November 2005 Update

El Tour XXIII will be another special ride. If you’ve thought about doing El Tour before but couldn’t quite convince yourself to take the plunge, this is the year! If you’ve done one of the shorter distances in the past, consider moving up to a longer distance, or even to the 108-mile event. The GABA training rides will provide an excellent opportunity to get yourself in shape over time, and for you to evaluate your capability for the event of your choice.

Once again, it's time for one of GABA Tucson's most popular rides! Come join us for the annual Tom Mix Century. Just two weeks before El Tour, this ride offers you a great opportunity to prepare for your "Personal Best" on El Tour Day, or to simply enjoy a wonderful ride. There's just enough hills to give your legs a good workout, while your eyes feast on the majestic Catalina Mountains!

or chose the option of riding any other amount you wish. Ride as little or as much as you want. The course will be monitored during the ride.

Ride north to Oracle Jct. Continue north on Florence Hwy to Tom Mix Monument, your turn-around point. Enjoy a sag stop with snacks, fruit & ice water. Return to Oracle Jct., continue south on Oracle Rd. back to start.

Ride north to Oracle Junction. Continue 1 mile north to SAG 1, your turn-around point. Enjoy a sag stop with snacks, fruit & ice water. Return south on Oracle Rd. back to start.

TOM MIX CENTURY

PRE-REGISTRATION FORM

Sunday, Nov. 6 , 2005

(ONE FORM PER RIDER)

Photocopies of this Form are acceptable.

Please fill out all blanks.

Leader: Dorothy Barth, 349-5932

dorothybarth2443@msn.com

Return this Form & your check to: GABA

P. O. Box 43273, Tucson AZ 85733.

Options chosen: (Please circle):

100 miles 50 miles

Meal Preference:

Vegetarian Non-Vegetarian (for sag stops)

Pre-registration Fee:

GABA/ABC Members: $15 $_____

Non-Members: $20 $_____

DAY OF EVENT FEE:

GABA/ABC Members: $25 $_____

Non Members: $30 $_____

Total money enclosed: $_____

I am currently a GABA/ABC member: Yes No

NAME

(Print):_________________________________

ADDRESS:______________________________

CITY:__________________ ZIP:____________

PHONE: ( )

E-MAIL: _______________________

CPSC-approved helmets are mandatory.

STAPLE your SIGNED WAIVER to each form.

Forms and Waivers cut with scissors are appreciated!

Come one, come all! Don't miss the Fall 2005 Bike Swap! Tell your friends! Bring the whole family! The Largest Bike Swap in the Southwest!

Everybody is welcome! No charge for selling or buying! Vendors may arrive at the site - 4th Avenue, south of 6th Street, between 6th Street and 9th Street, as early as 6:30 AM to set up. Shortly afterwards, buyers will start showing up, ready to find the bargains!

DIRECTIONS: If you are coming from out of town (from the north, such as Phoenix), follow I-10 until Speedway (Exit 257), then take the frontage road south to St Mary's Road, then go East on St Mary's Road, which will turn into 6th Street after you cross the railroad tracks. Continue until 4th Avenue, and follow GABA signs to parking on side streets. (St Mary's Road exit is closed).

Again this year, Bike Swap Organizer Greg Yares will need several volunteers to bring supplies from the GABA storage unit, to cordon off some areas in the morning, to direct traffic and for other miscellaneous tasks. After the event, volunteers are needed to police the area, return all the supplies back to the storage unit, etc. If interested, call Greg at 323-9020, or contact him at yares@cox.net

If interested in helping out, come to our semi-annual Volunteers Get-Together Pizza Party on Thursday, November 10th, at 6 PM, at Brooklyn Pizza, 534 N. 4th Avenue, just a few doors from the Bike Swap site. After eating and getting acquainted, Greg will walk down the Avenue to show volunteers what they will need to do and where things will be set up. Please call Greg to let him know you are coming - we need to have enough pizzas ready!

Interested in helping out for an hour, or maybe more? This event requires only a few volunteers to set up and take down. Anyone interested in helping gets a free pizza dinner, courtesy of GABA-Tucson! Come on and join us! Everybody is welcome!

After getting some pizza for sustenance, let's all walk down the street for hands-on planning!

Duties to be allocated: picking up supplies from the GABA storage unit; cordoning off certain areas; allocating spaces for vendors; directing buyers to nearby parking areas; some traffic control; cleaning up after the event; returning all supplies, etc.

Pick the time and the length of time that you are willing to help: there is something for everyone! One or two hours of your time will be greatly appreciated!

YOU MUST CALL GREG AHEAD OF TIME at 323-9020 or contact him via e-mail at Yares@cox.net, to let him know you are coming, so he can figure out how many pizzas to order!

Also, anyone willing to spend an hour or two at the "GABA table" giving out information on Club membership and week-end rides, and selling GABA jerseys, come to the Party! We welcome your help!

Yvonne Franco; Dory Martin; Stacia Thompson; Leah & Barbara Wadler; Tom Ablson; Bill & Terry Bendt; May Hhin & Jill Hewlsh; Bob Garner; Mark & Monica Voss; Brett Mackson; Don Pittenger; Andrew Broan; Torq Olson; Randy Roberts; David Pearson; Erich Lefeure; Dean Mieczkowski Hector Cantua; Gary Saz; Gal Grenkel; Jim Magnan; Andrea Zimbler; Roe Kempton; Brenda Macalpine Brenda Castellanos; Stephanie Shepherd.

H. & Tracy Bigelow; Charles Broder; Bob & Linda Epstein; J. Faris; William Genczo; Larry Gossman; Trip & Kathe McGrath; Glenn Moyer; Matt Perri; Tina Rodriguez; William Smith; Dick & Louise Strayer; Tom & Kay Wagner; Len Wilson; Jeff Jacob; Michelle Keilin; Christina Cueto; Les & Montra Ervin; Marla Barefield; Gerald Beal; Fritz Brace; Rod & Ellen Creagh; Herb Douglas; Eduardo Esparza; Mike Lesko; Michael Miller; Ann Pardo; Ty Roybal; Joseph Sesteaga; Brian Shon & Janet Johnson; Steve Slat; Sid Smith; John Standifer; Erec Toso; John Thames; Barry Guimont & Kathleen Comyford; Herman & Barbara Carrillo; Michael & Valerie Thompson; Gordon & Eileen Bus; Tom & Ruth Ann Gribb.

Thank You Tri-Sports

By Ram Salcedo

Thank you to TriSports.com for their most generous donation of gift certificates for our door prizes for the October meeting.

Thanks also for the catalogs that we were able to pass along to our members at the general meeting.

Visit their showroom at 2555 North Coyote (off of West Grant) or join them for a Park Tools certified bicycle maintenance class. Also visit their online store at TriSports.com.

The final asphalt should be down on the last stretch of the new bike lanes on Catalina Highway from Tanque Verde Road to the base of Mt Lemmon. It is really nice to ride on now :-)

The official dedication of the Brad Gorman Memorial Bikeway will be Saturday, November 5th at 9 AM. Le Buzz (Tanque Verde & Catalina Hwy) will be providing free treats and giveaways. Following this, a dedication ride will depart at 9:30 AM. Please join us for the dedication of these wonderful new bike lanes!

Many of you know that Jean Gorman has been a tireless worked for cyclists rights and facilities since the death of her son Brad, 6 years ago. It would be great to have a large turnout for the dedication.

Please consider either starting a ride at the dedication or coming by with a group at 9 AM. I know Jean would very much appreciate the gesture. We will enjoy the safer shoulders on Catalina Hwy for many years to come. Thx.

As many of you know, I ride tandem, and have immensely enjoyed riding with 3 different blind/visually impaired stokers. One of these, lives on West Bopp Road on the west side. She is looking for a Captain, preferably a woman. She is a very experienced cyclist, and I can recommend her very highly.

A good example of a new woman tandem Captain is the team of visually impaired stoker Marlene Dekker, and her female Captain, Lynn Crew. Lynn was principally a mountain biker, and thus, even though she had no tandem experience, had great bike balancing and control skills, and has worked out really well as a road tandem Captain.

So, if you are a woman who has good road or mountain bike experience, likes to ride fast, and you live on the west side, think about whether you might like to enter the exciting world of tandeming! Please call me, Rich Corbett, 623-0017, for more information.

Let me call your attention to a website, www.bikejournal.com, designed for recording cyclist’s mileage and other stats. I have been using the site for over 2 years and have seen it grow from 2000 to over 9000 members and 500 clubs I was first acquainted with it as a member of GABA Phoenix Metro. The club leaders started talking up the site with the members to compete with other clubs in the country and worldwide. They were able to get over 50 members regularly recording their ride mileage. Their accumulated mileage for 2004 was the highest of any bikejournal club, edging out a Houston club.

After moving to Tucson last November, I discovered that no one from Cactus Cycling or GABA-Tucson was using bikejournal. I signed up both clubs and started recording my mileage.

I’m not really obsessive about recording my mileage. Never used to do it before being introduced to this site, but once I started I found it added a new spark of interest to riding. If you’re really into recording data other than mileage, it will accept such things as cadence, heart rate, average and max speed, calories burned, elevation gained, and body weight. You set up only the columns you want to use, but can add more at any time. At the end of the year, you can download to a file or printout all of your data for the year.

If you use more than one bike, you can record separate mileage for each. It will even record the mileage of front and rear tires to help you decide when to buy some new ones. Another helpful provision for new members is the ability to enter your accumulated mileage for the year to date as one lump sum on the date you join, and then begin entering all new ride data from then on.

Other features are organized ride links and club links and a forum where you can pose questions. I have used the forum a couple of times and received useful advice.

I hope you will decide to give it a try. You can join for free or become a premium member for $10 which helps support the site. I think GABA-Tucson could easily be in the top three mileage clubs in the state with enough members participating. You can email me with any questions at marinchip@cox.net.

We love this ride, and you will too! This is the event where we get to ride our bikes for a worthy cause, (other than for our good health, or just because we love to ride them).

Yes, this is the ride where we hope to attract the attention of each motorist and pedestrian passing by. And attract attention we do! Imagine, you see a bike or cyclist, or both, with a toy attached to it/them, in some unique fashion, rolling down the street. No, not “a cyclist”, but a large group of cyclists, some have bikes all decked out with tinsel, bows or ornaments. Some cyclists are wearing antlers, Santa hats, or have Christmas trees attached to their helmets; some are even wearing adorable red and green Elf costumes. You would look, wouldn’t you? You might even honk, wave, or yell “Happy Holidays” – and many people do.

And “Why” you say, do we do this? Because: we are on our way to the Reid Park Zoo to put brand new toys into the great big box, just inside of the zoo gates. We know that the Marines will come to empty the contents of that box, and put our toys into the collection of citywide donated toys, to be distributed to local, needy kids through the Toys for Tots program.

Now imagine that you are driving from around town that day, and you start your errands somewhere around Udall Park (south side of Tanque Verde just east of Sabino Canyon) about 8 AM on Saturday morning. You might witness the beginning of the “longer 30-35 mile, faster 12-16 MPH, ride”. You might see a merry band of cyclists heading out around the eastside of town, all decked out in holiday trappings and toys. Very cool, right? Now, you might have driven far enough that morning that could have put you over near McCormick Park (east side of Columbus, just north of Glenn). Say you get there about 9 AM, and what do you see, but another group of cyclists who look very much like the last group you just saw over in the Udall area. What gives, you ask?

You are witness to the “family or conversational” Toys for Tots riders. Yes, the goal is the same, only the distance (5-10 miles) and pace (8-10 MPH) are different. These are the folks who may have brought their children along to join in the spirit of giving to those children less fortunate than themselves, or wanting the easier pace and distance, but still wanting to participate fully. This is indeed, a Very Cool thing!

The toys are your “entrance fee” into the zoo, so plan on one toy per person. Arrival time for both rides is expected to be between 9:30 and 10 AM. Once inside the zoo, you can sit, eat and visit with others from the rides. Bask in the sunshine at the tables around the Snack Bar area, on a typically sunny December day in the desert. The Snack Bar menu is usually expanded to include varieties of Danish and muffins on that day, especially for us. A hot cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin really do hit the spot after the chilly (but sunny) early morning start!

The zoo is open and the animals are waiting for visitors. If you want to meet your family at the zoo, this is a great way to beat the afternoon rush – and there are always ride participants who do this very thing.

You can stay as long or as little as you like, but both ride leaders will be ready for the return ride about an hour after arrival. Regroup and ride back to each respective park via the return route, or leave at will on your own.

Bring your bike lock because you cannot bring your bike into the main part of the zoo. Last year we were able to park our bikes in back of the Snack Bar. We may be able to do again, (still working that detail at this writing), but either way a lock is good insurance.

Special Note: Check out the December issue of Bicycling Magazine. The Toys for Tots Ride will be listed as the: “Cool Ride of the Month”!!!

Circle your calendar now, for this Very Cool Ride! Ride Leaders and route details will published in the December issue of the Update.

This past month has been a busy one for our overnight and century teams. Coming on the heels of the successful Blue Loop Ride with 90+ riders (and great weather once again), we just completed the Grand Canyon to Mexico Tour, the Cave Creek Ride, and at the time of this writing, the Tumacacori Century is coming right up.

The Grand Canyon to Mexico Tour was once again under the excellent leadership of Dorothy Barth accompanied by an outstanding support staff led by Richard McBain, Pam Cullop, and Melanie Rineer. This year’s ride had 120 riders from 22 states and 1 foreign country (Canada). OK, so we did have some 50 MPH cross winds going past Mormon Lake south of Flagstaff but other than that the weather was generally kind. No rain and nothing cold this year. It’s hard to beat the scenery along the 525-mile route, and the 32,000 ft of climbing makes for a nice workout. Preparations will be under way shortly for next year’s ride, stay tuned for the flyer announcing the ride.

Mike Thompson is once again this year’s Cave Creek ride leader, and it is sold out again with 50+ riders. This scenic ride in the Chiricahua Mountains features the unique experience of staying at the Southwest Research Center. A little wine and a dip in the pool are usually part of the afternoon experience at the Center. If you missed out, please be sure to sign up early next year. It’s our easiest overnight ride and a great first one to do.

The Tumacacori Century is shaping up to be another popular ride. We’ve been averaging between 300 and 400 riders for the past few years, and early registrations are on a record pace. Judy and Bob Bolt and their team of volunteers are gearing up for a good ride with the legendary GABA sag support. This is a popular pre-El Tour century and a great one to do as your first century.

Speaking of El Tour, about 150 riders have been joining us each week for the El Tour training rides. This year’s option of again offering both East and West side rides has continued to be popular, and we’ll look to continue it next year. If you do all the training rides you will have done virtually the entire El Tour route.

Finally, the fall GABA Swap Meet will be held again the Saturday before El Tour. Come and join us on 4^th Avenue on Nov 12^th for this popular community-wide event. There is no cost to participate (either as a seller or buyer). It’s a great time to unload unneeded bikes and parts, and to search for good bargains. Several local bike shops attend and offer special deals. Attendance has been around 5,000 at the past several Swap Meets. Look for more information in this issue of the Update and on the website. Greg Yares is again organizing the event.

I’d like to say a special thanks to all of the volunteers who help to put on our rides and events. Without you, they would not be possible. Thanks!

Tucson Sgt Tim Beam reported 24 bicycle-motor vehicle crashes in September, including one fatality. This is 12 to 14 more than this month last year. There have been ~225 crashes so far this year. He said the U of A being back in session partially accounts for the increase from August. A question was asked about the status of right hook collisions and whether cyclists involved in these classic motorist-caused crashes were still being erroneously/wrongly cited. Sgt Beam answered that a role-call training video was shown to all officers in July.

Pima County Sheriff’s Sgt Karl Woolridge reported 5 bicyclist crashes with injuries in September. All were the fault of the motorists. One hit & run on Valencia Rd late at night was a no-lights/no-reflectors case. The other 4 included 2 Right hooks, and one left turn in front of the cyclist. Sgt Woolridge also mentioned that Spanish Trail is becoming a ‘hot’ topic, as there is lots more traffic, and more than a little speeding.

Bill Adamson asked for more information about the collision that took place in Green Valley recently. Roy Schoonover mentioned cyclists on Valencia and Kolb Roads at night without lights or reflectors. Bill Katzel asked about the motorist in the hit & run fatality on Orange Grove Road – Sgt Woolridge said he has been charged with 2^nd degree murder. There was discussion about the driver being a commercially licensed driver, and possible consequences from that.

2: Call to the Public: Bill Katzel asked for people to sign his petition to Lance Armstrong asking him to come to the 30^th Anniversary of the U of A Cancer Center. He also urged support for the effort to earn the region a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community rating.

Pima County Transportation Director Kurt Weinrich stated that he was present to respond to the BAC’s letter to the Board of Supervisor’s Chair Sharon Bronson, asking for the naming of the Mt Lemmon Hwy, all way to the top, as the Brad Gorman Memorial Bikeway. He explained that the Highway, in the National Forest, is subject to Federal rules, and they do not allow naming highways for individuals, especially with the Mt Lemmon Hwy being designated as a National Sky Island Scenic Byway. Mr. Weinrich also noted that the uphill shoulder widening had been completed, with restriping as needed, but downhill has not, due to 1) continued higher than normal truck traffic related to the rebuilding of Summer Haven, and 2) the observation that most cyclists traveling downhill ride well out in the lane, due to their speed at or approaching the motor vehicle speed limit (wise thing to do – REC).

He reported that the Gates Pass Road work had been completed a week early, and that the closure had sensitized many to the importance of that route (both commuting and concessionaire communities). He said that the County is considering a special event ordinance, and that the concessionaires expect more input on this topic.

Eric Gunnison observed that bicycle riding in Tucson is safe, especially if one is 1) visible, and 2) follows the rules of the road.

3: Rio Nuevo: Peg Weber, Tucson Parks & Recreation Dept. Administrator & official Department liaison to Rio Nuevo, gave a descriptive report on the status and near term plans for buildings and public infrastructure.

She answered questions about street crossings of the Greenway shared-use path, and Jonathon Hoffman revealed that he was the archeologist who did the excavations, and shared that Tucson has been continuously occupied for more than 4,000 years, and that the oldest canal in North America (2,500 years old) was found near W Congress Street. See Rio Nuevo website for info: www.ci.tucson.az.us/rionuevo/ start.html

4: Five Points – Stone Ave/6^th Ave/18^th St Project: David Bachman-Williams, who is the BAC representative on the Five Points Project Committee, reported on the status of this planning study. He passed out a diagram, showing the latest proposal, which for both Stone and Sixth Avenues would establish one traffic lane in each direction, a two-way center left turn lane, on street parking on both sides, and five foot bike lanes, next to the parking.

Richard Corbett mentioned that bike lanes like this are called ‘door zone bike lanes’ and are dangerous for cyclists, with several high profile fatalities having occurred nationally in the last few years. He said that the City of Tucson’s sharrows experiment should help solidify acceptance of the use of these markings for situations/locations exactly like this, and maybe these marking could be used instead of lanes. Dick Schaffer re-stated the concern about door zone bike lanes, and asked that the Committee take a position on this.

Roy Schoonover stated his concern about 18^th Street being open to commercial trucks. David answered that speed humps would be installed to mitigate and constrain truck traffic from the east of the neighborhood. Chairman Jesse Morales asked that David take these concerns back to the Project Committee’s next meeting.

David Bachman-Williams then advised the Committee that the old 4^th Avenue Underpass Committee now reconstituted as the “Downtown Links Committee”, will meet Oct. 17^th, and hold an open house Oct. 19^th, 5 to 7 pm at the Depot.

5: BAC Reports/Announcements: Roy Schoonover passed out a draft of a letter to TDOT Director Jim Glock, complimenting him on Melissa Antol’s hiring, and asking that TDOT establish and staff a Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, with a Manager, a Coordinator for both Bicycling and Pedestrian travel, and Intern positions (total of at least five). This will be on the agenda next month.

Roy went on to report that the RTA Committees have had a tough week, as discussion went on about how to reconcile the projects lists with the available funding (~ $1.9 Billion). He said there has been no move to cut the modest (total ~ $60 million) Bike-Ped projects list. He complimented the work of staff on this list so far, especially Corbett, Zoll, Swartz, and Antol. He mentioned that the El Tour de Tucson route would remain the same for now, as it is a couple years too soon to use Camino de Mañana, as reported last month.

Dick Schaffer corrected the designation of the Mt Lemmon Hwy from ‘Scenic Byway‘ to ‘Sky Island Scenic Byway’. He also announced that the Cactus Forest Drive in Saguaro National Park west unit would be closed from May to October 2006, for reconstruction.

If you have any bicycle related concern, you are invited to attend the T-PCBAC meetings, which take place the 2nd Wednesday of each month, 6 to 8 PM, at the Himmel Library (Treat Ave & 1^st Street), and present your concern during the "Call to the Public". You may also call the appropriate Bicycle Coordinator: Richard Corbett, PAG 792-1093, Melissa Antol, City of Tucson 791-4372, Matthew Zoll, Pima County 740-6747, or Nancy Ellis, Oro Valley 229-5057.

GABA-Tucson SLATE OF OFFICERS FOR 2006

President: STEVE WILSON

Vice President: TONY EVERETT

Treasurer: PEGGY JACOBSEN

Secretary: SANDI ROUSSEAU

Membership: STEVEN GRAEBER

Publicity: SALLY KRUSING

Education: MATT ZOLL

Touring-Day: OPEN

Touring-Centuries: SANDI ROUSSEAU

Touring-Overniters: JUDY BOLT

Editor: SUZANNE COUVRETTE

Volunteer: DICK SCHAFFER

Web Master: DAVE SWANSON

Legal Advisor: DONNA AVERSA

Social Director: PAM CULLOP

Bike Shop Coord.: RAM SALCEDO

Correspondence: DONNA LEWANDOWSKI

GABA Merchandise: ANDY STEVENS

Shed Master: BILL BORLAND

Bike Swap Coord.: GREG YARES

Great AZ Bike Adventure: DOROTHY BARTH

Elections of officers will take place at the January Monthly Meeting, on Monday, January 2, 2006 at 7 PM. Anyone interested in serving on the Board? Contact Steve Wilson ahead of time at 749-9014 or wilsons@us.ibm.com.

Unbelievable but true, it is almost here - the annual GABA event that we all "hunger" for. The club's Holiday Pot Luck will take place on Monday, December 5th, at 7 PM, at the usual meeting location: Pima Medical Society Building. (See page 2 for map and directions to meeting place.)

Please bring one of the following to "share" with others: salad, breads, vegetables, casserole, or any side dish of your choice, or your favorite dessert. The club will provide roasted turkeys, hams, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy and refreshments.

As usual, instead of a regular club meeting, we devote the entire time to you. This event is a time for thanking all of the volunteers who have given to the club in extra-special ways. Those who lead our Day Rides, Centuries, Overnights, and participate in other club events, are given special recognition for that extra effort.

Anyone wishing to donate to the Community Food Bank may do so at this meeting as well. Last year, thanks to your generous contributions of non-perishable food items, our boxes were full beyond belief. Thank You!

So, please decide now to come. Come and enjoy the food, enjoy the camaraderie, enjoy the holiday celebration! Mark your calendar, and keep your date with us. After all, YOU are the reason we exist. YOU are the heart and the backbone of our club. We want to show YOU that we care.

Pueblo High School's Road Warriors have 16 members ready to cycle in the El Tour de Tucson. They have been fortunate in the past, as GABA members have donated money to the cycling club thru tax credit donations.

The money is used to repair/maintain donated bikes, and purchase equipment for students. As 2005 comes to an end, we hope that you will consider making a tax credit contribution to the Road Warriors. Remember, the tax credit program allows you to pay a portion of your tax dollars directly to the Road Warriors. Now, you can take control of how your tax dollars are spent.

Consider donating to the Road Warriors by sending a check to Pueblo High School at 3500 S. 12th Ave., 85713 and designate your donation for the Road Warriors. Or contact Yolanda Sotelo or Jaime Moore at 225-4300. Thank You!

November is the time for the absolute greatest Bike Swap Meet (GABA Tucson's) in the entire west. Do you want to buy a good used bike, but you are not sure exactly what to watch for. Color? Tire size? Seat? All wrong! There is an organized approach to decide on a used bike and get a sound buy.

Frame

The most important part of a bicycle is the frame. Everything else can be replaced, but the frame is the most expensive part, and in fact is really ‘the bicycle’. The frame needs to fit you, and it needs to be sound.

Check the fit by straddling the bike, with your feet flat on the ground/floor. You should clear the (road) bike by 1/2” to 1”, and a mountain bike by 2” to 3” (only if you are really going to use it on trails – if not, go for 1” to 2” instead).

Check frame soundness by closely inspecting all the frame’s tubes, visually and by feel. Start at the front, with the fork blades, then the head tube, then the top tube, then the down tube, then the seat tube, then the seat stays, and finally, the chain stays. Look for any dents, or cracks in the paint. If you find any, move on to another bike.

Wheels

The second most important parts are the wheels (not the tires). The rims, and the hubs have a lot to do with how easy (or hard) the bike will be for you to pedal.

As with the frame, check the rims and hubs closely, looking for cracks (they can be very small), and with rims, for dents or bulges. If none are found, then consider the finish – is the finish shiny and unscratched, or does it show signs of a lot a wear?

Crankset

The third most ‘important’ part, in my experience, is the crankset. They can be quite expensive, and they do make a lot of difference in how well your bike works. Watch for bent (or excessively worn) chain wheels or crank arms. Back pedal and feel for roughness in the bearings. Grasping both crank arms, try to push them to and fro (this will reveal if the bearings are loose or worn badly).

Other Parts

The other main parts you want to pay close attention to are the gearing system, and the braking system.

The best way to check the gearing is to ride the bike and shift it through the full range of gear positions, and note if there is undue resistance when shifting, noise, or lags between moving the lever and the derailleur actually shifting.

For brakes, squeeze the levers as far as they will go, and watch the brake pads and the rim as the pads contact the rim. Does the rim move? This is usually a centering adjustment, which is not hard to fix. Are the pads centered on the rim? If not, look for bent or damaged brake caliper arms, or it may simply be an adjustment that is needed.

Saddles probably should be replaced, as they are very personal. Older ones already on a used bike that you buy are almost certainly not right for you!

Handlebars should be checked for soundness, especially close to where they go through the stem. Width is something else to check. As a general rule, the measurement of the handlebars, from bar end to bar end, should be the same or close to your shoulder width (generally 38 to 40 cm for women, and 40 to 44 cm for men).

These are the main things to take into consideration when you are looking at a used bike. Good luck, and do be sure to check all the great buys at the GABA-Tucson Bike Swap Meet, Saturday, November 12, on 4th Avenue.

Date	Time	Mileage
Sunday, Nov. 6	7:00 AM	GABA’s Tom Mix Century
Sunday, Nov. 13	7:00 AM	40/90

November 2005 Update

Training Rides for El Tour de Tucson XXIII

Frame

Wheels

Crankset

Other Parts