Throughout its history, Italy has always distinguished itself as a people of great cyclists and great races: from the golden years of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali to the present day. The Azzurri, in fact, have been able to get on world podiums on over 80 occasions with the men's and women's national team.
To date, in Italy there are over 18 thousand kilometers of cycle paths and a very high number of natural paths for mountain bikes. In the face of over 44 thousand members of the Italian Cycling Federation, there are millions of people who daily get on two wheels to reach the workplace, to enjoy the beauty of the landscape of our peninsula or for simple entertainment.
In addition, following the Covid-19 epidemic which saw the capacity of public transport vehicles be drastically reduced, the Government has proposed a bike bonus to encourage soft mobility, avoiding the use of cars as much as possible.
But what is the ideal vehicle for my needs, what equipment should I equip myself with and how should I train to achieve the objectives?
? There are so many alternatives in the bike selection phase, ready to meet very different needs. On the market there are countless solutions available to the cyclist, or to the aspiring one, who must define his objectives before proceeding with the purchase. So what is the best bike for me?- City Bike: is the bicycle for the city, the most common and widespread all over the world. It is often used for commuting from home to work or for walks, for this very reason its main feature is comfort: soft seat, upright posture, few gears, chain protection, luggage racks, baskets and various lighting devices.
- Mountain Bike: bike that prefers off-road, but can also be used in the city and on the road, it is characterized by its compactness that allows the driver a wide range of maneuvering, even in the most inaccessible terrain. It is equipped with a wide range of ratios that guarantee efficiency on all slopes and one of its distinctive features is the thickness of the wheels which is greater than the other types. In recent years, most of the models on the market have been equipped with disc brakes and a suspension front fork.
- Downhill bike: it is an evolution of MTB. Used in off-road downhill routes, where high speeds are developed despite natural obstacles. It is equipped with numerous shock absorbers, reinforced frame, very sensitive disc brakes and a wide handlebar.
- BMX: small, light, with only one agile gear, low seat and small but thick wheels. They are the most manageable bikes that allow for evolutions, a specialty that since Beijing 2008 has entered the Olympic program.
- Racing Bikes: they are the lightest, used by professionals in sports competitions but also very popular in amateur environments. They are distinguished by an increasingly sophisticated search for materials and a posture that will lead the cyclist to lean towards the handlebars. The wheels are very thin and the ratios can be customized according to the prevailing use on the flat, uphill or in race / time trial training.
- Fixed gear: born for track racing, fixed gear bikes have had considerable success in recent years even in the city for their vintage look that has awakened the passion of sportsmen. Their feature? They have only one gear, usually hard, which makes them sometimes very difficult to drive.
- Cycle tourism: its purpose is to accompany the cyclist on long journeys that do not, however, have a competitive purpose. They are therefore a mix of racing bikes and city bikes: they must guarantee a good performance, maintaining an elongated and light design, but at the same time they must be comfortable and safe on extra-urban roads.
- Cyclocross bikes: designed for specific competitions, these bikes will have the physiognomy of those for road racing but with larger wheels to ensure ideal grip even on mud.
- Folding Bike: it is the cheapest, often used in large cities where it can be combined and transported easily on public transport. Given the conformation, with small wheels and limited ratios, pedaling can be difficult for the less trained. Its peculiarity? Thanks to a mechanism inserted on the tubular, it can be folded on itself and transported.
- Bike with assisted pedaling: it is a city bike in which a 250W motor is inserted that will assist the driver in pedaling, which will therefore be less tiring; the engine will be activated only if you are pedaling. In recent years, pedal assisted racing bikes have also landed on the market, equipped with an engine capable of supporting the sportsman even uphill.
- Electric bike: unlike the previous type, the electric bike is equipped with a motor that can be activated even without pedaling.
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Train safely on a bicycle
In road exits, especially in groups, we will have to take some precautions in order to ride safely while for those who usually prefer dirt roads, given the numerous natural pitfalls they may face, it is recommended not to venture alone in too demanding routes. In detail:
- Before starting, always check the correct tire pressure. If you have the option, bring a portable emergency mini pump with you
- In the first few rides, check the efficiency of the brakes
- In group outings keep a minimum distance of 50cm, which increases to 100cm for beginners, from those in front of you. This will give you the space you need in the event of sudden braking
- Do not isolate yourself when you are in a group, always try to look a few meters ahead to be ready in case of emergency.
- Avoid sudden movements and sudden changes of direction
- If there is an obstacle in front of you, warn those who are pedaling behind you
On the market we can distinguish the rollers in:
- Mechanical roller: they are the most economical and traditional, in turn they are divided into rear resistance rollers (where the bike wheel is fixed on the device), roller (it is a free roller where you pedal on cylinders while remaining in balance) and transmission direct (the rear wheel is replaced by the device)
- Smart roller: it is a direct transmission roller able to detect the pedaling data that will be subsequently analyzed by an App on a PC or Smartphone
- Interactive roller: become known for virtual races, this type of direct drive roller is able to replicate changes in the slope of the road in real time. With these rollers it is in fact possible to load specific tracks, such as the stages of the great cycling tours, and pedal with the real-time display of the landscape and the opponents, or training companions, on a TV, a PC or a Smartphone.
For newbies, after a period of stop or if you are using a new bike, you will have to be very careful to choose a correct pedaling ratio: it is in fact very common to make the mistake of setting the training on excessively demanding gears that may favor the onset of great fatigue already after the first kilometers. As a result we will have muscle discomfort and, in the most serious cases, injury. In the early stages it is recommended to favor agile relationships, even at the expense of performance.
Beginner Bike Training Program
- MONDAY - total 60 ": 20" warm-up (50% HR max / perceived "light" fatigue) + 20 "(75% HR max / perceived" heavy "fatigue) + 20" cool-down (50% maximum HR / perceived "light" fatigue ")
- WEDNESDAY - total 90 ": 20" warm-up (50% HR max / perception "light" fatigue) + 60 "alternating 10" at 75% of max HR to 5 "at 50% * + 10" cool down (50% max HR)
- FRIDAY - total 60 ": 10 minutes warm-up (50%) + 40" medium background (between 75 and 85% hr max) + 10 "cool down (50% h max)
* Alternative: carry out the central part of the training in an ups and downs path where the climb will represent the part of the effort (80% Fc max) and the descent the recovery (50%).
