Author: gaucho Page 4 of 5

Cycling so far has given me a bucket load of memories which I will cherish forever. Besides being a very sociable activity, it is considered by many as a full body workout. Calorie burner I mean. Cycling has also many other benefits. 
I’ll put down all that I’ve learned so far in the 6 months of cycling I have done so that you will know beforehand what to expect and prepare accordingly.

Note: This will be a brief post and I won’t be going into the mechanics of cycling. If you contradict with any of the below mentions, please leave a comment below. I will be more than glad to rectify myself.

Accessories for Bikes:

When you first start cycling, more than the pain in your legs and thighs (as you would expect) the pain in your shoulders, neck, spine, wrists and buttocks will be greater. If you start taking precautions early, you’ll definitely have a smooth experience.

Considering you will be cycling regularly (long and short distances), you have to buy a couple of things.

* First will be a cycling short. Why? When I cycled long distances the only real bothering was the pain in my butt. A real pain in the ass I mean!
The cycling short adds extra padding to your bottom and helps in preventing discomfort and numbness. It might cost you around 500/- to 1500/- for a good one.

* Your head is your most vital organ. You wouldn’t want to risk its safety. So, take time to buy a helmet. Also, the vents in the helmet help in the air flow and your sweating will be reduced. Remember to put a cloth over your hair to prevent hair damage.

* Next would be to buy a pair of gloves so that your palm wont twinge you. I prefer a biker gloves to bicycle gloves. The only problem with biker gloves would be with removing the glove every time you need to use your hands for say eating, handling phone, etc.

* If you are the kind of person who’s concerned about the tan ( I am!!) you need to buy a pair of sleeves and also a face mask to protect from the sunlight.

* To carry essential things like some fruits/nuts, phone, keys etc you either should have a rider shirt (which has pockets) or a light weight bag.

If you are tight on the pocket, of all the things mentioned above a helmet would be sufficient. Rest of them you can buy eventually depending on your commitment to the sport. I use a helmet, a pair of biker gloves, my laptop bag and a hand kerchief as a face mask.

 

Cycling Types :

 

There are different types of cycles suited for different reasons. For starters, hybrid bike would be a good choice and a good one would cost you 10,000 to 15,000 in INR.

* Single Speed Bikes : These are the regular bikes we see. They don’t have gears. Suitable for casual ride and exhausting on longer ones. I presently own a single speed bike.

* Mountain Bikes (MTB) : These are the bikes best known for off roading. It can handle all types of terrains.

* Road Bikes : These are the bikes on which fastest speed can be achieved due to their light weightedness, build dynamics and flatter tyres.

* Hybrid Bikes : As the name suggests these are bikes built for both on road (good surfaces) and off road (uneven and rocky surfaces).

Shifting Gears:

 

Note 1 :  Might be confusing if you never looked at a gear cycle.
Note 2 : 2-7 means 2^nd gear on the front and 7^th gear on the back.

Moving on now, what you need to know is how to efficiently shift the gears. If you do it correctly, then you can easily cover long distances without any fatigue. This is what helped me. (with respect to 3front gear + 7rear gear).

* Always shift the gears while in pedalling motion. Do not shift when your legs are stationary.
* Never have a higher front gear(3) and a lower rear gear(1,2,3) or a lower front gear(1) and a higher rear gear(5,6,7). This will create a lot of tension in the chain and it might break. But, for the front gear of 2 you can use the rear gear range from 1-7.
* Never shift directly from 3-7 to 2-7. Go down from 3-7 to 3-5 and then shift to 2-5 and then move to 2-7. Applicable vice versa for moving from 2-7 to 3-7.
When it’s Uphill :

Shift your gears down to 2-5/2-6(front gear-rear gear) 10-20metres before the incline.
If you shift early, then you wouldn’t face the extra effort you’d have to put when you shift late.

As you go up the incline shift to 2-4/2-3/2-2 based on your requirement. If it’s gets too uphill, shift the front gear down to 1.

When it’s Downhill :

Shift slowly from 2-x to 3-5 by the top of the slope. From there on, shift from 3-5 to 3-6 to 3-7. Though you might feel like just letting go, cycle hard in the slope. It makes a lot of difference in the pace you maintain. Trust me.**

Other things to remember :

* To prevent shoulder and back pain, you need to position your back properly. Check online videos for proper posture. Also proper pedal positioning and saddle height are very important.

* Always use your rear brake predominantly and use front brake only when it’s completely necessary.
When you use the front brake suddennly shift your body weight on to the rear wheel by moving your lower body to the back positioning it in the air.

* When I ride long distances, I usually listen to podcasts so that I focus on what’s being spoken and this takes away the pain from my mind. I rode 166km on an MTB for the first time with podcasts playing a major part towards the end. ( I love you Tim Ferriss).

*  Don’t eat anything heavy before riding. Check for proper chain and air leaks.

Thanks to the Hyderabad Bicycling Club I’ve been cycling consistently for the past 6 months and completed 1500 km. My goal for the next one year would be 5000 km.
So, when are you going to cycle?

Hey there, check out this Youtube channel for proper guidance on cycling. Also check Meetup for cycling clubs near you. If you found this blogpost useful please like and put a comment below and also share it with your friends. Thank You!!

Foot Notes :

* Image Courtesy : Google
** Considering you would want the fastest time.

December 3^rd was the day I started my blog and it has been six months now. It’s time for some introspection. How has the progress been? Pretty awful I would say.
6 Months and 8 Blog Posts- meaning 1 blog post per month. That’s pretty bad, right?! And 5 out of 8 written in the month of May. More like cluttering all of them at once. Even my close friend and confidant (and the only subscriber to this blog post) chided me for being irregular. What I’m looking for is consistency without compromising on the quality.

I’ll share my blog’s stats with you. Embarrassing!!

Why am I sharing this with you?
Let’s go the Simon Sinek way with WHY, HOW and WHAT

WHY am I doing this challenge?

Public Accountability. I haven’t really publicised my blog much. A handful of my friends know about this and 1 or 2 might be reading it. Once I do this challenge, at the very least most of my friends and acquaintances would take a look at this. That would mean I have this unspoken thrust to keep my word. My word of being consistent about my blogging. A bit scary. Yes!
But let me move out of my comfort zone. *takes deep breath*

How am I doing this challenge?

I will publicise this particular blog post across social media – Keeping it as my Whatsapp display picture and posting stories of daily progress on Whatsapp and Instagram.
All this was inspired by the Stickk approach :
* My GOAL : To post at least one blog post every day from June 14^th to June 28^th. A total of 15 blogposts at the minimum.
* SET THE STAKES : In case I miss posting a blog post on any day, I promise to send 50/- on PayTM to whoever observes that I missed it. I think 50/- is a reasonable amount.
*GET A REFEREE : My close friend would be the referee in this challenge seeing that I would not miss my daily deadline. Yes Coach!!
* ADD FRIENDS FOR SUPPORT : I would be really glad if you guys can leave a comment or share the articles which you like (and also ones which you didn’t) with your friends for added motivation.

 

What am I going to post in this challenge?

I have a lot of drafts to be completed which have been pending since December. A lot of interesting ideas too. Content has always been there. It’s the execution that matters. I’m positive that I won’t disappoint you with the quality.
Finally, I would really love if you help me get better in writing by
* suggesting edits/improvements in grammar and sentence formation
* commenting your thoughts on the blogposts you read
* sharing the posts with your friends and family

Hey there, do you have a goal on which you are not acting upon and keep procrastinating? It’s high time you started realising on your goals.
Try the Stickk approach. Very unique, very efficient and very rewarding.

“Journal and Notebooks – properly used, are worth their weight in gold.”

Why to Journal:

I strongly believe that if you reflect on your day each and every day, you’ll be more aligned with your goals and your inner conscience.
Journaling helps you see the positive and negative patterns in your life. One also finds some hidden gems and lessons of the day which  wouldn’t have been found without the introspection. Eventually this helps you in your personal growth. And also, it’s your prized possession of your accomplishments, setbacks, wins and losses. Journals are a truck load of memories which you will cherish once you read it after a number of years.

 

What can you do to Journal:

Daily Journaling is tough. There were days when I slacked and had to write down a week’s journaling in a day. But I now consistently write my diary at the end of the day, no matter how tired I am.

• First thing would be to buy a good journal. It’s one of the best investments you can make.
• Try to Journal Daily, preferably in the evening after work. I usually journal twice in a day. Once in the morning and once right before sleeping.
• In case your diary is not available (Ex: crashing over at a friend’s place, etc), take a sheet of paper. Write the day’s entry and pin it when you get back to your journal.
• For the Evening Journal.
  When do you sleep?
  Put a timer to ring exactly an hour before. When it does, put away all your devices. Get your journal and sit down. Write your journal for 20mins and read a good book for 40mins.
  If you can’t think of anything, answer these simple Questions.
  Some days, you might be too tired to answer all of them. In that case, just recall your day. Write down the happy moments of the day followed by areas where you could have done better.
• For the Morning Journal.
  When do you wake up?
  After waking up and brushing, settle down with your Morning Journal at the place wherever you get fresh breeze.

How to Journal:

The Morning Journal is basically a gratitude journal. I started writing it after a suggestion by Tim Ferris in one of his podcast episodes. I follow this format of his.

I am grateful for : it may be a relationship, opportunities you’ve had, things you are really thankful for, etc.
What would make today great : make note of the amazing opportunities you have today, the friends you are meeting or the places you are visiting.
Daily affirmations : like ‘ I am very confident’, ‘I am not afraid of …’,etc .

 

And the Evening Journal has me answering these Questions.

So Far, it’s been an year of consistent Journaling. The big one is my main Journal and the small one is my Morning Journal which I had started this February. This habit is one that I cherish most and will continue doing it.
Don’t postpone. Grab a Diary and start Journaling. I also would love to gift you one if you want :).
Cheers!!!!

 

Hey Guys, have you noticed how I divided the article into Why, What and How. This is a famous approach popularized by Simon Sinek. Do check it out. And please Like, Comment and Share this article with your friends if you liked it.
THANK YOU!!

Once in a while challenge yourself with some exercise.
These are a must do for me.

1. WRITING IN MY BLOG FOR 60 CONSECUTIVE DAYS

   This would be a great exercise which would take 15-30 min a day. Inspired by an article by Shaunta Grimes.
   Why?
   I always wanted to write and after much deliberation started this blog, but I have been slacking lately. This exercise would serve me two purposes :
   One, forming a daily writing habit. Two, know the in’s and out’s of writing, get better at it.

2. BE A BETTER MAN IN 30 DAYS

   Man or Woman. This is a must try exercise. Take a look at it here . Worth trying.
   Why?
   Who doesn’t want to be a Better Man, silly!!

3. 21 DAY NO COMPLAINT CHALLENGE

   Another must try where you don’t complain about anything. If you do, then you try to become aware of it.
   Why?
   Firstly, you’ll know how much of negative vocabulary you use. Secondly, it will definitely make you more calm. And finally, you focus more on what you can do about something that’s bothering you rather than just complaining.
   I first heard of this on a podcast by Tim Ferris. Take a look at how to proceed here .

Hey Guys, need a good start on mindfulness practice? Take a look at this podcast by TimFerriss . Please do Like and Comment on this article and also Share it with your friends if you liked it.
Thank you!!!

Ever heard of the Parkinson’s Law?

It says “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”.
If something must be done in a year, it’ll be done in a year. If something must be done next week, it’ll be done next week. If something must be done tomorrow, it’ll be done tomorrow.

This is how it might look.

Maybe the work gets done.

But what about the Quality of it?

For example,
Majority of Engineering students start preparing for their exams a day before. And worse, most of them start a night before. Eventually, their preparation is done. But what about the quality of it.
Another instance where you plan something for your friend’s birthday. But you keep postponing the plan until 1-2 days before. And finally, you skip some things.
You eventually get things done but is the quality of the work the same as you intended it to be?

Both of these have been my personal experiences. Slacking and Procrastinating.

Twinkle Khanna resonates the same in her book “Mrs Funnybones”. The person you become is an aggregate of all the things you did and didn’t.

So, how to overcome these?

• Use Pomodoro’s : Instead of slacking, sit down for 25min, eliminate all distractions and just start doing stuff. The flow will come.
• Use Ingvar’s Rule : What would you do if you have only 10min to get something done. If you split your day into 10-min increments, and try to waste as few of those 10-minute increments as possible, you’ll be amazed at what you can get done.
• Plan Ahead : Have a solid plan for the day so that you don’t face the dilemma of what to do.

Hey Guys, thinking of getting an MBA? Prior to that, grab a copy of Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman where you can learn business concepts like Value Creation and Marketing and also cool stuff like Parkinson’s Law and Ingvar’s Rule.
Please do Like and Comment and also share this article with your friends if you found this helpful.
THANK YOU!!!

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
– Mark Twain

“Be willing to be uncomfortable. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. It may get tough, but it’s a small price to pay for living a dream.”
– Peter Mcwilliams

“Noble and great. Courageous and determined. Faithful and fearless. That is who you are and who you have always been. And understanding it can change your life, because this knowledge carries a confidence that cannot be duplicated any other way.”
– Sheri Dew

“Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage and confidence in the doing.”
– Theodore Roosevelt

“You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.”
– Marianne Williamson
“The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs. It’s the same thing, fear, but it’s what you do with it that matters.”
– Cus D’Amato

The last quote  is my favorite cause it’s my own .

” Only you can Define or Defy your Limits. What are you gonna do Today?  Define or Defy ? ”
– Gautham Reddy