A Message from the President  

     As we embark on our October events, we can look back upon many great rides that have occurred with our Club this past month. 

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, members of the Crankin' and a B+ group met after paying homage to the fallen at a memorial in Lake Grove. Three different Century groups (2 B+'s and a AA) went out to West Hampton Beach on the 19th, which I believe is a Club record.

     We are proud to announce the designation of Life Member to: 

Ross Moore.  Ross was the HBC Treasurer for 15 years, and was the Manager (equipment, food, Port-o-Potties, even cutting the watermelon at registration) of the Gold Coast for as many years, if not more. His presence has been sorely missed these past years, and we certainly would love his in-put when we start having a Gold Coast again.

     Looking ahead to October for the Club:

                   In October rides start at 8:30 from Smith Street.

On  October 10, CycleNY is sponsoring rides starting and ending at the Stony Brookside Bed and Bike Inn. A great cause, benefitting an organization that is involved in creating and maintaining bicycle routes and paths around Long Island, I hope you will sign up for this and demonstrate an HBC presence by wearing your Club Jersey.

.

       Please come to the Zoom Club Meeting on October 20th at 7 PM. 

Tom Gernon from Trek in Plainview will be presenting.

At this meeting, we will be accepting nominations for the Executive Board and Officers. 

                 A message from the Board:

            All active club members will be receiving an email with a link to the Online Nomination form. You must be logged into the club website to complete the nomination. The email will be going out about a week before the October 20^th Club meeting and will close 2 days before the meeting, so the Board of Directors can review any nominations and produce a Ballot slate.

     The email will list the Board selected slate of Officers and Board positions. In addition, all club members in good standing will be able to nominate themselves or any other member for any of the positions. There will be spaces for each position, where names can be written in for nomination.

     The results of the Nominations will be announced at the October 20th meeting as the Official Election Ballot. For the Elections, everyone will be receiving another email about a week before the November 9^th meeting containing an election ballot.

Look for an email reminding you of this process!

Take care, and see you at the Zoom meeting on October 20!

Karen

How to Buy a Bike Online

OUR HANDY GUIDE TO WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU CLICK BUY.

BY JOE LINDSEY

Sep 8, 2021

Buying a bike can be life changing. While we’re still in the middle of an ongoing pandemic, more and more people are turning to local bike shops to find their new mode of transportation.

If your shop is low on options you like, thankfully buying a bike online is as easy as clicking a button on a website. In the U.S., dozens of bike brands of varied size have models that range from online-only with direct shipping to customers (Canyon and Commencal, for example), to hybrid digital/physical models like Trek’s and Giant’s, where you’ll still work with a local retailer for delivery and service. 

Past that, there are a number of online retailers like Competitive Cyclist, Jenson, and REI where you can purchase high-end road, mountain, and gravel bikes whenever the time is right.

But is purchasing a bike online right for you? And how to buy a bike online when there are so many details you want to get right, like fit? There are pluses and minuses to buying digitally versus in store. Here’s what you need to know before you proceed with that big purchase and buy a bike online:

• What you want: Brands provide different levels of advice, education, and support for prospective customers. Chat is most common, but not the only tool.

• Your size: Some online sellers have detailed online bike fit calculators; others only have basic rule-of-thumb charts. Few address complex issues like injury and mobility. You might need more in-person help from a physical shop.

• How delivery and assembly work: Some online sellers deliver fully assembled bikes; others rely on you to do the work, which means you need the tools and knowledge.

• Who helps with service and warranty issues: Is there a local partner who can help, or will you need to contact the bike brand directly?

One thing is for sure when it comes to knowing how to buy a bike online: it is here to stay, and it’s changing how traditional shops work. “There’s an emerging consumer class that are digital natives,” says Trek spokesman Eric Bjorling. “Bike shops will still be pillars of community, but you’ll see more and more bikes sold online.”

Finding out what you want

You probably are already researching online, comparing models and prices from brand to brand. But what if you have questions that aren’t answered by the spec sheet? Most brands selling direct, as well as some online retailers, use online chat as a primary interaction.

“Chat is the most effective tool we have,” says Sharon Yu, general manager for the American arm of consumer-direct brand Bulls Bikes (Bulls also has a dealer network). The key is whether it’s done well; you’ll learn pretty quickly whether you’re speaking with a chatbot that can only handle basic inquiries or a real, live human who can answer questions about fit and component spec.

Other tools include YouTube videos, FAQs, and toll-free numbers. You should also check out reviews, both ours and from owners. Check several sources—manufacturers may scrub their own sites of poor reviews. Pay attention to whether there are consistent mentions of good or bad customer service.

• Online shopping pro:You can do your research and even buy when you want, without being bound to shop hours. Mark Lynskey, who founded Litespeed and now runs online brandLynskey Titanium Bicycles, said that one time a surgeon bought a bike during a break between operations.
  
  
• Online shopping con:You may have to dig for information much more than you would at a shop, talkingwith a knowledgeable employee.

Getting the right size

Speaking of chat, probably the top question asked regarding how to buy a bike online is, “What’s the right size for me?” say sources we spoke with. The answers, and how they’re delivered, are broad. 

Bulls provides a size recommendation based on height and inseam, a common approach for online retailers. Trek encourages customers to visit a local dealer if they don’t know what size they need, but if they’re between sizes, chat can usually help them settle. Chat can be effective… if the seller has expert help. “If someone doesn’t know what they need, we can walk them through it, like a shop would,” says Lynskey. “I appreciate people’s anxiety over this, but it’s extremely rare. It’s not even once a month that we get a return for the wrong size.”

Online retailers vary. Competitive Cyclist and Jenson have detailed interactive fit calculators, while outfits like REI have basic geometry charts only, leaving you to figure out what size is right for you.

One option: Get a basic bike fit at a local shop, on your current bike. (And pick up some accessories while you’re there to show your support if you’re not getting a bike direct from the store.) You’ll have comfort in knowing that you’re at least getting the right size frame.

• Online shopping pro:Online sellers have more stock than physical ones, so you don’t have to hunt for the right size. And, you can wait for sales or comparison shop.
  
  
• Online shopping con:An online seller may be little help in determining the right size. If you get it wrong, returns are more of a hassle than at a physical shop.

Handling delivery and assembly

Online sellers use a variety of ways to get you your bike. Some, like Trek, use local dealers; others partner with mobile service franchises like VeloFix or Beeline Bikes. Velofix has delivery partnerships with a number of brands including Canyon, Rad, and Priority, while Beeline partners with Raleigh and Diamondback, among others. (Canyon also offers direct shipping to buyers.)” Expect more partnerships to follow. Still others ship directly to your home. 

Partner shops provide expert assembly, but investigate the last option closely. The central questions: how much assembly is required? And will it require specialized tools, like a torque wrench?

The level of home assembly relies on two primary variables: the type of box used and the amount of care in the factory build. Some direct-to-consumer brands use oversize boxes, like the “cheese wedge” AirCaddy that reduce user assembly to simply attaching the front wheel, setting seat height, and maybe spinning on pedals. Others use standard-size bike boxes, which require the buyer to attach the stem and handlebars, and possibly other items. If you don’t have the proper tools or knowledge, you risk making a mistake like over-torquing a bolt and damaging parts or even voiding a warranty. If you’ll be handling assembly, make sure the brand outlines the tools you need and has clear, thorough instructions, either print manuals or step-by-step video guides, or both.

The care and quality of original assembly at the factory varies widely. Some sellers, like Lynskey and Competitive Cyclist, have professional mechanics who assemble, tune, and prep every bike to ensure everything is properly adjusted before light dis-assembly and packing. But some factory-direct ship bikes will have only basic assembly: shifting isn’t adjusted, hydraulic brakes may need to be bled, and spokes could be improperly tensioned. This is where owner reviews come in most handy: if the seller has consistent build quality problems, they’ll show up here. If in doubt, ask the seller what their process involves.

• Online shopping pro:Shop partners, franchises, and sellers who use oversize boxes offer consistently higher quality assembly.
  
  
• Online shopping con:Big boxes are more expensive to ship; you may have to deal with quality control issues; you’re responsible for damage on DIY assembly.

How to deal with service, returns, and warranties

Before you click buy, check out three things: how the brand handles returns of damaged items, how it handles warranties, and where you’ll take the bike for routine service. (This isn’t an issue for brands like Trek, with local shop partners.)

Returns: New Bike Day is the best, but don’t get carried away with excitement. When the box arrives, carefully inspect it for obvious damage like big rips in the cardboard or a hole where an axle is poking through. Typically, you’ll make a claim first with the shipper, so don’t unpack the bike. Instead, document the damage with photos and contact the shipper with a claim. Notify the brand or retailer as well; returns usually have a limited window and you want them to know you received damaged goods. Most brands will provide free returns of damaged items, but be wary of ones that require you to cover shipping costs or pay restocking fees in those cases.

If the box is in good shape, unpack, but pay attention to internal damage, like a bent disc rotor, or paint damaged by loose items in the box (which is bad packaging hygiene by the brand). Again, document all damage and contact the shipper and seller. The damage we see most frequently on shipped bikes is bent rear derailleur hangers. These can often be easily straightened with special tools, but it’s common enough that you’ll want to check for it; if the derailleur pulleys don’t seem aligned with the cogs, the hanger is probably bent. Take it to a shop.

For other returns, check the seller’s policy carefully. “We get a lot of questions about returns,” says Yu. “Our policy is very straightforward: We stand behind everything we sell.” That’s consistent with other brands we spoke with. But read the return policy carefully because terms vary from company to company. Bulls, for instance, offers a replacement/refund within 15 days of purchase on unused equipment—you can take it for a parking lot test ride, but not much more. Competitive Cyclist offers a 30-day refund on unused bikes, but only store credit for a used (undamaged) bike. Lynskey offers the most generous policy we found: “You’ve got 45 days to evaluate your bike and if you don’t like it, you can exchange it or swap parts, or send it back for a refund,” Lynskey says. Don’t abuse the bike, but you can ride it normally. 

• Online shopping pro:brands like Lynskey, with a generous return policy, are essentially giving you a multi-day demo on home roads.
  
  
• Online shopping con:If something is wrong, returns can be a hassle even if costs are covered.

Warranty: This is essential for consumer-direct brands that don’t have local retailers handling warranty claims. The seller should always be your first stop for a warranty issue. A branded part like, say, a suspension fork, can sometimes be warrantied direct to that company, but the bike seller is often the first point of contact for determining where you need to go. For any house-brand or unbranded parts, the seller is your only contact. Make sure to get a return authorization number and shipping label, and follow up if you haven’t heard anything after 10 business days. You should at least get a notification that the claim is in process.

• Online shopping pro:A good online seller will be a reliable warranty partner; you just have to ship items.
  
  
• Online shopping con:If customer service is bad, you may be stuck without many other options.

Service: Any professional bike shop can work on pretty much any bike. And some online brands, like Lynskey, have a hybrid shop model where a local retailer gets credit for a sale in their area (Trek’s system is similar). That gives you a ready-made service option.

Without that shop relationship, some buyers feel uneasy bringing a brand known for online sales into a shop for service. Our simple advice: Don’t be. A professional shop will work on almost any bike unless the part in question is ruined. If they give you grief for buying online, go to a different shop.

• Online shopping pro:Shops are generally much less resistant to servicing direct-to-consumer brands.
  
  
• Online shopping con:If your bike features any proprietary technology or house-brand parts, getting replacements could be more complicated, and shops may be unfamiliar with integrated technology from that brand.

Ultimately, you have to decide what makes you comfortable

Online buyers span a broad range. Trek’s Bjorling said that some of the most popular models have been kids bikes, since all color options are available online and might not be in local stores. On the other hand, Lynskey says his customers are experienced, knowledgeable cyclists who know exactly what they want and have no trouble clicking “Buy” on a $6,000 purchase.

Ultimately, it’ll come down to your cycling comfort level. Lynskey says that his overriding service philosophy is to make the customer happy. Even when customers return products, they’re satisfied by the experience. But if you have reservations that you can’t set aside, don’t force it; a good bike shop can help guide every step of your purchase and, as Bjorling noted, is a community resource in a way that no online seller can be.

Tricks to Help You Climb Better on Your Bike

THESE SIMPLE STRATEGIES WILL MAKE EVEN THE HARDEST CLIMB A LITTLE (OR A LOT) EASIER.

BY SELENE YEAGER

Mar 12, 2021

You can be a walking pair of lungs atop a set of monster quads and still struggle up climbs without the right pacing, approach, and technique. Maestros of the mountains ascend with such grace and ease by employing these mental strategies along with smart technique. Here’s how to pull it all together.

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Top Off at the Bottom

If it’s been a while since you’ve eaten or if you’re heading into a particularly long climb, give yourself a shot of fuel at the base before you start. Your mind and muscles will get a nice energy boost, and it’s far easier to take a bite of a  banana or bar when you’re rolling easy on the relative flats than once you’re borderline hypoxic and seeing spots halfway up.

Think Light, Ride Quiet

Apply what climbing specialist Andy Applegate calls Qigong climbing, a technique that blends positive thinking with relaxed technique. As you approach the climb, think “light” thoughts—clouds, birds, angels, whatever lightens up your mental space. Then, start with your face and progressively relax your body down to your feet, being sure to release any unnecessary tension, particularly in your shoulders, which should be down and relaxed, and your hands, which should be loosely gripping the bars (not white-knuckling them). “You want your upper body so quiet that if someone were to film you from the waist up, they wouldn’t be able to tell if you were climbing or just riding along,” Applegate says.

Apply the same quiet posture approach when you stand. Keep your shoulders squared and facing forward, as if you were balancing beer glasses on them. Avoid dropping them from side-to-side, which will waste energy and send you weaving up the slope like a drunken paperboy.

Maintain Your Power Position

Taking full, deep breaths is important to quiet your mind and to deliver fresh oxygenated blood to your legs. Do it by keeping your back straight and chest open, to allow maximum airflow into your lungs. Relax your arms so that your elbows are outside of your hips. When it’s time to stand, click into the next larger gear, and stand on the top of the pedal stroke to minimize loss of momentum. Stand with your rear end over the saddle, keeping your weight centered over the bottom bracket. 

Avoid leaning forward, which unweights the rear and can cause skidding, or make you inadvertently toss your bike backward, which is alarming and potentially dangerous for any riders who may be close behind. You should feel like you’re lightly running uphill on the pedals, allowing the bike to rock gently, but not excessively, from side-to-side.

Give Your Legs Help

When the grade gets so steep that you’re sliding into standstill (and topple) territory, tuck your elbows into your sides, dip your torso toward the bars, and gently but firmly pull back on the bars with every downstroke. This lets you transfer power from your upper body through your core and into your legs to assist you in forward progress. 

Finish Faster Than You Start

You don’t beat a giant by going after its feet; you take aim at the head. Remember that up your next monster climb. Rather than attacking the foot of the climb and petering out before you reach the summit, dial back your pace until it feels easier than you want it to, just below your lactate threshold or FTP. 

Then, ramp up your speed as you get closer to the top, and attack over the summit—and likely sail by everyone who is collapsing from starting out too fast.

Channel Your Mojo

No matter how many butterflies you visualize, happy songs you sing in your head, or how well you eat and drink, you’re bound to have spells of sinking morale on long, hard, hilly days, especially if you’re doing consecutive long, hard, hilly days in a bike tour or multi-day ride. That’s when some visual aids help. 

During the Pennsylvania Perimeter Ride Against Cancer (PPRAC), a hellishly hilly 7-day ride I do every two years, riders tape pictures of loved ones who have battled (and maybe lost the battle to) cancer to their top tubes for inspiration. Even pro riders will tape photos and inspiring messages to their bikes for added inspiration. As professional cyclocross rider Jeremy Powers once told Bicycling, when all else fails, “this will give you something to focus on besides the pain in your legs and lungs.”

A Mural of Legendary Cyclist Major Taylor Is Unveiled in Indianapolis

DESPITE FACING RELENTLESS RACISM, TAYLOR DOMINATED THE RACE SCENE AT A TIME WHEN CYCLING WAS THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR SPORT.

A five-story mural honoring Major Taylor, the first African American to win a world championship in any sport, was officially unveiled on Thursday, September 9, in his home town of Indianapolis.

Born Marshall Walter Taylor in 1878, he broke seven cycling world records and won a world championship during his career, overcoming racial prejudice nearly every pedal stroke along the way. 

The mural—which is part of the Bicentennial Legends series, celebrating Indianapolis becoming a city—is located on the side of the Barnes and Thornburg law office on the corner of Washington and Meridian streets in downtown Indianapolis. It’s near the site of the bike shop where a 12-year-old Taylor earned his famous nickname by performing cycling stunts outside the shop while wearing a military uniform.

The idea for the mural was conceived by local cyclists Anthony Bridgeman and Dan Lee nearly four years to the day of the official unveiling. Chicago artist Shawn Warrenwas chosen from multiple candidates to create the massive piece of art, which took nearly three months to complete. Warren knew little about Taylor’s life before embarking on the project—most of what he did know came from a Hennessy ad—but as Warren delved into his research, a more complete image of Taylor began to form. 

“I wanted to not only acknowledge [Taylor] as a cyclist, but, more importantly, as a man, with dignity and character,” Warren told Bicycling. “He dealt with an extreme amount of racism while navigating this white-dominated sport, but still managed to break records and win world championships.” 

The top image represents a young Taylor, hopeful and ambitious, while the middle shows a man hardened by trials, but more determined than ever. The bottom image of Taylor on his bike is a nod to his record- and barrier-breaking career.

Indianapolis has honored Major Taylor before—the local velodrome is named after him, and there’s a historical marker alongside the popular Monon Trail—but the mural may be the largest honor in one of the most high-profile locations in the city.

The city wasn’t always so kind to Taylor, a fact that Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett somewhat subtly addressed during his remarks during the official unveiling of the mural. Relentless racism forced Taylor to move east, first to Massachusetts and later to France. Throughout his career, he faced obstacles that would be insurmountable to nearly any other man; many race promoters banned him from competing due to his race, and competitors would often try to seriously injure him on the track.

But despite that, Taylor dominated the race scene at a time when cycling was the most popular sport in the world. After retiring from racing, Taylor would eventually go broke, even selling his autobiography door to door in Chicago, before passing away at the age of 53 in 1932. 

So how would Major Taylor feel about the mural? 

“Seeing it [for the first time], I think a flood of memories would come back,” Taylor’s great-granddaughter Karen Brown Donovan said during the unveiling ceremony. “Both happy memories—of family and friends, being given his first bicycle, and first [being] called Major, his first gold medal at the age of 13—and moments of sadness from the discrimination and adversity he faced. But [as he wrote in his book] life’s too short to hold bitterness in your heart. Ultimately I think he would have been proud and deliriously happy to be remembered in the city of his birth.”

About 100 local dignitaries and cyclists were on hand for the unveiling, including multiple champions past and present like L39ION’s Justin Williams, former Olympic silver medalist Nelson Vails, and Rashaan Bahati. 

“I started off my career on a Major Taylor-affiliated cycling club,” Williams said during the ceremony. “He was my standard; I wore his silhouette every time I went to the line.” 

To further honor Taylor, Williams plans to call USA Cycling, SRAM (their Zipp subsidiary is based in Indianapolis and the company was a major financial backer of the mural project), and others to elevate the Momentum Indy crit race, taking place on Saturday, September 11, to greater importance on the national calendar. 

“This is an incredible first step, but I see a lot of first steps,” Williams told Bicycling. “This has to be just the beginning. There’s an opportunity here for the cycling community and industry to make something bigger happen next year.”

How to Increase Your Cycling Speed

Coach David, 

On my solo training rides, I’m having difficulty improving my average cycling speed over flat and rolling terrain. Can you provide any tips?

The first and easiest way to become a faster cyclist is to improve your overall fitness. Increasing your aerobic power (the ability of your muscles to use the oxygen received from your heart and lungs to produce energy) is essential. This, plus proper cadence and gearing, is the key to maintaining forward momentum and improving your overall speed.

 It’s not how fast you go, it’s how you go fast! 

Here are three tips for training rides over flat to rolling terrain. This strategy will help you establish a higher average speed to push over the climbs and power through the valleys. 

1. Attack.Approach every climb with focused intention, and force yourself to recover as best as you can on the downhill. Maintain a balanced cadence between 73 and 83 rpm, depending on your fitness level. Recover on the descent to bring your heart rate down and keep pedaling under control.
2. Control. Sustain a controlled, safe, and high-speed effort when descending to maintain a high average speed. Most importantly, keep your head up and scan the road ahead for a clear line down the hill.
3. Power.Maintain forward momentum to power through flats with higher than usual cadence, speed, and heart rate controls. On the flats and rolling terrain, employ proper gearing and cadence control between 79 and 93 rpm, manage your heart rate, and maintain your forward momentum throughout the ride. 

If you follow these training tips, you’ll see your average cycling speed improve in no time.

Coach David Lipscombis the owner and head cycling coach ofCIS Training Systemsin New York City. You can find more of his advice and training tips on Instagram@bicyclingmag.

 

 

 

Minutes from the

September 9, 2021

General Meeting of the Huntington Bicycle Club

President-Karen

Acknowledged Marvin Gerber is getting a hip replacement, wishing him a speedy recovery!

The Board has been meeting to discuss plans for next year. 

•  There will be no winter party

• We will be working on designing new Club /Gold Coast Jerseys for next year (our 40^th Anniversary) 

• Please let us know if you want a ride that has not been posted

•   If you want to be a ride leader we will help you

John Ray from Kids Need More spoke about his charity and where our donation is going (for children with cancer)

1. Holiday cheer bus to serve the community to bring gifts. Sunday before Christmas 
2. Drive in movies
3. Camp this summer for cancer survivors

The Stony Brookside Bed and Bike Inn, Martin spoke about events

1. Sign the petition to finally build the Robert Moses Causeway bikeway
2. Three foot law
3. Long Island Greenway
4. Stony Brookside CycleNY Long Island ride, Oct. 10
5. Will put on the hbc ride calendar
6. North Shore rail trail
7. Setauket Greenway safety issues
8. Extension of the Empire trail to Long Island, yay!

Secretary’s report-Pat stated that post Covid procedures are too cumbersome- a discussion followed.

Vice President/Ride Chairman’s report-John would like comments on the Huntington bike club site, and sign-up process.

         There will not be a winter dinner, but we will be bestowing Ride Leader Awards.

John encouraged people to join in and sign up for rides. If there isn’t one for your level posted, contact him and he’ll post one up for you!

 ,

Treasurer’s report - Gregg

1. decent shape going into this year. 
2. The Gold Coast will be able to occur
3. To consider changing banks due to new fees. Will take it up with the board
4. Proposed budgets have been approved
5. Dues increase have been approved for next year: $30 individual and $40 family

Gold Coast report- Steve

1. July 10th is the date for next year’s Gold Coast
2. First thing to do is get permits

Webmaster’s report- Malachy

1. Elections will be held on line. Nominations in October for the November 9^thelections.
2. Board will put up the slate of officers up for election, or anyone can put in a name (a member in good standing for the last 2 years)
3. Results will be announced at the following meeting
4. New webpage on Ebike information to be posted

Membership report- Sal

1. Ten new members
2. Membership stable
3. Has slowed down due to time of year

Safety report-Arne 

A group of eight people is an ideal ride number for staying together. If everyone has lights, this can work with ten. With twelve, many missed lights break down the cohesiveness of the ride leading to safety issues and large distances between the riders.

Old Business

New Business (announcements)

Next Meeting:

Wed. 10/20-Speaker will be Tom from the Trek shop in Plainview

Respectfully,

Patricia Kalvar