A letter from diabetic cyclist:

Most of diabetic cyclist have that  “Diabetes doesn’t stop me from doing anything” attitude, which I also have but it does not change the fact that Diabetes is still a big pain in the ass.  There are some major challenges in cycling with diabetes. One of them is a different kind of fatigue after a long distance ride. Basically your body feels like you are still riding and your blood sugars are at a dangerously low levels. I deal with this by constantly checking my blood sugar levels and do the necessary corrections. Of course it would be impossible to do without my glucose monitor which I got from canadadrugpharmacy.com where I also get most of my meds since I got no insurance…boohoo.

Another common problem that most diabetic cyclists have is lack of stamina, especially when comparing to the pre diabetes days. Some people just write it off to the diabetes, which in fact does not have to do anything with it, well… not diabetes itself but more of their reaction to some of the medication. So before you push yourself too hard or give up see which medication you are using and what other reaction you having in addition to the lack of stamina.

Lots of diabetic cyclists have a lactate build-up and/or flushing in addition to the problems with stamina. Usually if you have those signs and you take both Niacin and Zocor it  can cause a condition known as rhabdomyolysis -breakdown of the muscle–general muscle soreness. Have your liver function tests and talk with your doctor about holding one of the two above medications for a few weeks and see if it has any effect on your well being. Also if you take Lipitor and other cholesterol drugs, they are known to cause cramping, especially in the calves. Levoquin, Cefaclor, and other flouroquinine based antibiotics are known to cause tendonitis, especially in the achille’s tendon.

Either way, keep an eye on your blood sugar levels during and after those long rides and for stamina problems talk to you doctor and see if you cycle some of the medication off and see if it resulted in less overall soreness and more stamina. Good luck and don’t give up on cycling.

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As you are well aware, cycling is a physically demanding sport which requires stamina and determination. This means that it is important to keep your energy levels up if you want to maintain a good cycling speed. Pasta is great for fuelling energy, but it is very inconvenient to carry around in your rucksack. A pasta pot will be heavy and bulky, which might weigh you down and decrease your cycling speed. This is why we have put together a list of high energy foods which are compact and light, making them perfect for slipping into your bag.

Even if you have a padded bag, it is worth leaving anything valuable or breakable at home. For example, it is much safer to leave your expensive smartphone at home and bring an old cell phone with you instead. You may not be able to go online to look up your route on Google Maps, play a game of partypoker or login to Facebook during your pit stops, but it means you won’t have to worry about protecting your rucksack as much. Let’s take a look at some lightweight snacks you could pack for your cycle trip.

A small bag of dried mango or apricot provides one of your five-a-day, as well as fruit sugars which will give you plenty of energy. This healthy and light snack is perfect for slipping into your bag.

Dried banana chips are also a great source of energy and potassium. Bananas release their energy slowly, meaning it will keep you fuller and more energized for longer.

Cereal bars with a dried yoghurt topping contain essential carbohydrates which help to provide long lasting energy. In addition, the sugary topping will give you an instant energy boost until the long lasting carbohydrates kick in.

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Chop ‘em Down Films Presents: Summer Fix 2011 from CHOP EM DOWN on Vimeo.

Summer Fix event.

1. Josh Boothby
2. Steven Jensen
3. Joe Mckeag
4. Jake Santos
5. Congo

Shot & Cut by Zane Meyer
Music By So Creates & Sour Beats- Smoke Screen

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Urban1cycle and Citrus will have an upcoming feature very soon, so keep your eyes open.

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Michael Chacon X Estevan Oriol X Falken Tire – Taking the Ford Flex to the Westside from Estevan Oriol on Vimeo.

Cool interview with Mike Chacon in Venice, showing off his freestyle riding fixed gear bike. Enjoy…

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Chrome introduced a weatherproof padded camera bag with iconic quick release buckle. Guaranteed for life and comes with the following specs:

Weight: 2.5 lb.

Fabric: Weatherproof 1050 denier nylon outer shell; weatherproof military grade 18 oz. truck tarpaulin liner with 400 denier nylon interior facing

Product Source: Guangzhou, China

Flat Dimensions: 15.5” wide, 9” high, 6.25” deep

Volume: 11.5L

Features:

• Quick access top-loading camera compartment
• Large zip around opening and customizable padded main compartment for organizing lenses, flash and other equipment
• Iconic quick release buckle with integrated bottle opener
• Velcro straps for mini tripod
• EVA foam padded shoulder strap with cross-chest load stabilizer for increased rideability
• Nylon 69 thread and waterproof urethane YKK zippers

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For 12 humid hrs, the streets of St.pete were filled with racers competing to see who could complete the most laps on a 14.7mile course.. There were some impressive lap times being put up.. just breaking 41min lap times. The overall turn out was good considering the sketchy weather and horrible heat. They had 12 4 man teams.. actually 11- 4 man teams and a 3 man team that held their own finishing 6th with only 3 riders ( Ryan Magin, Joe Badessa and Billy Crupp). Top honors went to 352 Racing Bike & More for the 4 man team bracket, local shop 66 Fixed 2 man team took home 1st place and Eric Stubbs took first place in the individual bracket with an impressive 15 laps completed.. We cross our fingers this even comes back next year with more riders and sponsors.. It was a great event and great turn out.. enjoy the photo’s and congrats to all the racers and winners! For the full coverage go to our gallery...

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in Russia bike rides you

We come to you with another girl on bike shoot.. The inspiration behind this shoot is our one and only lovely Max.. He runs all the behind the scenes and “IT” issues at Urban1cycle.com and well of course we he is from the motherland of Russia.. We have known Cristina for many years now, and she came up with the classic title for this feature “In Russia, bike rides you” being that Max designed his bike with some Russian “flare”.. It’s a SE draft with a upgraded crank, and SE Lager wheels..Please check out our gallery for a full photoshoot set. Enjoy….

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