I Love Bicycling

I Love Bicycling is a website that is geared towards cycling for beginners with road cycling tips, training articles, nutrition tips, weight loss, how to’s and bike repair articles.

Injury Prevention

3 Hidden Cycling Injuries and How to Fix Them

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We all know the wonderful feeling of cycling, but unfortunately it’s not always sun on the face and wind in the hair. Pedaling is a low-impact motion, making cycling one of the best ways to stay fit without putting stress on your joints. However, it’s also a highly repetitive action through a limited range of motion, which has consequences over time. Injury is a part of almost every sport, and cycling is no exception, but that doesn’t mean you need to hang up your jersey and sell your bike. Here’s what you need to know about hidden cycling injury and what you can do to fix them.

The Issue: Adaptive Muscle Shortening

Muscles do not naturally maintain their healthy or ideal range of motion on their own. In fact, it’s just the opposite, especially with the increase of 9-5 desk jobs. Muscles will change their functional resting length to adapt to the length at which they are habitually used or positioned. The process by which muscle fibres physically shorten is called “adaptive shortening.”

Cycling is one of the few activities in which muscles contract concentrically (while shortening), rather than eccentrically (while lengthening). The repetitive motion causes muscle fibres to shorten if action is not taken. Not only will shortened muscles impact your efficiency, comfort, and aerodynamics on the bike, but they will eventually lead to injury.

The cycling position is, unfortunately, more time spent in a hunched over posture that can compound already tight hip flexors, weak glutes and rounded shoulders. If you’re a weekend warrior, then it really is a case of when you will suffer an injury rather than ‘if.’ When you’ve spent most the week in a relatively sedentary position, and then hit the weekend with high levels of activity, you are taking chronically shortened muscles and forcing them to fire so quickly that it can lead to joint injury.

The Symptoms: Weak and shortened hamstrings are caused by the combination of the upper section becoming loose and weak while the lower section behind the knee becomes tight and never fully extends. This can show up as either knee or hip pain.

The Fix: The problem is a little more complex than just lengthening the muscles back to their natural state. It is a combination of stretching and strengthening that can reverse the effects of adaptive shortening, as it takes both range of motion and strength to bring muscle balance.

The Issue: Lower Crossed Syndrome

Lower Crossed Syndrome (LCS) is a neuromuscular condition in which there are both tight and weak muscles. Specifically, it refers to weak abdominal and gluteal muscles combined with tight iliopsoas and erector spinae muscles (see diagram). This is the most common underlying cause of anterior pelvic tilt, which is common among even professional cyclists.

The seat of power on a bicycle is the pelvis. When the pelvis is properly aligned the rest of the body can pedal efficiently. When the pelvis is misaligned and unstable, it is a recipe for not only lower back problems but hamstring problems too. An unstable pelvis leads to rocking. With each rock, the pelvis engages lower back muscles and hamstrings in ways that should not be involved in pedaling, overworking and straining the muscles unnecessarily.

The Symptoms:  LCS can become obvious in posture, as it leads to forward head posture, flat glutes, and a protruding abdomen as the pelvis tilts anteriorly (forward). The inhibited muscles, abdominals and gluteals, are never fully engaged in cycling, while the facilitated muscles, rectus femoris (quadraceps), iliopsoas and thoraco-lumbar extensors  are always engaged and often overworked. Constantly engaging those lower back muscles without proper support from a stable core often results in lower back pain for cyclists.

The Fix: The first step is to loosen the tight cross, which will quickly alleviate pain and discomfort caused by LCS. This is done this through targeting stretching, mobility movements, and foam rolling. The second step is targeted and deep stabilization exercises that will help build up the glutes and abdomen.

The Issue: Knee Pain

This one may not be so hidden, as knee pain is one of the most common injuries among athletes. In fact, a 2010 study of professional cyclists found that knee pain was the cause for over half of the time spent off the bike. As one of the most complex joints in the body, and in combination with muscle imbalance as discussed, it makes sense that it’s often one of the first places we experience pain.

To understand knee pain it is helpful to have a basic idea of what lies beneath the skin. In simplistic terms, think of the knee joint as a hinge where the quadriceps muscles pull the knee straight and the hamstring muscles bend the knee. The quadriceps run from the front of the femur (thigh bone) to the patella (knee cap). The patella acts as a pulley to increase the force generated by quadriceps which creates a greater torque on the tibia (shin bone).

To make matters more complicated,  the ITB runs down the outside of the thigh and blends into the outside of the knee. ITB stands for iliotibial band and is a well known potential source of trouble for cyclists, runners and active people in general. The ITB is also attached to your glutes (buttock muscles) and hip flexors. Often when looking for the source of knee pain we have to pay close attention to hip flexibility and control.

The Fix: Some types of knee pain require rest, but most are caused by muscular imbalance. Again, it takes a combination of stretching and mobility exercises to loosen tight muscles and build up the proper supporting muscles.

The Mistake Most Cyclists Make Stretching: Not Having a Plan

Most of us were taught that stretching for a couple minutes before exercise would help loosen the muscles and prevent injury, but this is not the case. Holding a static stretch for 10 seconds will do nothing to lengthen the muscle, and barely scratches the surface of what needs to happen in the structure of the muscle.

The only way to achieve muscle balance is to practice a variety of stretches over a prolonged period of time (at least 2 weeks), hold each for the appropriate amount of time, and complete in combination with some strength training.

It can be tough to accomplish all that on you own. Even with the best of intentions and a plan laid out by a physiotherapist, it’s easy to never do it at all, or stop as soon as the pain is gone. Stretching should be thought of as basic body maintenance, especially for cyclists.

As cyclists, we know how hard it is to stick to a stretching routine. We all want to spend more time on our bike, but maintaining a healthy range of motion and flexibility will, in the long run, keep you on the bike without injury. That’s why we’ve partnered with Dynamic Cyclist to bring you a stretching and strength program that is easy to follow, and is geared towards cyclists. They’re offering our readers a free 7 day trial, just click the link below to get started.

 

How to Maintain Proper Cycling Posture

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There are some cyclists that make riding look effortless and smooth. Although it may come naturally to some, it takes time and practice to achieve that gliding look, but it’s not just for professionals! If you understand the basics of how your muscles are working, both for and against you, then you can ensure you stay balanced and relaxed in the saddle. Maintaining proper cycling posture is important to not only your efficiency, but to prevent injury.

There is no “correct cycling posture” that is right for everyone. We are all built differently, so what will work for some won’t for others, but there are some general rules to go by. After ensuring your bike is fit to you and your riding style properly, then it’s time to start thinking about what proper cycling posture looks like for you.

Cycling Posture

Why is cycling posture important?

Being as efficient as possible is the easiest way to go faster while spending less energy, sound good? The first thing you want to focus on is staying as relaxed and stress-free as possible, tension is the enemy! Many cyclists will slowly tense up over the course of a ride, not only compromising efficiency, but demanding more than is necessary from their bodies. Letting go of that tension and relaxing into a natural position will work to:

  1. Increase efficiency
  2. Keep you comfortable
  3. Improve bike handling
  4. Easier breathing
  5. Prevent injury

What does proper cycling posture look like?

As stated above, this will look different for everyone, but here are some things to keep in mind:

Keep your shoulders relaxed 

Many cyclists will find their shoulders slowly creeping up to their ears while riding, which puts unnecessary stress on your shoulders, neck, and back. This can also get in they way when you need to shoulder check or move your head around. You will actually stay more alert by keeping you shoulders down and relaxed.

Bend your elbows

Riding with locked out elbows will make for a rough ride, so adding a slight bend will act as suspension and keep any bumps on the road from tossing you overboard. Keep your elbows tucked into your sides rather that out like wings. This will reduce the stress on your shoulders, and also result in less pressure on your hands and wrists (your wrists should NOT be bent).

Maintain a neutral spine

Left: Too straight, putting tension in the lower back, Center: Correct posture with core engaged and back relaxed, Right: Core unengaged and rounded spine.

 

You want your back to be relatively straight, but not locked or tensed into a line. The most common mistake is letting the back round outward, which can cause all sorts of issues over time. The best way to ensure you are keeping your back straight enough is to keep your core engaged. If your abs are just taking a free ride, your back will inevitable round out, putting pressure on your hands, shoulders, and crotch (which can be super painful).

Keep your knees in line with your foot

You do not want your knees to bow outward at any point during the pedal stroke. Not only is this incredible inefficient, but it will cause some painful knee issues. So, focus on keeping your knee in line with and over the ball of your foot as you ride.

How to improve your cycling position

If you think you are struggling with any of these aspects, it is worth taking the time to correct what you can to ensure you are comfortable and efficient on the bike.

Proper bike fit

First things first, everything has to be in the right spot to even make it possible for you to maintain proper posture cycling. If you’re not sure your bike is the right fit, or isn’t adjusted to you, then it’s worth looking into having a professional bike fit.

Think about it

Pay attention to your body when you’re on the bike. Where do you feel tension? In what ways is your body out of alignment or its natural range of motion? Focus on relaxing your muscles and breathing, and think about each aspect of your posture piece by piece.

Stay flexible

Flexibility, or rather inflexibility, can lead to unbalance in the body and even cause the body’s structure to move out of alignment. If you are not flexible enough to hold proper posture over the course of a ride, then you need to work on increasing your flexibility through stretching and strength training exercises.

Stretch

It is important to have a healthy range of motion and flexibility to move freely and efficiently. Stretching can aid in aligning the thick and thin muscles back into their ordered state after movement, as well as remove the lactic acid buildup that causes soreness. Regular stretching will also increase your flexibility, making that aerodynamic position more attainable.

Strength Training

The facilitated (overworked) muscles, like the quadraceps and lower back, do not need strengthening but stretching. Instead, it is the inhibited muscles that benefit most from strength training – the abdominals and gluteals. Because the core needs to be engaged to stabilize your spine and the movement of your legs, strengthening it off the bike is important.

Bike Handling Tips for Spring Conditions

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Early season riding conditions can be challenging. During the winter, a ton of grit and salt gets dumped on roads to keep them grippy and snow-free, and, come spring time, all of that stuff ends up in one place – the shoulder where you want to ride. Spring is also pothole season, as water seeps into cracks in the road and freezes overnight, opening up holes the size of the Grand Canyon on your favorite roads. There are a few simple bike handling tips to keep your skin off the road and your bike in one piece.

Take It Slow

This seems obvious, but it is easy to forget in the middle of one of your favorite descents. Slower speeds mean more time to react to what is in front of you. Slow down well in advance of corners so you aren’t braking hard while turning – doing so increases the chance of losing traction.

Move Into the Lane

Most of the road grit accumulates on the shoulder of the road, and you can avoid this by moving out into the travel lanes. Be VERY careful when doing this – think ahead, and don’t try to move out in front of a line of cars just before your corner. Wait for a large gap in traffic, and move out well into the lane, so cars aren’t tempted to try and squeeze by you. On long, switchbacking descents, I will usually just stay in the travel lanes to avoid having to move back and forth.

Relax

Hitting a small patch of gravel or wet spot won’t necessarily cause you to crash. Overcorrecting for a small skid of your back tire will. Staying relaxed and confident will help you ride through small skids instead of tensing up and turning the small skid into a huge wipe-out. You can build this confidence through other types of cycling – mountain and cyclocross riding will both give you the experience of feeling your bike sliding through turns, which will help you become a more confident road rider.

Avoid Obstacles

Be it potholes, glass, or ice, there is a lot of stuff on the roads that you and your bike would rather avoid. Your first key to avoiding this nasty stuff is to look ahead – the earlier you see something, the easier it will be to avoid. When you know what you want to avoid, doing so requires a bit of practice. Anyone who has managed to hit the only pothole on a clear stretch of road knows what I am talking about – your bike will tend to go where you are looking. If you are looking at that one pothole, there is a good chance you are going to hit it. Instead, work on keeping your eyes focused on the clear path you want to take, and your bike will follow.

Master the Bunny-hop

Sometimes, despite your proactive road reading and all of your best obstacle avoidance techniques, you just can’t ride around something. Often this has something to do with the 2 ton hunks of metal passing by on your left. This is when the bunny-hop comes in handy. Bunny-hopping is like jumping on your bike – both wheels lift off the ground for a split second. If you have never done this before, practice at slow speeds first. Clipless pedals make it much much easier and safer as well. When you do encounter something you can’t ride around, don’t try to jump too high – for potholes, your wheels barely need to leave the ground.

Keep these tips in mind when you head out on your next ride, and you will be well equipped to deal with whatever the spring roads will throw at you!

Cycling Foot Pain, Tingling, and Numbness

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It’s common for cyclists to experience tingling or numbness in their hands, but what does it mean when it shows up in your toes and feet? Foot numbness usually occurs when the nerves between the bones under the ball of the foot become compressed. Besides numbness, symptoms can show up as cycling foot pain, tingling, bruising, or even a burning sensation. Here’s what you need to know about the common causes, and what you can do to treat it.

Cycling Foot Pain

The Common Causes of Cycling Foot Pain

Shoe Fit

The first thing to look at is the fit of your cycling shoes. A pair of shoes that fit you correctly will feel as though they are not there, you should forget about your shoes while riding. Getting fit for the right shoes goes a long way towards comfort. Take your time when trying shoes, feeling out any potential pressure points. If you have wider than average feet, then make sure you get shoes that are wide enough.

If your shoes are too tight, it can cause inflammation between the joints as it decreases blood circulation, as well as constrict the ball of the foot. This can cause numbness, as well as a tingling sensation during and even after a ride.

Cleat Position 

Correct cleat placement, just like the correct shoe, will let you forget that they are even there. Placing the cleats poorly can lead to uncomfortable foot position and can cause pain in nerves from pressure points or strain from improper twisting of the foot. Particularly if the cleat is too far forward it can cause numbness, as it places pressure on the ball of your foot. Take the time to dial in your cleat placement whether on your own, or with a professional bike fit.

Socks

Socks may be the most overlooked element of the foot pain complex. You want a sock that does not bunch up or is too bulky so that it creates pressure points in an otherwise fine shoe. They should keep your feet at the right temperature too. If they are too hot, it could lead to more swelling, exacerbated pressure points and chafing. Feet that are too cold start to hurt from the lack of blood flow or frostbite.

Technique

Climbing without proper pedaling technique or too slow of a cadence can put too much pressure on the balls of your feet and make them go numb. Ensure you are keeping your cadence within the proper range, and as consistent as possible.

Treatment and Prevention

Exercises on the Bike

While out on a ride, pay attention to your feet before the problems show up. If you’re going for a long ride, then try unclip and lift your foot up into the air at the top of the pedal stroke a few times to get your blood flowing. When you’re sitting at red lights, or stopping for a break, then flex your toes or do some circles with your ankles. You can even get off and walk a few paces if need be (although this can be awkward with cycling shoes).

Shoe Modifications

If you find your feet are painful, or going numb during rides, then try invest in some custom arch supports. These can help distribute your weight more evenly and decrease the pressure placed on the ball of your foot and on your toes.

Stretching & Rolling

There are some exercises and stretches you can do off the bike, especially before a ride, to help treat and prevent foot pain. The first is to sit with one leg up on your other knee, fingers locking into your toes. Then rotate your foot around with your hand, stretching out the ankle joint and getting the blood flowing.

Second, you can use a tennis ball or a roller to apply pressureto the bottom of your foot. This can be painful, so don’t apply too much pressure if it’s too uncomfortable. Simply place the ball or roller under your foot, then roll front to back.

If your feet are comfortable while you ride, then it’s going to be a whole lot more fun. Never look at foot pain as an inevitable side effect of cycling, and make sure you do what you can to prevent it.

This Cyclist Stretched Every Day For a Month – Here’s What Happened

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Let’s be honest, most cyclists are not known for their flexibility. Not saying I thought it was a waste of time, but I’d rather be out riding than sitting around at home in downward dog.

I’ve been an endurance athlete for most of my life, and with that has come both the joys and the pains of pushing my body to its limits. It also meant that I had no problem crushing a 100 mile ride, but I couldn’t bend over and touch my toes. My limited range of motion had never been a problem for me, so I didn’t pay it much attention.

About a year ago I started having hip pain that eventually turned into knee pain, and I found myself forced off my bike. After sitting around in self pity for a few weeks, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I called up a local sports physiotherapist and set up an appointment. His prescription? Twenty minutes of targeted mobility movements and stretches a day.

In my case the pain may have reared its head in the hip and knee, but the underlying cause is something most cyclists deal with. Dr. Ackerman explained that,

Most people have muscle imbalances, especially in today’s office chair culture, but the issue is taken one step further with cyclists. Hours on the bike is just more time in a bent over position that will inevitably lead to tight hamstrings, weak hip flexors, rounded shoulders, and a pelvic tilt.

The moral of the story? We sit too much, don’t move enough, and as cyclists we spent a lot of time in one position with repetitive movement. Don’t get me wrong, cycling is great for your health, but we’re not engaging our bodies in different types of movements, which in turn leads to imbalance.

Top: Excessive Lumbar Flexion with rounded shoulders. Bottom: A neutral spine in proper cycling position.

This all made sense to me, but it wasn’t until I started paying attention to my posture that I realized just how bad my muscle imbalances had progressed. On the bike my spine would naturally round as my shoulders were pulled forward by tight lats, and tension would gather in my low back. As pictured, tight hamstrings and a weak core accentuated the poor posture.

Now that the problem had been made clear, it was time for some solutions. Along with some specific movements and poses, Dr. Ackerman recommended I try out Dynamic Cyclist, which provides daily stretching videos for cyclists. I was skeptical at first, but on day one as I moved through the poses it felt like my pain points were being pulled apart- in a good way.

After the first routine I decided I would stretch everyday for a month and see how my body adapted. It was totally worth it. Within a couple weeks I could feel my posture improving, I became more aware of how my muscles and joints were feeling day to day and, most importantly, my knee pain was gone.

With my new found mobility, when I finally hopped back on my bike it was no problem maintaining proper posture with a neutral spine and relaxed shoulders. As I tackled my first climb I could feel new found power from my glutes and I was breaking PRs all over my regular route. I felt like I was ten years younger and couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I rode.

I know it may seem like a stretch, but getting mobilized really has changed my body for the better. If you want to give it a try for yourself, check out Dynamic Cyclist and start your 7 day free trial.

Bike Accidents Happen – Here’s What You Need To Know

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Evel Knievel once said, “pain is temporary, bones heal.” If you’re a cyclist you can identify. The majority of road bikers don’t wear protective gear of any kind. But if you’ve done any serious miles, you know that hitting the pavement is unavoidable. It’s part of cycling. Bike accidents happen, here’s what you need to know to make sure you get back on your bike.

Bike Accidents Happen

Don’t Let Fear Hold You Back

Fear of an injury should never keep you off your bike. But if you do go down, it’s good to know the mechanics of getting injured. Fortunately for cyclists, road rash is the most common injury, and typically doesn’t require a call to 911. Lacerations, broken bones and internal injuries require more attention to details.

The big lesson to learn from crashing is that while cyclists use the sport as a way to relieve stress, staying engaged on the bike is paramount to safety. Making stupid mistakes that could have been avoided is typically what causes cyclists to go down. It’s important to remember that you’re flying down the road at high speeds, wearing what some consider little more than underwear.

Remain Calm

Cycling crashes often look worse than they really are, and when pedestrians or motorists see someone scraped up and bleeding, they sometimes over-react. If you’re the one who crashed, you may end up needing to help your over-enthusiastic rescuer to calm down. If you’re coming to the aid of someone who crashed, stay calm and do your best to keep them calm.

Hitting the pavement can cause you to become disoriented. Making decisions right after a crash might not be the best idea. It’s not always a good idea to jump to your feet instantly after a crash. Do a short inventory of your condition. Did you hit your head? If you’re unsure, check your helmet for damage. Can you recall what day it is. Do you know your name? Do you know where you are?

If it’s another cyclist on the ground instead of you, these are important questions to ask them. If you’re by yourself and you’ve determined that you did indeed hit your head, you might not be thinking clearly. You may think you’re fine but you’re not. If you have damage to your helmet, the safest thing to do is call for someone to come and get you.

Take Your Time

Cycling produces endorphins, which are natural painkillers, and they make you feel good. Take time to settle down before moving around to any extent. Stay on the ground. Its not wise to jump up, only to crumple back down in a heap of pain. If you have a concussion you’re probably confused. If you don’t recall exactly where you are and what you’re doing, it’s likely you do have a concussion.

Check For Injury

Check your body next. Can you feel your limbs. Do you have bones sticking out of your skin. Is there a lot of blood. Don’t risk moving too much if you feel seriously injured. Call for help. If everything seems to check out OK, stand up slowly. Take a few moments to steady yourself, and then try to lift your bike. If you can lift it without excessive pain, it’s relatively safe to assume that your upper body is fine. Try to walk. If you can walk, and your joints can bear your weight, you can probably pedal your bike again.

It might not feel like it at first, but road rash is a sign that you may not have broken bones. Crashing at speed causes you to slide on the pavement, which can disperse the energy from a crash. Slower speeds often result in broken bones. That’s one reason why mountain bikers often break more bones than roadies. Hitting the ground hard, without tumbling or sliding breaks hips, wrists and arms. Low speed tip-overs break bones. High-speed slides shred clothing and removes skin, but often spares bones.

Road Rash

Road rash is about the only thing you can deal with by yourself, typically without professional medical attention.  In most cases it’s not too painful right after the crash, but once you get home, the suffering starts. It’s painful because of the number of nerve ends that have become exposed.

Infection is a real risk with road rash. Cleaning debris out of wounds is an awful lot easier without hairs in the way. It’s one of the main reasons for cyclists shaving their legs.

If you get a patch of road rash, assess the severity of the wound. If it’s larger than your palm, it’s wise to seek medical attention. If you’ve got debris, sand, gravel, pebbles, sticks or anything else embedded in the wound, it typically requires a visit to the ER, with pain medication, the proper equipment and experience to remove the debris and clean the wound.

  • Clean It — If Possible

It’s unlikely that you have the medical equipment on your bike to take care of road rash. But if you are going to maintain first aid gear, keep a bottle of saline, and some gauze for cleaning the wound. If you’re treating yourself, the first step is the most important – clean the wound as thoroughly as possible by squirting the saline solution over the wound and using sterile wipes.

  • Be Gentle

Clean road rash as gently as possible. Scrubbing road rash is not recommended, it embeds particles even deeper into the wound, and besides that, it’s extremely painful to scrub road rash. Most cyclists don’t have the necessary first aid on board to deal with road rash. Call someone if possible. Place gauze over it if you have it, and try to keep the road rash from drying out before you get home, where you can deal with it properly.

Road Id Bracelet

Don’t think yourself immune to a more serious accident. It might be that you become incapacitated, and you need to let someone know who you are, even if you’re down for the count. Think about having a road Identification bracelet made for you. It’s a good way for paramedics to find your critical information. This way the hospital knows your medical history and can call your spouse, parents or children.

4 Ways Cycling Makes You a Stronger Runner

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Some runners like to poke fun at us cyclists, with our padded shorts and funny looking shoes. Yes, we spend hours out on roads pretending we’re in the Tour De France, but cycling is one of the best forms of cardio for all athletes. If you both run and ride, then you already know that cycling is key to making your running game a whole lot stronger. Here are just some of the ways cycling makes you a stronger runner.

Cycling Makes You a Stronger Runner

How Cycling Makes You a Stronger Runner

Active Recovery

Many runners will turn to cycling after an injury. Stress fractures and joint pain are common to running, and cycling offers a great low-impact solution to keep you moving. It’s also a great means of active recovery. After a long run, it’s tough to find the motivation to get back out the next day for some active recovery. Hopping on your bike will help increase your blood flow, flush out lactate acids, and get your muscles loosened up and ready to run again.

Strengthen Complimentary Muscles

It’s easy to get into a routine with a single activity. If you find yourself exclusively running, you are strengthening certain muscles within a specific range of motion, while others are left underdeveloped. It’s easy to hit a plateau with your training, as doing the same thing every day will eventually stop yielding results. This is why cross training within any sport is so important. When you start cycling, you’ll be using those same muscles, but in a different and new way. You’ll find your legs and core will thank you, and yes, will make you a faster and more efficient runner.

Leg Speed

Cadence is a huge part of cycling, but the same idea applies to running. Both cycling and running require a consistent and steady motion, cadence for cyclists and leg turnover for runners. The more you ride and work on having a cadence of 90-100 rpm, the more your legs will be able to mirror that quick turnover while your running.

Give Your Joints a Break

You can work on your running mechanics all you want, but the truth of it is, running will inevitably put a pounding on your body. Especially for marathon and ultra runners, it can become hard to maintain high milage without injury. Cycling can provide you the workout you need, without the impact. If you don’t won’t to replace a whole run with a ride, try switching half way through. It can be a great way to train running on tired legs without putting your ankles, knees, and hips through a beating first.

If you’re not convinced, give it a try and experience the benefits for yourself. Both your body and your mind will thank you. For more on starting cycling, check out our complete guide for beginners. The added benefit to adding cycling to your running training is– you only have to start swimming and you can tackle a triathlon!

Recovery for Cyclists: The Importance of Rest Days

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Exercise can be addictive, whether it’s training for a race or an outlet to clear your head. Once you get into a training schedule and it becomes a part of your everyday routine, it can be hard to take a day off. However, rest days are just as important as training days, and need to be part of recovery for cyclists.

You can come to crave the rush of feel-good endorphins that the brain releases during exercise. That combined with feeling the physical benefits of exercise can make you feel like a day off would be a step backwards, but that’s not the case. Giving your body time to recover will make you stronger in the long run, and overtraining does nothing but harm.

Why you need recovery days

When you’re training on a consistent basis, you actually put stress on your body and breakdown your muscles. Over time, and through combination of training and rest (periodization), your muscles are repaired to be stronger than before. This is when you begin to feel more fit and you can produce more power for longer on your bike.

Without adequate rest, you can experience burnout, a lack of energy, and decreased motivation. Scheduling rest days, and ensuring you take them, is equally as important as time on your bike.

How much is enough

How much rest needed will be different for everyone, so you have to learn what your body needs. A general rule is to ensure that at least one day a week is a rest day. However, this doesn’t mean you have to spend the day on the couch. All it means is you need to give your body time to recover and rebuild for the next week.

What you can do to aid your recovery

Fuel

No, this doesn’t mean carb loading. Of course you want to ensure you have enough carbohydrates to replace glycogen stores from training, but there’s more to it than that. Make sure you have protein to repair damaged muscles as well as fruits and vegetables to get a dose of vitamins and minerals. This isn’t just true of rest days, but recovery should start right after your rides with plenty of water and a recovery drink.

Stretch & Roll

Although it’s not typically a recovery technique, stretching and rolling your muscles on rest days is one of the most effective ways to prevent injury. Be sure to focus on the muscles that are shortened by the posture on a bike, like the hamstrings. For more information, check out the “10 Best Stretches for Cyclists.”

Sleep

Sleep is important for even the most basic functions of the body. It’s also the prime time to undergo protein synthesis, which is the process that makes your muscles stronger. Eight hours is widely recognized as the magic number, but if get a little more it won’t be a bad thing. If you simply can’t get eight hours at once, then a nap is a great way to make up for lost time.

Active Recovery

As mentioned previously rest days don’t have to be days spent on the couch. In fact, active recovery can be a great way to get the mental release you need, while not taking a toll on your body. A walk, swim, or other easy activity will get your body moving and your muscles loosened up, but won’t be too strenuous on your tired muscles.

There can be recovery rides as well, but you have to be disciplined not to push yourself too hard or go for too long. You should remain in zone 1 or 2 for the duration of the ride, and focus on just spinning your legs.

When you’re on a training schedule, it can be discouraging to miss a few days when life gets crazy, or you get sick. Let’s just say right now, it’s going to happen. Life gets chaotic, and when it does, just make the most of the recovery time, both physically and mentally.

Why Strength Training is Important for Cyclists

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You may think strength training is meant for bodybuilders and gym buffs, but it is now almost universally accepted as a vital training component for all athletes. Not only that, but as we age, resistance training becomes increasingly important for overall health and quality of life. So why do so many cyclists avoid it? It may be the thought of spending time at the gym when you could be out on your bike. Here’s why strength training for cyclists is important.

 

Why Strength Training is Important for Cyclists

We all know that leading an active life is the best thing you can do for your long-term health. As cyclists, we may be more active than most, but it is a mistake to just focus on cardiovascular exercise and exclude everything else. Cycling is a low impact activity, which means it’s great for your joints, but not so great for supporting your bone density and postural deficits. Strength training can help fill the gaps left by pure cardio exercise and build stronger bones, improve coordination, prevent injury, and give you more power on the bike.

Retain Muscle Mass & Correct Imbalances

Depending on where you live, you may have to take a few months off cycling during the dead of winter. Whether you take your training indoors or not, this is a great time to incorporate a strength training circuit into your routine. You don’t have to lose the muscle mass you’ve working so hard for over the cycling season, and you can work opposing muscle groups to bring muscle balance. Cycling is a repetitive motion, often overdeveloping the quads and glutes while the hamstrings and hip flexors lag behind. A good strength training program will take this into account and work on creating muscle balance.

Enhance Balance & Coordination

There is no doubt that cycling itself requires coordination and balance, but through the years it can become so second nature that it no longer challenges our intramuscular systems. Strength training with things like free weights, bosu balls, and resistance bands can help improve your balance and coordination. Again, this is particularly important as we age as it keeps the connections within the nervous system strong.

Improve Bone Density

As mentioned previously, this one is especially important for cyclists. Past studies have shown that the bone density of some competitive riders is lower than their sedentary controls. Unlike running or walking, cycling is a non-weight bearing activity, which is why it is so great for people with orthopedic injuries. However, this means you have to be doing something else, like strength training, to maintain healthy bone density and combat things like osteoporosis.

More Power on the Bike

Who doesn’t want more power on the bike? This is a bit of a no brainer, as the stronger your muscles are, the more power you’ll be able to exert within the cycling motion. It can be a difficult thing to develop on your bike, so using strength training is actually one of the best ways to become a stronger climber and overall rider.

Injury Prevention

Some of the most common injuries for cyclists include ITB syndrome, neck pain, low back pain, and knee pain. Some of these may be unavoidable, but most are caused by muscle imbalances. A combination of strength training and routine stretching can  strengthen your muscles and connective tissues to help prevent these injuries.

Although strength training my not make your faster in a direct sense, there are plenty of reasons to get into a strength training plan, whether it be in a gym or your living room. Check out “4 Of The Best Strength Training Exercises for Cyclists” for some exercises to get you started.

6 Ways to Boost Your Spring Training

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Cycling season can seem a long way off when you’re in the depths of winter, making it easy to postpone those goals. If you’re not emerging from winter in as good of shape as you may of hoped, don’t let it discourage you. What you do or don’t do at the beginning of the season will set the tone for the rest of the year. Here are some of the best ways to boost your spring training.

Spring Training

Stay Healthy

The last thing you want is to come down with a cold just as the sun is emerging and the roads are clearing. However, as frustrating as it is, the end of winter is quite often when people get colds or coughs. Take preventative measures by washing your hands frequently, and giving your diet an extra boost of nutrients. Don’t go too hard too soon, as you’ll deplete your immune system and make yourself vulnerable to whatever illness is going around the office.

You also want to avoid injury in the beginning of the season, as it can really set you back in your training. This means avoding overuse injuries, as well as watching for rough spring road conditions.

Clean up your diet

The days of Netflix and comfort food are coming to an end, so it’s time to clean up your diet. Over the winter it’s easy to fall into some bad habits, but now is the time to break them. Trade in the sugary carbohydrate dense foods for fresh fruit and vegetables. Simply cutting out as much of the processed food from your diet as you can will go a long way. Give meal prepping a try, or stock your kitchen with some energizing foods.

Get your bike ready

No judgements here, we know it’s tough to be diligent to clean your bike after winter rides. It’s cold, wet, and all out you want is a warm bath. Even if you didn’t ride over the winter, your bike will still need a little TLC. If you trust your abilities, carefully examine your bike and fix any issues well ahead of your first ride. Check your chain, cassette, cables or any other areas that might need attention. You don’t want to be doing a rushed job before meeting your cycling buddies. Better yet, take it to your local bike shop and have a mechanic do a tune up to ensure you’re ready for the season.

Get your body ready

Once you’re finally back on your bike, it can be easy to overdo it. You want to be fit right away, or start off right where you left off in the fall, but you have to ease your body into it. Take some time to build up your base before pushing yourself too hard. If you start to get nagging frontal knee pain, it’s almost always caused be too much too soon. Take time to rest up and do plenty of stretching and walking before heading out on the bike again.

Start Stretching

Hopping on the bike after a long winter feels great, but it can also come as a shock to your body. Your muscles and joints aren’t used to the cycling position anymore, and things may have tightened up over the past months. Taking just 10 minutes a day to do some targeted stretched will have you feeling more comfortable and stronger on your bike in no time. Here are 10 of the best stretches for cyclists to get you started.

Set Some Goals

When it comes to cycling, what do you want from yourself this year? Make a list of things, both large and small, that you want to achieve. Then go through and get specific. If you want to ride more, great, now define what that looks like. Be realistic and honest with yourself, and only plan for what you know you can logistically fit into your life and schedule. Sign up for your first race, or join a cycling group, whatever you need to do to break out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself!

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