Road biking catches on in United States

By Stephen Hlawaty
Outdoors Columnist

Thanks in large part to the successes of Greg LeMond in the 1980s and 1990s and Lance Armstrong in the 1990s and 2000s, road biking is growing in popularity among health-conscious, active Americans.

For decades, Europeans were among road biking's principal supporters. While Europeans still hold a huge stake in the sport among professionals and weekend warriors alike, they no longer own the exclusive rights.

The Tour de France, the Vuelta a España and the Giro d'Italia will always be the hallmark races of professional road biking--no American race comes close to the prestige garnered by these mainstays--but that's okay. Much like professional soccer, road biking never quite caught on in the States. But all that is changing.

America's growing love for the sport is based on individual achievement and overcoming adversity rather than hosting classic tours. In 1986 Greg LeMond was the first American to win the Tour de France, the largest single sporting event in the world. That alone is an achievement worth recognizing, but he came back to win it again in 1989 and 1990 after being struck by over 60 shotgun pellets in a hunting accident. Lance Armstrong has won the Tour de France five consecutive years (1999 to 2003) as a cancer survivor.

Luckily, you don't need to be a professional athlete to enjoy the benefits of a good ride.

Northern Colorado boasts a thriving cycling community and features a variety of routes for every level of rider. Rist and Poudre Canyons provide advanced cyclists with long, steep climbs and very little shoulder. Larimer County Road 23 along Horsetooth Reservoir is a popular route for advanced and intermediate cyclists. Overland Trail, ridden north to Bellvue, provides intermediate riders with moderate terrain and a climb over Bingham Hill. Larimer County Road 38E from Masonville to Fort Collins is an appealing route which sees moderate levels of vehicular use. Beginning road riders will find Fort Collins' and Loveland's circuitous network of urban trails to be a perfect blend of easier, flat terrain.

Naturally, road biking is predicated upon biking on the road. As such, you should keep these safety tips in mind:

• Always wear a helmet.
• Be predictable and use appropriate hand signals to inform motorists of your intentions.
• Ride on the right; pass on the left. When passing other cyclists, communicate your intentions.
• Wear bright clothing.
• If riding at night, use front and rear lights and wear reflective clothing.
• If you are at the front of a pack, identify any hazards in the road.
• When negotiating around vehicles at stoplights, signs, or intersections, try to gain eye contact with the driver.

Riders should equip themselves with the following gear:

• Eyewear.
• Gloves.
• Cycling shorts.
• Cycling shoes (optional).
• Clipless pedals (optional).
• Water.
• Bicycle repair kit.
• Spare tubes.
• Air pump.
• Reflectors.
• Lights (if biking at night).

As with most outdoor pursuits, road biking is driven by innovation, which has also led to the sport's popularity. While many are familiar with the traditional road bike - curved handlebars, thin wheels and narrow-profiled seats--recent developments and innovations have brought us the recumbent bicycle. Recumbent bikes sport a chair-shaped seat and pedals that protrude in front of the rider. Riders of recumbent bicycles enjoy more back support and benefit from greater ergonomic correctness. By providing a more comfortable and efficient ride, recumbent bicycles have helped bring more people into the sport.

One word of caution; since recumbent bicycles are lower to the ground than traditional road bikes, you should take extra precautions when riding on the road. Some recumbent cyclists have adopted riding with red safety flags to make themselves more visible.

The 300 days of sunshine and bluebird skies of Colorado make a great pairing for a day's ride. Road biking has come a long way, and with its recent innovations and technologies, you can too. For information on area rides and routes, contact the Fort Collins Cycling Club at www.fccycleclub.org.