July Newsletter, Volume 1
Welcome to another Goldstream Sports newsletter. As I sit here writing this introduction, the sun is blazing outside. We just sent a bike out on a test ride and we all wished we could have out riding too. Alas we have to remain in the store and provide the service for which we have become renowned. This issue of the newsletter has some great items as usual with the technical tips, feature item and sale items. We also have an awesome account of Andy Seitz's Chena 100 race. He is a great writer and we feel privileged to have him write for us. If you have any stories you would like to share, please let us know.
Kick stands are in!
If you have recently purchased a bike and requested a kick stand, we have them back in stock. Bring your bike in a have our mechanics install a stand for you while you wait.
Sale Item: Salsa Dos Niner Save $500 off retail
This bike is a fast cross-country bike, it is efficient on the uphills and smooth on the downhills. Built with top components, this bike is a dream, and in Tyson's opinion "funkadelic." Come and test ride this bike today.
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Feature Item: Trek Incite Computers
Bike computers are a great way to gauge your speed, distance traveled, time riding, cadence and even ambient temperature and heart rate.
Our computers come with 6 to 13 features, including wireless and wired models starting at $29.99. We will even install your computer free of charge while you wait.
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Trek Incite Digital
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Trek Incite 9im
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Feature Item - Hammer Gel
When you are on the go you need to replenish your energy. A handy and great tasting way to get carbs back into you is Hammer Gel. Available in small one serving sachets, and 26 serving jugs that you can transfer into smaller multi-serving bottle. With great flavors like vanilla, chocolate, apple/cinnamon, espresso, orange, tropical, and banana, as well as plain, there is a flavor to suit you.
Tech Tip: Saddle positions
Adjusting seat positions sounds simple, yet most of us struggle to find a comfortable position. About the time we get truly comfortable, our bike has worn out. A saddle that is too low will have you in a position of "fully squatted," this puts your knee in a vulnerable position for damage to the joint structure. A low saddle also tires your legs prematurely as our legs are not designed to work efficiently with excessive knee bend.
If the saddle is too high though your bike handling will be compromised, especially if you are trying to ride over obstacles, you might find yourself in the woods more often than you would like. If your saddle is excessively high, you risk serious injury to your Achilles tendon and knees. You should be able to complete your pedal stroke without rocking your hips. Mountain bikers may choose to have their saddle a smidge lower than their road-riding position for more power.
Now look at the angle of your saddle. Men generally prefer a flat to slight tilted down saddle, and women prefer flat to slightly tilted up position. If the saddle nose is too high, your "precious bits" may go "numbville." If the saddle nose is too low, you may find yourself constantly pushing yourself back on the saddle. To adjust the saddle, put a level on the high points of the saddle, and adjust the seat-post clamp to level the saddle. If you feel pressure where you don't want to, move the saddle a click or two.
Once the angle is right, it is now time to adjust the fore/aft position. Start in a neutral position. Using a plumbbob align the bump just below your knee to the spindal of the pedal. Too far back and the stretch to the handlebars will be too much and you will be experiencing a constantly lifting front wheel. Too far forward and you will feel all scrunched. Start with the saddle in the centered position and work from there a little forward or a little back. If you are convinced that the saddle should be at one end or the other of the rails, you should start looking at your stem length.
Mark your ideal seat position with a dab of bright nail polish just above the seat-post clamp, then you can adjust the seat height for fun stuff and not lose perfect position.
Of course, you can also come in and let Joel fit you to your bike and work out any issues you may have.
Feature Story - Hot Springs 100
By Andy Seitz
Two nights before the Hot Springs 100, a famous endurance athlete, Rocky Reifenstuhl, told me there are two types of “fun.” “Type I fun” is outwardly fun, like a leisurely game of golf or a pleasant paddle down a river. “Type II fun” is the sinister cousin of the first, an activity that makes most people wonder why anyone would undertake such a seemingly absurd task, an activity that makes the participant question his or her sanity, an activity that spawns a vow by the athlete to never do such an idiotic deed again, until just past the finish line, when the activity suddenly and mysteriously transforms into fun. Rocky told me to prepare for some serious Type II fun.
The Hot Springs 100 is a wilderness “trek” (I’ll use this term for insurance purposes) connecting Interior Alaska’s two developed hot springs: Chena Hot Springs and Circle Hot Springs. The only rules established by the trek organizer were: “1. No pack animals, 2. Carry out what you carry in, and 3. No internal combustion engines, except for what God gave you.” The start and finish are approximately 100 km apart as the crow flies, but the total travel distance varies with a person’s chosen route and means of travel. Fifteen brave souls signed up to hike, run and/or float in creek bottoms, ridge tops, and rivers.
For the sake of speed, I opted to travel solo with minimal weight in my pack. I pared my gear and food down to a featherweight 13 lbs. This included a quart of water, an ample supply of junk food, and some waterproof clothing in case of inclement weather. The route I chose was perhaps the shortest possible between the hot springs. Out of Chena Hot Springs, I followed a rolling ridge towards Far Mountain, overlooking some spectacular scenery. After approximately 15 miles, the serious work began. The ridgeline dropped below tree line and I bushwhacked for hours through a series of alder forests, shrubs, old burns and tundra tussocks. To increase the “challenge,” the mosquitoes decided to end their siestas as the cool of evening descended, and they came out in full force. Add to this the paranoia developed by not having bear spray or a firearm in the constant presence of bear tracks, and you have a true Alaska wilderness trek.
Despite the challenges, I made a good pace, crossing Birch Creek, the halfway point, after approximately 12 hours of hiking. I headed up the ridge across the river and followed it through the cool dawn hours of the next day. By 7 am the next morning, I was exhausted, but I was well past the halfway point and on pace to set a new course record, so my spirits were high. I forded Harrison Creek to an old mining road that would lead me to the finish line, where much to my dismay, I spotted fresh tracks made by someone’s running shoes. Another competitor was ahead of me. There was only one thing to do: RUN! For the next few miles, I jogged up a steep gravel mining road as the sun began to blaze and potable water all but disappeared. Just as I began to wonder if I could catch the person in front of me, I spotted my fellow competitor, Jim Lokken, at the top of a steep grade. Being gentlemen participants, we briskly walked the remainder of the course together. During these last few miles, I was extremely fatigued from walking and running nearly 70 miles non-stop through the Alaska Bush, seriously dehydrated from not drinking water for the last six hours of the trek, and my feet were a catastrophe of blisters, mud and blood. I swore up and down I would never undertake such a foolish activity again. But upon arrival at Circle Hot Springs nearly 25 hours after starting, I collapsed on the side of the dusty road and immediately started planning next year’s trek. I guess that is the Type II fun about which Rocky spoke.
Chena Classic race
The Chena Classic, a ride from Fairbanks to Chena Hotsprings has been a favorite among the locals for many years. This year was no different. See the article by Matias Saari printed in Sunday's News-Miner.
Fireweed 400
With a strong headwind and cold rain, ultra-cyclist Rocky Reifenstuhl won the 400 mile race in 22 hours, 3 minutes and 47 seconds, riding almost non-stop. Read more about the race at the Fireweed website and the Anchorage Daily News.
Two Rivers Triathlon - July 28, 2007
This is the real Alaskan triathlon! With a 7 mile kayak, 5 mile run and 20 mile bike, this hits all of the summer activities that we do, except perhaps fishing - but if you have a license... Run by the Two Rivers Dog Mushers, the race starts at 10.30am at 44-mile Chena Hot Springs Road with sign-ups at 8.30 and a pre-race meeting at 9.30. The awards and post-race feed is at 3.30pm. For more information call 488 5788 or email larake@acetekk.com. Sign-up and more info is available at trdma.org.
Trek sends 735 bikes to Bristiol Bay to fight diabetes
With the increasing diabetes rate in Alaskan bush communities, a federal grant was set up to provide bikes to children to reduce the risk of their developing diabetes as adults. Diabetes is caused by high blood sugar and is linked to heart disease. In the natove communities in Alaska, the rate of diabetes has increased by 120 percent between 1990 and 2004. Using bikes for exercise, the Bristol Bay Area Health Corp. coordinated the bikes and
July Calendar of events
| 1 | Death Ride | 5 Mi CHSR | 1pm |
| 2 | Youth Series Cycling Ride | Birch Hill | 7pm |
| 3 | Doug Ride | Ivory Jacks | 7pm |
| 4 | Women's Ride | Patty Center | 6pm |
| 5 | Women's Less Fast Ride | Patty Center | 6pm |
| 6-8 | Fireweed | Sheep Mtn Lodge | |
| 7 | Group Road Ride | Goldstream Sports | 8am |
| 7 | Santa Claus Half-Marathon | Flint Hills Refinery | 8.30am |
| 7 | Youth Series - Race 2 | Birch Hill | 11am |
| 8 | Skinny Dick's Weenie Ride | Patty Center | 9.30am |
| 9 | Youth Series Cycling Ride | Birch Hill | 7pm |
| 10 | Doug Ride | 31.9 mi CHSR | 7pm |
| 11 | Women's Ride | Patty Center | 6pm |
| 12 | Women's Less Fast Ride | Patty Center | 6pm |
| 12 | Anne's Greenhouse Circuit Race | Anne's Green house | 6.30pm |
| 14 | Sourdough Triathlon | 41 Mi Steese | 8.30am |
| 14 | Group Road Ride | Goldstream Sports | 8am |
| 16 | Youth Series Cycling Ride | Birch Hill | 7pm |
| 17 | Doug Ride | 7 mi Murphy Dome | 7pm |
| 18 | Women's ride | Patty Center | 6pm |
| 19 | Women's Less Fast Ride | Patty Center | 6pm |
| 21 | Nenana Family Ride Fund Raiser | SRC Parking area | 8am |
| 21 | Group Road Ride | Goldstream Sports | 8am |
| 22 | Gold Discovery Run | Cleary Summit | 8.30am |
| 23 | Youth Series Cycling Series | Birch Hill | 7pm |
| 24 | Doug Ride | Pipeline View Steese | 7pm |
| 25 | Women's Ride | Patty Center | 6pm |
| 26 | Women's Less Fast Ride | Patty Center | 6pm |
| 28 | Goldstream Time Trial | Sheep Creek Turnout | 8am |
| 28 | Group Road Ride | Goldstream Sports | 8am |
| 28 | Two Rivers Triathlon | Granite Torrs Trail | 8.30am |
| 30 | Youth Series Cycling Ride | Birch Hill | 7pm |
| 31 | Doug Ride | Vallata | 7pm |
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