Cycling Versus Insanity, Zumba and other Fad Excercises

Discussing some of today's most popular body sculpting exercises, and

whether these will stand the test of time, compared to cycling.

So, which one are you doing? Riding a bike, or Zumba? Commuting to work, or Crossfit? I have friends and acquaintances that believe riding a bike to be an activity they once did down their neighborhood block as little kids, never to be repeated again as a car-owning adult. When it comes to getting in shape, they will resort to some of the more recently popular methods. "Why ride a bike and expose myself to the elements, when I can just do Insanity from the comfort of my home or take a Zumba class at the gym?", some might ask.  Because cycling is  an activity that will stand the test of time, one that will help maintain a healthy (but not an elite) weight, improve blood circulation, improve quality of life and in turn add longevity to the person who does it on a routine basis. It's also an activity many will enjoy doing, so having a routine of cycling won't be as hard to maintain as a group workout program. 

I will admit, programs such as Insanity, P90X, Crossfit and Zumba give results. From dramatic weight loss to sculpted abs, people can achieve these results from continually doing these programs. They also serve as a great way to get ready for beach season and lose that extra 10 pounds of persistent flab hanging around the mid-section. If physical image is the participant's end goal, these programs can achieve great results. However, without continuity these results are not long lasting. These exercise programs rely heavily on high intensity workouts that shock the body's metabolism into reacting more quickly than normal, losing weight faster over a shorter period of time. Sometimes, the weight can be loss at an unhealthy rate, leading to rapid weight gain over any short period of inactivity. I have known friends who have gained the weight back with interest after falling back to their old habits.

Many of these programs also do not respect the lower lumbar. Some programs like P90X will put a warning on their videos for people to have had previous back injuries. However, back injuries can occur during these exercises if a person has weak or undeveloped back muscles. I personally know of someone who developed a severe back injury after a session of Insanity who did not have any preexisting back problems.  Cycling, however, strengthens back muscles and along with core exercises, can dramatically improve lower back function. 

These programs also rely on the use of good marketing and over the top claims of fitness and athletic ability. Crossfit is an example of this. Crossfit claims that it can make anyone excel at any sport they choose because they will have the fitness advantage every time. I would like to see one of those top heavy Crossfit dudes challenge me in a bike race. Being a good cyclist only comes through lots and lots of cycling. Through many times of tearing and strengthening leg muscles, the body learns to send less lactic acid to the legs the longer someone rides. Leg endurance is something that takes years to obtain, and I highly doubt someone who has been doing Crossfit, even for a few years, can simply hop on a road bike and win a criterium. Having a twin brother who is Navy Seal qualified but cannot even hold the draft of my rear wheel, I know this first hand. While upper body strength is desirable for most men to have, too much muscle mass on top will feel like an anchor weight when climbing hills on a bike, a skill essential in cycling. Lean muscles are more desirable than large muscles for cyclists.

Crossfit takes their big-headedness a step further, opening up Crossfit gyms everywhere, temples where they can teach their doctrine to their loyal followers. Reebok now has an annual Crossfit challenge that looks like an Ironman and a World's Strongest Man competition put together. There they determine, in their own words, who the fittest person on earth is. What they don't realize is that fitness is relative. Not all athletes or truly fit people sport six packs and massive pectorals. Not all athletes do football scrimmages, climb up ropes and do Olympic lifts. And while it takes a great level of fitness to do all those things, that does not make people who do Crossfit the ultimate all rounders. 

Zumba is the Jazzercise of the new generation. Having a mom who was into Jazzercise, I would know. Another dance aerobic workout, this time Latin inspired. I can remember how my Mom's hobby turned into an obsession, sometimes dragging me with her to do her Jazzercise classes. Imagine a 14 year old surrounded by a bunch of fifty year old women in tight, brightly colored spandex. So yeah...forgive me if I don't have the fondest memories of Jazzercise or the best impression of Zumba either.

How about these themed running events that have been popping up lately? Events like the Tough Mudder where people run in the mud for no reason and come out looking like mud pies? Again, not very appealing to me. I rather be dirty in my own sweat than caked in mud any day.  These events take a lame activity (no offense to any runners reading this, however I was also a runner and I know firsthand how boring it is) and try to spice it up by adding a theme or a cause and all the sudden it becomes something fun. It gives runners the motivation to continue aimlessly jogging around the trails to "train" for events like these.

Any physical activity, as long as it is being done regularly, will give results. The aim of these workout videos and clubs is to make the consumer believe that they have something no one else has. But in reality, people have been going to the gym and getting hard abs and fit bodies since Jack Lalanne. Sometimes it is a good idea to look beyond the flash and the bang and ask whether these training methods are necessary to be fit and healthy individuals, and whether they can be done on a regular and routine basis for the years to come.

In conclusion, I'll simply end this topic with a question "Which of these will you be doing when you're 60, 70, or even 80 years of age?". I know cyclists who are that old, and I also know old people in really bad health who are that old as well. Cycling is a long term activity. The results are not immediately noticeable, but the effects are long lasting. If you are someone who is getting winded or is getting their back broken trying to keep up with these trending workouts, maybe it's time to give cycling a try. When all the hype blows over, you'll be thankful you did. Stay tuned for more informative articles from A Bicycle's Point Of View.

Tales of the Rigid Part II-The Renunion

My New Old School Mountain Bike. A fully rigid 1993 GT Timberlilne

In case you haven't been following my blog, the title of this article is alluding to a blog post I wrote a while back called Tales of the Rigid, check it out. At around the age of 15 when I started getting into mountain biking, good suspension bikes where still very uncommon among average working class people. There were some affordable suspension bikes back then, but the technology was not nearly as advanced as it is today and good suspension systems like Rockshox, Manitou and Marzocchi were out of our reach. Bottoming out and going over the handlebars was a common occurrence on cheaper suspension systems. Because of this many people decided to forgo suspension all together and ride the trails on rigid mountain bikes.

So what did I use to ride some of the most technical singletrack in Dallas and Fort Worth when I was growing up? You guessed it, I rode on a rigid, twenty six inch wheeled mountain bike with no bells and whistles. I remember what a blast it was to ride trails like Northshore, Horseshoe Trail, L.B Houston and Knob Hills in the late 90's and early 2000's on my rigid Huffy mountain bike. I have recently been longing to get back on a rigid bike, but they are no longer made in the twenty six inch variety and even rigid 29ers are getting hard to come by.

It wasn't until very recently when talking to my boss about old school mountain biking when he offered to sell me his old mountain bike for a song. He had taken great care of the bike and it looked like it had only been ridden a few times. When he sold it to me he had converted it to a cruising commuter. It sported some Schwalbe Fat Frank cruiser tires and and a Brooks leather saddle. The Brooks saddle and the tires were not included in the deal, however my plans for the bike do not require them. My boss was kind enough to throw in a WTB Deep V saddle and brand new knobbies with the purchase of the bike. He's an real awesome guy, and I'm really enjoying my new job at the bike shop.

Yesterday I was finally able to break away to the mountain bike trail to try it out. I rode Rowlett Creek Preserve, a trail known for having some real techincal creek crossings and trail loops. I skipped the really crazy creek crossings and loop 13, a concrete and re-bar laden jungle. As I rode the bike I started to reacquaint myself with using my body, rather than shocks as the suspension. Once I started riding the harder loops the clock started turning back to my early days of mountain biking. It was as if a dormant switch was turned on and reignited in my brain. I was using muscles and maneuvers that I hadn't used in years. I realized that everything I was riding with my full suspension bike could be done on a rigid, perhaps even faster and with less mistakes. Without a heavy suspension system weighing me down I was climbing hills like a billy goat and getting air on bumps I would normally absorb with a suspension bike. On a rigid bike I am in touch with the terrain that is below my feet, and every rock and obstacle could be felt. Even though my new rigid bike is light years better than the one I used to have back in the day, I was able to experience that old feeling from long ago. A rediscovered sense of adventure, a feeling that I haven't seen all there is to see. It took getting home and looking at myself in the mirror to finally realize that I wasn't fifteen anymore. I also realized that I could do almost everything on the trail that I was doing on my full suspension bike on my rigid bike. It was an awesome experience, and I can't wait to do it again.

Flashback to the late 90's. My brother and I on our rigid Huffy mountain bikes. I'm on the right.

Stay tuned for more bicycle adventures from a Bicycle's Point of View. Subscribe if you haven't already.

My Man For The Tour

Why Nairo Quintana is my pick for the tour

Nairo Quintana leads a charge in the tour of the Basque country. Picture courtesy of Colombia.com

In case my readers were wondering, I have been watching the Tour De France, despite my busy schedule (as well as picking up on my real cycling on the bike).  Stage 8 of today's race really excited me. It wasn't because of Chris Froome winning the stage and taking the overall lead; sports commentators had predicted this moment would come all along. In fact, the whole year Chris Froome has been talked up by the media to become the favorite to win the tour. What excited me the most was how Nairo Quintana attacked at the Col de Pailhères and held back the peloton until the last 3 miles of the race. Nairo's attack was reminiscent of the great Colombian climber Lucho Herrera and how he would destroy the peloton once the road started going uphill. 

The 1980's saw the dominance of Colombian talent with the Cafe De Colombia and Postobon cycling teams making headlines throughout the decade. They were the underdogs of cycling, sons of farmers that had been recruited from high up in the Colombian mountains to become some of the greatest climbers the sport has ever seen. Nicknamed the Escarabajos, Colombian cyclists were known as fast ascenders that triumphed over rocky, mountainous terrain. Yet on other types of terrain, like flats and descents they were not as dominant, due to their diminutive physiques. With the elimination of doping programs which allowed otherwise untalented athletes to become great climbers (insert Lance Armstrong's name here), Colombian cycling is enjoying a modern day renaissance, and no one at this time embodies this movement better than Nairo Quintana.

Lucho Herrera was the dominant cyclist of the 1980's. Picture courtesy of Rapha.

Nairo Quintana joins an ever growing list of Colombian superstars and are taking the cycling scene by storm this year. Other Colombian favorites include Rigoberto Uran, Javier Acevedo, Carlos Betancur and the list goes on and on. My favorite for the tour is Quintana. He is one of the best climbers and underrated riders in the peloton. He is also a very humble character and all around good guy that I can relate to. So watch out Chris Froome, this year's tour is a hilly one, one that Nairo Quintana can and will capitalize on. If Chris Froome can come out of nowhere and get so many palmares, so can Nairo Quintana, with even more reason. Nairo's professional career has just begun, as opposed to Froome's, who is at the late bloom of his own career. If I were a betting man (which I'm not) my money would be on Nairo Quintana for the tour de France victory, or at the very least the king of the mountains jersey. Quintana is the rider to watch out for, one that is sure to turn heads at the tour this year and surprise the unsuspecting media.

On a side note, I wanted to comment on how Lance Armstrong recently claimed that it is impossible to win the tour the France without doping. I was going to write an article about this, then came to the realization that this guy doesn't deserve a full page spread on the stupid blunder he made. All I will say is that he should have instead apologized for his shameful actions and wish that others would not copy his bad example. Instead he shows the world the washed up, old guy has-been, armchair class act without any decency that he is. My dream is to one day find Lance Armstrong on one of my bike rides, pass on front of him and rip up a huge, nasty fart in his face, as a show of the gratitude I have for him. If it didn't have a nagging mouth, one would confuse Armstrong for gutter trash lying on the side of the road. With those unrepentant words Lance is showing himself deserving of every lawsuit that has come his way.  I'm sorry if I am being harsh, but these are the nicest words I can use to describe Lance Armstrong at this time. This is not the image I once had of him, but this is what he has become. Sorry Lance, you're no one's hero anymore.

Whaah!...loser. Picture courtesy of the Telegraph.uk

Stay tuned for more news and updates from a Bicycle's Point of View.

Back to Work, and back on the bike

The New Job, 101 Degrees in June, and Other News

After my last post, where I was feeling a little winded from back to back 30 mile rides on my road bike, I decided to follow my own advice and am riding shorter distances in this summer heat that is sure to become a blazing furnace by the end of August. Today marks the first over 100 degree day that we have had in Texas, and it is only the beginning of whats to come. My riding habits have shifted from riding during the day to riding at the crack of dawn or in the wee hours of the evening. Around the country, some states might reach a high UV index, or a level 10, around this time of year. Everyday since the start of June the UV index level here has been at 11, or extreme, which I believe is probably a designation only people living in Texas receive. Besides the depleting ozone layer there is another reason why I have had to adjust my riding schedule. This month I started a new job, doing what I enjoy doing as a bicycle mechanic at a bike shop.

Home repairs, car trouble, the need for a new car payment (which is an unfortunate necessity when living in Texas, especially with a family in tow), and making travel plans have all made it necessary to get a second source of income. I'm not complaining; I have enjoyed being a homemaker for over a year now and was already anxious to rejoin the workforce when I was offered this new job. I hope to show my employers my years of experience in bicycle repair and hope to turn some heads in the near future. I'm glad to get a part time job where I can pick up the slack financially as well as give me the opportunity to use my skills as a bike mechanic, while at the same time allowing my wife to continue to work in her field.

As I have already mentioned, I have been riding shorter distances of around fifteen to twenty miles at a time. Even though the distances have been shorter, the quality of my riding has improved and I am now logging faster times with less effort. I am also riding more regularly since I can squeeze more shorter rides in my schedule than longer rides that last well over an hour. I have also changed my riding style and now use the smaller front chainring for long hill climbs. The higher cadence allows me to climb some hills two or three miles an hour faster than I did before. Using this improved technique in my riding as well as moving my clip-less pedal cleats closer to the ball of my foot has eliminated the dull knee pain I was experiencing earlier. I have ordered some new pedal cleats with zero degrees of float to replace the worn out cleats I have been using for the past three years, which will prevent any future issues as well as compliment my current skill level.

So with all that being said I will have less time to blog, less time to restore old bicycles, and less time to find and score any bargains for the foreseeable future. I will try to keep the articles coming, and if nothing else will give a monthly update, as I am doing now. Stay tuned for more posts from A Bicycle's Point Of View.

Tired Legs, Time Off and when to get off the bike

Some self-help advice on dealing with cycling related tiredness.

Last Memorial Day weekend I went to a 3 day bike riding binge where I must have ridden close to 80 miles in 3 days. I normally don't ride these types of long distances, and normally spread my rides more evenly during the week than attacking that distance on a weekend. As if that wasn't epic enough, the local weather here has been hot and humid for about a month now. On recent rides I have been feeling fatigued, even in rides less than 20 miles long. Last weekend finally broke my spirit, after a 32 mile ride were I crashed in the final few miles of the ride. I have been off the bike since then, trying to recover the sensation and strength in my legs. I have been sore all over and even my knees were bothering me at one point. The day fatigue is starting to go away now, along with the back pains probably caused by muscles that were strained during the fall. I have been off the bike for almost two weeks now, trying to find the energy to get back on again. 

I can probably blame my tiredness on late nights with a toddler, poor eating habits and my fat friends always eager to stuff my face with delicious food. But I have always had poor sleeping and eating habits, in addition to a large appetite. It wasn't until about last month when I started to feel like I was hitting a wall in my training, after over 5 years of constant riding. I may have to consider that as I get older some of my habits have to change. Being more well rested will help my body recover for those epic rides, as well as help rebuild the muscle mass in my legs. A better diet and abstaining from binge eating attacks will also contribute to higher energy levels and overall well-being. I can go weeks, for example, eating proper portions and dieting well until a spread of good food is laid out before me, then all my discipline goes out the window. This is probably my biggest downfall, and is the reason why I haven't been able to achieve the fitness level to compete.

Or I could just need a break off of my bike for a while, until I feel like getting on again and riding for pleasure.  I also need to start looking at riding my bike whenever I can fit it in my schedule, instead of prioritizing a number of rides a week, always leaving me tired as I try to fit in a ride at the crack of dawn after a poor night's sleep. While cycling helps me to keep it together mentally and physically, it is not the thread that holds my life together. And although it will always be an activity that, as long as I am able to I'll participate in, it is not the only activity that I engage in.

I compare my experience with cycling like Forrest Gump running across the United States four times. He just wanted to run. He wasn't running for world peace or anything like that. When he got tired, he stopped and went home. All the while he ran he thought back on his life's experiences up to that point. He just went out for a run that lasted 3 years, according to the movie anyway. That's what my experience with cycling has been like. 

 

I'm sure Forrest would have continued to run on the weekends, if his character was real. No one runs for that long and doesn't at least try to keep their fitness up. The same goes for me and cycling. I think up to this point cycling has helped me out a great deal in sorting out the thoughts in my mind and giving me the space for personal reflection about where I should be heading. I feel like I have a few more epic rides left in me, possibly even a long cross country tour. But like arrows in a quiver, that number is limited. As my son gets older, I'll be happy just to take rides together with him  on the trails or around the neighborhood roads in my local area. If he gets into cycling as much as I have he might give me the second wind I will need when I'm older. Hopefully I will one day be the one drafting off his rear wheel.

I will probably hop back on my bike real soon. If my fatigue has been the result of taking too much training at once maybe that's a sign for me to take it easy for a while. I also have to consider the length of time I have been riding and my other obligations which are making riding consistently more difficult. Maybe it's time to settle for the "very good recreational rider, but not pro" designation. Or maybe I need to get more sleep, eat better and rethink my training strategy so that I am not pushing myself to the red every time I go ride. Or maybe it's routine that I need; there are simply too many ways that I can address this. 

In conclusion, sometimes it's good to get off the bike, take a minute and think about what we're doing. Having tired legs does not mean more training. Sometimes it's better to sleep in on that weekend group ride instead of joining the ride on little sleep or fatigued legs. The reason for constant riding is to improve fitness and increase leg strength, not to debilitate and wear the body out. I hope this personal reflection has been helpful and has answered any rhetorical questions readers might have had. Cycling related fatigue is normal and very common, even among those who love the sport. Too much of a good thing can also be bad. Sometimes it's prudent to take a break from that activity we love so much but can be taking a toll on us as well. Once we recover, we can enjoy the benefits of regular exercise and training cycling can give us, as long as we aren't overdoing ourselves. Stay tuned for more cycling related articles, and subscribe to my page to get the latest updates.

Fixed Gear Versus Geared Bikes Part II

Single Speed Vs. Geared Bikes

In response to my original Article

One year ago, I wrote an article about the differences of single speed and geared bikes and the advantages and disadvantages of each one. I received some great feedback from readers about their thoughts on using single speed bikes (no one mentioned fixed gear bikes or "fixies"). In this review of my own previous article, I'll discuss this subject a little more, as well as clarify some previous observations.

Single speed bikes in competition: The most common event that features single speed bikes are track events where the bikes are used in their fixed gear form. But that is recently changing, as new events, both on road and off, are emerging that don't follow the traditional format of bicycle racing. Some of these events are cyclocross racing, Gravel Grinders, and mountain bike long distance endurance events. In all these categories there have been instances where riders on single speed bicycles have dominated over a field of other racers on geared bicycles. Single speed bicycles are yet to leave the amateur scene and move up to the professional ranks of the sport. It would be marvelous to see these bikes in actual road races or in any UCI sponsored event. So far, this has yet to happen. There are little known or publicized victories of single speed bicycles, even in amateur racing. Not to say that it doesn't happen, but there is little or no video, articles, and other information that goes in favor of using single speed bicycles in competition.

Fixies for Fashion:  It is an undeniable fact that over the recent years fixed geared bicycles have been the rave among the ironic hipster crowd. Although some track bicycles are wonderful works of art, Cinelli bicycles being the prime example of that, the hipster crowd misuses these bicycles from their original purpose. They do that by altering the handlebars from drop bars to tiny flat bars that can barely be controlled when steering. Sometimes classic road bikes are not exempt from this either, as many hipsters will hack off the rear derailleur dropout in an attempt to make the frame appear like a track frame. Many collectible bicycles have met their end at the hands of these misguided fashion felons.

Tip for first time buyers: My previous article contained some purchasing tips for those who wished to buy a bicycle for the first time, and was not targeted at advanced riders. Advanced riders will find that a single speed bike suits them due to a gear ratio they found works best for them. Inexperienced riders do not have the benefit of riding experience to know which single gear ratio will suit their needs. Therefore, if a first time buyer buys a fixed gear bicycle living in a hilly area, they may not enjoy their purchase. My recommendation for first time buyers who are looking for a single speed bike is to consider the lay of the land in the area they live in. A single speed bicycle will most certainly suit an area with flat terrain.

My last article provoked a response, somewhat non-favorable, from a few slighted single speedsters who believe that riding with one cog does not affect and actually improves their speed. These riders were usually comparing the difference between a geared and a single speed mountain bike, which actually makes sense to say that the weight difference of gears plus the use of lightweight materials like carbon and titanium might actually make climbing faster, thus improving average speed. Mountain biking is one of the styles of cycling that is seeing a benefit from the use of single speed bikes. However, I have personally bested a few individuals on the trail who were riding on their single speed bicycles using my full suspension geared bike with 3.25 inch mud tires.  In the end, its the engine, and not be bike, that will determine performance. Geared bicycles, however, have proven their worth and are still the standard in professional racing, even in cross country mountain bike racing. When that changes, single speed bicycles will gain more notoriety and credibility for use in competition.

The important thing is that single speed bikes as well as geared bikes offer a source of enjoyment and physical fitness. I was not trying to create any distinctions from riders who choose to ride geared bikes from those who ride single speed bikes. For the first time consumer, the geared bike will be the best value for their dollar and will serve as a stepping stone for if they would like to purchase a single speed bike in the future. My reference to hipsters does not extend itself to all people who ride single speed bikes, either. When I say "hipsters" I am usually referring to the modern meaning of the term. This term refers to a younger generation of individuals, usually between the ages of 18-25, usually in college and usually living off of their parent's dime. Individuals with lots of borrowed credit or disposable income, who do not know the value of a classic road bike and therefore destroy one at the first opportunity. I am not referring to trail riders and commuters who use single speed bicycles or anyone else for that matter. This subculture will probably last a few more years, then will go the way of the Emo kid and the soft core punk rocker. But while it lasts, let's not fail to mention that this is currently the only youth group that embraces cycling in any way shape or form. My hope is once the bicycle is no longer seen as a fashion accessory, that it can truly be embraced by former hipsters for what it truly is. 

I hope I shed some light on my previous article about single speed versus geared bicycles.  Keep subscribing to my blog to stay current with new releases as I tend to discuss many subjects like these. Stay tuned for more articles from A Bicycle's Point of View.


On a side note, this marks my 100th post on my blog. Happily blogging since 2009!

Discussing the MAMILS, Cycling the New Golf, among other stereotypes.

What's a MAMIL? 

Middle Aged Men In Lycra Spandex, or MAMILS, is a very recent term coined by an overseas marketing firm.

At first glance, this word looks like the word "mammal" misspelled. But no, we're not talking about walruses here, although some MAMILS might look like walruses, but that's an altogether different subject. We're talking about middle-aged men in Lycra spandex, a marketing term used to classify an emerging demographic of cycling consumers. According to a Bristish news source, the term was originated by a retailing marketing firm called Mintel. 

So what makes someone a MAMIL? Besides the obvious acronym, market research suggests this age category to be between 35-44 years of age, with disposable income, and the ones most likely to purchase a brand new carbon fiber bike and ride around in a team kit. They're likely to be middle class, high grossing individuals in upper management positions, and take on cycling as a leisurely activity at a premium price point. It's comparable to buying a sports car when in a mid-life crisis and driving it on the weekends, only that sports car is now a shiny new bike.

Am I offended by this term? Actually I find it hilarious. I am neither middle-aged nor do I have disposable income. I ride bicycles that are sometimes as old as I am, and it's been years since I spent over $50 on a cycling jersey or spandex. I do ride in my spandex often, especially in the summertime. But I leave spandex at home when the weather is not favorable or when it's the wrong occasion to be using them, like a trip to the grocery store or pulling the kid trailer behind me. I also make sure that the clothes I buy actually fit me and look cool (note, in contrast, the guy's jersey in the picture above).  Abroad this term has been somewhat embraced even by the demographic that its referring to. Middle-aged men see that although at first glance they will look like out of shape marshmallows climbing hills at a snail's pace, cycling will turn them into studs in the long run as long as they continue do it. So the term is sometimes worn as a badge of honor, mostly by old, fat Englishmen overseas.  

The danger of stereotyping is that uneducated people depend on labels to come to their conclusions in life. In the United States, cyclists are stereotyped as Lance Armstrong wannabes who obstruct the road from angry motorists who drive Land Rovers or Hummer vehicles. And although a lot of cycling fatalities are purely accidental, there has been a recent surge in vehicular homicides or attempted homicides on cyclists. Interesting to note, most cycling related deaths in the U.S have involved men in their 40's riding their bikes during rush hour. This is where stereotyping is dangerous, it fuels the anger of people who have entitlement issues and homicidal tendencies. 

What about cycling as the "new" golf? The Economist made this claim in a recent article that suggests cycling can help establish business relationships. I'm sorry, but there is no comparison between these two activities. There might be a sector of society that likes cycling as well as golf and even some MAMILS might reside among them. This stereotype, however, takes a quantum leap and gives the impression that cycling, just like golf, is an activity for the business elite. In my mind, the two can mix less than oil and water. Cycling is an activity I enjoy because it doesn't cost any money after the initial investment of buying a bike. A trip to a golf range or golf course can cost between $30 and $50 just for the entry fee. 

When compared to cycling, golf is a very stupid sport. I mean, why would I want to play a sport wearing what the business world considers dress attire on casual Friday's? There is no other sport that screams conformity, dork, old man and brown noser like golf does. You can be a portly little fellow and still be a great golf player. Cycling requires real man effort, blood, sweat and tears in order to excel above the others at. To me golf is a sport played by old, out of shape men that are holding on to my job by not retiring and love throwing their weight around when they are swinging a golf club. Comparing cycling to golf, even suggesting that there is anything similar between the two, offends me. I have yet to land a job through cycling. The day I do, I'll consider cycling as a great way to network but I will never, ever say that cycling is the new golf. That would be stepping into the darkside and completely negating everything I stood for in my punk rock youth.

In conclusion, anyone can get into the sport of cycling. There are no age or income requirements to do so. In this modern internet age consumers are more connected than ever before, and can spend infinitely less on the start up costs of cycling than in the past. There is no need to buy something new from a store anymore and paying full retail price on anything. Educated consumers on a shoestring budget (like myself) can now pick up a decent road bike second hand and rock it like Alberto Contador. The same can not be said about golf, a sport that will forever remain tucked away neatly in the country clubs and col-de-sacs of suburbia. Although a lot of well off people ride bicycles for recreation or sport, lets remember that most champions of the sport of cycling came from poor families who were of little means. Talent, and not money, is what made them successful. Stereotypes are hurdles to success. They alienate people who would excel at cycling if they took up the sport. They elevate the already inflated egos of businessmen and corporate fat cats. Cycling marketers need to think younger, fitter and less conservative in their marketing campaigns. A change in the market will mean a change in the stereotypes, and will also save us from the ire of someone's road rage.

I Want to Win A Bicycle Race

I Wanna Win!

 

Sometimes I feel like Nacho does in this clip. If I ever had past regrets, not winning would be one of them. And while some might be used to winning in a manner that comes almost second nature,  some of us have to work really hard at it, and even still many of us don't get the results we were hoping for. 

I wanna win a bicycle race (insert nacho's "hueen" here).  Even if it's just one lousy criterium with a bunch of guys in their 40's and all I get is a little medal at the end of the race, I'll be happy with just that. I would like something to show for my years of serious cycling and the skills that I have developed. Not that it is necessary for me to win a bicycle race in order to enjoy cycling. Its just the burning desire of "what if I am capable of winning?" that makes me want to compete. Will one win in a local criterium race be a game changer and make a big difference in my life? Probably not. Then again, it might psychologically be the morale boost that I need, to be competent in cycling as well as other aspects of life. 

Winners take charge, they chart their own courses in life and are able to successfully meet their goals and ambitions. Winners win at multiple things, since their drive to win pushes them in every aspect of their lives. I feel like we all need to win at something at least once in our lives, to not settle for second or for runner up. Giving someone an honorable mention is equivalent to saying "nice try, but you didn't win". Winning validates the effort, the time and the costs of the goal one is pursuing. Sometimes people can win as a team, but it's not as rewarding as an individual win. The triumph over the field, the acknowledgement that you were the best one of the day.

Bicycle racing is hard. Staying with the pack is a feat on it's own. Many criteriums can average between 21 to 22 miles per hour. If this is a speed that a rider is incapable of producing and holding for at least 30 minutes, then they might as well not compete. While holding this pace there are also surges when the pack will ride up to 30 miles an hour for brief points to drop all the weak riders. Then there is the tightness of the pack. Crashes are common when riders ride just inches apart and someone fails to hold their line, crashing into the wheel of the person next to them. It can also get expensive. Bicycle racing in the U.S requires the payment of licenses and fees in order to race, not to mention the travel expenses involved. This doesn't change the fact that I would like to try it out and win. Truthfully I picked a hard sport to win at, and I could of probably had a better chance at winning playing basketball or soccer, but there's no prize money or medals awarded for those wins. I want a chance to walk away from a win with something clutched in my hands. 

So there you have it, these are my feelings about winning. I hope this did not make for a completely nonsensical argument about winning and my personal feelings about it, but then again this is why you chose to read my blog. We can all win at something, and I believe the world would be a better place if we all did. I just hope bicycle racing can be one of those things that I can win at.

Slaying The Badger- Book review

Slaying The Badger:

A Must Read For Cyclists Looking for Inspiration

Bernard Hinault, also known as the badger, tearing down the competition. Cycling Art Blog

The year was 1986. As I was taking my first steps, Greg Lemond and Bernard Hinault were crossing the finish line of the Champs Elysees, cementing the first Tour De France win for the young Lemond and retiring the older Hinault, a five time Tour De France winner. What went down at this tour was epic. This was a tour full of mountain attacks and solo breakaways that have been unmatched since in the professional cycling scene. It was the last time that a tour would claim to have  a true leader, one that couldn't be challenged and one that would never lose, unless it was on his own terms. Thus Slaying The Badger is a window into 1986 and the stories of each of these two men leading up to that fateful 1986 tour. 

So, the first question my readers might have is, why do I care? I mean, I was barely born when this happened so how is this relevant to me? It's simple. Growing up, society treated the 80's like they never happened. No textbooks contained any historical events nor did the media and entertainment industry make any cultural references about that time. I guess my parent's generation were past their formative years when this decade came along, disregarding it as having been too recent to consider it history. It wasn't until later in life, and with the globalization of the internet, that I independently researched a lot of what went down during the decade that my parents rarely if ever talked to me about. I'm glad I have been able to add to my cultural knowledge of this time period when I was introduced to the world. 

Another reason why it matters to me is because I now own at least two bicycles that are as old as I am, and I ride them hard. Before being slammed by headwind on the way back, I rode my custom made 1986 Woodrup averaging 19mph for the first fifteen or so miles of my ride. So not only did the 80's do something right by bringing me into the world, the bikes made during this time are very fast, even by today's standards. 

So let's talk about the book, shall we? The book introduces both characters in their modern day setting, Hinault on his farm in Brittany, Lemond in his spacious house in Minnesota.While the author describes Hinault in a pastural setting, his home at the end of a seemingly endless and unpaved driveway, reminiscent of the way homes are in my native Puerto Rico, Lemond's home is slightly less modest, with an elaborate garden in the front entrance and a seemingly larger house than Hinault's. Why these details matter is a mystery to me, but it does give insight to the type of personalities each cyclist has.

Bernard Hinault, if I could pick only two words to describe him after reading this book, they would be "The Boss". Everyone knew better than to cross Bernard Hinault, if anyone dared cross him they would feel the wrath of his beating, whether on the bike or even physically. During the 1984 Paris-Niece race, Bernard  got off his bike and dispersed a crowd of about 25 labor union workers protesting in the middle of the road, scattering them off with his fists. Although he suffered a broken rib from that incident, it just shows you how boss Bernard Hinault was. His physical feats and ability to withstand pain are even more astounding. Just like Gino Bartali before him, he endured a freak snow storm in the 1980 Liege-Bastogne-Leige, winning over the rest of the field by over ten minutes, suffering permanent frostbite at the ends of the finger tips. Bernard Hinault cranked a huge gear, a common practice of a lot of the greats from that era. This may be the reason why he was constantly getting knee injuries during his time as a professional cyclist. Even with that setback, he won many races were he wasn't at his best due to knee injury, a broken nose, or even falling of a precipice. Bernard Hinault, in short, was hardcore. He inspired a fear and a respect in the peloton that has yet to be matched by any modern day cyclist. His competitors even had posters of him in  their rooms, that's how much he was revered. Even with that level of admiration, Bernard Hinault knew his limits. He was never a braggart about his victories, and was very selective about what he set out to win and what he would allow other team members to win. As a team leader, sometimes he would play domestique to allow his teammates to win stage victories or even one day races. He was a leader that knew how to lead.

Greg Lemond, was cool. I'm not going to go into any depth describing Lemond's greatness, that's what the rest of the book is for, so definitely pick up a copy and read it. Maybe that's being biased, but that's also why you're reading this review from my blog. Greg Lemond was a very gifted cyclist. He could drop his teammates almost at will, choosing on many occasions not to do the same to Hinault as a show of respect. In contrast to Hinault's self confidence and self reliance, Greg Lemond appears insecure and at times even paranoid in his account of what happened at the 1986 Tour, claiming everything from foul play to keeping his bicycle in his room over fear of sabotage. His insecurities showed even further years afterword in his criticism of Lance Armstrong, although as we later find out, Lemond was right about Armstrong not racing clean. The way Lemond went about this, though, undermined his own achievements and left a very negative first impression about him in my mind. As an athlete Lemond had the goods and delivered them, every time. And he is the only American that won the Tour De France fair and square, and reading this account there was no way I think he could have cheated.

This book also brings to light other great cyclists of the mid eighties that I knew nothing about, such as Laurent Fignon, Urs Zimmerman, Lucho Herrera, Andy Hampsten, and Sean Kelly just to name a few. I didn't even know Colombians reigned supreme on the mountain stages before the 90's came along and they became outperformed by others doping their way up the mountain passes. Reading this book, I spent hours of additional research on each of the riders and details of that era that the book described. 

Slaying The Badger is a good read, and I recommend any cycling fan to pick it up and read it. It's better than It's Not About The Bike, because it's actually non-fiction and gives the reader something to really cheer about. This has been my ten cents about this autobiography. Stay tuned for more book reviews from a Bicycle's Point of View.

When Bad Things Happen...

Looking at the glass half full, sometimes bad things happen.

Today I went out for a long, well deserved bike ride. It was a beautiful day to take the Guerciotti out for a spin, one of the bikes that I own with a collector's value of about $1,200. The bike frame is bonded aluminum tubing with glue that is screwed into the lugs, and it's really a reliable bike, despite the reputation for failure these frames have. I had a great ride, and felt fast despite not having a bicycle computer to tell me my average speed. 

I have a trunk mounted bike rack that I use to carry around my bikes. I could never justify the expense of owning a roof rack that would be worth about 20% of what my car is worth (for the record, I don't drive a fancy car, just fancy bikes). After my ride I loaded up my bike on my bike rack and took the scenic route home, which goes through a residental area with multiple speed bumps. These speed bumps are not marked and are difficult to see sometimes. I approached a speed bump at around 25 miles an hour an hit it on full force, the non-existent shocks on my car being no help whatsoever. The bike rack snapped off the car and flew in mid air with the bike attached to it.  I stopped in the middle of the road to pick it up, and noticed that the bicycle was fine except for the rear wheel, which was really wobbly  and out of true and dish. I will probably have to take it to the shop to get it rebuilt, since I am the one who rebuilt it originally and it was only a passable job.

This is not the first time that the Guerciotti takes a beating under my ownership. A few months ago, I backed into a Porto-potty with my bike on the end of my bike rack. Besides the stem shifting to the side there was no damage to the bike then either. Thankfully I have been able to not have any frame/component damage on these two occasions, though I am starting to rethink my logic about putting my bike on my car rack rather than just riding it on the street.

The city is repaving a lot of the local roads in my area that are notorious for their potholes and cracks. I have been taking my Guerciotti in the car to White Rock Lake trail to avoid having to ride through these roads, and possibly messing up my bike. I think from now on I still stick mostly to riding around my neighborhood route. 

Sometimes bad things happen, but sometimes its necessary to imagine how much worse a situation could have been.  My bike could have been totaled, instead of only a $50 charge at the bike shop to rebuild the wheel. I thought about how it had been the first time in a while since I got to fit in a long bike ride in my schedule, and how much better I felt after my ride. I also thought about all of the cool bikes that have landed in my lap recently, and how the Guerciotti came to being mine for $160 bucks. I can take my time putting the money aside to fix the wheel, and ride some of my other bikes in the meantime. Not all is lost, and there is no need to be a nihilist about it.  Once I get over my initial freaked out stage, I'm ready to look at things from a glass half full.

My Guerciotti is a lovely bike, but in the end it's just a thing. Things are replaceable, but people, time and experiences are not. I'm still simmering over the fact that its going to cost me at least $50 bucks to fix the wheel, because it feels like $50 with interest with the budget I am now facing these days. But it is what it is, as they say here in Dallas. Like I said before, no need to gloom and doom over it.

Overall, today's circumstances are what they are. Tomorrow lies the opportunity to get up, clean up the mess, and right the wrongs of yesterday. Without trying to get all philosophical about it, sometimes bad things happen: our bikes fall off our cars, we gain weight, we get tired. But as long as we are alive and kicking we can always fight back.  

Speaking of Alive and Kicking, enjoy this cool 80's song that always makes me feel better when I'm having a bad day.

"Here's what Americans get about Cycling, and why it's not a problem"

Here's what Americans get (or are starting to get) about cycling: In Response

to a recent article by Business Insider Australia

Recently an article has been circulating around the web so much it has finally gotten my attention. Business Insider Australia wrote an article about what Americans don't get about cycling,  somehow attesting that they have a clue as to why Americans bicycle even though they are based in Australia, clear on the opposite side of the world. Although the article brings up some good points, such as the need to broaden infrastructure in an intelligent way for cyclists in the U.S, the article has to tread on some cultural differences people living in the U.S might have with the rest of the world, portraying those differences in a negative light. This article is in response to some of those negative suggestions.

First off, here in the U.S people ride their bicycle for exercise. Even if on a commute, the commute serves as exercise during the time it takes to get from one destination to another. That is not a negative thing such as the article is suggesting. The truth of the matter is that more and more Americans are recognizing the importance of exercising and taking care of their health, in light of increasing health costs and health problems. In addition, the U.S is the fattest country in the world. So any effort by people living here to take care of their health is valued and should not be criticized by outside sources. In short, compared to the rest of the world "We're fat, we know it, and we are trying to do something about it. Don't criticize."

To suggest that cycling should be just another form of "fast pedestrianism" as  the article suggests is borderline offensive. The pedestrian on wheels, or "chic cyclist" concept doesn't appeal and won't sell to most people living in the U.S. People in the U.S will not ride a bicycle just to go faster than "walking" speed. To an average American, that is what buses, trains, and taxis are for. When a person here rides a bike, it's because they have to go fast without using a car and they have to arrive on time. Americans usually work forty hour a week jobs where they get only two weeks paid vacation a year, unlike most Europeans who work thirty hour or less a week jobs with a two month paid vacation. 

I will from time to time take a jab at the spandex crowd for looking like complete tools even when they are hauling their kid trailers on the backs of their bikes. There is a time and place for everything, and that includes spandex. I will admit however, that spandex and Lycra are not bad ideas when commuters have to cover long distances. For cycling to be a viable option or commuting in the U.S, sometimes one must cover many miles on a bicycle. For instance, has anyone personally tried to ride more than thirty miles without spandex on? At the end of the day, chaffing and hemorrhoid inflammation are simply something most people do not want to come home with. I'm sure Copenhagenize would argue that if we all rode dutch-style, cushy padded seat bicycles we would not have this problem. The point here is, that in the U.S people will ride what they want to, whether it's a road bike, cruiser, mountain bike, etc.  And most people who commute are not riding to your neighborhood corner store, because that corner store simply does not exist in most towns across the U.S. Most people are physically too far removed from their jobs and destinations for a Dutch-style or "townie" bike to be useful or applicable. Road bikes and the gear that comes with them seem a better alternative for commuting around U.S streets. Sometimes looking like a tool can actually be comfortable, and make sitting down later much easier. (I will admit, however, I usually wear T-shirts or sweaters over jerseys when I ride, even though I still wear the spandex shorts, TMI?).

Another attack this article made was on having too much of an emphasis on hygiene and therefore implying that businesses need to offer showers for employees to use if they are cycling. The fact is that a lot of companies are already offering locker rooms with showers for their employees. It is not an uncommon business practice to do so. Americans on average do not supplement their showers for the heavy perfumes and layers of clothing that a lot of Europeans use. There are no water shortages that would justify most people living in the U.S not to shower at least once a day.  It is perceived as unhygienic to go for more than a couple of days without showering, and believe me, others will take notice when someone does. There is nothing wrong with holding ourselves to high standards of hygiene as long as we have the means to do so.   This does not mean that cycling requires special accommodations at every job, just the jobs that require suits and ties in air conditioned buildings.

To whoever in Business Insider of Australia that wrote this article, if you want to talk about what Americans do and don't get about cycling, you have to understand the American psyche. Americans want to be rewarded for their efforts, whether it's to improve their image, save money, feel better, get stronger. You cannot entertain to win over an American audience to cycling by saying that cycling is just "transport". You have to understand the audience you are are talking to.  People in the U.S love to identify themselves by their status or their individual personalities. For a long time the automobile has been used as the tool to self promote in the U.S. One cannot expect this to all the sudden change just because a person is on a bicycle. Although I don't necessarily agree with the "look at me!" attitudes most Americans display as a result of this, that's the situation and that's what we have to deal with.

In the end, it's not about what Americans don't get about cycling, it's what a lot of people don't get about Americans. Americans ride their bicycles because they want to look good, lose weight, get healthy, save money on gas, and be uniquely "American" whilst they are doing it. They are not ashamed of the reasons, however shallow they might appear to everyone else. Now, Americans need a lot of advice on how to organize successful road bike races, instead of the criteriums which are so prevalent here. Americans still need a lot of dieting advice, so please give it tactfully, knowing most Americans already know they are fat. These are matters we usually turn to outside sources to give us their opinion on, so please, indulge us in your expertise.

Getting Young People into Cycling

An article dedicated to the up and coming youth

interested in cycling

Wow. I guess I'm showing my age here just by writing that headline. I am still young and I feel even younger at heart. Marriage, parental duties and adult responsibilities have not changed this fact. The truth is, from youth I have always enjoyed being an active person. In my personal case it goes as far as to be a necessity for me to remain active, even though my life circumstances are no longer what they were when I was a teenager or in  my early 20's. I enjoy the company of like minded people who are either young or young at heart, and who don't use their age to excuse themselves for not living an active lifestyle. In my part of the world, I happen to notice that even though I'm in my late twenties, I'm still among the youngest people riding bikes that I know of. I have always wondered why there isn't a whole lot of enthusiasm among younger kids to get into cycling. I know in other places there are more young people who ride their bicycles, but as a whole I can't think of anywhere where there is a youth movement to ride. 

I suppose the answer to that question is the same to why I didn't get into cycling at a younger age. When I was younger, I was more interested in ball sports where groups of people would participate. I lived in a small city where the community recreation center was within reasonable walking distance from my house. It featured a basketball court, where I would spend most of my days after school and sometimes on the weekends. Ball sports like basketball and soccer where a cheaper alternative for recreation and there was no safety issues or equipment to worry about. The problem was when there was no one to play with. 

Most young people, around their late teens and early twenties, stop being active due to the fact that their friends marry off or get busy with their careers or studies. Most young people do not believe in individual sports, because many of them develop a strong feeling to be accepted among their peers, and fear doing anything that their friends are not doing that would isolate them from the group.When these young people turn into young adults, they carry that yearning of acceptance with them.

During my adolescence, I was more active than the majority of my peers and therefore looked for individual sports, such as skateboarding or cycling, when I was not playing a group sport. I was a die hard soccer fan until about 18 years old, then the people I played with no longer showed up for the games. It was around this time when I joined a gym and found a workout partner in a 35 year old Haitian body builder named Jean-Baptiste. As a way to get a double workout on some days, I would ride my bike from my house to the gym where I exercised at. It wasn't long before I made another friend, also in his mid thirties, who would invite me to go riding with him on the bike trails. In his native South Africa, Carl had been an amateur racer and had participated in some of the major races held over there. In his living room sat a Cervelo time trial bike in a shipping box that had yet to be assembled. I had never seen a bicycle like this, since my exposure to cycling until that point was through cheap mountain bikes. Nevertheless, Carl would invite me on rides where he would sometimes ride laps around me on his Trek hybrid. Looking back I now understand how Carl must have felt, not having anyone to ride fast with or that understood what cycling was about. Even still, Carl would invite me just about every week to ride, and I always looked forward to our next ride. From then onward a seed was planted, and I began to think about cycling as a form of exercise and an actual pursuit rather than something I just did growing up as a kid down my neighborhood block or on a mountain bike trail. It would be another five years before I would buy my first road bike, and then my real introduction to cycling would begin.

Out of all the sports I have participated in when I was younger, cycling continues to be the funnest and most effective form of exercise until this day. Soccer players retire at a very early age, most of them by the age of 25. Professional cyclists can sometimes ride into their late 30's, and there are even guys like Jans Voigt who are in their 40's and still cycling. The endurance muscle develops at a later age for cyclists and cyclists tend to peek later than other types of athletes when it comes to their performance. Since cycling is not an impact sport, riders can last longer on the bike than they would playing soccer, football, or any other type of impact sport.

Compared to our European and other international counterparts, young people here in the States get a late introduction to the sport of cycling. If that weren't the case, there would be more American champions to boast about. According to Bikes Belong, a non-profit organization, 67% of cycling's growth in popularity has occurred among males ages 25-64. However, 27% of American youth ages 5-17 ride a bike, that's over one in four young people. Promising statistics, but the problem is that there is no data for young adults ages 18-25. That's the age when as mentioned before, most young people stop being active as a result of having to rediscover their identity within society.

How do you market to this group? By understanding their needs. Cheaper bikes are something this age category are already familiar with. Craigslist has played a vital role in getting many college aged kids on decent, used bicycles at a price they can afford. Having unsanctioned events where there are no licenses or fees involved is another way to peek the interest of this group. No charity rides, no critical mass rides, just fun races and events where young people can compete but are not tied to a charity or a cause. Most young people this age do not have strong opinions about things, and generally stray away from taking sides on any issue. Along with the already required driver's ed, young people should also have the option of taking a vehicular cycling class, and the program should be offered along with driver's ed. Education at this level is probably the most important step. We need to teach young people that riding a bicycle is allowed on the roads, and that they have every right to be there as someone driving a car without having to fear for their safety. Lastly, it needs to be the cool thing to do. Athletes such as Lebron James and Kevin Durant have been open about using cycling as a means of cross training for their basketball games. I give Lebron major props for riding his bike to a lot of his home games.

Who is currently looking out for the 18-25 year olds and influencing their choice to ride a bike? Enter the hipster trend. Riding for fashion, rather than for sport, recreation or transportation. Most young people around this age group do not identify with the fashion trends and attitudes that are promoted by the hipster, yet many of them see no other group taking a lead for their interests. A few years from now many will associate cycling with an ironic looking character mounted on a fixed gear bicycle. And that's sad really, because cycling is about as normal an activity as it gets, that  is for normal people and not for a confused, spoiled, misguided and elitist fringe of society that cannot speak for youth in general.

When I was growing up I used to get together with friends to go play basketball and soccer games. It would be really cool to see kids and young adults getting together for bike rides. That's something I have not had the opportunity to see happen in my area. I cringe thinking about going to one of the local group rides that are offered near my area. I either have to ride at a 20mph pace or I'm stuck in a group of old frumpy people on hybrids. I'm yearning for the cycling scene to change. Please, if you are a young person reading this and think cycling might be the thing for you, don't hesitate to try it out and get your friends involved to.

Vintage bikes: Still Relevant?

Can Vintage Bikes Compete in Today's Peloton?

Yes, they can. They can also be easy to find and can cost1% of the actual cost of one of today's high performance professional bikes. 

How is that even possible? One of today's bikes being as fast as one from about 25 or more years ago? At first glance, it seems like an ambitious, even foolhardy statement to make. But I have the facts to back it up. Being a bike nerd, I have developed an attraction, to the point of infatuation, for all things vintage when it comes to bikes. I have collected novels with accounts from the Golden era of cycling when riders rode on Reynolds 531 steel, used down tube shifters, and used over the brake hood cable routing. Bicycles that were anything over 14 speeds seemed like a myth, or an unnecessary amount of gears.  And I can tell the races back then were just as fast as the races are now.

Let's compare, for example, the average speed of the peloton from the 1982 Tour De France and from 2012. The 1982 Tour was only 11 kilometers longer than the 2012 tour. The average speed for the peloton in 1982 was 38.05kph, or 23.64 miles an hour. In 2012, the average speed was 39.9kph, or 24.79 miles an hour. That is about one mile an hour faster than in 1982. The difference? Smoother roads, electronic shifting, built in wattage and cadence meters, indexed shifting, carbon fiber and lots and lots more money being poured into the sport than in 1982. The modern race bike is around 15 pounds, six pounds lighter than the bicycles back then. The benefit of all of this, again to emphasize is one mile an hour.

One mile an hour. If I don't eat before I ride I will sometimes go one mile an hour faster than with a sandwich in my stomach. One mile an hour on one's average speed is a big deal when building up the speed necessary to compete professionally, but it certainly ceases to be impressive in a lapse of thirty years. One would assume that with all of today's technology that it could be faster than this. But it isn't, and let me tell you why. 

What are now vintage bicycles were and are great machines, works of art in their craftsmanship and attention to detail. By the 80's, the racing bike had been perfected in every way shape and form for the purpose that it served, to go fast and be reliable. They not only were fast and reliable but looked great doing so. So what happened? What had to change?

Absolutely nothing. The saying goes if it's not broken don't fix it. Bikes from back then should have been left untouched for at least another 30 years. In hindsight, to gain one mile an hour difference, there simply was no point. The Tour De France is not the only race where this applies. Since 1986, no one has been able to break the speed record set for the race across America, or RAAM. This record was set using 1980's technology and still stands until this day.

In 1982 the tour was won by Bernard Hinault. known as Le Blaireu (the badger) for his aggressive nature and the way he took charge of the peloton during races. He was a true leader, a man's man. The guy never backed down from a fight, and he wasn't the kind of guy you would want to mess with. Fast forward to 2012. Bradley Wiggins wins the tour. So what, big deal. Not to be disrespectful, but Wiggins does and will never hold the air of authority over the peloton that Bernard Hinault once did. Next year someone else will take the yellow jersey, or if no one else is ambitious enough then Wiggins might have it again. In all honesty, Wiggins fails to impress me beyond those ginormous mutton chops he possesses.  Slaying The Badger, the current book I'm on, gives insight into the kind of rider Hinault was. I recommend anyone looking for cycling inspiration to read it too.

For those of you who are considering getting into the local bike racing scene on a vintage bike, it can be done. There is no reason why it would be impossible. I want to read of stories in the future of guys wailing at criteriums on their friction shifter equipped Peugeots and then saying "booyah!" to the competition. I recently discovered that I don't like going slow if I don't have to. Whether my bike is vintage or modern, I tend to ride faster than most people that I know. I have to stop looking at that as a negative and see what I can do with it. It's one thing to be faster than my family and friends but I know I'm still far from being able to win a race. But looking at these numbers from 1982 I at least know that its possible, and that gives me hope and makes me want to start training harder to ride faster. 

I hope that if you are like me and own a vintage bike you too will start mashing the pedals harder on your next ride. As long as the bike is mechanically sound, enter it in a race and let me know how it goes. Knowing that there are competitive retro-grouches out there lets me know I'm not alone in this. Keep training hard, riding harder, keep the rubber side down and the cycling cap on with the brim tilted upwards. Stay tuned for more insightful articles from my blog, and subscribe if you haven't already.

Riding For the Long Haul: Addressing Pains and Aches on the Bike

Answering why your fingers may be getting numb while on your bike, among

other concerns.

When I started riding, I experienced pains in my knees and fingers which I thought were the result of not wearing gloves and being out of shape. Through my now six years of regular riding experience I have discovered how to ride pain free, without even requiring the use of gloves on while on my bike. Gloves should not be a substitute for dampening road vibrations and saving your hands from Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. They should only be used as a safety item for if a rider should fall and have to catch himself on the asphalt. The following are some adjustments you can make to your bike that will allow you to ride for the long haul, that is, for many more years without having to give up early due to unnecessary injury.

Why your fingers get numb:

First let's answer this by saying that it isn't due to not wearing gloves. That has been a successful marketing scheme that the bike industry has used to sell more over priced cut off gloves. What the bike shops don't tell you is that today's bicycles are more stiffer than they have ever been, with almost all bikes made of oversized tubing and straight blade forks, with the forks twice as thick as what they were twenty or more years ago. The result?  A far more jarring ride. 

For example, there is a big difference in the ride quality of my steel Woodrup and my aluminum Raleigh. The country roads that make up my ride route have many potholes, dips and cracks as well as areas where there are loose gravel. While steel bikes like my Woodrup absorb all these road imperfections, with the fork blades visibly bouncing as I ride over road obstacles, my Raleigh has no give whatsoever. The front fork, although chromoly and with a small amount of rake, does little to improve the ride quality of the bike. The result is that, unless I use gloves to ride my newer Raleigh bicycle, I'm in for some wrist pain after my ride. The same can be applied to most modern bicycles now made, regardless of the materials used. So, before going out to buy some new gloves, it might be the bike itself causing the trouble. Since gloves are less expensive than a new bike, buying gloves might be the more sensible alternative than getting a new (or used) steel bicycle. Just remember to invest in the long run, a good bike will last longer than the many sets of gloves a rider can and will go through.

Check the handlebar position. Believe it or not, adjusting the handlebars by tilting them even a few milometers up or down can have a drastic effect on your ride. For a few years I played with the tilt of the handlebars on my Raleigh, until now I am comfortable enough with my hand positioning that I sometimes forgo using my gloves. Adjusting hand position, such as gripping the ends of the drops on the handlebars, also goes a long way to easing any hand related pain one might incur.

Why your knees are hurting:

The commonly accepted myth is that the frame size of the bike is off by a few centimeters. People sell bicycles that fit them because they were "a little too big, or a little too small" for them at the time. While it's true that having a extra long top tube may cause the rider to overstretch trying to reach the handlebars, the truth is that the same principle does not apply to seat tube length.  So that we are clear, the seat tube is the tube on the frame that the seat post slides into. The seat post height is the critical factor that will determine the fit of the bicycle. Many knee injures on a bike are the result of a poor seat post height.

Here's a rule of thumb that I use when fitting a bike to my personal dimensions. I must have at least 4 inches of the seat post exposed from the seat tube in order to have a comfortable ride.  At around 4 inches the seat post starts to absorb road vibrations, any less and you will be feeling the full effect of the road surface on your posterior. If I can't at least have 4 inches of seat post then the frame is too big for me. However, the opposite is true if I expose so much of the seat post that I pass the seat post height limit that is usually marked near the bottom of the post. Too much exposure of the seat post will put too much load and stress on the post and on the frame joint, causing seat post or frame failure in the long run.

Given these rules of thumb, I can ride between a 54cm and a 56 to 57cm frame. Measured with a ruler, I ride frames that are both 21.5 and 23.25 inches tall. A more compact frame such as a 54cm gives me climbing advantages that a larger frame might not. However, a 56 or 57cm frame allows me to maintain my top speed more efficiently and have a more aerodynamic position on my bike due to the also slightly longer top tube.

When adjusting the seat post height, make sure that there is a slight bend on the knee with the pedal turned  down  and parallel to the floor. Make sure you can achieve this with the foot resting on the pedal, parallel to the ground and not tilted up or down. There should not be too much bend on the knee nor should the knee lock with the leg being all the way straight. A slight bend is a slight bend, enough to engage the leg muscles and to only use the knee as a pivoting point when pedaling. 

I am also a spokesman for cycling shoes. Purists might say that these shoes did not come around until the mid 1980's, and that the benefits associated with them are placebo like. But let me assure you, cycling shoes make a big difference in your ride, and can even contribute to saving your knees. That is because they serve the important function of preserving the natural arch of the foot. I rode without cycling shoes regularly for several months last year. Upon visiting a chiropractor I discovered that I had become flat footed. The arch in my foot had completely collapsed as a result of putting pressure on the wrong part of my foot. I started using cycling shoes again, along with an orthopedic soles in my regular shoes. The back pains that I was having have seemed to have now subsided. I now only ride platform pedals when using my mountain bike. They are no longer an option I consider when going long distances, or going fast.

Why your back aches:

Another reason people give up cycling is because their back starts hurting. They might already have had back injuries, and cycling might be aggravating that problem for them. There are a few bicycle adjustments that can be made to avoid having any back associated pains when riding a bike.

Lower back pain on the bike comes from having too long a top tube on the frame to where the rider is having to overstretch to reach the handlebars. It can also come from having a poor saddle positioning where the saddle might be tilted inward or outward, instead of being a flat surface for the rear end to rest on. The saddle should only be moved forward and backward, never tilted up or down. There are saddle designs, like ones made by Vetta or Selle San Marco Concor, where the end of the saddle will have a small lip that flips upward, intending to catch the rider's rear end and keep it there. These kind of designs call for tilting the saddle slightly. Most newer saddles are no longer designed this way.

Upper back and neck pains are associated with stem length and handlebar width. Most people who started riding with a new road bike are conditioned to having a  sloping top tube, a riser threadless stem, and at least 42cm wide handlebars. Going to a traditional diamond framed bicycle with a flat top tube, quill stem and 40cm handlebars might make things uncomfortable at first. A quill stem forces the rider to find their comfort zone much faster than a riser them. That is because there are only mere centimeters that can be pulled out of the head tube before the height limit is reached. Quill stems force a rider to adopt a racing position much quicker because the rider has to reach below the top tube to grab the drops of the handlebars. This stretches the back in a way that might seem unnatural at first. The discomfort usually goes away in a few months. If it doesn't, then maybe it's time to look at some other causes, such as the width of the handlebars.

Why are handlebars wider nowadays? Because  we are bigger than our parents were in their prime, and our parents who are still riding have become old and fat. Wider handlebars allow the rider to breathe better, but also affect aerodynamics and top speed. The key to choosing handlebars for a road bike is not choosing the widest ones first. Choose the handlebar that will allow you to breathe efficiently while still allowing you to adopt a racier position.

Here's my rule of thumb on handlebar width. I choose the handlebars according to my tuxedo size. My chest size for a dress suit is between 40 and 42 inches. 44 inch suits will start to feel baggy on me. The same goes with handlebars. You can get the "sport" fit at 40cm, the "relaxed" fit at 42cm, or the old man "frumpy" fit at 44cm. Keep in mind, at 44cm speed gets taken out of the equation, as average speed can actually go down by a couple of miles an hour.

For some older riders or riders getting into cycling with previous injuries, these adjustments might not be enough. Some might have to buy special stem adapters to achieve a more upright riding position. Eventually, this leads to the stereotype where all recumbent riders are old guys with white beards. But road biking isn't for everyone, and some people no matter how hard they try just can't get a road bike to work for them. That's fine, that is why there are different bikes for different people.

These are some tips that may save your knees and and your wrists and may keep you from quitting the sport early. I have talked to a few people who now no longer ride because they kept injuring themselves out of a lack of  bicycle fitting knowledge until the damage was irreparable. Cycling has become so popular now that most people know about fitting themselves on a bike or know of someone who can fit them on one. I hope these tips have been helpful. Stay safe, stay fast, and keep subscribing to more informative posts from a Bicycle's Point of View.

Nairo Quintana Wins Pais Vasco

Columbia back on the rise, Nairo Quintana "Spanks" the competition

for the win

Courtesy of Cycling News

The Tour of the Basque Country (Pais Vasco) is a six stage bicycle race held in the Basque Province of northern Spain. This race is over 50 years old and has cemented itself as an important Spring classic and as training for the grand tours of the summer (Giro Di Italia, Tour De France, Vuelta A Espana).  For the first time in 20 years, a Colombian rider has grabbed hold of a major victory and has set the tempo for other Colombian riders to follow.

Some readers might think this is just another sport article about bicycle racing, a topic which has worn thin to many people due to the corrupt actions of some of the athletes in the sport. And while it is an article about bicycle racing, let us not generalize this cyclist's great achievement with the regrettable actions others may have taken in the past. This guy deserves full credit for his hard work, including the training before the race that put him in peak form and in prime position to win Pais Vasco.

Nairo Quintana is no stranger to success in this sport either. The diminutive, five foot seven inch Colombian with strong, indigenous features won the Vuelta a Murcia last year, a race only consisting of two stages but nonetheless one that put Quintana on the spotlight.  At 23 years old, Quintana is a rising star that can only get better as time goes by.

Researching the back story of Quintana makes him all the more relatable. Nairo Quintana was not born of wealth and did not come from a pedigree of great cyclists. Quintana grew up in a family of peasant farmers who lived high up in Colombia's mountains. With the walks to school being exhausting for Quintana, his parents worked hard to save up $30 to buy Nairo Quintana his first bicycle, a cheap mountain bike. Nairo would race to and from school, prentending to summit finish once he got back to his house, and that he was King of the Mountains that day. One day his dreams actually materialized as he finally got his chance to enter professional cycling.

Quintana worked hard on Stage four of the race, which had over five summit finishes. The stage was held in freezing temperatures coupled by a relentless rain which wore down the majority of the peloton. Nairo was able to hold a minute and thirty second advantage over the peloton for the majority of the race that day. When the peloton finally caught up to him, Nairo made an attack on the last few meters before the finish, thus winning the stage. On the time trial at stage six, he took another 20 seconds away from the leader of the general classification, securing the overall win.

Nairo Quintana was spectacular to watch and I am looking forward to seeing him further develop his repertoire as more racing comes his way. It's a job well done for Nairo Quintana, and hopefully a sign for what's to follow with Colombian and Latin American talent gaining traction in the cycling world.