You are a Lifetime Athlete. You train year round for comprehensive fitness and performance. You participate in one, several, or numerous sports that you enjoy immensely.
There are practically as many ways to pursue lifelong athleticism as there are Lifetime Athletes. But there are a number of sports or fitness activities that are extremely approachable and adaptable for almost everyone. And cycling is certainly one of those.
Cycling is a true longevity-based sport. Most of us learn to ride a bike as kids and some of us continue pedaling into the sunset. The equipment is accessible worldwide and there are few barriers to entry. You can ride for competition, recreation, transportation, fitness, endurance, aerobic power, high-intensity intervals, recovery, and cross-training. You can tour, sightsee, and bikepack. Commute. Or just jump on and serendipitously enjoy the exhilaration that is two-wheeled (or 1 in the case of a unicycle or 3 with a trike) freedom. The bike is truly both a tool and a toy.
Road bikes. Time-trial bikes. BMX bikes. XC mountain bikes. Enduro and trail bikes. Downhill bikes. Rigid. Hardtail. Full-suspension. City, hybrid, and fitness bikes. Gravel bikes. Cyclocross rigs. ATB’s. Cruisers, clunkers, and beaters. Recumbents. E-bikes. Tires of all sizes and tread configurations. Frames made of steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber. Drivetrains from single speeds to electronic-shifting gearmobiles. Saddles and handlebars to fit every anatomical need. The flavors are almost endless and there is something for everyone in the world of bikes.
This piece is a brief tribute to the Lifetime Athletes that use bikes and some of the ways in which they celebrate the connection between cycling and healfitperfevity. That’s the amazing blend of health, fitness, performance, and longevity. Let’s highlight a few categories in cycling.
Racing
Many forms of cycling offer a racing option. Time trials, criteriums, hill climbs, road races. BMX, XC, and downhill events. Long endurance challenges across states or even trans-continental courses. Fixed gear track racing at a velodrome. The opportunity to compete against others, challenge yourself, and to do battle with the clock. Racing can satisfy the urge/need for competition and it also drives the motivation to perform highly, train, and stay consistent with health and fitness behaviors. For those that love racing, rock on. But it doesn’t have to be everyone’s cup of tea.
Training
You might have a goal to do a certain ride. For a given distance and at a specific time. But maybe you also just love cycling and prefer two-wheeled approaches to your exercise. The bike is your jam. Long rides, FTP tests, intervals. Using Garmin and TrainingPeaks. Analyzing workouts. Charting your progress. Posting on Strava. It’s all good.
Touring
You’ve got places to go and things to see. In many instances, there may not be a better way to travel than experiencing the world from your saddle, pedals, and handlebar. Perhaps you ride to see the countryside, visit a national park, or check out a restaurant. Maybe you like to capture photos and video footage.
Bikepacking
This is sort of a new term for loaded touring, which has existed for a very long time. But with bikepacking, you’re getting from point A to B (or XYZ) with a full setup of camping and riding equipment built for the long haul, particularly in offroad or mixed terrain.
Fitness
You like to use your bike to keep in shape. Maybe you’re not into racing, more structured training, or touring…but you ride regularly for health and fitness. Whether that’s a few times per week or every single day, you head out and reap the rewards of biking.
Play
Perhaps you really enjoy BMX or downhill mountain biking. Or just hitting the singletrack, cleaning technical sections, and catching a bit of air. Riding for you is all about the fun factor.
Cross-training
A lot of athletes use the bike as a supplemental conditioning tool. Cycling offers low-impact conditioning options for any athlete and it provides an alternative mode for aerobic exercise. Many court and field sport athletes, runners, and skiers (to name just a few) use the bike as an effective XT component in their programs.
Indoor riding
While it’s true that riding indoors is not the same as being outside on a beautiful day, it has two things going for it. First, it’s a fantastic option when the weather is not so great. And second, indoor training offers a level of safety and control not found anywhere else. Free of traffic and wind, you can put in some high quality training when that’s your goal. Whether you’re a serious competitive cyclist using a Wahoo trainer while you’re on Zwift, a fitness ninja hammering a Peloton class, or just using any new or old-school exercise bike, you’re winning.
Commuting
Need to get to work, the grocery store, or the coffee shop? A bike can be a very liberating mode of transportation. A lot depends on where you live and work, but when the opportunities line up well, cycling can give you the combination of efficient travel, exercise, and thinking time like no other.
Joyriding
I think this best describes my approach to cycling these days. I just enjoy riding my bike. I appreciate the exercise but I’m not really training. Most of the time I don’t have any place I’m trying to get to or from. It’s just so pleasant to go for a spin.
Tinkering
You may appreciate swapping parts, performing repairs, tuning up your rig, and going for test rides. For the most part, bike mechanicing does not require overly expensive tools or extensive space. It’s a fun hobby that can be very satisfying. And your friends and family will really appreciate your help in keeping them on the road and trail.
That was a relatively short list. The ways in which a bike can enhance your life are myriad. That stated, I’ve got 3 important considerations for every cyclist. Safety, setup, and self-care.
With safety in mind, always wear a helmet. I mean, every time you throw a leg over the top tube. No exceptions, no excuses. Make it a habit. Keep your helmet with your bike. Don’t let yourself slip into thinking that if you’re just cruising down to the mailbox that you don’t need your helmet. Head injuries are forever. Even a small crash can risk brain damage or death. I’m here today because I survived a racing accident in the 80’s, thanks to my helmet. Let’s keep this non-negotiable.
Obey traffic laws. If you’re on the streets, you’re considered a car in most cases. Stop at stop signs, signal, and make your presence and intentions known. Avoid riding up alongside a line of cars at an intersection, switching between vehicular and pedestrian lanes, and the like. Give cyclists a good name. On the trails, yield to horses and hikers. Be polite when encountering and especially overtaking others. These are the right things to do.
Setup is crucial for comfort and performance. The adjustments you make with your bars, stem, stack height, saddle, crankset, etc. can help you to deliver power to the pedals and avoid neck pain, hand or foot numbness, and other common maladies. Get help from a bike fitting professional if you need it. And make regular maintenance a priority. Clean and lube your chain, check tire pressure and bolt tightness, adjust brakes and gearing…all the things that keep your rig running smoothly.
Self-care can be a broad topic, but for this piece, we’re mainly focusing on performance physical therapy. As awesome as cycling is, it utilizes a relatively fixed position and repetitive motion. Consequently, positions and exercises of reversal are quite valuable for the avid cyclist. Picture the cycling position. Even if you set your position to be fairly upright, there is still potential for shortening of your pectoral, hamstring, and hip flexor muscles. Stretch out by using positions that “open you up” from your cycling position. Strengthen your shoulder retractors and back muscles. Work with your friendly local physical therapist or built-in online PT/coach in the case of The Lifetime Athlete App if you are a subscribed member.
Cycling is indeed a lifetime sport. It’s something that a Lifetime Athlete can enjoy in many ways. You can pedal your way to fitness and fun. Ride on, my friends.
Also, if you’d like to see how I restored an old bike, making some component and geometry changes to accommodate a maturing athlete, check out this video.