All posts by Xjiard

Free Ride

Cycling isn’t cheap. Bikes, clothes, shoes, lights, helmets, all sorts of gear. It adds up quick. So I understand that it’s hard to want to spend money to do what we can do for free most any day of the week: ride.

So why should someone have to pay to ride along with a tour ride? Here’s some of the excuses I recently heard for not paying:

  • The roads are free; I’m just riding the same route.
  • I don’t need any of the rest stops.
  • I’m not going to interfere with the event.

I have one response: bullshit.

Continue reading Free Ride

Learning How To Learn

As many of my readers (read: both) know, I’m also a martial artist. There’s a lot of cross-over benefits from martial arts to cycling: better balance, quick reflexes, explosive power, better flexibility for aero positioning, etc… not that I have any of those, but you know, I’ve heard.

But the thing that has helped more than any of those others though, is learning how to learn.

Continue reading Learning How To Learn

Don’ts and Don’ts

An unfortunate yet accurate synopsis of current cycling culture.

[Warning: rant with “colorful metaphors” ahead]

My family is from Brooklyn. So when it comes to friends and family, we cut each other up constantly. Jokes and friendly insults are the norm. I’ve taken this with me wherever I’ve lived, though I’ve tamped it down to suit the local cultures. When I found cycling, at first I noticed a similar vibe – friendly jibes and insults; it felt good to be among kindred spirits.

But in the last few years, I’ve noticed that the camaraderie and closeness that’s needed to carry those jokes and insults aren’t nearly as prevalent as the jokes and insults themselves.

Continue reading Don’ts and Don’ts

Flexible Cycling

If you’re flexible enough, you can race in aero positions that others will have difficulty holding. More power, more efficiency, more speed, more miles, more podiums.

Previously, I wrote about how stretching can benefit your cycling. But I didn’t get into the nitty-gritty of which stretches to do, how to do them, or why you’re tortur… er, I mean, working yourself so hard doing them. Below, I’m going to get into the stretches that I’ve been doing and have found help me not only recover from hard riding, but allow me to maintain those aero positions that’ll help in time trials and attacks (off the front OR back).

You don’t need a long stretching session to see the benefits of relaxed muscles and less muscle fatigue. If you’re pressed for time, hit up the tightest muscle groups, and spend maybe 3-5 minutes total. Doesn’t take long. But if you want to really see the benefits of stretching in your cycling position, then you’ll want to incorporate a solid 15+ minute stretching session after your rides. Like any other type of training, consistency is key.

PLEASE NOTE! I am NOT a doctor, a trainer, or whatever else might get me sued. I’m just some dude who rides bikes and has found the stretching he does has benefited his cycling. If any of this causes injury, then you never read this! 😉

Continue reading Flexible Cycling

The Dangers of Optimism

“I try not to make plans. Because, even the best laid plans etc. etc.” ~Brent Spiner

This isn’t a story of bitterness; and it’s not a story in search of pity. It’s a story about how even when everything is done right, things can still go wrong. As cyclists, we need to understand this. You can do all the hard training and prep for your first century, and then the temperature blazes at 110° all day and you don’t make it. You can plan your race strategy and skip those cupcakes and focus in every right way, but during the race someone makes a mistake, and you end up in something more akin to a rugby scrum instead of on the podium.

It’s also a story to show just how much goes into the events we participate in all the time. A peak behind the scenes, as it were.

This is the story of the Hilton Hill Climb Challenge.

Continue reading The Dangers of Optimism

Cycling Truths (Sort Of) – Part 2

Previously, we covered concepts such as matching kit, pickle juice, weight weenies, and Cat 5 dangers. Today, we look at a few more cycling “truths”.

This jet could take aero lessons from my bike.

Aero is Everything:  The air is my nemesis! It impedes us in all directions, and pushes against our best efforts, stealing KOMs and sapping strength. I want a bike so aero that I need to file my ride routes with the FAA, and a position so aero Cirque du Soleil performers are looking at me saying, “Nuh uh.”

  • Anecdotal Evidence: Lots. Not only do you just feel faster when your gear is aero, you can even feel slower when you are riding with others that have gear more aerodynamic than you. No matter how strong you are of a rider, it’s hard to believe that the aero edge won’t surpass whatever watts reside in your legs.
  • Scientific Evidence: Even more. This is one of those truths that actually is true, but that we can also put far too much stock in.  On flat, open roads, aero drag can account for anywhere from 70-90% of overall resistance. So yes, those aero rims and aero helmet and aero frame make a huge difference in your speed and efficiency. But there’s a lot to be said about the engine. The longer you ride, the more efficient your body becomes at riding. Not just in an aero position, but overall. And an experienced rider on a heavy, non-aero bike can still put the beat-down on a novice who got a second mortgage for their air-slicing speed machine.

Continue reading Cycling Truths (Sort Of) – Part 2

Cycling Truths (Sort Of) – Part 1

There are many things that we hold true that have only anecdotal support at best, or is just stuff we were taught as kids that kinda stuck. Things like sitting too close to the TV will make you go blind (it won’t), or playing outside in the cold without a jacket will make you catch pneumonia (you won’t), or cutting your hair will make you look younger (really?).

So it is, that we cyclists – despite no supporting evidence, or even having countervailing evidence – hold some truths to be sacrosanct.

If not for that tiny spec of green on the saddle (which should obviously be red) he’d be 0.23% faster.

Matching Kit Makes You Faster: It’s a well-known fact that not only do you look awesome in a kit that matches from head to toe and coordinates with your gear, but it also makes you faster. That’s right. We already have a bond with our riding machines that some would call, um, disturbing. But when we take on the style of our trusty steeds, we deepen that connection ten-fold. The air, seeing the awe-inspiring beauty and power of this human/machine hybrid beast, will know: this is something to be feared, and I must move out of the way.

  • Anecdotal Evidence: Some. Though the colors and styling of your kit probably don’t make a physical difference – apart from say, a well-fitted race jersey or skin suit that is more aerodynamic – there’s a lot to be said about the positive effects of self-image. If you like your gear, you’ll enjoy your ride more. If you like your appearance, you’ll have a better outlook on your ride. These positive aspects on your psychology can translate to better performance.
  • Scientific Evidence: None.
If I drank pickle juice, I wouldn’t care about my cramps, because I’d be too busy throwing up.

Pickle Juice; For What Ails Ya: THE go-to cure for cramps. you just can’t beat a big batch o’ brine.  A wee bit of this miracle elixir, and you’ll be back on the road in no time. The water is good for you; the salt is good for you; the pickle is good for you. Heck, just seeing the jar when approaching a rest stop helps you fight cramps.

  • Anecdotal Evidence: Tons. Riders of all levels will gladly eat pickles at rest stops and down shots of pickle juice if it means not cramping. Athletic trainers for decades have handed out cups of the stuff to cramping athletes. And it does work, for the most part. Some riders have tried it to no avail. Most believe it’s the salty brine that replaces lost electrolytes.
  • Scientific Evidence: Some. Many, many studies have been done on cramping and its causes. Some researchers believed it was dehydration – coupled with the loss of sodium and potassium – that lead to cramping. But studies have shown there isn’t a direct correlation between dehydration and cramping. Moreover, the salts and majority of the liquid don’t have enough time to be absorbed and dispersed throughout the body fast enough to stop a cramp. That’s not to say it doesn’t work: studies have shown drinking pickle juice can help cramps resolve up to 45% faster than by drinking water. So what gives? Well, leading theories now link the vinegar (or any strong sour, acidic, or spicy foods) in the pickle juice to specific triggers in the mouth, throat, and stomach (transient receptor potential and acid sensing ion channels). Stimulating one part of the nervous system tends to reduce the activity of other parts. So what seems to be most likely happening is that by drinking pickle juice, you’re really distracting the body from the cramp.
The bike is there. It’s just so light you can’t see it.

The Lighter, the Better: My bike weighs less than a fart and I haven’t eaten in three days. Let’s go climb some hills!

  • Anecdotal Evidence: Tons. I’ve seen people pour out some water from a bottle before a race. I’ve heard of some pretty crazy diets. And I’ve seen cyclists that are pretty scary thin. Some of them perform well. Others, perform like any other non-scary-thin rider. And far too many have targeted “race weights”, many of which aren’t realistic or healthy.
  • Scientific Evidence: Counter-Indicative. It’s not just about weight. You can have the lightest bike and weigh 75 lbs soaking wet, but if you don’t have any power, you won’t get anywhere. More than just being light, cyclists need to balance both weight and power output in order to be effective. Now for the pros, this formula is skewed because they have specialists: sprinters tend to be hulks, and climbers tend to be scarecrows. But even they have limits. At some point, you don’t have any more fat your body can afford to lose. So the next step is you lose muscle. And when you lose muscle, you lose power. So you may be lighter, but you’re also weaker.

[Author’s Note: Eating disorders are far-too prevalent in the cycling community. If you’re trying to lose weight, please do it in a healthy, nutritional, doctor-approved manner.]

Cat 5 is More Dangerous Than Cat 4 is More Dangerous than Cat 3…: Cat 5 racer: “Dude! I’ve gotta get my ten races so I can upgrade. These entry level racers are crazy!” Cat 4 racer: “Man, I’m glad I catted up. But it’s like those dangerous Cat 5 guys came up with me. I need to get to Cat 3. It’ll be faster and harder, but safer.” Cat 3 racer: “Phew, I survived Cat 4, and trained hard so that I can race with the Cat 3s. But These guys are seriously fast, and when they crash, it’s like their bikes explode and their medical insurance is forfeit… maybe I’d be better off racing Masters?”

  • Anecdotal Evidence: Some. As we continue to do longer tour rides, or we do more races and upgrade to harder categories, you’ll have more experience, and those around you doing those longer tours and harder races will also have more experience. So you should all be safer for it. But the better we get, the more risks we tend to take, and so though our skills have gone up to make us safer, our risks have gone up as well. So the whole thing can be a wash.
  • Scientific Evidence: Some. The Dunning-Kruger effect is strong in cycling – a little experience leads to an abundance of overconfidence, which in turn leads to dangerous behavior. And it only takes a couple of racers for this to kick, making the lowest racing levels more likely the more dangerous ones (on average). But being in faster races is inherently more dangerous – a smaller mistake can lead to a much more disastrous outcome. And you’re riding for much longer at faster speeds, giving you even more chances for an error to occur.

Stay tuned for more cycling “truths”.

Split-Second

How fast can you think? Today, we’ll get into how fast we process information, and why a lot of what we do as cyclists needs to become second-nature; reflex, not thought.

We tend to think of the mind as this incredible super-computer, able to do amazing amounts of parallel processing, and performing innumerable calculations that we’re not even aware of. And to be honest, it is. It’s a phenomenal predictive machine, that uses all kinds of data input and previous information to make educated (and sometimes uneducated) guesses about the world and what will happen next.

But fast? Meh.

Continue reading Split-Second

Race Report: Return to Crosswinds

Last year, with a little skill, a lot of strategy, and what I won’t deny was a decent-sized helping of luck, I managed to hammer out my first real win: top spot on the podium for the Cat 4/5. It was an incredible feeling, not least of all because it was a pretty legit win against racers whose day it could’ve easily been instead of mine.

This year my racing will be pretty limited. But I knew that no matter what else I did, win or lose, I had to come back to Crosswinds.

Continue reading Race Report: Return to Crosswinds