If it's so cold in your area that riding borders on dangerous, you can still get out on the road for safe workouts. Simply adopt a skier's trick and stop in "warming huts" to combat the chill. The warming hut can be your house. Use a route that begins at your doorstep and takes 30-45 minutes to ride. If temperatures are low, you'll be chilled by then no matter what you're … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Duck into a “Warming Hut” on Cold Bike Rides!
1Training & Health
Ask the Coach: Strength Training for Older Roadies
By Coach John Hughes My long-time friend Bruce Perry asked me a good question. I met Bruce and his wife Becky when we rode the PAC Tour Transcontinental in 1988. Bruce and Becky rode tandem. We averaged 152 miles / day for 17 straight days. I remember a couple of days that were almost double centuries. Bruce reminisced “As I remember the trip now it was not … [Read more...] about Ask the Coach: Strength Training for Older Roadies
Quick Tip: Breathe Better on Your Ride
If you're like most cyclists, hills are a real limiter. You do fine on the flats but on steep stuff your lungs scream. You gasp for breath and soon slow to a crawl. Get help from the technique known as belly breathing. If you look at profiles of pro riders on their bikes, they often seem to have big stomachs. What you're seeing is their diaphragms expanded like bullfrogs … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Breathe Better on Your Ride
Avoiding Dangerous Frostbite
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D. You should never suffer from frostbite: painful freezing that can cause permanent loss of skin, and can be followed by loss of fingers, ears, toes, or even arms and legs. You get plenty of warning before your skin starts to freeze. First your fingers feel cold and then your skin starts to burn or itch. That means that your skin temperature, which is … [Read more...] about Avoiding Dangerous Frostbite
Tips for Cycling in the Dark
By Fred Matheny If you’ve never done it, night riding seems dangerous. I know what you're thinking: "What if drivers can’t see me? What if I hit things in the road that I don't spot it time?" A short worry session can produce another dozen what-ifs of similar magnitude. I’ve had very little necessity to ride in darkness. But the few times I’ve done so, it was a magical … [Read more...] about Tips for Cycling in the Dark