Pedal Power: How To Cycle Your Way Through Spring and Summer in Lamorinda

Whether your goal is simply to make it around the block, or perhaps you secretly think you’d look dynamite in that famed yellow jersey, it is possible to feel fit and fabulous on a bike – if you steer yourself in the right direction.

At long last, it appears that spring has sprung in Lamorinda.  Sure, we’re still dealing with the occasional foggy morning and plenty of cool if not damp days, but it’s clear that warmer weather is on the way.  That means Lamorindans can finally cure their winter-weary cases of cabin fever by planning some outdoor activities.

Local cycling enthusiasts say the sunny forecast leaves lollygagging Lamorindans with fewer excuses this time of year, so put the brakes on all that procrastinating and switch your recreational routine into high gear!  Athletes of all ages and abilities should give some serious thought to getting serious about riding a two-wheeler.

Whether your goal is simply to make it around the block, or perhaps you secretly think you’d look dynamite in that famed yellow jersey, it is possible to feel fit and fabulous on a bike – if you steer yourself in the right direction.

Surrounded by Cyclists in Lamorinda

Welcome to Lamorinda – cycling country, as far as many riders are concerned.  It really should come as no surprise that the community caters to cyclists, all things considered:  health-conscious residents, scenic trails and picturesque hillsides combine for an exhilarating experience for anyone who’s willing to give riding a try.

“Lamorinda I think has a higher percentage of participation than just about any area around,” theorized Matt Sharp, owner of Sharp Bicycle in Lafayette’s La Fiesta Square.  “In fact, I’ve always thought it would be really fun if there was a national fitness campaign with other major like-sized cities.  I think our area could challenge Boulder as far as fitness per capita.”

“You’ll notice, most everybody out here is pretty fit,” he continued.  “And it’s not by accident.  They walk, they ride, they run.  Everybody’s doing something to stay in shape and they do a good job.”

Lamorindans can thank geography and topography for making cycling a do-able sport in these parts.

“People do bike here,” concurred Josh Tonnissen, service manager at Hank & Frank Bicycles on Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette.  “Compared to the rest of the country, we probably have more people that ride per capita in the Bay Area and definitely in this area compared to other places.  Why?  Around here we have a lot of public bike trails and we have a big system that runs from Moraga to Lafayette and that can connect with some city surface streets in Walnut Creek, and that can go as far as Concord, Clayton, and as far down as Livermore.”

“People love the Lamorinda Trail and the Iron Horse Trail,” he added.

Biking Basics:  Road v. Mountain

One thing that seems to sideline would-be cyclists is the perceived intimidation factor – consumers aren’t necessarily sure what they want or need and, consequently, avoid bike shops at all costs.

“You know, picking a bike, I would like to say is a lot easier than ever before.  There is a bike for everyone,” Sharp declared.  “There are very beginning bikes all the way up to race bikes and we do our best to stock them all.”

“It’s pretty easy when you come here, the process is guiding you to the right bike.  And that’s the biggest thing.  We spend most of the time guiding you to the right bike and then color, size and price range are easy from there because there’s usually several prices for each style of bike,” he explained.

One question to consider:  road or mountain?  It’s as simple as knowing whether you dream of shredding through the dirt or zipping on the pavement.

“If you aspire to go out and ride in the dirt, then great, I’d probably start out with a mountain bike,” suggested Tonnissen.  “Most people who start out with a mountain bike are generally going to have friends who have mountain bikes or have ridden road bikes in the past and are kind of getting pushed into the mountain bike route.”

Not sure if off-roading is your cup of tea?

“Most of the time, people with no bicycle riding experience whatsoever, most people are going to get started on the road.  If you’re looking to start riding a bicycle it’s probably the safest and easiest way to get acclimated to cycling,” Tonnissen recommended.  “And definitely getting a bike that’s geared more toward road riding is going to be more advantageous for them in the long run.”

“At some point if they want to progress to mountain biking,” he theorized, “you make that other purchase down the line.”

“Off-road riding, there’s definitely more of a thrill because there’s a lot more technical terrain,” Tonnissen gave a nod to the area’s peaks and valleys.  “We come up against several of the East Bay Regional Parks which offer a wide variety of technical ability and aerobic ability trails for you to do your mountain biking.”

In addition to considering downhill thrills versus smooth sailing on flat pavement, beginning cyclists should also consider the design of the bike.

“Road riding, you’re going to have a bike with no tread on the tires and that bike is for riding on paved surfaces only.  There should be no contact with your bicycle and any kind of dirt terrain,” stressed Tonnissen.  “If you’re going to be riding a mountain bike, you’re in a  dirt situation and you’re going to be riding on a bike that’s built and configured differently and it’s built around a wide tire with knobs on it and it’s going to have a whole host of different features as far as gearing and brakes and positioning is concerned.”

A cyclist will also be seated differently, depending on the style of the bike.  In fact, misconceptions about being “hunched over” on a road bike often sent casual cyclists in the wrong direction – namely, onto mountain bikes.

“There used to be just road bikes and then there were mountain bikes.  And people bought mountain bikes to be in a more upright riding position.  A lot of people bought mountain bikes to ride on the road, even though they weren’t road riders,” Sharp recalled.  “So as mountain bikes hit the road, the manufacturers have started to fill in the gaps.”

In short, you can buy a road bike today without finding yourself in that classic, “hunched over” racing road bike position.

According to Sharp, that evolution in road bike design is especially appealing to the 50-something empty nesters who are taking up the sport.

“For older people or people who aren’t in great shape, they maybe don’t want to be in a racing position,” he acknowledged.  “They want performance but don’t want to be cramped over so we can set people up a bit more upright than in the past.”

“This is fixing the problem from way back,” said Sharp, “where people bought mountain bikes because they were more upright but rode them only on the road.  So now we have the riding position of a mountain bike but in a road configuration with road tires, road gearing, an upright handlebar but everything else, these are pavement bikes we now call them.  So these are made for the bike path, for pavement, everything but dirt.  Mountain bikes are for dirt, everything else is for pavement.”

Helmets Are Hardly Optional

As much fun as it can be to pick and choose the style of your bike, not to mention accessories and add-ons, there is some equipment that’s non-negotiable in the cycling word.

Namely, your helmet.

“Helmets are only good for three years, so hopefully their helmet isn’t more than three years old from the purchase date,” Tonnissen warned the weekend warriors who hoped to resurrect old equipment.  “Otherwise, they need to replace it.”

“A helmet shouldn’t be tight but it should be firm enough to stay in place,” Sharp added.  “If it’s too tight, you’ll instinctively reach down and pull that strap to loosen it up so you can breathe.  And it should fit level on your head and never up and back like a bonnet.”

“Gloves are a necessity,” continued Sharp.  “In case of a spill, you’re going to put out your hands.  And they give you more comfort on the bike.  Shoes and pedals are something that most riders are getting on their first bike, depending.  The right shoes and the right pedals can really enhance the ride and make you more comfortable.”

“Also, saddles,” he said.  “Saddle choice and saddle position are really key in comfort.  A level saddle is the key to comfort and you want to sit on as much saddle as is comfortable.  All the new bikes, the new saddles coming on them, they’ve made leaps and bounds on comfort.  It used to be they paid no attention to them, they just thought a saddle should look nice and comfort was secondary.  Now, comfort is primary and looking nice is secondary.  They’re much more comfortable than they used to be.”

“The moderate rider probably needs to look at what they’ve got and make sure that the bike they’re riding is still the right style for them.  And if they don’t have cycling shoes and cycling pedals then it’s time to go that route.  Then, shorts and jersey.  Start dressing the part.  There are reasons for wearing them.  A lot of people laugh at it, we know.  But, most people who ride are going to get a good pair of shorts and a jersey.  A jersey fits tighter so when you’re bending over the sweat just doesn’t run down your chest into your shorts, it gets absorbed by the jersey and dissipates much better.  Shorts do the same thing.  They fit nice and tight, it’s a nice, even surface between you and the saddle.”

“There are also creams that go between you and the shorts to enhance that comfort even more,” said Sharp.  “This is for somebody who spends a couple of hours or more on the bike, or even more.”

Ready to splurge?

“Well, carbon fiber is the name of the game when it comes to the upper end of both the road bike world and the mountain bike world,” Tonnissen said without a hint of hesitation.

Resurrecting Your Ride From the Depths of Your Garage

Tonnissen recognizes the other end of the cycling spectrum – specifically, cautious consumers who aren’t inclined to sink too much into a sport when they’re just testing the waters.

“Well, most people that are going to be getting out their old bikes have probably left them dormant for some time now, the bike is probably going to have a good deal of spiders and other collective dust on it,” he suggested.  “The number one thing you’re going to have to do is air the tires and lube the chain.”

“That’s going to get your average rider just out and about,” he explained.

A professional tune-up is never a bad thing, and both shops employ specially-trained technicians who can get that old two-seater in tip-top shape.

Tonnissen offers similar words of caution to the would-be cyclist who’s scoring a bike from a stranger’s garage.

“Safety is your first concern and certainly, you can buy a used bike,” he reasoned.  “If you’re going to buy a used road bike you don’t really know the service history of it, you don’t know the assembly history.  If you’re going to do off-road type of riding and you’re looking to purchase a used mountain bike, well with a used mountain bike it’s a derby car.  People are probably going to keep bad bicycle hygiene, they’re going to hose the bike off and they’re going to put it away wet.  Things are going to get worn.”

“So, there is an advantage to buying a new bicycle,” Tonnissen explained.  “It’s generally a sport that people get into, and we see this all the time, people come in and say I thought about it, I got this bike, but it’s not enough bike anymore.  So a lot of times people actually don’t spend enough on their bike because they come back, the sport is that addicting.”

Buyer Beware: The Dangers of Discount Shopping

Another cost-cutting mistake novice cyclists make happens in the aisles of big box stores.

“Safety is your concern.  You’re riding on a vehicle.  You’re putting your life at risk when you’re riding that vehicle,” stressed Tonnissen.  “If it’s for an adult, that bicycle that you’re going to be able to purchase at a department store, number one, the bicycles aren’t sized per person.  So if you have an adult that’s 5 ft. 4 in. and you have an adult that’s 6 ft. 4 in. tall, they’re not going to have a bike that’s sized to fit every rider.  They’re sized to fit a certain height range and that’s it.”

“The people who assemble the bikes are really good at assembling a gas grill, but they really aren’t bicycle technicians,” he pointed out.  “They aren’t trained, they don’t go to school to learn the service work and they don’t take regular technical training seminars and they’re not focused on the assembly of the bike.”

“For a child, it’s really common that parents think my child will only have this bike for a year, two years probably, so why would I want to spend the money to buy a bike shop bike, which really in the long run isn’t that much more than what you’d spend at a department store.  But you want your child to learn how to ride a bike, that’s why you’re purchasing them a bike.  Well, the bicycles that you can purchase from a department type of a store, they’re not assembled correctly.  And when they’re not assembled correctly, the bearings aren’t adjusted correctly.  And if the bearings aren’t adjusted correctly, it won’t roll correctly.  So it’s actually going to be more difficult for your child to learn how to ride a bicycle because things aren’t adjusted and tuned properly.”

“Most bike stores, us included, generally offer some sort of post-purchase service, regardless of the bike,” summed up Tonnissen.

“You get the right bike,” echoed Sharp.  “At discount chain stores, they’re just going to have them out on display, you’re going to look at them and say, oh, that’s $200 and the color’s great and it looks good from here.  They’re designed to sell.  Our bikes are designed to be ridden and when you buy a bike from us you’re going to get the right size, the right type of bike.  And that’s really the key, I see people riding bikes on the road and they might have a completely inappropriate bike for what they’re doing and your experience will be much, much better if you’re on the right style of bike.”

“If it’s the wrong size, it’s like wearing shoes that are too small,” Sharp continued.  “You’re not going to like it and you want to have the right size bike.  It all comes together, you’re comfortable if your bike fits right, you’re going to work hard and look forward to going back out tomorrow for another ride.  That’s the key, it’s not finishing your ride thinking oh man, I’ve had it, I’m not going to do that for a while.  The key is looking forward to it- saying you know that was great, I’m looking forward to getting back out tomorrow and put those miles on the bike.”

Making Cycling a Family Affair

There’s one surefire way to enhance the cycling experience - take your family along for the ride.

“If you’re going out with your family, that’s an awesome way to go,” enthused Tonnissen.  “You can ride out to the Lafayette Community Center, maybe stop at Diablo Foods along the way and get a sandwich.  That’s a great ride.”

“We’ve got bicycles for every age rider,” he outlined the store’s inventory.  “They basically get started at two years old and go up from there.  We can offer them a tricycle option or we have a more popular range of product, kind of a scoot type of a bike.  We have a handful of different varieties and brands of those.  The advantage of a product like that is it’s a bicycle that doesn’t have any pedals.  And there’s no chain, no training wheels.  It’s essentially a hobby horse with wheels on it.  So the kid stands over it and they run along and eventually they start picking their feet up and coasting so that by the time they’re three or four they don’t need a bicycle with training wheels, so they’re actually out riding a bicycle much sooner than they would if they were hindered by training wheels.  It’s worked out really well for a lot of kids.”

“If you’re trying to get a little more fitness and bring your children along with you, you’re going to be able to add either an attachment to your bike so they can ride tandem with you or if they’re still a little young for that, we have all the trailer accessories as well.”

There’s an equally fabulous selection of kid-sized bikes in Sharp’s store, plus a wide selection of what he referred to as the “Mom” and “Dad” bikes.

“Mom bikes, actually this is one of our favorite categories,” he pointed to the two-wheelers at the front of the store.  “This general area right here is our best-selling category.  And actually we call those mom bikes because they’re the more upright ones but these are actually the best sellers.  If you’re reasonably fit and not too old, these are high enough handlebars that you’re going to be really comfortable.”

“These are snappy and fast.  You’re nice and upright when you’re with the kids on the bike path, as opposed to a racing bike, trying to look for your kids while bent over.  And, of course the kids have bells on their bikes and so do all of these.  You become familiar with your child’s “ding” so you can keep track of them.  And it’s great, we’ve got some of the best bike paths around.”

Happy Trails to You

The beauty of biking in Lamorinda is that the options abound, right in our own backyards.

“If we’re talking about riding on the road, then it’s good to get your miles in locally by riding on some of those roads,” enthused Tonnissen.  “But you’ll find out with riding on some of the bike trails that you’ve got a lot of other traffic, there are a lot of other user groups out there – you’ve got the baby joggers, you’ve got the dogs, these are things that can potentially cause problems if you’re trying to get a workout.

“If you’re trying to get some more fitness, none of those trails have any hills to them so the next obvious step is going to be to go ride hills,” Tonnissen continued.  “So over just on the other side of the freeway we have a good road called Bear Creek Road and it’s really popular for people to go and just get a really nice ride in.  You can basically make a loop out there, anywhere from starting in Lafayette, anywhere from maybe 20 to 30 miles.  And, definitely a good amount of elevation gain.”

“If it’s the first ride of the season, you’re going to be hurting.  Definitely get some miles in on the flat terrain before you head out there,” he recommended.  “If you’re more experienced, you’ve got your miles in on those hills, you’ve been riding a lot, Mt. Diablo is just a few miles away from us.  It’s time to go up Mt. Diablo.  Mt. Diablo is about a 9 mile climb from the base of it to the summit and you climb over the course of that a little over 3,400 vertical ft.”

Of course, not every piece of cycling advice is linked to a trail or a hill, a chain, spoke or tire.  In fact, it couldn’t hurt to get some mileage out of those classic pearls of wisdom you’ve been hearing since you were a kid.  Have fun.  Give it a try.  If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.  If you should take a tumble, dust yourself off and get back in the (bicycle) saddle.

Enthusiasm is a good thing, but moderation is just as important.

“The key is not to go on too long of a ride, too fast, too soon,” warned Sharp.  “Ease into it.  Once you’ve got your bike, definitely ease into it.  Go someplace fun, go someplace safe and hopefully with somebody else you take along.”

“And then get back out again,” Sharp continued.  “Right away.”

“If possible, depending on your age, stretching, yoga, after a good ride, do that.  And then keep at it.  If you’re trying to lose weight or gain fitness, your diet will follow, usually,” he said.

“Cycling is an addictive sport,” Tonnissen summed it up.  “Stick with it.”

Hank and Frank Bicycles.  3377 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Lafayette.  283-BIKE.  10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Mon. – Sat.  11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Sun.  hankandfrankbicycles.com

Sharp Bicycle.  969 Moraga Rd., Lafayette.  284-9616.  10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Mon. – Fri.  9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Sat.  11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sun.  sharpbicycle.com

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