New Cycling Goals to Challenge Yourself in 2020

January 2, 2020

Happy New Year folks!  What big goals do you have for yourself this year? If you’re looking for some fresh and alternative goals to motivate you in 2020, then look no further.  See which one or all of these cycling goals you want to take on for 2020. 

Ride regardless of the weather. There’s a saying about the weather and it goes like this, “There is no such thing as bad weather. It’s just bad clothing.” So, bail on the bad weather excuses in 2020 and invest in the right cycling apparel to do the job. Ask yourself, what clothing do you need to wear in different weather conditions?  Do you have waterproof and wind-resistant clothing? Do you have enough of the basic cycling necessities, as in leggings? Arm warmers? Knee warmers? Scullcap? What about your base layers?  Do you have enough of them or do you need to add in some fleece-lined clothing?  Lucky for you, at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, we still have some holiday sales on these items so you can stock up and save money too.  

Make friends with indoor cycling. So maybe there are days when riding outside just isn’t going to work. The trainer can be a love/hate relationship but you can make it more of a love relationship by getting the equipment you need and setting up your environment to support your goals. Check out our post, Indoor Cycling Made Easy for tips. And while you’re at it, you might want to glance at one of our more popular trainers: Feedback Sports Omnium Portable Trainer. It’s a great overall trainer and you can basically take it anywhere. No excuses here. 

Ride a different bike. Mix it up. If you are a roadie, try riding a mountain bike.  If you only ride trails, opt for a gravel grinder event. Have you ever ridden a fat bike? Try it! You might like it! Opt for variety and trying something new. Keep it fresh and fun! If you ride only during the weekend, opt for bike commuting during the week.  Ride a different bike each day of the week! Get creative with it and have fun! By mixing it up, you keep your ride routine fresh which keeps you riding more regularly.    

Experiment with your gear. Many of us get in a rut with our favorite cycling brands. New technology keeps innovating cycling clothing, bike parts, and gear. Take for instance the Specialized S-Works Prevail II with ANGI.  When combined with Specialize’s iOS or Android app, the sensor will detect a crash and send a text message to specified contacts on your phone.  It’s definitely worth a look if you are safety conscious.  Or, experiment with different cycling shoes like the S-Works 7. They are super light and stiff to maximize power transfer.  There are so many innovative bike parts and cycling accessories on the market. Use 2020 to see what is out there.  Just because your favorite tried and true brands have worked for you in the past doesn’t mean something even better is available to you now. You just have to experiment with it. 

Build up your core with core exercises.  For some cyclists, strength training is a welcomed part of the training process; however, for others, it is a necessary evil. Yet, to avoid injury as well as get stronger on the bike, strength training is becoming a critical aspect of year-round training.  The best way to train all parts of the body is through working with a full range of motion while strength training. Commit to overall strength in 2020 and dial in the best core exercises for you by reading Year-Round Strength Training for Cyclists.

Improve your flexibility.  Consider doing yoga. Yeah, stretching hurts but it helps cyclists who have overdeveloped quadriceps and tight hamstrings, which can pull the hips out of alignment. Also, a cyclist’s spine is constantly flexed forward. If the proper form isn’t maintained, it can result in muscle pain and strain in the back and shoulders. Yoga helps ease the tightness, creating core strength, and aligning the spine.  Even if you aren’t into yoga, there are 3 poses you should practice.

Set epic goals for 2020. Set your sights high! Reach for bigger goals in 2020!  Stretch yourself and see what you can accomplish. Think big! Many cyclists resolve to ride more frequently or adventure on longer rides in the coming year; yet without actually quantifying the specific actions required to support these goals, no gains are actually made. The post, Make Proper Goal Setting a Priority for Your Next Cycling Season highlights this fact offering 10 questions to evaluate the past season’s cycling performance and arms you with insights to making better training choices that lead to better performance in 2020. Write down your goals and make them happen! 

The New Year is all about out with the old and in with the new. Maybe last year’s cycling resolutions were to get in shape, build fitness, or get stronger on the bike. This year, branch out! Challenge yourself!  Wishing you many happy miles in 2020!  


Making the Most of Winter with Trainers, Rollers, and Indoor Riding

January 25, 2018

Trainers and Rollers at BikeParts.com

While the weather conditions have been warm and dry across the state of Colorado, recently we finally got a hint of Winter with our recent snow fall. No doubt a joyous occasion for those riding fat bikes! But for those forced to ride inside, how do you make the most of winter riding? It brings up the trainer vs roller debate, as well as, how to stay motivated to ride indoors altogether.

When it comes to rollers vs the trainer, the debate is far from over as it really depends on individual preference. Both come with many different levels of resistance and accessories to fine tune the experience.

For most, a trainer will have more appeal. They are good for any type of ride from casual to the all out sprint. Trainers don’t require a lot of concentration either, so the option to flip through channels on the TV, reply to email, send text messages, or take a quick break is easier. And, trainers are great for virtual training tools like Zwift.

On the other hand, rollers offer some advantages too. They create more of a road-like feel than trainers do. Rollers help your cycling form as your legs spinning pattern becomes much more efficient. And, riding rollers keeps you a bit more mindful and engaged so that you don’t fall off!

Some things you want to take into consideration, whether you opt for rollers or the trainer, is to set it up correctly. Having the right equipment and bike parts can make your indoor workouts less boring and more effective. When we’re talking about equipment, sure, we mean having your road bike on the trainer or rollers, but we’re also talking about having a fan, a sweat towel, a trainer mat, indoor riding clothes, a cadence sensor, a power meter, and a heart rate monitor. You might not think all of these cycling accessories add up to a great trainer workout, but it can make all the difference in the world.

Make your indoor riding really count. It’s hard to stay motivated riding indoors for days in a row. So, another way to make riding indoors work is to shorten your ride. In fact, a one hour hard trainer workout will do more to improve your cycling and race fitness than 2 to 4 hours easy on the trainer. So, plan your time on the trainer or rollers accordingly.

Granted, trainer rides will never replace the joy of cycling outside. However, you can take pride in that you are getting your rides in and building your cycling base for the season ahead.


The Cyclist Guide to Black Friday – Getting the Gifts You Want and Need 

November 17, 2016

11895116_879913045419413_8627429630943288070_oMost cyclists, whether competitive or not, enjoy being at the front of the pack.  Sure, it’s safer, but it’s also cool to be in front.  As the Thanksgiving Holiday is right around the corner, now’s the time to position yourself to be at the front of the pack – shopping that is!

Leading out the shopping season is Black Friday.  From the start, you have a chance to cash in on bike components, cycling apparel, bicycle parts including trainers and all sorts of bike goodies.  Here’s what you’re going to want to stock up on! 

Start small and go for the usual suspects for stocking stuffers including multi tools, tubes, bottles, socks, head warmers, arm warmers, shoe covers, gloves, lube, energy bars, gels, chews and similar items. Add these to your wish list or invite family and friends to purchase them for you. You can never have too many of these items, so indulge! 

Next, evaluate what is missing in your cycling program.  Are you in need of new cycling apparel?  As in jerseys, layering options, or cycling shoes. What about your bike?  Do you need new bike parts?  And, don’t forget about nutrition and supplements!  Now’s the time time to select the cycling accessories and other much needed items that you would like to see show up under the tree.

Yet, let’s not forget for a moment that holiday wish lists and making the most of Black Friday is all about what you need, right?  Isn’t it about dreaming big? Which training elements would you love to have, but don’t?  A new heart rate monitor? Or a power meter?  The main idea behind using cycling training tools is to dial in training to optimize performance as it relates to specific goals and objectives. Our post, The Best Training Aids to Launch into Spring Cycling, dives into the benefits of training with power. As for which power meter to purchase, consider our most popular one, 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 option is a company that’s been around for a while now – PowerTap Power Meter.

Don’t stop there! Drop the hammer and make your wish list epic! Go big! Get a new road bike, mountain bike, or fat bike! Take advantage of Black Friday or Cyber Monday for savings and specials.  Great road bicycles don’t have to come at a hefty price tag either.  Right now, in our Golden, Colorado shop we have a variety of bikes that are light and fast for racing.  If a new bike isn’t in your budget, then start with the basics.  Have good equipment.  Meaning, add some bike parts to your list.   

As a reminder, our shop BikeParts.com offers a huge selection of road bike partsmountain bike partsBMX 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 helping them – and you – to get the gifts you want and need. 


The Best Training Aids to Launch into Spring Cycling 

April 2, 2015

The main idea behind using cycling training tools is to dial in your training to optimize your performance as it relates to your goals and objectives.  Easy enough, right?  Yet, the market is saturated with countless training aids including trainers, cycling software, DVD’s, CompuTrainers, nutrition, supplements, compression, and the list goes on.  Which ones do you need?  Which ones will deliver the biggest bang for the buck?  While each cyclist has their personal preference, following are the top 3 training aids we find most helpful.

Power
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 

Sounds great!  And it is!  In the recent past, training with power was outside of the price range for most cyclist.  However, times have changed and power meters are much more affordable.  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.

Heart Rate Training
Heart rate training has been viewed in many ways over the years, from very precise to not so precise. Now, a growing number of coaches and exercise physiologists support the use of heart rates as an important part of biological feedback, as heart rates are a direct reflection of what is happening internally.  The post, The Variables and Trends of Heart Rate Training,  walks you through the steps of learning your “threshold” heart rate range, setting up heart rate training zones, and identifying the daily variables that affect heart rate.  A heart rate monitor can be a great bio feedback tool and also help you to monitor your fitness, prevent overtraining, and take your performance to the next level.

Nutrition
Many cyclist have different preferences as to how they prefer to get their fuel – whether that is in nutrition bars, gels, and liquids. The main thing about nutrition is that regardless of how you get your calories in on the bike is one thing, but making sure you actually do it –  is critical!  No one wishes for a bonk!  Read up on some recent posts we’ve shared on nutrition to see which options are best for you.

Last but not least, do you need help figuring out which training aid is best for you? We’re happy to help! Visit us at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop in Golden, Colorado or ask us on Twitter.


Fat Bikes Are Big in Colorado – Here’s Why!

December 5, 2013

If you are living anywhere along the Front Range in Colorado, you’re living in a sea of white.  Snow that is.  Dreading the bicycle rainer and missing the outdoors, what are your options?  Get a fat bike. You know you want it. Who doesn’t?

Fat bikes were originally invented for winter trail riding and racing in sub-arctic Alaska and simultaneously, for touring the deserts of New Mexico. But they have gained severe popularity! Their utility has expanded to include all forms of cycling; they thrive in snow, sand, desert, bogs and mud as well as riding what is considered normal mountain biking.  In fact, fat bikes are the fastest growing segment in the bike industry.

The biggest plus in newer fat bike models is they’re getting lighter. Bike parts and  fat bike tires are easier to get. And, there are more models to choose from.  The best part?  There are just more people out there riding fat bikes.

There are races too! The 2014 – Abominable Winter Adventure Run and Fatbike Race scheduled for January 25, 2014 is held at over 10,000 feet. This fun fat bike race is an opportunity to get some fun, winter FATtire competition. around an amazing groomed terrain and a Rocky Mountain backdrop.  Get off the trainer and on to your new fat bike!

Discover the fat bike craze for yourself! Look at it. It is waiting for you to come get it. The Fatback 190 20″ at Peak Cycles in Golden, Colorado.

The Fatback 190 20in at Peak Cycles in Golden, Colorado

The Fatback 190 20in at Peak Cycles in Golden, Colorado