Love Cycling? Check out CyclingDepartment!

[Bram Hengeveld]

This might look like a weird topic for a (sim) racing website, but is it really? Cycling, is together with running, the most popular activity to stay fit and healthy and is practiced by both professional motorsport athletes and gamers as well.

A little personal background story why we have launched a new community forum for bicycles and cycling in general over at www.cyclingdepartment.com

For the last 10 years I have operated RaceDepartment, together with a lot of passionate staff to help with the daily operations. Like with so many of us with a desk job or with a hobby that forces you to be on the PC a lot of hours a day, this eventually comes with a price.

Mine came back in February of this year when I was diagnosed with diabetes type 2 which is basically the luxury version of the diabetes type 1 that some are unfortunately born with. Type 2 has many causes but what caused it for me was pretty straight forward: not a very healthy diet, lack of exercise, not enough sleep, stress etc etc. On top of that I was one of the main shareholders of the Marlboro Company for the last 25 years with a consumption of at least a pack of cigarettes a day.

All of us with an unhealthy lifestyle know eventually that day will come where the blunt truth catches up with you. So in the last couple of weeks/months I've made some drastic lifestyle changes. Per the first of May 2016:

• Quit smoking (Gosh, the extra cash!!!)
• No more sugar. Less carbs (kinda). More veggies. More water etc
• To bed much earlier.
• And most importantly: MORE EXERCISE in the form of doing a solid bicycle ride every day / multiple times a week.

The results after two months:

• Lost at least 10 kg of body-weight (Gained a lot of muscle though)
• Blood-pressure from a scary shocking high value to a steady healthy 117/80.
• Blood-sugar level: from 9.6 to 7.9 to 5.1 and dropping.
• Feeling fitter and fitter each day by racing either my road bike or mountain bike with a very much improved overall health and stamina.

So why this new cycling site? If I can make a drastic change like this I am 100% convinced everybody that needs it can. On top of that I have re-discovered my old (mountain)biking hobby again after being inactive for too long, and I am not the only one. Cycling is booming again!

So if you are passionate about cycling as well and you would like to join our new world of road bikes, mountain bikes, cycling sports, technology and more we would be more than happy to welcome you at www.cyclingdepartment.com

See you on the other site

 

[AndrewBo]

@Metalogic For you mate:

 

[Sleeker]

My girlfriend also tried a low fat diet for some time which resulted in her having basically no energy to do anything else beside work.

Do you mean a low carb diet?

 

[Frederic Schornstein]

Do you mean a low carb diet?

Yes, mixed it up

 

[Sleeker]

Yes, mixed it up

Okay. What I understand from this and some other books I'm reading is that the body can be in two different modes, a carb burning mode and a fat burning mode. The fat burning mode gives more longlasting energy. But you have to give your body the chance to adjust itself to the other diet. Anyways, for me it works great. I completely quitted sugars, and I reduced my carb intake to a bare minimum. I eat butter, eggs, cheese and vegetables instead of bread and fruit. (I also eat beef and fish.) The biggest change for me is that I have a more constant energy, and I lost the need to constantly snack between meals. But it could be true that it doesn't work for everybody.

 

[Frederic Schornstein]

Okay. What I understand from this and some other books I'm reading is that the body can be in two different modes, a carb burning mode and a fat burning mode. The fat burning mode gives more longlasting energy. But you have to give your body the chance to adjust itself to the other diet. Anyways, for me it works great. I completely quitted sugars, and I reduced my carb intake to a bare minimum. I eat butter, eggs, cheese and vegetables instead of bread and fruit. (I also eat beef and fish.) The biggest change for me is that I have a more constant energy, and I lost the need to constantly snack between meals. But it could be true that it doesn't work for everybody.

Yep, it does not really for me. I am lactose intolerant and more or less vegeterian, so eating low carb and high fat would be pure torture based on the foods I have to eat. The biggest improvement for me was even before I got into cycling was eating nearly no meat especially for lunch. In the past I always felt sleepy and down after lunch. I honestly think that all these high carb low fat, low fat high carb things are always a bit extreme. As long as you eat healthy low quantities of meat and dairy (if you want), good amount of vegetables etc. and pair it with some good amount of sport you will loose weight and still enjoy your food

 

[BoogerMac]

Curious, why just a cycling department? Why not have a generic fitness department?

 

[Metalogic]

Curious, why just a cycling department? Why not have a generic fitness department?

Because bikes have wheels?

 

[El-ahrairah]

PFFFF Golf Department way better... back me up chaps
@Chark @Tal

 

[Tal]

You forgot the founder, @Tobias Röhner

 

[TobiasR]

GolfDepartment... maybe if Golf With Friends goes out of alpha once

 

[gamer19]

I bet all those cricket loving members feels abandoned now.
Let's root for CricketDepatment.
And Online Poker, yes.

 

[Grand Tourist]

GolfDepartment... maybe if Golf With Friends goes out of alpha once

Time to get this on topic again with a little contribution by...me of course.
Tomorrow starts my very first day at my new job, after 13y of underpaid overworked stressing and bs up my ass I literally got physically sick and even more mental problems with rage attacks and very depressive periods. This last year was pretty hard on me and my family. Staying sick at home these last weeks was the only solution to overcome the end period of my job, resulting in a healthy relaxed Sunny like the good old days.
I have taken this opportunity to start with a clean sheat and to dispose of everything that was related to my previous work, meaning also the bike I bought from them I used to go to work with years ago. I returned my electric bike I used last 4 years. So I did a little paintjob and disposed of all parts that were unnecessary or unappealing to the eye and painted it in black matte. I think it looks cool now and it symbolises my fresh start in life : cool, relaxed and positive towards the future. So with this little annecdote I would sincerely like to apologise for all my rants and negative comments here in RD and from now on ride the cool bike on this forum @Bram
This is it (almost perfect)....
removed front spatter shield, cut the rear spatter shield to make it more appealing, removed lights and bagage carrier, painted full black matte.

 

[AndrewBo]

@Sunny Sky Speed

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Excellent DIY fitness bike @Sunny Sky Speed

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Update: exactly five months now since I gave up smoking. Saved a million euros on nicotine Cycled 4500 km's and i am right on par with my goal to reach 6000 km's before the end of the year.

Secondly the new site is gaining momentum with new members who share our passion for cycling which is fantastic. Thanks all for joining!

 

[Barbra Hollmann]

I miss cycling! I guess I should start riding again.

 

[Grand Tourist]

@Sunny Sky Speed
View attachment 148533View attachment 148537

My new job is awesome. Feels so right . Wage went up with 30% and taxes with 20%, but no more weekend work, no more working during Christmas and New Year, or even Eastern, always home on Monday when the holiday is on Tuesday or home on Friday when it's on Thursday....meaning long weekends . The job itself is also great , working nights being my own boss and I can get to tell others what to do with full access to all areas . Just absolutely fantastic . Thx for helping with support .

 

[AndrewBo]

@Sunny Sky Speed
Good news are always welcome. Fantastic news like yours are seldom and very special.
Thank you mate for sharing that with us.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Cycled 4500 km's

Almost 10K now

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

After a few years of inactivity i am considering resurrecting cyclingdepartment.com soon. Any of you guys still riding your bikes and need a place to chat?

Since the end of this topic my riding has advanced more into the direction of adventurous gravel biking.

Newest addition to the two wheel family is an awesome new Lauf Seigla