4ucycling

The usual approach to train for endurance riding is lots of long rides. On paper this makes sense but in practice it isn't the most effective way to train. A targeted approaching building all facets of cycling fitness will improve your endurance cycling fitness faster than a diet of long steady rides. Learn how to put the pieces together and see your performance increase. There are many fitness factors that let you do well at endurance events. You need high threshold power, good recovery ability, aerobic endurance, muscular endurance, core strength and upper body muscular endurance. If any of these areas are weak you will find your performance drops quickly in the later miles of a long event. Long rides do need to be part of your training program but not the foundation. I advocate a periodized approach that builds functional threshold power and speed with a progression to longer rides as the season progresses. Speed is the hardest thing to build so we spend a far amount of time o...

If you're not a pro-athlete, you might not know much about how a cycling coach works with their protégé. One of the common misunderstandings of cycling coaches is that they only work with professional cyclists and triathletes. In reality even many amateur cyclists and triathletes work with a coach. Anyone who wants to improve their performance in the cycling sport can benefit from it. Cycling coaches can work with their trainees both directly and via distance. If they choose to work face-to-face then they can actually train together on cycle ergometer or new inventions like the cilomulino which originated in Italy. If the relationship is based on distance training, the Internet has allowed cycling coaching to communicate thru email and the web. For example devising training and nutrition programs and monitoring progress. Having a relationship primarily through the Internet can be successful if approached properly. Here are some ways to improve your relationship with your cy...

Cycling protein shakes are optimal to drink as a recovery drink after hard training, such as weight lifting, indoor- and outdoor cycling, running etc. Protein is the building block of your body, which maintains cells and tissue, but works also as backup energy, e.g. in the case of undernourishment. Cycling protein shakes can help you to obtain sufficient proteins but should be adjusted to your level of workout and needs. Find the cycling protein tips here: A normal person should have 1 g of protein per. kilo body weight in order to maintain their weight / muscle mass. A top athlete should have 1,5 g of protein per kilo of body weight. If you weigh 70kg and do not do (cycle) sports on a pro level you should consume about 70 g of protein pe. day. However if you do cycling on a pro level, then you should consume about 105 g of protein per day if you have a weight of 70 kilo. If you do cycling as exercise with 3 training stints a week you should have proteins, which are the equival...

According to studies, people who eat breakfast usually weigh less – and those who skip the first meal of the day tend to choose high-calorie foods later for lunch and dinner. Nevertheless, breakfast is not always breakfast! A bowl of store-bought chocolate granola is loaded with sugar and anything but healthy. It all comes down to a balanced meal. Now, it’s time for a reality check: are you guilty of these five breakfast mistakes? Mistake #1: You have breakfast on the go Instead of making breakfast, you hit the snooze button. Then you pick up something quick at the bakery and scoff it down in the car or the train. And you think, “What’s the harm in this?” After all, our body doesn’t care if we eat at a table, on the go or in a rush. But what does matter is how much we concentrate on our meal: people who focus on their breakfast tend to eat more mindfully. The results of a study suggest that walking distracts our brain and therefore we consume more calories when we eat on the go. Pl...

One of the best features of cycling shoes is that they last far longer than other sports shoes. For example, you must replace running shoes every six months (or sooner) because the materials inside the soles lose their ability to provide cushioning. Also, regular sneakers are in constant contact with the ground and the soles and uppers wear rapidly. Contrarily, if cared for, a quality pair of pedal pushers could last five or even ten years! These easy tips will help you get the most from your shoes: Maintaining the fit: We recommend wearing only cycling socks with your riding shoes because these thin socks won't stretch the shoes, which can ruin the snug fit so important for efficient pedaling. Walking: Shoes made for off-road use or touring sport lugged soles and recessed cleats that are made for easy walking. Road-specific shoes, however, are designed for optimum power transfer when pedaling. While these shoes may include heel and toe tabs for walking, it's best to walk as...

An overview of the most important bike fairs and conferences 2017 in Europe as well as the rest of the world January: Velofollies, 20.01. – 22.01.2016, Kortrijk (Belgium) February: Winter Cycling Congress, 08.02. – 10.02.17, Montréal (Canada) Fiets en Wandelbeurs Amsterdam, 11.02. – 12.02.17, Amsterdam (Netherlands) Fahrrad Essen, 16.02. – 19.02.17, Essen (Germany) The London Bike Show, 16.02. – 19.02.17, London (United Kingdom) European Cycle Logistics Conference, 20.03. – 21.03.17, Vienna (Austria) f.r.e.e. Die Reise- und Freizeitmesse, 22.02. – 26.02.17, München (Germany) March: Berliner Fahrradschau, 03.03. – 05.03.17, Berlin (Germany) ITB Berlin, 08.03. – 12.03.17, Berlin (Germany) DRAUSSEN, 11.03. – 12.03.17, Bremen (Germany) bike aktiv 2017, 17.03. – 19.03.17, Freiburg (Germany) Intertraffic Amsterdam, 20.03. – 23.03.17, Amsterdam (Netherlands) Taipei Cylce Show, 22.03. – 25.03.17, Taipei (Taiwan) April: VELO Berlin, 01.04. – 02.04.17, Berlin (Germany) Urban Bike Festival 20...

What is bike polo? Bike polo is a team sport. A team consists of three players on bikes who try to hit the ball into the opposing team’s goal using a mallet. They are not allowed to touch the floor with their feet – if this happens they cannot intervene in the game until they have hit the designated area with their mallet. The game ends either after ten minutes or when a team has scored five goals. Janku: “A few minutes changed my life” “One-handed cycling was completely new to me”, explains Jirka Janku, a Czech bike polo player from Prague, when looking back at his first (bicycle) test rides. “Holding a mallet at the same time seemed impossible. However, after a brief familiarisation period, I found it much easier and the game became more fun by the minute.” Today, Janku is a multiple tournament champion and even reached fifth place at the world championships in New Zealand in February 2016. “A few minutes at the beginning of my bike polo career changed my life dramatically. I bec...

When the dark first comes it’s a shock. I love cycling, and I especially love riding with my young kids. But it takes an extra adjustment, a mindshift even, when nursery and school runs, and then commutes to and from work, must suddenly be ridden with no light from the sky. I blink into the blackness. It always takes a few days for my eyes to accept to this utterly predictable yet still constantly surprising shift in seasons. At first the streets seem less knowable. The cars louder and more predatory, their lights shining like violence. And my kids who all summer refused to leave the house without their bikes suddenly take coaxing, especially the youngest who conquered his first pedal bike this summer. It would be so easy to stop now. Take the bikes out of their cosy corner of the living room and lock them in the shed for winter. As a child I rarely rode through the dead of winter, lights were rubbish and expensive then and my school days lasted as long as the cycle of the sun. And ...

There are many, many good reasons for bicycle commuting, recreational bicycling and creating a strong bike culture in general.  Hopefully a couple with resonate with everyone and motivate more bicycling. On-going use of a bicycle has virtually NO carbon footprint. You will be a leader in your community. Bicycles increase mobility for those who don't have access to motor transport. Bikes increase mobility for those who don't qualify to drive a car. Bicycles increase mobility for those who can't afford motor transport. Bikes increase mobility for those who don't want to drive motor vehicles. Bicycles increase mobility for some people with arthritis, back problems and other mobility issues. Bicycling can be faster than walking, transit or motor vehicles. Bicycling is the most energy efficient form of transportation ever invented. You get healthy exercise from bicycling . Bicycling also can help you meet different people with the same hobby as you.

It may not surprise you to see another study suggesting that cycling to work can drastically reduce your chances of getting cancer and heart disease – those who ride bikes for transport already know how good it makes them feel. However, it’s perhaps yet another motivation for those who don’t, to dust off their bikes – and remember some other reasons cycling to work is so great.  In a five-year study of 263,450 UK commuters, published in the BMJ, researchers at Glasgow University found regular cycling cut the risk of death from any cause by 41%, and the incidence of cancer and heart disease by 45% and 46% respectively. The cyclists in the study were riding an average of 30 miles per week; that’s three miles each way, five days per week. Cycling at a leisurely 10mph, that would take about 20 minutes each way – a manageable distance for most people. At present only 3% of the UK population commute by bike, while 36% use a car. If we increased cycling in this country to German levels...

The Best Mountain Bikes of 2017 If you’re in the market for a new — or another — mountain bike, we’ve got you covered. From high-end, full-suspension bikes built for racing to the latest affordable 650b Plus rigs, these bikes are the some of the best around. ENTRY LEVEL ($1,500 AND UNDER) 1. NORCO FLUID 2 HT $1,299 Somewhere between a fat bike and a more traditional mountain bike, 650b Plus bikes are perfect for beginners. They’ll roll over just about anything, handle well and are faster than you might think. While it won’t break any speed records, the Fluid 2 HT from Norco is plenty capable of riding just about any trail — from loose technical climbs to rocky descents. The one-by drivetrain also makes shifting simple and regular maintenance as easy as it’s going to get. 2. SURLY KARATE MONKEY 27.5+ $1,399 Known for its affordable and well-built bikes, Surly has a small but loyal following. The solid steel-frame Karate Monkey is a bike that’s been around for a while, and w...

  3. MUNICH Germany is a country known for cars and fast driving (hello, Autobahn), but it has plenty of awesome cycling, too. In Germany, Munich leads the way, with over 750 miles of bike lanes. There are also nearly 350 one-way streets that are bike-only, and the city has restricted all other streets to a 19 mph speed limit to improve overall safety. Daily trips made by bike usually average a shade under 18%, ranking as one of the top for a major city in the entire world. 2. AMSTERDAM With more than 800,000 bikes and an unbeatable network of bike-only routes, there’s a reason why nearly 40% of all trips in Amsterdam are made by bike. Whether it’s children going to school or adults making a quick run to the grocery store, the bike is the primary method of transportation. For a relatively small city, there are 248 miles of bike paths — but even the streets that don’t have dedicated bike lanes are likely to have just as many bikes on them as cars. 1. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK Ease of...

In the followings are 10 telltale signs that you’re officially a cyclist (congratulations) 1. You can’t recognize your biking friends when they aren’t wearing Lycra. And you haven’t known whether to be flattered or offended when one of them has seen you in your street clothes and said something like, “Wow! You look really good!” 2. There’s never room on the top shelf of the dishwasher for anything other than water bottles — and no matter how many times you’ve scrubbed them, they still look dirty. 3. You’ve tried every energy bar, gel and powdered electrolyte mix on the market and have homed in on the exact right combo to keep you from bonking on long rides. 4. The “check engine” light in your car has been on for months, but the most minor mechanical issue on your bike is resolved immediately… 5. …that might be because your new bike is worth more than your car. 6. And that bike has a nickname. 7. You have at least one Facebook profile shot of you posing on or next to your ...

If you don't want to cut out solo riding entirely, joining a cycling club is good way to improve your skills on the bike and take your fitness to the next level. Use this guide to find out how joining a cycling club benefits you as a cyclist and where to find a like-minded cycling group near you. 1. LEARN BETTER BIKE-HANDLING Whether you’re interested in racing or not, improving your bike-handling makes you a safer cyclist on the road. By joining a cycling group and getting involved in weekend club rides, you’ll learn useful skills you might not be exposed to riding solo. Drafting, bike control, hand signals and pacing are just a few of the basics you’ll grow accustomed to when you practice riding in close proximity to others. READ MORE > 10 CYCLING HAND SIGNALS YOU NEED TO KNOW 2. DEVELOP CAMARADERIE If you ride lots of miles alone, motivation can become an issue. Joining a cycling club with other like-minded cyclists helps you mix up your training regimen and have m...

If you’ve already decided to join a cycling club, you’ll need to find the right club to fit your individual needs. Here are a few of the factors you should consider when choosing a cycling club: Goals: Some clubs steer more toward racing, while others focus more on touring the area at a slower pace. Speed: Most cycling clubs post the average mile per hour you should be comfortable with for weekend rides. Make sure your ability as a cyclist matches those of the group you’re riding with so you won’t be left behind. Age: Some groups are for cyclists of certain ages, focusing on either racing or leisurely cycling to stay fit and lose weight. Schedule: Cycling groups and clubs often meet at certain times during the week. Make sure your schedule fits with the club you’re looking to join. Price point: While some cycling clubs are free, though most have an annual fee and require you to purchase a cycling kit from the club. Check the costs before you decide to join and then choose the mos...

Being a popular sport, cycling  has become a fashion for people in different ages. Cyclists form actual cycling clubs and spend years of their lives working to become great cyclists. It's as serious as online football betting to those who are betting on the outcomes! And with Lance Armstrong managing to win the Tour de France so many times, it brought a little bit of glory the sport for people in the United States. However, it doesn't mean that there aren't teams that seem to take the sport a little less seriously. Over the years there have been some truly hilarious names that cycling teams have given themselves. Pedalphiles : The Pedalphiles are a group of dedicated cyclists that reside in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. Despite their definitely questionable name, the group holds the record for long distance outstation rides in Malaysia and they attend cycling events all over the world. Suck It Up Buttercup: There is also a group that calls itself "Suck It Up Bu...

Most of the same reasons why bicyclists will drive towards the center of a lane are good reasons for leaving the bike lane. Even in states with mandatory bike lane use, the law allows cyclists the same exceptions as it does to keeping right in general. Here are just a few reasons: Bike lanes collect the debris and glass that is swept off the road. Sometimes you can see it because it’s big, like tree branches, but sometimes only we can see it. A small shard of glass can cause a flat tire. (How many tires did you change on your way to work today?) Many bike lanes are designed poorly or just plain dangerous. Bike lanes next to parked cars are often entirely within a hazard area we call “the door zone.” A suddenly-opened door can kill a cyclist. When approaching intersections, or in areas with lots of driveways, a bike lane puts us in a conflict zone (shown in the above animation). Bike lanes increase our risk for all of the common crossing and turning crashes. It may not be a bike l...

A bicycle storage area is a section of the road, before an intersection with traffic lights, where you can wait (for the traffic lights to change) in front of the stopped vehicles. A bicycle storage road area will have painted bicycle symbols, be between two parallel stop lines and may be painted green. Bicycle and motorcycle riders are allowed to cross the first stop line to enter the bicycle storage area but must stop at the second stop line at a red traffic light. Motor vehicles, other than motorcycles, must stop at the first stop line. A bicycle rider may choose to enter a bicycle storage area from a bicycle lane. When you enter a bicycle storage area, you must: give way to anyone that is already in the bicycle storage area give way to any vehicle that is entering the area on a green or yellow traffic light.

Whatever we do, safety is always the first. When you ride a bicycle, motorised foot scooter or a personal mobility device like a segway, you must wear an Australian Standard (AS) approved bicycle helmet. You must securely fit and fasten it. An approved bicycle helmet means a helmet that complies with AS 2063 or AS/NZS 2063. You may only carry passengers on your bicycle if the bicycle is designed to carry passengers. If you carry a passenger on your bicycle, they must also wear an approved helmet, securely fitted and fastened. However, if they are a paying passenger on a 3 or 4 wheeled bicycle, they do not have to wear a helmet. You do not need to wear a helmet if you have a doctor's certificate stating that, for a specific amount of time, you cannot wear a helmet: for medical reasons because of a physical characteristic that makes it unreasonable for you to wear one. If you have a doctor's certificate, you must carry it with you when you ride without a helmet. You also ...

It is neccesory for cyclists to wear pedal cyclists wear helmets? A study of 538 motorcyclists and 523 pedal cyclists who attended the A&E Ward of University Hospital in Nottingham following a road accident, including post mortem reports of 19 pedal cyclists and 87 motorcyclists who died. Pedal cyclists who died more commonly suffered head injuries than motorcyclists who died. Pedal cyclists who survived also sustained head injuries more commonly than motorcyclists who survived. Head injury was more likely to be the main (or only) cause of death for pedal cyclists whereas motorcyclists who died usually suffered other major injuries, but less severe head injuries. The report concludes that head protection could reduce the incidence and severity of head injuries among pedal cyclists