Getting Pumped Up: Body Concepts Skills Clinic

Sharon and Dave (aka "Gracie and George") get pumped up at the skills clinic.

So it finally happened. After months of waiting and a failed initial attempt: the Tool Goddess (in training) learned to change a tire. (And found out she is pretty darned spiffy at it too.)  Of course she had to be a smarty-pants and use all the nuggets of tire-changing gold imparted at the Cycle Folsom tire clinic so long ago to make it look as if she had a clue. To give her the benefit of the doubt, she does have some fix-it skills after being her own handy-woman for decades – yes, she insists, you can use toothpaste to patch tiny holes in walls but not tires.

TGIT finally changes a tire!
(Thanks to Karen for taking this shot!)

Although learning to change a tire was her greatest joy and accomplishment that day there was a lot more great stuff she gleaned from the Body Concepts Skills Clinic for Cyclists held on March 12, 2011. This was the first clinic in a series –don’t worry, they tend to be stand-alone so you can pick and choose which clinics appeal to you, the Tool Goddess (in training) obviously needs them all- and it covered the “basics”. Yet again, it was apparent that Rob “The Wizard” Kopitzke has a gift for imparting a ton of information in a short time without you even feeling the needle go in.

While awaiting the beginning of the clinic the Tool Goddess (in training) (TGIT) was gratified to have someone recognize her from her blogging adventures and found a fast friend (and a partner in crime) in a witty lady named Karen. They were joined by a young at heart couple -obviously newlyweds from their witty repartee- and Body Concepts’ own Linda Bailey (who insisted that her cycling basics needed some work as well). Like a Shakespearean play, the stage was set with its players and there was much ado about cycling for the next four hours.

Actual TGIT notes from the clinic! Will go on auction soon.

Rob began with explaining the different types of bicycles and their anatomy. The TGIT eagerly scribbled notes and sketched, because until that moment the only skewers she was aware of were made of bamboo and belong inside of grilled food until it was time to eat. Better yet was figuring out chain rings and cogs with the helpful reminder that the chain ring on the left hand made the biggest change in gears because, as many of us know so well, getting that ring on the left hand (marriage) is the “biggest change of all”.



Rob (and what looks like the floor on
my husband's side of the bedroom)

Riding gear was also covered in detail, from how to choose and fit a helmet to proper layering technique (mom would be so proud) to those fantastic clippy shoes that reminds the TGIT  of her childhood obsession with tap shoes even though she never took a lesson in her life.  But nothing gathered TGIT’s magpie-like interest as much as the tools portion. (Dear Santa, please, please, please send me that nifty tool pouch full of goodies from Park Tools. Cobbler and cocoa is one the counter. –Love, TGIT.) We even learned how to give our bikes a quick check-up and Rob impressed upon us the importance of checking your equipment before each ride. - Insert story of when TGIT’s brakes stopped working and she was so clueless that she spent her pre-teen years using the Fred Flintstone technique to stop her bike. -  

Karen has the power to check her tires with telepathy!

The most fun was when we all got to get on our knees and get dirty in a room full of windows: otherwise known as time to learn how to change a tire. This is where the antics of the TGIT took a back seat to the Gracie and George Burns antics of the loving couple also known as Sharon and Dave.  I cannot possibly write all that was said and done by those two, suffice it to say I HOPE AND PRAY that they come to the next clinic. That alone is worth the price of admission. All I will reveal at this time is that it became firmly established that Sharon was now her household’s “tire-changer” with her husband Dave donning the heavy ermine mantle of “dish-washer”.

Brush your teeth between every ride!

The hours flew by as we were all having such a great time and before we knew it we had to play catch-up and work on other important skills like mounting, clipping in and dismounting as well as learning to clean our bicycles properly. TGIT is ashamed to admit that other than a quick hose-down once in a while she has never actually cleaned her rides, which may explain why her brakes fell off when she was a kid and she learned to ride her ten-speed as a single gear.

Just as the class was ending the TGIT’s road warrior husband arrived back from his trip to Monterey with his BC teammate Todd and gave us the gory details (literally) of their race on the Central Coast. It was amazing that after four hours I found I was sad to see that the class was over and I had to say good-bye to my new-found friends and partners in mischief.  The information imparted and the company were top-drawer and the Tool Goddess (in training) is eager for the next class.

Information about upcoming clinics...
Skills ClinicsCOST: $60 4-hour clinic
Must RSVP to: nrobyn@bodyconceptsinc.com or (916) 939-6800 only 15-spots available

UPCOMING DATES:
April 2nd
Braking and Cornering (El Dorado Hills Business Park,1-5pm) Learn to slow your bike 5-different ways and fly through corners with ease

May 7th
Climbing and Descending (El Dorado Hills Business Park, 1-5pm) Learn how to tackle any hill and handle your bike downhill with confidence

June 4th
Balance and Agility (Body Concepts, 9am to 1pm)
Learn how to save energy, avoid obstacles and just feel more confident on your bike

August 6th
Group Ride Skills (Body Concepts, 9am to 1pm)Learn how to ride safely and efficiently in a group of riders...pace lines A-to-Z

PRESENTER:Robert Kopitzke has been an Orthopedic-Sports Physical Therapist for over 23-years, he obtained an "Elite" USA Cycling Coaching license in 1998, is a Master Pilates Instructor and certified Neuromuscular Reprogrammer. He has worked with hundreds of cyclists throughout the Sacramento region since 1994 as Peak Cycling and established Body Concepts in 1998.
For more information about Rob and Body Concepts: www.bodyconceptsinc.com

Register no later than one week prior to scheduled clinic. Clinics with less than 5-participants will be cancelled one week prior to schedule date...rain cancels clinic and will be rescheduled. If emergency prevents participant from attending, entry fee will be credited towards future clinic.

BE SURE TO VISIT THE GROVETRIBE SHOP FOR YOUR AFTER-RIDE GEAR!