By Barbara Jacobs

Here are some tips to help you use the website to register for a ride, how to  retrieve your membership card, and reminder of some of the Tech Tips from last month.

How to Register for a Ride

On a web browser: Go to the Ride Calendar and go to the date for the ride, click on the ride you want to go on (there might be more than one ride on that date) and complete the registration form. 

On your phone: Members may register using the Member App.

•      Get the Member App for Apple phones here.
•      Get the Member App for Android phones here.

To register, click on the Event tab, and select event you wish to attend. Select the appropriate registration button, complete the mandatory fields, select Continue, and then Complete.

You will receive an email confirmation if your registration was completed correctly.

Accessing/viewing your CRW Membership Card

On a web browser: Log on the CRW website and go into your profile (click on your name at the top of the screen).  You will see your member details and your card on that page. You can view it two ways:

• Optimized for smartphones 
• Printable PDF

Via the Member App: Click on the Profile tab. Click on the My Card button to view/display your membership card.

Password Problems

The current CRW Website uses your email address as your Username. The password is not the same one that you used on the old site.  

If you are having a problem logging in to the website.  Try the following:

• Restart your computer.
• Close and reopen browser window.
• Try a different browser.
• Delete autofill username and password and type these in manually.
• Review the directions to log on by email, Facebook or Goggle below the login area.
• Click on the "Forgot Password" button.  Wild Apricot will send a link to your email address connected to your CRW account.  Reset your password.
• Use the Wild Apricot help located here:

https://gethelp.wildapricot.com/en/articles/22-passwords

https://gethelp.wildapricot.com/en/articles/1710

CRW Member's Journey from Heart Disease to World Record - Friday, April 5th.

Peter Megdal was born with a right clubbed foot and after undergoing a dozen corrective surgeries, he has competed for decades in pursuit of a world record. However, a bigger challenge loomed when in 2014 news came with a big shock: diagnosed with severe heart disease, a course correction began. After heart surgery, a drug regime, and a complete dietary change, Peter renewed his quest.

Five years of attempts to break the world record led to 3 national records (one as a para-cycling athlete), and finally - the world record.

Dr. Peter Megdal, a long-time CRW member, broke the masters world hour record on September 12, 2023 in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Peter traveled for one hour to complete 47.43 km at 29.5 MPH. He has competed locally, nationally and internationally for decades but his dream of a world record is something that began as a kid growing up in Texas.

Come hear him speak about his struggles and the successful attempt on April 5, 2024. Register here.

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Bike Maintenance Workshop, Saturday, April 27th 

By John O'Dowd and Patty Grasso

Are you new to cycling, or have you been on the road a while but never learned how to fix your bike?

CRW is offering a workshop on Saturday, April 27 that is just for you! Come prepared to get your hands dirty!

At this workshop you will learn how to:

This FREE Event is a hands-on workshop taught by the volunteer mechanics at The Bike Connector.

CRW will provide snacks and drinks for this event. Please do not bring your own bike. The Connector has limited floor space.

The Bike Connector is a non-profit based in downtown Lowell. Its mission is to take used bicycles and refurbish them for people who need them. The Bike Connector works with public school students, recently arrived immigrants, and others in need of basic transportation in Lowell and the surrounding communities. Their programs include “earn-a-bike” opportunities for middle and high school kids. If these kids fix up old bikes so they are rideable, they get to keep them. Also, they run bike rodeos for elementary school kids to learn safe riding skills.

This workshop is limited to 20 people and is for CRW members ONLY.

Sign up before it fills up!

This is a FREE event, but donations to the Bike Connector are appreciated. Suggested donation $20.

Saturday, April 27, 10 am - noon

The Bike Connector - 47 Lee St, Lowell, MA 01852

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On Sunday, May 5th, will Paul Revere visit CRW's 3rd Annual Spring Swap Meet & Rides?

By Jerry Skurla

"Listen fellow cyclists and you will hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere."

While that's not how the famous poem actually goes, Paul did put Lexington on the map, so we're holding 2024's Spring Swap Meet & Rides in Lexington for the first time.  Choose between one of two morning rides (25 or 38 miles), then clear out your garages & basements at the Swap Meet from 1 to 4 pm.  For full details see LINK TO RIDE CALENDAR POSTING.

 

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CRW Spring Century, Sunday, May 19th - Register Now

By Mark Nardone

North to New Hampshire is a long-time CRW favorite century event, beginning at the Wakefield High School, heading to NH and back, and winding though some of NH's more scenic roads.  New 2024 CRW special edition participants sprockets will be available for riders who did not earn one in 2023. 

The CRW Century Series is open CRW members only. To attend you must be a current CRW member. Click here to join.

The first of our Century rides is now on the calendar and open for registration! Early registration pricing will end April 15th.

Register NOW!

This will be the first chance for many to put some serious miles down for the season.

Not ready for 100 miles?

Metric and half-century options are available. Stay tuned for a possible piccolo ride (routes are currently being scouted)!

Call for Volunteers!

Without volunteers there is simply no way to put these events on. Please consider donating your time for one of the many tasks to support the ride, the upside is you get to ride the distance of your choice for free!

Email us at century@crw.org if you are interested. Please consider attending our Century Volunteer Party on April 5 to learn more.

By Norma Loehr

Get ready for the new season with new CRW club kit! We will have jerseys, shorts, gloves and more! The store will open on April 12, 2024 and close on April 22, 2024. Members will receive a link to the store via email on April 12. See our Club Kit FAQ below for more details.

Club Kit FAQ

When will the store be open?

The store will be open for orders April 12, 2024 through April 22, 2024. 

How do I access the store?

Members will be emailed a link on April 12, 2024.

What will be offered in store?

We will have everything from jerseys and shorts to socks and gloves. Go to the store on Apr 12, 2024 to check it all  out!

What are the prices of the items in the store?

Prices will range from $20 for gloves to $135 for bib shorts. You can see all the kit and all the prices in the store on April 12, 2024.

The pricing reflects that these are custom printed goods that are being made available in relatively small amounts.

How much is shipping?

Shipping is $15 per address. If you want to decrease your shipping cost, you can always get together with friends to place larger orders to ship one address and share the cost.

When will I receive my order?

Orders for the custom printed goods are placed when the store closes and are shipped roughly 60 days after that so that means that orders will be shipped starting on June 21, 2024. The time lag between ordering and shipping reflects that these are custom printed goods that are being made based on your orders. Update: the long finger gloves take slightly longer to make and may not ship until July 12, 2024.

What is the size range?

There is a wide range of sizes for men and women. Men’s sizing goes from a waist size of 26” up to  54”. Women’s waist sizes range from 24” to 40” and hip sizes range from to 34” to 48”.  It is important to take your measurements before you order, do not assume you know what they  are, then find your size on the size charts  using those measurements. The full size charts will be accessible in the shop.

Note, the 2024 jersey is intended to have a slimmer fit than last year's jersey so you should order up a size if you would like a looser fit.

By Andre Wolf

Since its inception, the CRW-Devo program aimed at supporting and stimulating enthusiastic club members to improve their riding skills and capacity. The concept was well-received by a segment of the membership. The program attracts a certain type of rider and creates a social environment where talking bikes is the norm. Where else would bringing up Tadej Pogačar’s magnificent 81 Km solo win at Strade Bianche not attract weird looks? Think of it as a safe space where sharing your plans to upgrade your bike or wheels would lead to a constructive conversation.

In an effort to serve a broader share of the membership, Devo is organizing a series of workshops this year. Danielle Gosdin is the workshop program coordinator and she is off to a great start with the climbing workshop held on March 23. The workshops are free, and exclusive for members.

Besides climbing, Danielle will be covering other key riding skills like cornering and contact riding (when two or more riders touch each other while remaining in control of their bikes). Instructors and volunteers are usually recruited among members. We are also reaching out to local coaches to share their expertise. As more workshops become ready to roll, we will post on the calendar.

We realize some of the activities we organize may look a bit extreme, but can we agree they provide inspiration? Even if Everesting, a 150 mile ride, or an overnight ride to NYC are not up your alley, keeping up with a fast group on the monthly The Mighty Squirrel ride may be incentive enough to lose weight, train more consistently, or even consider following a structured training plan? We have at least one real case to support this thought.

We acknowledge CRW is a large and diverse cycling club and that each activity posted caters to a specific group of interest. That’s healthy and well supported by CRW. No member needs to fit a single box, so the wider the offer, the better. Devo is around for you to experiment with. You can be sure Devo will continue to be active and be home to the craziest bike riding ideas we (and you) can come up with. That’s the way we roll and you are welcome to join the type II fun. 

By Sylvia Stoddart

By John O'Dowd

It’s done. The numbers are in. The 2024 Winter Ride Challenge is now part of CRW history. Sixty-nine members rode their bikes from December 15th through March 15th.

The results are:

Racers: 14 (includes three whose hours on the 15th didn’t get onto the leader board)

Weekend Warriors: 13

Recreationalists: 18

Participants: 24

The top scores (hours) for each of the categories were:

Racers:

Pamela Blalock - 203.25

Nickolas Linsky – 168

Nick Lepeshkin – 155

Weekend Warriors:

Robert Herold – 91.77

Jim Iannone – 78

Sunny Statsny – 76.97

Recreationalists:

Amy Juodawlkis – 49.65

Guillermo Munoz – 48.96

Clyde Kessel – 45.8

Participants:

Lisa O’Connor – 24

Riccardo Mazzolini – 22.5

Jack Vinson – 20.93

Raffle Winners were:

Racers (CRW gloves): Beth Rosenzweig, Doug Cornelius, Harold Hatch, Nickolas Linsky, and Nick Lepeshkin

Warriors (lights): David Wilson, Erik Sobel, Larry Kernan, Mike Laurin, and Sunny Stastny

Recreationalists (ear buds): Guillermo Munoz, Jeanne Peihl, Jenna Maurer, Joan Sarles, and Randolph Williams

Participants (inner tubes): Ron Molin, Sylvia Lustig, Michael Weintraub, Susan Linz, and Lynne O’Riorden

Raffles winners were selected using a highly sophisticated, state of the art random number generator operated by highly trained Ed Cheng. Special thanks to Randolph Williams (President) and Amy Juodawlkis (Executive VP) for providing technical support and crowd control, and Harold Hatch (Devo ride leader) who came up with the whole idea.

We had a nice little post-challenge get together at the Mighty Squirrel on St. Patrick’s day where winners received their prizes and were served drinks and appetizers.

Keep in shape this season so you will be ready to take on next winter’s challenge!

By Eli Post

April brings pleasant warm weather,

We should all band together.

And get our bikes ready to ride,

So we can enjoy the countryside.

And resume a sport we hold dear,

Better than a cold beer.

The club’s calendar will fill,

And we can enjoy a downhill

Or a spin on a country road,

Never to be slowed

Or a tricky curve

That you deserve

To brighten your day

As if a holiday

We will see you on a ride,

And hope we have clarified,

Your absence will not be tolerated,

Don’t leave us devastated.

By John Allen

The European Union and the USA have taken very different approaches to ebikes, and this bears on safety issues. Have a look at how the differences reflect on the way European and US society have greeted ebikes. 

Europe has three classes of Ebikes

By John Hughes

Today we’ll focus on hot / painful feet. And, as with the other cycling maladies, we’ll devote some time to discussing how you can avoid it.

Let’s Start With An Example:

My buddy Roger got me started riding in California in the ’70s. One of our favorite double centuries was the Mt. Lassen DC – the slogan was “Where a Sag’s a Drag.” We rode 200 miles, including Lassen National Park, and subsisted on what we could buy at mini-marts.

After they stopped running the DC, Roger and I decided to ride it on our own. Lassen is an active volcano, and the pass on the shoulder of the mountain is half-way through the ride. We continued north and descended through the devastated area (which features lava fields resulting from multiple eruptions between 1914 and 1917).

We stopped at Old Station, about 135 miles into our adventure, to refuel. The next store was 42 miles away through remote country, so I ordered a large pizza and a pitcher of Coke. Roger had very hot feet, so he soaked his feet in the stream while we waited for the pizza. I didn’t know much about riding nutrition or physiology back then!

Although it was only around 70F that day, half an hour down the road Roger had hot feet again.

Causes of Hot Foot:

Numb toes and pain under the ball of the foot generally results from squeezing of the nerves between the foot bones in the ball of the foot just behind the toes. This can result from:

Swollen feet: On longer rides, most riders develop peripheral edema, which is nothing to worry about as long as it goes away after the ride. How long a ride before it develops depends on the individual.

Poor technique: If a rider “pedals squares,” then the pressure on the sole of the foot is constant. If a rider pedals with a round stroke, then at the back of the stroke the rider is lifting the foot to unweight the pedal (thus relieving the pressure a bit on every stroke).

Foot shape: Forefoot varus is when the ball of the foot is elevated relative to the outside of the foot when not bearing weight. As many as 87% of us are built this way. If the foot is not supported properly, then pressure on the nerves may result. Narrow, bony feet lack padding, while wide feet may be crammed into too-narrow shoes. Any of these anatomical issues in the feet could result in hot foot.

Pedal size: Since road shoes are made with stiff soles, the size the pedal isn’t an issue.

Solutions: Some Options, Starting with the Easiest

1. Improve technique: Learn to pedal with a round stroke, which will also increase your power as you call on different muscle groups to move you down the road. If you develop hot feet while riding, try exaggerating a round stroke with less pressure on the downward part of the stroke.

2. Don’t stand: When standing, you are only applying downward force, which increases pressure on the balls of your feet, and all of your body weight is on the pedals.

3. Loosen shoes: If your feet swell when you ride, then loosen your shoes and/or wear looser socks to allow for the swelling. Prevention is best: I start with shoes that are slightly loose.

4. Take shoes off: If you stop at an aid station or mini-mart, park your shoes with your bike and walk around in your socks – they’re washable!

5. Move cleats back: If possible, slide your cleats back so that the ball of your foot is in front of the center of the cleat. I’ve custom-drilled holes in my shoes to move the cleats 1 cm back. This costs me a fraction of a percent of efficiency and power, but greatly increases how long I can ride. Remember when moving the cleats back to also lower your seat a bit to compensate for the effective change in leg length.

6. Orthotics: Orthotics, especially those with a metatarsal bump, often distribute the load more evenly. A metatarsal bump is a slightly raised spot just behind the ball of the foot. I have forefoot varus and for years used custom orthotics; however, now I use a Specialized footbed. These come in a wide range of sizes. Each model is customizable for different longitudinal arches and metatarsal support. Most riders don’t need custom orthotics.

7. Podiatrist: If the problem persists, see a podiatrist.

8. Larger shoes: Twenty years ago, I wore size 45 shoes; however, on long rides my feet would swell so I also got a pair of size 46 shoes. For RAAM, I also took sizes 47 and 48. As we age, our feet get larger – and I now wear size 49. When I bought the shoes, the sales person told me they were too loose. Not for my kind of riding, I explained.

Follow-up on a Reader Comment on Lower Back Pain

Rando Richard commented: I completed a 600 K brevet, 375 miles with 32,000 feet of climbing in about 45.5 hours. It had six continuous climbs (2,000 – 4,500 ft. each). Despite putting on 10,000 miles on my road bike last year, this one really threw me for a loop. My lower back was killing me on the last two climbs, a new problem for me. I stopped to stretch 6 or 8 times on the last climb. As I neared the top of this 4,500-foot climb (6-9%), the grade angled back a little and my cadence increased and my back pain immediately vanished. As I remember, my heart rate was unchanged as the angle decreased, so I was still pushing as hard. Was the back pain due to too slow of a cadence (due to fatigue)? Or was it due to just total exertion, without regard to cadence? Despite installing a cassette that yielded lower gearing before that ride, it was not enough. If I ever do another, I plan to put on an even bigger cassette.

My Reply: Your legs are levers, and the pelvis is the fulcrum. The more force you exert per stroke, the more other muscles work to stabilize the pelvis so that all the force goes into the pedals rather than moving your pelvis. The muscles that stabilize your pelvis are either in your lower back or your core.

The amount of force on the pedals is a function of gear selection and cadence together. If you were in your lowest gear and just pedaling slower because you were fatigued, then the force was the same as riding with a higher cadence. In your case, because the grade eased the force per stroke was less.

Lower gears and a higher cadence definitely will help – as well as a stronger core. On brevets, there are periodic controls, at which stretching for a few minutes at each stop will also help.

Copyright © John Hughes, 2024.

By Gabe Mirkin

Virtually all doctors agree that exercise helps to keep you healthy and to prolong your life. People who exercise into later life live longer than non-exercisers and are at reduced risk for high blood pressure, heart attacks, premature death, diabetes, strokes and even some cancers (Circulation, July 25, 2022;146(7):523–534).

Endurance bicycle racers who participated in the Tour de France from 1947 to 2012 have lived an average of five years longer than their countrymen (European Heart Journal, 2013;34 (40):3145-3150).

People who exercise regularly are far less likely to develop irregular heartbeats called atrial fibrillation (European Heart Journal, July 2021;42(25):2472–2483; Circulation, April 22, 2015).

However:

• Competitive athletes appear to be almost two and half times more likely than non-athletes to experience atrial fibrillation (British Journal of Sports Medicine, Oct 2021;55(21):1233-1238).

• About 20 percent of almost 1000 long-term competitive endurance athletes, mostly middle-aged men, said they had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine May 2023, 33(3):p 209-216).

• Long-term female competitive endurance athletes are at increased risk for atrial fibrillation (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2023;57:1175-1179). 

• Older endurance cross country skiers are at increased risk for atrial fibrillation (Circulation, Aug 26, 2019;140(11):910–920).

• Extreme endurance exercisers such as bicycle racers, cross country skiers and long-distance runners who compete into their 40s and beyond may be at increased risk for atrial fibrillation (American Journal of Cardiology, October 15, 2014;114(8):1229–1233).

• The incidence of atrial fibrillation appears to be more common in older athletes than in the general population (J Am Coll Cardiol, 2005;46:690–6). 

• Articles in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and other popular media have suggested that some athletes who continue to do extensive fast mileage or train for extreme endurance events in later life may be increasing their risk for atrial fibrillation.

What is Atrial Fibrillation?

Each heartbeat starts when a “battery” in the upper heart (atrium) sends an electrical impulse through the upper heart to make it contract to squeeze blood toward the lower heart (ventricle). Then the electrical impulse reaches another “battery” in the lower heart to make the lower heart squeeze blood forward. Atrial fibrillation means that the upper heart quivers and does not push blood forward, while the lower heart beats independently. Many people with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms and do not know that they have this condition until it is discovered during a routine physical examination.

Symptoms may include:

These symptoms are often harmless, but on rare occasions an irregular heartbeat can cause sudden death by stopping the heart from pushing blood through your body or worse, can cause a clot to form in the upper heart that travels to another part of the body to block the flow of blood to that part of the body.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common irregular heartbeat. It occurs in 1.5-2 percent of the general population, and risk increases with age. It affects 10 percent of 75-year-olds and 20 percent of those over 85, because aging increases the risk factors for atrial fibrillation such as blocked arteries, high blood pressure or diabetes.

How Atrial Fibrillation Can Harm You

When a person has an upper (atrial) heart that is fluttering, blood pools there and a clot can collect and pass to the brain to cause a stroke, or to the lungs to block blood flow through the lungs. This is so dangerous that most doctors prescribe anti-clotting agents to everyone with atrial fibrillation. I believe that athletes with atrial fibrillation are far less likely to suffer clots that cause strokes than non-athletes with atrial fibrillation, but I have not seen any studies to support my belief. Healthy athletes can have occasional irregular heartbeats that will not harm them, but at this time, doctors treat atrial fibrillation in athletes the same way they treat other patients with this condition.

Extreme Exercise May Increase Atrial Fibrillation Risk

Two studies raised the concern about extreme amounts of exercise in older athletes. In the first study, 29 elite athletes were given MRIs to look for heart muscle scarring that increases risk of atrial fibrillation. They were Olympic or national team runners and rowers who had competed throughout their lives, including some who had competed in more than 100 marathons. In the older group of 12 athletes ages 50 to 67, half showed some heart muscle scarring (J Appl Physiol, June 2011;110(6):1622-6). Those who had trained the longest and hardest had the most scarring. Neither the 17 younger athletes (20-42) nor the control group of 20 older non-athletes showed this heart muscle scarring.

In the second study, on rats, a 16-week program of daily one-hour treadmill running caused widening of the upper part of their hearts and scarring in the heart muscle that could increase risk for irregular heartbeats (J Am Coll Cardiol, July 2013;62(1):68-77). The scars in the upper heart remained after the rats stopped exercising.

Risk Factors for Atrial Fibrillation

My Recommendations

Exercise reduces the chances of a person developing atrial fibrillation. Nobody has shown that exercise in itself causes atrial fibrillation, and it is only extreme ultra-endurance exercise that some doctors believe may increase risk for atrial fibrillation. I think that nutrition, exposure to pollutants and other lifestyle factors are also important. I do not believe that just exercising will give you adequate protection from heart disease. To protect your heart, you should follow all of the rules that apply to everyone whether you compete in ultra-endurance events, exercise moderately or just sit on a couch.

The scientific literature recommends exercise for most people, but prolonged exercise through pain and exhaustion may increase risk for atrial fibrillation. If you have, or suspect that you may have, atrial fibrillation or any heart disease, always check with your doctor first about exercising.

Never ignore symptoms that could be caused by heart disease, such as:

© Copyright 2024, Gabe Mirkin MD, all rights reserved.