Benefits of Beetroot Juice for Cycling

Various studies have suggested Beetroot juice is able to increase endurance and delay fatigue for athletes in long distance races. A recent study reported in Cycling Weekly suggested drinking Beetroot juice can also improve speed in short distance races. According to this small study, in a 10 mile time trial, cyclists reduced their average times from 27.7 minutes to 26.9 minutes – quite a significant time gap. This study gave cyclists a drink of beetroot juice two hours before the test. In one group the nitrate was removed from the beetroot juice. In the other group, the natural nitrate was left in the beetroot juice. The group with nitrate in, managed to reduce their times. The theory is that nitrate helps muscles work more efficiently using less oxygen to produce the same amount of power. When scientists from the University of Exeter researched Beetroot juice, they found it improved the endurance capacity of athletes; they believed the benefits were the result of the nitrate turning into nitric oxide in the body, reducing how much oxygen is burned up by exercise. Like many other fresh fruit and vegetables, beetroot juice is high in antioxidants which helps to reduce blood pressure. It [...]

Source: http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/cycling/benefits-of-beetroot-juice-for-cycling/

cycling bib shorts castelli cycling

Rast Within Inches of Podium at Paris-Roubaix

Beautiful blue skies, unseasonably warm shirt-sleeve temperatures, knowledge crowds thickly lining the roads, hard to see how it could get much better for the 109th running of the 258-kilometer (160 mile) Hell of the North. It?s been named that mostly because of the 27 cobbled sectors (51.5 kms) that the riders bounce over on [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/rast-within-inches-of-podium-at-paris-roubaix/

cycling bib shorts castelli cycling

Capturing Sunsets

It has been a wet, damp, cloudy, colder-than-usual spring in Seattle. Perhaps that is why I'm longing for sunsets. Not that the sun doesn't set here in the Pacific Northwest. We simply haven't been able to observe that lovely orange orb.

I've lost count of the number of times I've jumped off my bicycle and raced to get that perfect sunset shot, only to be disappointed with the results. The images are usually washed out and boring. Nothing like the dramatic event I witnessed in person.

Then a photographer I met in Belize told me, "You are focusing on the sun when you should be focusing on what the sun is silhouetting."

It was great advice.

Now when I'm pedaling and the sun is getting low in the sky, I start looking for that object, person or tree that will make my sunset shot worthy of keeping.

As far as silhouettes go, you won't get many more dramatic than that of the Pohutukawa tree. This native tree of the North Island of New Zealand (also known as the New Zealand Christmas Tree) has limbs that reach out and appear to defy gravity.

This photo instantly takes me back to a glorious bike trip around one of the friendliest and most beautiful countries on earth.

Photo: New Zealand 1993 by Willie Weir

--

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS appears on Friday afternoons. Willie Weir is a columnist for Adventure Cyclist magazine. His latest book Travels with Willie: Adventure Cyclist will inspire you to hit the road and just might change the way you approach bicycle travel. He lives in Seattle with his wife Kat. You can read about their local adventures and life without a car at http://YellowTentAdventures.com/.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/06/capturing-sunsets.html

cycling exercise cycling bibs

Klöden 2nd On GC, Horner 4th, as Vino Takes Stage 3 of Basque

Team RadioShack?s Andreas Klöden (GER) could not have relinquished the leader?s yellow jersey at the Tour of the Basque Country, Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco, in today?s 177 kilometer 3rd stage, under better circumstances. He raced smart, expending as little energy as possible to stay near the front. He didn?t get hurt or [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/kloden-2nd-on-gc-horner-4th-as-vino-takes-stage-3-of-basque/

cycling parts pro cycling magazine

Levi Leipheimer Wants to Ride Leadville Again

Sitting in an alcove at the Four Seasons Hotel, Levi Leipheimer explains that holy-cow-that-was-miserable vibe he gave off after the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race this summer. Leipheimer won the grueling race, but at the finish line he sounded about as happy as a mud-covered cat. “That was just ridiculous. I don’t know if I’ve [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/levi-leipheimer-wants-to-ride-leadville-again/

cycling in london free cycling

Sebastien Rosseler Wins Overall In De Panne

After riding pretty quietly for the first 3 stages, Team RadioShack?s Sebastien Rosseler (BEL) decided to put the hammer down and ate up the pavement in the afternoon?s individual time trail at the 3 Days of De Panne, beating the field by nearly 14 seconds on the 14.7-kilometer course with a time of 18:31.83. [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/sebastien-rosseler-wins-overall-in-de-panne/

cycling events cycling fans

Team RadioShack Line-up in Critérium International and Gent-Wevelgem

The Team Radioshack line-up for the next races: Critérium International (France), 26-27/03/11 Riders: Matthew Busche, Ben King, Andreas Klöden, Tiago Machado, Nélson Oliveira, Sérgio Paulinho, Yaroslav Popovych & Bjřrn Selander Director: Alain Gallopin Gent-Wevelgem (Belgium), 27/03/11 Riders: Fumiyuki Beppu, Robbie Hunter, Michal Kwiatkowski, Geoffroy Lequatre, Robbie McEwen, Dmitriy Muravyev, Gregory Rast & Sébastien Rosseler Director: Dirk Demol

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-in-criterium-international-and-gent-wevelgem/

cycling jerseys cycling clothing