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“Bike Porn”. I won’t take credit for
that. I overheard this term during my
trip to this year’s Interbike show in Ve-
gas. As offensive as that may sound to
some, it is the best de-
scription of Interbike
that I have ever heard.
Interbike is the bicycling
industry’s largest trade
show in North America.
Unlike most of Vegas’s
exploits, manufacturers
hope that what happens
here, doesn’t stay here!
This is often the launch-
ing point for new and
exciting products and
announcements for the
following year.
If you love bicycles, I
would encourage you to try attend In-
terbike at some point in your life. Be-
cause it is an industry only trade show,
it can be difficult to get passes to it.
But, once inside, it’s worth it! As you
make your way up and down aisles and
aisles of beautiful bikes and parts, you
are also drawn to many famous cycling
-related celebrities. Cippo, Liggett,
October 2007
Fal l -Winter T ime Tr ia l s
2
What ’s on the Web? 3
Team Times 4
Pinare l lo Product Review
9
PAA in P ic tures 11
PAA Sponsors 16
Banner 6
Inside this issue:
Upcoming Race Dates:
• 10/3-07—Elite Track Championships ADT Carson
• 10/14—Urban CX Palos Verdes
• 10/21—Prestige Series Dam Cross
• 10/28—Urban CX Torrance
Pasadena Athletic Association
PAA general meetings are held
the second Wednesday of the
month starting at 7:00 PM at La
Cabanita, 3447 N. Verdugo Rd.,
Glendale, CA 91208.
Board of Directors
President Matt Gunnell
Vice President Eddie Ramirez
Secretary Lisa Loeffler
Treasurer Jim Small
Board Member Rick Babington
Board Member Lee Bird
Board Member Morgan Kapp
Board Member Banner Moffat
Board Member Jeff Moreton
Board Member Jerry Sanders
Board Member Aaron Tuchfeld
Interbike 2007
Bollett ino di Bicic l e t ta
Leipheimer...they were are all here.
This year’s show featured more than
just convention center frolic around
carbon fiber, babes, and packed
crowds. For a change,
the organizers also
added some exciting
bike races.
Wednesday night fea-
tured Cross Vegas, a
UCI sanctioned cyclo-
cross race held at a soc-
cer complex not far off
the strip. This race was
contested by a “whose-
who” of cyclo-cross,
road, and mountain bike
superstars. Thursday
night saw the USA Crit
Finals held in the Man-
dalay Bay parking light with racing un-
der the lights.
So what was my favorite new product
at the show? That’s an easy one. I dis-
covered that PowerBar has a new drink
flavor called “Sierra Nevada”. It’s only
available after 4:00pm though. Other
than that, I would strongly recommend
it!
Crit racing under the lights at
Mandalay Bay
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Time trialing during the Fall and Winter is a
great way to stay motivated to train. These
events can also be used in place of field-
testing to track Lactate Threshold Wattage
and Heart Rate. The motivation provided by
the event itself lends itself to higher effort
levels (for most of us) than does a training
ride. Using an event like Piru, which occurs
every month year-round, is a great way to
track the progression of your fitness during
the build up to the Road Season.
It is not necessary to have a dedicated TT
bike if you are only using these events for
training and/or testing. I must add that if
you are planning to be competitive in TT’s,
then a TT machine is a must!
Now let’s get down to it:
Time Trial Starts
Get to the line with the bike prepared. Test
the rear wheel clamping in some safe
stretch of road - the axle has to withstand a
huge push on the crank without coming
loose. Ride up to the line in your take-off
gear. A shift anywhere near the lineup will
often not be properly centered on the cog,
leaving you with a mess at take-off. Know
for sure what your start time is - and be in
the lineup at least five minutes early. Fail-
ure to get there on time will leave your
clock ticking before you start.
Be ready to power up.
Mount up when you get to the line. Be sure
you have clipped in solidly. Don’t fret if the
holder seems to have you on a little slant -
usually he won’t drop you. At the count of
“2” stand with both hands on the locked
brakes, the crank on your dominant side at
2 o’clock. At "Go" release the brakes and
move out at near maximum effort.
Power up smoothly.
Pedal strong, arms straight, accelerating
smoothly and powerfully, eyes focused way
out ahead. As you feel the overcoming of
inertia (wind in your face), lower your up-
per body by bending your elbows and pedal
smoothly/gradually back and down into the
saddle. No gear change should have hap-
pened between the time you warmed up
and the time you reach cruising speed,
unless you are on uneven terrain.
An efficient time trial start gets the rider up
to speed in the least possible time, without
any worry about messing up mechanically
at take-off. An efficient start saves valuable
seconds and does not use up significant
amounts of energy, considering the total
requirement of the race.
CUES during the 5sec. countdown and the
first 20sec. of the race.
• Stand on “2” If you stand earlier,
you are wasting energy!
• Go on “Go” not before.
• Keep arms straight-Power up smoothly
• Feel the “wind in your face”
• Drop upper body by slowly bending
elbows
• Pedal yourself gradually back onto the
(Continued on page 13)
Fall-Winter Time Trials...Do It!
“The motivation
provided by the event
itself lends itself to
higher effort levels (for
most of us) than does a
training ride. “
Page 2 Bo l let t ino d i B ic ic let ta
Rick Babington
Rick Babington can be
reached at
[email protected]
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What’s on the Web?
Did you know that PAA was once sponsored by Lite Beer?
PAA President Matt Gunnell has started an ambitious project
to catalog and document the PAA history through its jer-
seys. So far, he’s not doing too bad! Matt’s site has PAA
jerseys dating back to the 1960’s! Help Matt out. If you
have jersey’s that aren’t on his site, send him some pic-
tures.
Check out the PAA jersey history at:
http://www.verdugocycling.com/PAA-Jersey-Project.html
On September 1st, Pro mountain biker and the
2006 US National Downhill champion, Tara Llanes,
suffered a serious accident in Vail, Colorado during
a Jeep King of the Mountain series race. Tara’s acci-
dent broke her back and has left her paralyzed
from the waist down.
Tara’s coach and friends have setup a relief site to
help her with expenses. Tara’s blog also has her
stories of hard work, only 4 short weeks after her
accident. Visit her sites at
http://www.tarallanesroadtorecovery.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/mtbtara.
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Team Times
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ROUTE: Up Angeles Crest from the second (uphill)
light at the freeway to the entrance to the Clear
Creek Information booth parking area.
ROUTE: One lap of the Rose Bowl. Time Trial Solo.
ROUTE: Corner of Lida and Vista (dotted line) up to
“No Stopping Anytime” sign on top of Lida. Same
route used for uphill TT at the PAA training camp.
Duane Atiga 5:34 Mar-07
ROUTE: Chantry Flats climb from the top of Santa
Anita Blvd. to the Chantry Flats parking lot (gate to
gate). 3.25 miles.
ROUTE: Up Lower Sam Merrill Trail, from the water
fountain to the trail junction at Echo Mtn.
Brian Provost 25:24 Oct-06
ROUTE: Down El Prieto Trail. From the start of the
singletrack to the big rock where the trail joins the
fire road. Classic “old” El Prieto route.
Here are the rules: 1) Define a specific route precisely if it's a new location.
2) Send me your time.
3) Send me your name (or pseudonym if you prefer)
4) Send me your age and your race category.
5) You can include a BRIEF list of excuses or explanations such as "strong tail wind" or "drank too much last night".
6) Honor System; no cheating. If you post a time that's off the chart, you better have a reputation or witnesses!
Format: (Route) Time - Name - age - category - date - comment
Send your times to me at [email protected] I will keep track and post them periodically on Yahoo and
hopefully we will have an exciting list to include in next month's newsletter.
Lyle Warner 9:02 Feb-07 Steve 14:46 Mar-07 Scott Powell 35:05 Feb-07
Chris Keller 7:06 May-07 Jeff Moreton 7:12 Feb-07
Scott Powell 16:36 Feb-07 Oscar Guzman 20:25 Apr-07 Rick de la Mora 21:25 Jun-07 Duane Atiga 24:40 Jul-07
Jason Lowetz 41:08 Jun-07 Scott Powell 41:10 Mar-07 Brian Provost 41:42 Jul-07 Daniel Lowetz 43:40 Mar-07 Kevin Martin 44:08 Jul-06 Banner Moffat 44:40 Mar-07 Chris Keller 49:30 May-07
ROUTE: Backbone Trail in Malibu from Encinal to
Corrall and back.
Kevin Martin 2:36:00 Aug-07
ROUTE: Piru Official CBR Time Trial Course.
Chris Keller 28:16 Jun-07
ROUTE: Big Tujunga to Angeles Crest, from Oro Vista
and Big T to the stop sign at Angeles Forest Hwy.
Abe Meltzer 1:27:57 Sep-07
ROUTE: Las Flores Fire Road in the Verdugos, from
the gate at the bottom to the intersection with Ver-
dugo Motor Fire Road.
Abe Meltzer 29:14 Aug-07
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What We’re Riding
Duane Atiga
Pinarello Paris FP Carbon UCI
Points Edition-14.5 lbs
'07 Campagnolo Record gruppo w/ full ce-
ramic bearings
Fulcrum Racing Zero wheelset
Hutchinson tires
Deda Zero 100 stem-11cm
Deda Newton Shallow handlebar-42cm
Pinarello MOST Carbon seatpost
Fizik Arione Team Edition saddle
Look Carbon Keo pedals
Elite Patao bottle cages
Deda bar tape
Polar CS-200 hrm/computer
Orbea Opal-15.5 lbs
Campagnolo Record gruppo
Reynolds Stratus DV46 carbon tubular
wheelset w/ ceramic bearings
Continental Sprinter tires
Syntace F99 stem-10.5cm
Syntace Racelite handlebar-42cm
Easton EC-90 Carbon zero setback seatpost
Fizik Aliante saddle
Look Carbon Keo pedals
TACX Tao bottle cage
Deda bar tape
Polar CS-200 hrm/computer
A Note From the Editor:
Welcome to the PAA newsletter. My goal is to provide you with interesting sto-
ries and information on cycling, that you may not otherwise be able to get from
the PAA website. Some of the regular features that you will find include a
monthly coaching tip from Rick Babington, stories from Banner Moffat, and
monthly columns including "what we're riding", "rider interviews", "what's on
the web", "sponsor profiles", and new this month, “tech corner” and “our fa-
vorite rides”.
Please help me make this a great newsletter by contributing! Please email me
pictures, stories, ideas, etc. Thank you to everyone that sent me lots of great
contributions for this April edition. I sincerely appreciate your help!
Lee Bird, Editor [email protected]
Membership Renewals! The PAA membership year now runs concurrent with the Race Reim-
bursement year from October 1st through September 30th. This
means all memberships expire on September 30th, 2007!
In order to keep your membership (and benefits --- such as product
discounts, group e-mail, coached and supported rides, and race reim-
bursement) current, please go to http://www.paacycling.org/join.htm
Then click through and "Join" (no difference if you're a new member or
a continuing member) the Club online! If you have any questions on
the status of your Club membership please contact Banner Moffat at
[email protected] .
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The Future of PAA
Your $37.50 PAA membership fee gets you
a lot. Yesterday I bought a pair of shoes at
Bicycle Johns and even considering what
they might have cost on the internet, the
PAA discount on that single purchase saved
me $34. Then there are all the supported
rides, special team deals from manufactur-
ers, the occasional unforgettable team
meeting, ride announcements, race reim-
bursement, etc., etc. Without improving the
club at all, $37.50 is a bargain for most any
active bicycling enthusiast.
Just the same, there are many new things
PAA could do. I recently asked for ideas on
what would make PAA into a better team
and got a slew of great suggestions such
as:
"Write a PAA mission statement."
"Create structured ways to integrate
less experienced riders."
"Create a specific team of elite, dedi-
cated racers."
"Organize volunteer projects such as
Adopt-a-Highway or youth helmet
give-aways or presenting safety
seminars at schools."
"Use club funds to lower Team Clothing
cost."
"Appoint dedicated racing team cap
tains."
"Turn PAA into a charitable organization
so that dues are tax deductible."
"Organize PAA-only Tuesday/Thursday
crit training nights (instead of the
Rose Bowl)."
There is one thing each of these sugges-
tions has in common. They each require
time and labor to make happen, and that is
the catch; who is going to make these
great ideas a reality? It's worth noting that
one of the most outlandish suggestions that
I got is more likely to actually happen than
some of the easy ones:
"Hold a high altitude training camp in
the Rocky Mountains".
The reason that suggestion
might actually happen is
that we have a team mem-
ber who really wants to do
it! That's all it takes - some-
one to do the work (that -
plus some money, a lot of
organization, time and la-
bor).
When I first decided to join
the PAA Board I did so be-
cause I had one project I
wanted to accomplish. I wanted new mem-
bers to get some sort of welcome to the
club that would steer them toward all the
benefits that their $37.50 can get them.
(My idea of new member welcome gift bas-
kets has not yet been accomplished). What
I now realize is that you don't necessarily
have to join the Board to do things like
that. I could have just written the
"Welcome to PAA" e-mail and submitted it
to the Board with a recommendation that it
be sent to all new members. If I wanted to
make it an irresistible proposition to the
Board, I could have also volunteered to
send it to all new members myself. In other
words, you don't have to be a Board Mem-
ber to plan, organize, fund, or create a PAA
project. Just do it (and run it by the board if
you want help, money or guidance).
So why would anyone become a Board
Member? One of the less glamorous rea-
sons is that someone has to do it. The first
time I sat in on a Board Meeting, my main
impression was, "This is way less interest-
ing than riding my bike". It's a fact of life
that there are very many tedious
decisions that have to be made for the
team to continue to exist. The PAA Board
has to decide things like who next year's
sponsors will be and how much to charge
them, do we have the money to print up
new PAA banners, how many supported (Continued on page 8)
“There is one thing
each of these
suggestions has in
common. They each
require time and labor
to make happen, and
that is the catch; who
is going to make these
great ideas a reality? “
Banner Moffat
Page 6 Bo l let t ino d i B ic ic let ta
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Cyclocross, Training and Technique. 3rd edition By Simon Burney
This newly updated edition of this “must
have” book has just been released in time
for cross season. If you are new to cross or
have been doing it for years there is a lot of
useful information in this book.
I have had the second edition for a few
years now and am more than familiar with
most of the content so I decided to order
the new edition up from my local book
store and see how they compared. The first
and most obvious change is the cover and
the photographs, which feature many top
U.S. Cross racers and a couple of Roadies
as well, most notably Freddy Rodriguez and
Chris Horner. The pictures are very good at
demonstrating proper technique and the
text will give you plenty of things to try at
the local cross clinics. The equipment info
has also been updated along with almost
everything else.
Burney tackles technique, equip-
ment, and race day tips that will
give you an edge. Cross specific
training programs are also provided
as well as tips on how to handle
anything from off camber sections
to ice (Nationals anyone??) There
are also strategies and techniques
to help prepare you for a good cross
season no matter what your experi-
ence level is by making you think
about what you are doing and
where you can gain a tactical ad-
vantage over your fellow competi-
tors.
If you are planning on racing cross,
you could benefit from this book, so
go out and buy it! But more impor-
tantly, go to the local clinics, go to
the local parks, go to the races, and
put into practice the techniques that
Burney is sharing with you. Not only
will you have fun but you will also
sharpen you handling skills and
maintain your fitness through the
winter for a better road or mountain
season next year.
The one thing Burney doesn’t touch
on is how much fun it is to pound
stakes before the crack of dawn
with a bunch of your teammates,
race, and then break it all down.
Volunteer and make it happen !!!
Ryan Ferro
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The Future of PAA
Page 8 Bo l let t ino d i B ic ic let ta
rides should we have next year, should we
try again to have a charitable event, what
should we present at the next team meet-
ing... and much more. Someone has to do
it.
An excellent reason to be a Board Member
is so that you can feel responsible for some
of what is good about PAA. It is much more
fun to be part of a team that you help cre-
ate, than to just ride on a team. Each of
your Board Members is motivated by a de-
sire to make PAA better. They sure don't do
it for the perks; if there are any perks at
all, the rest of the Board must be keeping it
a secret from me.
Another reason: If you are on the Board of
PAA, you are in a good position to steer
PAA toward where you think it should go.
So every one of you who have ideas for the
future of PAA and have some energy to go
along with it, consider running for the
Board. Whatever you do, don't let that en-
ergy go to waste! Whether you run for the
board or not, use that energy to start a PAA
project. If you are interested in being on
the Board but want a better idea of what it
would involve, talk to me or any other
Board Member.
Don't hesitate to run for the board just be-
cause there is already someone doing the
work that interests you. I plan on continu-
ing as "Membership Coordinator" next year,
but if anyone wants to take over my post
because they think they could do it better
or have some membership related project
(gift baskets for everyone?), I would gladly
step aside. There are always other PAA im-
provements and projects I could turn my
attention to instead. How about The First
Annual PAA Road Race? Or...A PAA club-
house!
(Continued from page 6)
Clubhouse for the Massachusetts Bicycle Club,
1885
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The Paris Carbon FP was
Pinarello's flagship carbon
model until the rebirth of
the Prince Carbon. The
Paris, like the Prince, was
reborn
from aluminum. From the
rich pedigree of the Pi-
narello family,
Paris Carbon
has the dis-
tinction of
being cham-
pion of Spring
Classics
races such as
Liege-
Bastogne-
Liege and
Fleche Wal-
lone. It is
also the bike
that carried
Alejandro Valverde to the
2006 UCI ProTour Champi-
onship.
Armed with Pinarello's pat-
ented ONDA
wave that
graces the fork
and rear stay,
the Paris is a
visually stun-
ning yet grace-
ful
build. There
are "ribbed"
areas on both
the top
and down
tubes. This
has yet to be determined
what the exact purpose of
this is for besides aesthet-
ics. I asked our esteemed
club member Mason "The
Asian Sensation" what he
thought, he seems to think
it's for the rider's pleasure
but I'll just leave it open for
you to debate with
him. Overall the lines are a
lot tamer than it's big
brother, the Prince. Graph-
ics appear to be painted on
underneath the glossy clear
coat. In this particular UCI
Points model, the black and
red trim is kept to a mini-
mum in order to show that
it is indeed painted to
match the white Pro Tour
leader's jersey. The Pi-
narello "P" logo is badged on
the front of both the seat
tube and head tube which is
made of some sort of vul-
canized rubber.
Does the Paris ride as well
as it's sexy looks implies? I
give it a resounding
YES! And mind
you I've ridden
other carbon bikes
the likes of Colnago
C40, DeRosa Idol,
Cannondale Sys-
tem Six, the list
goes on. What's
special about the
Paris is that it was
originally built for
Gran Fondo type
rides. Meaning it
can be ridden all
day long! That said, it is
very comfortable without
compromising stiffness. A
pure race bike. Whether it's
sprinting, climbing, descend-
ing, racing, or
simply doing the
local club rides,
this bike does it
all.
I currently
have my
frame outfitted
with a Campag-
nolo Record group
and the 880g Lew
Racing VT-1
wheelset which,
functionally and
aesthically, looks the busi-
ness. This set-up took
the bike down to 12.5 (Continued on page 13)
Duane Atiga Product Review—Pinarello Paris Carbon
“Does the Paris ride as
well as it's sexy looks
implies? I give it a
resounding YES! “
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Renee Zajac The Spirit of Racing
“Pwoosh. Click.” A sound from The Matrix. The
electronic start gate clamps onto my track bike.
My legs are so weak I can hardly stand up.
Shaking, I climb onto my bike, clip into my ped-
als. Somewhere, on the fringes of conscious-
ness, the official is running through the Litany of
the Start. He goes over the ritual for the
100,000th time, “The gate will open on the word,
‘Go,’ and not before.” I am not really listening
to the rhythmic words (“Rider’s ready?!?
Timer’s ready?!? Five, four, three, two, one,
GO!!”). I’m reciting a litany of my own: “I don’t
want to be here. Why am I doing this? I don’t
want to do this race.” I’m not thinking about
my race plan for the Women’s 3km Individual
Pursuit. I’m mentally tallying up how many
more races I have to do this year (“Let’s see –
Elite Nats in October, two events. The 2-Day at
Encino. Maybe I won’t even do that one. I
don’t have to if I don’t want to.”) Welcome to
the 2007 Elite State Track Championship. Sound
familiar?
Track has the longest racing season of any disci-
pline in cycling – nine months from the Lightning
Velo Winter Classic at the end of January to the
2-Day Madison at the end October. And I’ve
done just about every race event on the calen-
dar this year. I’m tired. I almost don’t even
want to think about the winter, because it looks
so short before I “have” to start racing again.
Somewhere along the way, I went from “get” to
race to “have” to. When did that happen?
Actually, I know exactly when it happened –
right after the Masters National Track Champi-
onships. That week was a tremendous “high”
for me. Mentally, physically, emotionally, psy-
chologically, and spiritually it had been a tre-
mendous, unbelievable experience. Physically,
as an athlete, I probably “peaked” that week –
my times have deteriorated markedly in the last
three race events since. Spiritually, it was more
like, “crashed and burned.”
Back at Nats Qualifier, my flying 200m was over
20 seconds – more than 4.125 seconds off my
PR in June. And then, in the sprints, a poor
gearing choice, a minute error in bike handling,
and I was once again being picked up off the
apron, sobbing hysterically. As far as bodily
injury goes, I had a small scrape on my elbow.
But spiritually, it was more like Three Mile Is-
land. Complete meltdown. What was happening
to me?
I guess most people would call it “burnout.” I’m
more inclined to call it “cracking.” As in, “You’d
better get a new bike frame – your carbon fiber
is CRACKING.” How many of you would enter a
race on a cracking CF frame? I was trying to
race on a cracking spirit.
By spirit I’m not really referring to a “religious”
spirit. It’s more the kind of “spirit” people mean
when they talk about a “spirited thoroughbred”
or a “competitive spirit.” It’s that spirit or will to
race that gets you out on the startline, tingling
with excitement, eager to pit your skills and tac-
tics against your rivals. That “thing” that makes
that $10 prize worth killing yourself for. That
part of you that WANTS to ride around in circles
until you puke.
In talking to people and listening on the infield,
I’m finding I’m not the only one. Attendance at
race events has been slowly falling off. Elite
States drew far fewer competitors than I was
expecting. I could even name the names of at
least ten women who I thought I would see (and
race against) who were not there. This one
talks about needing “mental rest” more than
physical rest in the off season. That one mut-
ters, “I’ve got to take the pressure off myself.”
I’m not the only one feeling it.
Racing is very taxing. It’s a lot more taxing to
RACE for thirty miles than to RIDE for 70. And
it’s even more taxing mentally and psychologi-
cally, emotionally and spiritually, than it is
physically. And when you find yourself dreading
(Continued on page 14)
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PAA in Pictures Here are some great shots from the 2007 Interbike
show taken by PAA member Ed Engay. Thanks Ed!
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Banner Moffat Bicycle—The History
"Bicycle - The History"
By David V. Herlihy -
413 pages
After I started reading
this book and regaled my
girlfriend with some of the
curious stories in it from the
long history of the bicycle,
she looked at me and said,
"You know what you are?
You're a bicycle nerd!" And
I realized it was true. On
the assumption that I'm not
the only bicycle nerd on our
team, here is my review of
a book you fellow nerds will
want to own.
It is hard cover with many
beautiful illustrations, but it
is more of a well written
history book than a so-
called coffee table book.
Only someone interested in
bicycles would like this book
- which is not to say it is
hard to read. But who else
would be entertained by
rivalries and patent disputes
between bicycle mechanics
in the 1800's other than
someone who would read it
and reflect on every bike
he's ever owned and think,
"So that's how they in-
vented the bicycle chain".
The book starts out with
"Bicycle Pre-History" which
goes back to the first
"bicycle" craze (actually
hobbyhorse, not bicycles
yet) way back in 1810 -
1820. It was a huge scien-
tific breakthrough and a
revelation to the public that
a person could easily bal-
ance on two wheels at
speed. The only drawback
was that you had to scoot
it along with your feet.
[Photo 1: "1819 Hobby-
horse"] Just the same, it did
get the public and inventors
thinking that maybe some
new form of practical trans-
portation could be created
by science and technology.
The invention of pedals in
the 1860's turned the hob-
byhorse into the velocipede
and breathed a new life into
two wheeled travel. Of
course it was all front wheel
direct drive but still more
practical than ever before.
Bicycle races became popu-
lar - especially women's
races because women had
to wear less clothes than
was customary in order to
ride a bike. [Photo 2: "1868
Women's Race"] The ve-
locipede was described as
"an ingenious and charming
machine... bequeathed by
science to a stunned and
grateful world. Let us drink
to this carriage of the future.
To its perfection, to its suc-
cess, and to its long and
useful existence."
The velocipede mania re-
sulted in other user groups
(horses and pedestrians)
complaining to governments
about street safety, and so
the late 1860's marked the
first laws restricting "bicycle"
use. The recent Pasadena
City Ordinance concerning
the Rose Bowl peloton is
surprisingly similar to laws
passed 145 years ago!
The next era of the bicycle
was "The Big Wheel Era"
during the 1870's and
1880's, and finally the mania
spread to America. A bigger
front wheel was the solution
to getting more distance per
pedal stroke and endurance/
distance racing was born. In
1882 J. Sutton established
the 24 hour record by riding
260 miles on dirt roads with
a bike like this. [Photo 3:
"High Wheeler"] Also track
racing became very popular, (Continued on page 15)
“Bicycle races became
popular - especially
women's races because
women had to wear
less clothes than was
customary in order to
ride a bike”.
Page 13
www.paacycling.org
Product Review—Paris
Page 13 Bo l let t ino d i B ic ic let ta
lbs. Retail on these frames is a relatively steep
$3,900. Which right there is the one big advantage it has
over the Prince Carbon ($5,000). If you would like to
experience pure Italian Adrenaline without burning too big
of a hole in your pocket, then this is the frame for
you. Sure there are many
complete bikes you can buy in
the price range. But the fact
of the matter remains. There
aren't many bikes out there as
sexy as the Paris Car-
bon. Plus, there are many
sizes and colors to choose
from www.gitabike.com.
Check your LBS for availabil-
ity.
(Continued from page 9)
Fall-Winter Time Trials
seat
• Switch from horns to
aero bars asap.
Time Trial Pacing
Break the event into quar-
ters. Piru is a 20k event so
you will have 4 x 5k seg-
ments:
• First 5k: get up to speed
quickly and then relax
into a perceived exertion
of 8 on a scale of 10
• Second 5k: increase PE
to 8.5-9
• Third 5k: increase PE to
9-9.5
• Final 5k: increase PE to
9.5-10
If you start a bit conserva-
tive and build through to the
end, you will often times
have a faster time versus
starting fast, trying to hang
on, and fading badly toward
the end.
It is important to build
gradually versus surging and
slowing repeatedly.
Handling the Terrain
Piru has a series of little roll-
ers. Stay seated and in the
aero bars as you encounter
them. Employ a “stomp
technique” (big gear, plenty
of muscle) as it only takes 8
or 10 hard pedal strokes to
(Continued from page 2) get up and over most of
them. This will help you
maintain a bit more speed
versus standing and catch-
ing wind, which will slow you
down much more drastically.
Once you are over the top,
you can float for a few pedal
strokes to regain your com-
posure and continue on.
Post-Race Analysis
Your Power or Heart Rate
profile should look pretty
smooth and level, gradually
rising throughout the course
of the Time Trial. If it looks
more like a saw tooth, spend
more time holding back at
the beginning of the race,
relaxing and smoothing out
the effort.
If you finish with plenty of
energy to spare, work back-
wards from the finish line
and start your 9.5-10 PE a
bit earlier, but maintain the
same PE for the first and
second 5k sections.
Wrap-up
Time trialing is a great tool
for goal setting, testing,
training, and racing as it
helps you to become aware
of you individual output ca-
pabilities over time. Every
racer needs to know what
they are capable of and this
is a way to discover it…Enjoy
the ride!
Page 14
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The Spirit of Racing
Page 14 Bo l let t ino d i B ic ic let ta
your next race, hoping the
racing season will be over
soon, not even wanting to
think about next year, then
it’s probably a good indica-
tor that you’re beginning to
“crack.”
Coach Rick gave an excel-
lent talk a few months ago
on the importance of recov-
ery after a race, and how to
properly manage that re-
covery. I think that spiri-
tual recovery is just as im-
portant – maybe even more
important – as it effects
your WILL to race.
So, as the race season
winds down, take some
time to nourish and repair
your spirit. Do some nice
things for yourself, inside
and out. Schedule a full
body massage. Go to a
concert. Rent a movie and
toss some popcorn in the
microwave. Pull on some
comfy sweats and hang out
with your “honey.” Get all
gussied up and go dancing.
Have a facial. Go to a com-
edy club. Go hear a new
band. Do something fun
you’ve never tried before.
Take a yoga class. Do
something DIFFERENT with
your body besides train. Do
something that has no
stakes – no prize, no salary,
no training objective. Do
something physical that has
no point to it than to be fun.
Take a gymnastics or tum-
(Continued from page 10) bling class. Sign up for bal-
let. If you’ll hold still for
ten minutes, I’ll give you
the Gospel of Tango!! Go
for a walk instead of for a
bike ride. Spend the day at
the Getty.
Do some things that will
nourish your body and your
spirit. Things that have no
training focus or benefit,
other than to be enjoyable.
Spend time with the people
you love. And if the
thoughts of “next season”
start creeping in, tell your-
self you just might NOT do
that “first race of the sea-
son” after all.
Then one day, there will be
a morning when you wake
up, and you simply HAVE to
race. You can’t not. You
weren’t going to. But sud-
denly, the thought of NOT
being out there on the start
line, shivering in your lycra,
elbow to elbow with the
other guys on your team,
will just be unbearable.
That’s when you’ll be ready.
I am so glad to hear that these past few months, the
Ladies/Fun Ride has had a great time, with great turn-
outs from both the Ladies and/or their significant others.
It's been a great success so far... so this month we are
doing something a little different! ;)
We'll be starting and ending the ride from Peter & Lisa
Loeffler's home in San Marino. We'll ride towards Sierra
Madre, then to the Rose Bowl and back to their house,
where we'll enjoy a Continental Breakfast of fruit, pas-
tries, coffee & juice courtesy of RE/MAX Premier Proper-
ties. So plan to stay a bit after the ride... This will give
you a chance to get to know everyone and anyone who
has not yet attended one of the rides! So make sure to
mark your calendar, round up the ladies or your signifi-
cant other and come out to ride! I hope to see another
great turn-out, and I will definitely be joining you on this
month's ride! ;)
Please RSVP to [email protected] for an estimated
breakfast count. ;)
When: Sunday, October 21st
NOTICE LOCATION CHANGE! (Just this month) Where - Meet at Peter & Lisa Loeffler's Home 1539 Mirasol Drive, San Marino, CA 91108 (street is located across from San Marino High School,
southside of Huntington drive) (626) 287-8545 - home
NOTICE TIME CHANGE! Rolling out at 8:00am - (Rain Cancels)
Easy pace, approximate distance 25-30 miles
Continental Breakfast afterwards courtesy of RE/
MAX Premier Properties
All riders are welcome for socializing and support (so the
guys can come along for a co-ed ride), but I would like
this to be an easy, getting-used-to-road-biking ride or
just getting back on the bike, in a very NON-
COMPETITIVE environment.
Hope to see a few of you there!
Ladies Ride Cici Arenas
Page 15
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Page 15 Bo l let t ino d i B ic ic let ta
and descriptions of racer's
diets were eye opening. In
an effort to break the re-
cord for 100 miles on the
track, David Stanton con-
sumed "sponge cake soaked
in brandy, mutton and tea".
The diet didn't work and he
had to be carried off the
track. Several important
inventions occurred during
this era including spokes,
ball bearings and metal
rather than wooden wheels.
The first ball bearings were
hand made, one by one so
only the most expensive
bikes had them.
The brilliant invention that
gave us bicycles as we think
of them today is the bicycle
chain. Gears and rear wheel
drive enabled the rider to
sit behind the front wheel
instead of on top of it and
now wheels could be made
small enough that a rider
could touch the ground with
his feet. It was called "The
Safety Bicycle" [Photo 4:
"1885 Safety Bike"], but for
many years there were big
(Continued from page 12) wheel purists who insisted
that the Safety Bicycle was
too complex and gimmicky
to catch on. They were very
wrong.
During the 1890's a huge
amount of new bicycle tech-
nology was developed, es-
pecially pneumatic tires.
Here is a photo of the first
bicycle weighing less than
20 pounds. Notice the ham-
mock seat. [Photo 5: "1898
Lightweight Bike"] For a
couple decades the bicycle
and the automobile evolved
together with the bicycle
leading in popularity. Bicy-
cle mechanics also became
auto mechanics and started
selling petrol on the side.
After World War I, partly
due to Henry Ford's success
in selling autos to "the mul-
titude", Europe and America
started going their separate
ways regarding the popular-
ity of bicycles. In America
the bicycle became more of
a child's toy while in Europe
it remained a utilitarian and
recreational vehicle for
adults.
Interestingly, many vital
inventions such as the free-
wheel and the derailleur
Bicycle—The History
were first created in the
1930's for European bicycle
tourists, not for racers. The
organization in charge of
racing did not allow "gadgets
which detract from the pu-
rity of the sport" such as
derailleurs or alloy compo-
nents. It seems to be a tra-
dition of resisting new tech-
nology which the UCI contin-
ues today. The first racer to
use alloy wheel rims in 1934
had to paint them to look
like wood!
This book has a final chapter
on Cycling into the Future
which has special meaning
after reading about all the
rises and falls in popularity,
booms and busts of the in-
dustry in the last 200 years.
From it I conclude that the
future success of bicycling
depends on 2 things: bicycle
paths to make it safe, and
the cost of gasoline. Bicy-
cling is much more popular
in various countries outside
of America because of those
2 things.
David Herlihy points out that
"nearly one third of the
gasoline pumped at Ameri-
can service stations goes for
trips of 3 miles or less, more
often than not to transport a
single passenger." If the
price of oil continues to rise
as many expect it to for the
next 10 or 20 years, we may
live to see a new demand for
bike paths and another na-
tion-wide cycling craze hap-
pen. Let's hope.
[Photo 6: "1896 Bike Promo-
tion"]
Page 16
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PAA Sponsors
http://www.fc.ml.com/kevin_r_martin
http://www.bicyclejohns.com
http://www.callus2sell.com
http://www.calrad.com
[email protected]
http://www.pasadenacosmeticdentist.com
http://www.congressmedical.com
http://www.louisgarneau.com
http://www22.verizon.com
Page 16 Bo l let t ino d i B ic ic let ta
