Everyone knows that protecting your head is an important part of biking. It’s easier than you might think to slip off your bike and sustain an injury, so the more you can do to protect yourself, the better.
But not everyone has got a cycling helmet shield to complete the look. While they may not be worn as commonly as the helmets themselves, it’s worth taking a look at how they can help you to keep safe when you are out and about on your bike.
Protection for Your Face
A cycling helmet shield is available in two options. You can either get a cycling helmet shield to attach to your current helmet (if it will accommodate it) or you can get a hat made especially with a cycling helmet shield already included and built in.
Whatever option you go for, a cycling helmet shield has one big advantage for you from a safety point of view. If you should come off your bike and go down head first, there is a chance that you could damage your face or chin when you hit the ground. Even if all you get is gravel rash, that can be extremely sore and painful, and it can scar the soft tissue of your face.
A cycling helmet shield acts as a protector to prevent that from happening. And while you may still get the odd piece of gravel flying up into your face you will be protected from the worst injuries because it will cover most of your face.
An Alternative Use
But a cycling helmet shield doesn’t just come with benefits as far as avoided injuries are concerned. They can also come with a built in air filter, which means that the air you breathe in while you are out and about riding your bike is nice and clean and has had all the potential pollutants removed by the shield before it reaches you. In today’s choked up cities a cycling helmet shield is particularly good news, as it means you will be twice as safe while you are out getting some much needed exercise.
So the next time you need a new crash hat, don’t just settle for a standard one. Get one which has this extra degree of protection built in, to ensure that if you ever are unlucky enough to come off your bike, you will be as safe as possible without the risk of facial injuries.
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March 26 2008 | cycling | No Comments »
Bicycling is a fantastic pastime, a fun way to stay in shape that doesn’t place too much pressure on joints, making it less tiring than other forms of exercise. Beyond being a source of exercise, bicycling is a popular recreational activity on a pretty day and a preferred method of travel in many areas around the world. To increase your cycling performance, you can use other exercises in a complementary manner. Weight training and cycling performance go hand in hand.
Building Up Your Muscles
For difficult stretches of road or path, such as going up a steep incline, you need not only to be aerobically fit, but your muscles need to be strong enough to propel you upwards. Here, weight training and cycling performance are especially important. If your muscles aren’t large enough, you may find it too difficult to go up a steep incline, and you may be stuck walking your bike up the path. However, weight training and cycling performance also affects the overall enjoyability of any biking experience, no matter how easy or difficult. Having stronger muscles will make any biking trip easier, and you can enjoy the outdoors much more readily.
So how does one go about combining weight training and cycling performance? The first muscles that come to mind are in the legs, such as your quadriceps and calves. The weight training equipment usually costs thousands of dollars, so you may find it in your best interest to simply pick up a low cost monthly gym membership in your area for access to all the weight lifting equipment you’ll ever need. If you don’t want to go to just a gym such as Gold’s, you can check out the gym at your local YMCA for a more laid back atmosphere and get access to other activities such as swimming and basketball as well.
However, there is more to weight training and cycling performance than just your legs. A stronger back will make a long cycling trip more enjoyable because your back might get tired otherwise in that position. Arm, stomach, and shoulder muscles can also get tired, so you will want to work out all the muscles. Even if you don’t plan on losing any weight, weight lifting can tone and build muscle and make you feel better about yourself. In fact, regular exercise is a recommended deterrent to depression, so there really isn’t any reason why you shouldn’t get to the gym three times or so a week. To make your cycling experience more enjoyable, try out weight lifting and cycling performance.
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March 24 2008 | cycling | No Comments »