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How
to Hydrate for Better Performance
By Fred Matheny for www.RoadBikeRider.com If it’s the summer cycling season, it’s probably hot where you live. Cyclists and other outdoor athletes are the first to notice rising temperatures. And the hotter it is, the faster you lose fluids when you ride. Fluids are crucial to your performance and sense of well-being. We’re really just big bags of fluid—our blood contains about 50 percent water. Because water helps keep us cool, a loss of only one percent of our bodyweight as sweat means a significant loss of speed and endurance. I know you’ve heard it before—drink, drink, drink! But it’s amazing how few cyclists heed this advice. They forget to drink because of the excitement of the ride, then they wilt before the end. But proper hydration is easy. Here’s how:
Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation! By Fred Matheny for www.RoadBikeRider.com The key to riding long distances is food and drink. Sure, training is important—but nutrition and hydration are even more vital. According to ultramarathon rider and coach John Hughes of Boulder, Colorado, “Nutrition, not necessarily training, is the limiting factor in endurance cycling.” The reason? Even the best-trained riders pack only enough muscle fuel (glycogen) for a couple of hours of hard cycling. Fluid stores vanish even faster. For everything from century
rides to multi-day tours, remember these time-tested tips:
Receive a
FREE copy of the
eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the
RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or
obligation! Three Essential Techniques for Roadies By Fred Matheny for www.RoadBikeRider.com Pro athletes develop simple techniques that become automatic. A three-point shooter’s follow through or a golfer’s silky stroke are techniques they’ve honed until they no longer think about them. Pro cyclists, too, develop characteristics that separate how they look on a bike from the rest of us. It’s not simply a matter of appearance. Unlike golf, when you’re riding, you can get scuffed up out there. Looking like a pro means safety as well as style. Want the look? Master these
three techniques and you’ll be on your way. 1. Relax. Great
athletes in any sport let it flow, making impossible moves and extreme effort
look easy. Here’s how to be loose as a goose on the bike:
2. Pedal Smoothly. It’s easy to spot the smooth pedal stroke of a pro compared to a novice’s
lumpy plodding. Here’s how to get supple stroke:
3. Recover Fast.
Pro riders can do a three-week race and go just as hard on Day 20 as in the
prologue time trial. Here’s how to recover like a stage racer:
Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!
Three
Advanced Techniques for Roadies
By Fred Matheny for www.RoadBikeRider.com Got your basic riding techniques well in hand? Now learn three advanced moves that come in handy and raise your skills to a new level. 1. Ride No-Hands Pro cyclists can ride
no-hands in the middle of the pack on a twisty descent. Don’t try it!
Sometimes, however, you’ll need two hands free to peel an energy bar or peel
off a vest. Here’s how:
2.
Remove Arm Warmers While Riding
Now that you can ride no-hands, it’s easy to
remove arm warmers without stopping. The only problem might be losing one
while stuffing them into your jersey pocket. Here, courtesy of seven-time Tour
de France rider Ron Kiefel, is how to keep them together.
3. Hop Over a Pothole Ever get trapped near the
curb by a passing car or other riders—and there’s a gaping pothole right
in your path? The only escape is up and over. Here’s how pro roadies fly
above obstacles (including fallen riders).
Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!
By Fred Matheny for www.RoadBikeRider.com Pacelines are organized. They have specific rules. But in big groups like you find in centuries or charity rides, things will be disorganized. This can intimidate even experienced riders. Sooner or later you’ll find
yourself in a big group amid some riders with sketchy skills. It pays to learn
how to survive (and also make yourself welcome) in a crowd.
To avoid being the
one who causes such a crash, pull your bike forward as you leave the saddle.
Don’t lunge and make a hard pedal stroke. Keep your speed steady. When
sitting again, push the bike forward a bit. Cycling isn’t a contact sport, but it’s not uncommon to have your arm brushed when riding near others in a group. It pays to learn how to bump into other riders without swerving or falling. It’s easy when you practice this drill used at the Carpenter-Phinney Bike Camps. First, go with a cycling friend to a large grassy area like a soccer field. Ride side-by-side at a walking pace. Keep both hands on your bar. Start by gently touching elbows, then shoulders. As you gain confidence, lean more vigorously on the other rider. Soon, you’ll be bumping each other with abandon and throwing in a few head butts for fun, all without going down. (Of course, always wear your helmet just in case.) Riding relaxed is the key to absorbing contact without swerving. Have slightly bent elbows, a firm-not-tight grip on the bar, and loose arm and shoulder muscles. If you’re relaxed, your body can absorb the shock before it gets to the handlebar. Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation! Sports Medicine Tips from an Expert By Fred Matheny for www.RoadBikeRider.com Andy Pruitt’s name has become synonymous with sports medicine for cycling. As director of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Boulder, CO, Pruitt has made a career out of treating world-class riders such as Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie. In 1996, Pruitt served as chief medical officer for the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team. Pruitt is an elite athlete in his own right, too. He lost his lower leg in a hunting accident at age 14 but still wrestled and participated in track, eventually winning 12 high school varsity letters. When he took up cycling he earned a category 2 ranking in able-bodied racing and was twice a world champion in disabled cycling. But the Boulder Center isn’t reserved for elite clients. Pruitt wanted to develop a sports medicine center equal to any university or Olympic training facility but available to recreational athletes of any age. That’s what he has accomplished Here’s a sampling of Pruitt’s
sports medicine wisdom.
Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!
By Fred Matheny for www.RoadBikeRider.com We
shouldn’t feel excessive admiration for pro racers who log 600-mile weeks.
They have plenty of time to ride and recover—that’s their job. The real
heroes are people like you, who find time to ride while still having a life
away from the bike. Full-time
work, family commitments and cycling can be efficiently interwoven into your
busy day. All it takes to schedule everything into 24 hours is maximum use of
time-budgeting techniques. Here’s
where to look for time slots that can accommodate your love for riding:
Commuting
Riding
your bike to work or school and back may be the best way to create time
cycling time. When you commute by bike, time normally spent sitting in
a car is used productively as part of the training day. An eight-mile
ride to work or school takes about 30 minutes each way. Even if you do no
other riding, that’s still an hour of cycling each weekday. The trip home
can be lengthened as much as time, daylight and energy allow. Another
benefit is arriving at your job refreshed and alert. It may be tough to get up
earlier for the ride in, but the physical and mental lift of exercise will
carry you through that 10 a.m. letdown that your sedentary colleagues
experience. Then you ride home, clearing cobwebs and blowing away job-related
frustrations. You’re refreshed and ready for evening responsibilities or
family fun. Commuting Logistics
If commuting simply won't work for you, here are two popular options: Early
Bird Special
Consider
an early-morning workout. By the middle of March it’s usually light enough
to get in a ride before work. At dawn there are few cars on the road and the
day is brightening every minute. Getting
up in the pre-dawn hour may be the ultimate test of whether you really want to
ride. Roll out of bed the minute the alarm rings and don’t think about
anything. The longer you lie there moaning about how early it is, the harder
it is to extricate yourself from the sheets. Sleep loss is the biggest risk. Make up the deficit with
an earlier bedtime because it’s vital to get enough rest. Lack of sleep can
lead to deep fatigue and poor performance in everything you do. Evening
Rides
If
your schedule prohibits riding most of the day, try from 9 to 10 or 10:30 p.m.
For most people, the kids are in bed, the chores around the house complete,
and you’re probably wasting time watching TV. To
make this work, eat a moderate dinner at 6 or 7 p.m., allowing the food to
digest by riding time. As an additional benefit this provides motivation not
to overeat. Riding
in the dark used to be dangerous because lights were poor. You couldn’t see
road hazards clearly, and motorists couldn’t see you. Modern lighting
systems make night riding safer, but it’s still smart to use lighted
parks or suburban streets if they’re available. Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!
By Fred Matheny for www.RoadBikeRider.com Solo
rides are a great part of the cycling experience. Nothing beats cruising along
and looking at the scenery, or attacking a climb at your own pace and
intensity. But
riding with a small group can be even more fun. You cover ground faster, meet
people, and experience the thrill of shared effort. Paceline
riding isn’t difficult to learn. Here are the basic skills: 1.
Riding a Straight Line
Start by learning to ride like you’re on a rail.
Practice by holding your line during solo rides. Put your wheel on the road’s
white edge line and keep it there. Relax your upper body, keep a light grip on
the handlebar, and fix your peripheral vision on the line. Keep your actual
focus 20 or 30 feet in front of the bike. Remember, the bike will go where
your eyes go. 2.
Following a Wheel
Drafting another rider saves you at least 15 percent in energy output. It’s foolish to be bucking the wind all the time when you’re with other riders. Share the work by drafting them and letting them draft you. Position your front
wheel 1 to 3 feet behind the rear wheel you’re following. The closer the
better, in terms of the draft, but closer also requires a lot more attention.
When necessary, turn the cranks without putting pressure on the pedals (“soft
pedal”) to maintain correct spacing. Use
the brakes sparingly. Jerky braking creates chain reaction problems for riders
behind you. If you need to brake, feather the levers lightly instead of
clutching at them. If
a gap opens, don’t make things worse by accelerating too hard, overrunning
the wheel in front, then grabbing the brakes. Instead, ease back up to the
rider in front. If you don’t become proficient at following a wheel, you can
waste more energy than you save by constant yo-yoing. Look past the rider directly in front. Don’t stare down
at his rear wheel or you won’t see things that may cause him to brake or
swerve. 3. Paceline PointersFirst
rule: Be predictable. Close riding demands that everyone be on the same
wavelength. There must be a basic understanding of what is and is not expected
behavior in a given circumstance. Experience helps. Don’t
accelerate when it’s your turn at the front. Note your cyclecomputer’s mph
and maintain the group’s speed when the lead rider pulls off. After your own bout against the wind, pull off to the
side agreed upon and stay close to the others as you soft pedal and slide back
to the rear of the paceline. This enhances the drafting effect for the whole
group. It also keeps everyone as far out of the traffic flow as possible,
making paceline riding possible even on busier roads. As
you come abreast of the last rider in the line, pick up speed and then slide
over behind his wheel as he comes past. When done correctly you won’t need
an energy-wasting acceleration in order to latch back on. Once in the caboose
position you can take a drink or stand to stretch without disrupting the
paceline’s smoothness. Protect your front wheel. If your rear wheel is struck a fall is unlikely because it has nothing to do with steering the bike. However, if your front wheel is contacted it will often be twisted off line faster than you can react. You’ll almost certainly go down. Help prevent this by never overlapping someone’s rear wheel. Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!
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