La Voix - January 2016 — Velo Club La Grange

Dear members,

2015 was a great year for the club. We brought back La Voix, we attracted a number of new sponsors, we enjoyed a successful mix of ride, race and off-bike events and a lot more!

2016 promises to be even better. We will be getting the year off to a bang on January 11th with our annual Helen's Night extravaganza and following that up with more events, including a special Sports Supplements Night at our sponsor TriFit LA on January 18th. We also have a really big announcement that we will be making in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned.

Here is to a fantastic new year! On behalf of the club's board of directors and your fellow members, thank you for your support of Velo Club La Grange - we really appreciate it!

Robert Efthimos
President, Velo Club La Grange
www.lagrange.org
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Velo-Club-La-Grange/280123768478
https://vimeo.com/channels/lagrange
http://app.strava.com/athletes/337152
https://vimeo.com/user11846099/videos

Kits are Coming!

All of you who ordered your 2016 kits should have received an email from Castelli with tracking information or you will receive that email very shortly. Yes, that means that kits are coming next week! This is the earliest that we have taken delivery of our new kits in at least the last several years! We can't wait to see all of you out on the road in style!

Helen's Night January 11th 7pm

This is one of the biggest nights of the year for our club. Our sponsor Helen's Cycles graciously allows us to overrun the premises, pig out on food from PitFire Pizza, slake your thirst with drink from sponsor Michelob Ultra as well as U21 beverage options, and offers unheard of one-night only deals for our members. Here is some of what we have on tap:

Cannondale: If you need a new bike or frameset, this is the time to pull the trigger! Our sponsor Cannondale not only recently won the 2015 Velo Award for Road Bike of the Year, but will be offering YOU special prices on road, mountain, cyclocross, TT and track bikes. We are not allowed to publish pricing (deal sheets will be circulated at Helen's Night), but the discounts are substantial and could save you thousands of dollars. Preorders only, meaning you order the bike and then it gets shipped out from Cannondale. You have to wait just a bit, but the savings are worth it.
Giro: This is our first year with Giro as our official helmet sponsor, and we have designed a custom Giro Synthe helmet that is the perfect complement to our 2016 kits. The Synthe is an "aero road" helmet, which means that wearing one WILL make you faster over your traditional helmet. For those that don't believe or dismiss this as "aero mumbo jumbo," I have some news to break to you: physics doesn't care if you believe in physics! The Synthe also looks like a "normal" helmet and is now offered with MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System) to better protect your head in a crash. So let's see... great looks, aero performance, custom La Grange design and MIPS safety protection. I highly recommend this helmet. My Synthe helmet is on my head every single ride and race that I do. 40% off and that includes the custom La Grange decals!
Mavic: Another new club sponsor, we are thrilled to now be able to offer you 40% off Mavic wheels. Deal sheets will be available at Helen's Night. Preorder only.
Continental: GP4000SII clincher tires in 25mm will be 43% off. Tubes will be 50% off. These items will be limited to in-stock only so don't be late! This is a great time to stock up on tires and tubes. I'll be grabbing a handful myself.
Nutrition: 40% off everything in stock.
Shoes: 25% off everything in stock.
Clothing: 25% off everything in stock.
Accessories: 25% off everything in stock.

*The white custom Synthe is a perfect match for our 2016 club and womens kits and is the official helmet of our men and womens race teams.*

*The black custom Synthe is a perfect match for our Flight School kits or any other time you want a black helmet and is the official helmet of our Flight School juniors race team.*

Sports Supplements Presentation January 18th 6:45 pm

Our sponsor TriFit LA is generously providing the expertise of the Mad Genius himself, Jeff Rothschild, for what promises to be a super informative presentation on sports supplements. Want to know how that pre-ride espresso effects your performance? Jeff will tell you. Want to know whether to bother with creatine or beet juice? Jeff will tell you. Oh and the third rail of current dialogue regarding diet and weight loss/maintenance - CARBS! Yes, Jeff will go there too.

Parking is free in the Colorado Center parking garage, right across the street from Helen's. Refreshments will be served and those in attendance can print out their Eventbrite ticket (which of course is FREE!) and enjoy 40% off any supplement drinks at Helen's for the rest of the month.

RSVP at www.eventbrite.com, keyword is "Trifit"

Jeff and TriFit are committed to helping our members ride faster, stronger and healthier. Come and enjoy this FREE information. If you have time, swing by a little early to take a look around the TriFit facilities - La Grange members enjoy special membership pricing with no initiation fee, so if you are looking to supplement your fitness with weights, swimming, yoga and much more, check 'em out!

Upcoming in January

Jan 1: New Year’s Day Ride 2016, 7:55 am, Long Beach
Jan 2: Helen’s Cycles Monthly Group Ride, 7:45 am Helen’s Santa Monica
Jan 2: Beginner Racer Program, 9:30 am Redlands
Jan 3: Helen’s Cycles / TriFit Beginner Ride, 7:45 am Helen’s Santa Monica
Jan 3: Beginner Racer Program, 9:30 am Redlands
Jan 3: Cross Fever #2 – Cross 2016, Pasadena
Jan 9: Helen’s Cycles Ladies’ Monthly Mtn Bike Ride, 7:45 am Helen’s Santa Monica
Jan 9: Helen’s MDR Monthly Group Ride, 7:45 am Helen’s Marina Del Rey
Jan 9: Beginner Racer Program, 9:30 am Redlands
Jan 10: Jurupa Valley Ice Breaker, Jurupa Valley
Jan 10: Beginner Racer Program, 9:30 am Redlands
Jan 11: Helen’s Night, 7:00 pm, Helen’s Santa Monica
Jan 13: Board of Directors Meeting – All members welcome. 7 pm Yahoo! Centeracross the street from Helen’s Santa Monica
Jan 15-18: BWR: The Survival Camp, Encinitas
Jan 16: Helen’s Cycles Women Only Group Ride, 7:45 am Helen’s Santa Monica
Jan 17: Junior Group Ride, 7:45 am Helen’s / Santa Monica
Jan 17: Helen’s Cycles / TriFit Beginner Ride, 7:45 am Helen’s Santa Monica
Jan 17: Cross Fever #3– Monument Cross, Whittier Narrows Park
Jan 17: Majestic Crit, San Bernardino
Jan 18: Sports Supplements Presentation w/ Jeff Rothschild, 6:45 pm, TriFit LA Santa Monica
Jan 23: Helen’s Cycles Co-Ed Mountain Bike Ride, 7:45 am Helen’s Santa Monica
Jan 24 CBR, Compton
Jan 24: LG Team VSC Certification Session 1, 2 pm VSC Carson
Jan 24: Cross Fever #4 – Season Finale
Jan 30: LG Team VSC Certification Session 2, 8 am VSC Carson
Jan 30: Santa Barbra County Road Race, Sisquoc
Jan 31: LG Team VSC Certification Session 3, 2 pm VSC Carson
Jan 31: LG Team Racer Session, 5:30 pm VSC Carson
Jan 31: Carlos Soto Memorial Crit, Goleta

Special thanks to Joey Santa Cruz for putting this list together

Cycling on the Internet
with Matthieu Delcourt

https://www.youtube.com/user/globalcyclingnetwork/playlists

Let’s get started this year with the link of the month: the GCN Youtube Channel

This online channel gives you an impressive number of tips on how to ride, fix or upgrade your bike, as well as pro-cycling news, training tips, and even group riding etiquette. The presenters are fun and include ex-pro cyclists who know what they’re saying. This is a must see whether you are more into long fondos rides, if you are a training junky, if you are wondering how to change brake cables by yourself or if you always wanted to get rid of your bike's creaky noises!

This should give you everything you need to have a successful year on the bike… Happy 2016!

TEAM CAMP REPORT

*The La Grange mens race team has a saying: "What happens at team camp definitely does NOT stay at team camp."*

SETH DAVIDSON LAW

Umbrellas and the Quacking Duck

(Insurance for Cyclists, Part 3)

By Seth Davidson
seth@sethdavidsonlaw.com
(424) 241-8118, 24/7
2016 Velo Club La Grange Sponsor and Bike Lawyer

The final pieces of the insurance policy for cyclists come in the form of umbrella policies (also called excess liability coverage), homeowners insurance, and plain old accident insurance. While it’s beyond the scope of this brief series, umbrella coverage protects you when you cause damage to someone else on your bicycle.

“Impossible!” you say.

Hardly.

Many times a bike-car collision will be adjudged the fault of the cyclist. This can result in significant damage to the cager and his car; even more severe consequences can flow from running over a pedestrian or other cyclist on the bike path. You’re liable for those damages, and umbrella coverage can protect you, as can homeowner’s insurance, but check with your insurance agent first.

Another type of insurance is plain old accident insurance. AFLAC offers a policy for as low as $50/year.This type of policy pays cash benefits directly to you to help with out-of-pocket medical expenses, rent, mortgage, groceries, or utility bills.

It can also help with the medical expenses that major medical doesn’t cover. No deductibles, no copayments, no lifetime limit, no network restrictions, and payment regardless of any of any other insurance are a few of the reasons that this inexpensive coverage can be well worth having.

So that’s it. Enjoy your riding, and if you do nothing else in 2016, max out your UM/UIM coverage. And then ride in such a way that you never have to use it!

[About Seth: Seth has been cycling since 1982 and road racing since 1984. More than 90% of his practice consists of representing injured cyclists in the South Bay and West L.A.]

MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PRIVILEGES

Among many other great reasons to be a La Grange member, your membership provides you with the following benefits:

Helen's Cycles: 20% off parts and accessories; 10% off bikes and components. Special pro-deals at our annual Helen's Night on January 11, 2016.
Cannondale: Pro-deal pricing on Cannondale bikes. Includes road, TT, cyclocross, MTB and track. Discounts too low to mention by email. Contact Dan Weinberg at Helen's Cycles Santa Monica for order details. Next availability will be at our annual Helen's Night on January 11, 2016.
Giro: Pro-deal pricing on the Synthe and TT helmets. Synthe helmets include custom La Grange graphics, as used by our race teams. Next availability will be at our annual Helen's Night on January 11, 2016.
Mavic: 40% off Mavic wheels. Contact Dan Weinberg at Helen's Cycles Santa Monica for order details. Next availability will be at our annual Helen's Night on January 11, 2016.
Rudy Project: 52.5% off sunglasses, including prescriptions. Go to the Rudy Project website and use VIP code "lagrange".
Castelli: Special members-only pricing on custom La Grange kit.
TriFit: Special pricing on memberships ($79/mo. with no initiation fee) and 20% off on physiological testing (blood lactate, VO2 max, etc).
Peet's Coffee & Tea: $1 off any espresso-based drink.

La Voix - January 2016