Alternatives to playing Slug-Bug

I cannot remember for sure when I first heard of the game Slug-Bug. I only remember that it could get to be painful if you played it with the wrong person. Your arms could get sore quickly.

 Basically the game went like this.

Whenever you were riding in your family's car you and your opponent would look all around for Volkswagen Beetles. When you found one, you would yell "Slug Bug!" and then you would punch the person you were playing against in the arm. By the way, I was told more than once that the Volkswagen Beetle in question had to actually be in traffic, not just parked.

Like I said, it could get painful, depending on how observant and punchy your competition was. My wife has given up on playing this game with me, not because I punch too hard, but because she only sees a Beetle if it is next to us and honks. I get all the points. She gets all the slugs.

Recently, while playing Slug-Bug with our 13 year old, we came up with a variation on the game. Instead of looking for Volkswagens, we look for cyclists who are not wearing a helmet. Instead of yelling  "Slug-Bug!" we yelled "Dumbo!". The punch in the arm is still part of the game.

We also have a new rule that allows for extra points. If you see a parent riding with their child and the parent doesn't have a helmet on, then it's "Double Dumbo!" and that's 2 points.

It is much more interesting to play this game on your bike than in the car. Often when you see a helmetless cyclist while you are riding, they are close enough to hear you call "Dumbo!"  Even better if they ask why you called it.

In fairness to the flying elephant Dumbo (he would never ride a bike without a helmet) it might be better to call this game "Cement-Head!", but that just doesn't roll off the tongue the same way.

Have Fun!

Wear Your Helmet!

Smart Cycling, Inc.

Question of the Month

What is a role model and where do you find them?

I have been a coach for USA Cycling for about 25 years. During that time I have coached a lot of different athletes. Over that time I have coached a majority of Juniors, both boys and girls. There are a lot of things that make coaching Juniors a little more difficult task sometimes. There are the usual things that go along with learning a new sport, but when you are young you need a role model or two. These are the people who make you feel excited about the sport you are learning. Most of the time they are what we might call the stars of the sport. The people who have risen to the top of their sport.

The trouble is that sometimes the people we choose as role models can fall a bit short of our expectations. There achievements in sports are undermined by their lack of character. I can try to teach an athlete everything they need to succeed, but I am probably not the person that inspires any of them. That is where the role model takes over.

Over the years I have steered the Juniors I coach towards athletes that I consider to be great role models. These people don't just excel at their sport, but are really nice people as well. You see them on television, or in the pages of a cycling magazine. When I travel, I try to get autographs or pictures of the "heroes" for the Juniors. Unfortunately, the average Junior will never meet their role model in person. But once in a while they get the chance to meet one of their heroes.

Friday the 13th can be a day some people go through cautiously. However, November 13, 2009 will be a day a lot of Chicagoland Juniors will remember for the rest of their lives. That's the day they got to meet Christian Vande Velde.

Actually they didn't just meet Christian, but hung out and talked with him for about 90 minutes. There was food and drinks for everyone and a great atmosphere. They asked him a lot of questions about everything you could think of, got plenty of great advice, heard lots of personal stories, got his autograph and had their pictures taken with Christian. Not a bad way to cement a position as role model.

It wasn't just one sided either. Christian had wanted this to be a Juniors only event. Parents were welcome, but they sort of hung out at the back so the kids could be up front. I can see why he is a good father, because he likes talking to kids.