Constant Energy Levels

One of the most useful things I’ve learnt this year, is managing blood sugar levels to avoid spikes and crashes in energy levels. Have you ever had that experience of eating a meal and then one hour later feeling very sleepy? I often had a routine of having a cappuccino in morning. Then for lunch having eggs on white toast, with some cake to follow. Mainly just because I liked it. An hour after eating this relative small lunch, I would feel sleepy / sluggish and not at all like going out for a hard training ride. I then discovered (or now paid attention) that white bread has a very high GI index. (a high GI index means it rapidly raises your blood sugar levels). White bread is nearly as high as pure glucose. Taking this white bread and cake had the effect of putting a big increase of sugar into the blood. However, because you are not exercising, the body doesn’t need this extra sugar. Therefore, the body releases insulin and converts the glucose into glycogen energy stores for later. This process of releasing insulin and converting glucose into glycogen means you’re blood sugar level falls quite considerably. It [...]

Source: http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/articles/constant-energy-levels/

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Bicycling the Borders of Afghanistan ? in America

T.B.F.D. is short for ?Traversing a Foreign Border Domestically,? and that?s exactly what Joseph Bigley is doing right now.

Bigley, a visual artist and art instructor at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, is tracing a route of roughly 3,500 miles that approximates the size and shape of Afghanistan. His ride began at ground zero in New York City on May 12 and will end there around July 20. He?s pedaling approximately 75 miles per day, sometimes on pavement and at other times on gravel, riding solo and unsupported. Because the borders of Afghanistan are irregular and jagged, so is his route ? he sometimes makes as many as 120 turns in a day. Aboard a Trek bicycle, Bigley is pulling a hand-built trailer that he says serves as a "symbol of sovereignty.? He?s also giving presentations along the way at contemporary art and social science venues.

Bigley's performance-art project, as outlined at his website, is a symbolic act designed to "gauge public opinion of the conflict in Afghanistan as well as to point at the curious nature of the idea of national political boundaries.?

At this page you can see Bigley?s approximate route ? and the outline of Afghanistan ? superimposed on a map of the eastern United States.

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BIKING WITHOUT BORDERS is posted every Monday by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling?s field editor, and highlights a little bit of this or a little bit of that ? just about anything, as long as it?s related to traveling by bicycle. Mac also compiles the organization's twice-monthly e-newsletter Bike Bits, which goes free-of-charge to more than 40,000 readers worldwide.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/06/bicycling-borders-of-afghanistan-in.html

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Keeping Dry While Touring


Just because we're moving into summer doesn't mean that you're in the clear as far as rain is concerned. Getting soaked is one thing, but getting yourself and all of your gear drenched can really dampen your mood. Fortunately, staying dry doesn't require a ton of additional gear that will fill up your panniers/trailers when the sun is out. Here's a quick rundown on some solid rain gear for your body and equipment.

Rain Jacket: This can be as pricey or as inexpensive as you like, but the nice thing about summer storms is that you generally don't have to worry about a lot of insulation or heavy duty fabrics, as long as you stay dry. The Shower's Pass Club Pro jacket is a great summer rain jacket with a lot of features to keep you from overheating, such as a back vent and pit zips. The color itself provides good visibility, but just to make sure, they've added a lot of reflective material to help you stand out in heavy overcast conditions. If you're on a budget, I'm a big fan of the simple clear vinyl cape, such as the Performance Clear Rain Jacket for $20. It isn't fancy, but it gets the job done.

Rain Pants: I always remember rain pants at the last minute, and I'm always happy to have them. There are few things worse than riding in a wet chamois. I've been a huge fan of the Showers Pass Storm Pants, which pack down very well. They also have angled Velcro straps at the ankle mid-calf, which ensures that they won't get caught in any moving parts on the bike.

Panniers: If you don't have waterproof panniers, Arkel makes some great rain covers that stand up to a lot of abuse. You can pack them away when the rain isn't coming down, or leave them attached at all times to make yourself a little more visible. One great feature is the outside mesh pocket, which you can toss your rain jacket and pants into to dry out when the storm passes. They also cinch down pretty well for a tight, uniform fit.

Trailers: Dry bags are a really good option for trailers, and if you have a BOB trailer, you may already be covered with their optional cargo bag. With water resistant trailers, such as the Burly Nomad, you may be able to get away with simply tossing select gear in garbage or grocery bags.

This should keep you in pretty good shape for those unexpected storms. Still, my favorite maneuver is to find some good company, grab a hot beverage, and wait it out.


Photos by Josh Tack


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TOURING GEAR AND TIPS is written by Joshua Tack of Adventure Cycling's member services department. It appears weekly, highlighting technical aspects of bicycle touring and advice to help better prepare you for the journey ahead.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/06/keeping-dry-while-touring.html

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Underground Railroad Route: Working on the Alternate

Kevin McManigal, Ginny Sullivan, and I are knee deep in finishing the new Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate, due to hit Cyclosource (our online store) in mid-August. Kevin has actually been doing all the heavy lifting on this one; I'm just coming in at the end to help with some proofing, tweaking, and layout work. Ginny will be providing historic points of interest that are 'must see' locations on or near the route.

Due to the clandestine nature of how the historic Underground Railroad worked -- there wasn't one straight course to transport slaves to freedom -- when we released our Underground Railroad Bicycle Route, we always envisioned that there would be alternates and spurs developed off the main route over time. The first of these extensions was the Underground Railroad Pittsburgh Spur (available as a pdf downloadable map).

The section Kevin and I are working on travels just over 280 miles, from Oberlin, Ohio, to Sombra, Ontario, Canada. It passes through some large cities, including Toledo, Ohio, and Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan.

There will be a second section of this alternate available in early 2012 that will go from Sombra to Owen Sound, Ontario.

Now, back to work for us!

P.S. If you're a business or organization located on our Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (or new Detroit Alternate), you might be interested in displaying the route decal to let cyclists know that they're welcome, and that you support the route.

Underground Railroad image by Ed Jenne. Underground Railroad Corridor map by Routes & Mapping Staff.

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GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, an Adventure Cycling cartographer, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures and persons from Adventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/06/underground-railroad-route-working-on.html

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Adventure Cycling is Headed to Ottawa

Join Adventure Cycling Association for a presentation in Ottawa, featuring Special Projects Director Ginny Sullivan. Ginny will share information about Adventure Cycling?s program work, including the special ways in which the organization supports bicycle travel and touring, its upcoming guided tours, new resources such as BikeOvernights.org, the new Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate, which will continue into Ontario from the U.S., and efforts to develop a national bike route network (U.S. Bicycle Route System) that will also tie into local Ontario efforts. 

Details: 

Tuesday, June 28 ? 6-8 pm in the Councillors Lounge (2nd floor) at City Hall (110 Laurier Avenue West)

Please RSVP for this event by contacting Sarah Raz at sraz(AT)adventurecycling(DOT)org or call her at 800-755-2453 x 210.

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MEMBERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS is typically posted on Fridays by Amy Corbin, membership and marketing coordinator. Membership Highlights spotlights the various benefits of membership, what we have accomplished thanks to member support, and even interviews with some of our most passionate and dedicated members, both individual and organizational.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/06/adventure-cycling-is-headed-to-ottawa.html

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Cycling a successful sportive.

No matter where you are in the UK there is a sportive somewhere near you. If you have never ridden a sportive you most properly thinking they are full of want to be Lance Armstrong?s although you will be right in part there is a lot of cyclist who are doing sportive for fun or just trying to set a Personal best (PB) or just to hammer some big hills.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Cyclingchatcouk/~3/r3esfVSKkpk/

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Young Austrian wins 2011 RAAM cross-country bike race

Austrian ultracyclist Christoph Strasser rolled into City Dock at Annapolis shortly after midnight on Thursday to win his first Race Across America.

The 28-year-old had just finished a 2,989-mile cross-country bicycle race across the US, covering the distance in 8 days, 8 hours, and 6 minutes. That's an average speed of 14.94 mph.

As he rolled across the finish, his 19 competitors in the RAAM solo men's division (under 50) were spread along the route all the way back to somewhere between Effingham, Illinois, and Sullivan, Indiana. Two others had dropped out.

Some 10 hours after finishing, Strasser's closest challenger, US ultracyclist Mark Pattinson .....

Source: http://www.bikingbis.com/blog/_archives/2011/6/24/4844961.html

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