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How to Ride Safely in Traffic by Staying in Traffic

How to Ride Safely in Traffic by Staying in Traffic

Another hot day in the city and out to Grand Island. Today, I focused on riding in heavy traffic and maintaining a strong road presence. Watch to see how I tackle debris and other road hazards safely by not moving too far off the road. Check out the full video on YouTube. Footage was shot on the Insta360 One X in 360 in 5.7k and made flat, 24fps 1080 and rendered using H264. Editing is done in the Insta360 app and then finished in LumaFusion using the really helpful EditorsKe

Riding the Loops at the Outer Harbor Bike Park

Riding the Loops at the Outer Harbor Bike Park

As cyclocross season approaches, I always have two things that I try to do as much as possible. I get out to the local cross practices, and I get on the mountain bike whenever I can. Both allow me to add a little skill sessioning to the road fitness built over the spring and summer. With the building of the new Lakeside Bike Park on the Outer Harbor, I wondered if this would be a good solution to get my MTB fix more easily? Usually, getting out to Hunter's Creek or Sprague Br

Why Getting Your Head Kicked In Is Not Always a Bad Idea

Why Getting Your Head Kicked In Is Not Always a Bad Idea

The other day I took my upgrade to CAT 4 for road racing after talking to some friends on a coffee shop ride. I had been hesitant to pursue it, and I doubt that based on my results anyone would force it on me. So I asked out loud at 22 mph in a paceline, "What do you think I should do?" One friend commented, "You better get that upgrade and get out there next year and win." This wasn't really what I expected to hear, nor was it what I was looking to hear! We laughed and talke

A Beginner’s Guide to Recovery, Part 3: Heart Rate Variability as a Guide

A Beginner’s Guide to Recovery, Part 3: Heart Rate Variability as a Guide

Last fall, I wrote a little bit about using heart rate variability (HRV) after having seen it on Tom Bell’s blog. Read that original post from Tom, here. Now that I have been using HRV and the EliteHRV app for quite awhile, I figured this was a great time to discuss its benefits to the athlete committed to proper recovery. What is HRV? HRV is a measure of the variability between heart beats or how consistent your heart beats are if you will. Your HRV reading gives insight int

A Beginner’s Guide to Recovery, Part 2: Tracking Effort Using Software

A Beginner’s Guide to Recovery, Part 2: Tracking Effort Using Software

Last time, we looked at the need for recovery and the metrics that would tell us how hard we have been working in each individual workout. Today, we will look at using software to see those numbers and then start using them to plan recovery. You will need to pick a platform. There are several good ones out there, and premium features that will unlock even more useful features. So, let’s look at two briefly: Strava and Training Peaks. Before the activity, I had already input m

A Beginner’s Guide to Recovery, Part 1: The Need for Recovery, Establishing a Baseline

A Beginner’s Guide to Recovery, Part 1: The Need for Recovery, Establishing a Baseline

This (above) is me on a recovery ride. Look how damn happy I am. How did I get here, and why am I bothering to recover? Someone once wrote that “cyclists (athletes) need to recover as intensely as they train.” I think this motto has a lot of merit for athletes at all levels. Simply put, training is a cycle of tearing down our bodies and then rebuilding them stronger with rest and recovery. Think of any classic workout image in your head, and all you ever see is pushing, pushi

Safety on the Road

Safety on the Road

Last week, I experienced something new. I never thought that this would happen. It was an event that really made my heart race. It wasn’t a good thing though. I was hit by a car. I was stopped at a red light behind a car. When the light turned green, I quickly started up and entered the intersection. I was 75% of the way through following the car in front. Just as the car in front passed through, a car from the right ran the red and drove right into me! Shortly after, the dri

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 5: Actually Going on Your First Ride

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 5: Actually Going on Your First Ride

Okay, you have been bearing with me for days, and now you are actually going out on the road. You know how to get the bike ready, and you practiced some skills off road. Today, let's look at where to go, how to try to track what you accomplish, and how to put it to good effect. Start with a good route Your first ride will go better if you pick a good route to start off on, avoiding crazy traffic and seeking good pavement. I would recommend that you try a park or bike path out

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 4: Four Sets of Skills for Your First Ride

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 4: Four Sets of Skills for Your First Ride

So now that you have your bike, a couple items you need for riding, and a desire to ride, you need to get out there. Luckily, getting out is the easiest part, but here are a few skills to learn and practice before hitting the roadway or bike path. Skills for the road, pre-ride You need to properly check your bike and inflate your tires before riding. If you are running 25mm tires, start at about 90-100 psi and adjust up or down based on your weight. Schwalbe recommends about

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 3: Other Stuff You Need After Buying Your First Bike

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 3: Other Stuff You Need After Buying Your First Bike

Congratulations on investing in a good bike and in your own good health. Now that you have a decent road bike, it’s time to consider first steps. Other gear I know you have spent a good amount on your bike, but I will give you a few things you need to pick up in addition. You will need these items to ensure your safety and fun on the bike. I think every cyclist needs to have the following: Helmet Front and rear lights Spare tubes Multi-tool Mini-pump or CO2 head and cannister

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 2: Buying Your First Bike

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 2: Buying Your First Bike

Ask yourself “What is best suited for what is right outside my door?” I worked for years in a guitar shop, and I recall many parents who came in and asked where the cheapest guitars were. I am a little ashamed to say that we sold a lot of junkie guitars, and the kids probably struggled to push down on those strings that were half an inch off the guitar’s neck. I hated to know what happened months later when their kids quit because of the crappy instrument they started on. Sty

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 1: The Benefits of Cycling

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 1: The Benefits of Cycling

I am gathering feedback on the blog, and an old friend asked me about buying a new bike. She explained in an e-mail that she had read a bunch of information, and she wanted to get into riding but could use some help. I promised to try to help. This might be my toughest assignment yet! This is the first in a multi-part piece on getting started. Even though the question was about what to buy, I think there is a little background to cover first and a little follow up on how to g

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