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10 Ways to Find the Time to Ride

By Laurel-Lea Shannon

Getting your daily cycling fix is all about planning. You have a lot of demands on your time and it’s not always easy to fit a ride in. The night before, lay out your riding gear and get your bike ready to go. Check the tires. If they need inflating, pump

Read more . . . 10 Ways to Find the Time to Ride

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What’s the best approach to climbing a long, steep hill?

Ask a Pro — Diane Stibbard
- Coach, Personal Trainer, and Two-Time Canadian Duathlete of the Year

Hill climbs require many cycling skills, including gearing and riding position. When approaching a hill, you want to carry as much momentum as you can into the bottom of the hill. As you begin the

Read more . . . What’s the best approach to climbing a long, steep hill?

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How I Ditched the Mean Girl

By Ursula Cafaro

It was stinking hot, it was humid, it was summer in Ontario. I was out riding with a group I don’t normally ride with. For starters I’m more of a trail rider and these nice people were hardcore roadies. They had planned on riding 80 or 90K, a short stretch on

Read more . . . How I Ditched the Mean Girl

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Training for a Two-Day Charity Ride for the Time-Starved Cyclist

Diane Stibbard – Coach, Trainer, and Two-Time Canadian Duathlete of the Year

Short of time, but want to ride a two-day charity event this summer? Wondering how to fit in the necessary training? Not sure what you need to do to get ready to ride 90km-120km (54-70 miles) for two consecutive days?

Coach, personal trainer,

Read more . . . Training for a Two-Day Charity Ride for the Time-Starved Cyclist

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Why are time trials important for a recreational cyclist?

Ask a Pro — Diane Stibbard
- Coach, Personal Trainer, and Two-Time Canadian Duathlete of the Year

This is a great question that I get asked all the time. Weekly time trials that are put on by cycling clubs are an important tool for improving your fitness level. Most recreational cyclists do

Read more . . . Why are time trials important for a recreational cyclist? How frequently should I do them?

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Cycling can be a Pain in the Neck - part 2

By Mary Paterson cont’d from Part 1

In part 2 of Cycling can be a Pain in Neck, Mary tells you about other corrections you can make on the bike to eliminate neck pain.

Handlebar Reach

Your skeleton, not your muscles should support your upper body on your bike. A shoulder

Read more . . . Cycling can be a Pain in the Neck – part 2

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A Four-Minute Workout?

By Laurel-Lea Shannon

Have you ever planned a workout only to find that your day fills up in unexpected ways, leaving you with 20 minutes for exercise rather than the hour you were counting on? Next time that happens, don’t skip your workout. Consider doing Tabata intervals instead.

What Are Tabata Intervals?

After warming

Read more . . . A Four-Minute Workout?

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Shifting For Beginners

By Jim Langley

The idea to cover a few basic shifting tips came to me on last Saturday’s ride. We were climbing a steep hill and one of the riders dropped her chain. When I rode up alongside she was already off her bicycle trying to put the chain back on with a stick.

Read more . . . Shifting For Beginners

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Watch Portion Size, Not Calories

By Laurel-Lea Shannon

We come in all different shapes and sizes. What is important is maintaining a healthy weight for your size and body type. But don’t spend your time counting calories. Instead, eat healthy whole foods and watch your portion size.

Cycling is a high-calorie-burning sport. But does that mean you can eat whatever

Read more . . . Watch Portion Size, Not Calories

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I have trouble shifting into an easier gear, and I hear a ticking sound. What’s causing this?

Ask a Pro — Diane Stibbard

The problem is the shifter cable. You need MORE tension on the cable. Turn the adjustment barrel on the rear derailleur a quarter to a half turn counterclockwise. You can easily do this yourself.

I don’t expect you to be expert mechanics, but it’s good to know what different sounds on

Read more . . . I have trouble shifting into an easier gear, and I hear a ticking sound. What’s causing this?

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How to Avoid Crashes in Groups

By John Marsh

If there’s one thing the Tour de France has taught us, it’s that even the best bike handlers in the world sometimes crash with alarming frequency.

Most recreational roadies ride in large groups from time to time, in century rides, local organized rides, brevets, races, etc. While our groups don’t rival the

Read more . . . How to Avoid Crashes in Groups

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How do I recover from an injury and still maintain my bike fitness?

Ask a Pro — Diane Stibbard

There are many injuries that can occur and keep us out of the saddle. Here are just a few that we see in the cycling world:

1. Muscle strains (this is the general term for a muscle tear) Muscle strains are graded according to severity.

Grade one strain:

Read more . . . How do I recover from an injury and still maintain my bike fitness?

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Exercise Keeps Your AGE Down

By Gillian Scobie

Maybe it’s not surprising that something that speeds up the aging process is called AGE, or advanced glycation end-product. The research is ongoing but there is strong evidence that glycation (from the Greek glucos (sugar)) is involved in degenerative diseases and aging.

AGEs are harmful molecules that are created when sugar sticks

Read more . . . Exercise Keeps Your AGE Down

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Cycling can be a Pain in the Neck - part 1

By Mary Patterson

Cycling is an activity that requires the body to maintain a position of prolonged back flexion, placing greater demands on the neck. As a result, neck pain is one of the most common complaints experienced by cyclists. Does this sound familiar? You are only half way through your ride and your

Read more . . . Cycling can be a Pain in the Neck – part 1

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Cover Your Butt: Chamois Talk

By Laurel-Lea Shannon

Every cyclist knows that next to a properly fitted bicycle, that all-important chamois in your bike shorts is what stands, or sits, between you and a comfortable ride. Despite this, the function of the chamois pad is often misunderstood.

A chamois is more than just a cushion between you and your saddle.

Read more . . . Cover Your Butt: Chamois Talk

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Road Hazards for Cyclists

By Laurel-Lea Shannon

Being a skilled rider involves practising safe cycling techniques on highways, following the rules of the road and watching out for motor traffic—all while keeping an eye out for road hazards such as gravel, debris, potholes and broken pavement. Add chatting with your cycling buddies to that list, and you begin

Read more . . . Road Hazards for Cyclists

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Safety Cycling Gear for the Road

Another cycling season is here! Oh joy. Oh rapture! Let’s all do what we can to ensure it’s a safe season. Here are a few bicycle accessories that will make you more visible while cycling on the roads, and one to help you see what’s coming up behind you. (The product descriptions are from the

Read more . . . Safety Cycling Gear for the Road

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Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes

Internationally recognized sports nutritionist Monique Ryan has updated her best-selling book Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes with 5 years of new research that will help runners, cyclists, triathletes, and swimmers perform at their best. Weighing in at 432 pages, this newly updated third edition is the most  comprehensive resource on nutrition from the

Read more . . . Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes

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Off-season Training and the Flu

 

Has this happened to you? After months of winter training, you’ve built a good base and you’re ready to take your training to the next level. Then, Bam! You get sidelined by a pesky winter bug. Many cyclists are routinely thrown off the saddle by a flu bug during off-season training. And now

Read more . . . Off-season Training and the Flu

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Plant-based Foods for Better Recovery

By Deb Gleason

Feeling sluggish or run down? Having a hard time recovering from your last workout in time to get to the next one? It might have something to do with low pH levels in your body (pH measures how acidic or alkaline your body is). Maintaining a balanced pH is important for

Read more . . . Plant-based Foods for Better Recovery

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Cycling to Freedom

By Ursula Cafaro

It was 1975 and I was a 15-year old desperate for a bike of my own. My siblings and I had been sharing a low slung-ed, banana seat-ed, monkey bar-ed, purple glitter-ed little monster my dad had brought home when I was 13. I craved something less glittery with drop handles and

Read more . . . Cycling to Freedom

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How to Choose a Bike Club

By Fred Matheny

Cycling can be a solo sport. Long rambles through the spring countryside, hard rides in the hills, weekend tours to scenic areas—all can be enjoyed with only your own thoughts for company.

In fact, many cyclists prefer to go alone. Then they can choose their own route and are free to ride hard

Read more . . . How to Choose a Bike Club

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The Flu Busters

By Laurel-Lea Shannon

It’s flu season again, and don’t I know it. While putting together this newsletter I’ve been fighting a flu bug that my partner has had for ten days. What’s worse is that we have plans this weekend to cross-country ski in beautiful Gatineau Park,Quebec. What to do? A friend tells me

Read more . . . The Flu Busters

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How Many Calories Do You Burn While Cycling?

By Laurel-Lea Shannon

Did you know that carrying extra weight has a detrimental effect on your health and your cycling? Imagine how much more difficult it is to climb hills when you’ve got a few extra pounds riding along in the caboose. If you’re like me, those extra pounds land on your hips, adding

Read more . . . How Many Calories Do You Burn While Cycling?

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Yoga for Cyclists

By Whitney Mah

Western society puts an emphasis on keeping in shape and staying active by lifting weights and spending hours doing cardio but there is a lack of interest in the benefits of stretching. Finding a balance between stretching, building muscle and strength, and increasing flexibility and mobility means practising not only one discipline

Read more . . . Yoga for Cyclists

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A Calorie is Not Just a Calorie

By Laurel-Lea Shannon

Many diets encourage counting calories, because they treat all calories as equal. To lose weight they recommend eating low calorie foods. Low calorie foods usually translates into low fat foods. What’s the problem with this? All calories are not equal and the low fat, high carb diet that’s been touted by

Read more . . . A Calorie is Not Just a Calorie

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Your Bike — Your Brain-Part 2

How Riding Your Bike Makes You Happier

By  Clair Cafaro

So now we know that riding our bikes increases brain fitness (“Your Bike-Your Brain“). And you already know that riding your bike makes you feel great (those bugs in your teeth are evidence of your ear to ear smile). What you

Read more . . . Your Bike – Your Brain-Part 2

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