I Want to Ride My Bicycle

• cycling
• No Comments

Season is about to get warmer. Many people will hop on their bikes and ride in the sunny summer that we get here in good ‘ol NC.

Before you do, take a moment to think about how your bike fits you. There are a few key rules but basically all those rules boil down to two things: Comfort and Power. If you’re bike isn’t fit well, you may be suffering from a lack of both. For instance, if you ride to far back on the saddle, your shoulders are going to take the brunt of the support will you ride, you’ll find they get very stiff and sore and you’ll wonder how your shoulders hurt when you were using your legs to bike. If you’re too far forward on the saddle men will find this vastly uncomfortable and everyone will experience climbing hills to be a lot harder than they need to be. This is because you can’t get a full pull of the pedal stroke and your hamstrings can’t engage.

Whatever the reason a good bike fit is worth its weight in gold. So expect to pay for what you get. If it’s the free fit at the local cycling shop when you by your bike it may be okay for the short term but if you ride longer rides (90+ minutes) you’ll find that you won’t want to go much further as that comfort level just won’t dial in right. Seek out someone who is certified in fittings. There are a few in the area and yes, you’ll pay a good price for it, but as already mentioned, it’s well worth it.

There’s a great article here about bike fits. It’s a good read, a bit technical, but nonetheless important info that any serious rider should know about.

If you don’t want to take my word for it, ask our resident cyclist Patty – she’s a pro.

Mike Babbitt, M.F.A, M.A., CSCS, ACSM-HFI

USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Master Trainer

Mike is a Master Level trainer at Empower Personal Training. He has a unique approach to fitness that combines his scientific foundation of research and applied exercise physiology with his artistic experience as a professional stage actor. For more information about Empower Personal Training please call (919) 401-8024

Empower Personal Training hosts FREE MS 150 Training Rides

• News
• No Comments

Empower Personal Training is happy to announce that we are hosting three more MS 150 Training Rides leading up the event Sept. 11-13 in New Bern, NC. Rides will consist of 20-30 miles of rolling terrain, and we encourage riders to be able to maintain at least 15 mph with a group as there will be no sag support. Support a great cause, meet new people, and improve your bike skills and fitness. These rides are FREE and open to ANYone and EVERYone – even if you are not planning to ride in Sept. Call the studio at (919) 401-8024 to reserve your spot or email the ride coordinator for more information.

The dates and times are:

Saturday July 25, 8:00 am – led by Mike Babbitt – babbitt@becomepowerful.com
Saturday Aug. 8, 8:00 am – led by Mike Babbitt
Sun. Aug. 23, 7:30 am – led by Patty Shoaf – fitforlife1@hotmail.com