Training in the Post Season for Endurance Athletes

Training in the Post Season for Endurance AthletesThis is the first article in a series, directed towards the changing seasons – off season through race season. They are meant to provide some general guidelines, thoughts, and tips to help you toe the start line in your best shape. I like to think of the transition period between the end of the race season and the start of the next training season as the “postseason.” It’s an essential period that allows the athlete to fully recover mentally and physically and to allow time to reflect on the previous season.? Once all the racing over, it’s a good time to let the body and mind heal....

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Bikes of the Pros: 2011 Edition

For the 2011 edition of Bikes of the Pros, we’re going to take a slightly different tack and organize things by team, at least at the start. As the year rolls on and new bikes and technology appear, the article will be updated. We’ll start with the bikes being ridden by the UCI Pro Teams and go from there. Pro Teams:AG2R – La Mondiale | Astana | BMC Racing Team | Euskaltel – Euskadi | Garmin – Cervelo | HTC – Highroad | Katusha | Lampre – Farnese Vini | Liquigas – Cannondale | Leopard-Trek | Movistar | Omega Pharma – Lotto | Quickstep | Rabobank | Radioshack | Saxo Bank – Sungard | Team Sky |Vacansoleil | just over 1 kg. Ag2R – La Mondiale2011...

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What is a Velodrome?

What is a Velodrome? In the cycling world, there are several categories of racing styles. One of the lesser known styles is track racing, a team or individual event in which competitors ride fixed-gear – or non-coasting -- bicycles with no brakes on an oval track called a velodrome. A velodrome is typically made of wood and has ramped corners to accommodate a racer’s high speed in sharp turns; they may be built as outdoor or indoor tracks. The velodrome was especially popular in the beginning of the twentieth century as track racing had caught on at the time as a spectator sport. In recent years, track racing and consequently the velodrome...

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How Do I Choose the Best Cycling Training Program?

How Do I Choose the Best Cycling Training Program? Many cyclists who are looking to become stronger, faster, and smarter on the bike in preparation for turning pro or racing regularly turn to a cycling training program to help them get a leg up on the competition. Choosing the best cycling training program starts with carefully defining your cycling goals and researching the cycling training program offerings that will help you achieve those goals. If, for example, you are an expert mountain biker who wants to turn semi-pro or pro, but you are lacking in technical bike handling skills, you will want to choose a different program than...

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Hate Relationship With Speedplay Pedals

Hate Relationship With Speedplay Pedals I promptly went out and bought a set of these Zeros and I immediately loved them even more than my previous ones. They felt much more stable when clipped-in and the amount of float was much easier to get used to.This was back when Speedplays were different than today and had virtually infinite float. The model series back them was the X1, X2, X5 (I’m not sure if you can still buy them, but they’re still on their website). The free float was simply too much for me to handle. My feet were all over the place and my ankles would hit the chainstays when I got sloppy or tried to sprint. Jump ahead...

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Zipp 404 Firecrest Carbon Clincher Review

Cycling Tips: I've been using the new Zipp 404 Firecrest Carbon Clinchers for over month now. After using Lightweights last year I had a feeling that I'd be disappointed in every wheel from here on in. The Lightweights were top-shelf. I couldn't imagine anything better.  But you know what? After putting these Firecrests through the wringer this past month I'm absolutely blown away. I never would have expected... Zipp released the new Firecrest wheels in the middle of last year. What’s new about them? The biggest difference over their previous...

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Focus Izalco Review

Cycling tips  One of the first questions I almost always get from people while out on the road is "how's the Focus?". Our O2 Racing team has ridden the Focus Izalco for the past two seasons and it's about time I answer this question properly. The Izalco Team Replica is the model of bike we’re riding. The main differences with our bikes and the standard stock model is that we’re using the Zipp Firecrest wheels, Quarq powercranks, and 3T components. It’s probably a ~$10,000 AUD bike the way they’re built up. However, the first thing to put into perspective...

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The Best Cycling Tips?

What Are the Best Cycling Tips? The best cycling tips will vary according to who is consulted about cycling, so the rider himself will have to determine which cycling tips are valuable and which are less helpful. It is important, however, to talk to experienced cyclists to find out the best riding techniques, the best equipment to buy, and the best maintenance advice one can find. If the cyclist is new to the sport, he or she may want to try meeting up with a beginner's bike ride that leaves from a local bike shop, not only to meet other riders, but also to pick up on new riding techniques and information. It is a good idea to visit a...

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