Showing posts with label Ride preparation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ride preparation. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Gearing Up for CycloCross Season: Article 1, Running
CycloCross Season Article 1: Getting Yourself Ready:
Since Cyclocross is so close to your road and mountain biking experience, typically the best place to begin with training is the running aspect of cyclocross.
In CX races, dismounting your bike at speed and running over obstacles or up short steep hills is common and while it sounds easy enough, it's often one of the harder steps to master in CX racing.
From preparing your dismount to running while carrying your bike to remounting and riding onward!
Whether you are new to CX or you've been doing it for years, a good place to start your CX season preparation is by advancing your running skills.
The overall idea is to get you to run about 20 mins without much effort.
Not a runner? No need to go out and run 5 miles, the idea is to give yourself time to get used to running.
Start with a 3 day a week program designed to take 15-30 mins of your time.
As with anything, easing your way into a program is key to success, no need to
go out and hurt yourself or cause a nagging strain before the season begins, right?
So, choose 3 days a week to begin your running regiment with at least 1 "rest" day in between each workout day.
I usually choose Monday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's.
Week 1:
Monday's Run: Walk 5min | Run 5min | Walk 5min
Wednesday's Run: Walk 8min | Run 8min | Walk 8min
Friday's Run: Walk 10min | Run 10min | Walk 10min
See a pattern? The idea is to allow your body time to warm up, be exercised and cool
down in such a way that it allows your muscles to be worked without becoming sore
or having any pain.
Week 2:
Begin week 2 using Week 1's Friday run and increase from there.
Monday Run: Walk 10min | Run 12min | Walk 10min:
Wednesday Run: Walk 10min | Run 15min | Walk 10min:
Friday Run: Walk 10min | Run 15min | Walk 10min:
Week 3:
Begin Week 3 with Week 2's Friday schedule and up your run time to 17 min on Wed.
and 20 mins on Friday.
So now you can run 20 minutes! What's next? Increase your speed!
We know you have the endurance, but cyclocross is about fast paces and short bursts of
energy.
New focus! Prepare yourself for close to "max efforts" by incorporating short bursts in your training. Move back to a Week 2 schedule, but this time you need to make incorporate 15-30 sec. bursts in every 5 mins. Long enough to tax your body, but short enough that you can recover quickly. Gradually increase the frequency of the bursts (about 1x every 3 mins) as well as move up towards the goal of 30 sec.!
Remember, in a CX race, you'll have to be able to jump back on the bike and pedal your
arse off!
Article 2: Dismounting and Carrying the bike while you run!
This is a crosspost article from CCVA forums.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Bike Backpacking Trip (how to, planning, equipment, etc)
I've know quite a few folks who have thought about Bike Backpacking Trips for quite a while now, so finally someone started a thread to bring this idea to the forefront.
Interested? Done it? Have ideas? Questions? Head to the thread link below!
CCVA Thread...
Interested? Done it? Have ideas? Questions? Head to the thread link below!
CCVA Thread...
Monday, December 1, 2008
Commuting in the rain basics.
Taking to the rain.
I'll be honest, it's hard for to get motivated for a commute by bike ride when the weather gets too rainy, cold, or hot.
A small secret though, once you do it, it’s not that bad at all. A few thing that you need to consider for rainy days and/or winter riding on your commute.
Two best tips for rainy and cold weather riding:
~ Dress in layers so that you can peel off a layer at a time if you get too hot.
~ If you are dressed and already hot before even leaving out your door, you are overdressed!
Have on enough clothes that you can "slightly" feel is cold as you walk into it since your body will heat up during the ride and create a barrier of heat to keep you warm. This slightly lighter way of dressing allows just enough heat to escape to keep you from overheating on your commute.
Preparing your person:
Eye protection
Eye protection will protect your eyes from the cold, rain, and can also help to produce better overall lighting situations on your ride. Many glasses these day come with multiple lens for all types of lighting situations and a standard 3 lens kit should come with the following: Brown/Black lens (bright sun), Amber/Yellow lens (low light/fog), & clear lens(night time).
Outerwear
Look for a good riding jacket &/or pants. One that has vents and is wind & water resistant or even wind/water proof. These
items can range in pricing from $50 - 300. a piece and while you do get what you pay for, most products in the $70-150 price range really do a great job and will last you a long time.
Remember that cycling pants and jackets are tailored especially for cycling by giving longer sleeve & back panel to keep you covered when you are in the bar reach position.
Another nice feature is a jacket by which the sleeves will unzip leaving you with a cycling vest.
Footwear
Most cycling related shoes have vents built in and in the winter and rain this can be pretty unpleasant, but a few tips to keeping your feet warm is to look for items like: wool socks, toe shoe covers, or even full shoe boot covers.
(Prices rage from $5 - 40)
Gloves / Hats / Masks
Like jackets and pants, try to find gloves that will help to keep you warm by being wind/water resistant or proof.
Keeping in mind that the more bulky the glove, the harder it is to use the controls on your bike.
Skull caps and helmet covers help keep you warm by keeping the cold air off of your head.
Preparing your bike.
Lights
Lights are a must and are usually required by law. Most localities require a front and rear light and just like on a car the front is white and the rear is red.
There are two types of ways to view lighting on your bike, to been seen by, and to see by.
While there are many types of lights on the market, LED's are now the most widely used because of their small size, high visibility, and long last run times.
Lights will range from $10- 100. This is not a place to go super cheap and in my experience the best lights to buy are usually between $20-30 price range. They tend to last a longer, be waterproof, are very bright, and have better over all construction.
Fenders / Racks
Using fenders & racks on your bike adds another layer of protection to you as it helps to keep the water & debris on the road off of your person.
Be (extra) alert
Riding in the rain or the winter sets you up for new hazards to encounter.
Items like leaves, wet road stripes, steel plates and grates, and icy surfaces are all very slippery. So take the ride a little slower and be a little more "alert" than normal as just like in a car your reaction times will be slower that under normal conditions.
Bike / gear clean up
Try to dry off your bike with at least a quick wipe down with a dry cloth, paying close attention to the chain and brake surfaces.
Keep your chain well lubed, usually with a "winter/wet" weather chain lube.
And wash your helmet, gloves, etc on a fairly regular basis as you will still sweet even on the coldest of rides.
I'll be honest, it's hard for to get motivated for a commute by bike ride when the weather gets too rainy, cold, or hot.
A small secret though, once you do it, it’s not that bad at all. A few thing that you need to consider for rainy days and/or winter riding on your commute.
Two best tips for rainy and cold weather riding:
~ Dress in layers so that you can peel off a layer at a time if you get too hot.
~ If you are dressed and already hot before even leaving out your door, you are overdressed!
Have on enough clothes that you can "slightly" feel is cold as you walk into it since your body will heat up during the ride and create a barrier of heat to keep you warm. This slightly lighter way of dressing allows just enough heat to escape to keep you from overheating on your commute.
Preparing your person:
Eye protection
Eye protection will protect your eyes from the cold, rain, and can also help to produce better overall lighting situations on your ride. Many glasses these day come with multiple lens for all types of lighting situations and a standard 3 lens kit should come with the following: Brown/Black lens (bright sun), Amber/Yellow lens (low light/fog), & clear lens(night time).
Outerwear
Look for a good riding jacket &/or pants. One that has vents and is wind & water resistant or even wind/water proof. These
items can range in pricing from $50 - 300. a piece and while you do get what you pay for, most products in the $70-150 price range really do a great job and will last you a long time.
Remember that cycling pants and jackets are tailored especially for cycling by giving longer sleeve & back panel to keep you covered when you are in the bar reach position.
Another nice feature is a jacket by which the sleeves will unzip leaving you with a cycling vest.
Footwear
Most cycling related shoes have vents built in and in the winter and rain this can be pretty unpleasant, but a few tips to keeping your feet warm is to look for items like: wool socks, toe shoe covers, or even full shoe boot covers.
(Prices rage from $5 - 40)
Gloves / Hats / Masks
Like jackets and pants, try to find gloves that will help to keep you warm by being wind/water resistant or proof.
Keeping in mind that the more bulky the glove, the harder it is to use the controls on your bike.
Skull caps and helmet covers help keep you warm by keeping the cold air off of your head.
Preparing your bike.
Lights
Lights are a must and are usually required by law. Most localities require a front and rear light and just like on a car the front is white and the rear is red.
There are two types of ways to view lighting on your bike, to been seen by, and to see by.
While there are many types of lights on the market, LED's are now the most widely used because of their small size, high visibility, and long last run times.
Lights will range from $10- 100. This is not a place to go super cheap and in my experience the best lights to buy are usually between $20-30 price range. They tend to last a longer, be waterproof, are very bright, and have better over all construction.
Fenders / Racks
Using fenders & racks on your bike adds another layer of protection to you as it helps to keep the water & debris on the road off of your person.
Be (extra) alert
Riding in the rain or the winter sets you up for new hazards to encounter.
Items like leaves, wet road stripes, steel plates and grates, and icy surfaces are all very slippery. So take the ride a little slower and be a little more "alert" than normal as just like in a car your reaction times will be slower that under normal conditions.
Bike / gear clean up
Try to dry off your bike with at least a quick wipe down with a dry cloth, paying close attention to the chain and brake surfaces.
Keep your chain well lubed, usually with a "winter/wet" weather chain lube.
And wash your helmet, gloves, etc on a fairly regular basis as you will still sweet even on the coldest of rides.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Ride Preparation
Ride preparation is one of the single most important and easy things you can do to help ensure a fun ride.
Ride preparation includes everything from performing maintenance on your bike to making sure you have enough water, food, gear, maps, etc to make it back from your ride safely. Try to plan your ride in advance, so everything goes smoothly on the day of the ride. Points of interest: gear, ride buddies, carpooling, meet/ride times, maps, weather, etc.
A great start is with the Pre/Post Ride Checklist.
Plan ahead and get organized. Research where you are going and prepare accordingly.
~ Print maps of the route you are taking albeit road or trail
~ Make sure to bring your all your cycling essentials and store them all in one place, like a large gym bag. I keep my shoes, helmet, CamelBak, gloves, and mutlti-tools all in one large bag so I can just grab and go.
~ Plan for the extreme points of the weather that is possible as some long rides can have unforeseen events that might leave you in the elements longer than intended. So when possible, carry an extra layer of clothes, extra food & water, etc.
Eat and drink for a before a ride or event. There is nothing worst than getting 5 or 10 miles down a trail and bonking. Eating properly sometimes needs to be done even days in advance (though this is usually for racing purposes).
While riding with people of like abilities can be relaxing, when you ride with people who are of different skill level than yourself you are pushed to excel and this is key to growing your skills.
More experienced riders have knowhow and will teach you by watching them or instruction which in turn you can share with others later. This can be tremendously helpful to those less experienced and you will gain confidence as you share the skills you have learned.
Have patience: Do not try to ride above and beyond your skill level, you will always see someone better, and only saddle time will get you there. Sometimes walking a new trail first can give you more of an idea of what to expect then just riding it.
Ride preparation includes everything from performing maintenance on your bike to making sure you have enough water, food, gear, maps, etc to make it back from your ride safely. Try to plan your ride in advance, so everything goes smoothly on the day of the ride. Points of interest: gear, ride buddies, carpooling, meet/ride times, maps, weather, etc.
A great start is with the Pre/Post Ride Checklist.
Plan ahead and get organized. Research where you are going and prepare accordingly.
~ Print maps of the route you are taking albeit road or trail
~ Make sure to bring your all your cycling essentials and store them all in one place, like a large gym bag. I keep my shoes, helmet, CamelBak, gloves, and mutlti-tools all in one large bag so I can just grab and go.
~ Plan for the extreme points of the weather that is possible as some long rides can have unforeseen events that might leave you in the elements longer than intended. So when possible, carry an extra layer of clothes, extra food & water, etc.
Eat and drink for a before a ride or event. There is nothing worst than getting 5 or 10 miles down a trail and bonking. Eating properly sometimes needs to be done even days in advance (though this is usually for racing purposes).
While riding with people of like abilities can be relaxing, when you ride with people who are of different skill level than yourself you are pushed to excel and this is key to growing your skills.
More experienced riders have knowhow and will teach you by watching them or instruction which in turn you can share with others later. This can be tremendously helpful to those less experienced and you will gain confidence as you share the skills you have learned.
Have patience: Do not try to ride above and beyond your skill level, you will always see someone better, and only saddle time will get you there. Sometimes walking a new trail first can give you more of an idea of what to expect then just riding it.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Tool To Carry With You On A Ride.
Basic Carry Along Tools : At minimum you should have some basic tools to fix those trail/roadside bike issues. Find what are called a Multi-tools which are "cycling specific" tools so they only give you the common tools needed to fix most minor emergency issues. Theses tools usually contain:
~ 2, 4, 5, 6, & 8 mm Allen (Hex) wrenches
~ Both a flat & phillips drivers
Then more complex multi-tools may also carry:
~ Levers
~ Chain breaker (Tool used to remove/set pinned sections of a chain)
~ 10 & 12mm open wrenches
~ sharp blade(s)
The tools will range is price from $10-50. >
Fixing flats: Consider carrying a spare tube as well as a patch kit, Tire Levers (minimum 2 & steel cored are the best), & air pump. All of these tools can be carried in convenient little under the seat bag.
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