2009 October | Stronger Cyclist

I’ve got the sickness

posted on October 23rd, 2009 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Strength Training by Stephen

Looks like what is starting out to be another rainy weekend in Atlanta…. just as well for me, I’ve got a stuffed-up nose and a scratchy throat. But that doesn’t mean that I am just sitting around.
Yesterday I did an easy workout @ the gym, well, less challenging exercises, but we still got a good sweat going. Then I got the dog out for a long walk, with a couple jogs thrown in randomly.
I kept the Heart Rate at a reasonable level, much lower than I usually would have. When I’m not feeling well, I still try to get out, but my goals for the workout change. I try to keep my HR under 140. That way I can still get moving, but I don’t tax my body, but rather get the blood flowing and re-circulating.
It’s important NOT to tax the body while it is attempting to fight off a Virus or infection. The body can only fight 1 battle at a time & getting well should be your first priority – because it is for the body!

How to have warm fingers

posted on October 21st, 2009 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Ride Reports by Stephen

I was running late to meet the group 1 cold winter morning, so I rushed to get dressed in the cold weather. By the time I got dressed, I had gotten pretty chilled and to make it worse, I could not find my heavy gloves. So I quickly put on a pair of the heaviest gloves I had. Unfortunately, these gloves were not exactly ‘wind proof’, and it wasn’t long into the ride that I realized my fingers were not only cold, but were getting colder as we rode along, and starting to tingle.

My fingers got so cold, that I had to turn around and go back to the car and drive home to warm them back up. While I was at home, I was able to find my warmer gloves and since I was so close to the ride, I went back out for the ride. This time I parked the warm car and hopped on the bike with the heavy gloves on. As I rode several miles I realized that my fingers were now almost too warm.

Since then, I’ve been cautious to make sure I have proper gear for the current temperatures, but also to dress, then if needed, warm back up in the car or building before starting the ride! It will make a big difference in the comfort and duration of your ride.

The Wind Vest

posted on October 20th, 2009 in Cycling, Reviews by Stephen

Riding through the winter is made much more easier if you have the proper clothing! Layers is the key to being comfortable for those cold winter days. With layers it is possible to leave things on or take layers off. We all know we need to layer, but how and with what can be tricky sometimes.

A trick of mine is to wear a vest either outside a winter jacket or inside the winter jacket. Sounds odd until you try it. Some rides you get too warm on cold days, so you unzip the jacket, then the cold air is too cold on your chest, but the rest of you is sweating. The solution is the vest! It allows the air to enter the jacket with out directly hitting the chest. Now you have 3 different layers, each with it’s own zipper to moderate temperature AND air flow!

So try experimenting with the layers that you wear AND how you wear them!