Cycling Tips

You waited really long to get that latest bike and now that you have it, you are raring to go to places and show it off to your friends. While you may be excited to go on adventures or just take it out every time you go to the grocery store, make sure you get a good cycle lock to protect it from thieves.

New bikers often ask me ‘where to put your bike lock while riding’ so that it does not interfere with the ride.  Well, if you are cycling within the city for small errands or just casual biking, I would suggest carrying a small lightweight lock that you can put around the handlebars.

If you go mountain biking or camping where you need to leave your cycle for a longer time, carry heavier metal locks in a backpack. As they are bulky, attaching them to the cycle may give you an uncomfortable ride. As a mountain bike doesn’t come cheap, make sure you carry a good quality lock that can safeguard your valuable belonging while you take a break.

Reasons To Put A Bike Lock

The reason why it’s so important to lock your bike while you go to the public toilet or the grocery store is that bicycles are prone to getting stolen. Features like lightweight, easily transportable, and customizable that are so convenient for bike owners are also beneficial for the thieves. As a result, unfortunately, there’s an increasing number of cycle thefts in various parts of the world.

It takes only a few minutes for someone to lift/ ride away with your precious bicycle and later change it to look like new. They are also resold pretty easily, making it a quick and easy way for some unscrupulous people to make money and tracking down the thieves is not an easy thing, thus they are often seen as ‘assumed loss’.

If moving inside the town, we suggest that you always park your bike in a place where you can keep your eye on it. If you need to go to the toilet or inside the grocery store, you may ask someone to watch your bike. However, these methods are not foolproof and you may still end up getting your cycle stolen.

Thus, it’s always wiser to carry an appropriate lock that you can put on your bike, whether you park it for a few minutes or more than an hour. The problem arises when you need to store that lock while riding as the heavy lock may interfere with your comfort level and performance, and a very small lock may not solve the purpose.

After extensive research and based on my personal experience, I have … Read More

Whether you take cycling as a passionate outdoor sport or an exercise routine, consider buying the right apparel and gear. They not only look cool and make you more comfortable but also improve your overall performance. Cycling shoes are undoubtedly one of the most important gears after clothing apparel and helmet.

Even though your feet hardly touch the ground and stays on the pedal most of the time, the kind of shoes you wear while riding makes a lot of difference. They come with special features like rigid soles, cleats, clips, and breathable uppers to fuel up your workout or race.

If you haven’t tried on the cycling shoes before then you may find it hard to adjust initially, but over time your feet will be more relaxed and comfortable. It doesn’t matter whether you cycle as a daily routine or only on weekends, the right cycling shoes can protect your feet and ensure a more comfortable experience.

#1. Transfer of energy

When compared to the running shoes, their cycling counterparts tend to have much stiffer soles. Thus, the power generated by your leg muscles are utilized more efficiently to push the pedals. Less energy is lost while transferring the energy as it does not get absorbed by cushions in the soles. Besides making it much easier to pedal, the stiffer soles also provide more protection. When compared to regular shoes, they cause less muscle cramping and fatigue.

#2. Enhanced comfort

The soles of cycling shoes are made of stiff materials, but the upper part comprises of breathable mesh with well-designed ventilation. They allow proper air circulation within the shoes making it more comfortable for the rider. Additional features like toe cushions and arch protection ensure that your feet stay snug and comfortable inside.  

#3. Clipping advantage

One of the biggest benefits of clipping is that your feet stay more comfortable. For example, people with larger feet find it difficult to place the balls of their feet at the center of the pedal for optimal positioning. Hence, they ultimately end up pedaling with their toes, which is not comfortable.

Those with smaller feet usually end up keeping their feet into the cage which goes over the pedals. This means their feet arches are placed over the midsection of the pedals. This is again not comfortable for feet. With clipping, you can avoid both these uncomfortable situations.

#4. No Slipping

The running shoes are designed in a way to put emphasis on the ‘push’ factor and less on the ‘pull’. This exerts a lot of pressure on your quadriceps. When you wear cycling shoes that are SPD compatible, it enables you to easily clip it on the clipless-pedals, which are … Read More

You have probably heard people saying that you should not exercise or go cycling on a full stomach and wait for sometime after eating. There’s a logic to it – and it’s to not disturb the digestive process within the body due to intense cycling or workout. This may lead to stomach discomfort, vomiting, diarrhea, or bloatedness.

People often ask me ‘how long should I wait to cycle after eating’ and my answer is 2 hours after a heavy meal and at least 1 hour if you have eaten moderately. However, there are exceptions to that. If you are a regular bike commuter then cycling at a comfortable pace after eating light should be okay. Vigorous cardio cycling should be avoided on a full stomach.

Let’s make it simpler for you. You know it’s okay to walk after dinner. Yes! Health experts recommend a light walk after dinner to aid with the digestion process. But, is it okay to run after dinner? No, because this can be hard on your stomach and upset the digestive system. You may go cycling but only at an adjusted pace if that’s your means of transport.

Understanding How Digestion Gets Affected

As you eat food, the digestion starts right in the mouth where the enzymes present help in breaking down the food. It then moves through the food pipe into the stomach where the intestines absorb the nutrients and liquid from the food consumed. After the absorption occurs, the indigestible wastes are eliminated from the body.

Although the complete process of digestion usually continues 24 to 72 hours after consuming food, you are good to go cycling 2 hours after eating. This obviously varies depending on the kind of meal you have. If it’s a very heavy and oily meal, it may take more than 2 hours to give you that light stomach feeling. If your food was moderate then 1-2 hours may be fine and for a light snack 30 to 40 minutes should be okay.

Cycling On An Empty Stomach

If your objective of cycling is to lose weight or maintain your fitness then riding after a meal will nullify the potential gains. To get the best benefits, we suggest that you ride a cycle for at least 30-40 minutes on an empty stomach. Well, there are people who can’t start the day without eating something and cycling on empty stomach may be out of the question for them.

You can give yourself a quick boost of energy without eating a heavy meal to ensure that you can ride comfortably. A banana, a granola bar, some cereal, or a bowl of porridge may be enough to give you that much-needed fuel for … Read More

Cycling is one sport that gives you a complete body workout, and one of the most popular pieces of gear trending right now is cycling shoes. However, do they really help to improve your game, or is it all just hype created by the manufacturing companies?

A pair of cycling shoes can start at $50 and go up to hundreds of dollars depending on the brand, make, quality, type, and other factors. With so much to take in, it’s justifiable for a buyer to try and find out whether cycling shoes are worth it before making that kind of investment.

We scoured the Internet to find the best answer to this question for you. Cycling shoes are different from other shoes because they are designed to improve a rider’s efficiency by helping them exert the optimal amount of effort when riding. This helps in achieving the highest performance without sacrificing comfort. They are also made from special materials to keep your feet dry and happy, so they come with many benefits that set them apart from standard shoes.

Cycling shoes also come in a myriad of different types, so you will further need to decide whether you want clip-on shoes or clipless ones. In this post, we will further discuss the advantages and disadvantages of wearing cycling shoes and much more.

Do You Need Cycling Shoes?

Just like you, I have also been cycling since I was a kid, and I never really needed a special shoe nor did I ever have any pedaling issues with wearing regular shoes. Cycling in regular shoes seemed to be perfectly sufficient. So, are the benefits that come with shoes specifically designed for cycling enough to justify the purchase?

Here’s what I learned and would like to share with you. Similar to many other sports and activities, whether you need special equipment like cycling shoes depends on your riding type. Cycling shoes are typically designed with stiff soles to give the rider a more rigid platform so that more power can be transferred into each pedal. This would not be possible if the shoes are more flexible like the most common types of shoes people purchase.

This increase in power causes less muscle fatigue, which is more prevalent in rides that are longer than an hour or so. If you only use your bicycle for making short trips around the city, you won’t really be able to experience the complete benefits of cycling shoes. They likely would not be a wise investment for you.

Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages to learn a bit more.

Advantages

Here are some of the advantages to purchasing and wearing cycling shoes.

1. Comfort

… Read More

Being able to ride your bike outdoors in comfortable temperatures and great weather is always the ideal situation. However, sometimes Mother Nature has other plans, but you still need to get in a warmup or a proper exercise on your preferred cycle. When needing to ride a bike indoors, your best bet is to invest in a bike trainer—but how long do these bike trainers usually tend to last?

Bike trainers should last a couple decades, so long as their engineering is of the highest quality. At the very least, you can expect a bike trainer to have a lifespan of about 10 years. However, this will depend on several factors, not least of which is your frequency of use.

Regardless, bike trainers are an excellent way to simulate a bike ride in the winter months when it’s too cold to go do so outside. This is ideal for professional cyclists or those who love to ensure that they get a good daily workout.

What is the Length of Time That a Bike Trainer Will Last?

The length of time a bike trainer will last mostly depends upon the brand. If it’s a solid and trusted name, such as CycleOps or Kinetic, these will typically last for well over 10 years. Some users report not even having to do many repairs on them—if any at all—as well.

Is There Anything That Can Shorten the Lifespan of a Bike Trainer?

One of the largest culprits of bike trainers not lasting as long as they should is often user error. This is particularly true in the case of tires, but there are other things that play apart in this problem as well.

Most manufacturers and experienced users recommend getting fluid square tires designed specifically for a trainer—this is because these specific tires can handle the heat and friction that tends to occur when riding your bike on a trainer. Regular road tires will blow out—it’s not a matter of if, but when. They simply cannot tolerate the heat.

That said, there are some people who have bike trainers and never experience a problem with using their road tires on it.

Using Road Tires on a Bike Trainer

Once again, this goes back to the brand and what kind of quality the bike trainer is. There are some types that offer the ability to keep your road tires on, yet there are also other models that adamantly insist on riders using special tires.

If you poke around through online forums about the people who used road tires with a bike trainer, there are quite a number of horror stories. Not only do the tires blow out, but this issue also … Read More

Long-distance bike rides are a great way to train your body to cover longer distances in a shorter time. They help improve your everyday pace and give you a full-body workout, especially if you’re preparing for cycling tournaments.

Biking 60 miles depends on a couple of factors, like your age, training, pace, type of bike, and the road. It may take you somewhere around 5+ hours to cover 60 miles if you’re a beginner. On the other hand, if you’ve trained to cover long distances, 60 miles is just a matter of 3 or fewer hours.

Distance riding is a tedious yet fun outdoor activity. It is recommended that you give yourself sufficient hours to cover your target miles, take adequate breaks, drink enough water while riding, and eat well before you set out on your ride.

This article will give you a good understanding of the time required to cover 60 miles on a bike in a day. Let’s get into the details!

How Much Time Does It Take to Bike 60 Miles?

The answer to this question depends on several factors. Your average speed plays an essential role in determining the time it takes for you to cover 60 miles. Other contributing factors are your strength, experience, bike type, road type, and age.

Some cyclists riding at a pace of 10 mph will cover 60 miles in around 6 hours. A speed of 15 mph will take about 4 hours, and 20 mph will take 3 hours. It varies among cyclists because of the several variations in age, fitness, and experience.

Someone around the age of 25 can probably cover 60 miles sooner and faster than someone 45 years old. The opposite can also hold true, and that depends entirely on the kind of experience a cyclist has with riding long-distance.

Cycling in groups usually takes long hours to cover the distances as it necessitates frequent stops or breaks to grab something to eat or drink. On the other hand, riding solo will give you a steady and faster pace to cover the distance sooner.

Maintaining a steady pace might be challenging if you are pushing too hard. An important thing to keep in mind while riding long distances is that your speed needs to be progressively steady. It is not recommended to cycle 25 miles in an hour and drop to 15 miles in the next.

What Difficulties are Experienced During a Long Bike Ride?

Whether you’re a daily commuter, an amateur cyclist, or a trained cyclist, everyone faces biking challenges. Trained cyclists have faced these challenges more frequently and know how to overcome them.

For someone relatively new to cycling, it can feel daunting to … Read More

Gravity mountain biking is one hell of an adventure. It is indeed risky, usually performed only by above-average professional mountain bikers. Hence, after considering all the risks involved, it is impossible to get a suitable safe, and excellent experience without a good gravity mountain bike.

Who makes these bikes? Well, many well-known brands manufacture quality gravity mountain bikes like Guerilla Gravity, Gravity, Ritchey, Trek, Giant, etc. However, if you want to know particularly about the bikes sold under the brand name – Gravity, that would be bikes sold by the online retailer Bikes Direct.

In this article, you will get to know what gravity mountain biking is, more about the Gravity bikes and who makes them, and other necessary detail. So, get ready for the ride!

What is Gravity Mountain Biking?

Gravity mountain biking, also known as gravity-assisted mountain biking, is a fast-paced mountain riding segment that takes place in the off-season on steep hilly terrain or on ski slopes. The rider would start at a high height and use gravity to propel themselves downhill in this type of biking.

Gravity mountain riding provides a high-speed sensation that is the main reason behind the craze. However, high speed along with safety can only be obtained by judicious use of potential energy.

The mountain bikes used for this sport are tough and have full suspension.

As a result, if you despise pedalling uphill but enjoy gliding downhill via thrilling turns, gravity-assisted mountain biking is for you. However, you must note that this mountain riding is not for the people who don’t have a strong heart; you must love adventure and should be a risk-taker.

All About Gravity Bikes

Gravity mountain biking is becoming a popular and loved sport. It is the most fun type of mountain biking, but it is also the least good for your health. As a result, having the ideal equipment—the best gravity mountain bike available—is critical.

However, it is not possible to buy the best bike without having a background check of the brand. That is why we have listed down some necessary details of the best brand out there- Gravity Bikes, along with its exquisite bike.

Who Makes Gravity Bikes?

It is probably one of the most asked questions about Gravity bikes. People are curious to know who owns the brand because there isn’t a good site that can tell you more about the company. Let’s put an end to all your doubts here – Gravity is an in-house brand of Bikes Direct.

Gravity is merely a name registered by the owner of Bikes Direct, an online bike retailer. Like Motobecane, Dawes, and others, it’s one of many lines launched by this site. To understand … Read More

If functionality and high-performance are an absolute must for you, your bike should run on the tires that provide the same. However, you can’t get them without taking into deep consideration the actual wheels of your commute companion.

As a bike rider, you must have wondered whether to install a clincher folding or a wire beads tire. The answer depends on your preference for durability and the purpose behind your bike rides. Your clincher folding tires have a slight edge over the wire bead ones in terms of weight and durability.

You can’t base your entire decision on the heaviness and lasting aspect of your bike essentials, can you?

Comparison Between Folding Clincher and Wire Bead Tires

Even though clincher makes for the most used and commonly available tire, the choice for the beaded variety isn’t easy. However, with a glance at the best features combined, you can take your pick within a few seconds.

Tire Characteristics	Folding Clincher	Wire Bead
Material	Light Synthetic Kevlar Fiber	Heavy Stainless Steel
Weight	Low	High
Durability	Shorter Life	Long-Lasting
Flexibility	Highly Flexible	Fixed Structure
Price	Expensive	Cheap

The final decision to make the call depends on the type of bike rider you are.

If you’re a long-distance commuter on a bike, you’d prefer the quick-to-replace and lightweight folding beads clincher. However, for the leisurely rider in you, the long-lasting and sturdy wire beads top the charts.

Note: Be ready to shed a little extra money if you’re going with folding beads clincher! The suppleness exhausts the tire material even with short usage.

Why Should You Prefer a Folding Clincher Tire?

Clincher folding tires are unique bike wheel frames for your bicycle needs. The flexible material frames ensure that you get a smooth ride even when flats impede your speed.

Features of Folding Clincher Tire

• Material: Made from a solid yet flexible strand called Kevlar, the clincher clings onto the curved bike bead. Additionally, you get softer rubber material to go with you on long terrains and bumpy rides.
• Flexibility:  The elasticity is the most remarkable aspect of the tire variety. In fact, it’s so light and supple that you can easily carry it as a spare unit on your bike adventures.
• Thread Per Inch (TPI): The premium, high-performing tires carry a TPI of 60, which the experts recommend. The perfectly wound nylon threads give your folding clincher a higher preference in the flexibility ranks.
• Weight: Synthetic wires and soft components give ample space for the folding clincher to cling on to your hearts for extended journeys. Besides, the light mass enables the cyclists easy maneuverability and enhanced comfort.

Why Prefer a Wire Bead Tire?

As you can make it … Read More

An adventure trip is on your plan, and you wish to hit the roads with a sturdy bike. Although, the bike model you intend to purchase may not be available in the local bike store. Thus, you turn to online stores and wonder, is Bikes Direct Legit?

Yes, Bikes Direct is a legit online bike store. The 2021 Customer Choice Winner ranks it third among top online bike stores. In addition, 538 buyers have given an overall 4.3-star rating for the website. Thus, you can shop worry-free on Bikes Direct.

The online bike store has many steal-deals and varied kinds of bikes. Read on to get a better understanding of the website.

Is Bikes Direct Legit?

Yes, Bikes Direct is a legitimate website for shopping bikes online. Buyers choose this online store to buy bicycles at economical prices. Moreover, you will find their service-friendly with quick and seamless deliveries.

If you wish to buy from Bikes Direct, you need to thoroughly research the kind of bike you want to prevent returning it.

The online bike store has a 4.3 stars rating from 538 customer reviews. Most of the feedback relates to general satisfaction from the purchase. Amongst the online bike stores, Bikes Direct ranks third. The top-notch performance is possible due to their helpful customer service, the perfect condition of bikes, and free shipping.

Take a look at the ratings for each service.

• Service: 4.3-star rating
• Value: 4.7-star rating
• Shipping: 4.6-star rating
• Returns: 4.0-star rating
• Quality: 4.4-star rating

Bikes Direct sells bikes great for all kinds of terrain, such as roads, beaches, and even snow. In addition, the brand is the 2021 Customer Choice Winner. Rest assured! You can seamlessly buy a suitable bike from Bikes Direct with cutting-edge service and an array of bikes to choose from.

Advantages of Purchasing a Bike from Bikes Direct

You might be searching for a particular type of mountain bike. Although, all of your local bike stores suggest that the bike is out-of-stock.

You will never find yourself disappointed! Bikes Direct may have the bicycle you are looking for, and in addition, the bike may cost you lesser than most retailers.

Check out the pointers below to understand why Bikes Direct is an ideal choice.

Save Money

You must have noticed that products purchased online are, in most cases, cheaper than in stores. Buying a bike from Bikes Direct has the same benefit for you, that is, you can find economical options on the site.

While your local bike seller may add many incidental costs to the bike’s price, Bikes Direct only charges you for the bike.

Bikes Direct also has promotional calendars, including discounts and holiday promotions. … Read More

Any regular bike rider would be concerned about the firmness of their bike tires. All bike tires come with a fixed PSI, and it is generally believed that lesser air pumped in bike tires makes up for a more comfortable ride. 

So, how firm should bike tires be then? The correct answer to this question would be to keep the bike’s tires pressurized within the amounts that come suggested on the side of all tires. For a road bike, it usually ranges between 80-130 PSI. 

Overinflating or underinflating the tires is likely to cause severe problems for the rider. That being said, the pressure of the bike’s tires should be reduced on terrains and increased if you weigh high. 

Why is Tire Pressure Important?

As previously mentioned, under or overinflating the tires can cause problems for the rider. Have you ever imagined the types of issues that are likely?

Well, to start with, it would hamper the bike’s performance without the correct tire pressure for any bike, whether hybrid, stationary, or any other type of bike. 

The pressure of the bike’s tires can be affected in two ways. It can affect the grip of the tire and the rolling resistance. These impacts on the bike will adversely affect the speed you try to achieve. 

You should know that the less the firmness of the bike’s tires, the more surface the tires will be able to contact. That affects the grip and rolling resistance of the bike. 

If you want to have the best riding experience, it is highly recommended to fix the firmness of your bike tires at a pressure not too high or too low. 

The pressure of tires is measured in Pound for Square Inch (PSI). A low PSI allows you to control your bike better. However, it is highly recommended not to keep the pressure too low. And therefore, the overall ride can be expected to be comfortable. 

While you try attaining the correct pressure, remember that maneuvering can be tricky. That might require you more air to enhance the softer tires. You can use an air pump to get the extra air. 

Increasing the tire pressure will likely enable you to a higher speed while riding the bike. However, depending on a lower PSI won’t be as comfortable.

Besides, tubeless tires enable you with the benefit of not losing any performance perks with a lower pressure than with more air pressure and higher PSI. It is because of the absence of an inner tube in tubeless tires. It minimizes the risks of punctures.

How to Figure Out the “Correct” Tire Pressure for Your Bike

The rule of thumb is always to ride less than what is … Read More