Bicycling Resources (01)

Triathlon Tips Including Cycling Training
For monthly updated tips on becoming a better triathlete, this website offers e-Tips to present Ultrafit's views of information on training and nutrition for endurance athletes. Recent topics include recovering from an injury faster, tailoring a cycling warm-up routine, ability and motivation, ways to push harder, training while traveling and structuring race weeks. These tips are easy to read and sure to help any triathlete improve their sport.

Bicycle Tire Puncture Prevention
This is an informative article about preventing a tire from popping, especially when biking a triathlon. Before each ride you should check your tires for serious nicks, cuts, and bulges, according to the article. Any damage to the sidewalls is always more serious than on the tread, because the sidewalls are much thinner and can break more easily. Any nick or cut in any part of the tire that exposes the tube demands that a boot be installed inside the tire. I suggest using one of the larger patches from your patch kit as a boot; the inside of the tire must be thoroughly cleaned with solvent before gluing for this to work. Any bulge in the tire indicates a cord separation; the tire is not repairable and must be discarded. Perhaps the most important pre-ride check is tire inflation pressure. Check the recommended pressure stated on the sidewall of every tire and do not exceed it. More tips are available.

How to Ride Rollers When Cycling
Many road cyclists buy indoor trainers without considering rollers. While you do have to learn how to ride rollers, they have several advantages. Besides helping to improve your spin and your bike-handling skills, rollers aren't nearly as boring to use as regular trainers, according to this article. Steps to ride rollers include adjusting rollers for the bike you are using. You do not want the front drum to be just ahead of the front hub. Make sure the tires are in good condition. When you ride rollers, you won't have momentum. If you do fall off at speed, you won't fly at a speed rate, you'll simply flop over. Start riding in high gear. When you improve you can pedal in very low gears.

Maintaining Your Bicycle
Here are some valuable tips for properly maintaining your bicycle. Keep your chain, chainrings, freewheel, and derailleur's jockey wheels as clean as possible. These parts of the bike create much of the mechanical resistance that slows you down. When nuts and bolts are not tightened properly, they can loosen up, so it's important to check on them. Two troublesome areas are the handlebar binder bolt and seat binder bolt. Aero bars put severe twisting forces on handlebars when you hit a bump and often pivot, drooping down. More tips are available so you can maintain your bicycle properly for a triathlon race.