Tomorrow is the first Monday Night Ride of the season! For a quick recap on the Monday Night Rides please read this link. Where: NIC (Ice Center) Parking Lot Cost: FREE Time: Ride DEPARTS at 6pm sharp. Do not be taking your bike off the rack at 559pm unless you like to play catch up. Speed: 20-24km/hr, no hammering. This ride is about getting people comfortable in a group setting.

Please have your MIVA Membership complete for 2016. Cycling BC: you may ride two 'freebies' prior to taking out your license. Please bring the Trial Ride Release of Liability Waiver with you to hand to the ride leader (Mike). He won't have any with him, and has had to turn people away in the past. Print, sign, put in your rear pocket :)

SPONSORED BY KIYO SPA!

The TT clinic will take place prior to our first time trial of the season on Thursday April 14th, at 530pm. The 15k TT#1 will start at 630pm. Don Gillmore has assisted many time trialists to becoming substantially faster through advice and minor tweaks. Some of the things that will be covered:

Postioning

• Crank Length
• Pelvic Rotation
• SMP Saddles

Technique

 (there would be bullet points below, if Wordpress worked right :) )

• Cadence
• Gearing
• Crank length
• Allocation of effort on rolling terrain
• Starts and turns
•  Climbing - seated in aero position - saddles again
•  Descents
  In addition to this, Don has provided a few places that people can go online to read up on pertinent info. These articles linked below would be helpful to read prior to the clinic. As Don says, "For me, getting low and comfortable on the bike has been dependent on saddle choice, and I've spent years and well over a grand on saddles to home in on what works. That's where it starts actually.  I remember the frustration when I hadn't found a saddle that worked, then finding better and better ones over the years.  At the same time, others, like those two bike fitters, have come up with similar findings" :
  About SMP Saddles
  Steve Hogg is a renowned Australian bike fitter.  He has an excellent writeup on SMP saddles
  Colby Pearce is "Steve Hogg certified" and has a similar take on SMP saddles. The second link on SMP saddles was actually the precursor to the SMP Primer that I wanted people to read

  

Spring Challenge 50k/100k! Register here https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=65424&owner=0 $10 per person, anyone and everyone welcome (don't need CycBC or MIVA membership, just come ride) Timing will be via your Strava (so stay on the course!) times post race Start Finish at White Sails Brewing 50k starts at 10am Route here 100k starts at 8am Route here Noon-ish finish for all at White Sails, MIVA will provide platters.

In order to introduce new members, riders unfamiliar with road racing and veterans requiring a refresher on criterium etiquette and safety, MIVA will be hosting a clinic prior to the first crit of the season. Even if you don't intend to race the criterium, attending the session will help improve your group riding and bike handling skills. Please join us! Clinic starts at 6:00PM sharp. Riders should arrive with their road bike, dressed and ready to ride.

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MIVA Criterium Clinic Agenda

Prerequisites - All riders should understand the basics of group riding, including bike handling, riding close to others and drafting.

Goals

- To explain the basics of crit races, making it less intimidating for newer riders.

- To have rules and etiquette understood, making it safer for all.

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Introductions (by the sign-on table near Longwood Brewery, Boxwood Road)

- Names, experience, goals.

Criterium Safety (by the sign-on table)

- No sudden movements or braking, hold your line

- No overlapping wheels

- No passing inside the corner (eg. diving, cutting)

- No crossing the (real or imaginary) yellow or white lines

- Making contact (stay calm)

- Maintain 100% focus

Criterium Rules (Roll over to the start/finish area)

- Explain lap count, lap board, bell, intermediate sprints, etc.

- Lapped riders - can continue riding but should not contest any of the sprints.

- Yellow line rule, neutralized race

Preparing for a Criterium (Roll through a couple of slow laps, stopping to discuss)

- Reviewing the course

- What to look for: hills, sharp corners, furniture, etc

- Explain need to try corners and finish sprint at race pace

Cornering (Meredith & Tulsa)

- Single file

- Brake early, if necessary

- Inside foot up, weight on outside foot

- Look through the turn

- Wide in/tight out, with acceleration.

- Demo rider (if available)

Positioning (Back at Start-Finish area)

- Understanding how the pack moves

- Where to be. (ie.: front, middle, back of pack)

- closing gaps, defending your position

- finding a good wheel

- watching body language, reading the race