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Club Member Spotlight FFBC Cinderella Coaching Report 2014 The Cinderella Coaching Group, numbering about 30 dedicated women, are half way through their training series, culminating in riding the Cinderella Classic in early April. Led by ride leaders Donna Stidolph, Margaret Koniniec, Lori Sommer, Julie Gilson, Amy Giles and Marie Agleham, our group of, approximately, 30 women have tackled an interesting set of riding experiences so far. Rather than the Day One Bicycle Skills Rodeo held in past years, different skills are emphasized each week with short practice drills – week one was starts and stops and riding around obstacles. Week two was more of the same, plus practicing shifting gears – in a flat parking lot to start with…and then out to Don Edwards. Each week, Donna and Margaret come up with a surprise – and even the rest of the ride leaders aren’t in on the secret – such as off-road riding on a short gravel and dirt path around the Don Edwards Visitor Center – which included some short but steep ups and downs. And all of us made it all the way without a fall! We’ve have ‘chalk talks’ before each ride, including a hands on demonstration by Margaret showing how bike gears work, complete with charts of gear ratios. And all are expected to earn their ‘tire changing’ badge – designed by Donna. Although a few have received their badge for on the road flats, the ride leaders have before or after ride practice sessions.
On the Alum Rock Park ride, Margaret surprised the group with a climb up Sierra Road. Some made it to the church on the left; some went as far as the church on the right, and two went past the church. On last week’s ride through Menlo Park and Palo Alto, reading our route maps was a big part of the training, as we had a turn about every 3/10 of a mile – and successfully, everyone arrived at the coffee shop. On the way to and from the Dumbarton Bridge, everyone practiced pace line skills. Helmet decoration for the actual Cinderella ride are under discussion, with pros and cons of color, feathers, cowboy hats, crowns, and rhinestones all under serious discussion.
In addition here are a few pictures from the Cinderella Conditioning Series ride through the Peninsula hills to the Redwood City Cross on February 22nd.
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