edafe.org » fitness

Bicycle weight and commuting time: randomised trial

edafe — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:11:13 +0000

“Evidence based cycling is not high on the bicycle salesman’s agenda. No one will tell you how much more efficient one bicycle is over another; they just say it is better.” Steel or carbon? Jeremy Groves buys a new bike in the hope of saving up to five minutes on his daily commute…
www.bmj.com
With thanks to Lutz Meißner.

How to ride a bike forever

edafe — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:03:52 +0000

The following article by Grant Peterson was first published in the 1994 Bridgestone Bicycle Catalogue.

Ride when you like

Don’t ride out of guilt over last night’s meal. Don’t be a slave to your bike, or else you’ll resent it, and feel guilty whenever you think about it or look at it. Soon you’ll be avoiding it altogether. If all your rides are like a swimmer’s workout, you’ll burn out on bikes as fast as swimmers burn out on laps. Ride when you want to ride.

Go slowly

Don’t push yourself too hard, physically or mentally. Don’t ride with racers or obsessive aerobicizers. (If you’re a racer, don’t race with riders, let them be.) Learn to relax on your bike. Of course your bike can be a tremendous tool to build cardiovascular fitness, but why let that get in the way? Unless you race, you can rely on something else, like running, to get fit and lose weight. Running is more efficient for this anyway.

Go short

A ten-minute ride is always worth it, even though it won’t elevate your heart rate to your ‘target training level’ and keep it there for twelve minutes. (Or is it supposed to be eleven? Or fourteen?)

Don’t keep track

If you never use an on-board computer or a heart rate monitor, you can ride with us any time. Avoid ‘logs’. Forget the graphs and the home computer programs. Keep your bicycle free of extraneous wires and LEDs. You don’t need them.

Own more than one bike

This is not a commercial message! Runners have learned that nothing improves a run as much as a new pair of shoes, or shorts, or socks, or something. Bikes, unfortunately, cost a lot more, but the effect is the same. Make your bicycles so different that your experience on one is unlike the other—a mountain bike and a road bike, a multispeed and an single speed, or a clunker, or a recumbent. For some people, even different handlebars are enough of a change, It’s worth a try.

Learn how to fix your bike

Learn to fix a flat. Learn how to install a wheel. Learn how to adjust derailleurs. It’s all easy, and you’ll never feel at ease on a bike if you’re at its mercy. Being able to fix your bike will give you enormous confidence and satisfaction, not to mention self-sufficiency.

Don’t chase technology

You will never catch it, and if you pursue it year after year it will break your wallet in half. Some wonderful things have happened to bicycles in the last fifteen years, but so have a lot of dumb things. You don’t need a fancy machine with the latest equipment to enjoy something that is so joyous and simple. A simple, reliable bike will do.
www.sheldonbrown.com

Moment designs

edafe — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:28:51 +0000

“Even though they are serious competitors I try to make this feel like you are watching a local buddies video.”
Andrew Tonkery
vimeo.com

Bike commuting: a better way to travel

edafe — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:29:06 +0000

“Nothing has enhanced my life as much as the decision to start bike commuting. I’ve stopped smoking, I don’t drink any more, and I’m always outdoors. I’m saving money, I feel all self-righteous about not polluting, and I can eat plenty without worrying about getting fat. And I arrive at just about any city destination faster than if I’d driven.” Paul Dorn enjoys his ride.
www.runmuki.com

Make your bike time count

edafe — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:01:34 +0000

“Simply riding your bike will help improve your fitness and your handling skills, but there are training techniques you can adopt to make sure you get a decent workout.” Joe Beer with a few tips on how to spend your time in the saddle more effectively.
www.bikeradar.com

Metabolic fatigue

edafe — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 10:53:07 +0000

“Every cyclist loves to eat, and half of the fun of cycling is in having a built-in excuse to eat in large quantities.” Yesterday I “bonked big-time” for not having eaten enough. Stephen Cheung explains the factors that come into play.
www.pezcyclingnews.com

Secrets of pedaling

edafe — Tue, 30 May 2006 07:23:42 +0000

“Pro cyclists pedal differently from ordinary mortals. When you’re on the road, you can always tell the well-trained cyclists by the way they pedal.” Brief guide to pedaling more effectively.
www.cyclingreviews.com

Life expectancy

edafe — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 19:07:14 +0000

Fact: A regular London cyclist enjoys a longer life expectancy than a Londoner who takes no exercise.

Compact cranks and gearing

edafe — Wed, 21 Jul 2004 09:15:37 +0000

“Human power output is a bit like a modern high performance engine, but with tiny amounts of power.” Simon Butterworth discusses the pros and cons of different types of cranks and gearing ratios.
www.slowtwitch.com