My name is Linda Hardcastle and I live for my daily exercise. My first love was running, where I competed in intercollegiate cross country and track. I soon after discovered cycling, and have since logged over 50,000 miles on my various bicycles. I currently compete in triathlons, recently learning to love the freedom of open water lake swims. My days are not complete until I experience the rush of moving my body in one activity or another.
My love of sport steered me into my profession. I have a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from Purdue. I have over 20 years of experience in the field, administering exercise and wellness programs through hospitals. I have coached at the college level – working with the Women’s Cross Country and Track teams at Purdue.
If you were to ask me what has brought me my greatest professional satisfaction, I would say that it comes from successfully guiding someone through their exercise experience. Whether this is the novice individual beginning a walking program, or the elite athlete training for nationals, both situations bring me the same joy and sense of accomplishment. I hope to do the same with my writing here for Bicycle Garage Indy.
Did you watch any of the Olympic Women’s Beach Volleyball last summer? If so, you couldn’t help but notice the fluorescent shoulder taping of American Gold Medalist Misty May-Treanor. What was that all about?
Misty was using the latest product available to athletes for injury prevention and/or rehab – Kinesiology Tape. Designed for sore muscles, joints and tendons – Kinesiology Tape offers targeted pain relief and support. This product has taken off so much that it is now available directly to consumers without needing to go through a physical therapist. BGI Fitness is proud to announce that we now carry KT Tape.
KT Tape comes in easy-to-apply, pre-cut strips. These strips will stay in place for up to three days, replete with multiple workouts, showers and even swimming in the pool. The best part is the informative website for KT Tape. Just click on your injured body part, and the video link will provide clear, step-by-step instruction in the proper placement of your tape. For example, this link shows a possible placement for a hamstring injury.
You will quickly come to understand the motto of this exciting new product……
Prevent Injury
Recover Faster
Play Harder
KT Tape is now available at Bicycle Garage and BGI Fitness, along with many other flexibility and therapeutic accessories for any level of exercise or sport.
When you visit Bicycle Garage Indy, BGI Fitness is the same store. Bicycle Garage Indy-North (Dean Rd at East 82nd Street) and Bicycle Garage Indy-South (just seconds west of I-65 on County Line Road)
Bicycle Garage Indy began offering onsite yoga classes for our employees early this year. As I headed to our first class, I wondered how necessary yoga would be to our employees? Many are young and healthy – and most are enthusiastic cyclists. So I assumed I would be surrounded by supple, flexible individuals. And although some folks had tremendous flexibility, the majority of us (myself included) had a long way to go towards a desirable range-of-motion.
Because cycling is such a gentle sport on the joints, injuries are minimal. Therefore, cyclists are rarely forced to consider and examine their own flexibility. But years of cycling will, over time, begin to shorten the muscles of the leg, hip and lower back. If we don’t counteract this muscle shortening with a stretching program, then our range-of-motion will be seriously curtailed. As I looked around at my fellow yoga participants, this muscle tightness was clearly obvious.
After just 4 sessions of yoga over a one-month period, many of us began to see and feel a difference. Unattainable positions were now do-able. Moves that we could at first hold for just seconds were now maintained for 30 seconds or longer. Freedom of movement was noticed in our daily routines. And for those of us plagued with back problems – the discomfort was noticeably less. We have acutely noticed the two-week break from yoga, and are eagerly anticipating its return next week.
So in answer to my original question, “Do cyclists need yoga?” – the answer is a resounding YES! So get yourself a good yoga mat and head out to a yoga class. If your schedule precludes you from joining a group, then train at home. BGI offers a selction of Yoga DVD’s guide you through a safe yoga experience at home OR pick up one of our Pilates kits, which include a mat as well as a Pilates DVD. (Pilates, like yoga, gently stretches the body using controlled movements and a stretch band). Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness offers a number of yoga accessories, including clothing.
When you visit Bicycle Garage Indy, BGI Fitness is the same store. Bicycle Garage Indy-North (Dean Rd at East 82nd Street) and Bicycle Garage Indy-South (just seconds west of I-65 on County Line Road).
Sore or injured muscles used to mandate a visit to a physical therapist. However, the advent of SPRI Foam Rollers and SPRI Tiger Tail Sticks now allow us to do much of our own self-massage. I have used these for years and will continue to use these on a regular basis. But sometimes these products do not allow me to really “dig into” a hot spot, or access a smaller area, such as the Achilles tendon. BGI Fitness is pleased to announce that we now have a tool which can do just that – the Therawheel.
The Therawheel ($59.99 at BGI) has more weight than foam rollers or sticks. This extra weight is what seems to push it deeper into those problem areas. You actually roll a wheel up and down the affected muscle group – resulting in a deep tissue massage. This wheel has both a narrow and wide side – thus allowing it to conform better to the area being worked. The narrow aspect is also what also allows you to get into that smaller Achilles tendon area – an area that traditional foam rollers and sticks cannot reach.
If you are familiar with the concept of trigger points, you understand that a therapist will push hard into one of these hot spots. The initial result for the patient is great discomfort. However, as the therapist continues to push, the muscle will eventually give into this pressure and physically relax. The Therawheel comes with a rounded edge which allows you to perform this trigger point therapy on yourself.
Best of all, the Therawheel website offers video clip demonstrations of its use for a variety of common injuries. You can be sure that you are using it correctly in order to optimize your rehab and recovery.
In summary, I continue to use my foam rollers and sticks for self-massage, particularly of my larger muscle groups. But from there I progress down to my Therawheel, massaging even deeper and/or digging into those painful hot spots. I particularly feel good about this product, as it was locally developed by Certified Athletic Trainer, Tom Jennings.
When you visit Bicycle Garage Indy, BGI Fitness is the same store. Two locations to serve you, North (Indianaoplis, East 82nd Street and Dean Road) and South (Greenwood, just west of I65 on County Line Road).
Does your company offer some form of an Employee Wellness Program? If it is like most, the incentive program for physical activity is probably centered on walking or running. But what about those of you who like to bicycle? Wouldn’t you like to be “rewarded” for your efforts towards good health with your bicycle? Well now you can be!
Bicycle Garage Indy is spearheading a most unique Employee Wellness Program because it centers on bicycling. Not only does our program “reward” employees for their miles on the bike – it also rewards folks as they learn more about bicycling and fitness.
The exciting news is that this Employee Wellness Program is so successful that we are unveiling two additional options for 2013. Now we have a program to match the interests of all the bicycling enthusiasts at your company.
Get Back on Your Bike. Returning for the fourth year, this program is geared to those folks who are literally “getting back on their bikes”. The mileage is gentle and the focus is on comfort and safety. Riders are encouraged to explore many of the paved trails in and around the metro area.
Sport Road Bike. Many of our “Get Back on Your Bike” participants have discovered that they love to bicycle – and they want more! More miles, more speed and more adventures. Thus our new Sport Road Bike program. We will guide your employees through this process of increasing their mileage and transitioning to the roads. Upon completion, they will be ready to tackle one of the premier bike events of up to 50 miles in one day!
Mountain Bike Basics. For those employees who prefer mountain biking through the woods – then this is the option for them! The focus here is not on increasing mileage – rather, it is on increasing skills. Each week we first practice important skills in the parking lot – then hit the trail to practice. Over the four weeks we will be going to ever more challenging wooded trails to practice our ever more expanding skill set.
If you would like to learn more about bringing one or all of these programs to your company, follow this link, or contact our Wellness Director, Carl Bruhn, at cbruhn@bgindy.com.
Do you strength train, but struggle with keeping records of your lifts and number of reps and sets? It can be quite a cumbersome process trying to track all of this data. That is why I am so impressed with a new IPad app now available for use with HOIST strength training gyms. I just downloaded it a few weeks ago and am having a great time learning the ins and outs of it.
When you first open the Hoist app, it asks you which Hoist Gym you have. Once entered, you have at your fingertips a complete library of exercises specific to that gym. You can select one of several pre-configured workouts or create your own. As each exercise comes up, you may view it in one of 3 modes: still picture, animated picture and live video. Don’t like that particular exercise for the bicep, let’s say? Then simply click on the picture of the bicep muscle, and you will see all the alternate exercises which you can use instead to strengthen that bicep muscle.
All data for each exercise gets entered into the program, for quick retrieval at any time. In fact, hit “load last set” and the program immediately retrieves your last weight and reps for that particular exercise. No trying to remember or looking up what weight you used last time.
Another cool feature is the graphing function. Click on any exercise in the library, and you immediately see a graphic representation of your weights lifted and number of reps over a period of time.
The final feature covers your body weight and body metrics. On January 1st I entered my body weight along with pertinent body measurements. As the year goes on, I will (hopefully) see a progressive decline in the above measurements, with graphic representation. Wish me luck!
Want to learn more about the strength training with a Functional Gym? Joey Osborne with Hoist Fitness will be at Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness on February 5th (South) and 6th (North). There will be three hands on training session each evening. Learn more and register (it's free!) at www.bgifitness.com/for/hoistevent.
When you visit Bicycle Garage Indy, BGI Fitness is the same store. North (Indianapolis, Dean Road at 82nd Street) and South (Greenwood, just west of I65 on County Line Rd.)
Does your work take you away from home for extended periods of time? The hotel fitness center will likely offer a treadmill or elliptical for your cardviovascular work, but they rarely offer strength training options.
A simple solution that I have found is to throw a few SPRI Xertubes into my suitcase. These portable yet amazingly versatile tubes allow me to perform a full 30-minute strength training routine in the comfort of my hotel room. If you are new to training with tubes, be aware that they are color-coded for intensity of effort. Yellow is best suited to the beginner and/or person recovering from upper body injury. Green and red work well for the majority of people. For those stronger folks – try the blue or purple. And you are likely to find that SPRI is the same brand used by your fitness club, making your selection even easier.
We keep the five tube colors open and on our BGI fitness wall, so that you can actually play with them to determine the right colors for your strength level. I usually take the green and red tubes with me on my travels.
Want to learn more about the strength training with a Functional Gym? Joey Osborne with Hoist Fitness will be at Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness on February 5th (South) and 6th (North). There will be three hands on training session each evening. Learn more and register for this free event at www.bgifitness.com/for/hoistevent.
When you visit Bicycle Garage Indy, BGI Fitness is the same store. North (Indianapolis, Dean Road at 82nd Street) and in South (Greenwood, just west of I65 on County Line Rd.)
Many understand the need for regular aerobic exercise – as it is essential to maintaining a strong and healthy cardiovascular system. But few understand the equally important need for regular strength training. Read on to see all the ways that strength training can help you to optimize your health:
Controls Your Weight. Muscle burns hotter than fat. So the more muscle you put on your frame, the higher your metabolic rate becomes. Now you are burning more calories 24/7!
Develops Strong Bones. High-impact aerobic activities are not the only way to strengthen your bones. Strength training also stresses the bones in such a way that they respond by becoming stronger and more dense. - an excellent means of warding off osteoporosis.
Reduce Your Risk of Injury. Strong muscles serve to protect your joints from injury. They also contribute to better balance, which is critical to maintaining independence as you age.
Manage Chronic Conditions. Strength training can reduce symptoms of many chronic conditions, including: arthritis, back pain, depression, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.
And the good news is that there is an approach to strength training that fits every individual out there! Traditional home gyms, such as Body Solid and Vectra, offer a well-known approach. Newer functional-style gyms, as seen in Torque and Hoist, offer a greater variety of exercises that more closely mimic our everyday moves. If you have had limited success with weight machines, you might consider using a variety of fitness accessories to meet your goal (e.g. medicine balls, weighted tubes, balance tools). Come on into BGI Fitness to try out all these different approaches to strength training, and see what works best for you!
Want to learn more about the strength training with a Functional Gym? Joey Osborne with Hoist Fitness will be at Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness on February 5th (South) and 6th (North). There will be three hands on training session each evening. Learn more and register for this free event at www.bgifitness.com/for/hoistevent.
When you visit Bicycle Garage Indy, BGI Fitness is the same store. North (Indianapolis, Dean Road at 82nd Street) and in South (Greenwood, just west of I65 on County Line Rd.)
Vision Fitness has always been a provider of outstanding indoor training equipment – including treadmills, ellipticals and bicycles. Now just in time for 2013, they are rolling out new technology which is truly revolutionary – immersing you in exotic locales by playing dynamic, interactive video on your TV. Just how does this work?
When you purchase a piece of Vision equipment, you have the option to add on the Passport System, featuring the Virtual Active Technology. The Passport System allows your fitness equipment to communicate with your TV, and your TV to feedback to your fitness equipment. You select your destination of choice, such as a beautifully wooded trail system. As you begin to move through the forest, you will literally transport to that location. As the video shows you climbing uphill – you will actually feel this terrain change on your equipment. If you jump from walking to running – you will actually see things go by more quickly on the video. You can even mute the audio, thus allowing you to hear the ambient sounds in the video – beautiful birds songs nestled in the woods. Of course, if you prefer to rock to a stronger beat, you can listen to the music embedded into the program OR connect your iPod and jam to your own tunes.
The basic package comes with two destinations: the American Southwest and Northern Italy. But Vision is developing an entire library of other worldwide destinations, which you can purchase online for just $9.99. (Available for select 2013 Vision Fitness treadmills, ellipitical trainers and indoor bikes. Also compatible with Sprint 8 workouts.)
* The two Virtual Active locations will vary.
Over the years, I have joked with others about how great it would be to have such an interactive package, but it always seemed like science fiction. I still cannot believe that this technology is here NOW and available on home units.
For a glimpse into this Virtual Active program, watch the short video clip below or follow this link. I think you will be as amazed as I am. (A demonstration unit is avaialble now at BGI Fitness North, and coming soon to our South store.)
When you visit Bicycle Garage Indy, BGI Fitness is the same store. Bicycle Garage Indy-North (Dean Rd at East 82nd Street) and Bicycle Garage Indy-South (just seconds west of I-65 on County Line Road).
Many runners continue to train outdoors year-round, battling the cold and wind and darkness. But even the most die-hard of runners can find themselves stopped cold when a layer of snow and ice covers the ground. The fear of slippage and a fall is just too great.
For this reason, many runners purchase a piece of home exercise equipment. The most common piece would be the treadmill, as it allows for continued running year-round. And for many runners, this is the perfect choice. But for other runners who are perhaps entering their 50’s and/or are developing some aches and pains – they may wish to consider a lower impact option to complement their training. An elliptical trainer is a perfect example.
Ellipticals come closest to utilizing the same muscles that running does, but in a more gentle, lower impact manner. Replacing an occasional run with an elliptical workout provides an “active rest” day for those overworked calf muscles. The reward comes the next day – when you are able to run harder and longer on those rested legs. So consider carefully before selecting that piece of home exercise equipment.
BGI Ftiness carries both treadmills and elliptical trainers from Vision Fitness and Precor, both being an excellent option for a dedicated runner.
When you visit Bicycle Garage Indy, BGI Fitness is the same store. Bicycle Garage Indy-North (Dean Rd at East 82nd Street) and Bicycle Garage Indy-South (just seconds west of I-65 on County Line Road).
Have you made a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, and plan to use exercise to accomplish this goal? If you are like most people, your plan will likely include some form of regular aerobic exercise – such as walking or running or bicycling. This is a great idea, as you will be burning calories throughout your activity. Did you know that you will also receive extra benefits after your routine? Yes, your metabolic rate may remain elevated for up to 2 hours post-exercise, during which time you will continue to burn calories at a higher rate.
For many years, this is primarily how we fitness professionals encouraged folks to lose weight. But more recently, we have come to learn that aerobic exercise alone will short-change your weight-loss goal. In order to maximize your weight-loss potential, you must combine aerobic activity with muscle strengthening.
The amount of muscle on your frame strongly impacts your resting metabolic rate (rate of burning calories). The more muscle, the the higher the metabolic rate. And keep in mind that this elevated metabolic rate due to greater muscle mass is in effect 24/7, not just during and immediately following exercise. Which leads me to wonder if strength training might be even more impactful on weight loss than aerobic activity?! Now that is something to ponder….
When you visit Bicycle Garage Indy, BGI Fitness is the same store. Bicycle Garage Indy-North (Dean Rd at East 82nd Street) and Bicycle Garage Indy-South (just seconds west of I-65 on County Line Road).
It is fall in the Midwest, which means that winter is not far behind. Certainly time to be thinking how to maintain your bicycle training through the cold months ahead. One option is to use a dedicated piece of indoor cycling equipment – such as the CycleOps Pro Indoor Cycles, available from Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness.
A primary advantage of indoor training bike is that it saves wear and tear on your good road bike (as opposed to placing your road bike onto a trainer) AND it keeps your road bike available for quick rides outdoors when the warm sunshine makes this possible. But there are other advantages of going with a CycleOps Indoor Cycle.
The 4-points of adjustment create a fit and feel that most closely approximates the “feel” of your road bike.
The super stable frame allow you to sprint and climb with wild abandon.
The freewheeling hub lets you coast and recover just like on your road bike.
You do not need to worry about the salt in your sweat corroding the top tube of your road bike. CycleOps Indoor Cycles are designed to withstand this salty corrosion.
These indoor cycles are easily adjustable to multiple family members wishing to use the same unit.
Another advantage with the CycleOps 200, 300 and 400 models is that that included Joule 2.0 computer unit can be matched up with a CycleOps PowerTap™ hub, to give you on-the-road power (watts) output information to help your training.
A very different option is for you to place your road bike onto a trainer, as I mentioned in my earlier blog on Cycleops bicycle trainers.
Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness are the same store! Come in today and test ride our complete selection of Indoor Cycles, trainers, rollers and accessories, at our North Store (Dean Road at E. 82nd, Indianapolis) or Bicycle Garage Indy South (just seconds west of I65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood). A limited selection of trainers are also in stock at BGI Downtown, in the Indy Bike Hub YMCA at City Market.
Morning temperatures are down into the 30’s now – too cold for some of us to venture out for a morning ride. What to do? Consider bringing your winter bicycle training indoors with a indoor bicycle trainer from Bicycle Garage Indy. This is what my entire family has been using for over 20 years now.
A CycleOps trainer from Bicycle Garage Indy is incredibly easy to use. With the fully assembled Pro series, simply slide it out of the box, lock the legs into position, swap out your rear quick release for the all steel one included with the trainer, and mount your bike. That is all it takes to start spinning indoors! Accessories you can add include training mats to protect your home floor, riser blocks for the front wheels, and "trainer-only" tires.
Since we do not have a dedicated exercise room and no basement – up to 4 trainers get set up in our family room over the winter months. However, if we are hosting a party and need that space, we simply return the bicycles to the garage, fold the 4 trainers flat and slide them under the beds for quick storage. Our training room has reverted to a normal family room in a matter of just minutes.
How do we stay motivated to cycle all winter long? We are all advocates of using training DVD titles like the Spinervals and Real Rides series for those long hours in the trainer. Just pop one onto the TV and let the coach take us through a full workout. Without the structure of such a DVD, we all find that our workout is less than inspired and gets cut short.
Find a complete selection of indoor trainers, and all your winter cycling and fitness needs at Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness.
When shopping for a home treadmill, the name Precor jumps out. It certainly has name recognition for being the top-of-the-line brand. That is one of the reason BGI Fitness is a Precor dealer. But just what is it about Precor that makes it such a high quality unit? The discussion below pertains to the 3 series models: 9.31, 9.33 and 9.35.
For one thing, these are basically commercial grade units with just a few additional home components. Most treadmills for home purchase are graded for home use only – significantly different than their more durable commercial grade counterparts.
Give a Precor a test walk or a test run – I think your body will “feel” great the next day. This is due to two innovative technologies. The first technology comes from differing materials under the running belt. The high quality shock absorber under the front part of the belt helps to cushion and absorb the impact of your footstrike, while the stiffer material under the back part of the belt allows you to push off with more force.
The second technology, which is unique to Precor, allows for the different phases of your foot plant. You may not realize this, but your foot hits, then “pauses”, then pushes off again. Think of it as a fast –slow- fast phase. The Precor micro-adjusts down for this “slow” phase, more accurately mimicking your natural gait. The result is greater comfort post-workout.
Another plus for the Precor brand is that over 95% of these 3-series treadmills are made right here in the United States. There is no user weight limit for the larger individual. AND the belts are non-maintenance! That’s right – no belt waxing or sprays for you to deal with. (BGI Fitness does recommend regular treadmill maintenance for other issues.)
Not sure if a treadmill is the right machine for you? Consider an elliptical – Precor was the first to create ellipticals in 1995 and is rated the #1 elliptical in health clubs today!
Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness, serving Indiana fitness enthusiasts since 1983, with stores in Indianapolis (Dean Rd. at E 82nd Street) and Greenwood (Just west of I-65 on County Line Rd).
One of the great things about home strength training equipment today is that it offers you an unlimited number of exercises which you can perform on it. Conversely, one of the bad things about home strength training equipment today is that if offers you an unlimited number of exercises which you can perform on it.
I say bad because so many choices can overwhelm the average user of this equipment. How does one decide which particular exercises to employ? If you want to target a new muscle group, how do you refresh on the different exercise options for that group? What is the best technique for performing these exercises? Guiding the user has been an unmet need in the fitness industry – up until now.
HOIST Fitness (new at BGI Fitness for the 2012) now offers an iPad training app which customizes your strength training program for you. In this simple-to-use ipad app, you go through each major body part, viewing different exercises to target that muscle group. Does the picture not make the movement clear to you? Then click for animation of the photo. Still not clear? Then click on the live video, which leaves no question as to how to perform the exercise properly and with good technique. You then mark your favorite exercises, and they are set into your workout plan. Mark yourself as beginner, intermediate or advanced – and your training program is designed for you. Prefer to move through your routine in a circuit training format? This is done with the click of a button. Monitor your progress with graphic representations of your increasing weight load.
I tend not to be a “techie” individual, but I see this app as being a great way to bring a “personal trainer” into your home. For more information on HOIST Fitness HOIST ipad app, called “MyHOISTiPadApp”, go the the following: http://www.hoistfitness.com/consumer/myhoist/
by Dustin Hardin (Certified Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist Assistant with Tx:Team)
I have been given the opportunity to write a blog on our current outreach program with Bicycle Garage Indy South to help their clients and the active community. Probably the most common question I get when a customer comes to see me, I am asked, “What’s up with this injury screening program and what’s the catch?” It’s incredible how we all second guess programs when they are displayed as “FREE”. The answer…. There is no catch. We at Tx:Team and BGI South want to reach out to the community and provide a platform in which to move forward regarding “tweaks”, “aches”, and possible activity altering injuries. We want to provide a comprehensive screening and education on how to address a potential injury whether it be by seeing a physician, pain management professional, or even look into being fitted on the cycle appropriately. Sometimes I’m there to answer easy questions about stretching, warming up, and how to deal with an achy hamstring. But I guess if you are looking for a “catch”, we would love to follow through with treatment in our clinic if a client finds out that there is a particular need for physical therapy services regarding an injury.
Recently, I have been able to see most if not all of the employees at BGI South and answer some questions about aches and pains. Education is sooo important! Why? Because once a someone understands what’s going on and how to avoid dangerous positions/techniques, there is usually no need for therapy because the potential mechanism of injury has been removed. There have been a few clients that I have recommended to follow up with a physician because it was appropriate and I believe the clients appreciated the recommendation. I’m gonna tell you a little secret. Are you ready? Okay, listen…. We care about you and want you to enjoy your hobby. We care about your health and feel that if we can provide you an opportunity to continue your active lifestyle safely, we’ve done our job! Remember, this is our little secret. If others find out that we care…. Oh boy!
When: Third Thursday of each month 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM. Where: Bicycle Garage Indy South, 997 E County Line Road Greenwood, IN 46143
For more information: Call 317-885-7194 (BGI South)
HOT, HOT, HOT. That is the only way to describe our summer so far. Fortunately, bicycling in this heat is still doable, as the rolling nature of bicycling provides a cooling breeze. That said, we still find ourselves drenched in sweat when the temperature hovers in the high 90 degree position!
After several days of such heat – I do find that I cannot bear the thought of yet another super heated ride. What to do? Head to the trails! We are so fortunate in and around the Indianapolis area, as we have a myriad of bicycle trails to choose from. They afford us such refreshing shade – particularly in the morning and evening hours. I just came off the Monon Trail this morning and I swear there was a 10 degree temperature jump as I left the shade of the trail and emerged onto the roads. Wow! Time to turn around and get back onto that trail.
If you are not familiar with our network of bicycle trails, follow this link to the Indy Greenways website. And if you are avoiding them because of the congestion (they can be really busy over the weekends and after work), then give them a try through the week in the daytime hours.
And even though you are in the shade, you still need to hydrate. You might want to consider the insulated water like the CamelBak Podium Chill bottles and/or a CamelBak hydration pack, which truly keep your ice water COLD for so much longer than the traditional plastic water bottles.
Find a full selection of hydration products from CamelBak, Bontrager and Nathan, along with energy and recovery drinks from Hammer, Clif and PowerBar at all 3 Bicycle Garage Indy locations.
I don’t have an office at work, and I don’t like doing all of my work at home. I find the call of housework and teenagers too distracting. So this summer I have had great fun putting my office on wheels. I load up my commuter bicycle and head out in search of a wireless café or coffee shop. There I can settle in for a morning or afternoon of uninterrupted work.
I chose my Trek hybrid bike for this conversion to commuter bike. I considered some of the really pretty commuter bags that are now being made – my favorite being the Sherpani brand. I love their colors and feminine designs. But surprisingly, I dug up our old, faded Eclipse folding baskets from years ago. They are no longer pretty to look at – but I love the design. Just big open bags that I can drop my supplies in. No need to “pack” things in and then close up the top. Granted, this works well for me, as I am definitely a fair-weather commuter. If I had to contend with the elements (i.e. rain) – then I would definitely opt for the cinched up designs.
You can find very similar bags today, like the Bontrager Grocery Bag ($49.99 ea.), or Arkel Shopper ($94.99 ea.). Both are open top withe a water resistant drawsting cover, and clip to your rear rack. Or the Arkel Metropolitan ($169.99 ea.) is shopping bag sized, but has an over sizes zip closure and carry handles, along with a cover for the pannier hooks.
My favorite routine is to get up and head right out on the bike. Five miles is a good distance for me – just enough to wake me up, loosen up the body and feel good. The round-trip back home makes for a total of 10 easy miles for the day. Not so much that I am too tired to do a full “workout” later in the day – but enough to feel like I’ve done something in case that is all the time I have to devote to exercise.
Find a full range of urban and touring bags and packs, from Arkel, Bontrager, Koki and Sherpani at all 3 Bicycle Garage Indy locations; North (Dean Rd at 82nd, Indianapolis) Downtown (Indy Bike Hub YMCA at City Market) and South (just west of I-65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood).
A lot of beginner athletes train hard for their 3 disciplines, but totally neglect the transitions. Precious seconds and even minutes can be lost due to this neglect. Join us at our next Bicycle Garage Indy Triathlon Night to learn about transitions, how to prepare for them and tricks to streamlining your time.
Our speaker for this topic of transitions will be Linda Hardcastle. Linda is the Exercise Physiologist for Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness. She also loves training for all 3 triathlon disciplines – having completed her first triathlon over 25 years ago. She continues to compete in local races, preferring to focus on the sprint distance triathlons.
Follow this link to register for this free Tri-Night at Bicycle Garage Indy North, (82nd at Dean Rd.) on Tuesday, July 31 at 6:30 PM.
BGI is also proud to be a sponsor of the Tuxedo Brothers Go Girl Triathlon - a women's only event - on Saturday, August 25 at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis. Learn more and register on the Go Girl Triathlon website.
Many triathletes are comfortable with their bicycle and run training, but struggle with the swim portion. Many lack good technique and don’t really know how to approach a training plan in the water. Others must conquer their fear of the open water element. If any of this describes you, then consider coming to our next Triathlon Night at Bicycle Garage Indy North.
On Tuesday, July 31st we will host beginner triathletes to an evening of triathlon education. Speaking on the topic of swimming will be Meg Osborne. Meg swam for Indiana University and continued her passion with 35 years of swim coaching. At the conclusion of her presentation, Meg will offer participants information on local resources for swim training.
Bicycle Garage Indy carries a variety of triathon related clothing and accessories from Louis Garneau, Pearl Izumi, Profile Design and Trek. We also have many of Trek Speed Concept series time trial bikes in stock.
We have just made it through an intense period of serious heat. As an athlete who continues to train in hot and humid conditions, it is important to respect the power of the heat and recognize the signs of heat illness – from mild dehydration to the significantly more serious heat stroke.
Dustin is also available at Bicycle Garage Indy South (just west of I-65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood) once a month to offer a FREE Injury Screening to our Bicyce Garage Indy and BGI Fitness customers. Click here for more information on this screening process.
You will find a wide selection of Bicycle Hydration packs and bottles from CamelBak at all three Bicycle Garage Indy locations. And our nutrtion products from Clif, Gu, Hammer and PowerBar will help you beat the heat and be at your best, year round.
My name is Linda Hardcastle and I live for my daily exercise. My first love was running, where I competed in intercollegiate cross country and track. I soon after discovered cycling, and have since logged over 50,000 miles on my various bicycles. I currently compete in triathlons, recently learning to love the freedom of open water lake swims. My days are not complete until I experience the rush of moving my body in one activity or another.
Did you watch any of the Olympic Women’s Beach Volleyball last summer? If so, you couldn’t help but notice the fluorescent shoulder taping of American Gold Medalist Misty May-Treanor. What was that all about? 
Bicycle Garage Indy began offering onsite yoga classes for our employees early this year. As I headed to our first class, I wondered how necessary yoga would be to our employees? Many are young and healthy – and most are enthusiastic cyclists. So I assumed I would be surrounded by supple, flexible individuals. And although some folks had tremendous flexibility, the majority of us (myself included) had a long way to go towards a desirable range-of-motion. 
So in answer to my original question, “Do cyclists need yoga?” – the answer is a resounding YES! So get yourself a 
The 
When you first open the Hoist app, it asks you which 
A simple solution that I have found is to throw a few 
For many years, this is primarily how we fitness professionals encouraged folks to lose weight. But more recently, we have come to learn that aerobic exercise alone will short-change your weight-loss goal. In order to maximize your weight-loss potential, you must combine aerobic activity with muscle strengthening.
A primary advantage of indoor training bike is that it saves wear and tear on your good road bike (as opposed to placing your road bike onto a trainer) AND it keeps your road bike available for quick rides outdoors when the warm sunshine makes this possible. But there are other advantages of going with a CycleOps Indoor Cycle.
Another advantage with the CycleOps 200, 300 and 400 models is that that included Joule 2.0 computer unit can be matched up with a 
Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness are the same store! Come in today and test ride our complete selection of Indoor Cycles, trainers, rollers and accessories, at our North Store (Dean Road at E. 82nd, Indianapolis) or Bicycle Garage Indy South (just seconds west of I65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood). A limited selection of trainers are also in stock at BGI Downtown, in the 
How do we stay motivated to cycle all winter long? We are all advocates of using training DVD titles like the Spinervals and Real Rides series for those long hours in the trainer. Just pop one onto the TV and let the coach take us through a full workout. Without the structure of such a DVD, we all find that our workout is less than inspired and gets cut short. 
I say bad because so many choices can overwhelm the average user of this equipment. How does one decide which particular exercises to employ? If you want to target a new muscle group, how do you refresh on the different exercise options for that group? What is the best technique for performing these exercises? Guiding the user has been an unmet need in the fitness industry – up until now.
I have been given the opportunity to write a blog on our current outreach program with Bicycle Garage Indy South to help their clients and the active community. Probably the most common question I get when a customer comes to see me, I am asked, “What’s up with this injury screening program and what’s the catch?” It’s incredible how we all second guess programs when they are displayed as “FREE”. The answer…. There is no catch. We at Tx:Team and BGI South want to reach out to the community and provide a platform in which to move forward regarding “tweaks”, “aches”, and possible activity altering injuries. We want to provide a comprehensive screening and education on how to address a potential injury whether it be by seeing a physician, pain management professional, or even look into being fitted on the cycle appropriately. Sometimes I’m there to answer easy questions about stretching, warming up, and how to deal with an achy hamstring. But I guess if you are looking for a “catch”, we would love to follow through with treatment in our clinic if a client finds out that there is a particular need for physical therapy services regarding an injury.
You can find very similar bags today, like the 
Join us at our next Bicycle Garage Indy Triathlon Night to learn about transitions, how to prepare for them and tricks to streamlining your time. 
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