A chilly October afternoon did not stop Jason Redden from biking down Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
The Clifton Park man said the Spa City is still one of the best places in the Capital District to take a ride, even after the horse-days of summer.
Saratoga’s beautiful, and in the early fall, when you can still ride on the pavement, there aren’t as many people walking downtown, Redden said.
Redden said he is relatively new to cycling for exercise, but is glad to hear that Saratoga Springs-based Serotta Competition Bicycles is establishing an institute for cycling professionals and enthusiasts to promote cycling education.
`I know I enjoy it,` said Redden, who took up cycling a few years ago after knee surgery dissuaded him from the impact of jogging. `If it gets more people to be active, it can’t be bad thing, right?`
Serotta Competition Bicycles is an American company that focuses on individually fitting cyclists to their bikes, instead of using basic body measurements and building bikes based on pre-set, generic formulas, as some bicycle manufacturers do.
The Serotta International Cycling Institute (SICI) will be a comprehensive cycling ergonomics institute, according to company spokeswoman Kathleen Wren. The new institute underscores Serotta’s commitment to promoting education, research and advocacy to better understand and improve the interaction between an individual and their bicycle, she said.
`The primary goal of the Serotta International Cycling Institute is to continue as the premier educator of bike fit professionals,` said Ray Browning, director of cycling sciences for the company. `We have enhanced our existing programs, significantly increased the depth of our programs and expanded our programs to reach a broader range of target participants, offering classes and seminars to Serotta dealers, the cycling industry, coaches, health care professionals and cyclists.`
The institute will be a membership-based organization, aiming to keep the cycling community informed of the latest cycling science developments. Members receive benefits including guaranteed access and discounts to educational programs available at the institute, Wren said.
Serotta also announced that to enhance communication with members of the institute and the cycling community, it is launching a new SICI dedicated section of its Web site, www.serotta.com/SICI.
`Our vision is to continue to lead the industry in understanding the interaction between the cyclist and the machine,` said Ben Serotta, founder and CEO of Serotta Competition Bicycles. `The new classes are steps in the continuum of expanding and improving what has been done before. Establishing the Serotta International Cycling Institute ensures that through education, research and Ray Browning’s leadership, we’ll stay at the cutting edge of understanding and improving cyclist-bicycle interface.`
In addition to classes, the institute will be hosting the Serotta Cycling Science Symposium and Expo. The event will bring together cycling scientists, bike fit professionals and leading manufacturers for a one-of-a-kind educational and networking opportunity.
The institute’s event will take place Jan. 21 to 24 in Boulder, Colo. The four-day event will include presentations from world-renowned leaders in cycling science, cutting edge bike fit research and techniques and exhibits from cycling science related products and services. In addition, attendees can take classes and workshops that are part of the institute’s core and advanced class curriculums, said Wren.“