Jr. track program GREAT!

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

The junior track program at Hellyer Park Velodrome (San Jose) is
fantastic... open to anyone 10-15 years old, and the guys running it (Rob
Jensen, Glenn Kubacki, Steven Woo and Andrew Lanier) make sure everyone has
a great time, regardless of their skill levels.

I've been working on my son for a while, trying to get him away from video
games and into riding a bike, and was making pretty slow progress... until I
got him to the track. He loves it. And now he's even got the racing bug.
He's got a long way to go (TV, video games & junk food aren't good for the
body), but this past Sunday, I saw real hope. Why?

Because in the win & out, and somewhat longer event that starts with 6 laps
before getting to the sprints, he worked himself hard enough that he threw
up about halfway through... and kept going. That, in my book, is cool. He's
no longer laughing at Dad's oft-repeated remark "That which doesn't kill
you, makes you stronger." Now he believes.

My wife, of course, thinks we're both crazy.

Life is good.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Awesome. Both that there's a program and that your out there
together.
Bill C

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

The junior track program at Hellyer Park Velodrome (San Jose) is
fantastic... open to anyone 10-15 years old, and the guys running it (Rob
Jensen, Glenn Kubacki, Steven Woo and Andrew Lanier) make sure everyone has
a great time, regardless of their skill levels.

I've been working on my son for a while, trying to get him away from video
games and into riding a bike, and was making pretty slow progress... until I
got him to the track. He loves it. And now he's even got the racing bug.
He's got a long way to go (TV, video games & junk food aren't good for the
body), but this past Sunday, I saw real hope. Why?

Because in the win & out, and somewhat longer event that starts with 6 laps
before getting to the sprints, he worked himself hard enough that he threw
up about halfway through... and kept going. That, in my book, is cool. He's
no longer laughing at Dad's oft-repeated remark "That which doesn't kill
you, makes you stronger." Now he believes.

My wife, of course, thinks we're both crazy.

Life is good.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Way cool. When I finally have kids, I hope to be as fortunate.

Quoted post said:

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

The junior track program at Hellyer Park Velodrome (San Jose) is
fantastic... open to anyone 10-15 years old, and the guys running it (Rob
Jensen, Glenn Kubacki, Steven Woo and Andrew Lanier) make sure everyone has
a great time, regardless of their skill levels.

Quoted message said:

I've been working on my son for a while, trying to get him away from video
games and into riding a bike, and was making pretty slow progress... until I
got him to the track. He loves it. And now he's even got the racing bug.
He's got a long way to go (TV, video games & junk food aren't good for the
body), but this past Sunday, I saw real hope. Why?

Quoted message said:

Because in the win & out, and somewhat longer event that starts with 6 laps
before getting to the sprints, he worked himself hard enough that he threw
up about halfway through... and kept going. That, in my book, is cool. He's
no longer laughing at Dad's oft-repeated remark "That which doesn't kill
you, makes you stronger." Now he believes.

Quoted message said:

My wife, of course, thinks we're both crazy.

Quoted message said:

Life is good.

Quoted message said:

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Way cool. When I finally have kids, I hope to be as fortunate.

Take my advice and buy a bike instead..

On Mar 7, 8:46 am, "Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Take my advice and buy a bike instead..- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Are we back to the "Cycling causes impotency" thread again? ;-)
If your somewhere reasonably safe, it's really cool to have the kids,
get a trailer that's a little bit too big and set it up as a "nest"
for the kid/s and use it as much as you can.
We set ours up with blankets, pillows, snacks, books, toys, and a
radio/cassette player for music or stories and did picnics, rides,
back and forth to school, shopping, you name it with it.
Got a pretty decent hybrid with a triple, slightly agressive tires so
we could go off-road too and had a blast with it. It also converted as
a stroller you could run with too.
The kids absolutely loved it, it was practical, it left the car home,
and it got the family more good time together. That was some of the
most fun I've ever had on a bike, and gets cycling started early, in a
positive way for the kids.
It does point out the passing years though when those same kids just
leave you for dead on every little hill on their own bikes later
though. Nothing like having to beg your kid to wait for you at the
top!!
Bill C

Quoted message said:

Are we back to the "Cycling causes impotency" thread again? ;-)
If your somewhere reasonably safe, it's really cool to have the kids,
get a trailer that's a little bit too big and set it up as a "nest"
for the kid/s and use it as much as you can.
We set ours up with blankets, pillows, snacks, books, toys, and a
radio/cassette player for music or stories and did picnics, rides,
back and forth to school, shopping, you name it with it.
Got a pretty decent hybrid with a triple, slightly agressive tires so
we could go off-road too and had a blast with it. It also converted as
a stroller you could run with too.
The kids absolutely loved it, it was practical, it left the car home,
and it got the family more good time together. That was some of the
most fun I've ever had on a bike, and gets cycling started early, in a
positive way for the kids.

I remember using that setup to get my daughter to day care. She'd be in the
back, cracking the whip as it were, by yelling "go Daddy GO! go Daddy GO!"

You can do surprisingly well with one of those rigs, once you can accept
what I call "Mule mode" and just hunker down. You can even climb reasonably
well, although at a much lower speed. Took about two weeks to really get
used to it, if I recall correctly. Unfortunately, it did *not* get my
daughter interested in cycling at a young age. She didn't even get off
training wheels until she was 8, and was shamed into it by a friend who was
having a birthday party where they were all going to ride bikes the three
blocks from the house to a park. My son was off training wheels at 3 1/2.

Quoted message said:

It does point out the passing years though when those same kids just
leave you for dead on every little hill on their own bikes later
though. Nothing like having to beg your kid to wait for you at the
top!!
Bill C

Right now I'm living for that day. Ironically, as I spend more time on the
bike with my son, that day will come sooner, not later, because I'm not
getting in the type of riding I normally would. No more AltoVelo A rides,
sniff. But in a couple years, I'd love to take him to France to see the
'Tour.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

In article <[email hidden]>,

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

The junior track program at Hellyer Park Velodrome (San Jose) is
fantastic... open to anyone 10-15 years old, and the guys running it (Rob
Jensen, Glenn Kubacki, Steven Woo and Andrew Lanier) make sure everyone has
a great time, regardless of their skill levels.

I've been working on my son for a while, trying to get him away from video
games and into riding a bike, and was making pretty slow progress... until I
got him to the track. He loves it. And now he's even got the racing bug.
He's got a long way to go (TV, video games & junk food aren't good for the
body), but this past Sunday, I saw real hope. Why?

Because in the win & out, and somewhat longer event that starts with 6 laps
before getting to the sprints, he worked himself hard enough that he threw
up about halfway through... and kept going. That, in my book, is cool. He's
no longer laughing at Dad's oft-repeated remark "That which doesn't kill
you, makes you stronger." Now he believes.

My wife, of course, thinks we're both crazy.

Life is good.

If he likes the Win-And-Out -- probably the most demoralizing,
anticlimactic and (IMHO) stupid event in track racing -- then he must
really be hooked.

Now, the MISS-AND-OUT -- that's an EVENT!!!

Mike G.
velodrome.com
-

"Mike G" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

If he likes the Win-And-Out -- probably the most demoralizing,
anticlimactic and (IMHO) stupid event in track racing

aka the Miss-And-Die

Bill C said:

On Mar 7, 8:46 am, "Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Take my advice and buy a bike instead..- Hide quoted text -

Quoted message said:

- Show quoted text -

Are we back to the "Cycling causes impotency" thread again? ;-)
If your somewhere reasonably safe, it's really cool to have the kids,
get a trailer that's a little bit too big and set it up as a "nest"
for the kid/s and use it as much as you can.
We set ours up with blankets, pillows, snacks, books, toys, and a
radio/cassette player for music or stories and did picnics, rides,
back and forth to school, shopping, you name it with it.
Got a pretty decent hybrid with a triple, slightly agressive tires so
we could go off-road too and had a blast with it. It also converted as
a stroller you could run with too.
The kids absolutely loved it, it was practical, it left the car home,
and it got the family more good time together. That was some of the
most fun I've ever had on a bike, and gets cycling started early, in a
positive way for the kids.
It does point out the passing years though when those same kids just
leave you for dead on every little hill on their own bikes later
though. Nothing like having to beg your kid to wait for you at the
top!!
Bill C

Not what I meant at all. Cycling aside, kids are their own special
problems..."parents are the stone that children cut their teeth
on"...hardest job there is.

In article <[email hidden]>, Mike

G said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

The junior track program at Hellyer Park Velodrome (San Jose) is
fantastic... open to anyone 10-15 years old, and the guys running it (Rob
Jensen, Glenn Kubacki, Steven Woo and Andrew Lanier) make sure everyone has
a great time, regardless of their skill levels.

I've been working on my son for a while, trying to get him away from video
games and into riding a bike, and was making pretty slow progress... until
I
got him to the track. He loves it. And now he's even got the racing bug.
He's got a long way to go (TV, video games & junk food aren't good for the
body), but this past Sunday, I saw real hope. Why?

Because in the win & out, and somewhat longer event that starts with 6 laps
before getting to the sprints, he worked himself hard enough that he threw
up about halfway through... and kept going. That, in my book, is cool. He's
no longer laughing at Dad's oft-repeated remark "That which doesn't kill
you, makes you stronger." Now he believes.

My wife, of course, thinks we're both crazy.

Life is good.

If he likes the Win-And-Out -- probably the most demoralizing,
anticlimactic and (IMHO) stupid event in track racing -- then he must
really be hooked.

Hey I like win and Outs. I like reverse Win and Outs even better
though. A reverse win and out is where the first sprint if for 5th
place, the second sprint is for 4th place and the final sprint is for
1st. Needless to say the best riders don't go for the first few
sprints. This gives riders who normally don;t have a chance to place in
a regular sprint the chance to win a sprint. Of course if you have 4
good sprinters they all cant win the final sprint for 1st so it becomes
a game of how confident ae you in your ability to beat the remaining
riders since you could be the best sprinter but end up not placing at
all if you don't win that final sprint.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If he likes the Win-And-Out -- probably the most demoralizing,
anticlimactic and (IMHO) stupid event in track racing -- then he must
really be hooked.

Hey I like win and Outs. I like reverse Win and Outs even better
though. A reverse win and out is where the first sprint if for 5th
place, the second sprint is for 4th place and the final sprint is for
1st. Needless to say the best riders don't go for the first few
sprints. This gives riders who normally don;t have a chance to place in
a regular sprint the chance to win a sprint. Of course if you have 4
good sprinters they all cant win the final sprint for 1st so it becomes
a game of how confident ae you in your ability to beat the remaining
riders since you could be the best sprinter but end up not placing at
all if you don't win that final sprint.

That sounds like an interesting event, but could be a bit difficult to
explain to the younger folk.

For now, I've got him psyched up for the Canada Road time trial on March
17th. 9.7 miles. He knows his time is going to get blown away, but he's
still looking forward to half an hour of suffering. Not sure whether I
should sign up for it myself or not; I'd rather it was all about him, not
me.

--Mike--
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com

Quoted message said:

If he likes the Win-And-Out -- probably the most demoralizing,
anticlimactic and (IMHO) stupid event in track racing -- then he must
really be hooked.

Now, the MISS-AND-OUT -- that's an EVENT!!!

Ouch. I remember those. Actually, don't recall that I crashed on the track
much, if at all. Then again, I wasn't a sprinter back then, so I'd usually
try to catch people off guard and do a 4k on my own. That hurt! Especially
if (if?) you got caught.

I miss the old days, when there was a very strong, adversarial relationship
between those who were roadies vs trackies. We'd invade the track and do
whatever damage we could, but truthfully, we were jealous of their wimpy
training schedules (compared to that of a Cat 1/2, or even a successful
junior). We'd extract whatever revenge we could when they'd show up on our
turf, but, alas, the joke was often on us. Unless they were foolish enough
to show up for a race with hills, of course.

--Mike--
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

For now, I've got him psyched up for the Canada Road time trial on March
17th. 9.7 miles. He knows his time is going to get blown away, but he's
still looking forward to half an hour of suffering. Not sure whether I
should sign up for it myself or not; I'd rather it was all about him, not
me.

Growing up, my father got me into martial arts much like you're
getting your son into this. Being an already accomplished martial
artist he ran into the same dilemma at tournaments.

I found that when he could compete in his own class and we could watch
each other, it made the experience solid gold. We'd both have
stories, we both had that same rush & sense of accomplishment, it was
more of a "together" thing for me, and as a result bonding for us.

When he didn't compete and just watched me instead, it wasn't quite as
fun. I felt more pressure (even though he didn't impose any), and
more like he was doing something for me than we were doing something
together. I realize now that he was doing something for himself in
watching me, but at the time I didn't have that concept. I actually
didn't even start to grasp the parent thing until about a year ago,
and I'm still getting it day by day.

When we had to miss each others fights & katas it was a mild
disappointment, but I guess that's part of growing up?

I'm not going to give you parenting advice, as I'm not a parent
myself. I will say this: Looking back, I think my dad may have
chosen some of the classes & events he competed in within a specific
tournament day based more on how they'd interact with my schedule and
events than on which events may have been best matched for him. I'll
have to find out, and thank him if I'm right.

Glad to hear you're out there with him, pedaling or on the sidelines.

Dan

Quoted message said:

I found that when he could compete in his own class and we could watch
each other, it made the experience solid gold. We'd both have
stories, we both had that same rush & sense of accomplishment, it was
more of a "together" thing for me, and as a result bonding for us.

I've been thinking the same thing. Main thing I want to avoid is being out
there on the course at the same time, and having to blow past him if he was
ahead of me. Tough one; if I went first, it would be kinda fun because I'd
see him on the return, but I'd like to be with him there at the start. Guess
I'll just sign up too and see where the chips fall (starting times are
emailed a couple days before the event).

--Mike--
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

Quoted message said:

I found that when he could compete in his own class and we could watch
each other, it made the experience solid gold. We'd both have
stories, we both had that same rush & sense of accomplishment, it was
more of a "together" thing for me, and as a result bonding for us.

I've been thinking the same thing. Main thing I want to avoid is being out
there on the course at the same time, and having to blow past him if he was
ahead of me. Tough one; if I went first, it would be kinda fun because I'd
see him on the return, but I'd like to be with him there at the start. Guess
I'll just sign up too and see where the chips fall (starting times are
emailed a couple days before the event).

Don't you guys have a tandem?

My kid did her first race at age 7 as a stoker.

Bob Schwartz

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email hidden]> wrote (in part) in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

... Main thing I want to avoid is being out there on the course at the
same time, and having to blow past him if he was ahead of me.

In a very short time he'll be worried about blowing past you...

--
Carl

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

Quoted message said:

I found that when he could compete in his own class and we could watch
each other, it made the experience solid gold. We'd both have
stories, we both had that same rush & sense of accomplishment, it was
more of a "together" thing for me, and as a result bonding for us.

I've been thinking the same thing. Main thing I want to avoid is being out
there on the course at the same time, and having to blow past him if he was
ahead of me. Tough one; if I went first, it would be kinda fun because I'd
see him on the return, but I'd like to be with him there at the start. Guess
I'll just sign up too and see where the chips fall (starting times are
emailed a couple days before the event).

--Mike--
Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReaction.com

I'm sure they would let you juggle your spot to accomodate.

Something I like to point out to new riders is a quote from Greg
Lemond: "It doesn't get any easier. You just go faster." I break it to
them gently, so they don't give up too easily, disappointed that it
still hurts even after they have been doing it for a while.

Have fun!

Joseph

Quoted message said:

daughter interested in cycling at a young age. She didn't even get off
training wheels until she was 8, and was shamed into it by a friend who

was

Quoted message said:

having a birthday party where they were all going to ride bikes the three
blocks from the house to a park. My son was off training wheels at 3 1/2.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Can you pass on any tips to getting a youngster started on 2 wheels ? I
have a 5 y.o. and wish to avoid training wheels. Last summer he was still
riding a tricycle, some. He is not afraid.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

daughter interested in cycling at a young age. She didn't even get off
training wheels until she was 8, and was shamed into it by a friend who

was

Quoted message said:

having a birthday party where they were all going to ride bikes the three
blocks from the house to a park. My son was off training wheels at 3 1/2.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Can you pass on any tips to getting a youngster started on 2 wheels ? I
have a 5 y.o. and wish to avoid training wheels. Last summer he was still
riding a tricycle, some. He is not afraid.

http://www.chainreaction.com/trwheels.htm

That's actually a photo of my son, 11 years ago.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Charles said:

Quoted message said:

daughter interested in cycling at a young age. She didn't even get off
training wheels until she was 8, and was shamed into it by a friend who

was

Quoted message said:

having a birthday party where they were all going to ride bikes the three
blocks from the house to a park. My son was off training wheels at 3 1/2.

Quoted message said:

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Can you pass on any tips to getting a youngster started on 2 wheels ? I
have a 5 y.o. and wish to avoid training wheels. Last summer he was still
riding a tricycle, some. He is not afraid.

Don't use training wheels!

Here's my boy at 5:

http://arbitrary.org/jump.JPG

And a movie at 3:

http://arbitrary.org/iagobike.mov (3.6MB)

I taught him to ride by never using training wheels. I jogged
alongside holding his jacket clenched in my fist between the shoulder
blades and I steered him that way, and kept him from falling. It was
up to him to steer the bike and keep it upright. I've tried one of
those bars you attach to the back but that way I was always supporting
the bike, and it seemed like he wasn't "getting it" about how the bike
constantly wobbles back and forth beneath him. Something that they
figure out quicker in my experience if they have to control the bike.

Thick clothes makes spills less traumatic, and gloves makes a huge
difference. Scraped palms full of gravel is a real turn-off for little
kids.

I also think a foot brake is the way to go, and remove any front
brake. The kids get all hung up in trying to use it, and crash into a
fence with all their attention on the lever.

Proper bike fit is also very important. My daughter also learned, but
not as quickly. I think this is because when she was ready, she was a
different size than my son and her bike didn't fit as well. The 12"
wheel bike was too small, and the 20" was a bit more unwieldy. I think
this made it harder. They have to be able to get their feet on the
ground, but also be able to get reasonable leg extension while
pedaling. Some kids bike really suck and have strange geometry with
super high bottom brackets making proper positioning difficult. Check
around. Also I took apart the bike and greased and adjusted all the
bearings. There was a HUGE amount of drag right out of the box. The
movie shows what I consider a very suitable kid-position. I also
swapped the cog on the kids' bikes. All the bikes came with a very
high gear that made even microscopic inclines difficult, as well as
getting started.

Have fun!

Joseph