Track & Trail : Cannondale : Bianchi : Schwinn : Ducati

Silence a Noisy Bike

2011-05-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

Spokes and Valve Stem
TEST Check for loose spokes and valve stems. Otherwise, spokes may be rubbing the nipples.
FIX True your wheel. (For a video tutorial, click here.) Grease the nipples and spots where spokes cross. Matte-black spokes are apt to creak. If the valve stem wiggles, wrap it with electrical tape.

Wheel Skewers
TEST Open, then retighten both skewers.
FIX Lightly grease the frame dropouts and tighten your quick-release. And not just to kill the noise: A wheel could pop out while you're riding.

Pedal Bearing and Cleats
TEST Ride with another set of pedals.
FIX Grease your cleat. If the noise persists, retighten the pedals. If the sound is more of a pop, try cleaning and replacing worn bearings.

Seatpost and Saddle Rails
TEST Pedal out of the saddle to see if the noise stops.
FIX Grease your rails and post. Use carbon paste instead of standard grease for carbon-fiber parts.

Bottom Bracket
TEST Listen for a creak from below while riding. If chainring bolts aren't tight, they will click.
FIX Remove your cranks and feel the bearings. If they turn smoothly, remove the bottom bracket to clean and regrease the threads. If the frame's bottom-bracket opening edge is rough, take the bike to your shop.

Handlebar and Stem
TEST Lube all the bolts and contact surfaces.
FIX Clean, then grease contact surfaces and the steerer tube (use carbon assembly paste for carbon parts).

Hubs
TEST Wiggle your wheels to feel for side-to-side play. Hold the hubs and spin the wheels to ensure the bearings roll smoothly. If you suspect the rear wheel is the culprit, also check that the cassette is tight and the freehub bearings are in good shape.
FIX Most hub bearings aren't easily tightened or cleaned. Take the wheel to your shop.

Headset
TEST To identify continuous clicking, ride with no hands. To check for occasional creaking, stand over your top tube and keep the front wheel planted. Then grab the drops and pull up on one while pushing down on the other
FIX Clean and grease the bearings. If the head-tube surface is uneven, take the bike to your shop. For clicking, grease the cable housing mount.

Welcome Back - Seven smart ways to return stronger and faster after a layoff.

2011-02-21T23:06:00.000-08:00

The standard recipe for injury recovery is usually six to eight weeks of rest, ice and Advil. But there are steps you can take to minimize lost saddle time and bounce back to become better than before. Here are the key ones.

Easy on the Vitamin I: For most of us, the reflex response to pain is to reach for a bottle of ibuprofen to reduce swelling. Killing pain is fine, says Andrew Pruitt, director of Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Colorado and author of Andy Pruitt's Medical Guide for Cyclists, but deflating inflammation during the initial stages of an injury may actually delay healing. Anti-inflammatories inhibit enzymes called prostaglandins, which promote circulation to the injured area and increase tissue permeability, so your body's repair-crew cells can come in and clear out the wreckage. For the first 48 hours, use Tylenol, which is purely a pain reliever, says Pruitt, "so you don't suppress the healing process." After that, anti-inflammatories are fine.

Move it: Resting doesn't mean immobilizing yourself in front of the TV for a Surreal Life marathon. Take it easy on the injured body part, but stay in motion to keep blood flowing, which will help you heal faster and maintain fitness. Try swimming, resistance training, rowing, or even riding the trainer.

Eat to heal: You may not be riding, but your body still burns about 10 percent more calories than usual when it's trying to repair an injury. "It's important that you feed your body what it needs to mend," says Liz Applegate, author of Nutrition Basics for Better Performance. She recommends boosting your intake of protein, which builds muscle and soft tissues, to 100 to 120 grams a day. Other essential recovery nutrients: iron, which builds blood, and zinc, to speed wound healing; both are found in lean meat, whole grains and fortified cereals. Vitamins A and C help make new skin and collagen, so stock up to help heal road rash. Finally, if you broke a bone, your body needs extra calcium to bridge the gap. Bump your intake to 1,500mg a day.

Use the one-to-two rule: For each week you couldn't train, spend one to two weeks rebuilding your base before returning to hard riding. So if you were off for three weeks, it could take as many as six before you can tear up the local crit again.

Start en masse, finish solo: During those first weeks back in the saddle, limit group rides, where you'll be tempted to push your pace. If you long for camaraderie, roll out with the group for the first few miles, then spin off to do your own thing when it turns up the heat.

Watch the warning signs: It's natural to feel little niggling twinges when you saddle up for the first few times. But that discomfort should dim as you warm up. Let pain be your guide: If it flares or stubbornly persists, back off. The single most common cause of reinjury is doing too much too soon, Pruitt says. Likewise, as you come back your body may be particularly vulnerable to overtraining. Now is the time to respect rest and easy days.

Root out the cause: If your injury is one of overuse, such as tendonitis, "don't jump right back on the bike without figuring out what went wrong," says Pruitt. Have a professional fitting to ensure your bike is set up to work with your anatomical alignment. Optimum body-to-bike harmony not only prevents chronic aches and pains, but also improves bike handling and performance, which may prevent the more acute injuries that come with hitting the pavement.

Selene Yeager, a USA Cycling certified coach, keeps you fit and healthy.

How to Wash Your Bike Four common missteps—and three tips to a fast cleanup

2011-02-01T02:48:00.000-08:00

WHILE THERE ARE SOME OVERZEALOUS ODDBALLS out there who meticulously polish their headset spacers with Q-tips, most of us treat bike cleaning as a quick chore--if we do it at all. But in your rush to get the job done, you can make mistakes that could hurt everything from your ego to the life span of your components. Here are four bike-wash bummers to avoid--and three tips to make tidying up a cleaner experience.

TOO-QUICK START Don't skip the initial rinse. Otherwise, you'll end up swirling around every bit of gritty debris and scratching your frame's glossy finish. Using the light-shower setting on your garden hose, spray off your entire bike top to bottom before you go near it with a soapy sponge.

HIGH-PRESSURE HAZARD Go full-throttle with a hose and you could force water (soapy, potentially degreaser-laden water) into bearings. The degraded grease will then give out before its time.

A GOLDILOCKS FINISH The last step in any bike wash is to relube the chain. Stop short of this step and your unprotected chain will quickly rust. But go too heavy on the lube and the chain will attract grime like a magnet. Give the chain a just-right light coating, then wipe off the excess with a clean rag.

Shine up your saddle and you'll have a hard time staying seated. Go glossy on your tires, and rim residue will reduce braking power. Skip it.

KEEP IT SIMPLE Clean the drivetrain first. If you use degreaser, remove the rear wheel and angle it cassette-side down so the degreaser runs off. Use a mess-containing chain-cleaning system like Park Tool's Chain Scrubber.

Work from top to bottom, front to back. Use a bucket of warm, soapy water and a soft-bristled handheld brush (usually sold with a dustpan).

Rinse, wash, rinse. Dry with a clean cloth. Re-lube chain.

Ten Top Tips for Urban Cyclists

2010-12-06T00:48:00.000-08:00

List of the ten top tips to remember whilst cycling through urban areas.

1.Leave that lorry alone
Never ever, undertake a lorry on the left, especially if you are at junction. Don’t do this even if there is a cycle lane.
Remember if you cycle on the left hand side of a lorry you are in the driver’s blind spot and if the lorry turns, you will have no escape. It is difficult for drivers of large vehicles to see you, so don’t hide by the side of the vehicle.

2.Make eye contact
Make eye contact with other road users, particularly at a junction, coming out of side roads and at roundabouts; this may tell you if the driver has seen you or not.

3.Look over your shoulder
Regularly look over your shoulders to see what is happening all around you. Check behind you when moving away from the kerb, before you signal to manoeuvre and at regular intervals to communicate with other road users.

4.Look ahead
Look well ahead for obstructions in the road, such as drains, potholes and parked vehicles, so that you do not have to swerve suddenly to avoid them. Planning ahead helps you to be prepared for junctions, roundabouts and traffic lights.

5.Get out of the gutter!
Your road position should not be less than 1 metre from the kerb and should be further out if it is not safe for a vehicle to pass. If someone does pass you inconsiderately then you have more room to get out of harm’s way. Keeping away from the gutter will enable drivers to see you and also help you miss the drain covers and debris on the side of the road too. Take extra care to hold your position near road humps and other traffic-calming features.

6.Don’t be floored by car doors
Leave plenty of room when passing parked vehicles and watch out for doors being opened into your path.

7.Make your intentions clear
Make your signal and manoeuvre well in advance, and only when it is safe to do so. Keep your position in your lane so vehicles cannot undertake closely on your left.

8.Cover your brakes
Keep your hands on your brake levers, so that you are ready to use them. Always use both brakes at the same time. Take extra care when it is wet.

9.Lights
By law, when it is dark or there is bad visibility you must have lights on the front and rear of your bike. Always carry spare small lights in case your main lights are not working.

10.Cycle Training
If you are a beginner or even if you are an experienced cyclist, you can benefit from an adult cycle training session.

Winter Brakes 101 - Don't let grit and grime grind your brakes to a screeching halt.

2010-11-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

Winter can spell disaster for brakes. Mud, road grit and water accelerate wear, cause corrosion and may leave you stopping Fred Flintstone-style. Here are signs of wear to watch for and tips on how to repair your brakes in any weather.

Rim Brakes

Signs of Wear:
The grooves in your pads are thin or unevenly worn. You hear a grinding noise or braking feels less precise than normal. Know This: Those grooves are there to channel debris away from your rims, and that noise may be coming from objects lodged in the grooves. Pads that lasted all summer and are half-worn can wear down to the metal in one wet, nasty ride. Even brand-new pads can wear out in one ride.

Do This: Check for embedded objects in the pads. Even if everything seems fine, check pads often and always put a fresh set on your rim brakes for the winter months.

Disc Brakes

Signs of Wear: Most disc brake manufacturers recommend pad replacement when there's 0.5 to 1mm of pad material left. Know This: Disc brakes offer the most stopping power and wear the best in adverse conditions, but they can still succumb to the effects of winter, even wearing out in one muddy or wet, sandy ride.

Do This: Although hydraulic brakes are well sealed and rarely become contaminated, change the brake fluid at least once during the winter, because moisture inside the system can cause corrosion and heat-related brake fade. Mechanical discs work well as long as the cables are in good condition (see Cables, below).

Cables

Signs of Wear: Your brakes feel rough and are hard to pull when you squeeze them. Know This: Water can contaminate cables and create friction caused by corrosion and dirt. Friction reduces overall braking power and your ability to modulate it. In really cold climates, water in the cables can freeze.

Do This: Pull the housing out of the frame stops, slide it back, and wipe the cable dry and clean. Apply a lightweight lubricant such as Rock N Roll's Cable Magic to reduce friction and help displace water. Also consider using sealed ferrules or shielded housing, such as Avid's Flak Jacket, or running full-length housing to the rear brake to avoid contamination. Also, replace cables often during the winter and avoid blasting them with a strong hose when washing.

Rims

Signs of Wear:
Your rim is worn so thin that it fails, causing the tire to blow off, the tube to explode and the sidewall of the rim to fold outward. If you're lucky, this will happen while you're pumping up the tire, not midride. Know This: Rim brakes, when exposed to gritty road grime and off-road mud, can grind down the rim's surface.

Do This: There's no easy fix for worn rims; replacement is the only answer. Some manufacturers machine depressions into the sidewall to serve as wear indicators. Place a straightedge against the rim; if it's concave, it should be inspected by an experienced mechanic and will likely need to be replaced.

Bad-Weather Braking Tips

READY: Wet brake pads take longer to stop. Brake early and give yourself more stopping distance.

SET: If pads wear quickly during a ride, adjust the barrel adjuster on caliper brakes or linear-pull brake levers to reduce free play.

STOP: Know your braking surface. Watch out for cobbles, paint and steel surfaces that turn slippery when wet--not to mention ice. Apply brakes gently, especially the front, and avoid braking while turning.

How To Choose A Saddle - How to pick the right seat for your seat.

2010-11-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

Bicycle saddles take the brunt--of complaints from uncomfortable riders and of more than half a cyclist's weight. They also rank as a high-wear component. Consider a seat's scuff-prone vulnerability should your bike hit the ground, or the breakdown caused by your sweaty derriere sliding around on it for hours. Like shoes, a saddle is a personal-fit item that needs to be tried on for size. So before you start sampling, here's the lowdown on the parts that make up these posterior perches.

SHAPE Different shapes abound to suit many body types and uses. The ischial tuberosities, or sit bones, of females are generally more widely spaced than those of males--hence women-specific saddles are wider. Gender aside, a seat that's too wide will chafe and rub, while one that's too narrow will make you feel like you're straddling a banister. The profile of seats varies as well: Viewed from the front, some are flatter with squarish sides, others curve steadily and are more round. Some companies offer dedicated models for triathlon (thicker padded nose for forward positioning) or off-road freeriding (thick padding overall and a rugged cover). A few saddle manufacturers now even supply shops with special pads to measure your sit-bone width, to help take the guesswork out of picking the right-width seat.

SHELL AND CUTOUT DESIGN The hard, structural shell is made from injected-molded plastic, typically nylon. Sometimes carbon fiber is mixed with the plastic to lower weight and tweak flex characteristics, while a few models sport an all-carbon shell for less weight and more zoot. The shell determines how the seat flexes and gives under a rider's weight. In recent years many shells have incorporated holes, slots or grooves through the nose section, all promising additional comfort. "Saddles with a cutout in the nose work best for about 80 percent of riders by shifting pressure away from soft tissue and toward the ischial tuberosities," says Andy Pruitt, Ed.D., who's done extensive research on saddles as the director of Colorado's Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, and as a consultant for Specialized. "Solid-nose saddles still work best for some, particularly cyclists who naturally sit crooked on their seats." Then there are traditional tensioned leather saddles (such as those made by Brooks) that use a piece of cowhide riveted to a frame on the rails, rather than the plastic sandwich system.

PADDING This is what gives a saddle its squish. Urethane foam is most commonly used, along with polymer gels, which have a rubbery, fleshlike consistency that offers a reassuring feel to many. Sometimes different padding materials are used on a single seat to add comfort at high-pressure areas. Foams and gels alike are molded onto the shell, with the thickness and density of the padding varying across different models of seats. More padding doesn't mean more comfort. "If your bike fits properly overall the seat can be pretty damn hard," says Pruitt. "Some padding is needed to help disperse that focused pressure point over a slightly bigger area. But when you sit on overly thick padding, it can deform and migrate to places where you don't want pressure, like between the sit bones," says Pruitt. Or, if you want nothing between you and your carbon fiber, there are flyweight saddles with no padding at all.

RAILS Until about 15 years ago, virtually all saddle rails were made from cheap, heavy, chrome-plated carbon steel. Then titanium came along and lightened things up, and today remains the material of choice for most high-end seats. Strong, light steels such as chrome-moly, often in hollow tubular form, are also common. Carbon fiber is not only ubiquitous but also easily gouged by sharp seatpost clamps; it's found in the rails of some pricey seats, where it's often wrapped in aluminum for toughness. A few companies use a proprietary monorail or beam system, with a dedicated seat.

COVERING The smooth, outer skin can be leather (cowhide, or even exotics like alligator or snake skin), synthetic leather (Lorica), or assorted kinds of fabrics and plastics, including bulletproof Kevlar. Some are perforated with tiny holes, which add a bit of friction to keep you from sliding around. Off-road saddles can take a beating, with the reinforced corners found on some models offering increased durability when bike meets earth. Color options let you stylize your ride, but basic black hides wear and fading best.

Ditch the Tingles - Keep the feeling in your extremities by tweaking your bike setup

2010-10-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

It starts with a tingle in your big toe or pinkie finger. Before long, your foot, hand or entire leg has gone numb and you spend the rest of your ride squirming to get the feeling back, says Paraic Mc- Glynn, director of applied cycling science at the Serotta International Cycling Institute. Most numbness issues are caused by poor fit. Here's how to adjust your setup so your extremities never fall asleep on a ride again.

Feet
Ill-fitting footwear is the root cause of most lower-extremity numbness. When shopping for shoes, consider their width and height in addition to numerical size, says McGlynn. "Shoes with more height allow for taller arches," he says. Shoes that are too small pinch nerves in your metatarsal arch at the ball of the foot. The arch will collapse if it's not adequately buttressed, so be sure yours have sufficient support.

Hands
"A long reach to your handlebar creates a wrist extension that pinches nerves," McGlynn says. To determine your correct reach, ask a friend to watch you spin on a trainer. When your hands are on the hoods, your elbows should be slightly bent and your arms should be perpendicular to your torso. Vibrations from aluminum handlebars can also rattle your hands to sleep. McGlynn recommends installing Bontrager BzzzKill dampers ($10/pair) to absorb road chatter.

Groin
Leaning forward on your saddle compresses the perineal nerves (in the soft area between your groin and butt), which cuts off blood flow and feeling. First check your saddle tilt, says McGlynn. The top should be parallel to the ground, which allows your sit bones to carry most of your weight. Next, check your handlebar reach as described above; a long reach rotates your hips forward and transfers weight to your perineum.

Legs
A saddle that's wrong for your body can place excess weight on nerves and blood vessels, numbing you from your hips down, so test-ride a few with varying shapes and thicknesses. If you still experience numbness and loss of power after dialing in fit and gear, you may have iliac artery impingement, a condition that restricts blood flow to the legs, McGlynn says. The affliction is rare, but can turn up in cyclists who train in aggressive and time-trial positions. A 2004 study in Sports Medicine found the condition in 20 percent of elite cyclists surveyed. If rest and a more relaxed position fail to solve the problem, see your doctor.

Beyond Fit
Fit specialist Paraic McGlynn warns that not all numbness can be remedied with position adjustments and may require medical help. Sometimes, a spinal condition—such as a herniated disc, spine misalignment or disc degeneration—is the culprit. When these problems occur in the lumbar (lower, inward-curving) spine, they often cause lower-extremity discomfort or numbness. When in the upper spine, they affect your arms, shoulders and hands.

Choosing a Bike

2010-10-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

The first steps in choosing a bike is identifying what kind of cycling you want to do and how frequently you want to ride. There are four main types of bike; road bikes with drop handlebars and skinny tyres for road use, mountain bikes with knobbly tyres for off-road riding, hybrids which are a blend of both road and mountain bikes, and folding bikes which are ideal for city use. Your first question has to be ‘Will I be riding on the road, off-road or a bit of both?”

Road bikes

Drop handlebar bikes as you see in the Tour de France are fast and exciting. The position of the rider is lower and racier than on a mountain bike. They are designed to handle smoothly, climb and accelerate rapidly and corner fast.

Even within the category of road bike there are subtle variations. The touring bike is designed for load carrying and all day comfort. If you want to enjoy cycling holidays and all day epics this may well be the bike for you. Touring bikes are often equipped with low gear ratios to cope with carrying extra weight. Race bikes are exactly that. Designed for the thrill of speed the position is slightly more stretched than the one a rider assumes on a touring bike. There are no mounts for racks. Race bikes are as light as possible for climbing and super stiff so that the maximum amount of rider power is transferred to the wheels. Somewhere in the middle is a range of ‘comfort’ orientated road bikes. This style of bike combines racing bike features, acceleration and light weight attributes with a more relaxed frame design for all day comfort. If you are riding all day but don’t need to carry luggage these are certainly worth a look.

Road bikes come with either a double or triple chain ring at the front. Race bikes frequently have just the double chain ring, but if you are planning on carrying loads, riding a lot of hills or just beginning a come back to fitness a triple allows you a wider range of gears with easy gears for the climbs.

Mountain bikes

Mountain bikes are designed to handle anything you can throw at them from towpaths and bridle ways to big rocky descents. Mountain bikes can be split into two main groups – hard-tails that only have suspension at the front and full-suspension bikes that have suspension at the rear as well.

Mountain bike suspension has been designed to absorb the shocks from riding over uneven terrain. It aids traction over diffi cult loose surfaces and helps you to control the bike. If you aren’t trying anything too challenging a hard-tail bike will provide enough suspension. If you fancy venturing into more extreme trail riding then full-suspension can make the experience more comfortable and more exciting. It allows you to push your technical skills further.

Mountain bike enduro’s – long distance mountain bike rides – are becoming increasingly popular as is the all-day epic and long challenging offroad rides.

Lightweight trail bikes, with lots of travel and a comfortable position have been designed specifially with this style of riding in mind.

Cross-country mountain bike racers insist on the lightest bike possible for maximum gains on the climbs. These bikes have slightly less travel than the trail bikes as the emphasis is on speed not comfort.

Another style of riding all together is downhill. Riders use ski lifts, truck “up-lifts” or push their bikes to the top of a mountain for a fast, technically challenging descent. These bikes are smaller for rider manoeuvrability, with lots of travel to soak up the big drops and heavy as weight is not an issue.

Hybrid bikes

Sitting between road bikes and mountain bikes is the hybrid. Flat bars, a wide range of gears, road sized wheels and wide tyres means that it is just as much at home on the road as it would be on a cycle trail. While not sturdy enough to take on the roots and rocks a mountain biker relishes it will be perfectly happy to trundle down a tow path or round the local park - and they are great around town too.

If you are looking for a bike to commute on hybrids are a popular choice. The upright sitting position allows you to carry a rucksack easily and gives a clear view of the road ahead. Flat bars inspire confi dence in traffi c, and good bike control. Hybrids are also ideal for leisure and fi tness cycling, low gears allow you to tackle gradients at your own pace and the position means that they are comfortable for the occasional as well as the frequent cyclist.

Faster Fitness - Nine short workouts that deliver big results.

2010-09-06T04:12:00.000-07:00

The average pro cyclist trains 20 to 30 hours a week and logs 20,000 to 25,000 miles each year--farther than the average American drives in that time. Too many of us mere mortals mistakenly believe we need to approach that sort of volume to reach our peak. But if you work 40 or more hours per week, cramming in another 20 on the bike may wear you down rather than speed you up. The best results come from a smart blend of rides of all lengths and durations. Long, steady efforts are still important for boosting your circulatory system's network of capillaries, which enables you to deliver more nutrient-and oxygen-rich blood to your cells and increases your body's fat-burning ability. But don't turn up your nose at outings that last less than two hours. Exercise science shows that you can build speed, raise your sustainable pace and even ratchet up your endurance with rides that last between 30 and 75 minutes. To meet your cycling goals, mix it up: Each week clock one long ride--three hours will do for most riders--and take at least one day off. On the other days, choose from among the following workouts.

WORKOUTS

If You Have...30 to 45 minutes
30-SECOND BLASTS Warm up for 10 minutes, sprint all out for 30 seconds, then spin easy for 21/2 minutes. Do this 12 times, then spin easy to cool down. Don't perform this workout on back-to-back days or more than twice a week. The Benefit Research shows that all-out 30-second intervals can improve your VO2 max--the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during extreme exertion. One study found that seasoned cyclists improved VO2 max by 3 percent and 40k time-trial speed by more than 4 percent in four weeks thanks to sets of these intervals.

SPIN-UPS Warm up for five minutes, then shift into a small gear and spin up to as fast a cadence as possible while maintaining a quiet upper body and smooth pedal stroke for one minute. Recover for three minutes. Do six to eight intervals, then cool down. As the efforts become easier, increase the duration of the fast spins and decrease recovery. The Benefit You'll improve your efficiency by shifting some effort from your easily fatigued legs to your more resilient cardiovascular system. If you typically push big gears, it will take some time before the higher cadence feels right.

THE MEANDER When is the last time you totally unplugged, tossed a leg over your bike and rode like a kid? Yeah, we thought so. Leave the bike computers and agendas behind, jump on a bike--any bike--and ride around. Enjoy the breeze, the lawn ornaments in your neighborhood and the sights and sounds of your local rec path. The Benefit Easy movement will loosen your legs, help your body recover from previous hard efforts and make you feel happy and recharged.

If You Have...45 to 60 minutes
THE TRIPLE THREAT Warm up for 15 minutes. Then boost your intensity until you're working very hard (a 9 on a rate of perceived exertion, or RPE, scale of 1 to 10). Hold that intensity for three minutes. Recover for three minutes. Repeat two more times. Finish your ride at a moderate pace, including a cooldown. The Benefit Your VO2 max is your fitness ceiling. To raise that roof, you need to do lung-searing efforts like this one that force your body to find ways to increase VO2 capacity.

HILL ATTACKS There are two ways to do these. One: standard hill repeats. Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes. Find a hill that takes about five minutes to climb and ascend it hard, staying at your max sustainable pace, or threshold (RPE of 7). Descend for three minutes to recover. Repeat for a total of five intervals. Cool down. Or, take a more organic approach and map a 10- to 15-mile route that includes four to six good climbs. Hit the hills hard and ride moderately between efforts. The Benefit You know the saying: Hills make you stronger.

CROSS THE THRESHOLD Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes. Increase your effort to beyond your comfort zone (about an RPE of 8) and hold it five to six minutes. Back off and ride just below your threshold point (RPE of 6) for five minutes. Do three or four sets. You won't feel fully recovered between them. Cool down. The Benefit Your threshold, the point at which you produce more lactate than you can absorb, is your max sustainable effort. A high threshold lets you ride hard and long before your legs scream; this workout raises it.

If You Have...60 to 75 minutes

TEMPO TRAINING Warm up for 10 minutes. Reach a pace that feels like hard work but is sustainable for a 40k race (an RPE of about 7). Ride for 15 minutes, then pedal easy for three. Repeat twice more. Cool down. As you gain fitness, increase the tempo time and decrease recovery until you are at tempo for an hour. The Benefit You will gain power to climb or bridge a gap--and be able to sustain such efforts. Tempo intervals train your cells to be efficient at producing energy, which improves your threshold and boosts your sustainable race pace.

ADULT RECESS Find a few friends who can sneak away (your lunch hour is an ideal duration), and practice your pack-riding skills. Experiment with various pacelines: You know you can do a single file, now try a double or a rotating paceline. Challenge each other to town-line sprints and king-of-the-mountain wins. The Benefit Time spent riding with a small group will hone your balance and riding skills, your drafting technique, your ability to read other riders to predict their moves and your group-race tactics. Plus, it's fun.

STEADY-STATE Ride at a moderate intensity (RPE of 6) for an hour or more. This can be surprisingly difficult to sustain. Make sure that your breathing remains under control and your legs don't burn. The Benefit This workout improves your ability to tap into stored body fat as a fuel source, which enhances endurance by reducing your reliance on stored carbs or glycogen stores. As your fitness increases, you'll ride longer and more comfortably without fading or bonking, and your steady-state pace will get faster.

http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/faster-fitness

Stay Safe In Traffic

2010-08-23T23:30:00.001-07:00

These tips and techniques will help you thrive on any road.

Most of us invariably need to ride close to vehicles on the road. It's a trite analogy, but I always keep it in mind: two tons of metal versus about 200 pounds of bike, bone and muscle--who's going to win? Here are key survival skills.

Look and listen

First of all, pay 100 percent attention, just as you would while driving. Use your senses--often you can hear an engine in advance of the car, and see or hear a dog before it chases. Problem sounds include tires squealing, hard engine acceleration and loud music from an open window. If I hear these I pull over to let the vehicle pass.

Pick smart routes

The best roads have few cars, low speed limits and no blind corners. Often, a slightly longer route with fewer cars will be faster than a shorter, busier one. Also, try to find roads with a shoulder you can ride on. Yes, we are vehicles with the right to be on the roadway, but with two tons versus 200 pounds, I prefer to stay clear when I can do so safely.

Don't keep secrets

When you drive, you use turn signals, and your car has brake lights. As you ride, try to think of what drivers will see as they drive up behind you. Use hand signals to indicate where you intend to go. At intersections, make eye contact with drivers to ensure that they see you. Also, for future goodwill, wave a thank-you when you're given the right of way.

Stay steady

Looking behind you without swerving is an essential skill. For new riders, simply glancing back with your hands on the brake hoods may work, but this method often causes the bar to turn in the direction you're looking. This way is better:

To look left, move your right hand toward the center of the handlebar near the stem, then drop your left hand off the bar as you turn your head to look back. Track racers use this technique when doing a Madison relay change. Watch the Madison at the Olympics this year--magic bike handling. Keep your upper body relaxed the entire time and practice, ideally in an empty parking lot with lines you can follow.

Hook your thumbs

Always wrap your thumbs around the handlebar, instead of laying them across the top. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a rider go down after his hands were jarred off the bar when he hit a bump. Also, please, no aero riding on busy streets. Save it for when you're on a smooth road with few cars

How to Fix a Flat Tyre - When your ride goes flat, here's what to do

2010-08-23T23:25:00.000-07:00

It's a fact: You will get a flat tyre in your lifetime. So be prepared. All you need to get yourself out of a jam and back on the roll is a mini-pump (or other quick-fill device, such as a CO2 cartridge), a spare tube or patch kit, tire levers and a little patience. When your ride goes flat, here's what to do.

Remove The Tyre

Hook the rounded end of one tyre lever under the bead (the outer edge) of the tyre to unseat it. Hook the other end onto a spoke to hold the lever in place and to keep the unseated tire from popping back into the rim. Hook the rounded end of the second lever under the bead next to the first and walk it around the tire/rim clockwise until one side of the tire is off the rim.

Find The Culprit

Remove the tube and pump air into it to find the leak. Two holes side by side is a pinch-flat--the tube got pinched between the tire and rim. A single hole was most likely caused by a sharp object such as a thorn or a piece of glass. Carefully run your fingers along the inside of the tire to make sure the foreign object is no longer there. If you don't, it could cause another flat.

If You Patch

Clean the punctured area of the flat tyre with an alcohol prep pad and rough the surface with an emery cloth. For a glueless patch, simply stick it over the hole and press firmly. For a patch that requires glue, apply a thin layer of glue to the tube and patch. Wait for the glue to get tacky, then apply the patch and press firmly until it adheres. If you don't patch, stuff the tube into your bag and fix it when you get home. It could be good for another season or more of use.

Install The Tube

Inflate either your patched or new tube until it holds its shape, then insert it into the tire. With the valve stem installed straight, work the tire back into the rim with your hands by rolling the bead away from yourself. (Do not use levers to reseat the tire, as you could puncture the tube.) When you get to the valve stem, tuck both sides of the tire bead low into the rim then push upward on the stem to get the tube up inside the tire. Inflate completely, checking that the bead is seated correctly.

Bicycle Maintenance & Servicing

2010-07-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

A clean, well maintained bike is a pleasure to ride. Regular cleaning and maintenance will influence how long components last and help them to function at their optimum.

A clean, well maintained bike is a pleasure to ride. Regular cleaning and maintenance will influence how long components last and help them to function at their optimum. Problems or potential failures can be discovered early and prevented through regular checks.

Cleaning

Cleaning your bike after every ride is not always practical or possible. Assuming regular use, a weekly clean, or after every really mucky ride ensures that dirt and grime never build up. It will take far less time and effort if done regularly. Regardless of what kind of bike you have the principals remain the same. The majority of your efforts should be focused on the drive chain, particularly if you are short on time. Better to do a really spotless job on cleaning just the chain, cassette, chainrings and rear derailleur (jockey wheels) and leave the rest of the bike a bit dirty than to do a quick ‘half job’ on the whole thing. Never re-lubricate the chain whilst it is still dirty. The dirt and grit on the chain will simply combine with lubricant and leave you with a black, filthy mess, which forms an abrasive paste that will wear away at your chain and sprockets at an alarming rate.

Having the correct tools for the job will make it much simpler and the job can be done in a fraction of the time. Invest in a good set of brushes. A wide, soft brush can be used for getting rid of the majority of road muck from the larger surface areas, a stiffer brush is good for working round rims and tyres and smaller brushes for getting into the gaps between components and yourframe. Some brushes are specifically shaped to get into the really hard to reach places, such as the tiny gaps between the sprockets on the cassette. Make sure brushes are good quality and nothing metallic that could scratch your bike.

Using a cleaning product to help break down the grime will make this part of the job easier.
Several relatively inexpensive products are available in a simple to use trigger spray that are safe to use on all parts of the bike. Cleaning the chain itself can be a major chore unless you invest in a chain cleaner and some degreaser. A chain cleaner is a hand held device that fits onto the chain. By back pedalling, the chain is passed through a small bath of degreaser over a series of stiff brushes that clean the chain on all sides. With a few turns of the pedal the job is done effortlessly and the muck from the chain held within the cleaning device and not flicked all over your frame. Water soluble degreasers can be rinsed off with plain water to remove any residue. Any degreaser left behind on the chain after cleaning will begin to break down any new oil that is applied. It is strongly recommended that products such as white spirit, petrol or paraffi n are not used for chain cleaning. ‘Bike specific’ cleaning products are there to help protect the components of the bike. The use of car cleaning products like wash and wax can cause loss of performance to mountain bike disc brake systems and washingup liquid contains powerful cleaning agents that may harm paintwork and some vinyl graphics.

Post cleaning; lubricating and water dispersal

After cleaning your attention should be turned to drying and lubing. A water disperser – such as GT85 - is used to help drive moisture out of components where it could sit and cause harm. These products are generally aerosols to force it into hard to reach areas. Water dispersers are not recommended as lubricant, but they can be used to protect components by wiping over the exterior surfaces. The lubricant on your chain is its only defence from the elements and helps it to
run more smoothly, with no irritating squeaks! Chain lube comes in many different forms. Modern oils are synthetic and often Tefl on based, they are often referred to as a dry lube as they are not sticky to the touch. This stops the chain picking up grit. It also means that the adhesion to the chain is not so good in wet conditions. Wax based lubes fall into a similar category, dry to the touch, clean but not as resistant to water wash-out. When deciding on the correct type of oil to use, a number of factors should be considered, mainly the type of bike, the time of year and the conditions in which the bike is predominantly used. For example road bikes do not require ‘heavy’ oils even in the worst conditions and the cleaner wax or Tefl on based ‘dryer’ formulas are sufficient all year round. A mountain biker will need to choose a different type of oil to cope with mud but will need to consider whether the oil will ‘fling’ which can cause problems with modern disc brake systems. Very little oil goes a long way on a drive train as it is constantly turning and the oil will transfer to each of the components. By only applying fresh oil to a cleaned chain the life of your components can be extended.

General Maintenance

Just like your car, certain components on a bike are prone to everyday wear and tear and need to be changed frequently. Cables will need to be changed to ensure smooth operation when changing gear and braking. Brake pads and tyres will wear out and chains, no matter how well looked after, will only last so many miles. Some of this can be done at home – with the right tools and know how – but if you are in any doubt get your bike probably serviced by the experts. Poorly fitted components are a major cause of costly damage to your bike and put your safety at risk. An understanding of the basics of bike maintenance is an invaluable skill for any cyclist. A number of books are available that offer a great introduction to the fundamentals, combined with a quality tool kit these items will prove to be a valuable investment.

‘On the bike’ tool checklist

Being self-sufficient, especially when you are miles from civilisation can be the difference between a long walk and a short ride. Here is a list of essential tools that every cyclist should take with them no matter how short their journey:

Multi-tool - With a range of Allen keys and screwdrivers
Tyre levers- To remove tyres from the rim to fi x punctures
Mini pump - Many come with frame-fitting brackets
Spare tube - To quickly swap over in the event of a puncture
Patch kit - To repair punctures

Professional servicing

There will be some times when the work must to be carried out by a fully qualified technician who has specialist knowledge, and access to specific tools. There is only so much you can do at home, for best performance and safety seek specialist advice on set up and repair.

Cycling to Work

2010-07-22T00:38:00.000-07:00

Cycling to work is one of the best ways to painlessly incorporate exercise into your daily life and has a number of benefits:

Save time

Riding your bike can help reduce the time you spend commuting as short journeys in most towns are quicker by bike.

Save money

By riding to work you can save money on train & bus passes, fuel and car running costs. Once you’ve made the initial purchase, the cost of running a bike is virtually nil.

Exercise

Riding to work is a great way to incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine. It boosts your amount of exercise without eating into valuable leisure time whilst saving you gym fees. Best of all, cycling is a great way to help lose weight and stay fit.

Have fun!

Cycling to work can change your daily commute from something you dread to something you look forward to. Fresh air, exercise, and the time to look around your environment means that you arrive at your desk invigorated

Choosing a bike

What kind of bike you ride to work on really depends on the length of journey and what kind of bike you feel comfortable with.

An ordinary drop bar race bike is a common choice with committed cyclists and certainly the quickest style of bike for road riding. The most popular style for commuters is the hybrid – it has the skinny tyres and fast rolling wheel of a race bike but flat bars and a more upright position for a clear view of the road and easy handling. A wide spread of gears allows you to cope with any changes in gradient or speed easily – whatever your fitness level.

A mountain bike can be adapted to road commuting with the addition of narrow slick tyres to cut down on rolling resistance, making your on-road riding easier and faster. If your commute involves public transport and you only need to pedal a short distance, a folding bike is a wise move. These can be folded down to carry onto a train, avoiding peak time travel restrictions, they’re also easy to store if you’re tight for space.

What to wear

What you wear depends to a certain extent on how far your journey is and what facilities your employer provides. If you have the luxury of showers and cycle storage at your destination what you wear and what you need to carry is less limited. If you are riding short distances and at a leisurely pace you may feel comfortable wearing your work clothes, particularly if you are going to spend some time on public transport. In wet weather, a set of waterproof trousers and jacket will protect your clothes. Reflective trouser clips are a great idea for keeping clothes out of moving parts and helping drivers see you.

If your journey is twenty minutes or more and you want to pedal a bit harder, then the most practical solution is to wear cycling clothes and change at work. To avoid carrying lots of spare clothes each day, a good idea is to schedule two ‘rest’ days a week when you use some other form of transport.

Bring in clean clothes on a Monday and take home your washing on a Friday. To cycle comfortably and safely, you need properly fitting cycle clothing and, especially in the winter, a good, brightly coloured jacket with reflective patches. Helmets are entirely a personal choice but are recommended.

Rucksacks

If you are commuting you will need to carry more than if you were just out riding. A rucksack is the obvious solution and there are many cycling specific options available. However carrying weight on your back can be uncomfortable for longer trips and affects your sense of balance. The other option is to carry the load on your bike.

Health and Safety

One concern that is often raised by commuter cyclists is pollution. Cyclists are actually exposed to less pollution when cycling than a car driver in traffic, so there is no need to be put off by this worry. However, the best way to protect yourself from fumes is by wearing a face mask which filters out particles from the air. Masks are increasingly common in cities so there is no need to feel self conscious and they are available in a wide range of colours and designs. It is generally agreed that the benefit you receive from additional exercise out weighs the exposure to pollution which is just the same – if not greater – if you are a pedestrian or car driver. Good lights are essential to

make yourself as noticeable as possible. Use several lights on the rear of your bike and think about the angles from which a car approaches you. If you are passing a side road will a car pulling out see you? Make sure your clothing is reflective and put a light on your jacket or rucksack. If all your lights are on your bike, it will be harder to see you if you are separated from it in the unfortunate event of a crash.

Planning your route

Don’t think like a car driver. The best route for a cyclist is unlikely to be the same as if you were in a vehicle. Look for quiet side roads and ways of cutting through parks or residential areas. When you are cycling in traffic, be positive and predictable in your actions so that car drivers can see what you are doing. Indicate clearly, stay off pavements and obey traffic signals. If cyclists want to be respected by other road users, they need to play by the same rules of the road. Stay calm and try and get eye contact with drivers so you know they are aware of you. Be confident and enjoy riding. Your commute may well become the highlight of your working day

The Perfect Pedal Stroke - How to get the most energy from each crank revolution By Loren Mooney

2010-07-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

Pedaling in a simple circle is a complex thing, but mastering it can save energy, says Todd Carver, biomechanist at Colorado's Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. He says that with proper ankling (shown here; not the injury-causing technique of the past), riders can churn out the same amount of power at a heart rate as many as five beats per minute lower. This stroke is for flat terrain at threshold, or time trial, intensity.

Hip-Knee-Ankle Alignment Viewed from the front, your hip, knee and ankle should line up throughout the pedal stroke. "You don't want knee wobble," says Carver. "Just think pistons, straight up and down." If you can't correct this, or if you experience knee pain when you try to restrict lateral movement, you may need orthotics or another type of biomechanical adjustment.
Zone 1 - Known as the power phase, the portion of the pedal stroke from 12 o'clock to about 5 o'clock is the period of greatest muscle activity. "A lot of people think hamstrings are used only on the upstroke," says Carver, "but a good cyclist uses a lot of hamstring in the downstroke, because it extends the hip." The key to accessing the large muscles in the back of your leg is dropping your heel as you come over the top of the stroke, says Carver. "At 12 o'clock, your toes should be pointed down about 20 degrees, but as you come over the top, start dropping that heel so that it's parallel to the ground or even 10 degrees past parallel by the time you get to 3 o'clock." The biggest mistake Carver sees in novice riders: not dropping the heel enough in Zone 1.

Zone 2 - Using the same muscles as in the power phase, but to a lesser degree, this phase acts as a transition to the backstroke. "As you enter Zone 2, think about firing the calf muscles to point your toe," Carver says. As you come through the bottom of the stroke, the toe should be pointed down 20 degrees. "This ankling technique transfers some of the energy developed in Zone 1 by the bigger muscles to the crank," Carver says. He uses the advice popularized by Greg LeMond: "Act like you're scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe."

Zone 3 - Even though you feel like you're pulling your foot through the back of the stroke, you're not. "When you look at even the best cyclists, they're losing power on the upstroke," says Carver. "The pedal is actually pushing your leg up, so the goal is to lose as little power as possible and get that foot out of the way." One fun way to improve the efficiency of your upstroke: mountain biking. "The terrain keeps you honest," Carver says. "If you're focusing only on the downstroke, you'll lose traction and fall off your bike in steep sections." As for other exercises, Carver advises against single-leg pedal drills--"for recreation-level riders, they injure more people than they help"--but recommends hamstring and glute-strengthening lifts, as well as squats, "done correctly, in a squat rack with someone showing you how."

Saddle Position Proper bike fit, especially saddle height and fore-aft adjustment, is a prerequisite for a smooth pedal stroke. Without it, says Carver, you won't be even remotely as efficient as you could be. "If your saddle is too high, you're not going to be able to drive your heel effectively," he says. "If it's too low, you'll have knee pain." In the right position (knee over the ball of your foot with the pedal at 3 o'clock; knee slightly bent with the pedal at 6 o'clock), you'll maximize your energy output and also be able to adapt your ankling technique to different terrain, cadence and effort levels.

Zone 4 - As you enter the second half of the upstroke phase, think about initiating your downstroke. "Many riders don't initiate early enough," says Carver, who often sees riders wait until 3 o'clock--but they should be starting before 12 o'clock. A tip: As you begin to come across the top of the stroke, think about pushing your knee forward, toward the bar. But only your knee, says Carver: "Your pelvis should remain a stable platform, not sinking down and not moving forward

http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/perfect-pedal-stroke

Cannnondale Motobikes - Did you know?

2010-06-19T01:11:00.001-07:00

Bianchi - Cobra

2010-06-19T01:05:00.000-07:00

5 Giro de Italia for Cannondale

2010-06-19T00:57:00.001-07:00

BASSO WINS HIS SECOND GIRO D'ITALIA on a CANNONDALE

2010-05-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

Liquigas-Doimo's Ivan Basso won his second Giro d'Italia on his Cannondale, four years after taking his first. With an easy time trial through Verona, Basso entered the city's Roman Arena, having overcome all obstacles (and there were many).

At the start in Amsterdam, Basso set out to quiet the whispers that if he didn't win this edition, he would never win again. Smart riding in Holland saw team Liquigas pass easily through the first dangerous stages with few incidents. Upon returning to Italy, victory in the team time trail earned Vincenzo Nibali the maglia rosa of race leadership. Nibali would hold the leadership until disaster struck in stage 7.

Rain greeted the riders on the stage which was to feature the strade bianche of Tuscany. Typically, these roads would leave the riders white with dust. Unfortunately, the rain made for a disastrous stage which saw the entire Team Liquigas hit the tarmac before the first sector of muddy gravel. The ensuing chase by Nibali and Basso wasted precious energy in an attempt to limit their losses to a leading group eager to distance themselves from the Liquigas leaders.

Stage 11 caught the overall contenders off guard, as an unlikely large breakaway group was given an equally unlikely large lead. Race hopefuls Bradley Wiggins and Carlos Sastre were given too much of an advantage, leaving many experts placing blame on one team or another, effectively writing off all hope for an overall victory by either Nibali or Basso.

Dominant team performances in the high mountains, including impressive stage victories by both Nibali (stage 14) and Basso (stage 15), saw the team in green chip away at the lead of the early breakaway hopefuls. A determined David Arroyo would be the final race leader to fall, as Basso claimed the maglia rosa for good on the stage to Aprica.

Joined on the final podium by his children Domatilla and Santiago, Basso hoisted the Giro trophy in a triumphant show of redemption and relief, having conquered a Giro of Homeric feats.

Sagan Takes First Pro Win!

2010-03-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

With a decisive sprint, Team Liquigas-Doimo’s twenty-year-old rising talent Peter Sagan took Paris-Nice’s third stage into Aurillac, his first ever professional win. This just the day after narrowly missing out on stage two! With just six kilometers to go, Sagan joined a late breakaway that included Jens Voigt and Alberto Contador. On the final run-in, Sagan outsprinted Joaquim Rodriguez and Nicolas Roche to take an emphatic win. With the win, Sagan now leads the points and best young rider competitions. In addition, he jumps into second place overall just six seconds behind Voigt, while teammate Roman Kreuziger is now in fifth, fourteen seconds back. Peter Sagan and team Liquigas-Doimo races and wins aboard the Cannondale Super Six featuring System Integration.

Cannondale Factory Racing Bike And Fork Technology

2010-03-13T22:55:00.000-08:00

Cannondale's 2010 bikes

2010-03-13T22:51:00.000-08:00

Cannondale Six Carbon - Review (Road Magazine)

Fork of the Future - Cannondale's Simon

2010-03-10T01:53:00.000-08:00

The April Issue of Mtn Bike magazine is their 2010 Buyer's Guide which has some great Cannondale coverage including a feature on Simon...

BSA Hercules India Cyclothon - Mumbai (21st Feb 2010)

2010-02-27T09:26:00.001-08:00

Eddy Merckx at BSA Hercules Cyclothon - Mumbai 21st Feb

2010-02-27T09:20:00.001-08:00

From Left: Karan, Eddy Mercks (The Cannibal), Abhishek Sareen, Dr Raghu (President TI Cycles of India)

Cannondale Six Carbon - Bike of the Year

2010-02-27T02:28:00.000-08:00

Cannondale bikes receive some fantastic coverage in the Road Bike Action Buyers Guide...

2010-02-24T10:54:00.000-08:00

Cannondale Trail SL F4 - Review by MBA (Mountain Bike Action)

2010-02-23T21:43:00.000-08:00

A Simple Bike Delivers Serious Performance -

Our large test bike was spot-on for high-performance trail riding, The F4 is a lively pedaler for lots of reasons 1)It is a mix of performance and comfort that delivers instant acceleration whether you spin or torque the cranks, and it doesn't beat the rider with a traditional rough aluminum ride 2) The F4 walks the narrow line between the two extremes and delivers cornering performance that both accomplished riders and beginners will enjoy 3) The F4 is responsive enough to works its way around obstacles and instills confidence needed to go airborne for smoothing the trail 4) The F4 is the best argument for keeping it simple, shutting up and riding

Try to finish a ride on the F4 without a smile on your face, we dare you