Cycling Pigs

I have taken the liberty of reproducing Brian Duffy’s Personal Training Tips and posting them here at CyclingPigs.com/. The link below is to the RAGBRAI web site where this article is taken from. Enjoy and be safe out there!

Personal Preparation Tips from RAGBRAI Host Brian Duffy

Personal Preparation Tips from Register Host Brian Duffy
For those of you who have not heard, RAGBRAI Co-founder John Karras penned his last postcard from the ride in 2000 and retired as a co-host. John assures us that he will still be riding RAGBRAI but he has joined the ranks of cyclo-tourist whose only worry will be what type of pie to have. I am the front-page cartoonist for The Des Moines Register, and was named as a co-host of RAGBRAI in 2000. I have ridden and drawn cartoons on the ride since 1988, so I am not brand new to RAGBRAI.

I have dabbled in every type of cycling from criterium racing to a few ultra-marathon events. It was through the ultra-marathon experience that I discovered riding 400 kilometers in a day can make the hands go numb and that is not a good thing for someone in my business.

In addition to the host gig, I have inherited Karras’ traditional training tips column. For those of you who live in Iowa or other northern climes, our winters are not conducive to outdoor riding. Many of you are forced to sit on a trainer, rollers or take spinning classes to get your cycling fix. I’m sure one thing that you have found is how exceedingly difficult it is to force yourself to sit on a trainer for an hour, even with a whole library of old Tour de France tapes to keep you pedaling. The key to indoor cycling workouts is to vary the types and intensity. One day a week, work on hill climbs doing a group of steady efforts lasting five to seven minutes a piece. Another day, work in an easy gear and concentrate on your pedal stroke. Another day, practice short hard intervals that get you close to your maximum heart rate. If you feel nauseous or light-headed while doing a workout, stop immediately.

Many health clubs offer spinning classes that incorporate many of the techniques already mentioned. Don’t forget that cycling uses other parts of your body, not just your legs, heart and lungs. Do crunches for the abdominal muscles because strong abs help decrease the chance of back problems. Push ups and bicep curls with weights are great exercises for your arms. If you find you are experiencing shoulder or neck pain when riding, try this exercise. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms relaxed at your sides. Shrug your shoulders for three sets of 10 reps.

Some people wait until it gets warm outside before attempting that first ride of the year. Don’t wait! If the roads are clear of snow and ice, bundle up and head out on your bike. One major mistake that many people make is to charge out on their first ride and mash big gears until their knees explode. Start out with short rides and spin, spin, spin. The French have a term for a supple, smooth pedal stroke. They call it souplesse. That’s your goal!

Slowly add miles to your rides and try to make sure you begin your ride by heading into the spring winds to push you home when you are tiring. Take advantage of the wide selection of two-day weekend rides in the late spring and early summer. These are the kinds of rides you need to get accustomed to longer rides on consecutive days. A base of at least 600 miles with a healthy dose of hills thrown in should go a long way to prepare you for the rigors of RAGBRAI.

One of the questions neophyte RAGBRAI riders invariably ask is what kind of bike to get for the ride. In years past, a majority of bikes on the ride were the typical drop-handled road variety. Over the last few years, tandems, hybrids, mountain bikes, and recumbents have been showing up in increasing numbers. It really depends on what type of bike you are comfortable riding. People with shoulder and back problems might ride a mountain or hybrid bike because it allows them to sit in a more upright position.

Gearing is another area where personal preference comes into play. Many RAGBRAI riders like a third chain ring known as a “granny gear.” This small chain ring allows a rider to spin comfortably up even the biggest hill. One of the greatest cycling inventions in my opinion has been the clipless pedal. The system incorporates technology first used on ski bindings. A cleat attached to the sole of a cycling shoe clicks into the pedal. The pedal can be adjusted for lateral movement which eliminates a lot of knee problems associated with the older toe clip system that locked your shoe into one position.

What to wear on RAGBRAI? You see everything from jeans to bikinis. I personally wouldn’t recommend either. A helmet is a number one necessity. Bike shorts are advisable. And don’t be embarrassed about wearing those lycra numbers. Everybody else is wearing them too. If you really don’t want to wear something that looks like it was painted on you, many bike shops have alternative shorts that have a padded seat. Cycling gloves are another must. Many of the gloves have gel padding which helps reduce road vibration.

To steal a phrase from an old TV show, “Let’s be careful out there.” RAGBRAI has close to 10,000 riders of all different levels of experience on the road at one time. Accidents are bound to happen, but RIDING RIGHT can reduce many of them. Essentially practice the same common sense that you use every day in the car. Don’t turn right from the left lane in your car and don’t do it on a bike. Signal when merging with traffic in a car, and signal when merging on your bike. Ride your bike like you would drive your car.

Practice road etiquette. Slower riders generally stay over to the right, sometimes, especially on hills and at corners, they move further to the left. If you are smoking up from behind, be patient, slow down and don’t scream at them, “ON YOUR LEFT!” Announce signals in a calm and clear manner. We don’t allow road rage on RAGBRAI.

You have already read it several times, but it bears repeating that this is not a race. This is a discovery tour of Iowa. Scenery and communities along the way are meant to be savored. I can tell you that every community along the route is excited to have you visit them. They have spent thousands of dollars and untold volunteer hours just to welcome you to their little piece of the world. So when you come to RAGBRAI, leave your cell phones, palm pilots and all other tools of the ever-quickening world at home…slow down and enjoy!