You are here: Home / Archives for Biking

Mountain Bike Training Myths

For many, mountain biking is a true passion and they want to do all they can to improve their skill on the trails. There are, however, several myths surrounding how one should go about getting better. There’s more to mountain biking than just practice. The following will debunk some of the more common myths around mountain bike training.

Improving your cardio is one of the primary myths surrounding getting better on the trails. It is certainly important, but being more efficient on the trail is going to help you more. Building up your strength and mobility in the gym will help you be more efficient on the trails, and work on your biking skills while off the trails. You’ll have less wasted energy as your body learns to move and respond better. Perfecting your technical skills should result in better speed and momentum on the trail. In the end you’ll be able to go faster while pedaling less often.

Riding your bike more often in order to improve is another common myth. Certainly you need to ride the trails in order to practice, but at some point you’re going to master the technical skills and max out your fitness level. Strength and conditioning in the gym is going to help you more at this point, than any extra time you spend on your bike. Working in the gym will not only improve your fitness level but will give you the extra strength and endurance needed to push yourself on the trails.

Getting a bike fit is another common myth to help your trail performance. Bike fits are essential for road cycling but less so for trails. The high level of skill required by mountain biking requires that your bike fit the demands of the trails, not your mobility or lack thereof. Again, strength and mobility training are going to do more for your trail work than any bike fit, especially if you want to progress.

Filed Under: Biking, Training Tagged With: , , , ,

Spinning – Indoor Road Cycling

Spinning is the cyclist’s choice of exercise when weather prohibits road cycling. It is also a great option for getting into shape for the upcoming cycling season. Spinning is a great cardiovascular workout that also increases muscular endurance; both of these are needed by road cyclists. Cyclist or not, spinning is very popular and is a great way to get a workout.

Spinning incorporates cycling with choreography and motivational coaching, all of which are designed to give you a terrific workout. This low impact is a great aerobic exercise. A good spinning class or program will use specialized spinning bikes that are stationary, and will involve a variety of speeds and movements to not only break up the workout but to ensure your muscles get worked hard. Coaches are there to encourage you to push yourself harder and faster, and to help you visualize the terrain through which you’re pedaling.

Spinners burn on average 500 calories per 40 minute segment. Each class should have five segments to it: warm up, endurance, strength followed by interval and racing. Your fitness level will improve as you move through each class and the five intervals. Spinning is great because it can be easily adapted to your fitness level; you can push yourself as hard as you like. Beginners take part in these classes alongside professional cyclists.

If you’re considering taking up road cycling as a serious hobby, spinning is the best place to begin. Before making an investment in costly bikes and performance clothing, try spinning and see if you really like cycling at top speeds. You don’t need fancy shoes or clothes and your bike is stationary. You can build up all the technique and endurance you’ll need so that when spring arrives you can put your wheels on the pavement and ride like the wind.

Filed Under: Biking Tagged With:

Getting the Right Bike for a Race

Competing in a triathlon is a grueling physical process. It’s also one of the most amazing physical accomplishments you’ll ever experience. There’s just something about competing in a triathlon that gives you the “high” you seek to compete harder, faster, and better. If you are getting ready to compete in a triathlon, then you’re going to need the right bike.

Some people may think that all bikes are created equal. That’s just not the case when it comes to triathlon bikes. The bike used in a triathlon is specially designed to help you be a strong athlete. Take a look at some of the differences you’ll find in a triathlon bike as compared to a normal bike.

1.Weight: A very big difference between a triathlon bike and a regular bike is the weight. These bikes are actually designed to be lighter so you can carry your bike when you need to. A heavy bike will slow down your performance.

2.Wheels: Yes, the wheels on a triathlon bike are different. Smaller wheels make the bike move faster, without you using more muscles. This is very important for conserving your strength for the running part of the race.

3.Aerodynamics: Any drag you can eliminate will help you race faster. A triathlon bike is built to resist drag, so you can go further faster. The elbow-rest style handlebars make a big difference with the aerodynamics. Also, placement of a water bottle on a bike can assist in aerodynamics and save you energy.

One of the absolute most important things to keep in mind with a tri-bike or any triathlon equipment is to make sure it fits your body correctly. On a road bike, most of your muscle strength is used to support your torso. With a tri-bike, the amount of muscles used to support the body is eliminated. This happens when you are properly fitted for a bike.

What kind of bike will you get for your triathlon?

Filed Under: Biking, Sports Tagged With: , ,

Downhill Tips for Road Racers

Going downhill on a bicycle isn’t as easy as it sounds like it should be. Certainly physically it is easier than going up hill, but many cyclists are afraid of the speed of going downhill and mistakes that are made at these top speeds can result in serious injuries.

When considering downhill sections of road races, you need to pay attention to the state of the road on these sections. Loose gravel, broken pavement, transitions from light areas to darker ones can all contribute to how well you navigate the downhill portions.

Also closely examine any turns that are on downhill sections. Consider if the turns are level or sloped, does one side of the road rise higher than the other. All these are important considerations.

When riding downhill, always keep your hands firmly on the lowest part of the handlebar. This will keep your center of gravity closest to the ground and your weight will be evenly distributed helping you maintain traction during turns and while braking.

Always stay relaxed and scan ahead while going downhill. Keeping your eyes on the bottom of the hill will help you keep a steady line all the way down, and staying relaxed will keep the tension out of your body allowing you to move more fluidly.

Don’t wait until the middle of a turn to brake, and when you do don’t ride the brakes. Begin to slow down prior to any turns, and remember to lean the bike rather than your body, into the turns. When exiting a turn, gently lift the bike back to a straight position.

Going downhill at top speed doesn’t have to be scary or dangerous. Just paying attention to the road, any turns and your technique will have you flying down hills and around turns just like the pros.

Filed Under: Biking, Sports Tagged With: ,

Cyclocross Racing 101

Cyclocross is a specialized form of bicycle racing with events held in the traditional off season for cycling. Held in the winter and fall, cyclocross races involve several laps around a small course comprised of pavement, turf, inclines, wooded trails and obstacles that require the rider to dismount, get over or under or around the barrier with their bike, and then continue on mounted.

Cyclocross may sound like a bizarre combination of rugged terrain hiking, cycling and mountain biking; that’s exactly what it is. This wild and crazy sport has, however, been around since the 1940’s and the first world championship for cyclocross was held in Paris a short ten years later.

More popular in Europe, it is nevertheless, catching on in North America. The bicycles are similar to road racing bikes; they are lightweight with skinny tires. They need to be light in order to be easily carried across obstacles. Riders are often forced to carry their bicycles on their shoulders or back as they struggle up steep, muddy slopes or across barriers.

Unlike other forms of cycle racing, cyclocross riders are allowed to change bikes in mid course. Their crew can clean and fix up one bike while the rider continues on the course with another.

Cyclocross riders may be a certain kind of crazy, but they’re also incredibly fit. Not only must they have top notch riding skills, but they must have the strength and endurance required of both mountain bikers and extreme hikers. These riders are also a rare breed; they’re tough, resilient and leave all excuses behind.

Cyclocross, an extreme form of cycling, is certainly not for everybody. For those who do love the sport, there is little else on their minds but winning and the next race. It separates the men from the boys in the world of cycling, and while few things compare to days long road bike competitions, cyclcocross is a different breed of cycling entirely.

Filed Under: Biking, Sports Tagged With: , , , ,

Custom Made Mountain Bikes

Andrew

Image by richardmasoner via Flickr

There are so many different makes and models of mountain bikes on the market, and the dizzying array of colors and styles and accessories can make choosing between them difficult. Traditionally, buying a mountain bike meant going to a bike shop and selecting from the myriad mass produced bikes. Enter the custom made mountain bike: for true mountain bike enthusiasts, a custom made bike is the only bike worth owning.

Mountain bikes that come off the production line are similar to one another, and the only real options for customization are few. A custom bike, however, can be made to exactly suit the demands of the owner as well as their body type. Custom bikes offer the ability for the buyer to select the components they want as well as fulfilling any specific tubing requirements they may have.

There are two different approaches to ordering a custom made mountain bike. Some builders will make a bike to the customer’s exact specifications while others will take measurements and ask a series of questions and then build a bike that the customer will hopefully like.

The downside to custom ordering a mountain bike is the time it takes for them to be built, and the price. It can take months from initial measurements until completion for a custom made mountain bike. And they are expensive; cheaper models might be around $4,500.00 but usually they are many hundreds more dollars based on specific customer requirements and specialized components.

Despite the price and lengthy wait, custom made mountain bikes are becoming increasingly popular. There is an entire trade show devoted to the art of custom made bikes. True mountain bike aficionados know that the only real mountain bike is one that has been tailor made to your specifications, and most of them are willing to pay for one.

Filed Under: Biking Tagged With:

Cycling Helmet Facts

Selev female cycling helmet.

Image via Wikipedia

Cycling is something that can be learned at a very early age, but even the youngest of riders should be encouraged to wear a properly fitting cycling helmet. Though a helmet won’t prevent an accident, they can certainly cut down on the chances of head injuries. The following are some facts about cycling helmets to help encourage you to wear one.

  • Cycling helmets greatly reduce the chance of serious head and brain injury, by up to 80 percent.
  • Adults wear cycling helmets more often then children. Look for cool helmet graphics to help encourage kids to wear them regularly. Children have by far many more accidents than adults; wearing helmets should be a mandatory part of cycling for children.
  • More than 90 percent of all cycling related deaths occurred with riders who were not wearing helmets.
  • Crashes with cars are often deadly, and accidents occur more often within one mile of the cyclist’s home. They occur most frequently in the early evening when the sunlight is low, on side streets and in intersections.
  • There are two types of helmet: multiple impact and high impact. Multiple impact helmets are designed for minor or low speed impacts whereas high impact helmets are designed to crush and absorb the force of a high speed impact. Always replace your helmet after any impact.
  • The proper fit of a cycling helmet is imperative to adequately protect the rider. It should be worn level on the head and always keep the straps snugly fastened.
  • Only purchase helmets that have an approval stamp from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Any others may not meet the commission’s high level of safety standards.

There is no doubt that wearing a helmet is not only the best way to protect yourself against injury while cycling, but it is also the smart thing to do. Always ensure children are wearing properly fitted cycling helmets as well.

Filed Under: Biking, Safety Tagged With: ,

Dog Encounters While Cycling

Dogs provide a real source of danger to cyclists, and encounters with dogs can often lead to injury and damage to the bike. Cyclists can often leave dogs eating their dust if the dog darts out from behind in hot pursuit, but if the dog is waiting to ambush you there’s little you may be able to do to prevent a collision.

If you crash as a result of an encounter with a dog, either from colliding with the dog directly or losing control and falling while trying to evade collision, the dog’s owner is liable for any damage to you or your bike. If, however, you intentionally or accidentally injure a dog then you can face potential damages.

A greater danger than crashing into the dog is an accident that comes as a result of trying to avoid the dog. If the cyclist is hurt due to a crash with a car while tying to avoid a dog, the question of who is liable becomes much more muddled. The safer option may well be to stop and encourage the owner to leash the dog.

If an owner fails to control their dog and you are bitten, the outcome depends on which state you’re in. Many states allow one bite before holding the owner liable, while others consider a bite to be as aggressive as snapping and lunging, all of which can result in legal action against the owner.

If the dog goes so far as to attack you, you are within your rights to defend yourself. You are allowed to defend yourself but not to retaliate; and keep your self-defense within reasonable limits.

Many people believe in using firm verbal commands to send the dog home, while others advocate stopping and keeping the bike between you and the dog. No matter how you deal with it, always report unleashed and aggressive dogs to the authorities.

Filed Under: Biking, Safety Tagged With: ,

Tips for Paceline Riding

A paceline is a popular formation for a group rides but all too often these formations become counter productive because cyclists are never taught the proper way to effectively ride a paceline. It doesn’t matter if you’re in double or single formation; the following are some tips to help you effectively ride a paceline.

Always keep the pace. The primary mistake made when a rider pulls to the front is that they want to show off by picking up the speed. The aim to a paceline is to keep everybody in formation. By taking a pull when out front you’re more likely to scatter the group rather than keep it together.

If you’re in the middle of the pack and you feel like you’re nearly on top of the rider ahead of you, rather than brake make a lighter stroke or two to adjust your speed. If you need to slow down, sit up and let the wind slow you down. Air braking is the safest way to slow down when in a group. If you do need to brake, then feather brake. Continue pedaling while gently squeezing the breaks.

Riding proactively will help keep you and your formation safe. Wanting to stare at the wheel in front of you is natural but unsafe. If the rider ahead has trouble you’ll have no time to adjust. Instead, keep your eyes ahead of the lead rider.

If you start to feel tired, wait a few turns before pulling again. Pull off and drifting to the back will signal the others that you need a few minutes to conserve your energy. This will benefit everybody by not having to slow down to accommodate your fatigue.

Riding a paceline is a great way to train and get a good workout. Following the above tips will help you be a productive member of the formation without creating mistakes and earning dirty looks from your fellow riders.

Filed Under: Biking, Safety Tagged With: , , , ,

The Health Benefits of Cycling

To anybody who has ridden a bicycle, the exercise benefits are easily apparent. What is less clear are the hidden health benefits that come as a result of being an active cyclist. You don’t need the latest and the greatest in cycling equipment to reap the health rewards, but being aware of all the benefits should certainly encourage you to keep on biking.

Cycling is a great low-impact workout for those who want a change of pace from the treadmill or stationary bike. Set aside for a moment the fact that a bicycle is a transportation device, and consider the muscles that benefit from a workout. Hips, buttocks, thighs and legs will all benefit from cycling. Muscles in these areas will become more defined as fat is quickly burned and replaced with lean muscle. While running might burn more calories, for those with joint pain or impact sensitivity, cycling is a viable option for burning fat and calories.

Using a bicycle in your workout regime can help you lower your blood pressure, lose weight and to reap the rewards that come from being fit and at a healthy weight. Cycling provides a good aerobic workout which increases the blood flow to and from your heart thereby increasing the health of your heart.

Cycling is also great at reducing stress and tension. A good cycling workout can help alleviate all the stresses of the day, especially if you use your bicycle for commuting to and from work.

While the health benefits of cycling are many, always be sure to include a good warm up and cool down when using your bike for a workout. Avoid injury by listening to your body and stopping when you get tired or sore. Always wear protective gear if biking outdoors and always be a safe and courteous biker.

Filed Under: Biking Tagged With: ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »