What’s the best clip-less system for road bikes?

Wow, this is definitely a great question for any cyclist to answer. I have been riding for some years now, transferring from MTB to Road Biking. The shift was good and at the time I was really focused on just getting a decent bike that would last and get me out on the road. So I spent more focus on getting a bike, and components that would last me longer than rather spicing up my gear closet. I carried over my Sidi MTB shoes and actually swapped out my MTB Crank Brother cleats onto my new Road Bike. I have been riding this setup for some time now and to be honest I can’t complain. It becomes very convenient when I need to walk some distance due to a bike malfunction, but can be challenging to un-clip.

Now the market today gives a lot of systems for the cycling consumer to choose from, but what have been dominant throughout the cycling community are the SpeedPlay clips. I have only played with them in my local shop, but lots of rumors and comments have stated that this pedal system is a much “forgiven” one, leaning more towards a convenience for the rider. They offer great float is one is looking for this, while maintaining a light, and easy to get in and out of function. If your racing, these pedals work wonders on turns due to a high clearance. The SpeedPlay system is very comfortable for the rider, by offering a low “hot spot” ratio within the knee. Many manufacturers are making cleats very compatible to this system, which becomes another convenience factor for the rider. Having the capability to walk into any local bike shop and find a tool or part for your clip-less system is only a bikers dream.

Another brand that is growing among cyclists is Look. This clip-less pedal system is somewhat comparable to the SpeedPlay setup, by offering great easy in and out functions. This is always an important factor to the daily cyclists because why do you want to be out on your group rides always fighting at each stop light. Trying to get out and back in your cleat constantly can be very irritating and cause you to trail the group. Look has grown just like the SPD within the cycling community, due to its convenient availability at local shops, and reduction of hot spots within the heel.

It really comes down to what works for you. If you like a tighter more locked in ride then look maybe at some Crank Brothers systems or Shimano. Both great brands that offer quality material, but at times can be a little challenging to deal with on a weekend ride with the pals.

Good luck and please let us know what setup you ride…!

EighthInch.com: Newest Fixie Bike Site on the Web

In today’s society we see the population of fixed gear biking spreading all over the World. The sport of cycling was made so popular by Lance Armstrong, that in almost every household today you will come across some sort of bike. Fixie also know as Fixed Gear, is the new revolution to biking. As much of a sport this is, it also has become in a sense a trend, throughout all major cities, as youngsters in their mid 20’s discover new ends to a beginning.

Myself just getting into the sport of fixed gear bikes, is learning a lot. I came across this site called EighthInch.com and thought it would be very nice to share with my cycling community. It has great deals on frame sets, at an affordable price.

Riding Fixie is a statement and shedding your true colors is basically what your bike does for you. It expresses your inner spirit and passion toward life. People go to far extremes building and tuning their fixed gear bikes up, which in a nut shell describe who that person really is. Taste, Color, and Design is how I see the Fixed Gear community growing.

Take a look at EightInch.com and let me know what you think…

Can riding a stationary bike give the same results as biking outside?

Going for a bike ride outside or in the gym on a stationary bike, both are very similar to in ways, but are they similar in the way you want them to be? When its comes to cycling, or any cardio activity, the whole idea is to get your heart rate up out of the comfort zone, which will then lead to your fat loss. Now you can bike both inside on a stationary bicycle or outside on your Road Bike, and achieve the same heart rate by monitoring it during your workout.

It’s important to realize that these two types of cycling do also vary in ways. For instance, your at you local gym pedaling away and get your heart rate up to 160, then the next day you go outside on your local trails, and hit 160HR again. Yes, you achieved the same HR during both workouts, causing you to get into your fat loss zone (depending on each individuals HR zones), but different factors came into play on each ride. Inside, you faced the air conditioning, which most definitely held back some sweat. While outside you faced wind conditions, and a deferent level of temperature causing you to work harder. Both exercises were successful, but at the same time you might have been working harder being outside.

If I were to choose between the two, I would go outside and enjoy Mother Nature and really take in the beauty of being alive. Breathe in some fresh air, while maintaining a workout that will so benefits in the end. Go for the most natural environment that your body is used to because it will make your body react, in its most natural state.

Best Cycling shorts for long rides…..!

This is a great question when it comes to those days where its time to tackle those long, curvy hills for about 2-3hrs of pure riding power. You need to look at some factors when deciding on this, which include padding, material, temperature, fit, and Brand.

Lycra a great brand making cycling shorts for sometime now, offering a great short or bib that fits like a beauty with a butt-pad. Another brand that has developed a cycling short with comfort and durability is Royal. They have a great line of Road Bike clothing ranging from socks to bibs, do a Google search and you’ll be impressed with their products. You can also go on Performance.com and see what they have to offer too.

Now if you’re a little more anal, like myself, and kind of are hesitant about ordering online because a picture doesn’t do much justice, then drive over to your local cycle shop, or even sports retailer, like Dicks. Both places will carry very similar products, which can give you a better idea on fitting, padding, and material as you can try on multiple styles. Usually what you’ll notice is that the padded shorts are for more comfortable than non-padded, but to each his own. As you go from a low price short to a higher one you will realize that the brands on the upper level of cycling shorts are a lot better in quality and fit, which might be a solution when investing in a $80 pair of shorts.

Here’s the tricky part. Like I said up above its all about personal fit and the way that short feels on your body when you’re in the saddle. Lycra bibs with very limited padding tend to fit and feel a lot better on longer rides, due to lack of bulkiness and crowdedness in the groin area…if you get the picture. You are going to be sitting for 2-3 hours maybe and after constant pedaling for that time many things can start to develop if restriction comes into play, so just plant that into the back of your head when deciding.

2009 Tour Down Under!

I try and keep myself up to par with all the headline news following the return of cycling legend, Lance Armstrong, but it just gets too over-whelming at times. One of my favorite bike sites that I continue to read everyday is BikeRadar, and yesterday that had a great article on Lance and the rumor of dollars he will be paid for racing in this Tour Down Under, in the upcoming week. Rumor is stating that Lance was offered up front, as a deposit, $500,000.00 and will be receiving the rest after the race for a total of $1Million. This is incredible that on Lance’s first race back he will be in a sense raising close to $1M, for the awareness of cancer, the ultimate reason why he is back on tour.

Stay tuned for more information on the Tour Down Under, as things will take off next Tuesday in Aussie land. Lets see if Lance has lost anything over the past 3 years of rest. To follow more on this story, click this link to be directed to the source of the article on Bike Radar.

Lance training in Hawaii

It must be nice having the ability to go biking in a warmer climate all year round, and not having to deal with Mother Nature’s winter blend. This is a very timeless picture with the word “Aloha” written in the background and I think it sums up Lance Armstrong as an individual and his career.

It plays on a bit of irony being the meaning from Wikipedia states, “The word aloha derives from the Proto-Polynesian root *alofa. It has descendants in other Polynesian languages, such as the Māori word aroha, also meaning “love.” A folk etymology claims that it derives from a compound of the Hawaiian words alo meaning “presence”, “front”, “face”, or “share”; and ha, meaning “breath of life” or “essence of life.” Although alo does indeed mean “presence” etc., the word for breath is spelled with a macron or kāhako over the a (hā) whereas the word aloha does not have a long a.”

Love for the sport is what has truly driven Lance to become the mythological figure that he has molded into, while holding record after record in the cycling world. Lance Armstrong is indeed the face of this sport and has ultimately changed it for the better. A couple months ago he brought himself back into this world of cycling out of desire, love, passion to ultimately express his fight with cancer have that one last “breath of life”

ALOHA!!!

Looking for that perfect cycling Log…?

The New Year has landed and what better way to kick it off then with a fresh start in your daily riding routine. I know, I know the weather isn’t at its finest in some areas of the world, but for those of you who show no pain in a little winter hazard check out this great “cycling log” that was put together by a user on cyclingforums.com, name GuyGadois. Its a perfect fit for that cycling enthusiast who lives a busy lifestyle and finds trouble seeking time to develop a log for his/her daily rides. For more information click here, and download the free version. If you begin to like this log so much you can even update to the more advanced spreadsheet, at a low cost.

I actually just downloaded this for the first time today since I found it today. It has basically everything you need, plus, in the free version. Whats great is that as you become more familiar with the spreadsheet (excel) you can modify it for you own personal skills and needs. Have a look…its pretty sweet.

Have trouble staying focused on your weekly regimen, fear no longer because this cycling log is the perfect fit for the busiest individual to follow. What more could you ask for than the ability to update your mileage, maintenance visits, individual goals all at your fingertips. See some screenshots at this link and tell me if it doesn’t motivate you!

Eat Right and See Results

Its very important to know what your body is feeling and how it reacts in certain situations. The week leading into a big race or competition can already be nerve racking, but with some simple and smart eating habits, you can ease those levels of anxiety and focus on the final outcome of your ride.

Each individual is his/her own person and by eating an all carb diet vs. a high fat diet, will only determine by each being to themselves. Check out this article from bikeradar.com, and hear what British national road champ Rob Hayles has to say about keeping your energy levels up and fueling your body: Nutriton; Eating to Win

Feel free to post some of your own personal techniques that help you gain success across the finish line.

The Competition Bicycle

“It’s a beautiful book that tells the story of racing’s influence on bike design. None of the bikes we show have been restored, but are actual bikes ridden by Bartali, Coppi, Merckx and others just as they were raced,” stated by Jan Heine about his new release. The publisher or Quarterly Magazine has just released this new photographic masterpiece that gives some true meaning to the world of cycling.

Check out this link to learn more on this new piece of Art.

Lance’s Comeback

On December 4th, a press conference took place in Tenerife, Spain where Lance joined Team Astana, and quickly stole the show on his recent comeback. About a month ago Lance decided to join Team Astana as a volunteer rider because he believes that this is one of the most dominant teams in the world. Compiled of the industries top riders, Lance feels he has put himself in a great position to get his message across.

A man that has conquered the sport of cycling from the day he developed a name for himself has taken a different approach to the sport his second time around. Once, having no fear of anything, overcoming cancer, and racking in an astonishing collection of yellow jerseys, we soon realize that Lance isn’t coming back for the victories. He states, “”First, I have a passion for racing and training. Nowhere does it say that I can’t come back. Second, there is a place and need for the Livestrong message around the world.”

This man even though has grown in age, still has the desire and passion to overcome his mission, the mission to make a change. He set building block for the sport of cycling and because of that, he has re-joined the industry to be the voice and exposure that can influence this change.

Click on this link to read the complete article from bicycling.com.

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