Conference noted::bicycle

I've also been thinking about off season lately. When the clocks change this 
weekend it really puts a damper on commuting by bike. I don't have a big commute
just a couple of miles. So I don't get any exercise in going straight home. A 
long ride after work is now out of the question. Most of my riding is done
with a "friendly" lunchtime riding group. It has turned into a 5 day stage race
and I'm getting really sick of it. Road riding is getting more and more like 
work.

So now instead of the normal ride at lunch thoughout the winter on my fixed gear
bike I'm thinking about buying my first mountain bike. There are a lot of trails 
near SHR. So lunchtime might find me in the woods on the MT-Bike.

If we get snow this year I'll dig out my X-country skis and hit the trails at 
lunch once and a while. 

When I find myself not getting out that much I'll start weight training in my 
house on my universal along with a half hour on the windtrainer or stair climber.

Most of all STAY THIN!

No pigging out. I've started this part already. My diet is changing. I'm 
staying away from faty foods and foods high in calories.  Trying to burn off
calories in the winter by staying as active as you do in the summer is 
next to impossible. You have to change your diet or you'll gain weight.
The holidays you have to pig out but don't let it change you back into a 
food eating machine that can't be stopped.

Most of all have fun. Thinking about getting a jump on everyone else by riding
like a mad person all winter, will find you in the best shape you've ever been 
in by the spring but by July you'll be done. Burned-out, cooked and slow.

Tom

    
    
      Ditto on the staying thin part. I've already jumped up 4 pounds and
    then back down a little. Yes I agree you have to change the diet. It
    sounds so simple but in fact it can be hard to realize.
    
                                                             Wayne V

Off Season?  Whats that?  You mean you stop riding?

Come on, what a little ice and snow.  Put the studded tires on!

...Ed

    I saw them out at Gus' in North Hampton the other day.  Off road chains!
    
    He doesn't have any in stock (just the showroom one) but will have them
    soon.  They look like they weigh maybe 1 half pound per wheel.
    
    It's two wires one on each sid of the tire with loops every 6-7 inches
    with a link chain in the loop and the link chain crosses the tire
    tread.
    
    ed

Couldn't agree more on the staying thin aspect. I'll have to stop buying that
rum and raisin ice-cream.

I've started swimming, which I'm not honestly that keen on, and I'm considering
doing some running, which I honestly loathe. I'll do some cross-country skiing
when La Vattay opens (the snow is here already!) and I'll keep riding when
the weather allows, which it hasn't recently - constant rain.


Rod

TRAINING
========
I'm too old to try anything fancy, I'll just stick to the old fashioned 
things, I think.  At mid-year I was on target for 10,000 km for 1992, but I 
had a diasastrous August thanks to a virus, when I did 332 km in 5 weeks and 
a pluvious October, about 300 km in 4 weeks, so I think I will settle for 
8,000, just a bit below last year's total.  The only thing that cheers me 
up is the thought that I must have topped 325,000 km (200,000 miles) in my 
biking life.
	� about 150km per week between now and end of February
		- 2 x 40km @ lunchtime
		- 1 x 70km @ weekend, (or some combination)
		(I still have an extension to finish.....)
	� a bit of home-trainer - really boring but better than nothing.
	� Other
		- JW is trying to get me to go to the Gym, perhaps when
		  we move to Les Templiers I will but I am very wary
		  of injury.
		- running ? Not b---- likely.
		- XC ski-ing?  Maybe, it depends on the finances, and we
		  don't have very reliable snow conditions.
	� Health
		- next week I'm going to try an anti-flu jab, being over
		  the hill and in addition a sufferer from bad throats
		  and lung infections.  This is the first time ever and
		  I am in 2 minds about it, but I'll give it a try.
		- Multi-vitamins (+multi-minerals)
		- Try not to over-eat (!!!)
		- finish the dental treatment started in October.

OBJECTIVES
==========
I rode 3 cyclo-sportifs and got 3 Silvers, I'd like to ride some different 
ones, but I'd dearly love to get a Gold in Le Bouquet!(the only one where I 
think it's a "maybe")  Plan will most likely be:
	� Le Bouquet (4th time)
	� L'Epervier (4th time)
	� Les Copains (1st time)
	� La Tommy Simpson (2nd time)
but I'm open to La Resistance, Les Portes, and La Bernard Hinault provided
I'm not on the dole by then!!
Plus..
	� Brevet du Randonneurs Ni�ois (320km in 2 days for cyclotourists 
	  and 21 hours for sportifs)
	� (something stupid like The Raid)

The key I think to improving will be to make sure I manage to hang onto the 
back of some good groups rather than getting ripped out early and having to 
fight by myself in the latter stages.  The problem I find is that I am 
slower than most early on and stronger than most in the end.  Best advice 
here is to get warmed up before hand, but this is self-defeating because 
you end up starting at the back and have to work even harder to get to your 
comfortable position.

EQUIPMENT
=========
I probably need to do something about my wheels - depending on the finances
it will be a rebuild or some new hubs preferably water-tight (this is the 
goal for '93, - keeping the water out!).  As usual, my headsets are all on 
the way out and need replacing.

Other than that, I think it will be as before, 3 rings and 7 cogs for the 
transmission - maybe a sealed BB unit.  I'd like to try some of the 
Hutchinson 20 mm tyres I saw at the end of L'Epervier, but that's about it.

    My total mileage for the last 7 weeks is 0 miles, so I suppose I'm in
    off season right now - a bit early but that was the way things turned
    out.
    
    I am doing 3 days a week on the Nautilus weeghts (a first of me) and I'm 
    even doing upper body exercise.  This keeps me from going completely loopy
    and seems to be having some effect.  The only trouble is that it's not
    aerobic excercise so I am now completely unfit and I have a suspicion
    of a spare tyre appearing.  Unless anyone tells me I'm wrong I'll carry
    on with strength workl until mid-late novemeber when I'll oput it on a
    care and maintenance basis and start on aerobic fitness.  In
    preparation for this I intend to get the `Lactic acid book'  (I cannot
    remember the title but I know it when I see it).  
    
    I badly don't want to overdo things in what is, after all the off
    season, and try next year to make my cycling season last a bit longer
    than September.  So I am trying to not be too religeous about going to
    the gym and eating all the right stuff.....

	Two weeks ago I took the plunge and joined a nearby gym.  I've
	started weight training 3 times per week, and started taking
	(don't laugh) aerobics classes.  Y'know, I thought I was in 
	pretty decent shape. A week ago I took my first Step
	Aerobics class ever (it's like regular aerobics but you step 
	up and down on a platform at the same time).  Well, the next
	day I could barely get out of bed!  Seriously!  I'd used all 
	sorts of muscles that hadn't been worked in ages.  Like the 
	muscles on the insides and outsides of my legs.  We also did
	tons of ab work and I was in severe pain when I tried to sit up.

	Two days after the class I was still walking funny and Mark wanted
	to get in a mountain bike ride.  I didn't know if I'd be able to,
	but tried anyway.  I was fine!  My biking muscles had no problems.
	It was all the others that were in pain.

	I'm also trying to road and mtn bike when possible.  I think I'll 
	be able to mtn bike further into the season.

	When the snow flies I'll be downhill skiing.  I find that doing
	lots of moguls really work the quads.  If we get *lot's* of snow
	I'll also try to do some X-Country skiing for the aerobic workout.

	I've also got to throttle back on my eating....  what a bummer.

	Sue

     Re; weight training once a week...  Wayne, just a little suggestion.
         You won't derive any physical benefits from a program like that.
         The general rule is that once you reach a 72+ hour "break" from
         weight training you've lost the benefit. You may want to fill in
         with something else or develop a routine of something like 3
         times a week...
    
     Re; Me... Well, I generally take 6-8 weeks off the bicycle during
         the holiday season (I just give up - I get to decadent).
    
         But, I will do weight training (legs) and sit-ups, and dips/chin-
         ups routines. I'll start this when I get off the bicycle and
         through my "cellar-trainer" season which is usually from wk.1
         Jan. through whenever I can get on the road again. Last winter
         was the first time I did things like squats and leg presses and
         it seemed to help.
    
         I also shoot in a USRA pistol league in the winter so that will
         help fill up some time.
    
         I generally pick up between 5-10lbs. during the off-time. It
         appears that I'm gaining less each year though and getting lower
         during the summer season - metabolic changes, I guess...
    
         Chip

    
    Out here in the Midwest, we can ride all winter...we bundle up and
    go...(there's a group of us in the office that ride together
    frequently).
    
    We also work out together...we have invested in a library of "Buns of
    Steel" workout tapes and we're known as the BOS group. We run the tapes
    in one of the conference rooms at 5:15 everyday for the whole
    office...whoever shows up, works out...whoever doesn't, they suffer
    from the harassment.  It's a great leg workout ( as well as the buns )
    and we do abs everynight too.
    
    For me personally, I ride the trainer in the basement (oh boy ;^)
    ); do super sets at the gym (running and lifting combined); as well as
    play racquetball for the cardiovascular; and an ocassional volleyball
    game.
    
    Needless to say, I like variety.  I do "something" everyday...the group
    tries.
    
    I found that watching my diet (low-fat) has helped my road riding
    tremendously. This is hard...but it's worth it.  This spring, I plan on
    being an animal!
    
    Looking for the smooth roads....
    
    Jennifer

Well, with flurries yesterday and light snow predicted for tonight, tomorrow, and
who knows what for Wednesday, I guess it is time for me to consider what I'll be
doing in the "off season".

I'm going to strive to not have true off season.  Yes, my riding will reduce, but
I'm going to try to continue commuting a few times a week.  I'll move the lights
over to the mountain bike tonight.  I'll add doing the stairmaster if I don't get
to commute on that day.  I'll continue with my karate classes. I'll also watch my
diet, which I started doing about a month ago.  When there really is snow on the
ground I'll start skiing.

Rich

    
    	Well, I had nothing but good intentions about my winter. I was
    going to try and get a good foundation in to try and resume racing
    next year. Not ride hard, which I totaly disgaree with until the snow
    melts (about May here :*), but get the miles in.
    
    	Well, even good intentions die by the side of the road (along with
    unfit cyclists...). Just as things were going to plan with me able to
    do a 40 mile run in 2� hours and still be able to walk a week later, I
    bought a house....
    
    	That was 2 months ago, and yesterday, for the first time since I
    went back out. I have *never* felt so bad since I last raced. My body
    suffered a complete collapse. I didn't bonk or anything, my legs just
    emptied completely and having a head wind on the last few drags home
    and then the 1-in-10 climb to my house didn't really help matters...
    
    	So my off season? Basically make sure that I never spend as much
    time off the bike again. Simply miles as often as possible. Will also
    invest in rollers. I prefer them to turbo trainers. Rollers encourage a
    smoother pedalling action and turbos make your style choppier. IMHO, of
    course...
    
    Graham.

    Just a side thought, Graham: if you can afford it, go the extra bucks
    for the Kreitler rollers. I've ridden both types, the 'inexpensive'
    ones from Performance and similar outfits, and I'm currently riding on
    Kreitlers. The difference in ride is night and day. I'm going to add
    the 'killer headwind' attachment this winter.
    
    Boring as hell, but it beats not riding....
    
    	/Harry

    
    
    Is that the ones with the fans on either side?
    
    BTW, try it in the living room watching videos of the Tour. Only time
    I've climbed the Alpe with Indurain...
    
    Graham.

Kreitlers Killer Head wind is a wind fan unit that mounts to the front of the 
roller frame and uses an extra belt to drive the fan unit. The fan unit is 
much larger than the fans you see on windtrainers. It also is in a housing that 
allows you to direct the air flow at your face and body. I've tried one and they
really do keep you cooled down. Excellent product, yet very expensive.

t

    Sounds dangerous... better wear a helmet.