Types of Bikes I Ride
Let’s keep it very simple. Later on, we can get into complexities. There are three broad categories: (1) Mountain,
(2) Road, and (3) Hybrid.
Mountain
Bike
If you like to ride in the dirt leaving your
buddies behind in the dust, or you like to ride rough, screeching down a
mountain path gripping your handlebars and yelling in terror and glee, you need
a mountain bike.
I purchased a Diamondback Response six years
ago at Dick’s Sporting Goods. I even
wrecked it once on a trail, tearing up the bottom of my left arm. It is still in almost mint condition. I like to ride it through the unpaved park
where I live. I rode it over pavement,
gravel, limestone, dirt, and mud. It has
no problem with any of these. It is
comfortable when you hit rocks and bumps – the front shock absorbers take most
of the shock, and saves your bones from getting royally rattled. The tires are wide and have well-cleated
treads.
What happens on the paved roads when you want
to go faster? You will need a different
kind of bike, if you want to be efficient and take advantage of pavement.
Road
Bike
I purchased a Fuji Roubaix 3.0 LE at
Performance Bicycles a few months back.
I was riding in a 26 mile marathon with my mountain bike, and realized
that others on more efficient bikes passed me as if I were riding a
tricycle. I said to myself, “Crap, I need
something faster!” So, after talking
with friends, I decided to put money down on a road bike.
Why would you want a road bike instead of a
mountain bike? You want to go fast. You can probably go almost twice as fast on a
road bike as you will on a mountain bike.
How does this happen? How can
road bikes be so much faster?
The tires are much thinner. And, the tires have no cleats – they are
slick. Slick tires make for more surface
area contact with the road. Thinner
tires are more aerodynamic - they cut through the wind more efficiently with
less air resistance.
A road bike is light. There is not as much of a need for material
reinforcement since designers assume that this will not endure the shocks of
off-road use. There are no shock absorbers
either, which sometimes makes for a rough ride when hitting hard spots on the
road.
The first time I tried out a road bike at a
bicycle shop, I told the clerk that when I pressed on the pedals, the bike felt
like a rocket beneath me.
Hybrid
Bike
Hybrid bikes, while not doing anything in
particular very well, do many things pretty good.
I recently purchased a Fuji Absolute 2.1 for
my wife. Why would I want a hybrid
bike? Well, you get a little of this and
a little of that. The tires are a little
wider than those of a road bike, but not as wide as a mountain bike. The tires are not as slick as a road bikes
tires – there are some cleats on them.
The handlebar is upright. The
frame seems like the shape of a road bike, but it is a little heavier. You can go faster than you can on a mountain
bike, but not as fast as a road bike.
So, with a hybrid, you can go off the trails a little bit, but not too
much. You can ride on the road, but not
too fast.
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So, without diving into some of the more
specialized bikes out there, those are the three broad categories: (1) Mountain,
(2) Road, and (3) Hybrid.
Freddy
Martini
Hard Workout Supplements
I am almost 40 years old. I am a first
season road cyclist. I use High Intensity Interval Training. I have
ridden up to 80 miles in a week. My longest ride was 42 miles in one
day. My goal for this year is to complete the Ride Across Indiana ride - a160
mile ride from Terre Haute to Richmond in July this year. I should reach
50 miles in a day this coming week.
I train 6 hours per week minimum, and as I
get closer to the big ride, I have done 10 plus hours and will have to do more
to get to around 100 miles in one day in preparation for the big ride.
What does a guy like me do to make sure I get
the nutrients that I need for such efforts?
If you do not learn anything else in sports
science, learn this: Recovery is the most important concept in exercise. The faster you recover, the faster you
can do that next workout, increasing your workload, without injuring yourself
or risk burning out. Proper nutrition is
the main ingredient, along with adequate sleep and rest. Let’s focus on supplements.
Pre
Workout
My favorite is Amino Energy. You can get this from Amazon for about $35
for 60 servings. You get amino acids,
nitric oxide, and caffeine. It is perfect
to get to going through an hour workout.
You pour 12 ounces of water in a shaker; pour four scoops of the stuff
into the shaker, shake, and drink. It
mixes easily.
I have come to like NO Xplode, although it
does not taste very well. You get amino
acids along with a good dose of nitric oxide.
It is good to mix up supplements, so I rotate this with Amino
Energy. Pour 8 ounces of water in a
glass. Pour one scoop of this stuff
inside the glass, and stir with a spoon.
In ten minutes, you can feel the NO2 surge in your bloodstream, and you
are ready to hit the weights.
NO Fury is good to supplement with Amino
Energy. I can pour 6 scoops of Amino
Energy into the shaker to get more NO, but it is best for me to just add pure
NO along with 4 scoops of Amino Energy.
It is a good mix for my needs.
Post
Workout
I have used Amino Energy as a post workout
drink, but it does not feel right probably because there are very few
carbohydrates.
300 milliliters of milk and a half teaspoon
of pure cocoa is my go-to post workout recovery drink. My wife also uses this after Zumba and
Bootcamp with equal success. The side
effect is that it gives me a lot of gas, but that is a small price t o pay to
feel refreshed the next morning instead of anemic.
I just began trying Elite Series Whey
Protein, and I have had success. I did 4
Power Intervals (Zone 5 HR, 2 minutes), and three Stress Intervals (Zone 4 HR,
8 minutes) the other day, and instead of just milk, I mixed in some of this
stuff. The next day, my leg muscles we
so well recovered, I felt like I did not even perform a workout, they felt so
fresh the next morning.
I also used glutamine, on the recommendation
of a cycling buddy of mine. My muscles
were better recovered the next day. I
think one of the basic building blocks of muscle is glutamine.
Mid
Workout
For workouts lasting over one hour, eat one
banana at 30 minutes and then every hour after that – at least. If there is a break after 2 hours or so, eat
an apple.
NO Fury is another go-to item for me, but for
mid workout when I need some more energy in the blood.
I will occasionally take along with me Amino
Energy with 2 scoops on a bike ride.
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Remember, the faster you recover, the faster
you can get back to your next workout session.
Freddy
Martini
