It is almost May

Ride Like a Girl is next week, May 5th. Start thinking warm, sunny thoughts for Thursday afternoon and evening. And put a stop to any rain dancing you might see.
I was thinking that Lambert Park might be a good choice, but they are shutting down a lane of traffic between Lindon and American Fork. Do you think that will have a substantial impact on travel time to the trail head? Who lives up there? We can always hit Lambert next month. I was also thinking Dutch Hollow, but heard it might still be wet. It is definitely spring in UT!
So needless to say I am thinking about it. If you have thoughts, ideas, or preferences let me know. Otherwise I will continue to stew for a bit and hopefully make a decision early next week.
Hope to see you there!
Where? Mad Dog Cycles in Orem
When? 5:30 pm

Plan A

If it doesn't rain too much, we are going to plan on Lambert Park for Thursday (in 2 days!). Plan on being at the shop right at 5:30. We won't have time to wait very long for stragglers. I know some of you live up in that area so if you plan on coming but not making it to the shop, let me know. I can bring a waiver for you to sign.

Directions:

Take I-15 to the Alpine/Highland exit, just south of Point-of-the-Mountain. Drive straight east 5 miles towards the mountains, turning left at the stoplight in Highland (where you see the grocery store and gas station). Drive 2 miles north into Alpine to the 4-way stop at 200 North. Turn right. At the next stop sign, turn left. You'll be on 200 East, which becomes Grove Drive. Continue northeast on Grove for two miles. The road will turn 90 degrees to the right. Pass two streets on your left, then arrive at a T in the road. Turn right, across the river. At the fork in the road, go right for the Bowery parking area. Pass the High Bench dirt road on your right. About 300 feet further up the paved road, keep straight as the main road turns right, entering a smaller road. The Bowery pavilion is on the left, 500 feet up the dirt road, with a parking lot on the right. (Toilet, pavilion, water.)

Plan B

If it does get wet and the trails are questionable, but the weather is nice enough we will hit Bonneville Shoreline in Provo. This trail handles water really well. I will update Facebook on Thursday afternoon. We will meet at the shop at 5:30 and then carpool.

first ride of the year

the first ride like a girl is this week. i am excited. so the general plan is to meet at mad dog cycles in orem at 5:30 pm. we will sign waivers, do a quick introduction, figure out if carpooling make sense for anyone and head to a trail head.
which trail head? that i am not sure about yet. any suggestions? i have ridden above timp park and bonneville. does anyone know if anything else is dry yet? leave a comment.

Ladies Night Out

This month Mad Dog Cycles  have their 4th Annual Ladies Night Out event. They are excited to extend an invitation to all of you to attend. Assuming that you area
A. female, of course, and
B. interested in cycling.
If you don't meet condition A. well then feel free to encourage those you know who are female to join us.

Please RSVP via our Facebook Event page.

When: March 24th
Where: Mad Dog Cycles in Orem 360 E. 800 S.
Time: 6p.m. - 8 p.m.
Who: Just the ladies

So what's happening you ask and why should you come?

Well here's the run down.

They'll have food, even using table cloths and a provide a nice arrangement of yummy treats and fruit and other items in lovely display. (yeah, no pizza and chips casually thrown on to the counter for rapid consumption). It will be refined! Well, as refined as a bike shop can be.

They'll have experts, who will give short presentations on a variety of subjects including: nutrition, flat repair and Stans No Tubes set up, Riding a 100 Miler and Bike fitting, Mountain Biking and our Ride Like a Girl events, Bike Commuting and riding with Kids.

Visit them all and get your agenda stamped and you can be entered in the drawing for fabulous prizes! Yes they do mean fabulous! Helmets, clothing, Powerbar items and more fabulous stuff.

They'll have a Fashion Show! Come see the latest and greatest gear for women. Watch your friends strut their stuff in Lycra no less! Yes it will be entertaining AND informative. (For the record this idea came from other women, not from the dudes at the shop! That's what they are saying anyway.)

Buy Night and Raffle. The other benefit to the evening will be the opportunity to enjoy great deals available to just the Ladies at this event.

• 10% off any 2011 model bike purchase
• 20% off all regular priced Parts and Accessories (includes clothing)
• Half off our professional bike fitting service. $150 value for $75. That's a great deal, just schedule your appointment and pay that night
• And our special Re-tune promotion will be going on. Get an Overhaul done on your bike in March and you can bring it back in October or November and get a Tune-up for free!

It should be a wonderful evening and I encourage you to attend and to invite your friends. But don't forget to RSVP here on Facebook.

Empowering

I love the way it feels when I know how to fix something myself. In fact, I can recall being at the first Park City Point 2 Point. It was early morning and everyone was jittery. A guy (who shall remain nameless) was looking for Chris because he (the guy) was having some issues with his front brakes. I was not sure where Chris was, so I asked him what he needed. He quickly explained the situation and it was something I knew how to do. So I did it for him. He was able to race and his brake did not cause him any problems. I felt empowered by this situation--unfortunately it did not help my race any. :)
I understand that not everyone can or wants to be a master mechanic, but I really feel it is important to know the basics. We all know how to put gas in our cars, check tire pressure, window washer fluid, etc. We should also know the basics about our bikes. In the least, we should have the tools so when we do ask or are happened upon "a knight in shining armor" (or a guy on a killer bike) that we don't make them sacrifice anything in helping us out other than a little time.

Items to bring with you:

• Spare tube
• Tools (that work for your bike) including a chain breaker
• Pump and/or CO2
• Patch kit (tube and/or tire)
• Water/food 

Things to check periodically (i.e. before each ride)

• Tire pressure and/or sealant
• Chain (it may need lubing)
• Tap the brake
• Spin the wheels

Maintenance Night

The first Ride Like a Girl will be Thursday March 3rd. Don't worry about the weather or trails, we are staying inside. This night will be an opportunity to review some basic bike maintenance. I am planning on going over how to set up tires tubeless, adjusting brakes, fixing a chain, etc. So come with questions. If you have bike tools, bring those as I will try to create opportunities for you to do some hands on training. It would be best for you to understand YOUR bike tools. If you don't have bike tools, we will discuss different options and why you may want to have some.
When: March 3
Time: 5:30 pm
 Place: Mad Dog Cycles Orem

Shake Off Winter

Is it just me or has winter been harsh this year? I still have snow from December in my yard. This winter season seems to have brought more than its share of snow and cold. I am about done with it. I am looking forward to warmer weather...and riding!
On the way to warm weather riding though, there are still a couple of stops along the way. First, I need to hear from you. Who wants a maintenance "Ride Like a Girl" in March? And if you do, what do you want to cover? How to "Stan's" a wheel? Change a tire? Fix a chain?
And mark your calendars for Thursday, March 24th. That is going to be Mad Doc Cycles "Ladies Night Out". They have some big plans this year. So even if you have been in the past, you will want to come again this year. It should be awesome.
And I am trying to put together a Facebook page--MTB Ride Like a Girl. This will hopefully will make it easier to stay informed.

Almost done with this type of riding