- A Bicycle Fit for Your Body
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- Break Time
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- The basic rules are to select the proper frame size and then use the
three-point positioning method to adjust the bicycle to your body. Most
of the pain in the buttocks, arms, hands, lower back, legs, and other parts
of the body can be attributed to not having the proper size bicycle for
your body.
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- Five to ten minutes of rest during each break is standard. During a
break, drink fluids and eat producing foods like chocolate to counteract
fatigue. Taking longer breaks than are necessary actually causes fatigue
to buildup, and should therefore be avoided.
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- Easy Pedaling
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- Rest after Going Uphill
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- Riding in a low gear to obtain a constant and stable rotation preserves
physical strength and enables you to get the most leg power possible, even
when going up hill.
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- Going down hill in an exhausted state after a long and hard ride up
can lead to unexpected mistakes in judgment that may cause accidents. Upon
reaching the top, make sure to stop and rest until your breathing and heart
rate returns to normal.
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- Hypoglycemia
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- Fluid Intake
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- Heading out without first fueling up with food energy will cause hypoglycemia,
a condition of low blood sugar that results when glycogen stored in the
liver is depleted. Cycling is a sport that burns a lot of calories, so
preparing by consuming between 3,000 to 3,500 calories is said to be sufficient.
You can convert calories into energy efficiently by consuming an adequate
amount of food beforehand, and rather than eating large amounts all at
once, snacking frequently is better.
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- You can minimize fatigue by gradually taking in the same amount of
fluid you lost during your ride rather than trying to drink that amount
all at once. And if you ride for more than two hours and break into heavy
sweat, sports drinks are an effective way to replace the minerals your
body loses.
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- Breaks
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- Fatigue-Fighting Foods
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- For beginners, a break every 40 minutes or so is good. For the more
experienced, this figure can be raised to one every hour. When speed starts
to get erratic and conversation within the group subsides, its probably
a good time for a break.
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- When stamina fails to return even after a decent break, your body is
warning you of low blood sugar. The quickest way to recover is to eat some
sweets such as chocolate, Japanese sweet-bean confectioneries, or candy.
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