training Archives -

Female cyclists: do you suffer from FONKU?

February 13, 2018 Nicola Cycle groups, Mental health, training, Women cycling

I hope I’ve got your attention with that provocative question; do you suffer from FONKU? In case you’re interested enough to read to on, FONKU is an acronym for ‘Fear Of Not Keeping Up’. I believe that there’s plenty of female bike riders that suffer from FONKU and it’s holding us back. I actually include myself in that cohort. So I made up my own term for it. I sometimes go out for group rides and decide that I won’t be able to keep up even before I leave home, and I often hear similar laments from other female riders.

Cycling is bad for bone density, but there is hope

November 21, 2017 Nicola Bone density, Resistance training, Running, training, Women cycling

A few years ago, my mum who is in her seventies was diagnosed with osteoporosis and she warned me that I should take measures now to avoid the same fate, by keeping a close eye on my bone density, particularly because cycling is bad for bone density. Taking her advice I asked my doctor to send me off for a bone density scan which confirmed that I have already entered the osteopenia zone which is an indication that my bones are weaker than normal, but not weak enough to be called osteoporosis. Interestingly I was involved in an accident earlier

Sign up for a charity bike ride – challenge yourself and helps others

October 31, 2017 Nicola charity bike ride, training, Women cycling

A great way to improve your cycling is to sign up for a charity bike ride. It gives you a fitness goal, and it also benefits other people who rely on the charity you assist. I started riding a road bike nine years ago to complete a charity bike ride for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). And here I am nine years later – five JDRF rides, six years as a cycling blogger, five years working in a bike shop, and a totally obsessed road cyclist. When I talk about charity bike rides, I don’t mean the big mass

Wollongong Women’s Cycling Club getting more women on bikes

September 26, 2017 Nicola Cycling Club, Cycling Club racing, training, Women cycling

I love hearing about female cyclists encouraging other women to join them, and Wollongong Women’s Cycling Club is a great example of just that. I first heard about them from some of my colleagues on the Cycling NSW Women’s Commission and made contact with them via fellow Commission member Kym who is the secretary of the club. Here’s the result of our email chat: Q: Why did you start Wollongong Women’s Cycling Club as a subgroup of an existing Club? Who are the women behind it? Jules Verheyen founded the club in late 2015 after running She Rides cycle coaching

Cycling improves your physical health, get out there

August 8, 2017 Nicola Anti-ageing, training, Women cycling

I was thrilled to hear from my in-laws earlier this year, that they have taken up regular cycling and it’s had some great physical benefits, because we all know that cycling improves your physical health. The benefits for them have included a significant reduction in their blood pressure as well as improving their overall health. These two are not spring chickens, but through a relatively short daily ride they’ve really made a difference to their quality of life. So I thought I’d have a look at why a small amount of riding is so beneficial to them. My research has

A female rider’s guide to indoor trainers

March 21, 2017 Nicola Indoor trainers, Track cycling, training, Women cycling

In my hometown of Sydney, we’ve had heaps of rain over the past couple of weeks, and in fact it’s raining as I write my guide to indoor trainers. Prolonged wet weather always gets Sydney cyclists talking about using indoor trainers to keep fit. We’re lucky enough to ride all year round in most parts of Australia, but there are plenty of riders around the world who head indoors during their very cold winters. So I thought it would be worthwhile to provide some information about the indoor trainer options, especially with the huge growth in the use of ‘smart’

Why can’t I ride any faster on my bike?

January 25, 2017 Nicola Bike skills, training, Women cycling

Why can’t I ride any faster on my bike? A question I’ve often pondered. Why are some people able to ride so much faster than me, even when they are relatively new to cycling. After doing a bit of reading it seems the answers are fairly obvious – genetics, attitude and environment. If you’ve read my story you’d know that I’m a non-sporty person who has spent most of her life believing she couldn’t be involved in physical activities without being embarrassed. That was until I found cycling, which has changed my life and my attitude. But that hasn’t stopped

Women Who Cycle – Set your cycling 2017 New Year’s Resolution

January 4, 2017 Nicola Cycle groups, training, Uncategorized, Women cycling

I’ve recently discovered a couple of Facebook pages that have really great ‘sayings’ and while I skim past most of them, this one really resonated with me. So I’m adopting it as my 2017 New Year’s Resolution, and although I’m calling it a resolution it’s more like an ongoing guide for my life. So to make it a bit more specific and manageable I’ve isolated a couple of sections that are more applicable to cycling than others. Here’s my take on them: Don’t sit on the couch and wait for it. Go out. This is a great one for riding

Hot tips for cycling in the sun

December 27, 2016 Nicola Lycra cycle clothing, training, Women cycling

When you live in a country like Australia it is pretty difficult to avoid sun exposure while you’re riding your road bike, so here’s some tips for cycling in the sun. Ride early and late I do most of my riding early in the morning. There are a number of reasons for riding early but one of them is definitely sun exposure and heat. You’ll also avoid traffic if you ride early in the day. But if you can’t ride early in the morning then try a twilight ride to avoid sun exposure. Wear sunscreen I personally only worry about

Let it go – how to eliminate shoulder tension on the bike

November 15, 2016 Nicola Stretching, training, Women cycling, Yoga

One of my worst habits on the bike is to hold tension in my shoulders so here’s a few tips on how to eliminate shoulder tension on the bike. Let it go – Consciously let go of the tension in your arms and shoulders by focusing on that part of your body while you are riding. I regularly check in with myself and literally tell myself to relax my shoulders. Shrugging every 15 minutes or so and relaxing your arms really helps relieve this stress. Bend your elbows – Always ride with your elbows slightly bent and yours arms and shoulders relaxed.