Why Cycling is the Ultimate Sport

The latest activity in vogue in sports halls is called “spinning,” “RPM,” “biking,” “cycling,” or indoor cycling course. On a bike fixed to the floor, more like the road bike than the apartment bike, you are continually molding to the rhythm of the music. The pace accelerates during the sprint and then slows down. A knob on the handlebar allows you to adjust the difficulty and to imitate the most challenging climbs. Weight loss, toning of the whole body and, letting go, the discipline has more than one asset. Three coaches explain why you have to get started, too.

  1. Everyone can do it

“On the bike, the weight of the body is carried by the saddle, so everyone can practice whatever their physical condition. It’s not like running where the weight will play a determining role on the level or the progression,” explains Xavier Verbeke, coach and founder of Kona, a room dedicated to biking in Toulouse.

If the high pace of the leading peloton in front of the coach makes you nervous, don’t worry. The practice is also suitable for beginners and less sporty. “Regardless of the person’s ability, he or she will adapt the effort to his or her level. I even had an 80-year-old regular and pregnant women in my classes,” said Vincent Martin, Product Manager, and coach at the CMG Sports Club.

  1. You lose weight

Six hundred calories spent on a woman in 45 minutes, more than the Big Mac at lunchtime. Cycling eliminates and not just a little. “We dry out fast. Some see the effects after a month, with two sessions a week, ” says Verbeke. So if you want to lose a few pounds but running alone in the cold doesn’t get you excited, the practice is done by you. “The exertion being very intense, the body continues to burn until twelve hours after the exertion. This is called the afterburner effect,” added coach Vincent Martin. Put, the intensity of training develops muscle mass more rapidly. And the more muscles you grow, the more calories you burn in the medium to long term.

  1. This is good for the heart

In cycling, the heart muscle works at different rhythms, thanks to the alternation of intense and calmer training phases. This is called fractionation. In addition to allowing the body to progress and gain efficiency, the method enables better recovery and ultimately lower heart rate. In other words, you won’t be out of breath when you run 100 meters to catch the bus.

  1. We’re refining the thighs and toning the buttocks.

Many women flee the bike for fear of having Jimmy Vicaut’s thighs (the proof in pictures). This is the first of the concerns raised by coaches. To reassure the majority, Clotilde Chaumet, from Dynamo Cycling and égérie Nike, reminds us: “look more at your coach’s body.” In other words, legs that are curved despite 15 hours of cycling per day. “We work on the back of the thighs and the buttocks, not the quadriceps. The goal is not to “inflate,” she says.

  1. We get killer abs

You don’t have to do three sets of 50 bust readings every morning. On the bike, abs work as hard as legs. “We get up; we sit down, we squeeze the ABS to stand up straight… The indoor bike develops more the abdominal strap than a thigh-abs-buttocks course where you contract, relax. In cycling, we contract all the time,” says Vincent Martin of CMG Sports Club.

  1. We’re stretching our arms

The arms and shoulders also work, especially in the climbs where you have to hang on to the handlebars. To enhance the effort, some rooms add specific exercises such as Pull-Ups or weight lifting.

  1. We’re not going to get hurt.

“I haven’t seen a single injury in 15 years,” said coach Vincent Martin. And for a good reason. Unlike running, cycling does not cause shocks or trauma to the joints. But be careful of your position. Poor placement can lead to knee and back pain. This is why the coach takes five minutes before starting his course to adjust each bike.

  1. We have a steel mind

You will have understood: the courses are intense, very intense. At first, you will sweat a lot, stick your tongue out and sometimes even want to stop. But driven by the band’s music and energy, you will continue. “You are constantly going beyond yourself,” sums up Clotilde Chaumet. His positive and motivating speech pushes practitioners always to do better: “some challenge themselves to increase the distance from one course to another,” adds Vincent Martin.

  1. Let’s get out of here.

If your day didn’t go as planned, a cycling session could help you get off the bike and dive into a cloud of endorphins. “The energy of the band, the atmosphere, the music, and the effort make it possible to unwind after a busy day, we are almost in a trance. Some people come every night for that,” explains Clotilde Chaumet.

  1. Relax

For Xavier Verbeke, the indoor bike “is a bit like yoga.” The activity would have unsuspected effects on relaxation. “At the end of the session, you close your eyes, you focus on your breathing,” added the coach. Clotilde Chaumet speaks of a bubble in which one enters, freeing oneself from all evil thoughts. Cycling and yoga, same fight? All you have to do is test it.

Beginners Tips

Getting started in cycling is not accessible, you are indeed a little lost, and you don’t know where to start, fortunately, this blog and this particular article aim to give beginners as many essential tips to get started in cycling quickly!

To make your life easier and save you time, I have collected on this page most of the essential tips to get you started:

In this guide, you will find a lot of tips that will allow you to build up a knowledge base and quickly become self-sufficient in your practice! If you follow his essential advice, no doubt, you will progress in no time! And believe me, there’s nothing more beautiful than feeling stronger and stronger on your bike!

  1. Step 1: Find a bike suitable for beginners:

Finding the right bike for your practice is essential: first, think about how you plan to use your bike and the budget you want to spend on buying this bike and equipment (not to be forgotten in the calculation!). Once this first thought is done:

  • Try to find a cycle store near you with a good reputation. To start, I advise you to buy your first bike from a bicycle dealer to benefit, most of the time, from the maintenance service of your bike.
  • You can also do some research before you decide, especially for the frame and components with a very Large Offer. turning will allow you to familiarize yourself with the different elements that make up a bike.
  • Don’t necessarily buy a high-end bike. Indeed, cycling, even if it is the best sport and leisure in the world, may not suit you. In that case, you’ll be glad you didn’t spend your savings on a bike.
  • However, what I can recommend is to save money to buy a carbon frame (carbon is a material that offers good reactivity while maintaining a minimum of comfort). These frames are more expensive than the aluminum frames that the velocity will be able to provide you with as a beginner but have a better perspective of evolution.
  • The advantage of buying your first bike from a bike dealer is that you can generally test different types of bikes and brands before you decide.

What Price? What do you expect?

From 500 to 800 euros: heavy aluminum frame, entry-level components, and base wheels. This is a good start, but in the long-term logic, as mentioned above, it is not the best solution.

  • Of 1000 to 1500 euros: carbon Frame, components, and wheels entry.
  • from 1500 to 3000 euros: carbon frame, intermediate quality wheel components
  1. Step 2: adjust your bike:

After choosing a suitable bike, the second crucial step is to improve my bike correctly. Most of the time, when you buy your bike from a bike dealer, he will offer to pay you. Seat height, stem length, and seat back are the main settings when purchasing a new bike. If the bike shop does not offer it, there are two options available to you: turn to a professional (relatively expensive) position adjuster or try to adjust your bike yourself with very little hardware. Position adjustment on the bike

  1. Step 3: Once on the bike:

Once you are on your bike, you will need energy inputs to allow you to “keep the distance” and not finish every motorcycle out on the kneecaps (when you don’t have enough energy to move forward to the point of having to put your foot on the ground, we say we’re infringing, that was the little vocabulary point). Energy bars and other gels contain a large number of carbohydrates and are easily digestible. As far as the drink is concerned, there are several solutions: water, syrup, energy drink, isotonic drink, or even drink based on electrolytes. When and what to eat?

Here are some tips:

  • If you roll for an hour and a half or less, water in your canisters and light refreshment in case of need will suffice. Below 1: 30 a.m., the corps will draw on its resources. To begin with, however, it is better to take enough to refuel even for an hour and a half and not hesitate to eat carbohydrates. Depending on your size, you will burn between 30 and 50 grams of carbs per hour, which means it is important to refuel regularly.
  • Try to drink all 5 to 10 min maximum. Hydration is the key that will allow you to sustain an endurance effort for a long time. According to numerous scientific studies carried out on athletes, 2% dehydration (which is very low) causes a performance loss of 20%! You now understand why it is essential to hydrate. You can install a timer on your bike counter or on your cell phone that will ring every 5 minutes to encourage drinking — beginner weres cycling how to hydrate.
  • I also recommend that you add supplements to your water. Because of sweat, your body loses a significant number of minerals, which is essential to replace. Choose drinks preferably with electrolytes (contains mineral salts). I have a lot of trouble digesting isotonic beverages, so I turned to electrolyte pellets that are also very tasty!
  1. Step 4: Improve your physical condition

In cycling, legs and lung capacity are the two elements that will make you a good cyclist, here are some tips on training when you start:

  • Start easily
  • Driving several times, a week
  • Choose your route reasonably
  • Training also involves recovery
  • Create or join a band of friends
  • Form a group of beginners of the same level
  • Record your outputs
  1. Step 5: Maintain your bike

It is very important to maintain your bike to improve its life but also to make sure you don’t have big problems during an outing. Once some habits are taken, it is rather simple to maintain your bike. Here are some tips for beginners in mechanics:

  • Check your motorcycle before each trip: it’s your safety on your bike, an accident happened quickly. This pre-exit check includes the checking of tire pressure, the positioning, and operation of the brakes, the general appearance of the chain as well as quick fasteners (wheel locks). Beginner how to maintain your bike
  • Clean and lubricate the chain every 150 km: More often when the weather is terrible. This will improve the efficiency of your transmission.
  • Have your bike serviced at least once a year: even if you take great care of your bike, some parts are sensitive to wear. Your bike dealer is used to it and will have the eye to advise you on worn parts that could cause problems.
  • Gradually learn to repair your bike: some problems are easily solvable for those who have some knowledge of cycling mechanics. Changing an inner tube, adjusting your derails, changing your wheels, a cassette, a tray, your pedals, or even your brake pads must be actions in your register.

Best Racers

The scene of intense battles between ordinary human people and the unbeatable pressures of nature, in the manner of the most significant ancient tragedies, biking can be thought about the worthiest of all sports. A modern hero with the thighs of bulls and infinite breaths, several of his actors have marked the background of the game to the point of ending up being real tales. A little roundup.

  1. Swirl Merckx

The best of all, bicyclists. 11 Grand trips, 64 phases, 3 Globe Championships, 27 classics is was consisting of 3 Paris-Roubaix: an excellent record that might make Carl Lewis or Michael Jordan look like ordinary sporting activities on Sunday. This unalterable hunger for victory will give him his nickname of “Cannibal,” which he would continuously strike, anywhere, in any circumstance, with the secret, a starting point which he hardly ever missed out on. His supremacy of cycling in the 1970s had few equivalents in the background of modern-day sporting activity.

  1. Fausto Coppi

If “the Heron” has simply won 2 trips de France throughout his career, he continues to be taken into consideration by numerous as one of the best cyclists in the history of the self-control. Indeed, if his document is nonetheless very well provided, Fausto Coppi is best recognized for having taken biking to a brand-new level by revolutionizing the partnership with tools, diet and also pre-competition training. Additionally, in post-war Italy, he appreciated an intense prominent fervor by coming to be the protagonist of progressive perfects of the left against his timeless competing Bartali, a lot more conservative Catholic reactionary.

  1. Bernard Hinault

A real winning device, Bernard Hinault, needs to date the most active French document in history: 10 Grand Tours consisting of 41 phase success, 5 Tours de France, 1 Paris-Roubaix, 2 Giro-Tour doublets. However, much more than his success, it was his “atypical” temperament that won him public favor throughout his career. A steadfast striker, he exercised a strike, audacity, and charisma cycling that he still advocates today. On the other side of the coin, he has also recognized for his memorable stroke of genius de sang, as on the Paris-Nice of 1984 were went beyond, he struck a militant who was trying to quiet him.

  1. Jacques Anquetil

This cyclist was the initial to achieve the task of winning 5 Tours de France. His charts are additionally improved by two scenic tours of Italy, one tour of Spain or 5 Paris-Nice. His incredible ability can explain this hegemony in stage racing in time trials. Also today, he is thought about to be the five experts in the self-control of background, revolted by his brand-new capabilities all his challengers, headed by his everlasting rival Raymond Poulidor.

  1. Miguel Indurain

During his expert profession, the Spaniard did not win any great classic race. This unfamiliarity is clarified by the truth that every one of his periods was concentrated around the prep work of the excursion de France, the only competitors actually legitimate in his eyes. He took it well, thinking about the Spanish’s record in these competitors: after his victory in 1995, he ended up being the fourth jogger in history to win the occasion 5 times in a row. A Powerful roller, he created his success while tests and also showed extreme resistance in the mountain stages where he clung to the most excellent climbers such as Pantani or Chippolini. Known for his justice, Miguel Indurain continues to be well-known in the peloton for his smile stuck in between uncomfortable rictus and juvenile fun.

  1. Louison Bobet

Before the Anquetil, Poulidor as well as Hinault, the first French biking champ, was named Louisan Bobet. In the 1950s, he held the Italian group of Coppi and also Bartali in high drag and also won three trips de France in a row (he was the first to achieve such a performance). Bobet included lots of prominent races such as a Paris-Roubaix, a Paris-Nice or a world champ title. A strenuous and vigorous mountain climber, he wrote his story (and that of the Scenic tour) in the Great Alpine passes such as the Izoard as well as the col de Vars. After completion of his career, Bobet forbade his son to attempt a biking career: the weight of experience.

  1. Laurent Fignon

If Laurent Fignon’s graph is very kindly given (2 excursions de France, 1 Giro, 1 Milan-San Remo), it is neither that will certainly position him in the heart of all the French fans. It was first of all his design, distinct in the peloton, that gained him the label of “instructor” (however additionally several invitations among the riders). Yet it is additionally his battles with Hinault on the Alpine slopes, his success stolen in the 1984 Giro by Francesco Moser supported by the coordinators who wanted an Italian victor, his defeat of 8 secs in the 1989 scenic tour versus Greg LeMond that made up for his hold-up in the last time-trial by utilizing a triathlete handlebars much more progressed than that of Fignon. It is finally his fatality from cancer at the age of 50 when the significance of his analyses made the happiness of Franch Televisions.

  1. Greg LeMond

Greg was the very first Terrific American cycling champ, majestically opening the door to the Hincapie, Armstong, Zabriskie, as well as various other Van de Velde motorcyclists. Three times victor of the tour de France, he additionally won two World Championships.

Leaving the area in 1991 to the Indurain generation, he nevertheless tried an assault in the last stage of the Champs-Elysées in a last Baroud of honor. A forerunner to the technical level, he left many renovations (such as the triathlete handlebar) and also introduced his very own brand of bike.

  1. Frederico Bahamontes

He won just one scenic tour de France (in 1959), however nonetheless marks the background of the Grand Boucle by winning the mountain category six times, he is without question the greatest mountain climber in cycling history. “L’aigle De Toledo” was at as soon as able to chain several very long passes with remarkable rhythms, however additionally to place incredibly fierce assaults on much shorter and much steeper slopes. His climbing abilities, incorporated with his all-natural style, have made him a reference for all generations of climbers.

  1. Lance Armstrong

An outright record of success in the excursion de France, “Le Manager” dedicated his whole career to the Grande Boucle, which he won no less than seven times, disgusting opponents as prestigious as Ulrich, Mayo, Basso and also other Vinokourovs. Throughout these years, Armstrong, as well as his team of the US Postal, enforced themselves as the indisputable enrollers of the peloton, feared and also respected by all their opponents. Although the doping instances versus him have actually always drawn the French public’s indignation, Armstrong is concerned in the United States as a true hero, both as a result of his top-level showing off performances and also as a result of his victory over the disease and testicular cancer he got over, right before winning his first tour de France. Update: Armstrong is pertained to in the United States as a large dishonesty bastard. Spiked? Oh, yeah, by the way. To the guard.

World Competitions

Each year the Giro d’Italia and the Excursion de France are announced as the hardest races on the planet, yet is it a much more difficult race than any other race? Or is there an additional race, which is harder than both races?

Right here, you can discover a checklist of the eight most challenging cycling events on the planet, in any technique on top of the bike. The editor of this post, Marc Lindsay, does not recommend you try any of them.

  1. The Ultramarathon – Vuelta a España

Anyone who has pedaled in the Alps, as well as the Pyrenees, will inform you that in the Pyrenees, it harms a lot more. Vuelta a España begins on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea as well as finishes eight days later on the opposite side of Spain in San Sebastian. The course makes hill cyclists ride for 820 kilometers on sturdy roads throughout the Pyrenees, with an estimated 20,000 meters of total climb. If that number is as well difficult for you to recognize the range of the race, it coincides as climbing Mount Whitney in The golden state greater than four times. The winning MTBiker usually invests regarding 45 hours of Selim, with novices almost increasing this number.

  1. Race Throughout America – United States

An additional competition that prides itself on being the hardest, RAAM, amounted to from Oceanside in California to Annapolis in Maryland. This is about 1,000 miles greater than the Tour de France, and the winners often full it with half a day compared to the three weeks of the Tour. Rivals are not needed to rest, and a number of the significant competitors only opt for an average of two hours each day of rest. For solo bikers, it is estimated that the very first ones shed 180,000 calories.

The Conquistadores Tour, Costa Rica

Known as among one of the most been afraid and also valued of all, this tour is a mountain bike competition that supplies the best endurance athletes in the world a training course that goes across the mass of American land in between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Although the race starts as well as finishes necessarily on the coastline, the “Between” is the location where things obtain difficultly. The surface is so tedious (more than 29,000 meters of climbing up) that it took the Spanish vanquishers, a century earlier, more significant than twenty years to go across. The training course prolongs throughout five chains of mountains, and also the MTBiker will need to climb up a 3,657 meters volcano, cross jungles, rain forests as well as Waterfront canyons. Make indisputable, this three-day “only” race is for professional cyclists, and even they may intend to reconsider before facing it.

  1. The Scenic tour de France

You indeed cannot have a checklist without the Excursion. Why? Due to the rate. While many other competitions have no well-established time limits for every day of the race, those fortunate adequate to represent a Pro Scenic tour group are challenged by an average day-to-day rate of more than 40 km/h for 21 days and also higher than 3,400 kilometers to be ridden. This strength regularly puts the body on the edge of the lactate limit, assuring to crush those cyclists with a couple of tools in their collection. The last biker must finish within an established percent of the victor’s time (depending upon the difficulty of the path), or they are not allowed to proceed. Just lose contact with the squadron momentarily, and also your race could be one more.

  1. The Divide Excursion– Canada/ United States

The Separate Trip is the Grand Scenic Tour of Mountain Bike. Unlike RAAM, where participants typically have the support of two cars, Split is a self-sufficient race throughout its 4,450 kilometers, from the border at Banff in Canada and finishing at Antelope Wells in New Mexico. The route passes the neglected steps of the Continental Split, climbs virtually 60,000 meters up and down via Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, as well as New Mexico on an incredibly sturdy surface. The race has no enrollment fee and does not provide medals, yet if you finish, you will undoubtedly remain in the document book.

  1. The Iditarod Invitational-United States

If you desire my choice for the most challenging race in the world, that’s it. It is not the lengthiest race in KM, nor is it the steepest, yet the Anchorage path, Alaska, to call throughout the peak of winter is one of the most difficult. There is no defined path, and the motorcyclists are enabled to make their means on the bike, ski, or foot. Severe weather conditions frequently make the trails identical as a result of minimal visibility, compelling the pilots to go through their paths. Requirements differ substantially, with temperatures listed below 30 degrees. On the official web site of the occasion states that this race” is not for everyone, as an error in the wrong time and also place, the Alaska desert could, cost you your toes, feet and also even your life.” With an average speed of merely over 6 kilometers/ h as well as only 42 finishers in history, this is an experienced race that is not even fair to participate.

  1. Cent Cols Challenge-Europe

The race is limited to only 30 motorists. Lucky guys, huh? Good luck, that is, if you were such as to experience a considerable quantity of discomfort. The program begins in the Dolomites of Italy and also takes place to the Pyrenees of France, yet the difficulty continues to be the same: to climb by bike world wide’s 100 hardest mountains in 10 days. An experience your legs will always remember. This is a survival race.

  1. The Death Ride-United States

For a single day of auto racing in the United States, it doesn’t obtain much more challenging than the California Alpine Tour. The program totals 210 km, down or up! The overall climb is more excellent than 4,000 meters, which includes five hill passes that reach 8,000 meters. The situation is impressive, but it is the discomfort that will be a long-lasting memory.