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Friday's Mailbag: Bare legs in winter; AHM's tats; true cycling heroes; and an early pick for the Tour
The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
Bare-legs ban seems a little strict
Editor:
In Wednesday's online installment of "Ask the Doctor," Dr. Richardson stated:
"I was a junior back when disco was king and all we had to go by was the CONI (Italian Olympic Committee) cycling manual. The good book strictly forbade riding in bare legs below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. These are words to live by, even with the bad English translation."
This seems a little extreme to me, and is, I think, somewhat of a matter of personal tolerance. My last century was a mountain century in West Virginia, where the temperature was in the 60's in the valleys and the upper 50's (with gusting winds) on the mountaintops. I rode with a short-sleeved jersey, arm warmers, fingerless gloves, and a windbreaker (for the descents) and was quite comfortable. On the climbs, I was turning out a very healthy sweat.
I won't argue against covering up enough to avoid getting cold. I've been caught out after sundown in late October, and the legs just don't want to work when they get cold. But 70 degrees? That's balmy.
Chris BeHanna
Renfrew, Pennsylvania
Chris, we seem to recall the ultra-tough Kent Bostick advising to keep the knees covered when the temps dip below 60 degrees or thereabouts. Personally, we slip on the old knee warmers when the mercury dips under 65. It not only protects our aging knees, it saves us a ton of leg-shaving time in the winter. — Editor
Of tats and tits
Editor:
Regarding the January 4 "Ask the Doctor" column on tattoos, my only thought after reading it, or more accurately, looking at the accompanying images, was "Oh, no, he didn't!"
Never mind the tattoos. What the hell has Adam Hodges Myerson done to his poor titties? Tattoo anything you like, but please do not punch giant holes in your nipples, unless you really want them to droop like an 80-year-old hooker's.
Dawn Nieters
Wilmington, Vermont
Call us old-fashioned, Dawn, but we limit our piercings to flu shots. O’Grady draws on himself now and then, whenever the orderlies let him have a crayon, but the docs say any sharp objects are strictly out of bounds. Meanwhile, for the tale behind the tats, see Fred Dreier’s column.— Editor
True cycling heroes
Editor:
I am always disappointed by people like Dan Thomas (see Wednesday's Mailbag: "Biting the hand that feeds you"), who insist that "Lance Armstrong has done more for road cycling in America than any single person or group of people in cycling history" and therefore above any scrutiny that may "damage" the sport. While I agree that he has raised the level of consciousness toward bike racing in this country, I would make the argument that the true heroes are national organizations like the Thunderhead Alliance, the League of American Bicyclists and smaller community-specific groups like the Marin County Bicycle Coalition (which offered the pilot Safe Routes to School program) and the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (which is involved in cycling goodness all over the Chicago area). All of these groups lobby for cyclists’ rights and create opportunities to allow the public to experience cycling in a positive, fun and safe environment.
Secondly, I'd like to give a shout out to the amateur racing teams (like my own XXX Racing/AthletiCo in Chicago) that invite and encourage anyone - and I mean anyone - to get involved in the sport. Nothing is more discouraging than wanting to try something but not being embraced by that community. Opening more opportunities to different cycling demographics - including women and juniors - is another thing that has made cycling better in this country.
While I agree that Lance has been inspirational to many, you don't go from couch potato to Tour racing superstar overnight. You get on your bike and ride on your local roads - if they aren't safe, you get discouraged and put the bike back in the garage. If you are safe on the roads, you seek out a community to learn from. If you aren't welcomed, you get discouraged and put the bike back in the garage. If you are welcomed by a group but there are no races for you because you are a woman or a junior, you get discouraged and put the bike back in the garage. My point is that sometimes planets need to align in just the right way for great things to occur. It's the people and groups that help you out along the way that make all the difference - not hero worship.
Nicole Kemerer
Director, Junior Development Program
XXX Racing/AthletiCo
Chicago, Illinois
The early line on the Tour
Editor:
I think Alejandro Valverde will win the Tour de France this year. Yeah, it's just a hunch, but he can climb better than Jan Ullrich and mix it up for sprint points. His time-trialing should improve a ton this year.
Jay Tegeder
Saint Paul, Minnesota
The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
