I should not be admitting this in this forum but I can't resist. It wasn't by choice, but I have been living a secret life. Until recently I would find excuses not to spend time with the family. It wasn't that I don't like my family it's just that... well, I'm male and beauty can spark passion and passion can become obsession. I was letting her tempt me away from my wife and worse, my kids. I have been weak.

Holland is a great place to be a cyclist. There are more kilometers of bike paths then there are roads and on the occasions when bikes and cars share the same stretch of asphalt, motorists are cautious and respectful. Unlike the U.S. where the automobile is king, bikes and pedestrians usually have the right of way there.

All of this combined with a long history of cycling means that peoples attitude about bikes tends to be dramatically different. If you are wearing your team kit while on a training ride sometimes a motorist will honk at you, but not because they believe you are taking up too much road or slowing them down, more likely it is because they want to convey their approval or offer words of support.

But every once in a while, just like here, you run into someone having a bad day...

Meetings: Our next club meeting will be Friday, December 4th at Woodstocks Pizza.

Announcements:
Corsa needs the following new or used parts to finish the remaining junior bikes; tires, tubes, brake shoes, chains, small handlebars and short stems. e-mail me if you have any of the above...

The LSD (Long Steady Distance) rides are in full swing and turnout has been good. (Between 50 and 100 riders on average) These rides will go all winter and are intended for riders of all abilities. The goal of the ride is to get base miles in a social and fun environment. The ride meets at One Mile (Bidwell Park by the pool) at 9:00 am and all riders will start off together but the ride will fork at several points so those who are getting tired can turn back. Distances will vary but gradually increase throughout the year. The ride will be mostly flat with an average speed somewhere around 18 to 20 mph. Experienced riders will be on hand to mentor new riders and teach pack riding skills.

Race Results:
Race results are posted to the Chico Corsa Website in the race team section. (You will need a login and password to post your results)

Breaking News:
Here are some Cyclocross racing opportunities that are within a reasonable driving distance: Shasta Race Series (Redding) Sacramento CX Sagebrush CX (Reno) Santa Rosa CX

R.A.C.E. Calendar:
Chico Cyclist

NCNCA Road Racing Calendar:
NCNCA Road Calendar

NORBA Calendar:
NORBA Racing
TBF Challenge MTB Races
MTB Calendar - California

Chico Velo Calendar:
Chico Velo Western States Ride Calendar:
Ride Calendar

Team Chico's Cutty Ride:
The classic ride of Table Mountain, Oregon Gulch road and Pentz. From Chico. We roll past Butte College and hit the foothills up to Cherokee Rd., climb and descend Cherokee all the way across Table Mountain before backtracking a mile or so to the start of the dirt on Oregon Gulch Rd.

This five-mile stretch of good gravel has a few ups and downs before a steep kicker up to the first KOM at the Covered Bridge. Descend back down Cherokee and head straight up Pentz Rd into Paradise for KOM # 2.

Work our way through town and descend Neal Rd for a sprint before 99, cross 99, and finish with a second sprint on Chico-Oroville HWY.

Notes: These rides are organized for fun(?) and are open to all who are willing to try. Some rides utilize out and back portions and regrouping is encouraged! Road bikes with sturdy tires should be fine. We will try to have a support vehicle(s) but please come prepared, ride with a partner and have a plan to get home. Please dress WARM and bring plenty of food, water and supplies and take responsibility for yourselves. We will describe the route, but there will be minimal course markings, no road closures, aid stations or coffee stops, just dogs, squirrels, pickup trucks, and a bunch of bikers on a sweet ride in the cuts! For more info on the Cutty Series contact Aren Timmel.

Rising Stars:
Lindsay Myers will be riding for Webcor and Ian Boswell will be riding for Bissell in 2010

Two seasons ago I was racing with a very unhealthy digestive track. I later found out that I had Giardia (a parasite that comes from drinking unfiltered water), I caught it when I was diving in the ponds at the local golf courses in Bend, Oregon helping my brother collect golf balls so we could re-sell them. Anyways, before I was diagnosed with Giardia I tried everything to help my stomach; fasting, eliminating certain foods, and countless doctors visits (most of which were in Belgium, and the language barrier didn't help me get any closer to finding the cure). One of the foods I tried avoiding was gluten, which is found in almost everything. So in order to eat a balanced diet I began cooking... a lot. Cooking is something I still love doing and am always trying to get better at. In an effort to save money on power bars I have started to experiment with making my own. It's not that hard and I really like it because I can add whatever I want to the bars, usually depending on what food I have left in my kitchen.

Here is a recipe for some bars I made the other day.

Trying to be a better cyclist without a strong core is like building a house on a sand foundation. A cyclist with an unstable core will usually do ok until the level of competition OR training catches up or overwhelms them. "Overuse" injuries are often caused by a lack of core strength. A complete and well balanced training program should include some good core training/exercises. Plus, it should include some flexibility (stretching) and strength movements. Almost all body movement can't happen without using the core muscles. In fact, core muscles are critical for maintaining the stability of the entire body.

Here we are at the end of another riding season (at least for us skinny-tire types), and my thoughts naturally gravitate to the "best of" in various categories. I'm sure we all have favorite rides, races, and moments from 2009 to think back on. In that spirit, how about a personal list of "favorite" bad stretches of road surface in the Chico area?

It's no secret, and I've written about it before, that Butte County and the City of Chico have pretty low standards for street upkeep, especially compared to other, more rural, counties in Northern Cal. Higher population density and what seems like a lower work ethic than you find in, say, Plumas or Siskiyou counties make for a less than wonderful ride at times. And don't tell me it's because of the current economy and budget cuts; it wasn't any better back when I got to Chico nine years ago and times were good. It's just the way they do, or rather, don't do, roads around here.