If you’re an avid cyclist, chances are you have one or two cycling apps already downloaded on your phone. But, chances are, there are more cyclist apps developed and with the increased technology and creativity, there might be newer ones that you would enjoy. Check out the list of the top cycling apps below, but do keep reading on to learn what I discovered through my search for finding the best cyclist apps.
With Alana getting a full time job in Longmont, which is roughly 15 miles away from our home, and us only having one car, it looked like I would have to find an alternate form of transportation. With my job being only about a mile(?) from our home, there were a few choices.
Obviously, we could buy another car but that isn’t exactly in the budget, although it might have to be in the winter. The bus takes too long and is too risky for a mile commute. Walking is an option but is still a bit of a waste of time. And I only have my motorcycle permit, not my license… plus they’re expensive too. So it seemed like a good old bicycle (so rare in Boulder!) was the best choice. Unfortunately, on our cross country trip… my Schwinn Frontier, the bike love of my life thus far, is stuck with my sister in Pennsylvania because of a broken bike rack. Obviously, there was only one thing I could do… Craigslist!
Schwinn!
So to make a not-so-long-but-boring-story nice and short, I bought two bikes in the last week. The first one I bought on the way to work Monday so I wouldn’t have to walk, and the second I bought on Tuesday night because it was a much better bike.
Magna– Nickname: Not Given Yet – This is one of the worst bike brands in the U.S. It’s very used with lots of wear and tear, as well as a flimsy kickstand and unstable gears. But is was only $60 cash and it was being sold a block away. The bike is $125-150 ish new from Target, so it’s really not a horrible deal, just an awful bike. But it got me to work two days.
Trek– Nickname: Packhorse– I paid $120 cash for this one and it was well worth it. Trek is arguably the most reliable bike brand around (and still reasonably priced). This one has lots of miles and character to it but it still rides better. It’s got Shimano gears and brakes, along with a mountain rack/splash guard, and a retractable metal grocery bin. The front suspension makes for a very smooth ride and although it doesn’t have a kickstand and the brakes are very squeaky, it has a cute little bell.
Today, Amazon via UPS will deliver my new helmet, light, and two bike locks ( a u-lock and a cable lock). Bikes are very popular in Boulder and although mine are not going to be stolen first, I don’t want to risk it. I also think you’re not being intelligent if you ride with a high risk of injury and do not wear a helmet. The lights are a law after dark in Boulder and ten dollars is much better than hundreds in tickets.
Oh well, I’m getting between 2-8 miles a day commuting from different jobs so it’s been nice but my knees are hurting. I’m not cycling expert but I think it’s either because I have bad knees or because I’m not high enough on the bike. The frame is a little small for me, a 17.5, but I put the seat far enough up to create about a 30 degree angle when my legs are fully extended towards the ground. Adam, any advice?
Thanks everyone and support green transportation!
While debating what I wanted to write about this time, I was shuffling through ideas inside my mind and decided that I wanted to just talk again. Say what’s on my mind and see what people think about it. No recipes, workouts, fitness advice, or anything like that yet… because I am out of shape, very much so.
The recent changes in the Lance Armstrong doping scandal has really had me thinking a lot lately because whenever I go onto ESPN.com to get my daily updates for all the sports that I love to follow, there is some fresh news about the founder of Livestrong. Now, as you will see in all my later fitness-related posts, I am very much so against the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). I will go into more depth about this in a post about supplements, steroids, PEDs, etc., but for now let’s stick with Lance.
Our boy, Lance
Disclaimer: I am not the biggest cycling fan. I am a swimmer who trains triathletes in their swimming. Some of them are cyclists and I have an opinion of them, compared to runners and swimmers. Also, I am not fond of sports that cater to a certain demographic, namely the populations that are wealthier and in more developed countries. However, I realize that with our global situation, there is not much I can do about that now so when I think of cycling, I take this all into consideration. Therefore, I will not let my personal dislike for cycling as a sport affect anything pertaining to Lance or his legacy.
So, a bit of background that most people are aware of pertaining to the most decorated and famous cyclists ever. That statement, I believe, is not arguable. Lance is a 5’9”, 157 lb, 40 year old athlete who started riding professionally in 1992. From 1999-2005, he won every Tour de France, and throughout his career he has won other various races and titles in both rode races, of various distances. Lance also has competed in multiple mountain bike races, triathlons, and marathons. However, Lance is a well known philanthropist who founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation for research and support of cancer victims. This came after Lance fought and won a bout with testicular cancer, which most people know as a result of the millions of bright yellow Livestrong wrist bands. While Lance has the most successful charity created by an athlete, his morals and values have consistently been questioned due to a belief that he has been doping.
Lance Armstrong Foundation
Now (this is a rant, I will be wrong about many things, but I’m trying to express how I feel), I bet if Lance Armstrong came in second place for every won of those seven races, no one would have ever bothered him. BUT, since he won all seven, there are allegations and stories dating back to 1999, conveniently, of Lance doping. Essentially, Travis Tygart, the current “head” of the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency), a relatively recently formed government body, has really been the person to collect “evidence” in an effort to punish Lance for “cheating.” Tygart claims that he has testimonials from multiple witnesses that claim Lance used performance enhancing drugs, offered them to teammates to help them win, told competitors during races that he uses them, and every other claim imaginable.
PEDs
The funny part is that Lance has hundreds of legitimate drug tests throughout his career, specifically 1999-2005, and he never once tested positive for any PEDs. I think Lance’s evidence is better than anything that Tygart can bring up, besides a positive test. Seriously? Who would ever believe that all of these individuals, who are essentially enemies or rivals, would tell the truth about this matter. Let’s say the guy in second place in the 2000 Tour de France said “of course he cheated, he told me during the race.” And Tygart believed him and used it as evidence in his “case.” Lance is stripped of the title and who gets it? Oh, that same guy… hmm, that’s not sketchy. Seriously, Tygart has a horrible case and argument, AND he has yet to reveal any good evidence. So why would he go through all this trouble? Ego.
Who is Travis Tygart? I bet anything that only one in every one million people know who he is. They’re all either professional athletes, work for the USADA, or have followed the Lance story (I’m sure other people know him, but not many) . His job definitely pays well and who can say if he deserves it… well, I can. You would think that the head of the USADA would focus on athletes that are currently competing in the biggest events in the world. How about you try to catch someone that isn’t past their prime and hasn’t practically retired (to help cancer research of all things). I mean really, you single-handedly (or maybe with the help of some other people close to you) tried to destroy Lance’s legacy.
Travis Tygart
What would that mean? Loss of sponsors for the Lance Armstrong Foundation? Without those sponsors and funding, one of the best charities for cancer research would have to shut down… wow, think about that one. Luckily, so far, all of Lance’s biggest sponsors, like Nike, Anheuser-Busch, Oakley and bunch others, have decided to back him up and stand behind him despite allegations. But Travis Tygart, to get back on track, must have a huge ego and realizes the best way for him to get famous, or infamous, is to go after Lance.
Now, it’s hard for me to go against Lance, not because I like the guy or the work that he’s done, but because he has passed every drug test. If you want to stop doping, then make better drug tests for the future. Maybe you missed a few in the past… well it might be your fault. I know the USADA haven’t been around forever, but you need to start from scratch, set great procedures, and stick to them. What good is stripping Lance of his seven titles going to do? Make thousands of people, maybe more, that got into cycling because of one man, get out of cycling. It’s a stupid effort and a waste of resources for the USADA. Take his titles and ban him for life from cycling. Everyone knows who won those races. Lance, who potentially was on PEDs, managed to beat the best pro-cyclists in the world (I’m sure most of them were on PEDs too).
Lance Armstrong at the team presentation of the 2010 Tour de France in Rotterdam
Next, (and I read this in an article) go after Babe Ruth for drinking beers before a game during Prohibition while tons of collegiate and professional athletes use PEDs without getting any backlash for it. And they might be bad people. Lance isn’t. You might argue that he’s a jerk, or doesn’t tip well, or yield to pedestrians, but he’s raised over 500 million dollars for cancer research and that is a fact. So shut up, Travis Tygart, get over yourself. Just because Lance is better looking, more athletic, richer, helps more people, smarter, etc., doesn’t give you the right to try to one-up him in the only way you can, by cheating. Seriously, I hate cheaters. I once got a 7/100 on an AP Calculus test in high school because I refused to cheat. Romney probably likes Tygart’s status updates on Facebook.
