Veteran Cycling Clinic Series , New Orleans - Louisiana

New Orleans VA Adaptive Cycling Clinic December 7-9, 9am – 2pm

December 7, 9:00am – 2:00pm

Location: Audubon Park, 6500 Magazine St

We will be parking at the Audubon Zoo parking area to stage and fit participants, start our ride from there, and do an intro classroom.

Day 1 Topics: Intro to cycling, cycling skills stations (ABCCQ, body movement and staying active in the winter, basic bike maintenance, change tube on a tire). Clinic will also cover basic bike fitting, basic mechanics, practice of cycling techniques: turns, shifting, signaling, safety, etc.

December 8, 9:00am - 2:00pm

Location: Lake Ponchatrain Trail, Lakefront Trail, Kenner, LA 70065 (To access meeting parking lot: We will parking near the Treasure Chest Casino near Lake town that will give us access to the Lakefront Trail.

Day 2: Clinic will cover safety on trails and cross overs, helping peers for safety, pacing, shifting for hills, skin care, hydration, and nutrition. This day we will have a longer ride (5-15 miles) to allow participants to experience riding in a group, create different pacelines, on-road mechanics, and discuss cycling hydration/nutrition.

December 9, 9:00am – 2:00pm

Location: Audubon Park, Audubon Park, 6500 Magazine St

Day 3: Criterium Course & Final Fittings/Recommendations will include a criterium style course to test participants handling skills, acceleration, and create a fun competitive environment among the participants. As a group, we will discuss cycling opportunities in 2023, creating a cycling lifestyle, and creating group ride amongst the veterans. Discussion of resources and goal setting for building toward spring.

Goals:

• Provide introduction to cycling as an adaptive sport that can provide increased recreation, mindfulness, and community engagement.
• Veterans will identify needed adaptations that can be used to meet physical health needs while improving strengths and making cycling more accessible.
• Veterans will identify at least 2 methods to use for cycling support, community engagement, increased access, further skills, and methods to stay involved in cycling/exercise.
• Veterans will increase cycling skills as demonstrated by successfully demonstrating skills offered during the clinic.
• Veterans will tolerate a bike ride of at least 1 hr with no more than 2 breaks.
• Veterans will demonstrate safety skills of using hand signals, using verbal communication to report needs and concerns, and demonstrate good judgement of safety skills throughout clinic duration.
• Veterans will increase awareness of bike maintenance by engaging in an education session and demonstrate understanding by asking questions as appropriate.

Interventions:

• Vetera will attend clinics in a different location each day to improve awareness of community access options for cycling.
• Veteran will be lead through various practice techniques for cycling skills such as shifting, approaching turns, pre-bike checks, safety, signals, and body mechanics.
• Veteran will trial at least 2 different trikes to increase awareness of personal needs to cycling adaptations and comfort.

Targeted Activities:

• Offering Stations on day 1 (such as trialing a bike, learning to change tube, learning body movement/exercises to improve strength and endurance, and basic bike mechanics).
• Hands on opportunity for education on changing tube.
• Progressive building of distance with pacing through each day of clinic.
• Riding at different locations each day to increase awareness of cycling access locations.
• Education on local and national resources to help support continuation of cycling.

Outcomes:

• Increase connection with peers.
• Veterans connect to veterans in cycling clinic.
• Increase cycling independence.
• Increase awareness of community resources.
• Increase healthy leisure behaviors.

• ---