Make Maintenance Convenient and Easy

Mountain Bike Tips

 Make Maintenance Convenient and Easy

Wet. That's what a lot of my riding seems to be lately. Winter's last gasp (hopefully) means the tail end of melting snow and but now we're moving into early spring rain. And that translates into lots of crapola on the bike, from salt spray to road grime to just plain old water thrown up by my tires.

You're probably smarter than me and do this sort of thing already, but I've been congratulating myself on the set-up I've created as a result of all this filth on my bike that I carry home every day. What I did was put a plastic milk crate right where I park my bike, and filled it with cleaning supplies. Here's what's in it:

• Rags
• Small bottle of oil
• An old toothbrush
• Tire pump
• Air pressure gauge

That stuff is there and handy for me because right after each ride I take (literally) just a minute or two and carefully wipe down the bike. I do both the frame and the wheels, and then lubricate the chain and other moving parts as needed. The brush is for getting out any tough gunk, and I use the tire pump and gauge to check air pressure before I ride the next time. The key is having your supplies handy, so it's easy to do. I know if I have to go off hunting for stuff, it's probably not going to happen.

Not only does little quick bit of easy maintenance help prolong the life of your bike and its components, but there is something great about riding a clean bike. You tend to feel better about it and take even better care of it.

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How to Ride Over a Log

Mountain bike

How to Ride Over a Log

It’s common to come across fallen trees and other obstacles while mountain biking. Instead of riding around a log the next time you’re out on the trail, try to ride over it! First, look for the smallest part of the log to cross. Many times you’ll come across a log that has a cutout, as shown here. If this is the case, aim your front tire directly at the opening.

 The Approach

As you approach the log, slow your speed. Stand up slightly over your saddle with your knees flexed. Time your pedal stroke so that your dominant foot is forward as you may need to continue pedaling to propel yourself over the obstacle. Your weight should be shifted onto the balls of your feet, and the log should be perpendicular to the frame of your bike. Hitting the log at an angle will cause your tire to skid sideways across the log.

Up and Over

Just before you come into contact with the log, compress your body by bending your arms and pushing down towards your handlebars. Almost instantly, push your body upright and pull up on your handlebars. The rebound from your front shock and tire will help you lift the weight of your bike onto the log. Make sure your feet are flat as you begin to go up and over the log.

 Over and Out

Once your front tire is over the log, shift your weight towards the front of your bike. If you are secured to your pedals with cleats or toe cages, pull your feet up slightly as you pedal. This will lift your rear tire up and over the log. If you are riding with flat pedals, simply continue your pedal stroke to propel your rear tire over the obstacle.

Master It:

• Keep your feet flat and pedals level just before you reach the log.
• Bend your knees to keep your balance and remain agile.
• Don't hit your brakes! It's easier to continue over an obstacle than to stop midway and find footing from a precarious position.
• Keep your momentum. Lean forward once your wheel touches down on the other side of the log to avoid falling over.

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Spinners Are Winners

Spinners are winners?

Well, that is part of it. Yes, its true, spinners are winners. Look at Lance Armstrong, his cadence in the last couple of Tour De France races looked to be over 110 RPM's at times. In the mountain stages, and in the TT's he was not only flying down (and up) the road, but he was flying his pedals around like the wind too.

But is that all you need to win races, a high cadence? Well, yes that is part of it - the easy part of it. The ability to spin smoothly and effectively is key to an efficient pedal stroke, and it does require deliberate training workouts to develop leg speed. Leg speed helps to conserve energy and power for those critical defining racing moments when you need to close a gap, bridge to a break, attack the break and sprint for the win. Developing good leg speed is the easy part however.

Without power, it does not matter how fast you can turn the pedals over. What matters is the capability to spin a gear, big enough gear that will hurtle you down the road, and hurtle you with speed! Leg speed alone however, does not necessarily translate into going fast on the road. Notice the size of the gear(s) Lance is turning over in the TT's. He probably had a 55 or even a 56 large chain ring on, and he was in his 14 or 13, maybe in his 12 at times in the TT at the 2001 Tour De France.

While Lance has incredible leg speed, he has the massive power to turn over a big gear to go with that leg speed. Lance has worked hard on his leg speed, but he has dedicated even more time to developing his power. ESP Cycling is dedicated to maximizing the balance between developing leg speed and combining that leg speed with a power base. Spinners are winners, but only if there is power behind it.

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How To Train With Less Cycling Muscle Soreness

Muscle soreness is an unavoidable side effect of endurance training. The only way to avoid post-exercise muscle soreness completely is to avoid exercise. However, there are several things you can do to minimize muscle soreness caused mainly by damage to muscle proteins without sacrificing fitness. Some obvious ones include warming up and cooling down properly and building up your training workload very gradually.

Less known and less widely practiced are some nutritional means of minimizing post-exercise muscle soreness that are based on cutting-edge sports science research. By consuming the right balance of nutrients before, during, and immediately following workouts, this research shows, you can minimize the amount of muscle protein degradation that is caused by workouts and maximize the rate of post-exercise muscle protein repair and rebuilding. And this will allow you to perform better in your key workouts and bounce back quicker afterward.
 
Start with a Full Tank

Carbohydrate, mainly in the form of muscle glycogen, is the primary fuel for moderate- to high-intensity exercise. But amino acids, supplied in part through the breakdown of muscle proteins, also provide some energy. The longer a workout or competition lasts, the less carbohydrate contributes and the more amino acids contribute to the body’s energy needs. Athletes can minimize the number of muscle proteins that must be broken down to supply energy by beginning their workouts with more glycogen stored in their muscles.
In a university study, subjects performed a prolonged one-leg strength exercise first with a randomly chosen leg and then with the opposite leg. They began the workout with normal glycogen levels in one leg (again randomly chosen) and depleted glycogen levels in the other. The researchers found that muscle protein breakdown was much greater in the glycogen-depleted leg than in the normal leg during the course of the workout.
It is important, then, that athletes top off their muscle glycogen stores before workouts. The best way to do this is to eat a meal comprising mostly low- to moderate-glycemic carbohydrates two to three hours before exercise. In a Penn State University study, one group of athletes ate a rolled oats cereal (moderate-glycemic) while another group ate a puffed rice cereal (high-glycemic) before a stationary cycling test. Both breakfasts contained 75 grams of total carbohydrate. Those who ate the rolled oats cereal were able to cycle significantly longer than those who ate the puffed rice. These results make it clear that athletes should choose their pre-exercise foods carefully.
The pre-workout meal should also contain some protein. New research suggests that providing the body with a dietary source of amino acids (the “building blocks” of proteins) through pre-workout protein consumption can further decrease the body’s reliance on muscle proteins for energy during exercise. It also accelerates post-exercise muscle protein synthesis by increasing the availability of amino acids for this purpose.
 
During Exercise

Consuming a carbohydrate-protein supplement during exercise can further minimize muscle tissue damage and accelerate post-workout protein synthesis. Use of a conventional 6-8% carbohydrate sports drink such as Gatorade slows the depletion of muscle glycogen stores and thereby delays the rise in the use of muscle proteins as an energy source. But newer research has demonstrated that the addition of a small amount of protein to a sports drink spares glycogen even further. It does this by stimulating more insulin, which is the hormone responsible for transporting glucose to the muscles.
In a study, researchers found that the addition of protein to a carbohydrate sports drink in a 4:1 ratio enhanced aerobic endurance performance by 24% more than a conventional carbohydrate sports drink. These data suggest that the addition of protein increased insulin and glucose uptake, thereby providing faster energy to the exercising muscle. The result is increased sparing of muscle glycogen and a significant improvement in endurance.
A sports drink is the best form in which to consume carbohydrate and protein during workouts, not only because these nutrients will be more quickly absorbed in this form but also because a sports drink also provides the water and electrolytes needed to prevent dehydration during exercise. Athletes should consume a few ounces of such a drink every 10 minutes throughout exercise. The precise amount needed depends on factors that include the size of the athlete, the intensity of exercise, and the air temperature.
A study performed at St. Cloud University demonstrated that using a carbohydrate-protein sports drink during a workout can also significantly reduce post-exercise muscle tissue stress. In this study, athletes that used this supplement showed on average a 36% lower level of a physiological marker for muscle tissue stress than controls, suggesting that by providing amino acids in addition to carbohydrate, the sports drink helped maintain cell membrane integrity.

After Exercise

It is not possible to consume enough carbohydrate during moderate- to high-intensity exercise to replace what is burned, nor to completely offset muscle protein degradation. So it is important to consume additional carbohydrate and protein after the workout. This should be done as soon as possible, because the body is able to synthesize glycogen and protein at more than twice the normal rate due to heightened insulin receptivity in the muscle cells following exercise. For this reason, exercise physiologists sometimes refer to the first two hours post-exercise as “the muscle recovery window”.
Carbohydrate-protein sports drinks are again the best immediate post-workout nutrition source because of their rapid absorption and their water and electrolyte content. Using such drinks and/or water and solid foods, athletes should be sure to fully replenish fluid losses (i.e. return to pre-workout bodyweight) and consume 10-20% of their daily carbohydrate and protein intake within the first two hours after completing exercise.
In addition to consuming appropriate amounts of carbohydrate and protein before, during, and immediately after workouts, athletes can reduce muscle damage and soreness by maintaining a diet that is generally high in antioxidants. Oxygen radicals are believed to play a role in the cellular damage that follows the rupture of muscle fibers during exercise. By consuming plenty of antioxidant vitamins and enzymes on a daily basis athletes can limit this damage. Vitamins C and E appear to be the most effective antioxidant defenders against free radical damage to muscle tissues. Citrus fruits, melon, and berries are good sources of vitamin C. Vegetable oils, nuts, dark green vegetables and whole grains are rich in vitamin E.

 
The Bottom Line

While muscle tissue damage and muscle soreness are normal effects of hard training, proper sports nutrition practices can minimize these effects. If you are consistent in these practices you will recover more quickly between workouts and competitions and perform better during them. Not to mention, you won’t wake up in the morning feeling as though you had been caned in your sleep!

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Making Bike Commuting Work for You.

Making Bike Commuting Work for You

Save your money and your condition. Cycling to work is the key. In fact, anyone can do it, "said Steve Cook, director of sending and receiving of Superga Chandler bike shop. It would be really good condition. Be realistic about the bike 30 miles, but if someone can take a leisurely stroll through the 10 walk miles at a steady pace, you can safely bike to work.

Cooke. That many u201CA%, bus and bicycle to withdraw the people some of the coaches and the rest of the bike u201D%

Jones said he hoped that people try to see how easy and fun to drive as possible.

John Cherry, and key sales staff at Flagstaff Absolute% u2019s Circle, said that one of the first things to consider is the length of the route. A short drive through the city, a few couples, backpacks, known manner, the media or by bicycle. For longer trips by bike, you have to make the right tire, tips, Cherry points close to a car or a set of knobbies for off-road shortcuts.

Before installing
He added that the equipment is in good condition, it is necessary for a safe and fun. Take the Long View on the bike. If you do not regularly traveled, the tires are flat. Chain can be oxidized. Fat is stucco. Repaired or leave it and let the local motorcycle professionals, it worked.

% U201CAs bike is in good condition, you can use% u201D says Cooke. % U201CWe necessary safety equipment too, such as clothing for the weather, maybe a helmet and a jacket. % U201D

Suitable equipment includes a helmet of the U-shaped block of the circulating water bottle holder or a unit, a light jacket, rain jacket / something that matters and bring a flashlight approved. When a heavy bike commuter, Cherry also recommended:

* BOB Trailer - Ideal for materials, books in the library, and leads to the laundry. There are models in March, the double suspension.
* Laptop - Jandd makes the case that the pool, an underwater housing hooks.
* Mail Bag - Use to try one of pockets Timbuktu u2019s% color, strong backpack and bicycle, on the cover and the style of the company land.
* Good light bike - not only the right, in some cities feel good light bike or in your head.
* Cycling gloves for hot, warm socks and a wool knit bike.
* Buffer - the rain and mud to prevent fly back.
* Winter tires - argue that if they travel on snow and ice.

Passengers with bikes that offer some tips to facilitate travel contract. If there is no shower at work, babywipes own. Pack zip and odors. Also, your work clothes for long trips, sweating and changes in the office. Choose your clothes wrinkle-free and have enough time to crush a competitor without fear of serious worker.

Cherry also offers a windbreaker or rain, work clothes for short distances. Up to $ 20 jersey plastic surgeon runners and some garbage bags of clothes. Remove to go simple and clean as u2019re% and ready. keeping leg guard channels or the means or the offense may be placed in the extra space.

If you do not your pet on the site, make sure that the heavy packages. Buy a super-block and went to work. According to Cherry, a U-lock is better than cable. We recommend that you remove the front wheel and throw it through the lock and the frame is a strong bike or a pole or tree.

If you need a car, the bike trade in September, offered Cherry moved to% u201CSince to Flagstaff a few years ago I spent 210 zł 170 zł. U2019m%'m in better shape than me 18-35 years. Counter-movement. % U201D.

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Finish strong into the next century

Finish strong into the next century

At 100 miles a long way to go, no matter who you are. Of course it is an attractive racing age, those who do not.

But at the same time we also have a challenge, not really want to be absolutely terrifying. We do not want one of the last 20 km Bonk. Top exhausted, but solid.

Here are some tips on how to do it.

Education, the most important thing you do to prevent bonking can do is a possibility, a long-distance education, age, build duration of the trip.

Start your week trip 1915-1918 week before the next century. His first long-distance travel for several kilometers along the longest distance  in the past two weeks. Then slowly increase the duration week and not necessarily every week until it reaches a maximum of three weeks before the race.

Long walks, at a pace comfortable around 65-75 percent of maximum heart rate. In this phase, the emergence of the increase of the body  ability of fat to energy metabolism, which does not spare muscle glycogen, ultimately the availability of the major global resistance.

If you do not  use a heart rate monitor to control the rhythm of the evidence, say that if you can complete sentences, without their breath, it too hard. To achieve long-term share-share of 75 percent of their lives, which means that the longest journey extends over 75 km.

This brings me to another to avoid bonking in the next century, the rhythm. One of the most common causes of bonking begins centuries too early. You can avoid this trap a good idea to use a heart rate monitor.

Education, you need to do a lot of walking and the pace of their age. Do remember a heart rate monitor during these walks, and the fact that the average heart rate at this point. Century competition let your heart rate  creep in the pace of the first 50 miles, no matter how good. We can always target even if the service is at stake, however, the numbers.

Another common cause of the bad end of the century, racing is a lack of information correctly. Let the truth: We are a long distance cycling are lazy. We tend to do much more than too little. And we paranoid about physical fitness. Rational as possible in other areas of life, somehow able to convince us that we disappeared to cancel the results of the four-month training in a solid workout.

We are very suspicious of convergence. How can we be ready to race less training? Well, maybe, and that. Several studies have found a significant reduction in training last week, long before the race, muscle glycogen, the hemoglobin in the blood and other relevant factors, to maximize the performance shown.

Cone is the best two weeks before the era of revolutions. During the first week of the cone, cutting 40 percent of the volume of training. So if you ever go 200 miles last week, intensive training, which run about 120 miles per week. Consistent across all sports. In other words, if a high intensity exercise, but they are 40 percent less, or even longer distance, but it is also 40 percent less.

Week of the race, reducing the number of training places by 40 per cent of the entire 6 days instead of seven days. So if you are 80 km of driving in the first six days of the second week of the last century, 50 mile round six days before the event, a day of complete rest.

In the same round, the best prevention strategy is a powerful Bonk adequate fluid intake. There are three songs you have to do it in the middle of the diet on water and electrolyte losses in sweat and loss of carbohydrates as fuel.

You can not drink a good portion of each of these losses, and drink with carbohydrates and electrolytes. Studies have shown that the most effective sports drinks contain carbohydrates, 8.6 percent ( 1.75 to 2.00 oz / g) and one gram of protein per four grams of protein.

Proteins in this report is prepared to give support the secretion of insulin and glucose to muscles more quickly, saving muscle glycogen and fatigue to the end. Accel is a leading sports drink with carbohydrates, proteins 4-1.

The key to success is almost a century is not exactly 100 miles and miles away. By establishing a long-term peak at the same pace, audible, and consume a sports drink to finish as possible in the next century strong.

Coach Joe Friel mountain bikers and recreational cyclists and triathletes duathletes elite road. Among current clients are 2000 Olympic triathlete Ryan Bolton. Joe wrote a cyclist and triathlete training in Bible training and offers online education through its website and TrainingBible.com Ultrafit.com. Is a columnist for Inside Triathlon and VeloNews are doing and seminars throughout the country and training for racers and athletes. Long endurance athletes, qualifying three times for the USA Triathlon national team .

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Learn to Love These Pain Free
Bicycle Maintenance Intervals

Unlike in your four-wheeler, there ain’t no fancy dashboard light to indicate that your bike needs service. What’s more, there are no hard-and-fast rules, either. Bicycle maintenance intervals depend on how much you ride, the conditions in which you ride (dry, wet, dusty, sandy, paved, unpaved, etc.), how hard you ride, and probably several other factors that haven’t been discovered.
So, for the sake of setting some kind of parameters, lets assume you ride on the order of six to eight hours a week in generally dry conditions and that your cycling talent falls midway between Lance Armstrong and Leonardo DiCaprio (or Karen Kurreck and Katie Couric, if you prefer). If you consider yourself above these median values or find yourself riding in sandy/dusty/muddy/rainy conditions, do the following more often. You Leonardos and Katies can let a little more time slip between tech sessions (except for tire inflation, cleaning water bottles/reservoirs, and changing batteries).
WEEKLYISH
Road Bikes

• Air up tires (even the best seep a few psi per week)
• Lube chain
• Check tires for casing cuts, excessive wear, embedded objects
• Scrub water bottles and/or hydration system reservoir/tube

Mountain Bikes

• Air up tires
• Wash bike
• Lube cables
• Lube chain
• Lube pedals
• Lube fork dampers (the place where inner legs insert in outer legs of telescoping forks) or pivots (link-type forks)
• Inspect brake pads for glazing or wear
• Check tires for casing cuts or deformities (big bulges)
• Scrub water bottles and/or hydration system reservoir/tube

MONTHLYISH
Road Bikes

• Wash bike
• Lube cables
• Lube pedals

Mountain Bikes

• Check headset adjustment
• Inspect tire treads for wear
• Check fork pivots (link-type forks) for excessive sideways play
• Check chain for wear
• Evaluate shoe cleat condition

AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR
Road Bikes

• Reglue tubular tires (unless you don’t know what this means)
• Remove and grease handlebar stem (quill type)
• Lube seatpost (grease for alloy posts into metal frames; anti-seize for Ti posts into Ti frames; nuttin’ for carbon posts)
• Check chain for wear
• Evaluate shoe cleat condition

Mountain Bikes

• Check all bearings for dirt/wear/adjustment
• Touch up paint (steel frames especially)
• Lube seatpost. (see above)
• Check chainrings for wear
• Inspect rear derailleur pivots and pulleys for wear
• Reglue grips

ANNUALLY
Road Bikes

• Check all bearings for dirt/wear/adjustment
• Retape handlebar
• Remove and grease handlebar stem (quill type)
• Lube metal seatpost
• Touch up paint (steel frames especially)
• Inspect brake pads
• Check chainrings for wear
• Replace cyclometer/heart rate monitor battery
• Replace all cables and housing
• Inspect rear derailleur pivots and pulleys for wear

Mountain Bikes

• Overhaul fork
• Replace all cables and housing
• Replace cyclometer/heart rate monitor battery

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Alma guide you compulsively wash your bike.

Alma guide you compulsively wash your bike.

It is said that a clean machine does not do the job better. This logic does not apply for a bicycle.
Transfer does not behind labels and cases, as it is to hide, but are open to fluctuations in the environment and roads. must be clean and lubricated for life and long u2014% efficiency of the bicycle is a clean fast bike.

Bicycle chains
Start in the most moving of the chain. You do not have the luxury-brand detergent, parks or developments. Studies, but the chain are not in use to clean properly.

There is only one disadvantage of this solution, when the chain Shimano or Campagnolo, by chain Wippermann Sachs or replaced easier. These chains are easily removable master link, to remove the entire chain easily without too much difficulty allowed. In addition, these channels no expensive equipment to replace the chain of transmission.

Stainless Steel Chain Wippermann particularly pleased that the metal is corrosion resistant. This function has no objection to cleaning and lubrication. Ask your local bike shop for proper installation of the new channel. If the channel, and the fields are large enough, we need to replace the team.

When removing the bicycle chain, the chain in a bathtub full of butter and oil placed in self-cleaning. If the chain is extremely dirty, use a degreaser (like Simple Green) and a toothbrush, brush the dirt and the remains buried.

well after washing and drying, start enjoying a chain of self-cleaning lubricant. I want to shake up the string on a dry pan with butter, with a cloth. Clean it several times.

To do so dirty after every ride on the wet /, that the power to clean and is well lubricated. In addition, the leakage of grease prevented at the top. Clean the pan with butter later.

(To wash more information, check out this article Slowtwitch).

Cassettes
Drizzle with oil, brush teeth, clean thoroughly. Make sure all corners. I do not be diluted carrier tape and spray directly onto the can with bearings and grease. What degreaser soak for a minute or two. Thoroughly and be sure to not use too much water pressure.

Wheels
Clean the sponge wheel simply wash water and soap. Sponge, cleaning tires, rims and spokes and hubs. Let the cleaner bearing seal. Thoroughly proposed, with the same cleaning procedures in a box.  

So you need to clean up the dirt bike anywhere else that is cool and lubricated. If the front brake back up does not remove the front brake and clean surface of the fork is to operate the front brake.

Your cup of detergent and water to clean the bike down. This includes the volume bar as well. I'm not fat components on the bike at the end when you get the fat saddle and bar tape. Go to set the bearings and bottom bracket. In the phone is locked, you can clean the cups, so to avoid the hole and immediately with a clean cloth.

Rinse the bike at low pressure. Avoid using water bearing, but rinse glasses, when the foam region. Flush with the top down.

Dry the frame and components, with an old towel.

Retouch
After drying the motorcycle down on the structure of each chip color. There is also a good time for a more binding sites for cracks. Do not clean the bike hide the cracks in the structure.

If you see an image, there are two ways to exit.

If the chip is only gray: After cleaning, lint-free cloth and alcohol were shaken (the owner) with a paint (by the artist, manufacturer of bicycle parts cache, nail polish, or automatic), moderately thin layers. One of the three layers, what is needed. If necessary, use a clear coat, too.

If the chip on bare metal or other material if you rust, sand, visible in the chip to the shiny metal. Maybe the feathers around the painting, but the chip cycles are usually small. Clean the surface with alcohol first. With the primer mix is usually a floor. It dries quickly. Spread 1.3 layers of paint to touch, let it dry and colorless, if necessary.

Carbon fiber with a clear top-grain sand (400-600) sandpaper surface layer of feathers, which are coated clear and without problems. Clean the repair with alcohol or acetone. Then mix a small amount of transparent epoxy resin families in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Spread the mixture in the resin, which has just begun, and an old jacket with a pen, of course. It helps, but not quite, although the outside and to protect against UV rays.

Drain (overnight), or to be made keeping in other phases of the assembly of bicycles. I would just recommend sanding the cured epoxy (at least three days), the bravest and experienced fully.

Lubrication
Wet and dry lubricating oil filler-axle brakes to imagine, gears, levers, etc.  Cover the air intake of the horse, and just be sure to cover the excess of his holes clean. This framework should be kept clean if you clean up immediately.

Make lubricate all exposed wiring, even though they are stainless steel. This is to ensure that the cables are clean and rust free.

Rehabilitation
Install bicycle chain after cleaning. Remember, excess oil or grease from any surface that is kept clean.
If you change the sprocket drive, you need the threads of the screws in the chain. It is necessary to bolt from aluminum and steel at a time. Thin film of grease the screws, as mentioned above dealing with them do not have the aluminum chain wheel lock, but not a necessity.

A person who has transferred the bolts should be lubricated before installation. Wipe off excess fat from the surface after tightening.

Replace the wheel and admire his work .

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Heart Rate Training Basics

Q: What is heart rate?
A: Heart rate is the number of heart beats per minute; the times per minute that the heart contracts.
Q: What is average heart rate?
A: The average of heart rates measured during an exercise period.
Q: What is recovery heart rate?
A: This is the heart rate that our body will decrease to after an exercise session. For example, you exercise for a 1/2 hour at 155. Two minutes after you stop exercising, your heart rate decreases to 95. The 95 would be your recovery heart rate. It is used to evaluate your fitness level after exercise. It is good to set a two minute time frame and see how many beats you recover in that time frame. Compare this recover heart rate between exercise sessions.
Q: What is resting heart rate?
A: Resting heart rate (Resting HR) is the number of beats in one minute when you are at complete rest. Your resting heart rate indicates your basic fitness level. The more well-conditioned your body, the less effort and fewer beats per minute it takes your heart to pump blood to your body at rest.
Q: How do I determine Morning Resting Heart Rate (MRH)?
A: Immediately after awakening and before you get out of bed, measure your heart rate using your heart rate monitor or from the palpitating pulse from artery, counting the beats for 15 seconds and multiplying by four. You can sleep with your heart rate monitor on and in the morning read it first thing. Be aware of the fact that, if your bladder is full in the morning, you didn't sleep well, or you're feeling stressed, you might have a slightly elevated resting heart rate. Take these measurements for five consecutive days and find the average. This average is your actual resting heart rate. Resting heart rate is dependent on your living habits and a number of factors such as quality of sleep, stress level, and eating habits.
Q: What is maximum heart rate?
A: Maximum Heart Rate (Max HR) is the highest number of times your heart can contract in one minute. Max HR is the most useful tool to be used in determining training intensities, because it can be individually measured or predicted.
Q: How to determine maximum heart rate?
A: You can define your maximum heart rate by

1) having it measured in an exercise test
2) using age-predicted maximum heart rate formulas.

1) Measured Max HR
The most accurate way of determining your individual maximum heart rate is to have it clinically tested (usually by treadmill stress testing) by a cardiologist or exercise physiologist. You can also measure it in field conditions supervised by an experienced coach. If you are over the age of 35, overweight, have been sedentary for several years, or have a history of heart disease in your family, clinical testing is recommended.
2) Predicted Maximum HR There is a mathematical formula that allows you to predict your Max HR with some accuracy. It is called the "age-adjusted formula". The age-adjusted Max HR formula can come in very handy when you're not prepared to pay for the physician-supervised stress test.
WOMEN: 226-your age = age-adjusted Max HR
MEN: 220-your age = age-adjusted Max HR
If you are a 30-year-old woman, your age-adjusted maximum heart rate is 226- 30 years = 196 bpm (beats per minute).
These formulas apply only to adults. The generally accepted error in age-predicted formulas is + - 10-15 beats per minute, which is due to different inherited characteristics and exercise training.
You should remember that there may be some discrepancy when using the age-adjusted formula, especially for people who have been fit for many years or older people. The formula will give you a ballpark estimate to work from, but if you want to exercise/train at your most effective levels, your Max HR should be measured.
Q: What is the heart rate reserve?
A: Heart Rate Reserve is the difference between your Maximum Heart Rate and your Resting Heart Rate. If your maximum heart rate is 196 bpm (beats per minute) and your resting heart rate 63 bpm, your heart rate reserve is 196 bpm - 63 bpm = 133 bpm.
The greater the difference, the larger your heart rate reserve and the greater your range of potential training heart rate intensities.
Q: What is safety heart rate?
A: This is the heart rate that is prescribed for beginning exercises - whether a walker, runner, swimmer, snowshoer, or a participant in any aerobic activity. It is also the term used in some cardiac rehabilitation programs in which physicians prescribe moderate, supervised training for recovering heart attack patients. This range is usually 60% (or less) of the maximum heart rate and represents the least amount of stress you can place on your heart and still receive a beneficial exercise effect.
Q: What is Max VO2 heart rate?
A: This is the heart rate at which you hit your maximal oxygen uptake effort. On the average, you hit your Max VO2 HR at 95% of your Max HR.
Q: What is the anaerobic threshold?
A: The physiological point during exercise at which muscles start using up more oxygen than the body can transport, i.e. muscle work produces more lactic acid/lactate than the body can process.
Q: What is biofeedback?
A: Visual/numerical information on what is happening inside the body, for instance heart rate.
Q: What does ECG stand for?
A: It stands for electrocardiogram which is a unit that is used in the medical community to measure and analyze heart rate. The Polar heart rate monitors all have the same accuracy rating as the ECG machine.
Q: What is the target zone?
A: A target zone is a heart rate range that guides your workout by keeping your intensity level between an upper and lower heart rate limit. There are various target zones that are suggested for an individual to follow that correspond with a specific exercise goal. IE: Improved Fitness Zone 70-80% of Max Heart Rate.

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Becoming a Competitive Cyclist and Racing to Win

It seems that many current articles on bike training focus on the physical side of the sport. Riders of all levels are seeking that magic collection of workouts that will make them a fitter and stronger bike racer. This is both understandable and necessary, as being fit enough to compete in your category requires a solid training program tailored to your goals and abilities in order to improve your weaknesses. Although it is very important to work on the physical side of the sport, I maintain that the mental side of the sport is equally critical; unfortunately, most riders work on this issue much less than the physical. Lets separate mental into two distinctly different categories: tactics and desire. One could write a book about tactics and how they play a vital role in bike races. We'll leave that for another article (or five). This article will focus on the other mental aspect - the desire to compete in order to win. 

Lets say we take two riders with about the same level of fitness. There are several ways that these two can differ: One can be a great athlete (i.e., someone with great genetic potential that has come close to maximizing his/her gift via training), but not a great competitor. One can be a great competitor and not a great athlete. Rare individuals (such as Armstrong or Lemond) can be super competitors AND super athletes.

My experience has demonstrated that a great competitor will usually beat a great athlete even when the great competitor is not quite as fit as the great athlete. Because of this reality, you want to spend your time working both on maximizing your physical potential (great athlete) and learning to be a great competitor. How can you get there? I know a lot of great athletes that never succeeded in bike racing. I know of great competitors with limited physical gifts that were consistent winners. They did this by competing to win. This concept is easier said than done, yet just talk to them about bike races and you will see what I mean. All their focus goes to the success of themselves or their team. The true competitors focus on what it takes to win and nothing will stop them from doing so. They have an exceptional desire to succeed and are able to sniff out the finish line. Of course they do not win all the time, but their positive focus allows them to be ahead of most riders most of the time, fighting for the highest result they can achieve.

Probably the best example of a true competitor is former 7-11 rider, Hall of Fame member and my good friend, Harvey Nitz. He was unbelievable. He seemed to always find a way to win, even when he was down and out. Here is a guy who admitted to not having the greatest talent in the world. But Harvey has an overwhelming desire to win bike races and because of that desire, will compete to the end of his days. Harvey not only lives and breaths tactics, but focused on how to get the most out of his limited abilities. Harveys desire to win gave him the capacity to think clearly and he did everything in his power to cross the line first (within the rules of course). He would suffer like no one else and dedicate all his efforts to be a winner. He once told me, amongst all his victories (and there were a lot of them), there were only two that didnt cause him to suffer mercilessly. He worked for ALL of his victories. Harvey exemplified the notion that winning can become a habit, just like losing.
   
Can this ability to win be learned or are you born with it? Well, there is no easy answer. I think the first thing to examine is your goals in the sport. Learning to compete is something that needs to be a focus in training races and rides. So many bike racers line up at the start of a race, yet deep down inside, they dont give themselves a chance to win. Either they dont expect to win (e.g. Im not good enough to beat that guy or gal) or they tell themselves in advance that it doesnt matter what happens in the race, they just want to be out there. Well, if you want to win, it does matter why youre there. I think its important to talk about this issue with your friends, family or coach. Also helpful is to find opportunities to hang out in truly competitive circles. Do not listen to negative riders! They will tell you where you are most likely to fail during a race, how unsafe a race can be, and blame other riders for their lack of success. Instead, talk to the winners to get a feeling of where they are coming from and what makes them tick! You will find that their focus is centered on success and when things dont go according to plan, they make corrections, move on and begin to focus on the next race.

Another thing you will notice about great competitors. Its not just race day when they are focused. Most of how they train, and how they approach and respect the sport is focused on success. They know that its not one thing that makes a difference, its a lot of the little things!

What can you do about improving your chances of winning on race day? The first step is to race aggressively. Find some way to get yourself fired up and maintain that energy. Next time you are at a race, take a look at how many riders are really aggressive and how many just sit there, doing nothing, being negative. Who has a better opportunity to win? The aggressive ones. When you are aggressive, good things happen! The second step is going to the start line with a plan, whether you are alone or part of team. Know who you are racing against, and with, learn the course in advance, and try to map out a strategy of attack. These and other tactics can greatly improve your chances of winning.

Bike racing is just that - racing, where the goal is to cross the line first or have a teammate do so. Its better to go down swinging, to leave it all on the road, than to finish the race and recognize that you had more to give, both physically and mentally. A true competitor will be spent at the end of a race, and will recognize that he gave it his all. Find a way to give your all, and you too can win.

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How To Manage Your Weight with a Polar Heart Rate Monitor

The following article addresses how to create an appropriate plan of action to capitalize on the relationship between heart rate and calorie burning for weight management. The central focus will be to optimize your time spent on physical activities through the use of a heart rate monitor.

As Tom Venuto, author of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle says, "The law of calorie balance is an unbreakable law of physics: Energy in versus energy out dictates whether you will gain, lose or maintain your weight." All physical activity will burn calories. By definition, a calorie (more accurately, a kilocalorie) is the amount of heat required to raise 1 kg of water 1 degree Celsius. Phil Kaplan, one of the world's most in demand fitness professionals says, "Every time you blink, swallow, type, or roll over in bed, additional calories have to be burned to provide the fuel for movement. When the body is at rest, bodily functions continue. You breathe. Your heart beats. Your brain sends out chemical signals and impulses." These activities, to name just a few, account for the calories that make up your basal metabolic rate. Planned activities such as walking, aerobics, swimming, bicycling, weight training, etc. are what you need to engage in in order to burn the calories that you need to manage your weight. Polar heart rate monitors are the perfect tool to monitor heart rate while doing these sports and activities.

You cannot just participate in an activity, however, and expect to get the desired results. You need to maximize calorie burning for the duration of that activity. That is where heart rate plays a crucial role. The most effective heart rate zone for fat burning is, generally speaking, between 65% - 75% of your maximum heart rate. Although you will burn calories above that range and participating in activities for brief periods of time (assuming you are physically capable) in the higher heart rate zones has significant benefit, your duration will generally be much shorter. The longer you are able to participate in an activity, the more calories you will burn.

Traditional heart rate measurement at the wrist or neck obviously has significant drawbacks. Polar Electro, Inc., the manufacturer of Polar heart rate monitors, realized the potential for being able to continuously monitor heart rate, first for competitive sports and then for the general public to use in fitness and weight management activities. The OwnZone feature on many Polar heart rate monitors is a perfect example of how technology has replaced the far less effective traditional methods of determining heart rate. Since your physical well being can be compromised by stress, lack of sleep, being poorly hydrated and so forth, the OwnZone feature found on Polar heart rate monitors determines on any given day an individual's correct exercise zone. It guides you through an appropriate warm-up routine and automatically determines a safe and effective exercise heart rate zone by taking into account your current physical condition.

Having established the relationship between heart rate and calorie burning, it is now clear that a heart rate monitor is like having a personal trainer or coach on your wrist at all times. Although you may not feel like working out, your heart may tell you that you are emotionally tired and not actually in need of a rest or recovery day. On the other hand, a higher heart rate can indicate that you are in the early stages of fighting off a cold or the flu and that prudence and moderation would be dictated. An intuitive trainer or coach would also recognize factors that would determine how long, how hard and whether you should work out on any given day.

Finally, there is the obvious relationship between heart rate and effort. Someone who is experienced with working out may know their perceived effort. But perceived effort, as seen in the examples used above, can also have its drawbacks. Heart rate is the ultimate guide to your current physical condition and activity level. As your heart gets stronger by engaging in physical activity, you must still stay within your fat burning zone to optimize the value of your workout. Although you may think that distance over time (for example, if you walk one mile in 15:00) is an adequate guide, you will find that your heart will adapt and in order to stay within your zone, you must walk that same distance more quickly or go farther in the same amount of time.

In a time conscious society where family and work obligations tax our ability to find the time for physical activity, you must maximize the benefit of your effort each and every time that you engage in fitness activities. This can be accomplished simply and effectively by using a Polar heart rate monitor.

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How to Buy a Used Mountain Bike

Mountain Bike

How to Buy a Used Mountain Bike 

1. Assemble a list of used mountain bikes from specialty outlets like local bike shops and websites like BikeBuying.com. Then, add bikes that you find on generic sales outlets such as Craigslist so you end up with a list of 10 to 15 bikes that fit your budget and size.
2. Make a list of questions to ask each bike seller. Ask how many miles are on the bike, what replacement parts have been added, if the bike has ever been damaged, what surfaces the bike was ridden on and why the seller is parting with the bike.
3. Make a list of critical parts to check, including the crankshaft, wheels, gear lines, brakes, frame and wheel cassette.
4. Ride the bike before purchasing. Take the bike on different surfaces and listen for noises. Change the gears and test the brakes under strenuous conditions.
5. Request an informal contract with the seller that includes statements of known problems and assurances of a certain level of quality. A contract like this will help your standing if you have a major problem with the bike and want to seek compensation in a small claims court.

 

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Why Is It Important to Monitor Your Heart Rate
When You Exercise

Your heart rate is a convenient, reliable, personal indicator of the intensity of your exercise. It’s good to know the intensity of your exercise so you can vary it depending on your fitness level and the goals you want to achieve by exercising. Heart rate monitoring brings following benefits to all levels of users.

Exercise Beginner

• Teaches you about your body’s reaction to exercise
• Keeps you from starting out too hard (as beginners are often tempted)
• Helps you control the intensity of your exercise routine
• Provides feedback on your improvement

Regular exerciser

• Helps you control the intensity of your exercise routine
• Provides feedback on your improvement
• Helps you control the intensity of your exercise program under different circumstances
• Helps you fine-tune your program for the best results
• Gives you plenty of feedback both during and after a session, teaching you more about your body’s reaction to exercise
• Helps you see how you’re progressing

Serious exerciser

• Helps you make sure you work out at the right planned intensities for your training program (hard enough on hard days, light enough on recovery days, enough recovery between intervals, etc.)
• Enables you to track and accurately adjust your training program
• Teaches you about your body’s reaction to training, providing an early warning of overtraining, flu, etc.
• Provides feedback on your progress

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Fixed Gear Bike Riding Tips

Fixed Gear

Fixed Gear Bike Riding Tips

A fixed gear bicycle (also called a "fixie" or a "track bike") is a single-speed machine with a fixed drive train, meaning the pedals spin at the same rate as the rear wheel. It is impossible to coast on a fixed gear bike, leading to a different style of riding from traditional free wheel-equipped bikes. Riding a fixed gear bike develops leg strength, pedaling technique and overall riding efficiency as the rider pedals through all kinds of terrain.

Gear Selection

Choose a gear that suits the terrain. For hilly routes, select a gear easy enough to get up a hill, but heavy enough that you can safely pedal down the other side (you must pedal uncomfortably quickly as the rear wheel speeds up on steep descents). On flat roads, use heavier gears to improve power or lighter gears to improve pedaling cadence. Harder gears make you more nimble in heavy traffic, because you can accelerate quickly to avoid danger.

 

Bike Handling

Make wider arcs and avoid leaning through corners to prevent scraping your pedals on the ground as you pedal through a turn. To reduce the impact of rough roads and debris on your bike and yourself, hover an inch above the saddle and absorb the impact with your knees.

Stopping

You can stop a fixed gear bike without a brake by "locking up" the rear wheel and skidding to a stop. To do this, press down on the back pedal (or "pedal backward") so that the rear wheel can't spin. You can balance at a standstill without removing your feet from the pedals (called a "track stand") by applying even downward pressure to both the front and back pedals. Track stands avoid the hassle of repositioning the pedals to the top of the pedal stroke and "clipping in" when it is time to begin rolling again. To reposition the pedals when stopped, lift the rear wheel off the ground and use one foot to spin the pedals to the desired starting position.

Safety

Although it is possible to ride a fixie without a brake, it is very dangerous to do so on the road. Install a front brake so you can stop short in an emergency.
Make sure your frame uses horizontal dropouts (the groove into which the rear axle is seated). This allows you to adjust the chain tension properly and prevents the wheel from coming off the bike altogether during a skid.
Always wear shorts or tight pants on a fixed gear bike. Loose pant legs can become tangled in the chain and cause a crash or injury.
Use toe clips or clip-in ("clipless") pedals to secure your feet to the pedals. If your feet come off during a fast descent, the pedals could smack into your legs and cause severe injury.
Reaction time can be slowed on a fixed gear bike, so look up the road to anticipate obstacles.

Fixed Gear

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10 Tips for Fixed Gear Road Riding

Fixed Gear

10 Tips for Fixed Gear Road Riding

I have been riding a fixed gear everyday to work now (30kms) for over 7 months and i just wanted to share some of the things i have learnt along the way that have made my riding more enjoyable and most importantly SAFER.

Some of this stuff is stating the obvious to experienced riders so please forgive me if it sounds condescending , it's not meant to.

10 Fixed Gear Tips

1. If you are riding regulary i strongly recommend running an emergency front brake. I know it doesn't look as cool as brakeless but its much better looking than staring at a hospital ceiling. (You can take the brake off when you are alive for photo day)

2. Use Toe Clips. If you are riding fast and covering longer distances it is important you run clips. If your foot slips off the pedal at high speed you can be flipped of your steed. Remember those cranks do not stop turning and when you need to get your foot back on it can be a scary experience with traffic flying past you. I'd only recommend SPD's unless you were a seasoned SPD wearer and fixed gear rider. They are much more difficult to get your feet into moving than sliding into clips.

3. Read the road ahead. Look way beyond what you would normally do, map your line and be aware of any side traffic or anyone who may be turning but don't have their indicators on. There are so many shit drivers out there its not funny.

4. Traffic Lights Instead of steaming up to Red lights and forcing yourself to brake quickly, slow down by applying reverse thrust on the cranks gradually. I try and time them so i have just enough momentum to crank up the power again before they turn green. If you have to stop on a Red just ease yourself out another 3-4 meters ahead so that you have time to get some speed up on Green before the other cars catch you up. It's not much fun trying to find your clips with no momentum and cars speeding up behind you.

5. Find your flow. I'm really starting to feel at one with the bike now, and partly this is from finding a nice riding rhythm. Distribute power evenly so you don't get tired and save energy for when you know you have a hill coming up. I know this sounds obvious but you can't stop pedalling so you need make it as comfortable for yourself as possible. Pump the last couple of KMs for fitness as you will see a big improvement in strength quite quickly.


6. Gearing. If you find that on your regular commute that you are spinning out quite a bit in sections perhaps move up to a harder gearing. I was running 16/44 and found that i was bobbing up and down almost out of control in places on my ride. This can be pretty dangerous also. I changed up to a 16/48 tooth and i'm finding it so much better. Yes it does take a bit longer to wind the bike up from stand still but then again my fitness in my legs have improved too and its now easy.

7. Handlebar positioning. I'm finding the Bull Bars to be a really comfortable position over my drop bars and straight bars. This is a personal preference mind you. I do find i can get right over the front of the bike on the climb something you can't do with straights ot risers.

8. Tyre Pressure. Keep your tyres inflated to around 100psi. Braking with a front brake and low pressure in the front tyre is well sketchy, don't go there.

9. Checking over your shoulder. This may sound stupid but looking over your shoulder when riding fixed is actually not that easy to start with. The natural thing to do is freewheel on a geared bike when you look over your shoulder. When you first try it on a fixed gear its an odd sensation and quite difficult to keep your balance, especially if you are going fast. the only advice i can give is to do it smoothly and slow a little until you get used to it. I find now that i can spin pretty fast whilst looking behind me.

10. Fancy ass moves Riding between buses at high speed might be exciting but i have to say i had a scary experience a few weeks ago where i thought i could stamp on through between two buses before they moved lanes etc... I nearly came a cropper and only just managed to get myself out of the back again before they came squishingly close to each other. It's easy as you get more confident to get complacent. Just be careful!

Hope this has been useful to anyone new to riding fixed or thinking of buying or building one.

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Fixed Gear Tips and techniques

Fixed Gear

Fixed Gear Tips and techniques

Riding a fixed gear can be sane, safe and fun. but it is quite unlike any experience you've ever had before.

 

Here's some tips to a safe ride, and how to go about it...

 

Getting started: First find your dominant foot. Most riders even on geared or regular bikes, have a foot they start with on the ground and one they have on the pedals first. It is usually a habit. For me, I start with my right foot in the pedal and the left on the ground. Perhaps, coincidentally, I am also left handed.

 

When riding a fixed gear this is particularly important, because as you come to a stop you will have to unclip or remove that foot fromt he pedal and put it down quickly. Practice this on a quite street or in a vacant parking lot.

When you take off from a stop try to "click in" with your ground foot right away, within a second or so. It will take some practice but you will get it. You can't really get the foot on the pedal as easy once you start really moving so do it first quickly.

 

Turning: On a bicycle you really don't turn the handlebars much whilst turning unless going reaaaallly slow, so this shouldn't be an issue, but it is with fixed gears; you should be careful on some bikes with tighter frame angles that the tips of your feet don't strike the front wheel when turning slightly. But the biggest concern is pedal strike. Since you will be pedaling going into a turn you may not be able to lean into it as much as on a "regular" bike. Shorter cranks can help; most modern road bikes have 175 cranks, meaning they are 175mm long. A lot of older ones have 170mm or even 165mm cranks. These are a lot better for turning. Using 170's, I have never had a problem.

 

Things that go bump on the road: On a regular bicycle, if you have to roll over sticks, flattened cardboard boxes, or bumps on the asphault, you can usually get away with it safely because you can coast over them. On a fixed gear you will have to pedal over them. As with a regular bike you want to unweight the saddle by standing, etc. so the bike doesn't take a beating. Practice pedalling standing on the pedals. Of course, many older road frames that are good candidates for conversion to fixed gear machines can fit wider tires, which also helps absorb bumps.

 

Traffic: Cars will invariably try to kill you if you ride a bike long enuff on the street, usually out of ignorance or carelessness rather than outright intent. Try to make sure they see you. My cycling jacket is bright yellow, a fashion disaster that makes me look like I belong on a coast guard chopper doing a sea rescue, but at least it is visible. Because dirvers are primarily accustomed to looking for other cars, even if they physically see you, the fact that you are there may not register. They may look past you. Wearing light colored or bright clothing can help minimize this. And for pete's sake use a light in the rain or when it is dark!

 

However, one should never assume the car can see him. When approaching a driveway, edge out into the lane of traffic. Cars exiting the driveway will nose out onto the street and expect you to screech to a halt to accomodate them. By edging out into the lane of traffic you not only make yourself more visible, but can usually go around them if they try to cut you off.

 

When approaching a stoplight on a main road, try to get in the right hand lane so you can just go when it turns green. This is the safest bet. Sometimes you can edge past cars but be careful it is not always a good idea because that guy next to you at the line may turn into you making an unsignalled right even tho his lack of a turnsignall indicates he's going straight.

 

Give a wide berth to anyone in a sport utility vehicle. Many suv's are driven not by offroaders or others who use them as trucks, but by distracted soccor moms too busy with their kids, cell phones, or groceries to look where they are going. The association is not always true but is often borne out by experience. As a general rule any driver on a cell phone should be avoided -- stay as far away from them as possible. With a phone in their hand they are even more unlikely than normal to use turn signals and are certainly unlikely to see you.

 

Look further down the road: Since your stopping time on a fixed gear is more deliberate, look ahead of you and block out a route around parked cars, jaywalking grandmas and debris. Watch for storm grates, recessed pipeline covers and other forms of intentionally created potholes, as well as potholes created by inclimate weather. When approaching a busy intersection, an area of driveways and storefronts, etc., slow down just in case.

 

Stopping and foot placement: Take your dominant foot off the pedal about two revs of the cranks prior to coming to a stop. Whenever possible stop by resistance braking. It is more controlled. Use the handbrake to slow down if need be, however [if you are using one].

 

Winter riding: Winter riding has its own risks if you live in an area where there is snow. owever, it can be safe and fun.

Because there is a danger of sliding out on snow or ice, do not lean into turns.

If possible, mount wider tires on your bicycle when riding int he winter. If your fixie normally runs 700x23c, for instance, upgrade it to 700x35c during the snowy months.

 

Never "hit the brakes" when it is snowy as you will invariably skid or slide, looing control. Rely on resistance braking. If you are using handbrake(s) you can use them with caution but rely primarily upon the drivetrain of your fixie for deceleration.

In the winter time, run an easier gear. If you normally run 48x18, for example, your winter fix should probably be somewhere in the vicinity of 42x18 or even 39 or 40x18.

Lube your chain! There is no excuse for not taking care of your fixed gear bicycle, esp. since the only real moving part is the drivetrain. Lube your chain after every ride or so. Riding in rain and/or snow can cause chain rust in a matter of a day or two if not properly dealt with.

If you ride in the rain or snow, wipe of the bicycle afterwards. Put a drop of oil in recessed bolt heads such as the handlebar stem bolt head, to prevent rust from setting in. If you ride in the snow you should be especially careful to clean the bike to prevent rust; wipe off the frame, spokes, etc. -- everything -- with a damp paper towel or cloth to remove salt from the road. Road salt can ruin a bicycle and its components.

Fixed Gear

article source : http://www.angelfire.com

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