Profile: Jim Dial, Owner of Pedal & Paddle Bike Shop

Nearly 15 years ago Jim Dial became the owner, operator, chief mechanic and bicycle guru at Pedal & Paddle bike shop located in downtown Pierre, SD.  Featuring cost-effective Raleigh road bikes as well as a variety of comfort, hybrid and mountain bikes Pedal & Paddle has something for just about everyone. If Jim doesn't have your dream bike in stock he can order it and it'll be here before you know it.  Jim will assemble and tune your new bike to fit you, not conversely like those big box store bikes where you must fit the bike.

Therein lies the rub, sure you can buy a bike cheaper on the internet or at Walmart but neither of those two outlets have any mechanics, let alone a knowledgeable, experienced one like Jim who takes personal pride in making sure that the bike you buy from him is the right bike for you.  Take me for example, following hip resurfacing surgery I decided road biking made more sense than my then love of mountain biking and Jim ordered a frameset on a closeout fall deal and over the winter he ordered and installed the gruupo I'm still using and that was over 5 years and 20,000 miles ago -- all I've replaced is the chain and the rear cog on my Shimano Ultegra gruupo -- and there're many more miles left in it.

So, if you're in the market for a new bike or just want to make sure that your current ride is tuned and ready to ride the Wellmark Tour de Oahe this June 30 take a spin down to Pedal and Paddle, you'll be glad you did.

Training For The Wellmark Tour de Oahe

Although challenging weather conditions continue to make it difficult to find the motivation to train for the Wellmark Tour de Oahe, the weather should make a drastic change for the better starting tomorrow.  Saturday's weather in the Pierre area should be perfect for cycling -- not too warm, not too cool, but best of all light wind.

Pierre riders plan to meet at the convenience store on North Euclid at 9am Saturday with riders of all abilities welcomed.  Our motto: We leave no behind behind means that someone will ride with you regardless of how early in your training program you may actually be.

It matters little what kind of riding fitness you possess. What matters is that you start and there's no better time to start than now.  If you stick to a decent training plan that incorporates the features outlined here, you should be in good shape to tackle whatever distance suits your fancy come June 30.

Post-Cycling Muscle Soreness

After a particularly good ride, or, perhaps a prolonged effort into the wind (like my ride home yesterday) you might experience some soreness in your leg muscles.  According to Dr. Gabe Merkin, an avid cyclist, some muscle pain is a good thing indicating you just had a decent workout.  Dr. Merkin recommends going easy the day after a hard ride until the muscle soreness dissipates before resuming a vigorous workout regime.

Record Registration for Wellmark Tour de Oahe

As of today registrations for the Wellmark Tour de Oahe, now in it's second year, continue at a record-setting pace. Currently, we have received over 60% of the 150 paid rider registrations and expect that number to increase quickly as word gets out about the upcoming June 30 ride staged near Pierre, SD.  Already we have riders registered from as far away as Montana, Tennessee and Wisconsin as well as Iowa, Nebraska and, of course, South Dakota.

For a mere $35 through June 1, you'll receive registration for one of the 3 rides (20, 35 or 68 miles), two meals (delicious pre-ride dinner Friday night and satisfying post-ride lunch on Saturday), all snacks and energy/electrolyte drinks, a breathable T-shirt and other swag items.

On June 1 registrations increase to $45 and registrations close for all fee-based rides on June 27.

In addition to the paid rides we have planned a free Family Fun Ride and a free Kid's Strider Bike Challenge Course.  These activities although free still require registration by following the instructions posted on the website.

So far >60% of the self-imposed limit of 150 riders has been met -- these folks are training and looking forward to a great ride. There's still room for you to join us. Don't delay, sign up today!

Don’t Worry, Be Happy: Train With A Power Meter – Part II – Results!

One way of looking at power meter training might be the following analogy. How much would you spend to get a 15% increase in gas mileage in your current vehicle? If you drive about 20,000 miles per year at $4/gallon (might go much higher this summer) a 15% increase in mileage would save you over $500 per year. Remember that number.

Since starting training with a power meter on July 28, 2011, coached by Carmichael Training Systems’ Expert Coach Clayton Feldman I’ve gained nearly 15% in my Functional Threshold Power (FTP) – with much of that training performed indoors in good old SoDak. Defined as the average wattage produced at Lactate Threshold (LT), FTP is the Gold Standard for power meter testing.

Impossible to fake, FTP is your base aerobic fitness level and the only way to increase it significantly is by structured interval training at or above your LT. The only efficient way to interval train is with a power meter. Likewise the only smart way to train with a power meter is to hire a coach from a reputable organization and follow his workout instructions exactly.

Do these things: buy a power meter, hire a coach, follow his instructions and prepare to be amazed. Add in motivation, commitment and nutrition, all parameters within your sphere of influence, and you have derived the equation for personal improvement on the bike. Now, if you also happen to possess two genetically-determined variables, namely Talent and Trainability, you have all the ingredients necessary for a successful bike racing recipe.

So what does all this have to do with gas mileage? You can think of power training as analogous to improving your vehicle's gas mileage -- for the same amount of effort, i.e., heart rate, you get more power as measured by the power meter quantitatively in watts. An instantaneous read out on the headset conveniently mounted on your stem keeps you training in the proper zone for the prescribed time to achieve optimum results.

Don't Worry, Be Happy ... Train With A Power Meter! Part I

Do you worry about whether or not you're training hard enough, or, if your recovery rides are easy enough? Or, if you are like I used to be you don't concern yourself with the incidentals, you just want to ride your bike (as much as schedule, weather and physical limits allow). Most recreational cyclists I know simply ride their bike, picking up the tempo on the hills or during select sections of infrequent group rides. Although this routine builds endurance it doesn't do much to build strength. In order to build strength you have to do intensity, i.e., intervals. By riding intervals, preferably almost to failure, the leg muscles gain strength through predictable physiological improvements. But, how do you know how hard to do the intervals?

The Old School methods involved either a heart rate monitor or RPE (Relative Perceived Exertion), both measures of input, not output, as thoroughly discussed in Alex Hutchinson's latest book, Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?: Fitness Myths, Training Truths, and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise. In order to measure output you need a New School method (i.e., power meter). The power meter incorporates metal strain gauges either in the hub or crank arm, readout on a headset (which can be downloaded for precise quantification of output, i.e., work) and is reproducible from one workout to the next (regardless of the route, weather conditions, your temperament, etc). The most useful measure of output (work) is watts (power) and power-to-weight ratio (Watts/Kg) is the single most important quantification of climbing and overall riding ability as detailed in Training and Racing With A Power Meter by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan.

As Allen and Coggan explain, simply bite the bullet, buy a power meter and start training smarter. Their book provides a cookbook approach to power training and can be useful to determined riders. Another way to go is to hire a coach at the same time you buy your power meter. A coach comes in darn handy, he walks you through the steps required to get the power meter/website wired and he also serves as your mentor, assigning workouts, analyzing power files and passing judgement on your efforts.

As my coach always says, "You've done the hard work. You get to enjoy the results." The hard work he's referring to are intervals and the enjoyment comes from seeing your average power numbers increase in response to your training.

Part II: The Results

A New Year’s Resolution: Wellmark Tour de Oahe Bike Ride

The American New Year’s tradition includes making and, for most of us, breaking one or more New Year’s Resolutions. Many resolutions seek a particular outcome relating to one’s figure and involve something very general along the lines of “I will lose weight” or, “I’ll be more active” or a similar unspecified goal.

Unfortunately, without a specific goal in mind, the resolution frequently gets lost in the day-to-day realities we all face. When 2013 rolls around it’s likely they will have been all but forgotten and you will be the same old you that you were when 2012 started.

Well, things can be different. Instead of a simple declarative statement, consider setting a goal, make that a stretch goal – one that requires effort on your part – and then resolve to achieve that goal. One goal could be to get your body in shape to take part in the Wellmark Tour de Oahe bicycle ride scheduled for June 30, 2012.

Basing out of the Oahe Dam Downstream cabin, the Wellmark Tour de Oahe provides enough challenge to satisfy everyone’s fitness goals by featuring 3 rides of increased difficulty, a 20-mile Dam Loop, a 38-mile spin up 1806 to Chantier Creek or a 68 mile ride north on 1806 to the end of the pavement and back. All of the rides combine scenery and safety as adequate shoulders and mostly smooth surfaces follow the Mighty Missouri through a historical and cultural prairie panorama.

In addition to these rides two new activities will be featured -- a short Family Fun Ride in the Oahe Downstream area and a Kid’s Strider Bike Challenge Course complete with ramps for young kids to test ride Strider pre-bikes and experience the unforgettable joy of balancing on two wheels.

The Wellmark Tour de Oahe builds on the success of last year’s Tour de Oahe that saw the limit of 70 registrants ride and socialize on a near perfect day. In 2012, Wellmark’s primary sponsorship allows the Tour de Oahe Committee to double the number of paying riders to 150 (not including the Family Fun Ride and Strider Ride which will largely be amenity-free but at no cost). Registration information will be available soon at www.wellmarktourdeoahe.com.

As you sit at home this winter watching your favorite TV show or surfing the net on your new Kindle Fire, think about how much better you’d feel if you got up and started moving. Pierre has a variety of exercise options including structured indoor spin classes at the YMCA and Anytime Fitness. Choose one that fits your schedule, sign up and start spinning your way to fun and fitness or simply do it on your own. Regardless of the route you choose, before you know it Spring will arrive and we’ll be riding outdoors in preparation to achieve our goals set for the Wellmark Tour de Oahe. Please resolve to join us.

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU ARE NOT CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN A REGULAR STRENUOUS EXERCISE PROGRAM CONSULT YOUR PERSONAL PHYSICIAN BEFORE ENGAGING IN THIS OR ANY OTHER STRENUOUS EXERCISE REGIMEN.