BikeRadar.com Beginners & Family Fitness

Preparing for a sportive

Andy Cook, Cycling Plus — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:00:00 GMT

You may have put in hours of training during the run up to your first sportive, but all your good work can be undone if you neglect to prepare your bike, equipment and clothing correctly. Here's a run down of our essential tips to follow to make your big day runs smoothly.

Choose the right gears

Check your gear ratios. Is the cassette right for your style of riding and the event that you’re doing? Would a larger sprocket help you climb a little easier? If you are thinking of changing then give yourself plenty of time to make the swap – ﬁrst checking with your supplier as to whether the derailleur is compatible with the intended ratios. Bear in mind that this could mean getting a new chain as well. Needless to say, it’s as well not to make such changes to your gearing the day before your big ride.

Sit comfortably

When you’re riding long distances, your closest friend should be the seatpad of your shorts. Treat it accordingly, ensuring that both you and your shorts are cleaned meticulously after every ride. Failure to do so can lead to infection, and that means time off the bike.

Smooth shifting

Check the indexing of your gears. Make sure that all the changes are smooth, tweaking the adjusters where necessary. Ensure that this is completed a few days prior to your target event.

Bottle washing

Wash and sterilise your drinking bottles regularly, particularly if you’ve been using recovery drinks/energy products and the like. It is worth looking for bottles with a cap to cover the spout, although this will make drinking en route a little more awkward. This helps to keep the spout protected from road grime and other unpleasant substances that transfer from the road to your bike and to your mouth – such as manure.

Chamois cream

Applying ‘saddle cream’ to the seat of your shorts should cut down friction and soreness. This tends to be very personal, though, and you need to ﬁnd out the appropriate cream for you. There are several types available, but petroleum jelly – like Vaseline – is often found useful. A coating of an antiseptic cream containing cetrimide will prevent infection occurring.

Sun safe

Even in the UK the sun can be quite ﬁerce at times, so remember to apply sun protection, not forgetting to coat your neck, nose and ears as well as exposed limbs. Don’t forget your sunglasses either; these will protect your eyes from dust and insects as well as the glare.

Brake alignment

Check your brake pad alignment to ensure you have better and safer braking. The blocks should be slightly toed in at the front so that the block closes on the rim correctly and doesn’t cause any squealing. This correction will improve performance and should give you more conﬁdence when descending.

Gloves

On longer distance events your hands can take a hammering, so a good pair of close ﬁtting cycling mitts are a must. As well as cushioning the hands when you’re holding the bar, they will stop or reduce the chances of unpleasant grazes should you have an accident.

Route recce

Study and take a note of the route ahead of event day. It isn’t unheard of for direction signs to have been removed. Even the best modern instruments can fail, or even suggest going the wrong way. And don’t simply rely on following other riders, because they may be lost too. (There’s even the chance that the cyclists you’re following aren’t even riding the same event!)

How to tackle mountain bike trail centres, part one

Andrew Dodd — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:00:00 GMT

Unlike riding in the wild, where you have to pick lines carefully and deal with the trail surface changing regularly, trail centres and bikeparks give an element of predictability to mountain biking. The trouble is that trails are so well-built that they can make you lazy – the ﬂowing line has been worn in by so many riders that it ribbons off in to the distance, allowing absent-minded, auto-pilot riding.

In order to ride at your best, you need to ride hard – when you’re on it you have to scan the trail for the best lines and take chances that could have you sailing or stacking. You have to come to life as the trail unfolds in front of you. Don’t fall in to the trap of having a leisurely ride round a trail centre without getting a rush. Hammer the trail like it’s a race track, and give your bike the pasting it’s designed for…

Preparation and planning

1 Bike setup

Seatpost: You’ll need your saddle at an efﬁcient riding height for the climbs, but lowering it makes the descents more fun. Try running it slightly lower than usual for your whole ride, or try a height-dropper seatpost.

Tyres: In summer semi-slicks will ﬂy round a trail centre, but something more substantial fares better all year round. Running your tyres ﬁrmer will help with rolling-resistance, and help minimise the chance of pinch punctures.

Pedals: If you want to tear up – and down – a trail centre, clipless pedals really are an advantage. They let you pull up and push down while pedalling, are great for fast direction changes and enable you to ﬂoat through rough sections.

Front mudguard: A trail centre’s hard surface is designed to withstand the elements, but there is always a lot of gritty spray thrown up. A front mudguard will catch the spray and keep it out of your eyes.

Suspension: Trail centres have a ﬁrm surface and a lot of buzz when you’re riding fast. A slightly ﬁrmer ride will feel faster and more responsive. Try setting a quarter of the available travel as sag, rather than the normally optimum third.

2 What to wear

Jersey: You’ll need a baselayer and a wicking jersey. A ﬁtted but loose cut will be most comfy.

Shorts: Wear padded undershorts for comfort and tough overshorts for protection. Vented shorts keep you cool, while waterproof shorts and 3/4-length shorts make riding on even the foulest days far more enjoyable.

Kneepads: Not a necessity, but riding in pads is no longer an uncomfortable slog. There are plenty of great options out there.

Shoes: Look for shoes that give good support, protection around the toes and ankles, and will keep the elements out.

Helmet: Always get the best helmet you can afford. Look for the best ﬁt, good ventilation and a removable peak.

Glasses: Make sure your eyes are protected against grit, mud, insects or branches in the face when you’re riding.

Gloves: Gloves protect your hands if you fall, keep them warm and improve your grip on the bars.

Waterproof jacket: Get a quality jacket that ﬁts well and look after it. Never wash it with fabric softener or too much detergent, and reproof it every year.

3. What's in your pack

First aid kit: Make sure you at least have the basics so you can patch yourself or a friend up.

Tools: At the least, take a decent multi-tool with a Torx T25 driver and a chaintool on it. It’s also worth taking a plier-type multi-tool with you, a puncture repair kit and some spare parts and useful items such as cable ties, insulating tape and a few M4 and M5 bolts.

Rubber gloves: We hate getting our gloves soaked and covered in grease, so taking rubber gloves is a great idea.

Pump: Do we even need to tell you why?!

Inner tube: Don’t faff around with glue and patches to ﬁx a ﬂ at, just take a spare inner tube with you. Make sure your spare is a Presta because it'll ﬁt Presta and Schrader drillings.

Spare layer and hat: Always carry a spare layer and a hat with you in case you get stuck out in the cold – you never know what might happen.

Energy gel/banana: When you get tired, you’ll be grateful for these. Both provide an energy boost.

Phone: Take a charged phone with you, and keep it safe and dry.

Technique

1 Woodwork

Eyes: Just like reading a trail, keep your eyes on your exit point. By the time you hit the wood, you should have already scanned the line.

Brake control: Do any major speed control before you hit the wood as even with chicken wire, wood can be slippy. Keep braking to a minimum, and don’t grab – just feather.

Clearance: Thanks to the slots between wood, and wire for grip, the are lots of pedal-grabbing places. Keeping your pedals horizonal will help reduce the chance of catching them.

Pump: Some woodwork can be ridden along normally, but often the builders will incorporate rises and banked turns. Pump them for every ounce of speed.

Turning circle: Get to know the length of your bike – when negotiating turns on woodwork your wheels will come close to the edge. If you lose the rear end it could damage your disc rotor or rear mech. Practise hopping the rear end about to pull it back in line.

2 Line choice & looking ahead

Low safe line: The safer line will always be the worn-in option, but won’t necessarily be the easiest or best option. Expect to weave around a little and do some brake checking.

High risky line: The risky line will almost certainly be more fun, although often intimidating. Sometimes, this line will be easier to ride and will ﬂow better than the obvious line, but will have greater consequences if you mess it up.

Hazards: In rocky sections like this, the safe lines will usually weave around rocks – leaving sharp rock edges at a convenient height for causing damage. Look for scarring on rock edges and you’ll see where others have got it wrong.

Commitment: Once you’ve looked at the options, commit to one. If you come into the section half-heartedly, you’ll be setting yourself up for an accident. Pick your line, stick to it and hit it with conﬁdence.

Dab, don’t grab: When riding sections like this, control your speed by literally dabbing the brakes, rather than grabbing them. Fine tuning like this keeps you in control – locked wheels are out of control.

3 Technical climbs

Line: Spot your line early – be it the tougher line over obstacles, or the easier around option – and commit. If it’s a short sharp section, be prepared to put the power down.

Cadence: Gear choice is crucial – you need to be spinning a gear to keep momentum. If you stumble on an obstacle in a bigger gear, you’ll struggle to keep moving forward.

Body weight: When it’s rough, out-of-the-saddle bursts can lead to wheel spinning, but seated attempts can end up in wheelies. Hover over the nose of the saddle to keep the front end down, but weight on the rear wheel. Try and stay low over the bars to help you balance.

Pinch puncture risk: With most trail bikes, you can roll over most rubble and rock slabs but do risk puncturing. If you’re conﬁdent you can avoid it, up your cadence and straight-line the section as hard as possible.

Recovery: Once over the obstacle, get back into a rhythm as quickly as possible and control your breathing. Attacking the section will have you out of breath, but use it to propel yourself forward and ease up slightly afterwards to recover.

4 Rock steps

Eyes: Steps like this can have your eyes darting all over the place, but stay focused. Check your line, note any hazards and look down the trail at your exit point.

Brake control: It’s important to approach slowly – it’s easy to build up speed on steps, but tricky and dangerous to scrub it off. Start slower, and you can always build up your speed.

Seat height: If you’ve got a height dropper seatpost, now’s the time to use it. If not, lower your saddle to attack the steps. If your saddle is raised, one hard hit could pitch you over the bars, so be careful.

Pedals: Keep your best foot forwards and be careful not to strike your pedals on the steps or rocks. Some rock steps are high enough to catch a chainring at low-speed. When riding faster, you don’t run this risk because your front end will travel further from the step before impact.

Position: As the front end drops over the edge allow the bike to fall away from you. Relax your arms and allow the saddle to come up towards your chest. Stay loose and allow the bike to move around. Don’t stiffen up or you’ll be grabbing the brakes.

Gear selection: If you don’t have a chainguide, you could drop your chain on sections like this. Put your bike in a gear that will tension the chain to help stop this– using the big ring will help, or middle with a low gear option on the rear. Rock steps often have tight turns that follow, so have a low gear ready to enable you to make a fast getaway.

Next month, in part two of 'How to tackle mountain bike trail centres', we'll be looking at berms, rock drops, jumps and switchbacks.

How to get your seat height right

Nick Morgan — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Setting the correct seat height would seem to be such a fundamental part of cycling that you would have thought the boffins had agreed long ago on the best method. But you’d be wrong.

One thing all the experts agree on however is that if you get the height wrong, the effects can be catastrophic. A study suggests that setting the height too low can decrease time to exhaustion by as much as 12 per cent.

Consequently cyclists with limited time on their hands might actually get more out of a shorter session by lowering their seats to a sub-optimal level so as to make it harder.

It’s an interesting theory, but even knowing how to get it wrong presupposes that you know how to get it right, and many don’t. Read on to find out exactly how to do it.

1 The Heel method

This is the one every bike shop owner or gym assistant will tell you whenever you clamber onto the saddle. You place the heel of your shoe on the pedal and set the saddle height so your leg is straight at the bottom of the pedal cycle with the pelvis remaining in a horizontal position.

Despite this commonly heard method, there is virtually no scientific evidence to support it and it often leads to the saddle height being adjusted too low.

Professor Will Pelever of Mississippi University for Women has written several papers comparing methods for finding the best seat height and says, “The main problem is that this method does not take into account individual variations in femur, tibia and foot length.”

2 The 109% method

A more robust method was developed by Hamley & Thomas in a 1967 paper. They experimented with different saddle heights and found that the ideal was achieved when the saddle was positioned at 109% of your inseam length when measuring from the pedal axle to the top of the seat height.

Your inseam measurement is basically the length from your crotch to the floor. To calculate this, face a wall and put a thick-ish book between your legs as if it were a saddle. Ensuring that you are standing straight with your heels on the floor, mark a line along the top of the book edge touching the wall.

The distance from the floor to the height of the mark is your inseam measurement. It’s best to measure it several times and take an average.

This has proved an extremely popular method and is recommended by many top-level coaches. Yet a recent study by Professor Pelever found that it was inferior to the Holmes method (see below) both in terms of power output and economy.

3 The LeMond method

This is a popular variation on the 109% method and pioneered by the three time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond.

Also using inseam length as a guide, this formula calculates 88.3% of your inseam length and uses it to measure the distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat height.

Interestingly, Pelever has shown that this often produces a different seat height from the 109% method and although it seems to work for many people, it may not be ideal for someone with particularly long femur bones.

4 The Holmes method

This was originally developed to reduce over-use injuries in cycling and takes a different approach entirely from the other three.

It uses a device called a goniometer for measuring the angle of the knee joint at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Holmes recommends an angle of between 25 and 35 degrees and closer to 25 for those with a history of patella tendonitis.

This may all sound a bit technical and if so it’s probably best to go with one of the two inseam methods, but you can pick up a goniometer for around £20 from medical suppliers.

Pelever’s research has shown that setting your seat height based on a knee angle of 25 degrees outperforms all other methods (including an angle of 35 degrees). “Using a goniometer and a 25 degree angle is definitely the method I’d recommend,” he says.

Don’t rely on simply feeling comfortable either. “If you’ve been pedalling at a much lower saddle height than is optimal, it may feel awkward in the beginning,” says Pelever.

“However, as your body adapts (usually in two to three weeks) the new position will not only feel comfortable, but will improve performance in the long run.”

Of course, if you still feel uncomfortable after a few weeks then you will need to make changes. It’s best to use the 25 degree knee angle as a starting place. Have someone watch from behind to ensure that your hips do not rock back and forth across the saddle due to over extension at the bottom of the stroke. If that is the case then the angle may need to be adjusted upwards slightly for comfort.

“When I finish fitting someone on their bike, their knee angle is usually somewhere between 25 and 30 degrees, but much closer to 25 on most all occasions,” says Pelever.

Cycling in icy conditions and bad weather

BikeRadar & Cycling Plus — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 08:30:00 GMT

The thought of winter cycling is often enough to put off even hardened road riders – a turbo trainer or lie-in can seem like a preferable alternative to battling through ice, sleet, rain or a freezing wind trying to stay warm and upright on your bike.

But with the right winter cycling kit and these essential safety tips you should still be able to get out there and enjoy the same health, fitness and financial benefits you did in the summer. Many coaches and veteran year-round riders even say that braving the elements can give your mental toughness a boost, a benefit you’ll really notice when you’re in need of some determination during a sportive, race or demanding summer ride.

Coping with ice

Lingering frost or black ice can catch anyone unawares, especially given that crisp winter days and blue skies are so inviting for a bracing ride. Stunning cloudless days go hand in hand with sub-zero nights. And when the sun does come up it stays low in the sky and relatively weak, with long shadows.

Add to that the time-poor training cyclist’s preference for early morning rides and there’s a high chance some of those shadows will be icy and make your wheels lose grip.

One of the biggest causes of black ice is when a big freeze follows a partial thaw, so that rain water or meltwater is frozen before it can drain off the road completely, leaving a thin layer of transparent ice.

If you’re riding in these conditions, pick your road carefully and stick to those that have been treated. Of course, the downside to this is that many councils put a water dispersal agent down with the salt, and after a few days this too can be slippy.

Shadier sections of road will be the last to thaw out

Be particuarly wary of the more exposed sections of road, such as where there are no hedges – the wind chill will have further cooled the tarmac there – and always keep your eyes on the road ahead so you’re prepared for icy hazards, going round them if you have time and it’s safe to do so.

If you’re about to hit ice then don’t do anything sudden – don’t turn the bar too fast or far or lean the bike, and don’t brake hard or suddenly. Of course, if you hit black ice on a downhill corner, all you can do is hope for a soft landing…

Riding in the wet

Riding a bike in the wet can be great fun, but make sure you do it safely. Cycling coach Andy Cook points out that it will take you longer to stop when braking in the wet because of a build-up of water on the rims between the brake blocks and the braking surface. Make sure you take this into account.

Also, road markings tend to be slippery when wet, as do drain and manhole covers, so remember to take extra care when riding across them, especially when turning. Avoiding them is the best idea, but if there’s no alternative, anticipate your line and speed – a sharp turn over a wet piece of ironwork or painted line at speed could easily result in a fall.

British Cycling club coach Dan Bennett, who runs Progressive Cycle Coaching, recommends applying your brakes in equal amounts when it's raining: “Fifty percent on the front, 50 percent on the back – and ride a little further towards the middle of the road – you’ll be less likely to pick up flints and other stones washed off the verges that may cause punctures.”

Beating the wind

Sometimes called ‘the invisible hill’, a stiff wind can turn a pan-flat road into a relentless climb, and make even a modest ascent feel like Alpe d’Huez. All the more reason to get out in it, says Bennett.

“The increased wind resistance makes it harder to pedal, which will increase your heart rate, power output and leg strength, and help you to mimic riding uphill if you live in a flat area. Like riding in the rain, it will increase your resilience to tough conditions, and get you ready for riding windy sportives such as Paris-Roubaix.”

As anyone who’s tried it – or just watched the pros – will attest, the best way to beat the wind is to ride in a group. “Riding behind one rider at 30kph, you’ll use 18 percent less energy. That rises to 27 percent at 40kph and 39 percent if you’re in a bunch,” he explains.

Riding buddies can give you the mental and physical strength to face bad weather

What if you’re riding on your own? “Try to avoid the wind by heading into hedged lanes, and if you head into the wind on the first half of the ride, you can then turn around and get blown back home. Riding with the wind behind you allows you to mimic the greater speeds associated with bunch riding.”

And when there’s really no escape, he offers some tips for making windy rides a bit less painful: “Reduce your frontal area by rounding your shoulders and bending down closer to the bar, as this will help reduce wind resistance. If it’s a blustery, gusting wind, choose an easier gear, move slightly further into the middle of the road and hold onto the bar a little more tightly, so you’re ready to control the bike more at short notice.

“If you’re trying to stick to a set wattage or heart rate zone, you’ll need to increase or decrease your efforts depending on wind strength. If it’s reaching gale force, probably best not to head out but spend the time on the turbo.”

For more top road cycling tips see Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.

Cycling and technology: how much is too much information?

Peter Suciu in New York, USA — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 07:30:00 GMT

With the introduction of GPS computers, electronic shifters and virtual trainers that turn an HDTV into an immersing workout, it’s easy to think cycling has gone high-tech. Not to mention space age materials including titanium and carbon fiber, or the ability to use a 3D printer to produce components.

But first we must step back and realise that the bicycle itself is a fairly complex machine in its own right. The first bikes were created thanks to the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s, and with their steel frames and rubber tires they simply couldn't have been developed a century earlier.

Bicycles have continually been moving forward, with better materials appearing and improvements in components such as gears and brakes seemingly endless. Recently, high-tech electronic components have changed the way we ride as well. This has put cyclists on a type of hamster wheel, always chasing the new.

Just as people line up for the next iPhone and Xbox, cyclists are caught up in the 'next generation' as well – in terms of new frames and wheels but also the latest heart rate monitors, power meters, apps, training websites, helmet cameras and more. Here, we take a look at some of these innovations…

Tracking your workout

One of the technologies that's seen the most innovation in the past decade has been the bike computer. While the first models were nothing more than analogue speedometers, riders can now track virtually every aspect of their ride – distance, maximum speed, average speed, calories burned, time spent pedalling, average gradient and even power.

The technology has seen a major boost in recent years, as Garmin and others have jumped on the GPS bandwagon. We might take this technology for granted now, but just 40 years ago it didn’t even exist, and two decades later it was mostly in the military domain.

A GPS (Global Positioning System) unit uses space-based satellite navigation. This was developed in 1973 to overcome limitations of existing navigation systems, and was created by the United States Department of Defense. Interestingly, it didn’t become fully operational until the Nineties but was quickly upgraded and made available for civilian use in 1998. Almost 15 years later, it's changed the way people drive and cycle.

The cycling computers that were developed in the 1990s often required calibration based on wheel/tire size, and this often meant two riders on identical bikes with identical tires and the same computer could get different distance and speed results. GPS solved this problem and opened up possibilities for all sorts of information to be recorded.

Just 10 years ago it would have required much more than a handlebar mounted device to accurately measure the grade of a climb, but now the Garmin Edge line of computers, along with most Android and iOS apps, can provide that data.

Bryton are one of the big players in the bike GPS market

“We can track a number of factors, including time, distance, speed, pedal cadence, power and heart rate,” said triathlon coach Dillon Martin. “With GPS and cellular we started tracking these on a continual basis so we can view an HR graph over the course of a bike ride vs just a lap or total average. We are also now using these measurements to compute training stress and intensity factors for each workout, to make sure we don't over- or undertrain.”

In some ways, all this information can help riders stay motivated.

“It’s not only the tracking that's keeping people motivated but the community support most of these trackers have created,” said Julie Sylvester, co-producer at Living in Digital Times, a group focusing on lifestyle trends in consumer electronics. “Whether it's a reward or point systems, donations to charities or just the visual 'Atta girl', they all make people want to try harder to be fit.”

But is there such a thing as too much information? Possibly, at least when riders pay more heed to what the data says than what their own bodies are telling them.

“For training and racing it’s very important to pay attention to the numbers, though I understand looking down at the watch can take away from the experience,” Martin told BikeRadar. “One way to counter this is to think about your goals and the purpose of each workout.”

“If you go out with a group of friends on a bike ride, then have fun,” he added. “Stick your watch or computer in the jersey pocket and don't look at it. At other times you just need to teach your body to suffer. Pro athletes have to learn what it feels like to really suffer during a workout because it's going to happen in a race. For those all-out sessions that might also be a good time to put the computer in the back pocket.”

There's also the issue of whether the information that's tracked can actually remain private – what happens when you sign an agreement on some of the new mobile applications, or aren't told how your data could be could be used. Given the amount of products out there, it might be hard to keep it all in check, even with legislation from various governments.

“By 2016, the mobile application market is expected to reach US$400 million, and the expected number of body monitors that will be worn is 300 million, so this is starting to become a major topic of discussion,” Sylvester noted.

Get the power

One 'new' area of technology that's been picking up steam is power meters.

“Power meters aren’t new. Greg LeMond and SRM can likely be credited as the first to popularise their use, during his bids to win the Tour de France,” said Matt Pacocha, Stages Cycling’s marketing and PR manager. “A power meter provides one thing – an accurate and consistent measurement of a rider’s output, which is measured and displayed in watts.”

“The important fact is that a watt is a watt, no matter how windy it is, how strong or tired the rider is feeling, or what the road surface or terrain is,” Pacocha continued. “The same cannot be said for other training metrics like speed, heart rate or a rider’s own rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Therefore, a rider’s wattage output measured by a power meter is the best metric that rider or coach has to assess fitness and gauge improvements or problems.”

The question, of course, is who really needs to know this information? For those who are racing, power output could certainly provide a very good overall picture of effort. For club riders or those who are just trying to stay fit, the bathroom scales could be a better gauge.

Rotor's crankarm power meter is one of 2013's highly anticipated products

So why all the noise about power meters? One reason is that, as with a lot of technology, prices have fallen to make them affordable to those who aren’t pulling the peloton through the streets of Paris.

“We see cellular phone evolution as a great analogy,” said Pacocha. “Think of the cell phones available 15 years ago. Now, think of where cell phones are today. Think of power meters 15 years ago.”

Caught on camera

The other major technological revolution that's occurred in cycling in recent years has been the advent of action cameras, with GoPro leading the pack. GoPro didn't actually produce the first device, though – Samsung introduced a quasi-wearable camera in 2005.

The SC-X105 Sports Cam Xtreme was fairly bulky, and expensive at nearly US$800. It was also only capable of 1280x960 resolution – so not quite high definition. Its chassis could be tucked into a pocket while the lens was mounted to a helmet.

Today, numerous companies have followed GoPro’s lead, with Sony and JVC – two giants in the camcorder market – introducing their own HD action cams in recent months. However, GoPro look to maintain dominance in the market, announcing their 4K HERO3 last week.

Still footage from the new GoPro HERO3

Dubbed 'Ultra HD', the 4K technology is the next step in the evolution of high definition TVs and displays, and will offer four times the resolution of today’s 1920x1080 Full HD (1080p) resolution. That means those looking to record their moment of triumph better be ready for their close-up.

The other issue with cameras is safety. Are some riders going too far to get that perfect shot, and are they putting themselves at risk by mounting a camera to their helmet? Cameras can act as blunt objects that might damage the helmet and even cause an increased chance of neck injury.

“Anything that goes on the outside of the helmet should flip off immediately,” said Randy Swart, director of the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute. “Many of the action cameras that mount to the helmets are held on with Velcro, and these don’t tend to get knocked off so easily. The outside of the helmet needs to be round to help deflect some energy.”

However, there have been some advances that could help should someone fall or crash, the ICEdot sensor being one example. The device is small enough to fit into a helmet and works with an app that can detect motion, changes in force and, notably, impacts. In the case of a traumatic crash it can call your emergency contacts for help and even send GPS coordinates.

Racing against the clock

Various online services, including Strava and BikeRadar Training have encouraged users to compete against their own times and other riders. While this circles back to how various data monitors can help motivate cyclists, and even be a way to create a riding community, there is a downside – sometimes, friendly competition can turn deadly.

In June 2010, William 'Kim' Flint died while riding his bike down a Bay Area hill, California, at at least 10mph over the speed limit. He wasn’t racing anyone at the time – at least not in the real world. He was trying to reclaim his title as a Strava 'King of the Mountain'.

Strava make it clear that riders should obey the rules of the road and that they accept no responsibility for ride outcomes, and updated their terms and conditions further earlier this year. Five days later they learned that Flint's family were suing the site for negligence. Strava have now countersued in the case.

“Exercise is a practice whose health and fitness goals don’t necessarily preclude enjoyment,” said Charles King of technology analysts Pund-IT. “There’s probably a certain amount of entertainment to be found in tracking one’s heart rate, but overdoing it is a bit like watching a speedometer instead of the scenery during a drive in the country.”

“At the end of the day, computing devices are tools that can help ease and accomplish certain kinds of jobs,” King continued. “But they aren’t necessary for every occasion, and they can purely wring the joy out of some tasks and activities.”

So which camp are you in? How much does technology affect your riding experience? Let us know in the comments area below.

Cycling and technology

Peter Suciu in New York, USA — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 07:30:00 GMT

Just as people line up for the next iPhone and Xbox, cyclists are caught up in the 'next generation' as well – in terms of new frames and wheels but also the latest heart rate monitors, power meters, apps, helmet cameras and more. Here, we take a look at some of these innovations…

Tracking your workout

Bryton are one of the big players in the bike GPS market

In some ways, all this information can help riders stay motivated.

But is there such a thing as too much information? Possibly, at least when riders pay more heed to what the data says than what their own bodies are telling them.

Get the power

One 'new' area of technology that's been picking up steam is power meters.

Rotor's crankarm power meter is one of 2013's highly anticipated products

Caught on camera

Still footage from the new GoPro HERO3

Racing against the clock

Various online services, including Strava and MapMyRide, have encouraged users to compete against their own times and other riders. While this circles back to how various data monitors can help motivate cyclists, and even be a way to create a riding community, there is a downside – sometimes, friendly competition can turn deadly.

So which camp are you in? How much does technology affect your riding experience? Let us know in the comments area below.

What is cyclocross?

Gary Boulanger & Guy Kesteven — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 11:40:00 GMT

Many consider cyclocross to be a steeplechase with modified road bikes on a 2km course over hill and dale; others consider it muddy hell. Its roots can be traced to the early 1900s, when French army private Daniel Gousseau would ride his bicycle along horseback-riding friends through the woods.

The cyclocross scene is strong in Europe, with some of the most aggressive and successful racers hailing from Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy and the Czech Republic. But it's currently enjoying a massive boom in the US, along with a renaissance in the UK.

Traditionally, the cyclocross season runs from September to January, ending with the UCI World Championships.

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Video: Andy Hargroves and Steve James explain cyclocross

Racing

Like triathlon, cyclocross mixes multiple athletic endeavours, namely riding and running, with a strong emphasis on skillful bike handling. The pace, barriers, climate and technical aspects of the course weed out the weak and make for good theatre. Spectators with horns and cowbells provide a festival environment, especially in Europe.

Most races are held on 1km to 3km courses, mixing tarmac, sand, dirt, mud, run-ups and sometimes steps. Races typically last a set timespan – between 30 minutes and an hour – plus a final lap. However, if you're lapped by the leaders then you have to pull out at the end of that lap to avoid confusion. The pace at the sharp end is unrelenting and brutally fast, and the stop-go nature of the courses and racing means you get an intense workout.

Man-made barriers, usually 18in high, pepper the course, sometimes staggered close enough to force racers to shoulder their bikes or carry them by the top tube. Speed demons with incredible BMX skills have been known to bunnyhop the barriers, much to the chagrin of their fellow racers but awe of the spectators.

There are a few ways to address the barriers, but for efficiency and speed the best way to dismount is to unclip your right foot as you're approaching the barrier or run-up, swing your leg around the saddle and in between your left foot and the bike. Unclip your left foot as your right strikes the ground, catapulting yourself forward just in time to hop over the barrier or clamber up the hill.

If there are several barriers in a row, it's sometimes best to shoulder the bike (see why it pays to have the lightest bike you can afford?). Or, if you're tall and have good upper body strength, carry the bike by the handlebar with your left hand as your right lifts the top tube. Run-ups are always best accomplished by shouldering the bike, and pumping your left arm for momentum.

Equipment

The ideal cyclocross race bike is a road/mountain bike cross-polination: lightweight aluminum, carbon, steel or titanium frame; carbon fork; drop bars (for leverage on climbs, and for sprinting); integrated shifters/brake levers; 700c x 30-38c (1.2-1.5in) knobby tyres; mountain bike clipless pedals; and a double or single chainring (smaller than on a road bike) with guard. Mud clearance is a big issue; the fork and rear stays need room for mud to build up on the tyres without clogging.

Frames and forks are tougher than on standard road bikes, top tubes are shorter and bottom brackets are often slightly higher. Disc brakes are now allowed for cyclocross racing, potentially giving powerful all-weather braking. Many racers still use linear-pull (V) brakes or cantilevers, which give plenty of power when set up right. Top-bar brake levers are often added for better control.

Many cyclocross bikes play to their utility potential, with mudguard and rack mounts for commuting/weekend exploring work. There's also a growing number of crossover-style bikes, which trade race weight and jarring rigidity for a heavier and more forgiving chassis, often in smooth-riding steel.

Cyclothon UK 2012 results

John Whitney at Brands Hatch, UK — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:25:00 GMT

Recently, BikeRadar Training teamed up with Cyclothon UK to offer three places for a team relay endurance event at Brands Hatch. Bob Scarle, Chris Holliday and Dean Webb were all lucky winners, and joined up with BikeRadar's John Whitney to tackle the course last Thursday.

Brands Hatch is a rarity among motor racing circuits. If you came along to BikeRadar Live in 2010, you'll know what we're talking about. Its maniacally undulating terrain must be a huge thrill in the high-octane world of car and motorbike racing, but slow down to bicycle speed and the 2.3 miles are a constant battle to find and maintain rhythm.

The course mimics a rollercoaster in the way you constantly go up and down, building huge speed and momentum on the downhill and powering into a wall of a climb before cresting the summit and tipping yourself over the edge.

As such, the eight- or 12-hour relay event is not for the faint-hearted, requiring power, endurance and willpower in equal measure in order to do it justice. Through weeks of hard training miles, and with the help of coaching advice, training plans and bike fittings from Koolstof Sports Coaching, we built ourselves a crack team of riders ready to tackle the unique contours of the Kent circuit.

On the start line

The event itself comes from Victor Ubogu, a former England rugby union player, and his hospitality and sports travel business VU Limited. He makes no bones about the corporate reach of the event (blue chip companies such as Ernst & Young, Legal & General and Nintendo all had teams on the start line).

But Ubogu's considerable pulling power in the world of rugby and wider sporting world meant Scott Hastings, Rory Underwood, Doddie Weir and Angus Fraser, to name a few, were on the start line. There were also 30 solo riders competing under their own steam, so this is an event that's open to anyone up for the challenge.

Riders can compete in teams of four or five (mixed or single sex) or on their own, over eight- or 12-hour races. Those choosing the mammoth 12-hour option start shortly after sunrise, at 7.30am, and ride through to sunset. The shorter race, which we'd entered, started four hours later, at 11.30am.

Both races start Le Mans-style, with cyclists making a mad dash across the Tarmac to their bikes propped up by the roadside. Timing started once we'd exited the pit lane, with a timed section up the monstrously steep Druids Climb greeting riders almost immediately.

Forget triathlon transitions – the race to the bikes at the Cyclothon was crucial!

With a team of four, it was vital to keep the changeovers frequent. Four laps took about 30 minutes for the BikeRadar Training team to complete, meaning all our team, buoyed by a summer of hard training, could ride full gas for much of that time and not risk exploding.

Sportives are often characterised by wildly varying abilities, and the Cyclothon was no exception. Riders in fancy dress, mountain biking kit and on Bromptons mixed with serious roadies and slick-looking time trial squads clobbered up in skinsuits.

And while many grabbed the opportunity to bask in the scorching mid-September sun between stints on the track, those with their game faces on passed the time by spinning on rollers in the garage.

Famous faces

Our schedule meant we would often wait up to 90 minutes between efforts, so rollers would have been a sensible option if our team had designs on overall victory. But we didn't, and we had work to do, talking to cycling celebs to see what had brought them to the event.

First up was newly crowned round-the-world record holder Mike Hall, riding for the Rose Bikes team. As anyone who followed the Yorkshireman's efforts to topple Alan Bate's 106-day record will know, Hall went through the mill, both physically and mentally, on his way to his incredible record.

Catching up with him for the first time since our interview with him, he revealed he's struggled to slip back into normal life since returning from his adventure.

His efforts poleaxed him, and it's taken him much of the summer to get back in the saddle and contemplate his next move. He says he's taken time off work to focus on a book of his record-breaking exploits, which will detail the build-up to setting off, and the emotional rollercoaster his endeavours involved.

Mike Hall (left) taking some time out during the Cyclothon UK event

Then there was Gavin Kerr, a 35-year-old retired rugby union player who was capped 50 times by Scotland before a neck injury curtailed his elite playing days. He was riding with The Jocks, a team that read like a who's who of Scottish rugby.

Cycling has been championed by a number of egg-chasing greats, including Lawrence Dallaglio, Will Carling and now Victor Ubogu. Kerr, whose days of playing prop meant he had to be one of the biggest, strongest guys on the field, says cycling helps keep them fit while avoiding the brutal pounding they took throughout their careers.

Ubogu, himself a prop, agreed. With his booming laugh and huge smile, his enthusiasm for the sport was evident.

Victor Ubogu at the Brands Hatch track

Ubogu's got big plans for the Cyclothon, too. It's only in its second year, and given the hugely crowded UK cycling events calendar, he's delighted to have seen numbers of riders almost double since 2011.

Next summer's event will be held a week earlier, to avoid the Tour of Britain, with an ultimate aim of attracting names from the world of pro cycling.

This year's winners

But back to the 2012 contest, which was fiercely fought from the gun. PM R@CING took overall honours, their four-man team clocking up an impressive 111 laps during their 12-hour heroics.

Sixteen laps behind was Carl Ferri, who took the solo award, while we notched up a respectable 64 laps to take 50th place. We did get first place in the Male Four 8hr Trade group, but being the only team in the category made it something of a hollow victory.

The novelty of riding round a closed-road, silky-smooth, pothole-free circuit was the biggest thrill we took from the day. We all agreed that the training plans we've used have helped us to push on with our fitness, even if work and family commitments sometimes make it hard to stick to regimes rigidly.

"I realise that I'm never going to be as fast as some but I do try hard," said BikeRadar Training winner Bob. "However, the coaching has shown me that even I can make small gains that improve my overall riding ability and enjoyment."

Like the sound of Cyclothon? BikeRadar Training will be able to help you prepare for next summer's event. BikeRadar Training is a free online resource for you to record and analyse all aspects of your training, log your training routes, get yourself tailored training plans, see how you're doing on our leaderboards, set goals and plan your season with a comprehensive events guide.

How to find the right size bike to fit you

Julius Jennings, Koolstof Sports Coaching — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 07:00:00 GMT

A comprehensive bike fit to find the right size bike is useful for every cyclist. Whatever your discipline, cycling level or targets, your position on the bike is absolutely crucial for cycling comfort, enjoyment and performance.

There is no need to cycle in pain, risk injuries or throw away performance for the sake of a bad position – a single fitting session can eliminate niggles (lower back pain, a sore neck or painful knees) you’ve endured for years.

Before you start checking your bike fit, make sure you've got a BikeRadar Training account. This free online resource enables you to record and analyse all aspects of your training, log your training routes, get yourself tailored training plans, see how you're doing on our leaderboards, set goals and plan your season with a comprehensive events guide.

The key to fitting a bike is to treat yourself as an individual and not use a formula that says one rule works for everyone. We all have different flexibility, postural and skeletal issues, and a professional bike fitter will take all of these into consideration.

There are many great bike fitters out there, so find one near you and book yourself in.

Cyclothon team bike fit

Cycling enthusiasts Chris Holliday and Bob Scarle recently won our competition to join the BikeRadar team for the Cyclothon UK endurance event. To help them with their training, we asked them to come in for a bike fit and fitness test, so that they can use the right heart rate zones for working out. Their expert for the day was Julius Jennings of Koolstof Sports Coaching.

Chris is in his early twenties and is a Cat 4 road racer. He's done a lot of fell running in the past, and as a result of this he had very little lateral movement in his ankle and rode with his toes pointing down.

We needed to move Chris slightly further back on his saddle and make sure he wasn’t sitting too high, as he was unable to drop his ankle. He'd also had a crash at some point, and one of his brake hoods was twisted, giving him some left shoulder pain.

A minor adjustment to his bars allowed Chris to reach his brake levers while on the hoods, with his wrists pretty much straight. By changing his centre of balance on the bike we made sure he no longer had any tension running through his shoulders and will be able to relax his shoulders and alleviate neck and shoulder pain.

BikeRadar Cyclothon team member Chris in his new racing position

Bob enjoys riding his bike for fun, and is a mature cyclist. He put his track mitts on for the fit, and told us his hands always hurt on the bike. There were two very simple tweaks we knew we needed to make…

Firstly, Bob was sitting too far forward and putting too much pressure through his arms, shoulders and neck. But more importantly, his bars had a flat top that wasn’t angled correctly. This meant Bob’s wrists were slightly bent and he was putting way too much pressure through the palms of his hands. Over time, this can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome and possibly an operation. Hopefully, Bob will now enjoy his riding without those niggles.

The key to Bob's bike comfort was in a subtle handlebar angle

One piece of advice we can give to all cyclists is not to copy the pros’ positions. Bradley Wiggins looks great in the saddle, but the position suits him and his flexibility, skeletal frame, core strength, limb length and riding style. It won’t necessarily work for you.

In addition to getting a bike fit, we’d always recommend a visit to an osteopath. They’ll be able to make sure your pelvis is aligned correctly. Pilates, core strength and yoga exercises will also help you support your body and add flexibility.

How to find a bike that fits

Julius Jennings, Koolstof Sports Coaching — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 07:00:00 GMT

A comprehensive bike fit is useful for every cyclist. Whatever your discipline, cycling level or targets, your position on the bike is absolutely crucial for cycling comfort, enjoyment and performance.

There are many great bike fitters out there, so find one near you and book yourself in.

Cyclothon team bike fit

BikeRadar Cyclothon team member Chris in his new racing position

The key to Bob's bike comfort was in a subtle handlebar angle

What is fat?

Rose Brandle, What Mountain Bike — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Fat is a divisive issue, and our current attitude to dietary fat is very much linked to medical and media opinion, which relegates all fat to the ‘bad for you’ list – regardless of where it comes from or how much of it you consume.

That’s a very simplistic and unhelpful view, though. Fat is a necessary part of our diet and is an essential part, in the form of lipids, of every single cell in your body – each one is contained by a membrane that’s made of proteins and lipids. So, without fat, your cells (and you) would just be a puddle of chemicals on the ﬂoor.

The confusion comes from the huge rise in heart disease in developed countries, and the championing of an oversimpliﬁed approach to fat by the press. There is a strong correlation between heart disease and over consumption of saturated and trans fats (unsaturated fat with trans-isomer fatty acids), but this has sparked a belief that all fat is bad for you.

Even singling out these fats as a cause of disease may be ﬂawed. The Fulani people of northern Nigeria have a diet that’s extremely high in saturated fat (around 25 percent), yet the results of a 2001 study showed they had a low risk of cardiovascular disease – probably due to their active lifestyle and low total energy intake. So it’s not saturated and trans fats per se that can lead to disease, but over consumption and over sufﬁciency of these fats when paired with other energy sources. As always, moderation is the key.

Most of the confusion over fat comes from not knowing how fats are used by the body. Here we look at the different types of fat and their functions.

What is saturated fat?

Saturated fat is the bogey man of the fat family, and not without reason: as we’ve already mentioned, its consumption is linked to hardening of the arteries and heart disease. It’s mainly found in animal products (dairy and meat) and is generally solid at room temperature. If you follow a sensible diet with minimal processed food there should be no reason to cut out saturated fat altogether — in fact it’s better to eat butter, for example, than a trans fat laden substitute, as long as it’s in moderation.

What is monunsaturated fat?

Mainly found in nuts and seeds and their oils, monunsaturated fat is known to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Its ability to raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol is still under debate, as is its place in the progression of certain diseases. Oleic acid, for instance, may boost memory and reduce blood pressure, but is also associated with increased risk of breast cancer. Again, balance is the key.

What is trans fat?

This is the really dangerous character in the fats family. Trans fat occur when monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat is hydrogenated (the addition of hydrogenmolecules) for a longer shelf life; trans fats are a side effect of incomplete hydrogenation. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in the US stated in 2002 that “trans fatty acids are not essential and provide no known benefit to human health”, and that they raise levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and lower levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Foods to avoid? Cakes, biscuits, most chocolate and processed food in general, but particularly fast food.

What is polyunsaturated fat?

This is found mainly in grains, fish and seafood, and the family includes the Omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) ALA, EPA and DHA, and linoleic acid, the key Omega 6 fatty acid. These are called “essential” because, unlike other fats, they cannot be made in the body. Some people try to boost their EFA levels with oil supplements, but recent research has suggested that EFAs from plant sources (ie. evening primrose oil) are not as bioavailable as those from fish sources.

Best bike quotes

Oli Woodman, BikeRadar — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:22:00 GMT

It's amazing what people can come up with whilst on two wheels. Here are a selection of some of the most interesting and insightful quotes on the subjects of bikes and cycling.

"It never gets easier, you just go faster." ~ Greg LeMond

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." ~ John F. Kennedy, Former U.S. President

"If you worried about falling off the bike, you’d never get on." ~ Lance Armstrong

"It's not about the bike" ~ Lance Armstrong

"Learn to ride a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live." ~ Mark Twain, American author and humorist

"Life is like a 10-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use." ~ Charles Schultz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip

"Life is like riding a bicycle. In order to keep your balance, you must keep moving." ~ Albert Einstein

"I thought of that while riding my bicycle." ~ Albert Einstein on the Theory of Relativity

"The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine." ~ John Howard

"Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race." ~ H.G. Wells, English author

"As a kid I had a dream - I wanted to own my own bicycle. When I got the bike I must have been the happiest boy in Liverpool, maybe the world. I lived for that bike. Most kids left their bike in the backyard at night. Not me. I insisted on taking mine indoors and the first night I even kept it in my bed." ~ John Lennon

"It is the unknown around the corner that turns my wheels." ~ Heinz Stucke, German long-distance touring cyclist

"The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets." ~ Christopher Morley, American author and editor

"Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling." ~ James E. Starrs

"The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking the entire community." ~ Ann Strong

"Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world." ~ Grant Petersen

“Don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades.” ~ Eddy Merckx

"Ride lots." ~ Eddy Merckx

"As long as I breathe, I attack." ~ Bernard Hinault

"The bicycle is the noblest invention of mankind." ~ William Saroyan, Nobel prize winner

"The sound of a car door opening in front of you is similar to the sound of a gun being cocked." ~ Amy Webster

"Whoever invented the bicycle deserves the thanks of humanity." ~ Lord Charles Beresford

"If I can bicycle, I bicycle." ~ David Attenborough, British broadcaster and naturalist

"Enough of this Sunday stroll. Let's hurt a little." ~ Muzzin, American Flyers

"Let them go, Tommy. They're nobodies. They'll die on the hill." ~ American Flyers

Have we missed a classic? Make sure you add it to the comments at the bottom of this article.

Eight stretching exercises for cyclists

Sam Murphy, Cycling Plus — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 08:29:00 GMT

Cyclists, especially those training regularly, may be renowned for their supreme cardiovascular ﬁtness, phenomenal power output and colossal thighs – but when it comes to ﬂexibility, it has to be said that most of us are decidedly lacking.

It’s not surprising when you consider what riding a bike entails. “It’s a repetitive action performed through a limited range of motion, which means that the legs are neither fully extended nor fully ﬂexed,” explains Rebecca Bogue, a yoga teacher who runs Yoga for Cyclists classes. “Joints are never taken through their full range of motion.”

To compound the problem, cycling is one of the few activities in which muscles contract only concentrically (while shortening) and not eccentrically (while lengthening) and over time, this can result in what’s known as ‘adaptive shortening’, the process by which muscle ﬁbres physically shorten. But does it matter? Well, it depends who you ask.

Scientists still hotly debate the topic of whether stretching is beneﬁcial for athletes, detrimental or makes no difference either way. Recent research on runners, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, found that those who performed the worst in a ‘sit and reach’ test (a measure of hamstring and lower back ﬂexibility) had the greatest running economy, a measure that could be described as their ‘miles per gallon’ rate.

The theory is that tight leg, hip and trunk musculature increases elastic energy return. But there’s a major reason why the same may not apply on a bike. “Riding a bike is not something that we evolved to do,” says Mark Simpson, lead strength and conditioning coach at the English Institute of Sport, who works with the British Cycling team. “It’s not a natural movement like running or walking, and is therefore more likely to cause muscular imbalances and postural changes.”

As an example, the forward-leaning, crouched position adopted by roadies and track cyclists tends to make the hip ﬂexors tighten and shorten (“every cyclist I know has hip ﬂexor tightness,” says Simpson) causing an anterior pelvic tilt and an excessively arched lower back.

“Postural changes like this can lead to chronic problems such as lower back pain that will affect your daily activities, not to mention your riding, in the long-term,” he adds. Bogue agrees. “If muscles get tight, they pull on bones and put things out of alignment, increasing the risk of pain, discomfort and injury,” she says.

But poor ﬂexibility – and its consequences – don’t just give you bad posture and hike up your injury risk, your cycling performance is at stake, too. “You need a good range of motion in the hips and lower back to achieve an aerodynamic time-trial position,” says Graham Anderson, a physiotherapist who has worked with everyone from Olympic cyclists to weekend warriors.

“Without it, your power output will be reduced because you won’t be able to get maximal force from the gluteal muscles. What’s more, if you have a stiff lower back, you’ll typically overreach with the arms, putting too much weight on the hands and causing tightness across the upper back and neck.”

For Simpson, who works mainly with BMXers and sprint cyclists, ﬂexibility is also important for cross-training. “To perform a squat, for example, you need good ankle, knee and hip ﬂexibility,” he explains. “If the ankle joint is tight, it puts too much pressure on the knee.” And if you participate in other sports, or compete in triathlon, stiff, tight muscles are not going to do your running stride or swim stroke any favours.

While you may not need to be able to wrap your feet around your shoulders or bend over backwards to ride your bike, you do need to maintain – or, more likely, regain – what Simpson calls ‘normal’ range of motion in the joints, in order to ride comfortably and efﬁciently – and to be able to adapt your riding position where necessary.

You also need to consider the joints and muscles that cycling doesn’t use. “In cycling, you’re only moving your joints in a straight line – there’s no other plane of motion, such as rotational or lateral movement,” explains Anderson. “It’s important to take your joints through these neglected ranges, too – otherwise ﬂexibility will diminish.”

While Anderson believes there is no single ‘recipe’ for optimal ﬂexibility that suits everyone, in Bogue’s experience there are some key areas to address. “The areas which are tight in cyclists are so universal I can practically tick the boxes,” she says. Stiff quads, hip ﬂexors, hamstrings and lower backs are top of the list, accompanied by tight ‘closed’ shoulders and chest muscles.

So what do we do to redress the balance? “The key thing is to reverse the cycle posture,” she says. “For example, stretches which extend the lower back are a great antidote to the ﬂexed, forward-leaning position on the bike.”

A cyclist herself, Bogue has experienced the stiffness and tightness that can result from hours in the saddle, and believes yoga is the perfect complement. “It’s a way of elongating the muscles, but also it enhances your body awareness, so you notice what feels tight or stiff – and know what to do to alleviate it.”

Stretching Q&A

When should I stretch? Before a ride is not the best time to stretch: your muscles are cold, making them more susceptible to injury, plus static stretching (in which you hold a ﬁxed position) can reduce power output for up to an hour. Instead, include some ‘dynamic’ stretching in your warm-up to prepare your muscles. “Take your joints through movements that replicate the range of motion you’ll be using,” advises Anderson.

Bogue recommends the ‘Sun Salutation’ series from yoga. “It warms up the muscles as well as stretching and strengthening them,” she says. After a ride – or as a stand-alone session after warming up – use static stretching to help restore muscles to their ‘resting’ length, or to develop length in shortened muscles.

How long should I stretch for? You need to allow time for the ‘stretch response’ to take place, which occurs once the muscle relaxes and stops trying to protect itself from the stretch. Aim for at least 20 seconds – but 60 or more to increase ﬂexibility.

How many stretches should I do? The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends performing each stretch two to four times.

How far should I stretch? “It shouldn’t be painful but there should be a little discomfort and tension,” says Anderson.

How often should I stretch? ACSM advises ﬂexibility training two or three times per week.

Common stretches and yoga poses ideal for cyclists

1 Calf stretch into a wall

After a gentle warm-up, start the sequence with this stretch/yoga pose favoured by runners and used in numerous disciplines. Stand facing a wall with toes pointing forward. Place your hands ﬂat against the wall at shoulder height. Bring one leg behind you (around half a metre) then place the foot ﬂat on the ﬂoor (making sure your toes are still pointed straight forward).

Slowly lean forward over your front leg, but keep your back knee straight and your heel ﬂat on the ﬂoor. You should feel this stretch in the big muscle of your calf (gastrocnemius). If you then bend your back knee slightly (keeping the foot ﬂat on the ﬂoor) the stretch should be felt lower down your calf (soleus). Hold for at least 15 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.

2 Downward facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

A great all-in-one that elongates and releases tension throughout the entire spinal column, opens the hips and stretches the back of the legs. If your hamstrings are particularly tight, step the feet wider apart in all variations and/or bend the knees slightly. The heels can also be placed against a wall. Begin on all fours with your hands slightly in front of the shoulders on the ﬂoor and toes tucked forwards.

On an exhalation, keeping your toes tucked under, lift your knees from the ﬂoor, straightening your legs and raising your bottom while moving onto the soles of your feet and working to press your heels into the ﬂoor. Push through the shoulders so the bottom is pushed back and the stretch can be felt through the back and hamstrings. Repeat a few times. Take at least ﬁve breaths.

3 Expanded leg pose (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Begin with your feet very wide apart (the wider apart the feet, the easier it will be on the hamstrings). Placing your hands on your hips, inhale deeply and then bend forward on the exhale, bringing the torso only as far down as you can while maintaining a long spine. If your hamstrings are particularly tight, the knees can be bent slightly, releasing any tension in your back.

Variation A: Place your hands on a pile of books placed below shoulder level. Work towards eventually placing your hands in between the feet. Variation B: Interlace your ﬁngers behind your back and fold your torso over, allowing the arms to come overhead. A belt held between your hands can be used if your shoulders and arms are initially too tight to yield.

4 Quad stretch

This is one of many preparatory stretches for back-bends – the ultimate cycle posture reversal. This stretch focuses on the quadriceps and hip ﬂexors and eventually the spine, as well as opening the chest and shoulder muscles. Start on all fours with the soles of your feet against a wall. Place a blanket underneath the knees if this is uncomfortable. Take your right knee off the ﬂoor and place it against the wall with your toes pointing upwards on the wall and your shin against the wall.

Slide your knee down towards the ﬂoor, making sure that the shin and knee are in contact with the wall at all times. Re-arrange the left leg so that the sole of the foot is now on the ﬂoor. The left shin and thigh should be making a 90-degree angle. Take at least ﬁve breaths. This is an intense stretch. Gradually take your hands off the ﬂoor and on an inhale, place your hands lightly on your left knee.

5 Camel pose (Ustrasana)

This yoga pose opens the groin, thighs and entire back, as well as stretching the muscles in the chest, the front of the shoulders and back of the neck. With the soles of your feet against the wall and your toes tucked under, sit in a kneeling position. Slowly rise up off your heels, bringing the thighs and torso upright.

Inhale and gradually move your back into an arc on the exhale until the back of your head makes contact with the wall. Bring your hands towards your heels. If you can’t reach them, you can place a pile of thick books on either side of your shins and reach those. Take at least ﬁve breaths.

6 Seated glute stretch and hip opener

This step in the sequence provides a deep stretch in the glutes and opens the hips. Sitting on a chair, have the sole of the right foot on the ﬂoor in line with the right knee. Place your left ankle on and just beyond the right knee. Keeping the spine as long as possible, inhale then fold at the hips on the exhale, bringing your torso over your left shin.

Take at least ﬁve breaths. As you relax into the stretch you may eventually be able to place both forearms on the legs. The right forearm rests on the inside of the left foot while the left forearm is placed at the front of the right knee (over the left foot).

7 Revolved belly pose (Athara Parivartanasana)

This is a good stretch for those with particularly stiff backs. It releases tension in the spinal column, hips and shoulders and relieves discomfort in the lumbar spine. Lying on your back with your knees bent, bring them into your chest. Inhale and, with the next exhalation, roll your knees to the right side and rest them on a pillow.

Stretch both arms outwards along the ﬂoor to open the space between the shoulder blades then, as the lower back gradually releases, straighten the legs out slowly, aiming to eventually have your toes touch the hand nearest them.

8 Supported bound angle pose (Salamba Supta Baddha Khonasana)

This yoga stretch helps alleviate most cyclists’ complaint zones. It’s a completely passive stretch and can be held for as long as you like and, best of all, it feels great. Sit on the ﬂoor directly in front of the end of a bolster (or a few folded blankets), and bring the soles of the feet together so that your legs form a diamond shape. Reclining on your elbows, lie back onto the bolster and stay like that for 5-10 minutes. This stretch releases tension in the diaphragm, chest and shoulders, and the groin and hips.

Like this article and want to get more out of your training? BikeRadar Training is a free online resource for you to record and analyse all aspects of your training, log your training routes, get yourself tailored training plans, see how you're doing on our leaderboards, set goals and plan your season with a comprehensive events guide.

Top 10 training tips for sportives

Faye Sanders, communities editor — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:55:00 GMT

Sportives are among the most exciting and satisfying events to take part in on two wheels. They’re also extremely demanding. Get it right and your day will go like a dream – you’ll enjoy fantastic riding, good company and the satisfaction of a job well done. Get it wrong and there’s a whole world of pain coming your way. The difference between the two outcomes is in the preparation.

For the past decade, Koolstof Coaching have been helping cyclists of all abilities reach their goals, from novice sportive riders to professionals. Using expertise gained from more than 30 years of competitive cycling, founders Julius Jennings and John Bennett have compiled a comprehensive range of training resources.

Koolstof have designed some exclusive training plans for BikeRadar Training, covering everything from road races to time trails. The full guides can be purchased for £9.99, and to give you a taste of what's on offer we asked Julius to share his top sportive training techniques…

Preparing for sportives properly can make the event itself more enjoyable

Julius's top 10 tips for sportive fitness:

1. Build your engine size with endurance – the bigger your aerobic engine, the higher you can raise your power levels and speed. Lack endurance and you'll get tired very quickly. This doesn't mean doing four hours on your first ride, but gradually increasing duration from an hour and a half to four hours over the duration of your training plan.

2. Develop an economical speed, teaching your muscles to work together efficiently at a range of cadences, from 60-150rpm. The more efficient you are, the faster you will go. Cadence sessions train your legs and body to be able to ride efficiently at varied speeds. When you're riding your sportive, you'll need to be able to pedal fast down hills at over 100rpm, and slowly up a hill at 80rpm, so prepare for both.

3. Increase your force by practising seated hill climbs, otherwise you’ll suffer into a headwind! Seated hill climbs are useful for three reasons:

They boost strength for better climbing and riding into headwinds. Think of it like weight training on the bike, for the legs.
They help you build up your descending skills once you're on the other side of the climb.
At low speed and low cadence you can work on your pedalling style.

Working on different areas with varying sessions will improve your overall fitness

4. Tempo rides are key to sportive success. They train the muscles to keep going at exactly the pace you'll be setting in your event, so don't miss these sessions out. You can do tempo rides both on the road or on a turbo trainer.

5. Develop muscular endurance. Many people with great potential power are unable to maintain it for more than a few minutes.

6. Work on your power, with very short, intense intervals of 15-30 seconds. Your body will tolerate acidosis (and the associated pain) better.

7. Develop anaerobic endurance by doing lactate tolerance intervals of one to six minutes.

8. Think about how functional you are on the bike in terms of your flexibility and core strength – both of these factors should be maintained throughout the year.

9. Psychology can have a big impact on sportive performance – our heads probably count for 70 percent of our performances. Get a better outlook and you’ll be more focused and motivated.

10. Rest and recover. You don’t get fitter when you’re riding, you get fitter when you recover afterwards, which is why you need to have at least one day without exercise every week. You should up that number more if you overdo it. Make sure you have one easy week every month, too.

Rest and recovery is a key element to successful training

When you're preparing for a sportive, it's worth bearing in mind what you shouldn't be doing as well as what you should. We asked Julius for five training mistakes he recommends avoiding:

1. Doing too many miles too soon.

2. Doing high intensity too soon.

3. Not resting properly.

4. Not doing enough miles or intensity training when it counts.

5. Not working on limiters. These are training abilities that are holding back your performance. For example, if you're good on hills you should work on flat speed.

If you're looking for a sportive to train for this year, we've teamed up with Cyclothon UK to offer three places for the eight-hour team relay at legendary motor racing circuit Brands Hatch. The event will take place on Thursday 13 September, and with our competition you could join BikeRadar staff writer John Whitney on the four-man team.

Whether you’re training for a sportive, road race, time trial or mountain bike event, BikeRadar Training has professional training plans developed and designed to help you reach your training potential. Join for free now and start monitoring your training efforts. And don't forget to take part in our monthly challenges and gain ride inspiration by exploring our route maps.

The Benefits Of Cocoa

Christine Bailey, Cycling Plus — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Not only is cocoa an indispensable ingredient of the ideal recovery drink, but according to nutritionist Christine Bailey, new research shows that it can help you ride harder as well.

We’ve known for a while that chocolate milk’s combination of antioxidants, protein and carbohydrate makes for a great recovery drink. But now it seems that chocolate – or rather cocoa ﬂavanols, a speciﬁc group of ﬂavonoids – consumed pre-exercise can improve performance too.

Researchers from Australia have found that consumption of a cocoa ﬂavonol-rich drink may help to lower blood pressure, boost blood ﬂow to the muscles and lessen the demands placed on the heart during exercise.

In the study carried out at the University of South Australia and published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers recruited 21 overweight, middle-aged people and split them into two groups. The ﬁrst consumed a cocoa ﬂavanol-rich beverage containing 701mg ﬂavanols, while the second drank a low-cocoa ﬂavanol beverage.

Two hours later, the participants cycled for 10 minutes at 75 percent of their maximum heart rate. Results showed that while there were no differences in blood pressure before exercise, there was a signiﬁcant difference afterwards. In fact, increases in diastolic blood pressure were 68 percent lower in the high-ﬂavanol group, while mean blood pressure was 14 percent lower.

The researchers said that the ﬁndings suggest the consumption of cocoa ﬂavanol-rich drinks could allow for safer and more efﬁcient exercise performance, placing less stress on the cardiovascular system.

A recent analysis of 10 studies, published in the American Journal of Hypertension, conﬁrmed the blood pressure-reducing properties of cocoa – and you don’t need to eat loads either. Eating less than half an ounce of dark chocolate a day – only about 30 calories – was associated with a lowering of blood pressure without weight gain or other adverse effects, according to a study undertaken in 2007 and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

But cocoa contains a range of nutrients that may beneﬁt your performance, including B vitamins, calcium and magnesium, amino acids and a number of other antioxidants. Cocoa also contains caffeine, which is known to improve cycling performance – in part due to a stimulation of fatty acid mobilisation and sparing the body’s limited carbohydrate stores.

Research has shown that caffeine lowers the perception of effort and fatigue too, both for endurance efforts and sprints. Typically, a hot chocolate drink contains around 10mg caffeine, while a milk chocolate bar (50g) holds about 40mg. While this is nowhere near as much as the 100mg in your morning espresso, cocoa also contains appreciable amounts of the related compound theobromine. Although this is less pharmacologically active, the high content gives it an equivalent effect to that of caffeine.

For the most noticeable beneﬁts, choose chocolate with high levels of cocoa – look for darker chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa solids. The new kid on the block, though, is raw chocolate. This is the bean, or nib, of the cocoa bean in its natural state – not cooked, over-processed or mixed with cheap ﬁller ingredients.

Also known as cacao, it’s available in the form of bars, nibs, powder, raw cookies and brownies. Often fused with coconut butter or agave syrup with dried fruit and nuts, it creates an amazingly healthy bar that’s perfect for before and after exercise. Importantly, as it isn’t heated above 42°C, it tends to be richer in health-promoting antioxidants too.

The benefits of cocoa

If you eat the right kind of cocoa in carefully measured quantities there are a wealth of health and recovery benefits to its ingestion. So what are the ways in that gnawing on the tasty brown stuff can do your body some real good?

Enhanced energy production: Cocoa is rich in B vitamins, which are needed for a variety of metabolic processes, including energy production.

Bone and joint health: It’s also a great source of the minerals copper, calcium, magnesium and zinc, all of which play a role in supporting bone health, cartilage and collagen production.

Muscle recovery and soreness: In addition to the ﬂavonoids, cocoa contains the potent antioxidant vitamins C and E to combat free radical damage, which can contribute to both inﬂammation and muscle soreness.

Immune support: During endurance exercise or heavy ongoing training, your immune system can be suppressed, making you more vulnerable to infections. Flavonoids, vitamins C, E and zinc help support healthy immune function.

Muscle growth and repair: Cocoa contains several amino acids (including leucine), which are known to be essential for the physical demands of athletic activities. Amino acids are necessary for muscle growth and repair.

Cyclosportives - ridden and rated

John Whitney in Bath, UK — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Fancy a cyclosportive or gran fondo in another country as part of your next cycling holiday?

Earlier this year we gave our opinion of the biggest cyclosportives around the globe, the bikes most up to the job, plus training plans, our tips on preparing and getting through them in one piece. We've now reviewed the events we've ridden - it's not a comprehensive list and you can add your own via our BikeRadar Training events listing - but in our opinion these are some of the best out there.

Cape Argus, South Africa, March

If you've ever put much thought into your 'bucket list' - the things to do before you die - we've got an idea that will leapfrog its way straight to the top. The Cape Argus, a 68 mile gallop across the breathtaking terrain of the Cape Peninsula, was perhaps the most fun we've ever had on a bike.

With over 35,000 lining up for the staggered mass-start in downtown Cape Town, the opening miles on this traffic-free ride are a frenzied whirlwind. It's a job just to stay upright, with riders weaving their through an anxious peloton crying out for lines to be held. Crashes are inevitable, but if you can stay in one piece during the opening motorway miles you'll be rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The coastal scenery is otherworldly, as is the lumpy stretch through Table Mountain National Park. Expect to see baboons at the roadside, too - just don't throw your banana skins in their direction! If you've kept enough in the tank by the foot of Chapman's Peak, you'll savour the 40km sprint for home. All that's left is to negotiate the stunning Suikerbossie climb, where an expectant public whip up a storm of enthusiasm. It's perhaps the closest an amateur cyclist will get to being a pro.

The only downside is that, at 109km, the fun is over way to early. One solution, providing your start time is early enough and you can handle the blazing afternoon sun, is to do as some of our team did and head out for another loop - this time with added coffee and cake. We politely declined, having hammered through our limit during the ride proper with a respectable time of 3hr 19mins. Instead we took a seat in one of the many beer tents, cracking open a cold one with the time barely gone 10am.

Etape du Tour, France, July

While it was the same length as the ‘Argus’, Act 1 of last year’s closed-road Etape du Tour, thanks to its mountainous parcours, was a whole other proposition. It mirrored stage 19 of the 2011 Tour de France and, as in the race, the truncated 68 mile distance served to animate the ride, giving riders the confidence to tackle the fearsome trio of the Col du Télégraphe, Col du Galibier and Alpe d’Huez without fear of blowing a gasket further down the line.

Procycling's Jamie Wilkins toasts his Look 695 having conquered Alpe d'Huez in just an hour

The organisation was remarkable: police and photographer motorbikes (65 in all), official cars, trucks, vans, coaches, ambulances, Mavic technical support cars... the Étape mimics the Tour with more than just the route. That’s perhaps not surprising as the event is now run by ASO, owners of the Tour. We finished in 4:34, climbed the Alpe in 60 minutes, placed 322nd of 9,500 starters and loved every second of the experience.

Tour of Flanders cyclosportive, Belgium, March

It's hard to tell from the above photo just how fast Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Barracuda is riding the cobbles of the Tour of Flanders but it was considerably quicker than our attempts 24 hours earlier during the sportive. We reckon there was around 20km of pave scattered around the tour's 138km course, and our heart sank every time we saw a new stretch on the horizon.

Bike set-up is all important on the cobbles and, courtesy of our hosts for the weekend, Ridley Bikes, we had their Noah FB Fast, a fantastic bike totally out of tune with our surroundings. Its ultra-stiff frame put us through the wringer, each and every cobble stone sending shock waves through our arms, leaving us battered and bruised by the time we crossed the finish line in Oudenaarde with 4:50 on the clock. If only we could have mimicked Lars Boom's tactic of switching to his low pressured cyclo-cross bike for the cobbles during the similarly punishing Paris-Roubaix, we'd have left Belgium in much better shape.

Over 15,000 tackled the route late last month, with the number of kids, women and older gents taking part reflecting the bike-crazy part of the world we were in. In terms of the world's big sportives - which this is definitely one - it's one of the more relaxed. No timing chips are involved and you depart as and when you want. Don't expect to whizz round in record breaking times, either; the roads are very narrow and, especially on the cobbled climbs, huge numbers of riders can be brought back together to the extent where your only option is to get off and push.

Exmoor Beast, UK, October

While you're never guaranteed perfect weather, most of the big events we've taken on have at least been held during months where the prospect of warm sunshine is a possibility. Not so the Exmoor Beast, a 102 mile slog through Exmoor National Park held every year on the first day of the clocks going back. Only the Fred Whitton Challenge was a tougher day in the saddle last year and if it wasn't for the fact that it came towards the end of the season when we had stacks of miles in our legs, it might have got the nod. We got around in 7:27, far too long a time to spend on a bike on the cusp of November. We could go on forever about how tough it, but this picture says it all.

Wiggle New Forest, April

While it might not be familiar to many readers outside the UK, Wiggle (and their partner in their sportive series, UK Cycling Events) have bagged a winner with their 85 mile event around the rather splendid New Forest National Park. Sportives are only as good as the roads they're based on, and they don't come much better than this. It's not the hilliest by any stretch (our Garmin 800, courtesy of Cotswold Outdoor, registered 3,500ft), but it's an exquisite route to rouse you from a post-winter slumber.

It takes you around the entire perimeter of the park and main roads are only used when absolutely essential. Watch out for the numerous wild horses, too, or you come a cropper in unfortunate fashion. With pigs and sheep roaming free in quaint villages en-route, it really was a world away from hectic city life. We were delighted with our time of 4:42 at the time, but seeing our initially lofty position on the leader board slip away as the day wore on was heartbreaking.

Organisers had to spread the event across two days this year, such was the demand. Over 1,500 took part on the Sunday alone, suggesting it could eventually end up becoming one of the 'must do' sportives on the calendar.

Fred Whitton Challenge, May

Quite what makes people rush on New Year's Day - when entry opens - to sign up to this 112 mile monster is anyone's guess. Maybe it's the guilt from the excesses of the night before, or a rash New Year's resolution.

Whatever the reason, the 1,400 places fill up in a matter of hours, with organisers now drawing the 'lucky' names out of a hat. A near catastrophic crash on the descent of Hardknott Pass, widely thought of as being the steepest road in Britain, left BikeRadar staring at an ignominious time north of 10 hours in 2011, and the desire to right this wrong is the reason we'll be returning in future to do it all over again. Next year.

If you've enjoyed reading this, our new fitness site BikeRadar Training might be for you. It's a free online resource for you to record and analyse all aspects of your training, log your training routes, get yourself tailored training plans, see how you're doing on our leaderboards, set goals and plan your season with a comprehensive events guide.

BikeRadar Training routes: riding in Arequipa, Peru

Faye Sanders, Communities Editor — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:30:00 GMT

Where's your local stomping ground? While exploring some of the 'Public Routes' on BikeRadar Training, we stumbled upon Andy Brogan's Peru maps. Intrigued by his routes and descriptions – "Everything you could want, long gravel-road climbs and descents, technical climbs and descents, and amazing views" – we contacted him to find out more about his riding scene.

Andrew moved out to Arequipa in February 2011, after visiting the area while travelling through South America. He started filling his days project managing for new NGO Put Them First, teaching English on the side and exploring the trails and roads that scatter the surrounding area...

"Arequipa is Peru's second-largest city and sits in the Peruvian sierra at 2,300m above sea level, giving us consistently good weather for 10 months of the year," says Andrew.

"Think warm, dry, sunny and perfect for riding! When rainy season hits in January/February time, it normally only rains in the afternoons, meaning dry morning rides are still possible, as are wet afternoon ones!

You do face the danger of getting back home to a cold shower or, even worse, no water at all... Peruvian infrastructure leaves a little to be desired.

Andrew's uploads to BikeRadar Training made us want to know more

"Arequipa comes into its own once you're out of the city, though. It has three volcanoes on its outskirts – Chachani, Misti and Picchu Picchu. The foothills of these are a 20-30 minute ride from the centre. The foothills and countryside out here are criss-crossed with 'roads' (I use the term loosely!), service routes, tracks and animal trails, and it's all fair game for riding. The surfaces can range from Tarmac of varying quality to hard-pack gravel, loose stones, rocks and soft sand, and will often change in an instant, keeping you very alert.

This is the 'road' to Chiguata – well, it used to be a road, until it was damaged by the rain

"On the sections when you can relax in the saddle, or during breaks, the views are incredible – rolling hills, snow-capped volcanoes and blue skies. It's not unusual to see condors and other birds of prey circling overhead, as they ride the thermals in the valleys. There's evidence of other wildlife out there but it's hard to spot much more than the odd lizard or rodent. It's more common to come across a herd of llama or alpaca grazing on the scrub land and taking a lazy pause to watch you ride by. It's a good idea to keep a bit of distance and not stop, though – they can get a bit jumpy, and often spit!

Looking back down the road towards Mollebaya, Arequipa

"There are no end of domesticated animals roaming the streets in the villages. You see herds of cows or sheep being led down the road by a farmer on a donkey, holding up what little traffic passes through. These can slow you down but they add to the charm of riding out here – the dogs, on the other hand, are a menace. Many like to give chase and snap at your ankles as you pass, following you until they've got bored of chasing you or been distracted by a car. Some seem to do it for fun, but others are incredibly aggressive, making it quite an intimidating experience to be riding down the road with a stream of angry dogs in your wake.

Characato is a beautiful little village along the start of most of Andrew's routes

"The first few rides I took were exhausting – being this high above sea level really takes its toll at first. After a few weeks, though, my body had adjusted, and I started being able to take longer rides and at a quicker pace. I can still feel the effects of the altitude on some of the longer rides, particularly when reaching the mid-3000m heights. A shortness of breath and lack of energy are the two main symptoms. It's just important to remember to adapt to that, slow down and take more breaks if you need them.

Chachani volcano, near Misti, Arequipa, Peru

"'Foothills, Mollebaya' is one of my favourite routes, and was the first I ever took out here. Out of the city into the farmland, you pass through three villages before starting to climb on a gravel track up into the foothills – it's marked as the major road (34D) on the maps, but it's worth pointing out that whatever the map implies about the state or size of the roads is probably wrong! After the climb you reach a split in the road – go left to carry on the 34D and climb further into the foothills, straight ahead on a technical climb and then technical descent into San Isidro, or right down another gravel/sand track that drops you back to the main roads returning to Arequipa. If I'm pushed for time, I take the right branch and loop back to Arequipa, making the route 25 miles and just over two hours long. The photos give a better idea than I could ever convey in words about the scenery and views, so I'll let them do the talking.

Looking back at Chachani and Misti route 34D – it's marked as a major road on maps!

"Unfortunately, I'm leaving Arequipa in September to return to Canterbury, Kent, for a year and do a masters degree. I have no doubt I'll be living back in Peru soon, though!"

End of the road, near Misti, Arequipa

Buyer's guide to cycling energy products

Dr Kevin Currell, Triathlon Plus — Thu, 10 May 2012 08:00:00 GMT

When you walk into the local bike shop or pick up a magazine, there is plenty of choice when it comes to energy products for cycling. But what are they and do they provide any benefit to you as a cyclist?

Let’s start by looking at why you might need an energy product. Energy products are generally a mix of sugars (carbohydrates), salts (electrolytes) and water. The research has been quite clear over the last 30 years or so, in that taking on board both carbohydrate and water does improves performance by maintaining blood sugar during exercise and staving off dehydration. Some of them may contain other nutrients such as caffeine or protein, but these are more advanced drinks and may play a role in certain situations.

Energy products come in many forms. You can get a simple energy gel, an energy chew, an energy bar or energy drink. Let’s take a look each of these in turn.

Energy gels

An energy gel is essentially a concentrated form of sugars. They provide you with a concentrated hit of energy, which is generally simple to digest and absorb. They don’t take up a lot of room in your pocket and you can take quite a few with you on your rides. Generally you only use them during training or races, and the quick hit of energy they provide can really help your performance and prevent fatigue.

If you look on the back of the gel and find the ingredients list you should be looking for a combination of sugars. You want to have either maltodextrin or glucose with some fructose, which will maximise absorption of the gel.

Advantages: Provide a concentrated hit of energy. Easy to fit in your pocket on a long ride
Disadvantages: Can be quite sweet and sickly on long rides. A large range are available and it is best to find the ones you like the taste of

Energy chews

Energy chews are small bite sized chunks of sugar, a bit like a jelly baby. They are simple and easy to graze on during training, and allow you to spread your energy intake out a little more throughout a ride. They can be useful on harder group rides where you might not have too much time to take on board some energy while you are riding along at pace with the group.

You should try a few varieties out and see which is more practical but as long as they contain some sort of sugar they should work. You could even use a jelly baby instead, as they are cheaper and very similar in composition.

Advantages: Simple to graze on during a ride
Disadvantages: No real hydration advantage

Energy bars

An energy bar is a bit like a cereal bar or flapjack. However, they tend to be made of simpler sugars than a cereal bar so that they can be easily absorbed and digested. They provide another concentrated hit of energy, but this time with a bit more substance and when you are using them during a long ride they fill you up a little more than a gel.

You should take them during long rides when you want something that more resembles food then a sweet. They are quite often useful when the intensity is low as you have time to chew them and digest them.

In a similar way to the gels, you should look for a combination of simple sugars. If it is a training ride or lower intensity ride you might want to look for something which is oat or cereal based so that it is more substantial and takes away the hunger you can sometimes get on these type of rides. You can easily make your own energy bar by using a good flapjack or granola bar recipe.

Advantages: Can satisfy hunger on long rides. Provide a nice variety of ways in which to take energy on board
Disadvantages: Can cause stomach problems. Absorption may be slower, depending on the makeup of the bar

Energy drinks

An energy drink is one which contains simple carbohydrates within a drink. They provide you with not only those simple sugars you need during exercise to enhance performance, but water too to enhance performance. They quite often provide you with electrolytes, which will help the body retain the fluid you are taking in during exercise.

You should take them during exercise to maximise performance, delay fatigue and stave off dehydration. Look to drink 500-750 ml per hour depending on the training session and how hot it is. The hotter and longer the session, the more you are going to need to drink.

You should look for that magic mix of sugars providing glucose or maltodextrin with some fructose. Not only will this maximise carbohydrate absorption, but it will also maximise fluid absorption too. Look for a drink which contains 6-8g of sugar per 100ml of fluid on the ingredients list. You can make your own energy drink by watering down fruit juice and adding a small pinch of table salt.

Advantages: Provide a mix of fluid and carbohydrates so can not only provide energy but fluid too. Designed for optimal fluid absorption
Disadvantages: To take on board enough energy can be filling and you generally need a large volume

Now you've got the basics covered, put your new found knowledge into action and see how it affects your performance with the new BikeRadar Training resource. It's a free online tool for you to record and analyse all aspects of your training, log your training routes, get yourself tailored training plans, see how you're doing on our leaderboards, set goals and plan your season with a comprehensive events guide.

How to lose weight cycling

Neil Pedoe, Cycling Plus — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Achieving your optimal cycling weight will make you faster, and fitter. But what is it and how do you reach it?

“Excess body weight is the cyclist’s enemy,” says Matt Fitzgerald, author of Racing Weight: How to get lean for peak performance (VeloPress). “It wastes energy, slows you down, affects performance and stresses joints.”

You can’t change your basic physiology such as height, limb length and even potential for leanness, but, says Fitzgerald, “You can reduce your weight to a level that is optimal for performance given those genetic constraints.” You want to up your power-to-weight ratio by improving body composition through training and diet.

Fitzgerald warns against using body mass index (BMI), as touted by many doctors to gauge optimum body weight. “BMI charts are designed to identify unhealthy weights for the general population, based on a statistical susceptibility to disease,” he says. “This is far too vague to identify ideal athletic weight,” says Fitzgerald.

Instead, he says, lowering body fat percentage is the key, as it will increase your aerobic capacity because muscle has less competition from fat tissue for oxygen and fuel. (You can use widely available body fat scales).

1. Diet quality

“If you only focus on one of the ﬁve steps to reaching your optimal weight, eating quality foods is the one,” says Fitzgerald. The right foods will have the highest nutrient value, but will often also have the lowest calorie density too.

Fitzgerald splits high quality foods into six categories: fruit; vegetables; lean proteins such as ﬁsh, meats that are 10 percent fat or less, nuts and seeds; whole grains; low fat dairy; and essential fats such as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, the best source of which is fatty ﬁsh.

Low quality foods are grouped into ﬁve categories you should avoid: reﬁned grains; sweets – including soft drinks, pastries and desserts that contain large amounts of reﬁned sugar; all deep-fried foods; whole milk dairy produce; and fatty proteins such as any meat with more than 10 percent fat.

2. Balancing energy sources

Rather than strict proportional macronutrient diets, such as 60 percent carbohydrate, 20 percent fat and 20 percent protein, Fitzgerald advises a more measured approach. “It’s not carbohydrate as a percentage of total calories you should worry about. Instead, match your carbohydrate intake to your training load while ensuring you still get adequate amounts of fat and protein and that the overall quality of the calorie sources is high.”

3. Timing nutrition

When you eat has a big impact on body composition, as it affects energy partitioning – how the calories are stored. “The key is to shift the balance of energy partitioning away from fat storage and toward muscle storage and immediate use,” says Fitzgerald.

Eat early, eat often and before, during and after exercise. Eating early makes you less likely to over-eat in the afternoon and means you’re more likely to eat higher quality calories. “Try to eat 25 per cent of your total daily calories within an hour of waking up,” suggests Fitzgerald.

Eating often can boost metabolism and thus burn more calories. It also reduces appetite, helping to avoid over-eating at meal times. The ideal time to eat before a ride is two to four hours ahead, and you should include 100g of carbohydrate.

“Fuelling a ride will enhance your performance and help you burn more fat,” says Fitzgerald. “It will also increase the number of food calories you burn and decrease the number you store.” Fuelling with carbohydrate-based energy drinks and gels during a ride will help you get leaner for the same reasons.

Eating soon after exercise also promotes leanness because it shifts energy partitioning towards muscle protein and glycogen synthesis and away from body-fat storage.

4. Managing appetite

Mindful eating is essential to cut out poor eating habits, such as emotional eating – because you’re sad, happy or even bored; spontaneous eating – just because the food is there; unconscious eating – automatically ﬁnishing that packet of biscuits while watching TV; habitual eating – because it’s a mealtime and not because you’re hungry; and clearing your plate – portion sizes vary, so why shouldn’t you leave some food if you are full?

Eat high-satiety foods that are ﬁlling and low calorie. “These include ﬁbre, certain proteins, long-chain fatty acids and calcium,” says Fitzgerald. Eat small portions of them as appetisers before meals to help manage your appetite. Soups, nuts and low fat yoghurt are good examples.

Counting calories helps you become more aware of your diet and establish good habits. Online tools such as www.trainingpeaks.com and weightloss websites are useful. “They don’t have to be 100 percent accurate,” says Fitzgerald, “just counting will increase dietary awareness and you will automatically eat better.”

5. Training right

There are two schools of thought about the best way to exercise yourself lean: high intensity interval training or prolonged moderate intensity exercise in the ‘fat-burning zone’.

“Both are effective for fat-burning,” says Fitzgerald, “but the primary goal of most endurance athletes is to achieve maximum race performance, and getting lean is just one means to that end – so focusing on building exercise ﬁtness is more reliable.”

The fat-burning zone is typically between 59 and 64 percent of VO2 max in trained cyclists, and between 47 and 52 percent of VO2 max in unﬁt individuals. For both this level equates to a comfortable but not ‘dawdling’ conversational pace. “But,” says Fitzgerald, “almost all cyclists could beneﬁt from doing more moderate intensity miles as well as high intensity intervals.”

6. Weighs and measures

“What gets measured gets managed,” says Fitzgerald – citing research by the Minneapolis Heart Research Institute which found that subjects lost an extra pound for every 11 days they weighed themselves during a weight-loss-through-dieting experiment.

To this end, Fitzgerald suggests keeping a diary of body weight, body-fat percentage, a food journal, and a calculation of calories burned per day. To calculate daily calories burned, add Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) calories to calories burned in non sport activities, plus workouts or rides.

BMR is how many calories you burn at rest and can be estimated using your height, weight, age and, for best accuracy, your body-fat percentage. There are many online resources for calculating BMR, but try www.calculator.org which uses the popular Harris-Benedict formula.

For an estimation of total calories burned, Fitzgerald suggests www.my-calorie-counter.com which calculates, for example, that an eight-hours-a-day desk job for a 68kg male will burn 984 calories a day.

“One weigh-in per week is adequate,” says Fitzgerald, “but the minimum should be once every four weeks.” On the same day, ride a set time-trial course or long hill climb and record your time along with your weight and body-fat percentage measurement. “These are your ofﬁcial weigh-in days,” says Fitzgerald.

Why should I take up cycling?

Matthew Barbour, Cycling Plus — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:30:00 GMT

Whether it's to boost your fitness, health or bank balance, or as an environmental choice, taking up cycling could be one of the best decisions you ever make. Not convinced? Here are 30 major benefits of taking to two wheels.

1. You’ll get there faster

Commute by bike in the UK’s major cities and you’ll get there in half the time of cars, research by Citroen shows. In fact, if you drive for an hour in Cardiff’s rush hour, you’ll spend over 30 minutes going absolutely nowhere and average just 7mph, compared to averaging around 12-15mph while cycling.

2. Sleep more deeply

An early morning ride might knacker you out in the short term, but it’ll help you catch some quality shut-eye when you get back to your pillow. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers asked sedentary insomnia sufferers to cycle for 20-30 minutes every other day. The result? The time required for the insomniacs to fall asleep was reduced by half, and sleep time increased by almost an hour.

“Exercising outside exposes you to daylight,” explains Professor Jim Horne from Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Centre. “This helps get your circadian rhythm back in sync, and also rids your body of cortisol, the stress hormone that can prevent deep, regenerative sleep.”

3. Look younger

Scientists at Stanford University have found that cycling regularly can protect your skin against the harmful effects of UV radiation and reduce the signs of ageing. Harley Street dermatologist Dr Christopher Rowland Payne explains: “Increased circulation through exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to skin cells more effectively, while ﬂushing harmful toxins out. Exercise also creates an ideal environment within the body to optimise collagen production, helping reduce the appearance of wrinkles and speed up the healing process.” Don’t forget to slap on the factor 30 before you head out, though.

4. Boost your bowels

According to experts from Bristol University, the beneﬁts of cycling extend deep into your core. “Physical activity helps decrease the time it takes food to move through the large intestine, limiting the amount of water absorbed back into your body and leaving you with softer stools, which are easier to pass,” explains Harley Street gastroenterologist Dr Ana Raimundo.

In addition, aerobic exercise accelerates your breathing and heart rate, which helps to stimulate the contraction of intestinal muscles. “As well as preventing you from feeling bloated, this helps protect you against bowel cancer,” Dr Raimundo says.

5. Increase your brain power

Need your grey matter to sparkle? Then get pedalling. Researchers from Illinois University found that a ﬁve percent improvement in cardio-respiratory ﬁtness from cycling led to an improvement of up to 15 percent in mental tests. That’s because cycling helps build new brain cells in the hippocampus – the region responsible for memory, which deteriorates from the age of 30.

“It boosts blood ﬂow and oxygen to the brain, which ﬁres and regenerates receptors, explaining how exercise helps ward off Alzheimer’s,” says the study’s author, Professor Arthur Kramer.

6. Beat illness

Forget apples, riding’s the way to keep the doctor at bay. “Moderate exercise makes immune cells more active, so they’re ready to ﬁght off infection,” says Cath Collins, chief dietician at St George’s Hospital in London.

In fact, according to research from the University of North Carolina, people who cycle for 30 minutes, ﬁve days a week take about half as many sick days as couch potatoes.

Riding’s the way to keep the doctor at bay

7. Live longer

King’s College London compared over 2,400 identical twins and found those who did the equivalent of just three 45-minute rides a week were nine years ‘biologically younger’ even after discounting other inﬂuences, such as body mass index (BMI) and smoking.

“Those who exercise regularly are at signiﬁcantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, all types of cancer, high blood pressure and obesity,” says Dr Lynn Cherkas, who conducted the research. “The body becomes much more efﬁcient at defending itself and regenerating new cells.”

8. Save the planet

Twenty bicycles can be parked in the same space as one car. It takes around ﬁve percent of the materials and energy used to make a car to build a bike, and a bike produces zero pollution.

Bikes are efﬁcient, too – you travel around three times as fast as walking for the same amount of energy and, taking into account the ‘fuel’ you put in your ‘engine’, you do the equivalent of 2,924 miles to the gallon. You have your weight ratio to thank: you’re about six times heavier than your bike, but a car is 20 times heavier than you.

9. Improve your sex life

Being more physically active improves your vascular health, which has the knock-on effect of boosting your sex drive, according to health experts in the US. One study from Cornell University also concluded that male athletes have the sexual prowess of men two to ﬁve years younger, with physically ﬁt females delaying the menopause by a similar amount of time.

Meanwhile, research carried out at Harvard University found that men aged over 50 who cycle for at least three hours a week have a 30 percent lower risk of impotence than those who do little exercise.

10. It’s good breeding

A ‘bun in the oven’ could beneﬁt from your riding as much as you. According to research from Michigan University in the US, mums-to-be who regularly exercise during pregnancy have an easier, less complicated labour, recover faster and enjoy better overall mood throughout the nine months. Your pride and joy also has a 50 percent lower chance of becoming obese and enjoys better in-utero neurodevelopment.

“There’s no doubt that moderate exercise such as cycling during pregnancy helps condition the mother and protect the foetus,” says Patrick O’Brien, a spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

A ‘bun in the oven’ could beneﬁt from your riding as much as you

11. Heal your heart

Studies from Purdue University in the US have shown that regular cycling can cut your risk of heart disease by 50 percent. And according to the British Heart Foundation, around 10,000 fatal heart attacks could be avoided each year if people kept themselves ﬁtter. Cycling just 20 miles a week reduces your risk of heart disease to less than half that of those who take no exercise, it says.

12. Your boss will love you

No, we don’t mean your Lycra-clad buttocks will entice your superiors into a passionate ofﬁce romance, but they’ll appreciate what cycling does for your usefulness to the company. A study of 200 people carried out by the University of Bristol found that employees who exercised before work or at lunchtime improved their time and workload management, and it boosted their motivation and their ability to deal with stress.

The study also reported that workers who exercised felt their interpersonal performance was better, they took fewer breaks and found it easier to ﬁnish work on time. Sadly, the study didn’t ﬁnd a direct link between cycling and getting a promotion.

13. Cycle away from the big C

There’s plenty of evidence that any exercise is useful in warding off cancer, but some studies have shown that cycling is speciﬁcally good for keeping your cells in working order. One long-term study carried out by Finnish researchers found that men who exercised at a moderate level for at least 30 minutes a day were half as likely to develop cancer as those who didn’t. And one of the moderate forms of exercise they cited? Cycling to work. Other studies have found that women who cycle frequently reduce their risk of breast cancer by 34 percent.

14. Lose weight in the saddle

Loads of people who want to shift some heft think that heading out for a jog is the best way to start slimming down. But while running does burn a ton of fat, it’s not kind to you if you’re a little larger than you’d like to be. Think about it – two to three times your body weight goes crashing through your body when your foot strikes the ground. If you weigh 16 stone, that’s a lot of force! Instead, start out on a bike – most of your weight is taken by the saddle, so your skeleton doesn’t take a battering. Running can wait…

15. You’ll make more money

If you’re cycling to lose weight then you could be in line for a cash windfall… Well, sort of. Researcher Jay Zagorsky, from Ohio State University, analysed data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth – which saw 7,300 people regularly interviewed between 1985 and 2000 – to see how their obesity and wealth changed over that period. Zagorsky concluded that a one unit increase in body mass index (BMI) score corresponded to an £800 or eight percent reduction in wealth. So, shed a few BMI points on the bike and start earning.

16. Avoid pollution

You’d think a city cyclist would suck up much more pollution than the drivers and passengers in the vehicles chucking out the noxious gases. Not so, according to a study carried out by Imperial College London. Researchers found that passengers in buses, taxis and cars inhaled substantially more pollution than cyclists and pedestrians.

On average, taxi passengers were exposed to more than 100,000 ultraﬁne particles – which can settle in the lungs and damage cells – per cubic centimetre. Bus passengers sucked up just under 100,000 and people in cars inhaled about 40,000. Cyclists, meanwhile, were exposed to just 8,000 ultraﬁne particles per cubic centimetre. It’s thought that cyclists breathe in fewer fumes because we ride at the edge of the road and, unlike drivers, aren’t directly in the line of exhaust smoke.

Cyclists breathe in fewer fumes than drivers

17. Enjoy healthy family time

Cycling is an activity the whole family can do together. The smallest tyke can clamber into a bike seat or tow-along buggy, and because it’s kind on your joints, there’s nothing to stop grandparents joining in too.

Moreover, your riding habit could be sowing the seeds for the next Bradley Wiggins. Studies have found that, unsurprisingly, kids are inﬂuenced by their parents’ exercise choices. Put simply, if your kids see you riding regularly, they think it’s normal and will want to follow your example. Don’t be surprised, though, if they become embarrassed by your tendency to mismatch ﬂuorescent Lycra when they become teenagers.

18. It means guilt-free snacks

Upping your salt intake is seldom your doctor’s advice, but in the few days leading up to a big ride or sportive, that’s exactly what you should do. This gives you the perfect excuse to munch on crisps and other salty foods you might normally avoid. The sodium in them helps protect your body against hyponatraemia, a condition caused by drinking too much water without enough sodium that can lead to disorientation, illness and worse.

19. Get better at any sport

Whether you want to keep in prime shape or just improve your weekly tennis game, a stint in the saddle is the way to begin. A recent medical study from Norway carried the title Aerobic Endurance Training Improves Soccer Performance, which makes it pretty clear that the knock-on beneﬁts to other sports and activities are immense.

20. Make creative breakthroughs

Writers, musicians, artists, top executives and all kinds of other professionals use exercise to solve mental blocks and make decisions – including Jeremy Paxman, Sir Alan Sugar and Spandau Ballet. A study found that just 25 minutes of aerobic exercise boosts at least one measure of creative thinking. Credit goes to the ﬂow of oxygen to your grey matter when it matters most, sparking your neurons and giving you breathing space away from the muddle and pressures of ‘real life’.

21. You’re helping others

Many cyclists turn their health, ﬁtness and determination into fundraising efforts for the less fortunate. The London to Brighton bike ride has raised over £40 million for the British Heart Foundation since the two became involved in 1980, with countless other rides contributing to the coffers of worthy causes.

22. You can get fit without trying too hard

Regular, everyday cycling has huge beneﬁts that can justify you binning your wallet-crippling gym membership. According to the National Forum for Coronary Heart Disease Foundation in the US, regular cyclists enjoy a ﬁtness level equal to that of a person who’s 10 years younger.

23. Boost your bellows

No prizes for guessing that the lungs work considerably harder than usual when you ride. An adult cycling generally uses 10 times the oxygen they’d need to sit in front of the TV for the same period. Even better, regular cycling will help strengthen your cardiovascular system over time, enabling your heart and lungs to work more efﬁciently and getting more oxygen where it’s needed, quicker. This means you can do more exercise for less effort. How good does that sound?

24. Burn more fat

Sports physiologists have found that the body’s metabolic rate – the efﬁciency with which it burns calories and fat – is not only raised during a ride, but for several hours afterwards. “Even after cycling for 30 minutes, you could be burning a higher amount of total calories for a few hours after you stop,” says sports physiologist Mark Simpson of Loughborough University.

And as you get ﬁtter, the beneﬁts are more profound. One recent study showed that cyclists who incorporated fast intervals into their ride burned three-and-a-half times more body fat than those who cycled constantly but at a slower pace.

Cycling can help you lose pounds – but don't take it too far!

25. You’re developing a positive addiction

Replace a harmful dependency – such as cigarettes, alcohol or eating too much chocolate – with a positive one, says William Glasser, author of Positive Addiction. The result? You’re a happier, healthier person getting the kind of ﬁx that boosts the good things in life.

26. Get (a legal) high

Once a thing of myth, the infamous ‘runner’s high’ has been proven beyond doubt by German scientists. Yet despite the name, this high is applicable to all endurance athletes. University of Bonn neurologists visualised endorphins in the brains of 10 volunteers before and after a two-hour cardio session using a technique called positive emission tomography (PET). Comparing the pre- and post-run scans, they found evidence of more opiate binding of the happy hormone in the frontal and limbic regions of the brain – areas known to be involved in emotional processing and dealing with stress.

“There’s a direct link between feelings of wellbeing and exercise, and for the ﬁrst time this study proves the physiological mechanism behind that,” explains study co-ordinator Professor Henning Boecker.

27. Make friends and stay healthy

The social side of riding could be doing you as much good as the actual exercise. University of California researchers found socialising releases the hormone oxytocin, which buffers the ‘ﬁght or ﬂight’ response.

Another nine-year study from Harvard Medical School found those with the most friends cut the risk of an early death by more than 60 percent, reducing blood pressure and strengthening their immune system. The results were so signiﬁcant that the researchers concluded not having close friends or conﬁdants is as detrimental to your health as smoking or carrying extra weight. Add in the ﬁtness element of cycling too and you’re onto a winner.

28. Be happy

Even if you’re miserable when you saddle up, cranking through the miles will lift your spirits. “Any mild-to-moderate exercise releases natural feel-good endorphins that help counter stress and make you happy,” explains Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation. That’s probably why four times more GPs prescribe exercise therapy as their most common treatment for depression compared to three years ago. “Just three 30-minute sessions a week can be enough to give people the lift they need,” says McCulloch.

29. Feeling tired? Go for a ride

Sounds counter-intuitive but if you feel too tired for a ride, the best thing you can do is go for ride. Physical activity for even a few minutes is a surprisingly effective wake-up call. A review of 12 studies on the link between exercise and fatigue carried out between 1945 and 2005 found that exercise directly lowers fatigue levels.

30. Spend quality time with your partner

It doesn’t matter if your paces aren’t perfectly matched – just slow down and enjoy each other’s company. Many couples make one or two riding ‘dates’ every week. And it makes sense: exercise helps release feel-good hormones, so after a ride you’ll have a warm feeling towards each other even if he leaves the toilet seat up and her hair is blocking the plughole again.

30 reasons to take up cycling

Matthew Barbour, Cycling Plus — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:30:00 GMT

1. You’ll get there faster

2. Sleep more deeply

3. Look younger

4. Boost your bowels

5. Increase your brain power

“It boosts blood ﬂow and oxygen to the brain, which ﬁres and regenerates receptors, explaining how exercise helps ward off Alzheimer’s,” says the study’s author, Professor Arthur Kramer.

6. Beat illness

In fact, according to research from the University of North Carolina, people who cycle for 30 minutes, ﬁve days a week take about half as many sick days as couch potatoes.

Riding’s the way to keep the doctor at bay

7. Live longer

8. Save the planet

Twenty bicycles can be parked in the same space as one car. It takes around ﬁve percent of the materials and energy used to make a car to build a bike, and a bike produces zero pollution.

9. Improve your sex life

10. It’s good breeding

A ‘bun in the oven’ could beneﬁt from your riding as much as you

11. Heal your heart

12. Your boss will love you

13. Cycle away from the big C

14. Lose weight in the saddle

15. You’ll make more money

16. Avoid pollution

Cyclists breathe in fewer fumes than drivers

17. Enjoy healthy family time

18. It means guilt-free snacks

19. Get better at any sport

20. Make creative breakthroughs

21. You’re helping others

22. You can get fit without trying too hard

23. Boost your bellows

24. Burn more fat

Cycling can help you lose pounds – but don't take it too far!

25. You’re developing a positive addiction

26. Get (a legal) high

27. Make friends and stay healthy

28. Be happy

29. Feeling tired? Go for a ride

30. Spend quality time with your partner

Best sportives - ridden and rated

John Whitney in Bath, UK — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:00:00 GMT

All this week we've discussed the rise of sportives, our opinion of the biggest events around the globe, the bikes most up to the job, plus our tips on preparing and getting through them in one piece. All that's left to do is give you our own personal experiences of riding them. Take a look below at what the BikeRadar team has been riding in the last year...

Cape Argus, South Africa, March

Etape du Tour, France, July

Procycling's Jamie Wilkins toasts his Look 695 having conquered Alpe d'Huez in just an hour

Tour of Flanders cyclosportive, Belgium, March

Exmoor Beast, UK, October

Wiggle New Forest, April

Fred Whitton Challenge, May

Training for a Sportive

Cycling Plus — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:15:00 GMT

One of the best ways to keep yourself motivated and indulge your new-found love of riding is to set yourself a goal, and one of the simplest things for a cyclist to target is a signiﬁcant distance. Depending on your ﬁtness level, that can be anything from 30 up to 100 miles – anything that you realistically believe you can achieve in a set amount of time.

Whether you opt to ride your target distance on your own, enter a mass-participation sportive or take part in a charity challenge like the British Heart Foundation’s annual London to Brighton ride, one thing’s for sure – you need to train, and train in the right way. Below are a list of guidelines to follow that will hopefully help you in your quest to conquer your first big event.

Set your goal

First off, choose your event. Be realistic: if you took up cycling only a couple of months ago, don’t enter a monster slog through the French Alps. Challenging, yes; sensible, no. Then think about exactly what you want to achieve on your ride. Are you completing, competing or conquering? Again, be reasonable. Set an impossible aim and you’ll soon lose motivation. Once you have your goal sorted, write it down and put it in your wallet, next to your computer, on the dashboard or fridge door - anywhere that you’ll see it often enough to help keep you focused.

Get long rides in

We all miss occasional planned rides, but even if you can’t do high mileage outings all the time, don’t miss the long rides at the heart of your training – they’re vital. Bad weather? Go out anyway; you could get bad weather on event day. Bike broken? Fix it, or get your bike shop to sort it – and learn how you could have solved the problem out on the road. Long rides are when your body gets used to handling the demands you face on the big day; they help you learn to draw on your fuel reserves more efﬁciently, and they get your head prepared for long, gruelling efforts.

Develop technique

Get used to incorporating technique work into your general rides, as well as devoting regular sessions to improving your skills. Find a long, winding hill and time yourself down it over several runs, looking to get quicker by laying off the brakes, leaning into the corners and learning when to put the power back on. Be careful – do this with a riding mate and only on quiet roads where you can easily see any approaching trafﬁc. And don’t think that you can make up for poor climbing by ﬂying downhill.

Sheltering from the wind in a group saves you masses of power output from your legs and will improve your sportive ﬁnishing time, but it doesn’t necessarily come easily – there are tactics to learn here too, so practise in regular group rides and local road races. The more comfortable you are riding in close formation, the more time you can save.

Muscle power

Lactic acid is produced when your body breaks down carbohydrate for fuel, resulting in lactate in your blood that affects your muscle performance. All you really need to know is that the point at which lactate starts to accumulate faster than you can disperse it is your lactate threshold (LT), and raising it helps you ride faster for longer. Working on your power is important too, both for increasing the amount of force you can put into every pedal stroke and also for increasing endurance.

Take breaks

You don’t get ﬁtter when you’re riding, you get ﬁtter when you recover afterwards, which is why you need to have at least one day without exercise every week, or more if you over-stretch yourself, plus an easy week each month.

Drink enough

You might have read that you should drink 500-1000ml of ﬂuid an hour while riding, but that’s only a rough guide. Work out precisely what you need at varying intensities and in different weather conditions by following this process over several rides:

Weigh yourself while undressed, before putting on your cycle kit. As an example, suppose that it’s 75kg.
On your return, note the amount you drank and ate during your ride. We’ll say it was 1500ml, which weighs 1.5kg, and three gels of 0.06kg each, so you’ve taken a total of 1.68kg on board.
Before showering, eating or drinking, towel yourself dry and weigh yourself again. We’ll say it’s now 73.2kg.
Subtract the second weight from the ﬁrst to get your bodyweight change: 75 - 73.2 = 1.8kg.
Add the weight of the food to this to get your total loss: 1.8 + 1.68 = 3.48kg.
Estimate any bathroom stops because this will mean losses are higher.
Divide total losses by the hours spent riding: 3.48 ÷ 3hrs = 1.16kg lost per hour

You won’t get to the end of your training ride or event at the same weight as you started, but eat and drink enough to be within 1-2kg. Never be more than 2-3 percent down in mass unless it’s a ride where you really can’t get adequate fuel down.

Become fuel efficient

You need to drink when you ride to replace the water you sweat and breathe out, but for longer training rides and during the event itself you must use drinks to help provide fuel. Suffering ‘bonk’ – when your body can’t get the energy it needs and refuses to cooperate any further – is very bad news.

For both training and the big ride, try a drink that’s 5-7 per cent carbohydrate. This is an isotonic level, meaning the drink contains the same concentration of dissolved particles as your body ﬂuids, so will be absorbed fast. Some people prefer a hypotonic drink – one with a carb level of less than 5 per cent. The only way to ﬁnd out what’s right for you is by experimenting in training. Choose a drink that also contains electrolytes, particularly sodium. This speeds up the delivery of ﬂuid to your body, so it’s especially important on longer rides.

Finally, it’s key to go for a drink that you really enjoy the taste of – that way you’re far more likely to drink enough. Drink plenty before you go out on your bike so that you start off fully hydrated, and continue drinking afterwards – a little and often – to aid recovery. If you’ve trained for over an hour, make it a carb drink. Don’t wait until you feel really thirsty – that’s a bad gauge of need.

You should consume at least 1g of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight for every hour of riding. This can be in the form of carb-electrolyte drinks, gels, bars, solid food, or a mix of these. But your needs could be different from the norm so it’s important to experiment in training. That way you’ll be able to tell exactly what you can tolerate and what you need with you on the day. If riding an event, ﬁnd out what food and drink will be available and at what points along the route. If you can’t stomach the energy drink on offer, take your own sachets. If you get sick of sweet stuff, check there’ll be something savoury for you to grab, or carry it with you.

Avoid injury

When you step up the amount of riding you do you’ll be adding stresses and strains on your body. You might be tempted to ignore niggles in order to stick with the programme. Don’t! Riding through the pain is a great way to make minor problems major. If you get injured, take it seriously. Take some time off the bike or do some cross-training, and if it’s a biomechanical problem have your riding position looked at by an expert. If necessary, visit a health professional. Whatever you do, don’t ignore a potential injury when it’s still in the niggle stage.

Pace yourself

Pacing is crucial in training and on the big day. The main trick is to climb at an intensity that won’t blow your legs. This comes with experience, but if you’ve trained by heart rate (HR) or power you should have a good idea of what you can sustain. If you don’t know how hard you should be working, don’t go over 85 per cent of your max HR on even the steepest hills or you’ll dip too far into your glycogen stores. You have limited glycogen and can never eat enough to make up for going too hard too soon. Pace yourself, feed regularly and enjoy the ride.

An introduction to sportives and gran fondos

BikeRadar, UK — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Cyclosportives - commonly referred to as sportives - and gran fondos have become a firm fixture on the the worldwide cycling calendar in recent years, offering both seasoned racers and newcomers to the sport a challenge that can be as gruelling or straighforward as they wish.

Inspired by events such as the Etape du Tour and La Marmotte in France, and the Cape Argus in South Africa, their growth can be explained by several factors, including the increase of people using bikes for commuting and a drive towards healthier, more active, lifestyles.

Sportives appeal to riders of any experience or fitness level. Some riders will be looking for an element of competition, perhaps by signing up with a bunch of mates for a burn up, or trying to be in the first or fastest group to finish. Others, who might find road racing a little strenuous or elitist, can ride at a steadier pace and still enjoy the benefits of a ride with marked directions, feed stops and mechanical support.

Well stocked feed stations are high on the list of priorities of any sportive rider

What is a sportive?

A cyclosportive is characterised by being a mass participation cycling event. In several countries, including the UK and Australia and parts of the USA, they're billed as non-competitive events. However in Europe in particular, there is more of a competitive element with categories and prizes awarded for fastest finishers.

Most, if not all, sportives use timing chips means a healthy level of competitiveness is always present no matter what. Results are usually published in detail on the event website and often have gold, silver or bronze time standards, and nobody wants to see their name languishing at the tail end of the table.

Where to find a cyclosportive

Finding the event that's right for you has never been easier. Like the professional scene, the sportive season doesn't seem to have a beginning or end these days, so whether you enjoy warm weather rides in the height of summer or bone-chilling slogs in the depths of winter, somewhere there'll be a ride for you. Websites such as Cyclosport carry an excellent worldwide events calendar, while British Cycling's sportive section is the go-to place to scout out a UK event.

Once you've found one, sign-up through the event website as soon as you can. The biggest events - the Fred Whittons, La Marmottes and Cape Arguses of this world - regularly oversubscribe and only offer a brief period for you to register interest. They often select entries by ballot, so it can become a bit of a lottery whether you secure a place or not.

Why, with climbs like this, the Fred Whitton sells out instantly, is anyone's guess

Basic preparation and training

Once you've got your place, all you have to worry about is getting through the ride. Newcomers shouldn't underestimate the physical demands of a long 100km or 100 mile sportive, so the hours you spend in the saddle beforehand will have a major impact on how much fun you have on the day. Try and get as close to, if not beyond, the distance of your intended event during your training. Keep your training specific too; don't ride long miles on flat roads if you've signed up to a hilly ride.

Neither should you doubt their difficulty, particularly some of Britain's sportives. While they lack the mountains of their Alpine counterparts, they tend to have more sharper, steeper climbs that can sap your strength as much, perhaps more so, than any mountain can over a seven-hour ride.

The morning prior to setting off is similar no matter which event you sign up to. Expect an early start, a battle to find a parking space and a queue to sign on. Last minute carbo-loading, pinning your number to your bike, getting your machine in good working order, and fitting your timing chip will become second nature after a few events.

At the majority of events, riders will set off in a staggered fashion in small groups in order to avoid large bunches clogging up open roads, but expect to depart in large groups in closed-road events such as the Etape du Tour or Cape Argus.

The start of Cape Town's Cape Argus is like no other on the planet

On the day, pacing is vital. If you're new to cycling and sportives, and riding your first 100km event, don’t be tempted to chase faster riders early on. Take it at your own pace, preferably with a group of friends. Smaller events can occasionally turn into lonely time trials if you're short of company, and can become demoralising after hours of solo riding.

Make sure you're fully tooled up and well versed in the basics of bike mechanics. Spare inner tubes, a pump, a puncture repair kit, a mobile phone, money, medication and appropriate attire are the absolute essentials. While many sportives have mechanics out on the course, you should treat them like you would a solo training ride and leave nothing to chance. Make sure you know how to change a tyre - it sounds simple but you'd be surprised how many people can't.

Make sure you eat and drink steadily throughout the ride and don’t be tempted to skip a feed stop to save time - speaking from experience, you'll pay for it down the line!

Above all, enjoy it. While some sportives, such as the ones mentioned above, have become de facto races, the majority are there to be enjoyed at your own pace and give you a taste of things to come further down the line should you wish to progress into racing.

Budget Bike Tech: How to keep hydration pack fluids cold

James Huang, tech ed, in Boulder, Colorado — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Our debut installment of Budget Bike Tech focused on keeping your feet warm during cold rides. This time around, we're doing a complete reversal by showing you an extremely inexpensive – and yet extremely effective – method for keeping your hydration pack fluids icy cold on hot days.

Many hydration packs already build some amount of insulation into the body of the pack itself but in our experience, it's woefully inadequate when outside temperatures are really sweltering. Even with a reservoir full of ice cubes, we've typically ended up with a pack full of tepid liquid after riding in summer for even just a couple of hours.

The simple solution is to just create your own insulating sleeve using a thin sheet of closed-cell foam and some sturdy tape. The foam is widely available at office supply shops or hardware stores or – even better – you can simply repurpose some packing material as we've done, in which case the grand total cost for the project is nearly zero. As long as it's a little more than twice as big as the hydration reservoir you wish to insulate, you're good to go.

Adding a layer of closed-cell foam provides effective insulation for your hydration pack's reservoir

Simply lay out the reservoir down on the foam sheet and outline the outer edge with a marker, leaving a buffer of about 1cm. Put the reservoir aside, fold the foam along the bottom edge, then cut through both layers along the outline. Finally, tape the left and right edges together to form the sleeve (or wrap the entire thing as we've done for extra durability), cut out a bit for the reservoir cap as needed, and you should be all set.

Surely this can't work, you say, right? To be honest, even we were shocked at how effective this was. In fact, it even took us a few rides to get the ice-to-fluid mixture right as we often ended up with a reservoir full of solid ice cubes with nothing to drink. Once we figured out the ideal blend, though, we've regularly enjoyed genuinely icy cold refreshment up to three hours after leaving the trailhead.

In addition to being virtually free, our insulating sleeve also weighs next to nothing at just 24g and has held up to over years of regular use with nary a bit of wear to be seen. Since you're making the sleeve yourself, it's also no problem adapting the shape and size to whatever make or model of hydration pack you happen to use. Even better, you can just make another one if you lose or wreck the thing.

One has to ask, though – if this is such a great and effective idea, why doesn't someone offer this commercially? That's a good question and one that we actually presented to Camelbak shortly after we deemed the experiment successful.

Curiously – especially since they utilize a nearly identical strategy for their insulated bottles – Camelbak told us the idea was intriguing but that they were satisfied with the level of insulation that was already incorporated into their packs at the time.

That's just fine with us. Some of you might prefer to be able to just head to your local shop and buy something like for US$10-15 or so but seeing as how no one is ever going to see this thing, anyway, the DIY route gets the job done just as well and still leaves money left over for a decent lunch. Win.

Budget Bike Tech is a new column here on BikeRadar, focused not on the latest high-end gear and accessories but on cheap and clever tips, tricks and upgrades that cost virtually no money at all. Improve your riding and improve your ride – just don't go broke in the process.