4ucycling

There are some negative aspects to using a heart rate monitor for certain things when monitoring your training progress and intensity, but even so, it is still a valuable piece of equipment for helping you train for your triathlon cycle race when used correctly. This article shows how to use a heart rate monitor for heart rate training cycling to measure your effort, accurately. Firstly, I need to state the obvious, but you should not be attempting anything written in this article without first consulting with your Doctor and getting the OK from him or her to do so. This is imperative before starting any exercise regime or test. To start with, there are three different measurements that you need to take to do this correctly. You will need your Resting Heart Rate, Your Lactate Threshold and your Maximum Heart Rate. These can be taken by yourself, something I will outline in a moment, you can also pay to have it done professionally, but I do not suggest this unless you are a pro tria...

Catherine, you prefer a bike as your means of transport. Why? A bike is a fast and inexpensive way of getting around. And it does me good to get a bit of exercise after uni, for example. I save on going to the gym and it’s fun. What do you like most about cycling? What I like best about cycling in the city is getting from A to B quickly. There’s no waiting, unlike with public transport. With the bike, I don’t have to worry how many minutes I have to wait for the tram. I just ride off. And when I go cycling at home (I’m actually from the countryside), it’s a great contrast. Especially in summer, when I want to ride to the lake or along the river. And if you had a choice, which city would be your favourite for cycling? Hmm … maybe somewhere in Iceland. I think Iceland’s great. Where I wouldn’t feel safe as a cyclist would be in Los Angeles or Barcelona. LA isn’t for cyclists who want to get to their destination in less than three hours. The promenade along the beach in Santa Monica ...

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 ...

A shop tune-up costs $40 to $60. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, here are five quick safety tests recommended by Calvin Jones, a bike mechanic for more than 30 years and author of The Big Blue Book of Bike Repair (Park Tool Co.). Grab Each Wheel. Pull back and forth to test whether they're loose in the frame. Spin the wheels to check that they're not touching brake pads. Ensure a Secure Seat. Hold the frame with one hand and the saddle with the other, then try to twist the saddle. Tighten, if needed. Look for Rust. A little surface rust is okay, but if the frame has rusted through or if the chain has rusted so much that it's stiff, it may be unsafe. While you're eyeballing the chain, lubricate it with one drop of bicycle-specific chain lube per roller. Check for Tire Cracks. If the tire sidewalls look like fishnet, they're too old and worn to be ridden. Dig Your Thumbnail into the Brake Pads. If the pads are too hard to allow you to press your thumbnail int...

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

You may already notice that many people around us are cycling fans. Cycling is a fantastic way to get and stay fit. Regular cycling can also help you lose weight and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. People who cycle regularly in mid adulthood typically have a fitness level of someone 10 years younger, and a life expectancy two years above average. Yet, over half the people questioned in a RoSPA survey* said that they don’t cycle, with the main reasons being ‘concerns around the safety of road cycling’ and ‘concerns about drivers treating them badly’. Whether you are a driver, cyclist or both, by understanding other road users can help your anticipation and forward planning skills and ability to take evasive action, leading to safer roads and less conflict between road users. Misunderstanding is a major cause of conflict. Some cyclists feel threatened by inconsiderate driving and close overtaking. Whilst some drivers can’t understand why cyclists at times ride in the midd...

For the safety while cycling, we need to know something about SA laws. The National Traffic Act 93 of 1996 and the National Road Traffic Regulations 2000 promulgated on 17 March 2000 in Gov Gazette 20963 (as amended from time to time)  includes the following bicycle-specific laws: * You must be seated on your saddle * You must ride in single file * You may not deliberately swerve from side to side * If you are riding on a public road where there is a bicycle lane, you must use that bicycle lane Note: Regulation 296 of the National Road Traffic Regulations 2000 states: “A person driving a vehicle on a public road shall do so by driving on the left side of the roadway … .”. Driving is defined in the Act to include riding a bicycle. There is no requirement to ride on the far left of the roadway or on the shoulder. The Road Traffic Regulations impose the same obligations on a bicycle as on a motor vehicle in this regard. Regulation 298(1) requires a vehicle to pass a cyclis...

In the followings are safety tips which are applicable to all cyclists, but even more so for commuters who often ride on their own as opposed to in small groups. Always wear a helmet. Apart from it being South African law since 2004, you never know when a dog runs out in front of you or a car cuts a corner in front of you and causes a fall. And as they say: If your head is worth R50, wear a R50 helmet… Obey the traffic rules: * Most cyclists get killed riding on the wrong side of the road or because they were not visible. Always have a steady white light on the front of your bike and a flashing red rear light between sunrise and sunset, and wear reflective kit. * ALWAYS STOP AT RED TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND ALL STOP STREETS. And even if the light is green for you to cross an intersection, look out for motorists jumping the lights. Watch out for other road users at stop streets. Even if you are continuing straight at a T-junction stop street, there may be horseriders or people wal...

What is safe cycling? You’ll probably get a different answer from every website you read or any other cyclist you talk to. To me, ‘safe cycling’ relates to the combination of common sense, road rules and cycling knowledge to get you from Point A to Point B in a safe and efficient way, preferably with the journey having been a pleasant one and not fraught with danger. Firstly, please make sure that you are visible when you go out on the bicycle. Fit bright lights to your bike (steady white light in front; flashing red light behind the saddle); wear reflective strips or bands eg around your ankle where the motion attracts attention, and wear bright coloured kit (luminous colours work well) – especially when it is rainy, misty or overcast or at dawn/dusk. What do you need in order to cycle safely? a) You need the right vehicle… Choose the right bicycle for the job. I prefer using a hybrid or mountain bicycle for commuting purposes. It is more comfortable than a road racing ...

 When it’s time to get on your bike, Europe really offers something for everyone. There are mountain climbs for those who like a challenge (this is the continent that birthed the Tour de France, after all) as well as scenic flat-as-a-pancake rides along coasts and through bucolic landscapes, many of which are suitable for families. Here, Paul Sullivan picks 10 of the best cycling routes in Europe. 1 Alpe d’Huez, France Best for: dramatic Alpine scenery Distance: 13 km (9 miles) Duration: 1–3 hours, depending on fitness levels This iconic ascent, best known as one of the key sections of the Tour de France, offers 21 bends that corkscrew between Bourg d’Oisans and Alpe d’Huez in the French alps. The scenic 3,670 ft climb is unrelenting, yet 1,000 riders per day – pros as well as determined amateurs – tackle it each summer. 2 Baltic Sea Cycle Route (Hansa Circuit) Best for: fresh sea air Distance: 7,980 km (4,958 miles) Duration: varies Otherwise known as Eurovelo 1...

I used to cycle EVERYWHERE. In my early teens my trusted Raleigh Racer took me to see friends, boyfriends, movies and shops. But then marriage, kids, cars and jobs happened, the weight piled on, and my poor old bike got left behind to rot. Mum got fed up of having to stack stuff around it, and after being hoarded in my shed for a couple of years, I eventually gave in and sent it for recycling. Living with a cycling addict is a bit of a nightmare, everything revolves around cycling, even trips away with the kids, (it even infected our honeymoon!) and I have to admit that there were times when I resented it appearing to be more important than our relationship. This year I finally relented and gave in to the annual pleas of hiring cycles as a family. “It’ll be so much fun mum!” filled me with dread, the last time I’d attempted to cycle I’d got out of puff at the sight of a slight incline and given up before even attempting it. But I was about to discover that a lot of it is down to the ...

 Bike sharing is a concept originating back to the 1960s. However, it was slow to catch on until better technology was developed, which could provide real-time information about the scheme, track the bikes and help safeguard against theft. Now, bike sharing is booming at an unprecedented rate, largely due to the reasonably low cost of the schemes, and how easy they are to implement compared with other transport infrastructure. And it’s an easy win for governments and urban societies, which can boost their green credentials by embracing such an environmentally friendly design. In 2004, only 11 cities had adopted bike sharing. Today, more than 1,000 public bicycle schemes of varying sizes and specifications run in more than 50 countries, across five continents. Europe’s biggest scheme is the Paris Vélib’, with 1,800 stations and more than 20,000 bikes. Hangzhou, China hosts the world’s largest system – three times bigger than Vélib’ – which is set to expand to 175,000 bikes by ...

CYCLING IN AUSTRALIA: I’m living in the middle suburbs of Shanghai – a great cycling metropolis. Bike-riding rates are 30 to 40 times higher than Australian cities. Hardly anyone wears lycra or rides a mountain or racing bike here. Cycling is all about “effortless” propulsion at low speeds on cheap, upright city bicycles in everyday clothes. People ride at half the speed of my mates in Australia, never breaking a sweat. Everyone rides here: grandmothers, professors, street sweepers, office workers, my guitar teacher, children. It is these “missing” bicycle riders we don’t see in Australia. Those going to the shop, the train station or the pub on a bicycle, instead of walking or driving a short distance. So how do we target these groups? We are certainly going in some good directions with bicycle policies and programs in many of Australia’s major cities, turning back 60 years of disinvestment in cycling. But how do we take the next step? Here are some suggestions, based on com...

World Bicycle Relief (WBR), the charity that provides specially designed super-rugged bikes to help get people in developing countries mobile, has launched a campaign that will see any donations made by the public before December the 31st matched up to $1.7M (£1.3M) matched. To put it simply a £95 donation is usually enough to buy one Buffalo Bike but until the end of the year it’ll provide two! This year’s campaign, Together We Rise, highlights Umoja Secondary School in Eldoret, Kenya, where children of Christian, Muslim and traditional African faiths study together and embody their motto – “Together We Rise.” Like millions of children across rural Africa, many students at Umoja Secondary School endure long walks to school that put their academic futures at risk. Girl students face even more obstacles accessing an education- hours of obligatory domestic chores and the threat of sexual assault on the way to school. On top of these daunting challenges, Muslim girls in this region al...