Social Distance Cycling Diaries, part 5 (kicking and screaming...)

I have never been a fan of training indoors.  One of the reasons I ride is as an excuse to be outside. Plus, everything hurts more on the trainer! Not only is there more saddle and hand pressure when you ride inside, but…

There is nowhere to hide from it! There is no scenery. No wind. No trails. 

Just you and the suffering. 

I know, I know. Times have changed. Smart trainers can be hooked up to your TV. You can virtually ride the Italian Alps with friends from all over the world! Know what that does for me? Nothing.

I’d rather ride outside with my friends in real life.

Which brings us to 2020. It feels like an eternity since the last Cyclologic Saturday Morning Group Ride. I love those rides… With *my* people.

Unfortunately, it looks like we have a few more months of this before we get to all ride together again (Oh yessssss… There will be a party).

Normally, I would just get up early and go ride by myself, but I have two little boys who are home from school. I try to give my wife the mornings “off” and take care of them until I head to work. That means that if I am going to ride during the week? It is going to be inside.

I started off my indoor training where most people do these days. On Zwift. 

What did I think? It was OK. It felt sort of like Facebook on a bike. The virtual worlds are cool. You can definitely get a workout in. The social aspect? Not really my thing.

Enter The Sufferfest.They always have a 14 day free trial, and during the COVID crisis that have added 4 extra weeks. That’s six free weeks of training!

And training is definitely what Sufferfest is about. The workouts are structured. The visuals are first person video inside the pro peloton. The music is pumping. The humor? Cheesy. (You’ll find out.)

I have two different systems I use during my suffering. One at home, and one at Cyclologic. The home system involves a Wahoo Kickr, a fan, a folding table, and my laptop. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.

The set-up at Cyclologic is, well, it’s just better. We have a Saris H3 smart trainer, a Saris MP1 Nfinity Trainer Platform, and a souped up PC running three different screens.It’s amazing. 

If I have to train inside, I want it to be like this!

Notes for those of you about to embark on an indoor training journey:

1- Power meters are accurate… unto themselves. I currently have three different power meters, and all three of them give me different numbers. I use my cyclocross bike on both the Kickr and the H3. The same effort on each one shows a different power number. My road bike has the new SRAM AXS Quarq power meter. 200 watts on the Quarq feels easier than 200 watts on the H3 which feels *much* easier than 200 watts on the Kickr. If you want your training to be accurate, then you will need to do FTP tests on each of your power sources. FTP tests are not fun, so the idea of doing three of them… well… a nightmare. But don’t worry. You only have to go through the agony of multiple tests in a week one time. Once you know how they differ, you can add or subtract the appropriate percentage when moving between systems.

2- A good fan, or two, is essential.

3- A trainer mat under your bike will not only keep you from slipping in a pool of sweat and busting your butt when you get off, but it will protect your flooring as well.

4- Sweat is corrosive to your bike. Invest in a sweat protector, and keep a towel on your bars. Even if you do that, you need to make sure you are cleaning your bike at least once a week to keep things from getting nasty.

Social Distance Cycling Diaries, part 4 (It's about to get HOT)

Editors Intro: Adam is… Well… Adam doesn’t need an intro! Everyone knows (and loves) Adam! He runs our shop, and keeps our motley crew on track.

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Moving to Scottsdale from Buffalo in 2017, I am very familiar to training indoors. Years of racing on the road, and with weather that rarely cooperated with your training schedule, I used to spend October to April indoors getting ready for the upcoming race season. It was boring, mentally draining, and most days, sheer torture! But, when you are committed to the process, these were the days and months that the gains were made. My hours spent on the trainer, made me strong right out of the gate! 

I've used many platforms over the years riding indoors, but I always come back to my trusty stalwart, Rouvy. It's like a lifelong best friend. When I need it, it's there for me. To turn my legs into pulp when it's time to dig in and train hard. I never expected to be on a trainer in AZ. "Why would I need a trainer in AZ, when it is sunny over 300 days a year?" Well, I underestimated the HEAT! An indoor trainer, even where the weather is nice, is imperative to keeping up with your fitness goals. When it's too hot to ride outside from May to late-Sept. unless you go out before the sun rises, you can head into your pain cave, and get your training in. Maybe for you, it is your work schedule, maybe you have a hard time focusing on your numbers when you are outside with all the variables, maybe you feel unsafe on the roads, and right now with stay in place orders, and physical distancing, having a trainer may just be YOUR best friend!

A little more about Rouvy. For me, it checks all the boxes. For the basics, there is Free Ride - treat it like your trainer of old, jump on and ride. There is a large catalog of workouts available, is you like structured intervals, or if your coach has you working on specific work, Rouvy can handle it. You can also create your own workouts, or even better, if you use TrainingPeaks, it has a feature that will upload your workout that day from your TrainingPeaks calendar! How cool is that! There are routes - and I don't just mean some crude map or video game like virutal world, I mean real world first person view routes. There are far too many to count, needless to say, there are thousands available. It's an open source platform where the other Rouvy users are uploading their rides into the program. If there is no video file available, you get a google satellite map plotting your course. Rouvy also has premium routes available. There are online challenges where you can win prizes, there are online races available if that's your thing, and there is even Augmented Routes where you can ride with virtual riders! For my money, it has it all! 

In closing, keep an open mind to indoor training. When done right, it is very effective. With some planning, you can make it a very immersive experience, and not something you hate doing. The trainers, and the software formats these days are so good, don't just take a day off because the weather stinks, or it's too hot, or you had to work late - jump on your trainer and knock out a workout and stay strong, stay safe, and stay healthy!!!

Social Distance Cycling Diaries, part 3 (the Zwift pro...)

Editor’s Intro: Stefanie is a certified Zwift Bad Ass. Seriously. She knows all the ins and outs, has worked out the kinks, and has a fail proof set-up in her house. Also… It doesn’t hurt that she knows how to pedal a bike! She recently won a Zwift women’s crit!

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I have been "zwifting” since November 2015.

Over the years, I’ve seen this program grow into what it is now, and with it, I’ve gotten stronger and I’ve made some friends along the way. 

Setup

My setup started with the Wahoo Kickr, and I’ve recently added the Kickr Climb, a tower for the front fork that integrates real ascents and descents. The biggest change I’ve seen with the addition of the Climb is that I can be on the trainer longer, because I no longer sit in the same spot on the saddle the entire time. If you’ve ever sat on the trainer for more than an hour, you know what I’m talking about.

I use an iPad to run the Zwift app (orange icon) and my iPhone for the Zwift Companion app (blue icon). My little fan blows up at me from straight ahead. 

Zwift has a ton of different ways to spend your time on the trainer. If you’re into structured workouts, it has them. If you like to just ride around and explore, flats and climbs, it has that. If you want to just ride with a group of your friends, it offers that. There is even an option for no-drop rides. 

Where Zwift really shines, however, is in the community component. Sitting on a trainer and riding by myself in my little corner just has never really been enticing to me, so I generally choose to either join a group ride, a group workout, or a race. I’m even a member of a racing team. Riding with friends and teammates from all over the world has enabled me to make new friends and still ride with old teammates that have since moved out of state. Trainer rides no longer are boring, but rather a fun way for me to stay connected and motivated, all while getting a in a painful, effective workout. 

Speaking of pain…yes, it’s hard work. If you are used to doing your intervals outside and maybe end up skimping on that last second here or there, Zwift will hold you accountable. If your power drops in the middle of a longer section, Zwift will make you hit those watts whether you like it or not. Uphill sections are just as challenging as outside (especially with the Kickr Climb) and drafting is an invaluable skill to have in your back pocket when riding with others in Zwift. To really take advantage of the full spectrum of what Zwift has to offer, take the FTP test. It’s not pleasant, but it’s a great way to structure your training and measure your progress. If you want to know what an FTP test looks like, click here.

Pros: 

1. Ability to ride, workout and race with friends from all over the world

2. Ability to make new friends (and join a team) with similar ability to push you

3. Many different modes (workout, group rides, solo rides, meet-ups and races)

4. Zwift continues to add more routes, so it doesn’t get boring

5. Women’s events and teams continue to increase in numbers

6. Racing with friends is so much FUN!!!!

Cons: 

1. The initial setup to get it all working properly can be a little finnicky

2. Sandbaggers in every race 

3. If you’re a sprinter, some of the hills are brutal. If you’re a climber, you’ll want to add this point to the previous category. 

4. The FTP test - painful but necessary

In short, I was on Zwift before the quarantine and I will be on it for long after. It allows me to be mindful of my busy schedule while also avoiding the increasingly bad air in Phoenix. Will I still go out on group rides? Always. But I do love Zwift for riding and racing with those that no longer reside in AZ. For me it’s not about riding either inside or outside. I choose both. 

Feel free to come find me on Zwift: Stefanie [Race3R]

Social Distance Cycling Diaries, Part 2 (sometimes things don't go smoothly...)

Editor’s Intro: Rick is a member of the extended Cyclologic family. He’s a rider’s rider, and has been racing his whole life. Rick is new to smart trainers, and his experiences are shared by many riders. He structured his blog post by writing a list of pros and cons for the many different parts that have to come together to make indoor “smart” training work. Rick uses a Saris H3 trainer and Trainer Road software.

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PROS

Saris H3 Trainer

• The Saris H3 seems very quiet, and initial set-up as a newbie to structured training/smart trainers was simple.  Saris also has a good “how to set up video” that is helpful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL5VevWm77U

• I have through-axles, and all the different adapters for your rear triangle set-up seem to be in the box.

• The stabilizer legs fold out and lock in place, easy to level.  If you had to store it each time (hassle / heavy unit), that feature will make the footprint compact for storage.

• Comes with a “cradle” for the front wheel as well as a rear disk caliper “block” insert so you don’t accidentally squeeze the caliper pads together.

• Load the “Saris Utility” phone app to get firmware updates and to calibrate the trainer.  Can also switch between ERG mode (where the training app controls the trainer), or manual, where you select the resistance of the trainer. (I’ve only used ERG mode so far…).

• What they DON’T tell you is that you can calibrate with the Saris app or the Trainer Road app I’m using, and that the calibration “resides” in the trainer once done, so I just do the calibration with Trainer Road, and I calibrate the Stages PMs that way too.  I only use the Saris app to check for firmware updates.

• If you calibrate with the Saris app on your phone, don’t forget to turn of BT and/or turn phone off afterwards so the trainer can pair in BT with whatever training app you are using to control the trainer….(remember, you can only pair a device with one other  in BT if you have other devices in range that are not turned off).

• Trainer LED light flashes green when you first start, but as soon as you start to pair with Bluetooth, (if everything is working right), it goes to flashing blue and the then solid blue when connected. 

Trainer Road App:

• Their “Plan Builder” feature is great, you tell it your “A/B/C” events for the season, it asks you what type of events those are, it then builds out a whole “Base/Build/Specialty” plan progression that takes you through your season as you’ve defined it.

• You can adjust things any time, drag and drop workouts, update races / events, etc, and Plan Builder will make the adjustments.  If you want to build things out yourself you can do that too, or mix and match, like doing group rides on Saturday/Sunday, etc.

• With COVID-19 wreaking havoc, that training plan adjustment aspect is great – as of this writing, for example, USAC Masters Road Nationals, which should have been 7/30-8/1 is now “likely postponed”, with the next status update from USAC due 5/15.

• You can download workouts to your head unit and do them outside (I haven’t tried this yet but will eventually).

• With the COVID-19 “new normal”, Trainer Road has just added a “Group Workout” feature where you tap in on video with others, and you can even do group ramp tests with others,(but why would I do THAT..!!).

• If you want a training app that is going to make you faster, and you plan on getting the visuals by using your laptop, iPad or Chromecasting of YouTube, NBC Gold Cycling Pass, etc, then this app is for you.

• As noted above, you pair devices (trainer/power meter, heart rate strap) in the app on the “Devices” screen.

• Calibrate your power meter and trainer in the Devices screen.

• If you have L/R PM’s, only pair and calibrate the left PM if you are using Bluetooth.  (If you have Ant+ you can pair/calibrate both, but you’re going to need an ANT+ “key” and likely a connection dongle – TR in their Support section has a link or two on possible vendors, or check Amazon, etc.

• Pricing:  you can either pay by the month $20/mo, or pay for a year $189/yr, so you save about $50 by going the annual route.  I went monthly to see how I like it, but plan on switching to annual soon.

• Navigate to “Plan Builder” calendar or pick your workout directly from their huge list, and go.

CONS

 Saris H3:

• If you have never had a smart trainer (like me), it’s a little less than intuitive as to how it all works, including as noted above, that you can’t pair a device in Bluetooth to more than one device at a time.

• Also did not understand until I got involved with Saris and Trainer Road support one-on-one that you only need to calibrate with the Saris app or TR, not both, and that the calibrations are “stored” in the trainer (or power meter(s)….), shame on me, but it steepens the learning curve when all you want to do is get on it and ride.

• There is nothing in the User Manual, or available online from Saris that shows you what the different color of lights are (red/green blue, flashing or steady) mean.  I had to call Saris Support to ask.

• It took a while for Saris Support to e-mail me back on my initial issues/questions.

• Right now I am waiting for a replacement AC power converter unit to ship from Saris, because the fitting that plugs into the trainer is a bit “loose” in its fit, and it’s not getting power to the unit.  In user forums I see that its really easy to bump/knock that fitting sticking out of the trainer base, (even with the 90 deg dongle that comes with the trainer) – maybe I bumped against it, somehow, don’t know, but I’m hoping this new unit powers it up again and I’m back in action…(FOLLOW-UP: yes, a new power unit at $30 from Saris did the trick – all good now for power to the trainer)

Trainer Road:

• Ramp Tests – don’t get me started……!  (although I’m sure Barry and Paraic love these – NOT)  

• The test is a max of 20 minutes long, with progressive wattage bumps every minute as you move through the test.  You have to go to absolute failure when you do these, (not my favorite thing to do…) – so I just manually sort of “found” the right initial FTP for me, and as I work through my TR plan I keep bumping it about 10% at the end of each block, and so far that seems to be about right.  Maybe I’ll come around to the idea of the Ramp Test someday, but not for now.

• Like with Saris and my own lack of structured training experience (none), I did not find/see things on their site that their extremely helpful and responsive support staff eventually helped me work through issues as I started using the app and the trainer, like that I only should pair/calibrate my left-arm Stages PM (I was getting a 2x differential between what the Garmin & TR showed, and the resistance that the Saris was giving me…!).

• What TR should do (and shame on me if they do and I have missed it), is to have a very obvious “Newbie” section when you first join, where they lay out everything that someone who’s never done this before might screw up/not realize in order to “flatten the curve” of learning.

• Resistance and getting in-sync between actual and target power - what they don’t seem to tell you going in is that you want to ramp up actual wattage as interval steps start so that the TR app can correctly adjust resistance for the trainer.

• Also, sometimes it seems that later interval segments the TR app/trainer seem to oddly ramp up resistance and to “break” that you have to raise cadence a fair amount above to “trick the trainer” to adjusting resistance downward.

• Bottom line, if you are not hitting the power target, it will increase resistance until you do (generally), and if you’re too high with actual power vs target, it will reduce resistance.

• What gear do I want to be in – I don’t think they cover this well enough in their FAQ’s, but you want to be in the small chain ring, and in the middle cog o the cassette.  Theoretically this will keep you in the cadence range they are suggesting you keep during the workout.  You don’t really want to change gears unless there is no other option, as it will tend to “fool” the trainer into adjusting resistance.

• Desired Cadence vs Actual/Target Power:  there is text that appears at the bottom of the screen at points during the workout (you can turn off), and notes in the workout description will also suggest cadence.  Theoretically the small chain ring/middle cog approach will get you there, but you’ll end up experimenting a little to find what works for you.

GENERAL THOUGHTS:

• This is my first experience with smart trainers and structured training (if it isn’t obvious by now..!). 

• For the money you spend to get all this together, it would be nice if between the trainer manufacturers and the training app they took a little more time to have an “Structured Training 101” section of their apps/sites to take the view of the newbie and think of how to answer all the ”dumb” questions and issues so you don’t have to go through them yourself, but hey, that’s alright – it’s how you learn, right..?!!  Maybe Tacx, Wahoo, etc do this better, likewise Training Peaks, Sufferfest, Zwift, etc – don’t know.

• Even though I’ve only been on structured training since first of March, I think this is a great way to push your training farther, get where you want to go quicker, and do it in less time overall. 

• I was skeptical, especially with the “start-up” issues I’ve worked through, but I think structured training should be part of the core of what you’re doing, no matter what your cycling interests/goals…... better use of time, maximize your performance, be safer.

• FANS…!!!, you can’t have too many, you want them blasting, and think about how you position them for max cooling effect.

• Cushioning for your hands on the bars.  You’re not shifting/changing body position and standing up as much as you would on the road, so hand stresses/position changes seem more important indoors.  I ended up using a 3-layer washcloth bundle folded in half for each side of the bars, for a more comfortable/cushioned “base” to work from.  I just buy a bundle package of “painters towels” from Home Depot.

• Aero position work – might be a little easier to work on getting into and staying in an aero position indoors in a structured environment, especially if you’ve not done that before.

• Chromecast – big help.  Nice to have options in terms of what you’re watching while you suffer, and these hockey puck-sized plug-ins are only about 25 bucks or so at Best Buy.  There is a lot of full-race coverage on YouTube for starters.

 OK, now go out in the garage and SUFFER….!!!!

Social Distance Cycling Diaries, Part 1

COVID Diary 4/27/20

So, Irish people are not especially adept at managing their relationship with “feelings” (I had to look up feelings in the dictionary). We’re masters at burying “shite feelings” far away from prying eyes.

Suffice it to say that I have several shovels, small gardening ones for small stresses all the way up to mechanical earth movers to bury all the big “feelingly” stuff. There I’ve said it, I’m doing an incomprehensibly inadequate job at being at peace with what’s going on (we’re good at self-deprecation too). As a father, brother, husband, entrepreneur, and immigrant there are many layers of stuff that my Neanderthal Irish DNA battles with.

Now, don’t get me wrong, if it’s me against the world with my family and Cyclologic team at my side, I’m in my element. I love a good scrap and the people that I am privileged to call teammates love a fight, or they wouldn’t be on our team. So, what the hell does this have to do with Cycling? Well, it’s simple. Cycling has superpowers over stress.

I do not have any particular lack or time or reasons to not ride my bike. I have been in an internal intemperate malaise. Finally, last weekend I hauled my ass out on the bike for a 60-mile Sonoran jaunt. It was magical. It would not have happened if not for several voices prodding me, some were gentle, some resorted to lighthearted impatience and some just turned up and let me vent about the uncertainly of PPP, EIDL and other COVID related stresses. I felt better, I functioned better, and I feel like I’m more like myself.

Cycling helps to dissolve life’s mundanities and stress; that said I can’t explain why I’m still indoors and not riding much. I need a goal or something else to motivate me given that at some point cycling outdoors may be less feasible due to COVID or the blistering temps that we are about to endure here in Arizona. Enter one of my “voices” that prods me. Sometimes it’s gentle and sometimes it’s less so when I need it. Barry and I tried ZWIFT and I was excited but non-compliant. Barry moved from Zwift to Sufferfest, and he likes it. You can see Barry doing a training session on our Facebook page.

So, Barry inspired me to try Sufferfest. On Tuesday I’m going to do my 4DP test and see all my inadequacies. Those are many, but the Sufferfest difference is that it gives you a program to fix those deficits. Barry has been prescribed weekday Sufferfest workouts with weekend outdoor rides. Sounds like exactly what I need! I am ready to have some goals again.

Stay tuned to our social media channels on Tuesday when I will share the test and our MOTION METRIQ lab indoor training setup. Barry has also stacked the deck, so I do not falter. He has recruited a crew of Cyclologic stalwarts to share their Smart Trainer setups and how they are using Smart Trainers to stay sane. My accountability crew does not leave much room to NOT commit to this challenge. I will report again next week on my experience and its impact on my sanity levels. UGH, WTF I have just committed to? See you on the interwebs in all my disheveled-ness…

gebioMized Saddles

It is no secret that the team of fitters at Cyclologic loves gebioMized technology. Saddle pressure mapping has revolutionized the way we approach bike fit. All levels of cyclists, from Pro Tour professionals and Ironman champions to first time recreational riders benefit from the data we are able to gather using gebioMized products.

That data, collected from tens of thousands of pressure maps, has now been used to design a line of saddles that we have absolutely fallen in love with. The gebioMized Sleak, Area, and Stride saddles simply work.

Area Saddle

Stride Saddle

Sleak Saddle

From a bike fitter’s perspective, the thought process behind selecting which gebioMized saddle is right for a given rider, is very straightforward and intuitive.

Triathlon and TT: If you are looking at a TT or Tri bike, then the Stride should be one of the first saddles you grab. It comes in two densities, soft and medium, and has multiple areas for the rider to sit. Most long course triathletes will prefer the softer density saddle, while most TT specialists prefer the medium density.

Road, Cyclocross, Track and Mountain bike: When it comes to selecting the right saddle for road, cyclocross, or mountain bikes, gebioMized have made things very simple for you as well. Just answer the following three questions:

1- Is the cyclist a man or woman? The Area saddles were designed primarily with women in mind, and the Sleak saddles for men. This is just a starting point though. We have placed many men on Area saddles.

2- Does the cyclist ride with an upright torso angle (more pressure on the ischial tuberosities), or with a lower torso angle (more pressure on the pubic rami)? Upright riders will gravitate toward the Area 155 or the Sleak 135. Riders with lower torso angles will lean towards the Sleak 145 or Area 145.

3- Each of the above saddles comes in both channel and a cut out versions. How sensitive is the rider to pressure in the center of the saddle? If they tend to have sensitivities there, choose the cut out. If they don’t, choose the channel.

Channel Version

Cut Out Version

gebioMized has even taken it a step further and created an online Saddle Selector tool that is available exclusively to fitters who are members of the Secret Saddle Club! Don’t know what the Secret Saddle Club is? Well get with the program! Download a dealer app today, send it in, and we’ll tell you the secret!

Are you already a member of the club? Want training and access to this cool online tool? Email Andy at abrooke@cyclologic.com and he will walk you through it!

Are you a rider, and you want to check out one of these amazing saddles for yourself? Just visit our web store, pick one out, and we will ship it to you!

Lift off... (subtitle: The Cervelo S5 is a freaking rocket ship.)

Does aero matter? Yeah. Aero matters.

Like, REALLY matters. Seriously. Pay attention to this. If you care about going fast, then you need to care about aero. Aerodynamic optimization is one of the most important things a rider can do to optimize their performance. We’d say it is right up there with training, nutrition, recovery, “pre-hab,” and bike fit.

The pros spend a LOT of time and energy paying attention to the finer points of aerodynamics., but can doing so make a big difference for the rest of us? Absolutely.

We recently sat down with Collin C., the proud new owner of a brand new Cervelo S5 to get his take on the difference an aero bike can make.

Matching up an aero bike with Bioracer kit? 100% pure speed!

You already had a pretty bad ass bike... What prompted the need for an S5?

Well I had a 2016 S5 so I know how awesome that bike was and I knew this one could only be better. I have been riding an S Works Tarmac SL6 for the past year and a half and absolutely loved it. That being said, I was looking to get back on an aero bike since the majority of the riding I do is better suited for one. I was between the Trek Madone, the new S Works Venge, and this new S5. All great bikes, but the S5 I feel is just the ultimate aero bike and let's be honest it's the coolest too.

Your first ride was a big one. We rode the Fountain Hills loop under Arizona summer sun and 40% humidity. Lots of climbing. Lots of descending. Lots of twists and turns. How did the Cervelo perform?

Having lived in Florida most of my life the weather and humidity wasn't a huge issue. The first climb was Dynamite which I was fully expecting to be slower on against my old Tarmac. However, the bike tracked right up with no issue, both seated and standing on it. The same for all the hills in Fountain Hills, there was no real noticeable difference in climbing ability. The highlight of the ride was going down Nine Mile Hill. Just an absolute bullet and so stable never once having a nervous twitch or bounce.

I seem to remember you saying during the rollers on the Rio Verde section, “Dude. It feels like we are easy spinning at 14mph… We’re going 24!” So having an aero bike is a big performance boost?

In the past aero bikes were great on flats, but garbage on hills so the performance kind of equaled out. But now, and especially with this S5, the climbing is vastly improved making it the perfect bike.

Speaking of a performance boost, you upgraded the BB and derailleur pulleys to Ceramic Speed. Smooth like butter?

Honestly I wasn't expecting much from them. I had Ceramicspeed BB bearings in my Tarmac so I knew what that was like. But adding the pulleys just made the whole system work, like you said, like butter. Well worth it.

(Cyclologic loves, loves, loves Ceramic Speed!)

Tell me about that stem/handlebar. Obviously, it looks cool... But how are the ergonomics?

Yeah it's the big draw to the S5 it's awesome. You're really not going to notice the stem a lot when you're riding unless you're looking at it. I actually found a new position I liked with my hands on top then my thumbs actually sit on top of the stem under the bar. Then riding this morning I went for a sprint and had so much confidence throwing it side to side with the extra stability. That could be all mental but for me that is just as important.

Last one. Describe your new ride in five words or less.

Dude, this bike is fast.

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Editor’s note #1: Aero really does matter more than you think it does. Check out our Aero Services page, or give us a call at 480-699-5358 to learn more about aero, or to find out how to score a new S5 for yourself!

Editor’s note #2: It is always a good idea to get your #Fit1st ***before*** you buy a new bike, but it is especially important to do so before you buy a bike like the S5. That sexy, fully-integrated front end? Yeah, it’s not inexpensive to have rebuilt. The parts alone will run you several hundred, and that doesn’t include running new hydraulic cables. Find out how much your new bike will actually cost, and what it will feel like before you commit. Check out the video below to learn more about what the Cyclologic #Fit1st process is like.

The Three Essential Parts of a Bike Fit

What goes into making a great cycling position? What are the key ingredients? If we boil it down to its essence, what are we left with?

The Cyclologic crew gives this topic ***a lot*** of thought. We have everything in the world at our disposal so how do we choose what to actually use in our studio? How do we settle on a protocol?

This article aims to distill bike fit (or “cycling analysis” as we like to call it), down to three basic essentials. What are they?

#1- You Need A Bike Fitter

Well, obviously. Right? You can’t do a bike fit without a fitter, but exactly what goes into making a fitter a fitter?

Is it education? Yes. That is definitely part of it. A good fitter needs to have a basic skill set, and that skill set doesn’t come out of a parts catalog. It can’t be ordered on Amazon. It can however be learned. Education, and more importantly, continuing education, is absolutely essential. If you are a fitter, and you haven’t been back to school, or attended the important conferences in a while, then you are cheating yourself and your clients out of some amazing new advances.

We not only teach cycling analysis courses here at Cyclologic, but we attend them too. The hard drives of our computers are jammed full with research and white papers on artificial intelligence, aerodynamics, biomechanics, lactate metabolism, ventilatory optimization, wireless data transfer, fabric and textile manufacturing, and oh yeah, bike specific stuff too… We test, tweak (and break) things all day. Software, measuring systems, prototype cameras, protocols, and more all get the full breakdown every day. Why do we do this? Simply put, we want to give our fit clients the best possible service. We want to do such good work, and provide such an amazing experience that the riders are on their phones telling their buddies about it before they leave the building.

It’s not all about education though. You also need something else… Reps.

Not sales reps.

Repetitions.

Great fitters perform lots of fits. Seeing lots of butts on lots of saddles, lots of hands on handlebars, and lots of feet clipped to pedals is the best way to sharpen a fitter’s education into a useful tool. The more high speed video we watch, the more we see when we watch it… And speaking of high speed video, that brings us to the next essential ingredient in a bike fit.

#2- You Need Technology

High Speed Motion Capture Software From MOTIONMETRIQ

You cannot perform world class bike fits without world class technology. Period.

Can you get close? Maybe.

Can you make a rider happier than they were when they came in your studio? Probably.

Can you do it consistently with each and every client? No you can’t.

What type of technology do you actually need? Well, for starters, you need high speed motion capture, and you need to be able to capture all four sides of a rider. There are too many variables that the human eye simply can’t catch. Your eye only processes motion at about 16 frames per second. If a rider is pedaling at 85-90rpm, and your brain is taking 16 “pictures” per second, then you are only “seeing” the pedal stroke every 30-35 degrees of rotation. What happens in the middle? Your brain makes it up… And more often than not jumps to the wrong conclusion. (If you have questions about high speed video, give us a call, or shoot us an email. We’ve played with everything and would love to walk you through the ins and outs of what is available.)

What other types of technology do you need? You absolutely need gebioMized saddle pressure mapping. We can’t stress this enough. If you aren’t using a saddle pressure map as part of your protocol, then you are seriously missing out. Saddle pressure is every bit as important as high speed video. It’s not inexpensive, but it does pay for itself very quickly. You’ll save time during your fits, make more accurate decisions, and be able to validate product recommendations to your clients. Click here to read a blog post with more detailed information, and then shoot us an email. We’ll set up a screen sharing session to walk you through the software and how we use it.

High speed video… saddle pressure mapping… What else?

You need quality contact point products that you recommend based on your physical assessment and the data you captured using your video and pressure systems. You need a good selection of scientifically designed saddles in a variety of widths. You need stems. You need bars. You need shoes. You need cranks. You need footbeds. If you can identify the problem, but can’t actually fix it, you are not providing your clients with everything they need to succeed on the bike.

#3- You Need an Engaged Rider

So, you have an educated, qualified, experienced fitter. You have technology that allows the fitter to capture data and communicate what it means to the rider. What’s left?

The rider!

But not just any rider.

You need an engaged rider. You need a rider that is willing to be a part of both the process and the solution. In our experience, only 50% of rider discomfort is driven by equipment and position. The other 50% is caused by physical issues that the rider may be dealing with.

Let’s look at three different riders:

Rider #1 is an amateur triathlete that we have been working with for a few years. He recently developed medial pain in his right knee. We brought him in, shot some video, took some pressure readings, and discovered that he had adopted an asymmetric sitting strategy to keep his right hip open. By moving to the left of the bike, he was relieving the stress in his hip, but causing his right knee to live too far inside the pedal. Using the technology at our disposal we showed him what was happening, and referred him to a physical therapist. The rider is now in PT and getting better.

Rider #2 is a professional triathlete that we have a long history with. She started feeling hamstring tightness at the end of her rides, which was negatively effecting her run. We discovered that her saddle height was 5mm higher than the last time we saw her. The apparent cause of this was that her bike did not get put back together correctly after one of her frequent race trips. We did two things. First we corrected the saddle height. Her muscle memory caused her to drop her heel at the bottom of the push phase in order to get the (over) extension she was used to, so we gave her a couple of pedaling cues to help her break that old muscle memory. Second, we came up with a break down and build strategy to insure that her bike gets put back together correctly no matter where she is in the world. She worked through the pedaling mechanics, and now follows her bike pack/build routine religiously.

Rider #3 has historically dealt with right hand numbness late in rides. We originally believed this was caused by a combination of fatigue induced bad posture, and a torn rotator cuff. We did all of the typical fitter things:

• Appropriate bar width and hood tilt.

• Stable sitting position.

• Posture reminders taped to the stem.

• You know the drill.

The issue persisted. We sent him to a highly skilled sports massage therapist who discovered that a sub scapular muscle was impinging on a nerve. Through continued sports massage and posture reminders, the numbness has all but disappeared.

What do all three of these riders have in common? They are all three engaged in the process. They all are taking ownership for their non fit related issues, and are working on solutions. Without this type of engagement from the athlete, there is no amount of fitter experience or technical wizardry that will make the the bike fit successful.

So there you go. What are the three basics needed to produce consistent success in the fit studio?

You need an educated and experienced fitter. How do you get that education? You take classes. You study your anatomy. You never stop learning. How do you get the experience? Keep plugging away. Keep shooting video. Day by day you will improve.

You need technology. You can’t do this on your own. You can’t consistently produce world class results by eyeballing things. Can it be expensive to get what you need? Yes. It can be. Will it pay for itself? You bet it will.

You need motivated riders that are willing to be a part of the process. If an athlete won’t take responsibility for their own off-the-bike issues, then the whole process falls apart.

Are there other things that can help in the studio? Of course there are. We have mind blowing aero optimization and metabolic testing capacities. We can analyze power data relative to aerobic efficiency. We can test rider stability outside the studio, in the real world. We can do all of that and much, much more, but without the three basics, that extra stuff will never produce results.

The Tour de France is like that crazy girlfriend...

Photo via CyclingNews.com

(Editor’s note… This post was written in a stream-of-conscious flood of emotions this morning. To help convey how excited we are about today’s race, it is presented here unedited for your pleasure… Plus, the editor is currently on a beach in Mexico with a very sketchy connection.)

A stage of the Tour De France is like that crazy girlfriend that you were afraid to introduce to your parents to, you just never knew what the hell is going to happen but you couldn’t resist the adventure even if you knew it was going to be fun but unpredictable and inevitably short-lived. The Tour De France today was an adventure into the unknown for the breakaway, it could have been a cruel ill-fated day where the Gods of physics reigned down enough heat, sticky tarmac and altitude to crush to souls of the break but today the super crazy hot unhinged girlfriend that is the Tour De France delivered a fairy tale day.

Cycling is one of those sports that you never know what’s going to happen, it can be cruel, savage and against the odds, it can be amazing, epic and life changing. Today was one of those days where unconstrained emotion washed over me a fan of the greatest sport in the world, the possible but unexpected happened.

Just a few days ago I was in Brussels embedded with the Trek-Segafredo team, I have spent 3 weeks with them in the last year and almost 6 months with them over the years that I’ve worked with the team. That magnifies the emotions that I feel when I’m back on the other side of the fence. If I’m helping a rider ride faster in a TT, do aero analysis, find a saddle that works, help them sit properly, working with Nate from Endurance rehab on an injury, working with Josu their head trainer or one of the soigneurs or coaches I’m in work mode. I’m in character, professional, analytical and working with all the other sports science, engineering and product folks to deliver the best performance options.

Yes, I get to work with these guys, yes it’s gratifying to see the plans, equipment and the hard work paying off but I’m bursting with emotion for the extended team that strives for the very best for the riders. It’s a huge professional milestone for Giulio and the team and I’m giddy that I’m privy to so much of what goes into a day like today.

On a day like today, that time in the trenches with the team is like a lens that intensifies the cauldron of emotions that awoke our surly teenage daughter this morning when Ciccone crossed the line and it became evident that he took yellow. The most coveted, symbolic, lusted after prize in cycling was wrenched from the enemy tribe in an amphitheater of sweat and burning limbs by a wiry lean sinewy endurance gladiator. Today’s deathmatch cheated physics, tactics and normal physical limits and was earned with suffering that is unfathomable to even seasoned athletes. It was a beautiful day, it was an awe-inspiring endeavor and there’s so much more to come. I’m a little hoarse, like after screaming at the rugby match when Ireland beats England at home in Lansdowne road, the heart of Irish rugby.

As a “born again” cyclist, I want to make a confession that is related to today's suffering and accomplishments in France. Preparation is key to everything in Cycling, equipment, training, nutrition, hydration and of course recovery. 18 weeks ago, I decided I wasn’t going to be the once a week couch potato I used to be. I rode like a man possessed to get ready for the 7-day Cycling Trip that we organized in the Algarve in Portugal. I lost weight, I got a huge gain in fitness, I obsessed with TSS, massage, recovery, early morning rides, I was cranky, tired and sometimes discouraged. It was fucking awesome, I was “born again”, albeit with many more layers of blubber for company.

I was inspired by the team of people that joined me on the ride and rode amazingly in Portugal, they pushed themselves to new limits, we laughed a lot, ate like Kings and Queens and visited amazing places. Today at the Tour De France was a reminder that with a Goal amazing things happen. When you prepare with a group of people who want the same thing amazing things happen.

“Born again anything” people are insufferable and I plan on being insufferable with trying to inspire people. My new focus will be to curate experiences that motivate people to do amazing things. Meaty goals and experiences that to provide the motivational nourishment to get you engaged. Portugal 2020 is a go and we will announce dates soon, we plan many more authentic experiences that we will carefully, lovingly create for you our clients. We are buoyed by our successes in Portugal and ready for more.

We will try to share, encourage and motivate you to join us. Expect gravel adventures, more Portugal trips, new countries to be explored and structure to help you do epic shit. And Oh yes, I am going to be a born again insufferable arsehole trying to get you to join us. More to come, stay tuned.

Vive Ciccone! Vive Le Tour, be prepared to be challenged by us to aspire to amazing stuff that will put lifetime memories in your brain and leave you with a lust for more, you have been warned…

Paraic McGlynn

Photo via the Trek Segafredo Instagram feed.

A Harrowing Tale of Butt Cramps and Sore Knees

Notes from the fitter: Do as I say... Not as I do.

We are testing a potential new shoe line, and I got to be the guinea pig. I popped my usual set of blue Shimano cleats on them, and slid a pair of yellow Bontrager insoles inside of them.

Changing shoes changes your fit. Every shoe has a different stack height, and drilling location, and those variables can change your saddle position. We shot some high speed video, made a couple of adjustments, and everything seemed fine.

What I should have done was to go for an easy spin to make sure everything was working as expected. I should have then followed that up with a few progressively longer and faster rides before I tried anything more difficult.

But I didn't...

And that's where the problems started.

The consistent message out of the Cyclologic studios is that significant change requires significant adaptation. Every rider we work with is told to "take it easy" for a few rides. We tell them to listen to their bodies, and to be safe. Don't rush things.

It's good advice. There is a reason we repeat it so frequently. It works.

But did I follow that advice? Did I go for an easy spin? Did I build up slowly? Did I test the change before I pushed things?

No.

No I did not.

I jumped into a hilly group ride...

...and paid the consequences.

My cleats need to be placed all the way back, centered under my foot, and pointing straight. It became evident very quickly that the right one was a little "heel out." It didn't feel like much of a big deal at first. As we climbed though, I started to feel tension on the outside of my right knee.

This is the point in the story where I could have saved myself a lot of grief. What should I have done? I should have turned around. I should have rolled back home. I should have done what I tell all of our fit clients to do. I should have listened to my body.

But I didn't.

I kept riding up hill. The tension in my right knee continued to grow. I unconsciously shifted to the left of the bike in an attempt to alleviate the knee pain, and kept on pedaling.

For those of you that don't know, blue Shimano cleats don't have very much float in them. They are not "fixed", but they are very secure. When things are working well, it is a fantastic, efficient platform. When things aren't set up correctly, they can be very unforgiving.

I was tensing my entire leg, trying to bring my heel in. I was off the middle of the bike to make it easier on the rapidly fatiguing muscles in my right leg. I was getting rapid fire signals from all over my body that this wasn't sustainable, and that I needed to stop.

I kept right on pedaling.

And that's when it happened...

All of that accommodation I was doing to protect my knee showed up somewhere else.

Where?

My butt.

It cramped.

Hard.

Both glutes, right at the top of the hamstrings, knotted up.

Tight.

No fun at all.

I had no choice but to listen to that.

Colorful language echoed off the hillsides.

I unclipped my right foot, turned around, and coasted down the hill.

Significant change requires significant adaptation. I should have gone for an easy spin. The problem would have shown up, it would have been corrected, and I would have been fine.

Do as I say. Not as I do.

Learn from my mistakes, or you too may suffer some wicked butt cramps of your own.

Consider yourself warned.

Secret Saddle Club... The secret revealed!

As many of you know, we are BIG fans of gebioMized pressure mapping technology. Exery cyclist that goes through our studios receives a pressure mapping as part of the analysis. It is an integral part of what we do, we can’t imagine running our protocol without it.

We are very excited to announce that gebioMized has taken it a step further, and is now making their own line of saddles…

And Cyclologic now has them in stock! From the gebioMized website:

"After more than 15 years of concentrated experience with custom saddles in cycling, after more than 50,000 analyses of our saddle pressure mappings with thousands and thousands of cyclists whom we have put more comfortably on their bicycles with our bike fittings, we present you our gebioMized saddle line."

There is some very, very special technology and research wrapped up in these saddles, and we can’t wait to start using them in our studio!

Formula One Technology for Your Bike

We are super excited about these new tires. Pirelli know a thing or two about speed. We’ve been testing them here in the shop for a few months, and they have definitely won us over. From the Pirelli site:

"Over a century of racing know-how is finally available to those who ride to race themselves. With P ZERO™ Velo, your cycling performance now meets the reliability, the road handling and the grip Pirelli is famous for. Because a tyre’s performance is also yours..."

When you are ready to put new kicks on your ride, make sure you give the Pirelli’s a try!

BioRacer Aero System

The BioRacer Aero system is an amazing tool that fitters, coaches, and athletes can use to determine the optimal aerodynamic position on the bike. It also gives realtime feedback with regards to watts saved or wasted, and how those watts translate into speed.

By measuring the frontal area of the rider, the amount of watts that the rider has to pedal to maintain a certain (hypothetical) speed is calculated. The rider and fitter get real time information on these parameters (frontal surface and power). The Aero Cycling Analysis course teaches participants the techniques needed to reduce aerodynamic drag. Given that “Virtual Wind Tunnel” parameters are adjusted instantly, feedback is immediate. Moreover, the gain in speed is projected as well.

The system consists of a webcam, a tripod to position the webcam in front of the cyclist, and a green screen. The green screen is placed behind the cyclist to make the background smooth and uniform.

The live feedback on your clients aerodynamic posture enhances the aero fitting process. Our Cycling Analysis instructors help participants interpret the data to optimize aero position.

Once a hypothetical desired speed is entered in to the software; that ideal saved “Aero Posture” can be selected and compared to the current position while pedaling under load. The Bioracer Aero software will calculate a Wattage delta (positive or negative) from the ideal posture. The Aero wattage “Delta” and percentage of time in the desired position allows the cycling analysis professional to determine the sustainability of the aero position. The position is further validated by employ GebioMized pressure analysis technology and MOTIONMETRIQ video capture to further ascertain sustainability by looking at contact point stability and changes in posture. This technology does not replace the information the track or wind tunnel testing yields but it provides critical posture and position data for fitters.

The Top Five Reasons You Need A Bike Fit

Reason #1
You are thinking about buying a new bike. 

(and don't want to make an expensive mistake!)

One of our least favorite things at Cyclologic is having to tell a rider that they bought the wrong size bike. Unfortunately, it happens all too frequently. If you are thinking about buying a new bike anytime soon, please consider trying our "FIT FIRST" process before you invest in your new equipment. We can help you find the bike of your dreams and let you know what it will feel like before you lay down your hard earned dollars.

It doesn't matter to us what brand you are interested in, or where you buy your bike. We want your relationship with your local shop to be as strong as ever, and we would love to help you work with them to make sure all of the details are perfect, from the very first ride! For more information, check out the video below, visit our fit page, or call 480-699-5358.

Reason #2
You are injured or uncomfortable.

(and want to save $370 on our premier service!)

Whether you are injured, or simply want the absolute best possible insight into your cycling performance, our Medical Fit will get you the answers you are looking for. It all starts with a full physical evaluation by the pros at Endurance Rehab.  This is our flagship service  and  provides clients  with  a  blueprint  to  unlock  every  possible  performance opportunity.  This  fitting service  includes  a  personalized  strength,  stability  and  flexibility program developed by a physical therapist to compliment the cycling goals of the individual.

For the first time ever, Endurance Rehab and Cyclologic are offering this amazing service with two additional services at no additional charge! First, you will get two months of access to the Endurance Rehab facility where you will be able to work on the exercises that they have designed for you. Second, when your two months of work are done, we will revisit your fit in our studio so that the "new you" is fully optimized! Combined, this is a $370 value for free! 

In order to qualify your medical fit needs to be completed by July 31, 2018. Please call 480-699-5358 for more details and to reserve your spot!

Reason #3
You signed up for an Ironman.

(and you want to run faster off the bike!)

We have an amazing fit special available right now that can not only make you faster and more efficient on your bike, but also help you run faster when you get off of it! If you book a triathlon or time trial "Fit With Pressure" during the month of June, you will also receive a free BioRacer Aero Session! That is a $150 value for free!

This amazing technology allows us to fine tune your frontal plane, while giving you real time feedback on watts saved and speed gained. As you pedal and practice your position, you will see how different types of postures effect your speed and stability. This is the same technology that is being used by World Champions and Olympic gold medalists to fine tune their winning form, and it is now available for you to use as well! Click here for more details! 

Reason #4
You are tired of getting dropped by your buddies. 

(There is no "and" to this one. We all just hate being dropped by our buddies!)

Tired of struggling up hills while your training partners ride away? Find yourself being left behind on fast descents? Sometimes, it means you are simply training with people who are currently in better shape than you are. That can be a good thing. Riding with people who are faster than you can make you faster as well.

But what if it is not just that they are faster? What if there is something about your position that is holding you back? The Cyclologic Cycling Analysis Protocol hones in on power leaks, and eliminates them from your position. Handlebar width, crank length, foot-pedal interface, saddle position, and saddle type are all areas where a significant amount of power can be lost. We are talking about power you already own! Power you have already worked hard for! Power that isn't reaching the back wheel because it is fluttering away in your pedal stroke. Want free speed? Let's make sure that you are getting the most out of what you already have! Call 480-699-5358, or check out our fit page for more details!

Reason #5
It has been more than two years since your last fit.

Things change. Your fitness, your goals, your equipment... They all change. As they do, your position on the bike needs to be adapted to your new reality. Bike fit is very much like a haircut. It has to be maintained, or things can get out of control! We see most of our clients three to four times a year. Once for a three hour session where we perform a full physical assessment, and two to three additional times during which we modify their positions and equipment to better suit the rider that they have become. 

If you haven't been in the studio in a while, do yourself a favor and call 480-699-5358 and set an appointment with one of our cycling analysis professionals.

Three lessons learned during this morning's ride... Alarm clocks, tubeless road tires, and old (really old) bibs.

LESSON ONE

It was hot last night. On my way home from work the radio said it was 104 degrees, and the temperature gauge in my truck said 110. Either way, it felt like the first real summer day had arrived. 

I started dreading all of those summer morning rides where you roll out with the sun, and it is already 95. 

Ugh.

It's no fun, but you gotta do it. That night, I went to bed, set my alarm and fell asleep with hazy visions of heat rising off of tarmac.

The alarm rang, and not wanting to wake my wife, I grabbed a set of bibs out of the drawer with the lights still off. They turned out to be a twelve plus year old pair that I haven't worn in at least six years. (check in with lesson three below...)

A quick coffee and a banana later, and I am out the door at 5:55am. Guess what?

It was glorious outside! 

Yes... Summer is officially here, but the mornings are still fantastic. My Garmin said it was 64 degrees at the start of the ride. Lesson #1? Set that alarm and make the most out of it! It won't be long before it is 95 at 6am, so don't waste a single morning!

<<Editor's Note... In case you haven't heard, there is a pretty amazing group ride heading out from the shop this Saturday at 6am! More details here.>>

LESSON TWO

If you aren't already running tubeless road tires, then get your giddy-up on and make it happen.

I've been riding tubeless tires on my cyclocross and mountain bikes for a long, long time, but it has only been in the last year that I started riding tubeless tires on the road as well. During that year, they have been nothing short of wonderful. The lower pressure and larger contact patch smooth out rough roads, and make cornering a dream. 

Want to take that gravelly short cut through Papago? Don't worry about it! A good tubeless set-up will handle it with ease!

Going tubeless will definitely open up the terrain you are willing to ride on, but that extra smooth ride and fantastic grip, are only part of the story. They are also an amazing way to prevent flats. Case in point...

A car horn honked behind me today. (I have no idea why. I was in the bike lane, and the streets were deserted.) I looked over my shoulder to see what was up, and when I turned back, there was this huge patch of broken glass right in front of me. I had two choices... I could swerve out into the lane (right in front of the honking car), or I could roll through it.

I rolled through it. 

hisssssssssssssssss... hissssssssssssssssssssss....

Both tires punctured. I felt a little bit of sealant spray onto my legs, and kept right on rolling. Assuming it is safe to do so, that is what you are supposed to do when you puncture a tubeless tire. Keep rolling, and let the centrifugal force push the sealant inside the tire into the hole. A few pedal strokes later, the hissing stopped, and I pulled over. I wiped the glass off the tire, gave them a squeeze to make sure they still had enough air in them, and continued on. 

If I had been on regular tires, this would probably have been the end of my ride. A double flat with only one spare tube would have required a cell phone call for a ride back home. Needless to say, I enjoyed the extra hour of riding a lot more.

There are lots and lots of road tubeless options out there. My current favorites are the Bontrager Aeolus 3 wheels paired with Schwalbe Pro One tires. 

While pricey, this set-up is lighter than most other regular high end wheels, even with the disks. They spin up with little to no effort, grip like King Kong, and hold speed as well as wheels twice their depth.

Regardless of which equipment you choose, take my advice and follow these rules:

1. Use only tubeless specific wheels and tires. There are companies out there that claim to be able to mount tubeless tires to regular rims, but I do not recommend it. It is very, very important that the bead of the tire and the rim be seated securely, or you risk rolling the tire during hard cornering.
2. Replace the sealant every six months or so, and add additional sealant after significant punctures.
3. If you don't own an air compressor (and who does...) invest in a Bontrager TLR Flash Charger Pump (pictured left). This cool tool makes it a breeze to not only properly seat the tubeless tires when you first mount them, but it is also great at clearing dried sealant out of the valves. 
4. Speaking of dried sealant in the valves, I've found that they get gummed up less if you store the bike with the valves on the bottom half of the wheel so that the sealant drains out of them and into the tire.
5. Even though you are MUCH less likely to get a flat, you still need to carry a spare tube, tire levers, and pump (or CO2 cartridge) with you. Better safe than sorry. 

Many of the new wheels are tubeless ready, so there is a good chance that if your bike is less than two years old, that you may already own wheels that can safely be run tubeless! If that is the case, all you will need to get up and running are some tubeless tires ($50-120 each), some tubeless rim strips, tubeless valves, and a few ounces of sealant.  If you need to get tubeless wheels, you can plan on investing anywhere from $600 to $3000 depending on how light and aero you want to be. 

If you want to learn more about going tubeless, and the improved ride quality and flat protection that they offer, stop by the shop and ask for Adam or Barry. We'll walk you through all of the ins and outs, and help you find the best match for your budget. 

LESSON THREE

Those twelve year old bibs I wore this morning? Yeah. That was a bad idea. Replace your kit frequently, and give your old stuff to someone you dislike. 

Saddle Pressure Technology, A message for both riders and fitters.

FOR THE RIDER

This is the same saddle... On the same bike... Under the same rider... But holy smokes! Look at the difference! The craziest thing about this image is that visually, there was no indication that the rider was perched that far forward on the saddle, and the rider himself was not aware of it either. Video analysis showed that he was actually pretty close to being in the right place in space. His previous fitter was in the ballpark with regards to saddle height, crank length optimization, cleat placement, and knee/pedal spindle alignment.

The problem was that because the fitter did not use GebioMized saddle pressure technology, they didn't know what part of the saddle the rider was actually sitting on! If you are a rider, and you are having saddle issues, the answer might not be a new saddle. Your current saddle might be perfectly appropriate, if it were moved in space underneath you to a more appropriate place.

If you are a rider dealing with saddle issues, and want to learn more, please give us a call at 480-699-5358, and we can answer your questions about how the Cyclologic Cycling Analysis Protocol, combined with gebioMized saddle pressure mapping technology, can take the guess work out of saddle discomfort issues.

FOR THE FITTER

Take a look at the above image. See that big yellow spot of pressure on the nose of the saddle on the left? That is enough pressure to cause numbness in a rider. If you are not using a gebioMized pressure mat to see how your rider is actually interacting with their saddle, you have no way of knowing that pressure spot is there. 

Without a pressure mat, and the training needed to use it, you are completely blind about one of the most important interfaces between your rider and their bike. How do you know whether or not you need to ask the rider to scoot back on the saddle, or whether it would be better for you to scoot the saddle forward underneath them? How do you know if you can't see it?

The short answer is that you don't.

Using pressure as part of your cycling analysis protocol is a complete game changer. A gebioMized saddle pressure system allows the fitter to:

• See where the rider is actually sitting

• Validate saddle recommendations to your clients

• Provides insights into pelvic and hip stability

• Offer custom saddles to your clients

• Identify potential crank length issues

• Determine appropriate saddle widths

• Select the correct saddle, the first time

• Separate yourself from other fitters in your market

And that is just scratching the surface. 

If you would like to learn more about gebioMized saddle pressure technology, please call 480-699-5358 and ask for Barry or Claudia. They will schedule a time for you to remotely view our workstation here, and for one of our analysts to walk you through the system. 

If you want to get some hands-on experience and training, please consider attending our Cycling Analysis and Contact Point Optimization classes this March. Spaces are extremely limited, so contact us today to reserve your spot.

All Hail King Julius!

Everyone remembers Cupcake, right?

Cupcake rocked. Cupcake rolled. Cupcake took no prisoners.

And yet despite being a nearly perfect bike…

Cupcake just got replaced.

By Julius.

Julius is Cupcake’s carbon fiber big brother. He’s a Trek Boone, and he has almost immediately become my favorite bike. I ride this bad boy everywhere. Asphalt, grass, gravel, technical single track, you name it, and this bike can handle it.

It came from the Trek Factory Race shop as a frame and fork. I ordered up the new Dura-Ace mechanical/hydraulic groupset, a pair of Aeolus 3 wheels, a Zipp carbon bar, and bing-bang-boom, I have a 16.5 pound cross bike.

That’s right. 16.5 pounds with pedals, cages, and computer mount. That’s re-donk-u-lously light. This bike is designed to go anywhere and do anything, so I am going to describe three different rides I routinely do on it... Road, traditional cyclocross, and technical single track.

ROAD

I mounted up a set of Bontrager CX0 TLR tubeless tires, and jumped into the Cyclologic Saturday morning group ride. I was a little worried about three things.

Gearing, rolling resistance, and descending.

I needn’t have been.

I had chosen a 50/34 set of chainrings as a sort of compromise between true cyclocross gearing and my normal 53/39. I was concerned about spinning out on some of the descents at the end of the ride. My cadence ended up being higher than normal, but by tucking in at the right times, I had no problem staying with the group. If we had been up over 40mph, I would probably have been in trouble, but at 35 there were no issues at all.

IsoSpeed Decoupler keeping things smooth!

Riding size 33 cyclocross tires should have put me at a big disadvantage, but it didn’t. The center line down the tread rolled super fast. I was able to take my normal pulls at the front without slowing down the group at all. And smooth? Holy smokes… 50 psi combined with the IsoSpeed decoupler in the back of the Boone made the road absolutely disappear.

One of the things that makes a cyclocross bike a cyclocross bike is the height of the bottom bracket. It is higher than a traditional road bike bottom bracket to allow the rider more clearance over barricades, logs and stairs. Doing so makes the bike incredibly agile over technical terrain, but the higher center-of-gravity that accompanies it has the potential to make high speed descending less stable. I can tell you without reservation that this is not a problem with the Boone. Trek has come up with some sort of special magic that makes this bike feel impossibly solid underneath you. It descends like a rocket. I have never once felt the slightest bit unsteady on it. I am sure that part of this is the care we took in planning out my position, but I have been set up the same on other cross bikes that felt decidedly twitchy on fast fire-road descents.

TRADITIONAL CYCLOCROSS TERRAIN

What more can be said about a bike that was designed with the help of Katie Compton and Sven Nys? The Boone is quite simply a perfect cyclocross race bike. Sand, grass, mud… It eats it up.

Bontrager Aeolus 3s are FAST...

My normal ride starts with a mile of easy spinning on asphalt, and then merges with the Scottsdale Green Belt. It is a 6 mile stretch of grass that meanders north/south through town. There are tons of off camber and rolling sections, with lots of hidden dips and roots to keep you on your toes. It’s shocking how well the Boone holds speed in the grass. The CX0 tires transition beautifully between the paved bike path and the grass, and the Aeolus wheels spin up as fast as anything I have ever ridden.

At the southern end of the green-belt, I hop off of the grass, and onto the dirt path that wraps around Tempe Town Lake. There are huge sand volleyball courts to practice in, and miles of uneven, unmaintained dirt access roads west of the lake that follow the Salt River drainage area. Sit back and push down on the pedals, and the Boone floats through it all.

This is one of the only places where a southern Arizona rider can practice riding in the mud. After a rainstorm, water from all over the city drains into this area. The Access road becomes a soupy mess, and things get slippery. The Boone has tons of clearance, and mud build-up has never been a problem.

I’ll say it again… The Boone is the best cross bike I have ever ridden.

Granted, Julius is set up with the absolute best possible combination of parts. The Dura-Ace groupo is flawless, and the Aeolus wheels are a revelation. But even with lesser parts, you’d still have the Boone frame at the center of it all. As you’ll see when we get to the technical trail section below, I changed wheelsets, and the bike is still a complete ripper.

TECHNICAL SINGLETRACK

I was not expecting the Boone to be very good on trails…

The only smooth place in Papago...

Boy was I wrong. The first time I took it into Papago Park and Phoenix Mountain Preserve (connected conveniently by a long stretch of dirt road along the Arizona Canal), I rode all of the trails that I normally ride on my mountain bike, and encountered only one issue.

That issue? Tire volume. The CX0s, as good as they are at everything else, just don’t have enough volume to keep me from bottoming out on baby-head rocks. Also, the sound of those rocks smacking into the $2400 Aeolus wheels made me more than a little nauseous.

I ordered a set of Paradigm Elite TLR Disk wheels, and some Clement MSO X-Plor 40 tires to shoe them with.

Problem solved.

Drop-offs, rock gardens, short steep descents… This new set up handles it all with zero issues. The Boone is more than capable on Arizona singletrack. These wheels and tires do not have the absolute top end speed of the Aeolus/CX0 combo, but that’s fine. Different tools for different jobs.

The Arizona Cross series? Aeolus.

Trail 100? Paradigms.

Chino Grinder? Aeolus.

Am I giving up my mountain bike? No.

I still need the suspension for long technical descents like you find at Whiskey 50, or on National Trail on South Mountain. (I’m a little nutty, but not *that* nutty.)

That being said, the versatility, and sheer fun factor that the Boone offers has me reaching for it more often than any of my other bikes.

Julius is a keeper. Riding this bike is the definition of fun. It does it all, and does it well. 

The ENVE Upgrade... Yes. You deserve it.

Indulgent.

Luxurious.

Decadent.

Sublime.

These are not the words normally used to describe bike parts. In the case of the Cyclologic ENVE upgrade package, they are, however, entirely fitting. We took what was already an impossibly good looking bike, and not only improved the performance, but made it a damn site more sexy as well.

Pretty nice, eh? The upgrade consists of four things. The wheelset, handlebar, stem, and seatpost. There is a lot to cover here, so pour yourself an extra cup of coffee, kick your feet up, and settle in.

First, a brief word about the parts that came stock on the Orca. They consisted of very solid, and surprisingly lightweight, aluminum FSA compact bars, stem and seatpost, and the always fun Vision Tri-Max 30 wheelset. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these parts. They perform incredibly well, and Orbea deserves kudos for their choice in sourcing them. This isn't about any deficiencies in the stock parts, it is instead about how amazing, and totally worth it the upgraded pieces from ENVE are. 

Got it? Good! Let's get going!

The wheels are perhaps the most eye-catching part of the package, so let's start there.

ENVE SES 4.5

These wheels are, in a word, stunning. They do everything well... and when I say, "well," I mean really, really well. Climb. Descend. Corner. Accelerate. Stop. You name it, and these wheels can do it.  When it comes to weight, the ENVEs are pretty much king of the hill. They come in significantly less than their competitors. They are so light in fact (1328 grams) that in order to get something with a similar rim depth that weighs less, you would have to spend an additional $4500 for the Lightweight Meilenstein Clinchers. The Meilensteins come in at a gobsmacking 1105 grams (for the set!), but that weight savings (223 grams) will cost you a whopping $20 per gram! 

Aerodynamics? Once again, the ENVEs more than hold their own. They consistently test at or near the top of every category in the wind tunnel. But we don't ride in wind tunnels, do we? What do they feel like in the real world? I've got a thousand or so miles on these in a variety of wind conditions, and I can say without question that they are flat out the fastest mid depth wheels I have ever ridden. In calm conditions, they accelerate like a shot, and once you reach speed they hold it with ease. But lots of wheels do that... 

...in calm conditions.

It's easy to be aerodynamic in still air. What happens when things get more complicated? Well, this is when the ENVE 4.5s really shine.

Even in strong blustery conditions, they behave impeccably. Instead of being pushed around by the wind, it feels almost as if I am being shunted through it. There's no jarring panic filled moments when semi-trucks whiz by. They have had perfect manners in every wind condition I have encountered.

(Disclaimer: I am not a small rider. Depending on what time of year it is, I tip the scales at anywhere from 170-180 pounds. It takes a lot of air to move me! A lighter rider might do better on a lower depth wheel like the ENVE 3.4.) 

Unlike most other feather weight wheels out there, the ENVE 4.5s are also super tough. I have had to bunny hop pot holes on multiple occasions, I've had pieces of metal and rocks kicked up by passing traffic smack into the carbon fairings, and I have plowed into and over tons of road debris that I didn't see coming until it was too late. The ENVE wheels? Still perfectly straight and true. 

I can't recommend these wheels enough. These are last year's version. The new ones have been upgraded with a tubeless compatible rim, and start at $2700. Are they pricey? Yes. Are they worth it? You betcha!

ENVE SES AERO ROAD BAR, STEM, and computer mount

Clean lines. Ergonomic genius. Ridiculously light weight. The ENVE SES cockpit is simply as good as it gets. 

Let's start with the clean lines... 

I'm more than a little bit obsessed with simple, clean, well thought out, uncluttered work spaces. I'm the guy that doesn't have any app links on his cell phone touch screen. Same goes for my laptop desktop screen. I go to great lengths to have as few items as possible on my kitchen counters. 

The ENVE SES bar and stem scratch that itch for me when I am on my bike. Intuitive internal cable routing, integrated computer mount and bar-end plugs, smooth transitions... Aethetically, there is nothing about this set-up that I don't love. We have a lot of bikes on our sales floor, but this is the one that people consistently stop and stare at. It looks that good.

And as good as it looks, it works even better! The ergonomics are impeccable. The flat top of the bar is super comfy while climbing, and was wind tunnel optimized for aerodynamic efficiency. The drop outs flare slightly, and slot effortlessly into your hands as you transition down from the hoods. The 77mm reach feels natural, and allowed me to run a 1cm longer stem than I normally would. 

Normally, a bar with this much shaping would come with a weight penalty. Not this one. The bar weighs 233 grams. The stem comes in at a paltry 126 grams, and the computer mount adds an additional 20 grams. That's a grand total of 379 grams! That's less than many bars weigh all by themselves! 

Because this is made by ENVE, you don't have to worry about the weight savings coming at the cost of stiffness or safety. This set-up is rock solid. In the year or so I have been riding it, there hasn't been a single creak or wobble to be found. Heck... If it is tough and stiff enough for a sprinter like Mark Cavendish, it should work fine for the rest of us! 

                                                             (photo via ENVE.com)

The handlebar retails for $400, the stem for $265, and the computer mount for $45. Again, this is not the least expensive option on the market, but it is certainly one of, if not the, best.

ENVE Seatpost

Here's what I have to say about the ENVE seatpost.

I installed it...

...and I haven't thought about it since.

It hasn't slipped, budged, tilted, or moved.

Rock solid. That's exactly what I want out of a seatpost.

I want it to disappear and just let me ride.

The fact that it looks this good and weighs next to nothing are (very) pleasant bonuses.

The ENVE seatpost comes in at 178 grams and retails for $275. In my opinion? When you get something that works this flawlessly, it is worth every penny.

Conclusion

The Cyclologic ENVE Upgrade is the perfect compliment to my bike. It looks amazing, and performs even better. All told, it is 1885 grams of carbon perfection that will dramatically improve the performance, comfort and looks of your ride.

Is it worth it? Of course it is. 

What is Cyclologic?

It is happening more and more frequently. Someone wanders through the front door, and says, "So, I've seen the sign outside, and a friend told me to check you out, but... what exactly are you? A bike shop? A fit studio? What's with all of the pictures of the pros?"

We understand the confusion. We do wear a lot of hats in the cycling community. So we figured we should take the opportunity to explain it. Below you will find out a little bit more about who we are, and what we do. 

Cyclologic is a cycling analysis Studio

Cycling Analysis... This is what we are best known for. We use cutting edge tools, combined with the most current science based protocols to make sure that every cyclist is as comfortable, efficient, and powerful as possible. We provide this service to everyone from world champions to first time cyclists. Each and every rider, no matter what their skill level, receives the exact same treatment, and goes through the exact same process. 

Cyclologic is a Concierge Service Solution

Cyclologic is proud to offer a concierge service department whose primary goal is to get you and your bike back out on the road as quickly as possible. Just call ahead and make an appointment with one of our world class service technicians. They will be waiting for your arrival, and will start working right away. Many repairs can be performed while you wait! Hang out, drink coffee, watch a race on our big screen TV... Before you know it, you will be on your way with your bike tuned and ready to ride. 

Cyclologic is a World Class Retail Destination

Tired of getting the "bro" treatment at your local shop? Give Cyclologic a chance to earn your business. Our CHO (Chief Hug Officer... Yes,  that is a real position at Cyclologic.) will greet you with a smile, offer you a coffee, and help you find the right person to answer your questions. Whether you have questions about a new tri bike, a holiday gift for the cyclist in your life, or the best type of chamois cream, we have got you covered! The best brands, the best service, the best shop, and the best experience in the Valley.

Cyclologic is Your Ride Headquarters

The Cyclologic Saturday Morning Group Ride is known nation-wide as being an alternative to the normal pell-mell anarchy that most shop rides have become. Depending on the week, we offer 2-3 groups that ride in a double pace line that rotates away from traffic. Riders in the front of the group pull for up to two minutes before calmly pulling across. If you don't want to pull, no problem! We just ask that you stay to the back of the right hand line. There is no attacking and no half wheeling. We communicate information about road debris all the way back through the group, and obey all traffic laws. We talk, watch out for each other, and have fun! Oh... and let's not forget the coffee, bagels and laughs at the end!

In addition to our Saturday group ride, Cyclologic is also your source for mid week rides and travel as well! We have water, an ice machine (coming just in time for hot summer riding!), changing rooms, and comfy couches to hang out on. Our shop is located right at the base of the best riding in the Valley, and we would love to sit down with you and map out your next adventure. Live in the mid-west, north-east, or somewhere else that gets too cold for winter riding? Take a bike vacation to beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona! Ship your bike to us, and we will build it and have it ready and waiting for you when you arrive. It is December, and we are still in short sleeves!

Cyclologic is a Technology Company

Our passion for "what's next" has led us to the creation of a no-limits technology company that is set to revolutionize the motion capture and analysis industries. MOTIONMETRIQ is that company. Launched at Interbike 2017, and partnered with Noraxon, MOTIONMETRIQ is the next big thing, and we can't wait to show you what we have planned. We will be integrating this new technology into our fit studio in 2018.

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This is just a brief description of what Cyclologic is, and the services we offer. If you would like to learn more, please feel free to give us a call, or better yet, stop by and see for yourself! 

Happy Tour de France Day!

I was in a bit of a hurry during this morning's Cyclologic group ride. I wanted to get back so I could see as much of the race as possible. What race?

You know what race.

THE race!

The Tour de France, of course! That's right... It's Tour de France time again! We have three incredible weeks of racing ahead of us, and for the first time in years, the fight for yellow looks wide open. There is a Team Sky rider in yellow... and it's not Chris Froome. Nairo Quintana lost his most powerful ally in a horrific crash, but turned in one of his most impressive time trials to date. Contador, Aru, Porte and the rest of the contenders kept their tinder dry, despite the pouring rain... AND IT IS ONLY DAY ONE! 

But back to this morning...

When we got back to the shop, I immediately pulled up the live feed for the last half of the TT. We all gathered around, drank coffee, ate croissants and French cheese, and watched in real time, as the riders battled the clock, half way around the world. 

We've come a long, long way.

I grew up in a very small town a very long way from anywhere. As a kid, I had a consuming fascination with all things Le Tour. It was a frustrating obsession. We were very isolated from the rest of the world. For a long time, there were only three TV stations (none of which covered the race), one country/oldies radio station, and a small local paper.  I usually wouldn't even know who won the race until months after it ended. There was no internet. I had to wait for the next time my family and I would travel six hours to the closest B Dalton bookstore. I would sprint to the magazine rack and look for the latest issue of VeloNews. 

I'd sit down on the floor, and read it cover to cover while my family shopped.

I'd read it again during the long ride home. I remember the ink smearing onto my fingers.

I kept those magazines in stacks in the corner of my room, and would reread them constantly. My favorites were the ones that had Hinault or Roche on the cover. I'd carefully cut the covers off and thumbtack them to my closet door.

Now?

If I'm not watching it live, I get live updates on my phone. I know who won at the exact same moment that the winner's themselves do.

Is it better now? 

Of course it is. Absolutely.

But...

I'll never be able to recreate that feeling.

The feeling of weeks and months of anticipation finally being fulfilled. 

Viva Le Tour.

******************

PS- There's another big difference I forgot to mention. Back then, I rode a yellow, Huffy BMX bike that easily weighed 30 pounds or more.

Now? I've upgraded just a bit. 

Is it better?

Of course it is. Absolutely.

But...

...

Actually, there is no "but". 

It is WAY better!