Thursday, June 16, 2011

CYCLE BUCKS COUNTY, June 25th, 2011

Get on your Bikes and Ride...
Sports Psychologist and Award winning Cyclist K.C. Wilder Presents “Safety Town”. Author and Mother-of-Two to Host Safety Skills Clinic for Kids at First Annual Cycle Bucks County Charity Bike Ride

Dr. K.C. Wilder, a renowned sports psychologist, award winning cyclist, author and mother of two, will host a safety and skills clinic for children ages four through ten as part of the full schedule of kids’ activities planned for Cycle Bucks County, the first annual charity bike ride benefitting the Tara L. Riedley Foundation and the New Hope-Solebury Community Association. The one-day bicycle tour, which is designed to raise funds and awareness for these two Bucks County organizations whose missions are focused on furthering education and opportunity for all, will take place on Saturday, June 25th.
The Cycle Bucks County ride is open to all levels, from beginner to serious cyclists. Participants choose from three routes ranging in length from 10 to 60 miles, winding through the scenic roadways of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Rest stops and SAG support are provided on all routes. A vendor expo, one mile kids fun ride and children’s activities will take place throughout the day at New Hope-Solebury High School, where the ride will begin and end. At the conclusion of the race, participants and volunteers will enjoy a celebratory lunch.

“Bicycling is a lifelong sport that gives us freedom to go places, and keep fit,” says Wilder. “Learning the rules of the road gives children self-confidence, and judgment on how, and where they should ride.” It is with this in mind that Wilder will teach participants the fundamentals of bicycle safety before they hop on their bikes for an obstacle course and a short criterium. Each participant will receive an award recognizing his/her efforts and every participant will automatically be entered to win a brand new 2011 Fuji Absolute Bicycle. While, there is no additional charge for the clinic, Wilder will be offering autographed copies of her book Tour de You for $10. The proceeds from book sales will be donated back to Cycle Bucks County.

Dr. K.C. Wilder’s “Safety Town” Clinic will take place at Noon. The schedule for additional kids’ events is:

Children's Activity Tent – 9am - 3pm
Arts and Crafts (2-10 years of age)
Fun Ride – 9am – 2 pm
One-Mile “track” on the grounds where children two through ten can ride “Hot Wheels”-type cycles
K.C. Wilder Safety Town Safety & Skills Clinic – Noon
Raffle of Fuji Bike – 2 pm


Additional details and registration info is available at www.cyclebuckscounty.org.

About The Tara L. Riedley Foundation
The Tara L. Riedley Foundation was founded by family, friends and associates of Tara Riedley, a Bucks-County native who tragically and suddenly passed away in 2008 at the age of 30. A graduate of Duke University and Boston College Law School, Tara was a practicing attorney who, despite her busy schedule, always gave her time and talents to support charitable causes, many related to children, families in need and educational opportunities for the less fortunate. The Foundation was established to keep Tara’s legacy of academic excellence and voluntarism alive, while celebrating her adventurous and compassionate spirit. Through its Board of Directors, the Foundation supports a portfolio of non-profit organizations from coast to coast that furthers Tara's message of hope, education and opportunity for all. For more information, please visit www.tarariedleyfoundation.com.

About New Hope-Solebury Community Association
The New Hope-Solebury Community Association was incorporated as a not for profit corporation in November 1949— principally to raise funds for the construction of a gymnasium on the grounds of the New Hope-Solebury High School for the use of the students and the community. In 1957 the Community Association financed the addition to the gymnasium building for locker rooms, cafeteria and kitchen facilities. Since that time the CA has continued to support the students and the community by establishing the New Hope Soccer Club for children of all ages; providing scholarships for graduating seniors; and sponsoring various youth teams. The Association has been designated with a 501 (c) (3) status by the Internal Revenue Service and is registered with the State of Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Charitable Organizations.

For more information, to secure press passes or to schedule an interview with Dr. K.C, Wilder, please contact Janine Carroll at janine@dragonfly-communications.com /215.93.5208 or Vicki Crafton at Vicki@dragronfly-communications.com / 609.240.2416

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Excerpts from a Letter from a Parent

Dear Dr. K.C.,

Just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your time and energy with respect to the MS track coaching. Loved your philosophy and encouragement.

With respect to my daughter specifically, she really benefitted from working with you and was able to receive a much-needed confidence boost as a result.

Again, thanks so much for your efforts.

MS Track Parent

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Power and Energy, Courtesy of The Electronic Club

So, what am i up to now? Why the formula's and calculations on power, and energy? Here's a hint: Think about indoor Cycling, power, and electricity as you review these formulas. Keep your thinking cap on. Okay, another hint. Wouldn't it be cool if we had an indoor cycling program where our human power (measured in watts) could be used to provide electricity to re-charge your cell phone, for example? Now go ahead, read, or should I say, power-ON.

Power and Energy
Power | Calculations | Overheating | Energy
Next Page: AC, DC and Electrical Signals
Also See: Voltage and Current | Resistance | Ohm's Law

What is power?
Power is the rate of using or supplying energy:
Power = Energy Power is measured in watts (W)
Energy is measured in joules (J)
Time is measured in seconds (s)
Time


Electronics is mostly concerned with small quantities of power, so the power is often measured in milliwatts (mW), 1mW = 0.001W. For example an LED uses about 40mW and a bleeper uses about 100mW, even a lamp such as a torch bulb only uses about 1W.

The typical power used in mains electrical circuits is much larger, so this power may be measured in kilowatts (kW), 1kW = 1000W. For example a typical mains lamp uses 60W and a kettle uses about 3kW.


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Calculating power using current and voltage
There are three ways of writing an equation for power, current and voltage: Power = Current × Voltage so P = I × V or I = P
V
or V = P
I

where: P = power in watts (W)
V = voltage in volts (V)
I = current in amps (A) or: P = power in milliwatts (mW)
V = voltage in volts (V)
I = current in milliamps (mA)

P
I V

You can use the PIV triangle to help you remember the three versions of the power equations. Use it in the same way as the Ohm's Law triangle. For most electronic circuits the amp is too large, so we often measure current in milliamps (mA) and power in milliwatts (mW). 1mA = 0.001A and 1mW = 0.001W.

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Calculating power using resistance and current or voltage
Using Ohm's Law V = I × R we can convert P = I × V to: P
I² R

P R

PI²R triangle V²PR triangle
P = I² × R
or
P = V² / R where: P = power in watts (W)
I = current in amps (A)
R = resistance in ohms ()
V = voltage in volts (V)


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Wasted power and overheating
Normally electric power is useful, making a lamp light or a motor turn for example. However, electrical energy is converted to heat whenever a current flows through a resistance and this can be a problem if it makes a device or wire overheat. In electronics the effect is usually negligible, but if the resistance is low (a wire or low value resistor for example) the current can be sufficiently large to cause a problem.
You can see from the equation P = I² × R that for a given resistance the power depends on the current squared, so doubling the current will give 4 times the power.

Resistors are rated by the maximum power they can have developed in them without damage, but power ratings are rarely quoted in parts lists because the standard ratings of 0.25W or 0.5W are suitable for most circuits. Further information is available on the Resistors page.

Wires and cables are rated by the maximum current they can pass without overheating. They have a very low resistance so the maximum current is relatively large. For further information about current rating please see the Connectors and Cables page.


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Energy
The amount of energy used (or supplied) depends on the power and the time for which it is used:
Energy = Power × Time



A low power device operating for a long time can use more energy than a high power device operating for a short time. For example:

A 60W lamp switched on for 8 hours uses 60W × 8 × 3600s = 1728kJ.
A 3kW kettle switched on for 5 minutes uses 3000W × 5 × 60s = 900kJ.
The standard unit for energy is the joule (J), but 1J is a very small amount of energy for mains electricity so kilojoule (kJ) or megajoule (MJ) are sometimes used in scientific work. In the home we measure electrical energy in kilowatt-hours (kWh). 1kWh is the energy used by a 1kW power appliance when it is switched on for 1 hour:
1kWh = 1kW × 1 hour = 1000W × 3600s = 3.6MJ

For example:

A 60W lamp switched on for 8 hours uses 0.06kW × 8 = 0.48kWh.
A 3kW kettle switched on for 5 minutes uses 3kW × 5/60 = 0.25kWh.

Kudos to Rock The Bike. Love this group!

This is reprinted from Rock The Bike website. I get it. My dream is very similar...show people the power, and magic of the bike. Simple as that.


About Us

We're bike people. We're inventors and advocates working away in a sweet little workshop in Berkeley, California, pushing the limits of bike culture. Our dream is to help spread the spirit of the bike into the broader culture by organizing, entertaining, inspiring, educating, and inventing new ways to get the message out there. And more importantly, we help our customers spread the message in their communities.

Check out this 6-minute video (visit their website) to learn about the Philosophy of Rock The Bike. This interview and performance footage of Rock The Bike's founder Paul Freedman, a.k.a. Fossil Fool, was taken during the 2010 Barcelona Bicycle Music Festival. Many thanks to Jonathan Grevsen, the videographer and editor. Thanks also to the Pleasant Revolution, a bike-touring music group sponsored by Rock The Bike. The Pleasant Revolution toured Europe for 6 months in 2010 without vans or trucks. Fossil Fool joined for the Spanish leg of the tour, and contributed to the Barcelona Bicycle Music Festival. Also shown performing: Jared May, bass, the Genie, guitar.

Contact Details:

Gchat and email: RockTheBike(at)gmail(dot)com

Local and (International) calls: (+01) 510 548 2453

Toll Free: 1 888 354 2453

Snail Mail/Shop Address:

Rock The Bike
1336 Channing Way, Suite B
Berkeley CA 94702

Rock The Bike
Rock The Bike Founder Paul Freedman, a.k.a. Fossil Fool, the Bike Rapper, flickr handle: "Rock The Bike"

Paul's at all the Rock The Bike events, which he faithfully documents, as well as his own custom Soul Cycle creations, including his ongoing tall bike project, El Arbol. His bike rapping alterego Fossil Fool is known for hosting the bomb street parties.

-----------------------------------------

Well said from Rock The Bike. Rock on.

The bike is about so much more than transportation or environmentalism or physical fitness. It's about bringing the element of magic into our communities. You can't ride a bike and not be part of a community. We hope that our inventions and outreach efforts help more people experience this magic.

We're developing a new school of bicycle advocacy, working off of the old writer's adage "Show, don't tell." If you want more people in your community to ride bikes, then get out their and show them how fun, cool, and sexy it is. We make the kind of bikes that make died-in-the-wool car people want to ride bikes. We get pulled over by cops when we're riding. Not because we've done anything wrong. They just want to know where we got our bikes.

Too much of bicycle advocacy is about guilt-tripping and negativity. You're too fat. You're stinking up the planet. You're causing traffic. The 'Sex Appeal School of Bike Advocacy' is about accentuating the positive, not guilt-tripping and alienating people. We love it when a driver rolls down and asks for directions. OK, maybe not a Hummer driver. Anyway, it's about shining our light brightly and spreading a positive message in the community. If we happen to kick a little ass while doing so, that's fine too.

Cycle Kids

I love what Cycle Kids is doing in Boston. The bike represents a balance of freedom, and responsibility for young kids. It is the ultimate human-powered mode of transportation. Here is a repost from the cyclekids blog. Happy reading, and riding to all.



Cambridge Community Bike Build a Huge Success!
April 12th, 2011

On April 5th, the Kennedy Longfellow gymnasium came alive to the sound of cardboard boxes ripping open, wrenches squeaking, and pure excitement as 70 beautiful, brand new Specialized bikes were built from scratch. Volunteers from Starbucks, American Express Travel, Gentle Giant, the Cambridge Police Department, John Kerry’s office, Launch Squad PR firm, and Belmont Wheelworks assembled the bikes with the help of 5th and 6th graders from the Morse, King Open, and Kennedy Longfellow schools in Cambridge, who had already participated in the CYCLE Kids program. The bikes were a result of donations from local businesses and a matching grant from the Weezie foundation in the Cambridge Funds for Cambridge Kids campaign. The bikes will be donated to seven well-deserving schools that will be implementing the CYCLE Kids program this spring.

After a brief demonstration on proper bike assembly, the volunteers and students scattered around the gym in teams and began building! The gymnasium was quickly overflowing with bike parts, packaging, and teams of volunteers and children actively involved and having fun! The teams were so successful that all 70 bikes were built before lunch. What an amazing and motivated group of people! Between learning how to build and getting a quick recap on proper biking safety, the children were able to sign their names on CYCLE Kids posters as valuable bike building participants. After the build, the hardworking (and hungry!) volunteers enjoyed delicious pizzas from Cambridge 1 before loading the Gentle Giant moving trucks.


The bike build was a profound success! All 70 bikes were assembled, tuned and approved by mechanics, and labeled with the Belmont Wheelworks seal of approval. The volunteers and kids alike arrived with minimal knowledge of bike assembly and left with new friends, the ability to build a bike from scratch, and most importantly the amazing feeling of being able to help the Cambridge community provide well-deserving children with the opportunity to lead healthy and active lives through the CYCLE Kids program!

Special thank you’s go out to everyone involved in making the bike build so successful. We look forward to more bike building in the future! And don’t forget to sign up to be a part of our first annual Breakaway Charity Bike Ride next month at the deCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA. For more information on the event, click here!

April 12th, 2011
news.
May 21, 2011: CYCLE Kids First Annual Breakaway Bike Ride!
April 7th, 2011




In celebration of National Bike Month, CYCLE Kids is hosting our First Annual Breakaway Bike Ride and gourmet luncheon to raise money to get kids on bikes and on their way to living healthy, active lives!

CYCLE Kids has put together three scenic rides to enjoy. The rides all leave from the deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park Lincoln MA. The two shorter rides wind through pastoral Lincoln, Concord and Sudbury. The metric century will take you past beautiful vistas by the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard and challenge you with more than 3,000 feet of climbing among the hills of Harvard.

Following the ride, relax and listen to bluegrass music! Enjoy a luncheon on the picturesque grounds of the deCordova museum prepared by Best of Boston chef and restaurateur, Paul O’Connell of Chez Henri.

When: Saturday, May 21st

Where: deCordova Sculpture Garden

Registration & Start: All rides will leave from the deCordova museum.

Metric Century: register at 7:30 am, ride departs at 8 am
36 mile ride: register at 9:30 am, ride departs at 10 am
19 mile ride: register at 9:30 am, ride departs at 10:15 am

Cost:

$200 ride fee includes


CYCLE Kids 2011 Breakaway bike jersey
CYCLE Kids waterbottle
Pre ride breakfast
Ride support from Pedro’s and Wheelworks
Three fully supported refreshment stops
Finish line photography by Glenn Kulbako (photos will be for sale on his website)
Post ride bike wash by Pedro’s
CYCLE Kids 2011 Breakaway ride t-shirt
Delicious lunch prepared by Chef Paul O’Connell of Chez Henri
Beer by Vermont’s Long Trail Brewery
Admission to the Museum’s Sculpture Gardens and Gift Shop
$75 luncheon fee includes

CYCLE Kids 2011 Breakaway ride t-shirt
Delicious lunch prepared by Chef Paul O’Connell
Beer by Vermont’s Long Trail Brewery
Admission to the Museum’s Sculpture Gardens and Gift Shop
Share your passion and commitment to the CYCLE Kids mission by asking family members and friends to support your ride. The top fundraisers will win prizes!

The event routes and refreshment stop information can be found on our event page. Go there to register or contact Emma Simmons at esimmons@cyclekids.org!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

HEALTHY AND FIT KIDS by Carol Goodrow

These are some great tips for Buckingham Friends School students as they begin training for the 3rd Annual Buckingham Friends School Run/Walk for Peace.

HEALTHY AND FIT KIDS
10 Tips for Healthy Kids
Practice these simple and basic rules and you'll be on your way to life-long healthy living.
- by Carol Goodrow


1. Exercise for 1 hour every day.

2. Eat fruits and veggies with every meal.

3. Select whole grains over enriched grains.

4. Instead of juice and soda, drink water or no- to low-fat milk.

5. Trim the fat off your meat. Make sure your protein is lean.

6. You need fat, but get your fat from healthy sources: vegetable oils, fatty fish, and almonds

7. Small portion sizes help you stay lean and fit.

8. Start the day with a healthy and substantial breakfast.

9. You don't have to say, "Yes," when someone offers you junk food.

10. Keep a healthy habit journal. Write in it every day.


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