6 Ways Cyclist Are Celebrating the 4th of July on Their Bike 

June 29, 2017

Happy 4th of July from BikeParts.com

While most Americans celebrate the 4th by grilling, outfitting themselves in the American flag, and watch fireworks, cyclists around the country seem to agree with the notion that July 4th should be celebrated on a bike.

Family barbecues, warm weather, and a feeling of freedom convert flawlessly into an invigorating, fun cycle. What are the most common ways cyclist are celebrating the 4th with their two wheeled friends? Following are the top ideas we’ve heard at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop: 

  • Race – Celebrate the 4th of July by racing!  Whether it is racing on a road bike or a mountain bike, you’ll want to check out the races that are going on this holiday weekend on 303 Cycling’s Race Calendar.
  • R&R – If you are up for some “active” rest and relaxation, then sit back and watch the Tour de France! Beginning July 1 – 23rd, the daily stage races offer your daily fix of cycling drama! No doubt, watching the tour will get your adrenaline will be pumping!
  • Drink – and it’s not what you think!  While you might think of the 4th of July as an opportunity to consume adult beverages, we’re actually talking about water and other nutritional products. It’s hot out there folks -hydration and proper fueling for riding is important! Many cyclist have different preferences as to how they prefer to get their fuel while riding – whether that is in nutrition bars, gels, and liquids.  Some of our favorite nutritional products for summer are: Oslo nutrition ,  Scratch Labs, and Honey Stinger products. Stock up now and be ready to roll for the entire month of July. 
  • Bike commute – Maybe hanging out with friends and your family is your thing for the 4th of July.  That doesn’t mean you have to forgo your bike ride.  Bike commute to the farmer’s market, to see fireworks, to see a music festival, or a local restaurant.  A casual stroll on the bike is enjoyable for everyone. Plus, you get to see the local sites without the heavy breathing and fatigued legs you may experience when doing a full blown ride. 
  • Bike maintenance – With a little extra time off from work, many cyclist enjoy performing much needed bike maintenance over the holiday weekend.  Replacing worn bike parts and cycling accessories without the stress of added work and family pressures makes bike maintenance a pleasure and not a chore.  If the kids are around, engage them in the process and teach them a thing or two about bicycles.  Who knows? You might inspire them to ride too! 
  • Last but not least, if you are looking for additional ideas on celebrating the 4th with your two wheeled friend, check out our post, Red, White, and Blue: 5 Ways to Celebrate the 4th of July on Your Bike. 

As a reminder this 4th of July, our shop BikeParts.com offers a huge selection of road bike parts, mountain bike parts, BMX bike parts and more. If you need it for your bike, then we have it!  Visit us in in Golden, Colorado to pick up your 4th of July cycling accessories or visit us online at BikeParts.com.  

Happy 4th of July friends! 

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Posted by staffwriter8

Red, White, and Blue: 5 Ways to Celebrate the 4th of July on Your Bike 

June 30, 2016

Happy 4th of July from BikeParts.comFrom 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.  

While many American’s hang an American flag from their home, car, or work building, why not celebrate the 4th from your two wheels?  You can decorate your bike with bike bells, streamers, and the like; but why note take it a step further and include your bike riding in your holiday festivities? Here’s how! 

Celebrate the 4th with a new ride!
Colorado has some of the greatest road bike rides and mountain bike trails in the country.  Knowing where and when to ride is half of the trick to enjoyable riding in Colorado.  For ride ideas, check out the post, 20 Colorado Front Range Bucket List Rides.  If that doesn’t inspire you, maybe this post will: Colorado Summer Vacations: Travelers Guide To Golden, Colorado Mountain Biking. 

Celebrate the 4th in style – get some new threads!
This year, the introduction of POC Sports’ 2016 line of cycling gear turned some heads in the biking community. New designs and innovations make the gear an attractive choice for cycling accessories and can even make you a better rider. Aside from the sleek style, the integration of new technology and compatibility adds a new-age touch to POC’s elegant design. For example, separate components of the new 2016 line are designed to work together to make a more enjoyable and hassle-free cycling experience.  At Peak Cycles, we have just received all this POC gear and more.  Ride in style this 4th with some new cycling apparel.

Celebrate the 4th with the Pro’s!
July marks our favorite bike race – the Tour de France.  Pick your favorite routes, cheer for your favorite pro cyclist and stay abreast of what’s going on right from the start with the  Tour de France Guide. 

Celebrate the 4th by drinking up!
While you might think of the 4th of July as an opportunity to consume adult beverages, we’re actually talking about water and other nutritional products. It’s hot out there folks -hydration and proper fueling for riding is important! Many cyclist have different preferences as to how they prefer to get their fuel while riding – whether that is in nutrition bars, gels, and liquids.  Some of our favorite nutritional products for summer are: Oslo nutrition ,  Scratch Labs, and Honey Stinger products. Stock up now and be ready to roll all month long. 

Celebrate the 4th by bike commuting!
Commute to parades and 4th of July outings by bicycle.  Along the Front Range, and in particular, our home town of Golden, Colorado, it’s easy to commute by bike.  Not only do we have a vast network of well maintained bike paths, but at bikeparts.com, we also have all the road parts and mtb parts, commuter bikes, and cycling accessories to make any bike commute easy and fun!  Remember to plan a safe route, make sure your bikes are well maintained, and get out there and have some fun! 

As a reminder this 4th of July, our shop BikeParts.com offers a huge selection of road bike parts, mountain bike parts, BMX bike parts and more. If you need it for your bike, then we have it! Because we sell our bicycle parts online, we are able to help customers all over the world – even if you don’t celebrate the 4th. Stop by our Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop in Golden, Colorado to pick up your 4th of July cycling accessories or visit us online at BikeParts.com.  Happy 4th of July friends! 

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Our Favorite Nutritional Products to Avoid Muscle Cramps

July 30, 2015
PhysioPhyx LPR available at BikeParts.com

PhysioPhyx LPR available at BikeParts.com

There are a lot of opinions about why muscle cramping occurs and everyone has their own advice when the topic comes up. Many sports drinks tell you that they key to preventing cramps is magnesium, bike fitters will tell you your saddle is too high or you have incorrect bike parts, and there are also dozens of different home remedies.

Unfortunately, muscle cramping is something cyclists deal with at all levels of the sport.  The big question is what to do about muscle cramping, and what can you do to avoid them in the first place.
Interestingly enough, new insights as to what causes cramps is available.  The post, The Real Cause of Muscle Cramps, offers insights into root causes of muscle cramps.  And it’s not what you think! Muscle cramps aren’t the muscle; it’s the nerve.  While this research continues to evolve to learning more about the root cause of cramps, we can at least use tried and true methods to prevent them. Here’s what we have found works.
Avoid muscle cramps in the first place by hydrating properly before and during your ride.   If you’re a female cyclist, you may want to try out Osmo nutrition.  There are three options:
  • active hydration
  • acute recovery
  • preload hydration
What we like about this product is that it is nutrition “based on peer-reviewed science. The science is simple. Hydration, which refers to the maintenance of water in your blood, is critical to maximizing power, endurance and reducing fatigue. When you’re thirsty, you’ve already lost two percent of your body water—and 11 percent of your power.”
For all riders, another option is Skratch Labs.  Again there are several options to sleet including:
  • All day – daily electrolyte mix
  • Single workout – exercise hydration mix
  • Hyper nutrition – hyper hydration mix
  • Rescue hydration – for dehydration
Finally, an all time favorite!  Honey Stinger products – tasty edibles on the ride.
  • waffles
  • gels
  • energy bars
  • organic chews
All of those are great nutritional products while riding, but what products are available post ride?  As we all know, recovery is a critical element of preparing for the next bout of exercise.  New in our Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop 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 absolute ideal environment for your body to quickly go into recovery overdrive.  Who doesn’t like “overdrive”?!
Overall, preventing muscle cramps in the first place is the ideal solution. Stop by the shop in Golden, Colorado or chat with us on Twitter or Facebook about your nutritional needs.  We’re happy to share our tried and true methods for avoiding muscle cramping while riding!

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What Pro Riders Do That You Can Do Too

July 9, 2015
S-works bike at BikeParts.com

S-works bike at BikeParts.com

July – the best month of the year!

As cyclist, we all love July because the Tour de France is in full swing and so is the touring and racing season in Colorado.

With envy, many cyclist watch the pro riders and wonder how they can mimic the fitness and performance of such talented athletes.  In fact, it seems that pro cyclists are often all thought to be blessed with nature’s special gifts – a huge heart, enormous lungs and infinite leg power.  Yet, in reality this is hardly the case. The truth is that most of us have the physiology to be a decent racer – if we trained as much as they do.  Granted, most of us don’t have the time or the resources available to pro cyclists but we can all optimize the talents bestowed upon us by training properly.  Here’s what pro cyclist are doing that you can do too.

Cool things first.  If you noticed, pro riders are wearing the new GoPro Hero 4.  You might wonder how this could help your training? Considering that the winter months can be bleak, capture your favorite training rides on video and reply when riding the rollers or trainer during the winter months.  We at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop can order the GoPro Hero 4 if you like!

Pro rider ride really nice bikes!  That’s a given. Great road bicycles don’t have to come at a hefty price tag either.  Right now, in our Golden, Colorado shop we have a really nice S-works bike in the store with Shimano XTR components and 11-speed in back. Light and fast for racing.  If a new bike isn’t in your budget, then start with the basics.  Have good equipment.  Meaning, have a bike that fits, get the right bike parts, and wear the appropriate cycling accessories. It may seem obvious but the small things add up to bigger gains. 

Pro riders take nutrition seriously – on and off the bike.  Many cyclist have different preferences as to how they prefer to get their fuel while riding – whether that is in nutrition bars, gels, and liquids. However, oftentimes, the course may dictate other options. Regardless, proper on bike nutrition is critical.  Many of our customers ask us what are the best on-bike nutrition options available?  Following are our favorites at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop:

Osmo nutrition – This product is specific to women offering three options:

  • active hydration
  • acute recovery
  • preload hydration

What we like about this product is that it is nutrition “based on peer-reviewed science. The science is simple. Hydration, which refers to the maintenance of water in your blood, is critical to maximizing power, endurance and reducing fatigue. When you’re thirsty, you’ve already lost two percent of your body water—and 11 percent of your power.”  Stop by the shop in Golden, Colorado to learn more.

Another option is Skratch Labs.  Again there are several options to sleet including:

  • All day – daily electrolyte mix
  • Single workout – exercise hydration mix
  • Hyper nutrition – hyper hydration mix
  • Rescue hydration – for dehydration

Finally, an all time favorite!  Honey Stinger products – tasty edibles on the ride.

  • waffles
  • gels
  • energy bars
  • organic chews

Pro riders train with power and heart rate.  Some mistakingly think that technology takes away the “riding experience” or that it is too costly for their level of riding.  However, times have changed and power meters are much more affordable.  They offer objective bio feedback to help you perform your best.  Our most popular are Stages Power Meters beginning at $1000.  Stages Power meter is the lightest, smallest, most technologically advanced unit available today.  Another option is the Pioneer Power Meter offered at $2000 and is a bit more sophisticated.  A third favorite is a company that’s been around for a while now – PowerTap Power Meter.

Last but not least, a little R&R or active recovery is good too.  Some of the most elite cyclists use yoga as part of a successful training program, including 2012 Tour De France winner Bradley Wiggins. Wiggins’ benefits from the focus it brings to his cycling, while others, such as pro mountain biker and Olympian Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, use yoga to gain strength. From power to endurance, athletes at all levels are incorporating yoga to gain an edge over the competition, and prevent injury.

While you may not be a pro cyclist, you can certainly benefit from the training elements of a Tour rider lifestyle.  Stop by the Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop or connect with us on Twitter and Facebook for more training tips and cycling information to make the best of your summer cycling season.

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