Athletics
Cycling Committee Chair Jim Laird pushes his bike during a Blind Date at the Dairy race last year. Member Jeff Grubb, right, stands atop McKenzie Pass during a recent ride with fellow MAC Members.
of Germantown Road and Skyline Boulevard) and the Sauvie Island ride meets the second Wednesday of the month. There is still discussion about having a destination ride on the fourth Wednesday, so stay tuned for further details.
Cycling reminders A few comfort and safety reminders; the days are getting shorter. If you are out for an afternoon ride, make sure you have adequate lighting with you. Use a headlight. Multiple blinking tail lights are also highly recommended. Wearing a reflective vest or having reflective clothes also help visibility. When sharing the road with cars, always keep to the right. Assume cars do not see you and be aware of sudden turns. It is true that a bicycle is considered a vehicle and has the right to an entire lane of traffic, however, this is not always the most courteous means of sharing the road. Please be considerate of motorists, pedestrians, and fellow cyclists. Use had signals. Stop at stop signs and stop signals. Use a courtesy wave to acknowledge people. As the evening sets in, September nights are notorious for being cool. Remember to bring leg and arm warmers to keep exposed skin warm in cool weather. If you have sunglasses with changeable lenses, be sure you have your lightly tinted lenses with you.
Cyclocross season September also brings the start of the Cyclocross season. For those of you who have never heard of Cyclocross, a great event to check out is Wednesday nights at Alpenrose Dairy, when cyclists
enjoy the annual Blind Date at the Dairy race series. Cyclocross is great fun not only to participate in, but also to watch. The National Championship also takes place in September in Bend. Several MAC members are racing. Stay tuned for race results! Members interested in more information concerning the MAC cycling program, or who want to get out and ride more regularly can use these resources: theMAC.com, MACCycling@ yahoogroups.com, BTAOregon.org and ORbike.com. Remember to always wear a helmet, keep to the right, pedal safely and have fun. The Cycling Committe hopes to see you out on the road!
Long, cold winter As the October skies start to liquefy, the Cycling Committee puts on clinics and taking an active role helping cyclists and soonto-be cyclists get ready for the next season. Watch the bulletin board in the basement as well as articles in the Winged M for dates and times. Also, now that the Spin Studio is fully operational, spinning offers a great alternative to getting out on the road. Although the Integrative Fitness department oversees scheduling and staffing, we continually get feedback from athletes who take advantage of spinning as a form of off-season training about different classes and instructors. In fact, now that we have a dedicated studio, we anticipate the spinning program growing If there are potential instructors you’d like to recommend, direct your input to the Athletic Office. WM
September 2013
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