{"id":2909,"date":"2014-07-25T08:38:15","date_gmt":"2014-07-25T12:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/elbowglitter.com\/blog\/?p=2909"},"modified":"2014-07-25T08:38:15","modified_gmt":"2014-07-25T12:38:15","slug":"cycling-gear-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/elbowglitter.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/25\/cycling-gear-need\/","title":{"rendered":"Cycling Gear: What Do I Need?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post was sponsored by The Clymb, an awesome place to get discounted outdoor gear<\/a> for all of your adventures.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

So you\u2019re a runner thinking of getting into triathlon?\u00a0 Awesome!\u00a0\u00a0 You\u2019ve searched online and found all sorts of great training plans.\u00a0 But if you\u2019re anything like me, you also want to know what sorts of gear you will need.<\/p>\n

Well, to start, you\u2019ll need a bike.\u00a0 Any old bike will do to begin your training.\u00a0 And you\u2019ll need a swimming suit.\u00a0 Preferably one designed for swimming and not one designed for sunbathing.<\/p>\n

But the cycling gear.\u00a0 Oh, the cycling gear.\u00a0 I love it almost as much as I love running gear.<\/p>\n

First and most importantly, you need a helmet.\u00a0 This is not optional.\u00a0 I don\u2019t care what the laws are in your city.\u00a0 You need to wear a helmet.\u00a0 You can get a good one for under $100, and considering what it protects, it\u2019s worth every penny.<\/p>\n

While you can bike in any old t-shirt, I recommend wearing a tech t-shirt, but if you want to go all out, look into a cycling jersey.\u00a0 The best thing about cycling jerseys is the pockets.\u00a0 Oh, the pockets.\u00a0 Three big pockets in the back to hold all sorts of things: snacks, your phone, a good luck charm, whatever you want to carry with you.<\/p>\n

Next, you\u2019ll want a good pair of cycling shorts<\/a>.\u00a0 Cycling shorts have what is called a chamois inside.\u00a0 It\u2019s pronounced \u201cshammy.\u201d\u00a0 You wear cycling shorts without underwear.\u00a0 That\u2019s right.\u00a0 No underwear with the cycling shorts.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 You want to do everything in your power to reduce chafing.\u00a0 The chamois is designed not only to provide you with extra padding and support but it also wicks away moisture and shifts with you so that nothing is rubbing as you pedal.\u00a0 I know Pearl Izumi isn\u2019t beloved by runners thanks to a poorly designed ad campaign from half a decade ago, but I must say, I love their cycling shorts and they come in a wide variety of sizes.<\/p>\n

Now we\u2019re getting into the part some people don\u2019t like to talk about.\u00a0 Chamois cream.\u00a0 In the olden days of cycling (the early 80\u2019s and before), chamois pads were made out of leather, so riders needed something to condition that leather.\u00a0 Now, they\u2019re made out of synthetic materials, but you still want something to prevent chafing, both between the seams and you and between\u2026 you and you.\u00a0 So look into an anti-chafing cream or chamois cream.\u00a0 And then rub it all up there in your nooks and crannies.\u00a0 Yeah, I said it.\u00a0 Also good for running.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re just starting out on a bike you already own, you can just wear your running shoes while you ride.\u00a0 But you\u2019ll start to hear cyclists talk about clipless pedals.\u00a0 Here\u2019s where the lingo gets confusing.\u00a0 So a standard pedal is what\u2019s known as a platform pedal.\u00a0 This is what you probably learned to ride on.\u00a0 Pretty basic.\u00a0 You push down, the pedal turns, the bike moves.\u00a0 But what if you could get power on more than just the downward part of the revolution?\u00a0 This is where attaching your shoe to the pedal helps.<\/p>\n

One way to attach your shoe to the pedal is with toe clips or cages.\u00a0 You\u2019ll still see some riders with these, and they\u2019re great if you\u2019re not quite ready to go clipless.\u00a0 It\u2019s how I started out.\u00a0 They\u2019re little rubberized (formerly metal) straps on the front of your pedal that you slip the front of your foot into.\u00a0 You get a little more power from your legs, but not a lot.<\/p>\n

Then we come to clipless pedals.\u00a0 And the lingo gets weird.\u00a0 Since cages are also known as toe clips, pedals where you attach without toe clips are clipless.\u00a0 Except that riders talk about clipping in and clipping out.\u00a0 These work by way of a cleat that\u2019s attached to the bottom of your cycling shoe.\u00a0 You get on the bike and then clip in, attaching your shoes to the bike.\u00a0 Yes, it\u2019s terrifying at first, but honestly, it\u2019s not so bad.\u00a0 The added power going up hills is awesome.<\/p>\n

But clipless pedals definitely aren\u2019t necessary.\u00a0 It\u2019s just an easy upgrade to a bike you already have if you\u2019re ready to take your cycling to the next step.<\/p>\n

Cycling gloves are another thing that aren\u2019t necessary, but are awesome to have.\u00a0 They pad your palms just a bit more, reducing the numbing that can come from the vibrations of the ride, plus they help you keep your grip if you\u2019re nervous and your palms are a bit sweaty.<\/p>\n

A saddle bag, which goes on the back of your bike under the seat, is a great way to store a spare tube (what goes in your tire) and a tube change kit.\u00a0 Learn how to change a tube.\u00a0 It\u2019s an awesome skill to have.\u00a0 You can also get a bento box, which is a little pack that goes on the front of your bike to carry things.\u00a0 And of course, water bottles or a hydration pack are necessary if you\u2019re going on long rides.<\/p>\n

So that\u2019s a lot of stuff.\u00a0 Do you need it all?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 To start, you need a bike and a helmet.\u00a0 Cycling shorts are an upgrade you will want soon after.\u00a0 But there\u2019s no need to buy it all right away, and you can always look for deals online.\u00a0 The Clymb<\/a> has great sales every day.\u00a0 I just recently received an order from them where I got a box of Clif Bars, a box of Luna Bars and a new pair of cycling gloves that I love, all at an awesome discount.\u00a0 So check them out!<\/p>\n

Thanks again to The Clymb for sponsoring!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post was sponsored by The Clymb, an awesome place to get discounted outdoor gear for all of your adventures.\u00a0 So you\u2019re a runner thinking of getting into triathlon?\u00a0 Awesome!\u00a0\u00a0 You\u2019ve searched online and found all sorts of great training plans.\u00a0 But if you\u2019re anything like me, you also want to know what sorts of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[116],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nCycling Gear: What Do I Need? - Elbowglitter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There is a lot of cycling gear on the market. 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I'm feeling totally ready for the distance.\u00a0 But the actual act of doing the triathlon?\u00a0 Not so much. 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Clearly, this is an indication that I have way too much workout gear and that I should pare down. \u00a0Of course, then I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fitness"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2580,"url":"http:\/\/elbowglitter.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/06\/variety-is-the-spice-of-fitness\/","url_meta":{"origin":2909,"position":3},"title":"Variety is the spice of fitness","date":"February 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm probably going to regret this as my half marathons for the spring approach, but I'm really enjoying my transition into triathlon training.\u00a0 It's so nice to head to a workout and NOT be running.\u00a0 I like running, but I'm really enjoying the variety.\u00a0 And I can tell that I've\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fitness"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/elbowglitter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/spices.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2714,"url":"http:\/\/elbowglitter.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/27\/cycling-cadence\/","url_meta":{"origin":2909,"position":4},"title":"Cycling Cadence","date":"March 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Quick drive-by post as work is eating my brain. 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