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How to Prep Yourself for Spring Cycling

March 30, 2022

At the first hint of warmth, here you go scrambling to unpack your bags and look for your cycling gears. So, when you wake up in the morning, look out the window and you will see how bright the sun is shining. And at last, you say to yourself, ah, it is time to get physical again and give your bicycle a spin. The sun-less season has made your skin as pale as ever, and now that you are gearing back to soak up some sun, you just could not wait any longer. But soon you will realize that your body is not in the best condition. The semi-hibernation during winter, indulging in holiday food, and snuggling on the sofa for most of your days are showing signs in your body. Not that you can go back in time and wish that you could have been more cautious with your lifestyle, there is still time to get back in shape, just in time for your first spring cycling. The cause is not yet lost. Here are some of the tips to get you in shape for your spring cycling.
Reminder to self: Always stay healthy
Towards the end of winter, we often see people get colds and coughs. Naturally so because of the change of weather brought upon by the changing season. If there is one thing the global pandemic has taught us is the importance of simple hygiene, which starts with frequent hand-washing. Other than that, we could not stress enough how critical boosting your immune system is. Make sure that your diet contains a wide range of nutrients–such as stuffing on fruits and vegetables, which contain natural vitamins and minerals. It also does not hurt to take multivitamins to supplement your diet.
Take your diet seriously
The holidays are always marked with sugary, processed, and carbohydrate-dense foods. These kinds of food are foolproof to making ourselves feel better, but not necessarily make us healthy. But, the holidays are long over, and it is time to get back in shape. The first step is to cut your intake by 50 percent. Choose wholegrain cereals or porridge. And if you like snacking on canned fruits soaked in syrup, then make a move to eat those in natural juices. Likewise, it is better to drink water and eat whole fruit instead of indulging in fruit juices and sugary drinks. This way, you will feel full without overeating and unnecessarily snacking. Make it also a habit to read the labels of your food. Unknowingly, you may be eating a lot of hidden sugars that are not visible at first glance–corn syrup, invert syrup, glucose, dextrose, lactose, maltose, Demerara sugar, and hydrolyzed starch. The best way to avoid these is to snack on fresh foods. And you will be amazed at how it shows in your health–and up to some extent, your waistline.
The spring knee
While cyclists have come to terms that knee pain is quite a common condition among their ranks, it should also be a warning that there may also be a problem elsewhere. The knees are often the first part of the body that experiences discomfort. Why so, is because the knees are the ones that exert more effort in cycling activity. So when cyclists hop on their two wheels, there is a sudden burst of excitement that is hard to contain. And when it happens, the increased volume or intensity when riding often results in nagging frontal knee pain. A cyclist has done too much, too soon. What you should do is to get the muscles ready and do a lot of strength conditioning. And a word of advice, when you want to go on long rides, only add 10% of the duration every ride; you should not go from nothing to say, 3 hours non-stop. The same goes for the intensity. If you want to increase the intensity, you should back down on volume and make sure that you are getting plenty of rest. Everything must be done in moderation and gradually. It could also help your cause if you keep your knees warm with knee warmers. The drop in temperature can exacerbate the knee pains and may aggravate tight muscles.
We Recommend: Fleximounts BRH4 Flexible And Foldable Bike Hitch Rack
If you are now ready to head out, enjoy the wonders of spring cycling in your neighborhood first to get the feel and get back in your groove. Then, you can arrange and explore other trails with your cycling group. Out-of-town trips are more enjoyable when you can also bring your bicycles with you. Imagine a change of scenery from your usual metro, high-rise buildings, and car traffic. But the main concern is how to transport the bike to the destination. Unless you own a foldable bike or a pickup truck, it would not be a problem at all. However, subjecting your bicycle units by laying them out flat on the floor poses a danger to your bikes, especially if the road you will be traversing is rough. And if you are a family or a group of friends traveling, then the space would not be enough. Investing in a sturdy and convenient bike hitch rack is the most plausible remedy that you can bank on. Now, transporting the bicycles would not be much of a hassle. And one such bike rack that you can count on is the Fleximounts BRH4 Flexible And Foldable Bike Hitch Rack, which is priced at $129.99. The Fleximounts BRH4 Flexible And Foldable Bike Hitch Rack are as durable as you want it to be. It is a cold-roll steel structure with a protective powder paint finish. It has anti-wobble knobs to strengthen the connection between the mainmast and folding arms. It assures you that the build will securely fix the bike rack in place, which would be our biggest worry when on the road. Frequent glances at the back of our car would be lessened with this rack as you will be at ease with its performance. The foldable bike hitch rack features a tiltable mainmast. The rack's body can swing up, down, forward, and backward, allowing more accessible bike'' lifting. The rack pops back to its original position with the anti-wobble knob. Moreover, its foldable arms are easy to move. So, when the rack is not in use, you can easily fold it back for safekeeping. Even if installed in your vehicle, the foldable arms would not get in the way. The Fleximounts BRH4 Flexible And Foldable Bike Hitch Rack are compatible with different sizes of bikes, which is perfect for group outings and if you own multiple types of bicycles. The rack has adjustable straps that can hold up to four bikes, and it can carry a weight of up to 165 lbs.