Avoiding Neck Pain While Cycling

Cycling is a great way to get around and is excellent exercise. However, people are not designed to ride a bicycle in such a way as to avoid neck and other pain. According to Cycling Weekly, people who ride bicycles for any protracted length of time are courting something called Shermer’s Neck. The constant jiggles and vibrations that you can experience starting at the handlebars and translating through the arms to the back, neck, and shoulder muscles on long bike trips can translate into neck pain unless you are very careful.

Tips for Preventing Neck Pain While Cycling

One way to prevent neck pain after a long bicycle trip is to pay attention to your position while you are riding. The key to avoiding neck pain while cycling is to properly situate your handlebars. If you must reach too far to grip your handlebars, the vibrations that translate up your arms and shoulders can result in neck pain after a trip of any duration. Make sure that you can reach your handlebars easily and that they are of the proper height. That way your arms will not be over-extended. You should also not grip the handlebars too hard while riding your bicycle.

Sometimes, for whatever reason, you develop neck pain after a long bike trip anyway. Fortunately, as a story on KABC in Los Angeles reports, a number of exercises exist that will help to alleviate any pain you might experience before you hop on your bike to go for a long-distance ride.

Use a soft foam roller across your back, arms, and chest for about ten minutes after you conclude your ride. The procedure has the same effect on a bike rider’s body as stretching exercises do for a runner. The roller will release a lot of accumulated stress, making you loose and flexible enough for a stress-free bicycle ride.

For more information contact us!

 

Why Pedaling Fast Doesn’t Make You Go Faster

High cadence – it is something that a few cyclists took away from Lance Armstrong. You watched him pedal his little heart out to win, and for many that translated to pedaling fast makes you go faster. However, what trips up many recreational cyclists is you don’t need to pedal like a maniac to go faster.

Are There Benefits?

If you are purposely trying to get in a high intensity workout while cycling, then by all means, pedal as fast as you can. However, a new study by the International Journal of Sports Medicine shows that there is no benefit to high cadence pedaling. It doesn’t make you go faster, it does, however, make you less efficient and work to tire you out faster.

It was discovered that while the power decreased with each pedal, which was to be expected, it pushed the body higher towards the maximum more quickly and more quickly tired out the muscles, making them less efficient. As for what actually produces the best speed for cycling, that comes unique to each rider. It is suggested that reaching top speeds is all about finding what is comfortable for each person as well as what is sustainable for their bodies.

Tips and Tricks

If your legs are struggling, go to a lower gear and increase the cadence. However, if you are left gasping for air, you will want to bring the gear up and slow down that cadence. Often the key is about being in tune with what is giving out and then adjusting your bicycle accordingly. It is not about just riding in one gear forever. If you want speed and peak efficiency, you need to know when to switch it up.

Accidents Happen

Unfortunately, with top speeds comes a risk for accidents. If you have been injured in a cycling accident, contact us today to see what we can do to get you compensation.

10 Safety Tips for Rural and Suburban Road Cycling

Whether cycling for fitness or just for enjoyment on a nice day, road cycling can be fun and rewarding, but sharing the road with automobiles is not risk-free. The following ten safety tips, while applicable for urban commuting or riding as well, are specifically geared toward rural and suburban road riding, where the benefits of reduced congestion can correlate with the dangers of less attentive drivers. 

1. Claim Your Lane

Recognizing the danger that passing automobiles can pose, many road riders move as far right as the road allows. Most of us are now familiar with bike lanes which are generally located on the right shoulder. All this points to treating the white line and the shoulder as the place to be on your road bike, right? Wrong! The key is visibility. “Claim your lane” means when riding on an empty road you should be LEFT of the white line, in the lane of traffic.

Doing this accomplishes two things: 1) you greatly increase the chance that an approaching driver will see you because you are more in their line of sight, where they expect things to be; and 2) you put that driver in a position in which the oncoming lane has to be clear to allow them to pass or they’ll have to wait until it is. Imagine yourself all the way right on the shoulder as a car (or a big rig!) approaches from behind. Not only is that driver less likely to notice you all the way over there, but assuming they do, they may decide that there is enough room to get around you with cars approaching from the opposite direction. Maybe (hopefully) they’re right, but suppose they realize part way through this maneuver that there isn’t enough space. Would we expect them to swerve left into oncoming traffic, or right into the much smaller and slower cyclists?

Claim your lane until you have strong evidence that relevant motorists are aware of your presence (such as them slowing dramatically as they await a chance to pass). Once you’re confident they know you’re there, you can then use your discretion in moving right to make passing easier, but make sure not to invite them to try and pass with oncoming traffic. Claim your lane thoroughly at all intersections, just as motorists do. If there is a line of cars at a stop sign, cue up just like another car. 

2. Have a Mirror

The most dangerous motorist is the one approaching you from behind that doesn’t see you, so better you see them. Mirrors are made to be mounted on your helmet, your glasses or your handlebars. They are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased at most bike stores or from countless online vendors. You’re out there to enjoy the ride and maybe work on form and fitness. The peace of mind derived from being aware of what is approaching from behind by just moving your eyes a slight bit, without breaking stride or changing posture, is priceless.

3. Wear Highly Visible Clothing 

Again, the key is visibility. If a driver never sees you, how can they avoid hitting you? The most critical article is your outer torso layer. Bright colors are a must, with safety orange or yellow being the best. If you don’t want to buy separate sleeveless, short-sleeve, long-sleeve, and cold weather bright tops, you can get a brightly colored lightweight vest to go over whatever you’re wearing to best meet the conditions. 

4. Obey Traffic Laws

Bicycles are subject to the same traffic laws that govern automobiles on public roadways (with few exceptions such as being prohibited from limited access highways, and some jurisdictions establish additional bicycling regulations). So, stop at all stop signs and red lights, make left turns from the left turn lane (and signal your turn), stay right of the center line, follow posted speed limits, etc. If you can get your bike going faster than the limit, you could be cited for speeding. Cyclists are not permitted to use crosswalks or sidewalks any more than are motorists. (A person walking a bicycle is not a cyclist; they are a pedestrian.)

5. Use (Safety) Equipment Properly

Safety dictates and the law requires that bicycles operated on public roadways have reflectors (red on the rear, white on the front). If your bicycle somehow came without these (or the more likely, you were too “cool” to leave them on there), you can get them from any bike dealer. They are inexpensive and very easy to install. Or, if you want to be even more visible and don’t mind paying a little for it, there are many electric lights (with different power source options available) that can easily be mounted in place of the rear and/or front reflector. AND ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET! We’re trying to avoid getting hit or hitting the ground here, but were the worst to happen, protecting that brain is priority number one. In addition, check your equipment before heading out, paying particular attention to brakes and tire condition. Dry-rotted tires can blow out and tend to do so when subjected to greater forces such as high speeds, sharp turning, and heavy braking (in other words, at the worst possible times). 

6. Be Prepared and Provisioned

Contingencies have a way of presenting at the least opportune times, so best to be prepared. In preparing for a road ride of any length make sure you have the following with you: ample fluids and calories to last the trip (and then some, just in case things run long), basic bike tool set or multi-tool, tube repair kit (and/or a spare tube) and a pump, cash money and a credit card, identification/driver’s license, and a cellular phone. 

7. Know Your Route/Roads

Plan your route ahead of time, considering both how far you want to ride as well as the quality and expected traffic levels of the roads along your route. Obviously, when possible you want to avoid heavily traveled roads and congested areas, generally avoiding U.S. and state routes (depending on how rural the location). Roads with lower speed limits are often safer. Map your route exactly and if you’re not completely familiar with the route, consider taking with you written directions or a map (especially if you can’t rely on having cellular service for the duration of the ride).

8. Practice Safety in Numbers

Aside from all the other reasons friends can make us safer, on road rides the more bodies the more visible the whole group. (So I guess maybe they don’t even have to be friends at the start of the ride.) If you don’t have a group with whom to ride, most bike shops organize regular group road rides or at least can direct you to community groups that do. And if (most) everyone has a mirror there can be constant communication about all the cars approaching from both the front and rear.

9. Know the Weather

Nobody likes riding in inclement weather and numerous hazardous conditions can be introduced such as slick roads, reduced visibility, and high winds. Check the forecast for the entire area and period of your intended ride (and then some, again, in case things run long). Not only are you looking to avoid inclement weather (especially precipitation), but check the winds and route accordingly. Strong headwinds can greatly reduce efficiency and make those last miles really drag on. If you choose to ride in significant wind, when possible, ride out into the wind so that your return trip can be assisted by a tailwind.

There’s not much worse than riding out for half of your allotted time to find as you turn to head home that you’re going to be fighting a headwind the entire way, thereby ensuring you won’t be making it home on time.   

10. Know Your Limits

When planning your route, make sure what your getting into is well within your strength and stamina limits. Don’t even push up to those limits, as there is no way to control for everything. An unexpected detour or a sudden shift in wind direction or speed can add significant time to your ride; best to have something left in the tank at the end of the ride as opposed to bonking with ten miles left.

These safety tips are listed in order of priority but are not meant to be all-inclusive. Rather, they address issues specific to road riding in rural and suburban environments and, as such, deliberately leave out more general cycling safety concerns such as proper bike fit and pre-ride stretching. For more safety tips or (worst case scenario) legal advice in the event of injuries resulting from a cycling accident, please contact the Law Office of Gary Brustin.

Spring Cleaning Your Bicycle

If winter turned up and you locked your bicycle away, the most you will have to do come spring is wipe away a bit of dust. However, if you continued to use your bicycle throughout the winter, it is likely that it could use a bath. Similar to how a car builds up salt and other grime, so, too, will your bicycle. Even just one ride through winter slush can build up quite a bit of grime. If you really want to keep your bicycle working right, then it should be cleaned after each ride. However, how does one clean a bicycle?

Bicycle Cleaning Tips

If you choose to use just warm water, you’re going to need more scrubbing than usual. It is perfectly safe to use a little detergent mixed in warm water to help get the tough grime off. To make things even easier, you can load it in a spray bottle. You may also want to remove the wheels to get into the small spaces where road dirt can accumulate. Be sure to pay attention to the inside of the fork and the rear triangle, as this is where a surprising amount of dirt tends to build up.

The final piece of spring bike maintenance should be to lube up your bike chain. It doesn’t matter whether you had to clean it or not, the chain is likely stripped of the oil that it needs to operate smoothly. As to what oil to use, it should be formulated for your bicycle, but there are a lot of varieties to choose from.

Contact Us

While bicycle maintenance helps keep your bike working smoothly, and that in turn can prevent accidents, sometimes accidents happen. If you have been hurt as a cyclist, we can help you. Contact us today to see what the Law Office of Gary Brustin can do to get you the compensation that you need.

 

Tips for New Cycling Commuters

You know what they say, the first step to making a change is to actually do it. While sharing the road with cars on a bicycle as well as the extra effort it takes to commute on a bicycle that actively engages your body puts many people off, if you have decided to take the leap, you have decided on a great life change. However, if you are preparing for your first bicycle commute or even your hundredth, you can benefit from a few tips.

Plan Ahead

Not every city is bicycle friendly everywhere you go. This is why it benefits many to plan ahead before getting on the road for a morning rush hour. If you can take a route with bike lanes, it will greatly increase your cycling confidence as well as your road safety, even if it adds a little distance to your commute. Break out those city maps and find a route that works for you.

Read Up on Traffic Laws

You know your traffic laws for cars, and they are very similar for bicycles. However, knowing to bike in the direction of traffic and that you still need to come to a complete stop at red lights in many states will help keep you safe. Not only this, but when you do get in a car, you will be more aware of cyclists and what they have to deal with, so it will help prevent accidents.

Know Hand Signals

Being a predictable cyclist makes everyone a little safer. If you have to turn or otherwise move, be sure to signal so everyone involved knows what you are doing. This includes both cars as well as other cyclists that may be around you.

Find a Riding Buddy

The best way for a new cyclist to learn is to learn from someone more experienced. With the widespread reach of social media, even small towns may have cyclist groups that you can join on the commute. This can help ease the transition from car to bike.

Practice

You never forget how to ride a bike, but if it has been awhile, you may forget how to ride a bike well. One of the most crucial things is to practice is your start from a dead stop. If you are wobbly, you need to work on it first before going out into traffic.

While these tips will help you start bicycling as a commuter, accidents might happen. However, cars have to share the road with cyclists. So if you have been in a bicycle accident and need representation, contact us today.