Learning the "Rules of the Road" is just as important for cyclists as drivers of motor vehicles. Your safety and the welfare of others is in your hands every time you jump on your bike and hit the road. How do you make and stay friends with other cyclists as well as drivers of motorized vehicles when you are biking on roadways? You do so by practicing established cycling … [Read more...]
6 Tips On How To Properly Warm Up for a Bike Ride
With any type of exercise, it is important to warm up the muscles you are going to use. By doing so, the risk of an injury is greatly reduced. Warming up before a bike ride usually involves two steps, some cardio training and then dynamic stretching. Cardio Cardio exercising not only warms up the muscles you are going to use when biking, but it also gets your heart … [Read more...]
Reasons Why Core Strength is So Important for Cyclists
Why is core strength so crucial to biking? In the words of the ILoveBicycling.com website ... "A strong core will improve your technique, strength and stamina, and complement everything you do." It's true. Excellent core strength is equated with overall fitness. If you participate in sports like football, basketball and rugby, you are taught to keep your eyes on your … [Read more...]
Top 3 Ways On How to Keep Warm When Cycling in Cold Weather
The key to comfortable riding in cold weather is to dress properly for it. Generally you want to start out being a little cold before you start riding. As your muscles warm up, so will the rest of your body. In the end, you’ll probably end up having to take clothes off, which leads us to our first tip – layering. Layering The whole idea of layering is to trap heat in … [Read more...]
Top 3 Ways On How to Keep Cool When Cycling in Warm Weather
Once the temperature gets up to the triple digits on the Fahrenheit scale, many cyclists stop riding. However, there are things anyone can do to stay fairly cool when cycling in hot weather. Acclimate The body will adjust to riding in the heat, but you have to work up to it. It takes about two weeks for a person to fully acclimatize to a change in temperature and … [Read more...]
How Often Should You Take Your Bike in for Maintenance?
The real answer to how often you should take your bike in for maintenance depends on how much you ride. For most people, an annual checkup may be all their bike needs while riders that chalk up a lot of miles may need to bring in their bike twice a year. And of course take it in as needed if you suspect something is not right. For routine annual check-ups, experienced … [Read more...]
The Differences Of Road Cycling vs. Off Road Cycling
Comparing cycling off-road with biking on established roadways is like looking for similarities between peanut butter and zebras. There just aren't too many. Okay, you use a bike in both instances. And any type of cycling is a great form of exercise as well as transportation. But there are plenty of differences between on-road and off-road cycling. First off, different … [Read more...]
A Guide to Proper Use of Your Bicycle Brakes
Knowing which brake controls which tire and the difference in functions between the two brakes is important to keep you safe. Applying too much pressure to the wrong brake at the wrong time can be disastrous and lead to an injury (which could keep you off your bike for some time). Front Brake The function of the front brake is to stop you. Seventy to 80% of your stopping … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Make Your Bicycle Seat More Comfortable
Whenever you go to a bike store, a lot of them have a variety of bike seats to pick from. Yet which one is ideal for you? There isn't really any type of genuine method of knowing without sitting on them and also riding for a couple of minutes. Numerous bike shops have test bikes where they will place various seats individually as well as allow you experiment with every one … [Read more...]
Tips On How To Handle Long Climbs When Cycling
Handling long climbs when you are cycling or biking can be a real challenge. It requires physical strength and perseverance, as well as mental focus. You also have to consider whether you are attempting an arduous, lengthy climb over flat, easy terrain like a roadway, or if you are attempting a long, straight, sharply inclined off road or mountain trail. In either situation, … [Read more...]