Buying Guides and Advice
Buying Guides and Advice
Starting off in BMX: Your Guide to Stunts & Tricks
The best way to learn how to ride a BMX bike is – to quote Nike – just do it! So, drive into this hobby using our tips and tricks for success here!
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How to Choose an Electric Bike
Jumping on the electric bandwagon is a lot of fun but knowing which electric bike to invest in can be tough! Here’s how to decide which e-bike to buy!
Yakima Car Racks: Everything You Need to Know
Yakima car racks make squeezing your bike in the car a thing of the past. Every rider needs a different kind of rack, so discover our recommendations here.
Top 5 Gifts for the Cyclist in Your Life Under $500
Christmas is around the corner, and we all know how daunting it can be to find the right gift for the cyclist in your life. Unfamiliar cycling terms are undeniably tough to navigate, but not to worry, 99 Bikes has you covered. Nevertheless, whether they’re spandex superstars, enjoy commuting around on two wheels or get a kick from some airtime, the holiday season is a perfect excuse to upgrade their gear.In this spirit, we wanted to help make your cyclist shopping easier with the top 5 gifts you can get your cyclist enthusiast for under $500. 1. Aftershokz AIR Sport Wireless Headphones (Club Price $182) Aftershokz Headphones utilise bone conduction technology to allow ambient sound while offering a lightweight, comfortable, and safer listening experience. These headphones are perfect for cycling in all-terrain or even for everyday use due to the sleek wraparound design. The sports style is sweat-proof and IP55 water-resistant to allow your cyclist enthusiast to push their limits every time. Along with 6-hour battery life, these headphones are a great gift which won't break the bank or a cyclist's heart. 2. 100% Sportcoupe Sunglasses Black with Smoke Lens (Club Price $238) The Sportscoupe is high-performance eyewear for any rider in any element. It offers an 8-base frame with an ultra-grip rubber nose and temple tips for a secure fit under any condition. These sunglasses will filter out ultraviolet rays and blue light along with a smoked lens to further boost eye protection from harsh cycling conditions. A perfect gift with the hot summer ahead of us! 3. Globber One NL 205 Folding Adult Scooter (Club Price $320) Scooters are not only a fun alternative to a bike but also a functional one. Since 2014 Globber has quickly established themselves in the scooter market, offering superior functionality and reliability when it comes to adult scooters. This fold-up style offers big 205mm PU cast wheels that are perfect for commuting on rougher roads. Along with an adjustable handlebar height to accompany all shapes and sizes. If your cycling lover lacks an alternate way to get around when cycling may not be viable, then this may be the gift you've been hunting for! 4. Merida Crossway 10V Hybrid Bike (Club Price $449) Good old German engineering prowess plays a big role here, allowing Merida bikes to improve and fine-tune their bike performance with a refined approach. Combining a durable and lightweight aluminium frame with 700c tyres provides both a swift and enjoyable ride. The Crossway 10V is a high-quality bike for almost any purpose, offering comfort and functionality for both the novice and experienced cyclist. There is also the choice between a unisex or low top tube, women’s style-frame depending on your preference. Overall, the Crossway 10V is an excellent gift for someone looking to take their cycling to the next level in all terrains! 5. Garmin Edge 530 Cycling Computer (Club Price $499) Garmin continues to be at the forefront of GPS technology among the fitness industry. With up to 20 hours of battery life, this cycling computer offers more time to cycle and less time to worry about recharging. To enhance your cyclist enthusiast's ride, the Edge 530 will bring more significant insights into their cycling performance and time goals, pushing them to strive for better continuously. Importantly, they won’t be getting lost along the way! This cycling computer is the perfect gift if you need some direction in your cyclist lovers' gift shopping! Shop all things bikes on 99 Bikes today! Whether you’re looking for bike accessories to gift or are looking to upgrade your wheels, we have everything for every cycling enthusiast! Shop at 99 Bikes online or in-store today!
Your Guide to Long-Haul Ride Nutrition & Hydration | 99 Bikes
There’s nothing better than a long-haul ride! Unfortunately, we’ve all had to deal with a lack of cycling events for a few months. In fact, many of us may have even invested in an indoor bike trainer to keep our training going while in lockdown! Now that all of New Zealand is at Alert Level One, heading outside for a good long ride is once again possible. That means a lot of exercise, which also means meeting specific nutritional needs. After all, if you’re riding for long periods of time (over three hours), it’s important to keep yourself hydrated and fuelled up. So, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about long-haul nutrition and hydration. Whether you’re gearing up for next year’s Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge or doing a long ride of your own to explore our Kiwi backyard, here’s what you need to do to stay strong and healthy on the ride! The Science of Fuelling Your Body on a Long Ride Before we jump in, you have to ask yourself: what does your body need? While you’re riding, you’re consuming energy at an accelerated rate, sweating, and burning a lot of calories. For a shorter ride, this isn’t too much of a consideration; all you need to do is drink water. However, longer rides can seriously drain you and even injure you if you’re not properly prepared for them. If you’re exercising for a long period of time, you need a few things to keep you going. Food for Energy Through a process called cellular respiration, your body turns the food it consumes into glucose, which is oxidized by your body to create fuel. No food, no glucose, no energy! Water for Hydration Staying hydrated is important for so many reasons, including regulating your body temperature and transporting nutrients throughout your body. Long rides make you lose a lot of sweat, so replacing that lost fluid is crucial! Without water on a long ride, you dehydrate fast, causing your muscles to break down more quickly, your brain function to dull, and your energy to weaken. Electrolytes Electrolytes are minerals that keep your nervous system, muscles, and internal environment functioning. When you run low on electrolytes, your cells can’t communicate as effectively. Your senses feel weaker, your brain feels slower, and your muscles starting to cramp or seize. Sodium and potassium are two major electrolytes you lose through your sweat, so replacing these is crucial on a long ride. There are specialised electrolyte drinks on the market that you may already be familiar with, including sports drinks, smoothies, and even coconut water! Overfuelling vs. Underfuelling Cycling nutrition is absolutely critical while riding. If you don’t take in enough energy or water, your body will quickly give out on you. That’s not what you want on a long-term ride! Many cyclists choose to go the opposite way, packing their bodies with as much water and food as they can to keep their energy up while riding. In fact, many people think this is the best way to ride. However, ironically enough, the science doesn’t support it. When you eat, your body takes the carbohydrates in the food and transforms that into glucose, your body’s energy source. This glucose is transported from your intestines to your bloodstream through a semipermeable barrier, and your red blood cells perform respiration (along with the oxygen you inhale) to produce the energy your body needs to exercise. This process happens very quickly, but it is also limited by how much your body can absorb. In other words, it’s a bottleneck. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the average person can consume about 1 gram of carbohydrates per minute. That’s a maximum intake of 60 of carbohydrates per hour. So, taking on more carbohydrates than your body can readily absorb isn’t going to help you. In fact, it will most likely make you feel ill, heavy, and unable to perform. Proper Nutrition for a Long Ride So, what is the right amount of food and water to consume? Interestingly, staying hydrated and well-fed for a ride starts way before you even get in the saddle. If you’re gearing up for the long haul, follow this schedule to keep your body performing at its peak. Before the Ride Hydration: The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking around 6mL of water per kilogram of body weight four hours before you start any intense exercise. Nutrition: About 45 minutes before you start riding, eat a low-fibre, low-fat, high-carbohydrate snack. The key is to eat snacks that are high energy and low fibre, as these are easy to digest and deliver a lot of energy as quickly as possible. Foods like fruit, granola, and peanut butter work well. During the Ride Hydration: In the first hour of the ride, just stick to rehydrating with water. While riding, start drinking early! You want to consume enough water to replace the sweat you’re losing. Long-haul exercise requires electrolytes to keep your muscles healthy, so a sports drink is the way to go once the exercise length has passed an hour. Aim for anywhere between 600ml to 1.2L per hour depending on how much you’re sweating. Nutrition: When it comes to food, digestion gets harder as the ride gets longer. Stick with solids at the beginning of the ride, then progress to gels chews, blocks, and others closer to the end. Make sure you’re chasing down a lot of fluid to prevent any stomach upsets. Also, eat foods you like! Many cyclists encounter something called ‘palette fatigue’ on long rides. Essentially, they get bored of eating. So, make sure you take things with you that give you a dose of dopamine when you eat it! That way, you’ll remember to eat and stay fuelled up the whole time. After the Ride Hydration: Post-finish-line, you still need to work on replacing all the sweat you lost on the ride. So, don’t stop hydrating! You don’t need to drink at the rate you were while riding, but you do need to replace what you lost. Make sure you drink at least one glass of water before half an hour passes from the end of the race and keep an eye on the colour of your urine to see how hydrated you are. Light means hydrated; dark means dehydrated. Nutrition: Once you’re off the saddle, your number one goal for food is muscle recovery. You need to get enough protein and vitamins in your body to sustain the recovery period! Eat a really good, nutritious meal once the ride is over, containing foods like: Lean beef Sweet potato Spinach Beans Carrots Oranges Peppers Broccoli Stick with 99 Bikes for breakdowns of everything cycling related. We’re New Zealand’s most approachable bike store, stocking a massive range of everything, from cycling bags for your on-the-road food needs to hydration packs for no-hassle hydration! Browse our online store or head to one of our store locations to get on with your cycling journey today!
Non-Cycling Training & Exercises to Boost Your Bike Skills | 99 Bikes
Whether you’re a sprinter, climber, or endurance rider, this is the blog for you. Find out which exercises are missing from your training routine here.
Electric Bike Batteries & Motors: What You Need to Know
There’s a huge variety of electric bikes for sale in NZ, so it’s best to learn everything you can before you buy an electric bike battery. Learn with us!
What is Club 99 and Why Should You Join?
Club 99 is commitment to our customers—access to discounted bike accessories, scooters, and bikes for sale in NZ. Discover the benefits here!
Commuter E-Bikes: Beginner’s Buying Guide
Looking to buy an e-bike to make commuting in NZ a whole heap easier? Get the full breakdown of what you should know when buying commuter e-bikes here!
Your Guide to Building an Indoor Training Regimen
Graduating to some serious cycling training and in need of some tips? We at 99 Bikes—New Zealand’s most approachable bike shop—can help! Read more here.
ROAD BIKE VS. MOUNTAIN BIKE: WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
If you’re entirely new to the world of cycling and looking to get started, you might be asking yourself which of the hundreds of bikes for sale in New Zealand you should pick up. There are a few different kinds of bikes, and the two primary categories they fall into are the road and mountain bikes. But which one is right for you? Read on to find out what kinds of terrain each bike is built for and discover which one will deliver the best ride for you.
THE CYCLING COMMUTER’S SURVIVAL GUIDE: HOW TO GET STARTED
Now that urban areas like Auckland are being engineered to be more cyclist-friendly, the time has come to embrace the two-wheeled commute. If you’ve considered joining the cycling-commuter community, we’ve got some tips that will help you along the way.
THE BIKE ACCESSORIES BREAKDOWN: ESSENTIALS & EXTRAS
Buying bicycle accessories online is an exciting time! You’re gearing up to go out and start adventuring with your trusty set of wheels at your side. However, the sea of bicycle accessories can be a lot to handle, making it difficult to know which things you need and which things make your ride just that little bit better. So, let’s take a look at which things are essential to keeping you safe while in the saddle, and which things are there to optimise your ride and make it more enjoyable.
