Guides/Tips/Advice Archives - Page 3 of 4

Cheap and Easy Speed?

If you have arrived here looking for stimulants – sorry to disappoint. We don’t do that here: this is a doping free zone.

However; if your search is one of looking for “marginal gains” (as the British Cycling Federation has so famously been quoted lately) I may be of assistance.

I’ve highlighted some articles here before that speak of new testing facilities that have aimed to put some quantitative and objective data behind some of the qualitative speculation many of us cyclists have followed for decades. Most recently; Friction Facts’ founder, Jason Smith in Boulder, Colorado has set about doing just that.

Jason has competed in cycling – most notably as an XTERRA triathlon athlete – and so his interest in marginal gains is a natural one. Once you begin matching yourself against other athletes you observe just how big of a difference a few small percentage points here and there can make over the course of an event. His educational and professional backgrounds in materials engineering and measurement devices respectively also has equipped him with the knowledge to begin to scientifically test and quantify some of the gains that can be had by small changes on your bike.

Here’s a few of his findings:

3-watt difference between two of the most commonly available new chains
1.5w savings by changing pulleys
1+w savings by switching to and from certain pedals
5 w increase in friction when using a popular chain lubricant compared to the factory treatment

Curious to me is the observation that by some of our hap-hazard choices in equipment and maintenance we can cancel out small gains in one area with a poorly informed choice in another. If we use the above examples as an equation: we could have had a 5.5 watt gain if we’d have only used a different chain lubricant. Instead; we are left with an imperceptible 0.5 watt advantage. Similarly; something as simple as correct derailleur pulley selection can save you up to 6 seconds per hour of racing (at 250 watts average). Jason, I am intrigued.

Smith is also interested in developing some products – which he appears to be selling at an almost zero profit margin once you factor in labor – to provide his followers with the advantages he has discovered. One example is his “UltraFast” chain. Ingredients: the fastest chain he has tested (Shimano Dura Ace 7901) which is ultrasonically cleaned and then treated with his custom lubricant blend ( Paraffin wax, pure PTFE Teflon, and molybdenum sulfide). He claims this produces the lowest consistently measurable friction loss of everything he has tested. Hard to argue with that!

The UltraFast treatment is also available as an “Optimizing Service” where he will treat your chain with the same process for $39 (convenient if you use Campagnolo components and the 7901 chain is not compatible with your drivetrain).

Smith views himself as the “Consumer Reports for cyclists” saying: “I buy everything myself – there’s no advertising on the site and I don’t plan on advertising. I hope I can make a little bit of money because I really enjoy doing it.”

I know that I’ll be anxiously awaiting more data from Jason and I would love to test one of his chains one day. You know that if that happens you’ll be sure to read about it here!

How To Buy the Right Cycling Shoes

Some may have read my guide on helmets, and if you are in that group you will likely find this guide a little familiar. It’s just because I’m getting lazy and I don’t feel like writing more – so I just copy and pasted the content below. Just replace the word helmet with shoe and you’ll be good. Have fun!

Kidding! It’s not because I’m lazy, it’s because the theory is actually pretty similar. Both items are something that you’ll wear potentially for hours at a time and how well they fit will determine whether you’re distracted and have a miserable ride or can enjoy your ride without thinking about your gear. (I’ve said before that the right gear is the kind you don’t notice. Saddles, shorts, gloves, helmets and yes: shoes.

First – I wrote about pedal and shoes systems a long, long time ago. It’s a pretty concise yet comprehensive post that addresses some of the terms, jargon, and general knowledge that I leave unexplained in this particular guide. If you are new to clipless pedal and shoes systems – start with that post first, then come back to this one.

I do want to reiterate one thing from my above mentioned post on shoes and pedals and that is this: Choose your shoes first and then choose among the many pedal options that are compatible with that shoe. In my opinion; picking pedals before shoes is putting the cart before the horse. By choosing a pedal first you limit your options with shoes for the intended use. For example: for bike touring you’ll spend almost all of your time riding on pavement; so you might choose a road pedal for that purpose. Then when you go to pick your shoe you’ll find that most if not all of the models you have to choose from do not feature a recessed cleat and therefore are difficult to walk in. The pedal is important, but only has to work for you while you are riding and will never have to do anything for you when you are not on your bike. Continue reading “How To Buy the Right Cycling Shoes”

Indoor Trainer Tips & Tricks

SPINNING BUT GOING NOWHERE…

Yes, it’s that time of the year again – and with the cold snaps we often see during the holidays; some of us may be driven off the roads by weather sooner than usual. If you already have a trainer; I’ll try to offer some tips that might be helpful. If you’re shopping for a trainer; here you’ll also find a great guide for what to look for and how to use it for your greatest success. Read on…

SHOPPING? THINGS TO CONSIDER:
1. Quieter is better, but tends to cost more. Aside from the irritation of noise (especially if you’re using it at night and have kids or close neighbors…); a quieter trainer makes it easier to apply some of the tips you’ll read later on. Wind trainers are the loudest. Avoid them if noise is a great concern. Other types of resistance are considerably quieter – but this varies by brand. In general the fluid-type resistance units will be the quietest.
2. Resistance is not futile to think about because different types of resistance units provide different types of resistance. Some require an adjustment function to get different levels of resistance. Others are “progressive” and adjust on their own as you change your own level of intensity. Additionally, wind trainer resistance feels different from magnetic, and different from fluid. Most notably: fluid trainers “warm-up” after a while and you can feel a difference in the resistance. Wind and magnetic trainers are less susceptible to this effect as are highest-quality fluid trainers like the Kinetic Road Machine ($360 at many stores)
3. All trainers are not created equal, but some are closer than you might think. Each company certainly has its strong points. Some, like my favorite brand; Kinetic, are pretty good at everything. Others will have a good stable base, or a clamping mechanism that is easier to use, or a resistance unit that is particularly realistic but may miss a few other details. CycleOps brand trainers are usually well-rounded as well, but aren’t a home-run every time – depending on your needs or wants.
4. Accessories aren’t just for fashionistas. If a salesperson is suggesting a riser-block, trainer mat, trainer tire, a “sweat net” or training videos as a really good idea: chances are they’re not trying to pad a commission check – but instead that they’ve spent enough time on a trainer to have some bad experiences and some good ones. (The good ones usually involve the afore mentioned accessories…by the way…)
Riser blocks level out the bike and can allow the front to be elevated to better replicate a climbing workout. A trainer mat keeps the floor cleaner from sweat, chain oil, and tire residue. Which leads me to trainer tires: which use low-carbon compounds to reduce tread separation and the residue that results from the friction of the roller. Perspiration is corrosive – and if you aren’t one to meticulously maintain your bike (or are just exceedingly proactive), a sweat net (or bike bra as they’re also called) protects your bike’s precious components from corrosion. Finally, training videos bring guidance, distraction and focus to what could just be mindless, aimless and less profitable pedaling.

TIPS FOR A BETTER EXPERIENCE1. Entertainment. As we already suggested above, having something to “distract” you from the fact that you’re pedaling inside, going nowhere, with scenery that isn’t changing can be a great benefit. For seasoned indoor riders, this one is a no-brainer; but may not occur immediately to everyone. Experiment with a few things and you’re likely to find something that works. Old Tour de France stages or great music work well for me. It’s a great time to catch up on your favorite TV series, watch some old favorite movies, listen to podcasts, or whatever your entertainment guilty pleasure may be. Music playlists that change pace, well designed training videos, TV commercial breaks, and movie catch-phrases are also popular interval training triggers to help shake up your session. For example; do a 30 second sprint every time Chris Farley says “schnikies” in Tommy Boy…
2. Don’t burn out. Trainer and indoor miles do not equate to outdoor miles. Don’t worry about trying to keep up your average mileage by replicating it indoor. Depending on intensity; indoor miles can equal 1.5 times or greater the outdoor equivalent. There’s no coasting, no tailwind, no one to draft off of. It is you and your trainer just pounding at each other. Set a time limit and assess your status when you get to the end. 30 minutes is a great place to start if you are new. I find it hard to do less than 45-60 minutes if I’m really focused, but can’t bear to do more than about 90 minutes before my mild A.D.D. kicks in to high-gear and I have to go do something else. If you really have to pile on the time, try doing 2 sessions a day rather than 1 marathon session.
3. Hydrate or die. Well, that’s a little over the top; but keep water or energy drink nearby – especially for the longer sessions. Keep as much fluid nearby as you would on an outdoor ride of the same duration – a bottle an hour is a good guideline. Depending on what your body requires – having some food handy is good thinking as well and sometimes help break the monotony.
4. Create a dedicated space if you can because it will make better use of your time (and reduce the excuses you can use to talk yourself out of it). If you don’t have dedicated space; create a quick set-up plan so you know you can be ready to go in short time and you don’t draw-out your preparation. You’ll end up with more time and energy (and fewer excuses) to ride – which will result it better fitness when spring comes back.
5. A Trainer tire and or wheel saves time and money in the long run. ”Hey, that was in the other section too! You’re cheating. Busted!” Well, it’s a tip too – so there! Many of us ride around on expensive tires most of the year. My main bike is shod with tires which cost $67/wheel! The added heat and friction of trainer use is very hard on tires – wearing them out rapidly.
A trainer tire uses a purpose-specific compound which withstands the friction far better and lasts multiple seasons. The Continental Ultra Home Trainer is a great example ($40 – 45) The result is fresher tires ready to ride (and not in need of replacement) when the weather turns nice. The compound is much cleaner on your roller (and floor) than standard road rubber – which reduces damage and cleaning. Mount your trainer tire on a spare wheel to make wheel-swaps go faster (instead of having to change tires) and you’ll make the transition from outdoor to indoor in less time.

Have any questions? Any other strategies that have worked for you to get more from your trainer time? Share in the comments…

Post-Bike Ride Checklist

GUILTY OF NEGLECT?

Nick Legan; former Pro Tour mechanic for Team RadioShack, et. al. and a tech writer for velonews.com recently made a great comment in answer to one of the questions from his Ask Nick column. He said:

“…it amazes me how much attention bike racers will give their training, their nutrition and their pre-race routine while ignoring a major part of the equation: their bikes!
What makes a pro team mechanic a pro team mechanic is actually very repetitive in nature: inspection. By paying daily attention to a bike, a good mechanic can prevent virtually all on-the-road problems. ”

While many of us long for the meticulous care of having a pro team mechanic maintain our machines; what we don’t realize is that the biggest difference – systematic inspection – is something that is easy for us to do ourselves. Here I will outline for you the steps that I take after a ride in my quick little inspection to hopefully give you a framework for your own routine. You are more than welcome to use mine, of course.

This routine is meant to be pretty brief – because I know I’m tired after a ride and usually ready to take a shower and start recovery; and I’m sure you’re probably like me in that respect. So these steps shouldn’t require a lot of time and should allow you to put the bike away and get on with your day pretty quickly.

First – go through your mental checklist: If you’re like me; when there is something wrong with my bike that I notice on a ride, it nags me until I get home. Whatever it is: the dragging rear brake cable; rattling valve stem; slow-to-shift derailleur; or loose headset, now is the time to address it. Get to your work area, grab the appropriate tools, and take care of it. You’ll get on the road sooner and safer next time (if you remember to address it at all before that ride…)
Next – Lubricate your Chain: I go into this in depth in my Bike Mistakes Part 2.5 post; so head there next for some tips and recommendations. But now is the best time to do this for a few reasons; among them: a) it helps clean the newly acquired grit off your chain before it really gets stuck to it b) allows the lubricant time to dry or set up so that you and your bike stay cleaner on your next ride and c) gets this necessary task out of the way so you get your ride started sooner next time. You should be doing it anyway – so get in the habit, do it now, and have a cleaner bike in the long run.
Check your tires for cuts, nicks, and wear: a quick but purposeful spin of the front and rear wheels gets you a good visual inspection to see where staples, glass, or small sharp rocks may be stuck in your tires or where you may have cuts. You’ll often be surprised too where a tire that appeared to be good before the ride has now worn through to the casing (the cloth body of the tire which is under the rubber). For more photos and tips on this specifically; check my post on Worn Tires and Flatting.
Optional: Give it a quick wipe-down: If it’s gotten a little wet, muddy, dirty, dusty or otherwise undesirable – run a rag over it really quick. If you’re feeling industrious; squirt some Pedro’s Bike Lust, ProGold Carbon Care or similar bike polish on it for added shine. You’ll be surprised how much road grime builds up over the course of one ride or a trip down the highway on the roof rack. Wipe it off and your bike will look more like new – which; let’s be honest, will make you more excited about riding it again ( I think I’m going to go wipe my bikes down now…be right back…)
Finally; hang it up: or place it wherever you put your bikes to rest.

Unless I’ve had a particularly difficult adjustment to make on the first step; I’d say this takes me less than 5 minutes most of the time and makes a load of difference on the subsequent rides and when it’s time for an overhaul. My bike is cleaner, quieter, easier to work on and needs less attention. All good things.

Of course; there are times – say after a muddy mountain bike ride or particularly wet or sloppy rain ride or cyclocross race – that your bike will need more cleaning and care. That’s another post for another day; but not to be neglected. A clean bike is a happy bike so take your time and do it right (which means: don’t use pressurized water…)

Do you see anything missing or have a different way of doing things? Share in the comments section so we can all learn from each other.

Pre-Ride Checklist

“PREPPING” AIN’T JUST FOR ZOMBIE ATTACKS…

I was preparing for a ride the other day when it occurred to me: there’s a lot of things that I just “do” before a ride without thinking about – however they can be rather crucial to the success and enjoyment of the endeavor. A lot of this ritual are things picked up along my journey as a cyclist from others and some of it is because of experiences I have had and developed a way to prevent disaster on subsequent rides. There’s nothing magical about it; but it is actually a little bit of a ritual. That’s good though as it keeps me from missing a step or forgetting to do something before I head out the door.

All told; while it might seem like a lot of steps – it really only takes probably 10 minutes total ( not sure really – I’m not analytic enough to time myself…). The trick to this or any checklist you might develop for yourself is to make it a routine and you’ll soon find yourself accomplishing everything rather quickly and smoothly. So; here’s the details with some description following so you know why I might do what I do – or when I do it.

You might also note that I allude to some post-ride rituals too…I’ll post some on that that soon; but it’s just as important and can be very quick and easy.

PLAN MY ROUTE: I do this for safety’s sake: so I can tell my wife where I’m going since I ride by myself most of the time.
Sometimes I’m more detailed than others – but even if I just have a general direction in mind; that will let the search party zero in on me faster… 🙂 A quick phone call or text to “file my flight plan” also gives her a good idea of when I’ve left and how long I should be gone. If you’re not letting someone know when you ride by yourself – find someone who cares and start. If something happens to you while riding; this could make a big difference.

GET DRESSED: Sometimes the previous step and this one are intermingled…but that’s beside the point. And, this is a worthwhile step to mention because it’s truly part of the preparation. This is where you consider the conditions you’re riding in and what layers are appropriate and how you’ll address a change: i.e. what you’ll do if it starts raining/snowing or if the temperature changes. Are you taking a jacket and will your jersey accommodate it if you need to take it off? Arm warmers instead of long-sleeved jersey? Do you need reflective clothing in case it gets dark? All worth considering.

Also think about how intense your ride will be: for a mellow or recovery ride you’ll want to dress warmer than you would for the more difficult effort of a training ride since your body temperature will be higher with harder efforts.

Finally: out of respect for my wife and her floors…I leave the shoes off until I step into the garage so I don’t mar things up with my cleats. Continue reading “Pre-Ride Checklist”

Bike Term Dictionary

This is a Glossary of sorts I’ve compiled over the years that will be occasionally updated. Think of it as your Bike Dictionary. Bookmark it and use it often. Don’t know what something means? Look for it here. Can’t find it? Write us or leave a comment and we’ll create a new entry. We hope this is a great service that we can all keep improving. Enjoy!

Sorry, I’m not going to even try to keep this in alphabetical order…

Road Bike Terms-

Cadence: The revolutions per minute (rpm) of your cranks as propelled by your legs. Often used as a measure of efficiency (higher cadence is usually deemed more efficient) or as a guide for gear selection. In road cycling for the last decade, 90 rpm is considered a benchmark cadence.

Compact (double) Crank: The alternative to standard double or triple crankset. The compact double crankset has two chainrings of smaller diameter than a standard double; usually 50 teeth (50t) and 34 or 36 teeth (34t) instead of 53 and 39 teeth. This lower and broader range of gears provides a wider variety of ratios and easier climbing gears. Compared to a traditional triple, a compact offers smoother front shifting and may be lighter; but is commonly geared slightly higher.

Components: Catch-all term for brakes, shifters, derailleurs, gears, chains etc.

105, Ultegra, Dura Ace: These are currently three top-tier levels of Shimano’s road components – Dura Ace being the highest; professional level components. Since Shimano holds majority market-share for components in the bike industry – these are considered the benchmarks for quality and performance at their given levels.

TT: Short term for Time Trial – an individual “race against the clock” usually involving more aerodynamic equipment than is commonly found in traditional road racing. Often augmented by ITT (individual time trial) and/or TTT (team time trial).

Sizing: Quick, approximate process to establish an ideal frame size and safe riding position. Not as detailed as fitting. Commonly a service given away for free with a new bike (but often referred to as fitting). Think of sizing as going to a clothing boutique and the associate recommending sizes to try on.

Fitting: Detailed analytical process of adjusting a bicycle and the rider’s position on that bicycle to improve comfort, efficiency, power, and reduce likelihood of injury due to repetitive motion. Good fitting services are more like going to a tailor for a suit than anything. Evaluation of individual physiology, injury history, riding habits, and goals must be a part of the process to insure good results. Quality fitting services are commonly not found “given away” for free.

Triple (crank): A common crankset on mountain bikes and hybrids, the triple is also found on road touring bikes and many recreational and enthusiast road bikes. It gets it’s name from the three chainrings found on it; providing a low, medium, and high range of gears. The smallest, inner-most chainring is often referred to as the “granny-gear” and is your lowest range of gears for climbing.

SIS: Shimano Indexing System. This is the trademark used to identify Shimano’s indexed shifting system (think of it like pre-set stations on your radio – push the button and it goes there). Indexed shifting is the norm now and replaced “friction” shifting which was more like older style analog radios where you turn the dial until it sounds good. Friction shifting is still an option, but not easy to find and only somewhat common on time-trial and touring bikes.

BB-30: Bottom Bracket 30 – refers to an open-source standard pioneered by Cannondale and widely accepted in the industry involving a larger 30 mm crank spindle (axle) and similarly oversized bearings which are pressed directly into the frame rather than threaded into the frame as has been the traditional method. Other standards of oversized bearing/spindle or press-fit bearings exist and are usually not interchangeable. Examples: BB-90, BB-91, BB-86

Clincher: Now more common than the tubular(sew-up) tire – but this was not always the case. The clincher tire more closely resembles automobile tires in its formation, involving a “bead” of various materials designed to interface with a “hook” in the clincher rim to old the tire firmly on the rim without adhesives and encase the inner tube. Clincher tire quality has increased immensely adding performance and reducing weight in the last couple of decades. It is now the norm for training and amateur racing due to it’s lower cost and ease of maintenance and replacement.

Tubular(sew-up): The same and different. First: either of these refers to a tire that must be glued or otherwise adhered to a rim as opposed to the now common “clincher” variety. Sew-up tires are the oldest variety and refer to a tire with an innertube (usually latex) sewn into the body of the tire. Tubular is the umbrella term covering sew-ups and tires with other construction methods which still must be adhered to the rim surface. Tubular tire/rim combinations are not interchangeable with clincher tires and rims. They can often provide lighter weight, better comfort, and better cornering but are also usually more expensive and difficult to install. Tubular tires are difficult to fix when punctured. Tubular tire gluing and installation can have catastrophic results when done wrong and should not be taken lightly. We recommend installation by a very experienced professional.

MTB Terms

29er: Larger diameter mountain bike wheel standard which has actually been around for quite a while but is finally gaining wide-spread acceptance and support. Finally popularized by Gary Fisher with his bike brand, these wheels are taller than the standard 26″ wheels traditionally used. Employing the 700c rim diameter most commonly found on road, touring, and hybrid bicycles; the 29er is promoted as being a more efficient wheel size for rolling over obstacles and maintaining speed and momentum. The down sides are often additional weight and reduced agility.

2×10: Newly introduced gearing standard for mountain bikes mirroring a popular road bike standard, pioneered by component manufacturer SRAM and soon after endorsed by Shimano. The 2×10 involves a gear cluster of 10 cogs on the rear wheel and crankset of 2 chainrings. Traditionally, mountain bikes have had 3 chainrings and between 7 and 9 cogs.

LX, XT, XTR: These have long been the three top-tier levels of Shimano’s mountain components – XTR being the highest; professional level components. Since Shimano holds majority market-share for components in the bike industry – these are considered the benchmarks for quality and performance at their given levels. LX was recently replaced by “SLX”

Sag: Term referring to the movement of the suspension system on a mountain bike when a rider sits on the bike. Sag is ideal and part of the design parameter, allowing the system to adapt better to the terrain than a system without sag. A suspension system is often designed to have a sag amount of 15-25% of the total travel of the system.

Tubeless: A tire and rim system designed to work without the use of the more common inner tube. Often involves a sealed rim or rim-strip, special air valve, and tire sealant or special tire which is less air-permeable. Tubeless systems are becoming more common but are still only found at the higher ends of the product offerings. They allow the use of lower tire pressures providing better traction and reduced chance of flatting from lower pressure (pinch flats). The tires can be more difficult to mount on the rims because of the necessity of a tight fit to hold air. The easiest way to fix a puncture on a tubeless tire system is to install an inner tube – so carry a spare.

UST: Mavic’s tubeless standard “Universal Standard for Tubeless” (http://www.mavic.com/mtb/technologies/UST.1.9405.aspx). While this system is touted as a “universal standard” it is not necessarily compatible with all tubeless systems.

Compression: Term that refers to a suspension system coming under load and into a compressed state. Also used to refer to the compression adjustment on a suspension system and controlling how quickly or slowly a system compresses thereby fine-tuning the system to a rider’s weight and riding style.

Rebound: Term that refers to a suspension system returning from it’s loaded, “compression” state to it’s unloaded state. Also used to refer to rebound adjustment on a suspension system and controlling how quickly or slowly a system rebounds thereby fine-tuning the system to a rider’s weight and riding style.

General Terms

True: Term used to describe a rim’s alignment to itself. A straight rim is “true”. A “wobbly” rim is “out-of-true”. To repair an out-of-true wheel you take it to a shop to be “trued”. Wheel truing is an art best performed by an experienced mechanic and when well done improves the life-span and performance of your wheels.

Dish: Term used to describe a rim’s alignment to the centerline of the wheel. A rim that is centered is “in dish”. A rim that is of center is “out of dish”. To repair an out of dish wheel you take it to a shop to be “dished”. This is an integral part of building any wheel. Wheel dishing is not to be taken lightly and should only be performed by a professional mechanic with a specialty in wheels and wheel building.

Round: Term used to describe a rim’s circular alignment with the center of the hub. A rim that is perfectly circular is “in round”. A rim that is not circular is “out of round”. This is an integral part of building any wheel. A wheel that is out of round is best addressed by a professional mechanic with a specialty in wheels and wheel building.

Bottom Bracket (BB): The assembly housing the set of bearings and often the spindle (axle) that the cranks turn on.

Headset: The assembly housing the set of bearings used to control the steering of the bicycle. Found at the front of the bike and housed in the head tube. There are many varieties, sizes, and standards of headsets – not all are interchangeable.

31.8: Oversized handlebar standard quickly becoming the norm. The number refers to the diameter in millimeters. It’s oversized nature is realized when compared to the older standards of 22.2, 25.4 and 25.8 or 26.0. 31.8 quickly became popular with stem manufacturers because it eliminated the difference between mountain and road handlebar diameters allowing them to potentially make fewer stems. This standard is commonly stiffer and stronger than it’s smaller counterparts but can often be heavier.

SPD: Shimano Pedaling Dynamics. Term used to identify Shimano’s system of clipless pedals and often as an umbrella term for clipless pedals in general. The SPD system currently comes in two varieties: SPD-M for mountain biking and touring and SPD-SL for road cycling. The SPD-M system is also the most common for indoor cycling (spinning) classes at gyms and fitness-centers.

Clipless (pedals): Term used to describe pedal systems designed to mechanically engage with a shoe. On the surface it appears to be a misnomer, as we refer to the engagement/disengagement process as “clipping-in/clipping-out”, however due to the fact that the predecessors were called “toe-clips” and these do not employ the same attachment methods of clips and straps, these came to be known as “clipless” pedals. Common systems (and umbrella terms) are SPD and LOOK, but these are available from a myriad of companies. Not all are interchangeable.

Quick Release (QR): A type of fastener which usually replaces a nut or bolt and uses a cam-style lever to secure an item to the bike without the use of tools. On modern bicycles these are most commonly found securing the front and rear wheels to the frame via the hub axle and occasionally used to secure the seat post in the frame. Fun fact: the hub quick release was invented by Tullio Campagnolo, the namesake of the Italian bicycle component manufacturer.

Chamois: Traditional name for the padding found in cycling shorts. The padding originated as soft, refined leather sewn inside the shorts – thus the name “chamois”; but has been replaced in most cases by thicker, multi-density, synthetic padding.

Computer (“cyclometer”): An electronic device used to track various elements of a ride such as speed and distance. Usually this is achieved via a magnet attached to a wheel, a sensor mounted on the frame and a computer unit which receives signals from the sensor and is calibrated with the approximate circumference of the wheel. Using this method, the computer knows how far the wheel has traveled each rotation and how long it took to cover the distance. Additional features may be (but are not limited to) average speed, maximum speed, riding time, cadence (RPM of the cranks), and even altitude and heart rate on some models. GPS (Global Positioning System) computers are also becoming more common and triangulate your position using a satellite system to provide similar results.

Saddle: Technical term for a bike’s seat.

Freewheel (noun): A single cog or cluster of cogs (gears) on the rear wheel which allows the rider to “coast” or “freewheel” while the wheel is still spinning. The multi-cog freewheels allow for the chain to be shifted among them in order to achieve different gear ratios and mechanical advantages. The Freewheel is characterized by the way it attaches to the wheel’s hub. A freewheel screws onto the hub via a threaded interface with the hub itself. The bearings and “ratchet and pawl” mechanism inside a freewheel are what made it such a huge advantage over the fixed cogs which were the norm and required the rider to continuously pedal if the wheels were turning.

Freewheel (verb): Term used more commonly in European cycling circles for “coasting” or riding without pedaling.

Cassette: A single cog or cluster of cogs (gears) on the rear wheel with similar advantages to the freewheel, but differing in how it attaches to the rear wheel’s hub. In a cassette mechanism the bearings and ratchet and pawl mechanisms are housed inside a part of the rear hub (often referred to as the freehub). The cassette itself is just a collection of cogs which are designed to slide onto a splined interface with the freehub portion of the rear hub. These splines are intricate and occasionally proprietary interfaces which are commonly brand specific and may only allow for certain brands or certain numbers of cogs to be compatible. The multi-speed cassette rear hub is considered superior to the freewheel in terms of durability and strength and are most commonly found on higher-quality component configurations.

Departure from Sunset Cycles

There are many who read this blog who are regular customers of mine. Some of you I have been able to contact; others I have not. For those of you who do not already know – here is the latest as I do not want anyone to be surprised:

Last Thursday night, June 16; Roger laid me off from my job at Sunset Cycles. Reasons cited were 1) failure to follow through on small, around-the-store tasks such as cleaning and 2) Refusal to work on Sundays more than the occasional instance I had originally agreed to.

While both of these are true, I believe that those who know me well will agree that there are many bigger, more valuable tasks – providing superior customer service among the biggest – that I performed with absolute consistency. Additionally, Sunday is a special day to me as it is my only weekend day that I spend with my family – who are the most important people in the world to me – as we go to church and do other important family activities and I will always refuse to put work ahead of my family if forced to make a choice.

I am not looking for sympathy and I don’t expect you to defend me to anyone at Sunset Cycles. Neither do I intend to influence where you choose to do business in the future. I simply wanted my side of the story to be told to those who are important to me and for you to not be surprised when you visit the store.

Additionally; I feel that we have a long-standing relationship as it pertains to your cycling life and I want you know that you are free to contact me with questions and for advice.

As for the future; I don’t know if I will be returning to the retail side of the bike industry again. But if I do; I will certainly announce it here.

Best wishes. I hope to bump into you on the road – as I plan to do more riding now – and I hope that I can be of service in the future. I am open to helping you with your bikes at least in the short term with the understanding that my resources are a little limited at the moment.
Continue reading “Departure from Sunset Cycles”

Fascinating Article on Tire Testing

Part of a series I’m calling Tires 101 with lots of great info to consider when looking for new tires.

CHOICES, CHOICES…
Our choices in the tires we ride are possibly among the most subjective we make. There is often very little empirical data (except maybe price…) that is involved. More commonly our “data” is along the lines of “my buddy says they’re the fastest tires he’s ridden” or “she said she didn’t get flat tires for a year”. When you really stop and think about it though – there is a lot of highly personal variables involved in those statements. Let’s cut through the clutter.

I’ve long admired cyclingnews.com’s James Huang’s technical writing and referred to it often as the best in cycling journalism (although – VeloNews has really stepped it up lately).

One of his latest pieces highlights a tire testing facility in Finland that seems to finally be coming up with some good data on tires in real-world type scenarios and less-so in the controlled laboratory conditions of older tests. The article has some fascinating facts and data; confirming some long-held thoughts and theories of my own and surprising me on a few areas that I had accepted as fact which it seems were not.

FIRST – THE CONFIRMATIONS:
-Wider tires are faster due to less energy lost in casing deformation. The study specifically cites 25 mm tires versus 23mm tires.

-Puncture resistant tires are typically slower, but to different degrees depending upon the stiffness of the material used. Again, based on tire deflection.

-Lighter inner tubes are faster. Lower weight at the periphery of the wheel lessens the moment of inertia and amount of effort required to maintain speed – the same as with lighter tires. Continue reading “Fascinating Article on Tire Testing”

How to fit a Cyclocross Bike

JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM MY OTHER BIKE…

As I have discussed (at length) before – there is a lot of good and bad info out there about bike fitting and selecting the right size frame. One of the more common topics I run into this time of year is how to select the right size of Cyclocross bike.

A common guideline I have heard is that you ought to size-down from your road bike frame size to obtain the right ‘cross frame. As a universal guideline, this couldn’t be more WRONG! There are instances where this may apply, but I would say that they are rare now. It is a unique bike and just like you wouldn’t adjust your road bike a “little different from your road bike”; treat your cyclocross bike like and individual and get it right.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BICYCLE…

To explain my stance – first a little history. In the (seemingly) long-gone days of “traditional” (horizontal top tube) geometry, one of the big differences between a road frame and a ‘cross frame was a higher bottom bracket shell (where the cranks pass through the frame) to allow for clearance over obstacles and terrain.

Depending on what road frame geometry you were comparing this to (criterium, stage race, touring, etc…) this could result in a bottom bracket that is 10, 15, or 20mm higher on a ‘cross frame than the comparable road frame. Therefore, to get the same top tube length for proper fit, you would subtract that 10, 15, or 20mm from the road frame’s height to arrive at your ‘cross frame size. For example, I fit nicely on a lot of “traditional” 58cm and 59 cm frames. So, I would ride a 56 or 57cm ‘cross frame from the same manufacturer (if it had a higher bottom bracket) to get the same extension to the handlebars.

Since then, a few things have changed. (o.k., a lot of things – but only a few in the world of bike geometry.) But these few items may have a large effect on what frame size you ride.

Sloping top tubes and taller head tubes have changed how we size and fit bikes
The same top-tube slope has introduced more variability into “numbered” frame sizing (i.e. 53, 54, 56, 59 cm, etc…) for road and cyclocross frames
Many frame builders have moved away from the “Euro” higher bottom bracket to a more “American” lower bottom bracket for cyclocross – although, not all of them.
Integrated headsets “inflate” head-tube dimensions and must be accounted for versus traditional “press-in” headsets when determining front-end height

Cycling Nutrition – a basic guide

Comments from my recent post on Fitting, Fitness, and Fuel prompted me to post this article (with a few edits…) I recently wrote for a newsletter. It is geared heavily toward the Hammer Nutrition products – as that’s what I use and what we were emphasizing in the article; but it’s still a good guide whatever your brand of choice may be. Enjoy!

GARBAGE IN = GARBAGE OUT
You’ve heard that expression applied to many different topics; but it is no less true when it comes to how your fuel your body on a ride (or any exercise for that matter). Proper nutrition during exercise and endurance activities is one of the most important keys to success – and to enjoying those activities too. However, there are a few really common mistakes which most of us have made in the past or make regularly which hurt our performance – often without even knowing! I want to offer a guide to success in your pursuits in the coming season. So, read the guide; and then Steve’s article, to decide which products to add to your regimen.

PROPER RECOVERY

We’ll start with my favorite product – and probably the most beneficial one: Recoverite. How many of us go out and ride hard or put in a killer workout only to spend the rest of the day sore, run down, and wishing we hadn’t gone so hard? Wake up the next morning – and: POW – it’s even worse! Makes it hard to feel like doing it again, but then – how do you get any stronger? The secret is in recovery – and recovering properly.

Resting and letting your muscles repair themselves after a hard workout is when you gain your strength and fitness. Giving your muscles the proper fuel to effectively repair themselves and flush the toxins which are created during anaerobic efforts is the trick to reducing soreness and fatigue, reducing your recovery time, and building your fitness faster – not to mention more enjoyably.Recoverite (and many other recovery products); containing the critical 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates and protein, should be used within 30 minutes of completing your workout while your metabolism is still ramped up. Your muscles will receive the proper fuel, in the proper dose to help begin healthy and rapid recovery. Glutamine and electrolytes also help boost your immune system and accelerate re-hydration to help reduce that tired and run-down feeling. Because endurance activities also require far above-average oxygen consumption; you are more prone to oxidative damage issues – thought to be a cause of some degenerative diseases and impaired recovery. The antioxidants in Recoverite help buffer these reactions. Finally, proteins in these recovery products often act as an appetite suppressant – keeping you from going home and cleaning out the fridge after your ride!

HYDRATION AND FUEL INTAKE

So, now that we’ve helped you recover better – let’s help you out during your activity. Most athletes make their biggest mistakes during their workouts or events. Giving your body the right fuels at the right time in the right doses is not easy, but there are a few things to avoid. Hammer’s HEED and Perpetuem; used correctly, help avoid the mistakes of over-hydration and intake of improper fuels like simple sugars (fructose, glucose, or sucrose).

The long-chain maltodextrin found in these drink mixes is a complex sugar (carbohydrate) and therefore “burns” more evenly than the simple sugars found in many popular energy foods and drinks. Additionally your body can only absorb a small amount of simple sugars per hour during intense activity. This means that drinking a concentrated mixture of these fuels or drinking too much results in wasted fuel and wasted energy – as your body is still having to work to move that fuel through your system even though it cannot convert it to energy. Complex carbs can be absorbed and converted to energy in far higher concentrations than their simple counterparts; resulting in far more efficient fuel conversion and less likely over-dosage with concentrated mixtures. In layman’s terms: if you find your body requires more fuel than average (mine does – I’m a big guy with a really in-efficient engine), you can mix your drinks a little heavier. This helps you take in more fuel in fewer ounces and reduce your chances of over-hydrating which can result in cramping just like under-hydrating.

HEED is an electrolyte rich mix great for efforts of up to 2 hours. Perpetuem is for two hours or more supplying the same valuable electrolytes and the added protein that you need to reduce the likelihood of metabolizing muscle tissue in your body’s search for more fuel.

INTAKE OF SOLID OR OTHER FUELS

Hammer Gel is a useful tool to help avoid the above cited mistakes of related to hydration and quality fueling. Its composition is also one of complex, long-chain carbs to deliver higher-quality fuel in a stronger, more useful dose than the simpler sugars found in may gels. But, did you know that it is important to use solid foods carefully if not sparingly during your efforts? Solid foods require more effort from your digestive system to break down into fuel and then deliver that fuel – recruiting valuable energy from processes more useful to your endeavor. Gel provides the valuable nutrients in doses which are easy to manage and don’t require as much energy to convert for use. You wouldn’t give a race engine anything other than the right fuel. Sure, it can derive power from a variety of sources; but only a select few are efficient and logical.

Even though they do produce the Hammer Bar (which is remarkably tasty and easy to eat compared to many others; by the way), Hammer only recommends it for consumption before starting an activity or as a meal replacement. They do, however recognize that solid food is sometimes useful for variety or distraction during prolonged efforts, but caution that you ought to be particularly careful of what and how much you consume – your performance is at risk, after all. There are plenty of documented cases of successful prolonged endurance performances on no solid food. I myself have had 5 and 6 hour rides with nothing more than a granola bar for solid food in addition to gels and drinks and with good success.

The great thing about anyone’s performance products is that they now come in a broad enough range of flavors that almost anyone can find something to suit them. While I am a big fan of Hammer’s products – as they’ve proven themselves to me time-and-again – I’ve said many times that the most important thing is for you to like the products you’re using; otherwise you won’t use it often enough or stick with it long enough to be effective. If you need more info, check out Steve’s articles on Hammer’s website or pick up one of Hammer’s Nutrition Guides and learn more.

And, as always, I’m happy to help answer your questions and help you to love your cycling experience. Leave a comment and I’ll reply.Thanks for reading.