Thanks to Ian and a quick summary of the night's teaching

Hello Triathletes:
I feel like it has been ages since I have written on the blog....craziness. I would like to thank Kathy for having us all over to her lovely house and for Ian taking the time to come and talk to us about bike safety and bike fit. Ian has tons of experience on the road and so his comments were excellent for all of us to hear. To begin with he went over the proper arm signals for right and left turns and how to signal the biker behind you that you are slowing down. The critical point there is that you must communicate with those that you are biking with and the drivers in the cars. Communication and being aware of what is happening on the road is critical to your safety when you are out there training on your bike.
The most important thing to remember as you get out on the road on your bike is that you are in a vehicle and you must follow the rules of the road just as if you were driving your car. The question came up about passing on the right.....well....as we said you pass someone on the road in your car on the left so you always pass other bikers on the left. You must stop at stop signs and stoplights just like you would in your car. The big difference is that you need to be aware of whether the drivers in the car see you because if it becomes a battle between you and the car....even if you have the right of way....the car will always win. It is a good example of the fact that SIZE matters.
The best thing you could do for yourself before you get on the road is ensure that your bike is in good shape....just like you would with your car. Ensure that you have proper tire pressure in your tires, bring your cell phone with you, ensure you have a helmet that fits properly and that you are properly dressed. I would suggest closer fitting clothing and biking shorts or running tights so that your clothes are not flapping as you ride. In addition it is important to pick a good route and the right time of day to ride. I do not like to ride during any high traffic times if I can possibly avoid it. That is why I have suggested Sunday mornings at 0700 for now since it is daylight and there is not many drivers on the road. In the summer I usually head out at 0600 since it is daylight, it is cooler and there are very few drivers on the road. The nice thing about FV is that there are many great, quiet roads to ride on and have an enjoyable ride.
Ian also mentioned using a bike computer to track your distance, your cadence and I like it for your mph....it makes it so nice to know how far and how fast you have gone....good motivator. Ian worked with people on what size bike they might need and we talked about heading to a bike shop and asking them to fit you for the proper sized bike. I would not recommend that any of you spend a fortune on a bike because you may not do enough triathlons to make it worth the expense and if you stick to the sprint distance triathlons then you can do great without the top of the line bike. I do great with my 12 year old Cannondale. You can borrow a bike or you can get a nice used one....just make sure you take some one with you to take a look at a bike it you do not feel comfortable doing it on your own. My bike is available for use at the triathlon of someone needs it.
No matter what bike you have...you should have a cage on the frame to hold your water bottle. We do not want to get out on the road without water...that is a no no. The other thing to keep in mind is that we are not behind on our bike training. The goal up to now was to get a bike and if you have the access to them....go to spin class twice a week. The weather is never good to bike in Jan and Feb outside so you are not behind the power curve. The plan was to step up the bike training in March and April....so have no free. As of now and for the rest of February you should be running and swimming at a minimum of twice a week....more is usually better but we all have lives so I know there is a limit.
My final comment for this long entry is that.....remember that I would never throw you under the bus. I picked this triathlon for all of you because it is a great tri for first timers.....and it is a lovely event. I don't care what you keep hearing....it is a very pleasant bike ride. It is well marked and has a few hills but they are rolling and most riders will tell you that is easier than a plain flat course. You never get a break when it is all flat. There is plenty of downhill coasting time and the few hills on the bike are shortened by the nice downhill leading into them. There has to be a certain amount of trust from all of you that I would never sign you up for something I did not firmly believe that you could handle. It is a great event and I will make sure you know everything you need to know before you show up in Clayton on Saturday April 24th :-)