Meet the Team: Steven Kusy

This week’s Recycled Cycles Racing star is Steven Kusy, who I’m told is “an absolute beast on the bike.” Steven is relatively new to the team but has been busy making his mark, so keep an eye out for him at road races. In the meantime, check out the Recycled Cycles Racing blog and Facebook page for all the team’s latest news.

Name: Steven Kusy

Age: 25

Day job: Nuclear Engineer

Bikes: 3 – 2012 RALEIGH MILITIS 3, 1999 Cannondale R800, Kuota K-Factor TT bike

Years racing: 3

Years racing w/RCR: 2

Type of racing: Road

Favorite race: The harder the better. I like stage races.

Favorite local ride: Out to Snoqualmie Falls

Pre-race/ride fuel: Vegetarian diet fuels me just fine.

Post-race/ride indulgence: Post Ride = PBJ    Post Race = Push-pop?

Why you started racing: 3 knee surgeries. I’ve torn my ACL, MCL, and Medial Meniscus in both knees.

Ever get pre-event nerves? How do you deal? No. It’s bike racing.

How many hours do you log each week? 7-9 hours/week

Dream route – if you could pack up your bike and hit the road, where would we find you? Doesn’t Europe have good routes?

Meet the Team: Josh Simpson

It’s time to introduce another of the fine folks from Recycled Cycles Racing. If you have a chance, check out their blog and Facebook page to keep up with the action. This week the spotlight is on Josh Simpson, a track, cross and road racer who also happens to be the Recycled Cycles Racing team president.

Name: Josh Simpson

Age: 37

Day job: Service Line Manager, Akamai Technologies

Bikes: 7 bikes: 2 cross, 2 road, 2 mountain, 1 TT. First bike was a BMX bike, many many years ago.

Years racing: 6

Years racing w/RCR: 6

Type of racing: Road, CX, Track

Favorite race: Madison’s, super fun, fast and hard!

Pre-race/ride fuel: PBJ’s

Post-race/ride indulgence: DQ Blizzard!

Why you started racing: Wife!

Ever get pre-event nerves? How do you deal? Yes, many trips to the mens room.

Hours in the saddle each week: On average, 9 hours per week.

Dream route – if you could pack up your bike and hit the road, where would we find you? West Maui Loop.

How to Fix a Flat

Bike Month seems as good a time as any to share this video of Ryan teaching us how to fix a flat! It was taken on our dock last summer and shared by way of The Road Less Traveled. Thanks Ryan!

Helmet Fit: Keeping Kids Safe & Happy

With two active boys, I know the value of hand-me-downs. Soccer cleats and sweatshirts have been passed from kid to kid around the neighborhood, and most things are outgrown long before they wear out.

The one thing I’m cautious about handing down is bike helmets. Kids’ helmets can take a lot of abuse, and there’s no piece of cycling equipment more critical to their safety. You don’t need to buy the most expensive helmet on the market, but you do need one that is in good condition and fits well.

Helmets can prevent an estimated 85 percent of head injuries from bike crashes, but they only work if your child wears one every time they ride! Here are a few reminders to help you keep your kids safe:

1.  Don’t let your child ride his/her bike with the helmet unbuckled or super-loose. The chin strap should leave enough room to fit a finger between the strap and the chin, but should pull tight when you open your mouth.
2. Make sure your child’s helmet sits low enough on his or her head so that it rests one to two finger widths above the eyebrows.
3. Adjust the helmet straps so that they are even on both sides, forming a “Y” under the ears.
4. A helmet that fits well should be comfortable – and your kid will be more likely to wear it! Check for twisted straps or missing pads if your child is complaining.
5. Any helmet that has been involved in a crash should be replaced, even if there is no visible damage. If the foam inside has been compromised, the helmet will no longer protect the way it was designed to.

If you’re near Lynnwood this Saturday, April 21, Kohl’s will be having a free helmet fitting and giveaway from 10am – 1pm. Otherwise, the CPSC has a simple chart that might help you to ensure your child’s helmet fits properly. Or stop in to ask us – we are always happy to help!

Busy Season

Photo Credit: Neil Duckett

Spring means busy season in the bike business, and not just because we’ve got more customers coming through the doors. We’ve got a few fun events coming up, so mark your calendars!

Team LUNA Chix
Women’s Tire Changing Clinic – April 18
We’re excited to be hosting Team LUNA Chix again this year for a tire changing clinic just for women, this time at our Fremont shop. One of our expert mechanics will go over quick release operation, v-brake, and caliper release operations, as well as the tools and techniques needed to properly replace your tube while on the road or at home! We’ll also cover tools riders should have with them on their ride, a demo on changing a flat, practice changing a flat with assistance from LUNAChix Team. We’ll wrap up with a fun competition for prize(s).  Space is limited, so please register in advance by email to seattlelunacycling@yahoo.com.

When:  Wednesday, April 18th, 2012, 6:00-8:00pm.

Where: Recycled Cycles, new FREMONT location 1109 North 35th Street, Seattle, WA 98103

What to bring: Your bike wheel, spare tube, and a set of levers

Cost:  $20 donation-100% benefits the Breast Cancer Fund, Team LUNA Chix non-profit partner.

Fremont Earth Day Festival

Nectar Lounge – April 21

Join us Saturday, April 21 at Nectar Lounge for a day of bikes, bands and sustainability! There will be 20+ bands, performers and DJs plus speakers and sponsor booths dedicated to a message of bicycle commuting and sustainability, a raffle, and a silent auction. Ride your bike to save $2 off admission. We will be onsite to accept bicycle donations, which we will then refurbish and donate to  an organization that helps provide bicycles for communities and families in Africa. Donate a bike for FREE festival admission, or just stop by our booth to say hello! For tickets or to learn more: http://fremontearthday.com/Home_Page.php

1.4 Billion Reasons

Global Poverty Project Presentation – May 1

Global Poverty Project ambassador d’Arcy Lunn has been riding his bike 1000 miles and living below the poverty line – less than $1.50 a day. He’ll join us at Boat Street at 7:30pm to share stories from his journey, and tell us about the Global Poverty Project and how you can take action locally to help the 1.4 billion people on our planet that are living in extreme poverty. Learn more or RSVP: http://www.globalpovertyproject.com/

Core Stability for a Smooth Ride

by Marco Pantoliano

While cycling by itself will build core strength, it’ll be mostly explosive and in one plane of motion. This makes it important for the avid rider to reinforce stability in the spine to avoid injury, correct muscle imbalances, and improve performance.

Cycling technique requires repetitive ballistic action and with such movements there is always a risk of injury. In the case of cycling, there is a fair amount of stress put on the lumbar spine. Doing a quick routine that focuses on all around core stability will decrease your chances of pain and injury. It will also help improve stamina, handling, and speed.

Do these 3 exercises in a circuit after your ride to reinforce the natural alignment of the spine…

Superman – Lie on your stomach and extend both arms straight out in front. Straighten the legs and lift your chest, arms, and thighs off the ground. With the palms facing down and arms straight, work to slide your shoulder blades down your back. Flex or point your toes and lift with the lower back and butt. Work to get your legs and arms as high off the ground as you can.

Side Plank – Lying sideways, place your elbow or palm directly under the shoulder. Stack your feet and lift your hips high into the air with straight legs. Reach up with your free arm, push through your working shoulder, engage the obliques and keep lifting your hips.

Forearm Plank – Facing the floor, position your elbows directly under your shoulders. With straight legs, come up onto your toes so that you’re supporting yourself with the forearms and balls of your feet. Stiffen the thighs, tuck your hips forward and contract your abs. Push your elbows into the ground, rounding your upper back and separating the shoulder blades. Keep your hips up at the same level as your shoulders.

Hold each position for 1-2 minutes. Or, hold positions for 30 seconds each and repeat the circuit for 3-5 sets.

Be safe out there
Marco is a personal trainer, group exercise instructor and certified nutrition coach based in Seattle. He’s also an avid cyclist. To catch up with Marco, check out his Facebook page!
 

Meet the Team: Mike Brown

We thought it would be fun to introduce you to some of the folks from Recycled Cycles Racing. They’ve got their own blog and Facebook page to keep up with the action in-season, but this will be more of an inside look at the racers you see wearing the RCR kit.

It seemed only natural to start with Mike Brown, who has been racing for Recycled Cycles for about as long as there’s been a team – 12 years. Also known as Brownie, Mike’s day job is with the City of Redmond Parks Department but he still manages to log 10-16 hours on his bike each week.

Name: Mike Brown

Nickname: Brownie

Age: 45

About the Bikes: I own 5 bikes – A nice Raleigh race bike, a Look rain bike, my first race bike (Match), a ti Yeti hardtail mt. bike, and a dust gathering track bike

Type of racing: Road and Mountain

Favorite race: tough call , I would have to say the High Cascades 100 Mt.bike race or any of the road spring classics (my favorite time to race on the road)

Favorite local ride: Snoqualmie Valley (Snohomish, Monroe, Carnation)

Pre-race/ride fuel: Oatmeal

Post-race/ride indulgence: Rold Gold pretzels

Why you started racing: It satisfies my craving for competition. I enjoy the day to day, year to year challenge and discipline that it takes to compete in this sport

Dealing with nerves: I Always have nerves before a race. How do I deal? – Porta pottie.

Weekly hours in the saddle? 10 – 16 hrs. per week

Dream route – if you could pack up your bike and hit the road, where would we find you? Road riding around the Lake Chelan area on a hot summer day, or Mt. biking in Bend,OR

Yoga for Cyclists

This is a guest post from Morgan Kellock, owner and instructor at Mo-Yo Movement and Yoga Instruction in Lake Forest Park. Yoga is a great way to counter the tightness in hips and hamstrings that can result from your time on the bike.

Cyclists build mighty leg, hip, and back muscles but along with power comes tension. Because the hip flexors and hamstrings are in prolonged flexion while biking, the hips, legs, and lumbar spine can become stiff and sore over time. Gentle stretching will ease pain and increase mobility but like a tight rubber band pulled too far too fast, aggressive stretching can cause injury, too. Always cycle and stretch safely.

Forward Bends will stretch hamstrings and low back but if tightness is extreme, they are most safely practiced with support: seated on the floor with props, or standing backside against a wall. Knees can stay slightly bent, as needed. No bouncing! Hold your stretches for 5-10 slow rounds of breathing, relaxing into the legs with each breath. (If necessary, practice one leg at a time.)

Butterfly or Cobbler’s Pose—seated feet together, knees apart, hands holding ankles—will open the hips using body weight and gravity passively. Sitting with straight spine against a wall will prevent tight hamstrings from pulling the pelvis under and hunching the back. Again, use your breath and take your time through 5-10 slow rounds. Breathe into the back ribs and relax into the hips.

Pigeon Pose is great for opening the hips—flexors on front side, glutes on backside—but it can be challenging for beginners to properly align the hips for maximum benefit and safety. This is a good one to learn in class.

Following is an easy Supine Sequence for opening the low back, hips, and hamstrings that can be done while lying in bed or on the floor. Connect all the moves or do them separately as needed.

Open in corpse

1) pelvic tilts tailbone to waist, moving into pelvic clock in all planes

2) knee to chest (right & left) several times, then both knees to chest

3) supine spinal twist (right & left), releasing low back, engaging core

4) hamstring stretch (right & left), rotating through open hip if desired

5) bridge, releasing into reclining butterfly if desired

Close to corpse.

What a week!

Phew! Well, save for a few minor computer/printer glitches, the doors opened at 1109 N 35th in FreWall or Frollingstone, or whatever you want to call it, without a problem! Thanks to everyone for their support, and especially to our staff (old and new) who have been working so hard to make this happen. If you haven’t had a chance to stop by yet, come say hi when you have a chance.

Steve thinks he’ll be relaxing next month with a trip to Costa Rica. He doesn’t realize that this is what we signed him up for:

 

Shhhh! It’s a surprise!

BIG NEWS: Recycled Cycles Fremont location opening February 15!

Artwork courtesy of Blaise

That’s right, we’re opening a second Recycled Cycles location in Fremont! It will be a lot like the Recycled Cycles you know and love on Boat Street, just on a smaller scale. The new 2500-square-foot space is attached to our warehouse where you’ll find Recycled Cycles stalwarts Scott, Reed, Paul, Blaise and many others. It’s a great spot with great neighbors: Fremont Brewing Company, Pacific Inn, RoRo BBQ and Bikram Yoga Seattle. And of course, it’s just a couple of blocks from the Burke-Gilman Trail, so please stop to say hello by if you are riding through the neighborhood!

Grand Opening Feb. 15th

Address/Phone: 1109 N. 35th Street, Seattle / (206) 397-4286

Hours: M-F 10am-7pm; Sat/Sun 10am-6pm

Recycled Cycles Fremont