2015 Liv Lust Advanced 0

November 14, 2015

The end of the year is the best time to find huge discounts on new bikes. Here at Peak Cycles, we’ve got a handful of closeout 2015 men’s and women’s bikes that are all 20% off or more.

2015 Liv Lust Advanced 0

2015 Liv Lust Advanced 0.

The trail-slaying crown jewel of our 2015 women’s mountain bikes is the Liv Lust Advanced 0. This bike is packed with top shelf components and is designed exclusively for women. It features Liv geometry and women’s specific bike parts like narrower handlebars, Liv silicone grips, and a Fizik Arione Donna saddle. Designed to be a fast, well balanced mountain bike, it has nimble yet stable handling that make it a Jill-of-all-trades. It’s a capable cross-country race machine yet comfortable enough for a fun, all day trail adventure. Check out more pictures and details in the rest of the post!

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Posted by Peak Cycles - BikeParts.com

How to Use Spring Training Tools – The Importance of Not Going Out Too Hard Too Fast

April 9, 2015

Bike Fits at Peak Cycles Bicycle ShopAs the temperature gets warmer, the days grow longer, and the weather improves, cyclists everywhere are beckoned to ride their bikes.  While some may have trained through the winter months, many have not.  And the alluring call of gorgeous spring days lures many unprepared cyclist to ride too hard, too fast which can lead to injuries or a set back in the 2015 cycling season.

Whether you are planning to ride a century, multi-day rides, race or aspire to longer or more frequent rides in 2015, monitoring your early season training sets the stage for a successful year ahead.

Key points to keep in mind include training intensity, duration, and frequency.  There are coaches and coaching plans to assist with specific and customized training.  Or, you can create your own training program.

Regardless of your approach, for precise bio feedback to align your training plan, you’ll need to use cycling accessories available to you – as in power meters and /or heart rate monitors.  Early season training lends itself to “false” feedback.  Meaning, because you may be fresh, your perceived effort on the bike may be low causing you to push too hard, too soon, and then training suffers later due to increased recovery time or even injury.  By monitoring your efforts with specific data, you objectively know when you are pushing beyond your targeted indictors, as well as, when you aren’t pushing hard enough.  This allows your body to adjust to increased training load over time and in a manner that meets your 2015 cycling season goals.

Our post, The Best Training Aids to Launch into Spring Cycling, dives into the benefits of training with power. You may also want to check out our post, Heart Rate Training – What You Need to Know for our staff picks at Peak Cycles Bike Shop.  You can also learn steps in discovering your “threshold” heart rate range, setting up heart rate training zones, and identifying the daily variables that affect heart rate.

An often overlooked, yet incredibly powerful tool for improved cycling is a bike fit.   If you haven’t ridden much through the winter, now is the best time for a bike fit.  Why?  Because your body is unaccustomed to the riding position.  You have an opportunity to optimize your position and make needed upgrades to your road bike or mountain bike.  Think of it this way – leg strength, endurance, and fitness are at the heart of cycling speed, but without a proper bike fit, you are sabotaging your training efforts.  In a sport based on such a highly repetitive action, like pedaling, the first line of defense against injury is a proper bike fit.  And, a bike fit goes beyond just setting saddle height and bar reach. To get the most enjoyment and reward from your training programs it’s critical to dial in the fit and confirm you have the right bike parts for optimal performance.

There are countless more ways training tools can aid in your spring cycling training.  We’ve mentioned power training and heart rate training, but also consider the importance of nutrition and recovery.  The main goal of them all is to assist you in dialing in your training to optimize your performance as it relates to your goals and objectives.

Do you need help figuring out which one is best for you?  Visit us at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop in Golden, Colorado or ask us on Twitter.

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Posted by staffwriter8

Spring MTB Racing in Colorado – Events to Plan Your 2015 Cycling Season

March 19, 2015

Peak Cycles Race TeamSpring riding and racing is just around the corner and athletes everywhere are starting to think about their “A” races as well as secondary races to use for training and motivation.  A given rule of thumb is that all races provide experience, training benefits, and act as a stage to assess your form. Because of that, targeting a handful of high and low priority races and events throughout the year can be useful as  learning experiences and opportunities to dial in nutritional needs and race strategies.  The question for many is, where to start?

Use your 2015 cycling goals as your compass.  We talk more about goals in our blog post, but the basic take away is to make your goals SMART.  As in, specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound.   With that being said, you need to pick the right events during the cycling season to help you best achieve those goals.

Notably, not all events are equal.  Some are harder than others.  One approach is to use different course profiles, distances, and bike part options to mindfully select A, B, and C type races according to your training plans and race goals.  Keep this simple reminder in mind – when you’re working toward a goal that’s important to you, the last thing you want is to face an obstacle or unexpected challenge.  A successful season starts off right by planning ahead, getting your mountain bike in order, as well as, getting the gear and cycling accessories you need.

Now, which races will you do?  There are many tours, races, and events to choose from in Colorado.  While this isn’t a comprehensive list, following are some of our upcoming favorite events at BikeParts.com.

Goudy Grinder – Wyoming – Sunday, May 31, 2015 – Registration open March 16th

40 in the fork – Fort Collins – Saturday, June 27, 2015 – Registration is open now.  This event is considered “one of the Front Range’s toughest mountain bike races.”

Rocky Mountain Endurance Series – Colorado.  This race series offers the best variety of mountain bike racing in Colorado.  Great for beginners to experienced racers including different distances.  The series begins kicks off in late April with the Ridgeline Rampage.  Visit their site for registration and series information and check out our Sneak Peak to the RME Series.  

MTB radio – endurance calendar.  For those that enjoy epic, longer mountain bike events.  Check out the MTB radio endurance calendar. Following are a few of the fun event on tap through May.

  • April 18 – 6 Hours in Frog Hollow – Hurricane, UT
  • April 23, Fruita Fat Tire Fest – Fruita
  • April 25, Ridgeline Rampage – Castle Rock
  • May 1, 18 Hours of Fruita – Fruita
  • May 9, Desert RATS Classic – Fruita
  • May 9, 12 Hours of Mesa Verde – Cortez
  • May 9, Battle the Bear – Lakewood
  • May 16, Dirty Double Fondo – Salida
  • May 23, The Half Growler – Gunnison
  • May 24, The Origional Growler – Gunnison
  • May 29, Grand Junction Off-Road – Grand Junction
  • May 30, PV Derby, Elbert
  • May 31, The Great Bicycle Carnival for Kids on bikes

Planning your 2015 cycling season is a multi step process: Identify your cycling goals, dial in your bike, and select the events you are enthusiastic in participating.  If you’re left questioning how to roll out your pre season training plan, well then, we’ve got you covered on that too.   Check out our previous guides to get you training started or vista us at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop.

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Posted by staffwriter8

Dream Season: Fueling the Fire for the 2015 Season

November 20, 2014

dream cycling“We grow great by dreams.  All big men are dreamers.  They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter’s evening.  Some of us let our dreams die, but others nourish and protect them, nurse them through bad days till they bring them to sunshine and light.” ~  Woodrow Wilson

Gone are the epic rides of summer only to be replaced with cooler temperatures, shorter days, and less time on the bike.  Aside from cyclocross, the 2014 cycling season is over, but, this season may just be the most important season of them all.   Now, it’s dreaming season .  Dreams are where the journey starts for next year. Dreams set you down the path towards achieving something you may not have believed you could accomplish. They are what drive you to fit workouts into hectic schedules and push you when you want to quit.  Dreaming season is when you start fueling the fire for 2015.  Have you dialed in your cycling dreams for next season?

For some, it may seem too soon to think about next year but for others, many are already planning their 2015 race and cycling season. Regardless of which camp you fall into, it’s important to have lofty new goals, new ambitions, and new venues to fuel your cycling passions through the winter months.  However, one misstep in planning is not pausing to reflect on what has recently come to pass.   Personal reflection of the past season offers insights to truly optimize your training and racing regimen going forward.

Fueling the fires for next year begins with evaluating this past year.  Set aside some time for reflection; consider asking yourself 10 Questions to Evaluate the Success of Your Cycling Season.  Or, get insights into your performance by evaluating if your goals were smart (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound).  You may question if you were Mentally Set Up for Success?

Moving past the emotional and psychological evaluation, don’t forget to take stock of your bike and bike parts performance.  Did you have the right bike and tire setup for the conditions, geography, and terrain in which you raced or trained?  Take notice of what worked and what didn’t work. It’s easy to get attached to particular brands or a set up because that is what you have always used; but upon reflection of bike accessories and bike part performance, honest appraisal of performance can steer you to look for cycling accessories that will work better for you in the future.  Sometimes getting a bike fit can help better position you for a season of successful riding.

As an athlete, there is certainly a lot of value in staying in tune with your achievements and goals. However, it’s equally important to take the time to reflect on those achievements so that you can repeat them. If you find yourself unable to reach your goals, don’t get discouraged – take the time to re-assess them.  Equally important, wWen you’re working toward a goal that’s important to you, the last thing you want is to face an obstacle or unexpected challenge.  Set up your 2015 right by planning ahead, plan now to get your road bike or mountain bike in order, along with the gear and resources you need.  By dreaming big and having the best bike parts, your successful training and race prep is well underway for a successful 2015.

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Posted by staffwriter8