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Welcome to the Ride Fit™ Blog
Below hopefully you'll find some interesting articles associated with indoor cycling (a.k.a. spin or spinning). We've got articles on indoor
cycle training techniques, correct hydration, how to setup your spinning or stationary bike, articles providing biometric information on some
of the rides we offer and occasionally we'll feature a cycling club or individual that uses our products. We even have a thought provoking
series of posts that looks at cycling from the perspective of Chinese medicine. |
Test Riding Your Technique OutdoorsBy Brian Maldonado, Guest Contributor and Owner of Précis Velo. Posted May 15th, 2013
The time to take the bike out for the inaugural Spring ride is approaching, the moment of truth. The transition from trainer to road riding
should be seamless as far as technique is concerned. Practice the pedaling technique I discussed in the last article on the flat segments
of road and keep the eyes on the road ahead. Wally will be nipping at the heels and follow through with the movement of the torso, the
hike of the hip and driving the knee upward and then forward. |
Refuel and RecoverBy Georgina Spenceley, Guest Contributor and Owner of Spenceley Sports Therapy. Posted April 23th, 2013
You may think that once your body has stopped moving it's stopped working, but it hasn't. After exercise and during the all important rest period is when
your body works to replenish glycogen stores and repair damaged muscle fibres. Your body works hard to adapt to the challenges placed upon it, making you
fitter and stronger, so it's important to get post-exercise nutrition right; arguably more important than your pre-exercise nutrition and in-training fueling.
If your body gets the nutrients it needs, when it needs them, it will be ready for the next session or challenge sooner; if it doesn't you could face
fatigue and under-performance in your next workout. |
Compressed RecoveryBy Dr. Joseph A. Sheppard, Guest Contributor and Chiropractor. Posted March 17th, 2013
As a dedicated athlete, I have pushed myself to the mental and physical limits during every aspect of my workouts including training techniques,
technology and nutrition. I've searched the periodical journals and World Wide Web for any natural advantage to improve performance and aid in
the recovery and repair of damaged muscles post workout. The use of compression clothing has been shown to increase speed, improve performance
and aid recovery. While more typically associated with runners, the use of compression clothing for cycling is becoming ever more mainstream.
In fact, I've been told by fellow cycling enthusiasts the lobby at a team hotel during a pro bike race will be full of riders wearing compression
socks and tights. Case in point, SKINS (a leading gradient compression sportswear brand) just recently announced its 2013 partnership with the
Belgian professional cycling team Lotto Belisol, and its support of the ladies cycling Wiggle Honda team. |
Featured Customer Spot - Being HIM Ready!By John Kaufmann, Ride Fit™ customer and Ultra Weekender, Posted March 15th, 2013
The odd thing about my training is the fact that I have never participated in an official event. When my family is away visiting Grandma (Bachelor Ultra Weekend)
I'm a loner, out on my own at 3am for unsanctioned 50 km trail runs or solo back-to-back century days on Friday night and Saturday morning. |
Do You Ever Describe Yourself As Stiff as a Board?By Kimberly Burnham, PhD, Guest Contributor and Author of the upcoming book, "Bicycling for Food". Posted March 11th, 2013
Alive a tree is full of growth and vitality. Dead it is stiff as a board. The same is true of your cells. What brings life, growth and vitality into your cells? |
Testing and Cycling Performance SimplifiedBy Greg C. Moriates, Guest Contributor, Athlete and Coach. Posted March 10th, 2013
You've all heard the old saying, "there's more than one way to skin a cat". Well, the same goes for the definition of Training Zones (TZ). In this article,
Greg Moriates, athlete and coach, provides his take on this subject. This includes the definition of the zones, a testing method and how to translate
the results back into your own personal TZ's. |
The Abominable Indoor Trainer: My Best Training PartnerBy Anne Samplonius, Guest Contributor and Cycling Coach. Posted March 6th, 2013
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photo by CanadianCyclist.com |
I am Canadian. I was a professional cyclist for 20 years and I know all about training indoors. My winters were a balance between donning ridiculous layers of clothing just to
ride outside for a couple of hours to sweating liters inside in half that time despite the largest, loudest, baddest fan I could find positioned a few inches from my nose. |
Eating for ExerciseBy Georgina Spenceley, Guest Contributor and Owner of Spenceley Sports Therapy. Posted February 27th, 2013
It has long been believed that exercising on an empty stomach encourages more fat burn, keeping you on the lighter side of the scales, but research
suggests that this may not be the case. Not only that, but exercising fasted can also result in reduced exercise intensity and endurance levels, meaning
your session may not reap the benefits you intended. |
Plantar Fasciitis Concerns Cyclists Too!By Gary J. Hawkins, Founder, Ride Fit™. Posted February 20th, 2013
While Plantar Fasciitis (PF) is more often associated with running it can also affect cyclists. Case in point, it's something I suffer from periodically and
I can assure you running is nowhere in my past or future. Having mild PF currently, I've been doing some research and in recent weeks came across a number
of sources with lots of potentially useful information. Thus, knowing that some of you may also suffer from this problem, I thought it might be helpful to
summarize some of the potential solutions that are available. As you know from previous posts I'm not a medical doctor. The information given below is
just that - a place to start your own research into this potentially uncomfortable problem. |
Strengthening Your Water Elements While On the BikeBy Kimberly Burnham, PhD, Guest Contributor and Author of the upcoming Book Bicycling for Food. Posted February 14th, 2013
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are three water elements: the Bladder, Adrenals, and Kidneys. These organs are found in the mid to low back area.
The adrenals sit like a little cap on the top of each kidney, the right a little lower than the left. Excess fluid in the body can be removed
from circulation by the kidneys, flowing through the ureters (tubes) into the bladder and then out of your body. |
Coordinating the Body to Improve Pedaling TechniqueBy Brian Maldonado, Guest Contributor and Owner of Précis Velo. Posted February 7th, 2013
In the previous article I covered the basic elements of the pedal stroke, which was subdivided into quadrants. Essentially, the legs need to accomplish opposite
tasks; as one leg pushes down on the downstroke the other needs to pull up, when one leg pushes back on the backsweep the other needs to scoop the frosting forward.
Perhaps more importantly, I hope you had the opportunity to practice relaxing the arms and shoulders as you rode on the trainer. If you made gains in this area,
then you may be ready to take advantage of the next step in improving your pedal stroke. |
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Tapping Into the Colors of Nature's Sensational Medicine for Healthy CyclingBy Kimberly Burnham, PhD, Guest Contributor and Author of the upcoming Book Bicycling for Food. Posted February 5th, 2013
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Tapping into the benefits of color therapy is a great way to increase the healthy outcomes you get from bicycling. Here are some things you can do
whether you are riding outside in a natural environment or training indoors with a virtual reality ride video playing, like the ones available from
Ride Fit™. Either way consciously paying attention to color can increase your enjoyment of your training sessions and have a positive
effect on your vision, brain health and mood. |
Toby Wells YMCA Bike-A-ThonBy Gary J. Hawkins, Founder, Ride Fit™. Posted February 3rd, 2013
On Saturday February 2nd 2013 we attended the Toby Wells YMCA who hosted a 10 hour BIKE-A-THON. The Toby Wells YMCA is one of a number of
YMCAs in San Diego County. This BIKE-A-THON raises money to promote sports participation for the less fortunate in the community. Part
of the money raised goes to people who would not normally be able to afford having their children take part in activities such as swimming
lessons, summer camps, youth basketball, and so on. Part of the money goes to fund the YMCA Outreach program. This program offers physical
education to local schools that lack the funding and resources to provide PE as part of the school curriculum. The YMCA buses students
from six different Elementary schools to their facility and each child receives swim, gymnastics, and fitness lessons. Each child also
receives a free youth membership for a year, at the completion of the program. |
Featured Club - Sandringham and West Norfolk CyclistsBy Gary J. Hawkins, Founder, Ride Fit™. Posted January 21st, 2013
It's funny sometimes how a customer service enquiry, leads to a conversation, leads to finding out that several riders within the Sandringham and West Norfolk Cyclists (SWNC) are
using Ride Fit™ videos to maintain winter conditioning, and all of a sudden you're thinking of a "Featured Club" spot on the website. |
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SWNC Members Enjoying Stage 1 of the 2012 Tour of Britain |
The Danger of Relying on Thirst to Warn of DehydrationBy Becky Bernstein, Guest Contributor and Co-Founder of Relaj. Posted January 15th, 2013
Indoor training, spinning classes, and a power ride outdoors have one thing in common: they all require proper hydration! Do you drink water only after you feel thirsty? If so,
you may unknowingly be living in a dangerously dehydrated state.
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Cycling at CES 2013By Gary J. Hawkins, Founder, Ride Fit™. Posted January 11th, 2013
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is one of the most anticipated tradeshows of the year. Held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center over
3,000 exhibitors showcase a wide range of innovative products. With all the buzz the show is creating, we'd thought we'd look at some new and exciting
cycling related products.
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Indoor Trainer And Pedaling TechniqueBy Brian Maldonado, Guest Contributor and Owner of Précis Velo. Posted December 31st, 2012
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It's that time of the year to mount the bike on the indoor trainer for the winter months; perhaps some of you are well ahead on that count. Mix things up with a variety of activities that involve cross training and strengthening if need be. We are all well familiar with the physiological benefits of aerobic workouts on the indoor trainer. The goal for the session may be to "to reach this or that heart rate or this level of exertion" or "this wattage". As you embark on your pedaling effort, you may want to ask yourself "Just how well am I pedaling the bike", "Does it matter?" or "I have a smooth pedal stroke anyways". These are no easy answers to these questions, but a look back at the past summer bicycling activities may help provide an answer. How do your climbing skills rate? Does that small climb in the horizon get the best of you? Do you look forward to the headwind section? |
Surviving Shark TankBy Gary J. Hawkins. Posted December 8th, 2012
In my recent blog article, The Benefits of Cross Training, I discussed why
many sports professionals believe that cross training can be effective for a lot of athletes. It potentially helps to address a number of issues
including the rehabilitation of injuries, improving overall fitness, promoting recovery, enhancing motivation, getting a break from formal training
and experiencing the enjoyment of participating in another sport. |
Too Much Turkey!By Gary J. Hawkins. Posted November 24th, 2012
You know when a workout is not likely to go well when the day after Thanksgiving your wife compliments you on how rotund (not a word you hear too often)
you look this morning and within ten minutes of starting your workout your heart rate is rapidly climbing out of Zone 3 into Zone 4. Add to
this the insult of the fact that you're only doing our Beginners workout “Hola Madrid”. So was the case this morning when I hopped on the trainer
for a little after holiday ride. |
The ElliptiGOBy Gary J. Hawkins, Ride Fit Founder. Posted November 15th, 2012
As you may have seen earlier in the week,
we announced the launch of the world's first outdoor
live action elliptical training video in conjunction with ElliptiGO. I'm sure some of you had not heard of
the ElliptiGO prior to this announcement so I'd thought I'd introduce the product. I've personally
ridden this bike a number of times and can tell you it's a lot of fun and a great workout. Unlike a conventional road bike, it won't
get you from A to B as fast as possible on two wheels (although it goes up hills like a whippet). It is designed to be a cross-training
device. So what is the ElliptiGO all about? |
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The Benefits Of Cross TrainingBy Gary J. Hawkins, Ride Fit Founder. Posted November 14th, 2012
According to Wikipedia, cross training refers to an athlete training in a sport or sports
other than the one that the athlete competes in with a goal of improving overall performance. If you're a runner, the number one reason for
cross training is injury prevention. If you're a cyclist (indoor or outdoor), however, you already under take a low impact sport so why consider
any form of cross training? |
A Turbo Trainer Can Be Your FriendBy Yafei Zhu, Ride Fit Customer Relations Officer. Posted November 2nd, 2012
I know most cyclists would rather be out on the road. There's nothing better than the wind in your face, beautiful scenery rushing by, the thrill of chasing
down another rider or the feeling of achievement of recording a new personal best on your favorite hill climb. That being said, there are some very good
reasons to do at least some of your cycle training indoors - even when the weather is nice enough for riding outside. Then factor in the times when the
weather is horrid or you're too busy at work to make it home during daylight hours and already you might start to see the benefit of training at home.
This article will hopefully convince you that a turbo trainer should be part of every keen cyclist's arsenal of training tools. |
Weight Loss and Ride FitBy Gary J. Hawkins, Ride Fit Founder. Posted October 31st, 2012
The other day a potential customer asked whether the Ride Fit series of indoor cycle training videos can help you loose weight. It would have been simple just
to answer "yes" but it's not quite that straightforward. Doing one thing in isolation is not going to help you loose and sustain weight loss - you need to
adopt a more holistic approach to be successful. |
One Workout Video, Multiple WorkoutsBy Gary J. Hawkins, Ride Fit Founder. Posted September 14th, 2012
In my last couple of blog articles I’ve presented workout data collected while undertaking several of the Ride Fit workouts. The other day a
customer asked at what point would it be appropriate for him to use our Advanced videos on his spin bike. This started me thinking that
really it’s possible at any point assuming you make some simple adjustments to your workout routine. To illustrate, I thought I’d contrast
working out to the same video under different workout conditions. My chosen workout title was the Advanced Ride Fit title, Un Paseo En Bicicleta Perfecta. |
Spin Around Madrid Example Workout ProfileBy Gary J. Hawkins, Ride Fit Founder. Posted August 28th, 2012
My last blog article, Example Workout Profile for Un Paseo En Bicicleta Perfecta, created quite a lot of interest from our users. Thus, I thought you might
like to see another example workout profile, this time derived by exercising to the Ride Fit Intermediate title, Spin Around Madrid. |
Example Workout Profile for Un Paseo En Bicicleta PerfectaBy Gary J. Hawkins, Ride Fit Founder. Posted August 9th, 2012
You can experience your individual workouts and monitor your overall training program at a whole new level by monitoring your heart rate and other key
performance indicators (KPIs), such as cadence, speed, generated power, etc. To that end, I recently fitted one of the Ride Fit test bikes with speed/cadence
and power sensors, plus I wear a heart rate monitor (HRM) while undertaking a workout. I'll save a description of the bike sensor equipment for a future blog
article but suffice it to say I can now collect all critical ride parameters for a given workout. Combine this with the ability of a cycling analysis program like
GoldenCheetah and all of a sudden you can learn so much more about your performance on any given day and over time. |
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Proper HydrationBy Alex Grint, Ride Fit Contributor. Posted May 25th, 2012
Making sure you are properly hydrated for your indoor cycling workout or spin class is essential; ideally you should hydrate yourself
before, during and after your ride. Long workouts (whether at home or within an indoor cycling class) will take a lot of fluids out of
your body, which need replenishing. One simple way to help you tell if your body is properly hydrated is by monitoring urine volume and
color. A large amount of light colored, diluted urine probably means you are well hydrated; while dark colored, concentrated urine
probably means you are dehydrated. |
Correctly Adjusting Your Stationary BikeBy Alex Grint, Ride Fit Contributor. Posted May 22nd, 2012
Indoor cycling (aka spin or spinning) is one of the most popular forms of cardio exercise today. Before you start your workout
it’s important to ensure your exercise bike is appropriately adjusted. If you’re working out as part of a class then your cycling
instructor will help out. However, if you’re on your own it’s good to know a few guidelines that will ensure the appropriate setup
of an upright or recumbent stationary bike. This is not only important for comfort but also to make sure that you are optimally
transferring your energy to the bike and that you are doing it in such a way that you won’t injure yourself. |
Road Riders Guide to Cycle TrainersBy Yafei Zhu, Ride Fit Customer Relations Officer. Posted April 7th, 2012
So now you've found an excellent source of indoor cycle training videos (sorry could not resist the plug), all you need to do if you want to
do indoor cycling is set your road bike up on a cycle trainer. The cycle trainer, also known as a turbo trainer, is a piece of equipment
that makes it possible to ride a bicycle while it remains stationary. A trainer consists of a frame to lift your back wheel off the ground,
a clamp to hold the bicycle securely and a mechanism that provides resistance when the pedals are turned. In the vast majority of cases
resistance is created by a roller that presses up against the rear wheel. A number of different mechanisms have been developed to provide
resistance to the roller turning, and hence to the user pedaling. The main types of trainer based on these different mechanisms will be
briefly reviewed below. |
Aerobic Exercise: Training Tools for Scuba Divers [and Cyclists]Extracted and modified from an article by Gretchen M. Ashton, CFT, NBFE. Posted February 11th, 2012
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Generally speaking, the purpose of cardiorespiratory fitness is to maintain and/or improve the efficiency of the heart, lungs and
vascular system. This is accomplished through aerobic exercise which is any activity that utilizes oxygen. Greater oxygen demand
is created through exercise by moving primarily the large muscles of the body repeatedly and rhythmically at a particular intensity
beyond the usual activity of rest or relaxation. Repeated and regular aerobic exercise causes permanent favorable changes in health
and performance, strengthens the heart, improves the ability of the body to transport and utilize oxygen and waste products such as
carbon dioxide, and is also beneficial for weight loss. Examples of aerobic exercise are walking, jogging, running, swimming,
rowing, cycling, jumping rope, aerobics classes, and dancing. |
Resistance Settings For Your Indoor Cycle Bike or Bike / Trainer CombinationAbstracted from the Ride Fit Training Guide. Posted January 11th, 2012 Ride Fit videos display a digital dashboard that typically includes a target resistance setting, and/or the narration will inform you what resistance setting is recommended. Resistance settings used on Ride Fit videos fall into the following categories:
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How Ride Fit Came To BeBy Gary Hawkins, Ride Fit Founder. Posted December 15th, 2011
I got back into cycling fairly late; a second knee surgery forced me to give up racquet based sports and look
for low impact way of keeping fit. I needed something else to combat middle age spread! As a teenager I'd ridden a lot (in and
out of work for one thing), so I decided to try cycling again. I started with Spinning®, and while many instructors were very
good I found I also wanted exercise programs that I could do any time to fit my schedule and that were more focused on providing a
"road like" riding experience. |
Virtual Indoor Cycle Training Videos for Individual CyclistsBy Gary Hawkins, Ride Fit Founder. Posted November 15th, 2011
Indoor cycling (also commonly referred to as spin or Spinning®) came about in 1987, when Jonathan Goldberg (aka Johnny G), a South African-born cyclist,
installed a handful of stationary bikes in his garage, devised a training program to simulate outdoor riding and invited cycling friends to join him as
he trained for cross-country bike races. |
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Copyright © 2012 by Sun Ray Solutions, Inc. |