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Newsletter archive
______________________________________
RoadBikeRider.com Newsletter
Issue No. 428 - 02/04/10: Approaching
Coaching
ISSN 1536-4143
Produced almost every
Thursday by RBR Publishing Company. E-mailed without cost or obligation to
more than 63,000 roadies around the world.
______________________________________
VALENTINES DAY is Coming! - Gifts for Her - Gifts for
Him
Jewelry, Jerseys, After-Ride T's, Recycled Green
Gifts.
New Share the Road T-shirt.
www.BicycleGifts.com
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1.
ROAD
NOTES
Last
Thursday
in
this
space
we
had
little
good
to
say
about
the
Magicshine
900
headlight
or
the
company
we
bought
it
from,
GeoManGear.com.
After
the
light
failed
9
hours
into
using
it
for
an
RBR
product
test,
phone
calls
and
e-mails
to
GeoManGear.com
went
unanswered.
A
few
hours
after
the
newsletter
was
published,
GeoMan
himself,
Jay
Stolpestad,
e-mailed
RBR.
He
was
cordial
but
upset
about
the
situation.
"Needless
to
say,
I am
distressed
at
your
comments
and
don't
feel
they
were
unfair,
but
I
have
to
admit
that
something
happened
to
the
communication
that
wasn't
entirely
our
fault,"
Stolpestad
told
us.
He
went
on
to
explain
a
complication
involving
personal
issues
compounded
by a
Google
Voice
misconfiguration,
the
result
being
that
our
calls
over
a
2-day
period
were
not
received.
As
for
the
unanswered
e-mail,
we
don't
need
to
be
convinced
that
e-mail
isn't
the
most
reliable
means
of
communication.
So,
this
seems
to
be a
classic
example
of
"if
it
can
go
wrong
it
will
go
wrong."
As
the
day
wore
on,
a
number
of
satisfied
GeoManGear.com
customers
came
to
the
company's
defense
on
our
Cycling
Commentary
page.
So
did
several
happy
owners
of
the
Magicshine
900.
Their
comments
are
now
in
the
archive
below
newsletter
No.
427.
We
thought
highly
of
the
900-lumen,
$85
LED
headlight
--
while
it
worked.
We've
now
exchanged
our
faulty
Magicshine
(it
wouldn't
recharge)
for
a
new
one
from
GeoManGear.com
and
will
continue
with
our
test.
Assuming
the
replacement
light
works
reliably,
we'll
write
a
review
to
tell
you
all
about
it.
If
it
doesn't,
you'll
learn
that
too.
Comment
______________________________________
What
Else
is
Going
On?
-
Greg LeMond and Trek Bicycle Corp. have settled their 22-month-long breach of contract dispute, avoiding a potentially spiteful jury trial that was scheduled to begin on March 1. Thus ends their 15-year relationship. Trek partnered with LeMond in 1995 to produce road bikes under the 3-time Tour de France winner's name. The relationship began turning sour in 2001 when LeMond voiced doping suspicions about Trek-riding superstar Lance Armstrong.
In 2008 Trek sued LeMond Cycling for some $6 million, claiming multiple breaches of contract. LeMond countersued, alleging that Trek failed in its obligation to promote the LeMond brand. He sought $4 million in damages for lost domestic and international sales.
In the settlement, Trek will provide $200,000 to 1in6.org, a charity for adult male victims of childhood sexual abuse co-founded by LeMond, and Greg has regained rights to the LeMond trademark. It's expected that he'll bring his bikes back to the market either through his company or another supplier. The agreement does not bar him from voicing opinions about doping, Armstrong or any other rider.
-
Vitamin D sales have increased almost 6-fold in recent years because of D's suspected role in lowering the risk of ailments from cancer to heart disease to osteoporosis (a concern among cyclists). And some contend that D plays a positive role in athletic performance. The New York Times takes the latest look at the nutrient in "The Miracle of Vitamin D: Sound Science, or Hype?" The article notes that studies have been promising but clinical trials are lacking. The ideal daily dose of D is uncertain, as is whether supplementing in relatively large amounts will improve health or lead to negative side effects. It's suspected that as many as half of all adults and children have less than optimum levels.
After reading the article, cycling physician Gabe Mirkin told RBR: "The author asks all the right questions. I am convinced that sunlight offers something much more than vitamin D. My levels of vitamin D did not return to normal when I took 1,000 IU per day, and my running injuries did not improve until I went to Florida and exposed my skin to more sunlight. Anyway, it will be five years before we really know if vitamin D can do what sunlight does. I do not believe that it does."
-
A national crackdown on distracted driving has taken an unexpected turn, reports USA Today. A new study shows that the number of traffic crashes did not drop in California, New York, Connecticut or the District of Columbia after they banned drivers from using handheld cell phones. The study comes as legislatures in another 23 states are considering banning texting while driving. Ten of those states already restrict texting by novice drivers. So far, 19 other states and DC have banned the practice for all drivers. A director of auto club AAA says the group's aggressive lobbying for state bans on texting will continue despite the study because "texting's different from talking on the phone. Texting takes people's eyes off the road for seconds at a time. They're oblivious to what's going on around them."
-
3's not enough in the land of RAGBRAI. There's a "Bike Safety & Responsibility Bill" moving through the Iowa legislature that says, "When passing a bicycle, a motorist must maintain 5 feet [1.5 m] of distance from the bicyclist." There's no free lunch for riders, though. The bill also stipulates, "Bicyclists must obey signs and signals."
-
Year 2 of his comeback will see Lance Armstrong racing again in Europe's famed spring classics. According to Team RadioShack, Lance will line up for Milan-San Remo (March 20), Tour of Flanders (April 4), Amstel Gold Race (April 18) and Liege-Bastogne-Liege (April 25). Then he will return to the U.S. for the Tour of California (May 16-23). Last year and during most of his career, Armstrong has steered clear of the rough-and-tumble classics in order to train or ride events better suited to preparing for the Tour de France, which he'll ride this year starting on July 3.
______________________________________
Overheard:
"I
would
love
to
go
on a
bike
ride
with
Lance
Armstrong,
just
for
those
few
hours,
just
like
to
say
hi,
just
to
like
hug
him."
--
Scott
Brown,
newly
elected
Republican
senator
from
Massachusetts.
______________________________________
-
Changing pedals is big news? It is if your name is Lance Armstrong and you're switching to Look after an entire career on Shimano. Look supplies Team RadioShack so it's best for the captain to be using the same pedals as his mates, which allows an emergency bike swap in a racing situation. Lance was set up with Keo Blades (93 grams apiece using a carbon blade cleat-retention system) during a recent RadioShack training camp. Interestingly, he uses a fixed foot position -- zero float. Velonews.com covers the story at http://tinyurl.com/ybyh748
-
Lance ranks 10th in Bloomberg BusinessWeek's list of the world's 100 most powerful athletes, power being defined by earning potential. No. 1 in the survey is Tiger Woods, whose admission of infidelity came too late in 2009 to knock him off the top spot. Armstrong is the only cyclist ranked and comes in ahead of such notables as Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer and David Beckham. See all 100 at http://tinyurl.com/yfemcr6
-
Last week's RBR poll asked, "How's your weight compared to what you'd like it to be?" Considering it's midwinter for lots of readers, it wasn't too surprising that so many are unhappy with their heaviness. A whopping 76% say they are at least 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) overweight and 50% admitted to being at least 10 lbs. (4.5 kg) too pudgy. Which brings up the evergreen question, how light is right? It was addressed yesterday in a New York Times article that may reduce anxiety (if not waistlines) around the globe: "Slimmer Doesn't Always Mean Fitter."
-
The 2013 cyclocross world championships will be held in Louisville, Kentucky. It's the first time the 'cross worlds will be in the U.S. (or anywhere outside of Europe). Despite facing a transatlantic flight and jet lag, the sport's top guns are enthusiastic about racing in America, reports cyclingnews.com. Belgian 'cross star Sven Nys even says he will delay his retirement in order to compete in the Blue Grass State. The worlds course will be in Eva Bandman Park, just a mile from downtown. The venue will become a permanent cyclocross facility supported by the city, which will tune up for the elite event by hosting the 2012 and 2013 world master 'cross championships.
______________________________________
Overheard:
"Riders
may
not
use
radios,
telephones
or
other
communications
devices.
No
earpieces
may
be
worn.
Audio
playback
devices
are
expressly
forbidden."
--
USA
Cycling
rule
1N6,
which
takes
effect
immediately
upon
the
request
of
the
International
Cycling
Union.
In
2010
in
the
U.S.,
race
radios
will
be
allowed
only
in
the
Tours
of
California
and
Missouri,
the
Philadelphia
International
Classic
for
men
and
the
Liberty
Classic
for
women.
"BAD
idea,
John!
Believe
me."
--
Johan
Bruyneel,
Team
RadioShack
director,
responding
on
Twitter
to
the
ban
on
race
radios.
______________________________________
-
Weeks after crashing into a brick wall, Matthias Kessler is beginning to regain consciousness. The 30-year-old German, a former pro, veered during a training ride to miss a cat, lost control and suffered a fractured skull resulting in severe brain trauma. The accident gained additional attention because he was not wearing a helmet. Kessler, suspended from racing for using testosterone, had been planning a comeback.
-
All in the family? The girlfriend of cocky Italian pro Riccardo "The Cobra" Ricco has tested positive for the blood booster CERA, just as Ricco did at the 2008 Tour de France. Vania Rossi was caught in a doping control at the Italian cyclocross championships where she finished second. Ricco is eligible to race again in March after a 20-month suspension. His return is not being warmly received in the pro peloton, where words like "parasite" have been used to describe him. And that was before his lady got popped. She claims innocence and says, "If I'd taken CERA or anything else, I'd deserve to be put in jail" because she has been breast feeding their baby boy for the last 6 months.
-
We're all health-conscious and trying to eat well, but what can we believe on packaging when browsing grocery shelves? Not much, according to the New York Times article, "Six Meaningless Claims on Food Labels." Examples: "strengthens your immune system," "made with whole grains." Read http://tinyurl.com/ylh2bef about tricks being played.
-
New on the RBR website: Coach Fred rode more than 50 hours in Colorado cold and Seattle showers to test & rate 2 promising shoe covers, the $60 Pearl Izumi Barrier MTB and the $100 Gore Race Power Thermo. If you're in the hunt for better booties, check his reviews.
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o^o o^o o^o o^o
2.
COACH FRED
Should I Hire a Coach?
Q:
I'm thinking about hiring a coach for the
upcoming season to help me meet my cycling
goals. What kind of coaching do you
recommend? Do you coach riders like me? --
Pat G.
Coach Fred Matheny Replies:
No, sorry, I don't coach individuals,
although I've been asked a few times.
Instead, I've chosen to share my advice in a
more general way through my eBooks,
eArticles and by answering questions sent in
by RBR
Premium
Site
members.
It's easy to tell when a new season is at
hand because questions about coaching
services begin arriving.
Basically, there are 3 ways to get better:
self-coaching, internet coaching, or having
a coach work with you in person. Each has
advantages and disadvantages.
Self-coaching works well for
recreational roadies who want to ride
more athletically and improve in
"noncompetitive" events such as
centuries. It also works well for racers
who have the time to develop and follow
their own programs based on my material
or that of 2 other highly qualified
coaches with "how to" guidance in the
RBR eBookstore --
Arnie Baker and
David Ertl.
Personally, though, I feel that there
can be difficulties in prescribing a
training program for a rider that a
coach has never met and seen in action.
Because internet coaches don't watch you
ride, they can't spot shortcomings in
your position, bike handling or (for
racers) tactics.
Racing involves a lot more than
developing and tuning a big engine.
Strategy, teamwork, experience -- these
things can affect your placing as much
as sheer horsepower.
But one-on-one coaching can be
expensive. Many coaches require riders
to have a power meter or at least a
heart monitor, which adds to the cost.
To get the most for your money you need
to devote a serious amount of time and
effort. Many people can't be that
dedicated or make the financial
commitment.
I suspect that most riders can reach about
90% of their genetic potential with
self-coaching. An internet coach might add
another few points. A good personal coach
could tack on almost all the rest.
Comment
o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o
o^o o^o o^o o^o
RBR's QUESTION
of the Week
How are you
coached?
We
give you 4 ways
to answer on our
poll page, where
you can also find an
archive of previous
poll results. Please
click, vote and come
back to finish
reading.
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Power for the People
More than 3,500 RBR roadies have purchased
Coach Fred Matheny's "Power to the Pedals"
training program.
Why so popular? It works!
Click here to read
the unsolicited feedback from a dozen newly
powerized riders.
The program is delivered in a 16-page eArticle
containing a clear-cut workout schedule. It
requires just 1 hour (or less) of specific
training 2 times per week, best done on an
indoor trainer. It does not require a
power meter or heart monitor.
"Power to the
Pedals"
costs just $3.99 in the
RBR eBookstore -- the same affordable price
as for each of our 30 helpful road cycling
eArticles. Download it instantly from your
RBR account, start today, and in April
you'll have greater pedaling power for all the
riding you do.
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3.
CLASSIFIEDS
Also see the
Classified Ads
page on the RBR website and please support these
advertisers that help make this newsletter free for you.
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4.
JIM'S TECH TALK
Quick-Release Refresher
Proper operation of wheel quick-release levers
is usually a topic for cycling newcomers. But
based on the number of loose, misaligned and
misassembled QRs I see at races and events, I'd
say lots of experienced riders also don't fully
understand them.
It's time to brush up!
If you look at a quick-release in a wheel hub,
you'll see the lever on one end and a round cap
on the other. The lever has a cam mechanism that
pulls the QR ends together to tightly clamp the
wheel in the frame.
The QR is opened and closed by moving the lever
back and forth 180 degrees, not by spinning it
like turning a screw. To make this perfectly
clear, here's a
small animation I made.
Most QR levers have the word "Closed" on one
side and "Open" on the other, telling you the
correct orientation. Also, most levers are
curved. When the curve is inward toward the
bike, the lever is closed.
Adjustment
Once the lever is open, you may need to loosen
it further to get the wheel out. This is usually
the case for front wheels because modern forks
have safety tabs on the dropouts. They prevent
the wheel from falling out when the QR is open.
To clear these tabs, hold one end of the QR and
unscrew the other until the wheel is free. Rear
dropouts don't have tabs, but unscrewing the QR
a couple of turns still might help the wheel
slide out easier.
When reinstalling the front wheel in a tabbed
fork (or anytime a QR doesn't tighten the wheel
when you close the lever), hold the lever open
and turn the cap clockwise to bring the ends
closer together.
The cam mechanism closes the QR only a small
amount. You want the lever to start feeling firm
when it's halfway closed. Turn the cap and work
the lever until the adjustment is right. Then
open the lever, make sure the wheel is fully
inserted and centered in the frame or fork, and
push the lever all the way closed.
Tighten Right
The rule of thumb says that the lever of a
properly adjusted QR will make an impression on
your palm as you close it down. Therefore, it
should take some effort to open the lever too.
If it opens easily it could vibrate loose when
you're riding, causing a loose wheel.
When closing QRs, align the rear lever with the
chainstay or seatstay and front lever with the
fork blade. This way you can wrap your fingers
around a tube for extra leverage as you close
the lever with your palm. But more important,
when levers are close to tubes it reduces the
chance of anything hooking them and loosening a
wheel. This might happen in a bike parking rack,
for example.
Traditionally, the rear QR lever is on the left
side of the bike to keep it away from drivetrain
congestion. So the front lever goes on the left
too. Of course, either lever will work fine on
the other side if you're a radical
nonconformist.
Common Problems
-
If you take a QR completely out of a hub and
later find that the wheel won't center in
the frame or fork, you may have reinstalled
one or both of the little conical springs
backward. Their role is to keep the QR
centered with the axle. To do this, their
small end faces inward. If they overlap the
axle instead of butting into it, the wheel
may sit crooked.
-
When a brand-name QR won't tighten securely
it may simply need lubrication. Working a
drop or 2 of chain lube into the cam
mechanism will usually fix it. If not, and
if it's an old QR, it might be worn or
corroded inside and need to be replaced.
-
Same goes for QRs with aluminum levers. They
can become difficult to close. Lube the cam
and where the lever presses on the pressure
washer to tighten the wheel.
-
When an off-brand QR won't tighten securely
it's usually due to poor quality or bad
design. In my experience, the best way to
resolve the issue (especially with alloy
models) is to upgrade to a quality brand
such as Shimano, Campagnolo, Mavic -- you
know the good names.
-
Some QRs have nuts on the bottom of the
lever. These can loosen and fall off. Don't
forget to check them during routine
maintenance.
-
The majority of QRs have steel skewers that
can rust (the skewer is the rod that passes
through the hollow hub axle). To prevent
rust, remove the QR and coat the skewer with
grease -- also a potential solution for
mysterious creaking or clicking from a
wheel.
o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o
o^o o^o o^o o^o
5.
NO PROBLEM!
Sports Drinks vs. Water
What's the matter?
You are so tempted to fill your bottles
only with water instead of a sports
drink. Water doesn't leave sticky liquid
sugar on your pristine bike, and it
doesn't drip colored streaks down the
front of your jersey when you're
breathing so hard you miss your mouth.
Water is a lot cheaper, too -- or free
by holding your bottle under a tap.
But despite the inconvenience, price and
mess, sports drinks have advantages that
water can't match. How can you force
yourself to forego the H2O?
Here's help:
If you need convincing, remember these
3 things:
-
Carbs mean better performance.
Sports drinks contain carbohydrate
while water does not. You need to
ingest carbs on rides longer than
about 90 minutes to help replace the
muscle fuel (glycogen) that's being
burned. Getting this replacement
carbohydrate is easier with fluids
than by eating solid food.
-
Electrolytes help you ride
better. Sports drinks contain
various electrolytes depending on
the manufacturer, but sodium is the
most important because you lose so
much of it through perspiration.
Drinking only water on long and hot
rides can even lead to the serious
medical condition called
hyponatremia. Basically, your
body's electrolytes become so
diluted that cells swell, and when
this happens in the brain it can be
fatal.
-
There's still room for water.
On long rides you can drink water
along with sports drink, although
the percentage should lean heavily
toward the latter for reasons just
cited. Drinking both water and a
sports drink tends to dilute the
drink's optimal carbohydrate
concentration and might delay
stomach emptying.
You could use nothing but sweet drinks,
of course, but most riders find that the
taste eventually becomes cloying and
they like to "chase" a couple of swigs
of sports drink with water.
Importantly, food usually tastes better
with water than with sports drinks. Most
riders do well on a diet of one energy
bar per hour on a long ride, but washing
down a peanut- or chocolate-flavored bar
with a fruit-flavored sweet drink can be
both unappetizing and tough on the
stomach.
Comment
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6. SCOTT'S
SPIN
Data Dump
I'm reading a book called "Soccernomics," which
applies economic analysis to soccer. It's similar to
"Moneyball," the ground-breaking book about
baseball's Oakland A's.
In
"Soccernomics" the authors' number-crunching debunks
much traditional wisdom in the sport, explaining,
for instance, why English scouts tend to favor blond
players. (They stand out on the field, appealing to
scouts' "sight-based prejudices.")
All of which made me think about the importance of
numbers in cycling.
Sure, you need a high watts-per-kilogram
(strength-to-weight) ratio in order to kick butt.
But what are the hidden metrics that contribute to
success? I've tortured the data and uncovered the
critical predictors. Call it Cyclenomics:
-
Cost of bicycle. Between $2,000 and
$5,000: Your lightweight bike makes you a better
rider. Over $5,000: You are a poseur who doesn't
ride much. Under $250: Real cyclists don't shop
Walmart.
-
Number of cycling websites bookmarked.
More than 6: You spend too much time online and
not enough in the saddle. Fewer than 3: You're
out of the loop on cycling equipment, gossip and
drug suspensions. Because you are boring, no one
will train with you and you won't improve.
-
Number of traffic lights on your commute.
More than 7: Your route is too busy and
dangerous to achieve optimal fitness. Not only
can't you get a good workout in stop-and-go
traffic, but there's a 3-in-5 probability that
someone will door you.
-
Number of cycling T-shirts in dresser.
More than 20: A veteran of numerous races
and/or organized rides, you have the experience
-- and the future bike-cleaning rags --
necessary to win.
-
Ratio of household chores completed to hours
ridden. Ideal ratio: 2 to 1. Any higher and
you're not riding enough. Any lower and you
can't focus on training because you are getting
divorced.
Comment
(If
you enjoy reading Scott Martin, the eBook
Spin
Again contains 181 of his witty, sometimes
wacky, and occasionally heart-felt observations on road
cycling.
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your order for instant delivery by download.)
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7.
TRY THIS ON
YOUR NEXT RIDE
Do
the Season's First On-Road Test
Speaking of coaching (see Coach
Fred), a training program should make you
stronger. But if you don't have an objective way to
gauge improvement, neither you nor your slave driver
won't know how well your program is working -- or
whether it's working at all.
The best way to tell is to use a power meter and
periodically perform tests at different distances.
Watts let you objectively measure increases in power
output regardless of the wind or road surface.
But many riders still don't have a power meter due
to expense or complexity. This isn't a showstopper
if you have a heart monitor or can borrow one. Using
it, you can come pretty close to a power meter's
objectivity.
The trick is getting enough data points during
several months. February is a good time to start.
Test your form coming out of winter, which will also
give you a reference point for tests through the
spring and summer.
Here's how:
-
Set aside one day every 2 weeks for testing.
Follow an identical protocol each time: a rest
day before the test, same diet, same bike, same
warm-up.
-
Use the same 3-mile (4.8-km) stretch of road.
Ideally, it'll be low-traffic, sheltered
from the wind and without traffic control
devices. Or you could use a loop about 5 miles
(8 km) around.
-
On test day, warm up well. Then ride the
course out-and-back like a time trial or go
around the loop. The idea is to reduce the
wind's effect by riding both into it and with
it.
-
Keep your heart rate just below your lactate
threshold. This is the point where heavy
breathing turns into panting. This isn't a
flat-out time trial, but it's close.
-
Record the elapsed time in your training
diary, along with average heart rate and
weather conditions that may have had an
influence. Environmental factors will vary from
one test to another, but they'll average out
during several months.
Chart your times on graph paper or a spreadsheet. If
your training is effective, you'll see a definite
curve of progress (lower times). If not, you'll know
that your program needs changes.
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HOT
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Off-Season
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All 59
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Power to the Pedals -- BESTSELLER! A 12-week power-building program ideal for indoor cycling, by Coach Fred Matheny.
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Thanks for reading, and for your support of
RoadBikeRider.com.
Look for newsletter No. 429 on Thursday, Feb. 11.
Meanwhile, enjoy your rides!
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This
newsletter is a product of RBR Publishing Company:
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Fred Matheny, VP emeritus
1617 Kramer Rd.
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