Friday, April 25. 2008Looking to do a cycling trip to Fundy National Park
Looking to do a cycling trip to Fundy National Park of Canada, located in New Bruswick.
Is there anyone out there interested in doing this? My plan is to start in Saint John, and cycle the highway to Sussex. We could go another way if we all wanted to as well and the date for this is tentative. I just want to see if anyone wants to do it yet. There are many trails for biking as well as hiking at Fundy National. I am planning to camp there for at least 2 nights. I am thinking of leaving on a Friday and biking back on Monday. Please make sure that you are physically able to do this as well as have the time for this before making a commitment. I am just looking for people who want to do this. It is not a bike club so we are not held liable for any issues. If you are interested email admin@nexplanrecycling.com Thursday, April 24. 2008Anyone up for some cycling trips?
Anyone up for some cycling trips? I am not calling this a bike group or anything like that. I find when you create organized groups it ends up being a whole bunch of issues no one wants to deal with. I just want to cycle and if anyone comes along that would be great.
Ideas for bicycling: I want to do a run that goes out to the Grand bay area and the Kingston Peninsula. We would start in the downtown area of Saint John (or we could meet somewhere else if need be). We could go up though the Harbor Passage, to Simms corner and through Manawaganish Road. Then we could take a small part of the highway to Grand Bay, then take the Ferry over to the Kingston Peninsula and bike over to the Milligeville ferry and then proceed through Rockwood Park and back home. We could also do it in reverse direction. Please note this route has a lot of hills and some challenging terrain. This is not for the novice cyclist. I also want to do smaller runs to Rockwood Park, Irving Nature Park, and Quispamsis. Not everyone can do long trips, but these are small day trips. So, by all means, if you’re interested let me know. You can email me at admin@nexplanrecycling.com Posted by Chuck Zwicker Wednesday, April 23. 2008Why Wear a Bicycle Helmet? Safety First
I remember when I first heard that there was a law in my area that we had to wear bicycle helmets. I recall thinking that it was so stupid. When we were kids we never wore anything like that, and I can also remember all the close calls and head injures we suffered as well. However after awhile, I have since learned it is not so stupid after all. In fact, now I never ride my bike without one. However it is important you choose the correct one.
Wearing a bicycle helmet has been shown to reduce serious head injuries by 85% 39% of deaths from cycling injuries occur in children under the age of 15. Even a low speed fall on a bicycle path can cause a serious head injury! There are different types of helmets for different sports and activities. This is because different sports cause different types of injuries. It is therefore important when choosing a bicycle helmet to make sure that it is specifically designed for cycling (not other sports, or activities, etc) otherwise, you may not get the type of protection you need. Check and make sure that the helmet has a certification label from one of the following organizations: Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Snell, The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM), and The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). A certification label indicates that the helmet has been tested to withstand certain levels of impact giving you the best protection that is available. Helmets should have adequate vents to allow for airflow to the head. Avoid helmets with extremely pointed shapes, inadequate or excessive vents, thin straps, and complicated adjustments. Keep it simple to use and safe at the same time. Here is the most important thing, make Sure Your Helmet Fits! When you place your helmet on your head, it should sit low. The brim of the helmet should be about two fingers width (1-2 cm) above the eyebrows. The helmet should not be tilted forwards or backwards, or able to move excessively around while on your head. The chinstraps should go over both ears in the shape of a V. The ear should be in the middle of the V. The chinstrap should be secure around the chin, with room for one finger to fit between the strap and the chin. In the event of a crash, replace your helmet. Looking at the helmet you may not see damage, but the inner lining may have been destroyed. Cracks or dents mean that you need a new helmet. When a helmet is five years old, it needs to be replaced because the material naturally weakens over time. Lets face it you may only need that helmet once, but it is all that may separate you from a serious head injury or death. Wednesday, April 23. 2008Me & My Bicycle in Saint John, New Brunswick
I live in Saint John, New Brunswick Canada. I used to love riding my bicycle as a child. We drove all over the community, to the store, across the ferry, back and forth to school. Bike riding kept us healthy, and making new friends as a child. It is sad today that a lot of children have traded this great form of exercise in for some kind of electronic device or computer. As an adult I realize bike-riding offers many benefits for the body, as well as for the mind.
Bicycling is a good cardiovascular exercise that could increase the health of your heart. Bikes come in many speeds and options today. This will allow you to increase your fitness level as your cardiovascular function improves. One of the things I have found is bicycle shorts with the padding in them (a must) is something you need the older you get. Not only that, I would not recommend a bike without shocks (sometime I will do a separate topic on this). If you have not bicycled for a while start off easy. Take it in progressive steps. Bicycling is kind to the joints, and you can enjoy the great outdoors at the same time. As we get older we experience joint pain especially in the knees, or at least I have. Osteoporosis causes joint problems to worsen because of the lack of proper calcium levels in the bones. The aerobic benefit is comparable to jogging or running without the strain, and impact. Make sure the seat height on your bike is adjusted to allow your legs full range of motion with each revolution. Full range of motion also promotes better circulation to the lower extremities, which do the majority of the work in moving the bicycle. It's also great way to release your stress from daily work either if you work at home or have a regular job, in fact I often back to and from work. Sunday, April 20. 2008Bicycle Chain | Maintenance
The upkeep of your bicycle chain is almost a black art, everyone has a better way and many have different opinions on the topic. However you choose to do it I think the one thing we can agree on is when you oil up that chain make sure the chain is clean. This is the most common problem for cyclists. Liquid lubricants penetrate to the inside of the links and are not easily displaced; however they quickly attract dirt. Dryer lubricants, often containing wax or teflon, have poor penetrating qualities unless carried in an evaporating solvent, but stay cleaner in use. The rule for long chain life is never to lubricate a dirty chain, as this washes abrasive particles into the rollers. Chains should be cleaned before lubrication. The chain should be wiped dry after the lubricant has had enough time to penetrate the links. An alternative approach is to change the chain very frequently (but the cost of what they are now, it is not likely that will happen). Do you remember the good old days when they used to have enclosing chain guards, which virtually eliminated chain wear and maintenance? It would also prevent chains from picking up dirt, and to keep the cyclists legs free from grease and dirt. Another thing is to stay away from wearing white or light colored pants or workout pants. In fact do not wear pants you cannot handle getting grease on.
You will also get chain stretch, which becomes an issue with extensive cycling. Chains generally wear through attrition of the bushings (or half-bushings, in the Sedis design) and not by elongation of the side plates. The tension created by pedaling is insufficient to cause the latter. Because an old chain is longer than needed, its links will not precisely fit the spaces between teeth in the drive train, making gear shifts a problem and possibly resulting in a 'skipping' chain that reduces power transfer and makes pedaling very uncomfortable. If the chain has worn beyond this limit, the rear sprockets are also likely to wear, in extreme cases followed by the front chain rings. Replacing worn sprocket cassettes and chain rings after missing the chain replacement window is much more expensive. At that point just look at getting a new bike, however take care of it and it won't happen.
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