Naples Velo Bicycle Club is a not-for-profit organization promoting cycling at all skill levels and dedicated to improving cycling safety and awareness in southwest Florida.
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Newsletter
May 2019
We hope you enjoy our sixth Newsletter!
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President's Message
by Mark Dillon
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Hello Everyone,
I would like to talk about an upcoming event that is of the upmost importance to cyclists not just here in Naples but everywhere; it is the annual
Ride Of Silence
which is held the 3rd Wednesday in May all around the globe. The Naples ride will be held Wednesday, May 15th at 6:00pm and will start and end at Cambier Park (755 8th Ave. South) here in Naples. The route is usually about ten miles long and participating riders will ride at a slow pace in complete silence. The Ride Of Silence focuses awareness on cyclists who have been injured or killed while cycling and it also brings awareness to the community that we all share the road. I have done the ride in the past and it is a very powerful event that I encourage everyone to participate in. The Naples ride of silence is being promoted locally by the
Naples Pathways Coalition
who work tirelessly for all of us here in Naples and Collier County to help create safe, bikeable and walkable communities. So please, grab some friends (and your bike of course) and come over to Cambier Park on May 15th and show the community that we as cyclists matter.
Thank you,
Mark Dillon
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Member Services
by Bill Percival
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Naples Velo Strava Club
April Time Trials
Naples Velo's First 2'fer Award
Congratulations go out to
Griffin Van Nest for being the first recipient of the Naples Time Trial "2'fer" award!
What exactly is the 2'fer award? The Award is given to any rider that sets the top times in both the group and individual time trial segments for a given month.
Griffin's performance on group rides over the past six months has been notable. He's often on the front during rotations and increasingly a contributing rider in maintaining breaks. While challenging, those consistent efforts come with rewards.
Congratulations Griffin and well done!
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Individual Time Trial Efforts
In another first for April,
Sue Fleming is the first female member of Naples Velo to receive the
Trek Tri TT award!
Sue set the bar for this 5.9-mile segment at just over 16 minutes and averaging over 22 MPH.
Nice work Sue for your efforts! I’d also mention that as of this writing in May, Sue continues this month as the leading rider of this segment. But more than three weeks exist to challenge it. Carla, Colleen, Jen, Tish ……………?
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Group Assisted Efforts
Colleen's riding style combines power with optimal efficiency. Anyone that has drafted behind her knows this: When she's in the drops it's going to be a lot harder for you to hide from the wind.
Congratulations Colleen! Keep it up!
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During that same Thursday Night Cyclery ride,
Erick Camacho and
Griffin Van Nest also set the fastest times for the men. Both ran the course in 2:28 with an average speed of 27.3 MPH.
As mentioned earlier, Griffin Van Nest gets major kudos for being the first recipient of the time trial 2'fer award. However, it’s equally notable that this is also a first time for Erick Camacho and Griffin for setting the top time for a month on this segment.
Nice work gentlemen!
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May's Public Service Announcement
Be careful out there.
Phillip M was broadsided in late April on his way to an early morning group ride by a pickup truck just outside of Boston. I spoke with him recently, and he is doing better, but he is facing a multi-month recovery to a lower leg fracture he sustained. His spirits are good, and thankfully, it sounds like he will make a full recovery.
Phil indicated that he was running front and rear lights when he was hit and that he never saw the vehicle coming. Fortunately, the driver stopped to assist him. Unfortunately, that is not something that you can always assume.
Many accidents seem to come out of nowhere, making it harder to believe there is anything you can really do to prevent them. In the most direct sense, I think that is true. But hopefully, you can lower the chances of being hit by being more aware of heightened risk factors and making adjustments that respect them.
Riding east-west routes respectively at sunrise and sunset increases the chance you will be in a driver's "sun line," reducing your visibility and the contrasting benefit typically provided by a taillight.
If you ride early in the morning, you're an outlier. Driver's may be less alert, and less likely to be looking for you because you are, in fact, an outlier relative to most people.
Riding in the rain needs no explanation, but we are heading into the rainy season in SW Florida increasing the chance we will get caught in a shower at any time. Stopping distances increase and visibility decreases for everyone.
While there is not a universal prescription for dealing with these risks, slowing down may help if for no other reason than allowing you to increase your situational awareness. Consider possibly switching to a bike path temporarily even when a formal bike lane exists, and acknowledge that crossing intersections in the early morning when traffic is low may pose more danger to you than later in the day when numbers on the road increase.
I think all cyclists celebrate to some degree when the season ends and we have less competition for space on the road. By extension, however, if that results in a corresponding reduction in situational awareness by both cyclists and vehicle operators, the benefit of lower traffic density could be more than offset by the increase in risk.
Be careful out there!
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Join the Naples Velo Strava Club
If you are not already aware of it, Naples Velo has a club page for club members in Strava. It's a convenient way to stay in touch with Club and member activity from week to week.
If you have not already joined the site on Strava, it's easy.
To find the page:
- From the main menu bar in Strava select "Explore."
- In the resulting drop-down list, select "Clubs."
- Search for Naples Velo as shown below.
- Click on the Club's logo.
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Access to the Club's page is exclusive to the Club's members. After you have completed the above steps, the Club will receive an approval request. All requests are reviewed within a day or two. Once your application is approved, you'll receive a confirmation in your Strava feed.
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Tech Tips
by Greg Pelican
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Is your L-R Power Balanced?
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It is common knowledge that a power meter is a valuable tool for measuring your cycling effort on the bike.
I've been using power meters for about 15 years and I find it an invaluable training and race-pacing tool, but the latest generation of power meters and software do much more than that!
Many power meters now measure your left verses right power and you can even see this real time while you ride on your computer. Garmin has developed an excellent set of metrics they call Cycling Dynamics. With Garmin Vector 3 Pedals you can also see where your center of pressure is on the pedal, where your main power phase is for each leg and even when you are standing verses seated.
This technology is relatively new so you won't find too many articles about how to use it and apply it. But as a busy bike fitter I have had great results using data from Cycling Metrics to help me troubleshoot customer's problems.
For example, I've had customers buy a power meter and were shocked to see a big difference in their left and right power. Sometimes it is a simple fix like lowering the seat height (the rider was sitting crooked on the saddle shifted to their more dominant leg). In other cases it required attention to the shoes, insoles and shims.
The bottom line is that these riders would have never known there power was imbalanced without a L/R power meter, and they lost power with every pedal stroke!
There are lots of great power meters on the market that measure left to right power starting around $1000. We have had great experience setting up our customers with Garmin Vector 3, Quarq, and Stages Bi-lateral Gen 3.
I'd be happy to answer any questions and help you get starting using power.
Don't hesitate to
email if you have questions.
See you on the road!
Greg
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Fourth Annual Donut Ride: May 4th 7:00 AM at Fit n Fuel, No fee for riders and every participating rider gets a free donut. Cycling safety presentation the Collier County Sheriff's Officers will follow the ride.
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Safety First by Don Rupprecht
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TheTips for riding in a paceline.
For those who regularly ride in a paceline and those who are considering riding in a paceline, compliance with the following suggestions should provide a safer ride for all. But first you need to select the correct ride for you. There are basically three types of group rides. First is the no drop ride. This ride insures that all riders will have group support to finish. If a rider drops off the pace, at least one strong rider will stay with that rider to insure they finish the ride. Second is the tempo ride which has an established pace, for example, a max speed of 20 mph. Third is a race that is thinly disguised as a group ride. These rides always have testosterone-based names, such as, “Sweat, Blood and Tears”, “Ride till you Puke” or “Hour of Power”. Once you have selected your style of ride seriously consider the following:
Don’ts
Do not overlap the wheel in front of you.
A significant percentage of cycling crashes are caused by a rider touching the wheel in front. You can not always anticipate the movement of the rider in front of you. Therefore, in order to avoid contacting the wheel in front because of your lapse in alertness or the unforeseen movement of the bike in front of you, do not overlap wheels.
Do not use aero bars.
When riding in a paceline, all your riding skills need to be available instantaneously. Being down in your aero bars denies you the ability to immediately respond to an unforeseen situation. So, don’t use the bars even when you are on the front.
Do not use head phones.
When riding in a pace line you need to keep your eyes and ears (and brain) focused on your surroundings. The first rider in the paceline has a clear view of the road and must call out all road hazards verbally and with hand signals. Also, that rider must clearly and timely communicate changes in speed and turns. Followers in the paceline need to avoid fixating on the wheel in front of them. Keep that wheel in your peripheral vision while focusing on the riders two or three bikes in advance of your position.
Avoid gapping.
If you create a gap in the paceline you force all the riders behind you to exert extra energy to pass you and close the gap. If you cannot maintain the pace and be in your comfort zone drop off. A fatigued rider is a dangerous rider. You lose your focus on what is important and focus only on staying on the wheel in front of you. This is a condition waiting for a disaster to occur.
Do’s
Be predictable.
A cyclist needs to be predictable for both motorists and fellow cyclists. One can portray predictability with both hand signals and verbal communications. It is especially important in a paceline for a cyclist to be predictable. This implies not making any stupid moves. Hold your line. Convey with hand signals in a timely manner any movement you plan to take off your line. Also, handle your bicycle in a manner that minimizes the side to side movement of the rear wheel.
Be alert.
Riding in a paceline is not the time to socialize. Coffee is available after the ride. At speeds of 18 to 30 mph things happen quickly. A rider must concentrate on his or her surroundings including the three of four bikes immediately in front, other cyclists on the road, vehicles approaching or changing direction, hazards in the road, traffic signs and signals, pedestrians, walkers and runners.
Communicate.
Manual and verbal communications are absolutely required in a pace line. Hand signals should be used to communicate, slowing, stopping, turning, road hazards and other dangerous conditions. Cycling is not a silent sport. Football, basketball, soccer and many other team sports depend on verbal communications among the players anticipating changing conditions on the field. Members of a paceline are a team. Success is defined by safety and safety requires excellent communications among the members of the paceline.
Hold your line.
Every morning, ride leaders say “Hold your line” because so many bicycle crashes are caused by a cyclist changing their line, that is, not staying in a continuous straight line parallel with the edge of the road.
Control your speed.
In order to ride in a paceline one must be able to avoid gapping and not overlap the wheel in front of you. This requires a constant adjustment in speed. First, one should continuously pedal. It increases your control of the bicycle. Second, one should not accelerate hard because it is inevitable that your momentum will require you to brake hard to avoid overlapping wheels. Third, in order to reduce speed feather your brakes and/or soft pedal, but continue to pedal.
Maintain a steady pace.
The first rider in the paceline is responsible for maintaining a steady speed within the parameters of the ride description, for example, 18 to 20 mph. When the first rider decides to get off the front the rider must continue to pedal and maintain the pace until he or she has moved fully to the left and allowed the second rider to assume the lead. Only then can the first rider begin to soft pedal and drift to the back of the paceline. The rider should not cut into the middle of the paceline unless another cyclist provides the space and communicates to the first rider to get back in the paceline. When the second rider assumes the lead of the paceline it is critical that he or she not accelerate. Check the speed when the first rider moves to the left and maintain that speed. The purpose of this process is to minimize the accordion effect farther back in the paceline which can become very annoying.
Limit the size of the group.
In 1994, when Naples Velo was founded, Naples was a sleepy tourist city in southwest Florida. Today, it is a major tourist destination, a part of a major metropolitan area with the accompanying fast drivers, slow drivers and reckless drivers, gridlock and multiple motorist personalities. As a result, it is necessary to adjust the size of pacelines to the road conditions. On a hot August day, the size of a paceline is probably not important. If one is riding in a rural area, for example, on highway 29 from Immokalee to Everglades City the size of a paceline is probably not important. However, from November through April within 10 miles of the coastline, the size of a paceline is going to affect the flow of traffic and the temper of motorists who are delayed, inconvenienced and intimidated by a long line of spandex clad cyclists. Naples Velo seeks to hold the size of pacelines to twenty riders. The Naples Police Department recommends ten riders per paceline. Cycling clubs in other areas of FL restrict the size of pacelines. The Villages allow a maximum of eight riders in a paceline. Respect the motorist’s presence on the road and limit the size of your paceline.
Be safe and have fun.
Don Rupprecht
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Sponsor's Spotlight: Kurt Shearer of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives at Naples.Outdoorlights.com
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Each month we feature one of our great sponsors... and this month is Kurt Shearer, Owner and CEO of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives,5850 Shirley Dr., #103, Naples, FL 24109. Phone: 239-263-9975
Outdoor Lighting Perspectives has been designing outdoor lighting systems for upscale homes in Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Estero, Marco Island and surrounding areas for over 17 years. Our lighting designs include systems for landscape, gardens, pools, patios, decks, docks, security, water feature, paths and accents. Whether you are looking to illuminate your home or business,
we will create the perfect design for you.
Kurt founded Outdoor Lighting Perspectives in 2001 after spending 16 years at UPS. He moved to Naples in 1982 after being convinced by a former roommate that Naples was a better alternative than central New York where he was born and reared.
Kurt became involved with cycling first as a triathlete for about 12 years. He was President of the Naples Area Triathletes for a 2 year term. He thoroughly enjoys cycling now and the friendships it has provided. Kurt says " I have a beautiful fiance'e, Sue McDonald. I have 2 wonderful children: Lee who is a recent graduate of Furman University and student athlete having competed as a Division 1 varsity distance runner; daughter Amy who is finishing her junior year at George Washington University. Sue has a daughter, Lauren. We enjoy visiting all 3 kids which keeps us busy and entertained.
The Naples Velo Board of Trustees appreciates the support of our club by Kurt Shearer of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, Naples.outdoorlights.com..
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- Bike Law Review by Ted Zelman
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BICYCLISTS, PEDESTRIANS AND TRAFFIC
This is an attempt to explain traffic laws as they apply to bicyclists and pedestrians. Bicyclists and pedestrians often travel on the same roadways. It is important for cyclists to be aware of the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians as well as bicyclists.
One place to start is bike lanes. There is no legal basis for pedestrians to walk or run in bike lanes. In practice, cyclists and pedestrians seem to coexist on friendly terms in bike lanes. If there is a sidewalk, however, pedestrians are prohibited from being in the roadway. Bike lanes are part of the roadway. This would be important in the event of a crash – a pedestrian could be blamed for not being on a sidewalk.
Bicyclists travel with traffic in the roadway. Pedestrians are required to travel against traffic in the roadway.
Both pedestrians and cyclists can travel on sidewalks. Cyclists must yield the right of way to pedestrians on sidewalks. Cyclists must also signal audibly when passing a pedestrian on a sidewalk.
Motorized vehicles are prohibited on sidewalks. This includes electric bikes – they are prohibited from being used with the motor running, on sidewalks.
An exception to the prohibition of motorized vehicles on sidewalks is that under some circumstances, golf carts can be operated on sidewalks. This requires an ordinance passed by the local government. I would not expect this to occur other than in a golf course community.
Pedestrians have the right of way when walking in a crosswalk with respect to all vehicles – motor and bicycles. Bicyclists are not required to cross intersections as pedestrians do. In fact, bicyclists are expressly permitted to turn left from a left turn lane and to take the lane when doing so.
Florida law also permits bicyclists to execute a left turn by crossing the intersecting roadway, then turning left and crossing the intersection onto the road the cyclist intends to ride on. It has been my experience that law enforcement officers often expect bicyclists to execute this maneuver, acting like pedestrians at intersections.
Knowing what is legally required of you is important for every cyclist. Knowing what is required of pedestrians helps bicyclists as they make decisions when riding.
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Check out our new
BIKE LAW BLOG covering issues related to Florida BIKE LAWS.
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