Produced almost every Thursday by Velo Cape Breton. E-mailed without cost or obligation to more than 1000 bicycle advocates around the world.

 In this Edition

• Upcoming - Mark Your Calendars 
• AHC '10 - Update #3
• Heartland Tour - July 14
• Annual Coal Dust Days Bike Rodeo
• No-Excuses Bike Commuting
• Sign of the Apocalypse
• Recalibrated Formula Eases Women's Workouts
• Condom Factory Burns Down in England

HYDRATION

"Drink before you're thirsty".  You've probably heard that many many times.  How much do you actually drink on your bike ride during a hot day like today for example?

In hot weather you should be downing about two water bottles per hour.  Why so much?  Dehydration is one of the primary - but most easily avoided - contributors to fatigue.  

More about the important hydration at:  http://www.cptips.com/fluids.htm

UPCOMING -  MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Saturday, Sunday July 10/11,  Cape Breton Classic Road Race.
http://frameworkfitness.com/capebretonclassic

Sunday,  July 11,  Registration deadline for AHC '10.  (See Update #3 below)

Wednesday, July 14,  Heartland Tour in Sydney.   (See article below)
www.heartlandtour.ca

Thursday, July 15,  Heartland Tour in Antigonish.
www.heartlandtour.ca
Thursday, July 15,  -  Anti-oil Day
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131366193554719

Saturday, July 17,  Across the Highlands Challenge, St. Peter's.

Sunday, July 18,  BikeFest and Rodeo in L'Ardoise,  organized by Richmond Cty, Recreation Dept.,

Sunday, July 18,  Port Hood Triathlon,

Tuesday, July 20,  Coal Dust Days Bicycle Rodeo (see invite below)

AHC '10 - UPDATE #3

Again this year, organizers and volunteers are proud to present another high quality event on Saturday July 17th.   In AHC event, e
veryone kind of has its own natural pace.  If one likes to work a little harder, then he/she works harder.  If one likes to work less hard but a little longer, then she/he does that.  Everyone finds what works for them and enjoy the day.  At AHC, there's no second, third and last place finisher;  AHC is this type of event where everyone is a winner, where everyone is proud to have conquered the course and can celebrate with close friends and new found ones at the arrival.

Approaching the registration deadline for AHC '10 (Sunday July 11th), the list of 60+ participants was communicated to all those officially registered.

Taking into account your suggestions, the banquet this year will start at an earlier time and will hopefully be more casual and friendly.  Menu "à la carte"??? Well...  sort of...    Besides a full assortment of "depraved" stuff, pretzels, chips, peanuts and other sinful ingredients to accompany your favourite refreshment(s) after the finish - Foodland and NSLC no further than 100 m. away - you will have several BBQs on site to cook your own meal the way you like it.  Choice of T-bone steak, chicken breast, salmon, veggie patties accompanied by five types of salads, baked potatoes, baked beans; crowned with a sumptuous dessert.
Much like in previous years, your guest(s), partner, friend(s), masseur/masseuse, escort is/are more than welcome to share the post-ride celebration at a minimal cost $15./ea.

Also, a little overview of things to do while you're in St. Peter's.
Visit the historic St. Peter’s Canal, museums and churches, take a leisurely walk on our scenic trails, cycle or kayak to a lighthouse destination or build a custom sand castle on one of the world-class beaches around.  
http://www.capebretonsheritagecoast.com/

More energy to burn on Saturday night, go to the Bras D'Or Lakes Inn and sing with The Pub Boys... http://www.brasdorlakesinn.com/the_pub_boys

Sunday, July 18th.  Bike Rodeo & BBQ  
Come out and join us on Sunday July 18th for a Bike Rodeo and BBQ.  This event will take place from 10:00am – 12:00pm in the parking lot of the Dr. Kingston Health Clinic in L’Ardoise.  There will be a bike rodeo complete with rodeo obstacle course, helmet fitting, bike inspections, face painting, BBQ, refreshments and prizes.  Members of VELO Cape Breton will be present to complete bike inspections and……….. ?? Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. This event is sponsored by the Dr. Kingston Memorial Health Project and Richmond County Recreation in partnership with Velo Cape Breton.

HEARTLAND TOUR - JULY 14

The Heartland Tour  is coming to Sydney next Wed, July 14th.  The Heartland Tour is a bike ride, taking place in 9 Nova Scotia communities, designed to highlight the importance of physical activity as it relates to cardiovascular health.  Details are on the website
www.heartlandtour.ca

The rides this year have been modified to make them more kid and family-friendly.  There are options to do shorter and easier segments for those who wish, or you can come for the whole ride.  Schedule is on the website.

    -main ride leaves North Sydney (Archibald Wharf area) at 9AM, looping around Boularderie and back through Florence/Sydney Mines, and back to downtown North Sydney for lunch. (50Km)
    -option to leave North Sydney later in AM, meet group at old Co-op store at lights at Bras D'Or (by 11:10), then back through Florence/Sydney mines with the group to North Sydney (20Km)
    -option to leave Sydney and cycle to North Sydney to meet group for 12:15 departure back to Sydney (44Km total)
    -option to leave Civic Centre, meet group at 13:15 hrs at Superstore Sydney River, to cycle back along King's Road to Civic Centre (11Km total)
    -option to leave Civic Centre at 1400hrs to do 10Km "family ride" through North End, Pier, and back to Civic Centre.

Of particular note, there is a kid's ride at 5PM at Wentworth Park, for kids ages 5-13.  Each lap of the park within the 20 minute time limit earns 1 ticket for the draw for a new bike, helmet, or bike lights.

It helps us plan if we know how many are coming.  A number of you have already signed up.  If you haven't yet, and do intend to go, please go to the website and do so.  There is no cost to participate.

For anyone who can distribute a few brochures to kids, please let me know and I'll get them to you.  Similarly, anyone who has a good place to put up a poster or two, please let me know.  I'm really hoping to get the word out over the next few days.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Please forward this email to anyone you think might be interested.

Thanks

Chris Milburn,  538-6852   milburn.chris(at)gmail.com

ANNUAL COAL DUST DAYS BICYCLE RODEO

 
Tuesday July 20th, 2010 at 10:00am

Sponsored by CBRM Police Services - East Division.  The Rodeo will be held at the New Waterford Fire Hall parking lot.  Participants must be between the ages of 5 and 12.  Appropriate protective gear is required.  Participants will receive a certificate and an entry into the draw for a chance to win a brand new bicycle!  For more information call the Coal Dust Days Hotline at 862-4710.

NO-EXCUSES BIKE COMMUTING

There’s the money you’ll save on gas, train fare, and parking. There’s the endorphin buzz that will put you in the perfect frame of mind to tackle the workday. There are the environmental benefits. And there’s the fitness you’ll gain. These are just a few of many benefits of commuting by bicycle. And yet many riders see commuting as some radical undertaking better left to hard-core environmentalists and those unlucky enough to live without internal combustion. Don’t let yourself fall victim: If you live within 10 miles or so of your workplace  (and most of you do), there’s little excuse not to commute by bicycle.  Still not convinced? Read on for commonsense solutions to popular  commuting excuses.

   1. Excuse: It’s not safe to ride in rush-hour traffic. Solution: It’s usually possible to get from home to work on less congested backstreets or secondary roads. You may have to ride a few extra minutes, but they will bring you more exercise and enjoyment.

   1. Excuse: I can’t afford a special commuter bike. Solution: Use your present bike, or buy a used “beater.” Weight is not as much a factor as reliability. An old rigid mountain bike, or a road or hybrid bike with sufficient clearance between the stays and fork blades for wider tires, is ideal for riding city streets.

   1. Excuse: I have to dress nicely for work and can’t stuff my good clothes into panniers. Solution: Drive to work one day each week, leave a week’s worth of clean clothes, and take the dirty stuff home.

   1. Excuse: I don’t have a place to shower after arriving. Solution: To clean up, use a deodorant soap and washcloth at the restroom sink. Or douse a washcloth with rubbing alcohol and wipe yourself down. This cools your body while killing odor causing germs.

   1. Excuse: There’s no secure place to park my bike. Solution: It may not seem so, but check for a storage closet or an out-of-the-way corner somewhere, like a furnace room. Or stash it with an acquaintance who lives nearby, at a bike shop, or at another business nearby that accommodates cyclists.

   1. Excuse: I like to sleep, and I’d have to get up earlier if I rode my bike. Solution: An extra few minutes of sleep aren’t nearly as refreshing as a brisk morning ride. And your evening ride home will leave you relaxed, so you’ll sleep more soundly. Quality over quantity.

   1. Excuse: Due to my work schedule, I’d have to ride in the dark. Solution: Wear light-colored, reflective clothing, attach lights and reflectors, and use a route that’s lit by streetlights. Reflective safety vests are cheap and stash easily in a pocket.

   1. Excuse: I don’t like riding in the cold/rain/snow. Solution: When  it’s pouring buckets, or sleeting sideways, leave the bike home. But you may start looking forward to your daily rides so much that you invest in a wind jacket, rainwear, tights, mittens, balaclava, booties, thermal socks, and the like. Studded mountain bike tires are available, if you live someplace truly arctic.

   1. Excuse: My commute is too far to ride. Solution: Consider cycling only partway. Drive to within a reasonable distance, park, and ride the rest. Maybe you can even take a bus or train to where your bike is stashed. Look for a well-lit commuter or park-and-ride lot.

   1. Excuse: I live too close to work to make riding worthwhile. Solution: Take a longer, more scenic route either going in or returning home.

   1. Excuse: People will think I’m weird if I ride a bike to work. Solution:They may, but so what? There’s a chance that some of them will admire you because you’re doing something that’s healthful, economical, and protective of the environment and natural resources. Chances are, your good example will cause some of them to give bike commuting a try, too.

More tips:  http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=commute+by+bike&aq=f

SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE

HALIFAX - PAVING PROJECT WON’T HAVE BIKE LANES
courtesy of Sandy MacKinnon, editor of Centennial Bicycle Club, eNewsletter.

by: Michael Lightstone, City Hall Reporter
Wed. July 7 - 4:53 AM

A controversial repaving project in Spryfield that potentially was to include pavement markings for bicycle lanes is going ahead without the bike lanes.
Halifax regional council Tuesday authorized the $1.1-million roadwork after the local councillor presented his colleagues with a 2,639-name petition objecting to remarking the road to accommodate the bicycle lanes.
Coun. Steve Adams (Spryfield-Herring Cove) said business operators and others were worried about a city staff proposal that would have seen a 900-metre section of Herring Cove Road cut to two lanes from four to accommodate bike lanes on each side.

Businesses feared traffic would be reduced and that would hurt their bottom line.

In giving the repaving project the green light, council opted to keep the pavement markings the way they are, without bicycle lanes.
Bike lane advocates on council said before the idea was killed that such additions to the road would be in keeping with Halifax Regional Municipality?s active transportation plan. They lost their battle in a 13-9 vote.
Coun. Steve Streatch (Eastern Shore-Musquodoboit Valley) said the active transportation plan is causing headaches for council and suggested it may need to be reformed.

    (Editor’s Note: Just to keep things in perspective, compare the recent Halifax City Council decision with the recent 15 year status report of the US National Bicycling and Walking Study:

    http://drusilla.hsrc.unc.edu/cms/downloads/15-year_report.pdf
    . The Halifax decision involved only a 900 meter section (½ a mile) of road! The council?s decision was against the best advice of its planning staff which recommended there was plenty of room to both accommodate cars and allow the bike lanes, and even more ominous is the last quoted statement by Councillor Steve Stretch that he now feels the whole municipal Active Transportation plan may need to be reformed.

    I suggest perhaps it is councillor Streatch’s view that needs a makeover. If you are interested in this topic check out the NSPACTS website
    http://nspact.ca/ . There are plenty of references there to articles and studies that would support the argument that there is significant health and financial benefits to be realized by developing a comprehensive Active Transportation plan for Halifax and other Nova Scotia municipalities. Among them is the recent Toronto Charter for Physical Activity: A Global Call to Action: (http://nspact.ca/docs/torontocharter-eng-20may2010.pdf) for another more health oriented perspective on the subject.

    Nova Scotia is at or near the bottom in the nation when comparing population fitness levels and is carrying (and paying) for one of highest per population health care debt loads as a result of chronic disease, mostly attributable to a poor diet and sedentary life style. Maybe somewhere in all this that bottom line should have been considered in this business oriented discussion.)

How about here in CBRM?  Are you satisfied with the progress of the implementation of the CBRM AT Plan?  Please forward your comments for publication or write your councillor

RECALIBRATED FORMULA EASES WOMEN'S WORKOUTS
courtesy of Doug Pezzack,

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/recalibrated-formula-eases-wome...

In a study of nearly 5,500 healthy women, scientists discovered that a decades-old formula for calculating heart rate is largely inaccurate for women, resulting in a number that is too high.

CONDOM FACTORY BURNS DOWN IN ENGLAND

Rt. Hon Andy Burnham MP MINISTER FOR HEALTH is awoken at 4am by the telephone.

'Sorry to bother you at this hour, but there is an emergency!!  I've just received word that the Durex factory in Liverpool has burned to the ground.   It is estimated that the entire English supply of condoms will be gone by the end of the week.'

Rt. Hon Andy Burnham MP:   'Sh*t !!   The economy will never be able to cope with all those unwanted babies....  We'll be ruined.'

 
'We're going to have to ship some in from France?'

 
'Bad idea!  The frogs will have a field day on this one.'

Junior Minister:  'What about Scotland?'

 
Rt. Hon Andy Burnham MP:   'I'll call Alex Salmond.'   

 
‘Tell him we need five million condoms, ten inches long and three inches thick.  That way they'll continue to respect the English.’

 
Three days later a delighted Andy Burnham MP runs out to open the boxes that arrived at the Post Office.  He finds five million condoms:
10 inches long, 3 inches thick, all coloured blue and white with small writing on each one.

MADE IN SCOTLAND - SIZE:  MEDIUM

SCOTLAND FOR EVER

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_____________

Jacques Cote
Editor, Velo Cape Breton eNewsletter