BikeRadar.com Mountain Biking Fitness

Increase your power with proper hydration

Ben Delaney — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:40:00 GMT

Can different drink mixes cause your threshold power to vary by more than 10 percent and affect your internal body temperature differently? Not likely, right? That is exactly what I thought — until I participated in a test of two riding trials in identical conditions using two different types of drinks: the relatively new Osmo Active Hydration and a high-carbohydrate drink mix.

The test was conducted by Dr. Stacy Sims, Osmo Nutrition's chief research officer, and only 18 of us participated in this particular round. So — excuse the hydration pun — take the arguments with a grain of salt. But the protocol was straightforward and the results were surprising.

Dr. Sims came to visit BikeRadar in Boulder, Colorado, to demonstrate not only her product but her hypothesis, as she called it, that drinks with low osmolality, or low solute concentration, are more rapidly absorbed by the body and therefore keep a cyclist cooler and more efficient than drinks with a high osmolality. Her philosophy is that hydration and fuel should be separate things, not a combined high-calorie drink.

We swallowed one of these thermometers 12 hours before each test

Dr. Sims, an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist, worked at Stanford University and for pro teams like Garmin-Slipstream and Leopard-Trek. She collaborated with Dr. Allen Lim on a few projects, one of which culminated in Skratch Labs. The two went their own ways, however, and Osmo was launched last May.

To test her hypothesis, Dr. Sims had us perform the following protocol on turbo trainers for each of the drinks, separated by 48 hours.

10-minute warm-up
60 minutes at 70% of threshold power (190 watts for the BikeRadar test)
15-minute time trial — without being able to see power numbers
cool down

She asked us to normalize as many external factors as possible — sleep, food and caffeine intake, 60-minute easy ride the day before, etc. — and she created a test setting in a hotel with a normalized room temperature and large fan.

Some testers had 2.5 bottles of Osmo to drink and 6 Clif Bar Bloks during the first test. Other testers had the same volume of another drink mix with a much higher carbohydrate solution and a gel. Then each tester switched for the second test. Combined, each test intake amounted to roughly 400 calories.

During the warm-up and the 60-minute steady-state ride we could look at the power numbers on our computer. For the 15-minute time trial, however, she removed the head unit, leaving us with only perceived exertion to gauge our efforts.

Dr. Sims taking a reading from the thermometer pill, now somewhere in my intestines

Throughout all the tests, Dr. Sims recorded our external and internal temperatures, plus our power output. Temperature readings were captured externally via an infrared device, and internally with a large-pill-sized thermometer that we swallowed. In the BikeRadar tests, power was measured with a PowerTap SL+ wheel and captured with a Garmin Edge 800.

The 60-minute steady effort was designed to deplete muscle glycogen and 'level the field' for the actual test, the 15-minute time trial.

In the BikeRadar test, I did the Osmo test first and the high-carbohydrate drink test two days later. In the 15-minute time trials, my cadence and exertion felt the same — I felt I was riding a TT pace — but the numbers told a different story. In both tests, I drank 2.5 bottles over the 75 minutes.

Average power with Osmo: 298 watts
Average power with the high-carb mix: 260 watts
Core temperature with Osmo: 38.3℃ to 39.15℃
Core temperature with high-carb mix: 39℃ to 39.5℃

While we could see the power readout during the 60-minute steady rides, Dr. Sims took the head unit for the 15-minute all-out time trials

Granted, this was just a single test, but a 38-watt difference in average watts at what my brain and body felt was the same exertion level? That got my attention.

Other test riders in Boulder reported similar differences.

Dr. Sims also measured my body weight and hydration levels (via urinalysis) before and after both tests. I was twice as dehydrated after the liquid carbohydrate test than the Osmo + Clif Bar Bloks test.

Taking the 18 test riders together, the average 15-minute TT wattage with Osmo was 308 watts. With the high-carb beverage that number was 254 watts. For the core temperatures, however, the 18-man average was very similar for both tests. The Osmo tests averaged a 1.6℃ increase during the 60-minute steady ride, and a .35℃ increase in the 15-minute time trial. For the high-carb drink test, the comparable increases were 1.6℃ and .5℃.

Hot hands signal overheating

In the BikeRadar test results, Dr. Sims was keen to point out how my skin temperature was cooler during the TT with Osmo, which she said indicates a greater sweat rate and better evaporative cooling. Also, the lower core temperature during the test with Osmo, Dr. Sims said, pointing to "greater systemic circulation of blood," which meant less competition "between blood flow to the muscle for metabolism and blood flow to the skin to offload heat."

During the two trials, the total calorie intake was very similar, but in the Osmo trial more of the calories came from the Clif Bar Bloks, while in the other trial the drink was heavier in calories. More to the point of the test, the Osmo drink mix had an osmolality of 275-280 mOsm, Sims said, while the other drink mix was about 330 mOsm. Blood is about 280-295 mOsm. "Knowing that physiologically the blood sits ~280-295 mOsm, a fluid with an osmolality of greater than 280 will inhibit water absorption," Sims said. "Net flux of water will be from the vascular spaces into the digestive tract; resulting in a net decline of water absorption."

Note that Osmo does not have a monopoly on lower-osmolality drinks, and that the second drink in the test was chosen for its high osmolality. Dr. Sims set the test this way to underscore her hypothesis about the science at work. "Much to the chagrin of [my colleagues], I push education over product," she told BikeRadar.

Being a scientist, Dr. Sims can and does go on in detail about the nuances of hydration and physiology. My takeaway, however, was much simpler: Osmo works. My power was higher with Osmo and semi-solid fuel than with liquid carbs at the same perceived exertion.

BikeRadar test results

Hydration and Thermoregulation

Test 1: Osmo PRE: POST:
Urine Specific Gravity 1.010 1.018
Body Weight: 87.0 kg 86.5 kg
Core Temperature: 37.5°C 39.15°C
Net change in Core Temp
Steady State: 37.5°C 38.8°C Diff: 1.3°C
15 min TT 38.8°C 39.15°C Diff: 0.35°C

Test 2: Liquid Calories PRE: POST:
Urine Specific Gravity 1.010 1.025
Body Weight: 86.3 kg 85.6 kg
Core Temperature: 37.2°C 39.5°C
Net change in Core Temp
Steady State: 37.5°C 39.0°C Diff: 1.5°C
15 min TT 39.0°C 39.5°C Diff: 0.5°C

Power:

Test 1: Osmo 60 min Steady State: 15 min TT:
Average: 188 watts 298 watts
Min: 179 watts 278 watts
1 min peak power: 222 watts 322 watts
Rate of Decline 24 watts

Test 2: Liquid Calories 60 min Steady State: 15 min TT:
Average: 189 watts 260 watts
Min: 172 watts 240 watts
1 min peak power 208 watts 297 watts
Rate of Decline 37 watts

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.

Resistance training for cyclists

Ainslie MacEachran — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In the winter, our riding opportunities dwindle like the fading daylight. But that doesn't mean you have to lose fitness. All cyclists can benefit from an organized and deliberate winter gym program. Adding resistance training to your winter routine will help you begin your next cycling season ahead of the game.

Follow these tips with some resistance training over the winter to start next season healthier, stronger and better equipped to avoid injury. You can track your training - both on the bike and in the gym - with BikeRadar Training.

1. Start slowly. Let your muscles adapt slowly to the new work load. Use lighter weights and don't push it. If you haven't lifted in a while, you will be establishing efficient neuro-muscular pathways as well as strengthening muscle. This period also helps to minimize the risk of injury by signaling the tendons and ligaments and well as musculature attachment areas to become more robust.

2. Synchronizing your lifting with your riding. This will ensure that you hit the appropriate workout with the appropriate intensity. Training is about intensity. If you're too strung out between the gym and the bike you won't be able to execute useful workouts on the bike or in the gym. They won't be of sufficient intensity to stimulate physiological change.

3. Lift with a purpose. An organized, periodized program will take into consideration multiple energy systems. Just being strong isn't enough. That new strength has to be translated into something usable on the bike: the ability to produce power for extended periods and more explosive efforts. If you can leg press a Volkswagen once, that’s fabulous, but it's not very useful on the bike.

4. Plan with next season in mind. An appropriately timed lift program will address all the appropriate energy systems and then conclude at the same time you are beginning your intensive riding. The periods will also be of sufficient length to properly stimulate the desired energy system and result in lasting change.

Here are a few areas of the body you should focus on, and some corresponding workouts.

To strengthen the lumbar spine — Do hyper-extensions or “Super Man's”
To strengthen the abdominals — Do crunches on physio-ball, planks, bridge on ball
To strengthen the quadriceps – Do squats, leg extensions, dead lifts
To strengthen the hamstrings – Do hamstring curls, Romanian dead lifts, bridge on ball with hamstring curls
To strengthen the calves – Do seated or standing calf raises

Calf raises, and many resistance training exercises, can be done almost anywhere

Allow for at least 24 hours between gym sessions to give your body a chance to recover. Some people choose to do lower body on one day and upper body and/or core the next. An experienced coach or trainer can help you sequence your plan.

Some upper body lifts are beneficial too. These will help balance you as an athlete and actually, a little upper body muscle gives you more places to store muscle glycogen, one of the fuels used for energy. Some may argue that upper body mass is a liability. A large volume of endurance activity puts an upper limit on how much muscle mass your body will allow for. Additionally, an appropriately constructed program will have as one of its goals keeping the balance of lifts focused on the core/lower body and only creating tone and structure on top.

Useful upper body moves include:

Lat pulldown
Dumbell chest press
Tricep press (cable or prone with dumbells)
Military or dumbell press for shoulders
Seated rows or one arm bent over rows (key for good posture helping you to avoid the “cyclist slouch”)

After any resistance training activity, do a short spin on your bike or a stationary bike if you have time to clear some lactic acid and help maintain a fluid pedal stroke. Just 20 minutes of easy spinning in the same day as a lift, perhaps as your cooling phase, is typically enough to loosen you up.

Taking a measured approach to an off-season weight training program will help you build strength that may be lost during the regular cycling season. Entering next season with more strength will give you a larger platform on which to build your cycling fitness, and it will extend your strength further into the cycling season.

Ainslie MacEachran is an AAAI/ISMA certified personal trainer, a USACycling Level 2 coach and the owner/head coach of Gemini Training Systems. His book “The Cyclists Guide To Off Season Strength Training and Nutrition” is available on Amazon.com, BN.com and iTunes.com.

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.

How to train like a pro rider

Iga Kowalska-Owen, Cycling Plus — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 07:00:00 GMT

We teamed up with British Cycling to bring you some words of wisdom from riders and experts on the GB Cycling Team as they were putting the final touches to their Olympic preparations.

Read on to find out how the best in the business cope with pressure, training demands, injury and disappointment. And to make the most of the tips, 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.

Endurance

Ben Swift, Sky Pro Cycling rider and World Champion in the Scratch Race

Some people are born sprinters and some are born endurance riders, and you just have to find out what suits you best. The secret to endurance is having the will to stick it out, because it can get a bit mind-numbing at times. You also have to be able to put up with the strain and the stress of being on the bike for such long periods.

Don’t keep bashing away doing long hours. Mix the training up with intensity and keep it fresh and enjoyable. Find a local club and get out on a club run with them. If there are enough people, it passes the time and you’re working much harder without realising it and having fun on the bike at the same time.

Injury

Liam Phillips, Britain’s top male BMX rider

You need to take it steady and build up your skills through the different levels to be able to get to a stage where you’re good enough to push the boundaries. Most injuries occur when people try to do things they’re not capable of. If you’re recovering from an injury, having the confidence that it has completely healed is massive before you jump back on the bike. Time away and going through the recovery process – the rehab, the physio and all that goes with it – are really important.

Once you’re able to live a normal life off the bike, get back on your bike. You may be anxious about crashing or the injury occurring again, so take it slowly, one step at a time. Also, make sure you take steps to prevent future injuries, like wearing pads if you ride BMX!

Injury is pretty much the lowest point for a rider but the enjoyment you get from training and competing against others outweighs the disappointment. The main thing is riding within your comfort zone. If you’re with a group of riders who have had more experience or been riding at a higher level, it’s no good trying to chuck yourself in at the deep end trying to keep up with them.

Recovery

Jon Norfolk, national sprint coach at British Cycling

Recovery is the key element of training. It starts as soon as you stop training, so it’s vital to fuel well and not burn yourself out by not allowing yourself enough time in between sessions to adapt.

When they feel they aren’t getting anywhere, many people make the mistake of trying to train harder to make the difference – but digging yourself into a hole will not allow any quality training to take place.

Correct fuelling is also important to make the most of recovery periods – a balanced diet with good quality carbs, proteins and hitting your five a day, every day. Try to eat within 30 minutes of finishing your training to help the immediate recovery process begin.

Some athletes describe it as feeling ‘stale’ on the bike or ‘heavy legged’. Listen to your body. Common signs of a need to rest include disrupted sleep, simply not wanting to train or a change in mood.

Give yourself some quality down time away from the bike to recharge the batteries both physically and mentally.

Pacing

Laura Trott, Olympic gold medallist in the Team Pursuit and the Omnium

If you go out easier and you are still travelling at that speed a few miles later it will feel hard to maintain but is doable. If you go out hard then you will definitely slow down when the effort catches up on you because of the lactate in your legs.

On the track, the biggest mistake in timed events is going out too hard. In a 3km pursuit for instance, the first few laps should feel easy, but it’s hard to get your head around this to begin with.

For a 4km pursuit I’d go out at a pace that I thought I could maintain for 3km and try to hang on for the last 1km. This would be pretty flat out. A 50km road race would be different as you would be able to use other riders. I would go out at a medium pace and slipstream other riders if it was quicker than I thought I could manage for the whole race. You could also make small efforts when you’re in the pack.

For a 100-mile sportive I would start very steady. If I felt good during the ride I would lift the pace nearer the end, but I’d get to the point where I knew I would complete it first before trying too hard and blowing.

Motivation

Dani King, Horizon Fitness rider and gold medallist in the Team Pursuit

Like most people who regularly train, I find it difficult to get myself out the door when I’m feeling tired from previous sessions, but here’s how I try to motivate myself.

Having a variety of indoor sessions is always a good idea, especially if it’s raining or icy on the roads. If you’re out in bad weather, try to change a session round so you’re not exposed for too long: a one-hour ride with four or five hard efforts instead of a two-hour ride.

Riding different routes helps stop me getting bored on the road. Some days it could be a flat route and on others a hilly session. Turbo sessions tend to be much shorter but generally have more focused efforts, perhaps an hour with four 10-minute brisk efforts. I’ll also do gym work and stretches to mix it up.

Having a specific course which you can time and then try to beat will help stop training getting boring, but don’t always try to beat your time – it can be depressing when it doesn’t come down. Having a goal is another way to distract yourself: a sportive to complete or a specific race in the future to concentrate your training towards.

Nutrition

Nigel Mitchell, head of nutrition at British Cycling

The importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle alongside your fitness routine is key to ensuring you’re benefiting from the exercise you’re doing. The body requires a combination of all nutrients to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Try to maintain a diet that is quality over quantity. To get the right balance, the focus of nutrition is always on the quality of food so we work really hard with the riders to make sure they’re eating plenty of vegetables, fruit, fish, chicken, lean meat and carbohydrate sources. Having more wholegrain foods such as rice, bread and pasta provides riders with vitamins as well as carbs.

What we’ve found has a lot of success from a weight management point of view is when people analyse their meal plans more proactively. If people try to eat little and often rather than just three meals a day it can be much more effective for weight loss and topping up energy sources.

Don’t forget to keep hydrated. My suggestion is 500ml of fluid every couple of hours when not exercising.

Mental preparation

Geraint Thomas, Team Sky rider, Team Pursuit World and Olympic Champion

I have always enjoyed racing and my approach has always been the same – not to be afraid and just go out there and try to enjoy it, and that’s how I still approach things today.

On race day I try to visualise the race. I go over in my head what I want to do and how I want to ride it. Your mind starts to wander an hour or so before the race. Just try to do that, it stops any little doubts that come into your head.

I also like to chat with other riders while warming up. It’s then that you really start to focus and zone in. After that you have about 10 minutes before the race so you don’t actually have much time to think about it.

Sprinting

Lizzie Armitstead, silver medallist in the Olympic Women’s Road Race

Since the GB Cycling Team picked me up at just 15 years of age and I joined the national Talent Team, having never ridden competitively before, I have certainly learnt a lot. Sprinting is about being confident in the bunch and being at the front of the peloton.

Timing is crucial, and learning to trust your instincts. Technique is the finishing touch, but without power and speed you can’t go very fast. I think you’re born with the ability to sprint but you can develop your technique.

There are a couple of simple drills you can do on the road to help you improve sprinting: overgeared climbing to increase your strength, and 30-second downhill sprints to increase your power and cadence.”

Here are my three top tips for winning a bunch sprint:

Don’t leave the front third of the peloton for the last 10km of the race.
Analyse the finish beforehand to determine what gear you should be in.
When you decide to go, don’t hesitate – just go with all of your power.

Strength

Shanaze Reade, multiple BMX and Team Sprint World Champion

What I have learnt on the GB Cycling Team is that specific exercises will suit one person but maybe not others. Also, rest is very important especially when you are tempted to overtrain in the gym. Work out what your goals are first. Is it endurance or explosive power that you are after? Or perhaps both if you want to be able to sprint at the end of a road race… As you can imagine, training to achieve these goals is going to be totally different.

As a general tip, do not sacrifice your form and technique in any strength and conditioning exercise for a heavier weight or extra sets. Patience is needed to progress in an effective and safe way. It is not worth risking injury.

If you hate the gym but want to improve your strength, intervals are the best way, especially if you have a good hill near you. Concentrate on trying to stay in the saddle and time yourself from the bottom to the top of the hill on a gearing that offers enough resistance that you can churn out around 45-50rpm. Try to decrease your time while also looking at increasing the gear.

Disappointment

Andy Tennant, Rapha Condor rider and current Team Pursuit World Champion

If I can say I gave it 100 per cent, I am content with others bettering me (occasionally!). I may not be happy, but it is easier to progress from. The first process is to ask yourself why. Are you ill? Have you got an injury or a fitness issue? Then work on a plan of action.

A sporting career has massive lows and highs. It is gutting when you spend your life trying to be the best and you aren’t going well or others are better, but you just have to accept it.

Learning to move on is a big thing; using logic and not your emotions is a big part and a key to performing well. Life isn’t fair, so grab the opportunities that come your way. Unfortunately disappoinments are a guaranteed.

Want to get more out of your training? Then head over to our fitness site BikeRadar Training. It's a free online resource for you to record and analyse all aspects of your training, log your training routes, get yourself tailoredtraining plans, see how you're doing on our leaderboards, set goals and plan your season with a comprehensive events guide.

This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.

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.

Dream job: resort mountain bike guide

BikeRadar Training — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:17:00 GMT

Looking for a job in which you can ride your bike in the sun every day? Want to spend your days guiding people around dry and dusty trails? Ever considered being a mountain bike guide?

BikeRadar Training spoke to Chris Gleeson, who’s a mountain bike guide on the Greek island of Rhodes. Here he offers insight into a typical day as a mountain bike guide and what it’s like riding on the island – and shares with us some of his favourite routes.

What is your role and what do you do?

My position here as mountain bike guide at the Levante Beach Resort in Greece involves offering advice to guests about using the bikes, as well as routes they can take around the area, and leading various bike tours out across the beautiful island of Rhodes. I plan routes and group the tours into easy going, intermediate and challenging so that any level of cyclist can join us and take the opportunity of getting out of the resort and seeing the local area.

Describe a typical day...

I start at 8am to carry out any maintenance on the bikes before the guests arrive for their first tour. The morning tour (10am-12pm) is the ‘Easy Tour’ for novices, so it’s a fairly gentle start to the day and a chance for riders to ‘feel their wheels’ and encourage them to practice basic skills on a ride of about nine miles, usually along the scenic coastal path. You can explore the morning route here.

The morning ride – out to the beach bar and back!

Lunch is back at the hotel and usually includes pizza, pasta, mezzes, grills and salads. I’m pretty lucky with this holiday company as we have really good chefs, so refuelling is never an issue!

The afternoon tour (3-5pm) is aimed at more experienced cyclists. We cover more challenging tracks in the nearby mountains. I try to make sure that the route is varied and that uphill climbs are rewarded with a great view or break. The most challenging route has a 5km road climb and leads guests to an off road track through the hidden valleys of Rio Guli Forest. You can explore the challenging route here.

A technical climb is rewarded with a long descent back down to the beach

How long have you been a mountain biking guide and what made you up sticks to go abroad and do it?

This is my second season with Mark Warner and my first season as a mountain bike guide. I came straight from a ski season in Les Deux Alpes as a ski host. A massive pull to work abroad was the weather, scenery and terrain for adrenalin sports.

I was keen to travel and find a guiding job that allowed me to use my biking experience to offer a range of routes over a variety of terrains. My office is the picturesque Rhodes countryside – miles of coastal tracks, mountain and forest trails.

How much of the year do you spend being a guide abroad? Do you plan on doing this long-term?

Summer seasons can start as early as March for pre-season training and set up and run through to November for post-season lay-up. I don’t plan on doing this job long-term, although it is tempting!

It’s possible to travel the world with this job, and there are plenty of opportunities for guiding or instructing in the resorts and mountain ranges in Europe. I’ve know of guides who have headed out to guide riders across more adventurous terrain – like Whistler in Canada. For those wanting to stay in the holiday industry, there are also plenty of opportunities to branch out into other activity sports and progress to management roles such as activity centre managers.

Sun, sea, bikes – all in a day's work!

It’s one of those jobs that many cyclists would love to do but are possibly too daunted or have too many responsibilities to take the step. What do you enjoy most and find hardest about your job – and do you have any regrets about leaving Britain?

I don’t have any regrets and I certainly don’t miss home! I’m an active person, so being outdoors most of the day and building on fitness is a real plus of the job. It's great to explore the island and the various routes, here's an example of one of the challenging ones I ride to keep my fitness up.

The social elements are great too. We have a really nice bunch of staff here, and they are never boring!

I’ve made some amazing friends and they are all people who like the active lifestyle that I love. I think the hard bit will be settling back into life once home – but I guess you don’t have to do a 9-5 if you don’t want to; there are other options out there for those that are passionate about sports.

Chris keeps his fitness up by exploring the island on his bike

What qualifications do you need to become a holiday resort mountain bike guide?

For my position, no specific qualifications were needed, just a good level of fitness and knowledge of bike maintenance. Employers want to know that you will relate well to guests, so being able to demonstrate this through past customer facing roles is an advantage. Generally, being sociable is a good quality to have. First aid and a language can help you get ahead.

What advice would you give someone looking to do what you do?

I’d work on getting the experience you need to successfully demonstrate that you have the skills needed for guiding. You might already be a competent mountain biker with a real passion for the sport; but demonstrate this through taking part in races, charity rides, anything to show you have done more than the average person with an interest in cycling.

If you have organised sporting activities or events then make sure you mention this on applications: it shows your leadership skills. Think about how you can show that you are good with people and can put their needs first – anything from customer service roles to bar work will demonstrate this. Most of all show off your passion!

Chris works for Mark Warner, a holiday company offering mountain biking holidays in a range of great locations. Having led the way in activity holidays for over 30 years, they also offer a variety of watersports, tennis and childcare facilities. For more information, visit www.markwarner.co.uk.

If you're looking to increase your fitness or to explore routes before jetting off to that holiday destination visit our new site BikeRadar Training. 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 our comprehensive events guide.

Insight into being a resort mountain bike guide

BikeRadar Training — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:17:00 GMT

Looking for a job in which you can ride your bike in the sun every day? Want to spend your days guiding people around dry and dusty trails? Ever considered being a mountain bike guide?

What is your role and what do you do?

Describe a typical day...

The morning ride – out to the beach bar and back!

Lunch is back at the hotel and usually includes pizza, pasta, mezzes, grills and salads. I’m pretty lucky with this holiday company as we have really good chefs, so refuelling is never an issue!

A technical climb is rewarded with a long descent back down to the beach

How long have you been a mountain biking guide and what made you up sticks to go abroad and do it?

How much of the year do you spend being a guide abroad? Do you plan on doing this long-term?

Summer seasons can start as early as March for pre-season training and set up and run through to November for post-season lay-up. I don’t plan on doing this job long-term, although it is tempting!

Sun, sea, bikes – all in a day's work!

The social elements are great too. We have a really nice bunch of staff here, and they are never boring!

Chris keeps his fitness up by exploring the island on his bike

What qualifications do you need to become a holiday resort mountain bike guide?

What advice would you give someone looking to do what you do?

Best energy drinks for cycling

Cycling Plus — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 11:00:00 GMT

If you're cycling for longer than an 90 minutes at a time, then consider using an energy drink. Any of you who've 'hit the wall' on a long ride will know what it feels like to run out of gas - it's not fun and is detrimental to your training.

Energy drinks or other energy products are designed to help you ride further and faster by keeping your glucose levels topped up. We tested 16 drinks to see which ones give you the strength of an Olympian and which do nothing more than taste like old dishwater.

If you are serious about your training then make sure you register for BikeRadar Training, our free to use training resource that enables you to log all of your training, get yourself tailored training plans, take part in challenges, see how you're doing on our leaderboards, set goals and plan your season with a comprehensive events guide.

Top 10 energy drinks

HIGH5 Energy Source

£10.99 / US$N/A (12x50g sachets)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, crystalline fructose, natural flavouring

Flavours: citrus, summer fruits, orange, tropical

This contains two sources of carbohydrate in a 2:1 ratio, following the theory that your body can process significantly more carbohydrate if it comes from multiple sources. We tested the fresh citrus flavour, which had a natural taste, not overly sweet and mellow rather than sour.

Each sachet easily mixes into 500ml of water and provides a hefty 45g of carbohydrate. It’s a little thick but perfectly drinkable. The mellow fruit taste makes it a welcome treat when you’re feeling groggy from long miles. We found it was impressively good at keeping us fuelled for a hard final hour of a four to five hour ride.

From: High5

GU Brew

£1.50 / US$N/A (60g sachet)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, fructose, acidity regulator

Flavours: lemon lime, raspberry, blueberry and pomegranate, orange

Our testers agreed that this was the best-tasting drink of the bunch. You can taste real fruit, but it also has a mellow and vaguely milky consistency that’s great during hot, sweaty rides when you feel ropey. It comes in single-serving sachets, with a good range of flavours.

Each one contains the electrolytes sodium and potassium to help you stay hydrated, and a 2:1 mix of maltodextrin and fructose. A 60g serving contains 53g of carbohydrate when mixed into 473ml (16oz) of water. The flavour alone will boost flagging spirits.

From: GU Energy

Torq energy

£11 / US$N/A (500g)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, fructose, citric acid

Flavours: orange, lemon lime, lemon, pink grapefruit

With no colouring, artificial flavourings or sweeteners, Torq Energy has a light, clean taste that leaves a slight salty aftertaste on your tongue. It comes in a basic tub with a scoop, and within a couple of shakes it dissolves into a clear drink. It also has a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to increase energy absorption, and five different electrolytes to boost hydration.

At the standard dosage it’ll give you 30g of carbohydrate per 500ml drink. It was kind on our stomachs and left us feeling energised and quenched during our training rides.

From: Torq

Powerbar Isoactive

£19.99 / US$TBC (1.32kg)

Top three ingredients: glucose, fructose, maltodextrin

Flavours: orange, lemon, red fruit punch

IsoActive contains 29g of carbohydrate per 33g serving and comes with a nifty long-handled scoop that makes it easy to measure and pour. It mixes up within a few shakes, leaving no powdery bits or residue, to create a pleasant (if not delicious) drink with five electrolytes.

It also contains two types of carbohydrate (glucose and fructose). Research indicates that when these carbohydrates are consumed in a 2:1 ratio they increase your energy uptake. Either way, IsoActive performed brilliantly for us in terms of long-term energy and ease of use. We’d happily use it during any ride or race.

From: PowerBar

Gatorade Perform

£8.99 / US$12 (350g)

Top three ingredients: sugar, dextrose, citric acid

Flavours: Orange, lemon

A bottle of Perform is just the ticket if you’re riding on a hot day. The orange flavour has a natural-tasting, sweet orange kick, with a vaguely salty aftertaste. If you’re racing at a high intensity for several hours the sugary taste can be too much, but otherwise it provides a welcome energy boost the second it hits your tongue.

The plastic tub is a handy size but it requires you to measure out the powder in its lid, which then makes it tricky to pour the powder into your bottle. That aside, it mixed easily to give a great tasting, thirst quenching sports beverage.

From: Gatorade

ZipVit ZV1 Elite

£8.99 / US$N/A (700g)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, sucrose, sodium chloride

Flavours: orange, lemon, fruit punch

This came in a resealable silver pouch, which was a bit unwieldy at first, although you can buy it in a big tub. Its purple powder contains a blend of electrolytes that mimic those lost in sweat, while the energy comes from maltodextrin and sucrose (table sugar).

It’s noticeably easy on the stomach and has a thinner consistency than many drinks, making it very thirst quenching. It’s free of artificial colours and flavourings, and it’s one of the few drinks that are gluten free. We tested the fruit punch flavour, which tasted pleasantly of Parma Violet sweets, but not quite as sugary.

From: ZipVit

Nectar Fuel Tank

£25 / US$N/A (2kg)

Top three ingredients: glucose syrup, fructose, water

Flavours: light orange, lemon lime

Nectar is a liquid concentrate that you mix with water. It’s far easier to deal with than powder – no sticky powder everywhere. One press of the pump gives a three per cent carbohydrate solution, and higher dosages will determine whether your solution is hypotonic, isotonic or hypertonic (the mechanism by which water passes into your cells).

It has a 2:1 glucose: fructose carbohydrate ratio to optimise energy uptake and five electrolytes to boost hydration. It’s a great product, although the orange taste was too sweet for some, particularly when they opted for the hypertonic triple dose.

From: Nectar

Clif Shot Electrolyte

£15.99 / US$22 (910g)

Top three ingredients: organic brown rice syrup solids, citric acid, organic evaporated cane juice

Flavours: Lemonade, cranberry-razz

Clif Shot tastes natural and isn’t too sweet, ideal for long days because your stomach won’t be able to handle anything too sickly. It’s not as instantly likeable as some sweeter drinks but you’ll be grateful for its slightly tart, salty taste when on your third bottle.

It’s made from 92 percent organic ingredients, such as green tea extract and beetroot colouring, and contains the electrolytes sodium chloride, potassium and magnesium to boost hydration, with 19g of carbohydrate per 20g scoop. Measuring is simple, and it dissolves easily.

From: Clif Bar (US) / 2Pure (UK)

SiS GO Energy

£1.10 / US$2 (50g sachet)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, fructose, natural flavouring

Flavours: orange, lemon, blackcurrant

GO Energy is SiS’s new name for their PSP22 Energy product. While it’s not laden with electrolytes, it is well suited to carb-loading or long rides where you won’t be sweating buckets. We did a three-hour ride on two bottles of this and it kept us well fuelled.

The ingredient list is short and simple (no bad thing) and the carbohydrate comes from maltodextrin and fructose. A 50g sachet contains 47g of carbohydrate and it’s kind enough on your stomach to be taken in higher concentrations.

From: Science in Sport

USN Enduro Carbs

£23.99 / US$N/A (1kg)

Top three ingredients: waxy maize starch, dextrose monohydrate, maltodextrin

Flavours: lemon lime, orange

An energy-packed drink that contains a mighty 69g of carbohydrate per two-scoop serving. With it being so energy-dense you might expect it to be thick and sickly sweet, but it isn’t. It contains three types of carbohydrate plus electrolytes, minerals and antioxidants.

The antioxidants fight free radicals, formed during intense exercise, although some nutritionists feel they’re not important on race day. Our only minor gripe was that it took some serious shaking to get rid of all the small clumps of powder.

From: USN

This article is compiled from reviews originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.

Top 10 energy drinks for cycling

Cycling Plus — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Top 10 energy drinks

HIGH5 Energy Source

£10.99 / US$N/A (12x50g sachets)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, crystalline fructose, natural flavouring

Flavours: citrus, summer fruits, orange, tropical

From: High5

GU Brew

£1.50 / US$N/A (60g sachet)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, fructose, acidity regulator

Flavours: lemon lime, raspberry, blueberry and pomegranate, orange

From: GU Energy

Torq energy

£11 / US$N/A (500g)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, fructose, citric acid

Flavours: orange, lemon lime, lemon, pink grapefruit

At the standard dosage it’ll give you 30g of carbohydrate per 500ml drink. It was kind on our stomachs and left us feeling energised and quenched during our training rides.

From: Torq

Powerbar Isoactive

£19.99 / US$TBC (1.32kg)

Top three ingredients: glucose, fructose, maltodextrin

Flavours: orange, lemon, red fruit punch

From: PowerBar

Gatorade Perform

£8.99 / US$12 (350g)

Top three ingredients: sugar, dextrose, citric acid

Flavours: Orange, lemon

From: Gatorade

ZipVit ZV1 Elite

£8.99 / US$N/A (700g)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, sucrose, sodium chloride

Flavours: orange, lemon, fruit punch

From: ZipVit

Nectar Fuel Tank

£25 / US$N/A (2kg)

Top three ingredients: glucose syrup, fructose, water

Flavours: light orange, lemon lime

From: Nectar

Clif Shot Electrolyte

£15.99 / US$22 (910g)

Top three ingredients: organic brown rice syrup solids, citric acid, organic evaporated cane juice

Flavours: Lemonade, cranberry-razz

From: Clif Bar (US) / 2Pure (UK)

SiS GO Energy

£1.10 / US$2 (50g sachet)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, fructose, natural flavouring

Flavours: orange, lemon, blackcurrant

From: Science in Sport

USN Enduro Carbs

£23.99 / US$N/A (1kg)

Top three ingredients: waxy maize starch, dextrose monohydrate, maltodextrin

Flavours: lemon lime, orange

From: USN

This article is compiled from reviews originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.

Top 10 energy drinks for cycling

Cycling Plus — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Top 10 energy drinks

HIGH5 Energy Source

£10.99 / US$N/A (12x50g sachets)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, crystalline fructose, natural flavouring

Flavours: citrus, summer fruits, orange, tropical

From: High5

GU Brew

£1.50 / US$N/A (60g sachet)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, fructose, acidity regulator

Flavours: lemon lime, raspberry, blueberry and pomegranate, orange

From: GU Energy

Torq energy

£11 / US$N/A (500g)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, fructose, citric acid

Flavours: orange, lemon lime, lemon, pink grapefruit

At the standard dosage it’ll give you 30g of carbohydrate per 500ml drink. It was kind on our stomachs and left us feeling energised and quenched during our training rides.

From: Torq

Powerbar Isoactive

£19.99 / US$TBC (1.32kg)

Top three ingredients: glucose, fructose, maltodextrin

Flavours: orange, lemon, red fruit punch

From: PowerBar

Gatorade Perform

£8.99 / US$12 (350g)

Top three ingredients: sugar, dextrose, citric acid

Flavours: Orange, lemon

From: Gatorade

ZipVit ZV1 Elite

£8.99 / US$N/A (700g)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, sucrose, sodium chloride

Flavours: orange, lemon, fruit punch

From: ZipVit

Nectar Fuel Tank

£25 / US$N/A (2kg)

Top three ingredients: glucose syrup, fructose, water

Flavours: light orange, lemon lime

From: Nectar

Clif Shot Electrolyte

£15.99 / US$22 (910g)

Top three ingredients: organic brown rice syrup solids, citric acid, organic evaporated cane juice

Flavours: Lemonade, cranberry-razz

From: Clif Bar (US) / 2Pure (UK)

SiS GO Energy

£1.10 / US$2 (50g sachet)

Top three ingredients: maltodextrin, fructose, natural flavouring

Flavours: orange, lemon, blackcurrant

From: Science in Sport

USN Enduro Carbs

£23.99 / US$N/A (1kg)

Top three ingredients: waxy maize starch, dextrose monohydrate, maltodextrin

Flavours: lemon lime, orange

From: USN

This article is compiled from reviews originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.

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.

Heart rate monitor training for cyclists

Harry Blackwood, Cycling Plus — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Using a heart rate (HR) monitor isn't rocket science, it's just a case of getting in the right zone. Here, Harry Blackwood – who finally cracked HR training after returning to cycling at the age of 50 – explains how to do it.

Getting started

Training with a heart rate monitor really couldn’t be simpler as long as you understand the basics. There are many ways of structuring HR training plans, but all of them employ the basics of training within personal zones.

Eddie Fletcher of Fletcher Sport Science is amazed by how many people have HR monitors and download all the numbers but haven’t a clue what they mean. “Men are by far the worst," he says. "They like to brag about how high their HR was during a session and for how long. That’s not good training at all. Find your resting HR, get the best idea you can of your max HR, and then work your zones out. That way those random numbers will start to have some meaning.”

"I’ve used a heart rate monitor to try to improve my performance in three different sports – running, rowing and cycling. The experiment was a miserable failure in two of them and it’s fair to say that I very nearly managed a dismal hat-trick. I dabbled with an HR monitor during a long ‘career’ as a club runner and used one occasionally in my training for rowing, so it was no surprise that when I returned to cycling four years ago, I turned to my trusty Cardiosport monitor. No surprise either that I almost fell at the ﬁrst hurdle.

"The problem with HR training is that it requires discipline. The bigger problem is that it demands even more humility. Last September, when I embarked on what I’d decided would be my ﬁnal attempt to use an HR monitor properly, I was only a few weeks into my programme when I very nearly threw the towel in. I was doing a four-hour base-building session and trying to keep my HR between 121-131bpm when I heard whistling behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see a bloke on an ancient Dawes touring bike complete with tatty old panniers coming past. Then I noticed the sandals…

"I was mortiﬁed. Here I was astride a beautiful carbon ﬁbre racing bike, kitted out in the ﬁnest clobber, and I’d just been blown out the back door by an extra from Last of the Summer Wine. This is where that huge amount of humility I mentioned comes in. Every sinew in my body was telling me to blast past him, but somehow I resisted. I swallowed my pride and continued training. That’s the discipline I was talking about.

"I’ll always remember that day as the day I learnt to train properly with a monitor, and it’s fair to say that I’m a convert: I’ve been training with one religiously for 12 months and the improvements in my cycling are obvious. I’m ﬁtter, faster, leaner and stronger. What’s more, blokes in sandals don’t blast past me any more."

The Zones

The best way to get your resting HR is to take it ﬁrst thing in the morning every day for a week and work out the average. Make sure you're well rested and not ill or under any stress. Put your HR strap on and just lie there for a couple of minutes, trying to relax as much as possible. Note the lowest ﬁgure you see and repeat the procedure the following day.

At the end of the week you’ll know what your resting HR average is and you can conﬁdently use this ﬁgure as the basis of your training. But don’t be fooled by thinking that having a low resting HR means you are super-ﬁt. “Generally speaking, a low resting HR is indicative of a well trained athlete,” explains Fletcher, “but it’s not always the case. There are people who have a genetically low HR regardless of ﬁtness.”

Maximum HR

Many believe that you can calculate your maximum HR by using the formula of 220 minus your age. For some people this may be accurate, but for many it will be wildly out. I’m 54 years old so, using the formula, my max HR should be 166 (220-54). It’s actually 178, which is a big difference when training in very tight zones.

A much more accurate formula is 210 minus half your age, then subtract 5% of your body weight in pounds. Add four for a male and 0 for a female. The only way to get a truly accurate max HR ﬁgure is to get a physiological test at a sport science centre, such as Fletcher Sport Science, but you can get a reasonable estimate by doing your own max HR test. Only undertake this test if you are ﬁt and exercise regularly, though.

Warm up thoroughly for at least 15 minutes. On a long, steady hill start off fairly briskly and increase your effort every minute. Do this seated for at least ﬁve minutes until you can’t go any faster. At this point get out of the saddle and sprint as hard as you can for 15 seconds. Stop and get off the bike and immediately check your HR reading. This is your max HR.

“Don’t forget that your max HR ﬁgure is sport speciﬁc,” says Fletcher. “This means that your maximum on a bike will invariably be much lower than it is when you're running because the bike is taking some of your weight.”

HR zones

Having established the key numbers (max HR and resting HR) you're now ready to work out your training zones. There are lots of calculators on the web and, while many people use ﬁve training zones, I prefer the six-zone system prescribed by the Association of British Cycling Coaches. Fletcher is also a big fan of the six zones, although he points out that there is actually a recovery zone as well which is important. “If athletes are to perform well they need to recover well,” he says. “I monitor every session my athletes do and I can tell very easily when they need to recover and how long that recovery needs to be.”

Zone 1 (60-65% of maximum heart rate): For long, easy rides, to improve the combustion and storage of fats.

Zone 2 (65-75% of MHR): The basic base training zone. Longish rides of medium stress.

Zone 3 (75-82% of MHR): For development of aerobic capacity and endurance with moderate volume at very controlled intensity.

Zone 4 (82-89% of MHR): For simulating pace when tapering for a race.

Zone 5 (89-94% of MHR): For raising anaerobic threshold. Good sessions for 10- and 25-mile time-trials.

Zone 6 (94-100% of MHR): For high-intensity interval training to increase maximum power and speed

Average HR

Beware your average HR. I’ve come back from two-hour rides and my HR has been an average of 130bpm, which would be a Zone 2 ride. But far from it. Looking at the graphs I can see that I’ve actually had several peaks during the ride where my HR has been over 150 and sometimes over 160. Not the ride that an average HR ﬁgure would suggest. ake sure you discipline yourself to spend 90-100 percent of your ride time in the right zone. This may mean getting off and walking on the hills in the early days. Stick with it. You’ll be amazed at the results.

The sessions

As cyclists we demand a lot from our training. We want to climb hills like Alberto Contador, sprint like Mark Cavendish and have the ability to time trial like Fabian Cancellara. We’d also like our cycling to ﬁt in around our family and work life, and if we can also shed a few pounds while continuing to eat pies and cream cakes then that would be nice too.

Training using an HR monitor may not turn you into a world-beating cyclist but it will make you an inﬁnitely better all-round cyclist. If you're training for speciﬁc events such as a hilly 100-mile sportive or a 25-mile time trial, you can tailor your training to suit. If you need some help tailoring your training you can find professional training plans on BikeRadar Training . If you just want to lose weight, cycling in the correct zones will burn fat and you’ll shed excess pounds in no time. Here are some key sessions that will make you a ﬁtter and faster cyclist.

Go slower, get faster

It sounds impossible but this is the basic starting point for HR training. I started off by doing long Zone 1 and Zone 2 rides. It was slow, boring and tortuous at times. What happened over a period of months was amazing. In a nutshell I was still riding in Zone 2 but I was zipping along compared with when I started. By going slower I’d made my body more efﬁcient. It was like a light being switched on: if I can go this fast in Zone 2 then just how fast could I go in the higher zones?

Fletcher, who’s an exercise physiologist, is adamant that by going slow you will get faster. The Evesham-based coach even has a mug on his desk emblazoned with the words ‘slow is the new fast’. But he has some sage words for anyone who thinks that HR training is like waving a magic wand. “Training is boring. Anyone who says they can make base training sessions more entertaining and can introduce fun is kidding you. Just accept it that those long, steady rides on the bike will be boring but they will bring results. There are no shortcuts and no quick ﬁxes.”

Because discipline for these slow rides is so important, it’s probably a good idea to ride them on your own, without the temptation of trying to keep up with faster mates, or rising to the bait of village sign sprints or trafﬁc light grand prixs. Key session: 3hrs in Zone 2. Stay in the zone and stick to it. Don’t be tempted to push on the hills.

Burn fat, save time

We all have to manage our work-life balance but don’t think that wanting to burn fat means you have to go out for ﬁve or six hours on the bike riding in Zone 2. By using HIIT methods (high intensity interval training) you’ll burn far more fat and become a ﬁtter and faster rider into the bargain. Yes, it’s going to hurt but it will do you the power of good and the whole session will take less than an hour.

Make sure you do a decent 15-minute warm-up and you're ready to go. Depending on your level of ﬁtness you're going to do 4-6 all-out sprints of 30 seconds with 4-5 minutes of easy pedalling. During these all-out efforts expect to see your HR rise to 85-90% of your HR max. Give it all you have right through the 30-second burst. Do these for 6-8 weeks and marvel at the fat you’ve lost. Try it – it really works.

But don’t think that training hard means you can eat like a pig. Fletcher has a word of warning for those who think they can ignore their diet and just ride to lose weight. “Weight control has to be about diet,” he says. “If you want to lose weight you’d be better off concentrating on what goes in, and concentrating on quality rather than necessarily reducing quantity.” Key session: 5min warm-up and then 4-6 30sec sprints with 4-5min rest.

Become an endurance monster

Hands up if you’ve got to the last 20-odd miles of a big sportive and found that you’re absolutely done in and can barely turn the pedals. That sinking feeling can be attributed to a number or factors such as going off too fast, insufﬁcient fuelling or hydration, or just too many hills. But the main culprit is likely to be a lack of endurance, which is where targeted HR training comes in.

What you need to do is LSD – no, it’s not a mind-altering drug, it stands for ‘long, steady distance’. By doing one session of 3-4 hours in Zone 2 and another session of 2 hours in Zone 3 every week your endurance will come on in leaps and bounds. Add a few long intervals once your base is more established and you’ll develop both endurance and speed.

This is an area Fletcher specialises in. Endurance training is his forte and he cautions those who think unfettered big miles will produce endurance no matter what. “It’s amazing how many cyclists do lots and lots of junk miles,” he says. “It’s all about getting the balance right between the length of the session and the zone you're riding in.” Key session: 3-4hrs in Zone 2 with 10min burst of Zone 3-4 every hour.

Easy does it

I have a confession to make: I’ve spent a lifetime as a serial over-trainer. I’ve trained too hard at every sport I’ve ever done, which means I’ve suffered loads of injuries and too many lacklustre performances. For the past few years I’ve been training smarter, though: my hard days are very hard and my easy days are very easy. In the past the easy and the hard seemed to blend into one. I know that riding at a very low HR is actually doing me good by allowing my body to recover. Make sure you have at least one rest day per week and another day that is a really slow recovery ride done in Zone 1 or even lower.

A common cause of poor discipline in moderating efforts is riding with stronger, faster riders, says Fletcher. “Many cyclists go out on the Sunday club run and try to keep up with the faster riders. Then they probably need ﬁve or six days to recover from the effort – their training is going nowhere.” Key session: 1hr ﬂat ride with HR constantly below Zone 2.

Testing, testing…

As you get ﬁtter and stronger, your cardiovascular system will get more efﬁcient so that you can do more work for the same effort. In heart rate terms, this will mean at a set HR you will be able to ride a set distance faster as you get ﬁtter. One of the most well known of such aerobic improvement tests is the Maximum Aerobic Function, or ‘MAF’ test, named by heart rate training pioneer Dr Phil Maffetone, and it’s a great way of proving to yourself that all those long hours of winter base training are actually working.

Regular testing might also reveal any performance drop-offs that can be the early warning signs of overtraining or impending illness. Maffetone suggests planning a route that initially takes about 30 minutes to complete and then, after a warm-up, riding it at a precise heart rate, while timing yourself. “The important thing is to pick a heart rate that falls within your base training zone and to stick to it,” he says, “both throughout the test and in every subsequent retest.” This submaximal aerobic effort is typically 65-75% of your Max HR – in Zone 2.

“Perform the test regularly to chart your ﬁtness progress,” says Maffetone, “perhaps once a month. Doing it more frequently won’t realistically reﬂect your progress and might lead to obsession with the results, while any less frequently means you’ll miss out on the other beneﬁt of this kind of test, which is to ﬂag up any underlying health or overtraining problems.” Key session: Time this monthly test ride over a set distance at a set aerobic heart rate in Zone 2. Record your times so you can chart your progress over the months.

Top five fitness tips for mountain biking

BikeRadar UK — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:01:00 GMT

Push your riding to the next level with this new training plan, designed exclusively for BikeRadar Training by Flat Out Fit cycle coach Joe Rafferty, of Pro Ride Guides.

A fully qualified mountain bike tutor, former Loughborough sports academic and GB athlete, Joe has been a mountain bike coach and personal trainer for eight years. He currently specialises in enduro training and looks after Kona’s Alex Stock, one of the UK’s top enduro riders. Joe’s also a self-confessed all-mountain addict and gear geek.

Joe explained to us why mountain bikers should train to help improve their general riding:

“The main reason we ride is for fun, and in all honesty we’re almost always happier when either gravity is on our side or the trail flows well enough not to get us huffing and puffing. So what’s with all this training malarkey, then? We’re mountain bikers, aren’t we? Well, what if I told you that with a little bit of training you could make even the roughest trails flow, and you could have enough energy to make the ups as playful as downs. Would that tempt you? What about the confidence to tear up that last climb just to bomb back down?

“We know all too well that time on the bike is key, but with the way we all work and give ourselves so little time to play, our fitness becomes one step forward and two back. This training plan is designed to help you get a grip of your potential again. It’s designed to help you get progressively fitter with no gym membership, no expensive equipment and no wasted time. In fact, don’t think of it as a training plan, think of it as guidance.”

Joe demonstrating how taming the trails is easier with greater mountain bike fitness

Joe Rafferty’s top five fitness tips

Getting fit isn’t about eating an organic banana 34 minutes before your session, then gulping a protein shake three breaths after your last rep. For the average person it’s actually pretty simple. Following these five tips should set you on the right track:

Eat the right things: Cut your sugar intake, avoid overly processed foods, wean yourself off copious amounts of caffeine and you might just be able to hear what your body is asking for.

Avoid the weekend warrior trap: When it comes to improving, consistency is key. Four quality sessions per week will give you much better improvements than one long slog that leaves you needing the week to recover.

Rest properly: To improve, you need periods of stress (physical exertion) and recovery. They are of equal importance – sleep well and have at least one full rest day per week.

Commit: If you’re going to do it, you might as well do it properly. Find out what motivates you, plan, set goals and go for it. When things get tough, remember where you want to be and why.

Progression: Doing the same ‘grey ride’ week in, week out means you’ll eventually plateau. Progressing your training intensity and volume will keep you improving.

Get Flat Out Fit with BikeRadar Training

Joe has designed an eight-week, Flat Out Fit training plan exclusively for BikeRadar. It’s meant for intermediate and novice trail riders who want to improve their fitness levels, and is based around three rides per week and one or two home workout sessions that require no equipment.

Whether you're targeting weight loss, all-round endurance or full-on race fitness, this training plan is for you. Flat Out Fit training is designed around minimal equipment, effective use of time and a proven training philosophy that will change the way you ride forever.

Intrigued by the Flat Out Fit plan? Head over to BikeRadar Training and check out some of the free sample sessions. You can purchase the full training plan for just £9.99.

Joe Rafferty of Pro Ride Guides

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.

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.

How to wheelie a mountain bike

Chris Ford, CycleActive — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 07:00:00 GMT

BikeRadar has launched a new mountain bike Skills Q&A section in the lead up to BikeRadar Live. Chris Ford of bike training and holiday company CycleActive is on hand to answer your questions.

Q: This week, two BikeRadar users wrote to us asking for tips on how to wheelie. Nick asked: "It's only a little problem, but when I pull a wheelie, I quite often pull the bars to one side or the other. What am I doing wrong?" Eddie wanted to know what gear he should be in when trying to wheelie. He said: "I try but can't seem to get the action/gear right. Any advice will be appreciated."

A: The key to a successful wheelie is in the selection of your gear and your ability to deliver one well-timed power stroke through the pedals. You need to select a good place to practise – flat grass is ideal – and flat pedals will let you bail out if needed.

Select your front little ring and a gear three or four down from easiest at the back. Pedal along at walking pace while gently dragging both brakes. As your lead foot comes over the top of a pedal stroke (see picture below), suddenly surge down on this pedal and release the brakes.

There is no pull back on the bars, you just hold them in a relaxed, normal way with your body fairly upright and arms just a little bent. By the time your foot gets further round (see picture below) your front wheel will be in the air.

By the bottom of the pedal stroke, as long as you keep this sudden acceleration going, the wheel is going to be high and the bike will be approaching the balance point (see picture below).

If you can’t get the wheel in the air you could be in too hard a gear, making it too much effort to suddenly increase your cadence and drive the wheel up. Or maybe you’re accelerating gradually rather than with one quick, snappy surge.

If you’re twisting the bars to the side then maybe you're relying too much on a pull up, rather than a pedal stroke lift. The thrust through the pedal stroke is coming through the centre of the bike so it’s inherently more stable than a tug on the bars. Try sitting higher and more upright, so your weight is further back, and let the bars come up lightly with your hands, rather than pulling them.

Advanced wheelies

One quick pop of the front wheel gets it over an obstacle, and then you can let it drop. But if you want to keep it high you need to hold that balance point as your next foot comes round the power part of its stroke (see pictures below).

This is where some riders like to gently drag the back brake, so they have something to push against as they get their weight centred. If the bike starts to fall to the side you can throw out the opposite knee to counterbalance and keep you upright (see picture below). This is the way to steer when you wheelie.

Another exercise you can do to make sure you don’t pull back to lift the wheel but rely only on your pedalling is to wheelie with no hands (see picture below). Just as you come to the moment of lift-off, release the bars and slightly pinch the saddle between your thights. This pinch isn't essential but can ensure you don’t slide off as the bike tilts backwards, since your hands are now in the air.

Next up on Skills Q&A:

" How do I train myself to look further ahead on the trail? I have this annoying habit of looking too close in front and I can't hit ruts or maneovure round obstacles properly. "

If you want your question answered, email it to us at bikeradar@bikeradar.com with “Skills Q&A” in the subject line and we’ll pitch it to Chris and the CycleActive coaching team.

How to wheelie

Chris Ford, CycleActive — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 07:00:00 GMT

A basic skill of mountain biking is knowing how to wheelie. Not only will you impress your mates with your new found prowess on one wheel, it's also an essential trail skill that'll see you deal with pesky roots or logs in your path.

By the bottom of the pedal stroke, as long as you keep this sudden acceleration going, the wheel is going to be high and the bike will be approaching the balance point (see picture below).

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Advanced wheelies

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

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.

Budget Bike Tech: Toasty toes with recycled race numbers

James Huang, tech editor, in Boulder, USA — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:00:00 GMT

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.

This week we're looking at Tyvek. This amazing stuff made by DuPont is thin like paper, flexible like fabric, waterproof and windproof. This makes it a perfect material for protecting your feet in moderately cold conditions.

Simply take an old race number or shipping envelope, trim it to fit, and wrap it around your socked foot from about the front of the ankle forward. It doesn't have to be pretty since the Tyvek will be invisible once you're done. Just make sure you've obscured all of the mesh panels in your shoes as well as the sole vents, if there are any.

Once your foot is wrapped (a single layer will typically do), slide it into your shoe and make sure to wiggle your toes around thoroughly before tightening down the straps. Tyvek is highly protective stuff but it doesn't stretch so you want to make sure you push the material out to the edges of the toe box so as not to affect the fit.

We've been successfully using this strategy all winter and combined with thin wool socks, our feet have stayed reasonably warm during road rides just below 10°C (50°F). The Tyvek material has virtually no volume so it doesn't affect shoe fit and is easily packed in a jersey pocket or saddle bag, plus it's durable enough to reuse nearly ad infinitum. Moreover, you still have access to your shoe straps and buckles for on-the-fly adjustments.

Keep in mind that this technique isn't all that effective in wet conditions where conventional booties would be a better choice and that Tyvek isn't very breathable so it's a good idea to leave at least part of your foot uncovered for ventilation, especially on longer rides.

Unless you're particularly generous with the coverage, you won't get any protection for the front of your ankle this way, either. Otherwise, though, this has proven to be not only an effective alternative to lightweight booties, but one that costs almost nothing.

If you've done it right, the Tyvek will block off all of your shoe vents but will otherwise be invisible (you can just see a bit of red from the Tyvek scrap we used peeking through the mesh around the toe)

Budget Bike Tech: Toasty toes with recycled race numbers

James Huang, tech editor, in Boulder, USA — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:00:00 GMT