Bike Club
The 2Wheels Bike Club meets at 7pm every TUESDAY
The Club
Welcome to the 2Wheels Bike Club. We are a social club that meet outside 2wheels in Sandymount every Tuesday. The rides will be a mix between short social spins and challenging routes.
The 2Wheels Bike Club is open to all, free of charge and requires no booking.
All ages, levels welcome. Just buzz the shop 01-260 2611 or email kevin@2wheels.ie for more information.
2Wheels Tour de Picnic for Temple Street
Hello everyone, my name is Mark Rudden from 2Wheels.ie. Myself and all the 2Wheels staff are here to help you get festival fit for the 2Wheels Tour de Picnic for Temple Street. We are six weeks from the event so now is a great time to put together a six week plan to ensure that the Tour de Picnic is as enjoyable as it should be.
Planning your Tour de Picnic training
To complete the Tour de Picnic is your ultimate goal. Your training program represents a series of smaller steps that lead up to the event. I believe that about 6 weeks of training is sufficient to get almost anybody to the level required for the Tour de Picnic. While this training program is designed for everyone, it especially caters for the people that are not already cycling regularly. If you are not cycling at all yet, you need to get on your bike! The Tour de Picnic is not a competitive cycle but your level of preparation will decide how you feel when you complete the cycle. Do you want to be glad it’s over so you can rest or elated that you have completed your goal and ready for a great weekend?
The Training Plan 6 weeks total
Your training will also be affected by your personal goals. Do you want to THRIVE or SURVIVE. Your preparation will decide this for you. This training program will include 3 different phases;
Weeks 1 – 2: Base Phase – Where your body gets used to being on a bike regularly
Weeks 3 – 5: Endurance Phase – Where you are able to comfortably cover longer distances
Week 6: Taper Phase – Where you get some rest before the big day
Weeks 1 and 2 : July 23rd – August 5th
When you are getting started it is about little steps. Basically use your bike as much as you can. You should aim to get on your bike 2 or 3 days this week. You should be using any excuse to use the bike no matter how short the journey. It’s about getting comfortable on your bike, familiar with how it handles and making any adjustments necessary sooner rather than later.
You should also aim to go for one training cycle. This is where you need to push yourself a little and see what level you are at. More importantly this will tell you what goals you need to set. Perhaps a 10/15km cycle on a route that you are familiar with?In the second week try to do a 25km cycle. For those who have not done much cycling, you should be aiming to do this in under 90 minutes. It is important to keep pushing yourself to go further. It really will make a huge difference on the day.
Why not join our free training cycle on Tuesdays @ 7pm from our Sandymount store? For more information check out the Bike Club on www.2wheels.ie
If you have any questions relating to your fitness or bike and it’s suitability for the Tour de Picnic please don’t hesitate to ask one of the friendly experts at 2Wheels!
2Wheels Basic Nutrition for Cyclists
One of the best things about riding your bike is that you get a free pass to eat what you want, right? Well, sort of. You can definitely consume more calories, but the right eating plan will give you energy, help you feel better, fuel your body more efficiently and help you lose weight, if that is your goal.
The best eating plan for a cyclist is one that includes plenty of low fat, high carbohydrate foods to provide energy and fluids to offer hydration. While ‘carb’ is a word that will scare many dieters, they are certainly not the diet-wrecking evil food that some people might lead you to believe. Carbs are your body’s preferred source of energy for cycling. Since you are constantly burning carbs to fuel your cycling as well as daily activities, you must regularly replace them with a high carbohydrate diet.
The kind of carbs that give all carbs a bad reputation are those made with simple sugars and refined flours. These offer little nutritional value and should be avoided. Get your fill of carbohydrates through fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grain breads, rice and pasta. Round out your diet with lean protein and a small amount of fat.
When you eat is almost as important as what you eat. About an hour before a ride, fuel up with a high carbohydrate snack or small meal. Some ideas might be fresh fruit and whole grain toast or a half whole wheat bagel with peanut butter.
If your ride is longer than 60 minutes, you’ll need to refuel with more carbs. Researchers recommend about 30 to 40 grams of carbohydrate each 30 minutes you ride beyond the first 60 minutes. This might be a good time to consider a sports drink or energy bar. Eating a high carb snack or meal within 60 minutes after a lengthy ride is important to replenish your body and prepare you for your next ride.
Cyclists must make a conscious effort to drink fluids before, during and after riding to stay hydrated. Becoming dehydrated is one of the worst things that can happen to you and so it is important to be proactive and push lots of fluids, even before you feel thirsty. You’ll want to drink at least 500ml of fluid immediately before a ride, another 300ml every half hour during a ride, and enough when you’re finished to gradually replenish those lost fluids after a ride.
These are basic guidelines that should allow all cyclists get more out of themselves and their bikes. Most of all it will make cycling more enjoyable at every level.