Trans Cycle

One of the big secrets of high performance training is regular fitness testing. This article will give you the tools to test yourself and evaluate what the results mean. Testing will give you your anaerobic threshold, a good indication of aerobic fitness and,if you have a way of measuring, your power at threshold. You can then track if you are improving and by how much. As well, workout intensities are based your actual fitness rather than a theoretical percentage. While there are a number of testing protocols for the cyclist, I prefer to use the "Carmichael Field Test" for its simplicity and ability to do it in the real world. This is 2 eight minute time trials with 5 minutes recovery between them...

It's been said that the Florida Keys have something for everyone. Fishing, diving, snorkeling, boating and really anything else that involves the ocean draws millions of visitors per year. The year-round warm weather and water also help the Keys stay a popular tourist destination. As a lifelong cyclist, I've found that they one thing the Florida Keys don't offer is good cycling. Long distance riders Aside from the obvious challenges of long-distance riding (sweat, tears, sunburn), the Florida Keys aren't very bike-friendly for the endurance cyclist. For the most part, the more densely-populated Keys are equipped with poorly maintained sidewalks or small shoulders on the side of the road. The...

One of the most important elements of any attempt to cycle a century is to have an effective century training program from which to work. Riding 100 miles is not a simple task, especially if you have limited experience of endurance bike riding. As with new marathon runners a common mistake made by individuals is to jump into their training head first, do too much too quickly and end up injured. If you follow this approach even if you do not get injured you may well end up quickly getting bored of your training and lose motivation to get out there and ride. What you need to be able to successfully ride a century is a decent training program and training schedule. How a training program can help you A...

Strength training your muscles to handle the stress of cycling for great distances is no easy task. In order to be competitive you must have a very effective strength and conditioning program. As a professional there is no better recommendation that I could make for you than to include kettlebell training into your arsenal of strength training and muscular endurance exercises. By now you may be familiar with this ancient strength training device and know that it has been utilized by the world's greatest athletes. Kettlebell training is a very different style of strength training. It is actually very much a "hybrid" type of workout in that it includes both lifts that are explosive and endurance based...

Follow this 12-point nutrition checklist. Then you are well on your way giving yourself a healthy and nutritious lifestyle and ensure the energy that you need as a racing cyclist: 1. Daily eat 60% of the complex carbohydrates such as: organic brown rice and organic Durum, Spelt or smacks wheat pasta 2. 30 % of your diet should consist of organic vegetables 3. Rather eat 6 smaller meals instead of the usual 3 big meals. It increases your burning capacity and gives a better balance in your stomach and in your intestinal system 4. Daily take Omega 3-6-9 fatty acids as your primary fat resource. (Remember to cut down on nearly all other fat!) 5. Too much fat is fattening no matter if it is the right fat...

When cyclists talk about cadence they are referring to the number of revolutions that they crank makes each minute as the pedals are turned. This in layman's terms simply is the speed at which the cyclist pedals or turns the pedals on the bike as they ride. Most cyclists will have a certain cadence speed which they feel comfortable with when they are out riding. Today a lot of bicycles come with a large number of gears so it makes it possible for a cyclist to stick to a cadence that they prefer through a wide range of different speeds at which they are traveling. Normally a typical cyclist will look at having a cadence of between 60 and 80 revs per minute (rpm), whilst professional (racing...

For the uninitiated, a velodrome is an arena for track cycling. It might look like a smaller version of The Texas Speed Motorway during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; a curvy race track, not for cars but bicycles. While outdoor velodromes can found around the world, in temperate climates it is far more common to find indoor arenas. These indoor velodromes are unaffected by weather, and are not only more comfortable for spectators, but provide a smoother ride and last longer. All velodromes should have standardized markings to provide riders with prompts regarding their racing line, and which also play an important part in defining the rules for racing. Firstly, between the "apron" and the riding area...

Cycling endurance training is one of the best ways to keep yourself in shape for races or just for everyday activities that require amounts of endurance to get you though the day. Even if you are the casual cycling rider or if you get into the big races the routine for cycling endurance training is still the same. There are a few different techniques for gaining strength and stamina throughout you're cycling endurance training workout for the day. But if you want to get to the front of the pack and make sure that you will stay there then this will drastically help you improve your stamina levels and power. One of the biggest muscle groups that will be tortured in the races is the legs. And there are...

According to the experts, when you are shopping for a winter cycling jacket, it is very good to settle with one that is termed Stream. Stream is said to be the best kind of cycling jacket. The bikers who have tried wearing these products really reported that they are kept warm during their winter escapades and that their skins really were allowed to breathe efficiently. What is this product made of? Now, Stream uses a kind of material that is classically known as the Gore Tex. There is no much talk about this material except that this is really effective in providing water-resistance, warming effect, and breathability to the jacket. By this alone you could, really say that indeed their jackets are...

Like all athletes cyclists are always trying to find ways to improve their performance in their particular sport. As an avid cyclist myself I not only suggest the following methods to increase performance I use them in my own training. Whether you intend to race your bike or do century rides for charity using these 4 suggestions can make a big difference in how you feel during the event and how you recover after the event. Hit the Weight Room. Cross training using weights is beneficial for sprinters, recreational riders and endurance riders. Weight training builds up muscle and for speed on a bicycle you will need to be strong. Weight training and proper nutrition also tends to cut down the amount...

The bicycle is not the only piece of cycling equipment that cyclists need to have. They also need to have certain accessories for cycling that have been purposely made to protect them from harm. Although there are quite a lot of cycling accessories being sold at today's market, cyclists should be able to know which ones are effective and which ones are merely hyped up. The most important piece of cycling equipment is the helmet. This is why cyclists should take their time in choosing which helmet to cycle around with. Of course, they have to choose one that fits them quite snugly because a loose one might only cause further injury, instead of actually protecting them. Contrary to what many might...

All cyclists should learn to pedal at a fast cadence, whether you are an experienced racer or a novice recreational rider. Muscle fatigue and damage are caused by excess pressure on the pedals, not by how fast you pedal. Pedaling at a faster cadence with less pressure allows you to pedal longer and harder. However, several researchers have expressed concern that pedaling very fast could decrease blood flow to muscles and thus decrease athletic performance. A study from Kansas State University shows that pedaling fast does not decrease a muscle's flow of blood or ability to extract oxygen from the blood (European Journal of Applied Physiology, March 2006). Once again athletes and coaches find new...

There may be time that cyclists are confined to the indoors and forced to ride on a trainer. It can be difficult to stay motivated and even more difficult to find new workouts that spice up your training. One drill many people often overlook or fail to attach much importance to is one legged pedaling. As you will see, not only is this drill great for adding spice to dreary winter months, but it also improves form and efficiency so you are killing two birds with one stone. When you pedal with two legs one leg is always pushing down, and for the vast majority of cyclists the opposite leg is doing next to nothing. Once you reach the top of the circle the other leg takes over and its opposite gets a...

Vary Your Training Rides A common mistake amongst people training for century rides is to simply go out and ride as much as they can, ignoring pace. While this can work it will not allow you to get the most from your training. It is best to vary your training rides as much as possible. This will allow you to prevent training boredom while also allowing you to improve different aspects of your riding. Be sure to incorporate at least one long ride in your training week. To prevent exhaustion this should be done at a slower pace to normal. This ride will help you build endurance. Other rides during the week can be tempo (sustained effort for a medium period), intervals (slow ride interspersed with hard...

Cyclists should think about protecting their most delicate body parts whenever they are cycling. This is why they should procure the proper cycling apparel and gear that fits them suitably. The most exposed delicate body parts of the cyclists are the eyes. To protect their eyes, they need to get themselves their own cycling eyewear. Cycling eyewear does not only make the cyclists look good, as they also come in various designs to cater for the needs of their clients or customers who are also interested in looking fashionable. Moreover, manufacturers actually purposely designed cycling eyewear in order to protect the cyclist's eyes from potentially harmful agents. There are many different kinds of...

Bicycles can be ridden just about everywhere outdoors, including the sidewalks, but before you try this, you must understand a few things. Sidewalk bicycle riding is different from riding on the streets because it is narrower and people walk there as well. Besides the people, there is also a risk of a car's driver not seeing you from the street; however, sidewalk bicycle safely varies depending on where you live. Small suburb areas are the best places to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk for two reasons, fewer pedestrians and less traffic. A city's sidewalks stay packed with people, particularly during the weekends, so it will be tough to ride there. A sidewalk in the suburbs however will not have...

There are many things that you need to know to get ready specifically for any criterium race day to guarantee optimum performance. The most important thing you need to know the day of your criterium cycling race is the start time because based on this you can time when to eat before the race, when to warm-up and when to start getting close to the start/finish line to get a good race start position. When getting ready for a criterium race day you need to eat 2-3 hours before the race so that you can race on an empty stomach. This is better because your diaphragm has more room to function during the respiration process, allowing you to fill your lungs with oxygen to 100% capacity, helping your heart...

If you've just started cycling you may think it's as easy as just jumping on your bike and turning the pedals. While this is true to an extent there is much more technique to that seemingly simple operation than you might initially expect. The potential for constant development is one of the hooks in cycling as a past time and sport. Your cadence, or your turning of the pedals, is vital to your speed and your endurance. We can break it down into two separate subjects -- speed and technique. Your cadence is measured in RPM ( revolutions per minute) and while there is on going study the current accepted wisdom is that the most efficient cadence is between 90-100 RPM. If you're new to cycling this may...

There are quite a few myths about bicycles that are simply untrue. Believing in these can make you unsafe and even take away some of the advantages to cycling for fun or for transportation. Learn what these myths are and what is not true about them. Myth: Helmets increase your change of an accident. If you compare the statistics behind cyclists in accidents with helmets and without helmets it seems that those with helmets tend to get into more accidents. Many believe that the helmet must be causing the cyclists to have some sort of issues therefore being in more accidents. While the number of accidents can at times be higher, that's not the way to evaluate risk. Risk is evaluated as percentage of...

Zipp 808 wheels are an amazing combination of research, technology and racing experience. Zipp redesigned the 808 in 2009 to an 81mm depth. A new 88/188 hub is stiffer, more reliable and faster to engage than the old design. Tire-to-rim interface and lateral stiffness has also been improved. The slightly heavier hubs improve the stiffness of the hub and rim while the decreased spoke count of 6 spokes compensate for the heavier hub. Zipp claims the 808 is nine seconds faster over 40k than the previous 808. The 808 can help them conserve energy while sitting in the field and achieve a greater top speed at the end of the race. These benefits can be had with the Zipp 808 without the loss of rapid...

Round pedaling gives you a particular advantage in the following situations: - TT - Time Trial - TTT - Team Time Trial - Interval training - In especially demanding situations - Ride from one group and up to another group, e.g. in a competitive situation - Attempting to break away from one or several other riders - Riding on a mountain bike in various terrains - Riding in mountains on a road racing bike Not many use the great advantage that lie in training round pedaling often, and using this "weapon" as your extra gear on the bike. For those who have the patience and the will to learn round pedaling properly, many incredible resources can be uncovered by using this technique. You may have heard of...

In cycling there are several ways to gauge how hard you are working. The first and most common method is heart rate monitoring. The second, less common but just as effective, is perceived exertion. There is also a third called power monitoring but most cyclists do not have access to this kind of sophisticated equipment. What many cyclists don't know is that heart rate isn't as accurate a gauge as many people would like to think. In this post we will discuss why this is so as well as why perceived exertion, in many instances, can actually prove to be a more accurate gauge. Heart rate monitoring tells you just that, how fast your heart is pumping. If you take a sedentary person off of the couch, put...

Because they look a bit nerdy I would often cycle short and local journeys without the protection of a bicycle helmet, but events on Sunday 28th March 2010 changed that perception for me. It was a bit of a windy day but nevertheless John, Ryan and I decided to take a mountain bike ride across Herriot County in the North Yorkshire Moors. The planned route of eleven or so miles was to take us from Langthwaite onto Booze Moor to Washfold through the disused quarry where we pick up some downhill single track back to Langthwaite just in time for swift half of bitter at the Red lion, the pub used in the TV version of All Creatures Great and Small. Leaving Langthwaite Car Park the initial climb should have...

When training to cycle a century it can be all too easy to focus all of your efforts on your fitness training. However most amateur riders neglect the huge impact the mental side of endurance cycling can have on your performance. As with all other endurance events such a running a marathon, cycling a century will require a certain amount of mental toughness. The more of this mental strength you have the easier your ride will seem to you. If you watch any professional bike races on the television you will often here commentators lauding a riders ability to punish themselves. What these kind of statements mean is the rider in question appear to be mentally stronger then those around him. It is no...

Not only can cycling help reduce stress and build muscle but a good cycling training programs for beginners is great exercise too. Contrary to running, which is tough on the joints, by the way, cycling is a low impact sport on the body. What happens if you're a couch potato and can't even walk to the refrigerator and back without getting winded? Can you still get involved with a program? Absolutely. Cycling is a 'come as you are' sport but if you stick with it, eventually, it'll leave you as you want to be-weighing less, fit and maybe even able to compete in a few triathlons. A complete program will take a person as a whole. It won't simply focus on the training but will include all aspects of...

If you want to improve your cycling you are reading the right article. In it I will explain the secret that all professional cyclists use to make them fitter, stronger and faster. Whether you are looking to improve your speed or simply make your daily commute easier the contents of this articles will be able to make dramatic improvements to your cycling. For a couple of years I trained reasonably hard, riding several times a week and didn't really see any noticeable gains in my performances. In fact if anything it often felt like I was getting worse. All this changed when I got talking to a keen cyclist at work. My colleague revealed to me the secret used by all the pros to help them improve - the...

The shoes you wear while touring on your bicycle will dictate a lot of your tour and will be one of the most basic decisions you will need to make. Do you want dedicated, hard-soled cycling shoes? Or will regular sneakers work for you? The most fundamental question you will have to answer in this area is about the footwear you want to use. Do you want special or cleated shoes you'll wear only for cycling? Or do you want one all-purpose pair of shoes? There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Cleats: You've seen cyclists hobbling around after getting off their bikes. They are wearing very hard soles with cleats on the bottom which help them pedal more efficiently. With these shoes, your feet...

When you are cycling in traffic and have to contend with other road users, it's a jungle out there. Even worse, sometimes it feels like the laws of the jungle apply rather than the traffic laws and regulations. This might be okay when the two rucking drivers are protected inside reinforced vehicles. If you're a cyclist though, you can get hurt very easily by the slightest of collisions, and being on two wheels also makes you a less visible road user. Here are five classic situations where cyclists need to be on their guard. The Emergency Stop When you are cycling in traffic, give other vehicles loads of room to maneuver, and especially keep your eyes peeled for local danger spots. These might be...

The brand Campagnolo is considered as the best manufacturers of cycling caps that have an edgy or seductive look. In fact, most cyclists today prefer having a Campagnolo cycling cap because it looks really great with their bikes. To date, Campy, which is the shorter term given for this particular brand, is actually the leading provider of cycling caps. The term "Campagnolo" has been constantly equated with style, quality, durability, technicality, technology, as well as creative design. Today, hundreds upon hundreds of cyclists are loyal to how they patronize Campagnolo cycling caps. Campagnolo has always been consistent to how they provide the world with quality cycling apparel and other...

Cycling is a sport that appeals to many people. Actually, we do not really have to call it a sport, since many people use it as a leisure or exercise activity, and do not compete against anyone else. They do not worry about reaching or beating a certain speed, and cycle for pleasure and health. Then again, there are the environmentalists, or the people who cannot afford other types of transportation. Cycling is, after all, a cheap, green way to get around. Whatever your reasons for taking up cycling, you will eventually begin to be concerned about increasing your endurance-unless you bike exclusively for very short distances. Riding a bike is fun, but it is less amusing once your lungs start to burn...