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Biking
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Bike Maps
Updated 1/12/2008
Gears 4
Beers site
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Cold weather riding
A drinking group with a cycling problem
Bike Fit Tales
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GO Boilers!!
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Proudest moments on the bike...
1) Hanging with the Gazelles on Wed night
- quoted from the G4B Wed ride summary |
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I recently had a bike fit session with Bob Duncan of Wheelie Fun in Lebanon. I was very uncomfortable on my Lemond, seeming to be perpetually reaching for the bars, getting stiff neck/shoulders and sore butt. I thought the frame was too long so I shortened and raised the stem to get the bars closer. Bob showed me that that was exactly the WRONG way to go. It caused my hips to be upright and my back to arch so that I hit the bars right. Bob LENGTHENED my stem and LOWERED the stem as well. He also raised my seat a good inch or more to get my max leg extension knee angle right. I was shocked to see when I got in this position I was actually more comfortable. My back was straight now (with a little help from Bob) and the reach was right. My hips rotated forward allowing my back to go straight toward the bars. Before with my hips rotated rearward, my back HAD to arch to get my arms to the bars. With this new setup I can even ride on the drops now, which was really awkward before. I still want to arch my back (bad habit now) so I'll need to concentrate on pushing my chest forward to keep my back straight. Bob had a nice tip to think of a string between my chest and the stem and pull that string when I start arching my back. Bob also suggested I keep my elbows relaxed and only slightly bent (~5deg) and tuck my elbows in towards my body slightly for a more aero position. The first ride
(3/12/2005) was really cold, windy and snowing so I
didn't get a really good feel yet but it did SEEM faster (Bob predicted +0.5 to
1mph improvement) I easily hit that but it might have been my hurry to get out
of the damn snow! Hopefully this weekend will give a better test. I'm really happy
with the results so far. I hope to post a before and after picture (see below!) so you can
see how dramatic the change was. I would have NEVER found this on my own, it was
just so counter-intuitive. I have to thank the Westchester Wheelmen Cluster (thanks Walt
Fick!) for hosting Bob at a fit clinic where I met him. I highly recommend Bob
and a fit session, especially if you are buying a new bike. The session was the
best 90 minutes I've spent on a bike. Fortunately my frame
size was okay for my body (rats no new bike now, have to wait on that Orbea
Orca till I wear out the Lemond). |
Cold weather
riding....28F
today...Here's how I stay warm, DeFeet or UnderArmour base layer, Pearl Izumi short
sleeve jersey, PI Kodiak Winter long sleeve Jersey, PI Vagabond wind proof jacket. PI
Ultrasensor 3D shorts, Performance leg warmers and Bellweather tights. Nike
Poggio shoes (not reco'd for the cold but all I have) SockGuy socks, PI Amfib booties
with a hand warmer (Grabber Mycoal or Hot hands brands) in each toe, on
top of shoe. Performance Gortex gloves. LeBow Balaclava and Giro helmet
w/mirror and last, pedal hard (-: Maps are now posted on the Gears 4 Beers website |
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Bike Fit Update 3/20/2005
... Well I've gotten 3 good rides in now and
the fit is a big improvement.
I have to admit that judging speed vs effort level is pretty subjective but to
my best estimate I think I've picked up 1-2mph on my pace since changing to
the new fit position, judged over routes I ride alot. The
biggest thing  I
now notice is that when I fall into my bad back/arm/hip
position, I feel slower....forcing myself to the proper position I find nearly
every time I start spinning faster and generate more power (mph goes up). The
most effective of this is making sure my hips are rotated forward, which
automatically gets my back straight. This position also seems to open up my
breathing and I just feel better. The new Fizik saddle is a big improvement but
my hard 50 miler on Sunday still left me a little sore down there but I'll
reserve judgment for a few hundred miles since this saddle is quite a bit
different from the San Marco saddle I've ridden for two years now. The new
position tends to put more pressure on the perineum vs the sit bones but I
think in time this will be okay. The seat
post I have does not allow fine nose up/down adjustment and I think a very
small nose up would improve the comfort level (this would bring the saddle
level, now it is either a wee tad up or down depending on the click it settles
into.) I think this would balance the pressure points. Bottom line, I'm not going back to my old bike setup and you can't make
me (-; If your bike hurts you, see Bob right away!
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