Cyclecross

Thinking about Cyclecross? here is a short video of what to expect…All I can say is EPIC.

Take A Kid Mountain Biking

Saturday October 2nd, IMBA will celebrate its sixth annual International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. This is a great opportunity for you to pass your passion for pedaling on to kids!

Our local ride for the event will be held at Lake Accotink. The ride will start at 9:00AM by lake Accotinks beach area.  The kids will be riding Accotink trails and also some new trails at Wakefield.

***Fun rides, prizes and Clif Bars what more could you want!!!***

For more info EMAIL: Julie@trailsforyouth.org

What do you think about when riding?

What a powerful message. Let’s do our part and ride our bikes more!

The Joy of A Simple Ride

This video inspired me to hop on my bike and go for a nice simple ride around town. Sometimes hopping on your bike with no gear is so refreshing.  CLICK HERE TO VIEW

Tips for night Riding

With it getting darker earlier, its getting tougher to squeeze in rides before dark. Well now you don’t have to rush to get on the trail  just get a good set of lights and you can ride through the darkness.  I just did my first night ride last week and was pleasantly surprised with how much fun it was. A trail that I’ve ridden tons in the daylight, is a completely different trail at night. I found that I had to trust my bike more, and look past technical stuff in front of me because I couldn’t see it.  In turn when I went back to hit the same trail during the day, I had no problem riding the stuff that normally intimidated me during the day.

So here is some basic tips for night riding that I found.

• Invest in a good lighting system. A lighting system is the most important thing in night mountain biking. Lighting systems include headlights (attached to the handlebar), taillights, and may also include helmet lights. It is advisable, however, to have both a headlight and a helmet light since headlights only let you see where your handlebar is pointed, while helmet lights allow you to see where your head is turned. Taillights are necessary for riders behind you to see where you are going. Get headlights that are lightweight, bright, and can last for a long time. Helmet lights should also be lightweight, but not as bright as your headlight.   Read Here for more tips

LAYER, LAYER,LAYER!

Now that it is starting to cool off  we are going to talk about how to dress for the new temperatures & season. The Key word is LAYER.  Every time someone talks about layers I think about onions and how starting at the outside, you can see the distinct layers that can be peeled away to gradually expose the core. Layering your clothes follows the same principle, only without the strong smell and all the crying. Unless you’ve been on a particularly difficult ride.

When you dress in layers, you generally have three different types of clothing on your body, a base layer, middle layer, and outer shell.

Base Layer:

The base layer is the one closest to your body. Its purpose is to help you stay warm but not get too hot, and most importantly, should serve as a way to carry perspiration away from your core. Think high-tech long underwear. Believe it or not, wool is an excellent material for this, and some synthetic materials are suitable as well.

Middle Layer:

The purpose of the middle layer is to insulate and at the same time to still continue to move moisture away from your body. This layer is “fluffier” than the base layer if that makes any sense, keeping warmer air in close to your body yet allowing it to still circulate around you so that you don’t get too warm in periods of high activity.

Of the three layers, this one will vary the most depending on the temperature and the individual person. In addition to the actual air temp, your level of activity plus the amount of sunlight and wind combined with your level of fitness and metabolism will all factor into how much insulation you will require in this middle layer.

Outer Shell:

The outer shell primarily serves as a windbreaker and also works to thwart any precipitation you may encounter. This layer’s first job is to keep you dry; the warmth you’ll experience comes from what’s underneath. The outer shell should be breathable to help get rid of the moisture you’re generating through perspiration; strategically placed vents (such as under the arms) are a big help to this end. Nylon is the most common material for lightweight outer shell garments; heavier ones are going to be made from Gore Tex or another one of the patented fabrics.

Riding can be enjoyable in all sorts of weather with the proper clothing & gear. I hope this keeps you all riding through the cooler weather