Bicycle racing is a very competitive sport. People such as Lance Armstrong (to name a very popular and recognizable cyclist) don’t appear in the cycling world everyday. These professional cyclists train hours upon agonizing hours every single day. Chances are that you don’t have aspirations to become a professional cyclist like Lance Armstrong, but there are steps you can take to make yourself better at cycling and perform well in more local races and charity events. Cycling training can set you on the path to become a solid cyclist and improve other aspects of your life as well.
Weight Lifting, Aerobics, and Diet
There are several aspects to your cycling training that will making your cycling performance a success. First of all, you need a healthy and balanced diet to provide the energy you’ll need for lengthy cycling trips. Focusing too much on one food group or another will prevent you from having an optimum level of energy and muscle growth. Of course, eating too much will increase fatty deposits, but cycling training also includes eating enough. Not only does starvation vastly decrease energy, but it also slows down your metabolism as well, so that when you do eat, you might actually be gaining weight if you’re not eating enough. Cycling training can be a great way to lose weight, but there’s a healthy way for that and then there’s a harmful way.
Cycling training also uses a wide variety of muscles, so you’ll want to build these up with weight training. During weight training, you’ll want to build up your muscles in your legs, obviously for actually cycling, arms for steering, back for posture, and even stomach and shoulders to make cycling easier on your body. You’ll also get the added benefit of looking and feeling better about yourself. Toned muscles are perhaps the most desired of body traits today, and you can get them just through cycling training.
However, you’ll also want to perform aerobic exercises to increase the amount of energy you can put into cycling. Aerobic exercises increase the performance of your heart and lungs, so more air can be diffused into your blood stream, providing extra oxygen for your muscles. Also, it will be much more difficult to get out of breath through regular aerobic exercise. Through a full and balanced diet, weight lifting for all of your muscles, and aerobic exercises, you can make yourself a better athlete all around. By practicing all of these, your cycling training will be very effective, but you’ll also look and feel better about yourself too.
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April 30 2008 | cycling | No Comments »
If extreme weather is freezing your feet, and you want to keep your toes nice and toasty, there are a number of high-quality winter cycling shoes on the market. Many riders are effective at layering their bodies to keep warm, but end up with frozen toes. Some of the shoes discussed below are more expensive that others, so make sure you do your homework on the internet before you buy.
Nike Winter Cycling Shoes
From head to toe, Nike Cycling offers the best designs, features, and styles. From the moisture-wicking Dri-Fit fabric, to the supple and durable synthetic leather, Nike cycling utilizes the industry’s most advanced materials to provide the absolute pinnacle of performance. Lance Armstrong’s keen eye has helped Nike make the very best winter cycling shoes in the world.
Kashmir Winter Cycling Shoes
This winter cycling shoe has an insulated rubber sole that is very stiff and hard. The upper is constructed of adjustable Neoprene and Pittards leather. The closure system consists of three straps with laces, and metal spikes; a spike wrench is included.
Pearl Winter Cycling Shoes
These shoes were voted best value-priced shoes by Bicycling Magazine in 2005. Their 360-degree reflective inserts are very effective in low-light conditions. Their stiff nylon I-beam outsole makes foot-to-pedal transfer of energy more efficient. The uppers are made of synthetic and mesh while only weighing less than two pounds.
Diadora Winter Cycling Shoes
Best known for its involvement in soccer, this Italian company makes a very good extreme weatherproof cycling shoe. They are equipped with Windtex membrane liners and fiberglass-reinforced nylon soles.
Sidi Winter Cycling Shoes
Sidi began using Lorica in 1992 because this synthetic microfiber has properties similar to animal leather: soft and breathable, but more resistant to water, mud, scuffing, and most other winter riding hazards. In addition, it will not rot or stretch during summer season storage.
These winter cycling shoes also contain Gore-Tex because it is completely waterproof and wind resistant. The shoe also has a thermoplastic Millennium 2 off-road race sole for high performance acceleration and feel, no matter what the temperature might be.
The Gore-Tex cuff and billowed tongue keep wheel spray and rain out, and three hook-and-loop-fastener straps tighten the shoes down so they stay snug, even if you are running one size larger than usual.
Northwave Winter Cycling Shoes
Northwave has acquired a lot of experience in producing products that perform to the highest expectations in extremely cold conditions. Their Celsius GTX is one of the few winter cycling shoes with a waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex upper. It also has a thermal lining to keep your feet warm and dry, and a hook-and-loop-fastener cover that prevents moisture from seeping in.
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April 26 2008 | cycling | No Comments »