Because of our dependence on cars, cycling is not nearly as prevalent as it has been in the past. This is partially because of the inherent risks, but also because of our natural affinity to our cars. It doesn’t matter what reason you ride, there is a certain beauty to getting out to ride. If you are looking for an excuse, here are 4 ways to to enjoy riding your bike.

• Commuting
  Whether you are commuting to work, the store, school or wherever, bicycle commuting can be a great way (or excuse) to get out and ride. Because you have to commute to where you are going anyway, you don’t have to make any ’special time’ to ride your bike. Build in a few extra minutes and take your bike. You’ll find that you appreciate the extra scenery and experiences that you come across along the way.
• Cross Country (Mountain Biking, Trail Riding, etc.)
  If you’ve never been out on a trail, now is the time. Although “Mountain Biking” is often seen as hard or challenging, it is really just as difficult as you want it to be. With a little searching, you can find a trail of any difficulty near you. Riding amongst the trees is not only great exercise, but also a great escape.
• Cyclocross
  Cyclocross is perhaps one of the most vigorous, dynamic and challenging forms of cycling. It combines a short course with various obstacles, terrains and challenges that will require you to dismount, carry your bike, and remount on the other side. Be prepared to be exhausted, and covered in mud.
• Riding the Road
  When you think of cycling, you probably thing of the typical road rider: Helmet, Spandex Shorts and a Jersey. While this uniform can make your ride more productive and comfortable, it’s not for everyone. If you’re not comfortable in this type of garb, by all means wear what you’re most comfortable in. The important thing is to go out and ride. Go on a family bike ride, a midnight bike ride, or a leisurely ride through town.

How do you like to ride? Let us know in the comments!

Related posts:

1. 6 Easy Ways to Stay in Shape During the Off-Season
2. How Can We Make Cycling Safer For Everyone?

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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!

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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:

1. Studded Tires – For great traction in the snow, break out a set of studded bicycle tires like the Continental Spike Claw Studded Mountain Bike Tire. They keep you stuck to the road and can even be quite fun.
2. Bundle Up – But not too much! It may take a few tries, but remember that after a few minutes in the saddle it could get quite hot.
3. Ride a Trainer – I know, this isn’t exactly the same as riding in the snow. However, it’s a great way to stay in the saddle. If you want to pretend you’re outside in the snow, you could even ride facing a window…
4. Get a Ski Bike – I’ve honestly never ridden one of these, but they look like a blast! Get a snow bike or modify one of your old bikes with some skis. Or, if you live in a place that gets regular snowfall, most ski resorts have them for evening fun on the slopes.

Don’t forget: Stay warm! Stay safe! Have fun!

Do you ride in the snow? Have any good stories? Let us know in the comments!

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1. 5 Reasons You Should Ditch Your Car and Ride a Bike

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.

Click here to check them out

Let us know what you think of Baufl.org in the comments!

Have a sticker? Show us a picture of it!

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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?

1. Take a Spinning Class

Lots of local gyms offer spinning classes, and they’re usually fairly inexpensive. This is a perfect way to keep riding, using all of your muscles and meeting people who love to ride.

2. Take up an Indoor Sport

Playing racquetball, joining an indoor soccer league, or just finding an indoor basketball court are great ways to stay in shape. Not only do you get a cardio workout, you also have fun while doing it. In my opinion, any workout you do should be fun.

3. Use a Trainer

Not too hip on going to a spinning class? Would you rather stay at home? Get a trainer! They can be found for all price ranges (though keep in mind – you get what you pay for). Now you can watch movies while you ride! Just don’t ride into the TV. . .

4. Try FitDeck

If you haven’t tried FitDeck, you really should. Inspired by the workouts done by the Navy Seals, FitDeck gives you a completely new workout every time. Here’s how it works: You have a deck of cards, and several sets of rules. You choose a framework, and then flip over the cards. Your workout is random and different every time. Available decks include: Bodyweight, Pilates, Yoga, Stretch, Prenatal, Postnatal, Travel, Office, Combat Sports, Firefighter, Navy Seal and many more. It’s definitely worth a look.

5. Yoga

What better way to relax and work out indoors than Yoga? Stretch and put your mind at ease during the cold winter months. This is also the perfect time to build Yoga into a habit to continue year-round.

6. Suck it Up and Ride

Want to stay in shape when the weather’s bad? Quit whining and ride anyway! There are plenty of products to help keep you comfortable during cold, wet rides. Just make sure you stay safe.

These are just a few of the ways I stay in shape when you can’t get out and ride. That being said, there’s absolutely no excuse to do nothing!

How do you stay in shape during the off-season? Let us know in the comments!

Related posts:

1. Stop Lagging Behind | 6 Easy Ways to Increase your Cycling Speed

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.

Here’s the rundown:

Garmin Edge 205

For the most basic of GPS monitoring, the Garmin Edge 205 measures your speed, distance, time, calories burned and altitude. It displays this data in real time on its screen as well as storing it for later review.

Garmin Edge 205

Features:

• Easy to install – Snap to your ride and go.
• High-sensitivity GPS receiver tracks your position even in tree cover and canyons, making it extremely reliable for distance and speed information.
• Virtual Partner – Create a virtual partner to race against
• Set courses to easily race against your previous workouts
• Auto Pause – pauses the timer when you slow down or stop and resumes when you speed up again, so you can focus on your ride, not on starting and stopping your GPS.
• Auto Lap – Automatically start timing on a new lap when you pass a certain location

Pros: Easy to use, basic functionality, Virtual Partners, Laps
Cons: No directions, on-screen maps
Who’s It For? All cyclists looking to up their training. This unit is especially perfect for a beginner
How Much? $170 new at Amazon

Garmin Edge 305

The Edge 305 isn’t that different from the 205, honestly. The biggest difference between the two is that the 305 comes with a wireless heart monitor and cadence sensor, which are invaluable for any serious training attempts.

Garmin Edge 305

Features:

• Easy to install – Snap to your ride and go.
• High-sensitivity GPS receiver tracks your position even in tree cover and canyons, making it extremely reliable for distance and speed information.
• Virtual Partner – Create a virtual partner to race against
• Set courses to easily race against your previous workouts
• Auto Pause – pauses the timer when you slow down or stop and resumes when you speed up again, so you can focus on your ride, not on starting and stopping your GPS.
• Auto Lap – Automatically start timing on a new lap when you pass a certain location
• Heart Rate Monitor – Keep track of your heart rate and export this data for analysis
• Cadence Monitor – Monitor your cadence with the self-calibrating cadence sensor

Pros: Heart and Cadence monitoring, Easy Install, Benchmarking
Cons: No Maps, Routing
Who’s It For? Serious cyclists and anyone looking to take their training to the next level.
How Much? $258.97 New at Amazon

Garmin Edge 605

The Garmin Edge 605 combines the computer data and tracking with advanced mapping and navigational capabilities. You don’t have to worry about where you’re at, when you can rely on the included base maps and additional maps to guide you. The screen is easy to read in sunlight, and the unit rugged. You can even add topographical maps for off-road riding.

Garmin Edge 605

Features:

• Easy to install – Snap to your ride and go.
• High-sensitivity GPS receiver tracks your position even in tree cover and canyons, making it extremely reliable for distance and speed information.
• Virtual Partner – Create a virtual partner to race against
• Set courses to easily race against your previous workouts
• Auto Pause – pauses the timer when you slow down or stop and resumes when you speed up again, so you can focus on your ride, not on starting and stopping your GPS.
• Auto Lap – Automatically start timing on a new lap when you pass a certain location
• Heart Rate Monitor – Keep track of your heart rate and export this data for analysis
• Cadence Monitor – Monitor your cadence with the self-calibrating cadence sensor
• Advanced Mapping Capabilities
• Turn-By-Turn Directions

Pros: Turn-By-Turn Directions, Easy to Use, Advanced Mapping
Cons: May be too feature intense for some riders
Who’s It For? Commuters, Day-Riders and Tourers. This GPS is perfect for anyone going on extended trips or riding in unknown territory.
How Much? $349 New at Amazon (Doesn’t include HR and Cadence Monitors)

Garmin Edge 705

The Garmin Edge 705, like the 605, measures your speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent, and records this data for your review. Where it differs, is that it also includes a barometric altimeter to give the most accurate elevation readings. This unit is by far the most robust, giving you access to the most accurate ride-data available. You can also share this information wirelessly with other 705 users.

Garmin Edge 705

Features:

• Easy to install – Snap to your ride and go.
• High-sensitivity GPS receiver tracks your position even in tree cover and canyons, making it extremely reliable for distance and speed information.
• Virtual Partner – Create a virtual partner to race against
• Set courses to easily race against your previous workouts
• Auto Pause – pauses the timer when you slow down or stop and resumes when you speed up again, so you can focus on your ride, not on starting and stopping your GPS.
• Auto Lap – Automatically start timing on a new lap when you pass a certain location
• Heart Rate Monitor – Keep track of your heart rate and export this data for analysis
• Cadence Monitor – Monitor your cadence with the self-calibrating cadence sensor
• Advanced Mapping Capabilities
• Turn-By-Turn Directions
• Accurate Elevation Change Readings with Barometric Altimeter
• Share Ride Info Wirelessly
• See Your Power Output with ANT+ Power Meters

Pros: High Accuracy, Robust Features
Cons: High Price, but you get what you pay for.
Who’s It For? This unit is definitely for serious riders. It’s perfect for race training and its rich features make it perfect for long rides and tours.
How Much? $479.95 New at Amazon

Well that’s the rundown. Did I leave anything out? Let me know!

Which GPS do you use on your rides? We’d love to hear in the comments.

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1. Riding the Road: What to Bring on Your Ride

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:

by Team Traveller

Using the Wrong Gears
Although gearing may seem like it’s mostly common sense, it’s more a less a mystery to most beginner cyclists. In fact, i’d say it’s safe to say that there are a lot of beginning and intermediate cyclists out there who still don’t use the correct gears at the correct times.

Here’s a quick rule of thumb: Keep pedaling as easy as possible. If it’s easy to pedal, you conserve energy by not using up your valuable fast-twitch muscles. Don’t worry about losing speed. You’ll find that as you increase your cadence that your speed becomes more consistent, while your endurance goes up.

Riding Against Traffic
This is perhaps one of the most dangerous (deadly) of beginner mistakes. When you are on a bicycle, you are a vehicle as well. You take up more room than a runner, and are meant to flow with traffic not against it.

Take your lane! Be visible!

Saddle Too Low
Your saddle should be high enough that your legs are nearly fully extended at the bottom of your pedal stroke. It may seem like it is more comfortable, but having your saddle too low greatly decreases your pedal efficiency.

Raise your saddle to take advantage of the full power your legs have to offer. This will noticeably decrease your fatigue and increase your endurance.

No Lights at Night
Although many would have you believe that reflectors can provide adequate visibility at night, they’re wrong. In fact, I prefer to ride with lights even during the day. Why?

Plain and simple: visibility. You have to be visible for cars to see you. Lights are needed for this, especially at night. Don’t take it for granted that they’ll just notice you, because chances are they won’t. It’s your responsibility to make sure they do.

Not Enough Water
You need a lot of water when you’re cycling, especially on long rides. Don’t get caught out 15 miles from home with no water! Riding dehydrated is not only dangerous, but very uncomfortable.

There are plenty of other mistakes that are easy to make, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Part of doing something includes making all the mistakes necessary to learn. I’m a firm believer, in fact, that making mistakes is the best way to learn.

What are some of the mistakes you see others (or yourself) make? Let us know in the comments!

Related posts:

1. Riding the Road: Simple Rules and Common Sense
2. Stop Lagging Behind | 6 Easy Ways to Increase your Cycling Speed
3. How Can We Make Cycling Safer For Everyone?

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.

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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. . .

Everyone followed a few simple rules and common sense
This could go a long way. Simple traffic rules, safety conventions and common  sense actions could help bridge the gap between driver and rider, which could enable them to finally “share the road”.

Everyone paid more attention
Distracted driving is definitely an issue. Some of the closest calls I’ve been in have been because of distracted drivers. Whether they’re on their cell phones, texting, or just flat out not paying attention, distracted driving endangers everyone.

Everyone was more visible
This is along the lines of simple rules and common sense, but it is an important one. Ride with traffic, not against it. Wear visible colors, switch your reflectors out for lights, USE lights (especially when it’s dark or dusky), and stay in the lane. Most bicycle accidents happen to cyclists who started out on the sidewalk. Why? Because people in cars don’t pay attention to the sidewalk. When you make the transfer to the road, or to cross a street, you’re much less visible on the sidewalk than if you were in the road to begin with.

Everyone was more aware
As is often the case, ignorance is a huge part of the problem. People don’t realize that cyclists have their place on the road. Cyclists aren’t aware of correct etiquette (signaling, positioning, etc), and drivers aren’t aware enough to look for the signals. Ignorance is the issue, and education is the solution.

Have you had some close calls? Share them with us in the comments.
Do you have more ideas to help create cycle friendly streets? Share those too.

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(photo by faster panda kill kill)

Related posts:

1. Riding the Road: Simple Rules and Common Sense
2. 5 Reasons You Should Ditch Your Car and Ride a Bike
3. Riding the Road: What to Bring on Your Ride

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

Bicycle Diaries chronicles the fascination of former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne as he cycles across the world. In the book he gives insight and thought about places such as Sydney, Australia; Manila, Philippines; San Francisco; and New York. He shares his thoughts on the good sides and bad sides of bicycle transportation as well as everything from urban planning to art. His love of cycling stems from the freedom you feel and have on two wheels, which has caused him to become very active in bicycle advocacy in recent years.

The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling: Build the Strength, Skills, and Confidence to Ride as Far as You Want by Edmund R. Burke

I warned that not all of these were as care free as I would have you think in the first paragraph. This is the only one, however, so don’t stop here.

As its name suggests, The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling: Build the Strength, Skills, and Confidence to Ride as Far as You Want by Edmund R. Burke is a comprehensive guide put together by two of the country’s top cycling experts. Learn how to achieve the strength, skill, and strategy you need to bike long distance. Discover how to cycle efficiently, choose the right gear, and train for a ride of any length.

The Rider by Tim Krabbe

The Rider delivers a single bicycle race, kilometer by kilometer. The book bares the sport to its essential, causing you to feel like you are actually a part of the race. As far as the book is concerned, it is the race.

Cycling’s Greatest Misadventures by Erich Schweikher

Twenty-seven true stories. In this book both pros and amateurs share freak accidents, animal attacks, sabotage, idiotic decisions, eerie or unexplained incidents, and other strange occurrences. Check out the wild, unpredictable side of cycling in this book. You won’t be disappointed.

The Art of Cycling: A Guide to Bicycling in 21st-Century America by Robert Hurst

Robert Hurst covers everything there is about riding a bike on America’s modern streets. His piece-by-piece account of cycling will make you want to ditch your car. His practical tips and insights share not only safety, but how-to and cultural interpretation. See the big picture of riding in America.

These are just 5 of the many books out there. What are some of your favorites?

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Follow me on Twitter @diycycling

Related posts:

1. Would You Live in a Bicycle City?
2. Riding the Road: What to Bring on Your Ride
3. How Can We Make Cycling Safer For Everyone?