Many readers will already be using Strava… but it just got better! 

If you have not experienced the wonders of Strava then I urge you to stop what you are doing… yes that means everything… go away and sign up and then come back as your riding experience has just got better. Whenever I try to describe Strava to someone who is not in the know I usually start by saying, “It’s like Facebook but for cyclists… and its better”. It’s a place for riders (and runners) to come together, share rides, routes, pain and glory all packaged in a user-friendly site. Strava increases its user friendliness by incorporating ‘plug and play’ style connectivity for a range of bike computers as well as having superb smartphone apps meaning everyone can be part of the action.

The bike-mad Mark Beaconsfield (@Lycra_Loony) came up with the idea of having LovingTheBike and #bikeschool Strava Clubs for riders everywhere to join and share in the glory of keeping the rubber side down. In my eyes this idea steps Mark up from bona fide cycle nut to gold standard nogging-box genius and will rightly so be entered into the LTB hall of fame!

Although part of the fun of Strava is competing against friends on local routes and roads with the leader boards and ‘segments’ it’s a great tool to measure you performance against others but above all share what you are doing and get some props for the hard work you put in!

With #30daysofbiking just around the corner and people signing up everyday to compete as part of Team #LovingTheBike there is no better time to join us on Strava to keep yourself motivated and put into perspective the amount of riding you can achieve in a month. It’s going to be a hard month and from experience, any way of staying motivated during #30daysofbiking is a bonus as it really is a commitment to your bike, your health and generally having fun.

So whether you are going to be part of Team #LovingTheBike or you just want to connect with bike riders from all over the world, join us on Strava and be part of LovingTheBike and #bikeschool.

Stevie

]]> http://lovingthebike.com/motivation/team-strava/feed 4 http://lovingthebike.com/uncategorized/kitskitskits http://lovingthebike.com/uncategorized/kitskitskits#comments Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:00:09 +0000 stevie http://lovingthebike.com/?p=12769 Share/Bookmark

Jersey design is a tricky business… but it’s not THAT hard! 

We are hoping to produce another LovingTheBike.com team kit this year after the success and interest we had in our 2012 edition, which you can see below modeled by The Boss. There has also been a #bikeschool jersey, which captured the imagination of the taco eating, noggin box geniuses of the Thursday night classroom and definitely showed the personality of the group with a much more relaxed design in comparison to the team orientated LTB kit.

This year we are looking to incorporate the #bikeschool and LTB jersey’s together to have a truly global class based cycling team which we can show off on club rides, sportives and races of all disciplines EVERYWHERE. We’d love to see or hear about your ideas for the kit and how we can incorporate the designs.

There are no hard and fast rules to the design but ideally both LTB and #bikeschool would be prominent. Depending on the response we may vote on a design or we may do some collaboration work with the designer to get the perfect kit to show the world who is boss!

Get doodling and show us what you want to be wearing on the roads this year.

Stevie

December is definitely here and I don’t know about the rest of you, but it’s bloomin’ cold over her in the good old U of K. When I checked out LovingTheBike.com yesterday morning (as I do every day, like a good ‘employee’) I was filled with a sense of wonder tinged with a massive amount of jealousy!

I’m sure you have noticed that Darryl has made the family move of a lifetime and set up camp on the wonderful island of Grenada, and posted this about an idyllic morning ride.  Well ‘D Dawg’ you might have the glorious beaches and crystal blue waters, but I have wet roads and bitter winds…the making of a strong spring rider.

Winter is a hard time to get on the bike and get the legs rolling. You may have chosen to have a little time off the bike as I did and have to get back into the routine, but winter is a great time to ride.  You’ll feel super strong in the spring after putting in the hard miles and those fresh, sunny roads in a few months time seem to just roll so much smoother than those presently.

Winter also gives you the added enjoyment of getting all of that expensive, lovely winter kit out of the cupboard and strutting your stuff.  I have a real thing for kits, as many of you do too I’m sure, and there is nothing finer than showing off your style with a matching winter kit right from the cap down to the pedals.  The cold weather just means there is more lovely kit to wear!  In the summer we can select the Euro-cool white kits but for now, it’s understated and hard working clothing which takes centre stage.

There is also a real sense of camaraderie built up through the winter within the various chain gangs.  It can be a hard time to ride through harsh weather and sometimes the only thing that gets you through is wanting to not lose face in front of your riding pals. But when those sunny months come around and you look around the bunch you’ll know the faces that struggled through the winter with you and seek those wheels over others.

Those are the riders you follow because the trust has been built up through the wet months and there is an unspoken pact between you. The ones that have put in the effort and dedication to mean that when the weather is fine and you can sit outside the mid ride cafe, you can be proud you put in the tough miles and enjoy smashing all of your lazy friends for the whole summer!

Get out there and ride this winter. Don’t let weather stop you, there is kit, tyres and equipment to make it all possible.  Make December the month to change, and don’t wait for those useless New Year’s resolutions.  Do it now.  Get wet and wild!

Stevie

As we hurtle through February (seriously…!? Where has the year gone already!?) and head onwards towards what we all hope to be fresh Spring weather followed by a hot dry Summer, competitive thoughts begin to flood the brain.  Whether it be beating your friends up the local climb on a Sunday morning, setting a gold medal time in a sportive or starting your first 100 mile ride…we all get that competitive bug and it’s great to feel part of a team when you are doing it.

[Ed: Please remember when attempting a long distance ride such as a 100 miler, it's the starting that's the hard bit! Getting around and finishing will take care of themselves, your friends will help you, it will be ok. Just make sure you get out there and do it!]

After interviewing Canadian Olympian Lauren Campbell (@gunzycampbell) last week in the first of our 2012 Talks series and seeing the great interaction everyone had with her as #bikeschool professor last week, I realised that 2012 is going to be a competitive year for lots of people.  So what better way of making the most out of 2012′s competitions than in stunning #bikeschool team kit made by Groucho Sports.

The #bikeschool jersey was designed by our very own @BobRidesABike and we want to see these jerseys competing all over the globe.  After all…#bikeschool is all about making WORLD CYCLISTS UNITE. You can pick up your #bikeschool jersey for just $45.95 directly from Groucho Sports and as those that have already purchased will testify, they are superb quality.  Groucho Sports also produce the LovingTheBike jersey and shorts which you can see below.

So if you haven’t added either the #bikeschool inspired jersey or the LovingTheBike team shirt to your collection yet, get with the program and show your support.  We want to see these jerseys at as many events of rides as possible this year and if you start sending in some real corkers, we’ll dedicate a whole page just to your competition photos.  Make sure you let us know how you get on with any challenges you have this year, we are all here to help!

Head over to Groucho Sports and pick up your team gear and let’s see how many points we can score in the Union Bicycliste International!

Stevie