Students at Puyallup High have organized a new ride on the Foothills Trail.
Ride for Rachel is May 12. Click here, to visit the official website.
Considering the news of late, this cause is as timely as any right now.

Here are the details:

Ride for Rachel is a 30 mile, leisurely paced bicycle ride on the Pierce County Foothills Trail from the East Puyallup Trailhead to South Prairie and back. This is a ride designed for all ages and abilities. Proceeds will benefit the Rachel’s Challenge School Assembly Program and the “Friends of Rachel Club” at Puyallup High School.

Rachel Scott was the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Her acts of kindness and compassion, coupled with the contents of her 6 diaries, have become the foundation for one of the most life-changing school programs in America - Rachel's Challenge.

The “Friends of Rachel Club” at Puyallup High School is a group made up of students and staff members. The club promotes Rachel’s ideals of treating people with kindness, compassion, and eliminating prejudice. This group also works closely with security personnel to heighten the awareness of possible acts of violence at school.

This is a pledge driven ride. Riders must collect a minimum $30.00 in pledges to enter the ride. All riders will receive an official “Ride for Rachel” t-shirt. There will be additional prizes for the 5 riders generating the most pledge revenue.

Mechanical support will be available at Trailside Cycles in Orting. Labor is free for minor adjustments.

All road crossings on the course will be monitored by ride officials. There will be water and snacks available at various locations on the trail.

This is a great ride for a great cause!

This ride is limited to 100 participants.
(Source: home.comcast.net/~friendsofrachel/)

I stumbled across a good website recently that has some good tips for training.
Click here, to visit Cycling Performance Tips.
The website is run by Everett gastroenterologist and STP regular Richard Rafoth.
Here's an excerpt from the website that offers tips on nutrition, training, physiology and more.

WHY "MUSCLE UP"?

1.The upper body, including abdominal muscles, is an integral part of the pedal stroke. A strong torso provides the rigidity to deliver maximum power from the quads to the pedal. On a level stretch, a strong rider will barely move their upper body while those who are tiring will rock their pelvis on the saddle. And watch a group of road riders in a sprint or a technical single track rider pulling and rocking their shoulders and handlebars. This motion actually levers the bike, adding to the power of their legs on the pedals.

2. Muscle strength in the quads and legs can mean the difference between walking and riding up a short (10 to 15 pedal stroke) hill.

3. A strong upper body gives additional protection for those falls that are part of the sport.

4. Muscle strength and endurance help prevent the fatigue of the constant jarring and correction that are part of a long descent - and in turn this freshness helps to maintain sharp reflexes and technical

(Source: cptips.com)

We must be doing something right.

I met the STP team this morning for a 29-mile ride on the Foothills Trail - from Puyallup to South Prairie and back. We covered the trail in 1:40 and we all felt good when we were done. In fact, it felt too easy.

Kenny Espinoza, who missed last week's ride while on a "business" trip in Hawaii, finished strong leading a two-mile stretch at 21 mph.

While I felt a little guilty about not getting in a few more miles, Russ Meyers did not. He padded his miles and saved a couple bucks on gas by biking 10 miles each way from his home.

The comfortable day, left Wagar (who has finished eight STPs) feeling like the team is going to be in good shape for the 203-mile STP. Of course, we still have a long way to go.

If you are looking for a new trail to pedal or an old road to pedal again, circle May 5 on your calendar.

On May 5, the Nisqually Road to Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park will reopen for the first time since it was washed out by flooding on Nov. 6.

Also that day, a new trail will open in University Place called the Sound View Trail. The Sound View Trail is only 3.3 miles long, but it offers a unique chance to ride through a golf course and the trail does offer some hills. And the views are awesome.

Here's a glimpse at what mountain biking the Carbon River Road looked like yesterday.
Peter Haley shot this artsy picture of me riding past a huge root wad from a tree taken out by the flood.
See the trail I'm on, that's all that's left of the road after the flood. The road won't be rebuilt until next summer, so grab your bike.

Almost got the answer to this one the hard way during a mountain bike ride today in Mount Rainier National Park.
At the advice of trail foreman Carl Fabiani I wore my hiking boots for a 7.5-mile ride up the Carbon River Road to Ipsut Creek Campground. I no trouble on the ride up. But on the way down, I almost took a nose dive into a stump when my shoe laces got tangled in the chain. Luckily, I was able to stop with no more damage than shredded laces.

If you are looking for a unique biking experience, this might be it. The Carbon River Road is closed to vehicle traffic this summer because of flood damage, so the only access to Ipsut Campground is by foot or bike. The most enjoyable riding are the section of new trailed laid down recently by the WTA to replace washed out sections of the road.

If you ever wanted to ride single track in Mount Rainier National Park, this is as close as you are going to get. The park only allows mountain biking on three sections of dirt road in the park.

The road to Paradise reopens May 5.

If the STP is not your thing, another ride leaving Seattle on July 14 might catch your fancy. If nothing else, it will certainly be more fun for spectators.
The World Naked Bike Ride has been set for the same day.
I still wear shorts over my spandex, so I still have a lot of work to do before I have the nerve for this event. But to each his own.
Check out local laws and the ride website before you show up for this ride. A carefully placed sock and/or bodypaint might be a good way to stay out of the pokey.

I learned two things today during a 34-mile ride on the Yelm-Tenino and Chehalis Western trails.

1. Riding in a group is much easier that riding by yourself. I was much more worn out after this less-than-two-hour ride than I was after a longer ride with the group on Saturday. Now I just have to work on my draftin technique. I still have a tough time keeping six inches behind the guy in front of me and catch myself regularly dropping back several bike lengths nulifying any advantage of riding in a pace line.

2. These Thurston County trails might be the best biking trails in the South Sound area. The 22-mile Western Chehalis trails links with the 14.5-mile Yelm-Tenino trails giving cyclists 73 miles of tree-lined trails along rivers and farm land and through small towns like Rainier. It's like the Foothills Trail - just twice as along. The only thing I didn't like about the trail (aside from having to drive all the way to Yelm) is the gates at each intersection. Getting through on a bike requires you to come to an almost complete stop. (But as annoying as it is, at least it's safe.)

I was reminded of a good tip for the STP tonight as my bike squeaked away during a quick 12-mile ride through Graham.
If you are planning to ride the STP, get your bike tuned up at least 6 weeks in advance.
With 9,000 riders in the event, bike shops all over the the Puget Sound are slammed with tune up and repair requests the month and a half before the ride.

Just got back from a 40-mile ride through scenic Roy with the STP team. It was suppose to be a sunny day, but we woke up to rain and cold. But we still wanted to get our miles in.
Riding on days like this are like my wedding day - I get cold feet.
I bought a pair of toe covers, but they don't seem to help much. Russ Meyers and Rick Beitelspacher both use full booties that cover their entire shoe and go above their ankles. Both say the neoprene booties work well.
But I found new trick this morning that work very well. When I get cold feet skiing, I sometimes slide a hand warmer into the toes of boots. It only helps about half the time on the slopes, but I decided to try the same trick with my bike shoes.
With the warmers on top of my toes, my feet stayed nice and warm for the chilly 2 hour, 20 minute ride.
"I tried that once and my feet got too hot," Meyers said. "But I should have done that today."

Here's a link to three great training loops in Puyallup.

These are the route maps for the 12-, 30- and 50-mile Tour de Pierce routes.

While many cyclists use these routes regularly for training, the tour is also a popular event.

This year the Tour de Pierce is June 24.

Here's the registration info:

Pre-registration fee:
$10 per person
$25 per family of four.
Groups of 12 or more that pre-register together, the cost is $5.00 per person. Contact Sheila at (253)798-6678 for more information.
Pre-registration must be received by June 18, 2007
Day-of-ride Registration:
$12 per person
$30 per family.

If you're thinking of riding the Seattle to Portland Classic and have no long distance riding experience, you should download this guide to the race before you get going.

Click here to get the guide.

The 22-page guide published by the Cascade Bicycle Club - the same club that runs the STP - offers training tips and planning calendar, details on the ride, important safety information.

If you want to get serious about bicycling, local riders say the best way to find training partners and established, safe routes is to join a bicycle club.
Here's a list of clubs around the South Sound:

• Tacoma Wheelmen’s Bicycle Club
Tacoma. Phone: 253-759-2800. Web: TWBC.org
• Capital Bicycling Club
Olympia. Phone: 360-480-7356. Web: CapitalBicycleClub.org
• Cascade Bicycle Club
Seattle. Phone: 206-522-3222. Web: Cascade.org
• Seattle Bicycle Club
Seattle. Phone: 206-444-4075 . Web: Seattlebicycle.com
• West Sound Cycling Club
Silverdale. Phone: 360-779-1819. Web: WestSoundCycling.com
• Different Spokes - Seattle
Seattle. Phone: 206-264-5529. Web: TeamSeattle.org/Spokes.
Note: This is a club for gay and lesbian cyclists but is open to everybody.

It takes a certain kind of person to wake up at 4 a.m. on a Saturday so they can sit on a bike seat for two days.
Dana Tilton-Anderson, a 52-year-old long-distance bicyclist from Shelton, is clearly one of those people.
Dana met her husband, Steve Anderson, at a burrito stand during a ride across Iowa in 2002. Steve proposed to her a few months later during another long ride.
Last year, at 7:45 on a summer morning, they were married next to that same burrito stand. Then, still in tux and gown, they hopped on a tandem bike and pedaled across Iowa again.
Dana and Steve’s example might be a little extreme, but long-distance bicyclists say they have the right idea. You have to be dedicated to do this sport.
Most long-distance bicyclists put in more than 2,000 miles per year to make sure they are ready for long rides.
Some, like Bryan Wooldridge of Olympia, put in 1,000 miles per month.
The dedication required for long-distance riding, is the primary reason many people don’t get into this sport until their kids are grown.
“When I ride in the STP (the 203-mile Seattle-to-Portland ride), once you get into the second part of the race with the one-day riders you see a lot of gray hair,” said Wooldridge, 42, who finished Rapsody in a day with his wife, Robin. “... You have to have the time to be committed.”
Your life doesn’t have to revolve around the sport, but if you are interested in trying a long distance ride like Rapsody or the STP this summer cyclist suggested getting started now.

Pages: 1 2 3 4

On her mountain bike, Marla Streb has won a World Cup race, sped down a bobsled track in an IMAX movie and posed nude for Outside magazine.
But, perhaps the most fun she ever had on a bike came in Europe in the early 1990s when she pedaled 100 miles on a road bike for the first time.
“It was the most satisfying feeling in the world to bike 100 miles in a day,” said Streb, a 41. “I felt liberated, like I really accomplished something.
“It changed my life. I decided I wanted to try this lifestyle.”
That day and several others just like it on a trip that took her through 13 countries was the catalyst for her professional riding career.
While she’s made her name off road, she still rides the roads, still rides centuries (100-mile rides) and encourages others to do the same. Last month she released her second book “Century Training Program: 100 Days to 100 Miles” (Rodale Books, 240 pages, $14.95).
Streb says the century is riding’s marathon. Not because it’s as physically demanding as a marathon – it’s definitely not – but because it's an excellent source of motivation.
“It’s a big round number to work toward,” Streb said. “And if you have something out there like that to push toward, you’re more likely to stay motivated.
“But for most people it’s a lot better way of getting in shape than running a marathon. Cycling is way better for your joints and ligaments. Plus anybody can ride a bike. It’s a little harder to get started running, especially if you are out of shape.”
Streb says even if you don’t ride, you can be ready for a century in 100 days.
This is good news for those with life goals of riding the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic – back-to-back centuries. The two-day, 203-mile STP, the Northwest’s most popular ride with 9,000 participants, is July 14. That's 87 days to get ready, but plenty of time if you are already in decent shape.
With no time to waste, here are six tips Streb and other experts offer for getting ready:

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Here's a closer look at the team of STP one-dayers I'm training with for the July 14 ride.

*
RICK BEITELSPACHER
South Hill
Age: 48
Profession: Kalles Junior High (Puyallup) English teacher.
Riding Profile: Beitelspacher rode the last two Seattle-to-Portland Classics in one day. He’s also completed the ride twice in two days.
Beitelspacher is the unofficial team coach, a natural role for him considering his career as a teacher and Kalles Junior High's football coach. He cooridantes most of the team's Saturday rides and has taken on the sizeable task of coaching me up.
He rides the STP each year to keep himself motivated to keep working out. "It's easy for me to work out when I have a goal I'm working toward," he said.
Beitelspacher has run two marathon's and says doing the STP in one day is only less challenging because cylcing is a little kinder on your body.
"After riding the STP I can see getting on my bike the next day," he said. "After a marathon you don't want to do anything."
Beitelspacher rides 2,000 miles each summer.

*
KENNY ESPINOZA
Puyallup
Age: 43
Profession: Gauge service technician and part-time model.
Riding Profile: Espinoza was introduced to riding by his ex-brother-in-law, Tour de France competitor Doug Shapiro. The family ties allowed him several chances to train with professional riders.
Espinoza is training for his second STP. He finished his only other ride, in 2005, in one day.
The team regularly refers to Espinoza as Flavio. The nickname apparently comes from his work as a part-time model. His buddies briefly stopped laughing when they heard how much the modeling gigs pay, but for the most part they remain relentless.
Espinoza travels regularly for work but makes an effort to stay at hotels with exercise bikes to get his miles in.
Espinoza has the broadest shoulders in the group, so when faced with a stiff head wind his teammates love to be the one drafting behind in the pace line.

*
RUSS MEYERS
South Hill
Age: 38
Profession: Sumner Middle School Social Studies teacher.
Riding Profile: Meyers has the most STP experience in the group. This year will be Meyers 14th consecutive STP and his fourth time doing the ride in one day.
The team also considers him the strongest rider. This means when others are hurting, he often gets to take long turns at the front of the pace line giving others more time to recover.
Meyers trains regularly at home while most folks are still in bed. With his schedule booked with spring football practice at Sumner Middle School, where he is the football coach, the only time he has to train is at 4 a.m.
So at least three mornings each week, he wakes up way too early so that he can get his workout in.
On last Saturday's ride, the team left from South Hill and pedaled through Orting to Sumner before returning home via a one-mile hill on Fruitland Avenue. Meyers had football practice during the middle of the ride, but instead of skipping the ride he used it to commute to work. Later he pedaled 15 miles home by himself.

*
SCOTT WAGAR
Federal Way
Age: 39
Profession: Manager of Seattle’s Auto-Chlor System, part of a national chain that specializes in dishwashing operations and manufacturing.
Riding Profile: Wagar is another strong rider with vast STP experience.
He has finished the STP eight times and five of those rides took just one day. Wagar, like the rest of the team, say doing the 203-mile ride in a day is definitely the way to go.
His experience has already paid off in helping me offset my lack of riding knowledge. When Wagar and I reached the top of the one-mile Fruitland Hill last weekend, my back tire fell off.
While it would have taken me several minutes to put the bike back together, he slapped it back on with the speed of a NASCAR pit crew and I was ready roll again without even slowing up the team.
Wagar, Meyer and Beitelspacher rode the STP together last year, averaging just less than 18 mph.

Welcome to our cycling blog which is launching today (April 19) as part of our STP Project.

The STP Project is a look at what it takes to get ready to ride the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic. Specifically, I will be training with a group of experience cyclists in an attempt to ride the 203-mile STP in one day.
I have no real cycling experience outside of riding the 2005 STP in two days on a 43-pound mountain bike and watching the Tour de France on TV.

Along the way, I hope to give you some insight into why people are so hooked on this sport, some tips for getting ready for your long rides, some good training routes, as well as a look into the local cycling community.

Anything else you want to know? Just ask: craig.hill@thenewstribune.com.