Boost Your Cycling Performance With A Power Meter

August 6, 2020

FSA (FULL SPEED AHEAD) POWERBOX ALLOY POWER METER CRANKSET

Every hour of cycling adds an hour to your life, according to a study at Cambridge University. The benefits of cycling are indisputable; cycling can protect you from heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, some cancers, and even depression.

The next question is how to make the most of your cycling experience. Many people use nutrition and supplements to give their bodies extra power to muscle up a hill or go that extra mile. Yet, have you considered using a power meter to boost your cycling performance? 

 
According to the post, The Power of Power Meters, power meters help monitor your workouts, adds context to your heart rate data, and helps dial in your nutrition. Sounds good enough but why train with power?  
 
It’s all about “balancing how much work you do with your body’s response.” It’s the best way to measure work and intensity, as in, Power (watts) = Torque (how hard you pedal) x Cadence (how fast you pedal).  “Doing too much work means injury and overtraining risk. Too little means you’re not getting the maximum benefits you want. When power is measured your training becomes that much more effective.”  At Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, we’ve found the benefits of training with power include:

•Establishing your baseline fitness

•Accurately measuring even the smallest fitness gains

•Quantifying intensity, duration, and frequency – instead of guessing

•Prevention of overtraining

•Accurately measuring energy use for nutrition planning

•Proper pacing for time trials 

Overall, if you’ve been looking to get faster on the bike, then most likely you have explored cycling training tools, as in heart rate monitors and the like. No doubt, today’s technology provides instant biofeedback and structure to workouts.  And over time, this aggregated training data offers visibility to your training program and progress.

The ultimate goal of using training tools is to get faster, stronger, fitter, and optimize athletic performance. If you haven’t already, now is the time to invest in the tools that will help you the most. Our suggestions? Consider investing in a power meter. The right training tools will keep you motivated through the pandemic and into the next season.  

With so many bike parts and cycling accessories available, choosing the power meter for your training and fitness goals is important. Fortunately, we can answer all the questions you might have on which power meter fits your fitness needs or budget. Stop by or call Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop in Golden, Colorado to dial in your specific needs.
 

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Is Caffeine the Ultimate Performance Enhancer for Cyclists?

March 12, 2020

More than 450 million cups of coffee are consumed in the United States each day, proving just how popular the beverage is across the country. However, as coffee is widely consumed for its well-known caffeine kick by many, those who have an active lifestyle may reap added benefits from their morning cup of joe. With that said, here’s what you need to know when it comes to caffeine consumption as a cyclist. Regardless if you are on a road bike or a mountain bike, a cup of coffee might hold more than just an energy boost.

The benefits of caffeine
If you received a coffee-related gift for Christmas or Valentine’s Day — such as an instant coffee or cold brew maker — you may be excited to start using it, and with good reason. The caffeine in coffee has several well-known health benefits that go far beyond a kick of energy. For example, it can boost your mood, memory, and other mental functions (like reaction times). These benefits can prove to be useful for most anyone who drinks the beverage, though caffeine may also hold some especially appealing benefits for those who live an active lifestyle. 

Caffeine has been known to aid in weight loss, as it’s a natural fat burner, and has even been a popular performance enhancer among athletes. This is mainly because research shows that caffeine can significantly improve physical performance for athletes, and may even increase muscle strength — something that can be especially valuable for cyclists. Using power meters, heart rate monitors and other biofeedback related bike parts can offer visibility to these fitness gains. However, does that mean you should only be drinking coffee in preparation for training or even a competition?

Maintaining a healthy balance 
As the age-old saying goes, too much of anything can be a bad thing — coffee included. While the popular drink is well regarded for its numerous health and performance-enhancing benefits, there are some things to consider. One study found that the regular intake of caffeine may actually desensitize people to the performance-enhancing benefits, meaning that you can become immune, making drinking coffee can be less effective if you drink it regularly. 

If you do choose to make coffee a part of your cycling routine, it’s therefore important to maintain a healthy balance of other liquids as well. In order to fight dehydration while cycling, your body will need much more than a cup or two of coffee. For such reasons, it’s important to drink plenty of water, and replenish your electrolytes with appropriate sports drinks throughout the day, too. Having a healthy diet is also important, as drinking coffee on an empty stomach can bring unwanted side effects such as jitters, shaking, and can even increase symptoms of anxiety, which isn’t something you want on the day of a race.

Coffee is a popular beverage around the world, probably because of the effects of the caffeine involved. For cyclists, this can mean a range of health benefits in addition to performance enhancement, though it’s important to realize that you can become immune to these advantages if it’s not consumed as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

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Make Sure You Have These Three Most Important Elements to Optimize Your Spring Training 

March 5, 2020

The winter months aren’t very conducive to maintaining a solid level of fitness and keeping in shape.  Yet spring is right around the corner and with the warming temperatures and the start of daylight savings time it’s fair to say spring is near.  This can be both hugely exciting, and also slightly nerve-racking for cyclists who have spent the winter months working towards spring or summer goals.

So, what are the best ways to optimize your cycling to prepare best for the upcoming season? Rest assured, we’ve got you covered. It’s a matter of having three important elements. Read on.  

Importance of having the right training tools
If you’ve been looking to get faster on the bike, then most likely you have explored cycling training tools, as in power meters, heart rate monitors and the like. No doubt, today’s technology provides instant biofeedback and structure to workouts.  And over time, this aggregated training data offers visibility to your training program and progress. The ultimate goal of using training tools is to get faster, stronger, fitter, and optimize athletic performance. If you haven’t already, now is the time to invest in the tools that will help you the most. Our suggestions? Consider investing in one or all of the following: a power meter, a bike fit, and even a new cycling computer. The right training tools will keep you motivated through the spring season as you transition your fitness and form from the winter coach potato to the cycling warrior that you are! 

Importance of having the right bike parts
Most cyclists can’t get enough bike parts. We are gear junkies at heart. But new cycling accessories aren’t just a passion!  Having the proper bike parts makes a difference in injury prevention.  In a sport based on such a highly repetitive action, like pedaling, the first line of defense against injury is having a proper saddle with aligned seat position, height, and angle – not to mention a few other important factors like handlebars, stems, and the correct bike position.  All of these factor into a comfortable riding position as well as a rider’s stability, endurance, and safety.  As you transition to longer and more intense training rides during the spring months, consider upgrading bike parts and also getting a bike fit. Nothing beats a comfortable and well-engineered bike! 

Importance of having the right supplements
At the end of each ride, most cyclists understand the importance of cooling down appropriately. Yet, it’s easy to forget the importance of fueling appropriately post-ride.  Immediately following your ride, Carrie McCusker, an endurance coach, recommends to “restore fluid and electrolyte balance, to replenish muscle and liver glycogen stores, and to stimulate protein synthesis. You can accomplish this by consuming carbohydrates, protein, and fluids within thirty to sixty minutes of finishing your workout. Based on research data, athletes are encouraged to utilize this “glycogen window” to restore the muscles. It is particularly important for glycogen-depleting workouts, those that are longer than two hours or those with high-intensity efforts, or if the day involves two or three workouts.”

At Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, a favorite nutritional product available for recovery post-ride is PhysioPhyx.  Here’s what we like about this product.  PhysioPhyx LPR takes recovery nutrition to a new level of support and performance by delivering a powerful, evidence-based blend of Carbohydrates + Protein + Leucine. This potent combination of nutrients has been precisely formulated to help ensure you rapidly and effectively restore muscle energy (glycogen), minimize muscle soreness, stimulate muscle repair and speed training adaptations after moderate, intense and exhaustive exercise or competition. In fact, recent studies have shown the nutrient trio of Carbs + Protein + Leucine taken after exercise creates an absolutely ideal environment for your body to quickly go into recovery overdrive.  

Spring training is transitional. The weather fascinates from good riding conditions to riding indoors and back again causing well-intended cyclists’ motivation to wane. By having these important elements, you can keep your motivation and training in check. And when the weather finally improves, you’ll be able to look back with gratitude that you had the right bike parts and training tools to assist you in meeting your goals. 

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Bike Parts and Cycling Accessories You Need to Keep Your 2020 Fitness Goals 

January 23, 2020

Well, we are well into 2020 and hopefully, you officially made it past “quitters day.”  Which means you are fully committed to keeping and maintaining your 2020 cycling goals. Aside from will power and determination, there are other factors that support your training motivation. And that’s where this post comes in handy! Bike parts and cycling accessories can enhance your cycling experience, and at the same time, fuel you towards your 2020 goals.  

Weigh In – As cyclists, we all know weight is important. Bike weight, the weight of bike parts, and even our bodies. Unfortunately, it’s that time of year again! Weight creep or at least dropping weight accumulated over the holidays and the off-season! A simple yet effective means of managing weight is using a scale. Our pick? The Garmin Index Smart Scale. The Garmin Index Smart Scale provides the precise metrics you need to track progress and see results. The bonus? Others in your family can use it too! It supports up 10 16 different users and measures weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat and water percentages, muscle mass, and bone mass. Use the scale to manage weight and track how your weight correlates to your performance on the bike over time. And, by regularly paying attention to your weight, you can course-correct quickly before gaining or losing too much weight experiencing adverse effects on the bike. 

Use Your Tools – Specifically, we’re talking about heart rate monitors and power meters.  Both provide biofeedback and when tracked and paired with your cycling goals, this information can greatly assist in providing clarity as to benchmarking your progress.  One question for those new to power meters is to know which power meter is best for you?  With so many bike parts and cycling accessories available, choosing the ideal product for your training and fitness goals is important. Fortunately, the post What to Know Before Buying a Power Meter offers a breakdown of available power meters. Now, you might be wondering about costs? In the recent past, training with power was outside of the price range for most cyclists.  However, times have changed and power meters are much more affordable. Stop by Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop and let us help you select the best bike accessories for you and your goals. 

Upgrade your Bike and Bike Parts – Sure, it may sound like an excuse to purchase much-desired bike parts or a new bike, but the truth is if new technology is available to support you riding faster and stronger, then isn’t it holding you back? If you are training consistently and putting forth the effort, then support your goals by having the cycling components you need. One component that is nearly always worth upgrading is the wheelset. Or, maybe upgrading your bike parts isn’t in the cards. Maybe you prefer to upgrade your cycling accessories or cycling apparel. Having a new jersey or new cycling shoes may be just what you need to bring a fresh approach and enthusiasm to the season. We have a Specialized Sale going on right now. Check out the sale items and get what you need to support your goals. 

So, what’s ahead for 2020? We’re looking forward to helping our customers get fitter and faster on the bike! Whether that is outfitting others with the best cycling apparel or improving bike efficiency with new bike parts or a bike fit, at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, we’re all about creating the ultimate ride experience. Happy 2020 to all!

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Don’t Be a Quitter on January 19th. Use Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop’s Tips to Keep your 2020 Cycling Resolutions

January 9, 2020

Strava has announced its prediction for 2020’s Quitter’s Day as Sunday 19 January – the day that most people give up on their new year’s resolutions. But wait! You’re not a quitter! You’re a die-hard cyclist! Or at least a cyclist with passion and a commitment to riding. So be a winner on January 19. Follow our tips to not only keep your New Year’s resolutions but also, make 2020 one of your best years yet!

Goal Planning: Make sure your New Year’s Cycling Resolutions are SMART. By SMART, we mean specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound.  SMART goals not only increase your chance of attaining your goals, but you also become a better cyclist in the process  How so? By making measurable and time-bound goals, you’re introducing a level of discipline and consistency in your training to meet your objectives. Extra discipline yields better results.  This is where heart rate monitors and power meters come in handy.  These cycling tools offer biofeedback to better help you gauge your effort and output as it relates to your cycling goals workout by workout and month over month. Set some SMART goals and then move on to our next tip.

Goal Strategy: Define your approach.  Get a game plan together of how you plan to train and race.  As a point of reference, reflect on last year’s performances and think about this year’s SMART goals.  Compare the two and see where can you improve.   Some cyclist focuses exclusively on race day performance and evaluate results on a single day. However, take a look at how the days leading up to your event impacted the result.  How was you bike nutrition? How was your sleep? Did you have a race strategy in place? Were you familiar with the logistics of the event, as well as, the course profile itself?  All of these factors impact the day of results.  Take time now to review and plan ahead.  As part of your goal strategy, consider experimenting with new ideas, products, and approaches. As in, maybe try a new on-bike nutrition product. Experiment with different bike parts and bike components.  Consider designing and refining a pre-event routine, like a race day ritual.  This thoughtful process brings a fresh approach to 2020 and keeps you motivated through the winter months.

Goal Motivator: As we mentioned earlier, regular and consistent riding velds results. Don’t let poor weather force you to quit your New Year’s resolutions. Make friends with the trainer. Invest in cycling apparel and cycling accessories that allow you to ride in a variety of weather conditions. If you really can’t bear the winter months, don’t forgo your resolutions, trade saddle time for gym time to gain core strength. Another option?  Focus on nutrition.  Many subscribe to the idea of eating pasta and carbs for fueling training and racing.  Yet, there is a growing shift in nutritional information towards a strong focus on vegetables, fruits, and lean meats as fuel.  Consider experimenting with your diet and nutrition as a means for making gains in your 2020 cycling program.

Finally, remind yourself why you made your New Year’s Resolutions in the first place. There’s a reason you were compelled to reach for these goals. Write them down. Put them on a mirror or someplace where you see them often. Fuel your passion and your goals in ways that uniquely inspire you to reach for and be your best cyclist this year. 

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New Year, New You – Strategies to Keep your 2019 Cycling Goals

January 3, 2019

Welcome to 2019!  Does the New Year have you inspired, motivate, and excited to take on more in the coming year?  It’s a new year and a fresh start to actually doing all the things you want to do. Yet, as you may know, not all New Year’s resolutions and goals are created equally. Some are lofty and while you have good intentions, you know you aren’t really going after it. Then, there are other goals. The ones that would feel rewarding, satisfying and meaningful if you were to meet them. These are the heartfelt goals and resolutions that we’re talking about! The ones that inspire you and light you up!

What are those goals? How do you plan to achieve them? And how will you know when you have met them? Start 2019 off right by having a plan.

Define your intention. This is important. What do you intend for yourself? How committed are you? What are you willing to change in your schedule, your training, your bike setup, and even your approach towards meeting your goals.  Without having a clear intention and determining your level of commitment, you won’t reach your goals.  

Define your goals.  Identify specifically what you want to accomplish in 2019.   Make a list.  The more specific the better because vague goals can’t be quantified.  When you list out specifically what you want to accomplish and a time frame in which to do this, you make your goals SMART.  Making SMART  (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound) goals not only boosts your chances of attaining your goals, but you also become a better cyclist in the process.  What might these goals look like? For example, a goal to consistently hit target heart rate zones or power zones for specific workout.  Leverage cycling accessories that are available to you – as in power meters and /or heart rate monitors to provide objective feedback.  Based on your goals, you can then get an action plan together by defining your training objectives.

Define your training objectives.  Now that you have your goals set for 2019, it’s time to take inventory of your abilities to meet your goals for training and events. What are your strengths?  What are your weaknesses?  For every area of improvement, decide what activity is needed to improve that.  If you have poor bike handling skills, then schedule time each week for bike drills.  If your core is weak, schedule time for yoga or strength training. And, if you are like most cyclist, you could use a little stretching. Make time for stretching to improve your flexibility.

Define your approach.  Get a game plan together of how you plan to train and race.  Take stock of last year’s performances, where can you improve?  Check in with your commitment level again. What is it going to take to make manageable changes to your lifestyle to support your goals?  Take time now to review and plan ahead.  Take a fresh approach to 2019! Experiment with new ideas, products, and approaches. As in, maybe try a new on bike nutrition product. Experiment with different bike parts and bike components.  Consider designing and refining a pre-event routine, like a race day ritual.  This thoughtful process brings a fresh approach to 2019 and keeps you motivated through the winter months.

Define results: How will you know that you reached your goals? It’s important to have this dialed in so that you can celebrate your success and feel rewarded for your commitment.

Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success are considerably reduced. Start the year off right with small, manageable changes to your lifestyle to reach your goals. Stay focused. Be consistent. And, keep your eyes on the prize! Here’s wishing you the very best in 2019! 

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5 Motivational Strategies to Keep You Riding in the New Year

January 11, 2018

Motivation  is the foundation all athletic effort and accomplishment. Without your desire and determination to improve your sports performances, all of the other mental factors, confidence, intensity, focus, and emotions, are meaningless. To become the best athlete you can be, you must be motivated to do what it takes to maximize your ability and achieve your goals.

But when the weather is poor, sunlight is at a minimum, and riding conditions are less than ideal, what do you do? Keeping up the motivation to exercise on a cold winter day instead of curling up under a warm blanket on the sofa can be difficult. Sometimes lack of motivation rears its ugly head during these challenging times despite our best efforts to press on. Following are 5 different strategies to help you stay motivated to ride.

Set your goals. This seems obvious but ask yourself, what do you want to accomplish in 2018? And when? How do you know you’ve reached your goals? Making SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound) goals not only boosts your chances of attaining your goals, but you also become a better cyclist in the process. The trick is to really dial those goals in. As in, a goal to consistently hitting heart rate zones or power zones for specific workout. Use cycling accessories that are available to you – as in power meters and /or heart rate monitors to provide objective feedback. 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. Based on your goals, you can then get an action plan together by defining your training objectives.

Make the most of your time. It all begins with time management. Scheduling your workouts in your calendar; shifting meetings and family obligations to early morning, late afternoon and early evening; and optimizing your lunch hour as ride time, are three areas that can assist in getting your scheduled training in during the daylight hours. Again, the idea here is to create a plan and stick to it. If you plan a ride during the daylight hours and miss it, then it creates stress on how to make that ride up. So, if you do, then night riding or riding on the trainer becomes your options. Be prepared in advance with a light system to ride at night and a trainer setup that works for you. If you are prepared, you are more likely to get your workout in rather than pass on it.

Dial in your bike. Consider getting a bike fit. Yes, a bike fit. We’ve heard about them, talked about them, but somehow, most of us don’t get one. And why not? They say the quickest way to get faster on the bike is with a bike fit. Sure, fit impacts comfort but it also impacts technique which is crucial to preventing overuse injuries and how you ride. Meaning it directly affects how much power you can efficiently deliver to the pedals. Dialing in your body and your bike parts will keep you motivated as you discover how the new changes positively affect your time on the bike.

Train your brain. We think of discipline as a form of training or exercising the brain but why not use the power of visualization to motivate yourself and accomplish you 2018 season goals? The post, The Power of Mental Suffering, offers key insights as to how thought creates a powerful reality.

Commit to consistently cross training. Trade saddle time for gym time to gain core strength. The primary focus when it comes to strength exercises for cyclists is to train in a similar motion to cycling with lower and upper body, while increasing overall core strength and muscular endurance. Check out The Best Strength Exercises for Cyclists to get you started and also – to keep you motivated through the winter months.

If after reading these suggestions you still find yourself unmotivated to ride during the Winter months, then consider doing a cycling year end review. How you reflect upon the past year has some bearing as to how you plan for the coming year. A cycling year end review offers insights to truly optimize your training and racing regimen. Some of those insights might spark a new level of motivation with you. Here’s to a rewarding cycling year in 2018!

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How to Optimize Your Pre-Season Cycling Training

March 9, 2017

Peak Cycles Race TeamThe weather has been amazing in Colorado!  The warmer temps are beckoning recreational and competitive cyclist to ride!  Enthusiasm is high;  but, caution should be in order!  Athletes can make early season training errors.  Namely, taking on too much physical activity too quickly. Going too fast, exercising for too long, or simply doing too much of one type of physical activity can strain your muscles and lead to an overuse injury.  

Whether you are planning to ride a century, multi-day rides, race or aspire to longer or more frequent rides in 2017, monitoring your early season training sets the stage for a successful year ahead.

Train right:
From a training perspective, 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 2017 cycling season goals.

Optimize Your Bike Fit:
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.

Perform Bike Inspections:
Does your bike have cobwebs on it from non use during the winter months?  Now is the time to dust it off, put some air in those tires, and do a thorough bike inspection.  It seems simple enough but there are some critical areas to pay attention.

What do you look for? Notice any bike parts that need to be replaced.  Saddle injuries are the result of poor seat position, height, angle or design.  While your saddle  may look and feel fine, looks can be deceiving.  Materials and composition deteriorate beyond what is visible.  Also, neck, shoulder, and bike pain can result of an improper fitting bike.  Handlebars, stems, and bike position all contribute to a rider’s stability, endurance, and safety. Make sure all is well before embarking on longer rides which could lead to lasting discomfort.

How important are brakes?  Obviously, a lot!  When you don’t have them, or they aren’t working properly, then you know the importance of well maintained brakes for your road or mountain bike.  Another important component to spring riding is checking out your wheels.  Unquestionably, wheels matter!  They impact ride quality, ease of pedaling, reliability, and functionality.  Spring is a great time to upgrade bicycle components. 

With a little preparation and planning, your pre season bike maintenance and training can pave the way for a long, healthy, and enjoyable 2017 cycling season.  Stop by Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop to pick up the bike parts you need to launch your best cycling season ever!

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Keys to a Successful Cycling Race: Think Smart, Eat Smart

April 21, 2016

Cycling nutrition_eatingThere are so many things to pay attention to in order to prepare for a race. As a competitive cyclist, you have to be savvy in a number of different key areas such as cycling nutrition, bike maintenance, repairing or replacing bike parts, and knowing how to use various cycling accessories such as power meters and heart rate monitors to maximize performance.

If you also have a full-time job, it’s a lot to think about! In this article, we’re going to help take the load off your mind by focusing on a very specific aspect of race prep – eating before, during and after a race. Hopeful you can glean some useful information for you upcoming competition.

Keep in mind that eating changes depending on the distance and intensity of your race/workout. Not all suggestions may apply.

Before:

We typically find lots of articles that talk about what you should eat after a race, but not as many about what you should eat before. The key is, if you are already eating healthy and balanced meals, you probably don’t have to change much before a race.

One thing you want to make sure you are including in your pre-race diet the night before a race are carbohydrates. Carbs store glycogen in your muscles, which will be burned during the race the next day. Foods like pasta, breads, and rice are carb-heavy that could be on your dinner plate. Try to keep protein dense foods at a minimum.

If you have a long or particularly intense race the next day, you can do what’s called “carb-loading.” Cycling Tips explains that carb-loading typically takes place 2 days before your race. Male athletes can typically store about 1,500 to 1,900 calories of carbs in the blood, liver and muscles combined. And after two hours of exercise, glycogen levels will be depleted. Cycling Tips recommends eating 10 grams of carbs per kg of body weight daily in the two days before the race.

During:

There is no formula that stipulates how much you should eat during a race because different body types and habits cause athletes to have different eating patterns. Some of the variables that determine how much athletes should eat include: lean body mass, metabolic efficiency, intensity, race distance, and environmental conditions.

CoachLevi.com offers some valuable insights into what cyclists might eat during rides at varying distances and intensity.

If you feel that you should be eating differently, here are some questions from Training Peaks that guide your eating habits:

Do you find that you have enough energy for your workouts and races?

    • You should finish strong but spent, not crawling home or hitching a ride!
    • Eat more often if you bonk!

Do you ever get “grumpy” during a long session?

    • If so, you likely aren’t consuming enough carbohydrates.

Do you experiencing GI distress?

    • You might be consuming too much or need to combine different sources of carbohydrate (i.e., glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltodextrin).
    • You can try fewer calories or read labels to find products made with multiple carbohydrate sources and try different brands of products.
    • You might also work on metabolic efficiency to see if you can reduce the number of calories you need.

Do you seem to be able to eat whatever you want, even when the intensity is high?

    • No reason to back off if it is working for you!

After:

Right after a race you want to digest simple carbohydrates such as bananas, a bagel, or maybe even a slice of pizza. These things are often offered at the end of a race. Eating caloric-dense foods will restore your glycogen levels in your liver and muscles and getting some protein will help your muscles recover.

Stay away from the really fatty foods and foods high in protein. We know that some of you may be craving potato chips and whole pizzas, but its not the best thing for you.

See the article, “Maximize Your Post Race Recovery“ from Training Peaks for more information.

For more information, don’t hesitate to visit our website or stop into our store – Peak Cycles in Golden, Colorado. We have tons of advice, as well as bikes, bike parts, cycling accessories, and cycling apparel.

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Preseason Endurance Race Strategies: Start slow, Build Mental Toughness

April 14, 2016

12748011_968167059887388_245329798008628208_oFor those of you preparing for endurance trail races, we know that you are getting ready to ride long, get dirty, and have the time of your life. And while some you may have trained through the winter months, many have not. So we warn you winter sofa spuds that the alluring call of gorgeous spring days will tantalize you to ride too hard, too fast. This could lead to injuries, poor performances, and an overall unhappy 2016 cycling season.

Here are some ways not to meet that unfortunately end:

Endurance trail cyclists are on the cusp of some of the most favored mountain bike races in Colorado and the American west — races like Rocky Mountain Endurance Series, Thaw Massacre, 18 Hours of Fruita, Desert RATS Classic, 12 Hours of Mesa Verde, and The Half/Original Growler. And being success in these races requires you to closely monitor early season training. 

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 – such as power meters, GPS computers, 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. As a result, your 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 2016 cycling season goals.

Now, just because you can’t go all-out in your early training, doesn’t mean that you can’t build the mental toughness and focus that you will need during an endurance race. As described in the post, Developing Mental Toughness: Are you Tough Enough?, “mental toughness is your ability to persevere in the face of challenges, to keep going even when things get hard, and to have an unrelenting commitment to your goals. When you develop your mental toughness, obstacles are only temporary and one bad performance doesn’t shake your belief in your ability.”

For more information, don’t hesitate to visit our website or stop into our store – Peak Cycles in Golden, Colorado. We have tons of advice, as well as bikes, bike parts, cycling accessories, and cycling apparel.

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Motivation and Planning – The Key to Making Cycling Resolutions Stick 

January 7, 2016

Make it Happen in 2016It’s tough being a bike rider from January through late March. The holidays are over, the winter weather is in full swing and the idea of keeping up the motivation to exercise on a cold winter day instead of curling up under a warm blanket on the sofa can be difficult. Sometimes lack of motivation rears its ugly head during these challenging times despite our best efforts to press on.  Yet many cyclists, both competitive and recreational, have committed to New Year resolutions but are battling regular demons whether that is general fatigue, lack of time, seasonal illness or just plain boredom.  What can a cyclist do?

Granted, the amount of downtime you can afford to take in winter depends on your goals for the coming year. If you have a century ride, a bike trip, or a hard race scheduled for June or July, you can probably get away with a layoff.  On the other hand, if an athlete wants to maintain fitness over the winter it it’s important to you get your motivation in gear now to make these gains and keep your cycling training on track.  Here’s how.

Define your goals.  What do you want to accomplish in 2016?  When? How do you know you’ve reached your goals?  Making SMART  (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound) goals not only boosts your chances of attaining your goals, but you also become a better cyclist in the process.  The trick is to really dial those goals in. As in, a goal to consistently hitting heart rate zones or power zones for specific workout.  Use cycling accessories that are available to you – as in power meters and /or heart rate monitors to provide objective feedback.  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. Based on your goals, you can then get an action plan together by defining your training objectives.

Define your training objectives.  Now that you have your sights set for some events in 2016, it’s time to take inventory of your abilities to meet your goals for these events. What are your strengths?  What are your weaknesses?  For every area of improvement, decide what activity is needed to improve that.  If you have poor bike handling skills, then schedule time each week for bike drills.  If your core is week, schedule time for yoga or strength training. And, if you are like most cyclist, you could use a little stretching. Make time for stretching to improve your flexibility.

Define your approach.  Get a game plan together of how you plan to train and race.  Again, taking stock of last year’s performances, where can you improve?  Some cyclist focus exclusively on race day performance and evaluate results on a single day. However, take a look at how the days leading up to your event impacted the result.  How was you bike nutrition? How was your sleep? Did you have a race strategy in place? Were you familiar with the logistics of the event, as well as, the course profile itself?  All of these factors impact day of results.  Take time now to review and plan ahead.  Experiment with new ideas, products, and approaches. As in, maybe try a new on bike nutrition product. Experiment with different bike parts and bike components.  Consider designing and refining a pre-event routine, like a race day ritual.  This thoughtful process brings a fresh approach to 2016 and keeps you motivated through the winter months.

Ultimately, motivation for keeping your resolutions is not something that can be given to you. Rather, motivation must ultimately come from within.  Just like the passion you have for cycling.  Dig deep, find what inspires you, connect with that and pedal your way to a successful 2016 cycling season.  Happy New Year friends!

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Winning Racing and Training Secrets from Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop Sponsored Cycling Teams

June 11, 2015
BikeParts.com Team Rider Kyle Crawley on his way to finishing in 4th Place at the Gunnison Growler 32

BikeParts.com Team Rider Kyle Crawley on his way to finishing in 4th Place at the Gunnison Growler 32

Guess who is rocking the coolest bikes, the best bike parts, and crushing it in Colorado’s toughest road and mountain bike races?

You guessed it – Peak Cycles Racers!  We’re super proud of Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop Sponsored Cycling Teams including Peak Cycles XC, Gravity and BMX teams, Colorado School of Mines, The Golden High School mountain bike team, Tough Girl Cycling, Twin Peaks Racing, and The Colorado Collective.  Early season success has come easily to these athletes.  Countless podium finishes and successful racing has caused many followers of the teams to wonder what are the secrets to combining racing and training for a successful summer cycling season?  What are these athletes doing that we all can do to improve our cycling performance?

For starters, there are many different approaches to training and racing.  Typical training weeks may vary in distance, intensity, and training hours. Some athletes prefer a structured approach to their racing season; whereas others prefer to keep it casual by mixing in shop rides and even front range bucket list rides to test fitness and keep training fresh.

But at a minimum, there are the basics which pretty much everyone follows.  This includes ongoing bike maintenance, repairing and/ or replacing bike parts, continued bike nutrition while riding, and a strong focus on hydration on and off the bike.  It sounds simple enough but a properly fit bike – that is ready to ride –  makes cycling fun, easy, and keeps you riding!

Regardless of your approach, one of the winning secrets for training and racing is using tools for bio feedback. Cycling accessories, as in power meters and /or heart rate monitors offers bio feedback monitoring of your efforts with specific data so that you objectively know when you are pushing beyond your targeted indictors, as well as, when you aren’t pushing hard enough.

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.

While it’s not a secret, and we hinted at it earlier, an often overlooked component of successful racing and training is a bike fit.   If you haven’t ridden much this Spring, 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.

There are countless suggestions that we can offer for training and racing tips but nothing can replace the passion, discipline, and love of the sport that our staff and team riders embrace.  For more winning race and training secrets, stop by the Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop and ask our staff for ideas and suggestions.  Also, keep current by following our Facebook page for updates.  Happy riding!

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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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The True Christmas Spirit of Cycling

December 25, 2014
Merry Christmas from BikeParts.com

Merry Christmas from BikeParts.com

Have you been a naughty cyclist or a nice cyclist? Is there a way to tell?

Some cyclist might notice a lot of bike parts, cycling apparel, and other wonderful gifts under the tree and think, yeah! I’ve been nice!  And then, again, as competitive and recreational cyclists, it’s easy to be hard on ourselves.  Some might think that you’ve been a naughty cyclist.  Maybe you think you haven’t trained hard enough this year.  Or, your performance was down. Then again, you may consider yourself to be a naughty cyclist because you have been slacking off and didn’t get that scheduled ride in.

Whether or not all that is true – that isn’t the spirit of cycling.  No doubt, consistent training is essential to performance.  Having the right gear, bike parts, and appropriate road or mountain bike for your cycling specialty is important.  But, while we tend to strive for fitness using heart rate monitors and power meters and tracking calories and water intake, and all the performance enhancing rituals we employ, it’s certainly not the spirit of cycling and it is especially not so at Christmas time.

So, what is?

Here at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, the true Christmas spirit of cycling is the love of the bike.  It’s the adventure cycling brings – the challenge of a new ride, the joy of connecting with friends in meaningful ways, and the building of camaraderie with teammates.  It’s about inspiration.  Riding and training towards goals that call us to be our best selves and enlist the support of family and friends that unites in powerful connections.  At its essence, the true spirit of cycling is really about passion, joy, exhilaration, excitement, camaraderie, enthusiasm, and gratitude.

These are all the very gifts we wish for you and your family this Christmas day.  Merry Christmas from Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop and BikeParts.com!

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