CLEVELAND - Six cycling topics on the blog this month, including some history with a new route, a new leader for a new organization and a bike swap.
Winter riding and care
If you’re like me, this mild winter has had you on your bike much more often than in winters past.
With winter winding down (but still lurking), Tracey Bradnan of Century Cycles offered these tips on winter riding and storage of your bike.
If you ride regularly in the winter, don’t store your bike inside a warm house. Instead, store it somewhere it will remain relatively cold, such as in a garage. Frequent shifts between cold and warm temperatures can potentially cause moisture to condense on the inside of the frame, which can lead to rust. Repeated freezing and thawing can cause components to come loose or, in the worst case, crack. This can also make minor imperfections in the frame’s finish become major cracks.
Bare concrete is not a friend to bike tires. Concrete draws moisture out of the rubber of the tires, causing dry-rot and premature aging of the tires. If you must store your bike with the wheels on the floor, store them on a non-concrete floor or put rugs or rubber mats under the wheels.
Bradnan added hanging your bike up by a wheel from a hook does not damage your wheel.
Road salt is highly corrosive to bicycles – the frames and the components. Make sure you wash your bike before storing it for the winter or wash it regularly if you are riding all winter long.
On that salt vein, she suggested cyclists beware if you keep bikes stored in the garage as cars bring in road salt and you may need to dust it off your bikes…who knew?
Potholes can bend your rims beyond repair, and newly minted potholes present a double hazard – the chasm itself, and the chunks of shattered pavement around it, which can puncture your tire.
Batteries for accessories like your lights and cycling computer may have a shorter life in the cold temperatures.
A reminder to service your bike before the warm-weather rush and while off-season sales takes place.
By the way, Century Cycles locations are offering free bike clinics, visit www.centurycycles.com/for/clinics for times, dates and locations.
Bike Cleveland’s new director
Congratulations to Jacob VanSickle for being named Bike Cleveland’s first Executive Director earlier this month.
The 27-year-old Michigan native is familiar to the cycling community as well as the Slavic Village community. He served as the Active Living Coordinator for Slavic Village Development. He led and coordinated efforts leading to the creation of Bike Cleveland this past September.
“I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to lead Bike Cleveland into a prosperous future,” said VanSickle in a press release, “I am looking forward to working with current and future Bike Cleveland members, and the greater cycling community, to continue to grow the cycling movement in Greater Cleveland.”
"We believe that Jacob is uniquely qualified to lead Bike Cleveland as we make Greater Cleveland healthier, economically stronger, and more vibrant through the power of cycling, and we are looking forward to building partnerships with like-minded citizens and groups to make this future possible." said Christopher Alvarado, Board President of Bike Cleveland.
The new Underground Railroad cycling route
Many cyclists cross the country from ocean to ocean, but a route going from Alabama to Canada with historic significance will be promoted this weekend.
Jim Sayer, executive director of Adventure Cycling Association, the largest membership cycling organization in North America with more than 43,500 members, will visit Oberlin and Cleveland during a week long trip to Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. His visit is aimed at promoting the organization’s new cycling route, the Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate, as well as sharing news about the growing interest in bike travel and tourism.
The new 518-mile Detroit Alternate will guide touring cyclists through important communities and landmarks in the Underground Railroad’s history from Oberlin, Ohio, to Owen Sound, Ontario. The original route — a 2,000-mile route between Mobile, Alabama, and Owen Sound — was developed under a partnership between Adventure Cycling and the Center for Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh.
Sayer will speak at two free public events for area cyclists, one in Oberlin, the other in Cleveland.
The Oberlin event is Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Swerve Bicycle Shop, 23 Main Street from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Sayer’s Cleveland appearance is at the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op , 1840 Columbus Road from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Interested cyclists and supporters can RSVP at info@adventurecycling.org
Downtown bike swap
March 24, Bike Cleveland and The Bike Rack are teaming up for a bike swap. Think of it as a swap meet for cyclists.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., cyclists and cycling companies will be at the Colonial Arcade between Prospect and Euclid avenues near East Sixth Street.
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