WHY CYCLISTS ARE RUDE UNTRUSTWORTHY DOUCHEBAGS! hint: they are not!


There are very few negative aspects to Cycling, in my biased opinion. Obviously, the dangers of sharing the road with automobiles and having family members consistently say "you are too skinny and need to gain weight" quickly come to mind! But then there is also the negative stereotype to being a "Cyclist". Last week, an image was floating around the internet showing what happens when you type "cyclists are" on Google - well, you can try it yourself, but the image below is what I got when I tried:


 

Google's search engine's suggestions to "Cyclists are"...for real!


Now, using Google's search engine as a tool for public polling is probably not the most scientific way to determine your Public Image. But when you get screamed at to "get off the damn road" more often than you would prefer or read comments online joking about running over cyclists, you start to think that Cycling may indeed have a Negative Public Image problem.

So, here is my challenge as a beginner blogger trying to compose a post that can serve as an introduction into cycling culture: turn that google image above into a positive marketing piece!

Let's start with the obvious: "Cyclists are riding their bikes on the Road all the time, and they think they own the road... and they make drivers have to slow down... and they should be on the sidewalk... and they don't pay road taxes... and they painted that bike lane on my way to work... and now I am late for work and that damn cyclist is on my way..." The biggest source of the negative image some people have towards cyclists, takes place on the road where people, dressed as motorists, must interact with other people, dressed as cyclists. This is a huge subject, which I undoubtedly will write more about later, but I think there is one simple misconception fueling this negative perception: that cyclists are somehow breaking the law by simply riding on the road. At least, that's what I thought when I was just a motorist. Truth is, in most places, the LAW requires cyclists to ride their bike on the road (in some places, it is actually prohibited to ride a bicycle in the sidewalk). Typically, a cyclist should also ride as far right as practical or on a bike lane, if one is provided. I have a feeling that if people knew that "Share the Road" is not a polite request or suggestion, but the actual LAW, most motorists would deal with having to spend 2.8 seconds to change lanes while passing a cyclist, much less of an enraging experience.  You can read more on Rules #4, 10 and 13.


Yes, these are pretty much the same thing!

Then we have: "These fools on bikes think they are all pro's with their tight matching outfits..." One of the great things about cycling as a sport, is that you get to play on the same stadium, with the same equipment, on the same day as the biggest pro's in the world. You can literally ride on the Tour de France roads just ahead of the biggest cycling stars. Those stars practice on the same roads where countless other amateur racers train in - yes, that "fool on the bike" you passed on your way to the grocery store, could be one of the sport's biggest pro stars! The Debaets-Devos local Michigan bike race this year was won by Bobby Lea, who went on to recently win a Bronze Medal in the track cycling World Cup in London. Anyone willing to buy a one-day license, could've participated on that same event, on the same roads, on the same day and with the same support as one of the fastest cyclists in the world. And when it comes to the group of cyclists with the matching outfits, those are probably amateur racers who are training with their Cycling Club (yes, cycling is a team sport!) Cycling Clubs will also allow anyone who joins to ride with, and learn from, some of the fastest cyclists in the region (two of the cyclists enjoying their coffee break on the picture above are Michigan State Champions - and also my friends)

And lastly: "They are just plain arrogant!!!" It's not arrogance, it's confidence. After all, if you see cyclists on the road, or in a coffee shop during a break, they are not only riding their bike - they are experiencing a soul-cleansing therapy session! The therapeutic aspect of cycling is probably the biggest, and most surprising, benefit to the sport. The ability to propel yourself over the steepest hills in your town, or to ride faster and further than you ever thought possible is incredibly stress releasing, and leaves you with a powerful feeling of self-fulfillment and accomplishment. I guess it even sounds arrogant, but anyone willing to hop on a bike and go for a ride can experience those same benefits. Even if you got beat down on the road, you still feel like a winner! My favorite way to explain my passion for cycling, is to describe a long bike ride as a way to burn 3000 calories on what feels like a week-long vacation in just a few hours! And that's a pretty positive marketing tag-line!

Happy Holidays!

"DIETING AND EXERCISING" MADE ME FAT! and how I lost all my weight!

I like to eat. I really like to eat. Worse yet, I normally like to eat foods that are not healthy! It gets even worse, when I get stressed or frustrated, I want to eat even more. And those facts are still true for me today. And I am sure I am not alone.
On my way to getting big, as in "huge" big, I tried and failed at many diets. Mostly because most diets involved depriving myself of the food I wanted to eat, or just left me feeling hungry all the time. That in turn would get me stressed or frustrated, which would make me want to eat more.
I would also try to exercise like a mad-man; I was a Fitness Club dream client; buy a membership, use it 3 or 4 times a week for the first month, and then slowly disappear from the gym floor as the novelty wore off, or the lack of results became frustrating, or work got too stressful, or when it just got too hard and not fun at all. Either way, the same old cycle would continue: stress, frustration, pint of double chocolate chip ice cream before going to bed!

You can get away with a lot when you are a cyclist.

Now, at this point, I could point out that on today's fun bike ride, I burned 2,111 calories (as estimated by Strava). That kind of lets me get away with my "I like to eat" motto without gaining the weight back. But spending calories is just part of the equation (OK, a big part of the equation and that's when cycling comes in, but more on that later). My problem always revolved around food:

Here was my key to losing weight: I stopped dieting!
Warning: things might get boring for a bit! please hang in there with me!

As it turns out, all my previous hard work "dieting" and "exercising" just left my poor body confused and broken down, as it received mixed messages. The key is to burn calories by being active, but you must also eat enough so that your body knows that it can freely burn those calories. Let me explain: every time I got hungry or even starving during my diets, my body's metabolism would slow down, as it never knew when the next meal would come. That would not only sabotage all my hard work in the gym as I didn't provide my body with enough nutrition, but it would also set me up for huge weight gain the moment my diet would end and I resumed eating all the foods I so desperately missed while dieting. (I could go much more on this, but it was getting so boring I went and took a nap!)

It was right around that time that I realized that "dieting" doesn't work for me, and that what I needed was a life-style adjustment: become a more active individual on a daily basis and never eat too much, but also - and this was the game changer for me: never eat too little! Obviously, basic nutrition and the types of food you consume are crucial, but I couldn't eat salads and whey protein mixes for the rest of my life. And being active daily is also crucial, but becoming a gym rat would only get me burnt out. The life-style change had to be permanent, and not a temporary thing, so for me, the exercise needed to be fun, and the food needed to taste good!

Yes, I called my blog VeloDiet so I could preach against Dieting,
but my marketing team said it sounded so good that it was ok!

Everyone is different, so finding a way to become an active individual (tennis, weight-lifting, cat-herding, soccer, rowing, ski-jumping) comes down to personal preference, but the key is that you must burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. This means more than walking to the mail box - my goal when I started was to get my cardiovascular system kicking for at least 30mins everyday (at 315lbs, I could only manage 20mins, but I was on my way!) Cycling works for me and I believe can work for many others, as it is more fun than exercise, and it is something that I could do daily (all I did at the start was walk 5 steps from the couch to the stationary bike and pedal for 30mins everyday while watching TV). Also, Cycling is low-impact (huge factor when someone is heavy) and it is a great cardiovascular exercise (you burn an incredible amount of calories and losing weight is all about the calories.)

Everyone is different, so finding a way to eat the correct amount of food will come down to personal preference, but the key for me was to never feel full but also to never feel hungry (it is important to know the difference between "hunger" and simply "wanting to eat more"). Obviously, eating healthy food is crucial and it can be a stumbling block for many of us. What worked for me was finding a balance of eating more healthy food (that I liked) and much less of the unhealthy food (that I liked). I only eat food that I like. Some people can completely cut-off  a lot of unhealthy foods from their lives, but I knew that I couldn't deprive myself because then I would think of it as a diet - and diet sucks! Moderation was the motto for my new lifestyle. There will be more blog posts in the future on the tricks that worked for me in achieving such balance (finding a healthy snack that tastes good and that you enjoy eating was a huge step for me!)



It's all about balance and finding what works for you!

Lastly, it takes time. I really had let myself go, so I knew it would take lots of time. The slow rate of weight loss was so difficult for me, that I stopped weighing myself for years so I wouldn't fall back on the old habits of eating too little and starving myself, or over-exercising and burning out. The weight loss happens slowly but as long as you continue with your active lifestyle (ride lots!) and responsible eating habits (don't overeat, don't feel hungry, more of the good, less of the bad), then you will be on your way.

Now, let's go for a bike ride!

Intro

You know how the story goes...you always struggle with food, but then you grow up, get a job, get stressed, get lazy and one day you find yourself as a 310lbs (140kgs) sad, unhealthy human being.


Maxing out at 310lbs in 2008 and at 175lbs since 2013
 

 

That was me in 2008, and now, at this exact moment, I weight 175lbs and just came back from a bike ride! It has been a long journey, but during this time I have not dieted, or deprived myself of my favorite foods, or forced myself to do any crazy exercise regimen I did not want to do. All I did was ride my bike FOR FUN and learned what, when and how much to eat!

 

Well, it is a bit trickier than that! I don't exactly eat a cheeseburger or ice cream everyday (but I still do eat them!) and I do ride my bike a lot (over 6300 km this year).  But it all started with a stationary bike and 20 minutes of easy pedaling in front of the television. "Baby steps!"

 

Over the last 6 years, I have had the most fun, have met some of the greatest people, and have been less stressed than any other time in my life! I have also learned more than I could ever imagine about what my body is capable of, its relationship with food, and about cycling and its crazy culture.

 

That's when I decided to start this blog to share some of this knowledge - NOT out of the kindness of my heart! I do have my selfish reasons! I am convinced that the world would be a better place for me to live in with more cyclists! People would be healthier and happier, there would be less traffic, there would be more coffee shops, and better IPA!

 

So, if I can get only ONE person to go out and ride their bike ONE time, I will consider this blog a success! (how about that for setting high expectations!)

The Rules

THE RULES

(for newbie cyclists)

Advanced cyclists, please refer to your rules here!

 

It's not all about the bike, but damn, isn't she beautiful?!

1. THERE ARE NO RULES - JUST HAVE FUN! As a cyclist, you should do what feels good and makes you happy! The image above shows a road bike with skinny tires that decided to go for a ride down a dirt road! It wanted to get dirty and it was happy! And I was happy with it! Really, there are no rules! Your goal as a cyclist should always be happiness! The following are all just mere suggestions!

2. DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU - BUT KEEP AN OPEN MIND! Everyone is different and everyone has different goals on the bike. Techniques and tricks that might work for one cyclist might not work as well for another, or worse, it might prevent you from following Rule #1 above. The key is to keep an open mind - many proven and tested cycling techniques and suggested may seem bizarre or downright silly at first, but once you give them a try, it might open a whole new world!

3. MAKE SURE THE BIKE FITS - YOU DON'T WEAR A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL SHOE, DO YOU?  Human beings come in all sizes, and so do bikes. Getting the right size bike, and then getting it adjusted to your body dimensions is the most important requirement for your life as a cyclist! When you are ready to purchase your bike, make sure the Local Bike Shop will perform a basic "bike fit" with the purchase (you will want to frequent the shops that will do it free of charge!)

4. LOOK FOR THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED - cycling is also about exploring new places, discovering different worlds sometimes hidden in your own backyard. Riding on quieter smaller roads will also avoid car traffic and provides you a calmer more relaxed atmosphere as you escape the rush of every day's life. As you continue to grow as a cyclist, this rule takes another meaning: mix up your rides, your roads, destinations - don't let your bike rides become routine!

5. RIDE WITH FRIENDS - IT'S SAFER, IT'S FASTER, IT'S MORE FUN! And you get to learn more too! The camaraderie formed in a cycling pack extends way beyond the bike. Riding in a group does require a little more technique and it can be a bit intimidating at first, but it becomes natural with time. Being part of a group of friends who ride, or a local cycling club, can take you further than you could ever imagine! (fyi: riding solo is pretty great too!)

6. LOOK GOOD - WHATEVER LOOKING GOOD MEANS TO YOU, STRIVE FOR IT! It's not about vanity - the real point is: if you look good, you feel good! and if you feel good, you will ride better (or further, or faster, or whatever you are into!) If or when you are ready for it, cycling specific clothing will enable you to be much more comfortable on the bike and are available with all sorts of graphics and designs. Above all, refer to Rules #1 and #2, be creative and have fun!

This Macchiato and Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake consumed
during a Coffee Ride perfectly reflect rules #1, #2 and errr #7?!

7. EAT, DRINK, SLEEP! TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY - YOU ONLY GET ONE, AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT LAST FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! What you eat and drink (on and off the bike) are crucial to your performance (on and off the bike). That does not mean your life as a cyclist will revolve around salads, oatmeal, and energy gels - much to the contrary, cycling enables you to eat more of what you want, just don't be stupid - if you eat crap, you will ride like crap. Oh, yeah, rest and sleep are important too...

8. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY - BUT YOU CAN PUSH IT QUITE A BIT! The human body is simply amazing. We are all almost certainly using it below its potential and the bike is a perfect tool to unleash your hidden powers! But there are limits, and being able to communicate with your body is crucial. If you learn to listen to it, it will tell you when and how much to eat and drink, when to rest or when to stop. If you learn to speak to it, you will tell it that it can go further and faster than you ever thought!
 
9. WHEN IN DOUBT, RIDE! Too cold!? Too windy!? Not enough time!? It might rain!? There are always excuses when motivation is running a bit low, but more often than not, going out for a bike ride, even for a few minutes in not-so-great weather will make you feel better and happier! Just do it! Now! Go ride your bike!

10. CARS - THEY ARE BIGGER, FASTER, AND REALLY FRIENDLY (most of the time!) Once you get faster you may want to race them, but that is incredibly dangerous and they can always go faster than you. And once you get buzzed by a car, you may want to chase them down, or flip them off, or gently educate the driver. Don't - if they buzzed you, they are not willing to learn anything. The quicker they are off your life, the better off everyone will be! It's best to keep your distance and leave them alone, unless you want to give them a Thank You wave (I highly recommend it!).

11. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BIKE - AND IT WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU. Last year, I rode almost 10,000km (over 6,000 miles) without using a single drop of gasoline! But putting any machine through that type of use does require some maintenance. For someone as mechanically challenged as yours truly, even basic bike maintenance seemed challenging, but keeping your bike clean, its tires inflated and its chain lubricated will take you a long way. But it may require a bit more attention, which leads me to the Rule #12:

12. SUPPORT YOUR "LBS" - THAT'S YOUR "LOCAL BIKE SHOP"! Your "LBS" is much more than the place you bought your bike or take it for maintenance or repair. Once you find the bike shop you feel comfortable with, you will develop a relationship which may include your first group ride, going behind the service counter to learn how to take care of your bike, catching up on the local cycling news, bribing staff with brownies (or beer), and even discounts (if you ask for it nicely!)

13. BE FRIENDLY - BE A GENTLEMAN OR GENTLEWOMAN CYCLIST. When riding, be courteous! Wave "hi" to other cyclists, to kids of their bikes, to joggers, to pedestrians, heck, even to cars! Offer to help other cyclists with their flat tire, or offer a little extra water on a hot day. Drop back and help the new cyclist who may be struggling on his first group ride! It's not only about spreading the joy, or being an ambassador of our sport - I can guarantee, that what goes around, comes around!  


If you have a personal "rule" that has helped you become a better happier cyclist and you would like to see it here, feel free to leave a comment below!