Banana Bread

Ingredients: (Makes around 12 slicer or 8 if you’re hungry!)

• 4 ripe bananas, about 700g
• 75g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
• 1 egg
• 150g white plain flour
• 50g wholemeal flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 75g sunflower seeds

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200C/ 180C fan/ Gas mark 6. Lightly grease a 1kg loaf tin with a little of the butter
• Peel and mash the bananas in a bowl. Add the melted butter, followed by egg and stir well.
• Add both flours, baking powder and salt to the bowl then gently fold everything together until well mixed. Set aside about one tablespoon of sunflower seeds, then fold the rest into the mixture.
• Use a spatula to transfer the mixture to the loaf tin. Shake gently to distribute it evenly in the tin and then smooth the top with the spatula. Sprinkle the rest of the sunflower seeds on top.
• Bake for 55-65 minutes until well browned then leave to cool.
• After it cools enjoy with a nice cup of coffee after your ride!

Recipe from: 7 Days UAE

Puncture Prevention

Scottish inventor John Boyd Dunlop made the first practical pneumatic tyre in 1887 to prevent his son getting headaches while riding his bike on rough roads. Since that day, air filled tyres have allowed cyclists to race over the rough pavé of Northern France, tackle rocky and muddy trails and to enjoy a smooth ride on tarmac. With that familiar hiss though, our air cushioned dream can quickly turn into a ride halting nightmare.

Punctures always seem to happen at the worst possible times, such as when you are running late on a commute, on a freezing wet training ride at the top of an exposed hill or in an important race or event. Unfortunately occasional punctures are an inevitable part of cycling but, with practice, can be quick to fix and there are steps to take to avoid getting as many.

Types of puncture

There are two main types of puncture. The first is a penetration puncture where a foreign body such as a thorn, nail or flint goes through the tyre. These type of punctures can range from a small thorn that will result in a tiny hole that will slowly leak air, to a large sidewall gash caused by a sharp rock that will cause instant deflation.

The second common type are impact, pinch or snakebite punctures. These happen when you hit a sharp edge, such as a pothole, and the inner tube gets pinched on the rim causing it to puncture. These puncture are characterised by the two parallel slits in the inner tube they cause, that give them their snakebite name.

Tyre choice

Super lightweight tyres can be great for that race day performance boost when every second counts, but the small gains they give you has to be weighed up against the greater losses you could accumulate fixing flats. For day-to-day training on the road and sportives, there are plenty of tyres available with puncture protection technology, such as Kevlar reinforcement, that aren’t too heavy.

Consider heavier duty tyres for winter training duties but be aware that cheaper ones will often have a very hard rubber compound that can be slippery. Urban commutes may require even more robust tyres to combat broken glass. Mountain bikers need to consider the trails they typically ride on. If they are rocky, especially with flints, you will need tougher sidewalls.

Tyre pressure

Checking tyre pressure should be part of your pre-ride routine using a track pump with an accurate pressure gauge. Tyres will have a recommended inflation range printed on the sidewalls but don’t just pump them up to the maximum. Correct pressure is dependent on rider weight and road or trail conditions. You will need to experiment and seek advice to find what pressure works best for you.

As most of your weight goes over your rear wheel, it is normal to run it at a higher pressure than the front. An under-inflated tyre will be far more prone to pinch flats and thorn punctures but an over-inflated tyre is more likely to be damaged by sharp flints as it won’t deform around them. Mountain bikers and cyclocross racers are often forced to run very low pressures to maintain traction and, because of this, using tubular or tubeless tyres will negate the risk of pinch flats as there is no inner tube.

Maintenance and routine checks

As well as checking pressure, before every ride, carefully inspect your tyres. Run your hands over them to find any unusual bulges or foreign bodies and look carefully for embedded shards or glass or flints that haven’t yet worked their way through to cause a puncture. As part of your post-ride clean, wipe your tyres off and again inspect for damage. It is always better to find a problem and sort it then rather than when you are heading out the door for your next ride or a couple of miles down the road.

Sealants and tape

Liquid sealants go inside the tyre, inner tube or tubular and will seal punctures up to a certain size. They are often latex based and some also contain small particles that aid sealing. It is possible to buy inner tubes with sealant already installed and, especially if you mountain bike in thorn ridden areas, these can be a convenient solution. The downside is that they are expensive and they add rotating mass to your wheels.

For most tubeless setups, using a sealant is part of setting the tyres up and making sure that the system holds pressure. Once inflated, the sealant is then there to seal punctures. Setting up a tubeless tyre with sealant can be messy and does make changing tyres to suit trail conditions inconvenient. However, for mountain biking, the advantages tubeless tyres offer definitely outweigh these cons. It is also possible to use a sealant in tubular tyres as a preventive measure but it is wise to check manufacturers recommendations as some ammonia based sealants will attack and degrade the inside of the tube.

You can also buy puncture resistant tape and strips that sit between the tyre and the inner tube adding an additional layer of protection. With modern tyre protection technology and materials though, these are usually an unnecessary addition that do add significant weight to your wheels. They are only probably worth considering if you mountain bike on very thorny trails and don’t want to make the change to tubeless tyres.

Riding technique, line selection and road positioning

Some riders just seem more prone to punctures and, although in rare case this can be down to pure bad luck, skill does play a significant part. Especially when riding off road, learning to “ride light”, using your body to absorb shock and picking smoother lines, all reduce the risk of flats. On the road, having good bike handling skills will also help prevent punctures. They will allow you to avoid obvious puncture hazards such as gravel or broken glass and, in extreme cases, bunny-hop a bad pothole.

If you are riding in a group, make sure that major road surface hazards are pointed out and that the warning, usually pointing at the spot on the road, is passed through the group. Use common sense and discretion if you are the front rider. You don’t need to point out every single bump and blemish on the road, just any major hazards. Finally don’t ride in the gutter. Not only will it encourage cars and other vehicles to attempt to squeeze past you but puncture causing road debris tends to gather there.

Article via British Cycling

Top tips for losing unwanted pounds

Follow these top tips to help get your scales moving in the right direction!

Find how much you need to lose

Many riders will just conjure a number out of thin air, find out how much their mate weighs or base their target weight on a generic formula such as BMI. However you have to take your body composition, build and previous sporting background into account. Try to shed too much weight, especially if you are taller or have well developed upper body musculature, and you could end up sacrificing power.

Head down to your local gym and get a qualified fitness professional to measure your body fat using a skin-fold test. Once you know your body composition, you can calculate how much you can stand to lose. Devices that measure body composition using an electrical current aren’t as reliable or replicable as a qualified and experienced person using calipers.

Avoid faddy and crash diets

Don’t believe any hype about miracle, rapid weight loss or food type restrictive diets. Don’t try and crash weight off too rapidly. Realistic sustainable weight loss is approximately 0.5 kg per week. Any more than this is likely to be water weight or power reducing muscle loss.

Heavy training is not the time to lose weight

Periods of hard or heavy training are not the best time to try and shift weight. You need energy to train and, if you are restricting food intake, you will be compromising your gains from your workouts. Try to schedule in weight loss periods during blocks of lighter or lower intensity training.

Energy balance

Weight loss is all about energy balance. If your weight is stable, your energy balance is neutral, if you’re gaining, it’s positive and, to lose weight, it needs to be negative. It’s really that simple. Half a kilo of fat is approximately 3500 kcals so, to lose that over a week, you need a negative daily energy balance of 500 kcals. To put this in perspective, that could be six digestive biscuits, two Mars Bars or just under three pints of beer.

Find your metabolic rate

You need to know how many calories your body needs each day just to exist. There are a number of online calculators you can use that will take information such as age and body composition into consideration. They’re not 100% accurate but provide a good enough starting point.

Log your diet and exercise

Log the calories you take in from food you eat and the exercise you burn from exercise. Again there are some excellent online resources with extensive databases of foods. Calorie expenditure from exercise can be a bit of an estimate but accuracy is improved by factoring in heart rate and, if you are training with a power meter it can be very accurately gauged. Aim to hit that daily deficit of 500 kcals.

Consistency is key so avoid big fluctuations. A day when you are massively under isn’t a good thing for encouraging fat loss so, if you do a lot of exercise in a day, such as a big weekend ride, make sure you eat appropriately. You will find the act of logging all your food and drink is beneficial on its own. It will make you more aware of portion size, less likely to consume unnecessary snacks and reveals which foods and drinks are surprisingly calorific.

Weigh daily

Get on the scales at the same time daily but don’t compare one day to the next. Inflammation from a hard workout can cause a kick up and dehydration could give a false low. Plot a graph and you’re looking at the overall trend over at least a couple of weeks.

Cut out the processed foods

There are some obvious candidates to cut from your diet if you are trying to lose some weight. Sugary snacks and drinks should be avoided off the bike, alcohol is empty calories and can lead to unwise food choices and processed foods and low fat so-called diet meals are often laden with sugar.

Protein with your carbs

Not too long ago the traditional cyclist’s diet was very carbohydrate heavy, focussing on pasta, rice and potatoes. You still need the energy that carbs give you if you’re riding but not the amounts that were previously thought. If you’re not training hard, you don’t need many starchy carbohydrates and should focus on brightly coloured vegetables instead.

Balance your carbohydrates with protein at each meal. You will feel fuller for longer as the protein causes the energy from the meal to be released more slowly. Spread your protein throughout the day so, for example, have an omelette with your porridge in the morning, some oily fish with salad at lunchtime and some turkey and rice for your evening meal.

Slow release low GI

The Glycemic Index provides a guide for how quickly the energy from the food you eat is converted to glucose in your bloodstream. Obviously, as cyclists, there are times when you need that quick sugar hit but, in general, look for whole, unrefined low GI foods.

Fruit and veg

Five a day is the absolute minimum and, to support an active body, you should be looking to exceed it. Gut health is crucial to optimal performance on the bike and for facilitating weight loss and is significantly improved by a high fruit and vegetable diet. Vegetables are especially good if you’re trying to lose weight as they’re low calorie, dense in essential nutrients and fill you up.

Small and often

Don’t just have three big meals per day as you’ll struggle in between them, you’ll suffer from energy dips and be tempted to reach for sugary snacks. Spread your calories out throughout the day, including regular healthy snacks such as nuts, seeds and raw vegetables.

Eat mindfully

Think about and appreciate your food. Don’t just mindlessly shovel it in in front of the television. Eat slowly, put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls and chew thoroughly. You will improve your digestion and will feel fuller.

Fasted rides

Fasted rides are often publicised as a good method for aiding weight loss, they can work for some riders but the most current thinking is that they may be more beneficial if you also take some protein on board.

Prevention is better than cure

This may sound obvious but, if you go through an annual cycle of ballooning in the off-season and then struggling to get it off in the spring, you may what to take a more pro-active approach to weight control. Gaining a few pounds over the winter is perfectly normal, can help to prevent illness and keep you warmer on winter rides but piling on half a stone or more just isn’t necessary.

If this sounds like you, use an online calorie and activity logger for a couple of months and find out what it takes for you to maintain your weight. You will find it really won’t be too bad or restrictive and you won’t have a mad March weight panic.

Via British Cycling

8 tips to get back on track after Christmas

Top 10 Post Ride Rituals – Recover Like A…

via Global Cycling Network

Recipe: Char Sui Beef With Broccoli

Click below to see the recipe:

What to include in your ride kit bag

With all of the hard work you have put into your training, you want to make sure that a simple thing like a forgotten key item of kit doesn’t scupper your ride. Use this kit-bag list to ensure you have got everything you need for before, during and after your big event.

Ride Clothing/Kit

An early start makes forgetting something extremely likely so double checking this list and putting everything together the night before is always the best plan.

If you’re staying over before your ride, it’s even more important to work methodically through this list and, if you’re flying, consider carrying your shoes, pedals and helmet in your hand luggage. That way, if your bike should go missing, you’ll at least be able to use a hire bike. Here is more advice on flying with your bike.

Cycling Shoes

If you are travelling in trainers, it is incredibly easy to forget your cycling shoes. Check wear on cleats and bolt tightness before packing.

Helmet

If you are flying to your event, you should consider carrying your helmet in your hand luggage. A helmet is mandatory at Cycle Safe Dubai and Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge events.

Socks/overshoes

For a cool early morning start lightweight lycra overshoes can make a big difference so throw a pair in your kit bag just in case.

Shorts/tights/3/4’s

Keep your options open and pack a variety of lengths and warmths. Make sure though that you have ridden in them before, event day is not the time to experiment with new kit. Also, don’t forget your chamois cream.

Jerseys

Again, give yourself options so that you can tailor your kit to the conditions on the start line.

Glasses

Don’t forget your sunglasses, especially if they are prescription, and make sure you have dark, clear and light enhancing lenses.

Ride Essentials

Here are the essential tools, spares and kit you should always carry when riding.

Bottles and nutrition

If you are using energy or electrolyte powder in your bottles, measure it out into them and also measure out re-fills into zip lock bags if you are not planning on using the energy drink provided at the feed stations. Pack all of the bars, gels and treats you are intending to carry on the ride including a couple of spares in case the feed stations run low.

Gadgets and gizmos

As well as remembering your GPS, bike computer or heart rate monitor, don’t forget to charge them or put new batteries in, this applies to electronic groupsets too. Check you have uploaded the ride route onto your GPS if that is an option and that you have got the right cables to top up their charge the night before.

Pre-Ride Kit

Extra bottle and snacks

You will want an extra 750 ml bottle of energy drink to sip on during the hours before the sportive rolls off. Also, if you have got a fairly long drive to the start, you will want something to eat approximately 2 hours before you are due to start.

Track Pump

The quickest and most accurate way to double check tyre pressure before you roll off and a guaranteed way of attracting a few riding buddies!

Tools/Torque Wrench

Your bike should be in tip top condition but, if you feel better and more confident following a final bolt check or have had to disassemble it for travelling, it is better to use proper tools rather than a multi-tool.

Tape Measure

Again, if you have had to disassemble your bike, note down any key measurements, such as saddle height, beforehand and take a tape measure with you so you can put it back together accurately.

Lube

A couple of drops will re-assure you that your chain is running smoothly.

Old Towel/Sheet

Either for the back of your car or for your hotel room floor.

Post Ride Kit

Recovery drink

If you’ve ridden hard, you probably won’t feel like eating but it’s essential to take on the carbohydrates, proteins and electrolytes that’ll kick start your recovery process within 15-20 minutes of finishing your ride. Have the powder ready to in a mixer bottle so all you have to do is add water, shake and gulp.

Shower kit / Wet Wipes

If there are showers at the event, make sure you pack some shower gel. If not, pack some wet wipes to give yourself a refreshing wipe down.

Towel

Even if there aren’t showers, a towel is invaluable for wiping down, drying off and changing under.

Clean clothes

Although it can be tempting to just jump in the car after a hard ride or to collapse into the nearest bar, putting clean clothes on is essential for both comfort and hygiene. Don’t be tempted to drive home or sit around in your cycling shorts as that’s a guaranteed recipe for infections and saddle sores.

Wooly hat or cap

Even on the hottest of days, you can start to get cold quickly after riding. Your wooly hat should be the first item of kit you reach for post ride.

Fresh water

Even if you have hydrated well during the ride, it is likely you will still be slightly dehydrated and, especially if it is hot, you should start replacing lost fluids as quickly as possible.

Rag and water dispersant

Once you have sorted yourself out, give your bike a wipe down. If it’s been wet, spray some water dispersant on the chain, run it through the rag and re-lube. You won’t feel like doing it once you get home, it only take a minute and will mean you won’t have to deal with a rusty chain.

Via British Cycling

Exercise Techniques to Maximize your Cycling Performance

It’s no secret that cycling is an incredibly potent method of exercise, and it’s actually considered one of the most effective forms of cardio on the planet. Training your body to perform to its fullest potential is something that most competitive cyclists strive for, and just a few extra seconds of energy can spell the difference between a confident win, and losing out as your heart rate struggles to keep up with your pace!

What the Professionals Say

If you ask any experienced cyclist about maintaining energy, they’ll say that it’s all about pacing yourself. The human body is capable of extraordinary things, and with particular exercise techniques, it’s entirely possible to improve the way that your heart, lungs and blood pressure work. In standard terms, these techniques are referred to as cardio, but what you might not know is that other forms of exercise can be even more effective.

Training your Body with Tension Exercises

If you haven’t come across ‘tension exercises’ before, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised to read about their potential. Your arms and legs play a huge role in your balance, and although your thighs will often undergo extreme pressure before tiring, there is a technique that can help to promote their endurance and keep you pedalling for much longer.

If you flex your biceps, you’ll notice that the muscle stands out far more prominently. The same could be said for your thighs. As we flex, our muscles are triggered in to action, and it’s this action that stimulates growth. It’s less about lifting heavy weights with your legs, and more about training them to cope with high amounts of pressure for extended periods of time (endurance). Here’s a great exercise that you can try from home:

1. Sit down comfortably, and place your legs slightly apart, with your feet flat against the floor
2. Keep your back straight, and use a cushion if needed
3. Tense/ flex your thigh muscles, so that your heels lift off of the ground and your feet enter a ‘tip-toe’ stance
4. Keep your thighs flexed, and hold for 15 seconds – or for as long as you can manage
5. Relax your thigh muscles for 5 seconds, and then repeat 3 more times

If performed correctly, your legs will ache almost immediately after exercising, and undertaking this routine just once per day for a week can provide endurance results. The same could be said of your arm muscles, and promoting their endurance will assist with a greater level of control and strength when riding your bicycle.

Enhancing your Cardiovascular Health

It may not be possible to strap a dumbbell to your lungs and build their muscle mass, but it is entirely plausible to encourage them to function at an enhanced rate. If you cycle, then your lungs may already be benefiting, but there’s nothing to say that you couldn’t further train your lungs. The best way to do this is to force the capacity of your lungs to expand over time.

Typical cardio exercises are recommended (running, swimming and cycling), but it’s been proven that deep-breathing techniques can further assist when it comes to expanding the volume of your lungs. So what sort of deep breathing techniques can you try at home? Well there’s always yoga, and this technique helps to expand your lungs, promote muscle growth, and improve your blood flow. There’s also Tai Chi which assists with physical balance, as well as general deep breathing exercises that involve holding your breath for just under a second, before exhaling.

The Benefits

Improved lung capacity results in a greater supply of oxygen. The more freely oxygen can flow around your body, the better your blood pressure will be – and this means an improved performance as far as physical activities go.

When practised daily, each of these techniques can help to promote an increased rate of functionality, and in terms of cycling, which means an extra few minutes of performance – which can make or break a race result! Before a race, or even preceding a bit of local cycling – it’s always a good idea to prepare your body.

Performing a few simple stretches will help to elongate your muscles, and loosen them ready for the activities ahead. You can also try inhaling deeply 10 times, to encourage your lungs to stretch to their full capacity, and there’s nothing to say that you can’t continue this breathing while you cycle to keep your heart rate steady.

Recipe: Breakfast Smoothie

Click below to see the recipe:

What to Eat Before Cycling

Riding a bike requires a lot of energy particularly if you are riding for a longer period of time and/or at high intensity. Your body can do this because it converts the basic building blocks of food, carbohydrates, fat, and protein, into energy that your body can utilize. You need to give your body these energy sources at the right time to digest and convert them to energy so you can cruise comfortably down the road or trail. Any food, more or less, is going to have some sort of energy, or calories in it but not all calories are the same. Eating the right foods at the right times will give you the energy you need to complete a short or long ride with the speed you desire.

What to Eat Before Cycling

In any endurance sport you are going to burn a lot of energy to complete your activity. In cycling a lot of this energy comes in the form of carbohydrates as well as fat. In general at lower intensities of exercise, closer to that of walking, your body is going to burn more fat than carbohydrates.  As you ride harder and harder your body switches over to mainly using carbohydrates for energy as they can be converted to energy more quickly. The point at which this occurs depends on you personally and how you have been training as this point can change over time.

Having both carbohydrates and fat in any pre-ride meal is essential along with having a percentage of protein. In general, the focus should be around having slow burning carbohydrates such as oatmeal, whole grain pasta, or rice. Fat and protein can then be added to these basics to form a complete meal prior to your ride.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a great, easy pre-ride meal particularly for breakfast. It is slower burning so it can provide sustained energy. Add nuts or nut butters, seeds like flax seed, and fruit, to get a good ratio of carbs to fat to protein along with a tasty, easy to make breakfast.

Rice

Rice is largely the new “best” source of carbohydrates as gluten-free foods become more and more of a norm. Rice is easy on your stomach and converts quickly to energy, if white rice, and a bit longer if brown. Combining rice with protein options such as eggs or chicken, is a good way to include some protein in your meal. With rice, it tends to be more of a dinner option that is often served with vegetables. For a pre-ride meal, skip the vegetables as they don’t provide very much energy and can be more difficult to digest. Save them for dinner where their nutrient density can best be utilized. To get enough fat, throw in some olive oil or butter. Butter is often looked down upon but it can be a good fat option that is also tasty.

Pasta

Pasta is the tried and true tradition of cycling. When people talk of “carbo-loading” or what cyclists eat, pasta is often the first thing that comes to mind. It is for good reason as pasta is packed with carbohydrates and has a bit of protein. Whole grain pasta is a great lower GI (Glycemic Index) food that provides more sustained energy over time. Like rice, adding a protein option will give a good, well rounded meal including protein and fat as well.

Grains and Seeds

A newer trend that cyclist’s flock towards are grains such as quinoa, farro, spelt, wheat berries, and chia seeds to name a few. These grains and seeds pack a punch of higher nutrient density as well as more protein along with the added benefit of differing taste from that of conventional pasta and rice. These can be made any number of ways and due to their higher protein content, a side of protein such as chicken or eggs can be optional.

When to Eat

Eating the right foods before a ride will help your energy levels but to maximize performance as well as comfort on the bike, timing is important. Cycling is less harsh on your stomach in that you could eat a meal and go ride right after, unlike that of running where the jostling of your stomach would make you uncomfortable pretty quick. However, you still don’t want to eat a large meal right before riding. Right around three hours ahead of time is ideal as it gives your body enough time to digest while not yet being hungry for your next meal.

The Morning Ride

The timing of when you eat prior to a ride can be extra tricky with a morning ride because there simply isn’t enough time to eat far in advance. It is a good idea to eat something to keep you fuelled but it needs to be on the lighter side. A small bowl of oats with berries and an egg is a great balanced option. Keep it mainly carbohydrate based also, such as a bagel or toast with nut butter and a side of fruit. With less fuel before your ride, you’ll have to make sure you bring something to eat during the ride to keep you fuelled properly. Granola bars are a good easy, to-go option.

Eating the right foods at the right time will help your cycling in that you will be able to ride longer and faster while also feeling full of energy. There is no one food or one solution to fuelling properly for cycling. Everyone is different and everyone has different tastes so using the above guidelines along with a bit of trial and error will give you the best foods for you to eat prior to riding.

Article via ilovebicycling.com