With the riding season in full swing, there have already been several annual rides that are very popular in metro Atlanta. Of those, there seems to be no shortage of century rides, either. One of the best resources for group ride information continues to be SBL, both online (www.BikeSBL.org) and in print (FreeWheelin’). Posting rides is open to the general public and for those who prefer premier exposure (e.g. website banners on our home page, etc) can obtain this with a nominal fee. For more information on posting rides, please contact Mark Dodson (cyclehawk@mindspring.com) regarding our FreeWheelin’ magazine and Chris Banash (cbarnash@imanole.com) for www.BikeSBL.org.

Speaking of FreeWheelin’, did you know you can submit articles for possible publication? We may not be the AJC, but you still receive great exposure from over 1300 cyclists every month. For example, Ilana Katz, a registered Dietitian, has regular articles on nutritional tips we all can benefit from. As a professional cycling coach, I wrote an article a couple of months ago about riding safe in group rides. Just make sure if you are submitting an article on specific information (e.g. educational, etc.), you have the credentials to back it up. However, not all articles are limited to professional credentials. If you have a topic or story you believe would be of interest to the world of cycling, I would encourage you to hit the keyboard and send it in. You never know…

I mentioned last month that SBL adopted a new logo. The unveiling is just around the corner and if you attend our SBL sanctioned group rides, you might be one of the lucky few to get glimpse before anyone else.  If you are riding in the Wilson 100 on September 7 ^th , then you will be a part of the ‘unveiling’ and have the opportunity to be the first to get your own SBL apparel. I wouldn’t miss it, if I were you.

To continue the tradition of thinking ‘outside the box’, we are working on coordinating a few very different events that are sure to get your attention. As we begin to finalize these, I will be announcing them in upcoming Prologue articles. Since I am on the subject of tradition, SBL’s annual Family Summer Picnic/Ride is August 16 ^th at Medlock Park in Decatur. There will be a 25-mile and a 50-mile ride option with a pool and food to follow. Look for more details inside FreeWheelin’ and at www.BikeSBL.org.

Now on to some tough love. I have never been one to be politically correct…I just tell it like it is using honesty and integrity as my foundation. So, here it goes. On every group ride, whether it’s a SBL ride or not, there are riders who seem to throw caution into the wind and sacrifice safety for speed and trying to ride in the front. Yes, I understand the testosterone affect when a bunch of guys on bikes ride together. But, with this phenomenon comes potentially endangering themselves and others who participate. The problem arises when these renegade riders are approached about their unsafe riding, most don’t take that very well; some do but that is more the exception than the rule. As a cycling coach, I preach safety first and protect my clients at all costs while coaching them one-on-one on the road and that is still true when I am just a participant in a group ride. All this to say that if you happen to be approached during a group ride about something you did or didn’t do that jeopardized your safety or the safety of others, please be open to constructive criticism. It just might make you a better rider AND you might even learn something. Being able to ride fast in a group doesn’t automatically make you a great rider; it just makes you fast.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not knocking just the ‘fast’ riders. However, that’s typically the case. The fine line is that we are all dealing with adults and hopefully each of us takes responsibility for our own actions; at least that is how it is suppose to be. I have been bombarded lately by riders who are afraid to say something to bad riders in fear that they themselves will be yelled at and/or that they won’t be listened to…so why bother. Hey, I’ve felt the same way and I bet you have to. Since we don’t have the luxury of the protection from doors and a roof around us while riding, then it’s imperative on our part to confront (but in the proper way). It still blows my mind how the vast majority of riders don’t have a clue about all the dynamics that exist (whether you realize or agree with it or not) while riding in a group. It’s our own responsibility to know the rules of the road and how to ride safely in a group. In the end, we all want the same thing…have fun riding in group rides so let’s all do our part and be willing to learn along the way.

I am sure we all have some kind of horror story or close call we experienced and I realize this is a very sensitive subject. Doing nothing about it is a disservice to cycling in general. I don’t have all the answers but I do know that creating a dialog is a good place to start. Therefore, if you would like to comment on this, I would encourage you to email me at robert@MyCycleCoach.com. We may even create a forum specifically for this…let’s see how it goes.

Now, let’s go have some fun. Are you in???