Author @PeterKimpton In the latest in our series about outdoor exercise, Peter Kimpton explains how bike and body can feel inextricably entwined
Penny farthing, anyone? Technology has moved on since Herne Hill velodrome in 1937, but cycling's pleaure remains undiminished. Photograph: Keystone/Getty
If my legs had an attached meter measuring movement through lifetime, it would register far more revolutions than steps. In fact I hardly ever walk anywhere unless I have to – from my office chair to get coffee, to climb stairs, visit the bathroom, enter a pub, or go to a meeting. I'd probably cycle to those too if permitted, and if it wasn't slightly dangerous.
As cycling becomes more popular, I fantasise a little about just much humans might ride in the future. The idea that we could evolve into part-bicycle is one that pleases me immensely. It pleases me as much as reading Flann O'Brien's masterpiece of fiction, The Third Policeman, in which that very thought has wheels. In this wonderful book, several characters in its Irish village setting are described to not so much have ridden as to have partly swapped atoms with their bicycles. The postman, for one, has become 71% bicycle and, like many other locals, has developed behavioural traits such as regularly leaning against walls or, when at rest, having one foot on the kerb.
In a parallel universe, the mulefa species, from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, have evolved natural axles to which they join giant seed pods as trundling wheels. I wouldn't mind a clip-on pair myself.
On the sad occasions when I've lost a bike to theft, I've felt a terrible loss, a physical loss almost, as if a limb is missing. I know of others who've said the same. I do feel, at least existentially, part-man, part-bike. That said, I am not a bike nut (or any other component). I am neither constantly cleaning, repairing or stripping down parts or cables or thumbing cycling magazines and obsessing about cleats or carbon forks. I shave my face, not my legs. And while it's good to be visible, I try not to resemble a neon Lycra alien with a giant shiny head and flashing lights.
An early escape
I began to love cycling from the age of three. I remember my first bike – a little blue Raleigh with stabilisers, hidden in a cupboard. I remember the joyful rush when it was revealed. It may yet be my best, or at least most significant birthday present. I vividly recall the day the stabilisers came off two weeks later, my Dad running behind and not telling me he'd let go as I carried on without falling. After that I was off. I remember many childhood crashes, including when my best friend and I decided it would be really good idea to ride on top of a 10ft wall. Clever. (My next bike was a gold-coloured Grifter, but am still a bit sore that I never had a Chopper.)
If only … the Raleigh Chopper, though this one is without the classic gear changer. Photograph: David Jones/PA
Cycling has saved me so much time, and money. I failed my driving test aged 17, and then never got round to taking it again: I've never owned a car and experienced all the hassles (and, admittedly joys) that come with one. But with the help of trains, I can go anywhere I like, and in London, to multiple events in a single evening. There is the odd, fairly small repair cost, but it would meanwhile cost me hundreds, if not thousands every year to use the tube.
Cycling also allows time to see so much more than other forms of transport. On a recent holiday in Devon, I stopped to look at some beautiful horses along a country road. I could smell the warm, horsey aroma, while the early evening June glow caught their shiny manes. Later that evening I mentioned this to a friend who lives locally and who had driven along that route hundreds of times but, naturally keeping his eye on the road, had even never noticed there were stables at that bend in the road. There is something just right about the speed of a bike. It allows you to cover so much more ground than walking, but you can see so much more than from a car. On that same ride I spotted an owl, rabbits and a grass snake wriggling into a bush. You'd frighten them off with a roaring engine, or even turn them into roadkill.
Epic adventure
Last year I took part in a charity bike ride from John O'Groats to Land's End – 1,000 miles in just nine days. It was fantastic, but undeniably tough at times. But one of the things that amazed me was how fit and healthy some of the older cyclists were. The man mostly at the front was at least 50, tearing up road at tremendous speeds and leaving others gasping. At least one of the other riders was over 70. Cycling seems to be an activity you can keep improving at, even when past the conventional sporting peak of your late 20s. So in that respect it seems to be like being music or writing, or wine, improving with age. I sometimes do other forms of exercise – a bit of running and swimming – but many of my friends who have played a lot of football – at least more than me – have completely worn their knees out. But cycling's low impact seems to only strengthen knees, and I feel that mine will last longer thanks to a lifetime in the saddle.
When on a challenging trip or even in the city, cycling's culture of friendliness and mutual support, especially when you have a puncture or other breakdown, continues to surprise me. What other activities seem to inspire such camaraderie among strangers?
Cycling must have its downsides, surely? Yes, but even they can have solutions. Admittedly cycling in snow is next to impossible, and or heavy rain unpleasant, but improvements in breathable waterproof clothing make that much more bearable, and doesn't stop my daily commute. And hills? They get so much easier with practice, like anything else. I've grown to love going uphill, perhaps as much as downhill. Here's a helmet cam clip of climbing a long hill near Torquay in Devon, the birds singing, the wind whistling through the trees. Tough, yet tranquil, and very satisfying.
Helmetcam. Cycling uphill can be a pleasure, as on this Devon ride near Torquay to Hope's Nose
Cycling's not so great for moving house, but it's amazing what you can carry - I've managed to transport such items as hi-fi and speakers, a carpet, a table, even a Christmas tree. I once saw a cyclist whistling by with a two-seater sofa on his shoulders, though I think that might tip the balance too far. And bike trailers are growing in popularity. Last week I saw one trundling helmeted children, and another with a dog, happily tail wagging in the breeze and wearing, comically, a scarf and flying goggles.
I love cycling most of all because it gives me freedom. It's about being outside, the wind in your hair (that's right, you don't always have to wear a helmet) and the sights and sounds of life in the city or countryside. Why would anyone want to have an cycle exercise machine or go to a spinning class? Just get on a bike and go somewhere.
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Any friction or resistance within the chain can have an impact on how efficiently your power is used. In order to limit friction between the chain and the rest of the drivetrain, a lubricant needs to be applied. Studies have shown that the type of lube itself makes little difference on the efficiency of a clean chain.
The real value of lubrication is to fill the gaps that would otherwise be filled by dirt and grime — things that do increase friction and decrease efficiency.
So if the type of lube is unimportant for efficiency why is there so much choice? Alex Trimnell, Muc-Off’s CEO, has this advice: “Keeping your drivetrain clean and well-lubed is important for a smooth riding experience, but you need to make sure that you use the right lube for the conditions.”
But a quick glance in your local bike shop will reveal a huge range of lubes to choose from. Wet, dry, wax, ceramic are just a few of the different types on offer. So which lube should you choose?
Despite the seemingly endless differences, chain lube can be broken down into just two simple categories — ‘wet’ and ‘dry’.
Simon Nash of Green Oil, maker of environmentally friendly lubes explains: “Wet lube was the original lubricant of choice. Early brands used something like car engine oil. Its consistency trumped basic spray lubricants that were primarily designed to displace water.
“It worked and was durable. But many cyclists on the road racing scene took to waxing chains in a frying pan. Secret formulas mixed in the kitchen often led to chains being dipped in bespoke waxy lubricants overnight.
“Companies soon realised that instead of heating up wax to melt onto a chain, wax could be melted (or rather dissolved) in a solvent. When this is applied the solvent evaporates, leaving just the wax, or ‘dry’ lubricant.”
Going back to Trimnell’s advice, choosing the best lube solution comes down to the conditions you ride in.
Wet lubes are used in all weather conditions but really come to the fore when riding in autumn and winter as they are water resistant so won’t get washed off riding through puddles or in a rainstorm.
Most wet lubes will provide efficient lubrication for over 100 miles of riding with one application. If you ride in the winter months a wet lube will resist salt corrosion. Wet lubes are also really good at reducing drivetrain noise.
The downside is that the sticky nature of wet oil can attract dirt that, if left to build up, can work as a grinding paste to rapidly wear out components. It also oxidises and if left to build up ends up as thick black gunk. Using wet lube properly requires regular degreasing and cleaning of your drivetrain.
In dry, spring and summer conditions you want to use a lighter lubricant, normally a wax-based ‘dry’ lube. Dry lubes are much cleaner to use and attract less dirt build-up even with repeated application. This makes them much better in dry or dusty conditions, especially off-road or on gravel tracks.
However, even a light rain shower will wash dry lube off the chain and it is less durable; an 80-mile ride in dry conditions can see lubrication drastically reduced.
As Nash also points out: “Value is an issue — in a bottle of wet lube, 100 per cent of the formula will lubricate. In a dry lube, some of the formula is solvent, which is there just to aid application.”
Whichever lube you prefer to use, for the best results Trimnell suggests that you leave the lube on the chain overnight before riding for maximum benefit.
Now you know which to use, here’s how to use it
Our take
Regular, correct application of lube is an important process to ensure the smooth and efficient running of your bike.
The type of lube you choose to use comes down to several factors involving where and when you ride. If you are fastidious about cleaning your bike regularly, and often ride in inclement conditions, then wet lube is the right choice for you.
However, for the habitually lazy or fair-weather cyclist, a dry lube is always going to be the preferred option.
What the experts think
My view: Andy Verrall Service course manager, One Pro Cycling
A wet lube from our supplier, Juice Lubes, is my default choice year round. I prefer to have a lube on the drivetrain to cover all weather.
The most important thing for me is daily cleaning of the drivetrain with degreaser, thoroughly drying it to remove all moisture before reapplying more lube.
This way the drivetrain is far more efficient and you gain extra life out of the whole system, along with no loss of power from the rider.
My view: Simon Nash, Green Oil founder
Every bike cupboard should have both a wet and dry lube. Dry lubes are for the driest conditions and cleanest chains.
Wet lubes can be used all year, offer better value and have the greatest longevity. Whether wet or dry, it’s often a question of how much time and effort you want to put in.
Either way, make sure you use a lubricant — your chain will thank you for it!
For further information log on website : http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/wet-or-dry-which-bicycle-chain-lube-should-you-use-289671
I love it when I’ve got a target. I like steps to follow and predictable outcomes. Maybe I’m just a little bit simplistic but I can be very goal orientated and, provided there’s a path to follow and a guaranteed ending, I’m happy to follow it!
Wouldn’t it be great, for example, if you knew that to lose a stone in weight you had to burn off a certain number of calories? It would be even better if you knew exactly how much cycling to lose weight this equated to. You could then plan a certain number of hours of cycling per month and know that, by the end of the month, you would have lost a predictable amount of weight.
If only life were so simple!
Sadly, it isn’t so accommodating and there are far too many variable factors to take into account to actually make that sort of equation work (dammit!). However, let’s have a bit of fun with some numbers for a few minutes so that we do at least get an idea of how much pedal pumping needs to be done to shift our beer guts!
HOW TO CYCLE OFF 1LB OF FAT
In 1958 a scientist called Max Wishnofsky (come on, is that his real name!?) concluded that 1 lb of body fat contains 3500 calories. This figure has been commonly quoted ever since and was based on the best research at the time. However, subsequent research has found that not all human fat tissue is 100% fat and there are a number of other discrepancies which mean that the figure is somewhere between 3436 and 3752.
That means that, in theory at least, if you burn off 3500 calories you will lose 1 lb of fat. Great so far! What does that mean in terms of cycling hours?
Well, according to Havard Health Publications if you weigh 185 1b you will burn 355 calories for every 30 minutes of cycling at between 12 and 13.9 mph. So, roughly speaking to burn off the 3500 calories in our 1lb of fat that’s about 5 hours of cycling at about 13 mph or about 65 miles of cycling.
That sounds awesome! If I wanted to lose a stone in weight then that’s 14 x 5 hours/65 miles of cycling so: (drum roll please…..)
To lose a stone in weight you need to cycle for 70 hours or 910 miles. That sort of seems reasonable and manageable. It also seems a fair trade off for the indulgence that it takes to gain an extra stone of weight as well. Like a sort of penance!
I’m going to make that a bit more real and use some figures from my ride yesterday – I rode for just over two hours at an average of just over 16mph and, according to Strava I burned 1076 calories. Assuming that each pound of fat contains 3500 calories as above I should have lost about 1/3 lb in weight just from one cycle ride!
But, I still weigh the same as I did last week. Why oh why does nothing go my way!? Why is everything so complicated and why does nothing ever do what it should when it should? My life would be so much simpler if everything did what it said on the tin!
SHIFTING FAT IN THE REAL WORLD
The calculations above have been used as a “rule of thumb” for decades by dieticians and fitness experts. In fact, it’s been estimated that it’s been quoted on 35,000 websites which is a strange coincidence bearing in mind that the figure is 3500 calories per lb of fat! Anyway, the rule of thumb states that to lose 1lb of weight, you need to consume 500 calories less per day for a week.
Sadly, this simply isn’t true and most people will lose weight at a much slower rate than this. You will need to cycle significantly more than in the figures above and that it will also take you longer to lose the weight.
BAD NEWS! WHY?
Well, predominantly because, as the body starts to burn off it’s fat reserves it does so at a decreasing rate the longer it goes on. So, the more weight you start to lose the slower you burn calories. Also, different people’s fat reserves have different proportions of fat in them, men and women lose fat at different rates as well as people of different ages. Similarly, depending upon the intensity of exercise the body won’t just burn off fat either. All of these variables basically blow the 500 calorie per day rule out of the water.
I came across what is supposed to be a much more scientific weight loss calculator here which takes into account a larger number of variable factors and is supposed to be significantly more scientifically and mathematically accurate at predicting weight loss.
According to the more scientific method, a 200lb 35-year-old man cutting 500 calories from his daily diet should lose 23lb in one year v losing the same amount of weight in four months according to the old method.
Oh dear! That’s a massive difference!
SO HOW DO YOU EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY LOSE WEIGHT CYCLING THEN?
It’s a tough one for anyone and the first thing you have to do is be realistic. Bear in mind that it’s going to be a marathon rather than a sprint and it takes time. If you suddenly cut your calorific intake and increase the amount of cycling you do you will probably not feel great and will get terrible hunger pangs almost inevitably leading to unhealthy binge eating.
Talking from my own experience I lost about 100 lbs over the course of about 18 months/two years but it wasn’t easy. I used a combination of careful eating with regular exercise. The start was straight forward because I could see immediate progress but it got harder the longer I went on.
TAKE A LONG, HARD LOOK AT YOUR DIET.
The first thing I did was to look at my food intake and do some calculations to find out how many calories I needed to be consuming just to maintain my weight. There are various online calculators that will do this (such as the one above) and they take into consideration your age, height and daily activity level. You can then work out how many calories per day you need to consume to lose a realistic amount per week.
Personally, I’m relatively sedentary in terms of my work life so I calculated my calorific intake based on that and also on a desire to lose 1 lb per week. It’s important to be realistic and not to try to go too fast and loose a lot per week as you simply won’t keep it up.
Then, you literally need to calorie count every single thing that goes into your mouth. I used the MyFitnessPal app on my phone as it’s easy to record and monitor your food on it and there’s a certain amount of satisfaction to be had from looking at the graphs and charts of your progress. You can also offset your cycle training against your calorific intake as well which is a relief!
I also spent the best part of a year feeling hungry. I think, to a certain extent, I do still almost constantly feel hungry but I have come to accept that as the norm. Previously, I had a number of issues with eating and the full and distended stomach feeling was my default position. I feel significantly more healthy and have much more energy and alertness now that I live with the edge of hunger most of the time!
CONSIDER PRE BREAKFAST TRAINING RIDES
There’s a lot of advice around about riding in a fasted state before breakfast and how this kick starts your metabolism into burning fat really efficiently. I did this for a number of months and had mixed results. It’s well known that your body gets used to this way of burning fat and it becomes less efficient the more you do it. For me at least, I would come home painfully, painfully hungry and then be sorely tempted to at least eat unhealthily to fill the massive food void or to binge eat. It upset my whole eating pattern for the day and it would be extremely difficult to keep to a balanced and healthy diet afterwards.
I think it did probably speed up my weight loss but, in hindsight, for me at least, it did impinge on my enjoyment of my cycling which sort of defeats the object of the exercise. I experienced severe loss of energy on a number of occasions and I think being so hungry has a detrimental effect on my mood as well.
In hindsight, I think it’s a much better plan to eat a light healthy breakfast before riding and then to fuel regularly on the ride. In the longer term, I don’t think this has made any difference to my weight and I feel better and more energised when cycling, I don’t arrive home starving hungry and I am able to regulate my eating for the rest of the day afterwards much more efficiently.
GET THE SPEED OF YOUR RIDE RIGHT
Riding at about 75% of your maximum heart rate, or when you are just slightly out of breath is the maximum efficiency for burning fat. If you can sustain this and do it regularly and combine it with some high-intensity interval training you will find that you will be burning those calories off really quickly! Try not to be tempted to toddle along too slowly, you need to be making some effort to burn the energy or you will have to cycle for hours and hours to lose any weight!
Similarly, riding frequently is better than going for one extremely long ride once a week. A mixture of high-intensity sessions with a longer endurance ride at the weekend will be most effective. If you can combine this with some cross training such as swimming or running and some strengthening activities like yoga or pilates then you have got the perfect combination!
CHECK AND REWARD YOURSELF
Once I started losing weight I weighed myself once a week at the same time each week and recorded my progress on the MyFitnessPal app. The temptation is to weight yourself more frequently but I felt I would start becoming a bit obsessive if I did that so I stuck to the once a week method. Again it’s really important that you record your progress and I found the graphs and charts on the app really helpful in this regard.
For me, as I shed the weight, I became increasingly motivated to keep going. My body changed shape and, rather than rewarding myself with food treats which is what I’d done for years, I bought clothes to fit my smaller size. Rewarding myself as I reached each weigh milestone was motivating for me, particularly in the beginning and towards the middle when things got tougher. To a certain extent my new way of eating is an ingrained habit now and takes much less effort but it takes a while to get to that level!
Have you lost a lot of weight through cycling? Do you have a personal story or tip that you would like to share? leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!
For further information log on website : http://roadcyclistsguide.com/cycling-to-lose-weight/
Keeping the chain on your road bike correctly lubed is a key factor in making sure that it stays as efficient as possible and is also a major contributory factor in how long the chain and cassette on your road bike lasts. You would think that an occasional spray of WD40 would do the trick, after all it’s only a bit of chain for goodness sake! But, as with most things there’s more to it than meets the eye, and there’s a right way and a wrong way of approaching it and slapping on the WD40 whenever you remember isn’t really the best approach!
So, enter into the slippery mechanised world of the tribolologist.
I’m sorry, tribolologist? Erm what’s that?
A tribololgist is someone who studies the science of reducing friction. Yes, that is actually true (wiki it!) and we are entering immature sniggering territory with all this talk of lubes and friction! Pull yourself together and stick (aha, another friction joke!) with me!
So, the tribologists would say that the very best thing for any chain, cassette or indeed transmission system where there are moving parts that are pushed together under load is for them to be spotlessly clean and bathed in a luxurious fully immersive bath of oil.
Hence the old fashioned but very efficient Sturmey Archer three speed hubs which did just that. Don’t you remember the moans of oil bathed pleasure that those Sturmey Archer cogs used to make while immersed in their tribologist’s utopia?
But, we don’t have those any more (which is a good job as they sound immoral!) and, stupidly enough all our transmission is now, thanks to the derailleur system, out in the elements exposed to all that the road can throw at it. Of course this has it’s advantages as it’s lighter, faster, fits in more gears and basically just simply looks cooler but, from a cog, sprocket or chain link’s point of view derailleur gears are bit of a living hell. In fact, they all fantasise about being reincarnated in a Sturmey Archer oil bath heaven – a world of cleanliness and slippery lubed oiliness – no friction there my friends!
So, how can we make our transmission system happy and make it last as long as possible?
THOROUGHLY DEGREASE AND CLEAN YOUR CHAIN
Man! That’s a filthy picture above! I promise it was all clean when I set off! That’s what just 35 miles on English winter roads does to your bike!
The first thing to do is to make sure that all of the…..erm….parts down there, are spotlessly clean. It can be helpful, although not essential, to have your bike on a maintenance stand and you need to start off by applying liberal amounts of degreaser to the chain, cassette, jockey wheels and chain rings. Let this soak in for a while and use an old brush to really work the degreaser into the chain as much as you can and to scrub it as clean as possible.
You can also scrub the sprockets on the cassette and all of the bits and pieces of the derailleur aiming to remove as much of the damaging stuck on dirt as you can.
Chains get so cruddy because (wet) lube oxidises into a sort of sludge and this attracts the dirt and grime. Over time this becomes a sort of gritty paste that will work it’s way into all of your drive train’s nooks and crannies and wear it away so it’s important to get the chain as clean as possible at the outset.
In theory at least it would be a good idea to clean and lube your chain after every ride. I’m riding on filthy English winter roads at the moment and the bike and transmission comes back covered in mud after every ride. I try to clean it on a weekly basis but do this less frequently in the summer as it’s less of a problem. Ideally I would do it after each ride at this time of year but it does take time so a realistic compromise has to be struck!
Let the degreaser soak in and do it’s thing and then thoroughly wash it off. You can do this more than once and, when you are finished and if you have done a good job the transmission should be silver again.
DRY, POLISH AND WAIT
Bear in mind that at this point your chain hasn’t got any lubrication on it at all so do not ride the bike! Take some time to dry the transmission carefully. You can use a cloth to wipe away any excess moisture and degreaser and take your time to really get into the gaps between the sprockets on the cassette where any remaining grit and gunk might be.
This job is particularly pleasant at waist height on a bike maintenance stand but, even if you are on the floor, polishing your cogs to make them clean and shiny is definitely one of the best bits of this whole process!
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TYPE OF LUBE
Apparently your chain can’t tell the difference between different types of lube and they all offer the same amount of friction reduction. The difference is in the amount of time they last and the amount of dirt that they attract.
Frankly, I think life is too short for me to go through the different types of lubes including wax and ceramic and the subtle differences etc etc. I do love cycling but not oil really and I’m not that interested ……so……..you need to apply either a wet or a dry lube according to the prevailing road conditions.
Use your common sense but make sure you use a proper cycle chain oil. The old WD40 solution doesn’t provide much in the way of lubrication although it’s great for dissipating moisture and penetration. It also potentially sprays all over your braking surfaces so be careful when using it on your bike!
FINALLY, LUBE UP THAT CHAIN!
And finally we come to the exciting part! The top tip here is to turn the pedal crank and apply the oil to the INSIDE of the chain. A couple of chin lengths of application is all that will be needed. If you apply the oil to the outside of the chain centrifugal force will send it flying all over the bike rather than back into itself once you start cycling (in theory at least). Take a few moments to change gear and allow the oil to spread over the sprockets and then, whilst still turning the pedal cranks, use an old rag to wipe off as much of the excess oil as possible.
Above: Applying lube to the INSIDE of the chain.
Remember that the oil is only really needed inside the chain and any that is left on the outside will just spray around and attract dirt so wipe of as much as you possibly can.
I hope that was helpful. Personally I’m rather pleased that I managed to get the words lube, friction, penetration and “down there” into a cycling blog post!
Now to take some filthy pictures to finish it off…………..
For further information log on website : http://roadcyclistsguide.com/much-chain-lube-use-road-bike/
