Road cycling - I Love Bicycling

Cycling Hand Signals

May 16, 2018 by Sarah Lauzé

Whether you’re riding solo or in a group, you need to alert those around you of your intended movements. Like when you’re driving a car and use lights to communicate, cycling hand signals serve as your turn indicators and brake lights. It’s important to know the proper hand signals to ensure both cars and other riders can understand what it is you’re going to do.

Many accidents occur from misunderstandings between cyclists and drivers, and either side can be quick to point a finger of blame. However, it is up to both to know and understand cycling hand signals and the overarching rules of cycling.

Stop

The most common hand signal to indicate you are slowing to a stop is to extend your left arm out to the left and angle the forearm vertically down from the elbow. There is some controversy around this, as if you are coming to a sudden stop, it means taking one hand off your brake and handlebar, which could actually prove more dangerous. If you are riding in a group and don’t feel comfortable taking your hand off your bike, yell a courteous “stopping” over your shoulder to warn those riding behind you.

Left Turn

Almost intuitive, to signal a left turn simply extend your left arm out horizontally. Be sure to do to the signal in advance to the turn (like you would in a car), not just when you are actively making the turn.

Right Turn

Historically, to signal a right turn you would extend the left arm out, and then up at the elbow. This practice is no longer in use to cyclists, and has been replaced with the simpler right arm straight out horizontally. The Uniform Vehicle Code in the U.S. recognizes both, although it recommends the right arm out approach. State traffic laws generally conform to the UVC, but exceptions may exist.

Passing on the Right

Quite often cyclists will be moving fast than traffic in dense areas, so be sure to stay about a meter from the curb or well within the bike lane where applicable. Although you do not signal passing on the right, always be alert. This is an issue that can still come to debate in court. Look out for cars backing out of parking spots and driveways, turning left across the road toward you, or turning right into you. The truth is, they probably don’t see you. Never ride on the left side of the road or on sidewalks, as this is both illegal and increases the risk of a collision.

Take a lane

If you are moving a similar speed to traffic, or need to make a left turn in the near future, then be sure to signal and get into a lane. This will put you in the position to properly navigate the intersection with the rest of traffic. Always remember, the same rules apply to cyclists as cars.

Commuting can be the best part of your work day, but make sure you get there and back safely by using these hand signals and staying alert. Never listen to headphones in traffic, and give plenty of warning for each action. For more information on riding safely in a group, check out “Group Ride Etiquette.”

Using Time as a Guide for Training

October 10, 2015 by Alison Jackson

Training by time is a popular and easy method to use when outlining your cycling training program. The only tool you need is a device that will record your ride time, whether that is a bike computer, a phone app, or a wrist watch. It is an easy and inexpensive way to track your training and is helpful when planning training around all the other activities in your life.

If you have an hour available for training after work you can plan for an intensity that is appropriate for that time block or arrange your day to allow for a 4hr long ride with the confidence that you will complete your training goal before you need to get home for dinner.

Although races are based on a set distance, a rider must plan for the time that it would take to complete the course. An 80 kilometer race might mean a 2hr effort if it is flat and fast, however if the course is a circuit with an 8km climb at 15% every lap the race might take 3hrs or longer depending on how many laps you are expected to do over the climb. The intensity and pace required for a 2hr race is very different from what is required for a 3hr race; therefore understanding what your training effort should feel like for these different scenarios will increase your odds of success.

Using Time Based Training

When using time-based training, you will get a feel for the amount of intensity you can lay down on the pedals for various training efforts no matter the level of fitness you are at. When training by time, it is important to keep in mind what your ultimate goal is.

Here is a guide and a few workout examples on how to manage training intensity based on time:

Time	Intensity	Workout
6-10 sec	Maximal effort; Sprints	Use in warm-up: Ride 10-30min or until warm, 3 x 6sec max sprint
10-30 sec	Maximal effort; Sprints	Sprint practice: Start with 2 sets of 3 x 30sec sprint with 30sec recovery and build to 5 sets, 3min between sets
1-8 min	High; Intervals	Improve VO2max: 4 x 4min on a hill, riding steady-hard in between, work to increase number of repeats
10-30min	Moderate; TT effort or Tempo	TT Tempo effort: 2 x 10min TT effort with full recovery in between increase workout by 2min each week (2 x 12min, 2 x 14min)
30min+	Low; Endurance ride	Long ride 2-5+ hrs

Maximal Effort – Sprints

The highest anaerobic effort will last 6-10 seconds and can translate into a varied range of distances from person to person depending on individual fitness. A 30 second anaerobic sprint might equate to 250m for a male pro but only 100m for a beginner cyclist with their 30lbs. commuter bike.

Sprints are useful for road cyclists who want to beat their competitors to the line.

Moderate and High Intensity – Intervals

Moderate and high intensity intervals will help all cyclists, whether it is powering up a climb, breaking away from the group or just improving overall speed.

Low Intensity – Endurance

If you are planning a century ride or long distance races over 40km then you will want to add a lot of endurance rides in to your training.

Why You Should Be Excited About the Cycling World Championships Coming to the U.S.

September 26, 2015 by Adam Farabaugh

The Road Cycling World Championships happen once a year, most of the time, in Europe. The World Championships are like the Olympics where countries send their best riders as opposed to them racing for their normal trade teams. This brings an Olympic like quality event dedicated just to road cycling that is attended by the very best. The multitude of events also brings an Olympic feel where there is more than just one event to check out and watch unlike that of the Tour de France or other big races.

Cycling in Europe is something that is ingrained in the culture, particularly in some places such as Belgium or Holland. In these countries, many of the fans and spectators aren’t actually cyclists themselves whereas in the US, many people that attend the big races are into cycling one way or another. The number of high level races in North America has been steadily increasing over the years as has the size of the sport in general. Events like the World Championships in Richmond are not only huge for the sport in general in the country, but also huge in the fact that it is helping to further grow cycling in the culture.

Second Time in History

This is only the second time in history that the Road Cycling World Championships have been hosted by the United States. The first time was in 1986 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Canada hosted Worlds twice; once in 1974 in Montreal and again in 2003 in Hamilton, Ontario, so the highest level events have been few and far between in North America. In 2013, the US hosted the Cyclocross World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky which was the first time that the event was held outside of Europe.

Home Field Advantage

Along with the World Championships mostly being held in Europe, the majority of the top level professional races are also held in Europe. This creates a home field advantage for the majority of the peloton which are from Europe. Even though most pro’s that are foreign to Europe reside there during the season, racing in a foreign country with foreign food, and a foreign language no matter how seasoned, will never feel like the comforts of home.

Travel and time zone differences also add up to another hurdle that “Euro’s” always complain of when coming to the States or Canada. North American riders now have that advantage, particularly the ones living close by to Richmond. Along with that, normally when racing in a foreign country, cheers are in foreign languages and normally for the local teams and riders. This time in Richmond, all those fans and cheers will be for American riders which gives that little bit of an extra push and motivation.

Benefits to a Cycling Culture

Cycling is engrained into European culture for a number of reasons. The history of the racing there along with how often there are races to watch and see in person are the big two. This gets a large number of people as well as kids exposed to the sport to have the chance to get into it.

Cycling is something that kids can do in many European countries as a sport just like Little League Baseball or Soccer. With such a high level cycling event in Richmond, you can bet that in the coming months and years, cycling will see a rise in the area. Not only in riding as a sport, but commuting and riding for leisure as well.

In many places around the US, cycling is not seen as a sport or as a way to get around. This will extend past Richmond as well with media coverage being highlighted across the country. The more that high level cycling events are held on TV, the higher the number of people watching the sport and in turn hopefully become inspired by what they see, particularly it not being a sport held off in some foreign country but right here in the United States.

The Thrilling Events in Person and on TV

Seeing any professional event in person is like none other. In cycling, you can’t compare the wind, noise, and rush of a peloton passing by along with its entourage of vehicles. Fortunately if you can’t make it to Richmond, watching on TV can still be great as you can see the entire race as opposed to only seeing it go by in one location. You also get the benefit of getting play-by-play commentary especially if you don’t always know what’s going on.

Team Time Trial

The team time trial is a race against the clock that is competed by trade teams oddly enough. It is a newer event that has only been around in its current form since 2012. Before 1995 however it was competed by nations but was done away with.

Time Trial

The individual race against the clock is also exciting to watch particularly if you have a certain rider or riders you are cheering for. Despite the bit less excitement than the team time trial or the road race, you have the chance to see each rider individually over the course of several hours as opposed to just seeing the riders go by in more of a blur.

Road

The road events are the feature races of the World Championships. They are classified into a number of categories with Men’s and Women’s, along with classifications of Elite, Under 23, and Junior. The feature event is the Men’s Elite which is held on the last day of the week-long event. In any World Championship the course is made to showcase a challenging and exciting course not only to race but also to watch. In Richmond they have done an incredible job of this including a twisty, cobbled climb up through Libby Park that will not only be interesting for the riders to ride but also to watch.

It’s exciting when any bike race comes to your town or country but when it’s the World Championships it’s very exciting. The best in the world will be there and American’s and Canadians alike have great shots at doing well in all events. The scope of an event this large will have a profound impact on the local community as well as cycling across the country as cycling continues to become more mainstream. Wherever you are, check it out, and get others interested as well, even if they’re not cyclists. It’s a pretty cool race and sport after all.

More information about the Road Cycling World Championships can be found on: www.richmond2015.com

What Happens to You When You Stop Cycling

September 3, 2015 by U.M.

Cycling is one of the best forms of exercise around for boosting your overall fitness and dropping those extra pounds that you have been finding so difficult to shed. It is excellent for your cardiovascular conditioning and the fact that it is a low impact sport means that you don’t need to worry about suffering injuries in the same way that you would with weight training or running.

As the amount of cycling you do increases, your body’s fitness levels improve with it. As such, if you choose to stop cycling regularly you are going to find that everything that you worked so hard to achieve is going to come under threat. Here we look at just a few of the things that will happen to your body if you choose to stop cycling regularly.

Your Mood Dips

Every time you exercise your brain is improving. In fact, exercise is considered to be a key way of keeping the brain healthy and active even into old age. Exercise also triggers the release of serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant and generally keeps your mood positive. That great feeling you have after a good workout? That’s the serotonin at play.

Your body becomes used to having this shot of happiness on a regular basis if you are exercising, so if you suddenly stop cycling regularly you are going to find that your mood starts dipping as a result, making you even less likely to start exercising again.

Your Metabolism Drops

Exercise causes your metabolism to speed up, which is one of the key reasons why you can burn so many calories when you are cycling. In fact, it is believed that your metabolism works at five times the speed when you’re on the bike than it normally does. This accounts for about 400 to 500 calories every hour.

If you stop cycling regularly, your metabolism is going to stagnate and you are no longer going to lose weight if your diet remains the same.

Blood Pressure Rises

Cycling is an aerobic exercise, which means that it encourages your body to release hormones that keep your blood vessels in check and ensures that your blood pressure stays at a healthy level. Cycling on a regular basis has been found to lower your blood pressure somewhere between 8 to 10 points every single month, which reduces the risk of heart issues and other ailments caused by high blood pressure.

If you stop cycling regularly you lose all of these advantages very quickly, and you will find that your blood pressure starts rising again. It will start after about a week and in just a few weeks you will find it is back to the level it was at before you started.

You Might Put On Weight

It should go without saying that when you stop cycling regularly you are going to put on weight if every other aspect of your life remains the same. There is a misconception that the gains you have made will last a long time even if you stop.

In fact, that simply isn’t the case. As mentioned previously, your metabolism stagnates when you stop exercising, which means your body’s ability to burn fat is reduced. This means that if you stick to the same diet you are going to start noticing that your body is getting a little softer in areas that used to be lean and trim. Even if you reduce you calorie intake, you are going to notice your tone softening and your waistline increasing. Over time, the effects will only increase, so be sure to keep getting out there and exercising to keep yourself in top shape.