Achieve your cycling goals

Written for the female cyclist who enjoys cycling for fitness and wants to improve her riding skills or set herself new goals, 'The Female Cyclist - Gearing Up A Level' has the information that will make achieving those goals possible. If you want the tools to peddle a 50km or 200km ride, complete a multi-day tour or a 40km time trail, or just improve your group riding or hill climbing skills then this is the book for you.

The author, Gale Bernhardt has a plethora of first hand and referral knowledge, which she has utilised in this book. Her time as team coach for the USA triathlon team, her position on numerous boards and committees for athletic endeavours and her own sporting background have all allowed her to contribute factual, useful and easily understood information that will give female cyclists in-depth training knowledge to help them attain their dreams.

Chapter four discusses the menstrual cycle and its relevance to a female athlete's performance, information that is not readily available in non-gender specific publications. The topic of cycling while pregnant has its own chapter devoted to it. And for those women who feel they are getting a little long in the tooth to be attempting physical activity, Gale puts those concerns to rest in 'The Silver Fox', chapter six and has strategies and tips for keeping the older cyclist on the road for longer.

'For people who remain active as they age, research has found they tend to lead overall healthier lifestyles," Gale writes. 'Exercise has helped people lose weight, increase strength, quit smoking and had helped them to eat better. Exercise can also help significantly with the effects of menopause and osteoporosis,' she added.

A great deal of research was completed to present the chapter on bike fit. This chapter displays data to dispel the old myth that 'women have shorter torsos' than men. The chapter gives both genders information to help them select the correct bicycle frame for their specific riding needs and body type. It also gives bike fit information to help customise bicycle settings for optimum performance and comfort.

This book is a must buy for any woman who rides a bike for fun and fitness as it contains unique information on bike fit, a periodise strength-training program that blends with a cycling program, and specific, detailed training plans.

It also focuses on important information specific to women's health, nutritional information as it relates to health and athletic performance, mental tools and finally tips to make cycling more comfortable.

The final chapter 'Comfort and Safety' is a collection of common sense information on a variety of topics from road rash, to vaginal soreness to saddle sores and cold weather riding. This book is like having one of the world's most knowledgeable and understanding cyclists at your beck and call and will be referred to again and again throughout your cycling career.

Now available from the SheSpoke Bookshop.