Life Time Fitness : Blog List - Cycling

VIDEO: Coach Troy's Stable of Road Bikes

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:53:17 GMT

Coach Troy is a bike geek. He's been riding for over 20 years, has owned two bike shops and has been working in the bicycle and fitness industry since the early 1990's. In this video clip taped in front of his house in Tucson AZ, Troy previews his current collection of road bikes.

Top iPhone Cycling Apps

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:06:02 GMT

iPhones should be properly stowed while you are on your trusty cycle, but below are some stellar apps for the iPod Touch and iPhone that will assist on the ride and keep track of the precious details. Take advantage of the tech tools out there and take your training to the next level.

Bicycle Gear Calculator

This valuable app/tool helps you evaluate current or potential Gearing Ratios, calculate Gain Ratios, Gear Inches, and Development. Use the Skid Patch Analyzer to visualize and minimize your fixed-gear’s tire wear. Explore equivalent gearing configurations that let you reuse parts you already have.

B.iCycle

Accurate values for current speed, average speed, maximum speed, total distance, trip distance, current altitude, climbed altitude, burned calories as well as trip time

MapMyRide

iMapMyRide features real time tracking with distance, time, pace and speed display. It integrates with MapMyRide.com and Twitter.

iRPM

iRPM+™ is a cardio fitness system and cycling computer for the iPhone that is compatible with a growing list of fitness sensors. Customize your dashboards to view and track fitness metrics like heart rate zones and calories burned, and cycling metrics like speed, distance and power.

Bike Your Drive

Released by REI, Bike Your Drive will help cyclists track, view, and share their bicycling experience. REI says the app will let riders view their progress, pinpoint their mileage, and upload geotagged photos. Skip the gasoline and burn some calories.

5 Cycling Mistakes

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:13:12 GMT

Frustration comes in many forms, but it generally stems from something being off, wrong or missing. If you are having trouble on the bike and feel that something is awry, check these possible causes, they may be holding you back from smooth sailing... or rather, cycling. If you want to be faster and more confident on your bike, it's not just a matter of putting the miles in and getting fitter. You also need to think about good technique and preparation. Simple mistakes gobble up time/effort on the road/trail, but these can be easily corrected, resulting in more confidence, less energy consumption and higher speeds.

Poor cornering technique

Smooth cornering is essential to riding. Not all paths are the straight and narrow, or rather, all the fun ones have curves, so adjust your speed as you approach the turn and avoid the brakes while cornering.

Make sure your inside pedal is up and press down on the outside pedal. Lean the bike, as opposed to steering it, keeping your body weight centered over the bike and look ahead to where you are going because turns can hide blind spots for other riders and cars on the road. Be safe out there.

Sharp braking on descents

Light, gradual, simultaneous pressure on both brakes is more effective than sharp braking. Abrupt braking can lead to a loss of control on a descent, and above all else, you want full control when you're on a ride.

Try the on/off technique to prevent brakes overheating. On the road, try sitting up instead of braking, as this increases wind resistance and will slow you down.

Practice on hills you’re familiar with,each time applying the brakes a little less. Also practice with experienced riders and try to follow their line of travel.

Wrong gears on climbs

Climbs can intimidate, you want to adjust in time so that you not making a drastic switch too late. If you have to switch from a high gear to a low one once you start climbing then you risk dropping the chain. Cycling up a hill in a high gear means your muscles recruit more fast-twitch muscle fibers. Fast-twitch fibers fatigue quickly and take a long time to recover. If you change to an easier gear and higher cadence, you conserve energy and save your fast-twitch fibers for later.

Saddle too high or too low

Seat/saddle height is crucial. You risk injury if it’s too high or too low, and reduce the power you can generate. Here’s a simple test: sit on the bike, and at the bottom of the pedal-stroke the leg should be almost straight but the heel should stay on the pedal without stretching.

Bike isn't prepared or maintained

You have your body conditioned and your techniques refined, but you've neglected your bikes needs. How selfish. Ensure you’ve checked your bike over – that all bolts are tight and pedals are secure, chain is oiled and saddle is at correct angle.

Make sure your tires are free from cuts and properly inflated and memorize how to make that quick tire change should you encounter a blow-out. Ensure brakes are not touching the wheel and that it spins freely. Check that brake pads/blocks aren't worn. Finally, the caliper brakes found on road bikes can get knocked in transport, so check before setting off.

Poolside Studio: West County, MO

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:26:23 GMT

(Life Time Fitness; West County, MO)

Taking it to the... pool. Life Time Fitness in West County, Missouri brought their cycle studio outside. It took a team to move all of the bikes onto the pool deck, but the sunset and breeze made the effort well worthwhile. Cycle instructors Robert "Ironman" Whitehead and Laura Brueggemann hosted the packed event sponsored by Toyota Venza. Registration filled up within three days and the place was buzzing. The two hour event included giveaways of gym bags with water bottles, Clif bars, sunscreen and Troy Jacobson "Spinervals" DVDs. One lucky rider took hone a kinetic trainer at the end of the event. Everyone was smiling through the sweat and energy was sky high. This event is being held throughout the country so check with your club about the next one. If you missed it, enthusiasm will bring it back. Get out and enjoy those sun rays.

Amore e Vita; Metlushenko & Team Dominate Univest Grand Prix

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:21:19 GMT

(Yury Melusheko trying New Leaf CO2 testing at Life Time)

~Doylestown, PA

Team Amore e Vita (presented by Life Time Fitness & Velo Vie) took more glory in Pennsylvania courtesy of powerhouse sprinter Yury Metlushenko. Metlushenko won the Univest Grand Prix criterium for the second year in a row. This was the 4th victory in a row in three days of racing for Amore e Vita.

"We did 'Poker'," says team manager Cristian Fanini, "we won everything possible: team time trial, road race, criterium, overall classification, best sprinter jersey and team classification. Our guys were incredible for all the three competitions, they were all just perfect. This was a memorable trip for us, I want to thank the sponsors Life Time Fitness and Velo Vie because without their help and support, this wouldn't be possible at all, hopefully they are proud of us and of our work."

Sunday's race was fast, but the Amore e Vita team lead it from the beginning and controlled the advantage throughout the race. With only a few laps to go, riders from Team Garmin, Team Kelly Benefits and Team Ouch tried to attack but were immediately chased by Amore racers: Philipp Mamos, Vlodymr Starchyk, Fabio Gilioli and Vladislav Borisov. The last lap couldn't have been mapped out more perfect for the team. Mamos took the lead at one km to go and went full bore 500 meters to the finish line. Poised and ready for the hustle to the end Amore support rider Sergiy Grechyn (finished 6th) started sprinting to lead out A&V captain Yury Metlushenko, who at 250 meters absolutely obliterated opponents with unbelievable acceleration. Nobody could contend with his power and Metlushenko won by five bicycle lengths. The rugged workhorse Metlushenko celebrated by kissing his Life Time & Velo Vie jersey and showing a broad smile.

Up next is the exciting USA Crit Final in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Check back often for exclusive Amore e Vita news, features, and content.

Amore e Vita 1-2-3 Win at Univest Grand Prix

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:02:26 GMT

(left to right Volodymyr STARCHYK , Philipp MAMOS ,

Andrew TALANSKY , Richard ENGLAND ,

Yuri METLUSHENKO , Chad GERLACH)

-ALLENTOWN, PA

Team Amore e Vita (presented by Life Time Fitness & Velo Vie) blazed their way to a 7.7 mile team time trial victory on day one of the Univest Grand Prix in Pennsylvania. With a sizzling 16:21 time, they easily held off the field. Second place Team Garmin was twelve seconds back, Swedish Team Cikle City was thirteen back for third and Lance Armstrong's Team Trek/LiveStrong fell to fourth, sixteen seconds behind.

The day was all Amore e Vita. Philipp Mamos (Germany) sailed accross the finish first, with teammates Volodymyr Starchyk (National champion of Ukraine) and Russian Vladislav Borisov (not pictured) wrapping up the one-two-three. The trio will don the leaders jerseys tomorrow. Yellow leader jersey for Mamos, King of the Mountain jersey for Starchyk and the points jersey for Borisov.

After the race, a pleased, but unsurprised Team ManagerCristian Fanini beamed, "All the guys did an unbelievably great job, our goal was to win tomorrow, however I knew we were going to be the best team, so this victory isn't something unexpected. Now we look further, we want to take the win tomorrow and I am confident we can deliver results. I would like thank our sponsor Life Time Fitness and Velo Vie for their incredible support. Without their help this wouldn't be possible. This amazing victory is for them!"

Tomorrow the road race in Souderton PA, and the team is ready and focused like never before.

Follow the race @
www.univestgrandprix.com
www.twitter.com/UnivestGP

Coach Troy's Endurance Training Tip - Modifying your Training Program

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:15:20 GMT

Training is meant to be fluid... adjusted at times based on how the athlete is feeling. While everyone needs a framework to follow in the form of a structured training schedule, successful athletes learn how their body 'ticks' and develop a high sense of self awareness. They leverage that ability to be intuitive to modify their training plan based on the way they feel...ideally with the help and guidance of their coach.

In this Endurance Tip segment with Coach Troy, he discusses the concept of modifying training based on feel and talks about a recent personal example. Use this information to improve your training process for better results!

~ Coach Troy Jacobson

LIFE TIME ENDURANCE; Power Pedal by Bob Theodore

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:57:17 GMT

Riding a bike efficiently involves skill. In this brief article on the topic of pedaling and cadence, Life Time Fitness and USA Cycling Certified Coach Bob Townsend, goes into the basics of how to turn the pedals more efficiently.

-- Coach Troy Jacobson

POWER PEDAL

by Bob Theodore

Ever notice how the great cyclists make peddling look so effortless. How do they make it look so easy? Natural ability -- absolutely. Lots and lots of miles -- of course. How you pedal affects your efficiency. The smoother you can pedal the more relaxed you can keep your upper body. The more relaxed your upper body the less energy you'll waste. One way to improve your efficiency is to improve your pedaling mechanics. This means learning to pedal smoothly, all the way from top of the pedal stroke, all the way through the bottom. Better know as pedaling in circles. Another way is to pedal at your optimal cadence.

Physiological
The make up of your leg muscles, the ratio of fast twitch muscles vs. slow twitch muscles combined with your fitness will determine your ideal cadence. Low cadence requires us to push harder on the pedals (mashing). To generate this force your leg muscles must recruit faster twitch muscles than slow twitch.

Fast Twitch

Burns glycogen for fuel -- real short supply
Fatigue quickly
Takes a long time to recover

Slow Twitch

Primarily burn fat for fuel -- almost an unlimited supply
Very resistant to fatigue
Recover quickly when allowed to rest

Cadence
The number of times you turn your pedals in a minute is your cadence. Cycling is a power sport. Your power is the product of the force you apply to the pedals times your cadence. You want to pedal as fast as you can with the greatest amount of force you can maintain. For many riders, going faster means shifting to a bigger gear and mashing on the pedals. This doesn't necessarily result in greater speed because bigger gears are harder to turn over. Grinding away in the wrong gear significantly increases the risk of injury, decreases efficiency, and makes riding less fun.

More riders can increase their speed thus ride more comfortably by increasing their cadence. Lance Armstrong demonstrated this with his many Tour de France wins. His cadence was much faster than those of most his pro competitors. Elite cyclists typically have a cadence of between 80 -120 while recreational cyclist pedal at about 60 -- 80 revolutions per minute. Cadence has both a motor-learning and physiological element to it. If you pedal too fast your brain cannot coordinate your muscles so you will lose efficiency. It will be harder to pedal at 90 rpm's in the beginning because you simply are not use to it. It will feel harder at first because you won't be as efficient at the higher cadence. You haven't made the neuromuscular jump. The good news is it will only take a few sessions to make the 'jump'.

For every set of conditions there is an ideal cadence and gear ratio that will allow you to go you're fastest with the least amount of effort. In general, it has been proven in studies that a higher cadence improves efficiency, reduces stress on the knees, and builds aerobic fitness better than a low cadence. However, a rider's comfort often determines the most efficient cadence. Our optimal cadence is likely a combination of the make up of our muscles and our aerobic system. Those that pedal at a lower cadence will have to put out more force than those that spin a lower gear. Faster cadence requires a well developed aerobic system to support the aerobic demand of higher cadence. Lower cadence requires more leg strength to develop the force needed to turn a higher gear.

OK, you've been sold on the value of high cadence vs. low cadence. But what is the optimal cadence? If you're relatively new to cycling (triathlons), you probably riding at a cadence that is below your optimum. During a normal ride aim for smooth pedal stroke between 85 -- 100 rpm's.

You always want to be "quiet on the bike". A still upper body, not jerking your upper body around or swinging side to side to generate power. A still upper body means your energy, focus, and concentration is on your legs, where they need to be. Try to choose gears that allow you to pedal as fast as you can and still feel some pressure on your pedals.

Some training programs prescribe low cadence to train your body to push harder on the pedals. Although there is a place for low cadence, consider the training principle of specificity. If you want to bike faster at 90 rpm's -- then you need to ride your bike faster at 90 rpm's.

Bob Townsend is a veteran triathlete a two time Ironman finisher with 13 years of triathlon experience, nearly 30 years of running experience and 40 years of cycling experience. He is a certified triathlon coach by USA Triathlon and a certified cycling coach by USA Cycling. He also holds certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and a Personal Training certification from American College of Sports Medicine. He has been coaching both runners and triathletes for nearly 7 years. He currently is an Endurance Coach and Personal Trainer for Life Time Fitness. To learn more about Bob and his coaching, Click on his Bio HERE.

Mastering the Road; Flower Mound

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:27:04 GMT

Life Time Fitness members mastered the road this Labor Day. In Flower Mound, Texas, they showed up eager to ride. Sean Thompson conducted a clinic on pace-line and drafting and fielded member's questions. After the instruction, it was time to hit the road. The group started out together and then split so that beginners and experienced members could find a comfortable pace. Great day and great way to spend Labor day.

Master the Road Ride: 9/7/09

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:27:38 GMT

Monday, September 7

Master the Road Ride

Both beginners and advanced cyclists will benefit from this primer on road skills and safety. A 30-minute overview will cover cycling basics such as cornering and braking, followed by a two-hour group ride where you can practice the skills you just learned. Refuel back at LifeCafe with 25% off a protein smoothie. Register online or at the Fitness Services Desk.

FOR MN Cycle Clubs:

What: Life Time Fitness Foundation Charity Ride

When: Monday, September 7

Fee: $35 per person

Cycle for a Great Cause

All Minnesota Life Time Cycle Clubs are invited to enjoy a fun and challenging 30- or 60-mile road ride starting at the Chanhassen club. Afterwards, meet back at the club for our 17th Anniversary Celebration BBQ! Proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities. Sign up HERE