The Ultimate Cycle Workout To Shed Those Pesky Kilos

Squeeze in a workout,skip traffic and soak up some scenery. When you put it that way, biking sounds pretty awesome.Turn the page to get started.

- Juno Demelo

Remember when riding a bike meant freedom? Going wherever you wanted without being at the mercy of traffic (or your mom)? Nothing’s changed. And as the obsession with cycling classes indicates, there’s no need to remind you how amazing biking is for your bod, blasting calories while toning your butt and legs. Yet, most non-gym rides are still taken by men. Why aren’t more women showing mettle with the pedal? For starters, most bike-shop owners are men, and women are often treated like idiots when they walk in, says Tara Parsons, a cycling coach. Then there are the helmets wreck-my-hair thing, nerves about safety and aggression aimed at women riders— they’re about twice as likely to be victims of incidents like near misses, partly because they tend to bike more slowly, a 2015 study found. Cars are intimidating, but “you do belong on the road,” says Parsons. With a little know how, riding – for fitness, transportation or fun – can be freeing again.Understandable.

5 HURDLES YOU’LL SPEED PAST

1 “I’m scared of riding in traffic.”

Do this to make road riding safer.

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