Now that you have picked out the right bike for your child (see my previous post on buying a child’s bike) it is time to get the right accessories for them. The right accessories will increase the fun factor for your child ten fold. The full article may be viewed at croftonbikedoctor.com or by following this link.
Being in the Moment
“Being in the moment” this is a phrase that came from a conversation my father inlaw and wife and I were all having. It was the perfect phrase that had been missing from how I described this new, okay not so new phenomenon of everyone always being “plugged in.”
Amanda and I are amazed by the number of people apparently running errands around town with the DVD player fired up and keeping the kids entertained while mom is busy chatting on her iphone or texting at each and every stop light.
The other day on the way to work I saw an SUV all loaded up with the Dad driving, Mom working her Blackberry, in the back seat there were two kids, one tuned into a DVD and the other focused on the Gameboy.
Growing up these times were always great family time, the radio was hardly on. We talked, we talked about what we were going to be doing or had done. What was going on with each other etc.
It isn’t limited to the car either we see it all the time when families are out and about shopping.
While technology is great how has it become that we now let technology control our life? I know you have seen it. You are in the middle of conversation with someone and their phone rings. What happens next? They stop the conversation to see who is on the phone. I guess they need to know if there is someone more important they should be talking to instead of you. (With today’s technology you should have a ringtone for the critical calls, your spouse, children, parents etc.) In many ways it seems that we are now controlled by the technology around us instead of us using the technology to better ourselves. Okay so maybe controlled is a strong term but dictated to more by technology. It is like we are always connected twenty four hours a day and it can’t be healthy.
Technology is here to stay and in many ways enhances our lives but I really encourage you to have situations that you are truly in the moment. Carve some time out for yourself and your family and your friends where you are just all together. You won’t regret it, I bet you even work harder at making more times for “being in the moment.” A family bike ride is a great way to do this.
I had one of the “being in the moment” times the other day and it was great, I wasn’t feeling all that well and really wanted to get a ride in. So off I went to see how I felt. I felt pretty good so I took my longer route choice for the day, which I knew was going to be about 40 miles. At the half way point I stopped by the shop and thought about getting a gel or something to get more calories, but I didn’t. Big mistake not listening to my head and heading my own advice that I always share.
Back on the bike I realized I was really beginning to suffer. I originally thought it was from not feeling well but then realized it was from a lack of food. What I found is that I was really focused on my riding and the way I felt, it was amazing and I felt completely alive! During this time I didn’t think of anything else. All I focused on was making sure I was pedaling efficiently, drink enough fluids (I had plenty thankfully) that I was using the best gear etc. During this time I was completely in the moment.
I didn’t really realize how much I was hurting until I got home and got of the bike and my legs started screaming at me “what the heck do you think you are doing Mr. Freeland?”
“Well trying to walk of course.” my brain replied to my quads.
I guess that is yet another reason I like to ride, because on most of my rides I am “in the moment” with myself, my bike and with whom ever I am riding with at the time.
Ernest Freeland
Crofton Bike Doctor
Swiftwick Socks
When I look at areas of importance on the bike I always look at the contact points on the bike, feet, rear end and hands. These contact points being the pedals and shoes, saddles and rear end and of course your hands.
When you think of these you thing you automatically think of your pedals and shoes, shorts and saddle and gloves and grips. What some may overlook are the socks, the shoe insole and in some cases chamois crème for the longer rides.
For me I always have a hard time finding a proper fitting pair of shoes and I consider the proper shoe a really important component of the total fit and overall comfort of the bike. What can really destroy that in a heartbeat is a poor pair of socks. Something as simple as your socks can make or break a great day of riding!
Socks always drive me nuts if they move on my feet or the seams on the toes hit me in the wrong place or rub on the shoe the wrong way. So I am picky on the socks that I wear. I’ve found some socks that I like more than others and some that I don’t like at all.
A few months ago I started wearing Swiftwick socks. These are socks with compression in them with a 200 needle count of thread offering your feet amazing support especially in the arch. Swiftwick makes Olefin and Merion socks in varying lengths. Since I am allergic to wool I have been using the Olefin socks.
The first thing you notice when you put on these socks on are how snug they are to your feet, they fit like a second skin. One I like about this is the support that they offer your feet and the fact that they don’t move on your feet to bunch up or cause blisters. Socks with this high of a needle count are said to be so tightly knitted that they block any other debris from getting into your feet. This feature would make them ideal for mountain biking or trail running.
What really impressed me about these socks was when I was waiting for some new daily wear shoes to come in because I couldn’t get through a day without my feet hurting in my current shoes. No matter what I did my feet always hurt at the end of a day, usually hurting after about six hours of wearing them. So one day I put on a pair of Swiftwick socks that I usually had been using for riding and wore them to work. What a difference they made! The support in the socks allowed me to get through a ten hour day primarily on my feet with no pain. When I got home my feet didn’t hurt like they had been. I had loved the socks when I was using them for riding but after this day I was totally sold on the socks.
Some other things that have impressed me when I was wearing the socks are how dry my feet are after I wear them during long rides. The socks managed the moisture extremely well for such a long ride. For me the more important thing about the socks was they didn’t move around on my feet. I like to have a little room in the front of the shoes for my feet and what I have found with other socks is that I can often get the sock to be comfortable during the first portion of the ride but somewhere along the ride they seem to move around.
These socks are certainly my new favorite socks. I highly recommend them for everyday wear as well as cycling.
Swiftwick socks come in several different lengths for your comfort. In the Olefin socks they have the Zero Ole which sits just below the ankle. The One Ole which has a one inch cuff and is one of my personal favorites. There is the Four Ole which is a 4 inch ankle cuff to offer you support. Then there is the Seven Ole and the Twelve Ole which offers managed compression for your calf as well. They make all of these lengths in the Merino sock as well. I haven’t tried them yet but Swiftwick also makes armwarmers that I look forward to trying soon.
Stop by the store and check them out I am sure you will love them as much as I do.
Ernest Freeland
Pine Hill Park Rutland, VT
On a recent trip to Killington, VT Amanda and I discovered this gem of a mountain bike area, Pine Hill Park in Rutland, VT. We actually drove through Rutland on our way to Killington, they are approximately 14 miles apart.
Amanda prefers much more moderate mountain biking and True Wheels Bike Shop in Killington recommended that we check this park out.
This park was great and one of the nicest that I have ridden in. It is obvious that a bunch of hours have been put into this park. All of the locals told me that there is one gentleman that is the driving force who arranges all of the volunteer hours needed to create and maintain an area as great as this. We would all be lucky to have a person like this for our own trails.
We were supplied a trail map at the bike shop which you can also download on the parks web site. When we got to the park Amanda wanted to make sure I didn’t take her on anything outside her comfort zone so she went to the bike shop located at the park and asked them for some advice on what trails to check out. The gentleman working there was very helpful in pointing us in the right direction. At the shop they rent 29er hard tails if you are in the area without a ride. Inside the building that the shop was located was a killer in door skate and bike park. In the winter it is an indoor ice rink and then for the summer months it is converted to an indoor park. If you lived there you would be in heaven between the bike trails and the indoor park.
We headed out into the park and I was really impressed by what I saw. Every trail intersection had painted wood signs that marked the trails with a sign that told you how far it was back to the trail head. All of the turns were banked with the proper drainage to ensure the trail dried out properly. Then there were a great series of bridges throughout the park that were amazing. Be sure to check out the photos on the parks web-site.
We rode primarily beginner to intermediate trails but I saw some feature and trails that looked like there could be something for most everyone. There wasn’t a ton of vertical so I am sure the downhillers would be happier at the local resorts for down hilling.
When I left the park I was really inspired by what has been accomplished and what could be accomplished on my home trails. There have been a lot of hours placed into this park and it shows. Not only was it great for mountain biking but would be great for trail running or hiking. In fact on a day that we had planned on hiking we hiked a few of the trails here.
If you are in the area be sure to check the park out, it is very impressive!