......are the ones given to you by a truly dedicated cycling coach. But hey, I am a little biased. 
www.the-bike-shop.com/training
www.the-bike-shop.com/training
The best cycling tips in the world...ever!
- Thread starter Vo2
- Start date
use a roll breath when climbing hills. Breath from your stomach up to your chest & back down to your stomach. It really works great
Chew every thing that goes into your stomach alot. It takes a lot of energy
to digest food, energy that could be better spent exerted toward the race.
Don't rely on your ears, get into the habit of looking into your helmet mirror every three seconds for those who do not like to share the road.
Always keep a journal & a check list.
Chew every thing that goes into your stomach alot. It takes a lot of energy
to digest food, energy that could be better spent exerted toward the race.
Don't rely on your ears, get into the habit of looking into your helmet mirror every three seconds for those who do not like to share the road.
Always keep a journal & a check list.
never, ever, stop pedalling when using a fixed wheel. Good comedy for others may not be so funny for you...
If you veer off line looking back, it helps to point in the direction you're travelling as you look back. Honest...mxpilot said:
Alternatively, look 'upside down' - ie beneath your arm.
You can always brake with your feet on the wheel if all else fails. Or your face on the ashphalt, if you'd prefer...
re: looking back. use a mirror. once you get used to it you'll wonder why you ever rode without one. In traffic, at intersections and crossing to turn lanes they are a life saver.
cold weather. arm and leg warmers are easy to pack when temps heat up. arm warmers are great temp regulators, just pull them down to your wrists on the uphills and pull them back up on the downhills, much better than tops with full length arms. if really cold use a good vest over your jersey (windproof in front, breathable in back). Vests are much better heat regulators than full jackets due to front zipper and armpit holes. havent used my riding jackets since going to vest and arm warmers.
high speed shimmy: keep a firm but soft grip on the bars and put more wieght on the pedals. All bikes can shimmy but most is caused by rider gripping too hard, tensing up, wieght distribution wrong.
sweat bands. those doo-rag full head things work fantastic. no more sweat in eyes/glasses since converting over to one. get the high tech wicking type. may also help keep the bees from stinging when they suck into your Pneumo
re: cotton shirts... this was a joke.. right??
cold weather. arm and leg warmers are easy to pack when temps heat up. arm warmers are great temp regulators, just pull them down to your wrists on the uphills and pull them back up on the downhills, much better than tops with full length arms. if really cold use a good vest over your jersey (windproof in front, breathable in back). Vests are much better heat regulators than full jackets due to front zipper and armpit holes. havent used my riding jackets since going to vest and arm warmers.
high speed shimmy: keep a firm but soft grip on the bars and put more wieght on the pedals. All bikes can shimmy but most is caused by rider gripping too hard, tensing up, wieght distribution wrong.
sweat bands. those doo-rag full head things work fantastic. no more sweat in eyes/glasses since converting over to one. get the high tech wicking type. may also help keep the bees from stinging when they suck into your Pneumo
re: cotton shirts... this was a joke.. right??
I gotta weigh in on the hydration issue. Most of the tips are basically correct, but lack understanding of all the issues of hydration.
sports drinks contain simple and complex carbs, which serve three purposes.
1. Make the drink palatable, (who likes to drink salt water?)
2. Replace lost energy stores, simple carbs are more easily/rapidly broken down to make glucose and glycogen(stored glucose), and complex carbs are "low GI", meaning they take longer to break down into usable components therefore longer lasting energy.
3. Improve/speed transport of H2O across the luminal membrane of the stomach and Gut.
Certain electrolytes and carbohydrates that are present in sports drinks have little nutritional value and there purely to assist H2O transport, while others are there to replace lost energy stores and essential minerals (potassium, sodium etc).
As for the temperature issue, consider these questions;
Q: Why do we need to rehydrate in the first place?
A: Because fluids and minerals are lost due to sweating and respiration.
Q: Why do we sweat?
A: To regulate our core body temerature by cooling our blood supply when travelling through the capillaries closest to the skin. Heat is generated due to exertion (eg, sport) or just due to ambient temperature. Sweating is an subconcious neural response to cool the body when thecore temp begins to rise.
So, if your body is already creating heat due to exercise, would it not make sense that imbibing a cool fluid would assist in regulating body temp? There is temperature a range for which biochemical processes are optimised. This range has an upper and lower limit. below this limit (too cold) performance is reduced and the risk of injury increases. above this limit, performance reduces, the brain begins to malfunction with symptoms including irritability, disorientation and reduced coordination and decision making ability. muscles can begin to liquify which has a series of "knock-on" effects including liver and kidney failure. This actually somewhat common in sport particularly amateur sports, and marathons. So during this sort of exercise it can be m\very beneficial to imbibe a cooled drink (but not too cold), to improve temperature regulation and rehydration, and is unlikely to reduce performance due to energy redirection.
Hope this helps, I'd take the cold drink everytime except in the snow!
Billy
(B. Exercise Science)
sports drinks contain simple and complex carbs, which serve three purposes.
1. Make the drink palatable, (who likes to drink salt water?)
2. Replace lost energy stores, simple carbs are more easily/rapidly broken down to make glucose and glycogen(stored glucose), and complex carbs are "low GI", meaning they take longer to break down into usable components therefore longer lasting energy.
3. Improve/speed transport of H2O across the luminal membrane of the stomach and Gut.
Certain electrolytes and carbohydrates that are present in sports drinks have little nutritional value and there purely to assist H2O transport, while others are there to replace lost energy stores and essential minerals (potassium, sodium etc).
As for the temperature issue, consider these questions;
Q: Why do we need to rehydrate in the first place?
A: Because fluids and minerals are lost due to sweating and respiration.
Q: Why do we sweat?
A: To regulate our core body temerature by cooling our blood supply when travelling through the capillaries closest to the skin. Heat is generated due to exertion (eg, sport) or just due to ambient temperature. Sweating is an subconcious neural response to cool the body when thecore temp begins to rise.
So, if your body is already creating heat due to exercise, would it not make sense that imbibing a cool fluid would assist in regulating body temp? There is temperature a range for which biochemical processes are optimised. This range has an upper and lower limit. below this limit (too cold) performance is reduced and the risk of injury increases. above this limit, performance reduces, the brain begins to malfunction with symptoms including irritability, disorientation and reduced coordination and decision making ability. muscles can begin to liquify which has a series of "knock-on" effects including liver and kidney failure. This actually somewhat common in sport particularly amateur sports, and marathons. So during this sort of exercise it can be m\very beneficial to imbibe a cooled drink (but not too cold), to improve temperature regulation and rehydration, and is unlikely to reduce performance due to energy redirection.
Hope this helps, I'd take the cold drink everytime except in the snow!
Billy
(B. Exercise Science)
Yesturday is history
Today is Pay-day... get out there and ride
Tomorrow... tomorrow, there might not be a tomorrow - so do more night-riding
Today is Pay-day... get out there and ride
Tomorrow... tomorrow, there might not be a tomorrow - so do more night-riding
If you ride XC, ride the shittiest hardtail you can find, but put fat rubber and good brakes on it. Take it on technical stuff. Your technical ability will soar, lightness of grip and weight on the pedals will improve significantly. It helps to understand what's going on when you don't have suspension to offset poor lines and balance.
Learn to stop at a red light without clipping out. If you can sit for 5 minutes sitting on your bike without moving much, you will be able to climb switchbacks with better ease and balance, and decend technical stuff better.
Be one with the bike!!
Every gram you save from your bike is another mL of water you can carry. If you look at it that way, it might help.
If you want to shave weight from your bike, do the wheels first. A decrease in rotating mass far outweighs the benefits of a light handlebar and will make you faster up hills.
Take a break in winter. Anticipate next season, prepare your schedule early. Set goals, look forward to another season. Don't let bad days hit you too hard. It happens.
Make a checklist of items to bring and go over it before you start your car and drive off to a race or epic ride. Crying because you forgot your seat or shoes 200km away is not fun.
If you cry because you forgot your shoes, you're too emotional. Ease off a bit.
I could probably write a book here, but I'll finish my post with this:
Love every damn minute of it!
Kev
Learn to stop at a red light without clipping out. If you can sit for 5 minutes sitting on your bike without moving much, you will be able to climb switchbacks with better ease and balance, and decend technical stuff better.
Be one with the bike!!
Every gram you save from your bike is another mL of water you can carry. If you look at it that way, it might help.
If you want to shave weight from your bike, do the wheels first. A decrease in rotating mass far outweighs the benefits of a light handlebar and will make you faster up hills.
Take a break in winter. Anticipate next season, prepare your schedule early. Set goals, look forward to another season. Don't let bad days hit you too hard. It happens.
Make a checklist of items to bring and go over it before you start your car and drive off to a race or epic ride. Crying because you forgot your seat or shoes 200km away is not fun.
If you cry because you forgot your shoes, you're too emotional. Ease off a bit.
I could probably write a book here, but I'll finish my post with this:
Love every damn minute of it!
Kev
Read the rules guys, no arguing on stuff everyone knows is wrong. Re: 27 degree body temp etc etc.
Lite is not a word.
Learn motocross techniques for riding loose gravel as an XC rider. DON'T SLOW DOWN on corners, move your body weight to the front and inside of your saddle, keep the bike vertical (don't lean into corners!!!) and slide the back end around with your brakes or by shifting down a gear and trying to spin the back end a little bit free.
Trust me, it works. And everyone will stare at you in awe that you made it around a loose gravel corner at 30km/h.
If you're 14, and I see you with a shovel in a local park, you're in deep ****. RESPECT your environment, and volunteer if you can to your local club for trail maintanance and repair.
Here's two more:Vo2 said:
Lite is not a word.
Learn motocross techniques for riding loose gravel as an XC rider. DON'T SLOW DOWN on corners, move your body weight to the front and inside of your saddle, keep the bike vertical (don't lean into corners!!!) and slide the back end around with your brakes or by shifting down a gear and trying to spin the back end a little bit free.
Trust me, it works. And everyone will stare at you in awe that you made it around a loose gravel corner at 30km/h.
If you're 14, and I see you with a shovel in a local park, you're in deep ****. RESPECT your environment, and volunteer if you can to your local club for trail maintanance and repair.
"Always train with 2 full large watter bottles. Ditch them in the race (use a camelbak) and your bike just got lighter.[/QUOTE]"
Your bike just got lighter....but you just got heavier. As all cycling tourists know - it's much better to keep the weight on your bike. A heavy, drink filled Camelback will tire you faster than having a bottle or two where it should be and where you will be used to it being on training rides.
Your bike just got lighter....but you just got heavier. As all cycling tourists know - it's much better to keep the weight on your bike. A heavy, drink filled Camelback will tire you faster than having a bottle or two where it should be and where you will be used to it being on training rides.
I NEVER ride with a cellphone. I don't own a cellphone. My wife suggests I carry her's but I've never needed one in all the years I've been riding and I figure if I need to use a phone - I'll ask(and I have had to do this) at someone's house - and they've let me.cyclistfreak89 said:
Try compounded training.
Do 3 or more consecutive days riding near your max distance (I do around 200k but it depends on the terrain and your ability) but not at a slow pace. Try to push on around your Lactate Threshold.
It's expceptionally tough and you'll stuggle to find your rythym as your legs will be fatigued at the start of the ride, but the results are great.
Don't try these rides and expect to be functional for the rest of the day. They leave you totally wasted (I do them away from home so I know I can crash as soon as I get to my destination).
Give yourself 2 or 3 days recovery and you'll feel fantastic
Do 3 or more consecutive days riding near your max distance (I do around 200k but it depends on the terrain and your ability) but not at a slow pace. Try to push on around your Lactate Threshold.
It's expceptionally tough and you'll stuggle to find your rythym as your legs will be fatigued at the start of the ride, but the results are great.
Don't try these rides and expect to be functional for the rest of the day. They leave you totally wasted (I do them away from home so I know I can crash as soon as I get to my destination).
Give yourself 2 or 3 days recovery and you'll feel fantastic
saso said:
Actually, one should NOT stretch prior to warm ups. Elongated or shortened muscles produce less force. Stretching should always be done after the exercise session. However, a warm up should always preceed any kind of rigorous exercise. The exception is when you're doing a very long ride and find stretching in between helps.
Izzy G.
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