June 2020 -

Aussie female pro cyclists dealing with the COVID pandemic

June 26, 2020 Nicola COVID-19, Professional cycling, Women cycling

One of the things I’ve really enjoyed over the past few months is how well the Aussie female pro cyclists who I follow on social media have handled the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve shared positive messages about the pandemic and how they are getting through it. It’s pretty tough when you race a bike for a living and suddenly you can’t ride your bike outside, let alone race it. Most of them have spent countless hours on their indoor trainers and they will return to racing with the Strade Bianche in Italy at the beginning of August. I’ve compiled some quotes

Women’s guide to cycling: Do I need a bike fit?

June 19, 2020 Nicola Bike fit, Bike retail, Women cycling, women's bikes

A question that arises often amongst road cyclists is – Do I need a bike fit? And like many questions, there isn’t one simple answer. In short, a bike fit is to make you sit more comfortably on your bike and to help you ride more efficiently. From my experience bike fits are most beneficial to cyclists who are stepping to a serious competitive level, those who have a problem with discomfort caused by a myriad of things, and those who are returning from an injury. Like most riders, I didn’t have a bike fit when I started riding a

Stop overthinking it – just try clip-in shoes on your road bike

June 11, 2020 Nicola Clip-in shoes, Pedal stroke, Women cycling

I find the overblown fear of clip-in cycling shoes quite interesting because they are not a big deal so my message is – stop overthinking it and just try clip-in shoes on your road bike. Firstly, let me share my own story. I’m a very risk-averse person. I hate crossing busy roads unless there’s a set of pedestrian lights. I avoid roller coasters, and I’m never ever going to try parachuting, bungee jumping, or anything that removes so much control from me. Despite all this, I have no fear of clip-in shoes. I’ll admit that I was nervous when I

How do you find the best women’s bike saddle for a road bike?

June 4, 2020 Nicola Bike retail, Bike saddle, Product reviews, Women cycling, women specific bike, women's bikes, Women's health

Let me share my own experience first. I started riding almost 12 years ago to complete a charity ride and was hooked almost instantly. I recall when I rode that charity ride which was an 80 km ride on undulating and hilly terrain in the Barossa Valley that I got quite uncomfortable on my bike saddle and it wasn’t my bottom that hurt, it was the far more delicate soft tissue area that really felt sore. I remember laughing when a non-riding friend asked me if I had a saw bum after all that riding. By far the most commonly