Whip Six Womens Active Running, Triathlon, Cyclist Apparel

COMFORT
Next in line is Comfort, not only in the physical sense but psychologically as well. What’s readily obvious to the outdoor cyclist is sometimes lost on the indoor enthusiast.

Undercarriage
How often do you attend an indoor cycle class and see the vast majority of the students and far too often the instructor wearing inappropriate fitness or running attire? While the thought of wearing anything but proper gear would not even be a consideration with your typical road cyclist or triathlete, there is way too much resistance by the indoor crowd who think the opposite. This has its foundation in the unwillingness for people to stand out in a crowd or bring attention to themselves by wearing something different – in this case very basic cycling gear.

Have you heard an acquaintance say, “I would love to ride a bike or take a class but I can’t take the saddle pain”? If you’re wearing proper fitting padded bottoms – and these come from shorts to tights – saddle discomfort should be minimal. The key is finding a chamois insert that suits your sensibilities. If you are concerned about the obtrusive look of most heavy road pads, you can opt for a triathlon style fleece pad that is hardly visible but affords a great deal of comfort and protection. Also, if compressive spandex shorts aren’t your style, you can find padded capris, tights, baggies, skorts and for those hard-core folks that just can’t do without their trusty running shorts – a padded underliner. What’s important is that the chamois should fit well in order to protect the ischial tuberosities or sitting bones as well as the sensitive perineal tissues.

In short, cycling should not be a self-sacrifice – purchase whatever padded bottoms fits your fashion comfort zone, and if necessary augment that with your own soft gel saddle for group indoor work or a well made anatomical design for the road. Like running shorts, you do not wear undergarments with your cycling shorts. Wearing undergarments counter acts the benefits of the chamois, leading to increased discomfort and chafing from the undergarment’s seams.

Why do so many indoor folks insist on wearing cotton tops to cycle class? Cotton is a poor fabric choice for intense cardio workouts as the fibers absorb moisture becoming heavy and odorous. Conversely, a well-made poly-fiber top does not absorb but draws perspiration to the surface where it is allowed to evaporate rapidly. This is facilitated by the “waffle weave” design of the fabric, where the square pattern helps spread water molecules aiding in the thinning process to hasten the drying effect. Most athletic poly-fiber tops incorporate anti–microbial odor inhibiting properties as well.

Feet
All outdoor cyclists can tell you the benefits of wearing a well fitting cycling shoe, and this shouldn’t be lost on the indoor enthusiast. Using a soft-soled fitness or running shoe will lead to strained arches and blisters, not to mention the possibility of sliding out of your cage. A stiff soled “cleated” shoe, however, secures you to the pedal binding, which prevents slippage and precludes “hot spots” by stabilizing arch and knee sway.

Hands
To a road or off-road cyclist, a well-padded glove is a necessity. For some reason this thought is lost on the vast majority of indoor types. Whether we like it or not, most students will have a tendency to lean on the handlebars when faced with impending exhaustion and fatigue – even if implored not to by a well-meaning instructor. Padded gloves simply make it a bit easier to deal with the discomfort of hand pressure plus they eliminate blisters, calluses and slippage due to heavy perspiration. Along those lines, how many times have you seen students drape their towels across the handlebars to counteract profuse sweating? This is a poor habit as it prohibits light but positive control of hand placement, and also hinders the instructor from seeing that placement which is essential to effective teaching.

My next blog will focus on the third “P” or Performance as it relates to the three contact points.