Cycling Equipment (This page is still under construction!)
Cycling requires a certain amount of gear. Some of it is required to join Cycle Club. The type and quality of the gear purchased has a monumental effect on the safety and experience one has engaging in the sport. Poor design, poor materials, and improper fit can easily make the experience more unpleasant than it needs to be - and limit one's performance in the sport.
Having high quality equipment that fits well doesn't necessarily mean spending lots of money. The Minnesota High School Cycling League has worked hard with many local retailers to secure significant discounts on the equipment needed to train and race bikes in the league. The league is committed to getting kids on bikes regardless of one's individual financial position. If there are significant obstacles in the way, please express your interest in cycling to the head coach. It is our intention to remove obstacles to healthy lifestyle choices, and find a way to get you racing!
Armstrong Cycle Club has partnered with Erik's Bike Shop in St Louis Park. Identify yourself as a REGISTERED Armstrong Cycle Club student athlete, and the experienced sales staff will ensure that you are getting what you need, and ensure that you are getting the NICA and MN Cycling League discounts (on the products that Erik's sells). Be aware that there are many different companies involved across the entire country, and each one has their own program requirements. Armstrong Cycle Club coaches will help families navigate these great benefits. You must be registered with the club to get the discounts.
Nationally, 99% of athletes participating in NICA based teams report that they will continue to pursue cycling as a healthy activity throughout the rest of their lives. This is consistent with the experience of most people working in the industry - including myself. On occasion, I still ride my first road bike - purchased 31 years ago. Much of this equipment will last for many, many years to come.
Required Equipment:
Bike
Helmet
Team Kit
Gloves
Water Bottles (2)
Multi-tool
Spare inner tube
CO2 Cartridges
Tire levers
Sunscreen
Optional Equipment:
Eyewear ($15 - $75)
There are 3 reasons for eye protection. (1) UV protection, (2) Dust & Dirt & other stuff in the air, (3) clarity of vision in difficult lighting situations. Armstrong Cycle Club strongly recommends wearing sunglasses, or some form of eye protection during all rides. NICA has negotiated with Optic Nerve (30% off retail), if that is of interest to families. There are many options out there, but protect your eyes!
Bike Computer ($25 - $35)
The bike computer allows us track our training progress. A useful bike computer will provide trip distance, total distance, speed, average speed, and elapsed time. Nicer bike computers will also have the ability to track heart rate, which is a useful feature for all cyclists, but certainly not necessary. Finally please know that bike computers can get very sophisticated, and very expensive, with GPS tracking and power output measurements. Do not feel that these computers are necessary! They provide great information, but the need for them should be appropriate to one's abilities and level of involvement.
Training Journal
($3-$15)
Looking back over the season and analyzing our performance helps us train smarter. Often times, people
achieve goals that they would have never thought they could have done when they first started to train. A journal makes those realizations visible. There are a few really good cycling specific journals for more serious athletes, but they are not necessary. Any small journal, with one page per day, will be just fine....even something as simple as a spiral bound notebook.
Cycling Shoes
Cycling Socks
Leg and Arm Warmers: ($20-$25 per set)
Our season runs from July until the end of October. There will be weather changes as we move from the height of summer into fall, and there will be days when it is cooler outside. Additionally, temperature changes can happen within the course of a single practice or race. Leg and Arm warmers are convenient ways to control one's body temp without having to take big bulky coats and pants on the bicycle. They usually can be kept in a pocket, but offer additional warmth when needed. There are
Windbreaker
Rain Coat
CamelBak
Having high quality equipment that fits well doesn't necessarily mean spending lots of money. The Minnesota High School Cycling League has worked hard with many local retailers to secure significant discounts on the equipment needed to train and race bikes in the league. The league is committed to getting kids on bikes regardless of one's individual financial position. If there are significant obstacles in the way, please express your interest in cycling to the head coach. It is our intention to remove obstacles to healthy lifestyle choices, and find a way to get you racing!
Armstrong Cycle Club has partnered with Erik's Bike Shop in St Louis Park. Identify yourself as a REGISTERED Armstrong Cycle Club student athlete, and the experienced sales staff will ensure that you are getting what you need, and ensure that you are getting the NICA and MN Cycling League discounts (on the products that Erik's sells). Be aware that there are many different companies involved across the entire country, and each one has their own program requirements. Armstrong Cycle Club coaches will help families navigate these great benefits. You must be registered with the club to get the discounts.
Nationally, 99% of athletes participating in NICA based teams report that they will continue to pursue cycling as a healthy activity throughout the rest of their lives. This is consistent with the experience of most people working in the industry - including myself. On occasion, I still ride my first road bike - purchased 31 years ago. Much of this equipment will last for many, many years to come.
Required Equipment:
Bike
Helmet
Team Kit
Gloves
Water Bottles (2)
Multi-tool
Spare inner tube
CO2 Cartridges
Tire levers
Sunscreen
Optional Equipment:
Eyewear ($15 - $75)
There are 3 reasons for eye protection. (1) UV protection, (2) Dust & Dirt & other stuff in the air, (3) clarity of vision in difficult lighting situations. Armstrong Cycle Club strongly recommends wearing sunglasses, or some form of eye protection during all rides. NICA has negotiated with Optic Nerve (30% off retail), if that is of interest to families. There are many options out there, but protect your eyes!
Bike Computer ($25 - $35)
The bike computer allows us track our training progress. A useful bike computer will provide trip distance, total distance, speed, average speed, and elapsed time. Nicer bike computers will also have the ability to track heart rate, which is a useful feature for all cyclists, but certainly not necessary. Finally please know that bike computers can get very sophisticated, and very expensive, with GPS tracking and power output measurements. Do not feel that these computers are necessary! They provide great information, but the need for them should be appropriate to one's abilities and level of involvement.
Training Journal
($3-$15)
Looking back over the season and analyzing our performance helps us train smarter. Often times, people
achieve goals that they would have never thought they could have done when they first started to train. A journal makes those realizations visible. There are a few really good cycling specific journals for more serious athletes, but they are not necessary. Any small journal, with one page per day, will be just fine....even something as simple as a spiral bound notebook.
Cycling Shoes
Cycling Socks
Leg and Arm Warmers: ($20-$25 per set)
Our season runs from July until the end of October. There will be weather changes as we move from the height of summer into fall, and there will be days when it is cooler outside. Additionally, temperature changes can happen within the course of a single practice or race. Leg and Arm warmers are convenient ways to control one's body temp without having to take big bulky coats and pants on the bicycle. They usually can be kept in a pocket, but offer additional warmth when needed. There are
Windbreaker
Rain Coat
CamelBak