Outdoor cycling

C

Cid

Cathlete
My husband was once really into cycling and now has a renewed interest in it (yea! some exercise for him!). He wants me to ride with him, and I'm interested in taking up another activity for fun, cross-training, protecting knees (a popular subject lately here at the forums!), and to be with DH. He's getting both of us the bikes, shoes, etc., and we're planning on biking the Seattle to Portland next year. I guess I'd like any advice on products, training, and what I should expect as a Cathe Addict. I'm a total novice at this, but I'm excited about taking this up.
Thanks,
CinDee
 
Hi CinDee,
I love bike riding. I find it is a great cross trainer. I ride my bike to work about once a week which is 20 miles round trip. My DH also rides with me sometimes. On Sunday we are doing the St. Paul Classic. It is 31 miles and a lot of fun. I feel that being a Cathe Addict has helped me a lot to be able to keep up with my DH. Have fun.

Joanne
 
DH thinks I'll leave him in the dust because of Cathe...we'll see! If you have any advice for me, I'd love it!
CinDee
 
Hi CinDee,
That's really great that you two are doing that together. I am an avid mountain biker and I tell ya, there's NOTHING better than tooling through a forest full of fall foliage. It's awesome!

I used to road bike. One specific product that I always liked is the Camelback, which made getting water so much easier. I used to drop my bottles alot or lose them altogether so the Camelback was a lifesaver.
Also make sure you or DH can change a flat tire. Two things are a certainty in biking: one is that the wind is ALWAYS in your face, lol!, and two is that you WILL get a flat sometime, somewhere. Make sure you carry a toolkit with patches and some essentials like hex drivers and levers. Also find some good bike shorts.
As for training, make sure you can actually ride the distance you want to cover. It sounds silly I know but alot of people will train for an event, like running a race or biking, and never actually cover the required distance at least a few times during training. Cathe is really great, no doubt, but if you are training to bike ride, then you gotta bike ride in training. In my mind, there is nothing better than intervals or hill work. The bursts of high intensity get your heart used to the changing speeds and pedal rates you'll encounter on your ride.
Have fun!
 
Cindee, you're in for lots of fun & some discomfort! Back to back centuries is quite a challenge.

Regarding the STP, make your lodging plans asap unless sleeping in a gym with hundreds of strangers appeals to you! There are several good books on endurance cycling, pick one up. A sports nutrition book will also be invaluable. Ellen Coleman's older book or Nancy Clark's are both great.

Your profile doesn't say where you live but I'm guessing the Pacific Northwest. Which means you'll have weather constraints this winter when you should be establishing a good endurance base. So you'll need to do some indoor cycling - spin classes or a trainer at home - unless you're part water fowl. Winter & early spring is when you should do your heavy weight training before your weekly mileage climbs in the spring. I like training plans that build mileage up over 3 weeks and then back off for recovery. So hard, harder, hardest, easy. Repeat.

You mentioned knees. The key to happy knees is to learn your gears & build mileage slowly.

I've ridden several centuries & can tell you most riders fail to incorporate enough hill training in their workouts. If the STP organizers still offer workshops, be sure to attend one. Ride in as many organized events as you can next spring.

I want to repeat: build mileage slowly. And core work can be your secret weapon.

Debra
 
I hope you'll have great experiences out on the road. Here are a few tips that come to mind to share:

1) ALWAYS wear a helmet! No matter how experienced a rider you are, there are always things beyond your control (squirrels, dogs, drunk drivers, etc.) Adjust your helmet (v-split in the straps right next to your earlobe) and wear it properly (front only about a finger's width from your eyebrow, protecting your forehead; straps snug to your chin).

I also recommend gloves, so that if you do go down, you don't lose your skin.

2) For your knees: Make sure you have a professional bike shop fit your bike to you. If you have any knee pain at all, be sure to note where the pain is (i.e. inner/outer knee, high/low), so they'll know which way to move your saddle (forward/back/up/down). If you're going to ride STP, you'll turn your pedals millions of times, and a well-fit bike will reduce your risk of repetitive stress injury. Note: If you play around with fit yourself, remember to make changes in tiny increments (millimeters, not inches!).

Increase your mileage 10% per week. Even if you do have the right fit, doing too much too fast, will cause discomfort/pain.

Learn to "spin" in an easier gear. Novices often push so big a gear that they pedal slowly & fatigue quickly. Cyclists should pedal 85-100 rpm. To increase your "spin," shift into an easier gear, so you're not "mashing" your pedals. Spinning is easier on the knees, especially important when you think of all the millions of times you're going to turn your pedals.

3) Bikes fare best when they act as vehicles. Follow the same rules you do when you drive (stop at red lights, ride on the same side as the street as you'd drive, signal your intentions).

4) Visibility is key. Ride where a car's right tires would be. Drivers are looking for wide vehicles (i.e. other cars), not slender vehicles (bikes). Ride where drivers are looking for vehicles, not in the gutter. Wear bright colors (e.g. flourescent firetruck yellow).

5) If you get clipless pedals--and I highly recommend them (more efficient transfer of your power means you'll instantly ride faster)--be sure you have cleats that are compatible (same manufacturer) with your pedals for easy clipping in & out. When you get your pedals, before you even leave the house, lean against a wall and clip in & out with each foot a dozen times, so the motion becomes more automatic. You can set the pedals' amount of tension required for release. I always set mine on the easiest setting, and I've never had problems coming unclipped from my Look or Shimano pedals. In fact, they're WAY easier (quicker/safer) to get out of than the pedal cages that come on many bikes. I've crashed & never even had to think about my feet, yet my feet came unclipped--like magic. When you first use your new pedals, you'll fall over. Don't be embarrassed! It's normal, everyone does it once or twice, and you'll get the hang of it quickly. (My fall-over was at the end of a 30-mile ride in the country. By the time I got back to town, I had forgotten all about my new pedals. I fell over at the very first stop sign I came to!)

6) Bike shorts are the way to go. Once you've ridden in them, you'll never go back to non-cycling wear again (seams--ugh!). BTW, shorts are about reducing friction, not about padding, so no need to go thick. Women wear women's shorts, too, because the chamois has different seam placement.

7) Join a bike club & go on group rides. You'll make new friends & learn a lot about your new sport. Check out mt. biking, too (see IMBA.com)--there are so many ways to have fun on a bike!!

I wish you many exciting new adventures on your bike!
Juliee
 
You are all FABULOUS! I'm gonna print this whole thread as it answers so many questions. I have a helmet, gloves, and shoes already and my bike gets here Monday (and I'll have them fit it for me--it's a great little store). The only thing I don't have is shorts...any suggestions on brands?

Thank you for the training tips...I'm the type that will push too hard too soon just to prove to myself that I can! So I'll be wise thanks to everyone's advice.

And, yes, we're Pacific Northwesterners and we love the rain. I've run in the rain but never biked, so we'll see what I say then! Fortunately our climate is coastal and therefore temperate, so even in (most) winters it's not freezing. Spinning classes start at the YMCA this month so I'll be attending those to train.

Thanks again for all your help. I really am looking forward to incorporating a new activity into my life, and that my DH and I can spend even more time together.

CinDee
 
shorts

Of course I have strong opinions on shorts! They vary between 4 & 8 panel. Try to find 8 panel for your outdoor riding. The 6 panel will work for spinning or other rides under 1 hour. With the 4 panel, you get a diaper effect which looks terrible & feels worse. You don't want the short shorts for outdoor riding, but some like them for spinning.

Shebest has a great chamois (the pad where you sit) & excellent quality, as do Terry & Sugoi. I don't like the quality of Danskin or REI's house brand. Pearl Izumi has a wide range of quality but I don't like compression shorts (like riding in a girdle) & most of the Izumi line is compression type.

I love knickers for transitional weather. For really cold weather, which I rarely see anymore, all-sport tights over your regular shorts are great. If you're in the Seattle area, start visiting Green Lake cyclery because the women's winter clothes tend to disappear quickly.

You'll want sunglasses with changeable lenses. Clear for damp conditions & yellow for overcast, along with the standard dark lenses for sunny weather. You need protective lenses not just for weather but to protect your eyes from bugs & road debris kicked up by vehicles (including other riders).

Bicycling.com has a useful forum. But like runners, most cyclists are not good cross-trainers. The Videofitness forum has a lot of cyclists & it's nice to have multi-interested resources.

I can't wait for the heat to break here so I can start riding more!! Running & hiking are fun but I really love cycling. It can be a great couple activity.

Debra
 
RE: shorts

Totally agree with Debra on the shorts. I took back my REI shorts after they fell apart on me. But I have to say that I love my Pearl Izumi's! Mostly it is the style, they are board shorts with the bike short inside. I don't like walking around after a ride in plain bike shorts...no "monkey butt" for me. I also love my knickers, which are Zoic brand, Lagunitas style. I just got them about a month ago, and they are awesome! You can wear just the pants, without the shorts inside. The idea being that if you are on a long ride, and then want to cruise around a campsite in the evening, you just take the shorts out. Too cool! Everywhere I looked they were 90 bucks, but I finally found them online for 45.00.....which of course means you buy two, right!!? www.sportsbasement.com I believe, and they arrived the next day. Great service! Have fun, sounds like a great thing to be looking forward to.
 
RE: shorts

Just one more thing, www.teamestrogen.com is another great site I love, and they have a much better picture of the Zoic kinckers than the half price site. You can actually see what they look like here.
 
Speaking of rain, stay off the road paint when the roads are wet or you'll be wrecked in the blink of an eye. That stuff is VERY slick when wet.
:)
Trevor
 
Again, you all are great! If you think of anything else, let me know! I'll be checking...and Trevor, if you have any "guy" advice for my DH we'd appreciate it!
Thank you all!
CinDee
 
RE: shorts

I didn't realize you were from the Pacific Northwest or I would have said more. Trevor is right about street marking paint getting slick when it rains. (See this year's Tour de France video footage to see it humble even the greatest pros.) The same goes for manhole covers--metal can get treacherously slick in the rain, too.

Burley.com is from your part of the country. I've been told that they make good rain jackets, since they ride in a lot of rain there. You might also want to check out Castelli's Teseo Jacket (Castelli-US.com, available from ColoradoCyclist.com). If it's temperate or you spend much of your ride time wearing your rain jacket, avoid the clear plastic rain jackets. You'll want a jacket that is breathable, so you don't overheat. Also look for something reflective, to make you more visible on overcast days.

There are a lot of things to consider when selecting your shorts. Manufacturers have different chamois pads at different price points within their lines, and they may change chamois style/materials from year to year. My husband likes his new Pearl Izumi 3D chamois better than the best chamois from last year's Pearl shorts (PearlIzumi.com).

Fabric content is important. I notice that although our upper end Pearl Izumi shorts wick sweat well,* they also get see-through in the behind area quicker. I really like the supplex in my shorts from Boure.com (Durango, Colorado), although I suppose they don't wick as well.
*Keeping comfortable in cold weather, by the way, is more about keeping dry than having lots of insulation.

Pearl also used to make a women's short w/a black chamois that I miss. It was great for cross-state camping rides, when I had only 2 shorts & had to wash/air dry them every day; the black color attracted heat when turned inside out to dry. Pseudo-suede that feels like leather can take a long time to dry, if dry time is critical.

I wear mostly 8-panel shorts. I don't think 6-panel is worse; I just haven't found the quality of chamois that I want in 6-panel models. If you have narrow waist/wide hips, you might like 10- or 12-panel shorts. I own 10-panel Cannondale shorts, but I can't tell that they fit my rectangular shape any better than my 8-panel shorts.

I got my Cannondale shorts for their reflectivity. Cannondale.com doesn't have their clothing up on the website right now (I think they ran into some financial trouble when they tried to start making motorcycles & the company got sold), but my local bike shop still gets their 2003 clothes. You can get an idea of what the shorts look like from the jacket at http://www.cannondale.com/clothing/02/cw/model-F251.html The reflective design on the jacket's shoulders is the same on their top-of-the-line shorts (back hip of each leg).

Since I believe too-much-of-a-good-thing, I figure adding unnecessary-for-me panels only increases the number of seams to irritate my skin. My friend who has done RAAM (Race Across AMerica: coast to coast in something like 9 days) confirms that he, too, has had the most shorts problems where the chamois was sewn to the shorts. So look for smooth stitching and flat seams! For the same reason and because cotton absorbs but doesn't wick sweat, you'll be more comfortable if you leave your underwear at home.

I haven't done any business with TeamEstrogen.com (whose website has an intro to cycling clothes), but they're in Oregon, so your delivery time would be quick. I can tell you that everybody who answers the phones at ColoradoCyclist.com or ExcelSports.com, unlike the order-takers at Nashbar.com or Performance.com, actually rides bikes.

I've never worn shorts by Shebeest.com or Zoic.com, but I'm not aware of any reasons to avoid them. I haven't worn shorts by Terry, either, but I do have a Terry skort that I hate (hot/unbreatable). Sugoi.ca (Canadian) makes a terrific skort, which I wear for Saturday errands. Sugoi also makes a less exepensive short I'd recommend--the Ultimate ($50 MSRP). They're comfortable & stretchy enough to suit those who find Pearl Izumis too compressing. (That compression, by the way, keeps the muscles warmed & improves performance. Read about PowerLycra on Dupont's website, if you want to know more.) My first pair of bike shorts over a decade ago was by Performance, and I did not think much of them. Since then they advertise that they provide clothing to the national team; IF it's the house brand, their quality must be better. It might be just a gimmick, though, because they might be giving them Pearl Izumi, Polo or any other brand.

BEST, however, would be to buy your clothing from that local bike shop you like, to help keep them in business. (Bikes have almost no mark-up, and shops stay in business by selling clothes, accessories and parts for repairs & upgrades.) If your local shop doesn't stock much women's clothing, look at the manufacturers' websites to see what's available, then ask your local shop to order it for you, rather than ordering on-line. (In addition to keeping your local shop's doors open, your community gets a ripple effect for each dollar spent there.) They probably won't charge you for shipping, and they can get most things you want. Also, they might save you from some mis-purchases, because they know what works best in your (their) local conditions. (Esp. valuable with tire selection.)

In short, there are lots of good shorts out there. Just like with buying a bike or shoes, your body will tell you which to buy--or buy again.

Have fun!

juliee
 
RE: shorts

Here's another option: knee warmers.

My Pearl Izumi knee warmers are the best $25 I've ever spent on cycling clothing.
1) Instead of buying a whole new garment (expensive), they extend the temperature range of all the shorts I already own.
2) If I start out when the temperature is cool, I can take them off & stuff them in my jersey pocket when the day warms up. Or when I start after work in the winter, I can carry them along & put them on when the sun goes down & the temperature drops.
3) They take up less space in the duffel when traveling/camping.
4) They're unisex, so bike shops tend to have them in stock.

Look soft ones. (Polypro can be stiff.) Also, be sure they're stretchy enough for you to take on/off over your cycling shoes. There are a number of brands you can choose.

juliee
 
RE: Yoga & cycling

I keep thinking of more things to add!
If you or your hubby are not especially flexible, check out Rodney Yee's Yoga for Athletes. He has mini-workouts for different sports, including cycling, running, tennis, golf, etc., in addition to a general workout divided into segments suitable for warm-up, (can't remember what's next) & cool-down. I don't normally like yoga videos, but he tells you what muscles you're working & how they'll help your sport. I bet you can see a preview at either gaiam.com or collagevideo.com.
juliee
 
RE: Yoga & cycling

Thank you for all the info. I went out on my bike just for a bit to get used to my shoes/pedals (fell twice, bruised but not much else!) and my sit bones are quite sore, so we went to get shorts today. I picked up a pair of Pearl Izumi Attack shorts. The panel is sewn in but covered area than the Sugar style. I figured since I didn't know what my backside is gonna like, I'd try something mid-range in price rather than the least expensive (Performance) short. The Performance had the gel chamois, but the gal said it would wear out more quickly than the chamois in the Izumi. I'm hoping it was a good decision...there really wasn't that much of a selection, but I really want to get back on the bike! So I'll try them out tomorrow. Thank you also for the web sites to check out. DH will love that. And I'll work on him to cross-train and stretch. He knows he ought to...
Thanks again and keep the info coming. It's always best to get advice from those who know!
CinDee
 
RE: shorts - Dani

Just wanted to thank you for mentioning the Zoic knickers. I just ordered a pair from Sportsbasement (seems like a great site), along w/ a long-sleeved jersey, a base layer pullover, and a tube of chamois butt'r. ;-) I've been looking for something a little warmer than my shorts, so hopefully these knickers will work for me. :) The prices were great! If I really like the knickers, I may break down and get the black ones, too, but since they don't have those on Sportsbasement's site, I'll probably have to pay full price.
 
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