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Date: THU 10/14/04 Section: SPORTS Page: 11 Edition: 3 STAR Cycling club excels in junior achievement / Southern Elite puts emphasis on young riders By STEVE SIEVERT Staff If a city's cycling community can be measured by the number of its bike clubs and teams, Houston is pedaling near the front of the pack. With dozens of clubs and teams, including such notables as Houston Bicycling Club, Northwest Cycling Club and Gulf Coast Cycling Association, the Greater Houston area boasts one of the most active club scenes in the country. Without the countless hours turned in by club cyclists and volunteers, many of the area's organized rides and related cycling events simply would not happen. Clubs and teams are the lifeblood of cycling in a community. It's a fact that one Houston-area club has taken to heart. While perhaps better known for its cadre of racers and a lengthy list of championships its riders have won, the Southern Elite Cycling Club also has been a vital contributor to recreational and youth cycling in Houston. "The club was founded by Bill about 20 years ago," said Southern Elite 's Richard Lamb, speaking of longtime cycling Houston coach Bill Edwards, whose instruction and insight have left an indelible mark on the city's cycling scene. "We're now a nonprofit organization helping to develop cyclists of all ages and abilities." While the club is involved in virtually all aspects of the local cycling community, including organizing and supporting recreational tours, its primary focus over the past several years has been on turning budding young cyclists into formidable racers. Influx of young members The youth movement is very evident in the club, with more than one-fourth of the club's 90 or so members between the ages of 10 and 18. "Supporting our junior program is the No. 1 commitment of all of our members," Lamb said. "In fact, before anyone becomes part of the team, we have them sign an agreement that states they will support our junior program and help these younger riders excel in the sport." The help comes in the form of serving as a partner during a workout or just being there to lend an ear to a kid who wants to talk about the finer points of pedaling a bike. "Many of us have become proud second parents to our juniors," Lamb said. "We spend a lot of time with them and have each junior complete a goal statement every year, which provides direction for their season. They're then paired up with a mentor." The mentor-junior partnership ensures that the younger cyclists always have someone to lean on for support and another rider by their side on the track, road or trail. This hands-on approach has produced several junior champions. Garth Blackburn, Carlos Vargas, Ryan Nelman and Shelby Reynolds are among the past and current junior racers who have an impact on the junior cycling scene. And, interestingly, the juniors aren't the only ones who are reaping the benefits of Southern Elite 's game plan for success. "In every case I've seen, the mentor has always improved his cycling right along with the kid," Lamb said. "They develop each other. It's a very good growing experience for both." New cycling toys Tis the season for companies of all shapes and sizes that develop cycling products to hype their latest offerings in advance of the annual holiday shopping season. Hundreds of these products compete for the visibility at Interbike, the industry trade show held earlier this month in Las Vegas. True innovation can be hard to find at the show, but there are always a handful of products that catch my eye. The GravityDropper Seatpost and the SMp made the cut this year. The GravityDropper is a device that allows a mountain-bike rider to raise and lower the bike seat while riding. It was invented by two cyclists who live in Polson, Mont. - Wayne Sicz and Arlen Wisseman. They set out to create a product that would allow mountain bikers to adjust seat height according to the terrain they encountered to improve efficiency and increase safety. They also believe the product gives a mountain biker better control of the bike and improved balance. Two versions of the seat post that can be adjusted on-the-fly were developed. One allows seat height to be altered three inches with the use of a pin on the seat post. The other enables the seat to be adjusted from a switch on the handlebars. Both products replace the existing seat post on a mountain bike. I have not personally tested either seat post, but the premise of the invention seems valid if a mountain biker is doing some hard-core off-road riding. The aforementioned SMp has possible benefits for the roadies among us. The acronym stands for side-mounted pedal, which was developed by California cyclist Steve Lubanski. He has been tinkering with this invention for the past three years and received a patent on the technology in June. The concept behind the SMp is to position the foot closer to the center axis of the pedal. This supposedly increases speed and power and virtually makes the foot an extension of the pedal spindle. "This way, one would be truly pedaling a perfect circle," Lubanski said. As with the GravityDropper, there appears to be some scientific rationale behind the creation of this cycling accoutrement. It is up to the cycling market to determine if that equals commercial success.
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