Cycling Source Blog

Understanding The Cycling Chamois

When you are new to any sport and particularly cycling there are new terms to understand. You also have to decipher what is best for your particular situation.

Understanding the benefits of the chamois in your bike shorts can greatly increase how much you enjoy your ride.

Here is a short article on better understanding the chamois and how it can benefit you and your riding style.

Enjoy!

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Cycling Shoe Covers - Learn More About Your Options!

Cycling shoe covers, learn what type is the best for wind and rain or you can use another technique to and save your money.

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Limar, Still Leading The Way Lightly!

For those of you who do not know about Eurobike, it is the biggest bicycle trade-show in the world.

At Eurobike manufactures get the opportunity to show off their newest products for the coming year.

At this years Eurobike expo Limar showed off its latest lightweight helmet, the Pro 104 Ultralight!

This helmet weighs in at 170g which is .34 pounds. In other words you will probably not notice the helmet after a short while of riding with it on.

Limar is the leader in ultralight weight helmets for road and mountain riders.

There is a video about Limar's presence at Eurobike. It is a bit long and not very entertaining yet it is informative none the less. http://bcove.me/9dljo334

Now you know the latest about Limar and their Ultralight helmets!!

Are All Carbon Fiber Frames Created Equal?

With the advent of the internet, which brought along easier access to goods from China, India, Taiwan or any other place which sales goods for cheap.

You have an inherent risk with the getting goods from these places, especially carbon fiber bikes. The risk comes in knowing the safety of the bike you have just purchased.

You can get lucky and truly get a good deal from these places. Since the major brands manufacture their goods overseas anyway you might be able to find one of those manufacturers who are selling their own brand with the same standards of quality.

If you can find a place which does this than you could very likely get a great buy on a new carbon bike.

In the article above you can learn more about the risks associated with overseas purchases of such items as carbon fiber bikes or wheels.

It is important you understand the potential risks before you purchase such a product.

You could find a diamond in the rough and be perfectly fine with your purchase.

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Limar Helmets - Ultralight Cycling Helmets

Find out whether Limar Helmets are some of the lightest available.

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Bicycle Rain Gear - Staying Dry In Wet Conditions

Learn what to look for before you buy bicycle rain gear to make sure you get what you really want.

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do i have to buy cleats if i buy a pair of cycling shoes

do i have to use cleats when using cycle shoe

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Tour de France - Behind the Scenes

Having been watching the Tour on TV you definitely do not see all of what goes on 'behind the cameras'.

It is interesting to find out about the dynamics of the Tour de France and how things work with all the vehicles plus the riders.

This is how the convoy of vehicles works as the dynamics of the race unfold each day.

I found this article very informative about how things work during this epic race.

This article has some great pictures and it is from someone who has actually ridden in a vehicle during this epic race!

Enjoy and I hope this article is as helpful and informative to you as it was me!

Finding what happens behind the scenes is always fun to find out in my opinion!

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BMC Road Bike - Made With Swiss Precision!

Find out about what BMC road bike is a good one for entry-level road bike rider.

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Utah Road Bike Race - A Ride Which Will Make You Sweat And Allow You To Have Fun Too!

Utah road bike race benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. What do you normally get for your registration fees? Do think you should get more or better stuff?

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The Suns Rays and Cycling

After riding over the weekend and being out in the sun in general, I wondered what precautions should be taken when riding with the full amount of the sun's rays beating down on you?

Always wear clothing with UV protection. It is not fun to realize you got burned after the fact when it is to late and uncomfortable.

Cover the backs of your hands, legs and anything else which is exposed to the sun's rays for long periods of time with sunscreen.

Some of the parts of your body which get over looked is the lips, ears and nose. The lips in particular can be rather painful if burnt. I know I have done it!

Also added precautions can be get all moles or dark spots which show up on your skin checked out for possible melanoma. Caught early and it is much easier to get treated and not have lasting repercussions.

Always be vigilant when being in the sun for prolonged periods of time by applying sunscreen or wearing protective clothing.

Be safe and have a fun ride!

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The 5 Most Common Bicycle Problems And How To Fix Them

The 5 most common problems are:FlatsNoisy BrakeWobbly WheelNeed To Be Lubed ChainNeglected Bike

Some of these problems can be prevented and others just happen.

The flat tire happens to everyone sometime somewhere. You can take precautions by getting puncture resistant tires and tubes. For an extra layer of protection you can get a thick tire liner which helps prevent flats.

Even though you take all these precautions there is no guarantee you will not get a flat. When you do get one, make sure you find the cause of the flat by running your fingers around the inside of the tire. This makes sure you get out whatever cause the flat in the first place.

Noisy brakes most likely happen because the brakes are hit the rim straight on instead of at an angle. The other general reason you get brake noise is because the brake pads are dried out.

To prevent these two causes is to replace the pads when they get dried out and/or make sure the front of the pad hits the rim before the back of the pad. This makes brake noise less likely.

Wobbly wheels come from the loosening of the spokes over time. These are best fixed by a bike mechanic. If you are the mechanical type and would like to do it yourself it is possible. That is a topic for another discussion.

When your chain starts making excessive noise or you notice it is getting a bit harder to turn the cranks, you are probably in need of a chain lube. Before you lube it make sure it is well cleaned and free of grim and grit. Following the cleaning put on a lube of your choice, let it sit for a few minutes than wipe off the excess lube. Keeping your bike chain lubed will help it stay running smoothly and efficiently. You will probably have to lube your chain a few times during your riding season.

The neglected bike is the worst offender of them all. When you neglect your bike it can cause all kinds of problems down the road. A neglected bike usually takes a bit of money to get it back to a good functioning machine again.

You can prevent most major problems by having your bike inspected once to twice a year. Also storing it out of the weather is another way to keep it running smoothly and preventing major problems from developing.

Make sure you look after and care for your bike and it will serve you well for many years to come.

Happy riding and enjoy the scenery!

The All-Mighty Sandwich: How Cyclist Can Make The Best of Them!

You might not have considered using a sandwich as fuel on your ride, yet it is very handy and easy to eat while riding.

There are some sandwiches which are easy to eat while riding than others, such as the PB&J sandwich.

Others which might not be as easy to eat while riding are peanut butter, banana and bacon or a New York Hero which is meat, lettuce, tomato and peppers.

This seems like it would not be very easy to eat without losing part of it while riding.

There are other sandwiches which could easily be taken along and eaten.

Wraps are much more portable and easier to manage than a tradition bread sandwich, in my opinion.

Whatever your preference is there are some good sandwich options for you to look and try.

Take a look at the link!

Enjoy your ride!

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Nike Lance - yellow

I would like to buy a Nike Lance bike shoe, the yellow one. US 10 or European 43 size. Where can I buy that? Kind regards, Elio

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Can Cocoa Help You In Your Cycling?

For chocolate enthusiasts, what you are about to learn can be 'music' to your ears!

Cocoa can decrease your blood pressure especially following a riding session.

"Researchers from Australia have found that consumption of a cocoa flavonol-rich drink may help to lower blood pressure, boost blood flow to the muscles and lessen the demands placed on the heart during exercise."

Some of the other benefits to a flavonol-rich cocoa are the following:

enhanced energy productionbone and joint healthmuscle recovery and sorenessimmune supportmuscle growth and repair

This does not mean you want to go to your local grocery store and load up on Snickers!

You want to get high quality cocoa. High quality chocolate is made up of at least 70% cocoa solids.

Getting raw chocolate would be ideal yet this might not be possible in your area.

Raw chocolate leaves the cocoa bean in its natural state, meaning it has not been cooked, gone through lots of processing or had 'filler' ingredients added.

Getting foods which have gone through minimal processing is always best!

You can read more about the research which has been done and get more details related to chocolate by Nutritionist Christine Bailey.

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Vittoria Bicycle Tires - Find Out More About These Italian Rolling Beauties

Vittoria bicycle tires, learn which tire is the best option for high mileage and puncture resistance.

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Bicycle Repair Tool - There Is More Than Sockets and Wrenches

Bicycle repair tool comes in different shapes and sizes depending on what you want to do. Doing repairs yourself can be fun!

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Find Out What You Should Know About Riding Strong

Counting to 3 is all you need to know how to do when it comes to proper nutrition for cycling training!

Ok, it is a little more complex than this yet you get the idea.

Getting your portions correct is a very important part of the healthy eating equation.

Your meal should be made up of three parts, 1/3 energy foods, 1/3 functional foods, and 1/3 health foods.

Energy foods are your slow-release carbohydrates. This category includes foods such as peanuts, rolled oats, sweet potatoes and brown rice.

Functional foods are where you get the building blocks for your body, proteins. You can probably guess what these foods are. Here is a list anyway so you do not have to rack your brain too hard. They include foods such as meats, fish, peanut butter, and almonds.

Health foods is where you get your antioxidants and other nutrients. These foods include your fruits and vegetables.

Now you know what food portions you should eat to keep yourself going strong and to minimize recovery times.

Enjoy your training rides and every other ride.

For more details read the article from Dr. Kevin Currell at the above link.

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Castelli Cycling Clothing - Are They The Innovative Leader?

Find out what innovations Castelli cycling clothing has brought to the market and how much their clothes cost.

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my own

My Cycling Recovery My dream has always wanted to be in the tour de France, or at least cycling with some competitors. Not to long ago I was in a brutal

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