4ucycling

More than half of the population in the world is so much into the corporate life that people forget to take care of themselves. It isn't their fault, but the responsibilities that drive them to that extent. Many suffer from various kind of health issues like depression, weight loss or gain, blood pressure and much more. People take appointments from top psychiatrists to check what's wrong with their schedule because everyone has to get going with it. It's just the lack of physical exercises and fresh oxygen that an individual fails to adapt. Late night office, sleeping till nine or 10, incorrect breakfast timings are all the catalysts to unhealthy conditions leading to problems like depression, weight loss or gain, etc. To prevent such things, it is mandatory to get involved in physical exercises like cycling. The respective sport helps to maintain good health in an efficient way. Below mentioned are some of the perks that pedaling provides. Read on to know more. It stren...

Mankind evolved over millions of years to survive by walking or running to chase prey or gather food. It was often difficult to digest and was scarce. And yet in the space of a mere few hundred years we have become the masters of our environment, and food has become plentiful. In the modern world we are surrounded by machines and gadgets that allow us to avoid almost all physical effort. The food we can buy often contains large amounts of sugar and fat. Boredom, which might otherwise have motivated us to become active, is satisfied by television and video games and other sedentary activities. But in the western world over-eating and lack of exercise is having a catastrophic effect on health. Not only do we put on weight, but our cardiovascular systems, evolved for regular use, lose their potency. Like any machinery left unused, the components begin to rust and seize up. The risk is that when they are needed they fail suddenly and catastrophically. We become vulnerable to heart diseas...

There were 45 of us, brave souls all. Under an optimistic blue sky, we stood with our bicycles on the shores of the Bosporus on the Asian side of Istanbul, posing for the camera, helmets strapped on. The date, August 4th, 2007. In 15 minutes, we would embark on what some regarded as an impossible, even a foolish, expedition -- a 10,700 km journey that followed the legendary Silk Road. A three and one- half month trek across Asia, ending in front of Beijing's Forbidden City. Difficult? Certainly. Foolish? Perhaps. Impossible? Not a chance. Indeed, it was not the first such epic bicycle journey that I had undertaken. In January 15, 2003, I and 32 other adventurous spirits embarked on the inaugural run of the Tour d'Afrique -- from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa in 120 punishing days. That very first day, in the shadow of the Pyramids, the question I posed to myself was: 'can this really be done'? Can we cycle every meter -- later acronymed and defined as EF...

I have a friend Barry, a professional driver who regularly drives from Toronto Ontario to Long Beach California, a trip of roughly 4,100 KM. I have done the same drive a number of times, so we often compare notes about restaurants, places of interest, etc. We also talk about how long the drive takes, and what is interesting is that if you take the weather out of it, he tends to make the drive in about 2.8 to 3 days, while it usually takes me 4.75 to 5.5 days. We both go to the same destination, covering the same ground, driving within acceptable and safe speed limits. Looked at another way, if we both got $2,500 every time we got to Long Beach, and another $2,500 every time we got back to Toronto, Barry would collect $187,500 in a 225 day work year; while I would only collect $102,272 in the same period. Wow, not what you'd call chump change! We see a similar phenomenon with many of the sales people we work with, some close a sale in 16 weeks, while the lady in the next stall c...

ecades ago bicycles lost their place as a primary mode of urban transport  in many cities from Los Angeles to Beijing, with a few exceptions such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Now, with the boom in bike-sharing, the bicycle is coming back to take its well-deserved role in cities. Unless we screw it up. Since the early 2000s, bike-share systems started to pop up around Europe. China is now  host to most shared bikes thanks to public incentives in last 5 years. Recently, 3 bike-share companies in China, Mobike, Ofo and Bluegogo, have raised collectively $1 billion, igniting a bike-share boom around the country. In most metropolises of China there are now several networks of bike rental providers one can choose from, with tens of thousands of bikes belonging to each. Until only two years ago, bike-sharing was not considered profitable without public subsidies due to expensive technology. However startups like Donkey Republic have managed to change that perception. It is likely...

If your plan is to go live abroad, or if you’re just looking for your next holiday destination – have you ever considered traveling to Icaria, Costa Rica or Japan? Their inhabitants are among the world’s healthiest and oldest populations. In addition, there are even more places you should definitely pay a visit. Dan Buettner, American explorer, educator & author, called them “blue zones.” People who live in those blue zones are said to live a happy and looooong life: Nicoya, Costa Rica Every resident who turns 100 is presented in the news there. In 2012, an incredible 417 people celebrated their 100th birthday in Nicoya. One of their secrets of longevity is sleep. They go to sleep right after sunset, then rise with the sun the next morning. Sardinia, Italy On the island of Sardinia, people still hunt, fish and cultivate their foods themselves. Family-related values are of utmost importance there, leading to a long and happy life. The Sardinians are convinced that a strong, hea...

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...

Whether you're starting to cycle for the first time, getting back in the saddle after a number of years away, or already cycle but would just like to cycle more, you'll enjoy lots of benefits by choosing cycling for some of your everyday trips: It’s a fast, cheap and stress-free way of getting from A to B It’s the perfect way to fit more activity into your daily routine – cheaper and much more fun than driving to work or going to the gym It’s a great way to spend time with family and friends or to meet new people It increases your life span – on average, cyclists live two years longer than non-cyclists It gives you a natural healthy glow and the endorphins make you feel great Cycling allows you to enjoy those little pleasures guilt free – a 20-minute bike ride burns off the same number of calories as in a cappuccino, a bar of chocolate or a 175ml glass of wine!

Cycling offers many personal and practical benefits. It's good for your health You may be interested to know that: The National Forum For Coronary Heart Disease found that regular cyclists enjoy a level of fitness equal to that of someone ten years younger. According to a British Medical Association report, cycling will improve your fitness, help you maintain a healthy weight, lower your risk of a heart attack and help to reduce stress. A British Heart Foundation study concluded that cycling at least 20 miles per week reduced the risk of heart disease to less than half that for non-cyclists who take no other exercise. As well as improving your health and wellbeing, cycling can be lots of fun, not to mention a cheaper, quicker and less stressful way of getting from A to B. It's low on cost Bicycles require no Vehicle Excise Duty, no MOT, no compulsory insurance, no breakdown recovery services and, above all, no fuel! A good bicycle, if well maintained, will last for many year...

We are very open-minded about cycling innovations. But this time we want to deal with curious new developments that we think are aberrations in the bicycle revolution. An indication of how much is going on in the field of cycling and sustainable mobility in cities are the many innovative products that try to make bicycle mobility ever easier and more diverse. These include freak bikes and modding, where punk creativity meets the fun of having a good time, as well as real innovations with the potential to make cycling even more interesting. Some developers, however, apparently want to literally reinvent the wheel. A few of these curious products are presented here. If you aren’t put off by our criticisms and want to try any of them out, please send us a report of your experiences – after all, we could be wrong! Raht Racer – more car than bike The “raht racer” – despite the advertising campaign that aims to create a closeness to the bicycle – is an electric car with pedals. Thank...

Many cyclists enjoy treating their bike to new equipment even if it doesn't need it. Irrelevant as to what type of bike you have - getting the right saddle is the most important factor in being able to ride comfortably. Sitting on the wrong one can lead to quite an unpleasant experience. Riding style With many choices out there and with very subtle differences to the untrained eye, it can seem confusing which saddle is the one for you. Just like the unique specifications of an individual, a saddle is a unique and personal product. There are many different variations of shapes and sizes that not only fit your riding style, but also the width of your sit bones. Consider your riding style and position on the bike first. Are you sitting upright? Or are you leaning your body towards the front of the bike? Once you know this, it narrows down the selection process. Some saddles have very helpful packaging where it describes its intended riding style, which makes your decision a lot ...

Unlike the name Bicycle Day suggests, it was not the bike that is celebrated as a cherished all-around means of transportation on 19 April. It rather is a particular historical event that is the reason for this festivity – the unforgettable bicycle trip by the Swiss scientist Albert Hofmann. We’ll tell you what happened that day in1943 and where you can celebrate this day! It was not just for Albert Hofmann that his bicycle trip would become a special event. His “trip” was legendary. Bicycle Day namely commemorates the first time that the scientist intentionally took a 250 microgram dose of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). He had only discovered the drug by chance three days before. This amount of white crystalline substance was indeed far smaller than a grain of pepper, but it had a tremendous impact. Less than an hour later, Hofmann began to feel strange and noticed sudden and intense changes in his perception. He decided to pedal home from his laboratory. His bike ride accompanied...

Different countries, different customs. This also rings true for the loads carries by bike and sometimes also for the number of people riding it. Many things are allowed, some things are forbidden and now and then some things that don’t quite fit, are made to fit. The cultural differences are surprising. One bike, several people To sit on the rear bike rack is not allowed in Germany and Austria (for anyone over the age of eight). Nevertheless, people love to hop on frequently, the same counts for sitting on the bicycle frame or handlebars. There are also rules for child seats. In Germany, child seats can be installed on the handlebar as well as at the rear of the bike, provided that the child seat has a foot rest. In Austria, children are only permitted to sit at the rear of the bike. For the bike-friendly Danes, two children under six years of age are permitted as passengers on one bike. In comparison to those regulation, the United Kingdom goes with a more flexible point of vi...

…you can adopt strategies for general prevention and reduction of conflict in road traffic situations. “Science presents a very useful approach here. It would also be a good way to raise awareness among the general public of the following point. Not every reaction on the part of another road user is necessarily intended in a malicious way,” says Risser. Often, we are unsure how to judge the reactions of our fellow people on the roads. In our uncertainty, we tend to “automatically assume the worst intentions on the part of the other person. This negative tendency presupposes that the other person’s behaviour is wrong, stupid or malicious.” With this type of negative tendency, conflict is then more likely to occur. However, it does not need to be this way. We don’t need to view everything based on this negative tendency. This thought should also be promoted to the public in campaigns. If you make a conscious decision against this negative defensive position, then you are giving yourself...

Whether for short trips or vacations, as a forerunner of emancipation or the theory of relativity: the bicycle has many sides to it. The different roles it can play in people’s lives can be seen in this collection of bike quotations from famous personalities in politics, economy, arts and science. Top 5 Bike Quotations by Famous Personalities Bicycling has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence. Susan B. Anthony American feminist (1820-1906) Life is like a bicycle, you need to keep moving lest you lose balance. Albert Einstein German-born phisicist (1879-1955) What the computer is to me: It’s the most remarkable tool that we’ve ever come up with, and it’s the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds. Steve Jobs Co-founder of Apple (1955-2011) Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. John F. Kennedy 35. President of the United States (1917-1963) No other inventio...

If you want to travel quicker, diminish those parking worries, save money and the environment then hop on your bike and let the efficiency commence. Want to know how, just take a look at the facts…. Rush hour: You are 5-8mph faster than motorised vehicles Commute by bike in the UK’s major cities and you’ll get there in half the time of other road users. In fact, if you drive in Cardiff’s rush hour, you’ll spend over 30 minutes going absolutely nowhere and average just 7mph, compared to averaging around 12-15mph while cycling. You travel around three times as fast as walking For the same amount of energy and that’s with taking into account the ‘fuel’ (food) you put in your ‘engine’ (stomach), you travel three times faster by bike than by walking. Humans on bikes move more efficiently than any other creature on earth In terms of energy efficiency, on bikes humans have even surpassed natural evolution: to move 1kg of body mass 1km, a cyclist on a normal bike uses only 0.136 calories wh...

The bicycle was invented in Mannheim over 200 years ago: the draisine, a velocipede. Since then the bicycle has experienced a revolution, also with regard to social development. It all started with the eruption of a volcano: the climate changed; harvests failed and many horses – which in those days were not only used in farming but also served as a means of transport for people and goods – starved to death. Without these animals life became even more difficult than it already was. Then Karl Freiherr von Drais had an idea: In 1817 he invented the draisine, which was supposed to replace the horse but was so expensive that the majority of the population were unable to afford one. For a long while after the invention of the velocipede nothing much changed. Not until the beginning of the 1860s, when Pierre Michaux began developing bicycles with pedals. Michaux presented his invention in Paris at The International Exposition of 1867. It was an out-and-out success. Only the well-to-do bourgeo...

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 ...