Myopia

Myopia is a land very close to us in the cycling world. Myopians are around us. Their views are promoted in research, in magazines and on the web. Most of the time, I think Myopians are purely innocent individuals that are trying to help their fellow cyclists. Other times, I think they really believe that there is one aspect of cycling that reigns supreme over all other aspects. This can't be true.

The single faceted approach to cycling has served to create confusion for the general cycling community. "Well 'so in so' did 'this' or 'that' and now they are riding 15 mph faster than they were a year ago"! The single faceted approach promoted by Myopians it typically all about marketing.

I had the opportunity to have a short exchange with a Myopian recently. I rec'd and email with a statement about cycling. Based on the email, I knew where this was going. So, I replied with an apparently "ignorant" or "base" question. However, it was meant to be bait. The question was asked to flush out the single faceted approach that was being promoted.

Aristotelian logic promotes that we have different types of answers to arguments, "either/or" or "both/and". In "either/or" questions, there is right and wrong. For example, if we ask, "are you pregnant?". The answer cannot be "yes" and "no". It's one or the other, it's yes or no. On the other hand, we have other types of arguments that can be answer with multiple answers that are correct. "Does a plane fly because of it's speed or the shape of the wings?". The answer here is "both". Without either one, the plane does not fly. However, don't let "both/and" argument deceive you. The answers cannot include "right" and "wrong" answers within one "both/and" argument. All answers have to be either "right" or "wrong".

Here the question I asked about his philosophy. "Does [your product or philosophy] have priority over everything else [in cycling]?" He wrote back, "Absolutely". This is the essence of the single faceted approach. He is approaching the cycling activity as something that only requires one answer and everything else is wrong. In this case, he is approaching the situation as an argument with a "either/or" solution when we need a "both/and" solution. This is ludicrous thinking at best. In my last entry, I tried to talk about the complexity of cycling. Single faceted solutions are a product of the box we have placed ourselves in. We have not studied human physiology, biomechanics and physics!

I'm in a bit of a conundrum at this point. Part of me wants to engage and share knowledge, the other part is wise enough to know that all hills are not worth dying on.

There are a couple things that come to mind. "if is sounds to good to be true, it probably is" and "complex biomechanical models require multifaceted solutions". If a Myopian approaches you with a solution to all your problems, be cautious.

To Continue....Objective Findings

Defining research models for cycling is a difficult squirrel to catch. There are so many things going on within the cycling activity and so many variables that most research models fall short. Don't get me wrong, this is not the fault of the researcher. In the scientific approach, you have to constrain the or limit certain variables so that the finite piece of information you are evaluating can be captured with the least amount of extraneous interference. Well, in doing so, you create something that is not real. The more you constrain the activity, the less the activity resembles cycling.

My mentor in the sport defines the problem as this: "We have bodies in motion, in motion". ???

The human body is in motion, moving legs, arms and head. The bike is moving: wheels are turning, crank, chain and fork/handlebar. And...the entire complex is moving down the road. Combine all of this and it's an incredible amount of data to control. Add the fact that the rider is responding to other people on bikes(in a peleton) or cars(in traffic). There's no way to get your hands around the situation in one simple research project.

On the positive side, there is a tremendous amount of research about the human body that defines how we move, where we are strong, how we learn etc. There is also a great deal of information in the area of mechanics(physics). It seems to me that the cycling community expects research about cycling to somehow include a bike in the project. However, should we just discard years of research about how the human body operates? Does the body somehow do something magically different once we are on the bike? I think not. The body is bound by physiologic principles that have been defined. You can read about them in any high school or collegiate Exercise Physiology text.

Here's where a few people are using common sense. There are a few that are not blown around by every new breeze in the cycling research. We don't search for pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. We do things the "old fashion way(with new technology to help)". We apply the principles of human physiology to the sport of cycling. We consider all aspects of the sport and all possible experiences that the cyclist may encounter. We communicate this in a straight forward manner and we get results.

I'm sorry for the long winded nature of this entry. I'm on a roll.

Back to objective findings. Here's how it works. The pedal stroke can be defined based on muscle physiology. I can evaluate this in a matter of seconds to let you know where you are loosing power. After showing this to you in a video format, I can walk you through the negative impact of poor technique and show you the benefits of good technique. You will be able to feel the difference.

Lasting change is up to you. You have to take the information gathered during the session and incorporate it into you daily training plan. If you do, you will notice the difference.

More recalls - Mavic r-sys

http://www.velonews.com/article/86435/mavic-announces-r-sys-recall

Giant Frame/Fork recall

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=/tech/2009/news/01-15

http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml09/09096.html

Bike fit based on what...

It seems that bike fitting is the latest greatest thing in the bike industry. I see this trend from a slightly different perspective than most. As bike fitting is on the rise, I think the standard should be elevated.

Here's where I have my beef. Bike fit based on what? Here's the way the conversation goes with a cyclist. "I was fit on my bike. The guy who did it said I looked good." What? The bike fit is based on what someone thinks looks good?. There's an interesting phenomenon in neuroscience. In a nutshell, if the practitioner is able to get the client to do what they "think" is best(regardless of whether is right or not), it makes the practitioner feel good! There is actually a release of endorphins. Does this seem like a principle that best serves the client?

Here's my question. If the fit process is based on the subjective opinion of the fitter vs. laws of physics, principles of physiology and rules of biomechanics? I would say that we have a problem. Don't get me wrong, many fitters use tools that make the process look objective. However, they are willing to go against what the tools tell them if the client has complaints. That would be the subject of another post(you can't chase fit if the problem is based in lack of function).

I think I've said this before... Bike fit is a doorway to function. It is not the end all be all. Bike fit allows for effective force delivery and bike control. In addition, bike fit without technique training is akin to purchasing a set of keys(without the car to go with it). Keys are useless unless you can use them to access the car's power.

So, next time you consider a bike fit, ask some questions.
How do you determine if someone is in the right position?
What is this based on?
Is there any scientific evidence that one position is better than another?
Now that your bike is fit, what do you do next? If the fitter says, "go ride", you should request your money back. They don't understand what they are doing.

You are passionate when...

...you have to set an alarm clock to remind you to stop.

...you have to be told to eat.

...vacations seem too long.

...you don't know the next time you get paid.

...bad days working are better than fishing on a sunny day.

...you think sleep is over-rated.

...you can't stop learning.

...you don't see "sick days" as a benefit.

...you realize life is too short to get everything done.

...you can't remember the last time you were bored.

...you realize this is the reason you were made.

...you think like an owner, not an employee.

Mountain bike fork recall

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09082.html

I forgot one!

After completing yesterday's entry, I realized that I forgot one of the most common situations that create eccentric muscle activity within the pedal stroke.

Eccentric quad activity on the upstroke. Typically, this occurs at higher cadences when riders are pedaling faster than their coordination will allow. It's my opinion that this is present yet unnoticed at slower cadences as well but it doesn't show up until the rider starts bouncing in the saddle.

Think about it. If a rider starts bouncing up and down at higher cadences, they are producing enough force to partially lift their body weight off saddle. That's a lot of force. No wonder the heart rate goes up when inefficient cyclists pedal at higher cadences(even if wattage remains constant). The source of this resistance is internal to the human machine.

Eccentrics....bad!

In the last post, I defined the types of muscular contractions and stated that the pedal stroke is comprised of concentric contractions.

Here are some areas where eccentric contractions show up. These are caused as a result of rider being out of position or because the rider has a poor motor plan and therefore "doesn't know how to pedal".

The first situation occurs as the foot crosses top dead center and moves toward the forward position. If the heel is dropped below horizontal at the forward position, it indicates that the heel has moved faster than the pedal. To do this, the gastrocnemius has lengthened while contracting and dampened force. It has absorbed force that should have been delivered to the pedal.

The second situation occurs as the pedal is moving from the forward position to dead bottom center. For the rider that tends to mash to produce power will continue to utilized the quadriceps for too long during the down stroke. As the pedal begins to move through the down stroke, the rectus femoris remains "on" while the knee is flexing and the hip is extending. This lengthens the rectus femoris across two joints and adversely affects the center of gravity and the stability of the pelvis.

The third situation occurs when the pedal is leaving dead bottom center. If the axis of rotation is behind the bottom bracket at the point, the ankle is forced to go into eccentric plantar flexion so that the knee can be positioned for flexion as the upstroke begins. This situation is driven by position in many cases. It can also be technique driven if the rider pedals through the bottom of the stroke with the rather flat. This can cause the knee to extend too far and which places the axis of rotation behind the bottom bracket at dead bottom center.

Each of these problems causes a breakdown in the pedal stroke. Each causes the rider to dampen force or prevents their ability to ride a straight line.

Situations like these indicate why bike fitting and technique training must go hand in hand. If someone fits you to your bike, yet, they don't have an ability to assess how you are operating in that position, they are only offering a portion of service. The two must go hand in hand.

Mechanical Musings

It's time to start some hard core thinking again. I'm collaborating with a another bike fitter/coach friend of mine. We are working to create a definition effective pedaling. These are the times that I wish I were Greek. As I understand it, the Greek language has the greatest ability articulate ideas. I guess you could say that it has the greatest granularity. However, at present, I'm stuck with English.

I don't think the definition has fully incubated but I can tell you one element is defined by the type of muscular contractions that are involved in bicycle pedaling. Before I do this, let me define the three different types of contractions.

Concentric: Lifting a cup of coffee. The act of lifting in this case requires that the biceps muscle shorten and bend the elbow. A muscle that contracts and shortens is performing a concentric contraction.

Isometric: Holding a cup of coffee. The act of holding the cup without lifting or lowering requires that the biceps hold the contraction but maintain one length. A muscle that contracts yet remains the same length is performing an isometric contraction.

Eccentric: Lowering the cup of coffee. The active of lowering the cup while controlling the descent requires that the biceps lengthen while it contracts to lower the cup slower than gravity would "pull" it. A muscle that contracts while lengthening is performing an eccentric contraction.
Eccentrics by their very nature dampen or absorb force much like a shock absorber.

The act of pedaling is concentric in nature. That means that muscles should be either "on" and shortening or "off". Concentric muscle contractions express force, they do not dampen.

Here's where it gets a bit confusing. Some might say that muscles are on while they are lengthening(eccentric) like the gastrocnemius or rectus femoris during the upstroke or the biceps femoris(long head) and semitendonosis on the upstroke. However, these are all two joint muscles and have the capacity to operate or effectively control motion at multiple joints. So, when examining the muscle, it's important to define the activity is that is occurring. For example, the gastronemius effectively flexes the knee on the upstroke but the anterior tibialis prevents it from plantar flexing the foot when the foot has just past dead bottom center of the stroke.

Now that we've covered these areas, to my point. An effective pedal stroke should be be devoid of eccentric muscle contraction. In fact, the presence eccentric muscle contraction serves to do two things. It absorbs force and it causes the riders center of gravity to change. Both of these effects are bad. Absorbing force is pretty straight forward however, changes in the center of gravity cause the bike to change direction. Continual changes in direction require continual redirection of the bike and poor bike control.

In fact, absorbing force and challenges to the center of gravity are on a sliding scale. The greater degree that a rider absorbs force in the lower extremities, the less, the center of gravity will be impacted and vice verse.

This is getting longer than I thought. Next time, I'll finish on some common positioning and or technique mistakes that cause a rider to perform eccentric muscle contractions during the pedal stroke.