2009 July | Cyclingbikes.info

July 30, 2009

How To Avoid Repetitive Strain Injuries on Your Mountain Bike

Filed under: Specialized Bikes — Tags: cycling, injuries, Mountain biking, pain, strain — admin @ 6:38 am

Mountain Biking and indeed cycling in general is one of the most popular sports in the world. In can be used both as part of a fitness regime, commuting to work, in competitive sports, or just as a bit of fun. However, anyone who has ridden their bike for any great length of time or at high intensity will be only too aware that pains and strains can creep in if you are not careful. Below are details of three very common cycling complaints and advice on how to avoid suffering them yourself.

Wrist Problems. The large and aggressive forces that are generated when riding over large bumps on uneven terrain often find their way to the cyclist’s writs by traveling directly up the bike forks. What’s more, as your upper body weight is usually pushing down on your wrists, they can often be put under a lot of strain and become inflamed or injured.Having quality suspension on the front forks of the bike will reduce a lot of the pressure, or if you cannot have suspension, make sure the forks have shock absorbing qualities like you find on the Trek Madone.

Pain In The Backside. This problem can range from a mild discomfort to full blown muscle inflammation and damage, and is often seen in long distance riders. It is in every rider’s interest to address backside problems as soon as they can quickly become quite serious and even lead to problems with fertility. Buying a decent bike saddle is the number one thing to do and you should test ride one for a good few miles before you buy one. You can also purchase protective cycle clothing such as padded shorts which act to dampen the effect of harmful pressure.

Knee Problems. Another common complaint among riders is knee injuries, inflammation and general soreness. Your riding position and bike set up does influence the amount of strain on the knees, but more often than not the quality of the bike contributes quite a lot. Try making sure all your bike components have shock-absorbing qualities, such as Pinarello frames which reduce the amount of force transferred through the knee joint.

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July 18, 2009

Which Type of Bike do you use to get to work?

Filed under: Specialized Bikes — Tags: cycle clothing, cycles, cycling, Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes — admin @ 10:38 pm

We’ve seen them all, the wide array of different cyclists on their morning commute. All wearing different cycle clothing, from suits to lycra. All riding different types of bikes ranging from streamlined road bikes to slow and steady granny bikes.

Obviously the choice that people make as to which type of bike to ride is based upon what they are going to use it for. A number of things affect your choice of bike, what things you need to take with you, how far you’re going, will they have showers at the office.

Most likely many people think that they have made the right decision when it comes to making the morning commute. But have they really? Would it work out faster for a granny bike to get to work over a fixed gear bike? You would instantly think now, however, I think I can prove you wrong.

If you take 4 different cyclists and see how long it takes them to get from their homes to work. If we pick out 2 lycra wearing cyclists and place one on a road bike and the other on a fixed gear bike. Then pick up your other 2 cyclists, one on a granny bike, then other on a mountain bike.

Of course a large number of people will think that the fixed gear and the road bike will shoot off and beat the others by miles. This is true, however, they haven’t won the race yet. When these 2 get to their work, they are basically a waterfall of sweat. So for them, you have to add on the time for a shower onto their travel time.

For the other 2, the mountain biker did get there quite quickly, however, still a little sticky, a shower might be required. Finally, the granny bike, it may have come last, however, the relaxed ride is sweat free. No need to have a shower, the rider simply walks into work.

So once you factor in all the amount of time taken for each cyclist to get to their work, and then add on any extra time to recover from the cycle. The granny bike takes the victory at a steady speed. It really does show that slow and steady will win the race.

Next time you get ready for the commute, take a moment to think about the fastest way to get there.

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July 11, 2009

Types Of MTB Front Suspension Available to Purchase

Filed under: Specialized Bikes — Tags: forks, mountain bike forks, mtb forks, suspension forks — admin @ 12:29 pm

The Range Of Mountain Bike Forks On The Market

The front forks of bikes have changed significantly since the introduction of the mountain bike. Suddenly a requirement arose for cushioning the impact of rocky terrain. A need that simply hadn’t been there previously.

Commonly on mountain bikes these days you will usually find that the front forks have a built in set of shock absorbers, with the blades being made from upper and lower extendable cylinders, called ‘legs’. These telescopic tubes allow the impact of the rocky terrain under the tyres to be reduced, which will make the bike much easier to ride in rough conditions.

The characteristics for MTB Forks can vary greatly, with the suspension travel and handling style tailored to a specific style of riding. For example, the XC rider will need a different setup to a downhill mountain bike rider, who will have a different setup again to a freeride mountain bike rider. Cross country bikes will not require as much suspension travel, normally near eighty to one hundred millimeters and will be made from lighter material when compared to the suspension used on a DH mountain bike. This is basically as they don’t get as much punishment as they might in other situations.

When suspension was first introduced onto mountain bikes, a travel distance of the 80 to 100 mm was the form. Now though, downhill forks offer typically around 150 to 200 millimetres of travel. There are some DH MTB forks though which can offer anywhere up to 300 millimetres of travel for the most extreme conditions!

Some mountain bike suspension forks may also enable the rider to adjust the suspension travel to suit particular sections of terrain. A higher travel for downhill and extreme sections, and less travel for the not so extreme XC or up hill sections. The rider may even want to completely eliminate suspension movement all together which would be an advantage on a smooth concrete road for example. This lockout ability may even be used externally from the handle bars using a trigger.

Whatever the style of riding you do, it pays to choose your MTB front suspension forks carefully as when you choose correctly you will benefit from a massive performance advantage.

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The Mental Health Benefits of Cycling

Filed under: Specialized Bikes — Tags: bikes, cycling, depression, exercise, sports — admin @ 12:12 pm

Most people learn to ride a bike at a young age and never forget how to do it, as the saying goes. It is one of the most popular sports in the world and this is largely down to the fact there are styles and intensities to suit all types. Incredibly, there is also strong evidence to suggest that cycling is a very effective way of reducing the symptoms of depression and get you back on your feet again. But why is it considered to be such a healing sport?

Outdoors. To start with, cycling is more often than not an outdoor activity. Staying indoors when you are low is one of the worst things you can do as you end up feeling trapped and confined, so finding some space is advised. Further more, you breathe in fresh air and see some wonderful surroundings on bike rides, which all helps to perk you up a bit. Bikes are also a great deal easier to transport than other outdoor equipment like surfboards or used kayaks.

Feeling better on the outside. Many different things can cause depression, but it tends to lead into a downward spiral. People tend to either comfort eat or neglect their appearance when suffering from depression and this usually makes things worse. Cycling is a great aerobic sport that works to burn off fat and get you looking slimmer. As people start to feel happier with the way they look, their confidence returns and they start to feel better generally.

Endophines. Cycling is one of those exercises that when performed, causes the brain to release endorphins into the blood stream, which are hormone that makes you feel happy. These endorphins enhance your senses, give you more energy and make you feel happier. It is no wonder then that exercise is considered one of the most effective ways of beating depression. So if you’re feeling a bit low, get some second hand bikes and go for a ride with a friend or partner

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July 1, 2009

Three Easy Ways To Enjoy The Outdoors

Filed under: Specialized Bikes — Tags: kayaking, Mountain biking, outdoors, recreation, sport, surfing — admin @ 7:10 am

It’s a sad fact but people are enjoying the outside less and less these days. TV and computers have taken over a lot of people lives and this is having dramatic medical implications all across the country. One of the most effective ways of getting to enjoy the outdoors again and understanding how good it can make you feel, is sport. So which sports are those that can get the blood pumping and get you in touch with nature best?

Mountain biking. Most people learn to ride a bike at a young age and biking just gets better as you get older. You can pick up great second hand bikes these days for next to nothing and you can look up good cycle routes on the internet very easily. Additionally, biking is one of those sports that is accessible to all ages and abilities as you can go as fast or as slow as you like

Kayaking. If solid ground is a little too mundane for you then one brilliant water-based sport you might like to try is kayaking. Like mountain bikes there are plenty of good used kayaks you can buy and all you need other than that is an oar and a life jacket. It is advisable to go out with a professional first so that you can learn the ropes but once you’ve got it there will be no stopping you.

Surfing. If you’ve managed to stay dry in the kayak and fancy getting your hair wet then why not find some friends, grab a number of surfboards and hit the beach. If you begin by just trying to surf on your tummy you’ll pick it up quite quickly, after which time you can progress onto standing. Surfing is one of those sports that is very addictive so be prepared for wrinkly fingers

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