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.

What Muscles Do You Use When Cycling?

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With cycling’s focus on aerobic capacity, metabolic capabilities, and ability to suffer, it can be easy to forget that all of these important aspects are what drive your muscles that power the bike. Boiled down, that is all pedaling a bike is – recruiting your body to produce energy to move muscles to move the bike forward. What muscles do you you use when cycling though? And in which part of the pedal stroke do you use each one? Read on and you’ll know.

what muscles do you use when cycling

What Muscles Do You Use When Cycling?

The short answer is a lot. Many of your leg muscles drive the pedals, but you also use core muscles to push those legs muscles off of and hold you semi-upright on the bike (for the sake of this article, hip flexors are part of your core). You use your arms in a supporting role. But mostly, it is your legs that do the work. The other muscles only need enough conditioning and strengthening to allow your legs to do their work without distraction. Do not be fooled; enough conditioning and strengthening for core and arms is more than just riding.

The Cyclist’s Main Attraction

Looking at a group of cyclists standing around, their most prominent feature is their calves – the gastrocnemius. They are chiseled and defined and often quite a bit larger than the average person’s calves. What role do they play in the pedal stroke and power production? The answer is that they only transmit the force of power produced in the quadraceps for most of pedal stroke.

In the dead spot of the pedal stroke, from six to nine o’clock, the calves provide a little force to get over the top of the pedal stroke. The front side of the lower leg, the tibialis anterior, for a moment becomes a star in that six to nine o’clock range when it is the only muscle working to get that leg over the dead spot.

The lower leg can be impressive in appearance, but in reality, it provides little of the force from a cyclist’s legs. The size and shape is not an indicator of a rider’s strength. At a given level, most of those factors are genetic. Calves will tell you nothing of a rider’s ability. No need to be intimidated by chiseled calves.

The Meat and Potatoes

Between the knees and the hips is the seat of a cyclist’s power. That seat of power is most productive on the down stroke of the pedal stroke – from twelve to six o’clock. This is when your knee is extending and larger muscles put their effort into the pedals. This is different from six to twelve o’clock, when smaller muscles bring the pedals back up and around, providing little else other than reloading the crank for another go-around.

The muscles that keep you moving (in order of power produced) are the quadraceps at the front of your thighs, gluteals in your behind and hamstrings at the backs of your thighs. The quadraceps and gluteals extend your knee from its most bent to about four o’clock. Once the pedals get there, hamstrings take of the bulk of the workload bringing your pedals back towards six o’clock.

Implications for Your Pedal Stroke

Lots of people say you should have a round pedal stroke. Knowing what you know now of the muscles involved, you know that it is impossible to produce even power throughout the pedal stroke from one leg. The muscles you recruit between six and twelve o’clock are not powerful enough to make an impact on overall force. Almost all of your forward motion on a bicycle comes from pressing down on the pedals.

This is different from having a smooth pedal stroke, which is probably what most people mean but have not articulated properly. Smoothly transitioning from each phase of the pedal stroke will avoid jerky motions and add to efficiency. Pro cyclists look like they have round pedal strokes, but that comes from smoothness and hours upon hours of perfecting muscle memory. Guaranteed they are producing far more power in the front end of their pedaling.

Follow the Pain

Now that you know what muscles you use when cycling, you can use that to understand proper seat height and use it to help diagnose knee pain. Hamstrings pull on the knee and quadraceps push on the knee. If the outside or back of your knee hurts, it could be the hamstrings pulling too much on your knee. Try lowering your saddle to lessen the strain on your hamstrings. If your knee hurts on the inside or front, your quadraceps are pushing on your knee too much. Try raising your saddle to lessen the strain on your quadraceps.

Change your seat height in small increments. Big changes pull other variables into the mix and are harder to get used to.

Muscles Make the Pedals Go Around

Having a well-rounded understanding of “what muscles do you use when cycling” can help you focus on a better pedal stroke, strengthen comparatively weak muscles and diagnose problems. A little foundational knowledge can make you a better cyclist because you know what your body is doing and how it makes your bike go. That’s why we’re excited to introduce Dynamic Cyclist, the program that offers daily stretching and strength training video routines designed specifically for cyclists. Created by industry professionals, these programs will take your cycling to the next level and help you reach your full potential. So, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced rider, Dynamic Cyclist has everything you need to improve your performance and keep riding for years to come. Experience the results for yourself, click here to try 7 days free.

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.

Balance Your Training With A Stretching & Mobility Program

Are you tired of suffering from pain and discomfort while cycling? Look no further than Dynamic Cyclist This comprehensive resource addresses the most common muscle imbalances and adaptive muscle shortening that lead to pain and reduced performance on the bike. With just 15 minutes a day, you can follow along with the video programs to alleviate tension and improve posture, so you can ride pain free and reach your full potential on the bike. Don’t let muscle imbalances hold you back – click here to try 7 days free! 

Cycling With Your Partner: Why you should ride together

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You may think of cycling as a solitary sport with the occasional group or club ride. However, there are a ton of couples that use cycling as way to spent time together, for better or worse. Cycling with your partner can strengthen your relationship (when done right), and it can become something that brings the two of you together. Exercise has been proven to benefit your own health and mental well-being, so why not bring you relationship into it!?

For some couples, it can become a running joke that the bike always comes first. Or, if one is a stronger cyclist than the other, it can become a source of tension.  You’ll want to make sure you’re on the same page before heading out on a ride together, so that it can be enjoyable for both of you. Once you figure out what works best for the two of you, the benefits will far outweigh the downsides.

Cycling With Your Partner

Cycling With Your Partner: Couples that ride together, stay together.

Shared Interest & Goals

Regular rides with your partner will result in shared experiences. When your interests and goals begin to align, it can remove tension and stress. When the weekend rolls around one of you won’t be trying to sneak in a ride while leaving the other at home, but instead it can be something you plan to do together. Sign up for a race or choose a goal that would be achievable for both of you, and start working towards it. Once you get there, you’ll be side-by-side and all the better for it.

Quality Time Together

Between work, family time, and everything in between, it can be tough to find time to spend together. Combining your hobby or exercise routine with time spent with your significant is not only efficient, but it can increase your emotional bond. When you ride together, you are in a way coordinating your actions. You’re moving in the same direction, with the same movements, and matching your pace can create a connection that goes beyond you time spent in the saddle.

Gifts made easy

It’s easy to buy gift for someone that you share interests with, because you can get something that you would like! If you’re riding together regularly, you’ll know just what they’ll want for that birthday or anniversary present, making your life a whole lot easier.

Accountability and Better Rides!

When you care about each other’s fitness, it’s a whole lot easier to keep each other motivated. Not only will you be more likely to get out riding, but once you’re out there you have accountability in the form of your partner. You can cheer each other on to push to the top of that hill or keep those legs spinning when all you want to do is quit. If you know each other’s goals, then you can not only have mutual support, but respect as well.

Knee Pads & Roses – A Singletrack Valentine from Pivot Cycles on Vimeo.

If your partner doesn’t cycle, but has expressed interest, then now is your chance to cash in on all these benefits. Cycling with your partner can be a great way to spend time together, maintain fitness, and even challenge each other. If you’re not sure how to get your partner into cycling, check out “How To Get Your Spouse Into Cycling,” for some tips.

The Best Bike Mudguards for Road Cyclists

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Many cyclists think slapping mudguards on a carbon fiber bike is a little daft, but once you try them you will realize just how useful they can be. Unless it’s pouring rain, it’s the spray from the wheels that most often get you wet, so mudguards are your first line of defense. Not only do the best bike mudguards keep spray from flying into your face and going up your back, but they are also a common courtesy on group rides.

For commuters, fenders are a no brainer, but for cyclists heading out on training rides, they also have the advantage of keeping your feet and legs from getting soaked and chilled. That means you’ll be able to ride longer (also a no brainer).

Types of Mudguards

Full Length

Full length, bolted mudguards are most commonly seen on touring bikes. These obviously provide the best coverage and protect the rider behind you, but they do have limited clearance and won’t fit all bikes. Some have a large rubber flap on the end of the front of the mudguard as well. The longer the front mudguard, the better chance that you feet will stay dry as they are in the firing line for water kicked up from the front wheel. For a bike to accommodate full length mudguards, you’ll want to make sure you have enough clearance under the brakes and behind the seat tube. You also want to make sure it has mudguard mounts.

Plastic Clip-On Guards

Plastic clip-on guards will attach to most road bikes. Clip-on guards are great for bikes without mudguard eyelets, but they typically provide less coverage.

Mountain Bike Style

Mountain bike style mudguards attach to the downtube and seatpost. These will fit on almost any bike, and provide a ton of clearance, but provide the least amount of coverage.

The Best Mudguards

Full Length: Portland Design Works Full Metal Fenders

Price: $118

Made of anodized aluminum and adorned with laser graphics and an embossed alloy head badge, the Full Metal Fenders look great. They provide full-wrap coverage, even shielding your shoes and riders on your rear wheel thanks to sturdy rubber mudflaps. Safety release tabs ensure your wheels keep turning even if debris gets lodged between the fender and tire. The mounting system has a creative workaround for forks that do not have a center mounting hole through the use of zip ties. They have two sizes: “The Road” and “The City” that cater to road or commuter bikes.

Full Length: SKS Chromoplastic

Price: $115

The SKS Chromoplastic are a great full length option that have stood the test of time. Made by sandwiching aluminum strips inside plastic housing, they are durable and provide great coverage. They feature stainless steel stays and hardware, with a front fork crown fitting and secu-clip to lock it in place. The Chromoplastic also include a mudflap on the front and a reflector on the rear. They’re available in a variety of sized to fit tires from 20 – 45mm.

Full Length: Velo Orange Hammered Alloy Fender

Price: $65

These fenders feature a classic hammered pattern and include a hardware kit to work with almost any type of mounting in the same finish as the fenders. Made from aluminum alloy for strength while staying lightweight, they come in a variety of sizes to ensure a good fit. They can be a pain to install, but they are built to last.

Clip On: SKS RaceBlade Pro XL 

Price: $60

These easy to install clip on plastic mudguards are designed for 700c tires up to 32mm in width. They can adapt to the radius of the wheel by adjusting the length of the stays. Each mudguard consists of two parts that join together with steel brackets, held by the brake caliper bolt. They do a great job of keeping both your feet and your bottom dry, and protecting the rider behind you from getting sprayed in the face.

Mountain-Bike Style: Zefal Swan Road

Price: $15

If you don’t have mudguard mounts and are looking for some protection from road spray from your rear wheel, then the Zefal Swam Road is a great option. It includes a simple but sturdy bracket that attaches to the seatpost, making it super easy to take on and off.

Mountain-Bike Style: Crud Catcher

Price: $15

The Crud Catcher fits on your downtube to catch any loose mud being flicked up from your front wheel. Mostly used on mountain bikes, you can use it on your road bike as a means of keeping mud and spray out of your face. It’s easy to mount with the supplied fittings, and gets the job done with little fuss.

The Best Cycling Shoes By Type

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Going clipless is great way to quickly and easily improve your riding and become more efficient. Finding the right shoes can be tough as there’s no “one size fits all” solution, and there are a variety of features to look for.

Are you doing a lot of racing, or are you a commuter? Do you ride over the winter? Are you headed out bike touring? Each of these situations require a different type of cycling shoe, and you’ll want to think about what you’re looking for in a cycling shoe before investing in a pair.

The Best Cycling Shoes

Why go clipless?

Clipless pedals with cycling shoes is the most efficient and comfortable system out there when it comes to road biking. The stiff sole of the cycling shoe provides a rigid platform to transfer power from your legs to the drivetrain and propel the bike forward. Softer shoes lose some of that power as the flexible sole deforms around the pedal (and also makes your feet sore)

As well as having stiff soles, being clipped in encourages proper pedalling technique, using power through every part of the pedal stroke. Not only are you pushing down, but you are also pulling up to complete the 360 degree motion.

The clipless system is not just for racers, but can make cycling more enjoyable as you spend the same amount of energy, but get more return! So, if you’re a recreational rider who has always made fun of cyclists hobbling around in their cycling shoes, it may be time to give them a try. It can be intimidating to be locked in to your bike at first, but you will get used to the twist out motion in no time.

Types of road cycling shoes

The Best Cycling Shoes

There are two general types of road cycling shoes:

  1. Performance – Performance cycling shoes are as light and as stiff as possible, with the cleat attaching entirely on the outside of the shoe via a two or three bolt system. These shoes are not meant for walking, and will get you out to your bike, but that’s about it. They are not shoes that you would want to get stuck walking home in
  2. Leisure / Touring – For commuters, casual riders, and touring you may want something a little more versatile and easy to walk around in. These shoes will often have a much smaller cleat that is embedded into the sole, making it flat with the bottom of the shoe.

Key variables

  • Fit – You always want to try cycling shoes before you buy, as not all brands size the same. They’re awkward to walk around in, so The Best Cycling Shoestrying them out on your bike would be ideal. You want your feet to feel comfortable, but snug in the shoe. They shouldn’t be moving around within the shoe at all, as that will become very uncomfortable over a long ride.
  • Fastening system – The number one thing you want from the fastening system is to keep your foot firmly in place. This can be done with dials, ratchets, velcro, or laces.
  • Soles – Generally speaking, the stiffer the sole, the more efficient the shoe will be. More expensive shoe soles will be made from carbon to remain as lightweight as possible, whereas cheaper options will be plastic, and some are combination of the two.
  • Cleat style – The majority of  road cycling cleats are three bolt (SPD-L), with two bolt (SPD) being more appealing for commuting, touring, and mountain biking. Some cleats are a compatible with both.
  • Breathability / Water resistance – If you’re doing the majority of your cycling on hot summer days, then you’ll want to ensure the shoes you get are synthetic or leather and allow your feet to breath. There are specific winter cycling shoes for cold and wet riding, and it may be worth having two pairs if you are riding outside during all seasons.

Some of the Best Cycling Shoes

Performance Cycling Shoe

Shimano RP9

The RP9 road performance shoes are the quality and fit of a pro-level shoes, but at a much more affordable price point. They are designed for performance and speed, but with the heat moldable Custom-Fit, they are also comfortable enough for those long rides while giving you the ultimate power transfer. With a weaved carbon composite sole and a one piece synthetic leather upper, they are lightweight, breathable, and secure.

These shoes come in both men’s and women’s models.

Mid-Range Cycling Shoe

Men’s – Giro Treble II

The Treble II is exactly what you think of when you picture a cycling shoe. It’s simple, functional, and is compatible with both SPD and SPD-L cleats. The classic 3-strap closure makes for easy adjustments, but isn’t quite as durable or secure as it’s lace, ratchet, or dial counterparts. However, these are great entry level shoes that will having you set for a PR on your favourite climb with amazing efficiency and comfort.

Women’s – Shimano RP2

The entry level show in Shimano’s lineup, the RP2 is compatible with both SPD and SPD-L. The lightweight fibreglass soles increase power output, with the classic three strap upper keeping your foot firmly in place. The women’s model features a narrower fit, reduced volume, and added support in the instep to maximize comfort.

Leisure / Commuter cycling shoe

Women’s – Giro Whynd Womens Road Cycling Shoes

The best of both worlds. The sole of the Whynd is rigid enough to prevent the loss of power while remaining comfortable enough to walk in, featuring rubber “walking zones” to provide grip. The recessed cleat area accommodates two-bolt cleats, and the large strap across the top provides security and keeps the laces out of the way. These are perfect for weekend touring or running errands on your bike.

Men’s – Giro Rumble VR Cycling Shoes

The Giro Rumble features vibram soles for the ultimate support and casual look while out at the pub, with an injected inner shank to transfer power and have you feeling strong when you hop back on your bike. The mesh/microfiber upper upper will keep your feet from sweating and the non-slip laces will keep you nice and secure- no matter what the day brings.

How Your Family Vacation Can Prevent Overtraining

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If you’ve been putting in the time, diligently doing your intervals and pushing yourself further than ever before, then it can be tough to take a break. When you’re finally getting faster than your buddies, your upcoming vacation may have you stressing that you’re going to lose everything you’ve worked to hard for.

Take a deep breath, and enjoy your family vacation. The break will help you prevent overtraining.

how your family vacation will save you from overtraining
ILB contributor, Morgan, knows how to take it easy on vacation. Photo by Dave Gillam @djgillam (instagram)

Cyclists Need a Pitstop

What if we approached rest during a season of training like F1 drivers approach pit stops? F1 drivers know that they will need to stop for fuel and a change of tires a couple of times throughout a race. Teams and drivers strategically plan for this. Reassure yourself that when you are taking a week off the bike, it is not necessarily a week of training lost.Your competitors will also have to take a week off at some point or another.

Think of a rest week as reducing your risk of injury instead of lost fitness.

If you get hit with a bad cold, you could easily be out two weeks. The bonus of taking a week off, is that your body will have had time to rest, recover and adapt to the previous week’s training load.

Routine Maintenance Off the Bike Mitigates Overtraining

Maintaining your body off the bike is extremely important both physically and mentally. Adding strength, mobility and stability through cross training mitigates the potential injuries that you might sustain if you are otherwise not committed on doing so.

ILB contributor Jem suggests that cross-training and time logged off the bike does not contribute to fitness on the bike– You will not find many people disputing this claim, but what is the cost to your fitness if you end up sick, injured or burnt-out as a result of neglecting other parts of your health and wellness?

Plan Your Mid-Season Breaks

If you plan for these breaks and are strategic about it, pitstops can win the race. Most of us have family, friends and obligations. Use vacations, weddings and other times that you may be forced off your bike as a mid-season pitstop. Try and slowly build intensity and duration of your training up until you go on vacation. That way when you are visiting museums, broadway shows or sitting on the beach enjoying an afternoon snooze you won’t feel so guilty.

Training is like money in the bank. Everyone is saving, and everyone is constantly banking fitness so taking time off the bike is hard. Follow these four easy steps to avoid burnout and enjoy your vacations:
Step 1: Maintain your body throughout the season
Step 2: Listen to yourself and your body
Step 3: Plan your training around specific events during the year
Step 4: Stick to the plan or make small adjustments to avoid burnout

How To Stop Cramping Now!

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Cramping Myths and Hydration Truths

Cramping and fatigue in general are still relatively poorly understood physiological phenomena, but every cyclist has experienced Exercise Induced Cramping, and knows exactly how uncomfortable they can be! There are plenty of myths, anecdotes, and magic cures peddled by companies and fellow riders alike, but what can the Science tell us about cramping?

Stop Cramping Now Cramping Myths and Hydration Truths

What Causes Cramping?

Cramping is not necessarily a sign of poor hydration or electrolyte imbalance. Cramping is not necessarily a sign of poor nutrition, poor warm-up, or poor preparation for race day. Cramping is not necessarily even a sign of poor fitness… but all of those factors may contribute to fatigue and cramping.

Exercise Induced Cramping occurs when you push yourself harder and for longer than your body is used to: ie. a combination of greater volume/duration and greater intensity than your body has adapted for.

The current best theory for Exercise Induced Cramping is related to neuromotor fatigue. Basically, the nerves that carry signals to and from your muscles and your brain get tired just the same as your working muscles. Those nerve signals begin to misfire This neuromotor fatigue can send overlapping, uncontrolled signals to your muscles. This can result in twitching, cramping, complete locking up of your working muscles or the feeling of ‘dead-legs’ and an inability to produce power.

 

Hydration and Electrolytes

When you sweat you lose both fluid and ‘electrolytes’, which refer to a variety of minerals dissolved in the body’s fluids and tissues, and are essential to overall function. Sodium is the most abundant electrolyte lost in sweat, and so ‘salts’ are occasionally used synonymously when talking about replenishing electrolyte balance.

Sweat is hypotonic, that is: the electrolyte concentration of sweat is lower than the electrolyte concentration of your blood. This means that when you sweat you lose more fluid than you lose electrolytes, and therefore fluid loss will be the limiting factor to performance and is more important to replenish during exertion. During activities longer than 90min, and especially endurance events longer than 4 hrs you will lose both fluids and electrolytes to sweat, and both will need to be replenished.

Studies have shown that performance is negatively affected when total body weight loss approaches -2% via fluid loss (although even this finding has conflicting evidence). You should aim to replenish fluids during activity to avoid this extent of fluid loss. A general guideline is to drink at least one bottle – 500-750 ml – of fluid per hour.

 

Can you Drink Too Much?

You may have heard horror stories about athletes over-hydrating during endurance events and suffering from hyponatremia, or severely low electrolyte imbalance. These instances are an extremely low percentage occurrence and most often only seen in extreme ultra-endurance events. Studies found only 0.1-4% of an ultra-endurance population exhibited signs of hyponatremia, compared with 80% occurrence of basic dehydration.

Under-hydration can affect your performance during even short-duration activities and should be a far more significant consideration than over-hydrating. You have to try really hard to give yourself hyponatremia, but dehydration takes effort to avoid.

 

Fluid and Nutrition

Drinking an electrolyte-fluid mix can be effective to maintain performance and avoid cramping and fatigue, but the fluid is certainly more important than the electrolytes in that bottle of mix. Mix offers a more obvious advantage to performance, of course: as a nutritional source of carbohydrates (sugar/glucose). Some electrolyte supplements can be low or zero calorie, but more common is for drink mix to contain both carbohydrates and electrolytes.

Briefly: nutrition is a completely different topic which I won’t tackle here, but suffice it to say that calories from carbohydrates, protein & fats are significantly more important to performance over a multi-hour endurance event than electrolytes. You don’t have to choose one or the other!: carbohydrate + electrolyte mixtures can be a great way to replenish both on the bike! For optimal performance, you probably need to be eating more than you think!

I would suggest that if you find that drinking a carbohydrate/electrolyte mix helps you avoid cramping and boosts your performance, this is more than good enough reason to continue what works! This may be in order of importance; 1) the fluid; 2) the nutritional calories, and finally; 3) the electrolytes.

 

So What Should You Do?

The first thing that needs to be said is don’t worry about changing anything if you know what works best your you! Your body is very good at regulating itself: It will take in whatever you give it with very little fuss. The science indicates it should be unnecessary to supplement salts or electrolytes as long as you eat properly leading into your cycling event. You should get all the salts, minerals and electrolytes you need from a nutritious diet, not to mentioned ensuring optimal performance on the bike. Longer events will require fluid, electrolyte, and calorie replacement and you can get that from any combination of solid foods, gels, or drink mixes.

 

How to Prevent Cramping?

  • Nothing magical, just expose your body to greater duration and intensity of training stimuli. ie. go harder for longer, and next time you won’t cramp as early into your event! Training in the heat will assist acclimatization to the heat, and training in the cold, to the cold. You can experience cramping in any conditions to which your body is poorly acclimatized to.
  • Take care of the low-hanging fruit as part of your pre-event preparation: Ensure you are fresh, well-rested, with sufficient nutrition and hydration in the days leading up to a particularly hard event. Come prepared with sufficient nutrition and hydration for the length & intensity of the event and for the expected conditions on the day. TrainingPeaks has a fantastic guideline for basic pre-, during, and post- race nutrition & hydration planning.
  • There is also a potential genetic predisposition to cramping. so… get different parents? 🙂

How to Relieve Cramps Once They Start?

  • The fastest & most reliable method of temporarily easing cramps is passive stretching. Trying to stretch a cramping hamstring while on the bike is a good way to come to grief, but if you can slow up or even dismount and stretch the affected muscle it can provide much needed relief.
  • Continuing to hydrate remains important when you begin to cramp. Cooling via fluid intake will also help. However by the time cramping is occurring, hydrating and cooling probably won’t have a quick enough effect. You’ll be forced to slow down first, which probably has a more direct benefit.
  • Speaking of slowing down, an obvious (and often unavoidable) way to reduce cramping is simply to reduce your effort. This eases the demand on your working muscles, your heart & lungs, and also your neuromotor system by reducing the amount of voluntary nerve signalling to your muscles. This allows your entire neuromotor system to relax and recover.
  • Finally, recent headlines have highlighted using pickle juice, capsaicin (spicy pepper, chili powder, etc.), vinegar, or mustard as cramp cures. I haven’t explored the evidence in-depth, but the proposed mechanism is not actually the salt in those foods, but rather that the spice/acidity of these foods overpowers the rest of the neurological system and reduces nerve firing activity globally through your body. Similar to how biting your tongue “distracts” you from the pain of your stubbed toe.

Are Cycling Shoes Worth The Leap?

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If you are thinking about buying cycling shoes, you may find yourself in the following circumstances:

  • Thinking of buying a bike and cycling shoes for exercise
  • Currently commuting to work
  • Riding on weekends with friends
  • Exploring the city & countryside

Seeing cyclists hobble around in cycling shoes is not pretty, so there must be a reason why people insist on wearing them.

What Do Cycling Shoes Do?

The first and most obvious aspect of a cycling shoe is that they clip into the pedals. With a distinctive “click,” cycling shoes with clipless pedals will encourage power through all portions of the pedal stroke. Think of a clock and how the second hand moves through all 360 degrees.

Secondly, cycling shoes provide a rigid platform that allow power to be transferred into the drivetrain with greater efficiency than running shoes, sneakers or high heels. When you apply power into the pedal with sneakers, the flexible sole that offers comfort when walking, deforms around the pedal. This means energy lost and sore feet.

Cycling in running shoes is like cutting veggies on a plate with a butter knife. Switch to cycling specific shoes and you’ll be cutting veggies with a proper chef’s knife on a wood cutting board. The combination of clipless pedal with cycling shoes will have you slicing and dicing your morning commute.

Types of Cycling Shoes

Mountain Bike Shoes

There are two main types of cycling shoes. For someone looking for an all-round cycling shoe, a mountain bike shoe will be a good primary option. Mountain bike shoes have thick tread that allow mountain bikers to navigate tricky terrain. It sounds counter-intuitive at first, but that same tread helps commuters and new cyclists navigate slippery tile floors and the stairs up to the office.

Contributor Morgan and her MTB shoes. They are more versatile than road shoes. (Photo by: David Gillam)

Road Bike Shoes

Road bike shoes are typically lighter and more breathable. But the weight comes at the expense of functionality. Road shoes don’t have robust tread like mountain bike shoes and they will often be completely smooth; this is by design. Road cyclists will sometimes ride hundreds of kilometers before un-clipping for a stop light or an esspresso. Hauling around a few extra grams is not efficient (yes roadies are that Type A)! The speed and efficiency comes at the expense of being awkward. The cleats that clip into the pedals protrude, and you’re left quacking around the supermarket during a quick grocery shop on the way home from your ride.

Even Blondie knows these road shoes are awkward to walk in!

So What Type of Cycling Shoe Should You Buy?

Are you doing a quick rip to the farmers market? Mountain bike shoes will likely be a good choice. The tread will be good for navigating mixed surfaces and the added strength of the nylon sole compared to your runners will make the ride home a lot less uncomfortable.

Are you doing a long commute to work and riding on the weekends? Road shoes might be a good option here! Check out these Shimano touring shoes. They can almost pass as your work shoes!

Are you riding a shorter distance but looking for more support? Brands like Chrome manufacture a happy medium between cycling shoes and runners. They add a stiff base plate in the heel and mid-shoe to help with power transfer, but still offer lots of comfort while walking around. These shoes last for years, they are extremely tough.

Taking the Leap: Cycling Shoes

New Bike Day

OK, so you’ve decided you want to give cycling shoes a go, now what? If you are new to riding and have just bought a brand new road bike, wait a few weeks before stepping into a pair of cycling shoes and clipless pedal. It takes a few weeks to get used to the handling of a new bike, and cycling shoes with clipless pedals can be one too many items for your brain to process. You might end up tumbling over at a stop sign– or maybe in your driveway. Take your new bike out a few times with flat pedals before leaping into clipless pedals.

Commitment

Now it’s time to commit to new shoes and clipless pedals in the parking lot. Practice clipping in and out with both feet.

Tip 1: When coming to a full stop, clip out one foot well before you know you need to and coast into the corner. Clipping out before you need to put your foot down sounds obvious, but tipping over happens to all of us!

Tip 2: When stopping, pick a side that you are more comfortable clipping out on, and stick to that side. Then, when you arrive at the stop gently lean you bike in that direction, using your un-clipped foot is your anchor. If you keep your bike verticle, a gust of wind can tip you over onto the side that you are still clipped in on! It’s happened before, and it will happen again!

Smash It With Cycling Shoes

Now get out there and start smashing your way commute back from the office, farmer’s market or apple orchard!

Increase Your Cadence and Climb Efficiently

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Climbing 1,000,000 Feet in 2017

It is our pleasure to introduce to our readers a climbing specialist and new contributor, Travis Streb. Travis is a Vancouver-based cyclist who lives at the base of one of the most daunting climbs in British Columbia. 12km at an average gradient of 8 percent serves as an excellent backyard playground but it also taught him how to climb efficiently. 

Climb A Lot, Climb Efficiently

Travis has pledged to climb over 1,000,000 feet to help raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. His cycling club, Glotman Simpson Cycling, has raised over $2,000,000 for pancreatic cancer research to date, and is preparing for it’s 10th year of running the Cypress Challenge. Travis has decided to one-up us all. Suffice to say, he knows a thing or two about climbing.

Throughout the year, Travis will keep us updated on his progress, and contribute his tips to becoming a better climber.

Travis Says: Climb at the Right Cadence

“Climbing on a bike can be a ton of fun and it’s a great way to get a boost to your fitness. The problem is that too many cyclists end up mashing their gears and riding at a very low (and inefficient) cadence. In the first part of this climbing series, we’re talking about climbing at the right cadence and how your gearing (especially your rear cassette) can help you achieve this.”

Three Climbing Tips to Take Away

How Functional Mobility Will Make You Faster

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How Functional Mobility Will Make You FasterAnother season begins, the snow melts, and the flowers bloom. The giddiness and excitement of your new bike overwhelms you and you’re putting a ton of kilometers in the bank. Your quadriceps are sore, your hamstrings are tight, your hips begin to seize. This is all part of getting faster, right? Wrong. Speed and strength does not have to come at the expense of mobility.

Due to the repetitive nature of the pedal stroke, cycling puts us in a particularly vulnerable situation. We spend hours hunched over the bars, spinning our legs at 100 revolutions per minute. The impact is low, but over time the muscular imbalances take a toll. Adding mobility and stability off the bike will bring your riding to the next level.

Stretching

We’ve heard it a thousand times: “Stretch!” But before you stretch, there are a few things to understand before you go whole hog and start lunging in the car park before the Saturday club ride.

Pre-Ride Stretching

Dynamic Stretching is the best way to get your body prepped for the rigors of your ride. While static stretching has been shown to negatively impact speed and power, dynamic stretching will get blood to your muscles, and mobility in your joints. Get a few of these dynamic stretches in before you down your coffee and crumpets.

Throughout the Ride

It’s still early in the season (remember?) and you’re barely hanging on late in your club ride, and your shoulder, neck and back are acting up. Take the time to move around a bit. Stretch your neck, roll your shoulders and move your back. Cramping or feel a twinge in your calf? Skip a few turns in the rotation in order to take a minute to stretch those tight muscles.

Post Ride Stretching

You made it home, had your shower and post ride nutrition. Time to take a few minutes to reset your muscles. Have a look at ILB contributor Jem’s post ride routine. Post-activity stretching has been shown to reduce Delayed Onset Muscular Soreness (DOMS), increase rates of recovery and improve range of motion in your joints. While there is some debate as to how long you should stretch, anywhere between 15-30 seconds will yield the desired results. There is no debate, however, as to how deep you should stretch: Make sure you are only stretching as deep as it feels comfortable. Any signs of pain, pinching or discomfort signals that it is time to back off a tad. Stretching longer than 60 seconds, or deeper than comfortable is more than likely causing unnecessary trauma.

Mobility & Yoga

Yoga is trendy, but the activity has been around for thousands of years (in comparison, the bicycle is about 200 years old). Yoga provides focus to both static and dynamic stretching, and always adds a component of movement to the practice. The nature of the sport and the position on a bike renders basic balance and maintenance a challenge. As time and intensity on the bike increases, certain muscles are worked to exhaustion, while others become dormant and atrophy. With a very limited range of motion of the legs, and a virtually static upper body, finding movement in other directions, off the bike, is vital to longevity. If yoga isn’t your thing, adding some basic functional stability workouts will help. While yoga stresses mobility and flexibility, functional strength training stresses strength and stability– Both have their place in a monthly cycling training plan. An hour or two a month dedicated to mobility will help you in a few key areas.

Flexibility

80 percent of your aerodynamic drag is caused by your position on the bike (sadly, the $10,000 aero bike will only help you 20% of the way. Imagine how fast you would be if you invested $10,000 in your position and coaching?). Adding a few yoga practices to your training plan will slowly improve your position and gift you a handful of free watts. Wind tunnel testing suggests that a position change can improve your aerodynamic drag by well over 20%. That might be the difference of being able to ride with the A group instead of the B group!

Stability

Yoga and functional strength training will frequently introduce movement in directions other than forward and backward. Forcing you to engage your core and stabilizer muscles will improve bike handling and stability on the bike. The changes are subtle, but feeling more confident into corners, descending and staying in an aerodynamic position when on the front of your club ride are not to be ignored.

Discovering Injuries

Adding a few days of strength and mobility may also reveal weaknesses and muscle imbalances that you didn’t realize you had. Did a certain yoga practice relieve some chronic back pain? Maybe side lunges will suddenly ease knee pain that you recently discovered.

It should be noted that certain types of yoga can be pretty tough on your muscles. A rigorous Vinyasa or a slow, deep stretch Yin class can have your legs feeling pretty slow on the bike the next day. Plan an easy ride for a day after yoga. Taking the time to assess your body off the bike will give you an added boost in confidence and self awareness.

Fascial Therapy

Get on the roller. If you haven’t heard a friend say this, get some new ones. The foam roller is your new best friend. Fascial tissue has been neglected for a long time, and is only making it to the mainstream in recent years.

What is Fascial Tissue

There is a lot of current research on fascial tissue, but it used to be regarded as the sack of tissue that keeps all of your muscles and organs in place. The new understanding of fascia suggests that the membrane act like a coil providing direction, stability and recovery to muscle tissues. Neglecting this vital tissue may be hurting your performance on the bike. A number of recent studies show that fascial release (like getting on a foam roller) reduces injury and increases function of the muscles. When we do exercise, we create scar tissue– Massaging your legs with a foam roller will release built up scar tissue and allow the fascia to realign itself and function more efficiently.

Let’s be honest, we aren’t professional cyclists even if we have a soigneur at home. We are weekend warriors, and have very little time outside of family, and work obligations — But maybe a bit of cross training will pay more dividends than you expect.

Postlude

I come from a background in (American) football. When I started cycling, I came into the sport carrying all of the baggage from football (both physical mass and methodology for training). There was very little focus on mobility and flexibility. In the off season we had a rigorous training plan that included 4 heavy lifting days, interlaced with 2-3 practices per week. The workouts were not functional, and were focused on building a lot of mass. In any case, over the course of my career, I naively assumed that mobility and flexibility would ultimately come at the expense of strength– The reality is just the opposite. Working on mobility, flexibility and stability will only improve your functional performance. 5 years removed from contact sports, I am now clearly seeing the benefits of introducing strength training and yoga throughout the season. I’m getting faster and stronger while simultaneously becoming more stable and much more mobile.

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