Linda's Fitness Corner

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.   

During triathlon competitions, I suggest that you start and finish the bicycle leg in your lower gears.  Why?

1.    As you exit the water, your legs may feel a bit wobbly.  Jumping onto a bike in high gear can tax those already fatigued legs.  On top of this, many triathlon staging areas are lakeside, which means at the bottom of a hill.  Not a good place to be in a big gear.  So before you park your two-wheeler in the staging area, first make sure you have left it in a comfortable, lower gear.   You can quickly shift back up as you start rolling.

2.    Just as you start your bike leg in low gear, I suggest you finish in a lower gear as well.  The reason is, if you push really big gears in your last few miles of your bike leg, the transition to running can be downright painful.  Tight hip flexors lead to tiny little baby steps on your run.  Ow!  Don’t let this happen to you.  As you enter into your final miles on the bike, simply shift into a slightly easier gear and ramp up your cadence.  Then when you get off your bicycle, you can move seamlessly into your long, beautiful running stride. 

Bicycle Garage Indy recently sponsored the Go Girl Triathlon, and carries a wide range of of triathlon clothing, accessories and bicycles.

A common misnomer is that, as long as your helmet looks okay, then it is okay.  Not true.  Over time, the materials in your helmet will begin to break down.  This includes the outer shell, the shock absorbing material in the shell as well as the strapping material.  UV exposure, perspiration and body oils all contribute to this progressive decline.  A good rule of thumb is to replace your helmet every 5 years. However, some manufacturers, like Bell and Giro, recommend that you replace your helmet every 3 years.  Giro, Bell, Trek and Catlike are among the Bike Helmet Indianapolis which you can find Bicycle Garage Indy’s two locations, North (Clearwater area in Indianapolis) and South (just west of I-65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood)
 

(Continued) To understand the third option, visualize a small CamelBak which is mounted on your waist, not your back, and you have the CamelBak FlashFlo.  Being an avid fan of CamelBak’s for my riding, I was instantly sold on this waist mounted option for running.  Water remains ice cold for the duration of your run.  The drinking tube is unusually long, and hooks to the waist strap.  When thirsty, you just unhook it, take your sip, then rehook it to your pack.  I do find that I need to cinch the pack up quite tightly, in order to minimize pack bounce.  

Tri’s are different than other competitions, in that you have a lot of different pieces of gear that are essential to your competition day.  Should you forget anything on race day (e.g. helmet, running shoes), then you literally cannot race.  All that time, preparation, money and emotional energy is wasted.

If you are like me, you leave the nitty gritty of bicycle maintenance to others.  Rebuilding headsets and truing wheels just isn’t your thing.  However, even the most mechanically challenged of us CAN keep our 2-wheeled machine well lubricated. 

Lubricant comes in two forms:  liquid drops or spray.  Bicycle Garage Indy carries an assortment of lubricants for chains and other moving bicycle parts, and for wet, dry and off road conditions.  These include products from Finish Line, Tri-Flow, and White Lightning.  If you tell the staff at Bicycle Garage Indy about your bike and riding style, they will help you choose the right lube for you.

To apply lubricant is very simple:
1.    Find the moving part
2.    Apply lube
3.    Move the part, to allow the lubricant to penetrate
4.    Wipe off excess lube On a bicycle, the most common place to lube is the chain.  You can plan on lubricating your chain monthly, or every 100–150 miles.   And of course,  apply a fresh coat should you get caught in the rain. 

Other common spots to lube would be on the moving parts of the front and rear derailler, as well as the moving parts of the brakes.  You should do this a couple of times per season, and after any rain.  CAUTION:  Wipe up any excess lube and do not get it on the wheel rim or brake pads, or you will have no brakes!

If you use a step-in pedal system, like Look or S.P.D. then this is one last spot that requires periodic lubing.  Once I notice that it is getting harder and harder to click out, I just put a spot of lube on the cleat mechanism both on my shoe and on my pedal.  Clicking out is once more a breeze!  (Note:  With Look pedals, which involve metal on metal, normal lubricant works fine.  But with S.P.D.’s, which involve plastic on plastic, you will want to use STP Armour-All or another non-petroleum lubricant.)  SPECIAL CAUTION:  Do not walk on your carpets after lubing your cleats!!!!

Good luck with these first steps in taking good care of your bicycle.

Finish Line, Tri-Flow, and White Lightning are just three of the many brands of bicycle tools Indianapolis found at Bicycle Garage Indy’s two locations, North (Clearwater area in Indianapolis) and South (just west of I-65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood)

You can't get fit on a bike that isn't ready to ride.  So the  time to realize that your tires are soft is NOT 20 miles into your ride.  The time to remember that you forgot to close your brake’s quick release mechanism is NOT on a screaming descent.  Start today to begin each ride with a quick ABC Safety Check.  It takes just two minutes and could protect you from a serious tumble or ride ending break down. 
A = Air
B = Brakes
C = Chain, Crank, Cassette

A = Air.  Squeeze each tire.  It should feel very firm.  Once it begins to go soft, it is time to inflate your tire to the PSI (pounds per square inch) which is stamped onto the tire.  A floor pump with built-in gauge, like the Bontrager Charger, is your best tool for this.  Note:  It is important to keep your tires properly inflated, as an under-inflated tire may cause control problems AND is more likely to go flat. 

B = Brakes.  Visually inspect the brakes to be sure the quick release mechanisms are secured.  Squeeze the brake levers.  Do the brakes come on promptly in a crisp sensation?  Spin the wheels.  Do they clear the brakes without rubbing?  Do the brake pads still have greater than ¼ inch of soft material?

C = Chain, cranks, cassettes (think “gears” on the rear hub).  When you first get on the bicycle, run through the gears.  Do you have full use of all your gears?  Does the chain fall crisply onto each cog? 

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, it may be time to visit your friendly mechanic.  But if all your answers were “yes”, then you are ready to ride.  Go out and enjoy!

Check the Bicycle Garage Indy Events Calendar for our schedule of informative mini-clinics and maintenance classes, available at both Bicycle Garage Indy locations.  

What to do when you are a couple who wants to bike together, but one of you is so much stronger than the other?  We have seen this scenario play out so many times.  The stronger spouse is holding back, putting the brakes on their speed and fun.  And the slower spouse is busting a gut – struggling to hold a pace that is much too fast.  The ride is frustrating and not much fun for either person.  After a few more attempts, the slower spouse usually gives up, leaving only the faster one to continue with the sport of bicycling.  This is where a tandem bicycle comes in handy.  A tandem is the great equalizer – allowing couples with greatly varying abilities to ride together seamlessly. 

My husband Jay and I are the perfect example.  Being a triathlete, my training miles are spread between three different sports.  As a die-hard cyclist, Jay’s miles are focused entirely on the bike, and therefore he is a much stronger cyclist.  Yet we can come together on the tandem and BOTH have a fantastic ride.

The other benefit of tandeming is the ease of talking which it provides. A couple on two single bikes can have quite the disjointed conversation what with moving back and forth to accommodate passing cars and road hazards.  With a tandem you are always together and the talking flows so much easier. From the female perspective, definitely a big plus.  But from the male perspective, I wonder, ……do you consider this a positive or a negative?????? 

Tandems have come a long way from the single speed resort bikes you rode as a kid.  The Cannondale Road 3 feature a light weight aluminum frame, has a 30-speed Shimano drive train, front and rear disc brakes, and is ready for fun for couples and families of all abilities.  It  is just one of the performance Cannondale Bikes Indianapolis, available at both Bicycle Garage Indy North and Bicycle Garage Indy South in Greenwood.

Lycra shorts with a “diaper” sewn in and brightly colored tops with pockets in the back.  Why do those serious cyclists dress so funny?  In a word, because bicycle clothing is functional.  It is designed to maximize your comfort while keeping you visible. 

The bicycle shorts are all about comfort.  The thick chamois pad (called a "chamois" since they were originally chamois leather) may look somewhat odd while you are walking around, but as soon as you sit on the bike, it pads your toosh and absorbs excess perspiration while riding.  The longer cut on the leg also prevents chafing from occurring between your upper thigh and the nose of the saddle.  When I first stared riding, I was a hold-out for a long time, continuing to bike for months in my nylon running shorts.  But once I was on my first bicycle tour, with 60 miles each day, I quickly realized the need for bicycle shorts and bought my first pair during the tour.  Since that day 28 years ago, for anything longer than a few miles, I ride in bicycle shorts.  If you are looking for your first pair of cycling shorts, the Pearl Izumi Quest Shorts or Bellwether O2 Shorts are two to consider.

The other interesting article of clothing are the pocketed tops, called jerseys.  The bright and sometimes even gaudy tops help to keep you safer, by making you highly visible to motorists.  And those pockets in the back are great for holding things.  In the “olden” days, it held our bananas and bag of gorp.  Today it still holds all those great snack foods, for eating on the go, but it also holds your cell phone.  Others may carry a multi-tool and a spare inner tube for quick and easy access.    The Pearl Izumi Quest Jersey is popular basic jersey.

If you are new to cycling, you may still be bicycling in your running shorts or even your cut-off jeans.  But I can guarantee, if you stick with the sport, you too will become a convert to those “funny looking clothes”. 

Pearl Izumi and Bellwether are  just two of the many brands of bicycle clothing Indianapolis available from Bicycle Garage Indy.  

Running is my passion and my sport of choice.  In my youth, I would run every single day – even twice a day in college – with no problem.  But at some point, probably in my 30’s, I found that injuries began to crop up with daily training.  After much experimentation, I found that running every other day kept those nagging injuries at bay.  Cross training on the alternate days have allowed me to maintain my aerobic fitness while still getting to run regularly and into my current 50’s. 

I think this is important for runners to consider NOW, while healthy, before future potential injuries could permanently sideline them from their running.  I can’t tell you how many times I have met “new to bicycling” 40-60 year olds, who took up bicycling because of hip, knee or back injuries from running.  These folks have accepted that they have completely given up their first love, running.  I am thrilled that they have discovered a new joyful endeavor, bicycling, but sad that they had to give up their first and original passion.  If only they had introduced cross training earlier – then they might still be running AND bicycling.  That is why I urge you to consider cross-training NOW.

Low impact cross training alternatives include bicycling, swimming, low impact aerobic classes and even elliptical trainers.  Alternate your running days with these low impact days.  Or follow up particularly pounding workouts (intervals or longer distance) with a day of lower impact activity.  Achieve your goal of running for a lifetime – and give your legs a break!

(For the new to bicycling of any age, Bicycle Garage Indy can help you find the right bicycle to fit your needs from just having fun to competitive fitness.)

With summer just around the corner, it becomes increasingly important to drink while you ride.  But which to use – water bottles or a hydration pack?  My personal preference is the hydration pack, but plenty of folks swear by their water bottles.  Consider the pros and cons below, and then choose what works best for you.

Water bottles have been with us for years.  Their versatility is unrivaled:  you can use them to drink from, pour water over yourself on those scorching, hot days and defend yourself from dogs.  Their biggest weakness for me appears in the height of summer – when I am forcing down HOT water on my 60 mile days.  Ugh!  I can never force myself to drink as much as I need.

Recent improvements in water bottle design have satisfied many biking enthusiasts.  A wide-mouth bottle opening is a must, allowing for the easy addition of ice cubes.  And the insulated water bottles, like the CamelBak Podium ChillJacket Bottle now keep your drink cold for 1-2 hours! A great improvement over the plain old plastic bottles. 

Before the insulated bottle design came out, I switched over to the CamelBak hydration pack, and was sold instantly.  I loaded the bag up with ice, topped it off with water, and for HOURS sipped on ICE COLD WATER.  Yum!!!  I have never had problems with sufficient hydration since.  The other feature I like is how hydration packs allow you to stay more “hands-on”.  No more fumbling to return it to the cage or the infamous dropped bottle in a pack of riders. 

Another feature I am sold on are the various sizes for children up to adults.  When our kids were young, we worried about them drinking enough on those hot rides.  It was a challenge with water bottles.  But as soon as we switched to the hydration pack, with it’s ice cold water, the problem disappeared.  In fact, our kids liked it so much that they tended to drink too much, sometimes downing the entire CamelBak in the time it took Jay and I to unload the bikes and trailers and get ready to hit the road!  So our fears of our little children becoming dehydrated were replaced with fears of not finding enough bathrooms!

For the truly high tech bikie, the CamelBak RaceBak offers a hydration pack built into base layer to be worn under a jersey.  I have never tried this, but would love to hear from those who have. 

My personal favorite combination is a CamelBak Classic on my back with a traditional bottle and cage on my bike.  The CamelBak provides ice cold refreshment for 3-4 hours, while the bottle provides defense against dogs.  It also feels great poured over me on those particularly warm days. 

Which system do you prefer?  Let us know along with your reasons.