Introduction
Riding a motor bike can be both physically and mentally demanding. To meet these challenges and get the most from it, you need to be prepared. If you ride a sports bike, a tourer, a dirt bike or you’re a commuter you need to be fit. From the weekend warrior to the dispatch rider, Fit For Biking is a must.
If you find yourself getting off your machine with sore ankles, knees, back or wrists. Then you need to look at your physical fitness. It’s not your choice of bike that is causing the aches and pains and it’s not the fact that you have just past 40. Age is a factor, but it’s one we can control with the right action plan.
Fit for biking is just that plan, designed to get the most out of you, regardless of age. It will improve your Balance, Strength, Flexibility, Endurance, Posture and your overall health. There is no quick fix and with any plan you need to be committed. You must sit down and work out what your “WHY” is.
Your “WHY” has to be a big enough reason to keep you on track. It can range from wanting to complete your first track day, to your first visit to the IOM TT. It might be as simple as wanting to be able to ride your bike in comfort into the grand old age of 70. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it motivates you to train.
It’s important to set aside time, an hour a day for 3-6 day’s a week. Combined with training you need a good nutrition plan. Healthy eating is a major part of getting results from your training and your riding. I’ve seen riders pass out on the track. All because their diet is poor and 9 times out of 10 there intake of water has been far too low.
As soon as someone mentions the word diet, people moan and groan. I’m not talking about joining Weight Watchers or eating Rivita. I eat 3 very full square meals a day, in fact I am probably eating more than I have ever eaten. But I eat the right foods at the right time. I still enjoy the odd snack and a pint at the weekend. But eating properly promotes muscle growth and fat loss. By following the Fit For Biking plan you will look and feel better and the added bonus, you will get so much more out of your biking experience.
The stress’s placed on the body while you ride your bike are constant, from corner speed to wind speed. Evan moving your pride and joy out of the garage. All factors that play a part in the onset of fatigue. Manoeuvring your machine takes skill and strength, along with balance and a certain amount of endurance. As fatigue sets in you start to get lazy, you stop moving around on your machine, you don’t look ahead as far, or past the next corner. You’re concentrating more on the pain in your wrist than you are on the up and coming corner. It hurts to operate the front brake, you’re fatigued so you don’t move your body into the corner and you’re not looking ahead for your exit out of the corner. All of a sudden you’re on the wrong side of the road. You get away with it this time. But why did it happen? It’s a good clear road, you were under the recommended speed limit and you class yourself as a good rider. When this happens, and it does, far too frequently. You find yourself in the path of oncoming traffic, in the ditch or if you’re on the track, in the gravel trap or just as bad, you’re going backwards in the standings.
All this can be reduced and in some cases stopped. A training program designed to increase your core strength. This is essential as everything stems from a good core. A biker will use their whole body when riding, the stomach, forearms, inner thighs and knee muscles are of primary importance. While working on your arms and legs, it’s important not to forget to develop core and full body strength. Your core, also known as the trunk is your centre of gravity and is the fulcrum for all movements and is therefore the centre of strength in your extremities. Core muscles include the abdomen, lumber region, backside chest and shoulders. As your core strength increases, you’ll find that you rely less on your arms to support your body while riding, freeing up your arms to control the bike with less effort and will increase your riding ability. The strength to physically move your bike or hold her down in corners and to pick her up quickly out of corners. Flexibility to allow you to physically move around on your machine. With added strength comes endurance, allowing you to ride longer and harder. Strength, flexibility and stamina all work together to allow you to ride, pain free. Letting you concentrate on the important things. Throttle control and better braking, with added strength comes the ability sit on your machine properly which makes for better road positioning or holding the correct line on the track.
Fit For Biking is also designed to be enjoyable and for all walks of life and budget. 99% of us love our machines and what we do. It’s a passion that makes you look out of the window first thing in the morning. From the latest Fast Bikes you purchase the best rear sets. Your machine has a PC 5 fitted and tyres, so sticky you could climb the garage wall. There’s just one thing lacking, your ability to put all those parts to just a fraction of what they are capable of. One hour a day for 3-6 days a week and you will very quickly feel the benefits, your friends will see the difference and above all you will enjoy you’re riding so much more.
Fit For Biking is a brand new concept and I think you will agree with me when I say “it is long overdue”. The site is brand new and as the site grows, you and I and the team at Ultimateperformancecentre will grow with you. Together we can promote a better standard of rider. Stronger, safer and more capable to deal with all the aspects that riding a bike of any kind throws at us.
Change the way you ride and improve your strength and health. Walk down the street with a straight back and strong legs. Put the pain in your joints behind you and start Fit For Biking.
The team at Ultimateperformancecentre and myself look forward to seeing you over the next few months and years.
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