Another day, another study with something for us to worry about.

Coming on the heels of a report that tied bicycling and infertility, the New York Times reports on a couple of studies that ties bicycling with the reduction in bone density.

That makes cyclists more susceptible to breaks, such as Lance Armstrong's collarbone fracture earlier this year, above.

An encouraging note is that recreational cyclists are not subject to the infertility and bone density problems. The studies looked only at elite athletes who push themselves to the extreme in training and competition ....   more »

How much bicycling is too much if you're trying to start a family?

Lengthy and frequent bicycling -- like more than 186 miles a week -- can cause "significant fertility problems" for men, says a report presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

But bicycling to work on a daily basis wouldn't cause a significant increase in abnormal sperm.

This isn't another urological study about saddle pressure causing male impotence. The current study from the University of Cordoba Medical School finds that tight clothing that holds heat, friction of the testes against the saddle and the stress from hours of high-energy exercise can contribute to inferior sperm quality ...   more »

David Rowe says he was taking the leap from recreational cyclist to ultra long-distance cyclist when he rode the arduous Torture 10,000 century in Oregon a few years ago.

He wasn't surprised by the length or elevation gain -- more than 13,000 feet. What surprised him was seeing so many sag wagons filled with the bikes of participants who had thrown in the towel.

"It was clear that they didn't think about what they were getting into."

So David set out to write the recently published eBook "The Ride of Your Life." It covers an aspect of cycling that doesn't get the attention it deserves -- mental preparation ...   more »

It's probably not a bad thing that so many bicycle clubs factor in the local brew pub at the end of a bike ride.

It bears repeating that beer and bicycling are both good for the heart.

Iowa cyclist John Gray told the local newspaper that riding a bike and drinking beer just seems right; "The two things just go hand in hand."

So if you're looking for justification for quaffing a couple of beers after a ride, check these facts presented by the Sioux City Journal. Just remember, says nutrionist Sarah Nelson:

"The key, here, is the darker the brew, the higher the level of antioxidant present ....   more »

While the big suits of the electronics industry waited in traffic in their limos, taxis and rented cars last week, analyst Roger Kay found the easiest way to get around Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show was by bike.

The first thing Kay did when he landed in Las Vegas was rent a Cannondale mountain bike, which he used to speed from his hotel to meetings or to the convention floor.

CES is spread out between two convention sites (including the Sands Expo Center, home of Interbike) and dozens of hotels where industry gurus take meetings. Instead of spending up to an hour waiting for buses, taxies or just plain walking, Kay made the rounds on his bicycle...   more »

I've noticed some heavy print and online advertising -- including at this blog -- for protein waters. They're generally touted for body builders who want to bulk up and endurance athletes like bicyclists who want to shorten recovery time.

In a recent article, the LA Times examines four brands -- Accelerade, Isopure, Kellogg's Special K 2 O, and Stacker 2 Protein Water.

Nancy Clark, the sports nutrionist, says it's easy to add extra protein to your diet, even for endurance athletes and body builders, without resorting to buying water with protein added ...   more »

Before Chris Carmichael started advising Lance Armstrong or we had the Scarsdale or South Beach diets, people watched Jack LaLanne on TV to learn about diet and exercise.

Here's what the 93-year-old is saying now:

"Exercise is king. Nutrition is queen. Together, you’ve got a kingdom. If you have a Corvette, you don’t put water in the tank. The human machine deserves the same treatment. No cake, pies, ice cream, soda. Your hair is out of shape. Your skin is terrible. Your elimination is bad. The wrong fuel in the human machine does that. ...

"Would you give your dog a cup of coffee and a doughnut?" ...   more »

Ever since kids arrived on the scene in this household, fall has been the time of year when my head starts feeling congested and before I know it I'm suffering from a cold.

But considering myself a hard-core cyclist, I ride my bike through my illness. Then, more often than not, the cold turns into bronchitis or a sinus infection and that's the end of my fall bicycling for a couple of weeks.

I've run across some recommendations lately at UltraRob's Adventures blog and from trainer Chris Carmichael about how to prevent and control those colds and at least keep them from turning into something worse...   more »

This might seem a little odd, but there's an exercise book that recommends workouts based on your astrological sign.

"Zodiaction: Fat-Burning Fitness Tailored to Your Personal Star Quality" was written by TV fitness personality Ellen Barrett and astrologer Barrie Dolnick.

A newspaper story summarized findings for the different signs of the Zodiac and told which exercises were most appropriate for each group. Which signs are aligned with bicycling? ...   more »

As you can imagine, I was a bit surprised when my doctor told me to stay off the bicycle for five days.

Bicycling keeps my resting heart rate below 60, it has beat my family's history of high blood pressure, and it makes me happy and sane.

The problem was that my prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests have been running a little "hot" lately. They've been creeping up, and my general practitioner recommended I see a urologist to follow up. When that specialist learned that I ride 75 to 100 miles a week, he ordered me off the bike for at least 5 days until I get another blood test for PSA.....   more »

Forget about the dishes in the sink. Forget about mowing the lawn and posting your blog. Forget about sleep. If you had 24 hours, how far could you ride your bicycle?

More than 400 bicyclists met at the National 24-Hour Challenge last weekend near Grand Rapids, Michigan, to seek the answer to that question. It was the 24th meeting for the event.

Seattle resident Craig Ragsdale, 29, learned he could set the course record by covering 502.6 miles. Just as amazing, 67-year-old Dave Thomsen of Austin, Minnesota, bicycled 403.9 miles. ...   more »

A new mail order catalog for overly large people features, among other things, a bicycle saddle with a 500-pound capacity.

The East Valley Tribune (Phoenix) mentions the saddle in a story about branding a catalog for Casual Male XL, the nation's biggest chain of clothing and accessories for men's-plus sizes.

Apparently the company has jettisoned the names "big and tall" and "supersize" because of the negative connotations those names imply. In addition to extra large clothing, the stores and catalogs offer heavy-duty lawn chairs, extra wide toilet seats and more. ...   more »

My efforts to save gas money, curb global warming, stay fit and have fun by riding a bicycle paid off in May to the tune of 355 miles.

I feel that I could have done more, but there was a family camping trip and some lower g.i. problems that impeded by progress over Memorial weekend. ...   more »

Warmer weather and longer bike rides are right around the corner for many of us, which means sore, blistered butts are also around the next bend.

It's easier to get an idea how to avoid saddle sores when you understand what causes them. Basically it all starts with logging miles.

Even for cyclists who distribute their weight between the handlebars, pedals and saddle, there's a good deal of friction between the butt and the bicycle seat that irritates the skin. This is bad enough, and you'll want to start treatment right now. ...   more »

Erectile dysfunction in bicyclists is as much about riding position as it is about the saddle, say two urologists who have studied the problem.

Many male cyclists who have suffered this numbing sensation down below may already have come to this conclusion. But now we have proof from two researchers at Boston University who used digital three-dimensional modeling.

A report in UroToday says the two, J. M. Gemery and S. K. Reid, concluded that cyclists who lean far forward eliminate most of the benefits of using a bicycle saddle with a groove down the middle. ...   more »

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says it will spend $500 million in the next five years to help stem the rising tide of childhood obesity.

I hope the philanthropic organization considers the benefits of bicycling and how to make it easier and safer for children to use their bikes for exercise.

The foundation estimates that about one-third of the US population of children 17 and younger are overweight or obese; that's equal to the rate of the adult population. If the trend isn't reversed, foundation president Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey told the NY Times, “The younger generation is going to live sicker and die younger than their parents because of obesity.” ...   more »

Click to enlarge

The growing obesity rate of Americans is one of the items that struck me in Trek Bicycle boss John Burke's slideshow to other bicycle makers the other day.

Burke showed a series of slides, represented at right, showing the increase and geographical range of obesity rates among adults Americans in the past 15 years.  

If you're in the obesity range -- 30 pounds overweight for a 5-foot-4 adult -- or you want to hold your weight steady, you might be interested to check out a calorie calculator that estimates how many calories are burned by different activities.

For instance, I discovered that one hour of cycling at 12-14 mph burns 594 calories, while one hour of blogging (writing) burns 72 calories. ...   more »

An admittedly obese Pennsylvania woman and her husband are undergoing an extreme weight reduction program one pedalstroke at a time.

The couple are about 1,000 miles into their planned counterclockwise 16,000-mile bicycle tour around the United States. So far, they've lost a combined 130 pounds.

Morton and Priscilla Houliston are getting a lot of attention as they make their way up the East Coast from Key West. Their blog at LittleChanges.com reports numerous interviews with TV stations, which sometimes results in donations of food or a place to spend the night. They've inspired people to start exercising again ...   more »

Back at the end of 2006, I made the bold assertion that I would double last year's mileage and ride my bicycle at least 4,000 miles in 2007.

So far, I'm way off pace. Here are some of my lame excuses for this month:

First my high schooler was sick for three days at the beginning of February, then I came down with that energy-sapping virus for a few days myself ...   more »

Here's a great way to jumpstart your spring bicycling to get that mileage base up for those long summer bike tours and rides.

The Seattle International Randonneurs is hosting a five-day spring training camp at Wenatchee, Washington, from April 26-30. The festival is designed for cyclists of all abilities who want to put in some good miles out of the rain.

The camp features two fully supported bike rides each day with options for short, medium and long mileage. Cue sheets are also available for unsupported rides. ...   more »

At the beginning of the year I made the bold prediction that I would sweep aside 2006's dismal bicycling mileage and double my output to 4,000 miles.

Not much for the 8,000-plus mileage crowd, but good enough for a cyclist who has only hit 4,000 miles (the last time in 2003) a few times since completing a cross-country bike tour in 1984.

Doing the math, I'd have to click off an average 333.33 miles per month to hit the mark. That must be more difficult than it sounds, as I only bicycled 206.5 miles in January. Looking back at the bicycling logs I've saved since 1991 ...   more »