This is Edition three of a series on bicycle commuting by guest contributor, Aaron Madrid. These posts are all about Aaron’s experiences as a newcomer to commuting, and he’s here to share it with you.  We’re hoping this series will encourage you to become a commuter yourself?  Be sure to check out the previous editions of Loving the Commute as well.

Loving the Commute: Gear

by Aaron Madrid

I love my lycra as much as the next guy.  To me a nice kit says confidence, dedication, pride, and style.  Unfortunately, to the 30 or 40 cubicles I pass in the morning after my commute on the way to our office locker-room, I think my kits say something else entirely.  For a good month or two I would strut my stuff and “peacock” my way through the maze of desks to change into my work attire.  I didn’t care what anyone thought, I was proud of myself for my accomplishments. (Biking to work was one of the first goals I set for myself when I started cycling.) I wanted everyone who looked at me to know that I was a cyclist, and not only a cyclist, but one that just road all the way to work.  Most people balk at the idea of physical activity before work in the morning, and if they don’t balk at that they certainly balk at my skin tight outfits.  What can I say; I enjoy eliciting a reaction from people.  I joke that I quit wearing my kits on my commute to be kind to those tired of staring at my super hot calves, but in all honesty most of the gear I am about to talk about came from a desire to have to carry less in my bag.

Depending on how hard you like to push or how far you travel on your commute, some of this gear might not be the right stuff for you.  After all, you don’t want to sit around in sweaty clothes all day!  The following advice is based on my commute of 5-10 miles.  Obviously everyone has their own opinions of what makes for good commuting gear, but I think I have assembled a quality list of essentials that everyone will be able to appreciate.  I have also taken in to account that right now in lots of parts of the world there is a bit of a nip in the air and included some great cold weather commuting gear.

First off, safety should be the most important thing to any cyclist, especially a commuter.  As I have mentioned in previous editions of this series, commuting requires a different state of mind.  You typically have to be aware of more of what is going on around you than normal.  That doesn’t mean that there aren’t things you can do to help out others be more aware of you.  To start, I knew that I needed some flashing lights on my bike to help draw some attention, especially on those early winter mornings when you might be riding in low light conditions.  I did quite a bit of research on lighting before settling on a set up that I felt was both affordable and effective.  Beneath my saddle I have attached a beautiful, bright blue Firefly Supernova from the awesome folks over at RoadID.com.  RoadID sells multiple types of attachments for the Firefly so that it can be worn on your person, attached to the handlebars, or the seat post.  This small light is hardly noticeable when not turned on and completely unavoidable when flashing.  At an incredible $12.99 it was hard to beat, especially with its long lasting battery. A Firefly in the front and in the back and you won’t be missed.

We’ve made sure everyone can see you, but what about physically protecting yourself on a commute?  Commuter helmets are truly something to behold. Without a concern for weight, most commuter helms tend to be almost more fashionable than anything else.  Lazer Helmets offers a variety of models for the safety conscious or style conscious commuter that I found to my liking.  As we all know, I just became a father…so I fall in the safety conscious category.  That is why I opted for the Urbanize commuter helmet from Lazer.  These helmets have an odd look, to say the least.  In all honesty, I don’t know that I will ever really get over how goofy I think they look, however, it is incredibly comfortable.  The real highlights of this model are the headlamp and taillight that are built into the helmet. Being able to have this extra light really adds an extra layer of security and comfort as you ride.  The helmet is lightweight for its size (which feels larger than a normal cycling helmet) and the Rollsys sizing controls built in to the helmet are truly revolutionary.  The helmet also has a bit of a bill to help keep the elements from dripping onto your glasses as you ride.  As an added bonus Lazer sells a fantastic winter padding insert for their helmets that doesn’t change the fit of the helmet at all, but greatly reduces the cold whistling through those vents.  For a bald guy, this was a giant bonus for me, and if you have experience with trying to layer hats under your helmet in cold weather you will certainly appreciate this as well.

Layers are incredibly important to riding in cold weather.  As the temperatures began to drop I decided to invest in some quality winter cycling gear.  Pear Izumi was my choice for leg warmers as I could find them at my local Dicks Sporting Goods, which made for an easier acquisition for me as my local bike shops don’t carry much in the way of apparel.  Legwarmers are essentially exactly what you would think.  They are essentially just the legs of a pair of thermal pants that you put on as a base layer.  Mine have a sort of felt lining but remain extremely light and are great at moisture wicking to ensure you don’t overheat, or sweat too much then freeze at a stop light.  While Pearl Izumi and other companies also offer arm warmers that work similarly, I opted for standard moisture wicking long sleep base layer shirt like those offered from UnderArmour.  These shirts can be kept on throughout the day so you can just wear another shirt or two over the top to again reduce the amount of clothes you have to bring with you to change in to.  I also invested in a Pearl Izumi Quest Barrier jacket, which turned out to be invaluable. If you spend any money to winterize your commute, this is an item to do so on.  The jacket is almost completely windproof, but still amazingly breathable.  The jacket is made of a stretchable material like a jersey with wrist cuffs that come up slightly more than a normal jacket to ensure wind doesn’t whip up your sleeves.  In addition the jacket has the beloved triple pocket in the back to store your goodies and extra gloves as well as one with a zipper.  Like most cycling gear the jacket also has a good amount of reflective striping to help keep you visible without being excessive.  The jacket has a removable hood and the bottom of the jacket in the back buttons up inside of itself to make it look a little less cycling and a little more jacket.

But wait, I am still just standing around in my leg warmers!  Never fear…I always bike in pants…or shorts…or bibs.  I find that a well fitting pair of jeans can be rolled up a bit to keep out of the chain and keep you perfectly warm when combined with some leg warmers and wool socks.  Then there is the subject of shoes. For Christmas this year I received some fantastic Chrome gear.  Chrome is a company that was founded to support bike messengers, by bike messengers.  They only have stores in New York City, San Francisco, and recently Chicago (though you can shop with them online).  I hope to do a feature on some of their amazing business practices and support of the cycling community at some point in the near future.  Once I made the switch to clips and cleats I swore I would never go back.  However, the first pair of shoes and pedals I bought were straight road.  I still love them, but for a commute they just become annoying, fast. Carrying a change of shoes in my bag made it nearly impossible to get everything I needed, even after changing some of my layers around.  Enter Chrome’s Kursk Pro.  For the fashion and functionally minded commuter these shoes are the tops.  The shoe looks like a pair of low-top Converse Chuck Taylors. Unlike Chuck Taylors, the Kursk Pro is constructed from a heavy duty canvas type material that is much more resistant to the weather.  The sole of the shoe is constructed from an amazingly slip-resistant red rubber that has not failed me yet.  The real win with these shoes is that they have a recessed SPD cleat, like with Mountain Biking shoes or some offerings from other companies like Vans.  The front half of the shoe is firm like a standard road shoe, while the back half is as comfortable as the aforementioned Converse.  I haven’t taken them off since Christmas, wearing them through snow, rain, on the bike and off.  They slip in and out of the pedals with ease while making for a classy shoe you can keep on at work.  This company has blown my mind with their mission and their products alike. Look for more on Chrome in the future.

Commuting is serious business, and commuting in cold weather is even less of a joke.  I realize that this post might have sounded like a large commercial for several of these companies, but if you are like me, you don’t want to waste time purchasing less than exactly what you need.  Nothing is more frustrating than investing in something as important as this only to discover that you have been mislead.  Like I said before, there are always other options and opinions on what works best, this is just my experience.

I would love to hear some of your recommendations for things that keep you safe and warm on your commutes in the comments.  Be sure to tune in to the next edition of Loving the Commute when I take you out on the bike with me for my commute to work…I almost get run over on camera (to music)!  As always, thanks for reading and enjoy your ride!

Aaron Madrid lives in Lafayette, Indiana and is a bike lover and cycling commuter.  A lifetime geek he now spends his time with his family or out riding his bike…occasionaly finding time to read comic books and play video games. You can read his previous guest posts on Loving the Bike, “A Self Proclaimed Geek Takes on Cycling”, “#bikeschool: Bike Prices” and the Loving the Commute Series. Also be sure to find him on Twitter (@Aaronthestrong) or at www.GuerrillaGeek.com.

Here’s a look at who’s loving the bike for February 2012.  At the top of each month we like to feature the amazing stories and memories of people who are loving the bike.  Please take a look at what these lovers have to say.  Hey…..and we’d love to hear from you as well….feel free to submit your “Look Who’s Loving the Bike” story to us at any time.

Michelle Lambert – San Jose, CA

Whitney – Akasaka, Japan

“I remember begging my dad, over the phone while he was on a business trip, to help me on the bike when he came home.  We worked hard and I learned to ride without training wheels.  Then I remember telling my dad over the phone, while he was on a business trip, that I had just ridden by myself without training wheels for a long stretch.  Those were exciting moments and I remember them clearly.  But growing up I grew fatter and was terribly out of shape in my 20S and 30s.  

I moved to Tokyo, Japan in 2006 and by 2007 had purchased a Chipmunk at a discount retailer here in Tokyo.  It was terrible to walk to the grocery store every day to buy my groceries and I thought a bike would be less effort and less hassle.  The hills in Tokyo were difficult and I had to get off to walk my bike up very gradual slopes.  But it was nicer to have a basket for my 20lbs grocery rather than carrying them.

What I didn’t expect was biking to invigorate me and drive me to lose weight.  I lost 60 lbs between 2007 and 2009 and became a biking enthusiast.  In 2009 I moved back to the US I bought a townie from Target and rode that on errands using the 75 miles of bike trails that crisscrossed my town.  Then in 2010 I moved up to a Specialized Hybrid and rode that on 30 mile rides just for fun.  I rode that bike everywhere.  Trails, grass, sidewalks, roads.  I realized I loved road riding and long distance rides.  In 2011 I purchased a carbon fiber road bike and moved it back to Tokyo with me.

I now live in Japan again weighing 70 lbs less than I did the first time I was here. I still love biking.  I use my hybrid with panniers to buy groceries and meet friends for lunch and dinner.  I use my road bike to take long rides and map out the city.  I have a long list of dream rides and I’m working on those.  My standard ride is a 15 mile meander and I’m venturing out on the 25-40 mile river routes.  I’m working up to a century this year.  Another fun thing I’m working on is the hills.  I’ve mapped all the ones I use to be too fat to ride.  As I zoom up these hills I think of how awful it felt to be out of shape, huffing my bike up the hills and watching all the skinny Japanese ride effortlessly.  I can do all the hills in the central part of Tokyo now.  I haven’t met a hill and I can’t do and if I find one of those I attack it with a vengeance until it becomes my friend.  I’m also working up to do the Tama Hills.  A day long ride of mile after mile of gentle sloping mountains.

I’m in my 40′s now and I’m definitely LOVING THE BIKE.   I feel like that kid again, calling dad, telling him how I biked up the hills and just got home from an amazing ride.”

Justin Mann - Murrieta, CA

It’s Super Bowl Week…what better time to bust out the SuperFoods?  If you’re looking to have a Super Bowl Party with nutrient-loaded foods that can make you healthier, stronger, leaner, smarter, faster, and of course, better looking, look no further than our Loving The Bite Super Bowl Party Menu:

Party Appetizers:

• Black Bean & Quinoa Burger Sliders (use same recipe, but make smaller patties for sliders)

• Thai Seared Scallops

• Beanitos, Salsa, & Guacamole

• Dips for Vegetables: Olive Tapenade and Red Pepper Coulis

• Kale Chips

• Fresh Fruits such as Grapes and Orange Slices (believe me, these are always eaten up, even at a party)

Main Course:

• Chicken & Bean Chili (can be made vegetarian with omission of chicken or substitution of firm tofu)

As always, these dishes and their ingredients will pack loads of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory components, detoxification nutrients, fiber, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and good-for-you-proteins to promote health, vitality, and wellness.  You don’t have to load up on junk this Sunday.  Instead, turn this party into an opportunity to fuel your body…after all, you’ve got lots of great riding ahead of you next week.

Fuel Your Ride.  Nourish Your Body.

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 I invite you to listen to it for a full report on everything from crashing properly, mitigating a crash, and what to do if it happens.

I would say that paying attention is the ultimate tip for staying safe and avoiding a crash, and the post I wrote on nearly being flattened like a pancake is a perfect example of just how important keeping focused really is.  But on top of that, I’m here today with what I feel are three solid tips that all riders can use to help prevent a crash:

Short People: If you’re blessed with the goodness of being short as I am (I’m somewhere in the neighborhood of 5′ 5″), then there is something you need to know about how your bike frame could cause a crash.  When you have a smaller bike frame, your front tire is located closer to your pedals than if you’re riding a bike with a larger frame.  What that means is when you’re moving slow and making a tight turn, your front tire is very likely to hit your shoe.  If this happens, your bike is going to stop…and if you’re clipped in you might not have enough time to un-clip before falling over.

Sure it’s a low-speed (or no-speed) crash, but can still be prevented if you’re mindful while doing these turns or trying out a trackstand.

New Road (especially downhill): If you find yourself cycling a road that you’ve never been on before, my recommendation is that you take it slower than normal.  Even if you’re riding with a group, it would be a good idea to be a little more aware of what’s ahead and keep yourself distanced from the other riders.  When on a new road, you aren’t aware of blind corners, holes or uneven pavement, and any other surprises that could pop out at you.  Keep your eyes peeled and your speed down for your first time down a new road.

Overlapping Wheels: This one is for any of you who ride in a group or plan on doing a group ride.  Overlapping a wheel is when you ride with your front wheel next to the back wheel of the bicycle in front of you.  When overlapping a wheel, you can find yourself in a situation where the front rider suddenly moves in your direction causing you to go down.  When riding in a bunch, sometimes it’s difficult not to overlap a wheel from time to time….but limit it from happening and keep yourself upright.

What are your top tips for avoiding a crash?  Be sure to let us know as we can never be too safe out there.

We had a great #bikeschool session last week; good attendance, great answers and no injuries. If you couldn’t be with us then you missed a corker as always but you can always catchup with the #bikeschool questions and answers by going back through the Twitter timeline HERE. As the evenings professor I asked for ideas for a new #bikeschool catchphrase.

We hadn’t meant to entice you all in to doing our work for us and assisting with the creative process of running #bikeschool or LovingTheBike.com but with so many great answers we decided it was probably only right that we offer up a prize for all your hard work… So don’t let me ever hear any of you saying The Boss, The Hoserhead and the dancing monkey don’t look after you!

Below are some of the answers from the night that we have picked for you to vote on. There is the possibility for some late entries to make it into the line-up but the closing date for new entries will be Wednesday 1st of February 2012 at Midnight GMT. Have a read of the tweets below and vote on which one you think should become a #bikeschool catchphrase to help spread the love.

Option 1 – @noteon

Option 2 – JuiceLee337

Option 3 – @PinkChickRunner

Option 4 – @twittyboyd

Option 5 – @johntrendler

Option 6 - @jenfairfax

Option 7 – @lizbon

We have a great prize pack for this competition from two of our #bikeschool sponsors GU Energy and RoadID. Up for grabs is a GU Energy Flavor Mix pack and a $35 RoadID gift card which will keep you on the road for longer and safer whilst you do it.

Time to Vote:

To vote all you need to do is leave a comment below and let us know which option you think is the best and most suited to #bikeschool. If you have your own idea that is entered below before the closing date it may be entered into the competition but this will only be after a shortlist has been decided on. Please don’t vote for ideas left in the comment section, only votes for ideas above with OPTION numbers next to them are eligible for the competition. The closing date for votes is Sunday the 5th of February at Midnight GMT and the winner will be announced shortly after that.

Good luck to everyone and thanks again GU Energy and RoadID… let the voting commence…

Stevie

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Pay it Forward”…but what we might not realize is just how big of an impact it can have on someone’s life.  Today, we share the story of two cyclists who had their lives changed forever and are so grateful that they continue to Pay it Forward.

I’ve been thinking of putting up a Make it Happen Monday post on this subject for a while, but it wasn’t until I interacted with a couple of cycling friends on Twitter when I realized how this one was going to come together.  It all started by me asking my twitter followers, “What’s Right?“.  What I received back from @MomCycFan and @twittyboyd, left me totally inspired.

Julie’s (@MomCycFan) Story:

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 3^rd party expert.  I often www.consumerlab.com, a completely impartial 3^rd 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.

Beautiful Cuban “work bikes” and a post about cycling in Cuba, by guest writer Kathy Campbell.

Viva la Bicicletta – An article and photos on Cuba and their Working Bikes

by Kathy Campbell

If you love bicycle touring then you must make some time for a bike tour around Cuba.  There are so many reasons to go there and if you are able, so many reasons to bring a bike and leave it there.

We got our reconditioned bikes from World Community, a local community group that collects unwanted bicycles, re-conditions them and donates them to international and local groups or individuals who really need bikes.  We made our donations, packed our bikes into boxes and shipped them to Cuba cost-free as humanitarian supplies.  The condition on the free shipping was that we were to donate our bikes, and not to bring them home.

Cuba is excellent for biking, few cars, great scenery and there is such freedom in getting off the plane, pulling the bikes out of the box and putting your own transportation together as a group of friendly interested locals gather around.  Nothing is wasted.  Once we were ready to go the crowd gladly gathered up our bike boxes and other gifts and we were on our way.

Cuba is a country that truly appreciates the bicycle.  Bikes are the workhorses of the working class.  Anyone who can’t afford a car (and this is most people) aspire to own a bike.  Many of the bikes we saw were vintage.  Classic models that had been creatively adapted and repaired then pressed into service as portable fruit and vegetable stands, knife sharpening shops, carnival rides and cyclo taxis.  Pedal Power prevailed and you were never out of site of a bike anywhere you went.

Cubans have great respect for bikes.  Big trucks changed lanes to give us space to ride, there was no tendency to cut you off or to push you aside.  If you really want to enjoy biking, rise early and get out before the heat of the day, siesta or swim at the beach when the sun is high, then head out for wonderful cool of the afternoon ride.

Sure you have to be careful as the roads are often rough and there are an alarming number of missing storm drain covers which could result in very serious injury…  Otherwise the road is yours and if you do not feel up to riding the distance, you can check your bike like luggage onto a Viazul tour bus, travel across the country and retrieve your bike to ride again.  Transporting your bike is cheap and safe and we never had any problems getting our bikes on and off of the bus.

The Cuban people are creative and resilient.  They have been isolated from world commerce by the US and know little of the outside world because of filtered news channels and lack of access to the internet.  What they do have they make the most of.  You can fix a flat anywhere and no tube, no matter how many holes it has is ever thrown away.

As you ride keep your eyes open for the amazing Cuban  work bikes.  They are all around you, expressions of creativity and resilience, reflecting the best of what is Cuba.

Want to be a happy cyclist?  How about a smart one?  One with a strong heart and good lungs?  Heck yeah, sign me up.

This week, we’ll focus on a food that combines the nutrients needed to deliver on all these promises.  It’s not a magic potion or a gimmick.  It’s simply a Loving The Bite nutrient-loaded superfood from the sea.

Recipe of the Week: Thai Seared Scallops

(adapted from http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaiseafoodrecipes/r/searedscallops.htm)

Ingredients: 

• 8-10 medium OR 4-5 large sea scallops
• 2 Tbsp. organic coconut oil for frying
• salt and pepper, to taste

SAUCE:

• 3 Tbsp. organic coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce (available in tall bottles at Asian/Chinese food stores)
• juice of 1/2 lime
• handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 Tbsp. coconut milk
• Fresh greens and lime wedges for serving

Instructions: 

1. Rinse scallops and pat dry. Place on a clean, dry surface.
2. Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat (allow pan to warm up at least 1 minute). While the pan is heating, use a paper towel to gently dab any remaining moisture from the scallops. Tip: The scallops must be very dry before frying in order to achieve a good sear.
3. Add 2 Tbsp. oil to the wok (or frying pan) and swirl around.
4. Gently place the scallops in the pan, leaving space between them. Allow the scallops to cook undisturbed for at least 2 minutes (small-medium scallops) or 3-4 minutes (large scallops). While scallops are cooking, season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
5. Meanwhile, place all sauce ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat-high. Stirring occasionally, warm the sauce for 1-2 minutes only – just long enough to bring out the flavor of the garlic and turn the fresh chili bright red. Avoid over-cooking the sauce.
6. Gently turn the scallops to other side. Season once more with salt and pepper and cook for the same amount of time as 1^st side – scallops are done when both sides have a nice crispy-looking crust and are firm to the touch. They should also ‘open’ slightly, as though they are going to flake.
7. Remove scallops from the wok/pan and place on paper towel to drain.
8. When sauce is done, remove from heat.
9. Place the scallops on a bed of greens and spoon the sauce over them.  Add lime wedges on side.

Comments:

How can scallops improve your mood, cardiovascular system, brain, and lungs?  Look no further than their combo of minerals, vitamins, and of course, omega-3 fatty acids.  In fact, when you eat scallops, you:

Improve Heart Rate Variability (HRV, a direct measure of heart muscle function) in as little as 3 weeks!  The omega-3 fatty acids found in scallops and other fatty fish, DHA and EPA, increase HRV and reduce risk of arrhythmias and sudden death.  Studies show a quick improvement with 2 grams of DHA and EPA per day (in combo).  Since every ounce of cooked scallops delivers ~100 mg DHA/EPA (0.1 grams), I recommend 12 oz. of scallops or another fatty fish/seafood each week + 1-2 gram of DHA/EPA from a fish oil supplement each day.

Reduce homocysteine in your body.  Why is this important?  Homocysteine is associated with an increased risk for atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.  What’s more, it directly damages blood vessel walls. Scallops contain plenty of vitamin B12, a vitamin that busts up homocystine and converts it into harmless chemicals in the blood stream. Beyond the heart, the B12 from scallops protects against colon cancer and colorectal cancer!

Reduce chronic inflammation with omega-3 fatty acids.  Each week, it seems, we discuss cellular inflammation in the body.  It’s this inflammation that is associated with most all chronic diseases.  It increases with sedentary lifestyles and poor food choices.  It decreases with anti-inflammatory fats such as omega-3 fatty acids found in foods such as scallops.

Promote healthy blood pressure with potassium and magnesium. Magnesium serves to relax blood vessels, and potassium normalizes blood pressure levels.  Combine this with increased heart rates from a good ride, and you can keep your vessels elastic and healthy year after year.

Reduce risk of stroke.  Eating fatty fish, or a fish oil supplement 2-4 times per week can reduce stroke risk by 18% compared to eating it 0-1 times per month.  And, if you increase it to 5 or more times per week, you’ll decrease your risk by 31%!  What’s more, daily fish or fish oil consumers can decrease risk of developing coronary heart disease by 37%, and risk of heart attack by 56%.  Add to it cardiovascular training on your bike, and you’ve got a great plan for lifelong heart health!

And for the brain, omega-3s protect against Alzheimer’s and congnitive decline as we age (at just ~400 mg DHA/EPA per day!).  In fact, there’s a strong association between high blood pressure, high “bad” cholesterol levels, low blood DHA/EPA and cognitive decline in studies.  To protect against Alzheimer’s, omega-3s promote a good blood supply to the brain, reduce inflammatory compounds associated with mental decline, increase electrical transmission signals in the brain, slow the deposition of proteins that increase the brains lesions associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and destroy Alzheimer’s brain plaques.  We all know cyclists are highly intelligent, and now we can eat scallops to keep us that way.

And, if all of this doesn’t make you happy, high levels of omega-3s can decrease depression symptoms and protect against it.  This week, let’s add scallops to the menu and reap benefits on and off the bike.  I’m feeling smarter, happier, and stronger already.

Be sure to drop in next Thursday for my Super Bowl menu post that is sure to satisfy all you Football fans out there.

Fuel Your Ride. Nourish Your Body. 

Photos c/o  finecooking.com and UK-Rasoi

Not only do I have my review of the Helium Lazer helmet today, I also have details on how you can win one of your own.  Be sure to check out my thoughts and opinions as well as the video about what I think of this cycling helmet.

I have been in serious need of a new helmet for some time now, and after soliciting suggestions from my Cycling 360 buddies (Victor and Rob), I knew that the Helium from Lazer Sports was the one I should be getting.  Through the magic of social media and the great connections I have over at Google +, I was able to get in contact with Chris Smith from Lazer Sports and hook myself up with one of their helmets.  Actually, I did one better….I’ve asked them to hook you up with one as well.

There really is only one reason we all wear helmets, and that’s to protect our melons.  But along with that, most cyclists are looking for something light, comfortable, good looking….and, of course, something that helps out our performance if possible.

The Helium is Lazer’s top of the line road cycling helmet, but they have a whole whack of other helmet options to match with the type of riding you do and what might suit you best.  Choosing a helmet has a lot to do with personal preference and each brand has their own gadgets and characteristics that make them unique.  Here are some of the features that Lazer offers with their helmets:

The Lazer Rollsys® system: a fully integrated mechanism which surrounds the head completely. By turning a smooth thumb wheel – situated on top of the helmet – the Rollsys® system permits an accurate and progressive peripheral sizing adjustment.

Magic Buckle: I wasn’t sure about the buckle system on the helmet when I first got it, but after riding with it a couple of times I see the beauty in it.  The small magnetic buckle makes it super easy to strap on or off the helmet with one flick of the hand.

X-static®: The padding in the helmet is designed to keep your head cooler when it’s hot and warmer when it’s cold.  Lazer says that the combination of X-static padding and the airpads provide the most efficient method to keep your helmet well ventilated.

Rigidity Brace System: Different models of Lazer helmets have different molded reinforcement structures to improve impact resistance.  In the Helium they use an integrated roll cage for maximum reinforcement.

Okay, so here is my totally honest take on the Helium Lazer Helmet including my pre and post first ride experience:

Final Word:

I totally trust the opinion and recommendations of Victor (@bicyclelab) and Rob (@rgrissom), so I knew I was going to like the Helium before even trying it.  But after checking it out for myself, I have nothing but good things to say about this Lazer Helmet, and feel completely comfortable recommending it to all of you.

Win Your Own Helium Lazer Helmet

This contest is now closed.  Congratulations to jeffvolkmer who wins a new Helium helmet from Lazer.  Thanks to all of you who checked out the review and entered to win.  Big thanks also go out to Chris and the good folks over at Lazer.

Here’s what you’ve really been waiting for, right?  Your chance to win a hot new helmet of your own.  We have 4 ways for you to enter to win a Helium Lazer helmet.  You get one entry for each method you choose so you feel free to get all four entries in to win:

1.  Leave a comment letting us know what helmet you presently wear.  Yep, that’s it.

2.  Follow @lovingthebike and @lazerhelmets on Twitter (if you are already, cool, you can still use this option) and then tweet out the following: “I just entered to win a new Helium from @lazerhelmets and @lovingthebike.  You can too: http://wp.me/p1oH5M-1YJ #Cycling #Helmet“.

3.  ”Like” the Loving the Bike and Lazer Helmets Facebook Fanpages (here’s the links: https://www.facebook.com/lovingthebike and https://www.facebook.com/LazerHelmets). Then post to your Facebook page the following: “I just entered to win a new Helium from Lazer Helmets and Loving the Bike.  You can too: http://wp.me/p1oH5M-1YJ“.

4.  Add Loving the Bike and Lazer Helmets to your Google+ Circles (here’s the links: https://plus.google.com/116632371954283972593 and https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116632371954283972593/114514119854134289797/posts). Then post to your Google+ page the following: “I just entered to win a new Helium from Lazer Helmets and Loving the Bike.  You can too: http://wp.me/p1oH5M-1YJ“.

The contest is open until Friday at Noon EST and we’ll be randomly picking a winner using random.org.  Good Luck.

If you have any questions about the Helium Lazer helmet, be sure to let me know and I promise to provide you with my honest and unbiased answer.