March 20, 2006 – March is a good time to take an inventory of your bike and make sure that you’re ready for the season. Some have been riding on a wind trainer all Winter and some out on nasty Winter roads. Either way, here’s a list of items to think about so that you can get the most out of your outdoor cycling this Spring.

Tires: get some fresh rubber on — wind trainers chew up rear tires and Winter outdoor riding wreaks havoc too. Look for higher thread count (TPI or Threads Per Inch) on your new tires which make the tires more supple and give you a better ride.

Tire pressure: make sure that your tire pressure is correct — manufacturer’s spec range are on the sidewall or you may have personal preference. I like to run at 95 PSI — at 175 lbs of girth, I like the forgiveness of a slightly softer tire!

Spares bag: 2 spare tubes (that hold the air in!) with valve stems that are long enough for your rim type, tire levers, extra CO2 cartridges and CO2 tool, I.D. Card, spoke key that matches your wheels and $20 into your spare bag. Attach securely under your seat.

Pump: I also use a clip-on mini-pump in case my CO2’s run out. Make sure that it still works! You can also wrap some duct tape around the pump — you never know!!

Drivetrain: drop your bike by the shop for an inspection and/or get a chain cleaning tool and give your chain and drivetrain a thorough going over. Replace worn drivetrain components now rather than later in the year.

Handlebar tape: now is a good time to replace worn handlebar tape and maybe add a splash of colour!

It’s also a good time to set up a regular riding program with some season goals/targets that you can meet. Here is an example of a masters rider (age 45) who is targeting a multi-day cycling event in August. We had him tested in the lab over the Winter and we can now prescribe a detailed training program for him. His goals are to improve his climbing ability for his multi-day event and also take a road cycling vacation soon!

Lab Test results:
Lactate Threshold Heart Rate: 137 Beats Per Minute (BPM)
Max Heart Rate: 165 BPM
VO2Max: 48.90 ml/kg/min
Training Zones:
1 Recovery 89-111 BPM
2 Aerobic 112-120 BPM
3 Tempo 121-127 BPM
4 Subthreshold 128-137 BPM
5a Superthreshold 137-140 BPM
5b Aerobic Capacity 141-144 BPM
5c Anaerobic Capacity 145+ BPM

Riding program sample overview:

Jan/Feb/March:

Ride indoors at least 3x/week for 1-2 hours at a time at zone 2/3, 90+ RPM to build aerobic power base

April/May:

Increase distance of outdoor rides to 2-4 hours/ride, 2x/week, zone 2/3
Add 2 days of intensity/week into zone 4/5. Examples include Power training on gradual hill, 1x/week (50-60 RPM for 3’-5’ x 3-6 reps); Tempo rides of 20’-40’ at zone 3 increasing work time each session, 90+ RPM; Sprint efforts, 6-10 reps, 1’-2’ efforts, equal rest periods, 110+ RPM, max effort
enjoy some charity events/entry level races

June/July/August/September

Increase long rides 3-5 hours, 2x week, zone 2/4
Focus intensity efforts to match target goals — i.e. to improve climbing, travel to mountainous areas to ride
Taper training off for larger events or cycling vacations

Deadlines Approaching

Cycling Enthusiast’s Dream Vacation and Gran Fondo 2006
Bassano del Grappa, Italy
August 27 – September 4
REGISTRATION DEADLINE MARCH 31st, 2006
Take advantage of your season’s fitness and ride in some of the most enjoyable cycling terrain that you could imagine. From beautiful, undulating rides to the legendary climbs of the Giro d’Italia, you are guaranteed to test yourself to your heart’s content. We’ll also ride on some Strada Bianca (Italian for “White Road”) which is a packed gravel road similar to the famous 2005 Giro D’Italia stage on Col de Finestre. Finish off the trip with an entry into the Gran Fondo Monte Grappa, a mass-start citizen’s event where you can choose between 2 riding distances

Tipico “˜Strada Bianca’ in the Dolomites

Tour de France 2006
Alps to Paris: July15-24
REGISTRATION DEADLINE TODAY – MARCH 15th, 2006!
March 15 is the deadline for our spectacular “˜Alps to Paris’ trip.

More details on these trips can be found at:

www.stiedacycling.com/tours_06tdf2.html

PS — if you know of a friend who might be interested in one of these vacations, please forward this email onto them — THANK YOU!

“You’ve got to take risks, and you’ve got to make hard decisions – even when you yourself are in doubt. It’s not failure, but the fear of failure that stops most people” Philip Anschutz — creator of the Tour of California www.amgentourofcalifornia.com

www.stiedacycling.com