Fresno Cycling Club - December 2024 |
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THE PREZ SAYS.....
Greetings and Best Wishes for a Fabulous Holiday Season!
Let's hope that Santa knows which bike is on our wish list. If you're unsure, I'm confident he can choose a good one for you. However, if you're particular like me, you'll want to have a hands-on experience.
- The local bike shops are having great sales right now.
- Christmas is a wonderful time to introduce your non-riding family members to bicycling by asking Santa to get them a new bike.
Thank You! to everyone who has been participating in the monthly birthday rides.
- We've had great turnouts each month.
- It has been fun singing "Happy Birthday" to those celebrating and enjoying rides together.
This month, I know a few who are having birthdays, and I hope they will join us for the ride. We will have a Special Christmas Cookie Ride with Rest Stop & Cookies at the Dry Creek Trailhead Park.
- This month's ride will be a B pace social ride.
I look forward to seeing everyone!
Mark Your Calendars! Hope to see you at the Christmas Party on December 1st.
- It's always a fun evening with our riding buddies.
- We'll discuss our great year of riding and plans for next year.
- Great opportunity to mingle and meet other members you may not know and get to know those you don’t.
- A delicious catered dinner and lots of raffle prizes await!
If you haven't gotten your tickets by the time, you read this, make sure to get them if they are still available. Tickets will be sold until they are sold out or until the event starts at 5:30 pm. Buy tickets here.
Advocacy Opportunity! If you want to make your voice heard for better bicycle infrastructure, join us at Woodward Park at 1:00 pm on Sunday, Dec. 8th. Let's explore what Vision Zero means for bicyclists in our area.
See You Next Year! Join us for the Annual New Year's Day Ride on Jan 1, 2025.
Wishing you a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!
See you on the road, on the gravel, or in the dirt
As always “Ride Safe and Ride Legal”
The Prez
Dennis Ball
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FOLLOW FCC ON INSTAGRAM
If you didn't know, FCC has two Instagram accounts. One for the club and another for Climb to Kaiser. Check them out and give them a follow.
@fresnocyclingclub
@climb2kaiser |
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THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE RIDE ON 12/07/24
Join us on Saturday morning 12/07 for the Christmas Cookie Ride. That is not a typo, there will be cycling and cookies.
This is a social club ride at a B pace of 14-15 along the flats. We will ride from the start at Steven's Bike Shop Parking lot over to the Appaloosa loop before making a cookie stop at Dry Creek Trail Head Park (corner of Sunnyside and Shepherd). From there, riders can return to the Steven's Bike Shop Parking lot or continue for an additional 10-mile loop around Harlan Ranch before returning to Dry Creek Trail Head a second time. After this second stop, they will return to Steven's Bike Shop parking lot. Ride distance is 15-25 miles depending on if you choose to add the Harlan Ranch loop.
If we have interested riders, there will be an A-level ride option that takes a more direct (shorter) route over to Dry Creek Trail Head for the cookie stop. We do not guarantee the cookies will look as professionally decorated as the ones in the picture above, which is a random picture we found online.
Only registered riders can get a cookie. Non-registered riders get a lump of coal. Cookies taste better than coal so register today. |
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Vision Zero Bike Clinic and Bike Ride on December 8th
Join us for a bike ride through Woodward Park to learn about the city’s plan to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries in Fresno. The Fresno County Bicycle Coalition and Bike Station will be onsite offering basic bike repairs and safety checks.
Meet at the Eaton Trail by the Compass (NE of the Art of Life Healing Garden) at 1:00 pm on Sunday, December 8th. Register for this event and see more details at the Fresno County Bicycle Coalition website.
Learn more about the Fresno Vision Zero Action Plan, |
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WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA RIDE AND CEREMONY 12/14
Join us for ride to the Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at Clovis Cemetery on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. This special event honors the over 3,750 veterans laid to rest at the Clovis Cemetery. During the nationwide remembrance ceremony, wreaths will be placed on the graves of our veterans. You can sponsor a wreath for $17 by visiting the Wreaths Across America website.
This is an all-level ride where we will ride over to the Clovis Cemetery for the ceremony (approximately 3.5 miles). After the ceremony, we will return to the Steven's Bike Shop parking lot before continuing on to Friant Shell. If you just want to attend the ride to the ceremony and back it is approximately 7 miles. If you want to add the post-ceremony ride to Friant Shell the total distance is approximately 26 miles.
Click here to register. |
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FCC ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S DAY RIDE!
Per club policy, if you cannot figure out the date of the New Year's Day ride you may not attend. For the rest of us, we will meet up at 9:45 a.m. on New Year's Day at the Stevens Bicycles Parking lot (Northeast corner of Willow and Nees) with wheels down at 10:00 am.
This is an all-level ride to Lost Lake for hot cocoa, coffee, snacks, fun and fellowship. Riders are free to ride beyond Lost Lake to either Spring Valley School, the Back Side of Millerton, the Circuit, the Tesoro loop (gravel ride) or just return to Stevens.
The ride is free to everyone, but non-members must also register and approve the waiver. Click here to register. |
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ANNUAL 17-MILE DRIVE RIDE ON 01/18/25
Join us on Saturday, January 18, 2025 for the FCC Annual 17-Mile Drive Ride. The ride starts at 10:00 making driving over there in the morning a reasonable option. Meet at Jewell Park, 578 Central Avenue, Pacific Grove at 9:30, ride at 10 am. Lunch at From Scratch in Carmel. 34 miles. On the way back riders can choose from the low road (no climbing) or the high road (a little bit of climbing). No drop. B ride level. No cost. Registration required.
Questions call Janet Lucido (559) 360-1921. |
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NEW LINK ON THE HOME PAGE FOR THE RIDE CALENDAR
Our club ride calendar is a Google calendar that is embedded into the website. Somewhere along the line Google made a change which made things more difficult to view on certain mobile phones. To correct this situation our volunteer website guy, William Ewy, figured out a fix and added a link for a better Mobile Phone version of the calendar. Next time you are on your phone and looking for a ride, check the new link as shown above. |
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RAGBRAI - RIDER REVIEW WITH MARK FLETCHER PART 2
Last month we heard from Mark Fletcher about his week at the 2024 RAGBRAI. This month we are covering Mark's RAGBRAI experience from a logistics and training perspective. In the photo above Mark is dipping his front tire into the edge of the Mississippi River, a RAGBRAI rider tradition on the final day.
Have you completed a multi-day event previously? I have never done a multi-day bike ride before. This was the physical and mental challenge for me because I have done many one-day rides up to centuries, but never multiple days one after another. I have done many long distance hiking and backpacking, so this felt somewhat similar although more civilized. However, if a rider feels comfortable doing lots of riding, they should have no problem with this ride.
Did you do anything particular to train for RAGBRAI? I did do lots of training, but had to adapt. Starting in April I was mostly riding outdoors up to 70-90 miles per week, but as the weather got warmer, I realized there was no way I could do this with my work schedule plus visiting my mother in the Bay Area every other week. I realized my gym had a spin bike that I was riding 2.5-3 hours per day. This amount was probably overkill, but I felt good going up the many hills in Iowa (Iowa is as flat as a waffle) while many others were walking their bikes or slowing down considerably on the hills. I would not attempt this ride without some training. Also, make sure you do hill training because of the waffle flatness
How did you get to and from Iowa? There are many options for getting to Iowa, but I chose to drive and am glad I did. The day before the ride started was when the Windows system update shut down the world. There were many people I met who either had to rent a bike the first day because their bike was still stuck in an airport somewhere. They had to scramble and drive through the night because their flight was cancelled or delayed. Others told me that their bike that was re-built either by them or by a mobile bike mechanic after shipping by plane was not quite right. I had a custom bike that I built that took a long time to get all the torques dialed in to prevent noises, so I did not want to disassemble it. I drove to Omaha and then got a charter bus to the starting town. I also got a charter bus from the end town back to Omaha. If I had to do this again, I would leave my vehicle in the end town rather than the starting town. I drove three days from Clovis to Omaha and then took four days coming back to visit Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and especially the Mountain Meadow Massacre Historical Site outside of Cedar City. I did rent a car to drive because I did not want to wear out my cars. I rented a mid-size SUV where I could fit my bike inside, which is a big plus.
Did you have a support person go with you? I did not have a support person, but I used the full (I do mean "full") service charter service Pork Belly Ventures. The charter arranged for discount hotel rooms at two hotels in Omaha both before and after the event. The charter arranged for transport of my luggage, bike, and me from the hotel to start and at the end town back to Omaha. I used my own tent, but you could also purchase service where you did not need to set up a tent each day. They have charging stations for charging your electronics plus a separate trailer for charging E-bike batteries. They also have lots of beer and lemonade, entertainment each night, meals most nights, coffee in the morning, and a donation-based breakfast in the morning (first breakfast). Lastly, they have their own shower trailers so you can get a hot shower each day. I thought my money was well spent with Pork Belly Ventures charter, especially because I was riding by myself. I did not use it, but my charter also had partner services for bike shipping to and from the event. They would also hold on to bike cases during the event. Charters can also arrange for whole SAG days in comfort as well as half-day SAGing in comfort.
However, there are other ways to do this ride - your ride registration entitles you to have up to 50 pounds of your gear transported each day. Others go with a support vehicle. Some go in RV's or something like that, but I have heard that sometimes there are very limited locations for RV's. Lastly, there are "baggers" who are people who intentionally transport everything on their bikes on the whole ride. As opposed to other rides where you almost or definitely need a support person, there is no need for a support person on this ride.
What can you tell us about the transport service getting stuff from city to city and any problems finding your stuff when you got to an arrival town? If you are planning to do this ride, but need support getting from a major city near the western side of Iowa to the starting town and/or support getting back to the starting town from the end, check with the recommended charters on the RAGBRAI website. There are many charters who offer this service. This was the one area where I was a bit worried when I was planning to do this ride (you may register long before you have the full planning completed) since registration starts typically in mid-November whereas registration with the charters starts a month or two later. However, I had no problems once I looked into the options. The charters have been doing this for years and are very well versed in how to do it (even with carbon wheel bikes). I never had any problem locating my gear, but I was using the charter's transport rather than the general RAGBRAI transport. Do remember the color of your duffle bag (no hard suitcases allowed) as they are arranged by color. You are given a name tag and ID, but it is best to write your name on the duffle bag. I can rain in Iowa (we did not have any during the riding), so consider a water-resistant or water-proof duffle. The general registration only allows one bag up to 50 pounds while charters allow more bags with more allowance for weight. I think in the general RAGBRAI transport you must show your registration armband which must match the number on the duffle bag.
After completing the event were there certain things you wish you would have packed or things that you packed that turned out to be completely unnecessary? I was well prepared and had much more than I needed. An absolute essential is a portable battery-powered fan for inside of your tent at night. It is much more humid there than the Central Valley. I had too much clothing, particularly clothing for camp. You really only need one set of camp clothing because often you will get a tee shirt either through your charter reservation or some other way. This is not the placed to have fancy evening clothing. I did have a full set of rain pants and rain jacket, but never needed them. Earplugs are absolute essential and I also used a travel eye mask to shield out light. One town had a train that ran right next to our camping location that did not silence the horns at night. Also I considering having a camp chair essential even when in the charter. This is because the chairs under the tents fill at dinner time. I used a 50 degree sleep quilt which worked just right. I would avoid a sleeping bag unless you get one that has a full length zipper and is also about 50 degree rating. You will start the night sleeping outside of the quilt or bag due to the heat. I took two large bottles on my bicycle, but there was only one time I needed to go to the second bottle at the typical speed I was going (14-18 mph). The longest distance this year between towns was 22 miles, so I found one large water bottle to be adequate. Plus, if you run out of water, there are plenty of people either giving out or selling water. Also, I felt that I took too much electrolytes and bars - I never ate a single bar because I always ate something at each town. I rarely had to use the electrolytes, but the year before was much hotter with temperatures in the high 90's.
Anything else you would want to tell a "newbie" in regards to training and/or logistics? First, you can do this - do not doubt it. I met people on this ride who ranged in age from 7 to 81. I also saw every type of bicycle. If you have several bicycles, use your most comfortable extended riding bike. This is not a speed event. There are also options for gravel riding each day, which I did. The gravel was fairly tame (compared to riding the worst parts of Everyone Loves Raymond ride) and the gravel sections are mostly only several miles long with one exception this year. You do not need a riding companion on this ride. The people in Iowa are welcoming all along the route. When I first considered doing this ride, I was worried about the logistics, but all fell into place because someone is providing the service I needed. If you have not done much riding in groups, do some club rides to learn the commands and issues of riding in groups. I count this ride as one of the highlights of my 61 years of life. The hardest challenge, which I was warned about, will be when the ride is over and you have to return to regular life. You would rather that the ride just continue. Oh, wait, one more point - make sure you drink lots of pickle juice shots even if you do not think you need it. Due to the heat and humidity, cramping happens a lot. Sorry, one final pointer - the RAGBRAI website has a whole page on RIDE RIGHT. Follow this if you want to avoid accidents. I saw a few accidents and many potential accidents by people not RIDING RIGHT. |
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FUTURE RIDER REVIEWS Did you enjoy participating in a metric century, century, double century, or gravel event in 2023 or 2024? We are seeking additional club members to share their experiences with local, state, or national events. Please contact editor@fresnocycling.com. |
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FUN WITH INTERVAL TRAINING
Winter is still three weeks away but with short days, rain, fog and cold weather many of us will spend time riding indoors over the next couple of months. Last month we talked with club member Edwin Van Sprew who teaches spin class on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights at the Palm & Nees GB3. If spin class is not your thing and you don't have Rouvy or Zwift you can get a very effective workout on your indoor trainer or an exercise bike at your local gym. If you use an exercise bike at the local gym, you will want to try to ride the same bike each time you go. This won't be possible 100% of the time but try your best. The Keiser bikes at GB3 have a power meter but your power output will vary a little from one to another, which is why you want to ride the same one to monitor your progress. As you review the following sample intervals keep in mind I'm just a volunteer who works as the newsletter editor and likes to read about training, watch videos about training, and talk about training. I'm not a doctor, personal trainer, or anything like that. Three of the four are high-intensity (aka high heart rate) workouts and as all the ads on TV say, consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program. Keeping the Pace - If you have read any training information in the last 20 years you have probably heard about Zone 2 training and how you should spend around 80% of your training time in Zone 2. This is also a great workout for keeping a steady pace when it is your turn to pull on your next group ride. Warm-up 6-12 minutes and then do two intervals of 12-20 minutes in Zone 2 with a 4:00 break (Zone 1) in between. Sprints - Just what it sounds like. Warm-up 10-12 minutes with 3-4 times of ramping up your RPM's to 110+. Go all out for 8 intervals of 30 seconds up to 1:00 each with recovery breaks of 1:00 - 2:00 (Zone 1, easy spin) in between each sprint. Intervals for a particular workout should be the same length. (i.e., 8x 0:30 sprint/1:00 recovery) Anaerobic Intervals - Warm-up 10-20 minutes before doing 4 sets of intervals of two minutes to five minutes. Four minutes rest (Zone 1, easy spin) in between each interval. Again, in a single workout each interval should be the same amount of time. (i.e., 4x 4:00 interval/4:00 recovery) Mini Time Trials - Warm-up 10-20 minutes before doing 2 to 4 sets of mini time trials, 6 minutes up to 12 minutes with four minutes recovery (Zone 1, easy spin) between intervals. If you can use the same bike so your power readings are consistent, you can apply the progressive overload strategy to any of the above intervals. For example, maybe on the Anaerobic intervals, you can do 4x 2:00 at 250 watts. Do that a few times and then try adding 15 or 30 seconds to each interval and keeping the same 250 watts of power. Once you conquer that time, say 2:30, add another 15 or 30 seconds. If adding time to all four is too much, add time to the first two. Once you can do that while keeping the same power add time to the third interval, and eventually the fourth interval. When you can get up to 4x four minutes or more, reduce the time back down and increase the watts. |
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FCC BOARD MEETINGWednesday, January 8th, 2025
6:30 PM
Me N Eds Victory Grill
4010 N Cedar Ave |
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MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
Your Membership Renewal Date:
{Member_Upcoming_Renewal_Date} |
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FCC 2024-2025 EVENT CALENDAR- Christmas Cookie Ride - Saturday, December 7th
- New Year's Day Muffin Ride - Wednesday, January 1st
- Annual 17 Mile Drive Ride - Saturday, January 18th
- Everyone Loves Raymond - Saturday, March 29th
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SUBMIT YOUR CLUB RIDE PHOTO FOR THE ROUGH DRAFT
Have a group picture from a recent club ride? Submit it to editor@fresnocycling.com for a future edition of the Rough Draft. Please include the date and the destination of the ride. See the picture at the top of this newsletter as an example. |
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BIKE MAINTENANCE BY RICHARD LAWLEY
15 Reasons Your Bike Creaks – IT’S NOT THE BOTTOM BRACKET!!
A creaking bike might be one of the most annoying things in the world. Most creaks sound like they’re coming from the bottom bracket. Here are the 15 most common causes, starting with six you can probably diagnose at home. One of the absolute most important tools to have in your kit is a torque wrench. Most modern bikes are carbon fiber and over tightening a bolt will result in a cracked frame. Newer bikes will have a Nm number on the component, that is the Newton Meters that’s required to safely and effectively secure that bolt; exceeding that number may damage your frame beyond repair. Like always, if you’re intimidated by these repairs, take that bike to your local bike shop.
1. Saddle
As you pedal, your backside moves on the saddle, which can cause a creak where the rails go into the saddle or where they clamp to the seat post. It can also creak if it's cracked or damaged. To diagnose, put some weight through the saddle while standing next to your bike and see if it makes a noise. If it does, check if the saddle is torqued up at the rails. If the noise persists, try applying some grease where the rails connect. If none of that works, it might be time for a new saddle.
2. Seat Post
A loose or dry seat clamp can also creak. Modern bikes with aero integrated seat posts and clamps inside the frame are particularly prone to this. Test it by putting weight through the seat post, ensuring it's not your saddle causing the noise. If it still creaks, mark the seat post's position, remove it, clean both the post and the frame, apply carbon slip, and reinsert, ensuring it's torqued properly. If the noise persists, check for cracks and consider a new seat post.
3. Handlebars
Handlebars can creak due to a loose stem clamp, cracked handlebars, or improper tightening of the levers. Diagnose by flexing the bars side to side. First, ensure your levers are tight. Next, loosen and clean the stem bolts, then re-tighten them. If the creak continues, inspect for cracks in the handlebars or stem. Tighten bolts sequentially to avoid misalignment and potential damage.
4. Stem
If your stem is creaking, it's often due to improper tightening or corrosion. Visually inspect for rust and clean if necessary. Tighten the stem bolts sequentially and ensure everything is torqued correctly. If the creak persists and you see visible damage, it might be time to replace the stem.
5. Chainring Bolts
Loose chainring bolts can mimic bottom bracket noises. Ensure they are tight. If you're confident in your mechanical skills, remove the bolts, clean the surfaces, apply grease or copper slip, and reassemble. Tighten properly to avoid further creaks.
6. Quick Release Skewers or Through Axle
Dry surfaces or threads on your skewers or axle can cause creaks. Remove, clean, and grease before reinstalling and torquing to the correct specification.
Next Steps: Using Spares
7. Pedals and Cleats
Worn or loose cleats and pedals are common creak sources. Swap out with spares, if possible, to diagnose. If swapping resolves the issue, you’ve found your culprit.
8. Shoes
Cycling shoes, though durable, can eventually crack or break. If you have a spare set of shoes, try using them. Even riding in regular sneakers can help identify if your shoes are the problem.
9. Wheels
Wheels can creak due to issues with spokes, nipples, the rim, or hubs. If you have spare wheels, swap them out to see if the noise disappears. If it does, focus on servicing the hubs or greasing the nipples.
Advanced Findings: Possible Bike Shop Trips
10. Headset
A loose or worn-out headset will creak. Test by rocking the bike with the front brake engaged. If it rocks, tighten or service the headset.
11. Cranks
Loose crank bolts or damaged cranks can creak. Ensure bolts are tight. If the noise persists, get the cranks checked by a professional.
12. Frame
If all else fails, inspect the frame for cracks. This is rare but possible. Look around the chain stays, seat tube, bottom bracket, and head tube.
13. Chainrings
Worn one-by chainrings with a new chain can create a grinding noise. Replace the chainring if necessary.
14. Brakes
Contaminated or misaligned brake pads and rotors can squeal. Adjust the caliper and, if needed, replace the pads or rotor.
If none of those are the culprit, it’s the bottom bracket.
15. Bottom Bracket
The bottom bracket is a common creak source. Check for play by rocking the cranks side to side. If there’s play, service or replace the bottom bracket.
Richard Lawley |
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LOOKING FOR FCC RIDES??
The following is a list of FCC ride groups and locations to find FCC Rides.
FCC Website
Facebook
EMAIL
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