AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO OVERCOMING 6 BEGINNER MISTAKES
Cycling is gloriously simple – that’s why five years olds can learn to ride a bike. But cycling is also fabulously complicated. There are hundreds of minor details, from the right clothing and body position to the proper tire pressure and seat height, that can make your ride smoother, safer, more comfortable, less painful and, best of all, more fun. The trouble is that most just beyond basic knowledge is either passed down in whispered advice from experienced cyclists, or is left to be learned in the school of hard knocks. Here are solutions to six all too common blunders. Pass them on to your favorite newbie rider, or consider them your secret handshake – and a welcome to the club
1. OOPS: You have a panty line AHA! Bike shorts should come with a flashing tag that says, ” Do not wear underpants.” The extra layer of fabric can cause chafing and irritation, and also trap enough moisture to fuel a bacterial wildfire. Do yourself a favor and go commando. Bike shorts are designed to be in direct contact with your skin, and the wicking fabrics pull away excess moisture to keep things cozy. Similar no-nos: cotton T-shirts (no wicking, no pockets, no zippers, no good) and white athletics socks (no wicking, can cause blisters)
2. OOPS: Your seat looks awfully low AHA! On most bikes, you can’t stay in the saddle and have your feet flat on the ground. (There are some notable exceptions – Electra cruisers, recumbents, etc. – but only because their long, slack geometries allow proper leg extensions from a low slung saddle.) Sure, it’s possible to lower your seat so your perch feels less precarious, but it’s a slippery slope. With a lower position, you don’t get enough leg extension, which can lead to knee injuries and quad cramps. Correct saddle height allows for proper leg extension with a slight bend in the knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
3. OOPS: Your helmet straps are dangling AHA! Next time you strap on your helmet, do this test: Grab your lid with both hands, and try to move it back and forth on your noggin. Don’t be gentle. If the helmet moves more than an inch in any direction, tighten the straps. Why? A helmet protects your head only if it stays put during a crash. A loose fitting helmet can lead to injury if it’s pushed over your face when you hit the ground or if it bounces down and covers your eyes on a technical descent.
4. OOPS: You haven’t moved your upper body since the ride began AHA! Obvious tension is the hallmark of a beginner. Every cyclist fears scary terrain now and again, but experienced bikers know that riding with locked elbows and a white knuckle grip on the bar transforms your body into a block of wood, and blocks of wood cannot use body English the subtle shifts, leans and hitches that keep you in control when things get hairy. Stay loose and avoid a stiff back by varying hand position, wiggling your fingers, taking deep breaths and relaxing your shoulders.
5. OOPS: You continue to lock up your rear wheel when braking AHA! The problem here isn’t with the back wheel. The front brake is the issue. Or, rather, a fear of it. The majority of your stopping power comes from the front brake – just shift your weight back when you give the front lever a squeeze. Remember: You scrub speed with your rear brake, but you stop with your front.
6. OOPS: You’re getting frustrated, and it’s holding you back AHA! Trying something new takes guts. Bad days happen to everybody. You won’t always stay with the group on the climbs, or clear every obstacle on the trail. And that’s okay – as long as you don’t complain and give up. Instead, congratulate your riding buddy on a climb well done, or for the spectacular move the new fallen tree. Ask for advice, then vow to try again next time. Maybe you’ll make it, and maybe you won’t. The fun is in the attempt.
“People see a flat and think, Oh, it’ll be cake, but if you’re not conditioned for it, cycling on endless flat roads can be monotonous and demoralizing,” says elite level cycling coach Andy Applegate of a2coaching in Asheville, North Carolina. Here’s how to keep your strength (and spirits) up when the road is long and level.
TRAIN ON THE EDGE. On long endurance training rides, aim for 50 percent of your effort being easy and 50 percent being at the upper end of your aerobic zone – just hard enough that you need to concentrate to keep from drifting back into easy, says Applegate. “This drill will help you stay fast on the flats.”
PEDAL NONSTOP. When training on undulating terrain, avoid coasting on slight declines. “Keeping the pedals turning will train your legs to match the effort needed to cruise on flat roads,” he says.
SWITCH GEARS. When on a long, flat stretch, periodically click up and then down a gear. The variation in cadence will keep your legs feeling fresher.
CHANGE POSITION. Keep your supporting muscles from getting sore by shifting your weight, riding the hoods and the drops or by standing up and stretching.
WORK THE WIND. Head wind is your enemy. Resist the temptation to shift into a big gear to gain power and speed. “You’ll wear yourself out,” says Applegate. Instead gear down, spin fast and enjoy the ride.
TODAY AFTER TWO CRITS IN A POURING DOWN RAIN I USED MY NEW SKINSUIT ,ARM WARMERS AND KNEE WARMERS ,WENT HOME AND WASH THEM IN THE WASHING MACHINE, JUST LIKE MAGIC ,BAM !! THEY WERE CLEAN AS NEW …..
Rainy Weather: My Observations from last Saturday.
Wear bright yellow or orange to be visible to motorists.
Put a visor or cap under your helmet to keep rain out of your eyes.
Keep your frame waxed (liquid furniture polish) and your drive train well lubricated.
Use wide, slightly under-inflated tires to increase contact with the road.
Don’t ride through a puddle if you can avoid it. It’s not uncommon to find a gaping hole under the water.
Cross railroad tracks near the side of the road. It’s less worn there than in the center. Always cross with your wheels perpendicular to the rails, and be extremely careful if they’re wet.
When you’re braking in the rain or anytime your rims are wet, remember that the first few wheel revolutions will only dry the rim and pads, so allow yourself at least 25 percent more stopping distance. Once dry, the brakes may suddenly take hold. Be ready to loosen your grip on the levers as soon as you feel the grab, or you would skid. Ouch.
The key to making it safely through unexpected patches of sand or gravel or a puddle is to stay relaxed. Resist the temptation to jam on the brakes, and give the bike enough freedom to drift in the direction it wants. Or, better yet avoid it.
If forced from the road onto a soft shoulder, react instantly by sliding back on the saddle, reducing your cadence, and maintaining a firm yet sensitive grip on the handlebar. Continue on the shoulder until you find a safe and convenient “on-ramp” back to the pavement.
Reduce your need to brake on descents by sitting up to let your body catch the wind. This can take 5-10 MPH off your speed.
During long descents on wet roads, maintain slight brake pad contact with the rims to keep them free of excess water and allow quicker stopping.
When descending, your bike will be more stable if your are pedaling, not just coasting. Always descend in high gear to retain the ability to accelerate if the situation calls for it.
Don’t ride the brakes on a long descent. Doing so will heat the rims and could cause a tire to blow off. Instead, apply the brakes briefly and firmly to slow your speed, then coast until you want to slow again. This way the rims and brake pads will cool between applications.
To stop front-end shimmy when descending, accelerate or decelerate from the point where it occurs. It also helps to lean forward, putting more weight on the front wheel, and to clamp the top tube between your knees.
When you end your rainy day ride, immediately wipe your bike down with a towel, then lubricate the chain and use a water-dispersing spray, such as WD-40, on all cables, housings, and the pivot points of the brake and gear systems.
Always, bring a change of clothes with you. You need to get out of your cycling clothing as soon as possible. It increases comfort as you cool down, yet allows your mind and body to relax in any environment you chose after a challenging day’s ride.
SHOES:
Don’t dry soaked shoes near a heat source, it may cause them to shrink or become brittle. Instead, remove the insoles and stuff the shoes with crumpled newspaper, changing it after a couple of hours.
BURNING CALORIES:
If you’re interested in losing a few pounds, schedule your rides for midday. Not only will you burn calories, but the exercise will also suppress your appetite, letting you be satisfied with an apple or a cup of low-fat yogurt for lunch.
To estimate the number of calories burned while cycling, use this formula: a 150 pound adult riding at 15 MPH burn 12 calories per a minute. For each 15 pounds above 150, add 1.2 calories per minute. For each 15 pounds under 150, subtract 1.2 calories per minute.
I HOPE THIS INFORMATION WILL MOTIVATE YOU TO RIDE AND TO RIDE OFTEN.
When it comes to training, LT is the new max heart rate. Understand it, find where yours is, then raise it for better performance.
Lactate threshold is the glass ceiling of cycling performance-it’s an invisible barrier that keeps you down. When you do crack through, the rewards are sweet.
“For the longest time, everyone focused his or her training around max heart rate,” says USA Cycling expert coach Margaret Kadlick. “Now we know lactate threshold is much more important. When you raise your LT, you can produce more power at a comfortable heart rate, and that makes you a better rider and racer in every situation.” Here’s everything you need to know about lactate threshold-including how to raise yours to be the best rider you can be.
What is lactate threshold?
Lactate, your body’s buffering agent, neutralizes the acid that builds up in your legs and makes them burn during heavy exertion. The harder you turn the cranks, the faster acid accumulates. Eventually, your muscles generate more acid than you can neutralize and your searing muscles force you to ease up. The point at which you begin to accumulate acid more quickly than you can dissipate it is your LT, or, in riding terms, the fastest pace you can maintain for 30 minutes without feeling like your legs are on fire.
How to find your LT?
Most likely, you won’t find yourself hangin’ with the pros in a lab, where they pedal against ever-increasing resistance while technicians take blood samples to measure the increasing lactate levels. But you can find your LT with a do-it-yourself time trial.
Map a 3-mile route that you can ride without stopping. Strap on a heart rate monitor, warm up for 20 minutes, then ride the route at the fastest pace you can sustain. Recover for 10-20 minutes (ride back to the start of your route at an easy pace). Repeat the test. Your LT is approximately the average heart rate of the two efforts. (More accurately, it’s 103 percent of that figure.) Jot down your times and average paces, repeat the test in eight weeks to see your progress.
How to raise your LT?
Like most things body-related, LT is partially genetic. But, it’s also quite trainable. By systematically pushing your limits, you can help your body become more efficient at clearing and buffering lactic acid.
The trick is riding that razor-thin edge between the point where you can ride comfortably for hours and where you can sustain only a few minutes before frying. “It’s important that you have plenty of base miles and some speed work under your belt before you start LT training,” says Kadlick. The bigger your aerobic engine when you begin, the better your results will be. The following drills are designed to raise your LT. Choose one drill per workout, and do LT training no more than two days a week, preferably not on consecutive days.
Steady State Intervals. After a good warm-up, ride 10 minutes at a steady effort, keeping your heart rate three to five beats below your LT heart rate. Recover for 10 minutes, then repeat two more times. “Once you’re comfortable at this level, do two 20 minute steady state efforts, recovering for 20 minutes between. Eventually, work up to one 30 minute effort,” suggest Kadlick. “This is the most effective way to increase power at LT.”
Up and Down Intervals. These intervals blend LT and VO2 max (your body’s ability to process oxygen) training to stimulate the effort you need when racing on a hilly course, where you have to push beyond you lactate threshold for short surges then clear the acid and recover quickly. First, warm up. Then pick up the pace to your LT heart rate and hold that intensity for five minutes. Push it to about three to five beats above LT for one to two minutes, then drop it back down to LT. Continue for a total of three cycles, or about 18 to 20 minutes.
LT Tolerance Intervals. Crit and Mountain bike racers need to elevate their ST (suffering threshold) as well as their LT, because those situations demand pushing past LT and holding it there for extended bursts over and over. By training at an intensity where your body can’t clear the lactate, you’ll boost your ability to keep riding hard in the face of high lactate levels. After a through warm-up, increase your effort to about five beats above you LT heart rate. Hold it there for two to three minutes. Reduce your effort for 60 to 90 seconds just long enough so you feel partially recovered, but not quite ready to go again. Repeat three times.
Welcome to the science of riding. Together we will farther and faster than we did yesterday.
1. Swallow Some Immunity. The amino acid L-glutamine helps repair muscles and boost you immune system. Restocking glycogen stores with carbs helps replenish the glutamine you lose while riding – but heavy training makes it hard to keep up, which leaves you vulnerable to everything from dead legs to upper respiratory infections. Stay healthy by taking about 10 grams of glutamine (pill or powder) after a long effort, “such as a four hour bike ride.” says Liz Applegate, Ph.D., author of the Encyclopedia of Sports & Fitness Nutrition.
2. Add Strength Without Bulk. Your upper body carries a third of your weight and absorbs shock on rides-one reason roadies with weak upper bodies crack, says Andy Pruitt, Ed.D., director of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Colorado. Stability ball push-ups strengthens your chest, abs, shoulders and triceps, without adding unwanted muscle weight. Assume the push-up position with your hands on either side of the ball, shoulder-width apart, fingertips pointing toward the floor. Tighten your abs for stability, and lower your chest towards the ball, stopping when your arms form 90-degree angle. Press back to start. Do five to 10 reps, three days a week. Too difficult? Push the ball against a wall to start.
3. Build a bridge. “Cyclists are notoriously de-conditioned in the core (abs, obliques, back), which leads to back pain and lost power.” says Pruitt. This simple stability ball move strengthens the supporting muscles along your spine and core, as well as your glutes and hamstrings. Lie on you back with your feet on top of the ball, and flexed. Contract your glutes and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Pull your right knee into your chest. Straighten it and return it to the ball. Repeat with your left leg, then lower your hips back to the ground. That’s one rep. Perform five to ten reps, two to three days a week.
4. Get Hip. Sports docs say weak outer glutes contribute to wobbly knees while pedaling. “Building buns of steel and stable hips means better knee stability and a stronger, healthier pedal stroke,” says Pruitt. Try this hip stability move from Mark Verstegen’s Core Performance. Start on your hands and knees, back flat, head in line with spine. Pull your navel towards your spine. Tuck your right knee to your chest. Contract the right glute and lift the leg out to the side of your hip. Then rotate it in a circle until your leg is tucked back to your chest. Repeat for five rotations, then reverse direction for five rotation. Switch legs. Do two to three days a week.
5. Soothe Your Soles. Your $200.00 cycling shoes might have a 25 cent insoles – a weakness that hurt your feet and your performance. Research shows that today’s stiffer shoes increase pressure on the bottom of your foot, contributing to the pain commonly called “hot foot” as well as to fatigue. What’s more, without proper ergonomic support, some cyclists’s feet (especially those with low arches) may pronate or roll inward on each down stroke, causing excessive rotation that strains the knee, hips and back. Bicycling recommend Superfeet footbeds (superfeet.com) which provide more cushioning and realign your foot and anklebones so your legs function optimally
Keep working on those core muscles and you will ride faster.
Usually felt as numbness or tingling in the fingers, possibily radiating into the hand and or wrist.
Try tweaking your BRAKE HOODS
If your wrists are cocked and angled toward your pinkies, you’re asking for trouble. Adjust your hoods so your wrists are neutral (in line with your forearms). And wrap your bar with cushy tape to absorb road chatter.
And watch your GAMING ADDICTION
Hours of jamming your thumbs into the PS2 controller may help you reach Mortal Kombat nirvana, but it’s hell on your hands and wrists. Take a break every 15-20 minutes. Other offender: computer mice and laptop keyboards. Avoid bending your wrists while working at your computer, and take regular breaks.
KNEE
The most common site of pain for cyclists. Can be over, under, on the side or right on the knee.
Try tweaking your SADDLE POSITION
If the backs of your knees hurt, lower your saddle. Pain in the front or sides? Raise it. If they hurt on the outside, try bringing it forward a bit.
or, CLEAT ADJUSTMENT
To eliminate undue stress, your cleats should be positioned so the ball of your foot is directly over the axle of the pedal.
And watch your AROUND THE HOUSE HABITS
Whether you’re bent over fixing the sink or down on all fours playing horsey with the tots, excessive kneeling or squatting can damage the patella (your kneecap). Avoid squatting past 90 degrees and, when possible, sit rather than kneel. Also, no matter how urgent the call, avoid dashing down stairs. The combined angle and force is particularly hard on your hinges.
Next article A whole new you: Head to toe tricks to give you your best cycling body-ever.
