Slipstreaming is riding behind another moving object, usually a fellow rider, to save energy. It is a great technique to learn, allows pilots to maintain much faster, and allows groups that take turns to travel to an impressive average speed.
Paul Doherty explains: "The cyclist, as he moves through the air, produces a turbulent wake behind itself. Vortices ago. Vortices really make an area of low pressure behind the cyclist and a zone of wind that moves along with the rider. If you are a cyclist after a move and may the wind behind the front rider, you can get an advantage. The low pressure moves forward and that the eddies that pushing forward. "
How much energy Will Save?
Editors usually saves about a third of a corridor next to energy. If three or more riders are in single file, the horse gets easier the farther back. What is less known is that the pilot initiative, or pacemakers, saves about 5% of their effort to have someone behind him because of the way the air is closed from behind.
In the hills, however, you may have trouble keeping pace with not a single corridor passes mph faster. Training often separated in the hills and recombine at the top.
How do I need to be close?
The closer the project, the better the shadow of the wind. While theoretically there is a good barrier against wind several lengths back in cycling, even in crosswinds days of calm move around too long to find it unless you are near.
You should not try to project closer than is safe for the skill level of both you and your colleagues, but kept as close is safe and no further. Novices should stop about three feet, and good runners to take it at 12 to 18 inches. When I travel competitive with a group of experts roadies to the local cycling club, tend to maintain between 6 and 12 inches more flat, smooth pavement, and temporarily stretch out when cornering about two feet.
The distance to maintain is determined by how stable can be mounted. When riding in the front and looking far ahead, it is quite easy to make your course very stable. When used aerobars, walk with their heads hidden below, and watching someone from the rear wheel instead of well until the road is considerably more difficult to stay. The idea is to get as close as he can, without a chance to touch the wheels.
Touching Wheels
This is really bad news. If you're the one in front, everything that is a warning Thud deaf in the back tire and perhaps a short buzzing sound, and you probably safe. If you're behind, probably an accident. His front wheel will be carried out below faster than you can react. Try to avoid walking and with the wheels are side by side if you are about to touch the wheels, and slowly return to his position directly behind.
Pay attention
Paying attention to their environment is doubly important when slipstreaming. An error on their part can cause a large pileup, injuring many others. Lack of attention can let the gap grow between bikes (or lower), and you may end up spending a quarter mile Sprint at the top effort to return.
And also, you have to pay attention to over the rear wheel of the rider in front to notice signs of stopping, approaching the hills, traffic, a busy intersection, or on the other hand a gentle downhill, upshifting derailleur, the leader ankling largely or horseback from the saddle, all intents and purposes the speed and distance to be maintained.
Downhilling
When slipstreaming down a hill, probably have to pedal very little to keep training, in any case. Therefore, it is a good opportunity to relax, and when you apply only a little strength in his pedals, shift into a higher gear. However, it is only a bit of force to apply, and you waste less energy moves around his leg mass.
Winds Cruz
If the wind comes from one side, the region of low pressure moves to the other side and you have to adjust your riding position accordingly. The echlon training, or a diagonal paceline, it is better for crosswinds, but its size is limited by the width of the road. When the driver drives tyres, brakes and moves behind the other runners until the end of the paceline.
Also, it is tempting to get too close to someone when riding diagonally behind them, with its front wheel almost touching its rear axle. Given the increased importance of that dodge slowdown in pack riding, it's good to leave at least as much room on either side as it does to mount directly behind.
Drafting in Mountain Biking
Given the erratic turns, rises and sudden changes of speed paths, the minimum distance is too sensible to be very useful for aerodynamics. U.S. cross-country champion Ruthie Matthes and adds: "In mountain biking, not the wording tends to be a factor. speeds are slower (than in road bikes) and rolling resistance is higher. Help for the project the mental aspect, to keep pace with someone ahead of you. But as far as using less energy, is not really a big factor. "
Slipstreaming motor vehicles
While cars and buses are very efficient wind blocks, keep in mind that cars have better brakes you do. While it is rare for a driver to fully implement the brakes, if you're behind him, it is difficult to anticipate when they a. If they do, expect a nasty spill, and faster than a bicycle can normally cruise.
Some travel in the slipstream of school buses, which works best with cars if you know the route, as buses can not stop as quickly. Listen to the sound of the engine at idle cutoff, which would be a good time to reverse. But do not try it on roads with lights or stop frequent crossings!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Strategies for Riding in Groups
There is no more effective way to become a motivated cyclist than finding a good regular group ride. Here are some group riding techniques common around the world.
- Pacelines, Pacelines, Pacelines. Single or double, turning quickly or slowly, but always smooth and firm. This is the only common characteristic generally each group of experienced tour.
- Accelerate slowly and with an eye to keep the group together. The attacks, jumps, short and hard strip of other races-like ride can be fine for some small rides, but have no place in a group-oriented trip. I am often surprised that novice riders sometimes seems that this kind of aggressive riding is better training of a good rotation paceline.
- A consistent rhythm is the key. Try to establish a rhythm of pedaling before reaching the front and keep it until just after pulling away. If you're feeling particularly strong acceleration and / or taking a long pull, but if it does increase the pace gradually do so. Do not forget to pedal harder to offset declines in the extra drag.
- Go hard in the mountains (and elsewhere) but do not forget to regroup. This does not mean waiting for every last straggler but always make a reasonable effort to regroup after sections more difficult.
- Wheelsitters are always welcome, but please stay in the back. Nothing is more damaging than someone who turns in front only to slow down to beat the wind. If you want to extend, tired or otherwise not inclined to pull through no problem with seats in the rear, just let the racers know when they are rotating has reached the back of the rotation of the section.
- Do not open gaps! If you are behind a gap close slowly. An expert group will remain in a tight paceline through 95% with an average trip including stops, corners, short climbs, descents, and trafficking by closing the inevitable gaps before it becomes a problem.
- Do not bring every pothole, motor vehicles, or other obstacle. Each rider has to take responsibility for themselves. This means that everyone should pay attention to traffic and road, even in the rear. The frontmost riders should note the unusual risks of course, and directing the group gradually around glass, potholes, slower riders and such but do not assume every time they can leave the other runners to watch the path that lies front.
- The lead runners are more responsible for the conduct of the group and must take this into account stop signs and lights.
- Do not accelerate through a yellow light unless you know the back of the group can do well. If the group was split makes the slow walk to the rear group has recaptured. If you're in the back please do not go at the intersection just to maintain contact unless it is clear that traffic is waiting for the entire group to move.
- Do not allow the elitist attitudes. Perhaps the best thing about good group rides in addition to training, is socialization. Team affiliation, racing experience, the use of helmet, the kind of bicycle, etc. are all matters of individual preference and should be left as such. While the rider is safe and able to live up to be welcome.
- Experienced pilots must point out the mistakes. This must be done through diplomatic channels, of course, but it is important to make people aware of unsafe riding, hard braking, cutting blind corners, unnecessarily obstructing traffic, etc.
- It is also useful to meet at a popular central location. Cafes, squares, shops and cycling are all good places to wait before speaking and the journey begins.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Looking Behind when Cycling in Traffic
Do not do it
Some riders beginners road constantly looking behind them, or fixate on their rearview mirrors, as if Interpol is expected to persecute them. This comes at the expense of what you're looking ahead, and usually derives from falsehood that General Motors owns the highway and a simple bicycle can only invade if it is immersed in the shoulder when a car passing approaches. A better idea: Buy an LED Blinker, and not sweat. A better tactic would be to spend all that effort in mounting on a predictable cars can move more easily. Is
Moreover, keep track of what is happening on the road. If you hear an engine, take a quick look back and see if it is true pimply pull in a Camero or 18-wheel traction an ICBM. Looking back also enables advance the driver knows you know it, and makes it more likely to treat you as a human being, you need a little breathing space, rather than some roads obstacle to graze freely. Looking backwards to keep other road users when passing is unsafe. If the road is windy or there is a hill, take a quick look to see if you need to reclaim their lane until the dashed line reappears. You can not take possession of his lane to avoid being squeezed off the road unless you know if something is behind you. In addition, it is relaxing to know that you have the whole stretch of road yourself.
Do not Turn!
When most riders crane their heads to look behind them, furrows his bike in the right direction to do. Some of the best cyclists in the region have caused pileups in walks leave because their bicycles to turn back when glance, and it's easy to drift right in traffic if you take a good hard look at something.
The solution is to drop his left hand from the bars if you look over his left shoulder. In general, just be aware of what will happen when they turn their heads, and make the hearing as quickly as possible. Practice
A great exercise is to have a friend walk behind you while you look back and try to count the number of fingers that remains. This is great for developing the capacity very quickly to say exactly what is behind you. Clocking practice speed of the cars behind you as quickly and accurately as possible, then look again to see if they were right. Learn to pay attention to detail, and use this knowledge once they have them.
Mirrors
While a mirror rierviow not save you look behind, is a great reduction in the frequency of what is essentially an interruption in his horse and aerodynamics. However, it seems that is no substitute for looking back, because every mirror has blind spots, bicycle and mirrors have terrible.
Riding in Training
When I have a friend sucking his rear wheel, looking back every ten seconds to make sure that they have not fallen he is a real pain in the butt. A better solution is to use a mirror, or simply to communicate. If your pace is too fast to be sustainable and your friend is falling, people should say so rather than spend the next few hundred meters Sprint in silence to return out of the wind (which is what they do if they do not keep your eyes wide open to ). Spanish » English Translate Suggest a better translation
Some riders beginners road constantly looking behind them, or fixate on their rearview mirrors, as if Interpol is expected to persecute them. This comes at the expense of what you're looking ahead, and usually derives from falsehood that General Motors owns the highway and a simple bicycle can only invade if it is immersed in the shoulder when a car passing approaches. A better idea: Buy an LED Blinker, and not sweat. A better tactic would be to spend all that effort in mounting on a predictable cars can move more easily. Is
Moreover, keep track of what is happening on the road. If you hear an engine, take a quick look back and see if it is true pimply pull in a Camero or 18-wheel traction an ICBM. Looking back also enables advance the driver knows you know it, and makes it more likely to treat you as a human being, you need a little breathing space, rather than some roads obstacle to graze freely. Looking backwards to keep other road users when passing is unsafe. If the road is windy or there is a hill, take a quick look to see if you need to reclaim their lane until the dashed line reappears. You can not take possession of his lane to avoid being squeezed off the road unless you know if something is behind you. In addition, it is relaxing to know that you have the whole stretch of road yourself.
Do not Turn!
When most riders crane their heads to look behind them, furrows his bike in the right direction to do. Some of the best cyclists in the region have caused pileups in walks leave because their bicycles to turn back when glance, and it's easy to drift right in traffic if you take a good hard look at something.
The solution is to drop his left hand from the bars if you look over his left shoulder. In general, just be aware of what will happen when they turn their heads, and make the hearing as quickly as possible. Practice
A great exercise is to have a friend walk behind you while you look back and try to count the number of fingers that remains. This is great for developing the capacity very quickly to say exactly what is behind you. Clocking practice speed of the cars behind you as quickly and accurately as possible, then look again to see if they were right. Learn to pay attention to detail, and use this knowledge once they have them.
Mirrors
While a mirror rierviow not save you look behind, is a great reduction in the frequency of what is essentially an interruption in his horse and aerodynamics. However, it seems that is no substitute for looking back, because every mirror has blind spots, bicycle and mirrors have terrible.
Riding in Training
When I have a friend sucking his rear wheel, looking back every ten seconds to make sure that they have not fallen he is a real pain in the butt. A better solution is to use a mirror, or simply to communicate. If your pace is too fast to be sustainable and your friend is falling, people should say so rather than spend the next few hundred meters Sprint in silence to return out of the wind (which is what they do if they do not keep your eyes wide open to ). Spanish » English Translate Suggest a better translation
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Traffic Survival Guide
Repeat after me: I am a car. I am a car.
Learn and obey traffic laws own jurisdictions around his home and workplace. Bicycles are generally regarded as vehicles, and cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists in most states. However, some traffic laws apply mainly to bicycles, and must be obeyed when applicable. Ride with traffic, and is expected to follow traffic rules. The riders who do reach their destination faster, and about five times safer, according to scientific studies accident, more corridors that make up their own rules.
Assuming the legality and predictable position on the road. At intersections, turn to the right lane position depending on how it happens. They often have to move away from its normal position near the right side of the road. If you're turning right, keep to the right, and if you're turning left, turning to the center of the road. If you go straight, go between right and the left-turning traffic. Meanwhile, signal its intention to other road users with his left hand, scanning the road behind you, and surpassing the performance of traffic.
Assume the position
When the road is wide enough to allow a car to pass comfortably in the middle of traffic, trying to assemble as close as practicable to the right side of the road as is safe and clear of debris. The only exception is when you consider the right lane too narrow to share with cars. In this case, having to go left instead of tires to track cars in this lane.
I used to follow the theory of Forester horseback in the center or to the right third of the runway. However, as soon as it receives the heavy traffic of vehicles enough to travel in groups of three or more, drivers often Honk and graze their handlebars. Being left in the third lane of all motorists seem to understand that you are in possession of within one lane of legal rights.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Stay alert at all times and watch the way to go to the special risks that can cause a fall bicycle. Beware of any loose or slippery surface: gravel, snow, ice, leaves, oil stains, wet lids, and cross marks. Take special care when crossing diagonally car or railway tracks, halting the lips, covered with steel mesh bridge, cracks in the road, and the big blows or potholes. Avoid travel in or over or around them slowly. Not all of a sudden turn, brake or accelerate. Be ready to put one foot down for balance.
Braking
Learn how to use the brakes and stop safely before riding his bicycle in traffic and the pavement slippery. No matter how careful you are, there is always the possibility of a sudden stop - to avoid an unexpected maneuver by another road or trail user to avoid a storm grate, or to prevent any incident or unexpected obstacle. In order to safely stop the brakes must work strongly and smoothly, and you need to know how to apply them properly.
The best method for quick, safe stop on dry pavement is to use both brakes in a period of three to one. In other words, apply three times more pressure to the front brake as you would apply to the rear brake. Practice braking in this manner while traveling slowly in an empty parking lot. You will notice that when you stop, most of his weight transfers to the front wheel of the bicycle. To compensate for a bit, try to change their weight behind to keep the rear wheel lifting off the ground.
The slippery pavement, reduce their speed and implement their rear brake slightly to avoid a skid. Where in the city from rain tires to wipe dry slightly applying the brakes in advance, long before you need to stop. Read more about the art of braking.
Darkness
Cycling in the dark requires special techniques. Choose the path that offers a reasonable amount of ambient light and activity. Keep your speed within the limits of its lights. By sharing the road with cars, see his shadow produced by cars coming from the rear. If the shadow moves to the right, the car is going to his left. Should only be contracted without displacing one side, then some redneck in a puppy-crusher is about to try to graze you, to get off the road quickly and let the car pass. Be sure to install a rear LED Blinker if mount after dusk, it also helps drivers to think of you as something different leaf debris.
Read all about riding at night, and see the current moon phase while they're at it.
Escaping traffic?
Take special care when riding in a bike lane or sidewalk. Sometimes a bike path can provide a pleasant alternative to a busy street or road, but are much more likely to send a rider to the hospital. Bicycle lanes are not designed for high-speed traffic on a bicycle, and they can get full of roller skaters, dog walkers, negligent and inexperienced cyclists, pedestrians and unpredictable. Never pass another trail user unless you have their attention. Signs with a bell, a horn, or shout a friendly greeting when approaching a pedestrian from behind, and the signal with his left hand to do other maneuvers. Keep your speed down so you can stop suddenly in any situation.
Learn and obey traffic laws own jurisdictions around his home and workplace. Bicycles are generally regarded as vehicles, and cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists in most states. However, some traffic laws apply mainly to bicycles, and must be obeyed when applicable. Ride with traffic, and is expected to follow traffic rules. The riders who do reach their destination faster, and about five times safer, according to scientific studies accident, more corridors that make up their own rules.
Assuming the legality and predictable position on the road. At intersections, turn to the right lane position depending on how it happens. They often have to move away from its normal position near the right side of the road. If you're turning right, keep to the right, and if you're turning left, turning to the center of the road. If you go straight, go between right and the left-turning traffic. Meanwhile, signal its intention to other road users with his left hand, scanning the road behind you, and surpassing the performance of traffic.
Assume the position
When the road is wide enough to allow a car to pass comfortably in the middle of traffic, trying to assemble as close as practicable to the right side of the road as is safe and clear of debris. The only exception is when you consider the right lane too narrow to share with cars. In this case, having to go left instead of tires to track cars in this lane.
I used to follow the theory of Forester horseback in the center or to the right third of the runway. However, as soon as it receives the heavy traffic of vehicles enough to travel in groups of three or more, drivers often Honk and graze their handlebars. Being left in the third lane of all motorists seem to understand that you are in possession of within one lane of legal rights.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Stay alert at all times and watch the way to go to the special risks that can cause a fall bicycle. Beware of any loose or slippery surface: gravel, snow, ice, leaves, oil stains, wet lids, and cross marks. Take special care when crossing diagonally car or railway tracks, halting the lips, covered with steel mesh bridge, cracks in the road, and the big blows or potholes. Avoid travel in or over or around them slowly. Not all of a sudden turn, brake or accelerate. Be ready to put one foot down for balance.
Braking
Learn how to use the brakes and stop safely before riding his bicycle in traffic and the pavement slippery. No matter how careful you are, there is always the possibility of a sudden stop - to avoid an unexpected maneuver by another road or trail user to avoid a storm grate, or to prevent any incident or unexpected obstacle. In order to safely stop the brakes must work strongly and smoothly, and you need to know how to apply them properly.
The best method for quick, safe stop on dry pavement is to use both brakes in a period of three to one. In other words, apply three times more pressure to the front brake as you would apply to the rear brake. Practice braking in this manner while traveling slowly in an empty parking lot. You will notice that when you stop, most of his weight transfers to the front wheel of the bicycle. To compensate for a bit, try to change their weight behind to keep the rear wheel lifting off the ground.
The slippery pavement, reduce their speed and implement their rear brake slightly to avoid a skid. Where in the city from rain tires to wipe dry slightly applying the brakes in advance, long before you need to stop. Read more about the art of braking.
Darkness
Cycling in the dark requires special techniques. Choose the path that offers a reasonable amount of ambient light and activity. Keep your speed within the limits of its lights. By sharing the road with cars, see his shadow produced by cars coming from the rear. If the shadow moves to the right, the car is going to his left. Should only be contracted without displacing one side, then some redneck in a puppy-crusher is about to try to graze you, to get off the road quickly and let the car pass. Be sure to install a rear LED Blinker if mount after dusk, it also helps drivers to think of you as something different leaf debris.
Read all about riding at night, and see the current moon phase while they're at it.
Escaping traffic?
Take special care when riding in a bike lane or sidewalk. Sometimes a bike path can provide a pleasant alternative to a busy street or road, but are much more likely to send a rider to the hospital. Bicycle lanes are not designed for high-speed traffic on a bicycle, and they can get full of roller skaters, dog walkers, negligent and inexperienced cyclists, pedestrians and unpredictable. Never pass another trail user unless you have their attention. Signs with a bell, a horn, or shout a friendly greeting when approaching a pedestrian from behind, and the signal with his left hand to do other maneuvers. Keep your speed down so you can stop suddenly in any situation.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Developing Cadence on the Road
Cadence is the speed of your pedaling, with a high cadence uses a large number of revolutions per minute. Similarly, a low cadence high gear used to be spun slowly.
The development of a soft pedal fast movement is a main objective of the first season novice and training. Beginners tend to pedal slowly, about 60 revolutions per minute, and while minimizing the cyclist's oxygen consumption, is inefficient in terms of consumption of glycogen, which is the real bottleneck. This slow, inefficient pedaling style is what mock experienced riders as the hallmark of a "push-push" rider. The lungs of a reasonably fit person to deliver more oxygen to the doors of their cells that can take and use.
Roadies pedal experienced by about 90-95 RPM, and use their art to maintain this cadence. When Sprint, one of the pedals and gears cadences of up to 120 RPM. This is less efficient, like riding out of the saddle, but gives the driver access to much more power. The benchmark of a great sprinter is being smoothly up to 180 RPM.
Be gentle with high cadence is the key. The use of fixed gear, bicycles or roller track for early season training is a widely recognized as an excellent idea, especially because develops a soft cadence. An author recommends balancing a book on her head while spinning rapidly on a stationary bicycle. Try warming with high cadences of 100 or more to get the blood flowing to the muscles and to improve its softness and technique.
At 120 rpm you'll find that the journey is very bumpy and choppy. This corresponds to the natural resonance frequency of the human body, if the pedal faster and get up to 135 rpm, is soft out completely.
The use of proper cadence will help avoid depletion of the big climbs. To learn more about the escalation of escalation see our page on the road
The development of a soft pedal fast movement is a main objective of the first season novice and training. Beginners tend to pedal slowly, about 60 revolutions per minute, and while minimizing the cyclist's oxygen consumption, is inefficient in terms of consumption of glycogen, which is the real bottleneck. This slow, inefficient pedaling style is what mock experienced riders as the hallmark of a "push-push" rider. The lungs of a reasonably fit person to deliver more oxygen to the doors of their cells that can take and use.
Roadies pedal experienced by about 90-95 RPM, and use their art to maintain this cadence. When Sprint, one of the pedals and gears cadences of up to 120 RPM. This is less efficient, like riding out of the saddle, but gives the driver access to much more power. The benchmark of a great sprinter is being smoothly up to 180 RPM.
Be gentle with high cadence is the key. The use of fixed gear, bicycles or roller track for early season training is a widely recognized as an excellent idea, especially because develops a soft cadence. An author recommends balancing a book on her head while spinning rapidly on a stationary bicycle. Try warming with high cadences of 100 or more to get the blood flowing to the muscles and to improve its softness and technique.
At 120 rpm you'll find that the journey is very bumpy and choppy. This corresponds to the natural resonance frequency of the human body, if the pedal faster and get up to 135 rpm, is soft out completely.
The use of proper cadence will help avoid depletion of the big climbs. To learn more about the escalation of escalation see our page on the road
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Better Road Cycling Climbing Technique
Gearing
Choose a dress that let you turn a minimum of 90 RPM. In a sprinter of the hill where a maximum power is needed, up to 120 RPM is a better bet. Choose your own pace, then regardless of exerting force is needed to keep spinning at this rate, if indeed there is downshifting. Shift before you need, both to avoid changing gears when there are enormous burdens on the drivetrain, and to avoid being caught at too high to step up a gear.
If overgear and let your cadence fall even slightly, you will end up at the bottom of a spiral of inefficiency with that out of the chair, push-push the bike ride in a crawl.
Choose your own pace
In a climb that long, the most common mistake is to choose an unsustainable rate. If you run out of gas halfway, just downshift and continue in the same cadence, but 15% slower. If you're already at its lowest level, grit your teeth and bully its way, keep your cadence to the point. His motion is lower chosen so that you can do this successfully.
If the hill is short, is a perfect opportunity to make up some time; hammer your way. Their effort has the maximum opportunity to reduce their time, instead of feeding drag if made the same effort on the other side of the hill. The moderately long hills are what oxygen deficit became! Does weight training to beef up the muscles in his leg, and the way hammer, changing groups of muscles as they expire. Continue the sprint on the crest of the hill with a few solid blows to enter into the rectum or descent at high speed.
If the hill is very steep but short, a good strategy is storing up energy by pedaling hard in the approach. Let your momentum momentum up the hill as you downshift and continue to pedal as you slide.
Concentrate on breathing.
Balance
Climbing should be a balancing act. Keep adjusting the distribution of weight between you wheels; if your rear wheel lost traction, slide back, and if your front wheel up the lifts or needs traction leadership, efficiency in their arms or slide forward. Especially when the escalation of the chair, is all too easy to lean forward and take the weight of the rear wheel just when you need it, resulting in spinout and bogging down - to bend his waist when standing to prevent it. Maintaining traction constant contact with the ground and with the two wheels.
Technical pedaling
Steve Bauer, a pro athlete and a Canadian silver medalist at the 1984 Olympic Games said on the subject of climbing technique: "You can stay at first to relax the muscles you were using on the floor," says Bauer . "The last thing you want to do is get in trouble early in a long climb."
Bauer suggests making the most of his work in the saddle, because they are not suspending the waste of energy and Bady you have a long cycle power available. "At the bottom of the coup, to withdraw his hamstrings," he explains. "Then use your hip flexors to lift across the top of the spill." Leisure different muscle groups of alternating between pedaling styles, such as sitting and standing, is only effective if his deputy sound techniques. Many underweight its rear wheel spin, put their whole bodies in the wind, and either not to bend their hips, or crack your chest when pedaling out of the saddle.
Bauer believes that his bicycle helps her rocking chair rhythm, besides the fact that maintains their pedals to the right when the distance from the saddle. He is quick to point out, however, that "the amount the rock is a very personal thing."
Choose a dress that let you turn a minimum of 90 RPM. In a sprinter of the hill where a maximum power is needed, up to 120 RPM is a better bet. Choose your own pace, then regardless of exerting force is needed to keep spinning at this rate, if indeed there is downshifting. Shift before you need, both to avoid changing gears when there are enormous burdens on the drivetrain, and to avoid being caught at too high to step up a gear.
If overgear and let your cadence fall even slightly, you will end up at the bottom of a spiral of inefficiency with that out of the chair, push-push the bike ride in a crawl.
Choose your own pace
In a climb that long, the most common mistake is to choose an unsustainable rate. If you run out of gas halfway, just downshift and continue in the same cadence, but 15% slower. If you're already at its lowest level, grit your teeth and bully its way, keep your cadence to the point. His motion is lower chosen so that you can do this successfully.
If the hill is short, is a perfect opportunity to make up some time; hammer your way. Their effort has the maximum opportunity to reduce their time, instead of feeding drag if made the same effort on the other side of the hill. The moderately long hills are what oxygen deficit became! Does weight training to beef up the muscles in his leg, and the way hammer, changing groups of muscles as they expire. Continue the sprint on the crest of the hill with a few solid blows to enter into the rectum or descent at high speed.
If the hill is very steep but short, a good strategy is storing up energy by pedaling hard in the approach. Let your momentum momentum up the hill as you downshift and continue to pedal as you slide.
Concentrate on breathing.
Balance
Climbing should be a balancing act. Keep adjusting the distribution of weight between you wheels; if your rear wheel lost traction, slide back, and if your front wheel up the lifts or needs traction leadership, efficiency in their arms or slide forward. Especially when the escalation of the chair, is all too easy to lean forward and take the weight of the rear wheel just when you need it, resulting in spinout and bogging down - to bend his waist when standing to prevent it. Maintaining traction constant contact with the ground and with the two wheels.
Technical pedaling
Steve Bauer, a pro athlete and a Canadian silver medalist at the 1984 Olympic Games said on the subject of climbing technique: "You can stay at first to relax the muscles you were using on the floor," says Bauer . "The last thing you want to do is get in trouble early in a long climb."
Bauer suggests making the most of his work in the saddle, because they are not suspending the waste of energy and Bady you have a long cycle power available. "At the bottom of the coup, to withdraw his hamstrings," he explains. "Then use your hip flexors to lift across the top of the spill." Leisure different muscle groups of alternating between pedaling styles, such as sitting and standing, is only effective if his deputy sound techniques. Many underweight its rear wheel spin, put their whole bodies in the wind, and either not to bend their hips, or crack your chest when pedaling out of the saddle.
Bauer believes that his bicycle helps her rocking chair rhythm, besides the fact that maintains their pedals to the right when the distance from the saddle. He is quick to point out, however, that "the amount the rock is a very personal thing."
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Pacing Yourself on Climbs
Keep the Effort Constant
A common mistake is too novices to sprint at the top of the hill, and fly halfway. However, the typical advice - from the hill slowly and accelerate at the top if he can - is terrible in terms of speed and keep the momentum. My advice is still sprint up the hills, but to collect a certain level of effort you can sustain that cree half-again to twice the length of the hill - you'll need, as we shall see later.
Maintaining the effort (rather than speed) constant, and downshift as soon as you feel you're not spinning freely, as the hill come in their approach speed. If your pedaling seems slog, resist the temptation of a great battle gear and accelerate until the cadence is right, even if they could maintain a certain speed, accelerating back to him on a hill will be even more difficult. Instead, downshift. If you want to regain your speed, then downshift, pedal hard, and even change again once they get their legs turns.
When the hill begins to diminish, push backwards and forwards in the pedals, until his ankle and legs are whirling. Then, once upshift and turn and continue to accelerate slowly.
Objective Goals
That said, maintaining a target range of speeds account for a given pending promotion. Unless the hill is steep, learn what they are capable of defending and its speed when it hits a specific value, say 20 mph on a moderate hill. Watch your speed, and know their limits. In a moderately steep hill early in the season, will not let me myself exceeding 33 mph, although I still have some momentum left. I just ease off the pedal and continue in an effort that is sustainable. Although you may feel your breathing and burning of an accumulation of lactic acid, sometimes speed or human resources management is the only indication that in its unsustainable pace, because I know that in many cases never have felt until it was too evening.
Do not hold back
Do not hold back when riding in the hills. This does not mean hammer 'till you Honk, but the walk faster than you're capable of doing. While the pace is sustainable, not gain anything by holding back, but you get when you go much more slowly. As your effort is diluted by at least wind resistance, the hills are very best time to pour in power (which always leave enough energy to accelerate to cruising speed on the way back down).
A common mistake is too novices to sprint at the top of the hill, and fly halfway. However, the typical advice - from the hill slowly and accelerate at the top if he can - is terrible in terms of speed and keep the momentum. My advice is still sprint up the hills, but to collect a certain level of effort you can sustain that cree half-again to twice the length of the hill - you'll need, as we shall see later.
Maintaining the effort (rather than speed) constant, and downshift as soon as you feel you're not spinning freely, as the hill come in their approach speed. If your pedaling seems slog, resist the temptation of a great battle gear and accelerate until the cadence is right, even if they could maintain a certain speed, accelerating back to him on a hill will be even more difficult. Instead, downshift. If you want to regain your speed, then downshift, pedal hard, and even change again once they get their legs turns.
When the hill begins to diminish, push backwards and forwards in the pedals, until his ankle and legs are whirling. Then, once upshift and turn and continue to accelerate slowly.
Objective Goals
That said, maintaining a target range of speeds account for a given pending promotion. Unless the hill is steep, learn what they are capable of defending and its speed when it hits a specific value, say 20 mph on a moderate hill. Watch your speed, and know their limits. In a moderately steep hill early in the season, will not let me myself exceeding 33 mph, although I still have some momentum left. I just ease off the pedal and continue in an effort that is sustainable. Although you may feel your breathing and burning of an accumulation of lactic acid, sometimes speed or human resources management is the only indication that in its unsustainable pace, because I know that in many cases never have felt until it was too evening.
Do not hold back
Do not hold back when riding in the hills. This does not mean hammer 'till you Honk, but the walk faster than you're capable of doing. While the pace is sustainable, not gain anything by holding back, but you get when you go much more slowly. As your effort is diluted by at least wind resistance, the hills are very best time to pour in power (which always leave enough energy to accelerate to cruising speed on the way back down).
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Techniques for Descending and Cornering
Going down to a bicycle requires a combination of skills that are most commonly used in the motorcycle. When descending, a bicycle has some of the power and speed that is more common with motorcycles, and that requires some of the same skills. This does not mean that the criterion racing also not contest these skills that require a combination of elevation angle and braking while choosing the appropriate line through curves. Unlike the motorcycle tires, bicycle tires have little room for slippage, so that even a small slip on the pavement usually unrecoverable. Understanding the forces involved and how to control them is more natural to some riders than others.
Drifting on a road bike Pavement
Some pilots claim that you can slide on dry pavement to achieve greater speed in a curve to drift through a turn. Drift to the media both wheels slide, which is even more difficult. I think this is pure illusion and can come from the observation of motorcycles that can be applied when the power of the Bank along its maximum angle of inclination in part to break traction. Moreover, the direct questioning, no one has this ability to himself, but "I have seen done."
A bicycle pedals can be only tilt angles much less than the maximum of land without a pedal, making it difficult to cabotage curves always done, so there is no power in the curve. In addition, bicycle tires have no margin for recovering a slip in the critical angle, which has been measured by tests in lean slip roads and testing machines. In these tests, the slipout (a little less than 45 degrees from the road surface) for tires in good pavement was considered hasty and unrecoverable. Although knobby tires do not have slipout sudden and can be moved around curves, they begin to walk at the side much more vertical angle, and can not focus on the angle of inclination soft tyres, so there is no advantage in its use for this end.
How Corner
The curves is the ability to anticipate the proper angle of inclination from the ground before reaching the apex of the curve. The angle to the road surface is the critical parameter and is limited by traction. This requires the rider to have a good eye for speed and traction. For most of this pavement is about 45 degrees by the lack of oil, water, or other smooth and slick spots. Therefore, if the curve is positive on banks of 10 degrees, an inclination of up to 55 degrees from vertical is possible. By contrast, crowned by a road without banking, where the surface falls around 10 degrees, allowing only 35 degrees (the limit).
The estimate of the tilt angle required for a curve is derived from the apparent traction and what speed will be at the apex of the lap at the current rate of braking. Anticipating the angle of inclination is something that humans, animals and birds are regularly drive propulsion. When running, forecast how fast and suddenly can be converted into a sidewalk, lane, or grass is easily done by most people. This requires an estimate of lean to the right conditions and control speed to avoid exceeding that angle. While on a bicycle the consequences of error are more serious, the method is the same.
These are reflexes that are developed by most people in youth, but some have not exercised in so long that they do not trust their abilities. A single drop strongly reinforces this doubt. For this reason, it is better to improve and regenerate these capabilities gradually through practice.
Countersteer
Countersteer is a popular topic for cyclists and motorcyclists who belatedly discover, or rediscover how to balance, it is a contrived issue. A two-wheeled vehicle can only be balanced or converted using countersteer, there is no other way to do it. It is the means by which a broomstick is balanced in the hand or a bicycle on the road. The point of support moves below the mass to align with the combined force of gravity and the force curves. That this requires leadership skills should be obvious. It is so obvious that runners never mention it, but you can see football and basketball players for his use of countersteer. Just watch a quarterback in a broken field run. I am sure that nothing is done him well in the NHL.
Braking
Once the basics of getting around a corner are in place, the big difference between being fast and be faster is another problem entirely. How the brakes are used before and curves that makes the difference between the average and fast runner. When traction is good, the front brake can be used almost exclusively because, with it, the bicycle can stop abruptly so that the rear wheel does not carry weight. When braking to a point on the rear wheel on takeoff, the rear brake is obviously useless. Once in the curve, increasingly traction is used by the angle of inclination, although it still slowed to cut speed. This is done with two brakes, because now neither wheel traction has much to lose. To develop an idea of the rear wheel on takeoff, practice hard braking in front of a low speed and safe.
Braking in Corners
Why in the brake to turn? If all braking is done before in turn, speed will be slower than necessary at an early stage of turn. Because it is impossible to predict accurately the maximum speed for the apex of the turn, and because the road is not a circular arc, speed must be cut all the way to the apex of the turn. Fear braking on curves are generally stems from an incident caused by injudicious braking. The use of front and rear brake must be adapted to the conditions.
When walking straight with good traction, substantial weight transfer of the rear of the front wheel is permissible, with strong use of front brake. When traction is poor, and slowing the transfer of weight is small, so the stop lamp with two wheels is appropriate. If traction is miserable, only the rear brake should be used, because while a rear slider is recoverable, one in the front is usually not.
Take for example, a rider for good traction on curves, inclined at 45 degrees equivalent to 1 G of centrifugal acceleration. The addition of 1 / 10 G barely slowed the increase in cargo traction tires, which is given by the square root of the sum of the two accelerations square SQRT (1 ^ 2 +0.1 ^ 2) = 1005 or an increase of 1 / 2%. In other words, there is room to slow substantially over the maximum curves. Because the angle of inclination changes as the square of the speed, braking can quickly reduce the angle of tilt and allow more braking. Therefore, there should be no doubt why brokers are almost always applying both brakes at the apex of high-speed speed turns.
Suspension
Beyond purity of lines and braking, suspension contributes substantially to descend. For bicycles without built-in suspension, that is furnished by the legs. Standing is not required on roads with thin air, simply taking the weight off the pelvic bones is adequate. On rough roads, there must be sufficient for the liquidation of chair does not carry weight. The reason for this is twofold. Blurred vision will become the chair if not unloaded, and traction will be compromised if the tyres are not kept in contact with the road while skimming more blows. The ideal is to keep the tire on the floor laden uniform.
Lean the bike, the rider, or two
Some pilots believe that hitting out knee or inclination of the body off the bike, improving curves. Sticking out a knee is the same thing without cleats that drivers do when they stick out a foot ramp motorcycle fashion. It is a futile gesture reassuring, but uneven roads, even degrades control. All that body weight is not centered on the bike (bicycle or inclination stuck out a knee) are putting our side on the bike, and lateral loads because management proposals if the road is not smooth. Getting the weight of the chair is also more difficult for such maneuvers.
To do this, coast down a straight, but rough road in a foot pedal with the bike leaning, and see how the bicycle is still a line irregular. On the contrary, if the tour focused on the bike can ride without hands perfectly straight on the same road. When lean off the bike you can not ride a line over the right track irregularities, especially in curves. Centered on the bike offers the best control.
Outside pedal Down
It is often said that putting off the pedal in a curve to improve cornering. Most experienced riders do, but not because I have something to do with traction. The reason is that it allows the rider to download the saddle, while standing with little effort in a locked knee, and this can only be done abroad because the pedal a pedal hit the road. However, standing on one leg extended does not work if the road is full of potholes, since a rigid leg can not absorb the blows or raise the road rider high enough of the chair to avoid being returned. Rough require an increase in high enough surfaces of the chair to avoid hard contact with the legs, while supply shock absorption knee action, pedals horizontally.
Vision
Where direct vision is critical to the fast curves. Central vision involves most of the cones in the retina of the eye. The color cones are receptive and interpretation of their images takes longer than the information received by the rods in the peripheral vision. That is why the central vision should focus on the sidewalk when the tyre track, while looking for potential obstacles and traffic with peripheral vision that is fast, black and white, and good for motion detection.
If the central vision is directed to where a vehicle or vehicles that may seem obstacle, its appearance will bring image processing to the suspension for a while. Because the color or model of car is irrelevant, this work can be left to the high-speed peripheral vision in white and black, while the concentration on the surface and the curvature of the sidewalk.
Many riders prefer to keep his head upright in cornering, but tilted his head with the bike and the body is more natural to the motion. Pilots who roll their planes do not try to keep his head during the maneuver, or curves, for that matter.
The Line
Picking the broadest curve through a corner may be obvious by the time the previous skills are dominating, but not always the best line, either for reasons of safety or the road surface. Sometimes it is better to stick a coup or a "Bott point" for changing the line, especially at high speed. Tires should be large enough to absorb the entire height of a lane marker without pinching the tube. This means that at least 25 mm cross section of the tyre is advisable. Sometimes, the crown of the road is enough to make the enlargement of the curve, taking the broad curve, counterproductive because the crown restricts the angle of inclination.
Speed mental
Mental speed that is required of them all. However, being fast does not guarantee success, because the judgement is even more important. Above all, it is important not to be daring, but rather to ride with a margin that leaves a feeling of comfort that no high risk. And the same thing, not to be blinded by age-old presumption that anyone who rides faster than I was crazy. "The drops like crazy!" is one of the most common descriptions of descenders fast. The commentary generally means that he is slower.
Drifting on a road bike Pavement
Some pilots claim that you can slide on dry pavement to achieve greater speed in a curve to drift through a turn. Drift to the media both wheels slide, which is even more difficult. I think this is pure illusion and can come from the observation of motorcycles that can be applied when the power of the Bank along its maximum angle of inclination in part to break traction. Moreover, the direct questioning, no one has this ability to himself, but "I have seen done."
A bicycle pedals can be only tilt angles much less than the maximum of land without a pedal, making it difficult to cabotage curves always done, so there is no power in the curve. In addition, bicycle tires have no margin for recovering a slip in the critical angle, which has been measured by tests in lean slip roads and testing machines. In these tests, the slipout (a little less than 45 degrees from the road surface) for tires in good pavement was considered hasty and unrecoverable. Although knobby tires do not have slipout sudden and can be moved around curves, they begin to walk at the side much more vertical angle, and can not focus on the angle of inclination soft tyres, so there is no advantage in its use for this end.
How Corner
The curves is the ability to anticipate the proper angle of inclination from the ground before reaching the apex of the curve. The angle to the road surface is the critical parameter and is limited by traction. This requires the rider to have a good eye for speed and traction. For most of this pavement is about 45 degrees by the lack of oil, water, or other smooth and slick spots. Therefore, if the curve is positive on banks of 10 degrees, an inclination of up to 55 degrees from vertical is possible. By contrast, crowned by a road without banking, where the surface falls around 10 degrees, allowing only 35 degrees (the limit).
The estimate of the tilt angle required for a curve is derived from the apparent traction and what speed will be at the apex of the lap at the current rate of braking. Anticipating the angle of inclination is something that humans, animals and birds are regularly drive propulsion. When running, forecast how fast and suddenly can be converted into a sidewalk, lane, or grass is easily done by most people. This requires an estimate of lean to the right conditions and control speed to avoid exceeding that angle. While on a bicycle the consequences of error are more serious, the method is the same.
These are reflexes that are developed by most people in youth, but some have not exercised in so long that they do not trust their abilities. A single drop strongly reinforces this doubt. For this reason, it is better to improve and regenerate these capabilities gradually through practice.
Countersteer
Countersteer is a popular topic for cyclists and motorcyclists who belatedly discover, or rediscover how to balance, it is a contrived issue. A two-wheeled vehicle can only be balanced or converted using countersteer, there is no other way to do it. It is the means by which a broomstick is balanced in the hand or a bicycle on the road. The point of support moves below the mass to align with the combined force of gravity and the force curves. That this requires leadership skills should be obvious. It is so obvious that runners never mention it, but you can see football and basketball players for his use of countersteer. Just watch a quarterback in a broken field run. I am sure that nothing is done him well in the NHL.
Braking
Once the basics of getting around a corner are in place, the big difference between being fast and be faster is another problem entirely. How the brakes are used before and curves that makes the difference between the average and fast runner. When traction is good, the front brake can be used almost exclusively because, with it, the bicycle can stop abruptly so that the rear wheel does not carry weight. When braking to a point on the rear wheel on takeoff, the rear brake is obviously useless. Once in the curve, increasingly traction is used by the angle of inclination, although it still slowed to cut speed. This is done with two brakes, because now neither wheel traction has much to lose. To develop an idea of the rear wheel on takeoff, practice hard braking in front of a low speed and safe.
Braking in Corners
Why in the brake to turn? If all braking is done before in turn, speed will be slower than necessary at an early stage of turn. Because it is impossible to predict accurately the maximum speed for the apex of the turn, and because the road is not a circular arc, speed must be cut all the way to the apex of the turn. Fear braking on curves are generally stems from an incident caused by injudicious braking. The use of front and rear brake must be adapted to the conditions.
When walking straight with good traction, substantial weight transfer of the rear of the front wheel is permissible, with strong use of front brake. When traction is poor, and slowing the transfer of weight is small, so the stop lamp with two wheels is appropriate. If traction is miserable, only the rear brake should be used, because while a rear slider is recoverable, one in the front is usually not.
Take for example, a rider for good traction on curves, inclined at 45 degrees equivalent to 1 G of centrifugal acceleration. The addition of 1 / 10 G barely slowed the increase in cargo traction tires, which is given by the square root of the sum of the two accelerations square SQRT (1 ^ 2 +0.1 ^ 2) = 1005 or an increase of 1 / 2%. In other words, there is room to slow substantially over the maximum curves. Because the angle of inclination changes as the square of the speed, braking can quickly reduce the angle of tilt and allow more braking. Therefore, there should be no doubt why brokers are almost always applying both brakes at the apex of high-speed speed turns.
Suspension
Beyond purity of lines and braking, suspension contributes substantially to descend. For bicycles without built-in suspension, that is furnished by the legs. Standing is not required on roads with thin air, simply taking the weight off the pelvic bones is adequate. On rough roads, there must be sufficient for the liquidation of chair does not carry weight. The reason for this is twofold. Blurred vision will become the chair if not unloaded, and traction will be compromised if the tyres are not kept in contact with the road while skimming more blows. The ideal is to keep the tire on the floor laden uniform.
Lean the bike, the rider, or two
Some pilots believe that hitting out knee or inclination of the body off the bike, improving curves. Sticking out a knee is the same thing without cleats that drivers do when they stick out a foot ramp motorcycle fashion. It is a futile gesture reassuring, but uneven roads, even degrades control. All that body weight is not centered on the bike (bicycle or inclination stuck out a knee) are putting our side on the bike, and lateral loads because management proposals if the road is not smooth. Getting the weight of the chair is also more difficult for such maneuvers.
To do this, coast down a straight, but rough road in a foot pedal with the bike leaning, and see how the bicycle is still a line irregular. On the contrary, if the tour focused on the bike can ride without hands perfectly straight on the same road. When lean off the bike you can not ride a line over the right track irregularities, especially in curves. Centered on the bike offers the best control.
Outside pedal Down
It is often said that putting off the pedal in a curve to improve cornering. Most experienced riders do, but not because I have something to do with traction. The reason is that it allows the rider to download the saddle, while standing with little effort in a locked knee, and this can only be done abroad because the pedal a pedal hit the road. However, standing on one leg extended does not work if the road is full of potholes, since a rigid leg can not absorb the blows or raise the road rider high enough of the chair to avoid being returned. Rough require an increase in high enough surfaces of the chair to avoid hard contact with the legs, while supply shock absorption knee action, pedals horizontally.
Vision
Where direct vision is critical to the fast curves. Central vision involves most of the cones in the retina of the eye. The color cones are receptive and interpretation of their images takes longer than the information received by the rods in the peripheral vision. That is why the central vision should focus on the sidewalk when the tyre track, while looking for potential obstacles and traffic with peripheral vision that is fast, black and white, and good for motion detection.
If the central vision is directed to where a vehicle or vehicles that may seem obstacle, its appearance will bring image processing to the suspension for a while. Because the color or model of car is irrelevant, this work can be left to the high-speed peripheral vision in white and black, while the concentration on the surface and the curvature of the sidewalk.
Many riders prefer to keep his head upright in cornering, but tilted his head with the bike and the body is more natural to the motion. Pilots who roll their planes do not try to keep his head during the maneuver, or curves, for that matter.
The Line
Picking the broadest curve through a corner may be obvious by the time the previous skills are dominating, but not always the best line, either for reasons of safety or the road surface. Sometimes it is better to stick a coup or a "Bott point" for changing the line, especially at high speed. Tires should be large enough to absorb the entire height of a lane marker without pinching the tube. This means that at least 25 mm cross section of the tyre is advisable. Sometimes, the crown of the road is enough to make the enlargement of the curve, taking the broad curve, counterproductive because the crown restricts the angle of inclination.
Speed mental
Mental speed that is required of them all. However, being fast does not guarantee success, because the judgement is even more important. Above all, it is important not to be daring, but rather to ride with a margin that leaves a feeling of comfort that no high risk. And the same thing, not to be blinded by age-old presumption that anyone who rides faster than I was crazy. "The drops like crazy!" is one of the most common descriptions of descenders fast. The commentary generally means that he is slower.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Descending Skills
Descending capacity, like any other skill, it's best to improving practice. The longer you can spend on the technical descents more confidence and speed to be able to develop. A few local Hot Shots know their practice in motor racing before strategic declines. Although frequent group rides are the best way to develop real bike handling skills with others in descending order does not necessarily help you descend faster alone.
Relax
The most important aspect is rapidly descending relaxation. Too much anxiety can reduce their concentration and miss important aspects of the road surface ahead. Pressing the speed to the point of fear will not help develop skills in descending order. Work on relaxation and smoothness (no sudden movements, braking and spin) and speed will follow.
Think Ahead
A rapid fall will launch long before a corner on the outside and make every braking needs to be done before entering the turn. Then click the apex in the inner edge of the road, finally coming out again on the outside (always leaving some room for error and unforeseen hazards). The key is to gradually get into position smoothly and follow a line through the corner. If you are doing everything fast, charque movements that take as a sign that you need to slow down and spend a little more attention further up the road.
Brake Ahead
Use your brakes only until the beginning of a corner, never use the brakes in a corner. At that point any traction used for braking significantly reduces the available traction for cornering. If you do not have to brake after entering the curve straightening his line before applying the brakes. If the road surface is good use primarily the front brake. If traction is poor to change the rear brake and start to break before. In auto racing circles there are two schools of thought on the art of braking. One calls for gradually releasing the brakes when entering the corner, the other advises hard braking until the beginning of the curve sharply and the release of the brakes just before entering the curve. A cyclists should probably combine these techniques depending on the road surface, rim veracity, brake hard, wear headset and the proximity of other riders.
Leaning
Motorcyclists and cyclists lean their bicycles very different in a corner. When you go fast motorcyclists keep their bicycles as upright as possible to avoid scraping the pins or pipes. Bicyclists, on the other hand lean their bicycles in the corner and keep the body upright. Both motorcyclists and cyclists in extending the knee down to lower the center of gravity. To pedal through corners like a motorcycle make and keep the bike upright while the inner part of the pedal is down.
Turning
One of the hardest things about fall into a group is going. It is not always possible to start the fall ahead of anyone who may be slower decline. If you are behind someone who is easy to take either hang out a safe distance behind or move very carefully. Turning to a fall is always difficult and dangerous. By the same token, if you're in front of someone who obviously wants to spend, not to mention them at the earliest safe time. Never proceed to impede the progress of someone on a journey of training if they are in bicycle or a car. Always make enough room for anyone trying to pass no matter what the speed limit can be. Be courteous and considerate and happy forever.
Go Easy
Remember that racing down is not what bike racing is all about. There is no need to keep up with Jones. "This is what causes many an accident. Compete against yourself in the downturn. The Belgians are notoriously slow descenders due to the constant rain conditions. However, some of the best cyclists of world on trains rainy roads. Do not get caught pushing some wet or unknown descent. Be prepared for a car or a patch of oil or dirt in the middle of your way around every blind corner no matter how many times have you been on a road. Take it easy, relax, exercise their powers of concentration and hammer again when you can turn the pedals.
Relax
The most important aspect is rapidly descending relaxation. Too much anxiety can reduce their concentration and miss important aspects of the road surface ahead. Pressing the speed to the point of fear will not help develop skills in descending order. Work on relaxation and smoothness (no sudden movements, braking and spin) and speed will follow.
Think Ahead
A rapid fall will launch long before a corner on the outside and make every braking needs to be done before entering the turn. Then click the apex in the inner edge of the road, finally coming out again on the outside (always leaving some room for error and unforeseen hazards). The key is to gradually get into position smoothly and follow a line through the corner. If you are doing everything fast, charque movements that take as a sign that you need to slow down and spend a little more attention further up the road.
Brake Ahead
Use your brakes only until the beginning of a corner, never use the brakes in a corner. At that point any traction used for braking significantly reduces the available traction for cornering. If you do not have to brake after entering the curve straightening his line before applying the brakes. If the road surface is good use primarily the front brake. If traction is poor to change the rear brake and start to break before. In auto racing circles there are two schools of thought on the art of braking. One calls for gradually releasing the brakes when entering the corner, the other advises hard braking until the beginning of the curve sharply and the release of the brakes just before entering the curve. A cyclists should probably combine these techniques depending on the road surface, rim veracity, brake hard, wear headset and the proximity of other riders.
Leaning
Motorcyclists and cyclists lean their bicycles very different in a corner. When you go fast motorcyclists keep their bicycles as upright as possible to avoid scraping the pins or pipes. Bicyclists, on the other hand lean their bicycles in the corner and keep the body upright. Both motorcyclists and cyclists in extending the knee down to lower the center of gravity. To pedal through corners like a motorcycle make and keep the bike upright while the inner part of the pedal is down.
Turning
One of the hardest things about fall into a group is going. It is not always possible to start the fall ahead of anyone who may be slower decline. If you are behind someone who is easy to take either hang out a safe distance behind or move very carefully. Turning to a fall is always difficult and dangerous. By the same token, if you're in front of someone who obviously wants to spend, not to mention them at the earliest safe time. Never proceed to impede the progress of someone on a journey of training if they are in bicycle or a car. Always make enough room for anyone trying to pass no matter what the speed limit can be. Be courteous and considerate and happy forever.
Go Easy
Remember that racing down is not what bike racing is all about. There is no need to keep up with Jones. "This is what causes many an accident. Compete against yourself in the downturn. The Belgians are notoriously slow descenders due to the constant rain conditions. However, some of the best cyclists of world on trains rainy roads. Do not get caught pushing some wet or unknown descent. Be prepared for a car or a patch of oil or dirt in the middle of your way around every blind corner no matter how many times have you been on a road. Take it easy, relax, exercise their powers of concentration and hammer again when you can turn the pedals.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Techniques for Turning at High Speed
When exactly are washed out in one shift is determined by the traction between the tires and the surface is less than the attraction of centrifugal force, itself a function of his turn radius and the square of its speed.
Leaning
All this assumes, of course, that the rider leans the correct amount on the curve. The biggest mistake novices make is to be timid about tilted, and this slows down as much as improper cadence. You can opt for as much as 45 degrees perfectly safely if your speed is at the bottom of bicycles, motorcycles and finish almost flat when cornering at higher speeds yet. Finding pilots in the heat of competition is looming much more than it had ever dared in everyday training, and that certainly tell the story live. Whenever you have traction and speed, there is no limit other than the psychological trend in.
There are two main ways to lean into a turn. The first and most suited to the trails, is to keep your body in an upright position while pressing the relatively bike down, sometimes almost horizontally, keeping his weight on the pedal and off the inside of the handlebar. This is acceptable performance of which makes is not critical, and traction is uncertain because it is very easy to recover if the ground gives way, and keep cycling between the ground and their meat.
The best way is to turn to remain in its aerodynamics and simply tuck it more lean. This is the best idea of the difficulty packed trails without surprises, or pavement. It is the style of choice if you need every bit of turning capacity can be abrasive, because you've entered the turn going too fast and do not want to have to be scraped off a telephone pole. You can tilt to 45 degrees at high speeds, and if you're in black is very difficult to screw.
If you choose lean, instead of pushing his bicycle for perch, while over it, you can still pedal. Until surprising angles, too - at 28 degrees with toeclip pedals, and with the best Clipless models, up to 36 degrees. If you've ever inclined at 28 degrees, that's steep. Would you like to pedal at all times, unless you're spinning so rapidly that the lean angles on the cause pedal to hit the ground. If you do pedal, then you are not going fast enough, but beware of pedaling when his runs out of liquidation - you can lift the entire rear wheel of the ground and jump as much as one meter on the side. Not only scare the hell you, but this is definitely an evil plan shout during a fall.
The tire pressure
Reducing the tire pressure will improve both the traction (to a point!) To slow down, making it easier curves. Motorcycles, for example, operate with very low tire pressure because the engine can enjoy the inefficiency much more easily than a rider can. Road racers in general want to inflate their tires near the maximum mark, usually 120 to 170 PSI, and does not want to throw the speed which provides that except for unusual situations.
When traction is paramount, using about half that pressure - so that there is a noticeable bulge when riding - help at the expense of significantly higher rolling resistance. With less pressure, the patch where the tires meet the road surface will be significantly higher. However, the waste of energy rolling resistance is remójese right into the tires, increasing tire pressure and temperature, which can be sufficiently critical after half an hour of constant braking in a down the mountain to celebrate the queue sew up tires at its tires.
Speed
Dump your speed before they turn, not him. At the time that I have you all front-wheel traction for braking is a recipe for disaster. To lose speed as quickly as possible before an unexpectedly serious turn, squeeze your rear brake moderately, and that compared with full force. When you feel the rear wheel skid to start, you know that almost all the weight has left behind his back, so that would alleviate the front brake. To postpone the point where its rear wheel loses weight as far as possible, slide back as far as it can while still being able to pull the levers of the brake, right in front of the headquarters. Keep this well until you're happy with their speed, or the shift begins.
If the corner turns out to be greater traction or poorer than the rider had anticipated, of course, the rule of slowdown before they in turn becomes difficult to follow. Or perhaps the degree through the turn is so steep that accelerate rather than turn can handle. The best bet is to leave enough room for speed to stick to his line without having things too dicey discover if some sand. Cut things too well and the fall will end his career as soon as the beginner's habit of slowing down too.
If you have when you brake turns, keep in mind that traction at its front wheel above all, is all used up. If you are in danger of slipping, straightening his turn a bit as you apply rear brake. Despite that detention has no power to the front, his rear brake contributes much less to a skid when turning.
If the situation is grave ...
Well, you have a bit of a problem here. Your best bet is to continue doing emergency braking deep into the curve, turning slightly, until you start running away from black. Ease off the brakes as the slam in turn, and if change is really fast no amount of braking is possible.
He surprised how quickly you can take a turn on whether lean enough, so you just run around the back and you lean right. Stay in your riding position and lean with the bike to about 45 degrees, and not just pushing his bicycle flat underneath you. Yes, that's a lot, and it feels like suicide, but it is perfectly safe in black, and is its only hope.
Anticipating
You may be thinking, after seeing this headline under so many issues, which is the key to cycling. No. It is the key to almost everything in human existence. Think ahead.
Anticipating his route. At the apex of the turn, come as close to the inside shoulder as you can, enter and leave the return to the outside shoulder. Look well ahead, especially when it goes quickly. In turn, seek spots flat surface and in turn on them. A little slowdown gives much more tire grip.
You are better off to anticipate the turning and braking too much, too soon, rather than negligence and knuckle-trawlers do too little, too late. It is much easier to pick up speed again after the round with some strong blows rather than pick up the pieces outside to turn with a spatula.
Anticipate his calculations. Shift gears before entering the turn, so that when you leave it may return to speed as soon as possible.
Remember that in a high-speed descent, the important thing is safety, not fun or go fast. It's easy to let your attention and stop walking over a patch of gravel, or entering a curve too fast. Be alert and attentive mhen traveling at high speeds, your brain bucket or might not be enough.
Leaning
All this assumes, of course, that the rider leans the correct amount on the curve. The biggest mistake novices make is to be timid about tilted, and this slows down as much as improper cadence. You can opt for as much as 45 degrees perfectly safely if your speed is at the bottom of bicycles, motorcycles and finish almost flat when cornering at higher speeds yet. Finding pilots in the heat of competition is looming much more than it had ever dared in everyday training, and that certainly tell the story live. Whenever you have traction and speed, there is no limit other than the psychological trend in.
There are two main ways to lean into a turn. The first and most suited to the trails, is to keep your body in an upright position while pressing the relatively bike down, sometimes almost horizontally, keeping his weight on the pedal and off the inside of the handlebar. This is acceptable performance of which makes is not critical, and traction is uncertain because it is very easy to recover if the ground gives way, and keep cycling between the ground and their meat.
The best way is to turn to remain in its aerodynamics and simply tuck it more lean. This is the best idea of the difficulty packed trails without surprises, or pavement. It is the style of choice if you need every bit of turning capacity can be abrasive, because you've entered the turn going too fast and do not want to have to be scraped off a telephone pole. You can tilt to 45 degrees at high speeds, and if you're in black is very difficult to screw.
If you choose lean, instead of pushing his bicycle for perch, while over it, you can still pedal. Until surprising angles, too - at 28 degrees with toeclip pedals, and with the best Clipless models, up to 36 degrees. If you've ever inclined at 28 degrees, that's steep. Would you like to pedal at all times, unless you're spinning so rapidly that the lean angles on the cause pedal to hit the ground. If you do pedal, then you are not going fast enough, but beware of pedaling when his runs out of liquidation - you can lift the entire rear wheel of the ground and jump as much as one meter on the side. Not only scare the hell you, but this is definitely an evil plan shout during a fall.
The tire pressure
Reducing the tire pressure will improve both the traction (to a point!) To slow down, making it easier curves. Motorcycles, for example, operate with very low tire pressure because the engine can enjoy the inefficiency much more easily than a rider can. Road racers in general want to inflate their tires near the maximum mark, usually 120 to 170 PSI, and does not want to throw the speed which provides that except for unusual situations.
When traction is paramount, using about half that pressure - so that there is a noticeable bulge when riding - help at the expense of significantly higher rolling resistance. With less pressure, the patch where the tires meet the road surface will be significantly higher. However, the waste of energy rolling resistance is remójese right into the tires, increasing tire pressure and temperature, which can be sufficiently critical after half an hour of constant braking in a down the mountain to celebrate the queue sew up tires at its tires.
Speed
Dump your speed before they turn, not him. At the time that I have you all front-wheel traction for braking is a recipe for disaster. To lose speed as quickly as possible before an unexpectedly serious turn, squeeze your rear brake moderately, and that compared with full force. When you feel the rear wheel skid to start, you know that almost all the weight has left behind his back, so that would alleviate the front brake. To postpone the point where its rear wheel loses weight as far as possible, slide back as far as it can while still being able to pull the levers of the brake, right in front of the headquarters. Keep this well until you're happy with their speed, or the shift begins.
If the corner turns out to be greater traction or poorer than the rider had anticipated, of course, the rule of slowdown before they in turn becomes difficult to follow. Or perhaps the degree through the turn is so steep that accelerate rather than turn can handle. The best bet is to leave enough room for speed to stick to his line without having things too dicey discover if some sand. Cut things too well and the fall will end his career as soon as the beginner's habit of slowing down too.
If you have when you brake turns, keep in mind that traction at its front wheel above all, is all used up. If you are in danger of slipping, straightening his turn a bit as you apply rear brake. Despite that detention has no power to the front, his rear brake contributes much less to a skid when turning.
If the situation is grave ...
Well, you have a bit of a problem here. Your best bet is to continue doing emergency braking deep into the curve, turning slightly, until you start running away from black. Ease off the brakes as the slam in turn, and if change is really fast no amount of braking is possible.
He surprised how quickly you can take a turn on whether lean enough, so you just run around the back and you lean right. Stay in your riding position and lean with the bike to about 45 degrees, and not just pushing his bicycle flat underneath you. Yes, that's a lot, and it feels like suicide, but it is perfectly safe in black, and is its only hope.
Anticipating
You may be thinking, after seeing this headline under so many issues, which is the key to cycling. No. It is the key to almost everything in human existence. Think ahead.
Anticipating his route. At the apex of the turn, come as close to the inside shoulder as you can, enter and leave the return to the outside shoulder. Look well ahead, especially when it goes quickly. In turn, seek spots flat surface and in turn on them. A little slowdown gives much more tire grip.
You are better off to anticipate the turning and braking too much, too soon, rather than negligence and knuckle-trawlers do too little, too late. It is much easier to pick up speed again after the round with some strong blows rather than pick up the pieces outside to turn with a spatula.
Anticipate his calculations. Shift gears before entering the turn, so that when you leave it may return to speed as soon as possible.
Remember that in a high-speed descent, the important thing is safety, not fun or go fast. It's easy to let your attention and stop walking over a patch of gravel, or entering a curve too fast. Be alert and attentive mhen traveling at high speeds, your brain bucket or might not be enough.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Tips for Braking on Roads
Don't lock your wheels
When the brakes in a car are no more than about blocking, braking force is almost 30% higher than when the brake is fully implemented, locking the wheels in a landslide, screeching, belching smoke stop. Locked wheels stop the car quickly and far less because the braking surface is the pavement and a film of melted rubber when the tire contacts, rather than careful engineering brake pads and discs special.
For those with track tyres, and especially for tubular racing tires, blocking the wheels melting all means expensive rubber on the road behind you. A while ago a valve tube in my rear tire became leak, and had to remove it after a few months' use. First, be aware that I had been really kind to my tyres, almost never lock when braking. When I did, I realized that there were about half a dozen spots where banda rolling is melted immediately, in some cases almost to the fabric tight!
Locked wheels are also terrible for the direction and control. You skid and slide, and at worst of all time.
Do not be afraid to use your front brake
When in speed and in a proper launching cycling (bending forward and with a low center of gravity), I have never heard of anyone making a final over blocking its front wheel. In fact, a good brake should not block unless you are trying to block it (an excellent reason to shell out for expensive brakes).
Its front brakes provide 75% of its braking power, and are more difficult to block and not let her back on the slide behind you. On the other hand, you have reason to evade the front brake when you download a steep hill, especially slowly or on a motorcycle when you sit upright (get a new bike if you do), or if you're turning and the need control.
When the brakes, the weight of the rear wheel transfers to the front. If you try hard enough and have enough strength in their hands, can block any front brake and brake as quickly as possible without blocking the wheels is the goal of any emergency stop. The trick is to know whether you're squeezing as hard as you can initiate a short pitchover. In a typical bike with geometry, this point is reached when the rider tries to slow down by more than 0.67 gees, or to halt more than 23.6 mph in one second.
To stop as quickly as possible, squeeze your rear brake lever with moderate strength and resilience to the lever, with the objective of a ratio of 3:1 compared with the braking force rear braking force. Listen and feel his rear tire: when it starts to skid, you know who has lost almost all his weight on the rear wheel. When this happens, ease off his front brake until it is sufficient weight in the rear wheel to keep it on the ground, with sufficient traction and stopping the skid.
Put your weight on Wheels
If you're about to do hard braking with its front wheel, backward as far as you can, even moving immediately saddle. The limits to the farthest back can travel safely will be able to maintain the bars and brakes and be able to run with some traction. As the ride over potholes and depressions, must provide to stay in the best position before conditions change.
The more weight on his rear wheel, the harder you can brake before sufficient weight is transferred to the front along tone, and that will receive more traction with the ground, spinning or blocked. Try the effect of blocking his rear wheel while rests on the front - will stop forever, and certainly will make a mess of the lawn Jons.
Especially for those who have dropped handlebars, put their weight into the pedals instead of his arms when stopping, especially when stop with his front brakes. This puts more weight on the rear wheel, and lowers its centre of gravity for better direction and stability.
In the same vein, with the bars fell want to go to the drops at the first sign of trouble or when descending, as much leverage that is available to ride with their hands on the hoods. You want to use every bit of additional leverage to mount it on the roads, where the risk of another small endoing is all but nonexistant.
Dodge
About 80% of all accidents involving a bicycle rider running on something else (usually a car that had just made a traffic violation). In many of these cases, and indeed in many car accidents, braking is not the answer (as the rider found out!) But rather the location is the best way to avoid a collision. Especially when in traffic or anywhere else with many unexpected surprises, keep an escape route in mind at all times, so you can quickly veer into the shoulder or sidewalk where a car appeared right in front of you.
If you're braking, but it is clear that it will not be able to stop before it hit the truck, and then accept that, ease off the brakes to gain control of the bike, and run around them. Facilitating out to moderate braking is essential, as a braking uses all of you to stop traction, making a mess of attempted shifts. Whatever you do, do not panic and keep sliding forward until you're sprawl over the hood - or worse, in hospital.
Choose your Land
Especially if your idea is to seize their braking wheel surface that will travel to make a big difference in the efficiency, security and stability braking. Try to choose the soft surface friction with the highest and the lowest number of obstacles.
Slippery, low friction surfaces abound, so avoid them. The sand and gravel, especially if they are covering a hard surface, they are terrible for turning and braking. The oil slicks on the roads, many cars made by braking or making turns hard, you can send sliding at an intersection or a right of the road. The oil on the pavement, and oil over it, mixed with the first rain that falls until it is drawn, which gives a very slippery surface that can not be easily avoided. Wet cobblestones are terrible, even walking, let alone stopping. Wet wet autumn leaves and caps or steel plates should also be avoided when braking or money, or even riding in general.
If you see a region of land closer to the poor, trying to reach all of the brakes before we can get to it, then reduce its braking force to what the new ground can bear. When stopping hard to avoid turning the poor ground is not really an option, to guide directly unless you can relieve your brakes outside the direction of traction needed to dodge.
Brake before turning
Braking with its front wheel seriously reduces their ability to make corners at the same time. If your front wheel skates because of braking or ground (sand on the pavement, for example), your bike will continue its momentum instead of his front wheel, and understeer. Its front brakes provide 70% of its power to stop, and usually work best to boot, so it was only with his rear brakes is indeed a nuisance.
The solution, of course, to make braking before his turn, and ease off the front (and again, if you can) as the brakes starting rotation. The extra power of turning and stability will enable you to spin faster, which more than offsetting a slower approach.
For more information about the slowdown in turns, take a look at our high-speed cornering article.
Learn to pulse
When riding in the rain, gently apply the brakes every half a minute or so to keep them clear of water. Wet tires, unless you've bought special shoes (probably not) will stop a disaster, especially when excess slick tires and blocking the wheels on wet pavement.
Pulse brakes on their long descents, not riding the brakes all the way down. If there is jam or if you want to take it easy, let accelerate the motorcycle, and then slowly downwards, then wait for that once again. Apart from eating their brake pads and tires, cooks constant braking the rim at the temperature obscene. With the tyres inflated near its maximum pressure, or dressed-wheel tubular (!) You definitely want to minimizing the time spent on the brakes, especially with this bump in the pavement or mach speed curve in part Lower ...
Getting used
When riding in the rain, snow, or other unusual conditions, try out the brakes to get an idea of the road. Not only will let you avoid locking the wheels and helps maintain control, but will allow you to judge intuitively how long you'll have to stop, and hence, whether evasive action, brake, or bail (or when begin to shout to get the hell Outta the way).
Do not try this at home ...
If you have no choice but to stop as quickly as possible at a moderate speed, turn the front wheel as you pull the brakes. The wheel and the fork is buckle, the merger of his bike on the road in an accident controlled.
When the brakes in a car are no more than about blocking, braking force is almost 30% higher than when the brake is fully implemented, locking the wheels in a landslide, screeching, belching smoke stop. Locked wheels stop the car quickly and far less because the braking surface is the pavement and a film of melted rubber when the tire contacts, rather than careful engineering brake pads and discs special.
For those with track tyres, and especially for tubular racing tires, blocking the wheels melting all means expensive rubber on the road behind you. A while ago a valve tube in my rear tire became leak, and had to remove it after a few months' use. First, be aware that I had been really kind to my tyres, almost never lock when braking. When I did, I realized that there were about half a dozen spots where banda rolling is melted immediately, in some cases almost to the fabric tight!
Locked wheels are also terrible for the direction and control. You skid and slide, and at worst of all time.
Do not be afraid to use your front brake
When in speed and in a proper launching cycling (bending forward and with a low center of gravity), I have never heard of anyone making a final over blocking its front wheel. In fact, a good brake should not block unless you are trying to block it (an excellent reason to shell out for expensive brakes).
Its front brakes provide 75% of its braking power, and are more difficult to block and not let her back on the slide behind you. On the other hand, you have reason to evade the front brake when you download a steep hill, especially slowly or on a motorcycle when you sit upright (get a new bike if you do), or if you're turning and the need control.
When the brakes, the weight of the rear wheel transfers to the front. If you try hard enough and have enough strength in their hands, can block any front brake and brake as quickly as possible without blocking the wheels is the goal of any emergency stop. The trick is to know whether you're squeezing as hard as you can initiate a short pitchover. In a typical bike with geometry, this point is reached when the rider tries to slow down by more than 0.67 gees, or to halt more than 23.6 mph in one second.
To stop as quickly as possible, squeeze your rear brake lever with moderate strength and resilience to the lever, with the objective of a ratio of 3:1 compared with the braking force rear braking force. Listen and feel his rear tire: when it starts to skid, you know who has lost almost all his weight on the rear wheel. When this happens, ease off his front brake until it is sufficient weight in the rear wheel to keep it on the ground, with sufficient traction and stopping the skid.
Put your weight on Wheels
If you're about to do hard braking with its front wheel, backward as far as you can, even moving immediately saddle. The limits to the farthest back can travel safely will be able to maintain the bars and brakes and be able to run with some traction. As the ride over potholes and depressions, must provide to stay in the best position before conditions change.
The more weight on his rear wheel, the harder you can brake before sufficient weight is transferred to the front along tone, and that will receive more traction with the ground, spinning or blocked. Try the effect of blocking his rear wheel while rests on the front - will stop forever, and certainly will make a mess of the lawn Jons.
Especially for those who have dropped handlebars, put their weight into the pedals instead of his arms when stopping, especially when stop with his front brakes. This puts more weight on the rear wheel, and lowers its centre of gravity for better direction and stability.
In the same vein, with the bars fell want to go to the drops at the first sign of trouble or when descending, as much leverage that is available to ride with their hands on the hoods. You want to use every bit of additional leverage to mount it on the roads, where the risk of another small endoing is all but nonexistant.
Dodge
About 80% of all accidents involving a bicycle rider running on something else (usually a car that had just made a traffic violation). In many of these cases, and indeed in many car accidents, braking is not the answer (as the rider found out!) But rather the location is the best way to avoid a collision. Especially when in traffic or anywhere else with many unexpected surprises, keep an escape route in mind at all times, so you can quickly veer into the shoulder or sidewalk where a car appeared right in front of you.
If you're braking, but it is clear that it will not be able to stop before it hit the truck, and then accept that, ease off the brakes to gain control of the bike, and run around them. Facilitating out to moderate braking is essential, as a braking uses all of you to stop traction, making a mess of attempted shifts. Whatever you do, do not panic and keep sliding forward until you're sprawl over the hood - or worse, in hospital.
Choose your Land
Especially if your idea is to seize their braking wheel surface that will travel to make a big difference in the efficiency, security and stability braking. Try to choose the soft surface friction with the highest and the lowest number of obstacles.
Slippery, low friction surfaces abound, so avoid them. The sand and gravel, especially if they are covering a hard surface, they are terrible for turning and braking. The oil slicks on the roads, many cars made by braking or making turns hard, you can send sliding at an intersection or a right of the road. The oil on the pavement, and oil over it, mixed with the first rain that falls until it is drawn, which gives a very slippery surface that can not be easily avoided. Wet cobblestones are terrible, even walking, let alone stopping. Wet wet autumn leaves and caps or steel plates should also be avoided when braking or money, or even riding in general.
If you see a region of land closer to the poor, trying to reach all of the brakes before we can get to it, then reduce its braking force to what the new ground can bear. When stopping hard to avoid turning the poor ground is not really an option, to guide directly unless you can relieve your brakes outside the direction of traction needed to dodge.
Brake before turning
Braking with its front wheel seriously reduces their ability to make corners at the same time. If your front wheel skates because of braking or ground (sand on the pavement, for example), your bike will continue its momentum instead of his front wheel, and understeer. Its front brakes provide 70% of its power to stop, and usually work best to boot, so it was only with his rear brakes is indeed a nuisance.
The solution, of course, to make braking before his turn, and ease off the front (and again, if you can) as the brakes starting rotation. The extra power of turning and stability will enable you to spin faster, which more than offsetting a slower approach.
For more information about the slowdown in turns, take a look at our high-speed cornering article.
Learn to pulse
When riding in the rain, gently apply the brakes every half a minute or so to keep them clear of water. Wet tires, unless you've bought special shoes (probably not) will stop a disaster, especially when excess slick tires and blocking the wheels on wet pavement.
Pulse brakes on their long descents, not riding the brakes all the way down. If there is jam or if you want to take it easy, let accelerate the motorcycle, and then slowly downwards, then wait for that once again. Apart from eating their brake pads and tires, cooks constant braking the rim at the temperature obscene. With the tyres inflated near its maximum pressure, or dressed-wheel tubular (!) You definitely want to minimizing the time spent on the brakes, especially with this bump in the pavement or mach speed curve in part Lower ...
Getting used
When riding in the rain, snow, or other unusual conditions, try out the brakes to get an idea of the road. Not only will let you avoid locking the wheels and helps maintain control, but will allow you to judge intuitively how long you'll have to stop, and hence, whether evasive action, brake, or bail (or when begin to shout to get the hell Outta the way).
Do not try this at home ...
If you have no choice but to stop as quickly as possible at a moderate speed, turn the front wheel as you pull the brakes. The wheel and the fork is buckle, the merger of his bike on the road in an accident controlled.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The Joys of Night Riding
Routes
I prefer that roads are open. While in the day, tree-lined roads provide shelter from the wind, there is rarely more than a gentle breeze in summer nights. The unobstructed view of sky and moon-bathed field makes the ride pleasant and picturesque, especially in comparison with the dark shadow that surrounds the road and mounting the roadside near the trees, obstructing the moonlight. Of course, when travelling in the day, or a beacon on a moonless night, a tree-lined road becomes as good as anyone.
Taking a break from writing this article about 2 hours, I rode for over an hour and found only a few cars on two major roads. The meeting of high-speed traffic on a narrow two-lane road, when you do not know if they can see you to change lanes, is a real pain once you get into the slot to walk alone and undisturbed. Therefore, I suggest sticking to secondary roads (at speeds that are lower, and driving in the middle of the road instead of right behind you), which are just as well paved, have a better hills, and pleasant Moonlit fields.
Car Headlights
I separated from my helmet visor to walk on the roads, because it seems to me tuck it blocked my vision when my head down to keep out the wind. However, the headlights of cars are really blind, especially the redneck hitches in puppy crusher that the use of high beams, unless you can block out - and his hands not only of court to block out the lights. The good news is that while the angle, can block the headlights with the small lip on the front in the hull. You may have to adjust the straps, but it should be covering the front to get started. Just tilt your head down, looking at the same time, until the light is slightly outside their field of vision.
Early Warning System
The great thing about riding at night is that you never have to worry about what behind you. Not only because it almost never is, but because the car can determine the type of approach, distance, and if that happens with enough space - all for the future.
The first idea that comes from handlebars. Publicity and lines of white light is placed in the tube, indicating that a car is behind you. Be aware of the position of the moon, but that was mainly looking for his handlebar lights, which are very noticably brighter, even when the car is a hundred meters away.
Watch the way for any height, shadows moving. The tar macadam road, sometimes there are dark stripes running along the road, especially when there are as seam in the middle of the road, so you'll have to take note of the location of these, and to see movement. If you are unsure whether the "shadow" is actually a dark banda, try drifting to the left or right and see if darkness moves.
As the car approaches, "puddles" of darkness appear in depressions in the road, like bands crossing the road. These dark spots and lines are very subjective to the hills, however. Begin to pay a lot of attention for the movement of its shadow over today because the car is near. After seeing a few cars pass, the size and type that shortens the shadow will tell you exactly where and how fast the car is in motion. More importantly, see that the shadow rate slips to the right. If the car is close, and the shadow is still almost in front of you, the average pass beside the road, or another point in the lane with his hand.
Lighting
Do not tell anyone, but I do not use a beacon. I love my night vision is the way, thank you very much, without lights or vehicles that a large bright patch in front of my bike for that mess. But then, I walk only when there is bright moonlight.
If there is no good moonlight, you must use a beacon. (If you wonder if the lighting is good, take a look at the current moon phase on the right.) Otherwise, you can not see well enough to travel quickly, safely or comfortably. You always second-guess the roadside, thinking that the road becomes when and not vice versa, and occasionally having to travel without any visual stimuli at all useful when there are trees on both sides of the road, or when the headlights of cars are in sight. After the moonlight, or in his absence, a beacon of its own, solve these irritations.
Rear Blinker
Despite the rear collisions constitute less than 5% of all collisions between bicycles and motor vehicles, that does not stop you from being paranoid about it when, after half an hour without seeing a car, a transport truck comes barreling behind your some two lane main road. Since there is no real rider uses reflectors, installed in place of rear-face LED Blinker, available for less than $ 15, which is mounted on the back seat.
The psychological effect is mainly in two ways. First, it puts my mind at ease, which tends to worry about putting my life in the hands of the mouth of respite driving up behind me, even though the rear collisions are rare, like the Accidents are the airlines. The second effect is on the driver of the car behind me. Besides being less likely to drive through me, the cars seem to give me more leeway to happen when I Blinker. Go figure.
The final effect, of course, is that it adds back the same weight and air resistance that had removed to obtain a racing bike without reflectors little plastic everywhere. Oh well.
Ground
Empty roads offer substantial freedom to travel to any part of them you please. Choose the darkest regions running along a worn road, which is usually the result of smooth asphalt or oil, both offer much lower rolling resistance. On the other hand, avoid dark patches, which are often potholes, dead animals, and the like.
In addition, the moonlight, street lamps, headlamps and rapprochement will make some parts of the road bright. These strips are soft and have the least resistance.
I prefer that roads are open. While in the day, tree-lined roads provide shelter from the wind, there is rarely more than a gentle breeze in summer nights. The unobstructed view of sky and moon-bathed field makes the ride pleasant and picturesque, especially in comparison with the dark shadow that surrounds the road and mounting the roadside near the trees, obstructing the moonlight. Of course, when travelling in the day, or a beacon on a moonless night, a tree-lined road becomes as good as anyone.
Taking a break from writing this article about 2 hours, I rode for over an hour and found only a few cars on two major roads. The meeting of high-speed traffic on a narrow two-lane road, when you do not know if they can see you to change lanes, is a real pain once you get into the slot to walk alone and undisturbed. Therefore, I suggest sticking to secondary roads (at speeds that are lower, and driving in the middle of the road instead of right behind you), which are just as well paved, have a better hills, and pleasant Moonlit fields.
Car Headlights
I separated from my helmet visor to walk on the roads, because it seems to me tuck it blocked my vision when my head down to keep out the wind. However, the headlights of cars are really blind, especially the redneck hitches in puppy crusher that the use of high beams, unless you can block out - and his hands not only of court to block out the lights. The good news is that while the angle, can block the headlights with the small lip on the front in the hull. You may have to adjust the straps, but it should be covering the front to get started. Just tilt your head down, looking at the same time, until the light is slightly outside their field of vision.
Early Warning System
The great thing about riding at night is that you never have to worry about what behind you. Not only because it almost never is, but because the car can determine the type of approach, distance, and if that happens with enough space - all for the future.
The first idea that comes from handlebars. Publicity and lines of white light is placed in the tube, indicating that a car is behind you. Be aware of the position of the moon, but that was mainly looking for his handlebar lights, which are very noticably brighter, even when the car is a hundred meters away.
Watch the way for any height, shadows moving. The tar macadam road, sometimes there are dark stripes running along the road, especially when there are as seam in the middle of the road, so you'll have to take note of the location of these, and to see movement. If you are unsure whether the "shadow" is actually a dark banda, try drifting to the left or right and see if darkness moves.
As the car approaches, "puddles" of darkness appear in depressions in the road, like bands crossing the road. These dark spots and lines are very subjective to the hills, however. Begin to pay a lot of attention for the movement of its shadow over today because the car is near. After seeing a few cars pass, the size and type that shortens the shadow will tell you exactly where and how fast the car is in motion. More importantly, see that the shadow rate slips to the right. If the car is close, and the shadow is still almost in front of you, the average pass beside the road, or another point in the lane with his hand.
Lighting
Do not tell anyone, but I do not use a beacon. I love my night vision is the way, thank you very much, without lights or vehicles that a large bright patch in front of my bike for that mess. But then, I walk only when there is bright moonlight.
If there is no good moonlight, you must use a beacon. (If you wonder if the lighting is good, take a look at the current moon phase on the right.) Otherwise, you can not see well enough to travel quickly, safely or comfortably. You always second-guess the roadside, thinking that the road becomes when and not vice versa, and occasionally having to travel without any visual stimuli at all useful when there are trees on both sides of the road, or when the headlights of cars are in sight. After the moonlight, or in his absence, a beacon of its own, solve these irritations.
Rear Blinker
Despite the rear collisions constitute less than 5% of all collisions between bicycles and motor vehicles, that does not stop you from being paranoid about it when, after half an hour without seeing a car, a transport truck comes barreling behind your some two lane main road. Since there is no real rider uses reflectors, installed in place of rear-face LED Blinker, available for less than $ 15, which is mounted on the back seat.
The psychological effect is mainly in two ways. First, it puts my mind at ease, which tends to worry about putting my life in the hands of the mouth of respite driving up behind me, even though the rear collisions are rare, like the Accidents are the airlines. The second effect is on the driver of the car behind me. Besides being less likely to drive through me, the cars seem to give me more leeway to happen when I Blinker. Go figure.
The final effect, of course, is that it adds back the same weight and air resistance that had removed to obtain a racing bike without reflectors little plastic everywhere. Oh well.
Ground
Empty roads offer substantial freedom to travel to any part of them you please. Choose the darkest regions running along a worn road, which is usually the result of smooth asphalt or oil, both offer much lower rolling resistance. On the other hand, avoid dark patches, which are often potholes, dead animals, and the like.
In addition, the moonlight, street lamps, headlamps and rapprochement will make some parts of the road bright. These strips are soft and have the least resistance.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Where to Grasp the Handlebars
Hills
When climbing in less than a sprint, if you're not pulling on the handlebars, use the tops or drops, stay away from the aero bars and hoods. In a long plod, where nothing remains of its approach to drive, do not hesitate to sit in the wind using the tops, because it does not significantly impact velocity - almost all efforts is the fight against gravity, not fighting wind. (For more information on this effect, see your Pacing Climbs.)
Sprint
If you start throwing in more power bars, go to the bottom. If you're Sprint up a hill, the bells are great. Stay away from doubling the top and back of the drops, and to an extent where the top pulling his bar. The importance of access without effort apart, his arms work more efficiently and powerfully when expanded.
Cruising
If you are mounting quickly, or against a headwind, joining the aero bars or drops. If riding hard, put his head down and really jamb hands under section curve. You'll wind outside and the balance of his weight.
A strong glue, or the lack of any trouble, makes the best position to change the ends of the drops, bells, or the curve behind the hoods. These positions are the most comfortable for long distances, or walks of no more than moderate intensity.
Avoid the flat section of the handlebars when cruising, but not entirely. In a very long journey, I have a way of beating the drops until they are exhausted my arms and am obliged to use the flat section, after having "exhausted" all positions lower. If I had rested my arms tired before switching to the flat section - or even the hoods - sometimes during the trip departure, I would have had greater fraction of the global total spent in assembling the most efficient tuck it.
In general, however, you only want to use the flat section if you are riding a hill in particular, not haste, travelling very slowly, or are trying to communicate to the other posts on a break.
Burping
For BURP, go to A and tilt his head back. Do not even bother trying to get the air when you eat out in the drops. Not only is there no hurry, but everything that is going to do is give you heartburn without complying with anything. In general there is no need to sit BURP.
By the way, swallowing air in an attempt to make it easier burping does not work. You will swallow more air than you subsequently expelled, making the problem worse. If you tend to swallow air when drinking from a bottle of water, try sucking in the nipple and filling up your whole mouth, instead of squirting a bit in his mouth and swallow water with a breath of air, again and again . If you drink anything carbonated, the best bet is to get half a dozen solid burps before reaching back to his bicycle.
When climbing in less than a sprint, if you're not pulling on the handlebars, use the tops or drops, stay away from the aero bars and hoods. In a long plod, where nothing remains of its approach to drive, do not hesitate to sit in the wind using the tops, because it does not significantly impact velocity - almost all efforts is the fight against gravity, not fighting wind. (For more information on this effect, see your Pacing Climbs.)
Sprint
If you start throwing in more power bars, go to the bottom. If you're Sprint up a hill, the bells are great. Stay away from doubling the top and back of the drops, and to an extent where the top pulling his bar. The importance of access without effort apart, his arms work more efficiently and powerfully when expanded.
Cruising
If you are mounting quickly, or against a headwind, joining the aero bars or drops. If riding hard, put his head down and really jamb hands under section curve. You'll wind outside and the balance of his weight.
A strong glue, or the lack of any trouble, makes the best position to change the ends of the drops, bells, or the curve behind the hoods. These positions are the most comfortable for long distances, or walks of no more than moderate intensity.
Avoid the flat section of the handlebars when cruising, but not entirely. In a very long journey, I have a way of beating the drops until they are exhausted my arms and am obliged to use the flat section, after having "exhausted" all positions lower. If I had rested my arms tired before switching to the flat section - or even the hoods - sometimes during the trip departure, I would have had greater fraction of the global total spent in assembling the most efficient tuck it.
In general, however, you only want to use the flat section if you are riding a hill in particular, not haste, travelling very slowly, or are trying to communicate to the other posts on a break.
Burping
For BURP, go to A and tilt his head back. Do not even bother trying to get the air when you eat out in the drops. Not only is there no hurry, but everything that is going to do is give you heartburn without complying with anything. In general there is no need to sit BURP.
By the way, swallowing air in an attempt to make it easier burping does not work. You will swallow more air than you subsequently expelled, making the problem worse. If you tend to swallow air when drinking from a bottle of water, try sucking in the nipple and filling up your whole mouth, instead of squirting a bit in his mouth and swallow water with a breath of air, again and again . If you drink anything carbonated, the best bet is to get half a dozen solid burps before reaching back to his bicycle.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Tips On Buying A Bike
Once you know which type bike you want, make sure the bike you select fits you properly. There’s essentially two ways to accomplish a good fit. If you want a perfect fit, for about $50, have a quality bicycle shop calculate your bike size using a computerized program called the Fit Kit. They’ll take various measurements such as, length of your legs, torso and arms then give you a printout of your measurements and which frame height and length best suits your body.
The second best way to get a good bike fit is to follow these guidelines:
Frame Height. Straddle the bike. You should have one to two inches of clearance between the top bar of the bike and your crotch, three to four inches if you’re going to be riding on off-road terrain. If you want to be a little more exact, measure your inseam, straddle the bike, pick it up until the top bar touches your crotch, then measure the distance between the bottom of the tires and ground.
Frame Lengths. Be sure when you sit on the bike you can comfortably reach the handlebars. If the handlebars are too far away you won’t have adequate control, if they’re too close you’ll be uncomfortable and tire easily.
Seat and Handlebar Adjustment. A quality bike shop will make the necessary adjustments for you to fine tune the fit of the bike. A critical adjustment is seat height. Your knee should have a 25-30 degree bend when the ball of your foot is on the pedal at its lowest position. The handlebars should be one inch lower than, or the same height as, the seat. Check to be sure you can comfortably reach the brakes and that the width of the handlebars are approximately the width of your shoulders.
Take a Test Ride. Just like purchasing a car, this is where the rubber meets the road. You should feel comfortable and in control. Your elbows should be relaxed with a slight bend and squeezing the brake levers should be easily accomplished. Slide your rear back off the saddle, stand up on the pedals, flex and round your back, and move your hands to various positions on the handlebars to assure you can move around on the bike easily while it’s in motion.
Accessorize Once you select the bike to purchase, you’ll want to get some accessories to go with it. Most important is a helmet. You may also want to consider a tire pump, tube repair kit, pressure gauge, seat pack, water bottle and cage and a lock. The bicycle shop can help you select these and install them on your bike. Depending on how much you spend on your bike, you may be able to convince the salesperson to throw in some of the accessories at no charge.
Enjoy the ride.
References:"How to Buy the Perfect Bike", Fitness, October, 1996 p.76Buying a Bike: Rec.Bicycles FAQ Part 2/5 at http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet-faqs/html/bicycles-faq/part2/faq.html A Bike That Fits at http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/2737/fit.htm
The second best way to get a good bike fit is to follow these guidelines:
Frame Height. Straddle the bike. You should have one to two inches of clearance between the top bar of the bike and your crotch, three to four inches if you’re going to be riding on off-road terrain. If you want to be a little more exact, measure your inseam, straddle the bike, pick it up until the top bar touches your crotch, then measure the distance between the bottom of the tires and ground.
Frame Lengths. Be sure when you sit on the bike you can comfortably reach the handlebars. If the handlebars are too far away you won’t have adequate control, if they’re too close you’ll be uncomfortable and tire easily.
Seat and Handlebar Adjustment. A quality bike shop will make the necessary adjustments for you to fine tune the fit of the bike. A critical adjustment is seat height. Your knee should have a 25-30 degree bend when the ball of your foot is on the pedal at its lowest position. The handlebars should be one inch lower than, or the same height as, the seat. Check to be sure you can comfortably reach the brakes and that the width of the handlebars are approximately the width of your shoulders.
Take a Test Ride. Just like purchasing a car, this is where the rubber meets the road. You should feel comfortable and in control. Your elbows should be relaxed with a slight bend and squeezing the brake levers should be easily accomplished. Slide your rear back off the saddle, stand up on the pedals, flex and round your back, and move your hands to various positions on the handlebars to assure you can move around on the bike easily while it’s in motion.
Accessorize Once you select the bike to purchase, you’ll want to get some accessories to go with it. Most important is a helmet. You may also want to consider a tire pump, tube repair kit, pressure gauge, seat pack, water bottle and cage and a lock. The bicycle shop can help you select these and install them on your bike. Depending on how much you spend on your bike, you may be able to convince the salesperson to throw in some of the accessories at no charge.
Enjoy the ride.
References:"How to Buy the Perfect Bike", Fitness, October, 1996 p.76Buying a Bike: Rec.Bicycles FAQ Part 2/5 at http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet-faqs/html/bicycles-faq/part2/faq.html A Bike That Fits at http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/2737/fit.htm
How to Improve Handling Skills
Bike handling skills also have to be developed over a period of time. Those who learned to ride as children have an enormous advantage over late learners. Riding in a straight line is an important first skill; motor vehicles often pass with just a foot or two of clearance, and motorists often honk at cyclists that they see swerving. Other important skills are gear shifting, mounting and dismounting the bike in various ways (especially at a traffic light or stop sign), avoiding stones, holes, or glass on the road, looking back while cycling straight ahead, turning sharply and suddenly, climbing while standing, descending rapidly, and avoiding the bites of dogs or kicking back at them to keep them away. Before riding in much traffic, a cyclist should be comfortable with the bike, even under emergency conditions. As children, we used to play lot of games or perform tricks that were actually bike-handling training rides. An adult learner can do the same thing. A large empty parking lot is an excellent place to practice. Try to maintain a straight line along a painted line, both looking ahead and to the rear, and to swerve to avoid some colored paper cut-outs prepared ahead of time. Practice almost stopping without putting a foot on the ground and then starting again. Practice mounting and dismounting under different conditions, including on slopes. Glancing back while riding straight ahead is difficult to learn, so many will want to get a rear-view mirror. Mirrors are sold which attach to the bike frame, the handbars, the glasses, and the bike helmet.
How to Obtain Cycling Strength
Strength is built up through exercise. Those who spend time walking, hiking, jogging, skating, cross-country skiing, or playing any sport that requires constant running should have a good base to build on. Nonetheless, muscles will have to adapt to very different strength and energy requirements, and the legs will have to learn new behavior.
For short periods of time, while sprinting through an intersection or climbing a short, steep hill, the legs will be burning energy at a furious pace, while the lungs won't have even had enough time to start breathing hard. At the beginning of the sprint and at the crest of the hill, the legs will be moving slowly, applying great pressure to the pedals, while near the end of the sprint and at the bottom of the hill, the legs will be spinning rapidly, applying much less force to the pedals but just as much energy. Spinning is a whole new ballgame and might be said to mark the difference between a bike rider and a cyclist. It's a light and rapid application of power that results in less fatigue, once the cyclist adapts to it.
Adapting to long-distance riding takes even more changes, as the body has to learn how to conserve and expend its energy wisely. Those who have not been active in an aerobic sport that uses the legs will need to build up more slowly because the body is going to have to make even greater changes. The body has the amazing ability to transform itself, but the process takes time. Those who are overweight are going to require even more time and some caution. And those with heart trouble are going to have to be especially watchful.
A simple way in which to build up is to ride some distance that is comfortable but not too far at a speed that is fast but not too hard. Breathing so hard that talking is impossible or having to stop and gasp for breath are both signs that the exercise was too difficult. On the other hand, never having to breathe hard is a sign that the exercise is too light, at least after the first couple of weeks. It's necessary to put some effort into cycling, but never so much that it becomes a strain or painful.
The daily distance should be increased on a weekly basis, but by no more than half. Ten miles per day is a good target for those interested in health alone. It will take some people a long time to build up to ten miles a day, while others will find themselves able to ride ten miles on the very first day. For weight reduction, fifteen miles a day or more would be recommended (recent studies found that those losing weight burned 2,800 kCal in exercise each week). Those interested in long rides or a bicycle trip should gradually increase the weekend distances while trying to ride ten miles or more daily during the week.
Cycling nearly every day is important physically and psychologically, but don't worry about missing a few days, either on a regular basis or due to bad weather or an illness. To help with finding time to ride, cycling can be used to travel to work or to run errands. If cycling is not possible for long periods due to the weather, walking or other exercises should be substituted.
For short periods of time, while sprinting through an intersection or climbing a short, steep hill, the legs will be burning energy at a furious pace, while the lungs won't have even had enough time to start breathing hard. At the beginning of the sprint and at the crest of the hill, the legs will be moving slowly, applying great pressure to the pedals, while near the end of the sprint and at the bottom of the hill, the legs will be spinning rapidly, applying much less force to the pedals but just as much energy. Spinning is a whole new ballgame and might be said to mark the difference between a bike rider and a cyclist. It's a light and rapid application of power that results in less fatigue, once the cyclist adapts to it.
Adapting to long-distance riding takes even more changes, as the body has to learn how to conserve and expend its energy wisely. Those who have not been active in an aerobic sport that uses the legs will need to build up more slowly because the body is going to have to make even greater changes. The body has the amazing ability to transform itself, but the process takes time. Those who are overweight are going to require even more time and some caution. And those with heart trouble are going to have to be especially watchful.
A simple way in which to build up is to ride some distance that is comfortable but not too far at a speed that is fast but not too hard. Breathing so hard that talking is impossible or having to stop and gasp for breath are both signs that the exercise was too difficult. On the other hand, never having to breathe hard is a sign that the exercise is too light, at least after the first couple of weeks. It's necessary to put some effort into cycling, but never so much that it becomes a strain or painful.
The daily distance should be increased on a weekly basis, but by no more than half. Ten miles per day is a good target for those interested in health alone. It will take some people a long time to build up to ten miles a day, while others will find themselves able to ride ten miles on the very first day. For weight reduction, fifteen miles a day or more would be recommended (recent studies found that those losing weight burned 2,800 kCal in exercise each week). Those interested in long rides or a bicycle trip should gradually increase the weekend distances while trying to ride ten miles or more daily during the week.
Cycling nearly every day is important physically and psychologically, but don't worry about missing a few days, either on a regular basis or due to bad weather or an illness. To help with finding time to ride, cycling can be used to travel to work or to run errands. If cycling is not possible for long periods due to the weather, walking or other exercises should be substituted.
Requirements for Safe Cycling
Four elements are required to ride a bike safely in traffic: strength, bike handling skill, experience, and knowledge. The knowledge necessary can be learned from the traffic code and from advice from other cyclists, including what I have written here, books and other web pages on cycling in traffic, and personal contact with other riders, if possible. Strength, bike handling skills, and experience will all have to be acquired more slowly and while bicycling. I suggest riding on side streets and country roads with light traffic until comfortable in all three areas. Riding off-road can help with bike handling skills and strength; however, the requirements for cycling on the street and in the dirt are extremely different. Riding on bike paths will probably not be helpful at all.
Bicycle Traffic Safety
Bicycle traffic accidents, also called cycling accidents, pedalcycle accidents, bicycle crashes, pedalcycle crashes, and bike-car collisions, can be avoided through understanding why they occur.
There are many people who think that bicycling is especially dangerous, not recognizing that cyclists travel more miles per fatality than pedestrians and more hours per fatality than passenger vehicle users.
However, saying that cycling is fairly safe on the average does not mean that individuals shouldn't make efforts to make their own cycling more safe. We see a vast difference in the safety of selected groups of cyclists; for instance, children have 720 accidents per million hours while a group of British cyclists averaged just 66 accidents in the same amount of cycling time.
We also see strong differences between individuals. Some have frequent, serious falls and/or collisions, and others have few accidents or none. In my 100,000 miles of cycling, I have fallen off of my bike six times, resulting in skin abrasion twice and no visits to the doctor. All of my own accidents, by the way, were due to my own stupidity and could have been easily avoided.
One choice a bicyclist can make is to be fatalistic about the matter and to decide that some cyclists are lucky and others are not, and another choice is to work to prevent future falls and collisions. However, the decision to try to be careful in itself is not safe enough. Many fatalities and injuries occur among those who were trying to be careful, but who weren't following the correct procedures. For example, cyclists who ride on the sidewalk, on wrong side of the road, and at the extreme edge of the pavement are all fearfully trying to prevent injuries, but the methods they employ greatly increase their chances of getting struck by cars.
Analysis of bicycling accidents and of cyclist fatalities demonstrate that cyclists are most safe when they operate their bicycles as vehicles. Motorists scan the highway in front of them and on either side watching for other vehicles. They do not watch as carefully for pedestrians, and they do not anticipate fast-moving bicycles traveling on sidewalks, crosswalks, and shoulders, especially when traveling in the opposite direction from the rest of the traffic.
For this reason, bicycle traffic laws are almost the same as those for motor vehicles. All state laws either define bicycles as vehicles or give cyclists the rights and responsibilities of vehicle operators. Unfortunately, police do not enforce these laws, probably on the principle that only the cyclist is likely to be injured. In fact, in some areas, cyclists are encouraged to ride on sidewalks where they are less safe or to use bikelanes which violate the rules of normal traffic behavior.
The advice I provide in my articles is based on my own experience in traveling by bicycle and on accident analyses that I have read. For those needing more basic advice, John Allen and Wayne Pein both have safety handbooks online (see the right-hand column).
There are many people who think that bicycling is especially dangerous, not recognizing that cyclists travel more miles per fatality than pedestrians and more hours per fatality than passenger vehicle users.
However, saying that cycling is fairly safe on the average does not mean that individuals shouldn't make efforts to make their own cycling more safe. We see a vast difference in the safety of selected groups of cyclists; for instance, children have 720 accidents per million hours while a group of British cyclists averaged just 66 accidents in the same amount of cycling time.
We also see strong differences between individuals. Some have frequent, serious falls and/or collisions, and others have few accidents or none. In my 100,000 miles of cycling, I have fallen off of my bike six times, resulting in skin abrasion twice and no visits to the doctor. All of my own accidents, by the way, were due to my own stupidity and could have been easily avoided.
One choice a bicyclist can make is to be fatalistic about the matter and to decide that some cyclists are lucky and others are not, and another choice is to work to prevent future falls and collisions. However, the decision to try to be careful in itself is not safe enough. Many fatalities and injuries occur among those who were trying to be careful, but who weren't following the correct procedures. For example, cyclists who ride on the sidewalk, on wrong side of the road, and at the extreme edge of the pavement are all fearfully trying to prevent injuries, but the methods they employ greatly increase their chances of getting struck by cars.
Analysis of bicycling accidents and of cyclist fatalities demonstrate that cyclists are most safe when they operate their bicycles as vehicles. Motorists scan the highway in front of them and on either side watching for other vehicles. They do not watch as carefully for pedestrians, and they do not anticipate fast-moving bicycles traveling on sidewalks, crosswalks, and shoulders, especially when traveling in the opposite direction from the rest of the traffic.
For this reason, bicycle traffic laws are almost the same as those for motor vehicles. All state laws either define bicycles as vehicles or give cyclists the rights and responsibilities of vehicle operators. Unfortunately, police do not enforce these laws, probably on the principle that only the cyclist is likely to be injured. In fact, in some areas, cyclists are encouraged to ride on sidewalks where they are less safe or to use bikelanes which violate the rules of normal traffic behavior.
The advice I provide in my articles is based on my own experience in traveling by bicycle and on accident analyses that I have read. For those needing more basic advice, John Allen and Wayne Pein both have safety handbooks online (see the right-hand column).
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Types of road bicycles
Racing bicycles are designed for road bicycle racing: they are fast, lightweight and aerodynamic.
Touring bicycles are designed for bicycle touring: they are robust, comfortable and capable of carrying heavy loads.
Utility bicycles are designed for utility cycling: commuting, shopping and running errands in towns and cities.
sources From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Touring bicycles are designed for bicycle touring: they are robust, comfortable and capable of carrying heavy loads.
Utility bicycles are designed for utility cycling: commuting, shopping and running errands in towns and cities.
sources From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Friday, June 27, 2008
What's road bicycle
A road bicycle is a bicycle designed for use primarily on paved roads, as opposed to off-road terrain. Sometimes the term is used as a synonym for the more specific term racing bicycle. In general road bicycles have drop handlebars and multiple gears, although there are single and fixed gear varieties.term source From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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