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3 Tips to Avoid a Crash

February 1, 2012
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3 Tips to Avoid a Crash

Nobody likes to talk about crashing on a bike, but unfortunately it can happen.  It’s one of those voodoo type subjects where you feel like you need to sacrifice one of your bikes to the bike Gods after talking about it.  We recently did a podcast all about crashing over at Cycling 360, and...
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Posted in Uncategorized | 15 Comments »

The iBert Safe-T-Seat

January 13, 2012
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The iBert Safe-T-Seat

Looking for a cool way to carry your infant on your bike?  You might want to check out the iBert Safe-T-Seat.  As some of you may know, I have a bike crazed baby in the house…and if you’d like to see how much he loves bikes, check out this video from last year’s TdF....
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Posted in Real Product Reviews, Uncategorized | 9 Comments »

Subscribe to Loving the Bike

January 12, 2012
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Subscribe to Loving the Bike

We invite you to subscribe to our Loving the Bike distribution list.  Believe me, I know you’re already bombarded with people and websites asking you to sign up for their mailing list so that they can build some sort of huge and ideal distribution list.  Up until recently I hadn’t been one to go...
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#bikeschool: Fantasies

January 10, 2012
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#bikeschool: Fantasies

If you’ve ever screamed at the television in disgust at your favourite team not chasing that race winning break or been disappointed at the amount of water bottles the domestiques are carrying up to the hot-shots then this is your chance to take control. We will be running a Fantasy Cycling leauge with the...
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Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments »

Looking Good on the Bike

January 4, 2012
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Looking Good on the Bike

What are your thoughts when it comes to cycling clothing and fashion?  Are you concerned about having a perfectly matching kit each time you’re out on the bike, or are you cool with wearing whatever you happen to have around.  Maybe you even make sure you’re always color-coordinated with your bike each ride as well....
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Posted in Uncategorized | 37 Comments »

Enjoy Your Ride

December 28, 2011
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Enjoy Your Ride

As the tag line for Loving the Bike, “Enjoy Your Ride” has become an important part of this site. It’s pretty much a self-explanatory slogan, but the meaning of it goes back quite a while and has a nice little story to it. Back in 1999, before I was married and had kids, I spent some...
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Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

A Bicycle for Christmas

December 23, 2011
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A Bicycle for Christmas

The bicycle just might be the best Christmas gift in the World.  Well, we think it is and so does our guest writer, Mark Beaconsfield.  Mark is a cycling fan, cyclist, and a regular classmate at #bikeschool (along with his daughter, Kayla).  He hails from Melbourne, Australia and we’re happy to share his beautiful...
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Posted in Guest Post, Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

What’s the Deal with E-Bike Conversion Kits?

December 21, 2011
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What’s the Deal with E-Bike Conversion Kits?

Since 2010 there has been a surge in the Electric Bicycle market, but what’s the deal with these things anyway?  Instead of posting about the whole E-Bike market, we’re focusing on the conversion kits which allow you to turn a regular bike into a hybrid electric bicycle. Okay, so I know what you’re thinking….why...
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Posted in Uncategorized | 19 Comments »

Bart Yasso: A Running Icon Talks Cycling

December 14, 2011
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Bart Yasso: A Running Icon Talks Cycling

Bart Yasso may be known as more of a runner than a cyclist, but this running idol says that “Riding my bike cross country is by far my favorite athletic achievement.  I wasn’t out there trying to set any records.  Just riding solo enjoying the natural beauty, diverse landscape and friendly people.” I had...
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Posted in Uncategorized, Video Blog | 15 Comments »

#bikeschool: Fat Cyclist

December 13, 2011
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#bikeschool: Fat Cyclist

Many of you will have read the trials and tribulations of Elden Nelson, more commonly known as ‘Fat Cyclist‘, on his fantastic blog. The longstanding blog, cited by many as being the finest collection online, has charted the news, satire and heart-felt peaks and troughs of life for many years now. Fat Cyclist will...
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Posted in #bikeschool, Contests, Real Product Reviews, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

A Cyclist Crashes “The Running Event” Party

December 10, 2011
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A Cyclist Crashes “The Running Event” Party

Austin has been invaded by thousands of #runnerds this week as the National Running Expo called “The Running Event” rolled into town.  I’m a cyclist, right? So what would I want with a running event?  Well, an expo of this magnitude brought with it a bunch of fantastic companies that cater to both the...
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Posted in Real Product Reviews, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Breaking the World Record for Testicular Cancer Awareness

December 6, 2011
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Breaking the World Record for Testicular Cancer Awareness

BTB Sunglasses and the Testicular Cancer Society are out to break a world record in an effort to spread awareness about testicular cancer.  The goal is to donate 8290 sports balls (the number of men diagnosed with testicular cancer every year) within 24 hours.  Doing so will break the world record for this sort...
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Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

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Which individual supplements should I take?

I generally eat pretty healthily and stay relatively fit but I wonder if I’m getting enough vitamins and minerals. Is there a product (available in the UK) that contains the right mixes of daily vitamins and minerals and if not, which individual supplements should I take to compliment a healthy lifestyle. (ps… I don’t want to take so many pills that I rattle!)

Kelli’s Answer:

Thanks for the question!  First a disclaimer: It’s always important to talk to your personal health care provider about supplements -some should not be taken due to medication interactions and individual conditions.

Now, my general recommendations:

Although a healthy and balanced diet is most important, I do believe that most people, and athletes especially, need a good multivitamin/multimineral, extra vitamin D, and fish oil (or another source of DHA/EPA omega-3s) in addition to healthy foods.  Mostly, I recommend this because our soils have been over-farmed (which decreases the amount of nutrients in our foods), our waters are polluted (which is one reason we can’t eat as much seafood as we’d like), and our ability to get outside and get sunlight year round has decreased with more time spent inside and at a desk.  And, there’s a lot of exciting research that supports higher levels of vitamin D supplementation than previous recommendations.

Generally, I recommend these daily supplements:

  1. Rainbow Light multivitamin (see http://bit.ly/AwnPQ1 - they have a separate multivitamin for men and women).  This is one of my favorite brands as it contains a good mix of vitamins/minerals, probiotics, enzymes and “green” nutrients.  And, it looks like you can get it online in the UK, at least, according to what turned up in my trusty google search.
  2. 1000-2000 IU additional vitamin D (in addition to the amount in the multivitamin and in addition to what you get from sunlight)
  3. 1000-2000 mg DHA/EPA (in combo, and in addition to ~12 oz. fatty fish per week).  Nordic Naturals is a really good brand – you want the source to be small, low-mercury fish such as anchovies, shrimp, sardines, etc.

Additionally, individual athletes may need extra iron, probiotics, calcium, etc.  But, these 3 pills are a good place to start for most healthy athletes.

As you look for supplements, the keys are to find ones that 1) have what they claim they have (no exaggerated claims) and 2) don’t have anything that’s harmful.  You don’t want lead or other dangerous heavy metals, and I try to stay away from colorings, flavorings, and unnecessary additives.  Since this industry is not really regulated, it can be hard to find good brands that have support from a 3rd party expert.  I often www.consumerlab.com, a completely impartial 3rd party site that tests supplements and reports on their ingredients.  They don’t have every brand, but it can be a good starting point.  I hope this helps!

Please send us your questions for our Expert Sports Nutritionist, Kelli Jennings to “Ask the Sports Nutritionist“. Kelli Jennings is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for healthy eating, wellness, & sports nutrition. For more information go to www.apexnutritionllc.com.

Nutrition Tips