FitSugar

Etsy Finds: Bicycles Built For Home

CasaSugar — Tue, 18 May 2010 09:00:00 PDT

In case you didn't know, May is American bike month. The Spring month often provides folks the ideal weather for a ride to the park with a picnic basket in tow. To celebrate the age-old pastime, I'm highlighting some of my favorite whimsical wheels for this week's edition of Etsy Finds.

Do You Rent Bikes on Vacation?

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:00:07 PDT

It's the peak of tourist season in San Francisco, and the streets are full of adventurous travelers riding around on rented bikes. I admire people who want to stay active on vacation, and bicycling is a great way to explore a new city. Do you ever rent bikes while traveling?

Which Would You Rather Give Up For a Month - Sex or Exercise?

Michele Foley — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:59:58 PST

The annual Bicycling Readers' Choice survey is out, and after reading through it, one statistic stood out to me: 58 percent of female respondents would choose cycling over sex, if they had to give up one or the other for a month. Men were split down the middle, with 50 percent responding that they would choose cycling over sex.

I admit, I am pretty shocked at this statistic - Bicycling's readership are a passionate group of cyclists! It made me wonder, if forced to choose, how many fitness devotees would do the same if they had to pick between exercise or sex for a month. When you think about it, a good amount of the benefits from each activity are identical: stress relief, improved heart health, and better sleep, to name a few.

Healthy Dose Link Time: Karl Lagerfeld Calls Adele Fat

Michele Foley — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:47:47 PST

Karl Lagerfeld stirs the pot, calls Adele "a little too fat" - Fit Celeb
10 ways to make February fit and fantastic - The Fitnessista
Shoulders, arms, and more: a complete upper body workout - Peanut Butter Fingers
How to become stronger without putting on extra weight - Bicycling
Make this: vegan pumpkin seed guacamole - Healthy Happy Life
How to turn yourself into a morning person - Daily Spark
An in-depth review of the Adidas Adipure minimalist shoe - Fit Bottomed Girls
Learn how to resist a junk food craving once and for all - Self

Healthy Dose Link Time: Octavia Spencer on Being Unhappy With Her Weight

Michele Foley — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:23:33 PST

The Help star, Octavia Spencer, reveals she's unhappy about her weight - Fit Celeb
How to stay active, even when you sit all day - HuffPost Healthy Living
Why breakfast is making you fat - Shape
Want a better booty? There's a science behind getting one - Fitness
Rev up your metabolism with these foods - Self
How to get rid of funky stains in workout clothing for once and for all - Fit Bottomed Girls
Get the most out of your ride with these energy bars - Bicycling
Hearty and healthy casseroles to ward off Winter's cold temps - Health

Healthy Dose Link Time: The Scoop on Kendra Wilkinson's Nutty Diet

Michele Foley — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:49:08 PST

Kendra Wilkinson is a complete nut when it comes to her diet - Cafe Mom
Soothe yo self: 5 ways to reduce postworkout soreness - HuffPost Healthy Living
Get the scoop on which yogurts are really good for you - Real Simple
Dr. Travis Stork on health and what he really thinks about Stevia - Peanut Butter Fingers
How to get results from only two workouts per week - Shape
Super Bowl snack attack! Find out what Jillian Michaels's favorites are - Fitness
Natural smoothies and juices to heal digestive issues - Healthful Pursuit
7 fun, fast - and best of all - affordable road bikes - Bicycling

5 Tips to Planning Your First Bike Commute

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:06:23 PDT

Want to be leaner, have more money, and do your part in helping the environment? It’s as easy as riding a bike - to work that is! While the idea of two-wheeling to work might seem daunting, these five steps from The Big Book of Bicycling ($22) will take you from gas guzzler to bike commuter in no time.

Think on Two Wheels - The next time you drive (or ride the bus) to work, think like a cyclist. Pay attention to the entire route. Make mental notes of the roads that have shoulders wide enough to accommodate a bike as well as narrow stretches that are too dangerous. Use this as a starting point when mapping out your bike route.
Map It Out - Pick up a detailed road map of the area your route will traverse - or download a bicycle-specific one from Google Maps. Highlight only the parts of your normal driving route that you know are safe. Find alternate routes that run parallel to the sections you want to avoid - choose side streets, parks, and neighborhoods rather than high-traffic, high-speed roads. Also be sure to plan your route through well-lit streets; remember, you’ll most likely be riding alone and, often, in the dark. (Don't forget your bike lights!) The most direct route may not be the best cycling route.

See even more tips after the break!

Helicopter Moms Get the Reality-TV Treatment

Natasha Dantzig — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:17:44 PST

Forget Nanny 911, there's a new parenting sheriff in town, and her name is Lenore Skenazy. Readers may remember her as the famous or infamous - depending on which parenting circles you run in - New York columnist who was dubbed the "world's worst mother" for allowing her 9-year-old son to ride the subway solo in 2008. Instead of backpedaling and trying to save face in front of all those haters, Skenazy turned her adventure in parenting infamy into a whole movement, known as Free-Range Parenting, in direct opposition to the Helicopter Mom phenomenon.

Skenazy is now the host of a new reality series, Bubble Wrap Kids, where she attempts to "unwrap" a generation of tots being protected to the point of suffocation by their well-meaning, way overprotective parents. The first episode finds Skenazy counseling an extremely anxious mother of a 10-year-old boy who isn't permitted to skate, ride a bicycle, eat bacon, go to camp, or use a knife. Currently, the show is being produced in Canada, but if an American version shows up, will you watch?

The Future of Safe Bicycling Technology

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:28:13 PDT

Bicycling on busy city streets can be an intimidating prospect. Dealing with fast-moving cars is stressful enough without counting the physical energy needed to stop and start at stoplights. In efforts to make sharing the road safer for cars and cyclists, Pleasanton, CA, a city of about 70,000, recently installed microwave motion sensor technology at several intersections throughout town.

The device, called an Intersector, monitors traffic in the intersection and can differentiate between vehicles and bicyclists in the street. The Intersector will extend or activate the green light if a cyclist is detected whereas, in many towns, the cyclist may have to activate the crosswalk signal manually.

While Pleasanton is the only city in the country currently using the motion sensor technology, the cycling community is inventing new ideas and technologies to stay safe on the roads. For more cycling safeguard prototypes, follow the break.

This Pup's Got a Ticket to Ride

Sara Yoo — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:43:47 PST

We're not sure if this pooch's name is Daisy, but he'd sure look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two. Unfortunately for him, this bike is uncomfortably built for one.