San Dimas - Master Bicycle Plan

The City of San Dimas just updated it's Bicycle Master plan.

I think it's great, lots of good things in there for improving access to cycling routes and making the roads safer to everyone.

You can read about it at the city's website here.

Au Revoir Paris!

Well, it's all over for another year. Today Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France. It was well earned as he was really consistent throughout the whole toure. I think the Schleck brothers left it to late into the tour to open some time on the competition. Contador's tour was over early with the accidents he got caught it.

Good showing from Team Sky. Garmin were excellent. Unlucky for Radioshack, I think they'll come in more determined next year after the bad luck they suffered.

I'm already looking forward to the Vuelta a Espana and the US Pro Cycling Challenge next month!

Rules of the Road - A good resource for cyclists and drivers!

Road ID has put together an excellent video series for cyclists about how to ride safely while out on the road. It's an excellent read for both riders and drivers.

You can check out the videos and articles on the Road ID website here.

As always you should be riding on the road with ID. I use a Road ID when I am out at all times. Click the links on my blog to find out more about Road ID and why you should ride with one!

Pump it up!

I’m getting into the routine of maintaining my bike on a regular basis now. As part of that I’m still trying to get in the habit of checking my tire pressure more regularly.

There are several reasons why you should be checking your tire pressure on a regular basis.

1. An under inflated tire is more prone to puncture.
2. An under inflated tire is more prone to deforming.
3. A ride can get pretty bumpy on an over inflated tire.

You can check your tire pressure a couple of ways, with a pressure gauge or with a pump with a built in pressure gauge. I prefer to use the pump, that way if it needs filling I can just do it. No changing between two devices.

Check wall of your tire for the correct PSI.

When inflating your tires make sure you’re using the correct pump for your valve. There a three main types of valves on tires and they take different extension on your pump to inflate them.

You can read more about wheels and valves here

For a pump I use a Serfas FP-200 which has a built in pressure gauge. For on the road I take some Co2 with me.

If you have a Presta valve, be sure to unscrew the small top on the valve before pumping. You don’t need to remove it, just unscrew enough so when you push down the air releases. Then clamp the pump on tight.

Here’s a short video on how to inflate a presta valve road tire

For more about tire pressure check out the articles here and here.

Tour De France 2011!

I've not posted much this month as I'm currently soaking up all the tour coverage! I have to say the HD coverage on Versus is just amazing! The shots of the French countryside are stunning.

Some great racing so far! I feel bad for Radioshack, it's just not going their way on this tour.

I'm loving the climbs the most as the sprints are getting a bit repetitive so far with HTC pretty much all over them.

The clean bottle guy is doing a great job too!

Training Summary Jun'11

This month the weather started out gloomy and ended up scorching!


I continued with my short rides of 18 miles during the week and have worked up my long rides to just over 30 miles.


I slack off at the gym and my running in the second half of the month. Gotta get back into that this month.


Summary:
June Bike Miles: 218 Miles (Most Miles in a Month)
June Running Miles: 9 Miles
June Fitness Workouts: 4 workouts


On the plate for July is more miles on the bike and getting more consistent with the running.

Road Bike Rides - Bonelli Loop

I thought I would start sharing some of the rides I’ve done. So here’s the first in an evolving series of rides. These rides are for road biking.

The Bonelli Loop is a popular ride among cyclists in the San Dimas area.  It offers a route through Frank G Bonelli Park and the parts where you’re on the public roads are pretty quiet most of the time. Bonelli Park contains Puddingstone Lake and Dam. Inside there are some rest stops for water and bathroom breaks. This means you can easily do the loop several times. Most people park at the Park and Ride on Via Verde just past the entrance to the 57 freeway but you can also park along Puddingstone Drive by the industrial complex.

These are various versions of the loop starting with the most basic.

Bonelli Loop via Dam

This route cuts over Puddingstone dam. The road across the dam can get busy with cars early in the summer mornings and weekends when Raging Waters is open. The traffic backs up along the dam as people line up to get in. You can ride along it easily enough, just be careful as you get closer to Puddingstone drive as it’ll get tight. The majority of the time it’s empty and you’ll see plenty of cyclists, runner and walkers.

The busiest part for traffic is along Fairplex drive but for the most part you wont encounter too many cars.

Bonelli Loop via San Dimas Ave


This is an alternate route that does not go across the dam. This is a good option when traffic is lined up along the dam.




Extended Bonelli Loop via San Dimas Ave


If the basic loop is too short for you or you want some more climbing you can try this one. It’s a nice downhill along Via Verde and Covina Hills but then you gotta climb back up Via Verde! A couple of Cat 5 climbs.





Extended Bonelli Loop w/extra climbing


Want more climbing? Then turn left and head up Canon Ave off Puddingstone.

If you’re up for it there is a weekly ride doing the loops called Buds Ride. You can find our more about that ride here.

After your ride you can head into downtown San Dimas for a bite to eat too.

So there you have it. Quite a few options for you to try. You can loop one several times or do combinations of the different loops.