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Post by MickMin on Feb 20, 2014 20:27:43 GMT
I just had a look at this presentation on flexibility and bike fit. It's long (1hour) but very good at explaining how to get the best fitting, taking your physical limitations and your fitness plans into account. www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxNznrlRXGU
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Post by Muller on Mar 13, 2014 17:10:10 GMT
Top Fitness in 7 Hours a Week You can get in excellent cycling shape on only seven enjoyable hours of riding each week. That’s an average of a paltry 60 minutes per day, leaving plenty of time to mow the lawn, buy some groceries and even say hi to the spouse . Even though this program allots seven hours, avoid simply riding an hour each day. That can’t give you endurance. Instead, ride longer some days and take other days completely off the bike. Your personal schedule will determine the exact mix, but most people ride more on weekends when they’re off work. They schedule non-cycling days for midweek. Here’s a weekly schedule that works for many riders:
MONDAY: Rest day with 15 minutes of resistance training. TUESDAY: Ride 1 hour with 3-8 sprints or other short, hard efforts. WEDNESDAY: Ride 1 hour at a steady, moderate pace. THURSDAY: Ride 1 hour including about 20 minutes of any type of hard effort. FRIDAY: Rest day with 15 minutes of resistance training. SATURDAY: Ride 1 hour at an easy pace. SUNDAY: Ride 3 hours at a varied pace: group rides or hilly courses are good choices. Remember, intensity is one key to this program. If you could ride 200 to 400 miles per week, sheer volume would guarantee a high level of fitness. But you can’t. Instead, make up for those missing miles by including intense efforts at or above your lactate threshold. Mix short, hard efforts like sprints with longer, steady efforts on hills or into the wind. Spirited group rides raise intensity, too.
The key is varying the intensity during the week. When you go hard, go really hard. When you go easy, go at a pace that is SLOOOOOW . You have to learn to go slowly. If you always go at a medium pace, your fitness will be mediocre.
The second key is sufficient REST. Intense workouts boost your speed and power but this increased fitness comes at a price. So, stay off the bike at least two days each week. Lift a little, take a relaxing walk, prop up your feet and read a good book. When the time comes to train hard or to beat up your friends on weekend rides, you’ll be rested and ready. Don’t forget to squeeze in some resistance training. Cycling is great, but it doesn’t do much for the upper body. Maintaining muscle volume is crucial as we age. So cheat on the seven-hours-a-week maximum and find 15 minutes two days each week for some basic upper-body exercises. Pushups, pull-ups, crunches for the abs and a low-back exercise (such as back extensions) are all you need. Knock off a couple of sets of each to complement your saddle time. A good time to do this simple but effective resistance program is right after easy rides. Are you so busy that finding even seven weekly hours looks like mission impossible
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Post by Muller on Mar 28, 2014 11:06:26 GMT
Taper to Prepare for Your Best Efforts
Have you ever had an injury or illness disrupt your cycling just when you were reaching top fitness? “Shite,” you say as you settle in for a period of convalescence, sure that your hard-won fitness will vanish . But then a funny thing happens. After a week or two spent chomping at the bit to ride again, you’re finally recovered. You hop on the bike expecting to be feeble—and you’re flying! Far from destroying your fitness, the downtime seemed to enhance it . Pro racers encounter this phenomenon frequently. A late-spring injury seems poised to destroy a rider’s season. But when he comes back he finds a whole new level of fitness. How can this happen? Racers and recreational riders alike experience the wonders of tapering in order to reach peak performance. Sports science has shown us that most riders in regular training programs are hovering on the edge of overtraining. If they attempt to go directly to an event that demands a top performance, they’ll be unable to produce it. Lingering fatigue will sabotage their efforts. But if they schedule some rest and recuperation (or even if it’s forced upon them), their bodies will rebound and they’ll be ready for a breakthrough performance. Want to harness the power of tapering for your next big event without having to get injured first? Here’s how. Principles of Tapering Decide how long to taper. For most events, you’ll need a longer taper than you think to reach peak form. Just taking a day off during the week and spinning gently the day before won’t accomplish much. Plan on a week’s taper for best results. Remember that athletes differ in their time requirements. Some extremely well-trained (and therefore chronically tired) riders could benefit from a two-week taper. Newcomers to training may want to ride right up to a century or fast club ride. In the latter case, the rider may not have had time to get sufficiently tired to benefit from a pronounced taper. Also, the shorter and more intense the event, the shorter the tapering period. If your goal is a PR in the local 10-mile time trial, you only need about three days of lessened intensity and volume. Reduce Riding Time. The key to tapering is to ride less. Sounds obvious, but it’s amazing how many cyclists can’t force themselves to log fewer miles in their training. For most events, reducing mileage about 50 percent during the tapering period works well. You heard me right—cut your mileage (or time on the bike) in half. I know that sounds horrifying to dedicated trainers, but it’s necessary. Don’t reduce riding days. If you normally ride five days a week, continue doing so. But reduce the total mileage each day. You want your muscles to “remember” how to ride, so give your body its usual lesson. Just keep it short. Maintain intensity. Even though you’re riding fewer miles during the taper, you’ll still ride fast at times. If you normally do short intervals on Tuesday and longer repeats or climbing on Thursday, continue the schedule. The difference? Reduce the number and length of the hard efforts. If you have been doing eight sprints on Tuesday, cut down to four but keep the intensity high. Accustomed to climbing five hills hard on your Thursday ride? Spin gently over three of them but hit the other two with your usual vigor. Make slow rides very slow. What about the other rides during the taper? Make them slow and easy. Don’t feel any pressure on the pedals. Ride the flats or, if you can’t avoid hills, use your lowest gear. Keep exertion below 75 percent of max. Plan peaks in your season schedule. Many authorities argue that athletes can peak successfully only two or three times a year. They suggest planning your objectives so you don’t waste a peak. Make sure you’re feeling great for the events you care most about. Interestingly, some coaches are now recommending more frequent tapers—as often as one week out of every month. The idea is to lessen the workload regularly so training (as well as event riding or racing) can be high quality. Experiment to see what works well for you
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Post by Muller on Apr 4, 2014 18:07:29 GMT
How to Recover From Hard Spins Before you wrap yourself in compression wear and guzzle chocolate milk after every ride, make sure your effort warrants it. If you didn’t go hard enough to induce muscle-fiber damage and suck your energy stores dry, you might not need full-on recovery. Try some of the tried-and-true techniques.
Refuel Hard efforts deplete energy stores and trigger production of the stress hormone cortisol. Carbs will restock glycogen. But you need protein, preferably a mix of whey and casein, to shut down cortisol so your muscles can start rebuilding. (The combination helps prolong the process.) “Blend milk, whey protein powder, dark cocoa powder (for flavor), and a shot of espresso. Caffeine revs your metabolism, which speeds the restoration. “Or mix low-fat Greek yogurt with honey and wash it down with green tea.
Cool down If you’ve wrapped up your last interval within 300 yards of your driveway, spin easy for 10 minutes before getting off the bike. One study found that cyclists who pedaled easy between two time trials were able to improve their performance in the next.
Baby your muscles Stretching and massage after a hard effort are proven to reduce inflammation and help maintain a healthy range of motion.
Press and cold Research shows that applying compression over ice boosts deep-muscle cooling. To do: Wrap an ice bag under an elastic bandage. Research is divided on whether compression alone improves performance, but many athletes are believers. And even skeptics agree it feels good.
Drink up Sip an electrolyte beverage with potassium and sodium to replace what you sweated away. “Rehydrate slowly so your body has time to absorb it.
Take a catnap “A 20- to 30-minute nap boosts the release of growth hormone, which helps muscles rebuild.
Recover If You Rode... 2 hours or less with at least 20 minutes at maximum effort 2.5 hours with at least 30 minutes very hard 2.5-plus hours with at least 40 minutes hard 4-plus hours with at least 40 minutes moderately hard
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Post by Muller on Apr 18, 2014 11:43:52 GMT
Find Your Correct Climbing Cadence First, a disclaimer: There's no magic number! Your best pedaling rpm will vary depending on factors such as a hill's steepness, its length, your bike's gearing and how you're feeling. Generally, you want to be in a gear that lets you keep a climbing cadence of at least 80 rpm. (If your computer doesn’t measure cadence, simply count how many times your right foot comes around in 30 seconds, then double it for revolutions per minute.) A cadence of 80+ helps balance the workload between your leg muscles and cardiovascular system. When standing on a hill, here's a way to tell if you're climbing with an efficient cadence even without counting pedal strokes. If you're bobbing, the gear is too low (too easy). It's letting you drive through the power stroke too quickly. Shift to the next higher gear (smaller rear cog) and this should put you into the right zone. If you're working the bike side to side to maintain momentum, the gear is too high (too hard). Your leg muscles will quickly fatigue under the strain. Shift to a lower gear (larger rear cog). Thanks to brake/shift levers, you can change gears while standing and not lose much momentum. For those of us riding mechanical systems, try to lighten pedal pressure just as you make the shift. This helps the derailleur move the chain quicker with less jerking or gnashing.
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Post by Mary1 on Apr 18, 2014 12:25:01 GMT
Noel, always enjoy reading the training blog but more so on this one! I'm watching my cadence more and trying to keep to an Avg of 90, not easy but getting closer and my climbing has really improved.....so it does work!
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Post by Muller on Apr 18, 2014 18:31:20 GMT
On-Bike Nutrition Tips
Once the bonk hits, you won’t forget it. This word is, of course, cycling slang for weakness and sudden fatigue resulting from failure to eat enough during extended hours in the saddle. Not only recreational riders fall victim. Bonked pro racers have been known to lose several minutes to the leaders on a single climb.
So what’s the solution? Eat and drink enough, of course. But you also have to eat and drink smart. It’s not just the amount of food and fluids you put down. Timing is crucial, too.
Eat Before the Ride. If you do much running, you know how hard it is to run on a full stomach. The jarring associated with each foot strike makes any food in your stomach supremely uncomfortable. Not so with cycling. The smooth pedaling motion means you can eat shortly before and during rides, unless you’re going flat-out.
You’ll need to start off with a full tank if the ride stretches over 90 minutes, because cycling at a brisk pace consumes about 40 calories per mile. About one hour before you get on the bike, eat around 60 grams of carbohydrate if you’re an average-size woman, 80-100 if you’re a man. How much is that? Most energy bars contain about 40 grams of carbs, and a banana packs about 30. Or try a bagel with jam and a handful of raisins or a fruit bar.
Prehydrate. You need food before the ride, but you also need to be sufficiently hydrated. Most people are chronically dehydrated because they drink coffee, a mild diuretic, and they don’t drink enough water during the workday. If this sounds like you, you may be starting rides dehydrated—and it only gets worse from there.
Additionally, research shows that it’s difficult to rehydrate with water alone. So drink copiously all day. Keep a water bottle on your desk at work and sip and refill all day long. An hour before you ride, drink about 16 ounces of a sports drink. Urinate just before the start to avoid unwanted pit stops.
How do you know if you’re drinking a sufficient amount daily? Two rules: If you aren’t getting up at least once in the night to urinate (unless you have an iron bladder), you aren’t drinking enough. Also, your urine should be pale yellow as well as plentiful.
Eat and Drink During the Ride. Eating and drinking on the fly isn’t easy. We associate food and fluids with sitting down at a table with white napkins and soft music, not with flying down the road astride a bike. That doesn’t qualify as fine dining.
But getting enough calories and fluids while riding is surprisingly easy. It just takes a little planning and awareness.
Get in the habit of drinking to satisfy your thirst. This is advice that has changed is the past few years. We used to think you should drink before you felt thirsty, that when you realized you’re thirsty it was already too late. But no more. Now we know that your body does a fine job of alerting you as to when it requires hydration. Heed the call, and you’ll be fine.
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Post by JonnoMarshall on Apr 18, 2014 19:46:00 GMT
Noel, I hope the club don't expect members to provide urine samples now?
That would just be taking the piss.....
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Post by Muller on Apr 24, 2014 16:37:01 GMT
Post-Ride Nutrition Tips Last post we talked about pre-ride and during-the-ride nutrition. Here’s what to do post-ride. Hydrate after the ride. No matter how much fluid you ingest while on the bike, in summer weather you’ll finish the ride with a deficit. There’s a simple way to be sure you rehydrate sufficiently: Weigh yourself before and after the ride, then compare the figures. If you’ve lost weight, it is, unfortunately, water you’ve sweated out, not fat. Drink 20 ounces of fluid for each pound of bodyweight you’re down. Keep drinking until your weight has returned to normal. Use the glycogen window. One other step—but it might be the most important. Studies show that your muscles replace their fuel (glycogen) much faster and more efficiently if you eat carbohydrate immediately after a ride. The longer you wait, the less eager your muscle cells become to refill with glycogen. The goal is to eat 60 grams of carbohydrate if you’re an average-size woman, or 80-100 grams if you’re an average male, as soon as possible after you get off the bike. Your muscles will re-fuel best if you down this chow within 15 minutes. The re-fueling process becomes progressively less efficient during the two hours post-ride. Notice that the amount of carbohydrate is the same that’s recommended before a ride. Some recent research indicates that if you mix four parts carbohydrate with one part protein, your glycogen stores will top off more quickly and more fully. In fact, several post-ride recovery drinks are based on these findings. It should be noted, however, that the results of at least one of these studies has been challenged. Doubters argue that the protein/carb mix produced greater glycogen levels only because the subjects getting that mix received more total calories than the subjects who got only carbohydrate (no protein) after exercise. So the jury is still out. But in a practical sense, it’s hard to eat only carbohydrate. Most riders prefer post-ride meals like cereal or a turkey sandwich. As long as there’s ample carbohydrate in the food, it’s probably best to heed your body’s cravings. If you follow these and last post strategies, you’ll feel great while riding and recover faster. Just think of riding as a license to eat heartily! Refuel properly and you’ll be able to ride faster and stronger for longer, thus getting a better workout and building superior fitness. Here are some foods that provide about 50 grams of carbohydrate per serving: • Bagel • Two slices of bread and 8 oz. low-fat milk • English muffin, 1 tbs. jam, 8 oz. low-fat milk • Fruit yogurt (1 cup) and corn tortilla • Popcorn (4 cups) and 8 oz. fruit juice • Cold cereal (1 cup), 8 oz. low-fat milk, piece of fruit • Pasta (1 cup) and marinara sauce (1 cup) • Pancakes (3 large) and syrup (2 tbs.) • Pretzels (1 oz.) and 8 oz. fruit juice • Rice (0.5 cup) and beans (0.5 cup) and corn tortilla • Thick pizza (1 slice) and 12 oz. soda • Rice (1 cup) and broccoli (1 cup)
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Post by Muller on May 15, 2014 16:31:34 GMT
Ride Faster When You're Tired
Suppose you've ridden the local cent 160 km in 6 hours and 20 minutes. Now your goal is to break 6 hours. That'll take a 26.9-kph average speed.
While training, you might find it relatively easy to maintain a 27-kph average during the first 2 hours of a 5-hour ride. The third hour, it's tougher. The fourth hour, you're suffering. The fifth hour -- well, you're finding out the hard way that you aren't able to sustain your goal pace. Training with long, steady miles isn't producing sufficient late-ride strength.
Riding briskly when you're fresh isn't the problem. The stumbling block is the ability to maintain the pace when you're fried. You need to train in a way that helps you overcome this "sticking point."
Try this
Do most of your next long ride (4-5 hours) at a steady and moderate pace that's slightly below your goal for the century. Keep something in the tank.
Then in the last hour, include 2 repeats of 20 minutes each. Ride at an effort that feels "hard," at least 8 on 10-level scale of perceived exertion. This will be about 85% of your max heart rate. Spin easily for 5-10 minutes between the hard efforts.
Important! Be sure you're well hydrated and have been consuming enough calories on the ride before you start these intervals.
Riding the last hour this way during several long rides trains your body to go fast when it's tired, and it gives you the confidence that you can. It'll help you ride strongly to the finish and get that personal record.
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Post by Muller on May 18, 2014 13:14:32 GMT
How To Be A Gentleman/woman Cyclist
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Post by Muller on May 22, 2014 9:23:03 GMT
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Post by Muller on May 30, 2014 18:38:03 GMT
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Post by Muller on Jun 5, 2014 16:23:55 GMT
How to Make Interval Training Fun
Interval training? Fun? This could be the mother of all contradictions.
Interval training can be the most effective way to advance cycling fitness, but it isn't enjoyable for most riders. They hate working hard, especially by themselves, pushing their heart rates to 90% or more of maximum. But intense training is the most effective producer of improvement, and intervals are about as intense as training gets.
One saving grace is that intervals don't need to be solo. You can do them with a training partner even if your abilities aren't well matched. Here's how: •Warm up and then draft your friend. •Ease up to let him/ her open a gap of 150-200 meters. •While he/she keeps a steady, moderate pace, ride hard to catch him/ her. •After catching, spin easily in his/her draft for a minute to recover. •Take the front position. •He/She drops back and rides his/her hard interval like you just did.
What if your basic riding speeds are considerably different? Simply adjust the size of the gap. For example, if you're slower, start your chase when he's/she's 100 meters ahead. Next, he/she can begin his/ her chase after letting you open a gap of 300 meters.
The workout is over when you've each chased 5-8 times.
You'll find that these intervals are more fun than the solo kind because you have a "rabbit" to catch, motivation to keep the intensity high and someone to appreciate your effort .
Beats using the telegraph poles on Crosshaven road, if you can find someone to put up with you
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Post by Muller on Jun 9, 2014 16:48:28 GMT
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Post by Muller on Jun 20, 2014 8:26:03 GMT
A Drafting Refresher Let's do a refresher on a primary skill in cycling: drafting. The advantage of riding close behind another cyclist is great and the danger is minimal when you use the right technique. The best way to learn is to pair up with an experienced rider. So if you're an old hand, help a newcomer learn. If you're a newbie, find a vet who's willing to help. In this example, we'll assume you're the rookie. Here's the drill: Ride at a moderate pace on a flat, low-traffic road. Put your front wheel about 3 feet (1 m) behind your guru's rear wheel. As you feel comfortable, get a bit closer -- 2 feet, then 18 inches (46 cm). Notice how the draft is stronger when you're closer. Feel how the slipstream moves slightly to the side in a crosswind. Protection increases to the right of your partner's wheel when the wind is from the left, and vice versa. Good drafting depends on smooth, even pedaling. If you pedal and coast, pedal and coast, you'll find yourself getting too close to your partner or too far back. Keep the crank turning and use slightly more or less pedaling force to maintain a constant gap. Next, practice rotating the lead, using this technique: The front rider checks over shoulder for traffic, wiggles elbow as a signal, drifts a couple of feet to one side (into the crosswind or determined by road conditions or traffic) and slows slightly by soft-pedaling. You take the lead not by accelerating but by keeping your speed constant as your partner slows. Pedaling will feel a bit harder because you're bucking the wind. Glance at your computer to make sure your speed stays steady. Stay close as you pass each other while rotating the lead. The closer your shoulders are, the less wind each of you will be pushing and the narrower your combined width. That's important so motorists can deal safely with your presence.
When you're the person dropping back, begin accelerating slightly when your front wheel is beside your partner's rear wheel. Then you can slip in behind before a gap opens
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Post by Muller on Jun 23, 2014 17:46:30 GMT
TRAINING CAMP
My name is John Preston I am hoping to start a training camp type of business next year its aimed at sportive riders of all abilitys rather than racers with this in mind I would like do a trial run or two this September.As you are valued supporters of McCarthy Cycles I would like to give you the opportunity to cycle in Spain at a cost that I believe will be in the region of half price.
What I am looking for is a group of six of similar ability with distances and pace tailored to suit, flexibility is the key. (I would arrange to meet with the group in advance to discuss ) Accommodation is about thirty minutes from Valencia airport on quite lightly traveled roads,twin and double rooms.
While flexibility is the key I have put a sample package below. I have used Dublin / Valencia with Ryan air to keep costs down and maximise time off work(3days,Fri,Mon,Tue,) Outbound Friday 19th Sept @ 9.35 Dublin Valencia 87 euro Return Tuesday 23rd @20.40. 55.99 euro when played with DD card
Air coach Cork Dublin return 27 euro when booked online (Air coach leaves Cork at 3am an other option would be stay in travel lodge or similar on Thursday night)
Once in Spain picked up by minibus and taken to accommodation where your hire bikes are ready to go We will have the mini bus for the duration At this stage both the minibus and bikes are hired in at a cost of 300 euro per person
I supply accommodation breakfast, light post cycle snack,route guiding, mechanical assistance free of charge Evening meals are not included
I want this to workout long term so don't be put off by my use of the term trial I think this group will get special attention as I do need positive feedback to consider carrying on with the idea. My no. is 0851005230
Regards John
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Post by Muller on Jul 11, 2014 12:39:26 GMT
TRAINING CAMP
My name is John Preston I am hoping to start a training camp type of business next year its aimed at sportive riders of all abilitys rather than racers with this in mind I would like do a trial run or two this September.As you are valued supporters of McCarthy Cycles I would like to give you the opportunity to cycle in Spain at a cost that I believe will be in the region of half price.
What I am looking for is a group of six of similar ability with distances and pace tailored to suit, flexibility is the key. (I would arrange to meet with the group in advance to discuss ) Accommodation is about thirty minutes from Valencia airport on quite lightly traveled roads,twin and double rooms.
While flexibility is the key I have put a sample package below. I have used Dublin / Valencia with Ryan air to keep costs down and maximise time off work(3days,Fri,Mon,Tue,) Outbound Friday 19th Sept @ 9.35 Dublin Valencia 87 euro Return Tuesday 23rd @20.40. 55.99 euro when played with DD card
Air coach Cork Dublin return 27 euro when booked online (Air coach leaves Cork at 3am an other option would be stay in travel lodge or similar on Thursday night)
Once in Spain picked up by minibus and taken to accommodation where your hire bikes are ready to go We will have the mini bus for the duration At this stage both the minibus and bikes are hired in at a cost of 300 euro per person
I supply accommodation breakfast, light post cycle snack,route guiding, mechanical assistance free of charge Evening meals are not included
I want this to workout long term so don't be put off by my use of the term trial I think this group will get special attention as I do need positive feedback to consider carrying on with the idea. My no. is 0851005230
Regards John
Hi all, Anybody else interested in the trip on the 19th of September should contact me ASAP, at this stage I am taking deposits as we need to get booking flights before the prices go up. Any questions give me a call Regards John
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Post by Muller on Jul 21, 2014 12:34:27 GMT
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Post by Muller on Aug 8, 2014 9:48:36 GMT
When you ride solo, wavering puts you at risk in traffic. With a companion, you can't ride side-by-side if you aren't steady and comfortable. And the fastest way to draw unwanted attention from experienced roadies is to wobble in the middle of a group.
You can quickly improve your ability to ride a steady line. These tips will put you on the straight and narrow.
Relax. You need a loose, supple upper body. Be aware of tension in your neck, jaw and shoulders. If you're rigid, the bike will move in jerks and twitches.
Flex your elbows. By keeping them slightly bent and loose, upper-body movements won't automatically be transferred to the handlebar. The road's bumps and jolts will be absorbed, helping the bike float over irregularities rather than flinch and dart.
Of course, staying relaxed is easy to say and hard to do -- like when you're riding between traffic and a ragged road edge. Concentrate on steady breathing to reduce the upper-body tension that pins your shoulders to your ears. By staying aware, you can make relaxation a habit.
Look up the road. Staring at the pavement ahead of your front wheel guarantees you'll ride like a kid on his first solo voyage. The farther up the road you look, the steadier your bike will be.
You'll soon learn the technique of "split vision." This allows your lower peripheral vision to monitor things like potholes and cracks as you pass them, while you focus on a swath 30 to 100 feet ahead.
Watch the line you want your bike to take and your wheels will go there almost magically. Look directly at bad things and you're likely to hit them.
Practice. Try these techniques by riding along the white line that separates the traffic lane from the shoulder. Relax, keep your eyes up, and see how long you can stay on that thin stripe. It'll feel smooth under your tires to let you know how you're doing.
To prove a point, also try to ride the line while looking down in front of your wheel. Wobble city!
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