Phillip Shear doesn't
let his age hold him
back.

Robert, 12, also likes the
camaraderie. "Bicycling is
good for you and fun, but the
best part is the great feeling
that when I ride with my dad,
I can go really fast."
Speeds vary with the
cyclist. Bert Stein and his
fellow riders will average
17-18 miles per hour, while
less serious cyclists are ples-
ed to clock 10-15.
Phillip Shear recalls start-
ing out on an old five-speed

"It's exciting to
realize how many
Jewish guys are in
this sport."

bicycle with a group far
younger than he. That was 23
years ago, and the 72-year-old
retired optometrist has had
no trouble keeping up. "I ride
with people who are younger
and more aggressive, and I
have to exert myself. For me
it has been a marvelous way
to stay active?'
Shear rides 150-200 miles
per week on an Austrian rac-
ing bike with Italian com-
ponents and often leads day
trips in the area. Stein and
Shear's other cycling pals call
Shear their "guru."
David Wiss, who lives in
Ann Arbor, usually rides
alone or with one other bik-
ing buddy. Each summer he's

Rules
Of The
Road

taken one long bicycle trip.
This year it was a three-day
tour through the Cascade
Mountains (more than 400
miles). His longest out-of-
state venture was an 800-mile
excursion around Nova Scotia
five years ago, which took
Wiss and his group nine days.
But cyclists don't have to go
so far to appreciate the beau-
ty of biking, Wiss insists. "If
you enjoy cycling, there's no
better place than Washtenaw
County. Particularly scenic
are routes west of Ann Arbor

in the Huron River and
Waterloo Recreation areas:'
For less-intense cyclists,
bicycling is a recreational
pleasure and an opportunity
for unique vacations.
Detroiters are touring parts
of Europe with cycling com-
panies which plan first-class
trips at all levels of ability
and have your bicycles ready
for you when you deplane in
Amsterdam, Paris, London
and a dozen other destina-
tions. Touring companies in
New England provide a varie-

ty of cycling excursions
throughout the spring, sum-
mer and early fall and no
shortage of "good hills?'
In Michigan, there are
tours of all lengths and
degrees of difficulty available
from Milford to Mackinaw.
Judy Rosenberg took her
first bicycle trip this summer
with the Vermont Country
Cyclers. "We averaged bet-
ween 20 and 30 miles per day.
I'm certainly not a jock, but
I would definitely go again.
"It was the first time I had

Equipment — Local bike
shops report that best sellers
are the comfortable and stable
mountain and city bikes,
which feature straight handle
bars, wider tires, and 15 or
18-speed easy-to-change gears.
Serious riders, however, are
found riding the traditional
touring and racing bikes —
usually 10- or 12-speed — with

turned-down handle bars and
narrow tires.
The most dedicated cyclists
often purchase a frame and
component parts, frequently
European-made, and have
their bikes customized. As a
general rule, the lighter the
bike, the more you're going to
pay.
Clothing — It's not just for
show. Bicycle outfits are

designed for convenience and
comfort. The shoes provide
greater support while pedal-
ing. The slim-fitting, padded
pants and shorts keep the
cyclist's muscles warm and
help to prevent chafing.
Cycling shirts have deep
pockets in the back so that
you won't lose your valuables.
(Serious riders suggest that
you never leave on a long ride

ridden a mountain bike, and
I loved it," says Judy, whose
husband just bought her a
new 15-speed model.
Carol Gallant,_ a self-
proclaimed "exercise addict,"
averaged five 15-20 mile rides
per week this summer, in ad-
dition to her two hours of dai-
ly exercise at the Jewish
Community Center. Along
with her husband Bruce,
Carol has done most of her
riding in the early evenings
on her 10-speed touring
bike.

❑

without money, a driver's
license, medical card, credit
card, and some change for an
emergency phone call.)
Safety — Those who cycle
the most recommend that you
ride during the day, if possible
in a group (for increased
visibility), through subdivi-
sions rather than on main
roads, and never leave your
driveway without a helmet!

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

55