Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

Now that Spring is here thoughts of young cyclist turn to riding outside. While most of the country has probably had very ridable weather, the Northeast is different. The winter has been unusually persistent. Only a few days of thaw were enjoyed before a return to the deep freeze. Today the weather is starting to turn with a high in the 40s and the weekend looks to have weather in the 50s. This is almost short sleeve weather for Central New York.

One other sign of Spring is that the Onondaga Cycling Club website now has the full list of rides for 2007. I run the OCC site and just loaded the full list of rides. Central New York has some of the best riding in the country with all types of terrain.

Disclaimer: I am also the web developer of the Onondaga Cycling Club Website

My club has compiled a very extensive list of cycling maps of the area thanks to club member Jeff Palmer.

The maps are painstakingly redrawn in Illustrator and the cue sheet is added. The design of these maps is very clear and easy to read. The cue maps are always diligently updated especially after a ride when a few folks miss a turn or two. Overall the maps are usually accurate. They are not drawn to scale however which can be a bit confusing when looking at the drawing on its own trying to determine a shortcut.

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Here is a good set of tips on how to properly blow snots while riding your bike. The cold weather will make snottage much more prevalent than the summer months (if you are riding in 0 degree weather).

These tips will be filed under Euro-Style. Velochimp will give ocassional tips on riding style, apparel, bike choices, etc. Not just any type of bike stuff mind you.

Here is the tip which comes to Velochimp via local club listserv at: Onondaga Cycling Club
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Blowing your nose while riding is an underrated, yet essential, skill. Within
30 minutes of a good spin, almost all cyclists experience a gooey trickle
because exercise increases blood flow to the nose. Nasal tissues swell and the
cells lining the nose produce extra mucus (which is about 96% water with the
rest made of sugars, protein and bacteria-fighting enzymes). On chilly rides,
everyone drips. “It’s the nose’s way of protecting itself from cold, dry air,”
says James Geraghty, M.D., an otolaryngologist in Peoria, IL.

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