Back Bay Travel

By Fred Matheny of www.RoadBikeRider.com

If it’s the summer cycling season, it’s probably hot where you live. Cyclists and other outdoor athletes are the first to notice rising temperatures. And the hotter it is, the faster you lose fluids when you ride.

Fluids are crucial to your performance and sense of well-being. We’re really just big bags of fluid—our blood contains about 50 percent water. Because water helps keep us cool, a loss of only one percent of our bodyweight as sweat means a significant loss of speed and endurance.

I know you’ve heard it before—drink, drink, drink! But it’s amazing how few cyclists heed this advice. They forget to drink because of the excitement of the ride, then they wilt before the end.

But proper hydration is easy. Here’s how:

Ride Early or Late. You’ll need to replace fewer fluids if you ride when it’s cooler. One approach: commute by bike so you ride early in the morning and again in the evening when temperatures have moderated. Ralph Phillips, owner of Fairwheel Bikes in Tucson, beats summer temperatures above 100 degrees with dawn rides.

Practice Drinking On the Bike. If you aren’t comfortable taking one hand off the bar to pull the bottle from the cage, practice while riding in an empty parking lot or lightly traveled road with a wide shoulder. Hold the bar with your other hand near the stem to limit swerving as you reach down.

Pre-hydrate. Make sure you’re well hydrated before the ride. Most people are chronically dehydrated because they simply don’t drink enough water. Keep a bottle on your desk and sip frequently all day. For an energy as well as fluid bonus, down 16 ounces of a sports drink about an hour before the ride.

Drink During the Ride. Because your body’s sensation of thirst lags behind its need for liquid, always sip from your bottle before you get thirsty. When you feel thirsty, it’s already too late. Make it a habit to reach for your bottle every 15 minutes and slug down a couple of big swallows.

Most riders need one big bottle (about 28 ounces) per hour but it’s highly variable depending on temperature, intensity of the ride, and other factors such as body size. Experience will help you judge your fluid needs.

Hydrate After the Ride. No matter how much fluid you drink while riding, in hot weather you’ll finish the ride depleted. Your stomach doesn’t empty fast enough to keep up with the demand.

Weigh yourself before and after the ride. Compare the figures. If you’ve lost weight, drink 20 ounces of fluid for each pound of bodyweight you’re down. Keep drinking until your weight has returned to normal and your urine is pale and plentiful.

Restore Sodium Levels. Those white stains on your clothing and helmet straps after a hot ride come from the salt that you sweat out. It needs to be replaced. Low sodium levels are associated with increased incidence of cramps. Heavy sodium losses lead to hyponatremia, a potentially life-threatening condition.

Your sports drink should contain at least 100 mg of sodium per 8 ounces (check the label). It may also help to salt your food when you’re riding frequently in hot weather.

Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!

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How to Eat for Endurance

By Fred Matheny of www.RoadBikeRider.com

The key to riding long distances is food and drink.

Sure, training is important—but nutrition and hydration are even more vital. According to ultramarathon rider and coach John Hughes of Boulder, Colorado, “Nutrition, not necessarily training, is the limiting factor in endurance cycling.”

The reason? Even the best-trained riders pack only enough muscle fuel (glycogen) for a couple of hours of hard cycling. Fluid stores vanish even faster.

For everything from century rides to multi-day tours, remember these time-tested tips:

Enjoy the Last Supper. Eat aggressively the night before a long ride so your muscles are crammed with glycogen the next morning. Emphasize carbohydrates such as pasta, vegetables, bread, whole grains, and fruit. Don’t forget dessert!

Don’t Skip Breakfast. Cycling’s smooth pedaling motion means you can eat just before a long ride without risking stomach upset. You’ll need a full tank. Cycling consumes about 40 calories per mile, or 4,000 calories in a century ride.

Three hours before the start, eat about 60 grams of carbohydrate if you’re an average-sized woman, 80 to 100 if you’re a man. (Cereal, skim milk, a banana, and a bagel with jam equals about 90 grams of carbo.) Many riders find that adding some protein and fat, like scrambled eggs or an omelet, keeps their stomach satisfied longer.

Prehydrate. Fluids are as important as food. Drink at least eight big glasses of water the day before the ride. If you don’t, your performance and comfort may plummet by mile 50. During the hour before the ride, sip 16 ounces of a sports drink.

Eat and Drink During the Ride. Drink before you feel thirsty. Your sensation of thirst lags behind your need for liquid, so grab your bottle every 15 minutes and take a couple of big swallow (about four ounces). About every 30 minutes, eat 20 grams of carbohydrate—the equivalent of half an energy bar, several fig bars or half a banana. Some riders prefer smaller portions more frequently.

On unsupported rides, use a backpack-style hydration system and carry food in your pockets. Stop at convenience stores along the way, if necessary. Most organized rides have aid stations every 20 miles or so, but always carry food and fluid just in case.

Hydrate After the Ride. No matter how much you drink on a long ride you’ll finish dehydrated. Weigh yourself before and after, then compare the figures. Lost weight means you’ve failed to replace the fluid you’ve sweated out. Drink 20 ounces of water or sports drink for each lost pound of bodyweight.

How do you know you’ve caught up? Your urine will be pale and plentiful, and your weight will be back to normal. Rehydrating is especially vital during multiday rides. If you get a little behind each day, by the end of the week you’ll be severely dehydrated, feeling lousy, and riding poorly.

Eat for Tomorrow. Muscles replace glycogen better if you consume carbohydrate immediately after riding. So within 15 minutes of getting off the bike, eat or drink 60 grams of carbohydrate (if you’re an average-sized woman) or 80 to 100 grams if you’re an average male.

The re-fueling process becomes progressively less efficient as time passes. Eat or drink a high-carbo snack while chewing the fat with your riding buddies.

Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!

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Three Essential Techniques for Roadies

By Fred Matheny of www.RoadBikeRider.com

Pro athletes develop simple techniques that become automatic. A three-point shooter’s follow through or a golfer’s silky stroke are techniques they’ve honed until they no longer think about them.

Pro cyclists, too, develop characteristics that separate how they look on a bike from the rest of us. It’s not simply a matter of appearance. Unlike golf, when you’re riding, you can get scuffed up out there. Looking like a pro means safety as well as style.

Want the look? Master these three techniques and you’ll be on your way.

1. Relax. Great athletes in any sport let it flow, making impossible moves and extreme effort look easy. Here’s how to be loose as a goose on the bike:

Face Off. If your facial muscles are tight, your whole body follows. Consciously relax your face and neck. Loosen your jaw muscles. Don’t clench your teeth in grim-faced determination.

No Turtles. Tense riders hunch their shoulders until their ears disappear. Drop your shoulders and relax the muscles that run from the top of the shoulder to your neck. Don’t look like a turtle hiding from danger.

Get a (Light) Grip. Bend your elbows slightly and relax your forearms and hands. If you hit a bump or get bumped, loose arms absorb the blow without affecting the front wheel. You keep your line and stay in control.

2. Pedal Smoothly. It’s easy to spot the smooth pedal stroke of a pro compared to a novice’s lumpy plodding. Here’s how to get supple stroke:

Practice Slowly. A rapid cadence of 90 to 110 revolutions per minute is efficient and stylish. But it’s hard for your brain to keep up with your feet going that fast. Practice at a slower rpm of 60 to 70 so you can concentrate on your stroke all the way around.

Remember Mud. Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond first gave us this tip in 1985, and it’s just as helpful today: When you pull your foot through the bottom of the stroke, imagine you’re scraping mud off your shoe. This will help you pull your foot through smoothly with added power. Try it and see how well it works.

Knee the Bar. As your foot comes up and over the top, pull your knee forward like you want it to touch the handlebar. This adds power to the weakest part of the stroke.

3. Recover Fast. Pro riders can do a three-week race and go just as hard on Day 20 as in the prologue time trial. Here’s how to recover like a stage racer:

Pump Fluids. The loss of as little as one percent of body weight as sweat can compromise your performance. So drink at least one bottle of sports drink each hour you’re on the bike. After the ride, drink more until your weight is back to normal. If you aren’t getting up twice each night to urinate, you aren’t sufficiently hydrated.

Replenish Glycogen Supplies. A 150-pound cyclist needs 80 to 100 grams of carbohydrate in the two hours immediately after riding. An energy bar contains about 40 grams of carbo, a bagel and banana about 60.

Rest. Pros sleep nine or ten hours a night and often take an afternoon nap after training. We can’t do that because we have real jobs and the boss would frown. But because sufficient rest is crucial to recovery, try to fit in at least eight restful hours of sleep each night and catch a 15-minute “power nap” in the afternoon.

Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!

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Three Advanced Techniques for Roadies

By Fred Matheny of www.RoadBikeRider.com

Got your basic riding techniques well in hand? Now learn three advanced moves that come in handy and raise your skills to a new level.

1. Ride No-Hands

Pro cyclists can ride no-hands in the middle of the pack on a twisty descent. Don’t try it! Sometimes, however, you’ll need two hands free to peel an energy bar or peel off a vest. Here’s how:

Pick a Place. Look for a straight stretch of road without obstacles like potholes or side streets. Sit up and take your hands off the bar, ready to grip again as you test your balance. When you’re ready, sit up fully and drop your hands to your sides. Most riders find it easier to maintain balance while pedaling smoothly than while coasting.

Steer With Your Butt. In other words, control the bike with the pressure of your inner thighs against the saddle. Look down the road at least 30 feet rather than directly in front of your wheel. Relax.

Be Careful. Riding no-hands where you live may be illegal, and it certainly can be dangerous. Practice in an empty parking lot or back street before taking your act on the open road. Unless you have pro-level skills, don’t ride no-hands in a paceline until you’re last in line.

2. Remove Arm Warmers While Riding

Now that you can ride no-hands, it’s easy to remove arm warmers without stopping. The only problem might be losing one while stuffing them into your jersey pocket. Here, courtesy of seven-time Tour de France rider Ron Kiefel, is how to keep them together.

1. Pull down warmers. Riding with one hand on the bar, pull down that arm’s warmer to your wrist. Switch hands on the bar, then do the same with the other warmer.

2. Remove first warmer. Ride no-hands. With your right hand, grasp the cuff of the left warmer and pull it off so it hangs from your right hand.

3. Remove second warmer. Use your left hand to pull off the right warmer while still grasping the left arm warmer in the right hand. Voila! One arm warmer is neatly tucked in the other. Fold the resulting sausage in thirds and tuck it in your jersey pocket.

3. Hop Over a Pothole

Ever get trapped near the curb by a passing car or other riders—and there’s a gaping pothole right in your path? The only escape is up and over. Here’s how pro roadies fly above obstacles (including fallen riders).

Assume the Position. As you approach the obstacle, coast with crankarms horizontal. Stand on the pedals with your butt several inches off the saddle. Your weight should be evenly distributed between your hands and feet. Think of being like a cat—or a basketball player in a defensive stance—ready to uncoil.

Spring and Lift. As you reach the obstacle, crouch rapidly by bending your knees and elbows, then spring upwards like you’re jumping. Pull up equally with your hands and feet so the bike comes with you.

Time It Right. If you jump the bike too soon, you’ll land on the obstacle you’re trying to avoid. Too late and you’ll plow your front wheel into it.

Practice! Lean this technique on a soft grassy field using something soft like a rolled-up towel as an obstacle so you won’t crash if you hit it. It’s a good idea to practice with a mountain bike—the fat tires and sturdy wheels are less likely to be damaged in your initial attempts at flight.

Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!

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How to Ride in a Group

By Fred Matheny of www.RoadBikeRider.com

Pacelines are organized. They have specific rules. But in big groups like you find in centuries or charity rides, things will be disorganized. This can intimidate even experienced riders.

Sooner or later you’ll find yourself in a big group amid some riders with sketchy skills. It pays to learn how to survive (and also make yourself welcome) in a crowd.

Look for Risky Riders. These are the unsteady people who wobble, appear nervous, have a tense grip on the handlebar, and frequently grab the brakes. Avoid them! Move up to keep them behind you, or slide to the other side of the road.

Stay at the Front. This is easy to say but hard to do in some groups. At the front you have more control over your destiny because most crashes occur in the rear two-thirds of the bunch. It may take a bit more work to reach the front and stay there, but it’s worth the effort.

Watch the Wind. Wind direction determines on which side the greatest draft is found. If the wind is from the right side of the road, smart riders move to the left of the wheel in front of them for greater protection. If you’re doing this, beware of overlapping wheels with inexperienced riders. They may swerve and take out your front wheel.

Be Wary on Climbs. A major cause of group crashes is riders who stand abruptly. They slow for a second, causing the rider behind to hit their rear wheel and spill. To avoid this danger, let the gap open a bit on hills or ride a foot to either side.

To avoid being the one who causes such a crash, pull your bike forward as you leave the saddle. Don’t lunge and make a hard pedal stroke. Keep your speed steady. When sitting again, push the bike forward a bit.

Cycling isn’t a contact sport, but it’s not uncommon to have your arm brushed when riding near others in a group. It pays to learn how to bump into other riders without swerving or falling. It’s easy when you practice this drill used at the Carpenter-Phinney Bike Camps.

First, go with a cycling friend to a large grassy area like a soccer field. Ride side-by-side at a walking pace. Keep both hands on your bar. Start by gently touching elbows, then shoulders. As you gain confidence, lean more vigorously on the other rider. Soon, you’ll be bumping each other with abandon and throwing in a few head butts for fun, all without going down. (Of course, always wear your helmet just in case.)

Riding relaxed is the key to absorbing contact without swerving. Have slightly bent elbows, a firm-not-tight grip on the bar, and loose arm and shoulder muscles. If you’re relaxed, your body can absorb the shock before it gets to the handlebar.

Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!

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Sports Medicine Tips from an Expert

By Fred Matheny of www.RoadBikeRider.com

Andy Pruitt’s name has become synonymous with sports medicine for cycling. As director of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Boulder, CO, Pruitt has made a career out of treating world-class riders such as Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie. In 1996, Pruitt served as chief medical officer for the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team.

Pruitt is an elite athlete in his own right, too. He lost his lower leg in a hunting accident at age 14 but still wrestled and participated in track, eventually winning 12 high school varsity letters. When he took up cycling he earned a category 2 ranking in able-bodied racing and was twice a world champion in disabled cycling.

But the Boulder Center isn’t reserved for elite clients. Pruitt wanted to develop a sports medicine center equal to any university or Olympic training facility but available to recreational athletes of any age. That’s what he has accomplished

Here’s a sampling of Pruitt’s sports medicine wisdom.

Floating Pedals. "In the late eighties, the cycling injury rate soared due to step-in pedals. The old, slotted cleats and soft leather cycling shoes allowed feet quite a bit of movement, but the newer step-in cleats and more rigid shoes with a heel counter locked feet in one position. Now the injury rate has gone way down due to cleats that float, allowing each foot to find its best position on the pedal.”

Bike Fit. “I’ve done thousands of bike fits. Much is made of saddle height and saddle fore-and-aft position. It’s true—they’re important. But the reach to the handlebar along with the height difference between the bar and the saddle are the two most personal aspects of bike fit. If they aren’t right, you’ll be miserable. We’re seeing more riders who want to raise their handlebars for increased comfort.”

Chondromalacia. “When cyclists have chondromalacia (pain under the kneecap) it’s not good medical advice to keep them off the bike. They need to ride. The knee likes motion and riders want to be on their bikes. So we check saddle height and other bike fit factors like cleat position and let them ride. Most chondromalacia sufferers can ride at some level no matter how severe the degeneration. I’ve seen riders with a back of the kneecap that was full of gouges. It looked like one of those rural road signs peppered with bullet holes. But they can still ride without pain.”

Patellar Tendinitis. “Strain of the tendons around the knee often happens in the early season when riders get caught out in the cold and wind and decide to get home fast. They push a big gear, maybe they aren’t wearing leg warmers, and the next morning they have an ominous twinge. The problem is that in the early season, your muscles can bear a lot more strain than your connective tissue.”

Saddle Position. “Greg LeMond has extremely long femurs. His kneecaps are slightly above his ankles. So for him a bike with a slack seat tube angle, a long top tube, and the saddle jammed all the way back is appropriate. But most people aren’t built that way. For example, Ron Kiefel moved his saddle back when a famous pro he admired told him he’d be faster if he did. Ron didn’t get faster, instead he got severe back pain and missed several weeks of racing. The moral of this story: Let your femur length determine your saddle position, not your hero.”

Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!

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< style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">We shouldn’t feel excessive admiration for pro racers who log 600-mile weeks. They have plenty of time to ride and recover—that’s their job. The real heroes are people like you, who find time to ride while still having a life away from the bike.

Full-time work, family commitments and cycling can be efficiently interwoven into your busy day. All it takes to schedule everything into 24 hours is maximum use of time-budgeting techniques.

Here’s where to look for time slots that can accommodate your love for riding:

Commuting

Riding your bike to work or school and back may be the best way to create time cycling time.

When you commute by bike, time normally spent sitting in a car is used productively as part of the training day. An eight-mile ride to work or school takes about 30 minutes each way. Even if you do no other riding, that’s still an hour of cycling each weekday. The trip home can be lengthened as much as time, daylight and energy allow.

Another benefit is arriving at your job refreshed and alert. It may be tough to get up earlier for the ride in, but the physical and mental lift of exercise will carry you through that 10 a.m. letdown that your sedentary colleagues experience. Then you ride home, clearing cobwebs and blowing away job-related frustrations. You’re refreshed and ready for evening responsibilities or family fun.

Commuting Logistics

Use a small backpack to carry clothes, lunch and papers. A waist strap helps eliminate swaying and bouncing as you ride.

Keep a pair of shoes at work so you don’t have their weight and sharp edges in the pack. Take the week’s clothes to work on Monday morning and shuttle them home Friday afternoon, or whatever arrangement fits your situation.

Clean up in the restroom with a lightly soaped washcloth. Meanwhile, get coworkers interested in commuting and lobby your boss to install a shower.

Dress in your office if it has a door. If not, use the restroom or a storage room.

Play on the way home. Scout out a longer route and ride for an hour or more as time and commitments allow. Do intervals, time trials, or hit the hills hard to get a great workout while you’re homeward bound.

If commuting simply won't work for you, here are two popular options:

Early Bird Special

Consider an early-morning workout. By the middle of March it’s usually light enough to get in a ride before work. At dawn there are few cars on the road and the day is brightening every minute.

Getting up in the pre-dawn hour may be the ultimate test of whether you really want to ride. Roll out of bed the minute the alarm rings and don’t think about anything. The longer you lie there moaning about how early it is, the harder it is to extricate yourself from the sheets.

Sleep loss is the biggest risk. Make up the deficit with an earlier bedtime because it’s vital to get enough rest. Lack of sleep can lead to deep fatigue and poor performance in everything you do.

Evening Rides

If your schedule prohibits riding most of the day, try from 9 to 10 or 10:30 p.m. For most people, the kids are in bed, the chores around the house complete, and you’re probably wasting time watching TV.

To make this work, eat a moderate dinner at 6 or 7 p.m., allowing the food to digest by riding time. As an additional benefit this provides motivation not to overeat.

Riding in the dark used to be dangerous because lights were poor. You couldn’t see road hazards clearly, and motorists couldn’t see you. Modern lighting systems make night riding safer, but it’s still smart to use lighted parks or suburban streets if they’re available.

Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!

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How to Ride in a Paceline

By Fred Matheny of www.RoadBikeRider.com

Solo rides are a great part of the cycling experience. Nothing beats cruising along and looking at the scenery, or attacking a climb at your own pace and intensity.

But riding with a small group can be even more fun. You cover ground faster, meet people, and experience the thrill of shared effort.

Paceline riding isn’t difficult to learn. Here are the basic skills:

1. Riding a Straight Line

Start by learning to ride like you’re on a rail. Practice by holding your line during solo rides. Put your wheel on the road’s white edge line and keep it there. Relax your upper body, keep a light grip on the handlebar, and fix your peripheral vision on the line. Keep your actual focus 20 or 30 feet in front of the bike. Remember, the bike will go where your eyes go.

2. Following a Wheel

Drafting another rider saves you at least 15 percent in energy output. It’s foolish to be bucking the wind all the time when you’re with other riders. Share the work by drafting them and letting them draft you.

Position your front wheel 1 to 3 feet behind the rear wheel you’re following. The closer the better, in terms of the draft, but closer also requires a lot more attention. When necessary, turn the cranks without putting pressure on the pedals (“soft pedal”) to maintain correct spacing.

Use the brakes sparingly. Jerky braking creates chain reaction problems for riders behind you. If you need to brake, feather the levers lightly instead of clutching at them.

If a gap opens, don’t make things worse by accelerating too hard, overrunning the wheel in front, then grabbing the brakes. Instead, ease back up to the rider in front. If you don’t become proficient at following a wheel, you can waste more energy than you save by constant yo-yoing.

Look past the rider directly in front. Don’t stare down at his rear wheel or you won’t see things that may cause him to brake or swerve.

3. Paceline Pointers

First rule: Be predictable. Close riding demands that everyone be on the same wavelength. There must be a basic understanding of what is and is not expected behavior in a given circumstance. Experience helps.

Don’t accelerate when it’s your turn at the front. Note your cyclecomputer’s mph and maintain the group’s speed when the lead rider pulls off.

After your own bout against the wind, pull off to the side agreed upon and stay close to the others as you soft pedal and slide back to the rear of the paceline. This enhances the drafting effect for the whole group. It also keeps everyone as far out of the traffic flow as possible, making paceline riding possible even on busier roads.

As you come abreast of the last rider in the line, pick up speed and then slide over behind his wheel as he comes past. When done correctly you won’t need an energy-wasting acceleration in order to latch back on. Once in the caboose position you can take a drink or stand to stretch without disrupting the paceline’s smoothness.

Protect your front wheel. If your rear wheel is struck a fall is unlikely because it has nothing to do with steering the bike. However, if your front wheel is contacted it will often be twisted off line faster than you can react. You’ll almost certainly go down. Help prevent this by never overlapping someone’s rear wheel.

Receive a FREE copy of the eBook “29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies” by subscribing to the RoadBikeRider Newsletter at www.RoadBikeRider.com. No cost or obligation!

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