Exercising on the Road
August 10, 2010 by ronaldpedactor09
About 90 million American adults ride a bike at least once a year and nearly 30 million cycle regularly for recreation. A few million even commute by bicycle according to a recent article in American Demographics.
Those numbers may even rise in the next few years, thanks to federal legislation that encourages local communities to build cycling into their transit plans. That is good not only for the environment, but also for the nation's health, since cycling is one of the best forms of exercise due to its ease on joints and calories burned.
It gives the heart and circulatory system a great workout. You can burn between 400 and 700 calories per hour, and it can be done just about anywhere.
Whether you cycle for fun, exercise or a challenge, it is a great hobby and routine. Here are some tips to making it the best experience possible.
Use your head; it is always important to wear a helmet. Of the nation's 800 annual cycling deaths, head injuries account for about 60%. If all cyclists wore helmets, perhaps half of these deaths and injuries, especially in children, could be avoided.
Choose a bright color and make sure the helmet fits properly. It should sit horizontally on your head and should not move around.
Do the right thing by braking right. To exert optimal pressure, brake with your hands at the ends of the levers.
For a quick stop, as you press the brakes firmly, slide your buttocks to the very back of the saddle. This will keep the rear of the bike down so that you do not flip over the handlebars.
On a long downhill, do not stay on your brakes. That may overheat the tires' rims and could cause a blowout. It is safest to feather brake or tap the brakes while applying intermittent pressure.
This is wise in wet weather, too. Do not pedal in high gear for long periods of time. This can increase the pressure on your knees and lead to overuse injuries such as biker's knee.
Shift to lower gears and faster revolutions to get more exercise with less stress on your joints. The best cadence for most cyclists is 60 to 80 revolutions per minute, though racers pedal in the range of 80 to 100 rpm.
When going uphill, shift gears to maintain normal cadence. On a long hill, conserve energy by staying in your seat.
When cycling at night or when visibility is poor, wear brightly colored clothes that are reflective and use your headlight. In fact, wearing bright colors is a good idea during any time of the day.
You should also consider a rear strobe type light that is attached to the bike or your belt to enhance visibility at night. Make sure your bike fits.
Handlebars, saddle, wheels, gears and brakes can all be adjusted to match your size and riding ability, but the frame has to fit from the start. To find the right frame size, straddle the bike and stand flat footed.
On a road bike, there should be one or two inches of clearance between your groin and the top tube. On a mountain bike, the clearance should be two or three inches, sometimes even more than that.
You should position the saddle correctly in order to protect your knees. At the bottom of the stroke, your knee should be only slightly bent.
If your knee is bent too much, the seat is too low, and you will lose stroking power and strain your knees. If the knee locks when extended, or if you have to reach for the pedal, the seat is too high, which can also stress the knee; the saddle should be level.
You should also position the handle bars correctly. They should be within easy reach of your body.
These are just some quick tips to get you started with your exercise bike. Be sure to continue learning and progressing as you use them more and more frequently.
Remember that this is a great way to exercise and stay healthy. So, when things get tough, just remember the health and fitness goals you have set before you to accomplish and feel proud of.
