September will always exist as the month of back to school for me, even though I've been out of school for, dare I say it, over two decades. Do you remember how those first few weeks of school were always a review of the basics? Well, for this article, we are going to review the basics of health and wellness. Hopefully, you'll put this information to good use. Even though it's not officially the start of a new year, it is the start of the school year and we can always learn something by going back to the basics.

Number one basic is to eat a well-balanced diet. Food is fuel for the body. The body uses calories, energy, from the foods we eat in order to function. Our body is designed to use proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water for specific functions. When the body isn't fed enough calories, it will draw from our reserves, such as muscle tissue. When the body is fed too many calories, it will store the excess as fat tissue.

September announces the coming of fall and winter; with the change in the seasons, it's not a bad idea to do a little minor maintenance/upgrades to your bike to keep it in working order as the fall makes the leap into the rainy weather. With a little bit of foresight and planning, you can ride your steed through the rainy months! The following are a (not exhaustive) list of considerations as the seasons change.

For your bike
Install your fenders. These keep mud, water and road grime from flying up your back as you ride. Don't have fenders? Bike shops are great resources for after-market items such as fenders.
If you ride on knobby tires, you might want to change to wide slick tires or those with an inverted tread, so that you ride with more rubber on the asphalt.
Change up your chain lube. Use a thicker type for wet weather riding. Clean and lube your chain and any exposed cables. Use a lighter lube for derailleur and brake pivots, anyplace where metal touches metal. Tip: When using the lube or oil, don't let it drip (you're using too much if it does). And, for the love of all that is good, don't get it on your brakes, pads or wheel rims.

You can find Cycle California! at 740 locations in Northern California and Northern Nevada. Click on the "Get the mag" link above to find out where. Or, click on the image of the magazine cover above to read this month's issue!

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