5 Great Holiday Gifts for Tandem Cyclists!

Looking for unique holiday gift ideas for your favorite cycling couple? I suppose because tandem bicycle riding is a specialized niche, that explains why it's not so easy to find tandem themed items we would love. Some of the best gift ideas I've found are on websites like eBay and Etsy where creative individuals market their own creations.

Here are my favorite gift giving suggestions for tandem bicycle enthusiasts. Many of these items are things I couldn't pass up, and we've actually bought them for ourselves.

1.) Matching Jerseys -- to be worn while riding.

2.) Bicyle Glasses ~ the kind you drink from, not the kind you wear. These are nice sturdy 16 oz. size, four to a pack.

3.) Tandem /Cycling Jewelry -- I purchased this fun necklace on eBay for myself this year! Tandem Bike Pendant - stainless steel cyclist charm. There is also a sweet selection of jewelry, pins, necklaces, and earrings and a big variety of tandem related gifts on BicycleGifts.com.

4.) Bi Polar Bears T-Shirt -- to be worn anytime!

5.) Tandem Bicycle Christmas Tree Ornaments




And...
My idea for great for stocking stuffers for any cyclist would be sports nutrition items such as GU Energy Gel (Mocha is my favorite! hint-hint!) and CLIF SHOT BLOKS Energy Chews which are semi-solid, easy-to-chew sources of carbohydrates and electrolytes -- the body's preferred source of fuel during activity.

Reaching Milestones and Recognizing Amazing Cyclists

What a fantastic weekend of good friends and great cycling too!

On Saturday, we weren't able to join the Thread City Cyclists morning ride due to other commitments, but Dave and I did manage to squeeze in a 20 mile tandem ride on our own from our home before dark. The temperature was in the low 40's and the wind wasn't too bad. It felt good to get in the exercise.

The evening's highlight was TCC's Annual Christmas Party. We were excited to go, because for the last couple of years we had conflicts, and we weren't able to attend. It was held at a fire station, and the event had a good showing of members.

One nice thing is that this is the end of our second year with TCC and by now we have ridden with a majority of members at one time or another. Plus, there have been other club sponsored activities where we've been able to mix with some of other members in various capacities. One of the most positive aspects of being involved with a bicycle club is the way social connections are formed. The mix of people and professions makes for interesting conversation and healthy interaction with people you may not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. There were a whole lot of familiar faces at the gathering!

Pizza was delicious, and there were plenty of gluten-free options for those bothered by wheat. Cake, cookies, and brownies were offered for desserts.

An entertaining slideshow highlighting activities and people of interest throughout 2011 was put on, with awards given. We were glad that the club's regular tandem riders were acknowledged: Dave and I, Glen and Sue, Joe and Lisa!! It's growing in popularity, and we think that's a very positive thing.

We were given special recognition with the Two's Company Award!!
Granted, they failed to realize that my last name is now Etchells, but a new certificate is in the making.  : )

Sunday morning brought us colder temperatures, low 30's! But the sun was shining and we were excited that Judy Borrman was leading a 40-something mile ride. Seven cyclists with six bicycles met up at a shopping center parking lot in Manchester, Connecticut.

Some of us were working towards mileage goals for the year. Judy reached 6,000 total miles at the 25 mile mark of this ride, and Dave & I met our goal of 3,000 tandem miles at mile 35. 

Karen & Dave and Steve & Judy celebrating MILEstones in attaining our mileage goals for the year!

Judy is an absolute inspiration! Not only in reaching 6,000 miles for this season, but she and her husband, Steve, have completed 21 cycling centuries this year!! Amazing.

Another club member who stands out with high mileage numbers is Dave Waldburger. He commutes to work each day, and he has tallied a total of 7,500 miles for 2011! Wow.

David Waldburger with Steve Shongut and Walter Treschuk

Trimming Calories to Increase Climbing Effectiveness

As soon as I had gotten both of my daughters off to school this morning, I brought my hot chai latte into our home office, and I settled into my black leather chair for a moment of reflection. This is a time when I'm not fully awake, but it's my first opportunity to organize my thoughts as I move forward with a productive day.

Just then, David came into the office with the newest issue of Bicycling Magazine in his hands. Apparently he's been inspired, and he wants to share the joy. There is an article in there by Selene Yeager entitled Stay Lean - And Fast. David reads to me a line in the article stating that five extra pounds will make you 30 seconds slower on a 5K climb.

I know. I need the inspiration. But I hadn't even had my morning shower yet.

We've been dreaming of someday somehow getting ourselves a lighter tandem bicycle. Ours is a steel Burley Duet, and while it's a solid ride, it's 48 pounds heavy even before we add on our four filled water bottles. However, the reality is that it's worth serious consideration of how our own weight greatly affects our riding.

I lost quite a bit in 2010, but regained much of that last winter. And while we've tallied up almost 3,000 mile in riding time this year, I've lost only about 10 pounds -- even over the hottest summer days. David, on the other hand, has done incredibly well! He has lost about 30 pounds this year, and so far, he has kept it off. He looks fantastic too!

I consulted my doctor about why my increased physical activity has not made much of a dent towards my weight loss goals, and his explanation is simply that I am getting older. I'm 48 years old. It's frustrating.

We need to put out more effort to ward off the extra pounds piling on, especially as wintertime is approaching, and we need to make this a daily effort.

We plan to ride outdoors as long as the weather and conditions allow. And when it's not possible, we have a elliptical machine downstairs, and rollers and a trainer for spin training on our bicycles. I can always take a walk in the middle of the day too.

More than that, we know one of the biggest challenges is watching our food intake. Selene's books and articles are inspiring. And, of course, my husband is most influential over my day-today challenges. He's wonderfully supportive. I will make the commitment.

The Difference Between a Cyclist and Your Everyday Bicycle Rider

I came across this on Facebook and wanted to share it here. Very amusing!

Cycling Explained
by: nofinishline

Mild December Weather Brought Us Out!

It's been amazing weather in Connecticut lately! Kind of crazy, actually. In October, a freak snowstorm hit our area, leaving a large number of residents powerless for up to a week. I was thinking that we were in for a rough Winter... again.

Last year, we had a Winter for the record books with so many severe snowstorms hitting us one after another. Working full-time with a long commute, and  having a daughter in elementary school that was repeatedly being cancelled, I was lucky to have been able to make it to work many times -- never mind ever getting to squeeze in a bike ride or even hit the gym. It was depressing, and I gained back weight I had worked so hard to lose the year prior.

Fortunately, November gave us Indian Summer weekends, and Dave and I took full advantage of it! We keep track of our cycling mileage on DailyMile, and it's interesting to note that last year in November, we had in a grand total of 23 miles. This year has tallied up to 352 miles!

And so far, for December, we have 50 miles in.

On the road just after sunrise on December 6th, 2011!

Skies like this might have scared us away from riding in July,
but in December, 50 degree temps lured us out.

Twenty three of this month's mileage so far has come from two early morning rides. I've been providing childcare for my grandson, Carter, who just turned 6 months old. My daughter leaves for school a little after 8 a.m. each weekday, so Dave and I got up extra early and we were in the driveway, on our tandem at 7 a.m. to squeeze in our 11.5 mile loop.

To be able to ride in December, yesterday morning's gray skies and drizzle did not hold us back. We were grateful for the chance to get some time for US!

Riding with Champions!

It isn't always easy maintaining balance when it comes to exercise if you're a cyclist. So our weekend consisted of two different kind of workouts. Saturday was a lower body workout and on Sunday, we had an upper body workout.

Saturday was a day David had been anticipating for a while -- Bike Ride & Book Signing with John Allis.

(John Allis (born May 31, 1942) is an American cyclist who entered into international cycling competition in the 1960s. He was one of the strongest competitive cyclists in the United States in the early 1970s, winning the United States National Road Race Championships in 1974. He was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1993.)

John Allis shows off his vintage cleats!

Bill Humpheys watches as John Allis signs a copy of Bill's book, The Jersey Project,  for Dave Etchells

And, while I didn't know anything about the man previously, I have to say that meeting this man was actually very exciting for me too!

Peter Mooney is in the background while David chats with John Allis before the ride.
David's cap and jersey were both vintage and kept in good shape over the years!

The event on Saturday was held at Belmont Wheelworks -- a bicycle shop near Boston that is familiar to many  area tandem owners because this store has a wide variety of tandem bikes on display. (Wheelworks Too which is located just around the corner from their main store, serves as the TANDEM CENTER OF NEW ENGLAND - with a selection of tandem bicycles by Cannondale, Co-Motion, Santana and Trek.)

Bill Humphreys hosted Saturday's ride and book signing celebrating the launch of his new book, The Jersey Project. It was an honor to ride with both John and Bill. Although we weren't aware of it at first, we also met and rode with Peter Mooney, a custom bike frame builder. The stories they told and the memories they shared clearly conveyed a love of the sport of bicycle racing. It's a passion David shares, and it was a joy to hear of their experiences and reflections of the training, dedication and the suffering! What was also evident was the pride and satisfaction of having been a part of it all.

Dave and I were surprised that there was another tandem in our group as well. As a couple, these riders were strong. We learned afterward, that the captain was an employee of the bicycle shop and he was an expert in properly fitting couples to their tandems. He had a great deal of knowledge and superior riding abilities!

Right off the start, Dave and I were hanging on to the back of the pack. There were a few steep hills, and while we are good with speed on flats, climbing with our 48 lb. steel tandem is another story. I didn't voice my concern, but I had my doubts about us keeping up with this group. These guys are considerably older than us, but they are way more experienced -- and on top of that, extremely comfortable with the Boston area and this particular route.

John Allis

As the route progressed, we caught up, and we were better able to stay within the group. Our fellow cyclists were very supportive, and they took turns on upcoming hills in lending us some of their pedal power with a firm hand pushing on my back. For those efforts, I was extremely touched and appreciative.

We enjoyed engaging conversation with them along the way. Both John and Bill spent considerable time riding with our tandem for good stretches, and we chatted comfortably. Their stories were captivating and inspiring.

After the ride, everyone regrouped back inside the shop where Bill and John were available at a table display. The relaxed atmosphere continued, and we all enjoyed looking through the pages of The Jersey Project book. David was surprised to have owned a couple of the jerseys pictured inside the book!

David and Karen Etchells with Bill Humpheys and John Allis

 After the event, Dave and I headed over the Quincy Market, where we enjoyed people watching, the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping, and getting a bite to eat!

That was our lower body workout -- a very memorable day of cycling, and walking to and though one of Boston's most visited tourist attractions.

Our upper body workout came the next morning in the form of  harvesting wood from some fallen trees on the property of Dave's brother, Marc. Dave brought along his trusty chainsaw, and he cut the trunks into manageable sized logs. We split those right there and then in the woods, and then we loaded two vehicles. Phew! That was a bit of work. But it was so great to spend time with Marc and Maureen! Dave snapped a great photo of the two of them coming out of the woods after we loaded our pickup truck.

Marc and Maureen

The end result of Sunday's efforts neatly stacked in our back yard.

Exciting Weekend Ahead!

Saturday will be an exciting day for David.

David loves bicycle racing. He has fond memories of group rides and racing himself when he was a young man. He still holds onto a great collection of old yellowed Velo News issues from his teenage years. He has met Greg Lemond twice. And he has his autograph. It's framed and on the wall in our living room. We upped our line of cable channels when the Tour De France was televised, and it when it is televised, it is on our TV while David is dressing for work, and as soon as dinner is finished until he goes to sleep at night. He really loves bicycle racing!

Several weeks ago, when we were invited via Facebook by Bill Humpheys to attend a Bike Ride & Book Signing with John Allis, this Saturday (December 3, 2011), David was thrilled, and most definitely we are going!

Until we were invited to this event, I did not know of the name John Allis. I googled him. But David surely knows who he is, and we will be at Belmont Wheelworks in Belmont, Massachusetts tomorrow morning to meet John Allis, ride with him, and of course, to buy ourselves a copy of Bill Humphys' new book, The Jersey Project.

As described on Bicycling.com:

The thick, four-color pages show from one to 12 jerseys each, some of them captioned with the name of the rider who wore the specific jersey photographed, some merely identified by team and nationality. 

If you would like to meet a three-time Olympian who has ridden in five world championships and been inducted into the Cycling Hall of Fame, join us tomorrow morning at Belmont Wheelworks! 

If you can't make it, but you think Bill's book would make an awesome gift for your favorite cyclist, check out Bill's website, http://thejerseyproject.com, where you can buy a copy online.