Schlumberger Cycling Club, Houston Texas Call the HOTLINE @ 281-285-4366 for info on this week's ride. Weather cancellation will be recorded on the hotline by 6:00 am on day of ride.
Schlumberger Cycling Club raised over $180,000 in 2010 to fight Multiple SclerosisOnly a limited amount of club information is visible in public space. Access to most Club information, news, maps, downloads, etc. requires members to log-in.
Photos from the Brookshire Training Ride are available...
Photos from the Brookshire Training Ride on 21-Jan-2012 by et al are available for your perusal at the SCC Photo Repository (click here).
120 people participated at Brookshire for a total mileage of 4973 miles or 41.44 miles / participant.
Contact me if you have photos of this ride or any other SCC event you would like to share with the club.
Our volunteers are what make our team so great. We expect every member to volunteer in some way during the season. We have descriptions of the ride volunteer positions below, along with a list of the club incentives for volunteering.
Please sign up to volunteer now. Some of the volunteer positions will allow you both ride and volunteer (Food Purchaser, Registration Host, Equipment Manager, Early Season Coaches), others will require you to give up an opportunity to ride (SAG Drivers, Rest Stop Hosts) but we’ll make it worth your while. Many volunteer positions can be filled by a family member or friend. Get them along to a ride. They’ll have fun!
Don’t be a wheelsucker, pull your share. Sign up to volunteer!
Job Descriptions for the various Ride Day Volunteer positions can be found in the links below and in the Downloads area.
Sign-up for these jobs on the Ride and Events Calendar. If you see an open spot and would like to register yourself, spouse, or a friend, please fill in the required information. The 'Credit First Name' and 'Credit Last Name' are for incentive tracking purposes. If you are volunteering for yourself, put in your name. If you are volunteering on behalf of someone else, fill in their name.
Once you register, you are responsible for finding someone else to take your place if you cannot fulfill your commitment. Send an email to Alexandra Irady for more information.
Early Season Coach The Early Season Coach is responsible for the new rider Training Ride assistance and supervision. This will include instruction on ride safety, etiquette, technique, cadence, nutrition, and volunteer requirements of the club.
Equipment Manager The Ride Equipment Manager is responsible for pre-ride equipment distribution at the ride origin; post-ride consolidation; equipment clean up; and return to BWF (Bicycle World & Fitness). BWF will deliver the trailer to the ride origin. Most of the Equipment Manager duties take place after the ride. Ride Day Equipment Manager needs to have a vehicle with a trailer hitch and a 2” ball.
Food Purchaser The Food Purchaser is responsible for purchasing and delivering to the ride start the snacks, drinks and ice for the ride.
Lead SAG The Lead SAG is responsible for organizing and managing the ride support activities. Lead SAG should have previous experience as SAG and Rest Stop Host.
Rest Stop Host The Rest Stop Host is responsible for hosting one of three or four Training Ride Rest Stops, serving snacks and drinks for the riders.
SAG Driver The SAG Driver is responsible for providing on-course support, including: assisting riders with mechanical issues and providing vehicle transport for tired or injured riders.
WEATHER LINE - We have an information line where you can find out details about the ride, the weather and any possible ride cancellations due to bad weather.
281-285-4366
Weather cancellations will be recorded on the hotline by 6am on the day of the ride.
Appropriate cycling attire in cold weather makes all the difference. Not too HOT and not too COLD. Dress in layers. This article gives you advice for cold weather attire for each part of your body; Head, Upper Body, Legs & Feets, and Hands.
Layers, layers, and more layers. The best way to prepare yourself for the weather is to wear it all in layers. You can peel off layers as the weather (or yourself) warms up. Another advantage - wicking. The layers closest to your skin can be made of your favorite wicking material: Coolmax®, polypropylene, even wool. It's best to keep your skin as dry as possible in the cold, or you'll get clammy and miserably cold.
Use a middle layer for adding warmth, if needed. This might be a wool jersey, a long sleeved t-shirt, or simply your club/team jersey.
An outer layer should be windproof, but breathable. A nice jacket with a long front zipper is nice - just unzip if you need to cool down. If you get something that's lightweight that you can fold, you might be able to keep it in your seat pack in case of a change in the weather.
Don't overheat yourself. A good rule-of-thumb is that if you're a little cold before you start, you'll be just right when you ride. Likewise, if you are comfortably warm before the ride, you'll cook yourself in all those clothes. At least if you're layered, you'll be able to peel off what you don't need.
Head
45° - 60°F: If you are lucky enough to have a full set of hair, you might be able to get away with just your helmet. Some people like to wear a cycling cap, but please wear a helmet, too. A skull cap might fit under your helmet better and will keep you pretty warm as the temperature falls. Earbands are a plus if the wind is getting to be too much.
Below 45°F: You need to protect your face from the wind and you need keep from losing heat from your head. I like to wear a balaclava to make up for my lack of hair. Make sure you buy one that is made from something very thin - polyester/Lycra so that your helmet can still fit. Hair endowed riders can try a face mask instead.
Upper Body
45° - 60°F: Add arm warmers and a base layer under your jersey to your usual summer setup. If it warms up, peel off the arm warmers and throw them in your jersey pocket.
Below 45°F: Wear an undershirt made of wicking material next to the skin (polypropylene, or other appropriate material). Over that, a long sleeve jersey, then a windproof jacket. Make sure you get cycling specific clothing, or that jacket is going to expose your "crack" to the elements when you're bent over in a riding position.
Legs and Feet
45° - 60°F: Over your shorts, wear cycling tights. Just regular Lycra tights will do. As an alternative, get leg warmers that you can peel off if the weather improves. Look for little touches, such as windproof panels over the knees and a contoured shape. Wear toe warmers or neoprene booties if it's under 50°F. Insulated socks can be used instead, but be careful with ill-fitting socks that will bunch up and give you blisters.
Below 45°F: Insulated cycling tights will keep you warm. Make sure they are windproof in the front and crotch. Commuters like having wind and waterproof pants, but be careful of getting baggy pants caught in the chainrings. (Easy solution - get a reflective band to go around your right ankle.) Again, wear those booties! And wear socks that are long enough not to leave any skin under the bottom of your tights exposed.
Hands
45° - 60°F: Glove liners under regular cycling gloves will do the trick.
Below 45°F: Insulated, full-fingered cycling gloves are what you need. Mittens and "two-fingered" gloves may be warmer, but keeping control of your bike should be a priority. Look for gloves that are windproof, waterproof, and breathable. Remember, you never know when a snowball fight will break out on the ride!
For beginners (and veterans needing a refresher), there is valuable information on the SCC website that you should read before the first ride. Check out the information in our Articles section on Information for Beginners and Safety Tips. You'll find information on Beginner's Guide to the MS150, Dress for Cycling in Cold Weather, First Lessons for Beginners, How to Fix a Flat Tire, and Nutritional Information for Cyclists. Link
Here are a few important tips that some have learned the hard way:
1. Weather is highly changeable this time of year. It pays to pay close attention to the weather forecasts leading up to the rides and be prepared for whatever Mother Nature prepares to dish up.
2. The weather at your home when you're getting ready to leave may be different from what it's going to be where we ride (see #1 above). Check the SCC weather line before the ride. See details below.
3. Always carry your cell phone on the ride in case you have problems. We have great ride support. If you can't go on, get too tired or cold, have a mechanical problem, or get lost, our SAGs will help you. However you can't call them if you don't have a cell phone. Best recommendation is to carry it in a plastic ziplock bag with ID, insurance card, ride map and some small cash just in case.
4. Cycling is still enjoyable in cool weather, if you dress appropriately. Leg warmers, wool socks/shoe covers, long-fingered gloves, ear/head protection, base layers, all make a difference. They don't do any good if you leave them at home (see #1 & #2 above).
5. We have some team members who are in pretty good shape and pretty fast at the start of the season. You will pay a price if you try to keep up with them for too long. It's better to know the limits of your conditioning and ride your own ride at a pace you can sustain without bonking.
6. Bring your own food, water bottles, and money to buy more if needed. Even though we have well-stocked rest stops on our training rides, you never know when you might make a wrong turn, follow the wrong rider and end up in New Ulm (a la Rodolfo), miss a rest stop, etc. Make it a habit to always carry an extra energy bar or gel, and some money in case you need to stop at a convenience store.
Group Riding Skills teaches the best practices and skills needed to be a safe and confident rider when participating in group cycling events, such as our SCC training rides or the MS150. SCC requires that all MS150 team members take this class every three years. If you are a new member, you should take this class as early in the season as possible so you can put the skills you learn in this class into practice during your training rides. This class is also a SCC requirement to earn your free SCC jersey.
This class is held in the Forum on the Schlumberger Sugar Land campus, off of Industrial Blvd. 77478. See the map on the Ride & Events Calendar to the location.
Class runs from 2:00pm to 5:00pm, so there is plenty of time to make this class after our morning training ride. Bring your bike and riding gear because you will spend about 1.5 hours on bike handling drills in the parking lot.
Additional classes are scheduled on the Ride calendar for each Saturday during January, but don't delay, you'll want to put these riding skills into practice early in the season to get maximum benefit.
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Rides and Events
Photos from the Brookshire Training Ride on 21-Jan-2012 by et al are available for your perusal at the 
