Posts in General Interest
THURSDAY TIME TRIAL AND SATURDAY CLUB RIDE

Since some of the MIVA members are going to the triathlon in Penticton this weekend, the Thursday time trial will be modified to a 20km. The club ride this Saturday is to Cowichan area. about 150km medium paced. Stop midway for refreshments etc. Start at Oak Bay Bikes at 7.00am and plan to be back mid-afternoon. Post on the MIVA Facebook page if you are coming so leader Shepherd Stewart will have some idea of numbers.

MIVA CRITERIUM AND TIME TRIAL SERIES STANDINGS TO 120702

STANDINGS IN MIVA CRITERIUM AND TIME TRIAL SERIES TO JULY 2ND. note: totals include volunteer points. Totals count only for overall points award. For performance competition, riders must have ridden seven events and the top five will count. Points in sixth and then seventh events will be used to break ties.

Criterium Series

Women

Glenda Harling 43
Charlene hay 22
Janna Gillick 12
Kristy Mighton 5
Wendy Simm 5

Men

Iain Hay 141
Ian Smith 104
Paul; Thompson 52
Mike Sevcov 46
Ray Wagner 45
Shepherd Stewart 40
Rob Bau 36
John lam 36
Menno Jongsma 32
Sean Lunny 29
Mark Wieler 27
Kyle Waring 26
Bill McMillan 22
Kirby Villeneuve 20
Aaron Foos 19
Phil Birrer 16
Ian Henderson 15
Shawn Boyd 11
Rob Russell 10
Andrew Grant 9
Ron Hewitson 9
Doug Merrick 9
Matt Allardyce 8
Fred Hodgson 7
Regis Chapman 5
Wade Smith 5
Regis Chapman 2
Jeremie Gauthier 2
Mick Kupiak 2
Normon Thibault 2
Derek Steele 2

Youth Boys

Brodie Hay 116
Damian Parlee 12
Eli Simcoe Metcalfe 14
Mark Grant 24
James Grant 19

Youth Girls

Jessica Reynolds 24
Jane Harmsworth 20

Time Trial Series

Women

Katy Condon 80
Janna Gillick 56
Colleen Wtorek 40
Sue Handel 30
Lorrie Bailtham 27
Rhona Lettau 22
Cheryl Morch 22
Nancy Patterson 21
Charlene Hay 17
Vicki Boyd 12
Lee Blaney 5
Kim McCarley 5
Kristy Leigh Mighton 2

Men

Bryan Rehill 59
Shawn Boyd 46
Charles Hamer 41
Corey Friesen 27
Gareth Slocombe 27
Matthew Allardyce 25
Paul Auton 24
Patrick Burnham 23
Iain Hay 23
Dave Steen 21
Russell Berg 19
Ian Drown 18
Don Gillmore 17
Dave Patterson 13
Ian Smith 12
Al Shirley 10
Steve Crowley 9
Steve price 8
Chris Cameron 7
Regis Chapman 5
Simon Weber 4

Youth

Brodie Hay 41
Mykelti Berg 20

 

WHAT IS THE BEST CADENCE?

The editor regularly goes out on the MIVA Monday evening club rides, usually on his shiny Ridley Damocles and occasionally on his scooter. On these rides the participants use a wide variety of cadences (pedal revolutions per minute), most of which are inefficient. To aid the newer riders ( and some, not so new), there follows an article from cyclingtips.com

Cadence - If you're relatively new to cycling, you are probably riding at a cadence that is below your optimum. Most new riders think they are getting a better workout if every pedal stoke is a strain and the quads are burning. Although there's a place for low-cadence workouts, during a normal ride, aim for a smooth spin at between 85-100 rpm (pedal revolutions per minute) which is much more efficient -- and easier on the legs, especially the knees.

Lance Armstrong has popularized high-cadence pedaling. He spins at about 90 rpm on even the steepest climbs, and he's regularly over 100 rpm in time trials. Does this mean you should be pedaling at a high cadence as well? Although your cadence can be increased through training, it may not fit with your personal physiology and biomechanics.

The make-up of your leg muscles (the ratio of fast-twitch to slow-twitch fibers), combined with your fitness, will self-select your cadence. For most experienced riders, ideal cadence is in the range of 80-100 rpm - and most tend to automatically pedal at around 90 rpm in normal condition . Non-cyclists tend to spin a bit lower at around 60-70 rpm.

Try this to see what cadence may be the best target for you.

  1. Locate a protected 2-mile stretch of road (without significant cross streets or traffic). Ideally slightly rolling.
  2. After you warm up for 15 minutes, ride the route hard in your biggest gear. Note your finish time and your heart rate if you have a monitor.
  3. Recover for 15 to 20 minutes with easy spinning.
  4. Ride the course again at the same heart rate (or perceived exertion if you don't have a monitor). But this time choose a rear cog that's one or two steps larger and allows you to keep your cadence about 100 rpm. Note your time for the same course.
  5. After a day or two of rest, do the test in reverse - larger rear cog (lower gear ratio) first.
  6. Compare your times. For most riders, the lower gear and higher cadence will produce faster times for less perceived effort.

Here are two drills that may be helpful in increasing your cadence and maintaining the smooth spin of a veteran.

Use a down hill to practice. Spin in a small gear on a slight descent, then gradually increase your cadence until your pelvis begins bouncing on the saddle. Back off about 5 rpm so (the bouncing stops). Hold that cadence and concentrate on a smooth pedal stroke for one minute. Cruise back up the hill and do it again. Relaxation is the key to pedaling at a high cadence without bouncing. Keep your elbows, shoulders and hips loose.

  • Use a that tailwind that you have stumbled across. Shift into a moderate gear and gradually increase your cadence until you're at 100-110 rpm. Hold it there for 30 seconds, then gradually ease back to 80 rpm. Repeat several times.

How do you estimate your cadence if you don't have a cadence function on your computer? Set your computer display to show seconds show. Using your right foot, count how many times it is at the bottom of the stroke during a 15 (or 30) second interval. Then then multiply by 4 (or 2). That will help you develop a sense of what 90-100 rpm feels like.

NUMBER PLACEMENT

Most Tuesday evenings, the organiser of the Boxwood Criterium attempts to keep track of the riders by peering at their (mostly) poorly-placed and attached numbers. Then he drives home, squinting in the setting sun and rubbing his sore eyes.  He half-blindly reaches in the bathroom cupboard for the Visine, staggers to the pantry where he keeps his twelve year old single malt scotch,and flops down in front of the computer to work out the race results. First he looks at the hastily-scrawled notes from the final sprint; not a complete list there. Then he switches on his digital tape recorder:"twelve, three, twenty-tw ...er seven; no, one ...damn, is that John in fourth. Then, let's see, three more riders and... that's Mike and Mark. Damn!, missed the rest.

Next he plugs in the small video cam that recorded the primes and the finish. Most of the numbers are partially or wholly obscured but he is able to recognise most of the riders and is able to publish a reasonable approximation of the result on the  web site.

Actually, it;s not quite that bad but the obscured numbers do mean a lot more work than should be necessary. For some good advice on numbers and their placement, go here.

 

 

 

 

MIVA 2012 TIME TRIAL SERIES - POINTS TO DATE
Brodie Hay MIVA 41

Mykelti Berg                     MIVA                            20

Women

Katy Condon Frontrunners 68
Janna Gillick MIVA 56
Colleen Wtorek MIVA 40
Sue Handel MIVA 30
Lorrie Bailtham MIVA 27
Rhona Lettau MIVA 22
Cheryl Morch MIVA 22
Nancy Patterson MIVA 21
Charlene Hay MIVA 17
Vicki Boyd MIVA 12

Men

 

Bryan Rehill MIVA 59
Shawn Boyd MIVA 46
Charles Hamer MIVA 41
Corey Friesen MIVA 27
Gareth Slocombe MIVA 27
Matthew Allardyce MIVA 25
Paul Auton Cycle Therapy 24
Patrick Burnham MIVA 23
Iain Hay MIVA 21
Dave Steen BCMCA/MIVA 21