Books are a good bet when you are trying to pick presents for your cycling friends. Her's one that will inspire as well as entertain.

Road to Valour is the bestselling story of Gino Bartali, who became a household name in Italy after winning the Tour de France in 1938 and 1948, not to mention three Giri d'Italia. But what few people know is that during World War II, Bartali used his cycling fame to help Jews being persecuted by the Nazis and Fascists. Risking his own life, he secretly sheltered a Jewish family in an apartment that he financed with his cycling winnings and transported false identity documents, hidden in the frame of his bicycle, throughout Tuscany and Umbria to be used by Jews in hiding. You can see footage of Bartali and interviews with those he helped during World War II in the book's trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zuUlQTDiP4

Road to Valour is the first book ever written in English about Bartali and the only book written in any language to explore fully Bartali's wartime work. Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, has read the book and called Bartali's story a "moving example of moral courage." Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Tour de France, read it and called Bartali a "true hero."

Here's wishing all a very happy holiday season.  Get out for a ride, even if the weather makes you think twice. For those in the snowbound regions, have a couple of sessions on the trainer or get out on your skis. Go easy on all those delicious delicacies and the tempting liquid refreshment as it's far harder to get rid of those extra pounds than it is to put them on! Have fun with those cyclists' presents. Make New Year's Resolutions you have some chance of keeping including the one about not exaggerating those training distances. May all your rides be pleasant ones.

Attention all MIVA members. I was in Vancouver recently at a track camp with Brodie, I was speaking with Kelyn Akuna, the founder of Aboriginal Youth Cycling on the lower mainland. We have previously donated, as  a club, clothing items. I donated some of Brodie’s gear and asked about other items they may require. He reports that they have frames but are looking for any components to start to build them up, wheels, gruppos, tires, saddles, etc. I know we all have items in our garages that we no longer use. Anyone interested can contact me at roubaix5312@hotmail.com . I am going over for another camp with Brodie over Christmas, I am available to pick up any donated items, and will take over with me when I take Brodie to camp. Any donations would be greatly appreciated, it is a really great cause! Cheers and Merry Christmas, Iain Hay.

This Thursday indoor trainer session at Pleasant Valley School, Nanaimo, is cancelled due to a school Christmas concert. The next session will be on January 3rd, 2013. Don't forget to continue your workouts at home with the Sufferfest videos. It's a great way to stay slim and trim over Christmas.  

Winter trainer sessions are like many other indoor off-season cycling activities. The motivation is the Sufferfest videos and the loud, upbeat music so the time literally flies. However, during these 'laisse faire sessions, the participants can do a lot to improve their efficiency for the next season. Many riders have inefficient pedalling styles – inappropriate cadence and 'push. push' instead of 'turn. turn' being just two of them. To work on cadence, follow the messages on the screen. Use 90 rpm as the base and accelerate or take it easy from that point. The downhill portions of the video should be light resistance and about 110rpm. Keep it s-m-o-o-t-h and if you are bouncing on the seat, back off the revs. Slightly until you eliminate the bounce; then increase cadence a bit at a time, maintaining that smooth style. For the climbing segments. Maintain at least 75 rpm and gradually increase to 80rpm. If you find that easy, increase the gear rather than pedalling faster.

Now, to work on turning the pedals smoothly, consciously claw the forward pedal round BDC (bottom dead centre). At the same time, pull up on the rear pedal using your hamstring and lower gluteus maxi mus. If you haven't habitually been using this technique, you will soon feel a burn. Back off slightly but still lift the leg and then repeatedly increase the lift until ”burn time”. Don't forget to begin pushing the pedal forward as it approached TDC (top dead centre). After a few sessions of this drill, you will be able to maintain the turning for longer and longer periods until it becomes built in.

By the way, this procedure should be part of all your on-the-road training too. Eventually your pedalling will become really smooth and efficient- the pro's refer to this as “souplesse”. Watch a pro tour video and you can actually pick out the most efficient pedallers. If you doubt that this kind of pedalling is more efficient. Ride along a flat section of road at a set speed without using your hamstrings & lower quads. Then incorporate them with the same perceived effort and notice how your speed increases by .5 to more than 1 kph.

Despite the logic of the foregoing, research, here, shows that very often the best pedalling rate and style is the one where you feel most most comfortable.