It rained all day and continued to do so right up to the start time of the Thursday event. Only one rider showed up. After a brief discussion, the majority of starters voted to truncate the distance to 20km. As she showed up before registration opened, Katy Condon was off first. However, as the fastest rider, she was also off last. Her twelve points give her a 24 point lead over second place Janna Gillick..  

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.

Our Monday evening no-drop rides were such a success through April, May and June that we intend to continue through July and August. The next ride will be a 6:30PM start from the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre on July 9th. We will be experimenting with some new routes and start locations. An updated schedule with start locations will be added to the calendar in the next week or so. If you have any suggestions for a low-traffic loop of approximately 30km, please reply to this post.  

Thanks to all the volunteers who acted as leaders and sweeps over the past three months!

RESULTS, Youth  

pos.	name	club	cat.	time	pts.
1	Damian Parlee	Cycle University	M	32' 28”	12
2	Eli Simcoe Metcalfe	CVCC	M	At 7”	10
3	JamesGrant	Cycle University	M	At 34”	9
4	Mark Grant	Cycle University	M	s.t.	8
5	Jessica Reynolds	Cycle University	F	s.t.	12
6	Jane Harmsworth	Cycle University	F	At 1 lap	10

Prime: Eli Simcoe Metcalfe 4 pts.

RESULTS, Elite

pos.	name	club	cat.	time	pts.
1	Ian Smith	MIVA	A	58' 25”	12
2	Ray Wagner	CVCC	A	s.t.	10
3	Doug Mwerrick	CVCC	B	s.t.	9
4	Mike Sevcov	Everti	B	at 5”	8
5	Iain Hay	MIVA	B	At 22”	7
6	Kyle Waring	MIVA	B	s.t.	6
7	Andrew Grant	Cycle University	C	s.t. (jun.)	5
8	Paul Thompson	MIVA	B	s.t.	4
9	Bill McMillan	MIVA	B	s.t.	3
10	Ron Hewitson	MIVA	C	s.t.	2
11	Matt Allardyce	MIVA	C	s.t.	2
12	Shepherd Stewart	MIVA	C	s.t.	2
13	Mark Wieler	Arrowsmith	C	s.t.	2
	Kirby Villeneuve	MIVA	C	DNF (mech)	1

Primes: Ian Smith (2), Paul Thompson, Andrew Grant

Youth Event: 16 laps, 31.6km  

Six starters for this second youth event. All from Courtenay/Comox. There were two girls and four boys so the decision was made to award separate points for each group. For the first couple of laps, the pack stayed together and then Eli Simcoe Metcalfe, CVCC and Damian Parlee, Cycle University quickly established a twenty second gap and that's the way it stayed for the balance of the race, with the gap increasing steadily. The prime was taken by Eli and then the lead duo settled down to maintain their lead. The four person chase group certainly had the horsepower to reel in the two leaders but seemed conrent to watch each other. After four laps, Jane Harmsworth, Cycle University, dropped off the chase group. At the line, it was Eli, with Damian in second place, seven seconds back. The “bunch” spritn for third was taken by James Grant, with Mark Grant and Jessica Reynolds finishing in the same time. Jane rolled in just over a lap down, having ridden most of the race on her own.

Main Event: 50 minutes plus 5 laps. 37Km

Fourteen riders started andthere was little action until the first prime, which was won by Paul Thompson from Ray Wagner. These two then stayed away for the next four laps but were pulled in just before the second prime at sixteen laps. This was won by junior, Andrew Grant, Cycle University, from Doug Merrick, CVCC and Ian Smith, MIVA. In the next couple of laps laps, a couple of different groups tried to establish a break. First, it was Ray Wagner, Ron Hewitson and Paul Thompson. Next, Ron and Paul dropped back and Ray was joined by Ian Smith and Mike Sevcov. This trio was joined by Doug Merrick and this time the attempt was successful. Over the next ten laps, the quartette worked well together and gained about three seconds per lap. With five laps to go, Merrick was almost dropped but found reserves somewhere and hung on until the end. At the line it was Ian Smith winning easily, with Ray Wagner and Doug Merrick clocking the same time and Master C rider Mike Sevcov coasting in at five seconds. The bunch sprintfor fifth, at twenty-two seconds, was won by Iain Hay from Kyle Waring and junior, Andrew Grant