Shit Cyclists Say and Shit Yogis Say

Just thought I'd post a couple good videos on this Monday morning that are good for a laugh while you sip a coffee, or wheatgrass drink or whatever.  Most of you have probably seen one or both by now, but in case you haven't/

First of all, Shit Cyclists Say,

Secondly, Shit Yogis Say

Have a happy Monday everyone!

Buying Your First Road or Triathlon Bike- Part II

Buying a bicycle can be a fairly intimidating process.  Whether you are buying a road bike or a triathlon bike, it seems there is an endless amount of options when it comes to brands, components, and materials.  Before you go looking for a new bike at your local bike shop, or start phoning up and emailing people on Kijiji about used bikes, here are two things to know about that you should consider in the purchase process.

Frame Material

Say hello to my little friend, I just got an S5 Rival

This is as good a place as any to start when considering which bike to buy.  For better or worse, frame material is probably the best indicator to determining how far your dollars are going to go.  You basically have three options when looking for a bike when it comes to bike frame materials (in ascending order of cost);

•  Steel- If you're planning on buying a bike for triathlon or any sort of group riding. You probably won't be looking at steel bikes.  Steel bikes are generally of a 1990s or earlier vintage, and today you mostly see them being ridden around by coffee drinking hipsters with too-tight pants and a messenger bag.  I feel I should mention them though because steel frames are durable, compliant, and can be great bikes for locking up to a lamp post and grabbing a beer after work on.  (For the record, I have nothing wrong with these bikes, as a matter of fact I own one, but they're often converted to single speed bikes or fixies. Fixies are to bike riding what vegetarianism is to eating, you're going through the same motions, but its not near as fun).  Price point for steel bikes- if its more than $100 its probably a "vintage" rip off.
• Aluminium- Aluminium bikes are the most affordable and popular frames you'll find out there today.  Aluminium bikes have greater lateral stiffness than steel bikes, meaning they transfer power to the road more effectively than their steel counterparts, however this comes at the expense of ride quality.  Aluminium bikes generally tend to ride harsher and you can feel vibrations and bumps in the road more easily than with carbon or steel.  That being said, aluminium is going to be your frame material of choice if you're on any sort of budget.  They're far more durable than carbon bikes, and significantly lighter than steel bikes, and since there's in greater supply than the other two materials, these will be the most sensible choice for your wallet.  For a new aluminium bike with decent components, you're looking at around $1000 and up, and for used you generally start in the ballpark of $500.
• Carbon Fibre- It just sounds so cool to say that your bike is made of the same material as a Formula 1 car.  Carbon Fibre is the best of every world when it comes to bike frame materials.  Carbon fibre is lighter than any other bike frame material, has greater lateral stiffness than aluminium, and is more vertically compliant than steel.  In sum, carbon is lighter, more comfortable, and stiffer than any other material.  Its achilles heal is that it tends to be less crash resistant than metal frames, for instance, if you ever over-tighten a clamp around a carbon tube, you'll need a new carbon tube since it is very difficult to repair.  That's changing however as bike manufacturers start using the ballistic carbon that riot shields are made of to make bike frames.  Even some mountain bikes today are made of carbon and can withstand the beating of  crashes and tough terrain.  Used carbon bikes will generally start around $1000-$1500, and new carbon bikes can be had around $1800.  Be careful of buying carbon used though, a carbon frame can easily be cracked yet the damage may not be visible through the paint.

Bike Components


Depending on who you ask, components can actually be a more important factor in the bike purchase process than frame material.  I generally dispute this because its easier to upgrade components than frames, but I'll play along.  The major players when it comes to components are Shimano, and SRAM, and if you want to get exotic, Campognolo. Here are the a few price points for bike components, and where the brand models fall in;

• Junk Level- I'm really not sure where the bottom is when it comes to entry level bike components but let me say one thing, if you're planning on keeping your bike for more than one season, as far as you're concerned, anything from Wal-Mart, Zellers, Canadian Tire, Superstore, etc etc, is below entry level. If all the shifters say on them is "Shimano", then you're looking at mushy, unresponsive, and possibly dangerously poor quality (Seriously, the brakes stretch far too much for what can be considered safe) components. Go to a real bike shop.
• Entry Level-  Shimano has their Sora and Tiagra components, and SRAM has their APEX level components in this price category.  You'll generally find these on the lower end aluminium bikes and they'll get the job done for a season or two.  What you'll find though is that shifting and braking response will generally be a little soft, and your components might fall out of adjustment quite frequently.  If you can spend the extra $200 to get the next level up, I strongly recommend it.
• Recreational Level- For Shimano this is their Shimano 105 component line, and for SRAM this is their SRAM Rival line.  These are solid, reliable components that are well suited for the needs of someone who rides 50km per a week and up.  In this category I actually prefer SRAM Rival to Shimano 105 but I can't really say anything bad about either.  Thanks to the trickle down effect, these components were top of the line about 6 or 7 years so the biggest differences are in weight and probably shift quality. But they'll sure get the job done.  You'll find them on a lot of the new mid price range carbon or aluminium bikes.
• Enthusiast Level- Shimano Ultegra and SRAM Force.  I have one of these on each of my bikes and at this level the debate is becoming more like Nike or Adidas, Backstreet Boys or N Sync, Star Trek  or Star Wars.  Both component sets are exceptional today and the only difference between this stuff and what they ride in the tour is about $1000, 300 grams, and a year's R&D budget.  You won't really find these groupsets on new aluminium bikes these days because they're definitely targeted towards more upmarket bikes, but if you find a used aluminium bike with either group in your price range, you can be rest assured that its an awesome component spec.
• Pro Level- Dura Ace and SRAM Red.  I won't talk much about these because they're incredible and expensive.  And if you're seriously considering buying one of these group sets and reading a blog post on buying your first bike, you simply have too much money. 

So there you have it.  The two biggest factors that are going to dictate the price of your bike are frame material and bike components.  Now when you visit the bike shop or check out that used bike you saw on Pinkbike you'll be better equipped to make your decision.

In the next post I'll talk about all the fancy bike gear your can blow your money on.

Buying Your First Road or Triathlon Bike- Part I

Its no secret in my social circles that I'm a bit of a bike geek.  Right now I own and actively use no less than four bikes.  In ascending order of how much I value them they are;

• a 1980-something beater Apollo Road bike 
• A bombproof crit-ready Cervelo S1 with Ultegra components
• A Cervelo P2C Triathlon/TT Bike with SRAM Force components
• And the newest addition a Cervelo S5 SRAM Rival compoenents

So when it comes to bike shopping usually I'm the person people ask to tag along. A win-win situation since it allows me to spend vicariously through my friends, and in return they get a piece of my expansive knowledge of bikes, some of which I'm about to share with you.

In the first of three blog posts regarding bike buying, I'll talk about important considerations when buying your first bike.

The Cervelo P2C remains the standard for entry level tri bikes

• Budget- You definitely don't have to blow the bank to get a good entry level bike.  You should decide early on a range of how much you'd like to spend.  Typically, even with used bikes you're not going to get a whole lot for under about $500 so that should be your starting point.  If you're looking for a new bike, you can raise that minimum spend to about $1000.  You should think about your budget carefully but don't be afraid to spend a little more than you planned if there's a bike out there that gets you excited about riding.  At the end of the day, if you purchase a bike that you're excited about, you'll ride it more and I really think you're health and fitness are more important than the extra $200 you'll shell out if it means you get to feel like Lance Armstrong.
• Fit with your bike and fit with your dealer-  Nothing is more important when it comes to bikes than fit.  A bike that is too small will not allow you to ride efficiently or comfortably, while a bike that is too big will leave you stretched out with little control over the bike to the point where it can actually be dangerous.  I strongly recommend you go to your local bike shop ("LBS") and have the staff size you up so you can get an idea of how big a bike you should be riding.  Its really important that you have a good relationship with your LBS and this will also give you an opportunity to visit a shop or two and see who you like.  If the staff is intimidating or don't give you the time of day simply because you aren't ready to buy just yet, go on to the next shop.
• Accessories- Figure this in to your budget early on. Recognize that beyond the bike there are a few things you'll need to purchase.  You should be able to pick up some pedals, shoes, gloves, shorts, water bottles and cage, and a helmet all for under about $250 if you're frugal.  Note that mountain bike pedal/shoe systems are not generally cross compatible with road pedal/shoe systems.  Also note that the biggest practical difference between helmets sold at any reputable bike shop is weight, ventilation, and coolness-- safety wise they'll all protect you as well as the next one so less expensive doesn't mean it won't protect your noggin.  Gloves are a must, if you don't believe me, if when you crash you'll know why.  Bike shorts are also a must, spend half an hour on a road saddle sans proper shorts and something won't feel right... something really important down there.
• Road bike?- If you plan to do lots of riding in groups or want to get into the road riding scene as well as race triathlon, I strongly recommend you get a road bike.  With group rides typically only road bikes are allowed to participate unless you're training with a specific triathlon training group.  This isn't because of some elitist roadie rule, its because road bikes handle better, allow you a more upright position to see what's going on and interact with others, and are generally far more responsive than their triathlon cousins. Also, since there is greater supply, you'll usually find road bikes are a bit cheaper than even used triathlon bikes.  For anything short of  Ironman distance triathlons, if this is to be your only bike, I'd recommend a roadie.  Plus, you can always slap some clip on aero bars to a road bike to get you 90% of the benefits of a tri bike.
• Triathlon bike?- If you already have a road bike, or a hybrid, maybe you'll want to consider a dedicated triathlon/time trial bike.  They allow you a more aggressive aerodynamic position, and if set up properly they can even be fairly comfortable for the long haul.  The geometry of a triathlon bike is also designed to "save" the muscles you use for the run, so you get off the bike feeling a bit fresher when your foot finally hits the pavement.  This comes at a small price though as handling isn't quite as good, and if you aren't flexible enough to be in that aero position for long you'll lose some of those aerodynamic benefits by having to sit up frequently.  Additionally typically the aero benefit of a triathlon bike doesn't come into effect until about 30km/hr so until you have some more time in the saddle you may not be taking full advantage of the utility of a tri bike.  That being said, if you're only interested in triathlon, or have the budget for more than one bike over the long run, go for a triathlon rig.

In the next post I'll talk about some more specifics about different bike frames materials, components, and costs.  In the meantime some good places to look for used bikes include;

• http://www.ebayclassifieds.com/ if you're in the US  
• http://kijiji.ca/ in Canada 
• PinkBike in either Canada or the US
• Or just your local bike shop's classifieds section.  

It's The Holidays!

Its exactly mid-December today and with the days getting short and the mercury getting low its certainly quite difficult to remain motivated.  At the end of the day though I firmly believe that it is important to give training a bit of a break.  My last race was a half mary in November, which means my season may have ran a little bit later than others, and I'm only about 5 or 6 weeks into my "break" while some of the people I train with are already starting up training cycles for June races.

Of all sports, triathlon is probably one of the most consuming sports you can pick up.  The long hard hours of training for an Ironman take a toll not only on your body, but your relationships.  For couples where both parties are athletes, this isn't so bad, but when family and friends are thrown into the mix things get a bit more complicated.

Over the holidays, one way to balance your athletic development with the time you want to spend with those you love is to step back and put yourself in "maintenance mode".  Recognize that you're going to pull back on the training volume whether your like it or not.  So rather than wrestle with scheduling whatever workouts in that you can, tell your coach, or go into your training plan and limit your workouts to one hour per a day at the most from the days leading up to Christmas, all the way through til the 2nd or 3rd of January.

With an hour a day its not hard to squeeze the workout in right when you wake up, or in that 4:00pm lull where everyone else is using the bathrooms in your house to get ready for the evening's festivities.  But keeping boring 2.5 hour LSD trainer rides, or 1.5 hour runs on the treadmill in the plan over the holidays is just a recipe for disaster.  Who wants to be doing those things when their kids are getting worked up to build a gingerbread house?  Or your husband actually proposes the idea of watching "It's a Wonderful Life" by the fire?  Or your wife insists you still put Christmas lights up even though the 25th is days away...

Anyways, I do enjoy going to runs on holidays like Christmas Day and New Years Day, everything is so quiet and peaceful.  But remember, it's Christmas and it only comes once a year so its time for things like tobogganing, skiing, ice skating, eating, drinking, and being merry :-)

Sponsorship Starts at Home

Well its that time of year again.  Holiday season sure, but its also that time that athletes should be talking to prospective sponsors for next season.  Though some sport specific companies will have probably already signed some of their athletes for next year, many "normal" or non-sport related businesses are just in the budget making process or will soon have next year's budget and funds to draw from.

The process of approaching sponsors in your sport is fairly straight forward.  For example, if you're a cyclist, you may have seen a brand's rep around, or you may have a good relationship with you local bike shop that can help open up that dialogue.  Some businesses like K-Swiss and CycleOps even have applications available online, or at least have an email address for sponsorship proposals.

Where things get a little murkier is with often overlooked local businesses.  Your immediate geographic community can often be an untapped market of potential sponsors so long as you know how to engage local businesses and properly represent yourself.  Without exception, every business in your area has a vested interest in developing or reinforcing positive attitudes towards their brand, which means that every business in your area represents an opportunity worth your consideration about approaching.

Can't make the connection and wondering why an oil company, or a dentist's office, or well, whatever, might take an interest in you and your sport?  I'll explain a few important pointers for pursuing these opportunities and then I think you'll start to see the draw.

Be a Presence in Your Community

As an athlete you have the ability to share your skills and energy with others in the community.  I honestly believe that its the social responsibility of athletes to share their gifts with others, an in turn, help bring their society up.  This could take the form of running a local run club, coaching a local amateur team, speaking to children about the power of sport and the benefits of an active lifestyle, or just good old fashioned donating your time at the local soup kitchen.

What this demonstrates to sponsors is that you're an individual ready and willing to be a positive contributor to your community, and in turn an ambassador of goodwill for the brands that are interested in you.  If you don't have the time or resources time to give back to your community, why should any local sponsor be willing to devote time and resources to supporting you?

Learn to Talk Share Your Accomplishments and Inspire Others to do the Same


Professional athletes are great at this.  Ever watch a hockey game and see a player talk about themselves and what a great game they had?  No, they deliver concise, easy to understand answers and are generally pretty down to earth about their achievements.  Amateur athletes on the other hand usually either go into technical details that simply fly over the head of the formerly interested counterparty, or they downplay the accomplishment because they simply don't really know what to say.

Don't shy away from your accomplishments, and when someone asks about your sport, use the opportunity to bring it back to them.  If you're an triathlete or marathoner, when someone inevitably says "I could never do that".  Let them know what they can.  Every triathlete either themselves is a story of overcoming adversity, or knows of an inspiring story like Sister Madonna, or Rick and Dicky Hoyt.  Share those stories, and let others know that sweetness of success in sport is most often a function of hard work and dedication.
Coming across as humble, grateful, and eager to share your sport will garner you the respect and admiration of others.  A likeable guy or gal who is successful in their sport is far more likely to catch the attention of local businesses than someone who is their own biggest fan.

Network, Network, Network


People who are successful in their sport often fall into the trap of only associating with others who are directly involved with their sport.  That can mean they only talk to other athletes, coaches, and prospective sponsors.  In a city like Calgary, and in most cities, for every business that has sponsored a race or athlete, there are dozens of businesses that haven't even considered the opportunities that sponsorship can provide.

Learn to get out of your comfort zone and whenever an opportunity arises to attend a silent auction, fundraiser, Christmas Party, Stampede Party, whatever, take the opportunity up.  Learn to network and make new connections with people you've never met before using local events that are completely unrelated to your sport, or sport at all.

Of course there is always the virtual world as well.  Media such as Twitter, and Facebook can help you engage and make connections with others that you normally wouldn't interact with.  What I'm saying is start following local business and your local movers and shakers that may not have anything at all to do with your sport.

Once the relationship is established, think of things that you can offer those businesses.  Lead a run club for a small oil and gas company, donate coaching sessions to silent auctions, help lead group rides for charity events like the Ride to Conquer Cancer or the MS Bike Tour.  Events like these are full of people with something to offer your if you have something you'd like to offer them.

If the idea of breaking the ice with someone you've never met before is a little unnerving, consider courses like the Dale Carnegie Course, or ToastMasters to help make new connections and build your public speaking confidence.

That sums it up


Thats all for now, as always, if you ever have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or tweet at me.  I'm happy to help.