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AMERICAN PRIDE AND CYCLING
American Pride Automotive • Jun 25, 2012
Why does American Pride Automotive talk about cycling so much? And what’s with all the pictures of kids on bikes we post on Facebook?
American Pride Automotive takes great pride in the communities it serves and strives to give back whenever possible. We also believe that cycling is an activity with the potential to change the world by making both people and communities healthier. In 2010, owner and cyclist Charlie Marcotte decided to take on the primary sponsorship of the local cycling team, James River Velo Sports. JRVS is a co-ed regional team of recreational and competitive mountain and road riders from around the Hampton Roads area.
Team member Paul Croft, a Canon Virginia employee and family man, began mountain biking to improve his own fitness and joined JRVS in 2007. He started bringing his wife Melanie, daughter Emily, and son Adam along on rides for family fun. They started riding in local races, but soon the kid's races were no contest and both Emily and Adam were out-riding many adults. Fast forward to 2012 and they are junior stars on the east coast cycling scene. USA Nationals were held last week in Augusta Georgia, where Adam (now 11) won the National Championship Road Race and Time Trial, and Emily (now 13) placed 8th in the Road Race. Adam also won his time trial and placed 3rd in the criterium.
Their accomplishments on the bike are many and they are beginning to be noticed outside our region. National team Garmin/Slipstream recently added Adam to their Junior Development Team roster, which means many more races at the national level. And Emily won her second consecutive Virginia High School Mountain Bike Series and placed first in the adult women’s sport race at the Massanutten HooHa in Harrisonburg, VA last month.
Their athletic accomplishments are impressive on their own, but they are also polite, well spoken, and humble about their achievements. Both plan to pursue cycling as far as they can professionally and American Pride is going to be cheering them on all the way!
Interested in cycling? Check out James River Velo Sport online and on Facebook for resources and local rides.
We want to say thank you to all of our healthcare and first responders. Please accept this specialized offer.
You’re driving home at night and it is raining cats and dogs. You can’t see but 20 feet in front of your car, but you’ve slowed down and are being extra cautious, so what could go wrong? Then you feel it. A sinking Cl-clunk. Maybe that “puddle” you saw ahead of you was deeper than just a puddle. Before you know it, your car is stalling in the high water in the middle of the road. Now what? First off, don’t panic. Turn on your hazards and crank the ignition once. If the car starts, make it dry land and pull over to assess the damage. If it does not start the first time, do not try to start it again. Doing so can result in a hydro locked engine and will likely necessitate the rebuilding or replacement of the engine. Unfortunately, if you find yourself stalling in water at all, your vehicle will probably need costly repairs. The best way to avoid water damage is to practice safe and smart driving in wet weather, which brings us to Part 2 of the Everything Auto “Blame it on the Rain” series (Find Part 1 here). Take heed of these severe weather driving tips: 1. TAKE NO CHANCES ON PUDDLES Even if the standing water ahead of you looks shallow enough to drive through, think twice. If the water is “rushing” or if other drivers are making a point to avoid it, don’t assume that your vehicle is the exception. Additionally, you never know the hazards that lay at the bottom of a puddle. Hidden potholes or debris can pierce your tires and jostle your alignment and suspension system. 2. IF YOU MUST TAKE A CHANCE, TAKE IT SLOW AND STEADY When you deem it necessary and safe to drive through water of questionable depth, go slowly. Speeding through a puddle, even a shallow one, can splash water into your vehicle’s intake and critically harm the engine. Like we mentioned last week, after driving through standing water, lightly tap your brakes to make sure they aren’t saturated and to dry them off. 3. KEEP A ROADSIDE EMERGENCY KIT HANDY Sometimes, no matter how careful you are on the road, accidents and vehicle malfunctions happen, especially in wet severe weather. That’s why it is extremely important to keep emergency supplies ready in the trunk for the worst case scenario. You can buy a preassembled one, but it is cheaper (and more rewarding) to assemble your own. What should you include? Edmunds.com provides an excellent comprehensive list of items, a few of which include: 12-foot jumper cables Four 15 minute road flares Two quarts of oil A gallon of antifreeze A first-aid kit. Find the rest of the list here We hope that this series has given you helpful safety insights and tips for driving in the rain! Remember that American Pride Automotive is always here to help and ready to answer any and all of your auto repair and maintenance questions! Call or contact us today.
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