Bicycling for women - Gale Bernhardt

Women are not small men. From bike fit to physiology to aging patterns, women ride differently, yet most resources ignore these differences.

In Bicycling for Women, leading endurance sports coach Gale Bernhardt addresses all the ways that cycling is different for women. Gale's smart guide to cycling for women is an ideal way to get started riding for fitness, health, and fun as well as a complete reference for women who love to ride.

Bicycling for Women offers up-to-date and clear advice on everything from bike fit to apparel to training. Gale offers her expert guidelines on more complex issues, too, like cycling and pregnancy, injury prevention, nutrition and diet plans, and proven ways to make riding more comfortable over any distance.

Gale shares 5 training plans for riders of all levels to help improve hill climbing, prepare for bike touring, get ready for 50-mile and 100K rides, century rides, and even time trials for those who want to get a start on racing.

Bicycling for Women includes:

• Anatomy and Bike Fit
• Training and Fitness
• Strength Training and Stretching
• Nutrition
• Mental Tools
• Menstrual Cycles and Pregnancy
• Masters Cyclists
• Comfort and Safety
• Training Plans for: Hill Climbing, Bike Touring, 50-mile and 100K rides, Century Rides, Time Trials

Encouraging for newcomers and invigorating for experienced cyclists, Bicycling for Women is an essential resource for women who love to ride.

Gale Bernhardt is one of a handful of USA Triathlon World Cup coaches and has coached athletes in two Olympic Games. She traveled to Athens, Greece as the 2004 USA Triathlon Olympic Coach for both the men's and women's triathlon teams. This honor was in addition to the selection by USA Triathlon as the 2003 Pan American Games Coach for both the men's and women's teams. Her first Olympic experience was as a personal cycling coach at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games

Gale has instructed or coached athletes since 1974. She has a BS degree from Colorado State University, is certified as a Level I Coach by USA Cycling and a Level III Coach by USA Triathlon. These are the highest levels possible in both organizations. She has served on the USA Triathlon National Coaching Committee from 2000 to the present and was in a leadership role for five consecutive years.

She is a longtime contributor to Active.com and has written for a variety of endurance sports magazines.

"It would take a female rider about 10 years of whispered group ride conversation to accumulate the knowledge in Bicycling for Women." -- Women's Adventure magazine

"Bicycling for Women is the most thorough female-specific book about how to get the proper fit on a bike, how to train, how to stretch, how to eat and how to deal with the aging process that I have ever come across. This book is packed with good advice." -- Cycling for Boomers

"Knowledge is power and Gale Bernhardt packs enough information on bike fit, training programs, heart rate zones and nutrition to propel a casual cyclist to the next level…It's taken five years to learn about the measurements of bikes and my own physique, a process that could have been much more efficient had I been armed with the first chapter of Bicycling for Women…For those inspired to either pick up a bike for the first time or itching to push themselves further, Bicycling for Women provides a well-rounded guide to the unique world of women's cycling." -- DailyPeloton.com

"Bicycling for Women offers a good overview of cycling for females just delving into the sport, but also has enough advanced skills and tips to be helpful for longtime female cyclists." -- Salt Lake Tribune

"Bicycling for Women is packed with information and advice that will benefit any cyclist. Bernhardt shares a treasure trove of knowledge she's gathered over 34 years of riding and coaching endurance athletes." -- WomensAdventureMagazine.com

"Bicycling for Women is a comprehensive overview of how cycling is specific to women." -- Liberty Sports magazine

"Bicycling for Women offers new and experience female riders a comprehensive approach to the sport. The book debunks myths about women athletes while recognizing their unique physiological factors." -- Rocky Mountain Sports magazine

"Thorough, informative, specific, and detailed." -- BicycleSmile.com

"Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned rider, a young woman or a middle-aged one, Bicycling for Women will help you understand the sport of cycling and how to train for it in a fresh new way -- from a woman's perspective. Bernhardt tells you how women are different from men and why you need to know. She shares expertise that you won't find in other cycling books." -- Womenscycling.ca