Title Sponsor:
|
Presenting Sponsor:
|
Many thanks to our returning sponsors!
For a full listing of our sponsors, please visit our website. |
May 14th, 2011 |
|
|
Meet the Riders: "I Fell in LOVE with My Bike"
Kate Parsons |
 | | Kate Parsons |
"I want to spend more time with you", I told my husband. "We could bike together and get fit and ride on Sunday mornings, and stop somewhere for coffee". "I don't have a bike and I don't drink coffee, but sounds good", he said. So we went bike shopping. When I got my bike and got it all together, I had to learn how to "clip in and out". It took longer than I care to admit. In fact, if I didn't fall on a ride, it was amazing! As an incentive, we signed up for the Trek Tri-Island - a 3-day ride on the islands of San Juan. Of course, all the "training" rides we did all summer long focused on one goal - not to die in San Juan. Somewhere in the process of biking, lunching with friends after a long ride, buying the essential clothes, learning and understanding cadence and RPMs, I fell in love with my bike and the whole activity of riding. The next weekend, I left the house to ride in the Cycle the WAVE - an all-girl ride. The weather wasn't so great and I didn't know a soul who would be there but I felt like a rider and showed up anyway. It was a fantastic ride and a great day. It feels good to be on a bike, be a part of a healthier way of life, take hills I couldn't have made it up before, go places on a bike that you cannot go in a car, join others of all shapes, sizes and lifestyles who ride bikes with as much diversity as they themselves possess. So get out and ride. You'll be glad you did. |
|
|
Bike L♡ve: Maintaining your Chain
Cynthia Krass |
 Ask ten bike mechanics how to maintain your bike's chain, and you will probably get eleven different answers. It seems to be an area where experts tend to disagree. So I will just give you my opinion about maintaining and replacing your chain, based on personal experience.
Chains need to be lubricated, but how often depends on how much you ride, weather and amount of debris on the road. In general, you will want to lube your chain every few weeks in ideal conditions, and usually after any rainy ride. Noise, not appearance, is the best way to judge whether your chain needs lube. A chain in motion should not make any noise. If it does, you should lube it. However, too much lube will make your chain even dirtier because lube can actually attract dirt and road grime, so go easy. I tend to over-lube my chain, so I use the lite version of the Dumonde Tech Original Bicycle Chain Lubrication. Lubing a chain is very easy; drop by your favorite bike shop when it's not busy and ask the mechanic to show you how. It's a five minute job, and can really extend the life of your chain.
Even a well-maintained chain needs to be replaced eventually. I know a rider who replaces her chain every 1,000 miles, but this seems extreme to me. 4,000-6,000 miles is more typical. The main problem with waiting too long to replace your chain is that a worn chain will wear your gears out unevenly, and you'll end up replacing both, turning a $30 repair into a $200 one. Mechanics can easily tell if your chain needs replacing, so if you have any doubts, have it checked out.
Happy riding, and remember: take care of your bike, and your bike will take care of you! |
 Ambassador Positions Open! Cycle the WAVE is looking for you! Join a fun group. Our Ambassadors post flyers in local businesses and locate good spots to place a rack card display. They talk up the ride with other cyclists and invite friends to join them in the ride. Ambassadors are also welcome to contact their local newspapers to talk about their participation. What is in it for you? Cycle the WAVE Ambassadors will receive several "perks" this year! We always hold a special raffle drawing for Ambassadors only, we will invite you to VIP events and don't forget, it looks really awesome on your resume! How often do you get to call yourself an Ambassador? This year we have set up a private group Facebook exchange so that Ambassadors can share ideas with one another easily. We will also be holding several face-to-face idea sharing meetings with wine and appetizers at various locations so that Ambassadors can meet one another in a fun setting. More to come!
If you would like to be one of our fabulous Ambassadors, please email our City Ambassador Director, Melody Scherting at volunteer@cyclethewave.com or call her at 425.985.0807. |
Welcome back Tutta Bella for a third year! A big thank you for providing our finish line food and hosting our volunteer party! |
|
|
