Cycling is a physically demanding sport that requires optimal performance and a quick recovery to excel. In recent years, compression socks have gained popularity among cyclists due to their purported benefits in enhancing performance and aiding recovery. Several efforts, including appropriate gear, go into preventing horrific crashes in pro cycling.
Designed to exert graduated pressure on the lower legs, compression socks are believed to improve blood flow, reduce sore muscles, and minimize the risk of injuries.
Before exploring where to buy compression socks for cycling, let’s check out how it works. So, this post will …
Most people don’t think of athletes as smokers. In fact, professional athletes are encouraged to avoid engaging in this habit.
However, experts say that vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking. Because vaping is such a new phenomenon, the majority of the hazards are unclear.
So, what effects does vaping have on one’s athletic performance? Let’s find out.
Vaping’s Beneficial Effects on Athletic Efficiency
According to some researchers, vaping is around 95% less dangerous than smoking cigarettes. Furthermore, several researchers have suggested that vaping has a good impact on athletic performance. The following are some of the benefits of vaping on athletic performance.
Improved Cardiovascular Function
Any athlete who wishes to vape should exercise prudence. However, when used correctly, vaping can help an athlete improve their cardio efficiency. Vaping is thought to boost an athlete’s capacity to run greater distances.
In …
For pro cyclists, aerodynamics is the cheat code to winning races. Aero bikes, wheels, helmets, and even aero bike computers have all been invented to help pro-cyclists.
Does this aero cheat code work? Does aerodynamics affect the speed of a bike? These are some of the questions many people ask, and this piece will help you understand the basics of aerodynamics.
What is Aerodynamics?
When riding a bike, you try to pierce through the air, but the air is putting up a fight. This is what is called air resistance. It is the force a cyclist fights against to achieve the desired speed.
As cyclists reach over 30 mph, they fight to overcome the resistance and, in the process, encounter a drag which is known as the aerodynamic drag.
Aerodynamics, therefore, is the study of the properties of moving air and the interaction with solid objects pushing through it.
As cyclists ride the bike, the body interacts with two types of drags as it moves through the air.
Types of …
When you are new to cycling, the riding feels more like a task than a fun adventure. Trying to coordinate movements, avoid obstacles, and follow traffic rules make cycling for new riders less entertaining.
If you are a new rider, follow these tips, and you can enjoy riding as you intended to when you learned how to ride a bike.
Ensure the seat height is right for you. The height seat is an excellent factor in cycling. It also prevents injuries.
In the early stages, do not worry about the fancy or pro-gear. A helmet is enough.
Make sure your bike is fit for your height. If the bike is not fit for you, your riding experience will be painful. Ensure the seat height and the reach of the handlebar are the right fit. Seat height should allow a slight bend of the knee, and the handlebar reach should form a 45-degree angle of your arms.
Keep your bike is well maintained. Ensure that you perform routine essential maintenance such as lubricating chains.
At the beginning of your riding …
A common myth is that you can forget about riding a bike as an adult if you don’t learn this skill as a kid. Many people believe that it is almost impossible to learn how to ride a bike as an adult.
Marilyn Northcotte from new Zealand busts this myth with her teaching program. She has taught adults as old as 69 years master how to ride a bike.
So How Do You Learn to Ride as an Adult?
Learning as an adult is not any different from learning as a child. The steps are all the same. All you need is a bike and a wide-open space. Then follow the following steps;
Set up your bike. Stand over the bike and ensure the top tube does not press into you.
Practice getting on and off the bike. Lean the bike towards you while applying the brakes to mount.
Practice your braking. Push your bike down and practice applying the brakes.
Practice gliding. Mount on the bike and scoot on the bike to practice balancing and gliding with both feet off the ground.
…
During the Tour of Poland, a collision between Dylan Groenewegen and Fabio Jakobsen left the latter with critical injuries that required an emergency medical airlift. The collision took place during the final sprint and ended with Jakobsen hitting the metal barriers at 50mph.
This crush started a debate that led to a change in UCI rules. The bunch sprint is one of the most hectic stages of pro cycling. The race to the finish line at approximately 50 mph puts the racers with marginal room for error. The slightest bumps of tires cause a wipe down of the racers.
UCI enacted some rules to avoid such catastrophic crushes. For example, racers are forbidden from changing lanes once they launch a sprint. Racers are also not allowed to deviate from lanes that obstruct other riders, pull jerseys or saddles of other riders, intimidate or threaten another rider, kick, blow another rider’s head, elbow, knee, hand, or shoulder.
The New Rules
In February, the UCI introduced new rules to guide riders to a safe …
On September 19, Christopher Blevins became the first American to win a world cup cross country elite men’s race since Tinker Juarez in 1994. It was a celebration galore for the trinity racing team in snowshoe for this historic win that was hard to come by for over 20 years.
The 23-year-old propelled himself to the finish line after attacking the last climb of the Olympic country course overtaking Nino Schurter, a 9-time world champion. Vlad Dascalu came in second, with Ondrej Cink from the Czech finishing third. A flat front tire held Schurter to a fourth-place finish.
Belvins is also the current world champion in the short track racing after winning the August 26th UCI Mountain Bike World Championships race at Val di Sole, Italy. The Snowshoe short track race was a little challenging for Blevins after finishing fourth three seconds behind Victor Koretzky, who won the race.
Belvins is a product of the Durango Devo youth cycling development program. Although this program is not specific to racing, it has …
There are many cycling events held in America throughout the year. Unfortunately, the events of the past year and current events were affected by the pandemic, and racers could not enjoy cycling as much as they would wish.
Things are slowly coming back to normal, and borders are opening, which means pro-criterium racers can chase the American events. One such event that crit racers are looking forward to is The Tour Somerville.
The Tour of Somerville, also known as the Kentucky Derby of Cycling, is one of the few classic racing events. Many crit events have slowly faded away, and the Corona pandemic had threatened to erase the Kentucky Derby. However, the Somerville tour has been held on to date.
This year’s event was held on the Labor day weekend between September 4th and Monday 6th.
The History
The Tour of Somerville began in 1940 and has been held 77 times ever since. The race started as a small carnival cycling event for the local community. This changed during the 70s when cycling gained …
A bicycle is made of many parts, and bolts help to hold the parts together. However, all bolts are not all the same, and they can differ in size and type.
When a bolt becomes loose, a hex wrench or a Torx wrench should come in handy to tighten the bolt. You rarely need to replace a bolt unless it falls off or wears off due to frequent adjustments, especially with the wrong tools.
Below are a few types of bolts on your bike, their location, purpose, and the right tool used to tighten them.
1. Brake Bolt
This bolt is found above the wheels on the rear brake bridge and top of the front fork. It is used to attach the braking system to the front fork and braking bridge and can be tightened by a 5mm hex or tox wrench.
2. Faceplate Hex Bolt
Located at the front faceplate, this bolt is used to secure the handlebar to the stem. It is tightened by a hex wrench 4 or 5 mm.
3. Top Cap Adjusting Bolt
This bolt is located on top of the…
The bike chain is one of the components of a bike that needs replacing more regularly. This is because it undergoes a lot of movement and stress, making it wear out faster.
Over time, the internal bushings of the chain links slowly lengthen as they wear out. This loosens the chain, putting a lot of pressure on the cassette cogs and the chain teeth. This chain of events causes the bike chain to wear faster. To avoid wearing out your chain system, replace the chain every 2000 kilometers. However, the frequency of replacement depends on the rider’s riding style.
How to Fix Your Bike Chain
Find the proper chain. Make sure that you purchase the correct width of the bike chain.
Find the right tools. You will need to have chain replacement tools. This includes the chain breaker or chain master link pliers. A universal chain tool is also a great tool to have for your chain replacement toolbox.
Use master link pliers to undo the master link chain type. Use the chain breaker to undo the …