getfit
Joy Ride! Whether your cycling routine could use a tuneup or you haven’t touched a bike since you were 10, our beginner’s guide will get you back in the saddle. Read on to burn more than 500 calories per hour, tone your abs, legs and tush, and soak up the outdoors. By Dana Sullivan
The Wheel Deal Our quickie key to bike parts and smarts is all you need to ride happy. start
here
Tires
Quickrelease skewers
This lock system secures the wheels to the frame. Flip them open to pop a wheel off when you have to repair a flat.
When the knobby parts of mountainbike tires look worn down or you see threads of rubber on your road tires, it’s time to replace them, usually about every 3,000 miles.
Frame
To choose a frame that fits, consult your local bike shop. Straddle the frame with your feet flat on the floor: For a road bike, there should be one to two inches between the crossbar and your crotch, four more on next to five for a mountain page or cruiser.
Saddle
The width of your saddle should match the width of your sit bones. Even more important: seat height. Sit on saddle, feet on pedals, and extend one leg. Your other knee should be bent 25 to 30 degrees, says Scott Holz, a fit specialist at Specialized Bicycles in Morgan Hill, California.
Handlebars
Setting your handlebars to the right height helps prevent back, neck and shoulder pain. l Road bike: In line with or up to three inches lower than saddle. l Mountain bike: In line with or up to one inch lower. l Cruiser: One or two inches higher.
Cassette
Chain rings
Your bike chain has to be oiled about every 300 miles, more often if you ride in wet weather. Drip on a thin coat of a bike-specific lubricant, such as Phil Wood Tenacious Oil ($6.39, amazon.com); wipe off any excess oil.
Gears
These help you handle varying terrain. In low gears, the pedals are easy to turn; use uphill. In high gears, they’re harder to turn; use downhill. Click the right shifter often to fine-tune the gears. Click the left shifter once to make a big change in your resistance.
This is the cluster of gears on the rear wheel that determines how many speeds your bike has. Wipe it down with a cotton cloth every few weeks so you can shift smoothly.
Tube
Pedals
Choose from platform (the flat ones your kid’s bike came with), cage (flat with straps that go over your feet) and clipless (require shoes that lock into them). Beginners and commuters should start with platforms. Once comfortable, try going clipless.
Inside the tire is an air-filled inner tube, also called a balloon. To figure out how much air it needs, look for the psi (pounds per square inch) on your tire’s sidewall. Gone flat? Learn how to fix it fast at www. fitnessmagazine .com/cycle.
getfit What’s Your Bike Type? The Cruiser
You want an uncomplicated weekend spin or just an easy way to burn extra calories.
What You’ll Need
LAUR A DOSS. MAKEUP: JAMIE HANSON FOR LANCÔME, FORD ARTISTS.
Ideal wheels Thanks to its lightweight aluminum frame, three gears (for a little extra help on hills) and supersensitive brakes, the Electra Townie Original 3i ($480, electrabike .com for info) is a great multitasker, ideal for city commutes or oceanside cruises.
Shoes Keen’s Trailhead Commuter ($110, keen footwear.com) is like a sandal but fits a recessed sole cleat—good for platform or clipless pedals.
A helmet Keep the metallic theme with a well vented, women-specific Bellisima True Fit helmet ($22, target .com). Its visor adds extra shade.
A lock If your bike is stolen when you use a Kryptonite Evolution Series 4 U-Lock ($65, kryptonitelock .com), the company will replace it up to $2,250.
The Road Rider You’re a more serious cyclist, training for a tri or looking for extra speed and a lightweight bike.
What You’ll Need
A bag Carry stuff from here to there sans back sweat with a design-ityourself Timbuk2 messenger bag (starting at $95, timbuk2.com).
A light Be guided in the early morning or after dusk by the easy-toattach Cateye Uno LED light ($35, rei.com). It runs for 15 hours on one AA battery.
Ideal wheels The Trek 1.2 WSD ($880, trekbikes .com for info) is perfect for long rides: It’s lightweight and has a carbon fork that soaks up road vibrations. It also has 27 speeds, so you can climb steep hills, stay in control downhill and coast easy on flats.
A helmet The ponytail-friendly Giro Skyla ($40, giro.com for info) has a quick-adjust rear knob that lets you easily fine-tune a snug fit.
Gloves Novara Lifeline gloves ($25, rei.com) provide extra cushioning and shock absorption without interfering with your natural grip.
Shorts and a jersey The chamois padding in bike shorts serves a purpose: It protects soft tissue so you can ride pain-free. Try Sugoi’s Evolution Shorty ($90, sugoi .ca) for a flattering fit that doesn’t bunch. Pair it with the Betty jersey ($85, sugoi .ca), with three handy elastic back pockets.
Shoes For a good entry-level clipless shoe, try the Pearl Izumi Quest II Road ($80, pearlizumi .com), with vented soles plus three foot-hugging Velcro straps.
Rules of the Road l If
you’re new to clipless pedals, practice clipping in and out before you hit the streets. To clip in, straddle the frame and rotate the pedals so one is 45 degrees forward. Put your less dominant foot on that pedal and press down hard as you raise yourself over the seat. Then quickly place your other foot in its pedal and clip in on that side as you start pedaling. To release, twist one heel out to the side and put that foot down. l Use both hand brakes to slow down. Using only the rear brake
will not slow you down quickly, and using only the front brake could cause you to fly over the handlebars. l Ride in the same direction as cars, and obey traffic signals. l Ride at least three feet out from parked cars to clear opening doors, says Paul Dorn, coauthor of The Bike to Work Guide. l To signal a left turn, hold left arm out to side at shoulder level. For a right turn, hold right arm out with elbow bent 90 degrees, hand up. To stop, hold left arm out with elbow bent, hand down.
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getfit Before Every Ride 1. Check your tire pressure. Also make sure the quick-release skewer is in the locked position and the wheel is secure. 2. Test your brakes. Lift and spin the front wheel. Then clamp the left brake handle. The wheel should stop immediately. Repeat
with the rear/right brake. If wheels don’t stop properly, you need new brake pads or the brake cables have to be tightened. 3. Wipe dirt off your chain with a rag. 4. Pack your saddlebag, a small pouch that holds your mini repair kit: a
spare tube; a tire lever, used to remove the tire from the rim; a multitool, which has wrenches and screwdrivers for adjusting your saddle or handlebars; and a couple of CO2 cartridges, used to instantly inflate a tube. All at backcountry.com.
The Trailblazer You’re ready to go anywhere—dirt or paved paths—and explore on a bike that’s got extra traction and is sure to keep you steady.
What You’ll Need
Ideal wheels Beginning and intermediate mountain bikers should go with a simple “hardtail” bike, a cheaper model that has only front suspension (shock) rather than front and rear. The women-specific Specialized Myka HT Sport ($510, specialized.com for info) has front suspension, 24 gears, really responsive brakes and comfy hand grips. Shorts and jersey The loose-fitting Cannondale Rush Baggy Shorts ($70, cannondale.com for info) have an adjustable waistband and removable inner shorts with chamois padding. The supersoft Specialized Trail Top ($70, d4wgear .com for info) masks dirt and has two front pockets.
A helmet The stylish Nutcase Hula Lounge helmet ($50, nutcasestore.com) has a shockabsorbing liner and 11 vents.
Shoes The women-specific Bontrager Race Mountain WSD ($90, bontrager .com for info) has a durable synthetic leather upper and a molded heel cup that prevents slipping.
Gloves The Giant Velocity Long Finger Glove ($22, giant-bicycles.com for info) has a reinforced palm and a breathable mesh upper.
Off-Road Rules l “Never
be afraid to hop off your bike and push it up or down a hill,” says U.S. Olympic mountain biker Mary Grigson Daubert. l When in doubt, yield to others. Going down? Give the right of way to uphill riders. l On steep descents, shift your weight as far back and off the saddle as possible; having your weight over your rear wheel will give you better traction. To slow down, apply pressure to both brakes simultaneously, putting slightly more pressure on the right (rear) brake. Put too much on the front and you could go flying.
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FITNESSmagazine.COM | june 2009