Comment on Newsletter

I have experimented with different crank lengths over the years and have found that longer cranks are better for standing on hills, and for shorter, more hilly TT courses where you need to accelerate often. For longer, more steady courses the shorter ones are better. Also, if you have a high cadence (i consider >85 high), then shorter are better. I too have noticed better TT times with shorter cranks - initially. However, I think the times degrade after the initial improvement. I think that training with a little longer crank and then racing shorter ones gives the best racing results.  This all said, last year I did the Lookout mtn. TT in Golden twice, once with 180's and once with 170's and my times were within 2 seconds of eachother!

Jim,    Great article on crank arm length.  I've been in the bike business for 25+ years, and couldn't agree more with your conclusions.   The shorter-arm revelation came to me about 15 years ago, when a knee injury ended my running career.  At 5'9" I've now got 170s on all my personal bikes, including my mountain bike, and totally suffer not! from the difference.  I tell customers with confidence, that unless they have extremely long legs they have no need for long crank arms; shorter arms will save their knees and make them pedal much more smoothly.Paul Ahart, Friday Harbor, WA

Really good issue of the newsletter.  Thanks.  I especially liked the 411 on shorter crank arms.  At 60 and a triathlete, my coach has been giving me fits about the need for a smoother stroke. Looking forward to the intel on the carbon crank next week.Also, nice touch on the drawing for premium members.  I joined a few years ago to support the newletter because I think it's one of the best.  I will renew this year.  Thanks. IceMan.  

Would love to answer this week's poll, but as of 8:30 EST you left out what I consider an obvious choice: "No, but would like to have one done." The two "No" choices assume that anyone who answers "No" sees no value in a pro fitting session. That certainly doesn't apply to me, and I suspect it is true of many others as well.

Congratulations on a clever repair!  I find great satisfaction in fixing things that can't be fixed.  (I was the maintenance man at a 7-12 grade boarding school for years.  Had to fix things that couldn't be fixed all the time.)  The real hero in this story, though, is VICE GRIPS!  How long have they been around?  And still as marvelous a tool as ever.  But, you gotta get good ones!  Lots of cheapies out there.

Don't forget to have some blood work done as well. I was terribly tired for months, putting it down to reduced fitness and age but it got so bad I went to the doc. Severe vitamin D deficiency; go figure. Now on a big dose of vitamin D and improving already, a month later.

Hey Jim; Imagine my supprise when you mentioned my favorite local bike shop, Andy's Cycle in your article!  Myt view out my office window right now is his bike shop.  I bought my first real road bike, a bright yellow Schwin Varsity from Bruce back in the 70's.  Bruce recently had is 70th birthday and is still going strong and open 7 days/week in the summer. 

Fred's on target: one-leg training is NOT the solution for all cycling scenarios. It can have its place in a periodized training program, as can more conventional two-leg resistance training movements. That's one reason both are shown in my Strength Training for Cyclists. As always, proper technique is a must. As an example, today's newsletter's update on our total knee replacement cyclist mentions knee pain while kneeling during lunging. Properly executed, the lunge exercise does not include any kneeling.  Harvey Newton

Jim Langley, who has logged at least one hour in the saddle (trainer included) for 6,583 consecutive daysThis is great if you want to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. It's a rubbish training plan. Rest is as important as work if you want to improve your fitness. Overtraining is as bad or worse than not training.

Andrew-Fred and I are on the same page, but keep in mind that with your backlog of weight training, your current need for upper body weight training could be minimal. Can you perform 10 or so strict pull-ups and/or 15 or so parallel bar dips? No problem holding a plank for 3 minutes? In a case like this, you're exhibiting more upper body strength than the average cyclist, and certainly don't need to focus on this.A little bit of training can go a long way. As Fred wisely points out, don't train like a bodybuilder.Harvey Newton  

Here in the Great White North there is a VERY big cross-over between the cycling and the cross-country skiing community. And you know what?  Skiing doesn't really take all that much away from your cycling conditioning.  In the spring, my quads and butt certainly want to let me know they haven't been used for awhile, but after a surprisingly short ramp-up period I'm good to go. Beats the heck out of riding on a bike trainer.

Yes, classic Seasonal Affective Disorder. Full-spectrum lighting helps. There's also a dietary component. My SAD symtpoms dramatically improved after I adopted a pescatarian diet and made a point of getting outside for at least one hour a day at least five days a week. Winters here in southern Indiana are mild but gloomy. I did better when I lived where it was colder and snowier but also sunnier.

I think that the WADA lawyers can only be feigning indignation. Contador is accused of taking a banned substance - Clenbuterol. By attempting to introduce theories about transfusions which form no part of the accusation, WADA is simply trying to muddy the waters.If we are to get rid of drug-taking at the highest levels of sport we need robust testing procedures and transparent prosecution procedures. WADA is sadly lacking in this regard.

Does anyone have any experience with the Proform Tour de France spin bike. In concept it sounds good but i've read a fair number of negative comments.

 I did yoga when I was younger with no ill effects.  I have posted this just to be a contraian. MAGAZINE   | January 08, 2012 How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body By WILLIAM J. BROADPopped ribs, brain injuries, blinding pain. Are the healing rewards worth the risks?

Cycling Double-Speak, There Is More Than Meets The Language-Here is the benefit!

“Saturday Ride – Easy.”
Remembering that as individuals, we have complex individualities within our physiologies, the "Easy" ride more often means exert what is appropriate for your shelf and have time in your schedule and technique in your kit so that you can take regular rest stops for all in the group to gather at one time to additionally socialize before riding the next stage of the ride. 
Often "Easy" means conversational start, which by its nature would provide a warmup for all riders.
There will soon be some physiologies that will become playful, sometimes if only to avoid development of lethargy due to boredom.

"Easy" should include the following:

Send a scout to ride backwards on the route to find anyone who does not show up at the rest stop.

Call a fellow member of the group if you have decided to drop out from the rest stop.  This would apply to the faster and the lower speed riders.

The Benefits:

Benefit begins when riders of different physiology end up getting together on their lesser and greater machines, including even riders coming back from recovery of a cold or other sickness.
There is opportunity for all kinds of social discussion.
The ride has lots of play for all that are interested, after a slow warmup.
Riders learn from each other by new experiment, from the impromptu play.
There is often new found opportunity between riders, who had never met before on the roads.

"Easy" means fun!

AndrewVelo@gmail.com

I am commenting on your series of articles on total knee replacement.  I had TKN four years ago - indeed an extremely painful operation. I took pain pills only for the first week.After a couple of weeks I started using an exercycle and it took a few trys to complete one cycle.  However, progress was then rapid and in six weeks I was riding my recumbent outside 30 minutes at a time.  In eight weeks I progressed to two hours a day.  Since then I have ridden about 4000 miles a year.  I was 73 years old when I had the surgery. Last September, at 77, I rode solo from San Francisco to Simi Valley (485 miles) in five days along Route 1 through Big Sur. 

"I'm out of shape"
Translation: I ride 400 miles a week and haven't missed a day since the Ford administration. I replace my 11-tooth cog more often than you wash your shorts. My body fat percentage is lower than your mortgage rate.

"I'm not into competition. I'm just riding to stay in shape"
Translation: I will attack until you collapse in the gutter, babbling and whimpering. I will win the line sprint if I have to force you into oncoming traffic. I will crest this hill first if I have to grab your seat post, and spray energy drink in your eyes.

"I'm on my beater bike"
Translation: I had this baby custom-made in Tuscany using titanium blessed by the Pope. I took it to a wind tunnel and it disappeared. It weighs less than a fart and costs more than a divorce.

"It's not that hilly"
Translation: This climb lasts longer than a presidential campaign. Be careful on the steep sections or you'll fall over -- backward. You have a 39x23 low gear? Here's the name of my knee surgeon.

"You're doing great, honey"
Translation: Yo, lard ass, I'd like to get home before midnight. This is what you get for spending the winter decorating and eating chocolate. I shoulda married that cute Cat 1 racer when I had the chance.

"This is a no-drop ride"
Translation: I'll need an article of your clothing for the search-and-rescue dogs.

"It's not that far"
Translation: Bring your passport

My 23 mile commute sure seemed a lot longer when the thermometer dropped below 40 and the feet went numb, booties didn't help.  Thankfully I found an easy and inexpensive solution since my budget doesn't support cold weather shoes and they wouldn't get used enough here in the Tampa Bay area anyway.During the summer our ventilated shoes are a god-send but during the winter we don't need extra air conditioning!My solution, cut heavy-weight paper (I cut up paper folders) using the shoe inserts as a guide and insert them between the shoe and the insert.  This blocks the ventilation holes and makes the shoes much cozier.  Today's commute was below freezing for much of the ride, but my feet never complained. Unfortunately my ring finger made up for it!  I had on PI winter gloves and inner-liner polypropylene gloves but after 15 minutes the finger went numb.  At work it took around 20 minutes before returning to normal… any suggestions?  -michael

We just had one on last week's group ride:

This will be a moderate ride = Bring your race wheels because we are dropping all the folks that showed up for a "moderate" ride.

Good to know our group isn't unique in this leaderless pack mentality.

I really just came for lunch at the end of the (club) ride = I'm going to need a big lunch after storming every ascent.