Champions for MS

This page is devoted to our Female Cyclist

This is an excerpt from The Phoenix Girls Gone Riding Team Blog

Top 10 Things Bicyclists Can Be Thankful For
I have read many books about the benefits of positive thinking-it’s a healthy perspective to have that bolsters our spirits. Yet many of us spend far too much time focusing on what is wrong with things and the balance of that time telling others all of the flaws what we have found. We can always think of things to say about how things could be better, but at least at this time of year, the holiday of Thanksgiving tends to steer us toward thinking of things to be thankful for.

With that in mind and in the spirit of the ‘season’ I thought I would list of the…

Top Ten Things Bicyclists Can Be Thankful For:
10. Moisture-wicking material, especially in the colder months, to help keep us dry and comfortable.
9. The invention of the Camelback water backpack to help us stay hydrated, especially in the desert.
8. Drivers who are mindful, watchful and considerate of cyclists. They DO exist.
7. A tiny fringe benefit for bike commuters according to the recently passed ‘Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008′. A $240 annual benefit can help fund bikes, tires, lights, locks etc.!
6. Friendly cyclists who can change a tire in less than the 60 minutes it takes me. I can not say how many times I have been changing my tire when a tire-changing, savvy, bike-mechanic-like person stopped and threw the tube in faster than I could get the valve cover unscrewed.
5. Arizona fall cycling weather. Enough said.
4. Life-saving blinkie lights for that smoky dawn or dusky twilight safe ride.
3. Helpful bike shop staff people who will give you sound advice, treat you with dignity regardless of your cycling ability and give you tips to save money and time.
2. Training ride and group ride leaders. If you ride with a group to train or for pleasure, you know these dedicated, bike-loving people who are reliable and helpful in teaching road rules, pushing some up steep hills and cheerfully planning out a route. Hooray for these folks!
1. Quality, padded or gel chamois bike shorts!

Warm Up
It doesn’t matter how ready I think I am to ride, how limber I feel, when I get on the bike to ride, I feel kind of like I am peddling uphill for the first 30 minutes, even when riding on a completely flat surface. It’s aggravating because if I am riding a short ride before work by the time I am warmed up, the ride is nearly over. It’s those days that I usually hop right on my bike within minute of dragging myself out of bed. Like most people, I am ‘fitting in’ a ride here and there because my schedule is so tight with work and family commitments. I find myself envying the few people I ride with who are retired and leisurely enjoying a bagel and coffee after a weekday morning ride. Sigh.

ANYWAY, the best way to feel your very best and to prevent soreness later is to stretch and warm up a little before a ride. Everyone has their list of things that they KNOW are good for them, yet they avoid like the plaque: green beans; eight hours of sleep; teeth cleanings every six months; and good record-keeping for tax time. When it comes to riding a bike or any kind of exercise, a brief session of stretching can mean the difference between an enjoyable experience of riding and one that causes pain from injury.

When you spend a few minutes lengthening your muscles with a few good stretches, the elasticity of the tissue that your muscles are made of and the tissue that connects your muscles to your bones, improves. Stretching is so important that studies have revealed that young athletes, those in their pre-teens, who stretched before an activity experienced far fewer incidence of osteoarthritis or the arthritis caused by overuse when in their 20s. It’s that important.

One place to find great stretching examples is www.sparkpeople.com. It’s also a great site to commune with other folks who are learning to become active, learning about foods and nutrition and ultimately weight loss and also a place to find out about how to exercise safely.

Here’s a couple of stretching examples from Sparkpeople.com along with some articles further touting the benefits of stretching.

How To Stretch and Benefits of Stretching

Girl Parts and Saddles
At first, every woman riding a bike wonders how in the world anyone could spend more than 15 minutes on a triangular, hard stub that evokes medieval thoughts of torture just by looking at it. I have to laugh when I see that there are actually different kinds of seats depending on how you expect to ride: touring; performance; recreation or all-around. I mean seriously, isn’t it ALL supposed to be RECREATION!

Anyway, I digress. The worst mistake uneducated newbies do is look for the the most cushy, wide, fluffy seat. One word: FRICTION. If one expects to be on a seat for any length of time. If you are going to load up Fluffy, your Shih Tzu and ride to the candy store, by all means, rest your tush on a comfy, scalloped seat that feels like the family couch. If you are going to ride for 15 or more miles with the hope of riding around town, look for a stream-lined all purpose seat that has as little surface touching your sweet cheeks as possible. While this may seem counter-intuitive, it really isn’t. Less surface to rub on your bottom means less friction which means more comfort.

Does this mean you will feel comfort the first time you ride. Mais NON! In fact, the first time you ride, your soup bones will ache after the first five miles. You will be amazed that when you stop to use the rest room, just how amazing it feels to be OFF of the seat. What’s more, you will be surprised at how much it hurts when you get back on 8 minutes after the trip to the potty.

Time in the saddle will eventually lead to the ultimate: NUMBNESS. I am convinced that repeated training rides with gradually increasing distance and length of time in the saddle kills some of the nerves in your bottom. However, whatever it is that makes it possible, regularly increasing your length of rides will render your bottom conditioned for that long ride.

Some Great Seat Options:

Terry’s Liberator X Saddle: The key word is ‘gel’. Gel helps to absorb shock and and cushions a little without creating too much friction. Gel is also a good choice when choosing bike shorts, and riding gloves. This saddle is $85 which is a fairly moderate cost considering you could buy Brooks for hundreds and look like you are riding a Mercedes instead of a Mustang. Available at Terry’s.

Forte Women’s Contour Saddle: Here’s one that’s a little less expensive, however, you are not getting the magic ‘gel’, though still a great option. It runs about $49.99 although at www.performancebicycles.com there are MAD sales and a club that gives you 10% back on every dollar you spend. It is $20 to join the club each year.