Calves Stretch
Calves test. (Kyle T. Webster)The Test Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Raise your toes while keeping your heels grounded. If you can’t get your foot past 90 degrees, use the stretch at...
View ArticleBest Stretches for Cycling
Promo Title: 6 Essential Stretches for Cyclists Short Title: Cycling Stretches Pre Title: Cycling Stretches The more flexible you are, the faster you can go, with less effort. Take our test to gauge...
View ArticleFind Your Fighting Weight
You probably know at least one person who spent hundreds of dollars to shave a few grams off his bike—and would have been better served shedding pounds from his own frame. That’s because one of the...
View ArticleRiding in the Wind
HEADWINDBlows opposite the direction you’re moving; you’ll feel like you’re working extra hard and getting nowhere.If you're alone: Make your body small, elbows in, hands in the drops, head in line...
View ArticleRide Out of Winter
With the darkest days of winter behind us, and early-season events approaching, that spring feeling is in the air. But you wouldn’t know it from looking at the roads, where the salt, dirt, and debris...
View ArticlePersonal Trainer: Meet James Herrera
I’m pretty certain I fell in love for the first time on a bike. The power of self-propulsion, confidence, freedom, and camaraderie were things that helped to build the foundations of my adult life....
View ArticleTrick the Trainer
If you were asked to visualize the perfect ride, you probably wouldn’t describe squirming atop a stationary trainer, trapped indoors on a winter day. The perfect ride would take place outside, perhaps...
View ArticleOverload
To get stronger and faster you need to gradually increase the demands you place on your body by riding longer, harder, or more often. For example, if you’re used to riding anywhere from three to five...
View ArticleTrain In Cycles
To get stronger and faster you need to gradually increase the demands you place on your body by riding longer, harder, or more often. For example, if you’re used to riding anywhere from three to five...
View ArticleChoose Intensity Over Volume
If you always ride long and slow you’ll never get out of first gear when it counts. To supercharge your engine, incorporate intervals into your rides at various effort levels. Work up to a minimum of...
View ArticleRest as Hard as You Ride
Training adaptations take place while you’re off the bike, so allow for recovery. Your weekly volume should be somewhat challenging without leaving you flat on your face at the end of a week. A single...
View ArticleBe Consistent
Doing three or four short weekday rides with intervals plus longer, more moderate rides on Saturday and Sunday is more effective than saving all of your training for the weekend. You’ll teach your...
View ArticleTrack Your Progress
Keep a training journal or use an online tool such as Strava or Training Peaks to record the length, intensity, and frequency of your rides. Every four to six weeks, do a field test: Find your...
View ArticleBuild Your GearBox
To get faster, work these types of riding into your repertoire:Recovery Low heart rate; moderate cadence (80–90 rpm); effort level 1 to 3 (out of 10, your hardest). Forty-five to 75 minutes Cruising...
View ArticleCore Values
tr,.tr,td,.td{padding:8px 0; !important; margin:0 4px !important;border:4px solid #FFF !important;} You probably know that a strong core is key to riding better. But you may be surprised that there’s...
View ArticleBe Your Own Coach
Short Title: Coach Yourself Pre Title: Cycling Coach Training basics for cyclists of all levels Whether you browse fitness websites or the sports aisle at your local Barnes & Noble, you’ll find a...
View ArticleYour Pre-Race Warm-Up
To perform your best in events such as time trials, criteriums, or cyclocross and mountain bike races, a warm-up is critical. These types of races start off like a rocket, so your body needs to be able...
View ArticleRide Your Best Fondo Ever
STUDY THE COURSE Fondos are designed to be scenic, which means they’re usually somewhat remote. Course signage can be easy to miss, so have a plan if you get lost. Bring a GPS, plus a course map,...
View Article3 Simple Ways to Climb Better
One of the best climbers in the United States, Marti Shea, says she discovered her affinity for going uphill during her first bike trip out West, for an event called the Bicycle Tour of Colorado. “I...
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