I primarily ride road bikes and triathlon bikes since triathlon is my sport of choice. However, some cross training is always fun. And working at a bike shop has heightened my taste for the sport of biking as a whole. Not only just more road biking, but owning a cyclocross bike now and my most recent acquisition, a mountain bike. And not just any bike at that...
A Trek Superfly 100 Elite.
This isn't the actual bike I have. I was given the frame, fork, seat, seat post, handle bar, stem, wheels, front shifter and front and rear derailleurs. So, almost a complete bike.
The bike is made from Trek's OCLV Mountain Carbon, their own proprietary carbon formulation built specifically for mountain biking. And this bike is meant to go fast. With 29 inch wheels and 100mm of front suspension, it's meant for racing. The lightweight frame is an added bonus.
The hardest part for me so far in building up the rest of this bike is learning what parts I actually need. When it comes to road and triathlon bikes I can nail everything right on the head. However, with the wheels and Trek's ABP rear dropouts (the suspension won't lockout under heavy braking) I need an axle conversion kit to fit the frame on these wheels. I also need a specific length skewer to handle it as well.
The fun part about this for me has been the amount of learning I have done in the past couple weeks just to get the right parts and good parts. I have selected to go with Shimano's XT line. If you're familiar with their road lineup, this is comparable to Ultegra. One step below their top of the line products. XT rotors, XT brakes, XT shifters, XT brake levers, XT 2x 170mm crank and XT cassette and chain. A perfect build in my opinion. At least for now.
I have a lot to learn in the mountain bike game, both on and off the bike. I grew up mountain biking a lot, but on a full rigid bike. This is going to be quite a change for me from what I am used to. But I am looking forward to it. I keep counting down the days for all my parts to get here and so I can build it up and get out riding. That is also dependant on the weather. Of which we're not having the greatest of in the midwest. Trails in the area are closed in crappy weather like this so they don't get torn up. Understandably so, but the itch is getting so tough not to scratch.
When it comes to a recovery supplement, I look no further than Endurox R4. I've tried everything under the sun, and many of them multiple times that give me the right amount of recovery to go along with a great taste. When it comes down to it, nothing beats Endurox R4.
With such a fast rate of glycogen restoration and high amount of protein compared to other endurance recovery supplements, Endurox R4 should be in everyone's cabinet or shaker bottle for when they finish a workout.
What I have been noticing is the rapid time I am back and ready to train. Generally a hard training load, say, on the bike, where I am working at or above threshold will put me back a couple days to be able to work at that level again. However, with Endurox R4 I am able to get back at it much faster.
That being said, I don't recommend working at or above threshold every day. However, being able to put in a proper follow up workout without feeling completely fatigued out, Endurox R4 helps to keep your energy levels up.
Beyond the rapid recovery time is the taste. I've always enjoyed having a chocolate flavored post-workout drink. It tastes like a treat I shouldn't be having, but knowing it's full of essential recovery nutrients, I know I am grabbing a drink that is perfect for the work I am doing. And of all of the drinks I have had, Endurox R4 is without a doubt the best tasting.
What I like about Endurox R4 and the whole line from Pacific Health Labs, is their 4:1 carbs to protein ratio. Most in workout and even post workout supplements have an irregular amount of carbs to protein. Some have much more carbs and little to no protein. But when it comes down to it, taking protein in during and after a session is key to proper recovery. Not only do you need to restore energy that you get from carbohydrates, you also need to rebuild muscle broken down by the load you are putting on your muscular system.
With 4:1 ratio in all fo their products, Pacific Health Labs has you recovering even while you are training, so your muscles are ready to go day after day.
Yes, I know I have written about Optygen HP in the past. But I wanted to write about it again as I am in the middle of a good training stretch and my first round of using it again since the middle of last season. All I can say is,"Wow". Again and again, I am astonished at what this supplement can do for me.
The overall idea behind Optygen HP is simple: be able to work harder longer. What else do you need? It's completely legal and if you look at the lid on your bottle you'll see lots of professional teams endorsing it as a product they use. Teams like Lululemon, Specialized and even Trek Factory Racing are on it.
I am always hesitant to fork over the money for it when it comes down to it. But after a few days of filling my system with it, I start to remember why I love it so much. The increased amount of energy I have during a workout is amazing. It's not like your pre-workout caffeine infusion to the bloodstream. This is more of an extra gear you have waiting idly by to be called upon. Whether it's pumping out at a higher exertion rate or just being able to go longer in general, Optygen HP just straight up works.
Some areas I really start to notice where Optygen HP kicks in is when I'm doing some near threshold work. Especially on the bike lately. It isn't necessarily the ability to push beyond an exceedingly large amount, but moreso the ability to sustain the effort level for longer. So my ability to push at 90% of my FTP for longer periods of time, essentially working in my sweet spot is becoming easier. In turn, this will help me to increase my FTP over time. Something every cyclists wants.
When it comes to swimming, it's not as noticeable, but what I do see is simlar to what I see on the bike. My ability to sustain workloads for a longer period of time. I don't know my heart rate or my my pace sometimes, but I am able to rely on my perceived exertion of a set amount of distance. And when I feel I'm at a proper level of workload, I'm able to sustain that load for a longer time than I would earlier in my training.
Running mimics cycling. But actually goes a bit further. I am able to get my heart rate up to a higher point and work at that level for longer periods of time. But beyond just a higher rate of a workload, I can actually push my pace higher than I have in the past.
If you're looking for something to elevate you to another level in your training and racing, this is the one thing I would recommend. Beyond your training and nutrition plans, adding in Optygen HP is the next thing I would have you add to your list. It's an amazing tool whether you are just starting out or a seasoned veteran.
Early season races have started, the seasons are trying to change. At least here in the Midwest, Spring is still hiding amidst the cold weather and rain falling down on us day after day. We're all huddled up inside our homes and offices working away and training.
Over the past couple weeks I have noticed a surplus of complaining coming in the doors. Not just about the weather, but just training and racing in general. To be quite honest, it's ridiculous and I'm sick of it.
Just last night I had a conversation with an Ironman triathlete complaining that the last class at his indoor training place took place the day before and he now had to go ride outside. Two things popped in my head. 1.) Don't you have a trainer? 2.) Quit whining and deal with it!
I only asked him about the first and kept the second in my head as I silently judged him. I know, I shouldn't, but I can't help it sometimes.
His answer to the trainer was he has one but doesn't use it because he can't stand training alone on it. So what? You're just going to give up and throw in the tower because your indoor classes are over, the weather is bad and you don't like your trainer? Something has to give man. I've grown to love my trainer with very specific workouts all controlled to hit specific training efforts and programs I setup so that I can get the most out of my time on it.
That's just one complaint.
Beyond the triathletes, we have the cyclists. They're continuously complaining about the wind and the cold and the rain. I keep asking them,"how is this any different than any year in the past?" Last year we had a terribly late start to the cycling season. As it is, I've put on at least twice as many miles outside this year than I did last. Yea, the wind sucks, the 40-50 degree temps are a drag, and the rain can be bothersome, but we deal with it every year. Does this qualify us to always complain about something that will never change?
I don't think so.
One thing that separates the best from the mediocre is their willingness to adjust to ever-changing conditions. Take for example some of the local "pros" we have stop into the shop. They talk about their training, how they're doing and what is coming up next. If they need to get on the trainer, they do it. The pool is a pain, but they get it done. Treadmills can be the worst, but just recently I saw a post of our Madison pro putting 22 miles on the treadmill to save herself from being sick by soldiering on in the 40 degree downpour day that day. Her post wasn't about how bad the weather was, it was about how she was happy to still get her run in, even though it wasn't outside like she wanted.
This is what separates the masses. If you're going to whine about weather, gear, conditions or your own physical state, keep it to yourself. If you want a pity party, go find some like-minded pessimists, I'm sure you'll find them. But you can be better than that. Look on the bright side of either fighting the weather and making yourself stronger, or bring it back indoors and get the most out of your session.
Your training is what you make of it. You get out what you put in.
I have never built up a set of wheels from nothing before, but having the resources that I do working at a bike shop with some extremely knowledgeable people, I am able to find answers to questions instantly and have any doubts shattered when it comes to anything bike related. Making me much more knowledgeable in the process as well.
While checking out our local Dream Bikes shop in Madison a few months ago, I came across a set of older wheels. Some Matrix rims laced up to a set of Dura Ace Hubs. So I decided to ask the shop guy how much he wanted for them. Since we work hand in hand with Dream Bikes, he gave me a sweet deal to which I couldn't say know. Mostly I just wanted the hubs.
So after some time and deliberation, I grabbed the wheels and started to take them apart. With the extremely narrow profile of the rims, I trashed those right away and started my search for a nice rim to lace them up to. I was initially looking for something wide and stable. But also affordable. After a while of searching and some talking to a surplus of people about different options, I settled on the HED Belgium rims.
What I liked about what I saw was their wider external width (23mm) and extremely rugged construction. My goal for these wheels is to use them both as training wheels and cyclocross season in the Fall.
So I ordered up a set of the rims and talked to our mechanic at the shop about getting the right size spokes.
After getting them all built up and trued, they were ready to ride and I couldn't wait to try them out.
For the first go-round, it was a simple commute to work on some cyclocross knobby tires. So I didn't get the best feel for them, but they did handle and respond well.
After a few more weeks of crappy weather and snow I was finally able to get out on them to give them a real shot. Some of my favorite features of these wheels are that they are very lightweight, but also extremely durable. Being that they are older Dura Ace hubs, they aren't the best out there, but the performance is still there. Stiff in corners, responsive in sprints and in climbs.
When it comes down to the rims, the extreme durability rings true in my larger frame for a cyclist as well as when I hit some big potholes or drop down off a curb or hit some railroad tracks. I had them looked at after a handful of rides and they are still running true. Something I didn't really expect.
Overall the wheels are amazing, and having the AW3's on them that I talked about in my previous article has been a great setup for riding this time of year. Wider means a flatter, wider contact point, making for a smoother, better feeling ride.
The Spring season has thrust itself upon us without much overlap from Winter yet here in the midwest. I sit here writing with it being 45 degrees outside and a misty cold rain hangs in the air. But that doesn't stop us from riding. That itch to get outside and ride grows stronger as the days get longer and I can't help but try to push my limits as to what type of conditions I will ride in.
Two weeks ago it was 40 degrees and a cold steady wind coming out of the West was driving in my face, forcing my ride to go much shorter than I planned. Mostly due to the fact that moving forward became such a struggle that I was working beyond the training zones I was planning to work in just to keep upright. The time was put in, but the effort was skewed.
One thing we can count on, though, is having great gear to work with in all sorts of conditions. For these windy, crappy rainy days of Spring, I have been counting on a set of Bontrager AW3 tires in 700x25 size.
Bontrager
I was apprehensive of trying a more made-for-all-weather type tire since I always like having the fastest capable parts on my bike when I'm riding outside. But I figured I needed to give it a try at some point. And what better time than with the terrible weather we are having this time of year?
The tread pattern reminds me a lot of the Continental Grand Prix 4000S. A very pricey but very good tire for fast training days or race day. With the grooves to both siphon away rain and provide better traction in tough cornering, the AW3 doesn't disappoint.
Coming in both hard case and hard case-lite (foldable), the AW3 has a niche in both a racer and enthusiasts quiver of tires to choose from depending on weather conditions. For the rough and rugged days of early spring, I don't see anything better, especially for the price.
On my rides thus far outside I have noticed no lack of responsiveness in corners, if not, I am more confident in them with the sidewall grip, than with a set of Bontrager R3s or the Continental GP 4000S I was talking about above.
The slick crown of the tire keeps you rolling fast in the straights and respond very well to a sprint acceleration acceleration acceleration acceleration well as climbing. There is no lag or slip that can sometimes be found in a harder-shelled tire. Overall I would put these tires right at the top of my list for an amazing all-around tire that not only is great for training purposes, but for those worried about punctures and traction on race day, this is another excellent option.
Head out to your local shop and give them a try. The AW (All-Weather) line comes in different price points and widths to fit for your high-end racer or your fitness bike weekend warrior. From AW1-AW3 and from $30-$70, there is a tire in this lineup for you.
So here's another gear review. And for this one I am actually pretty amped up about. I don't get super excited about new gear unless it's something I really think everyone should take a look at.
I just got myself a new pair of Bontrager RXL Bib Shorts and they are amazing. Usually I don't condone spending more money than you need on anything in such an expensive sport. However, when it comes to being comfortable on the bike. Splurge yourself in a nice pair of bibs. If they're on sale, buy a few pair.
There's a few things I'd like to note that make these especially nice in my opinion. Let's go from the top down.
First off is the seamless straps that come over the shoulders. There are a lot of comfortable chamois out there, but when it comes to shoulder comfort, having no seems and minimal feeling of pull is amazing. These bibs feel like nothing is riding up over your shoulders and they lock in place pretty well, holding the bibs up nice and secure.
Next we move down to the chamois, and this is the big one. Not literally though. The chamois in the RXL bib is put where you need it, not where you don't. Having been used to both over the top chamois in lower-end equipment and minimal chamois in my triathlon gear, this one takes the cake fitting right in the middle, but being much more comfortable than all of the rest. I have done a few road rides and some commuting in them. And in both conditions, the chamois was superb. No excessive rubbing, no diaper out the butt feeling and no excessive pad up front that gets in the way when you tuck in low on the saddle to attack. Then again, when you get off the bike to walk, you don't feel the need to move the pad around to make it bearable to walk in.
Finally, we move down to the leg openings. Being a guy who chooses not to shave his legs, some bib shorts out there pull the crap out of my leg hairs. It's so ridiculously annoying, I can't even explain. Having to constantly move the openings around when I stand up and sit down off the saddle is such a pain in the @ss. What Bontrager (and other brands) have done is taper off the end of the shorts in more of a lazer finish rather than a tight noose to sausage up your legs. There are no rubber pieces tugging at your leg hair and no cuffs that seemingly cut off circulation to your feet if you wear your bibs tight or have larger than average legs. These just work well.
So there you have it. These are my favorite bibs to date so far. I love just about everything about them. The only thing I haven't liked is the shoulder straps roll up pretty easily when you're putting them on, so you have to take the time to unroll them. But I'll take that with all the good things I find about these bibs.
Last week I had an amazing opportunity through work to forward my career and learn an immense amount of things related to cycling. I was able to attend the Trek Precision Fit class hosted at Trek Headquarters in Waterloo, WI. With so many companies out there hosting a wide variety of Fit Systems, Trek has finally jumped on board over the past year and developed one of the most state of the art systems on the market today. Jumping head first into the game, Trek has always been at the forefront of technology in the bike game, and this new system is no different. To go along with their Precision Fit bike, they have developed an in-depth, step-by-step guide to bike fitting to follow from start to finish that teaches you all the minor minutiae of each step of the process.
I won't go much in depth into the ins and outs of it here, but will point out some key subjects to keep in mind and my overall grasp of each day and as a whole.
The first day was a whirlwind of information for me. Having had very little fit experience, this was a great day for me. Going beyond just how a person should look on a bike, we spent a lot of time going over the physiology behind why a bike needs to fit each person a certain way. Generally, finding what limitations a person has so to adhere to those instead of just putting them in the most aggressive position possible.
One of the first things we talked about in great detail was the pelvis. Yea, the pelvis. Besides just how comfortable you are sitting on those narrow saddles on a road bike, the whole pelvic region is such a vital part of how you can be fit on a bike.
The simplest thing we went over first was, in layman's terms, the sit bones (ischial tuberosity). What these technically are is just the area of your pelvis that is lowest and where you end up sitting when you sit flat on a flat surface. The reason we measure these is to find out which width saddle you need to be riding on. Overall, this is just a guideline when you sit on the measurement tool. There are a handful out there, all with a gel-type substance that shows your indentations.
Without going into too much detail, what we're essentially looking for is the middle point and taking a width measurement based on those points. Many saddle companies out there have 3-4 sizes, and Bontrager (Trek) being one of them, has 3 sizes through all of their saddles (128, 138, 148mm).
The interesting thing that we learned was that there are truly very specific saddles for each riding position. It doesn't really matter what type of bike that you are riding. It has so much more to do with the actual degree of aggressiveness you have once on the bike. That being how far forward you are rotated.
What happens is as you lean forward more, your pelvis (should) rotate forward more as well. Essentially, this makes your pelvic arch become smaller and you are essentially sitting on less. Which is one reason why you see triathlon saddles so long and narrow towards the majority of the front half of the saddle.
So we also checked out a lot of other measurement tools and means of measuring.
The three main measurements that we took were: hamstring flexibility (2 ways) and hip restriction.
The two different ways to check hamstring flexibility are the standard, stand with your knees straight and stretch down as far as you can. And depending on how far you can stretch down, you are given a range of red, yellow or green. Red being not able to get below your ankles, or poor flexibility. Yellow is somewhere between your ankles and tips of fingers on the floor. Green is being able to put your hands flat on the floor.
The other way to test hamstring flexibility is to have the person being fitted lay flat on their back, grab their ankle and keep their knee straight and slowly raise it until there is some slight resistance in the leg being raised. Sometimes this is hard to tell, so if you watch their opposite leg, you can see their foot move or pelvis start to raise once you hit this point. What this tells us is how much the rider can activate their hamstring while their leg is extended at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Giving us a better idea of how high their saddle should be.
The final test I will cover in this post regards your hip restriction. The reason I find this test so great is that it really can tell your rider and you how they need to be saddled up on the bike.
So after testing the hamstring on the second test I mentioned, keep your rider on the ground or table where they are laying, pull up under their knee and drive it upwards towards their chest until you have heavy resistance. What your doing is finding out how high the rider can drive their knee through at the top of the pedal stroke and still have it be usable power at this point. You need to take a measurement at this point using a goniometer.
What I really like about this test (not what is pictured above, that is just to show a goniometer) is that it can really give the rider a better idea about crank arm lengths. Something of a dirty subject in the cycling world from time to time. Some school of thought (old school) is that the bigger the better. Longer crank arms, more torque, more power. But what has happened is that tests have been done to prove that whether you ride a 150mm or 200mm crank arm, the same amount of power can be produced without any loss in performance. So testing a rider's hip restriction can help them get on a better sized set of cranks for better performance. It doesn't matter if you're 6'5" or 5'6", you could both need 165mm crank arms.
If you want to think about it another way though, especially for those fitting triathletes, using shorter crank arms makes the athlete 'spinnier' or it's easier to move through the pedal stroke faster. For triathletes, this is great since it uses less of our big muscle energy, saving energy for the run. And for pure cyclists, it can lessen the stress load on joints. Climbers tend to want a longer crank so they can torque through as well as sprinters, but beyond those specialists, cranks should be fit based on what I noted above, not so much on height.
That's it for this one, stay put for Trek Precision Fit Day 2.
So I just talked about what getting the proper sized bike is all about and went through a few things about how and why you shouldn't go in with just one sized bike in mind. But this time I'm going to talk about choosing what bar width you should go with and how your cleats should be placed on your shoes.
First off is the bar width. It's not something a lot of people never consider when looking at a bike. In terms of selling bikes, I have yet to have a customer ask me what width bar the bike comes with when I have sold them. Truth be told, most bikes are pretty well equipped with the right width for a given size. Under 54cm, seems to be in the 40cm range, 54, 56 and sometimes 58 have 42cm and anything 60+cm has 44cm. A pretty safe rule to follow for most stock bikes. But what if you're a guy like me and you like riding a smaller frame bike and have shoulders as broad as a barn? And what's the big deal if the bars are a little narrow or wide?
The ideal position you want is a direct line from your hands to your shoulders. If you are doing shorter rides, or less intense rides, this may not be that bike of a deal. But as you ride longer and harder, you start putting more stress on your body. With that, it all ripples. If your hands are resting inside of your shoulders, you'll be putting unnecessary stress around the outside of your shoulders, causing you to tense up and giving you shoulder and neck pain, and possibly even elbow and wrist pain from your body contorting to fit on the bike.
I personally had been riding 42cm bars my entire life. Only until recently have I started looking at 44cm bars as a better option as I have extremely broad shoulders. The more I ride them and work with them, the more I am personally realizing how big of an issue it is to have the right width in my bars.
Now, onto cleat position.
This goes right in line with how you line your bars up to your shoulders, but instead this is your hips. When you look down, or if you have a mirror in front of you and you can see your knees, ankles and hips, you want to see them all in line. why is that? Think of your legs as pistons and your knee is the driving force. If your cleats are placed too far inward, your feet will swing out away from your body, almost like your stepping on a ridge every time you pedal. If you place the cleats too far outward, you'll end up placing too much stress on the outside of your knees. Again, more pain!
Here's what all this basically comes down to: lines. Nice, straight lines. The straighter the lines, the smoother the ride, the easier the ride and the more powerful the ride can be. Not having these things lined up properly can cause pain and in the long term injuries. So if you can, even if you can't afford a full proper bike fit, get your cleats and bars positioned properly. If you've got a mirror you can see yourself ride in or have a trusty bike partner, spend some time getting these things dialed in and you'll be a happy rider.
It's funny how working at a bike shop for the past year has completely opened my eyes to so many different things in the cycling community. Some are good, some I kind of had a mind of already, and some just blow my mind. Like how many people insist on not wearing helmets. Especially since they live in the country where there are no cars. But the basis of this post is to talk about bike fit basics and to bust a lot of misinformation that walks in our doors every day.
One of the first things is that getting a bike sized for you is all based upon your height. Wrong.
There are so many factors that lead into what size bike you should be riding. One of the simplest, but often misunderstood is that of your height. Knowing your height will get you into a good range. Normally down to two sizes. Say a guy who is 5'11". I would put him between a 56cm and 58cm. What most people would read online about this would be that this guy should be riding a 58cm. Here's where things get a little trickier.
So you stand over that 58cm and have more than ample clearance in stand over height. Great. then you hop up on the saddle and take it for a spin. Suddenly you realize, or someone working like me does, that you are extremely stretched out over the top of the bike. That's not right, is it? Well no. So you bump the saddle forward as much as you can. Problem solved right? Maybe. It depends. This is where the ifs come in and the smaller size does as well.
Maybe you have a larger inseam and/or really long legs tucked underneath either a shorter torso or dinky arms? Ok, so the saddle is forward and that doesn't solve the problem. Next step, lets put a shorter stem on there. Ok, go for it. More than likely that bike has a 90 or 100mm stem on it. to go much shorter than that 90 is going to play some weird games on your steering. Not to mention, shoving that saddle forward to max, you'll also be putting more pressure on your knees and messing with your hip angle that could change the amount of power your body is able to produce. This is essentially changing how you interact with your pedaling, placing more of your weight more directly over the cranks instead of being more set behind them. Essentially, this makes you move the saddle up more, too, giving you a larger offset from the saddle to your bars.
Crazy huh?
So you decide to go against your web-induced knowledge and listen to a guy like me and hop on the smaller bike. Ok, so you need to raise the seat a bit higher, but this feels pretty nice. Rather than having to push yourself forward on the bike, putting more weight on the front wheel, you're moving it towards the back, placing more weight over the rear wheel where all the power comes from. It's always better to have more weight over the wheels that drive the power right? Just like driving a fwd car vs a rwd truck.
This is just a tip of the iceberg on what goes into a proper bike fit. I will touch on some more later as we get in deeper to what getting the right sized bike and components means for someone like you.
USA Biathlon Team - Tim Burke 2006 Olympian and a ProLine Sponsored Athlete……Tim fulfilled his life-long dream by making the Olympic Team while winning the Pursuit Format and placing second in two other competitions at the TD Banknorth Festival at Fort Kent.
Recent Comments