FITNESS
PEoAt. Po
For these Detroiters, an exercise
bike belongs out on the street.
JUDY MARX
y
Special to The Jewish News
ou keep your marriage
by .riding early in the
morning," says South-
field CPA Bert Stein.
"In that way we're like
golfers."
And Stein should know. He
just completed his 21st season
of bicycling and he and his
wife Marion celebrated their
35th wedding anniversary in
June.
Cycling was experiencing a
wave of popularity in the late
1960s when Stein joined the
Wolverine Club. The club pro-
motes cycling, speedskating
and cross-country skiing and
is based in Royal Oak. It of-
fers day tours and activities
at all levels of proficiency.
Phillip Shear
54
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1989
"I've ridden with some of
these guys for more than 20
years," says Stein.
Then there's an unofficial
"Jewish off-shoot" of the
Wolverine Club, which in-
cludes some first-class
athletes. "It's exciting to
realize how many Jewish
guys have gotten into this
sport. We come from a varie-
ty of professions — among
them musicians, psycholo-
gists, newspaper editors and
doctors — and we have great
conversations while we're
riding," says Stein. "In the
early morning, when there's
not much traffic, you can ride
two abreast and talk, until we
come to a busy stretch and
have to 'single it up.' "
Serious riders put on
150-200 miles per week dur-
ing the summer months, and
some will keep riding as long
as the pavement stays dry.
They often congregate just
after sunrise at Southfield
and Beverly roads (131/2 Mile),
behind a medical complex.
Then they're off to Rochester
via Cranbrook, or Wabeek, or
spin out to Milford and the
GM Proving Grounds. Some
may choose to ride on to
Brighton, Ann Arbor or
South Lyon — and back.
Ken Fox, who practices den-
tistry in Westland, says he
will bike anywhere in the
metropolitan area. A relative
newcomer to the sport — Fox
began riding six years ago —
he is not a member of a club.
"But I'll sign up for tours.
Some are one-day loops, and
others have destinations that
require several days of
riding." Fox took part in the
DALMAC tour this summer
(Dick Allen Lansing to
Mackinaw), when he and
hundreds of others biked 400
miles over a four-day period.
Unlike Stein and Fox, who
have not done any racing,
Rick DeRoven took up cycling
are better suited for a
woman's body, and mountain
and city bikes provide a more
comfortable ride for anyone
who doesn't need to be in the
aerodynamic "drop position"
for racing.
Jacobs is a rigorous rider
who averages 150 miles per
week during the racing
season. This summer she took
part in a half-dozen
triathalons throughout the
country.
"I recommend cycling as an
alternative to running — a
non-impact activity that's
easier on the body. Cross
training (varying your ac-
tivities) was the solution to
my running injuries, and I
can still maintain high
aerobic fitness. Anyone can do
it at any age. It's a nice way
to enjoy the outdoors and
families can do it together."
Alan Yost and his son
Robert have found cycling an
enjoyable father-son activity.
Yost, executive director of
Adat Shalom Synagogue, par-
ticularly enjoys the time the
two spend together on their
bikes.
Bert Stein is ready for a long
ride.
in order to train for
triathalons. First you swim,
then you bike, then you run,
and, if you're like DeRoven,
you may take part in these
hours-long tests of fitness and
endurance 10 to 12 times a
summer. "I never worry about
winning, though," says
DeRoven. "Success is
finishing and knowing that
I've trained as well as I've
been able to."
The 35-year-old dentist has
competed in the world-famous
"Ironman" Triathalon in
Hawaii, "the highlight of my
cycling experience."
Some Jewish women have
also become serious cycling
enthusiasts.
Jan Jacobs, a dental hygien-
tist who recently opened her
own exercise consulting
business, says bicycling is
becoming more popular for
women every year. Bike
frames are now being built
with shorter reaches which
Bert Stein