CorvallisRides

Mountain Biking the Corvallis Area

2011-02-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in riding with other people and exploring the mountain bike trails around the Corvallis area?

In most cases, the Corvallis mountain biking community gets together for group rides by using group email lists instead of calendars of regular rides at regular locations. As such, if you are not already a member of the community, it is hard to find out what groups of people with what level of ambition are riding where, how far, and how fast.

Well, check out the Corvallis Mountain Biking blog. Craig Cole (ccole@peak.org) coordinates two weekly rides, every week, all year round, rain or shine at 9:15 PM every Thursday night, and 7:00 AM every Saturday morning. Details, stories, and contact information is all available on the Corvallis Mountain Biking blog.

Embedded Calendar

2010-12-31T16:40:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted a running calendar with all the cycling events that might be of interest to the community. Now, with the ability to embed Google Maps, I can create a calendar that is hopefully fairly easy to keep updated and useful. So, here it goes. My first try at a clean complete, public calendar of events.

More Mapping Software

2010-07-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I finished a three day bicycle tour over to, and down the coast, that I thought would be about 65 miles per day, with maybe 8000 ft of climbing over the whole tour route. When I was done, I had ridden a 94 mile first day with over 7000 ft of climbing and a 115 mile last day with over 9000 ft of climbing. It was a great tour, but I was baffled with how inept (some may read stupid) my planning had been.

While perusing a web page the other day for a Mt. Hood area race, I starting playing with this very cool embedded Google type map that traced the ride profile below as I moused over the route map above. There was a link to the mapping site attached to the map so I clicked on it. . . ta dah! And yet another personal route mapping web site. . . but hey, this one is really simple and works really well, and uses Google for its map data, and it talks to your gps, and it has all kinds of more cool features, and it's free. . . and, I couldn't stop my self from playing with it and drawing all kinds of cool routes to plan new tours and see the exact distance of rides I've done over the years and exactly how much climbing I really did . . . and, and, and . . . you just gotta check it out.

If for some reason the there is not a cool map embedded above this line, the link for the mapping web page is "ridewithgps.com".

Interactive Mid-Valley Bike Map

2009-02-07T23:07:00.000-08:00

All road cyclists in the mid-Willamette Valley now have an outstanding new route finding resource. Check out the interactive Mid-Willamette Valley Bicycling and Pedestrian map. With this map, you can choose road routes based on distance and difficulty. The maps can optionally include contours, aerial photographs, road shoulder information and more.

Three cheers to the GIS Department of Linn County, the Linn County Commissioners, the Albany Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission, and the members of Santiam Spokes, Mid-Valley Bicycle Club and Albany Fitwalkers for committing to and following through on this tremendous projecct!

Trainer Night at Peak Sport

2009-01-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night January 14th, from 6:15 - 8:00 PM Peak Sports Bike Shop will be showing "Pure Sweet Hell" a cyclocross film. All interested persons are invited to bring their bicycle, their trainer, and a towel to ride while we watch. There is one trainer available for loan to the first person that requests it for the night.

Peak Sports on Facebook and Twitter

2009-01-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

Check out Peak Sports, now on both Facebook and Twitter.
On Facebook Peak Sports is set up as a group you can join to keep up to date on local outdoor acitvities, as well as being notified about sales and events at Peak Sports.
If you follow Peak Sports on Twitter, you can be instantaniously notified of events, sales, or other happenings as they happen. There will also be occational "twitter sales" with extra crazy discounts available for minutes to hours for people that are following Peak_Sports on twitter.

Full Moon Ride on Saturday

2009-01-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

It looks like the weather gods are smiling on us for our first full moon ride of the new year, this Saturday. Rains are expected to stop on Thursday so trails will even have some time to dry out a bit. See you there. ;)

Tonight's Movie

2009-01-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

Don't forget -

The Peak Sports bike deptartment is showing the movie " Breaking Away" tonight at 6:15 PM.
Bring your drinks of choice. We'll supply the popcorn. Kid's are welcome.

Change of Plans

2008-12-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

Please note that the full moon ride previously planned for Sunday Jan 11th is now changed to Saturday Jan 10th. Weather predictions anyone?

Winter cycling events at Peak Sports

2008-12-24T11:40:00.000-08:00

Evening Cycling Activities @ Peak Sports - Tentative Schedule

Wed, Jan 7 6:15 to 8 PM Movie Night: Breaking Away
Sat, Jan 10 6:15 to 8 PM Full moon mountain bike night ride
Wed, Jan 14 6:15 to 8 PM Trainer Night: Pure Sweet Hell: a cyclocross film
Wed, Jan 21 6:15 to 8 PM MVBC Club Shop Night
Wed, Jan 28 6:15 to 8 PM Movie Night: Seasons
Wed, Feb 4 6:15 to 8 PM Trainer Night: Film to be announced
Wed, Feb 11 6:15 to 8 PM Class: Basic bicycle maintenance

All activities are scheduled to begin at 6:15 PM.
Movie Nights, Trainer Nights and classes are open to everyone.
There is no charge for any of our Wednesday Night activities.

On Movie Nights, we set up a projection screen and show a movie. Peak Sports will provide the popcorn and will have some chairs and benches available, but please feel free to optimize your personal experience by bringing other snacks, your beverage of choice and your favorite lawn chair if you have one.

Trainer Nights are an opportunity for customers to do some winter indoor training with company and a movie. Peak Sports will provide the space, an inspirational movie and free water. We ask participants to bring their bicycle, their trainer, and a towel. We have one trainer available to loan and will reserve it for the first person that requests its use.

Club Shop Nights are an opportunity for local bike club members to use our shop space, bike stands, and tools to work on their personal bicycles under the supervision of an experienced mechanic. Participation is organized by the local club, and is for members only.

Classes on basic bicycle maintenance and flat tire repair will be taught by our mechanical staff throughout the year.

Rides are lead by at least one shop staff member. The rides are open to all interested participants and depart from the Peak Sports Bike Department. Helmets are required.

Caring for your feet in winter

2008-12-15T16:58:00.001-08:00

How many times have you gone riding in cool or cold weather, not necessarily even freezing, and your feet get cold, not just a little cold, but freezing cold and numb! Of course, there are ways to vastly improve foot comfort in cold weather.

The three basic principals of keeping your feet warm are: 1) maximize blood flow, 2) block the wind, and 3) Insulate the foot, including the sole. Keeping your feet dry is not nearly as important as insulation and blocking the wind. Wet feet can still be warm.
Use the temperature outside and the size of your budget to refine your winter foot strategy.

Before anything else, make sure that your riding shoes are not too tight. You are better off riding with thin socks and good blood flow than you are with thick socks that reduce your circulation in tight shoes. If you are buying new cycling shoes, make sure they are not too tight. You can always take up a little extra room with an insole. But you cannot stretch most cycling shoes to fit looser.

Second, block the wind. All the insulation in the world is useless if the wind is blowing through it. If you are riding summer shoes in the winter, wind can be blocked with plastic bags over your socks, with windproof socks, or with covers over the outside of your shoes. Plastic bags are free and can help tremendously. Shoe covers keep the cold wind even further from your toes and generally keep your feet drier than plastic bags.

Third, more insulation is warmer. If there is room in your shoes for thicker socks, thicker socks are warmer than thin ones. Wool or high performance synthetics are much warmer than cotton or cotton blends. And, insulated shoe covers can add even more insulation on the outside of the shoes. While most people find winter-specific shoes to be the warmest and most comfortable in winter weather, many people make due with summer shoes and insulated shoe covers for much of their Willamette Valley winter riding.

Finally, regardless of the other efforts taken, there is always the option of chemically enhanced heating. For $2 - $5, a pair of chemical foot warmers can be put under your feet adding significantly to your cold weather comfort for up to eight hours.

Experiment until you find the solution, or combination of solutions, that work best for you.

2008-11-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

The weather is supposed to clear up tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon leading into a dry weekend. Yahoo.

Incidentally, tomorrow night is also a full moon. So, Gregg and Jon are leading a full moon, mountain bike, night ride from Peak Sports, starting at 6:00 PM. Everyone is welcome. Bring lights and helmets.

Also this weekend, the Mid-valley Bicycle Club is doing King’s Valley and Decker Road rides on Saturday, and the new Team Dirt is heading out for its regular Sunday morning group ride from the Monroe St. Beanery at 9:00 AM.

Winter Events at Peak Sports

2008-11-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

Well, we’re heading into . . . no . . . We’ve now entered our soggy Willamette Valley winter season. I looked at the extended weather forecast yesterday, and it predicted rain every single day for as long as the forecast forecasted.

Now, that doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of opportunities for truly great mild weather bike rides, but now they all come with a significant risk of that cold soggy misery we all know so well.

To try and keep us all smiling and excited about cycling, even through these tough economic and meteorological times, Peak Sport is promoting a whole series of winter cycling activities. Every Wednesday night throughout the winter, Peak Sports will be playing a bicycle related movie or running indoor roller racing or presenting classes and clinics about bicycles and bicycling. Also, for the more robust among us, there will be full-moon bicycle rides leaving Peak Sports at 6:15 PM, rain or shine, during every full moon night throughout the winter (Thur Nov 13, Fri Dec 12, Sun Jan 11, Mon Feb 9 . . .).

Call (541-754-6444 x2) or stop by Peak Sport with any questions you may have, or to sign up for any of the events. I will post a calendar as we solidify what is happening on each Wednesday.

Why CorvallisRides

2008-06-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

CorvallisRides is my attempt at helping build and inspire the bicycling community in the central Willamette Valley area.

My goal is to provide some regular reading of interest and a center for finding resources of interest to riders. I am hoping to include great area rides and events, links to local clubs and events, technical expertise of interest to cyclists, advocacy for cycling in our area from laws to trails to bike lanes.

So welcome, thanks for visiting, and let's see what this all becomes.

Sincerely,
Nelson