- continued from page 5 front wheels, loose skewers and funny noises.....there was a lot of laughter and denial but obviously a lot of good shared moments. After the demonstration of the proper number pinning technique on both regular sized people and mini sized riders, and the onset of some type of competition, we had to head home. You don’t want to compete with this crew! It was, a grand time and again reiterates the importance of getting youths on bikes and working towards making a safer and better environment for them to ride. This is one of the elements that Cathy Frazier mentioned is one of their hardest obstacles for the team – finding a safe place to train that is welcoming and excited to have them be a part of their world. This is where the SBL and other teams and
clubs can hopefully join forces to improve the image of cycling in the eyes of the noncycling world – to include motorists, business owners, large corporations, schools, etc. If you have ideas or have contacts interested in volunteering to further the cause, please contact me. If you have a kid that wants to ride a bike, be competitive and be part of a fun and successful team, contact Frazier Cycling at Fraziercycling.com. Oh, did I mention they are starting a masters squad. More on that next month. I will end this editorial with an excerpt from the Frazier Cycling website written by Keith Suderman which so fantastically sums up this thing we all love to do.... Latest bike adventure...the Winter Bike League. I ride with a juniors’ racing club called Frazier Cycling. I know, I’m not a junior or a racer - but what better place to learn this sport. Anyway, this week, a handful of the racers, plus me, drove to Athens, GA, to ride with the Zealots. Apparently, Athens is home to
two professional teams and the UGA college team, and WBL is how they stay sharp during the off-season. It’s longer than any single ride I’ve done, as fast as my fastest ride, less “nurturing” (Frazier works hard to ensure that the slowest person survives; Zealots do not...). I started the ride near the back but realized that little speed changes near the front became crazy yo-yo-ing at the end (all 130 of us were in one double paceline). The multibike crash immediately behind me reinforced the issue. So I started playing the passing game and worked my way up to the front third. But my inexperience and lack of endurance started to tell as we reached mile 40, and by mile 60, I was clinging to the end of the paceline and learning some things about what road racers call “suffering.” Well-named activity, that suffering... It was a relief when the fast guys broke off the front for the final sprint and left the pace-setting to the mortals - I even managed to move up into the pack as we were coming into town. I’m not sure why we call this fun, but, aside from the hunger (I’m having another midnight snack right now), I seem to be no worse for the wear. See ya on the road.....and in the woods! The season is fast approaching!!
February 2012
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