Breaking Your Bad Cycling Habits

Stuck in a cycling rut? Here are 4 bad cycling habits and tips on how you can break them to get your pedaling back on track. 

• Can’t find the time –. In order to combat this problem, make small changes in your life to allow yourself time to ride regularly. Some tips include:

-       Wake up a half hour earlier every other day and go for a ride.

-       Recruit a family member or friend to cycle with. Studies show that it is more unlikely you will bail on a workout if someone else is depending on you.

-       Set goals that you wish to work towards. Some examples include cycling 2 km a week or participating in a cycling event in the New Year such as the 2014 MS Bike.

• Maintenance issues – If you’re experiencing regular bike troubles, it probably means you’re not taking care of it properly. Learn to care for your bike by:

-       Visiting a local bike shop in your neighborhood for a tune up.

-       Educating yourself on bicycle maintenance by reading a step by step by step book or enrolling in a tune up class.

•  Body aches and pains due to cycling – Back, knee and neck aches are often the most common types of pain that hinder individual cycling ability. To avoid muscle strain and injury remember to:

-        Always stretch before your ride to warm up and prepare your body for the strenuous activity ahead.

-       Cool down after a ride by doing some simple stretches to loosen and elongate your muscles.  

-    Take it easy if you are injured; riding while injured will only make these pains worse!

• Cycling boredom – Cyclists often plateau midseason due to boredom with their cycling routine. To avoid doing too much of the same thing:

-       Try a new, more challenging route in your community.

-       Add high intensity riding intervals to your normal cycling routine.

For more great tips on how you can avoid bad cycling habits visit http://on-msn.com/1cyr7I3 via Fitbie.com.

Cycling in the Evening – Increasing Visibility

Photo via Ontario Ministry of Transportation 

As the sun sets earlier and the fall nights get longer, it is increasingly important that cyclists ride with caution and care. One of the most important cautions for cyclists is to maintain high visibility to other road users and pedestrians at all times. The following tips from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation are recommended to keep you safe as you cycle!

Lighting – It is required, by law that your bicycle be equipped with a working front white light and rear red light or reflector. These lights should be in use as you ride between one half hour before sunset and one half hour following sunrise. The law also requires cyclists to have white reflective strips on the front forks and red reflective strips on the rear stays of their bicycle. 

Clothing – Bright coloured clothing, such as yellow and white will help cyclists be seen at night. Wearing reflective materials on your wrists, ankles and heels, as well as pedal and helmet reflective will help motorists see you.  

Be heard – By law, cyclists are required to have a working bell or horn to warn other cyclists, motorists and pedestrians as they are approaching them. It is also recommended that cyclists verbally communicate their intended actions when approaching other cyclists and pedestrians in order to avoid collision and injuries. 

Remain alert at dawn and dusk – When riding at dawn and dusk, it is important that riders take extra caution and remain alert when scanning and entering intersections. As you ride directly into or away from the sun, be sure to leave extra space and be ready to stop suddenly as traffic around you may swerve or make abrupt stops.  

Cycling can be a fun and relaxing activity, however, it requires extra caution and care when riding at dawn or dusk. Remember to maintain high visibility be prepared, be safe, be seen and be heard. 

For more information and tips on how you can maintain high visibility when riding, visit http://bit.ly/1aaqAs5.

Thanksgiving Thanks

As the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend approaches, we would like to take a moment to share our gratitude for all your loyal support. The MS Bike team is thankful for the continuous support of all the participants, donors, sponsors and volunteers who contribute their time, energy and funds to help in the fight to end MS.

We hope you enjoy your weekend with family, friends and great food!

What are you most thankful for? Share in the comments below.

Autumn Activities: Make Every Pedal Count

One of the easiest ways to get physically active is to incorporate cycling into your everyday life. With the fall season in full swing, there are many ways you can include cycling into fun and festive autumn activities. 

Some outdoor activities you may want to consider:

•  Dedicate a day to exploring the outdoors – Gather friends and family and go for a ride outdoors. Local forests and parks are a great place to catch the leaves changing colours and enjoy the fall weather before winter starts.

• Trail blaze - Enjoy a change of scenery by cycling through one of Ontario’s picturesque trails, a perfect backdrop to stop for a picnic, a fall family portrait or a personal photography project.

•  Bike through Ontario’s wine country - Leisurely cycle through one of Ontario’s 100 scenic wineries, where you can enjoy the country air, wild nature and vivid landscape that wine country has to offer.

• Switch it up– Instead of visiting your regular coffee spot, choose a new café in a different neighborhood. Grab some friends and cycle over to enjoy some of your favourite fall inspired treats!

So why not head out and enjoy the fresh air and warm autumn sunshine by taking part in one of these fun activities with family and friends? Snap a picture and send us a quick tweet at @MSBikeTour, we’d love for you to share your favourite fall riding activities with us!