Show dad says I was more interested in squeezing the horn than pedaling Somehow I don't recall that but for his 8th birthday A thousand days and nights passed but Ryan didn’t forget And as we wheeled his space-ag- e $300 F- -l machine out of the bike shop I was more excited than he was A family also could spend tons of money cm cycling clothing and accessories Thankfully both of our kids are happy and comfortable wearing shorts and If only they were as low-ke- y about what they wear to school I confess that I like the wild colors of today’s cycling fashions It’s not just a matter of looking good Bright colors make you more visible to motorists And cycling shorts and jerseys are made for often connate to ny work by bike (3 million people do it every day) It’s only two mules from home to our offices (in a refurbished silk mill) so it’s hardly like climbing Mount Everest It’s not even long enough to be a workout And since I always do it alone it lacks that social element Biding with others helps the miles flow by smoothly and motivates me to improve And even at a high level of exertion it’s still possible to talk That’s one of cycling's best elements So I ride with my fellow editors at on noon Sometimes we pedal off-roSouth Mountain but usually we take our road bikes west into the hills Five minutes after leaving the office we’re in ad Pennsylvania Dutch farm country Cows look over the fences to see what we’re about In the spring the sweet aroma of the season’s first hay floats through every valley During the summer tall fields of com turn our roads into dark narrow mazes Every one of these lunchtime rides is 90 minutes of magic Each produces a wonderful mental boost that makes writing and editing better that afternoon What makes it practical is that our office has locker rooms and showers as well as a cafeteria that still serves good food in the early afternoon All offices should be so equipped If you walk into the bike room at magazine you’ll see the sport in a nutshell Our rack is filled with an asmasortment of two- - and three-whe- el chines We have tandem bikes tandem mountain bikes aerodynamic road racing machines with disk wheels $2000 mountain bikes kids’ bikes xecumbents g seats in which rider re(with clines) folding bikes track bikes bikes and with hydraulic suspensions I’ve few a forgotten probably While I admire a finely crafted bicycle I am not an equipment freak To me the best bike is one you barely notice — a bike that rolls straight and smooth and has gears that are easy to shift Thankfully most bikes today are like this In fret today’s $400 bikes are in some ways better than the $1000 bikes of 1980 They’re lighter yet more durable more precise yet easier to operate low-slun- Bike buying doesn’t have to break the family budget though I always suggest buying at a bike shop not a department store A shop will back the original sale with good service year after year And if you can’t afford the $275 entry-lev- el price for a solid new bike ask about used bikes in top condition For kids it’s OK to spend less Jana’s bike cost $65 And when Ryan was 4 1 promised him a jazzy aerodynamic bike T-shi-rts comfort — particularly the shorts which are lined with soft chamois or padding to prevent chafing and soften the ride Even if you cycle every other weekend cycling shorts arc an impor- tant purchase and need not cost more than $35 One investment is mandatory: a helmet If there's one thing cycling's new technology can't eliminate it’s that initial soreness most beginning cyclists ex-either in their rear ends or E'ence both Some rush to buy faddish saddles such as the one that suspends your posterior between two snips of leather But the frds don’t work Today’s cycling clothing reduces she dis- comfort but the only antidote to ness is still time 1 Greg LeMond's 7 tips six-spe- ed jet-bla- ck I an not a sociologist but 1 sore- can see why cycling will grow in the next decade For families with young children trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle that incorporates focused family time cycling fits the bill Cycling — especially mountain biking — also builds on the American passion of touring the great outdoors I spent a week last fell pedaling my mountain bike on petrified sandstone near Arches and Canyonlands national parks in Moab Utah And in July Use and 3 delighted in exploring the serpentine mountain trails of Crested Butte Colo The trips make good rimes together — and good memories Perhaps my best memory of childhood is a five-weWestern trip my family took during the summer of 70 My parents two brothers and I flew to Phoenix drove across the desert to San Diego then explored the California coast from bottom to top We turned east toward the Rockies tasted the desert rode horses in Wyoming and looked down from the high peaks of Colorado What a trip 1 can’t wait to do something similar with Ryan and Jana But we’ll bring our bikes and see things that couldn’t be imagined from the back seat of a car By then even Jana will beat me to the next lightpost or the top of the hill But I won’t mind at all ek "The great thing about cycling don't have to be in the best of shape or even lock like you're in shape to get started is that you i K says the USA’s top bicycle racer Greg LeMond That's good news for the weekend cyclist who often Is long ©a desire to get pedaling but short on conditioning Cycling’s payoff is dear It’s outdoor fun And "you can go for 30 minutes or an hour on your bike or as easy as you want and bum a lot of calories That’s the main thing for a lot of people — bum off some unwanted fet" LeMond 28 is Sports Illustrate ed's reigning sportsman of the year and a big reason for bicycling’s new visibility He stunned watchers of the Tour de France race (cycling’s World Series) last summer with a superhuman 34-msprint into Paris coming from ’behind to win the 2025-mil- e race by eight sec- ph Greg LeMond: The sportin' look onds Sports Illustrated likened it to "teeing up on the 18th hole of the Masters trailing Nicklaus by seven shots and beating him’’ Next week LeMond is slated to race in the USA's second Tour de Trump (NBC will cover portions of the race) before returning to the European racing circuit where he’s earning three years $55 million over His guide to weekend riding: 1 Ask a bike shop "If you want to get into riding go to a good pro bike shop They usually will out where a local club rides They know the country rides that are the best roads to avoid traffic" have sales people who are experienced riders TheyVe been where 5 Wear a helmet "I feel very vulnerable without one Pro riders don’t always wear helmets but they are great bike handlers It should be mandatory for others" you are" 2 Wear bright clothes "Many drivers don’t see us The trend now is fluorescent? — hot pink hot yellow it’s the best thing you can wear because ft see help people you" 3 Ride defensively "You have to be very aware Some people (in cars) just turn in front of me You should also ride in a group of two or three to reduce the chances of being hassled by drivers You always have to feel as if no one really sees you" 4 Discover the good trails "All the good riders in each town have the best routes picked out Find 6 Work out before riding "You don't have to be in great shape but you still should build yourself to a certain fitness level by walking or going to a gym" Also: Try some stretching 1 Check your positioning "Many injuries come from poor positioning A lot of people want to have their saddle extremely high or low or they lean too far forward Positioning is extremely important to pevent pain" A bike shop can correctly set you up By James Raia USA WEEKEND - April 27-2- 9 1990 S |