Are You Ready for the Third Annual Acura Bike Tour?
26 March 1998
Are You Ready for the Third Annual Acura Bike Tour?
LOS ANGELES, March 26 -- Acura is expecting more than 15,000
bicycle enthusiasts to help celebrate its third annual Acura Bike Tour on
Sunday, March 29. Last year, more than 12,000 riders participated in the
event. To help cyclists, Acura has provided a checklist of everything that
they will need for this 26-mile journey through Los Angeles.
* Before the ride, make sure your bicycle is "dialed in." Check that all
the nuts, bolts, giblets, quick releases, and other related
impedimentia are in place and tight. The chain should be oiled, and
the brakes should operate smoothly. Don't forget to check your tires'
air pressure and watch for tread wear or damage.
* A pre-tour meal should include something low in fat and fiber but
normal in carbohydrates, with a small amount of protein. It is best to
stay away from junk food for the entire week prior to the ride.
* During the ride, sports drinks are a great way to keep up your
nutrition without eating solid food. Stay away from anything
carbonated. If you prefer solid foods, energy bars or energy gels can
be found in various flavors.
* Most bikers agree that rocket fuel such as coffee, is a necessary
component, especially since the ride begins at 6 a.m.
* Don't forget that your body needs four cups of water for every hour of
exercise, so be sure to bring a water bottle along for the ride.
* Always stretch your muscles before any exercise.
Whenever you ride a bike, always wear your helmet, or in bike slang, your
"brain bucket" or "skid lid." Sunscreen is recommended, and sunglasses will
protect your eyes.
General Safety Tips:
* Obey traffic signs and signals
* Never ride against traffic
* Keep both hands ready to brake
* Use hand signals
* Stay alert of other bicycles and obstacles
* Obey road rules
* Do NOT crash, or in mountain bike lingo, chunder, biff, auger,
superman, endo, face plant, rag dolly, gravity check, involuntary
dismount, prune, spring plant, or wipeout.
Did You Know?*
* Cars are everywhere in Los Angeles. In fact, two-thirds of the city is
entirely roads and parking lots, and motorists spend 100,000 hours
everyday in traffic jams. In addition, only .33% of commuters use a
bike to get to work.
* The city is constructing the Los Angeles River Bikeway, which was first
proposed in 1976 as an eight mile elevated bike freeway. In the
original plan, it could handle 6,000 bicyclists per day, but it has
been scaled down to handle 4,300 riders. Upon completion, it will
stretch from the San Fernando Valley to Griffith Park.
* The Acura Bike Tour seems to be the only way that bike lovers can truly
experience long distance cycling in Los Angeles; it is over 26 miles
long. This tour takes cyclists through Koreatown, Hollywood, Hancock
Park, and many other historic Los Angeles sites.
California Biking Factoids*
* California has the most bicycle riders in the country, at 15% (followed
by New York with 7% and Illinois with 6%). There are 58.7 million
active cyclists across the country.
* 16% of all bike shops in the U.S. can be found in California.
* California also has the distinction of being the birthplace of many
biking styles, such as mountain bikes, freestyle bikes, and BMX bikes.
*All information provided by Bicyclopedia at
http://homepage.interaccess.com/~opcc/bc.
SOURCE Acura
