Feed Zone Do's & Don'ts

HOW TO AVOID THE PITFALLS OF AN IMPROPER FEED With the summer cycling season rapidly approaching, (What! You're wondering why we're prepping for the 2010 season of a summer sport when your still finding Christmas tree sap on the floor... it's just part of this silly sport) it's time to review your ability to provide life sustaining nourishment to your favorite cyclist.There are a few ways to turn a beautiful Saturday at the races into a disaster. A crummy water bottle hand off (feed) is the number one way to turn the drive home into a miserable one. So lets review a few of the Do's and Don'ts of a proper feed.DO:*Pack your rider's bottles in a cooler that's easy to transport and carry (sometimes long distances)*Ask you rider what temperature they prefer their bottles and pack ice in the cooler if they like a cold bottle.*Arrive at the race site plenty early to locate the neutral feed zone and set up your chair and cooler.*Review the race info and know how many laps your rider will be completing.*When you see your rider approaching, DON'T PANIC, simply stand as close to the coarse as possible. Make yourself visible and hold the bottle out by grasping the top of the lid and dangling the bottle below.* Watch to see where the rider throws off his used/empty bottle and retrieve it.* Then sit down and visit with SDAY for a few minutes before you have to do it all over again... and again... and againDON'T:* Don't get pre-occupied visiting with SDAY and forget to notice the approach of you rider.* Don't expect you dear loved one to actually acknowledge your efforts with any demonstration of eye contact or conversation (all they see is a water bottle - they don't care who is handing to them)* Don't stand so far off the coarse that they have to swerve over to reach the feed.* Don't forget to cheer.... I prefer to do it loudly!* Don't forget the cooler, the bottles, the performance mix* And last but not least... DON'T screw up the feed - or you'll never hear the end of itP.S: One last "do" that I forgot to add to the list. Do feel free to inform your rider of how you'd like to be repaid for you time. I prefer gifts of any sort, cash, dinner, flowers, and any other form of payment. :)Sincerely, SDAYupcoming posts:Visual demonstration of proper and improper feed techniquesTips and tricks by SDaYand some other really good stuff... stay tuned