MIVA PROMOTIONS ISLAND CUP FINAL EVENT

Boxwood Circuit

20120630

The weather wasn't kind today. This resulted in few riders: 3 in the C race, and no B competitors except a trio who elected to ride the next race. There were nine starters in this final A event.

In the C race, James and Mark Grant and Brodie Hay stayed pretty-well together for the entire fifteen lap race, even regrouping after the mid-race prime. James Grant took this and also the final sprint, with Brodie second and Mark finishing third, all in the same time.

The A race of forty-five minutes plus five laps was the fastest event yet on the Boxwood circuit, with Warren Muir, Top Gear Calgary, setting the pace right from the figurative gun. After five laps, the main group of five, comprising Muir, a trio of Pro City Cycles, and Menno Jongsma, MIVA, pushed the pace up a notch and left the remainder of the starters. Tom Malczynski, Pro City, was caught out by a sudden acceleration and pressed on alone, just behind the bunch. Iain Hay, who was suffering from a bout of stomach trouble, had eased off and rejoined the pack a lap down but soon retired.

By lap seven, there was a further split and Warren and teammate Alex Hui. broke from the rest of the group, the former taking the first prime in the process. Hui hung on for another three laps until he too was shelled by the speeding Top Gear rider (Clarkson would be pleased! lol).

Muir now went into time trial mode and continued to lap steadily at around 1'37", while the bunch prime at fifteen laps was won by James Cameron. Eventually, Muir had lapped all but two of the other competitors and by the finish was nearly a minute ahead of Cameron, who edged out Alex Hui. The Tom M. finished fourths, with Jongsma a further fifteen seconds down and the remainder of the starters a further thirty seconds back.

Katy Condon

MIVA/HCTC

W

36' 29”

12 pts.

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!