Distance Cycling - John Hughes and Dan Kehlenbach

Distance Cycling

by John Hughes and Dan Kehlenbach

NEW, 272 pages

Get other Cycling books here

About Distance Cycling

• select the distance events best suited to you;
  
• prepare yourself for the physical and psychological demands of the sport; 
  
• train for century rides and brevets using the 8- and 15-week conditioning programs; and
  
• conquer grueling ultradistance rides.

About John Hughes

John Hughes has been an endurance cyclist since 1975, spending 15 of those years as a coach and trainer. For 12 years he served as the managing director of the UltraMarathon Cycling Association (UMCA), the founding organization of the transcontinental Race Across America (RAAM). As UMCA director, Hughes developed the popular century challenge, encouraging cyclists to ride 100 miles every month.

Hughes has twice competed in RAAM and has twice won the Furnace Creek 508, a 508-mile RAAM qualifying event. Among his other accomplishments are seven 1,200-kilometer randonnées, including a course record for the Boston-Montreal-Boston route. For 10 years Hughes organized and led supported tours of the West and Southwest. He also explored the West on self-supported tours on a loaded touring bike.

Hughes has been certified as a USA Cycling sport coach and a National Strength and Conditioning Association personal trainer. Hughes has coached numerous riders, from people preparing for their first centuries to dozens of top RAAM finishers. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

About Dan Kehlenbach

Dan Kehlenbach has been coaching cyclists and other endurance athletes since 1995. He has certifications through USA Cycling as a level 2 coach and the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS). He earned his master’s degree in sports medicine from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Alabama.

Kehlenbach spent four years with the U.S. Coast Guard, serving as the strength and conditioning instructor for the recruit training program in Cape May, New Jersey. He also represented the Coast Guard in cycling races, duathlons, triathlons, and running events.

As a contributing editor for UltraCycling, the official magazine of the UMCA, Kehlenbach wrote numerous articles on training and conditioning, specializing in articles that demystify the complexities of sport science.

Reviews

“Armed with training programs from John Hughes and Dan Kehlenbach, I became a UMCA champion, solo RAAM qualifier, cross-state record holder, and 1200K finisher. Distance Cycling will give you the advantages these authors gave me.”

Larry Graham -- President, UltraMarathon Cycling Association (UMCA)

“I wish Distance Cycling had been available 35 years ago when I struggled to find intelligent information about how to ride farther and faster. This book is a must for any rider who wants to improve overall long-distance cycling performance.”

Lon Haldeman -- Eight-Time Transcontinental Record Setter and Race Across America Winner

“Distance Cycling is the coach you’ve always wanted and needed. John Hughes and Daniel Kehlenbach have taken the best and most current information about training, diet, safety, technique, and mental preparation and applied it to all cyclists yearning to go farther and faster.”

Muffy Ritz -- Three-Time RAAM Runner-Up, Former Member of U.S. Ski Team

“With Distance Cycling, Hughes and Kehlenbach have created an important, accessible tool of self-knowledge and empowerment for the motivated endurance cyclist.”

Chris Fisher, ForeWord magazine

"My good friend, and ultracycling guru, John Hughes,  has produced the ultimate book on what a cyclist needs to know when considering a ride of more than 100 miles."

Ken Bonner-- Veteran ultracyclist and member of Randonneurs USA, UltraMarathon Cycling Association, and BC Randonneurs Cycling Club

"Distance Cycling has great information on conditioning and nutrition, and it's full of detailed week-by-week cycling training programs for various distance goals.  Best of all, it's written in an enjoyable, easy-to-read style.  Without a doubt, it's the best book I've read on long-distance cycling."

Dan Wallace-- Veteran ultracyclist and member of the UltraMarathon Cycling Association and Randonneurs  USA

About Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists. Apart from ordinary two-wheeled bicycles, cycling also includes riding unicycles, tricycles, quadracycles, and other similar human-powered vehicles (HPVs).

Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century and now number about one billion worldwide. They are the principal means of transportation in many regions.

Cycling is an extremely efficient mode of transportation optimal for short to moderate distances. Bicycles provide numerous benefits compared to motor vehicles, including exercise, an alternative to the use of fossil fuels, no air or noise pollution, much reduced traffic congestion, easier parking, greater maneuverability, and access to both roads and paths. The advantages are at less financial cost to the user as well as society (negligible damage to roads, and less pavement required). Criticisms and disadvantages of cycling include reduced protection in crashes, particularly with motor vehicles,] longer travel time (except in densely populated areas), vulnerability to weather conditions, difficulty in transporting passengers, and the skill and fitness required.

In many countries, the most commonly used vehicle for road transport is a utility bicycle. These have frames with relaxed geometry, protecting the rider from shocks from the road, and easing steering at low speeds.

Road bikes tend to have a more upright shape and a shorter wheelbase, which make the bike more mobile but harder to ride slowly. The design, coupled with low or dropped handlebars, requires the rider to bend forward more, utilizing stronger muscles and reducing air resistance at high speed.

The price of a new bicycle can range from US to more than US,000 (the highest priced bike in the world is the custom Madone by Damien Hirst, sold at 0,000 USD),depending on quality, type and weight (the most exotic road bicycles can weigh as little as 3.2 kg (7 lb)). Being measured for a bike and taking it for a test ride are recommended before buying.

The drivetrain components of the bike should also be considered. A middle grade dérailleur is sufficient for a beginner, although many utility bikes come equipped with hub gears. If the rider plans a significant amount of hillclimbing, a triple-crank (three chainrings) front gear system may be preferred. Otherwise, the relatively lighter and less expensive two chainrings may be better. Much simpler fixed wheel bikes are also available, and may be more suitable for commuters.

Many road bikes along with mountain bikes include clipless pedals to which special shoes attach, via a cleat, permitting the rider to pull on the pedals as well as push. Other possible accessories for the bicycle include front and back lights, bells or horns, disc brakes, child carrying seats, cycling computers with GPS, locks, bar tape, fenders (mud-guards), baggage racks, baggage carriers and pannier bags, water bottles and bottle cages.

For basic maintenance and repairs, cyclists can choose to carry a pump (or a CO2 cartridge), a puncture repair kit, a spare inner tube, and tire levers. Cycling can be more efficient and comfortable with special shoes, gloves, and shorts. In wet weather, riding can be more tolerable with waterproof clothes, such as cape, jacket, pants and overshoes.

Items legally required in some jurisdictions, or voluntarily adopted for safety reasons, include bicycle helmets, generator or battery operated lights, reflectors, and audible signaling devices such as a bell or horn. Extras include studded tires and a bicycle computer.

Bikes can also be heavily customized, with different seat designs and handle bars, for example.

Distance Cycling