Bike bites

Down in the park...

Idle hands are the devil's tools (and all this time you thought "the devil's tools" were a local metal band), so with only a month or so until the the clang of the school bell strikes fear into the hearts of students everywhere, some Omaha cops will be hosting "Fun in the Park," a generically titled get-together for kids in kindergarten through seventh grade. Held Thursday (tomorrow) from 4pm to 8pm at North Omaha's Miller Park (2707 Redick Avenue), Fun in the Park will include activities such as bicycle safety checks, bicycle rodeos, a bicycle raffle, swimming, and golf lessons. Food and prizes are available (and not mutually exclusive, if you ask me). Also, if anyone attends, please let me know what a bicycle rodeo looks like.

Training blog for mountain bikers

Mountain biking is a different kind of animal; it requires a particular kind of physicality, one that is related to the physical needs of its, cousin road biking, yet unique. And James Wilson, a mountain bike-oriented strength and conditioning coach, has developed his own vision for how a downhillers and cross country riders need to train.

At bikejames.com, Wilson offers free podcasts, videos, and text with tips and tricks about strength training (which is often overlooked in the world of road cycling), stretching, warm ups, nutrition, and high-intensity interval training. Although the site is mostly used to garner buys for his mtb workouts and programs, plenty of free (there's my favorite word again) and helpful information is available.