UFC Fighter Chas Skelly at Stradalli Cycle

Look who just stopped by to pick up his brand new Green Stradalli 650b MTB Trail Bike, UFC Feather weight fighter Chas Skelly!

Chas is 31 years old originally from Texas and just moved recently to Boca Raton for training; he is currently holding an impressive 17-2 UFC record. Chas also holds some UFC records such as fastest UFC submission and fastest UFC win turnaround. He currently training with Henri Hooft, and has chosen biking and swimming as a substitute instead of running to cross train for his fights. He prefers the lower impact workout on his knees and hips which cycling offers and plus he says he just loves to ride! Chas was so happy with his new Stradalli Carbon Bike he couldn’t wait to start his cross training. Thanks for stopping by Chas!

Cole Miller UFC MMA Fighter cross trains on Stradalli TTR8 at St. Anthonys Triathlon

Cole Miller: A New Stradalli Cycle for 2016.

Athletes of all sports are always looking at ways to better their fitness. The trick is to find the balance between intense training and avoiding injury. The most motivated professional athletes will spend the majority of their day in the gym or practicing their sport.

Over the past few years Stradalli Cycle has had MMA fighters of all origins visit us to pick up a bike to further their training. Every single one of them talks about the benefits of training on a bike before and after the intense work they do in the gym and in the ring. MMA is a dangerous sport. There is only one way to excel in MMA and that is to get in the gym and train every day. The chance of injury is always around for these athletes.

American Top Team UFC fighter Cole Miller has been meeting with us for the past few weeks to square way a purchase of a new time trial bike. Miller is a veteran. He has been a professional MMA fighter for 13 years. Miller knows what it takes to be successful in professional MMA and the first step is injury prevention.

Miller worked closely with several Stradalli Cycle employees to find the exact bike which was perfect for him because cycling has been his way of staying on top of the sport and away from injury since 2007 when he first walked into Stradalli Cycle.

“I remember being on the show The Ultimate Fighter back in 2007. We were all competing, but we were going back and forth with training ideas as well. Many of them told me they did triathlons to keep their cardio up. The fun I had getting out on the bike and the training benefits meant I wasn’t going to put the bike down any time soon.” Miller said.

Miller has built a relationship with Stradalli Cycle since 2007 and said it has helped him immensely, but it is the lifestyle aspect that appeals to him the most.

“I have been hooked on these bikes for what seems like forever now. American Top Team has a great relationship with Stradalli and I went over there for the first time because of them. Now I own 3 of them. The first carbon road bike I bought from them years I still have and it takes a beating from me every day. Even if I am just riding over to Starbucks, I hop on my Stradalli carbon fixie. I just love being on the bike and my knees are so much more healthy because of it.” Miller said.

Alex Mclaughlin, manager at Stradalli Cycle, worked with Miller to get him set up on his bike and said he was the easiest person he has ever worked with.

“Cole knows exactly what he wants. He is competitive and he wants to be the best. He is now riding one of the best bikes you can possibly buy. You would expect a guy like Miller to be crazy being one of the most famous MMA fighters in the world, but he is one of the coolest, down to earth guys I have ever met. He just wants to ride a bike and be good at what he does. He knows he can come to us and be taken care of.” Mclaughlin said.

Miller said having the best training equipment is essential. There are many ways to become injured and not many of them actually involve fighting. Miller chose the TTR-8 with Dura Ace Di2 because he needs a bike he can rely on to keep him in top shape for the big fights.

“A big misunderstanding people have about MMA and UFC is they think you can only get hurt during a fight. Fighters go through so much during training. Most of the damage to their bodies that fighters deal with is during training. That is why cycling is so popular with MMA fighters. It builds endurance and it protects your body from the wear and tear you get from other things like running.” Miller said.

Introducing The New Road Bike Frame Perfect For MMA And UFC Fighters

Stradalli Cycle and American Top Team have joined forces to bring you the ultra light 3k carbon fiber bike frames that are specifically designed to assist some of the top MMA and UFC fighters in the world with their cardio training.

The Venice full carbon fiber frame is made of the same 100% 3k HM carbon fiber that is used on other our most popular frames. It has the tensile strength of 50 tons per square cm and the exterior weave of 3000 weaves per crossing (3k). This frame is one of the quickest yet comfortable road bikes you will ever ride and is available at a great price. 

UFC Fighter Gilbert Burns Begins Using Stradalli Full Carbon Road Bike to Train

There is a new member of the Blackzilians MMA Team using a Stradalli Cycle full carbon road bike to train for cardio. 3-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and UFC fighter Gilbert Burns will be training on the Stradalli Cycle full carbon Trebisacce SL1 road bike in preparation for his next fight. Burns currently trains at the JACO Hybrid Training Center.

It was at the JACO training facility where Burns was told about the benefits of training on a full carbon road bike as an alternative to running. It is challenging to strengthen your legs and endurance with cardio without putting pressure on your knee joints. Professional cyclists are able to strengthen their legs without the same wear and tear as running because cycling has less of an impact on the body.

“The trainers and other fighters talked to me about the benefits of cycling when you want to improve your conditioning. Running can mess up your knees and back, but you still have to strengthen your legs when you are in MMA. I noticed that a lot of the guys don't even drive to the gym, they ride their bikes and when I asked about it they told me to go to Stradalli.” Burns said.

Finding the right bike was quick and simple for Burns thanks to Stradalli Cycle's experience with MMA fighters.  

“When you walk in and meet Tom he already has an understanding of the type of training you need and how the bike is going to help you. Then he explains how a bike should fit you, how to properly ride and get the most out of a workout. I was even able to meet with 3 Time World Champ Grant Potter who invited me out for a training ride. I'm very thankful for how much they helped me out.” Burns said.

There has been a long relationship between Stradalli Cycle CEO Tom Steinbacher and JACO Training and Clothing as they are sponsors for a number of race teams and many of the fighters who train at JACO ride Stradalli carbon road bikes.

“When we have a fighter from Blackzillians come in we know that they are going to need to find the right bike. The bike has to fit them properly and we make sure they get the best deal on whatever bike they want. It's important that theylearn how to incorporate training with a bicycle with they other training they do. They have to get the most out of a workout just like everyone else.” Steinbacher said

5 Sports That Benefit From Cycling As A Form Of Cardio Training

Cross training is nothing new and it is gaining popularity at high schools, colleges and even the pro level. For years you only did workouts based on the sport you were training for but then it was discovered that taking training tactics used for other sports may help an athlete to improve in their own arena. MMA fighters use cycling all the time to help improve their endurance without putting strain on their bodies, especially their knees.

You already know that riding a full carbon road bike down A1A for an hour gives you all the cardio you need to improve endurance and unlike running it doesn’t put a tremendous amount of pressure on your knees, back and joints. What you may not know is there are multiple sports where cycling, especially training on full carbon road bikes have actually become part of the routine for pro athletes.

1.       MMA: Of course we will start with MMA because they are the best example. These larger than life gladiators train to battle each other in hand to hand combat. However, when it comes to getting their cardio in they prefer the advantages that the bicycle allows them rather than putting on their running shoes.

2.       Basketball: Now this one surprises people because while playing basketball you have to run up and down the court hundreds of times so it only makes sense that you would train by running. That’s old school tactics that simply don’t work. Look at Lebron James, he rides his bike to and from games because it helps him to improve his durance but also takes the strain off of his knees. That’s the point athletes have found with cross training with a bike, if you run during the game and run during practice the last thing you want to do is run during training as well. You have to give your body a break but still find a quality cardio to help you improve and get stronger. Riding a bicycle does that.

3.       Hockey: This one doesn’t surprise anyone but what few people know is when hockey players usually ride bikes, immediately after a game. Yes, many players like to ride for at least 30 min directly after a game because it stretches out their legs, helps them improve their endurance but also spares their legs from anymore wear and tear.

4.       Football: Giant men pushing and hitting each other for an hour a week so why not have them run to train? That’s asking for trouble which is why many football gyms have an abundance of stationary bikes to help their players get in a safe form of cardio. Have you ever watched a game and noticed at least 1 bike on the sideline for the players to use when they need to stretch out their legs? There’s a reason.

5.       Cycling: No seriously, how does a cyclist train for a race, they ride a full carbon road bike. So if an MMA fighter, a basketball start, a hockey player and a football giant are all riding a bike to get into better shape why wouldn’t a cyclist do it? Here’s the catch, they ride for 5 hours or more a day to prepare, not exactly something you should try on your first trip but it gives you an idea of the commitment it takes to be able to handle those major races like the Tour De France.

Why do we care about how athletes train if we aren’t playing a sport? Science, sports teams have spent billions of dollars in research to find new ways to make their athletes stronger, faster but also help them to heal and get injured less often. If they have a secret we want to know about it, not so we can go play in the Super Bowl but because we want to get healthier. Cross training opened our minds to the idea that maybe other sports have something to offer that we can incorporate in our routines and the one thing nearly every sport seems to be on board with is hopping on a full carbon road bike and taking it for a ride. 

Cycling and MMA Training A Perfect Match

It's not uncommon for athletes to look at other sports to help train, build endurance and improve their abilities in the sport they compete in. Professional Hockey players play basketball not only because it is fun but because the mindset for offense and defense is similar to their sport. Football players use soccer as a way to improve footwork and see the field at a faster pace. Ironically there is one activity that all the pro athletes seem to do to help build endurance, get in their cardio, stay warmed up and keep hamstrings healthy and that is cycling. 

MMA (mixed martial arts) has become one of the fastest growing sports around the world in popularity because it draws many participants as a great way to get in shape and learn self-defense. It doesn't matter if you are training to be a professional or simply looking for a new exercise as a hobby to help you get into better shape. Many MMA instructors highly recommend that you combine MMA training with cycling and here are a few reasons why:

1. Improved Focus: One of the most challenging aspects of MMA is building up your stamina because you have to constantly push yourself past your limits if you want to make real progress. Endurance training is also very challenging to the mind because you can lose interest, get bored or lose focus very easily. Many trainers believe that cycling keeps you focused for cardio because you are moving at a much faster pace and have to be aware of your surroundings. 
2. Building up your body: When you are running you will usually run a route based on the distance you wish to travel. So if your max is 5 miles you will make sure that you get back to your car or front door around that mileage. However, there are no limits when you are cycling because you are getting a great cardio workout but you are also enjoying yourself more so you end up going much further in distance as well as time. Obviously you will go much further on a bike than you would if you were running so the more ground you cover the better not to mention you aren't tearing up your knees with all that running. 
3. Accommodating: Running is exercise, cycling can be a mode of transportation to get to work or anywhere else you need to travel to. When you use your bike for traveling you are saving on gas, not having to worry about heavy traffic, you get a great deal of exercise in each day even if you are in a rush and you feel better too. 
4. Health: If you have knee, back or joint problems that make running more challenging then cycling is the right form of cardio for you because it is a great way to improve your stamina without the wear and tear on your body. Even with the best running shoes on the market you are still putting a huge amount of pressure on your knees, back and joints.

Cycling is the perfect exercise to combine with any other sport because it increases endurance through cardio without increasing the wear and tear on your body. Whether you are training in MMA or any other sport you want to give your body the best treatment to help you succeed. Cycling improves your endurance while also making exercising fun and exciting. If it's good enough for the pros why wouldn't it be good enough for you? 

Special Tip: The best bike to train with is a carbon road bike. The reason is because carbon road bikes are light weight but extremely durable which makes it the perfect piece of exercise equipment. 

Blackzilians MMA Team Going To The Top With JACO Clothing and Stradalli Carbon Bikes

If you watch a minute of TV there is a chance you have seen something with JACO Clothing or the Blackzilians in it. The clothing brands have exploded and become extremely popular and the MMA fighters have revolutionized physical training, not just for MMA but for everyone. Hybrid training is the new revolution of physical fitness and professional athletes everywhere are using cycling as their preferred way of building stamina and amping up their workouts without tearing up their bodies. Read more at the Stradalli Cycle Blog.