HOW TO ENJOY OUR SPORT & EXERCISE SAFLEY IN NUMBERS!
Riding is more fun when you ride with others! There's no better source of motivation, knowledge and camaraderie than your fellow riders. However, the prospect of joining a ride for the first time can be intimidating. Worried that you might not know "the rules" of the group ride? We’ve got you covered! Just read the following suggestions.
Group riding is like having your own Tour de France!
Pick The Right Group Ride:
Group-ride levels and objectives vary. Determining the group's goal and pace will ensure that you join a ride that's right for you. Is the ride social or sadistic? Is it considered a training ride or a training race? How far will the group go? What route will it follow? What are the rendezvous points? Are there any rest stops? Will quicker riders wait for those who've been dropped? Answer these questions before the ride so you don’t jump into a blistering hammerfest when all you wanted was a social "coffee" ride and vice versa. If you're not sure what a ride offers, ask us.
Don't Be Late:
Many riders have a limited amount of time to ride. So group rides typically start within minutes of the official starting time. If you're late, you'll miss out. Plus, if you hold the group up, you'll make a bad first impression. And, don't forget to allow for donning your equipment, pumping up your tires and reassembling your bike if you drive to the start. It's a good idea to arrive at least ten minutes early.
Ride Carefully And Considerately:
Bikes are considered vehicles, just like cars, and are required to obey the same traffic laws. And, getting a traffic ticket or placing your fellow riders in danger is certain to make a bad impression. Make sure that any actions you take are possible for those behind you. Avoid darting in front of cars while making a right or crossing an intersection when only 2 or 3 riders can successfully get across. It's a natural tendency to follow the rider ahead of you and having to make a split-second decision whether to cross or not places the cyclists behind you in jeopardy.
Communicate:
Communication is the key to safe group rides. Because roads are full of traffic and hazards, and because visibility is limited when riding in a group, it's important to warn others about hazards and to remain alert at all times to the warnings shouted and pointed out.
Warnings you're likely to hear include:
- Line up: there's a car approaching the group from the rear Heads up: car approaching from the front/left/right or behind you.
- Car right (or left): a car's approaching on a cross street
- Stopping: the group is stopping for a stop sign or light
- Walker up: there's a pedestrian on the road ahead
- Gravel, Sand, Glass, Hole or wide: Obstruction ahead necessitating going wide
- Move Off the Road: when you are stopping, Whether it is for a mechanical problems or to regroup with your riding companions. move well off the road so you don't interfere with traffic. It is usually best for the lead rider to pull forward in the stopping area and for other riders to pull in behind the rider in front of them. As a courtesy, during regroups the last cyclist in controls when the group will restart.
- Riding Two Abreast: Ride single file or double file as appropriate to the roadway and traffic conditions and where allowed by law. Even where riding double is legal, set a good example and be an ambassador for cycling. Courtesy dictates that you single up when cars are trying to pass you if the lane is wide enough for them to safely do so.
Don't let this happen to you:
Ride Smart To Stay Safe!
Group-ride dynamics are interesting and ever-changing. As the pace and terrain changes, the pack stretches and compresses. The latter can cause some very tight quarters and even an occasional crash. In order to ride safely it's important to ride smoothly and avoid hard braking as much as possible. In fact, even light braking or swerving by someone in front can have a ripple effect and cause problems at the rear of the pack. Inexperienced riders who panic and touch a wheel may crash. Never fear! You can avoid problems by practicing these simple rules:
- Stay alert at all times. Never assume that it's safe. Keep "reading" the dynamics of the group and always leave yourself an out by keeping on opening to one side that you can escape through if there's a crash or obstacle you have to avoid.
- Hold your line. This means swerving as little as possible. If you need to move left or right, do so gradually after checking the area for other riders and pointing out your move to make your fellow riders aware of your intentions. If you notice that someone is swerving, he's probably tired or inexperienced. Stay away from him!
- Don't overlap wheels. Overlapping is putting your front wheel next to someone's rear wheel. This is asking for trouble, because if they move, they'll bump your front wheel knocking you down. Try to always be behind the bike(s) in front unless you're passing.
- Don't look back! Looking back causes even skilled riders to swerve, which can cause a crash. If you must look back, ask the person next to you if you can put your hand on their shoulder. That will keep you riding straight so that when you look back, you won't swerve.
- Relax! Use a relaxed grip on the handlebars, keep your shoulders down (not up against your neck) and bring your elbows down and in so that they're slightly bent. These steps will help you stay relaxed, which allows quicker reaction time and prevents tension in the neck and shoulders that can lead to fatigue and sloppy riding.
- Focus on the rider(s) ahead. Don’t make the common mistake of focusing on the back wheel in front of you. Look up at the shoulders of the riders ahead and occasionally look at the road ahead and the riders up front so you can see what's going on and be prepared for sudden changes.
- Don’t brake unless absolutely necessary. If you must brake, do so lightly to scrub off a little speed. You can also slow down by sitting upright and catching more wind in your chest.
- Warn others of hazards. Keep on the lookout for things that could cause problems and shout out a warning or point out the hazard.
- Pass carefully. Sometimes you'll see the riders ahead starting to accelerate and you'll want to jump up to them. Be careful! Make sure you're not going to get cut off or cut someone else off. Usually, a moment's hesitation is all it takes to make the move safely.
- If you get tired, move to the rear. Fatigue causes dangerous riding, so it's safer to go to the back of the group than to be in the middle of the action. Don't just swerve and slow, though! Tell those around you that you're dropping back so it's a safe move.
be PREpared
You travel further and faster in the group. Be prepared for the challenges of the ride. Learn the route ahead of time to ensure you don't get lost. Also, if you know the route, it's easier to shortcut the ride if you get into trouble.
Always bring a tube, a pump and any tools you need. Bringing a cell phone and cash is a good idea, too. And keep in mind that not all rides stop for flat tires, so you may be riding in alone if you puncture.
Provide Camaraderie and Support: Remember we are a social recreational bicycle club. Watch out for you fellow cyclist before, during and after the ride. Help make newcomers welcome by introducing yourself. Dont immediately spin off to join up with your old cycling buddys, but spend a portion of the ride with the new cyclist. Give them some information on the club, the route and introduce them to your friends. If the newcomer appears to be having gear or equipment problems, dont pedal impatient circles in the parking lot, get off your bike and offer some assistance. The ride will get moving that much quicker and you may need the favor returned some day.
Group rides can be immensely rewarding: You get a great workout, cover more distance than you would alone and get to hang out with friends. You might even stop for coffee and conversation. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and join the gang!
| Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships | |
 RESULTS AND RACE REPORT JUNIOR CARIBBEAN CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS, SALINAS, PUERTO RICO Saturday, August 13, 2011 Time Trial Event 15-16 juniors – 15 km Results: Owen Cardoza Jr. – 8th place. Report: Owen had a handicapped start of 10 minutes due to the fact that his gears were deemed not to be within regulation junior gears. His time placed him 8th in the junior 15-16 category which was won by Brandon Martinez of Puerto Rico. Time Trial Event 17-18 juniors – 20 km Results: Shacquille Sinclair: 11th place Oshane Williams: 15th place Report: The event was won by Joel Dirks of Aruba in a time of 29:00.85, second place went to Bryan Van Rutter from Curacao in 29:31.42 and third was claimed by Moises Selman Ramia from the Dominican Republic in 29:56.42. This event is called the test of truth because it is the race against time, but this is only true when the athletes all have comparable equipment. None of the Jamaican athletes had specialty time trial bikes nor racing disc wheels, so their performance in the event served as a good hit–out to get them into the Championships mentally, get rid of pre-race nerves and test their legs after the travel, prior to the road race on Sunday. Interestingly, all of the top place getters this year were either winners of a younger category in the previous year or had placed in the top ten in their first year of this category. This proves how important race exposure is in the mental and physical development of our athletes. Sunday, August 14, 2011 Road Race 15-16 juniors – 66 km Results: Owen Cardoza Jr: 20th place Report: Owen is in his first year in the category having just turned 15. There is sometimes a marked difference between a just turned 15 year old and a sixteen year old who has had an extra year of development in the sport as well as physically growing. Owen learned that he needed to ride more forward in the bunch to be able to react a bit quicker to the moves. It must also be noted that he did not have the numerical and confidence inspiring advantage of another teammate in the race as Jermar Brissett could not make the trip in the end. He will be much stronger for next year as will all the juniors moving forward. Road Race 17-18 juniors – 99km Results: Shacquille Sinclair: 3rd place Dervin Myers: 12th place Oshane Williams: 15th place Report: The Jamaican trio of captain Shacquille Sinclair, Oshane Williams and Dervin Myers lined up for the almost 100 km event with a plan of looking out for each other, covering early moves and being attentive to dangerous break away groups forming in the business end of the race. The trio did just that with a Jamaican rider represented in all the break early moves. It was a very active race and Dervin Myers was the man that was intimidating the riders in the beginning. They did not see him the day before in the time Trial as each nation could only enter two. In the fourth lap of 10, in a move that Osahne Williams initiated, a group of six riders containing Sinclair and Williams made it into  the winning breakaway group. In addition, the group had Moises Selman Ramia (DOM), Bryan Van Rutter (CUR), Dominique Mahyo (BER), Elroy Laud (ANG) all top five riders from the TT the day before. When a team has the majority in such a breakaway group, the others try to whittle the group down to have a better advantage. Oshane Williams did his part to keep Shacquille Sinclair as fresh as possible by responding to many of these attacks and eventually was dropped out of the group in the 7th lap. Shacquille then had to concentrate on the final miles and figure out how to get himself and Jamaica on the podium. Dominic Mahlo of Bermuda handled the final corner the best and manged to win the sprint uncontested as a result. Jamaica's Sinclair took the corner too fast and had to then come from behind to get back in those medals. After all the collaboration between the three Jamaicans, the hard work paid off, Shacquille used his sprint to claim a valuable bronze medal for Jamaica over the distance. Elroy Laud from Anguilla took the silver. | |
NATIONAL REPRESENTAION AT THE SOUTHER GAMES 2012
Mavin Anderson crossing the line in secound place behind Trinidad's Njisane Phillips in the elimination round of the Match Sprint.
"2011" NATIONAL CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Its with great pleasure that we congratulate o
ur outstanding athlete
Shacquille Sinclair on winning this years elite road race as a Junior.
After sticking it out with the big guns on his restricted junior gears,
He stood up to one of the hardest course yet.
With
a race profile of Elite riders, strong head winds, long steep climbs, mid day boiling sun and some sharp air pin corners, he stood up to the competition. As our motto states "TO ENDURE WHAT EVER CHALLENGE MAY COME" he gracefully demonstrated that.
Just the resilient showing of his youthful competitive ability is what
makes him the countries number one cyclist for 2011. There is a lot of
glory ahead of him on this new path that he is now traveling.
All of this new development has to be contributed to his latest training partner and former Endurance member Marloe Rodman (The 2011 Elite Road Race Champion) who has been drilling him into shape and giving him some real important tips on how to be the best cyclist he can be. The next event on the calendar for Shacquille Sinclair is the tour of Tour of Quebec in Canada as a part of a Composite team under the National Flag.
Shacquille's results over the two days of competition:
2/07/11 - 15Mile Time Trial - 2nd Place
3/07/11 - 63mile Road Race - 1st Place overall & 1st Placed Junior.
Bustamante Barking Mad Cycle Challenge 2010:
(From Left is: Al Barnes MD of Red Stripe, Gornon Barnes, Mavin Anderson President of Endurance Cycling Club and Vaughn Phang President of the Jamaica Cycling Federation.)
Charity aid for 7 children that are in need of heart surgery. After seeing the struggles that the Bustamante Hospital has to undertake, just to provide the necessary needs to perform it's regular day to day function, Mr. Al Barnes and company decided that a fundraiser would be the ideal way to go. That’s when he thought of riding around the island, to raise sufficient funds for 7 children to get their open heart surgery done. His goal was to raise $20,000 € for the cause. That target has been met and all 7 kids will have a shot at a normal life as they should. Thanks to all those how made this a reality. Especially to the three persons that made it around the entire island in 32 1/2 hours of continuous riding, even through the cold of night. Mr. Al Barnes, Gordon Barnes and Mavin Anderson. Spur Tree was the most difficult task for the group, but they endured the challenge. Even with a gear deficiency, the goal was too important to loss focus. I hope that next year the turn of cyclist will be more than this time around.