Stop Lagging Behind | 6 Easy Ways to Increase your Cycling Speed
by Frank on February 5, 2010
in Uncategorized
by johnthescone
To some, speed seems to come easy as they pedal by. For most of us, however, speed is something we work hard for, grasping on to every bit of help that we can get.
How do they do it? Do they have better equipment? Is there some sort of magical formula to flying past your fellow cyclists?
Not really. But, there are a few things that you can do to help yourself out. Here are six:
- Work Your Core – Put together a core routine, but don’t just stick to sit-ups and crunches! Try something new. Try some cross-fit, running, and weight-lifting. FitDeck has a great Core Blast Workout deck that will keep your body guessing with a different workout each time. You’ll be shocked at how much a stronger core will help your speed.
- Interval Training – Interval training helps you to increase your power output for a longer period of time. By mixing in an interval workout with your standard ride, you increase both your endurance and the power level you can maintain during your ride.
- Bike Fit - A good bike fit is essential not only to your speed, but to your overall health and safety. If you don’t know anything about bike fit there are many websites out there that will give you an overview of what you need to know. Your best bet, however, is to visit your local bike shop. They fit bikes every day and know exactly what to look for.
- Hills – Find a hill that’s a challenge, but not one that you can’t overcome. The ideal hill will be one that you can climb gradually at a steady pace. Once you find this hill, climb it repeatedly, upgrade when necessary and repeat.
- Cadence – Cycling Cadence is the rate at which you are pedaling, or RPM. There is not enough time to go into detail here, but the ideal RPM for each rider is different. What you want to do is find a balance between resistance and RPM. Find a pedal rate that’s fast, but not too fast, with just a little resistance. And stay there. You’ll find that not only your speed will rise, but also your endurance.
- Don’t Give Up – Every time you throw in the towel because you think you’ll never get faster, you lose valuable ground. Be persistent, build your base, and you will get to where you want to be.
All of these tips are helpful. What is most important, however, is perseverance and discipline. Be Strong, Ride Often and Keep a Good Ride Log and you can’t go wrong.
How do you increase your speed?
Let us know in the comments!
Stop Whining and Ride in the Snow | 4 Tips for Snow Cycling
by Frank on January 30, 2010
in Uncategorized
Photo by Shoupiest
I’ve heard it a thousand times: “I’d love to get out and ride, but it’s snowy outside!” Honestly, I’m just as guilty as the next person.
Now, as significant snowfall descends on Oklahoma for the second time this winter (unheard of!), I’ve decided that it’s time to stop whining and get out on the snow. For inspiration, I used an acquaintance who commutes by bike year round, regardless of snow or ice.
Here are a few tips to get you out on the snow:
Read more..
Bicycles Allowed Use of Full Lane – or BAUFL for Short
by Frank on December 19, 2009
in Uncategorized
Tuesday, December 15th marked a great day for the future of cycling. And what happened on this seemingly normal Tuesday? Our friends at BAUFL launched their million car challenge.
Here’s the rundown:
Any cyclist knows that the most dangerous part of cycling is fending for road space. We face angry drivers, distracted drivers and any number of people trying to prove a point or teach cyclists a lesson.
Where better to remind them of our right to share the road than right in their face?
The goal of the Million Car Challenge is to get a million cars with the sticker you see above. By doing this, hopefully the roads will become safer for everybody. And maybe we’ll even get some more cyclists out there.
So, check out the site, get a sticker and ride safely!
Where do you buy stickers? You’re in luck.
The stickers come in two pieces so you can configure them either horizontally or vertically.
Let us know what you think of Baufl.org in the comments!
Have a sticker? Show us a picture of it!
6 Easy Ways to Stay in Shape During the Off-Season
by Frank on November 29, 2009
in Off-Season, Training
How many of you keep riding throughout the winter months? An honest answer please.
For most of us snow, ice, rain and the cold are just enough to keep us out of the saddle for a few months. Without fail, we find ourselves grumbling once we actually step back on.
How do you stay in cycling shape throughout the winter then?
Choosing a Cycling GPS
By Henrik Moltke
The entrance and explosion of personal GPS units has changed the way we navigate the world. Do you own one? Have you used one. Chances are you’ve at least seen one.
What, then, does this mean for athletes? What does it mean for cyclists?
Here’s what it means: Enhancement. Sport GPS units provide athletes with the opportunity for better benchmarking, tracking and enhancement. Using them adds flexibility and possibility to your cycling workout that you never had before. You can track elevation changes, speed, routes, cadence, heartrate and tons of other variables that can affect your training.
Which one, then, should you use?
This is an important question to answer, as there are many units available. Each unit offers different features making them better for different types of cyclists. I’ll give the most popular units an overview to help you determine which GPS is right for you.
5 Common Cycling Mistakes You Should Avoid
by Frank on October 31, 2009
in Basics, Riding the Road, Safety
As with everything we do, cycling too has its learning curve.
If you’re new to cycling, you may wonder about the things you should and should not be doing. To be truthful, most of these things will just have to be learned out on the road. A lot of them, however, can be avoided by riding with more experienced cyclists or reading about cycling.
In that vein, here are 5 common “mistakes” to look out for: Read more..
The Simplicity of Cycling
Just You and the Road
photo by Noize Photography
One of the things I love about cycling is its simplicity.
Sure, there are some concerns you have to take into account. They are, however, mostly secondary.
Cycling gives you a chance to unwind, a chance to actually take in your surroundings. It is only as demanding as you want it to be.
It doesn’t matter what kind of gear you have. It doesn’t matter what kind of bike you ride.
Do you ride a road bike? Good. A mountain bike? Good. Do you have a utility bike? Good.
Cheap, expensive, new, old. It doesn’t matter.
What matters, is that you’re out riding and for a brief moment in time, it’s just you and the road.
How Can We Make Cycling Safer For Everyone?
by Frank on October 25, 2009
in Riding the Road, Safety, lifestyle
I very often go cycling by myself, or with a small group. I also bike very frequently pulling my son in a trailer, and this always brings my most safety-conscious self to the forefront. I find myself thinking “what is this car going to do?” “are they going to see us?”
Bicycle Safety
That being said, the trailer actually makes me more visible, and I have had very few bad experiences. I have, however, had a few close calls that made me think twice.
I think that it’s safe to say that many more people would ride if they thought riding a bike was safer. How, then, can we make cycling safer for everyone? How can we do away with the machismo attitude that claims that cars own the road? Here are just a few thoughts:
Our streets would be more bicycle friendly if. . .
5 Cycling Books That Aren’t Just Training and Maintenance
It’s a fact: for all intensive purposes, books on cycling can be boring.
You’re constantly bombarded with fitness and training advice. The others are all about maintenance.
While these things are important, it’s sometimes good to step away from the technicalities and enjoy a book about cycling as much as we enjoy cycling itself.
(disclaimer: at least one of these books fits the fitness/maintenance category. . )
Here are 5 picks:
Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne
12 Bicycle Photos You Just Can’t Miss
Maybe you ride every day, or maybe you haven’t ridden years. Do you ride with your kids, competitively, for fun? Everybody rides for different reasons, which only lends beauty to cycling.
Take a moment and remember the times you’ve ridden; remember the people you’ve ridden with; motivate yourself to ride more or ride again. Let these photos remind and reinforce the beauty in cycling.
Enjoy.
Bicycle Punk
