoldsiteredirecttothenewsite.J.D.isn’treceivingnotificationfromthewebsitewhenpeopleregisterfortherides.Davidconfirmedthatheisreceivinginfoforonlinerideregistrationsbuthedoesreceivetheinformationonnewmemberships.Davidmentionedthatsincethenewwebsitewaslaunchedwe’vehadfivepeoplepayformembershipsthroughthenewlinkonthatsite.

Financial Report Wehavejustover$5,000inourvariousClubaccounts.Therearealready22ridersthathavesigneduponlinefortheTwoCountyridewithover$400inpaymentsforthoseearlyregistrations.

Saturday Social Ride TherearealotofgapsintheSaturdaySocialRidecalendar.InAprilandMaytherearecurrentlysixemptySaturdays,andonlythreeofthemhaveridesassigned.Morerideleadersareneeded.ContactRoxanneLiebatroxanne.lieb@gmail.comifyou’rewillingtoleadaride.

Proposed Marketing Plan StephaniewentthroughtheCapitalBicycleClubAnalysisreportthatsheprovidedtoboardmembersearlierintheweek.Herrecommendationisthatwefocusononeeventrideratherthantwo,beginningin2015.ShefeltthatwithbettermarketingwecouldgetthesamenumberofridersandrevenuewithoneridewhilerequiringfewerClubvolunteers. OneofthemarketingeffortsStephanieproposedwasanewClubjersey.Thereisaven-dorthatwillallowaclubtodesignthejerseyanddosignups.Whenwegetto200jerseystheorderwouldbemade.ShefeltthathavingriderswearthejerseywouldbeagoodwaytomarkettheClubinthecommunity.ShawnmentionedthatOregonCyclewareofferstheirpricebreakforgroupbuysat15jerseys. Stephaniealsosuggesteddoingaraffleasamarketingstrategy.Shesuggestedinvest-ingupto$1,000foranewbicyclethatwouldberaffled.Wecouldusetheinterestgeneratedbytheraffleasawaytopromoteourrideatvariouscommunityevents. Therewasn’tenoughtimetofullyconsidertheseideasbuttheboardexpressedinterestindiscussingthemfurther.Stephaniewillprovidemoreinformationatthenextmeeting.

TheBoardMeetingadjournedatabout7:30.

Capital Bicycling

ClubOlympia, WA

Cycling term(s) of the month:cLYDESDALE: Alargerider

LAcTIc AcID: Describesthebyproductinthemusclesthatcausesthepainafterheavyphysicalexertion.

Read more about Dr. Rosser’s adventures as an amateur cyclist www.rosserchiro.com . He is the team chiropractor for the CBC/Olympia Orthopaedic Associates Racing Team, and assists other athletes in the community. For more information, he can be contacted at [email protected].

6 capitalbicyclingclub.org

Power to the People! A Product Review of the PowerCal from CycleOps

By Dr. Andy Rosser, Downtown Olympia

Capital Bicycling Club neWs May 2014

Aboutayearago,Idippedmytoesintothewaterandstartedshoppingforapowermeter.Iwantedtouseittomeasuremyprogresswithtrainingforthecomingyear.WhatIfoundwasahurdlethatIstillcouldn’tovercome,nomatterhowinterestedIwasinthedata:PRICE!AlmosteverythingIcouldfindwasinthesameorderofmagni-tudethatIwoulduseifIweresearch-ingforanewbike.Frankly,I’dgoforthebikealmosteverytime,soI’mjustputtingthatoutthereasmybias. BeforeIgaveup,however,therewasoneproductthatdidcatchmyeye.ItwasthePowerCal,madebyCycle-Ops.(It’scurrentlymadebyPowerTap.)Itwascompactandaffordablewithapricetagofjust$99.Sinceithadbeenonthemarketforafewyears,therewerealreadysomegoodreviewsIcouldstudy.Asitturnsout,forwhatIwastryingtomeasure,itseemedlikeitwouldbeagoodfit.Iwasskepticalofbuyingsomethingsoinexpensivebecauseitwassomuchdifferentfromotherpowermeters. Ayearlater,andI’veuseditonalmosteveryrideI’vebeenon,withoutacomplaint.Therestofthisarticleissomeofmypersonalexperiencewiththedevice,andsomeofitsprosandcons.

Tobeginwith,thePowerCaloperatesbyreadingheartratedataandthencalculat-inganestimationofwattage(power.)Done,ofcourse,thoughaproprietarymathemati-calalgorithm.Thiscalculatedwattageisthentransmittedtoareceiver,justasahub-basedpowermeterdoes.Inmycase,IhaveaGarminthatisthereceiver,butalmostanyANT+compatibledevicewillwork.Setupisverysimple,andnocalibrationofthedeviceisrequired.Yousimplyputonthestrapandpairitwithyourcomputer. Myintendeduseofthetoolwasforana-lyzingpower/wattageoverlongerdistancesofanhourormore,andmaybetouseforfitnesstesting,insteadofjustrelyingonheartrateanddistance.Thisiswhereoneofthemainlimitationscomeintoplay.Shortduration/burstswouldbehardtocaptureonthisdevicebecausechangesinheartratelagbehindtheactualoutputofpower.Hubandcrank-baseddevicescangiveinstanta-neousreadoutofthispower.Fortunatelyforme,thiswasnotaveryhighpriorityformewhenIwasconsideringmyneeds.I’vereadonereviewthatcomparedseveraldif-ferentdevicesatthesametime(DCRain-maker,Nov2012.)HispersonalexperimentsshowedthatthePowerCalwascomparableforalmostallintervalsgreaterthan30-40seconds.Anyintervalsshorterthanthisdurationwerelessreliable. Onecomplaint/observationofthePowerCalisthatithasafairlylargesweepinthedatathatitpresents,eventhoughtheaveragecomesoutcomparabletootherpowermeters.OnmyGarmin,Ihavesetafieldtodisplaya10secondaverageofthepoweroutput,whichturnsitintoafairlystablenumber.Honestly,though,Icurrentlydon’tusethenumberduringtraining.Irelymoreonmyreal-timeheartrate.Ijustreadthepowerdatalater,sittinginfrontofmycomputer.

OneofthebrightshinybenefitsofthePowerCalhasbeenitsportability.Sinceit’sbasedonasimpleheartratestrap,there’snohuborwheeltoswitcharound.I’vebeenabletoeasilygetconsistentandmeaningfulreadingsfromtripsI’vetakenonmyroad,mountain,andcyclocrossbikes.I’veevenrunwithitonafewtimes,butmymostfavoritefilesareonesthatIcreatedduringcyclocrossracinglastfall. OnelastnoteI’daddisthatthedatayourecordissomewhatuniquetoyou.It’syourheart’sresponsetoexercise.Whilenotnec-essarilyalimitation,itisafactthatyouwillwanttokeepinmindifyouchoosetousethistool.YourPowerCaldataisn’tintendedtobecomparedtoatruepowermeter,either.Theyaretoodifferenttomakesimplecomparisonslikethat.Further,itwouldbeoflittleusetocompareyourdatatoanotherperson’s.Ofcourse,itwouldprobablymakeforagreatconversationasyouarerelaxingwithyourridingbuddiesafteradayinthesaddle.Maybeyoucaneventrytofigureoutwhatmightbeinvolvedwiththatpropri-etarymathematicalalgorithm! Fortheprice,thePowerCalhasbeenaveryusefultoolforme,andwellworththe$99.Asageneralrider,seekingtofindanotherwaytomeasuremyeffortsand(hopefully)progressthroughouttheyear,it’sbecomeaninvaluabletool.Ifyouarelook-ingforawaytoentertherealmofcyclingwithpowerandcan’tseecleartoinvestinginhardware-baseddevices,thismaybeforyou.Gatheringusefultrainingdataisalmostassimpleasjustputtingonaheartratestrap!Seeyouontheroad.

capitalbicyclingclub.org 7

Capital Bicycling Club neWs May 2014

Free Bicycle Maintenance Classes

Mondays 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. atTheBikeStand AreaRides:Recreational(NotalltherideslistedareCBCClubrides-calltherideleaderbeforeyougo!!)

■ Saturday at 9 amRideroutepickeddayofride.Pacevaries.Usually15plusriders.Rideisusually1to3hoursincludingthestandaroundandchattime.MeetattheY(IntersectionofShermanValleyRdandMiddleWaddellRd)(1stSatofeverymonthistrailworkday9AMto3PM)RideLeader:[email protected]

■ Wednesday Night at 6 pmRideroutepickeddayofride.Pacevaries.Rideisusually1to2hoursincludingthestandaroundandchattime.MeetattheY(IntersectionofShermanValleyRdandMiddleWaddellRd)RideLeader:[email protected]

■ Sunday at 9 amSomefolksshowonSundayregularlynowinsteadofSaturdayMeetattheY(IntersectionofSher-manValleyRdandMiddleWaddellRd)RideLeader:Whoevershowsandwantstolead.

CBC Mountain Bike Rides • 2014

Comeandridewithus.Weofferawiderangeofroadandmountainbike

rides.Whynotjointoday?

The Capital Bicycling Club wants you!

www.capitalbicyclingclub.org

APRIL 28 FIELDTRIP!VisitBill’sframeshoptolearnthesecretsofframeandforkalignment.

MAY 5 Weexplorethewondersofproperbikefit.OurSerottasizingbikeisakeyplayerinthisclass,butthetheoryistherealmessage.MAY 12 DuringthisclasswewillalsodemonstratehowtoquicklyandeasilyWashandcleanabicyclewithanemphasisonmakingthedrivetrainlastlongerandthewashtimeshorter.

MAY 19 DuringthisclasswewillalsodemonstratehowtoquicklyandeasilyWashandcleanabicyclewithanemphasisonmakingthedrivetrainlastlongerandthewashtimeshorter.

MAY 26 Wheeltrueingandtensioningwillbediscussedanddemonstrated.

JUNE 2 Understandingbicyclegearratiosinordertobeabletouseabicycleinanefficientman-nerwillbediscussed.Wewillalsoexplainhowtomodifybicyclegearingtomatcharider’sindividualfitnesslevel.

2014 cBc BoardPresident:[email protected];402-2234,or402-6525VicePresident:ShawnStevenson...... [email protected];360-250-1098Secretary:BillKeim....................................... [email protected];360-786-5752Treasurer,Membership:J.D.Miller.............. [email protected]:RoxanneLieb.....................................................roadride@capitalbicycleclub.orgMountainBikeCaptain:.................................................. [email protected]:KenGrubb........................................ [email protected]:BrianFaller................. [email protected]:DavidBrine........................... [email protected]:StefanieRandolph.........................................promotions@capitalbicycleclub.orgNewsletter/Pubs.:DarhlAvery.............. [email protected]:...............................................................education@capitalbicycleclub.orgVolunteerCoordinatorTeam:..........................................................TeamLeader+1-2vacancies

Capital Bicycling ClubP.O. Box 642Olympia, WA 98507

Isittimetorenewyourmembership?

◆ Tandemrental@TheBikeStand($10/day)

◆ Bikeboxrental@TheBikeStand ($25peruse)◆ Winterspinclasses◆ CBCNewsletter12timesperyear◆ Freenon-commercialclassifiedads

inthenewsletter◆ Umpteengrouprideswithgreat

folkstofitallridingstyles◆ Seasonalevents(picnics,parties)◆ DiscountonTwo-CountyDouble

MetricCenturyandRSSridesPlus10% Member Discountsattheselocalbusinesses:• TheBikeStand(parts&accessories)• JoyRideBikes(parts&accessories)• BikeTech(parts&accessories)• DeschutesRiverCyclery

(parts&accessories)• Connolly,Tacon&Meserve,PS

(AvelinTacon&CarterHickonly)

Club Membership Benefits

Capital Bicycling Club neWs May 2014

newsletter submission GuidelinesSubmissionDeadlineisthe2ndWednesdayofeachmonth.Submissionsmaybeeditedforlengthordelayedtoalateredition.Allphotosshouldbesubmittedin.jpgformatasane-mailattachment.

CommercialAdRates&Guidelines–Contacttheeditorforcompleteguidelinesandrates.CBCreservestherighttoacceptordenycommercialadvertisingbasedoncontentandapplicabilitytotheclub’smissionandmembership.Acceptanceofadvertisingdoesnotimplyanendorsementofanyproduct.

Sendsubmissionsandquestionsto:[email protected]