Reach your peak
BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THE SADDLE WITH THE LATEST SPORTS SCIENCE AND TECH FINDINGS
01 TIME TO TILT?
Your indoor training sessions could become a more realistic, dynamic experience, say the makers of the new Tilt Bike indoor smart bike. UK-based indoor cycling specialist Muoverti unveiled its prototype Tilt Bike in November, claiming that it will ‘redefine the understanding of indoor cycling through innovation and science’.
“Millions of people cycle indoors, yet no one has built a stationary bike that feels like cycling, until now,” explained Christoph Wilfert, CEO of Muoverti (Italian for ‘keep moving’). “This bike feels like you’re riding outdoors. You can accelerate, brake, steer and fully engage your legs, core and upper body as you would on the road.”
As the name suggests, a key attribute to this trainer bike is that you can tilt while riding, leaning fully into virtual corners without tipping over, then return to your usual riding position as you would out on the road. The result should be improved bike handling, helping to remedy a long-term criticism of indoor training tech.
Itching to give it a go with your virtual ride platform? The maker insists that this good-looking machine will be fully compatible with the likes of Zwift and Xbox.
Sure enough, the prototype wowed onlookers when it was revealed to the public at the Rouleur Live event in London (4-6 November 2021). Even two-time Tour de France stage winner Simon Gerrans has endorsed the bike, saying: “The ability to balance and the accurate simulation of inertia and resistance are a game-changer for indoor cycling.”
While it’s aimed at cyclists of all levels looking for a more responsive exercise bike, a superior indoor trainer or an e-sports toy for interactive gaming, its sale price is likely to be at the top end of the smart-bike range, at around £3,000 when it’s released (predicted to be autumn 2022). Frame sizes range from 49cm to 64cm.
So, while the technical potential of the Tilt Bike prototype created much excitement at the show and in the press, there’s still some distance to cover before a commercially viable version is available to everyone. Watch this space…
02 LEGAL LIGHTS
The sun sitting low in the sky is a nuisance most of us are used to when cycling or driving at this time of year. In fact, according to charity Cycling UK, 17 cyclists and 11 motorcyclists died in 2020 with ‘dazzling sun’ being cited as a contributory factor. Remember to give as much room as possible when you’re overtaking cyclists in the car, and to use dipped headlights when approaching cyclists, just as you would for other road users.
You should comply with the law when riding your bike on public roads between sunset and sunrise, too. “Cyclists must have a white front and red rear light lit at night – or flashing lights that flash one to four times per second,” said Duncan Dollimore of Cycling UK, the organisation behind the King Alfred’s Way and many more routes. Join Cycling UK and you’ll get a free set of Lezyne Femto Drive lights, worth £25.
03 NONE FOR THE ROAD
As we know, many cyclists enjoy a postride drink or three. However, interestingly, a new study from the American College of Sports Medicine found that ‘higher fitness levels are significantly related to greater alcohol consumption’. Using participants’ self-reported exercise routines and VO max tests to determine fitness ₂ levels, researchers discovered that being ‘highly fit’ doubled a woman’s odds of also being a moderate-to-heavy alcohol drinker (seven or more drinks a week), while men in the same fitness category are 63 per cent more likely to over-indulge (14 or more drinks per week). Be careful not to undo all that healthy exercise!
04 INSIDER INFO
Training indoors has many advantages when the weather’s bad. But when it comes to research into how riders should adapt their nutrition routines to suit a change from outdoor to indoor sessions, there’s still some catching up to do. Hydration, already a complex topic over the winter months, is one such area in need of closer examination. There’s an assumption that we’ll sweat more when training indoors, but that may not necessarily be the case, so how much should we imbibe?
Spain-based cycling team nutritionist Gabriel Martins, host of
Fuel the Pedal podcast, insists that there’s a lack of decent scientific data to establish solid hydration protocols for indoor training, so he has a simple strategy to help ensure you’re drinking enough. “We should rely on the basics of weighing ourselves before and after the workout (after emptying our bladder) and correcting to the fluid consumed during a one-hour training session, for example,” says Martins. “This will allow us to assess the volume lost per hour so we can adjust our drinking plan and replenish the remaining volume lost during recovery.”
05 LEMON AID
You could do a lot worse than learning to love lemons this winter. While they’re already an established comfort ingredient for cold and ’flu sufferers, several recent studies show how the yellow citrus fruits could be a boost for cyclists too. Japanese research suggests lemons act as natural blood-pressure regulators thanks to their potassium and calcium content, while studies from New Zealand highlight the immunityboosting qualities of vitamin C (which is present in lemons). Chinese research has also linked drinking lemon juice with improved digestion and lower incidence of diarrhoea and heartburn. Time to add the fruit to your shopping list!
“You can accelerate, brake, steer and fully engage your legs, core and upper body as you would on the road”
“A new study found higher fitness levels are significantly related to greater alcohol consumption”