2010 Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn in action during a race. photo nbcsports.msnbc.com
Cycling is Ski Training
Anyone who has ever skied can tell you it takes a great deal of coordination, strength and balance to do it well and the same is true for cycling. The legendary cyclist Greg LeMond used to spend his winter months in Minnesota on Nordic skis to stay in great shape for the Tour de France. Many other cyclists then and now have used skiing, Nordic especially, as a great cross-training sport to keep them fit over the winter. It should come as no surprise then that great skiers benefit from cycling as their cross-training sport. Read more…
“Perfect winter weather is a great caffeine, while perfect summer weather is the best sedative.” ~Amethyst Snow-Rivers
Winter still has a grip on much of the country. Last Friday, 49 states out of 50 had at least a dusting of snow. To paraphrase the poet Longfellow: “The best thing one can do when it’s snowing is to let it snow.” So enjoy your snow day! If you have a mountain bike, take it out on a snowy trail and have fun!
I always enjoy reading and learning about cycling in cities across the globe, thanks to the ever increasing network of ‘Cycle Chic’ and cycling related blog spots. I live in Glasgow, Scotland which to many may not conjure up an image of style and is a place often overlooked by Edinburgh. However, the city is branded as ‘Scotland with Style’ and as a cyclist who uses a bicycle to commute to and from work, I have noticed that there has been an increase in stylish cyclists in the city. Glasgow can now even be found on the ‘Cycle Chic’ map and photos of cyclists who ride in style are added regularly. Read more…
A couple of weeks ago we reported on the Patagonia Adventure Race. Today the official results came in from the Patagonia Adventure Race Face Book Page: This is official
1.Hansen-Prunesco UK ~126 hrs. and 8 minutes
2.Air Europa Bimont España ~142 hrs. and 46 minutes
Gear Junkie (comprised of mostly Yoga Slackers) is the team that our girl Chelsey Gribbon was on. She did well from all accounts despite having gone through some health issues just prior to the race beginning. Just another reason she is so inspiring. Way to go Chelsey!
And by the way, Chelsey and gang are working on Yoga specifically for cyclists! Here is a little taste of what is in the works in a video of Chelsey doing some Acro-Yoga.
“I read a book about this less than a year ago. I thought, it just sounds exciting. I thought I could just read about this or I could do it… feel it.” –Lorie Hutchison
It’s probably understating it to say that Lorie Hutchison likes to have a big challenge. She is a veteran of many long-distance endurance races, including the 135-mile Badwater Marathon which goes through the blisteringly hot Death Valley. However, she’d now been there, done that, and was up for a new test of her endurance.
A New Challenge
Lorie was intrigued after she read about the Iditarod Trail Invitational, the world’s longest winter endurance race, which goes across the frozen and remote interior of Alaska The race allows only 50 racers who will complete the race on snow bikes, starting 10 days ahead of the dogsleds. Most of those snow bikers will travel the 350 mile route between Knik Lake and McGrath—a tiny handful might ride all the way to Nome, which would be 1100 miles, a feat of epic proportions. Read more…
There are still a few days to get your special valentine a gift. We have found a dozen ideas for those of you that have a bicycle lover in your life. As our Valentine to you, we will give away a bicycle t-shirt (size medium, no exchanges) made by Marushka Handprints to one a random reader (before February 22,2010) who leaves comment on this post.
Win this T-shirt by leaving a comment on this post by February 22, 2010. (Size Medium only)
12 Cycling Valentine Gifts
$18.00 ~ We hand printed this beautiful tandem on a super soft 100% cotton cranberry red American Apparel t-shirt. Available in XS, S, M, L and XL.
$69.00 ~ This is a 4″x16″x12″ floating shelf with aluminum umbrella/bicycle hook. I just thought this was a great idea. The shelves are strong enough to hold my bike. The shelf is made from Baltic Birch Plywood and finished with Danish oil. It is available in natural, Medium Walnut, or Dark Walnut.
Many guys I know who wear bib shorts instead of regular cycling shorts swear that once you try the bib shorts, you’ll never go back to just shorts again. They say they like them because bibs are much more comfortable than regular shorts, they like how they stay in place and the chamois doesn’t shift and there is less chaffing. Let’s face it; if you ride behind a guy with shorts that are sagging down in the back, well, you know another good reason for bibs.
I had been curious enough about whether I would like them, so I talked to Alison Littlefield, a former bike racer and now co-owner of Contender Bicycles. I knew she preferred bibs and it was because of her recommendation that I finally bought my first bib shorts (which, by the way, I really like!)
These are the reasons that women ought to check out the latest women’s specific bib shorts:
As I walked the floor of the 2010 Winter Outdoor Retailers show last month, I was thrilled about a few items that are coming this fall. The following are a few of the products that we can expect to see in the coming year. I will focus on one company at a time for the next several days. This is part 4
Timex® Ironman® Global Trainer™ Bodylink® System
The creme de la creme of HRM!
This all-in-one wrist device is designed for elite performance, The Global Trainer is technologically advanced for modern athletes.Timex knows that today’s athlete is not married to one sport. You can train for just about any sport including cycling, as this will keep track of your cadence and comes with a mount for bike.
A few years ago, when I was in my mostly-running-era, I was introduced to a guy who was an avid cyclist. He knew I was training for the Boston Marathon and we discussed my summer triathlons as well. He asked if I used a heart rate monitor. I told him I just used a wristband GPS. He remarked, “I don’t know what it is with you runners, you are really missing out on a basic training tool by not using a heart rate monitor.”
On a bike you have so much time and you can’t carry so much stuff. Life immediately gets simple. After getting a taste of how simple and free life can be, it made me want to ditch the car altogether! By now I know that transitions are hard, and my immediate reaction to the car is normal. I know that it is a necessity at times, but this trip has made me see how amazing bikes are and how accessible they are. With the right gear and time frame, you can accomplish so much with your legs and two wheels.” (Chelsey Gribbon, July 16, 2009—after spending over a month mountain biking and putting on yoga workshops in Colorado)
She may be little, but she is pure dynamite. Photo by Ron Steinau
Chelsey Gribbon is headed to Patagonia to take part in an extreme adventure race at “the end of the world.” The Wenger Patagonia Expedition Race will pit various 4-person co-ed teams against each other as they cross bodies of water by sea kayak, ride over terrain without a trail on mountain bikes, and trek over and through the glacier-covered Darwin Mountain range. At times they will follow guanaco tracks, make their way through peat bogs and swampy forests, wade through ice-cold rivers up to their waists in some of the most remote and wild country on earth. It is Chelsey’s second international race and this race is quite different terrain from her first international adventure race in the desert and seas of Abu Dhabi.
$18.00 ~ We hand printed
