We ride on Saturday Morning Rides year-round, starting at Sue's Java Cafe, 1712 Churn Creek Rd. Starting time is 9 am sharp from September through May. To dodge the heat, we start at 8:00 am in June, July, and August. Rides last 2-5 hours depending on where we are in our training. The ride occasionally breaks up into 'slow' and 'fast' groups. We have assigned ride leaders and have a "no drop and leave" policy, so there's no excuse not to show up. Check here for the latest ride schedule or in our latest newsletter to confirm the proposed route, distance, and ride leader each week. Ride schedule comments or questions? e-mail Thad at rdgveloschedule@gmail.com,
The Advanced Wednesday Rides is a high paced training ride for the intermediate to advanced racers, will resume on the first Wednesday of daylight savings and ends when the clock turns back to standard time in the fall. NEW STARTING LOCATION - Holiday Market/Starbucks at Placer and Buenaventura. Rides will start at 5 pm. We will have a weekly ride leader and will probably have both "brisk" and "moderate" paced groups. We will ride west along Placer single-file at a moderate pace from the start point to Swasey drive to reduce our impact on afternoon home commute traffic. This will also give you a chance to warm up before putting the pedal to the metal! Ride length will vary with available daylight and fitness level.
The Sunday Morning Mountain Bike Ride meets at Placer Street/Buenaventura Blvd. Starbucks at 9:00. This location provides many options for hitting the superb dirt trails on the west side of Redding or can serve as the meeting place to carpool to other great ride options that the Redding area is known for. The rides will usually be in the range of 2-5 hours depending on the weather and skill level of participants. This is also a great opportunity to be introduced to area trails that may not be on any map i.e Area 51, Clair, Moab and others.
Like a good scout, be prepared- show up on time, ready to ride, and stay hydrated. That will maximize everyone's enjoyment!
PLEASE NOTE: Redding Velo riders are to obey all traffic rules and be courteous to other riders and motorists! One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.
2009 training ride photos
Ride leader John waldrop giving tips for safe bike handling for the 2009 crit skills clinic as the 2009 member look listen and learn.
Current member Gina Lowe and new member Michelle Arballo listen to the tips for 2009 crit skills clinic .
President Keith Ritter and Secretary Gary German cruising on the latest Saturday ride up Wildcat rd.
Current member Gina Lowe and new member Michelle Arballo riding up Wildcat rd.
Gil Akers Brad lewis and Keith Ritter reparing a flat on the March Whimore-Oakrun Route
With his bright Colgate smile, Brad lewis with ease, leads some of the guys up Oakrun
Tips and links
Hey Redding Velo members, Here is a new tip link page to give you the 411 on proper training for base miles, body conditioning, how to train for your competitive event rr, crit, or century. Also check out the new training bible link to help you tract your progress for the 2009 season.
Whether a seasoned pro or beginner, we often need to take a moment and review some of the basics about riding a bicycle. Last year I was out riding on Oak Run Rd. descending towards Buzzard Roost Rd. I was tooling along at a pretty rapid clip and found myself coming into that last corner a little hot (you know the corner). Due to the fact that I had not been riding much, my first reaction was to get on the brakes causing me to head straight for the other side of the road. After about a millisecond, which felt like eternity, I let off the brakes and immediately returned to a favorable line and negotiated the corner. Whew! What just happened? Well, lets stop and look at these rules of bicycle cornering physics: #1 Once you apply brakes to a cornering bicycle, you are sacrificing control. #2 The harder you apply the brakes, the straighter your line will become, no exceptions! #3 The later you apply your brakes, the harder you have to apply them! #4 If you don't practice cornering, you won't be cornering for long!
Taking these rules into account, don't ride beyond your abilities. As you may have heard from your driving instructor, always assess the corner as far up the road as possible, brake to an appropriate speed, then feather off the brakes as you enter the corner. Put your body weight on your outside pedal which should be in the down position, transfer more weight on your inside hand and lean the bike accordingly. This will help provide optimal weight distribution allowing you to enter and exit a corner at a higher rate of speed. Now go out and practice, everybody is different and every bike will handle differently. Find what works best for you!
