I met that guy

Not exactly the guy you want to meet when riding in a group setting. Luckily, he didn't take me or anyone down during the ride.


I wish I had video of the guy you want to avoid. Beautiful bike, great kit yet, he couldn't ride a bike in a straight line for more than one turn of the pedals. This is dangerous to those of you who do ride in a straight line.


Here's what you can do next time you start off in a group ride. If you are riding with the same group everyday, you know who to watch out for. If its a new town and a new group, it's time to do a quick assessment. Its all about observation of other riders movement patterns during the ride. Try to make your assessment early. If someone demonstrates poor riding skills early in the ride, you can count on the fact that they will only get worse as the ride progresses.


Take time to observe the line that each cyclist is riding. Also, look for riders who are demonstrating excessive motion that doesn't seem to be part of pedaling the bike forward. All of this excessive movement challenges the center of gravity of the bike and moves the center of gravity outside of the base of support. The base of support for a bicycle is the sum of two patches of rubber on the road. If you drop a plumb bob down from the center of mass of the rider/bike, it has to fall between the two patches of rubber. If the center of mass falls to the side, one of two things will happen. The bike will fall over or the bike must change direction to place the center of mass between the tire patches again. If the rider is constantly chasing the center of mass, the bike is constantly changing direction. This is crazy dangerous.


Rule #1: Stay away from them!!!, give them at least one wheel length. Getting too close will cost you.

Rule #2: Don't worry about them being part of the competition. Cycling is a sport of efficiency and economy in addition to power and endurance. Because cycling is such a high repetition sport, it doesn't take much loss of efficiency on each pedal stroke to cost a rider in the end.

Unfortunately, the average cyclist enthusiast doesn't get the training they need to make valuable changes in technique. This guy could be a totally different cyclist in just a matter of a couple months. I mean, completely different in a good way!

Cool things on the horizon

That's about all I can say. There is something really cool on the horizon. I'll be able to talk more about in about 3 weeks.

I really appreciate everyone that participated in the survey I sent out. It gave me several very good ideas about the needs of the Gulf Coast community of cyclists.

Bike fit gets positive press in NY Times

Ouch, My Knee! Is There a Bike Fitter in the House?

If you get a chance, take a look at this article. I had the opportunity to meet Colin O'Brien in Boulder, CO when we attended the first Serotta Cycling Science Symposium. We had a lot in common because he and I use the same biomechanical fit model and we were trained by the same person. It's good to see that he's getting some good press. He's a great guy.

Gulf Coast Cycle Fit - Survey

Gulf Coast Cycle Fit is all about increasing value. It's my goal that you leave a session thinking that you received an incredible value for the money and time spent. I want you to receive a return investment in the form of increased satisfaction and performance.

I just created a survey for my clients. It's an opportunity for them to voice their opinion about the direction that Gulf Coast Cycle Fit is going. Ultimately, I want to identify client needs so that I can provide a service that answers the call.

www.surveymonkey.com is a great tool to create surveys and gather information to enhance your business.

Phoenix

You may be thinking of the city in AZ. However, I'm thinking of the bird that dies in it's own flames and then resurrects later.

I worked with a client last night who I will refer to as Phoenix. He is a old work that is going to become new again.

Here's my take on motor patterns. Your saying, "Whoa, your loosing me". Just stay with me.

Motor patterns are developed within the brain. Groups of nerves work together to create movement patterns after thousands of repetitions. The pattern becomes "hardwired" in the brain. Last night, I saw evidence that motor patterns that are archived and not used for years can be unarchived, cleaned up and re-used almost immediately.

On the other hand, clients that have never established an effective motor plan have nothing to draw on except the cognitive capacity of the brain(underestimation is not intended).

After completing the biomechanical setup, I asked Phoenix to perform a specific motor task while watching the spin scan. I didn't coach him or offer any other assistive techniques. What I saw was rather amazing. He was able to perform the exact request without any additional effort. He switched from one motor plan that he had been using recently to the archived motor plan within one second. His question, "Is this what you want me to do?". Answer: Yes.

Well done Phoenix, Well done.

So, what's the question?

Last night, I did a presentation on Arthrokinematics and Motor Learning for Cyclists. The audience was mostly 1st year physical therapy students and a few of the local PT's from the community. What's almost as much fun as riding a bike?.....Talking about bikes and bike riding!!!!

Here's my take from the evening. Until you can formulate the question that needs an answer, how can you expect to be motivated to do research or even seek out research? A question must exist or at least a void of necessary knowledge.

I had the opportunity to speak with one of the students prior to the talk. Granted, she is head deep in the physical therapy curriculum. Classes most days from 8-5. I remember those days. It was intense and exhausting. It was talking to her about the amount of time that I spend a week either reading research on cycling or seeking research. She almost fell over.

Here's her context. She is spending about the same amount of time reading research but unfortunately, she doesn't have a good grasp of the question. She hasn't been in the field long enough to have specific questions or have the ability to identify the voids in the knowledge base. She has to read research so that she can establish a base of understanding and then move forward to asking questions. I'm not bashing her, she is just at a different place in the process.

What do you do when you get to the point where the existing research doesn't answer the questions your asking? I could sit and wait for someone to think of the same question or start the process of doing my own research. Easily said, not easily accomplished. That's where I am in the process. Early in my career, I was never interested in research and I never understood those who were. Now I know. They had a question and no one had the answer. Someone has to provide the answers.

What are you studying?

Not to downplay so many things that are important about raising a family but one thing keeps coming to the surface. I have a goal that my kids will be "life long learners"!

In today's society where we memorize facts for a near term tests or quizzes only to forget the information when the paperwork is turned in, I'm trying to swim upstream. I'm trying to give my kids the confidence that they can learn anything they want, any time they want as fast as they want. What do you want to know more about? For me, the list is so long, I won't be able to complete it in this lifetime.

I come from a long line of learners. I'll never forget the time my parents purchased a set of World Book Encyclopedias. I thought they were for me. Negative. My Dad read the entire set for his own pleasure! He started with A and went all the way through the Maps! Dad purchased his first computer at the age of 60. I stopped by to see him one afternoon after the big purchase. He had devoured 3 books on Windows operating systems, computer hardware and networking. He wouldn't sleep when he was on a quest for knowledge. And since it was a life experience for him, he typically only slept 4-6 hours a night. At the age of 62 he built his first computer from scratch. After he entered the computer age, he discovered the Internet. Now, he was a student on steroids!

For me, it's the same. Access to information has never been so easy and cheap! The love of studying is a life long quest. You need to decide what is the greatest passion for you. Start studying. I've found that it takes about 3 years to develop a strong confidence in the subject. Once you reach this point, you continue as a student yet you also become a teacher. If you strive, you ultimately become the researcher where you contribute knowledge for the general good. What a valuable thing.

Start with this question. If you could the best in the world at one thing, what would it be? Find your passion and start studying.

Evidence of Success

Several weeks ago, I posted an entry about Speed Secrets http://gccyclefit.blogspot.com/2008/10/speed-secrets.html

Tonight, I was able to work with a client that has followed the plan for the last 18 months. I can't believe the results. They are truly amazing. She it a totally different rider who now is able to stay with the front group for portions of rides. When she started, she was the "no drop" rider that gets a personal escort around the course. The fact that she was able to accomplish in this amount of time shows that the program works. No quick fixes. Just fundamentals

Here are the results:
Pedaling efficiency 99.2%
Aerobic fitness improved 31 seconds over 5 miles at a set HR
Able to ride rollers, "no hands", "single leg", "standing", "Fast" and "Slow". Other tricks too.

These things can't be accomplished unless you commit to the program and have confidence that it will work.

Here's what I get out it. I get the opportunity to see the process of change! What an opportunity. Thanks.

For the price of a decent set of wheels, every rider could see these kinds of changes and make gains that outpace the latest hardware purchase. You can be a different(better) rider too.

The path to custom

At present, Gulf Coast Cycle Fit operates in a post purchase model. Customers come to me with bikes that have been purchased from bike shops, friends or on eBay. Anything is possible. 99.9% of the time the bike shop route is the best. Our local bike shop owners/staff do a good job of putting clients on the right size frame. Conversely, if a bike is purchased from a friend or off the internet, the chances of having the right frame size is a much more difficult proposition.

It's my job to position the client in the most effective position so that they have the potential to deliver effective power. If the frame is the wrong size, it's my job to share the reality with the client in an honest and forthright manner. I've always said, "Whatever is not wonderful and lovely should be considered a learning experience". Purchasing another new frame would fall in that category.

If I were going to plan a custom bike experience from the beginning, this would be my plan.

First, all points of contact on the bike have to be considered. I would start with the saddle followed by handlebars and shifter selection(groupo)

Saddle: of all the issues that impact a cyclist, saddle discomfort has to be the worst. In a lab setting, I would go through the process of trying multiple saddle shapes. The client would choose the saddle provided the greatest comfort regardless of weight. Comfort, comfort, comfort rules.

Handlebar width/ Shifter shape: The client would have the opportunity to sit on a mock up bike with the chosen saddle. Handlebars will be swapped out so that they can get a feel for Campy vs. Shimano vs. SRAM. Each of the brands works well and each has strengths and weaknesses. Everything should be weighed out.

Shoe/pedal: This has less of an impact on comfort however, going through the process of selecting a quality shoe is critical. Foot numbness/hot spots are a common complaint, however it's more result of technique than fit. Pedals have to be selected based on objective information. Time/Look/Shimano/Speedplay. There are pros and cons for each. I have my preference but each should be considered for their relative strengths.

Once these item are selected, the full compliment is applied to the fit cycle(saddle, handlebar/shifters, pedals). Now the bike fit can begin based on limb lengths, relative flexibilities and overall morphology. The actual geometry can be determined at this point so that the frame meets the performance characteristics of the client.

Once the frame is built-up, all the components are installed. The bike is ready for client training.

Here's where the next phase begins. A custom bike should be a "custom riding experience". It would be the equivalent of going to driving school if you purchased a new Porsche. It's time for training. Now that the client has personally selected componentry installed on a custom designed frame, the client needs to learn how to get the most from the purchase.

Regular client training sessions should occur over a 4-6week period so that the customer can be trained to pedal the bike correctly based on benchmark data. This has nothing to do with fitness, it's all about technique.

In the end, the client has been transformed into a completely different rider. All processes have been focused on the ultimate goal of meeting the customers expectations of exceptional performance.

Thoughts on knee position at the bottom of the stoke

To expound on my twitter.com comments about Lance. http://blip.tv/file/1431564

As the bottom of the pedal stroke, we have some interesting dynamics going on. Obviously, it is a weak aspect of the stroke compared to the down stroke. To produce here, force has to be applied as a effectively as possible.

Hip impact on force application at the bottom of the stroke:
This is the lowest point in hip action. The hip joint is transitioning from hip extension to hip flexion. If the hip actively flexes at the bottom of the stroke, it would produce a force that attempts to compress the crank. Since the crank cannot compress, this force has to be dampen by other joints and muscles or the activity will cause a shift in the rider center of gravity and therefore, a change in direction of the bike. If the hip actively attempts to extend at the bottom of the stroke, the effect would be stretching the crank. It would cause similar issues.

Ankle impact on force application at the bottom of the stroke:
Since the ankle is not a prime mover, it's positive impact has to do with translation of force and facilitation of proper position of the knee. If the ankle is actively flexing or extending at the bottom of the stroke, it causes similar effects as an active hip joint. But most notably, if the ankle is not positioned correctly, the knee cannot produce effective force from an effective position.

Knee impact on force application at the bottom of the stroke:
Here's the good news. Without the ability to utilize hip musculature or ankle muscular at the bottom of the stroke in a concentric manner, the knee becomes the solo prime mover. There are two key elements to being effective at this point in time: Knee angle and Knee position.
Knee angle is critically important if we are going to obey the rules of Length-Tension ratio
Knee position is critically important because the arc of motion of the knee must match the arc of the pedal as closely as possible. In this manner torque generated by knee flexion can move the pedal through the down stroke.

more on the effects of joints out of position in another post.

Only you can move your feet

Well, the day is finally here. Election day! Good or bad, I'm glad it's here and I'm glad it's going to be over soon.

Here's my philosophy. Only I can move my feet. Regardless of the guys in Washington, I'm going to get out of bed in the morning and provide for my family. Washington has not and will not solve my problems. Only I have the power to change my direction.

Here's how you can survive any presidency(past, present or future). Seek to make a positive change in the lives of others. Live you life as a giver, not a taker. Identify your problems, break them apart and solve them step by step. Seek effective relationships as a means to conquer goals. Give the customer more value than they ever expected.

If you wait for someone to come along and solve your problems, you will be standing in the same place for a long time.

These factors work in all economies.

Establishing value in a service market

I've long struggled over the concepts of service based businesses vs those that sell a product. Since my career began, I've been service oriented. While I'm wired this way, it often becomes difficult because I'm only one person with 24 hours. When faced with decisions about how to grow a business, expanding production becomes more limited due to a finite amount of time. (more on multiplying efforts later).

To combat this, I focus one enhancing the value of the services that I provide. This begs a huge question. How do you establish value of a service business? I guess each person in the service sector has to answer this question for themselves but here's my answer.

The value of my service is determined by the amount of knowledge that can be usefully understood and implemented by my client. The outcome should be revealed in a positive change in their ability to pedal and control the bike. Ultimately, this will result in faster speeds and enhanced satisfaction as a cyclist.

Being a physical therapist, it's always been my goal that I create independence on the part of the client. Being a cycling coach is no different. I expect that my clients take the information that I share with them and implement it. Once those skills are mastered, it's time for new challenges.

Mastery has to occur before you can move to the next step. Knowledge is the key.

Off Season Strengthening

It's pretty much off-season in most parts of the cycling world. The morning chill tends to slow the flow of testosterone on the morning rides. It's time for a bit of a change of pace and this provides for opportunities in the areas of cross training and strengthening.

You have to know that I am a life long "hater" of weight lifting. I've never liked it. I don't suppose that I ever will. I've never found the whole weight lifting process to be that productive. Often times, it involves trips to the gym which takes time out an otherwise full schedule. If not, it involves purchasing products that take up an extreme amount of space in the house. And, let's face it, not many wives understand the appeal of gym equipment as a part of the decorating scheme.

Enter my solution. A couple years ago, I started researching body weight exercises. I came across Ross Enamait (www.rossboxing.com). This guy is amazing. Take a look at the videos when you get a chance. I purchased Never Gymless. The spiral bound book has hundreds of body weight exercises with strength progressions. In general, I like body weight exercises because I don't have to leave the house. However, it still didn't get my full attention.

As I continued the search, I came across kettle bells. Basically, a kettle bell is a cannonball with a handle. Don't get me wrong, I'm not into quick fixes. I just don't have much time and I need the most bang for the buck. In just a few minutes, you can get all the workout you need, want or can tolerate. Kettle bells come in different sizes/weights. The exercises are explosive and require complete body control. You have to use your entire body to perform them effectively. This may be the reason I like them the most. As an exercise begins to isolate specific muscles, it significantly looses its ability to enhance overall function. Ultimately, I'm driven to enhance function so I'm looking for exercises that require total body integration.

If you are interested in experiencing a kettle bell workout, go to Fitness Systems. Their Mobile, AL store is located across from Providence Hospital. Ask for Paul. He's a Kettle bell certified trainer. Oh, if you go, be prepared for a workout.

Kettle bells meet the following priorities:

• Low price compared to other strengthening equipment
• Small footprint(doesn't take up much space)
• Total body workout
• Complete workout takes just minutes

It doesn't get any better than that.