COBRAS New Member Orientation Booklet
(03-01-09)
Index
Welcome to the “Colorado Bicycle
Racing Association for Seniors”!
It is with sincere pleasure that I welcome you to the COBRAS and offer you the information in the following pages as a way to get started quickly and efficiently.
The COBRAS was founded in 1991 by Frank Schneider as a way for the over-50 individual to begin racing or keep racing if they have been already. COBRAS is a lot of things: a bicycle racing club, a social club, and a place to exchange cycling ideas about racing technique, bike maintenance, nutrition and training.
We want you to be as involved in our organization as you want, and encourage you to volunteer or just race as much or as little as you wish. We are primarily a developmental club; we want to help people make the transition from a recreational cyclist to a competitive one.
We have engaged also the services of a professional coach to assist you in training, planning nutrition and racing technique…you can take full advantage of our coach from day one of you membership.
Our website is our main communication tool to our members. There you will find out when the next training ride is, look at tips from our coach, or find the latest item on sale from our main sponsor Green Mountain Sports. You can sell old bike parts or run an ad for something you want to buy. We also carry our own line of bike apparel, which is available to you at cost. By using the Clothing Store at our website you can outfit yourself in our kit, which includes: jerseys, shorts, bibs, jackets, vests, caps, socks and arm warmers.
We hold an annual party in November each year to celebrate our COBRAS Championship Series and hand out trophies. It is one of several functions throughout the year that come with the membership and at no additional cost to you.
In this booklet, you will be given the name of a current Board Member whom you can call for help with any club issue and I hope you will use this resource.
Sincerely,
Keith E. Renninson
President
1. Now That I’m a Member, What Do I Do Next?
Call your
Mentor
Here is the name and phone number of a mentor in COBRAS who is willing to assist you in getting started:
·
Dave Mitchell 303-738-8121
TRAINING
1) All of us need to be training no matter what time of year it is, but with that said we would suggest that you contact our coach to explain your new status with the club and exchange information about your current level of training and what you’d like to accomplish in the near future.
2) Check the COBRAS website for upcoming training rides which are held during the week and on weekends. These rides accomplish a multitude of things such as: endurance training, hill climbing, sprinting and all around fun. Sometimes members stay afterwards for a meal and conversation.
SCHEDULING
As with most things in life, you need to schedule in advance to register for races. Look at the COBRAS Championship Series to see what races count for the intra-club competition to make sure you enter those. But, also look at the ACA (American Cycling Association) calendar of races to see if there are new kinds of races to try that you might not have done in the past.
2. How do I use the COBRAS website?
Our website www.cobrascycling.org is our main communication tool and is managed by a board member of COBRAS. As you found out when you first located COBRAS it was an initial source of membership information, training ride schedules, etc. But it is more than that. The Coaches Corner is an important place for all of us. Coach Christie Hanson wants us to use her training schedule with on the bike and off the bike exercises designed to help strengthen the body for racing, and how to feed it with nutrition tips.
Lastly, the website is a tool for contacting other members with the membership listing of phone numbers and email addresses.
We want our website to be as helpful as possible without being intrusive. You can see current items on discount sale from our sponsor “Green Mountain Sports”. Team members often put items for sale on the site as well.
The website keeps up to date results on the COBRAS Championship Series so you can see if you need to step your training or if you are doing just right.
3. What is the COBRAS Championship Series?
The Championship Series is a schedule of races, chosen by the club as a whole at the beginning of the each year, which makes up the intra-club competition. You must race in at least four races, one from each category: hill climb, time trial, criterium and road race to be considered for a trophy.
Look at the schedule and pick what races you will compete in; many members race each race, while others do just the time trials or just the road races; It’s totally up to you what you do. Contact your mentor if you have any questions.
4. Who is Our Coach and How Do I Take Advantage of Her Services?
Christie Hanson is a certified coach and a racer herself. COBRAS contracted Christie for the 2009 racing season and she has worked hard to provide all of the off-season training in the winter and tips for during the season to stay in tip top shape; you will find her page on our website mentioned above.
Christie is very reachable, personable and knowledgeable. Contacting her when you first join is imperative, as it will set a baseline for her knowledge about you and your needs. Then she will able to suggest training techniques that will help you be your best at whatever type of racing you want to do.
As mentioned above you should first look at her training schedule on the website and take advantage of the many routines listed there. Christie is also available as a personal coach outside COBRAS; you should contact her about her pricing.
5. What is the American Cycling Association (ACA) and How Does it Affect COBRAS?
ACA is the governing body over the races in Colorado. ACA works with promoters, clubs, teams, racers and municipalities in a wide range of duties that helps events happen in a safe regulated manner. ACA provides trained officials to all sanctioned events to score the race.
COBRAS is a member of ACA and promotes two events within the structure of ACA. Our events are the Karen Hornbostel Memorial Time Trials at Cherry Creek in the spring and the Bear Creek Time Trial Series in the fall.
All events share proceeds with ACA to keep them functioning on our behalf.
6. How Do I Sign Up For Races?
After you have looked at the COBRAS Championship Series of races, go to the ACA website and click on the “Racing Schedule” in the left navigation bars. This will bring up a calendar of upcoming races. Look for the race you wish to enter and click on the flyer for the advertisement of the race or the website which normally has the registration link where you will be required to register using your ACA license.
Each race also requires a “Waiver” signed that releases the promoter from any liability. They often want these at check-in on the day of the race when you pick up your bib number. This “Waiver” is on the ACA website also…print out 5 or 6 of them and have them ready to use when you leave for any race.
The race promoter often publishes start times in advance for Time Trials (TT’s) otherwise, if for criteriums, hill climbs or road races you will race by category of age.
7. What Equipment Do I Need For Races?
Other than your cycling clothing, helmet, shoes and gloves, you might need a trainer which you put your bike on to ride to warm up before your race. Most cyclists who reach this level of riding often carry additional wheels, tires, tubes, changing tools and additional foul weather clothing in a bike bag much like you take to the gym. It is always advisable to bring a few energy bars; and power drink and recovery drinks of your choice to make sure you are fully energized.
8. How Do I Use The COBRAS Store?
For the password and ID contact either:
· President Keith Renninson 303-973-1643 / krenninson@msn.com
· Webmaster Mac Milleur 303-978-0963 / meanmac@comcast.net
· Browse the store at your convenience. We don’t keep an inventory anymore, but instead let members select items in the store by “adding to cart”, then paying with credit, debit or Paypal at “checkout”. We then order your clothing and deliver it to you in +/- 6 weeks.
Pacitmo is our clothing manufacturer and they have their clothing shipped from China hence the length of the delivery time.
9. How Do I Take Advantage of Our Sponsor Green Mountain
Sports (GMS)?
We are very grateful for all of the work Green Mountain Sports does for the COBRAS. Owner, and fellow racer, Corky Grimm is very generous with his support. GMS gives all COBRAS members discounts on parts, clothing, and service of our bikes. Stop in and introduce yourself to Corky and the staff, they will be glad to meet you and will assist you in your every need (including a beer occasionally!).
10. Is There Anything Different for Women Racers?
Well, our coach is a woman, our archivist is a woman, our Secretary is a woman and we have numerous women racers who are members. They find our low-key style of coaching, training and racing to their liking. We also carry women’s clothing in the COBRAS Store and GMS has women specific bicycles. We are always looking for more women racers to balance out the club, so if you know of anyone who might enjoy what we offer, please recommend they look at our club.
11. Can I Get
More Involved in COBRAS by Volunteering for a Committee?
Of course! It is through volunteer efforts that our club exists; we have no paid positions on the Board of Directors. You might watch to see where you might be of assistance and then approach our President or President-elect Dave Mitchell about additional involvement.