Hot weather calls for a cool head

“Summer time and the living is easy.” So the song goes. But while it’s tempting to get out in the sun and enjoy yourself, when it really gets hot you need to take some extra care.

If you’re out for a while the two very real risks you face are dehydration and heat exhaustion. And they can sneak up on you. Take some precautions though and you can still get out and enjoy your ride.

Avoid riding in the middle of the day. Early morning is generally the coolest, so getting out of bed a bit earlier than usual has its rewards. During daylight savings it’s still light enough to go out in the evening. It can still be quite warm, but at least the sun is lower. If you have to ride when it’s hot, take it easy. This is no time to try for a personal best on the way home from work.

Keep your head up for a better view

The old adage “head down, bottom up” is not a good position for cyclists. Apart from the safety aspect, keeping your head up has other benefits.

There’s a huge variation in seating positions depending on your experience, personal preference and the type of bike you ride. Many hybrid bikes allow you to maintain an upright position, which naturally helps you keep your head up. Road bikes, on the other hand, are designed for a more aerodynamic, forward-leaning position, where it’s tempting to put your head down and pedal.

Tools of the trade for cyclists

In any bike shop you’ll find a glass case displaying rows of small shiny devices that measure anything it’s possible to collect statistics about on a bicycle. Elite cyclists wouldn’t be without them, but they can also be useful tools for recreational cyclists.

Getting a rolling start on the get fit resolution

Getting fit usually features high on the list of new year’s resolutions. The hardest part of keeping this promise to ourselves is not the getting fit, but getting into the habit of working on it.

Easy does it for a smooth ride

The most remarkable thing about professional athletes is how easy they make their sport look. They’re working hard but they have such a relaxed style none of their energy is being wasted.

It’s the same on your bike – the more you relax, the less energy you use and the less pain you suffer. If relaxing while cycling seems like a paradox, so is the fact that you have to work hard at relaxing.

Celebrating cycle-mad Bendigo

It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of Christmas and lose sight of the spirit of the season. Bendigo has a huge family of cyclists who have the freedom to ride around some great roads, trails and tracks. It’s all worth celebrating.

Good storage is the best maintenance plan

In pre-metric days they used to say an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. When it comes to your cycling gear, the way you store it can certainly save you a lot of maintenance trouble.

There are likely to be quite a few shiny new bikes appear at Christmas. Where do you plan to keep them? The ideal place is in a garage or shed. It’s out of the sun and weather, so your moving parts, and fittings will last longer. It’s out of sight too, which reduces the risk of theft.

Bicycle helmets keep your kids safe for life

If a bicycle is on the Christmas shopping list for your kids, a helmet should be right underneath it. Bicycle helmets have been compulsory since 1990. More importantly, they protect kids (and adults) from severe head injuries. Like the bikes we talked about last week, the most important factor in buying a helmet is the fit.

The right bike gives your kids the best riding start

Look in any toy store or department store this time of year and you’ll know bicycles feature highly on Christmas shopping lists. The same consideration applies when buying children’s bikes as shopping for adults – safety.

It’s important the bike is the right size for the child. You can’t buy something bigger for the child to “grow into”. Just as with an adult, if the bike is too big, it’s uncomfortable to ride and difficult to handle. A child should be able to get on the bike unassisted, otherwise they’ll have trouble getting off. And falling off isn’t attractive!

Secrets of success for the long distance cyclist

Sooner or later many cyclists start looking for a major challenge. For the non-racing cyclist, one of the most popular is long distances. Whether your long distance challenge is 75km or 250km, the right approach will get you to your goal.

Your main objective is to come home in the same state you left, if a bit tired. The key is sustaining your energy.