Cycling Tips & Stories

The Alton Telegraph covered this year's Tour de Donut:

Whoever coined the phrase "carb-counters" might have been thinking of the nearly 600 cyclists who turned out Saturday for the 16th annual Tour de Donut bicycle race in Staunton.

After all, the goal was to see just how many sticky, glazed doughnuts one person could choke down during stops on a 30-mile bicycle race under the summer sun.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch covered the ride, too. permanent link to article: "Tour de Donut a success"
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/11/2004 09:45:00 AM |comment on this article

A Kansas City Business Journal article talks about the Riverfront Heritage Trail, currently under construction:

"In most communities where there is a river or a shore, they find a way to give people access to that," he said. . . .

A bike trail across the West Bottoms will be good for property values, said Virginia Watson, chairwoman of Watco Resources Inc., just west of the Broadway bridge on the south bank of the Missouri River.

"I am excited about the trail because it exposes the metroplex to the history of this district," she said. . . .

Parks and trails also appeal to businesses because they appeal to employees, Trotter said.

permanent link to article: "KC Riverfront Heritage Trail progress"
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/10/2004 12:11:00 PM |comment on this article

The Springfield News-Leader has an article today about 80-year-old triathlete (and bicycle commuter) Ray Wageman.

Wageman bikes to work at the downtown YMCA from his home in east Springfield every weekday. His shift starts at 5 a.m. "I save one gallon of gas. That's $1.78 at today's prices," he says. . . .

Ray Wageman is hard to keep up with, and not only when he's talking.

"People show up (at races) and say, 'Man, I hope I can beat Ray,'" says Hood. "To have an 80-year-old guy beat you when you're in your 20s, you know, that's something. And he beats a lot of 20-year-olds. ... These are guys who are obviously very fit and competitive, but putting the whole package together is a challenge. Ray seems to do that well."

permanent link to article: "80-year old triathlete and bicycle commuter"
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/09/2004 09:45:00 PM |comment on this article

A couple of interesting links related to handcycling:

• A handcyclist email group (messages are readable on the web page and don't require an email subscription)
  
• A useful list of handcycle-related links

permanent link to article: "Handcycling"
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/07/2004 09:22:00 PM |comment on this article

Triathletes Glenn and Chris Bohannon are the subjects of a KCStar story:

Bohannon had forgotten his father's prior two birthdays. He knew his father, Glenn, was signed up for his first-ever Ironman race. So Bohannon gave his father a gift that required plenty of forethought — 12 months of intense training.

The gift was revealed a few months later when Glenn Bohannon was scanning the roster of the 2001 Ironman race in Panama City, Fla., on the Internet. Below his own name, he saw his son Chris.

The two competed in the mother of all triathlons together, finishing the 2.4-mile swim course, 112-mile bike ride and 26-mile run.

permanent link to article: "Triathlon is all in the family for Kansas City-area father and son"
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/07/2004 07:16:00 PM |comment on this article

Wichita cyclists give their advice for riding to work in a Wichita Eagle article:

Go to a bike shop, as opposed to Target and Wal-Mart, and get advice from the people there. . . . In the winter, wear a balaclava -- headgear that fits over the face and neck, leaving only the eyes exposed . . . Be visible, wearing bright clothing and staying out in the lane. Maintain a steady line so drivers can anticipate your course and pass safely. . . . A good way to carry things without lugging a backpack is to attach panniers or baskets to the bike.

More advice and stories from people who bike to work in Wichita is here.
permanent link to article: ""
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/06/2004 11:19:00 AM |comment on this article

Wichita cyclists give their advice for riding to work in a Wichita Eagle article:

Go to a bike shop, as opposed to Target and Wal-Mart, and get advice from the people there. . . . In the winter, wear a balaclava -- headgear that fits over the face and neck, leaving only the eyes exposed . . . Be visible, wearing bright clothing and staying out in the lane. Maintain a steady line so drivers can anticipate your course and pass safely. . . . A good way to carry things without lugging a backpack is to attach panniers or baskets to the bike.

More advice and stories from people who bike to work in Wichita is here.
permanent link to article: ""
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/06/2004 11:17:00 AM |comment on this article

Wichita cyclists give their advice for riding to work in a Wichita Eagle article:

Go to a bike shop, as opposed to Target and Wal-Mart, and get advice from the people there. . . . In the winter, wear a balaclava -- headgear that fits over the face and neck, leaving only the eyes exposed . . . Be visible, wearing bright clothing and staying out in the lane. Maintain a steady line so drivers can anticipate your course and pass safely. . . . A good way to carry things without lugging a backpack is to attach panniers or baskets to the bike.

permanent link to article: ""
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/06/2004 11:10:00 AM |comment on this article

In a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, endurance exercise was found to be as effective as a drug (diuretic) in mild cases of hypertension in older men and women:

The findings of this study suggest that a program of mild-to-moderate intensity exercise training can result in partial regression of increased LV [left ventricle] relative wall thickness and LVH [Left ventricular hypertrophy, or "enlarged heart"] that is similar to the effect induced by a thiazide diuretic.

Left ventricle relative wall thickness and LVH, or enlarged heart, are measured because they are good predictors of cardiac risk. That these factors improve with endurance exercise is a good sign of exercise's effectiveness in improving cardiovascular health.

Although hydrochlorothiazide is considerably more effective in reducing systolic blood pressure than exercise, metabolic adaptations that occur only with exercise training can provide significant additional clinical benefits that are not attainable with a thiazide diuretic.

Therefore, endurance exercise training appears to be a suitable treatment strategy in some older adults with mild hypertension because despite a smaller decrease in blood pressure, it can induce a comparable regression of cardiac mass with improvements in insulin resistance and aerobic capacity and because aggressive reduction of blood pressure by antihypertensive medications may not necessarily confer a greater protection against the risk of death in hypertensive elderly patients.

permanent link to article: "Study: Exercise helps blood pressure"
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/06/2004 11:07:00 AM |comment on this article

In a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, endurance exercise was found to be as effective as a drug (diuretic) in mild cases of hypertension in older men and women:

The findings of this study suggest that a program of mild-to-moderate intensity exercise training can result in partial regression of increased LV [left ventricle] relative wall thickness and LVH [Left ventricular hypertrophy, or "enlarged heart"] that is similar to the effect induced by a thiazide diuretic.

Left ventricle relative wall thickness and LVH, or enlarged heart, are measured because they are good predictors of cardiac risk. That these factors improve with endurance exercise is a good sign of exercise's effectiveness in improving cardiovascular health.

Although hydrochlorothiazide is considerably more effective in reducing systolic blood pressure than exercise, metabolic adaptations that occur only with exercise training can provide significant additional clinical benefits that are not attainable with a thiazide diuretic.

Therefore, endurance exercise training appears to be a suitable treatment strategy in some older adults with mild hypertension because despite a smaller decrease in blood pressure, it can induce a comparable regression of cardiac mass with improvements in insulin resistance and aerobic capacity and because aggressive reduction of blood pressure by antihypertensive medications may not necessarily confer a greater protection against the risk of death in hypertensive elderly patients.

permanent link to article: "Study: Exercise helps blood pressure"
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/05/2004 07:58:00 PM |comment on this article

Now is the time and today is the day for your business/corporation to join others in your community in a great event, -- SHAPE UP MISSOURI! -- a program of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health (GCPFH). In Missouri 60% of adults are overweight or obese. One of the primary reasons for obesity is lack of physical activity. With 26.5% of Missouri's adults having no leisure-time physical activity and 44.1% of high school students not being enrolled in physical education classes, Missourians suffer from many chronic diseases caused by obesity. Costs associated with obesity in Missouri are estimated at $1.6 billion.

Governor Holden believes it is time to take action against obesity and all the diseases to which it leads, by kicking off the 2nd annual SHAPE UP MISSOURI! program. This year SHAPE UP MISSOURI! will kick off on September 13th and run through November 5th (Registration begins July 1st) with individuals, families and seniors from your community registering to participate in the challenge. Join them by registering online on the Single Adult/Senior Citizen registration form. You will be assigned to the proper community by the zip code you provide on the form.

Please report to your community leader (contact information will be provided by September 13th) each Monday indicating whether or not you participated in some kind of physical activity during the previous week. Each Tuesday the community leader will send in a newly tabulated percentage of those who participated to the GCPFH. On Thursday check out the web site and see where your community ranks. At the end of the 8 week program the community with the highest percentage of participants will be recognized as the "City in the Best Shape." Special awards will be presented at a festive ceremony following the conclusion of the challenge.

This is going to be an exciting, statewide competition. You will appreciate the benefits of better health as you become more physically active. Your heart will be strengthened, stress reduced and fun will be enjoyed.

If you have any questions concerning SHAPE UP MISSOURI!, please contact our office at (573) 751-0915 or email us at fitness@oa.mo.gov. We are looking forward to you being a member of our SHAPE UP MISSOURI'S CAN DO CREW.

This year SHAPE UP MISSOURI! is proud to announce that the St. Louis Metro Area is joining the Governor's Council CAN DO CREW by establishing the Get Hooked on Health St. Louis program. St. Louis Metro area participants will jockey against the other teams across the state to determine what community has "THE BEST SHAPE". Also, communities in the St. Louis Metro area will compete against one another for the highest participation percentage. Check out the challenge results weekly at www.mofitness.org/shapeupmo.htm. For more information regarding Get Hooked on Health St. Louis go to www.GetHookedOnHealth.com. St. Louis communities, schools and businesses will also be ranked in the Missouri challenges in each category. Those results can also be found at the "mofitness" web site. permanent link to article: "Governor Holden's Fitness Challenge"
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/01/2004 01:42:00 PM |comment on this article

Fropm a Raytown Post article:

Twenty-one bicyclists rode through Raytown Wednesday, tired, weary and bruised, but unbeaten.

It was the first day since they left Virginia Beach, Va., two weeks ago that they had tackled 100 miles in a day—Sadalia to Raytown.

The 21 college students from Harvard to Clemson, from Vermont to Arizona, are aboard a journey of a lifetime that will take them from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean over a trek of 3,700 miles, mountains and deserts, cities and open land, along back roads and dusty trails.

Though most of them had never met before, they are bound by a common thread that pulls them all together for a cause they desperately believe in: Affordable housing.

“Affordable housing in America is such an important issue that 21 college students are willing to give up their summer to impact the way people view it,” said Joseph Godsey, one of three leaders of this journey.

Bike and Build, as they’re called, has 81 members on three separate journeys to support Habitat for Humanity and other non-profit affordable housing builders such as Rebuilding Together and Hearts for Hammers.

Read the complete article on the Bike & Build web journal for June 16th (under "comments"). The Bike & Build riders also had a comment about Missouri's famous rumble strips:

[A]nother slightly different roadside obstacle would be rumble strips. Why on God’s green earth would someone from a department of transportation put rumble strips clear across a 7 foot shoulder . . .

permanent link to article: "Biking and Building a Better Community"
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/01/2004 01:22:00 PM |comment on this article

This year's Race Across America is almost wrapped up (only two riders left on the road as I write). The Corvallis Gazette-Times has an interesting article about what it's all about, by a crew member of one of the two-person teams:

The mysteries of RAAM are always in the why.

It is especially confounding to a sedentary nation, revealed with frightening regularity this past week in the prevalence of overweight and/or over-smoked Americans, whether the locale was the onion fields of California's Imperial Valley, the speedboat-streaked Lake of the Ozarks or the coal mines of West Virginia.

"They're going from where? ... To where?" was the common question, uttered with incredulity.

Invariably, in the many times we were approached in restaurants and filling stations, the next question was how many cars were in this race from San Diego to Atlantic City.

permanent link to article: "Reflections of a RAAM crew member"
posted by Brent Hugh at 7/01/2004 10:29:00 AM |comment on this article