Cycling, like all sports, comes with its fair share of injuries. In fact, 94% of cyclists experience some kind of overuse injury in the span of one year – 45% being injuries to the lower back and 23% being an injury to the knees, a Norwegian study found. Fortunately, there’s a number of ways cyclists can prevent common injuries, such as delayed onset muscle soreness, saddle sores, and lower back pain.
Electric bikes (e-bikes) are growing in popularity across America, with sales in 2019 up by almost 25% compared to 2018. As any bike rider will know, it’s crucial that you regularly clean your bicycle to keep it looking great and working well, but with an e-bike, routine cleaning is even more essential as it helps to protect all the electrical components that make your bike function. But just how do you effectively and safely keep your e-bike looking pristine?
Ernest Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was a great fan of sports, most notably bullfighting and fishing. He also followed cycling, particularly the 1920s six-day races in Paris, which – along with horse racing – were among his pastimes chronicled in A Movable Feast (see notes 1).
Around 33% of Americans have facial hair, as well as many cycling legends like Bradley Wiggins and Dan Craven. However, there is a widespread belief that any body hair at all negatively impacts aerodynamics, which could actually slow you down as you ride. It may only make the tiniest difference, but over long distances, it could add up and cost a cyclist first place in a competition. If you are a passionate cycler but love your facial hair, then you are probably wondering if there is an effect at all and, if so, how big that effect is. A beard is a great way to stay warm during winter cycling, but is it having an effect on your time?
Motion sickness is a common condition, and 1 in 3 people are likely to experience it at some point in their lives. While this condition is often associated with car travel, some people may also experience dizziness or nausea while riding a bike. However, it’s important to know that feeling nauseous while cycling isn’t caused by the same factors that contribute to motion sickness while riding in vehicles. Moreover, it can be prevented, if you take precautions and look after your health before and after riding. If you feel nauseous while cycling or after your ride, here’s how you can kick motion sickness to the curb.
The onset of ice and snow is no reason to leave the bike at home, but it is undeniable that cold weather brings greater risks to cyclists. According to one October 2018 study published in the Safety Science journal and primarily geared towards testing the effectiveness of yellow vests, there is a 10% increased risk of accidents during winter.
Mallorca also spelled Majorca, is known as a paradise for cyclists who year after year descend on the island in their thousands. They’re attracted by the country’s unique cycling challenges and breathtaking views. The roads are smooth, winding, and diverse featuring mountain climbs, country lanes, and undulating roads that are a pleasure to ride.
“Graeme Obree, Athlete or Genius?”, is a short film published by the Endura Official channel on YouTube. Endura is a cycling clothing company which was founded in Scotland in 1993. In this short film, they tested the positions invented by Graeme Obree, “The Flying Scotsman”. Using these positions (the “praying mantis” and the “Superman”), Obree broke the Hour Record twice (1993, 1994) and became the 4000 m pursuit World Champion, also twice (1993, 1995).
July 9, 1925: in this historic photo, the legendary Italian cyclist Ottavio Bottecchia approaches to the finish line at Tour de France 1925 stage 13, a 275 km going from Nice to Briançon. The monster stage had featured three major ascents, all above two thousand meters: Col d’Allos (2,250 m), Col de Vars (2,108 m), and Col d’Izoard (2,360 m).
Fellow Italian Bartolomeo Aymo (sometimes written Bartolomeo Aimo), the Alcyon teammate of Bottecchia’s rival Nicolas Frantz won the stage in 13 hours 5 minutes, and 3 seconds. Bottecchia finished in second at 9 min 57 sec, 3 min 40 sec ahead of Frantz, who finished in third and reinforced his yellow jersey. Bottecchia, who had also won the previous year’s edition and became the first Italian to win the Tour de France, started the 1925 Tour by winning the first stage, then he won 6th and 7th stages, and made his Tour victory complete by also winning the last stage.
Today’s historic photo of the day: Lucien Lesna during the 1901 Paris-Brest-Paris, with his support car beside him. I love the heroic era of cycling and the clothing of that era. Lucien Lesna (11 October 1863 – 11 July 1932) was a French racing cyclist. He won 1901 and 1902 editions of Paris-Roubaix.