Chris Boardman: "Helmets not even in top 10 of things that keep cycling safe"

British Cycling policy advisor Chris Boardman says it’s time for the cycling community to put the debate about mandatory cycle helmets to bed and get across the message that helmet use is one of the least important cycling safety measures.

Source: Road.cc

Good reason to bike!

Source: Reddit

Lance Banned For Life

Lance will be banned for life by USADA and stripped of his 7 Tour Titles. What the heck..I'm still a fan. He beat cancer. He help others with cancer via his foundation. That's what matter most. In fact, he beat other who doped too, so life goes on.

Here is Lance's statement.

Photo from NY Times.

Static Stretching

The reality: "Stretching cold muscles, tendons and ligaments can actually harm them since they are relatively stiff to begin with," Olson says. "Instead, warm up your muscles at the beginning of a workout by doing dynamic movements, such as walking briskly for five minutes, performing half-squats with just your body weight, and marching with high knees. These activities will increase circulation of oxygen-rich blood to your muscles and literally warm them -- increase their metabolism, which produces heat. Save static stretching for the cooldown part of your workout, when your muscles are very warm and extensible."

Source: HuffPost Living Canada/ Photo from workout-planet.com

Bradley Wiggins wins 2012 Tour de France

Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider to win the Tour de France as compatriot Mark Cavendish claimed a fourth consecutive final-stage victory.

Wiggins, 32, finished in the chasing peloton in Sunday's final stage around the streets of Paris with a winning margin of three minutes and 21 seconds.

Fellow Brit and Team Sky team-mate Chris Froome consolidated second place with Italy's Vincenzo Nibali third.

Source: BBC Sports

Coconut Water

Basically, coconut water is like natural Gatorade. Like Gatorade, it contains water, simple carbohydrates (or, sugar), and electrolytes (or, minerals). Compared to a sports drink made with refined sugars,  artificial flavoring,  and blue food coloring, I’d say coconut water represents a solid upgrade. However, the benefits of sports drinks—whether natural or artificial—tend to be somewhat oversold.


Most sports drinks are consumed by people who aren’t exercising hard enough to need electrolyte replacement or benefit from additional carbohydrates. They end up consuming more calories than they’re burning.  Here are my general guidelines for sports drinks: If you’re exercising very hard for more than 60 minutes, or in extremely hot conditions, a drink containing sugar and minerals can enhance your performance. Otherwise, plain water works just as well—and saves you some calories.

Source: Nutrition Diva

Good luck, Lance

Not that I condone the use of drugs in professional cycling but you have to give it to Lance. Every top cycling during his time- Pantani, Basso, Ullrich, Landis, Hamilton, Zabel, Cantador and others were doing it, and they still can't beat the guy. So whether he cheats or not, (I would say NO because it's fair and square), he still a fantastic cyclist. The fact that the race is so tough and they all need to have superhuman effort to just finish the race so much so to win it! So good luck Lance, I am still a fan.
Photo from Wikipedia.

Cycling

Source: Reddit.com

Dual Platform Pedal

Shimano PD-A530 pedal is my favourite pedal mainly because it is a Road Touring Pedal. It has dual platform which one is the SPD pedal and the other is flat platform. I love to ride wearing my Touring Shoes with SPD cleat because I love the secure grip on the pedal especially when spinning or pushing/pulling pedaling during climbing. I also feel safe when standing on the bike with the SPD pedal as it grips the cleat and prevent slipping. But sometimes for short rides to the shop, i prefer wearing sandals. So, the flat platform will be suitable for it.

Kick Stand

Bike Kick Stand is another accessories that is under-rated by most cyclist. For the roadies, they like to rest they bikes on the wall or using the pedal to rest it on the kerbs. For them, it will do just fine for their lightweight bikes. Furthermore, kickstand will only add more weight to their bikes, But for touring cyclist, additional weight and aerodynamics are not their main concern. They want everything to be practical. Since their bikes are too heavy with loads at the rear, So it is very important to ensure that the bicycle is stable when standing. And this can be done by having a kick stand fixed onto your frame. Greenfield Kickstand like in the picture is fixed onto both seat & chain stays.

Source: vwvagabonds.com

During ride food

Snickers Bar is one of the favourite food to eat during riding because it is chocolate and very convenient to carry due to its bar form. It also has good amount of carbohydrates, protein & fat that are important for fueling during rides.

Personally, I like Snickers because of it taste i.e.  its combination of chocolates, nougat, caramel & peanuts which give better taste satisfaction that other chocolate bars.

Fenders

Fenders are probably the most underated bicycle accessories. Not many cyclist consider this gadget as important as others. Maybe some cyclist are trying to reduce the weight of their bike by minimizing its accesories.

Nevertheless, as a touring cyclist, fenders are meant to protect our bike & our clothing from dirt when riding on wet roads. It is so convenient to simply riding throught puddle of water rather than avoiding it especially when riding at fast speed or in the rain.

Photo from eHow.com

Butterfly Handlebars

Butterfly Handlebar is popular among the commuters & touring cyclist in Europe than their counterparts in the North America. Recently, there were quite a demand for it in Malaysia by budding touring cyclist.
What I like about the handlebar is its flexibility to raise its level to be higher so that I can be more upright during riding and also it has more space to hold on. These are importants as we touring cyclist will spent more time on the bike when on tour. It can be purchased via online from overseas bicycle stores or from local seller e.g. mudah.com.my.

Photos from flickr/ twospokes.com

Protein improves your post ride recovery

Prolonged and intense endurance training like cycling increases your protein requirements for two reasons. Firstly, you need more to compensate for the increased breakdown of protein during training. When muscle glycogen stores become low (around 60-90 minutes of endurance training) certain amino acids known as branched chain amino acids which make up a substantial proportion of muscle protein (see box below) can be used for energy.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly for cyclists, protein is vital for the repair and recovery of muscle tissue after a ride. It’s in this post-recovery phase that you may need to rethink what you’re eating. Not only should you be rebuilding your fuel stores immediately after a ride, but you also need to repair damaged muscle fibres as soon as possible.

Eat the wrong foods after training and you’ll end up exhausted with sore, aching legs. If you eat right then your body will get stronger, fitter and recover faster.

Protein-rich foods have additional benefits too – they are involved in producing neurotransmitters, chemical messengers in the brain keeping you alert, focused and energised. They also slow down the release rate of glucose into the bloodstream, helping stabilise blood sugar between rides, and containing energising nutrients such as B vitamins, iron and zinc.

Source: Bike Radar

Haters Gonna Hate!

Can't buy bike, just build one. Just check out the brakes..awesome!

Source: Reddit.com

How many eggs can you eat per day?

You eat 40 whole eggs per week. 5 to 6 eggs daily at breakfast. You eat them with veggies, really like them and feel full of energy at the gym each time your day starts with an omelet.

But everyone tells you you're crazy eating so many eggs. They tell you eggs are unhealthy because they're full of cholesterol. You'll clock your arteries and die if you continue. Sounds familiar? Truth or myth? Let's see.

Why People Say Eating Lots of Eggs is Unhealthy. Eggs contain high amounts of cholesterol. 1 large egg has about 200mg cholesterol and 5g of fat. Almost half of that fat is saturated fat.

The logic is that since eggs are high in cholesterol, a high egg consumption will increase your blood cholesterol. So by cutting eggs from your diet, your blood cholesterol will decrease. This, however, isn't how your body works.

Facts on Cholesterol. You can find studies showing that high cholesterol levels will make you live longer and more immune to infections & diseases than low cholesterol levels. More facts:

• Your Body Makes Cholesterol. Your liver makes 3-6x more cholesterol than you can get eating eggs and other animal products.
• Cholesterol is Vital To Your Body. You need it for the production of steroid hormones like Testosterone and to build & repair cells.
• Dietary Cholesterol Isn't Bound to Blood Cholesterol. There's no relation to cholesterol & saturated fat intake to higher cholesterol levels.

Benefits of Eating The Egg Yolk. Eating the yolk makes your life easier since you don't have to separate it from the egg white each time. Eating the yolk is also healthier for 3 reasons:

• More Vitamins. The yolk is full of vitamins A, D, E. Vitamin D is especially important since most people lack vitamin D.
• Twice The Protein. Eating whole eggs doubles the protein intake you'd get eating egg whites only: the yolk contains half the protein.
• Increased Testosterone Levels. Saturated fat and cholesterol increase testosterone production. Both are heavily present in the egg yolk.

How to Protect Yourself Against Heart Diseases. This is the real concern people have regarding cholesterol. Some things you can do.

• Lose Fat. People with high cholesterol usually have excess body fat. Read the article on fat loss and apply.
• Exercise. This will make you lose fat and improve your health. CheckStrongLifts 5x5 if you don't know where to start.
• Eat Healthy. No more junk food, sodas, artificial trans-fats and refined sugars. Apply the 8 nutrition rules.
• Get Antioxidants. Like berries and green tea. These keep your LDL particles acting normal, preventing blockage in arteries.
• Relax. Stress can negatively influence your cholesterol levels. Relax, take breaks, exercise, think positive, ...
• Avoid Drugs. Cholesterol lowering drugs are harmful to your liver in the long-term and useless if you don't eat healthier, exercise and lose fat.

If you tried the above and your cholesterol levels haven't improved, then MAYBE you're part of the minority of the population who's genetically predisposed.

Source: StrongLifts.com / photo from FueledbyEggs.com

Bicycle Touring is more fun!

Bicycle Touring allows you to be yourself. In fact, you can be a fashionista by wearing any kind of shirts and pants instead of those body-tight Lycra jerseys and tights. Also, you can wear any type of shoes or sandals (people wearing high heels can be seen in Denmark) instead of those racing shoes. And finally, you can wear caps or no helmets instead of those colourful cycling helmets. It's simply more fun!

Furthermore, bicycle touring allows you be more relax, funny and more interactive with your fellow cyclist. Hence the ride will be more enjoyable!

Let's travel on bikes.

Source : Pic from travellingtwo.com

Bike Anatomy

This is simply awesome!

Malaysia's favourite breakfast

Nasi Lemak is Malaysians' favourite food for breakfast.The rice which is cooked with coconut milk and pandan. Eat with fried anchovies and peanuts. Sambal (thick chili sauce), cucumber and eggs complete this famous national dish.

According to Star Online, 1 serving of Nasi Lemak is 644 calories. Add another 290 calories for a fried chicken. Meanwhile, 1 piece of Roti Canai (or Prata) + dhal gives you 360 calories. While Roti Telur is 414 calories. Teh Tarik is 83 calories and 2 half-boiled eggs & plain Roti gives you 227 calories.

There you go people! Malaysian cyclist whether they are riding or not still favour these dishes despite high calories over some 'mat salleh' food for breakfast. No wonder, it is hard to lose weight even on bike tour!

Which drink is better?

What drink is best for getting and staying hydrated during exercise? Should you choose water? Are sports drinks best? What about juice or carbonated soft drinks? Coffee or tea? Beer?

Water

The natural choice for hydration is water. It hydrates better than any other liquid, both before and during exercise. Water tends to be less expensive and more available than any other drink. You need to drink 4-6 ounces of water for every 15-20 minutes of exercise. That can add up to a lot of water! While some people prefer the taste of water over other drinks, most people find it relatively bland and will stop drinking water before becoming fully hydrated. Water is the best, but it only helps you if you drink it.

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks don't hydrate better than water, but you are more likely to drink larger volumes, which leads to better hydration. The typical sweet-tart taste combination doesn't quench thirst, so you will keep drinking a sports drink long after water has lost its appeal. An attractive array of colors and flavors are available. You can get a carbohydrate boost from sports drinks, in addition to electrolytes which may be lost from perspiration, but these drinks tend to offer lower calories than juice or soft drinks.

Juice

Juice may be nutritious, but it isn't the best choice for hydration. The fructose, or fruit sugar, reduces the rate of water absorption so cells don't get hydrated very quickly. Juice is a food in its own right and it's uncommon for a person to drink sufficient quantities to keep hydrated. Juice has carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes, but it isn't a great thirst quencher.

Carbonated Soft Drinks

When you get right down to it, the colas and uncolas of the world aren't good for the body. The acids used to carbonate and flavor these beverages will damage your teeth and may even weaken your bones. Soft drinks are devoid of any real nutritional content. Even so, they taste great! You are more likely to drink what you like, so if you love soft drinks then they might be a good way to hydrate. The carbohydrates will slow your absorption of water, but they will also provide a quick energy boost. In the long run, they aren't good for you, but if hydration is your goal, soft drinks aren't a bad choice. Avoid drinks with lots of sugar or caffeine, which will lessen the speed or degree of hydration.

Coffee and Tea

Coffee and tea can sabotage hydration. Both drinks act as diuretics, meaning they cause your kidneys to pull more water out of your bloodstream even as the digestive system is pulling water into your body. It's a two-steps-forward-one-step-back scenario. If you add milk or sugar, then you reduce the rate of water absorption even further. The bottom line? Save the latte for later.

Alcoholic Beverages

A beer might be great after the game, as long as you were the spectator and not the athlete. Alcohol dehydrates your body. Alcoholic beverages are better for hydration than, say, seawater, but that's about it.

The bottom line: Drink water for maximum hydration, but feel free to mix things up a bit to cater to your personal taste. You will drink more of what you like. In the end, the quantity of liquid is the biggest factor for getting and staying hydrated.

Source: about.com/chemistry / photo from beginning nutrition