Cycling Injuries - Road Rash

Road rash is a colloquial term used by many people to describe or to refer to skin and bone injuries that are caused be abrasion. In the majority of cases, the abrasion injuries are due to contact with road surfaces. The injuries are most frequently a consequence of cycling and motorcycling accidents. The term is applied to either a fresh or recent injury or the scar tissue left by an old one. Other uses of the term include injuries that are caused by longboarding, skateboarding, and inline abrasion accidents, particularly those that occurred at a high speed. Longboarding injuries are most frequently caused at high speeds.

Preventing Road Rash

One of the best ways to prevent road rash is by learning proper bike handling skills in an effort to prevent falling. Another way to prevent road rash is through obeying all rules of the road and wearing effective clothing. Clothes will not prevent the injury completely, but they will lessen the degree of the injuries.

Medical Treatment

Some cases of road rash require medical treatment. The emergency room is necessary if an injury has scraped through skin to the point that bone or other tissues are visible. Medical attention is necessary if there is skin hanging off that needs to be trimmed or there is a cut that needs to be stitched up. If a person cannot place his or her own full weight on an injured leg or does not have full range of motion in a joint, a bone could be broken or chipped and it's a good idea to see a doctor.

Degrees

Like burns, road rash is graded as being either first degree, second degree, or third degree. First degree road rash only affects the top layer of skin. The surface is red but there isn't a whole lot of damage to the skin on the whole. Second degree road rash breaks the first layer of skin but does not damage the lower layers of skin. This allows the skin to retain the ability to heal itself and fix the problem. Third degree road rash is the most severe. All layers of skin are removed and reveal fat and other supportive tissues underneath. This level of damage requires medical attention immediately and could require skin grafts. The skin is unable to repair itself.

The main goal of any treatment is to repair the skin and prevent infection. Treatment aims to heal the injuries as quickly as possible. It is also meant to reduce the risk of further complications, like infections.

For more information on cycling injuries and the greater world of cycling, please visit http://www.bike-locks.com.

Joseph Devine

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Nutrition For Cycling a Century - Food For a 100 Mile Ride

Riding a bicycle 100 miles (a century) in a day is not an easy task. In order to successfully complete your ride and do so without inflicting too much pain on yourself you need to prepare well. One common error that catches people out is not planning what they will eat.

Riding a century places big demands on your body. You can expect to burn more calories riding a century that you would in up to 48 hours of normal active living. As a result it is essential that you fuel up sufficiently before, during and after your ride to ensure your success.

Pre Ride

Start the day with a good hearty breakfast made up of mainly carbohydrates. Avoid fatty fried foods, instead opt for something like oatmeal with dried fruit in that is an excellent source of slow release energy. Be sure to drink plenty too to ensure dehydration does not get you.

During Ride

You need to start replacing calories you will burn during the ride as soon as possible. The key here is little and often. Even if you are not hungry or thirsty, aim to eat and drink a little every 30 minutes of your ride. If you have difficulty remembering to do this set your wristwatch alarm to beep every 30 minutes to remind you. Once you fall into a calorie deficit it is virtually impossible to get out of it without stopping riding.

Post ride

Eating the right foods after your century ride will increase your recovery time. Aim to drink some milk as soon as you get out of the saddle as it contains just the right balance of carbohydrates and protein. Follow it up with a good balanced meal within the next 2 hours. Again avoid fatty foods by having something like chicken with steamed rice and vegetables.

To learn more training tips from the author of this article follow this link to his century training program.

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Cateye Micro Wireless Cycling Computer

After I started bicycling in the middle of the summer of 2007 the very first accessory I bought for my bike was a cycling computer, aka speedometer. I didn't do as much research as I should have. I went to you local bike shop and made my decision right then and there. I bought the Cateye Micro Wireless Cycling Computer (Part number CC - MC100W). The Micro Wireless has 10 functions including: Current Speed, Maximum Speed, Average Speed, Elapsed Time, Trip Distance, Odometer and Clock. Now this computer has the capability of working on 2 different bicycles but you have to buy a kit that includes a magnet, magnet sensor and handle bar mount.

The Pros:

Wireless: This make it very easy to mount the speedometer to your bike. (Note, this is also in the Con section)

Micro: This is a nice small package and is still fairly easy to read.

Backlight: The Micro Wireless is backlit so you can read it in the dark. (Note, this is also in the Con section)

Cons:

Wireless: Because this computer is wireless it requires 2 batteries. One for the head unit and one for the sensor. The batteries are not that expensive but you have to keep this in mind. I am on my second battery for the head unit and it looks like I will be putting in a third soon. But I have not had to replace the battery in the sensor yet.

Magnet: Cateye really skimped on the magnet on this unit. The back of the magnet is plastic and the magnet is off center so sometimes it moves. It usually works fine but I ride during the winter and my bike has disc brakes. When the rotors get wet the brakes vibrate and the magnet moves away from the sensor and the computer stops working. So unless I have to make an emergency stop I just use the rear brake to work around the issue.

Backlight: The backlight on this unit is sub par. I can barely read it at night. The light is on the top of the screen so all of the information on the bottom can not be seen at all. But the light is good enough to make sure the magnet hasn't moved away for the sensor and that it is still working.

Cadence: I knew this computer didn't have cadence when I bought it but I soon wished I had spent the extra money and bought a computer with cadence. If you are not that serious about training it's not important. But if you think you might start cycling seriously spend the extra money.

Second Bike Compatibility: You can mount this computer on 2 bikes but you have to buy a kit for the second bike. The kit cost almost 3/4 of the price of the whole unit. It's nice to have the option but I don't feel it is worth it. I would buy a different or additional computer.

Buttons: My biggest complaint about this computer is changing between modes. There is only one button so you have to toggle through all the modes. You can't go backwards. So if you know the mode you want to look at is one back you have to go all the way through the modes to get back to it. Also during the winter it is very difficult to push the buttons with gloves on.In summary, the Cateye Micro Wireless is not a bad bicycling computer. It has been reliable and works well in ideal situations. It does have some drawbacks but I have been able to work around most of them. I would recommend this computer to people who are recreational bikers, bikers who ride on the weekends or when the weather is nice. But if you are a serous biker spend the extra money and get a better computer.

Dennis Gertgen is an intermediate bicycle rider. He has been Bicycling seriously since the summer of 2007. He rides both road bikes and Mountain bikes as often as he can. And he is sharing some of his experiences with bikes, trails and equipment.

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2008 Specialized Hardrock XC Disc

When I started bicycling in the middle of the summer of 2007 I only had one bicycle. It was the bicycle my parents bought me when I was 14 or 15 years old. A Schwinn Traveler. I had it hanging in my garage and one day I decided I needed to start working out again so i filled the tires with air and went for a bike ride. I was really enjoying bicycling but the weather was getting colder and I was wondering how I was going to continue riding during the winter. Plus I knew a road bike wouldn't work for winter riding. So I went to my local bike dealer and asked them which bike they recommended.

The salesman recommended the 2008 Specialized Hardrock XC Disc. I really wanted disc brake (because they look really cool - I know that isn't a good reason but that's who I am). They recommend the bike because it was in my price range, it has an aluminum frame so it should hold up during winter riding, it had disc brakes which work better in the snow because the braking system is up and out of the snow and it has front suspension.

Now I have to tell you about a stupid decision I made. The salesman recommended a 17 inch frame for me. I rode the bike and I liked it. But I also bought a bike rack that connects to the spare tire of my Jeep. I put the bike rack on my Jeep when I got home and tried to put my new bike on the rack. The new bike didn't fit on the bike rack. Plus when I looked at the bike it just looked small (It may have had something to do with it not fitting on the bike rack). So I took the bike back and got the next size up - 19 inch frame. This was a mistake. I should have stayed with the 17 inch frame. I now know that they make a bar that goes across from the handle bars to the seat post just for such situations.

Now it's time to take the bike for it's first ride. At this time I was riding LRT trail in Eden Prairie. I was riding my road bike 20 to 22 miles at a time with little difficulties. I was amazed at how much harder this bike was to ride. I could barely ride it 6 miles the first time I tried it. I thought something was wrong with the bike. I filled the tires up to there maximum air pressure (80 psi) but that had little effect. I just assumed that mountain bikes were just that much more work than a rode bike.

I bought the bike in the middle of October of 2007. And I rode the bike at least every other day and worked my way up to riding 20 miles at a time. I would have to say I was very happy with the bike. I rode it all winter, assuming the temperature (windchill) was above 5 degrees.

Then in the spring I went for a bike ride with one of my friends. I assumed he would have a hard time keeping up with me. I had been riding all winter and I was back to riding 20 miles at a time (because of the snow and cold I was riding 12 to 15 miles at a time during the winter). When we went for a ride I couldn't keep up with him. I was embarrassed and couldn't figure out why I was so slow. I eventually found out it was the bike. It is very heavy and has cheap components. I guess you get what you pay for.

One problem I had with the bike was that I kept braking spokes in the back. The second time I brought the wheel in to get new spokes they said they would upgrade the wheel for me. I guess they had problems with the rear wheel on this bike. I haven't had any trouble with the bike or rear wheel since it was upgraded.

I feel that overall I'm satisfied with the 2008 Specialized Hardrock XC Disc. Yes it is heavy and I cannot keep up with my friends when I ride it. But that wasn't why I bought it. I bought it as a reasonably prices mountain bike to ride during the winter. And it has served that purpose well. Plus I like to ride it when I'm riding alone on the trails by my house. I have to work much harder on this bike and I use it for training so when I do ride with other people on my road bike or other mountain bike it's easier to keep up.

But if you are looking for good mountain bike for off roading or are riding with other people (especially if they are as competitive as some of my friends), I would not recommend this bike. It's just too heavy and that makes it too difficult to keep up with people.

About the author:
Dennis Gertgen is an intermediate bicycle rider. He has been Bicycling seriously since the summer of 2007. He rides both road bikes and Mountain bikes as often as he can. And he is sharing some of his experiences with bikes, trails and equipment. You can check out his personal blog here: Personal Blog

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Mountain Bike Reviews - What is the Best Product?

Mountain biking is an extremely popular adventure sport. Because of the inherent dangers involved in the sport, mountain bikes, the principal equipment used in the sport, must be solid and durable. Mountain biking involves riding the bike through extremely rough terrains and dangerous slopes. If the bike is not strong enough to withstand the pressure and stress of riding, it can cause fatal accidents. Because of this, a person who wants to buy a particular brand of mountain bike loves to hear an endorsement about the safety and durability of that brand. As a result, prospective buyers check on sports magazine and websites for mountain bike reviews.

There are a number of brands of mountain bikes available on the market. One can observe that normally the price goes up as the number of features of the bike increases. Previously word of the mouth publicity was the most predominant sales booster in this category. But now with the internet allowing the users freely to express their views, the cyber world is abuzz with a number of mountain bike reviews. One can find a number of websites that allow bike owners to write about their bikes. If you want to read reviews about a particular model of bike, then it is better to search for reviews about that particular brand of bike.

The problem with online mountain bike reviews written by owners is that such reviews tend to be highly subjective. Those reviews will either scream the benefits and good features of the bikes or cry about the negatives and poor features of the bikes. So, it is better to rely on reviews written by experts and editors of adventure sport magazines. Such experts write reviews after testing the bike for various factors and performance of individual components like handle, frame, and wheels.

The following are mountain bike reviews about popular brands available in the market. Santa Cruz's Chameleon has been one of the popular brands for quite some time. It is strong and tough, but incredibly lightweight. One can select both with gear and without gear models. Its whole frame is very stiff, but handles are exceptionally balanced. Rockhopper series is another popular brand of mountain bikes. It is one of the bikes that get most number of positive reviews. According to several reviews, it has all the qualities a mountain bike should have: good handle balance, strong frame, durable structure, and easy to ride.

For those who look for cheaper, but reliable, options, Schwinn Mesa is for them. It is a front suspension bike and hence not as costlier as the full suspension bikes. One should not expect the same quality as the expensive ones. Nevertheless, several mountain bike reviews suggest that the frame is strong and solid. It is generally considered as a good buy for an occasional rider in friendly terrains.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about mountain bike reviews, please visit Todays Best Mountain Bikes for current articles and discussions.

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