Cycle University Blog

Colin's DIY Tips: Homemade Energy Gel

noreply@blogger.com (gibsoncn) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:11:00 +0000

As a part-time spin instructor and full-time dirtbag bike racer, I'm often asked: how do you cut back on the expensive costs associated with racing? While I still consider myself a relative newcomer to racing, I've amassed a few such tricks, some of which are too shameful to blog about, but some of which I want to share with our readers. By following my un-copyrighted advice, you too can save a few dollars by simply investing an inordinate amount of time pursuing cheaper alternatives. Here goes!

Energy gel is a well-known form of sports nutrition, especially among endurance athletes, and there are several companies that make gel products. Let's look at some stats on a few of them, and see why they're so popular.

(taken from guenergy.com)

Macronutrients: Each of the products above derives 100% of its energy from carbohydrate. Aside from Clif Shots, the above gel products use maltodextrin as their primary ingredient. Maltodextrin has unique characteristics. It has a low glycemic index, meaning that it prompts both relatively low insulin release and blood sugar spike. It is also one of the most efficiently and quickly absorbed complex carbohydrates, meaning that your body doesn't have to divert much energy to digestion.

All the gels use some sugar, constituting between 8% and 27% of total energy. While secondary to maltodextrin, sugars provide an early burst of energy, as well as providing flavor.

Micronutrients: Aside from carbohydrate, the gels above use different mixes of electrolytes (sodium, potassium), antioxidants (Vitamins C and E), caffeine, and amino acids. With doses of all of these in a single 1-oz serving, gel is an efficient way of packing in several nutrients at once. You could drink a cup of coffee, have a sports drink with electrolytes, and take an amino acid supplement, but gel's all-in-one appeal is part of why they are so popular.

Each of these ingredients can have legitimate benefits, but for the purposes of this post (creating a cheap and customizable substitute), they are not the primary motive for using gel nutrition. It is easy enough to make sure that your off-the-bike diet contains enough protein and amino acids so that you can ride or race your bike without becoming protein deficient, and personally, I wouldn't give up coffee even if I took 200mg in caffeine through gels on a race day. The core benefit of gels is the carbohydrate maltodextrin, so let's get to making your own.

I've experimented with adding in various micronutrients, but we'll start with a simple recipe: fruit juice and maltodextrin. For the fruit juice, I'm fond of POM juice. For the maltodextrin, you can find several corn-derived brands at shops like Super Supplements and GNC, or online for even cheaper:

(gel can be made using only fruit juice and maltodextrin powder)

First is setting your ratio of powder to liquid. A good starting point is 3:1. This will make a gel that isn't too viscous, but that still packs a good deal of energy. Using 1c POM juice and 3c NOW maltodextrin yields a little over 16oz of gel totaling 1300 kcal, including 300g maltodextrin and 34g sugar. The cooking process is very simple. Heat the juice in a pot to just below simmering, and add the powder.

(maltodextrin powder before dissolving)

Anyone who has used corn starch before knows that it takes a bit of time to dissolve into water. The same goes for maltodextrin, as it is also corn-derived. After a minute in the juice, the powder will settle into insulated clumps:

With occasional stirring and time, these clumps will open up, releasing the powder into the juice.

If you think that the gel doesn't look as thick as you'd like it to be, remember that, heated, it will be thinner than it is at room temperature. Once the powder clumps have dissolved, turn off the heat, let the gel cool a bit, and place it in a container.

At this point, the gel is best refrigerated, as it doesn't contain the preservatives found in most gels.

Now you have ride-ready nutrition! Just load some up in a Hammer Flask, or mix some into a water bottle and you're ready to go. I like to prep my gel on a Thursday or Friday before a weekend of racing so that I have enough to last. For a stage race with two 3-hour road races, a 20-minute TT and an hour-long crit, I'll make 800kcal for each road race, and 200kcal to take shortly before both the TT and the crit.

As I said at the beginning of this post, making your own gel to save money can be a case of false economy, with the amount of time and energy you spend making it outweighing the money saved. But if you're a tinkering type, or are interested in tweaking your ride nutrition with changes in sugar ratios, additions of vitamins, caffeine, amino acids, and other micronutrients, then homemade gel can be a fun project.

Happy Riding!

Colin

Outdoor Spring Summer Class Catelog

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Stop by either location and check out all the outdoor classes we have to offer through September.

We are the only endurance school in the world offering these innovative and popular programs.

West Seattle Team

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:09:00 +0000

Tom Kirkendall is a great photographer and stopped by the West Seattle shop yesterday and took some great pics for his next book on NW Outdoors folks.

Very flattered, left to right Craig, Brad, David and Catherine.

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:35:00 +0000

2011 Power Meter and Head Unit Review

Part I of II: Power Meters

By Lang Reynolds - 3/2011

A lot has happened in the power meter marketplace since my last review a few years ago. The advent of the ANT+ wireless transmission standard has opened a whole new world of possibilities in head unit selection and some exciting new power meters are on the horizon. Other products have failed and been taken off the market, which is mostly a good thing in those cases.

Power meters are still expensive, but they are also still the most effective tool you can add to your arsenal if you’re looking to improve performance. By providing a complete record of your effort on every ride, you can measure your fitness level in the different physiological systems, determine your strengths and weaknesses in races, and track your overall training stress over longer periods of time. Power meters can also be used prescriptively, to ensure a precise workout and harness correct pacing in time trial and solo efforts.

When shopping for a power meter, it’s best to start by determining your budget. Then, consider the equipment you have – how many and what type of bikes do you want to use with your PM, and what kinds of wheels do you have? No matter which PM you choose, you will have to make sacrifices in equipment choice. Getting a PowerTap locks you into using that wheel (although you can move it between bikes) while getting an SRM lets you use any wheels, but locks you into one bike. Unless PM prices fall dramatically there is just no way around these compromises. So after determining how much money you have to spend, take a little time to decide which equipment sacrifices you are willing to make. Just remember, the data from a power meter (when analyzed correctly) are far more valuable in improving performance than a few grams of weight or some carbon wheel.

One thing that cannot be compromised, however, is accuracy. I hear a lot of people say (regarding certain cheaper PMs that are not accurate) “well, even if it’s not accurate, as long as it is consistent it should be fine.” First of all, absolute accuracy is very important because it allows you to make comparisons across individuals, and also within an individual’s data set over time. If you buy one PM today and another one two years down the road, you need to be able to compare your data from your first PM with that of your new one.

Secondly, and more importantly, these PMs that are not accurate are also not consistent. This is very important because changes in fitness over the course of a season can sometimes be very small, on the order of just a few percent or sometimes even less than that. If your power meter is not sufficiently accurate, it is impossible to determine whether the changes you are seeing in the data are due to changes in your fitness, or just the capriciousness of your PM. If you don’t have confidence in your data, then the PM is not an effective tool because you have no concrete connection between the training stress you’ve applied and the changes in fitness you are attempting to measuring. An inaccurate PM, therefore, is a useless PM. PMs are not like race wheels or bike frames, where you can buy a less expensive product that delivers a large percentage of the performance of the higher-end model for a fraction of the cost. In the world of PMs, there is an accuracy threshold below which the products are not worth buying. Unlike a lot of other publications in the cycling industry, I’ve actually performed my own extensive testing on many of the products in the marketplace, and I’m not afraid to point out the ones which have failed these tests.

Without further ado, here is a rundown of the PMs now available:

PowerTap

PowerTap is still the industry leader in PMs as they continue to provide the best combination of accuracy, affordability, reliability, ease of use, and user serviceability. At +/-1.5%, PowerTaps remain the most accurate factory-rated PM on the market. CycleOps hasn’t changed too much about the PowerTap line since I last wrote, but they have updated all of their wireless models to the ANT+ standard for use with the next generation of head units such as Garmin GPS computers. They’ve made their top of the line hub lighter and added ceramic bearings, and they’ve also introduced more affordable low- and mid-range models. At $600, the wired Comp model is the most affordable PM on the market and the go-to choice for the cyclist on the budget.

Featureing great realiability, PowerTaps also have user-serviceable batteries; both hub and head unit batteries can be changed in minutes for a cost of about $5.

PowerTap hubs are available in road, track and MTB configuration. Here’s a quick breakdown of all the PowerTap models and the differences between them (Prices are for hub only):

ANT+ Wireless Hubs:

SLC+ $1849, 15mm Alloy Axle + Freehub Body, Carbon Hub Shell, Ceramic Bearings 402g

SL+ $1349, 15mm Alloy Axle + Freehub Body, Carbon Hub Shell, 412g

Pro+ $949 , 15mm Alloy Axle + Freehub Body, Alloy Hub Shell, 466g <--- Best Wireless Value

Elite+ $849, 15mm Steel Axle + Freehub Body, Alloy Hub Shell, 583g

Wired:

Comp $599, 15mm Steel Axle + Freehub Body, Carbon Hub Shell, 576g <--- Best Overall Value

Equipment tradeoffs: The PowerTap locks you into one wheel, but by getting a PowerTap laced to a rim strong enough for training but light enough for racing, such as a carbon clincher, you can have a wheel that does it all and won’t hold you back on race day. Add a WheelBuilder.com wheel cover and you also have a disc wheel for TTs that tests faster in the wind tunnel than many disc wheels .

Buy a PowerTap if: You want to use a PM on multiple different bikes.

SRM

Since our last edition, SRM has also gone wireless with their crank-based power meter, joining the ranks of ANT+ transmitted PMs. The most expensive PM on the market, SRM is in the same class of accuracy as the PowerTap, rated at +/-2%. With ANT+ data transmission, you can use any ANT+ head unit including SRM’s own PowerControl 7 or third-party units such as a Garmin or even the CycleOps Joule 2.0.

SRMs are accurate and reliable, but they are also the most expensive PMs on the market and have a few small drawbacks. One annoying fact is that most of them come from the factory calibrated with the wrong slope value, and must be user-calibrated after installation to give truly accurate readings. The slope value must also be re-calibrated when changing the chaingrings. They are also not user-serviceable and must be sent back to the SRM Service Center in Colorado when the batteries die, for a hefty servicing fee of $100+.

The SRM is also available in Road (Standard or Compact), Track and MTB configurations. For road cranks, it is available built into a variety of popular crank choices (SRAM, FSA, Shimano, Cannondale and Specialized) and ranges from $1895-$2945 for the crank only

Equipment Tradeoffs: As a crank-based PM, the SRM locks you into using just one bike, unless you are sufficiently mechanically competent and confident to switch cranks between bikes frequently. For some crank varieties (such as Cannondale) this is easier than others.

Buy an SRM if: You have plenty of money to spend and only one bike you want to use your PM with, or if you are comfortable enough mechanically to frequently switch cranks between bikes.

Quarq

One of the newer PMs on the marketplace, Quarq is a crank-based unit like the SRM, but is much less expensive. With ANT+ wireless transmission, the Quarq is also compatible with all ANT+ head units. While factory rated with +/-2% accuracy my own research has shown multiple Quarq units to have accuracy no better than 5%, which is not sufficient for use as a PM. Quarq has insisted it has remedied the accuracy issue but I have not been able to re-test any units since the improvements were announced. Additionally, because the Quarq auto-zeroes its torque reading when the crank is pedaled backward, some of our clients have had issues with their Quarqs auto-zeroing while in the start house for a TT, leading to inaccurate power readings during the TT.

While it is a promising product, until Quarq adequately resolves these accuracy issues I do not recommend purchasing one.

Garmin “Vector” Pedal-based PM

Announced to much fanfare in late 2009, the then-MetriGear Vector was to be the first pedal-based power meter. This product created a lot of buzz because, if sufficiently affordable, a pedal-based PM could potentially avoid many of the equipment compromises demanded by other PMs currently on the market. However, publicized release dates of Q1` and Q2 2010 came and went without so much as a public working prototype and despite being purchased by Garmin in late 2010, the Vector is still vaporware. While its purchase by Garmin suggests a viable product is actually in the works, the length of time the Vector has been in production and the lack of any pre-release prototypes has convinced me that the Vector is at least a year from reaching the marketplace, if not more.

Additionally given the track record of numerous bugs in the first batches of other PMs, even if the Vector is released in the next year I wouldn’t recommend buying one until after the first production run has been in the marketplace for a period of time. Therefore, my advice to those waiting on the Vector is: stop waiting. Buy an SRM or a PowerTap now, start reaping the benefits of using a PM, and in two years when the Vector has been out for a while and all the kinks have been worked out, THEN think about getting one.

Polar Pedal-Based PM

Basically the same thing goes for the Polar pedal-based PM as for the Vector. This thing is a long way from the market and it does not make sense to wait for it when there are solid products already on the market. I hope to be writing about this product in a couple years’ time after it comes out, but until then get a real PM that already exists.

iBike

The iBike calculates power by measuring all of the forces acting against the motion of a cyclist: aerodynamic drag, gravity, and rolling resistance. Unfortunately there are so many measurements necessary to make these calculations that the iBike is not accurate enough (except on hills) to be considered a true power meter. Additionally the calibrations necessary before initially using the iBike, and those necessary before each ride are so numerous and cumbersome that they make using one an exercise in frustration. Lastly, the user-interface is extremely non-intuitive and very difficult to use.

However, because the iBike can now function as an ANT+ head unit for a regular PM, it can act as a very useful training tool. When paired with a regular PM, the iBike’s wind-measuring sensors give it the ability to calculate aerodynamic drag, essentially turning your bike into a portable (and very cheap compared to the real thing) wind tunnel. Using the iBike as a wind tunnel, you can test time trial positions and equipment, and also determine your most aerodynamic position on your road bike.

I owe iBike an apology: when I wrote my first PM review I mentioned some customer service issues one of our clients had with the company. After getting some more information, it’s become apparent that iBike provides some of the best customer service in the industry and is extremely responsive in resolving any issues their customers have.

Buy an iBike if: You already have an ANT+ PM and would like to perform aerodynamic testing

Ergomo

Ergomo is now out of business, which is great because their PMs were not accurate, due to the fact that they only measured power from one crankarm. If you come across one of these in the secondary market (i.e. eBay, a friend selling one, etc.) run far away and don’t even think about buying it.

Stay tuned for Part II: Head Units

Questions about Power Meters or Training with Power? Contact Coach Lang at Lang@cycleu.com.

Cycle U has Power Tap wheels for demo or purchase, call or stop on in.

Big Climb for Leukemia! by Coach Kristi Berg

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 00:21:00 +0000

Have you heard of the "Big Climb for Leukemia"? It is this amazing event that I take part in every March to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We run up 69 floors (1,311 stairs) in the Columbia Tower, all to raise money to help find a cure for Leukemia.

It is an amazing experience, so painful, but so gratifying to finish. This will be my 8th year competing. I decided 8 years ago after watching my husband run the famous "Firefighter's Big Climb for Leukemia" that I wanted to also give it a try. So not being a firefighter, I found out that they also offer a civilian climb 2 weeks after the Firefighter's climb and I signed up. And being the competitive person that I am, I loved it and continue to look forward to it every year.

This year this climb has become very personal to me, I found out 2 days ago that a good friend and fellow fireman that works with my husband was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He is in his late 40’s and this has really hit home for us and the fire service.

I am the Team Captain for a team that we put together a few years back, named “Rescue Me”. The idea behind our team was that we all had to be significant others to firefighters. This year we are running the climb in honor of our good friend. I like to try to get our team to raise as much money as we can to help find a cure so your donations will help to find a cure for this horrible caner.

While we will be gasping for air running all those stairs, the real challenge is to help fight blood cancers. All proceeds benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Please support me by going to my personal Big Climb page:

It's that easy! Thanks for supporting me in the fight against blood cancers!"

Thank you so much for your support, and be thinking of my team and me on Sunday March 22nd as we all conquer another 69 floors.

Coach Kristi Berg
Cycle University

Product Spotlight: Garmin 500

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle U) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 04:14:00 +0000

Product Spotlight: Garmin 500

by Coach Lang Reynolds

One of the biggest cycling innovations of 2010 was the expansion of GPS-based cycling computers by industry giant Garmin. After releasing the game-changing Edge 705 in 2007, Garmin upped the ante in 2010 with the release of the Edge 500 and 800 computers, which built on the strengths of the 705 to offer GPS-enabled computers in more compact packages. With the ability to receive ANT+ standard power meter data transmission, Garmin now clearly leads the pack in cycling computer technology.

After six months of using the Edge 500, I can say with confidence that it is hands-down the best cycling computer I’ve ever used. As a power meter head unit, it stands head and shoulders above the other offerings thanks to its (relative) affordability, compact size, functionality, customizability, and ease of use. At $250 MSRP, it comes in much cheaper than other ANT+ head units such as the PowerTap Joule and SRM PowerControl.

While the tradeoff for the Edge 500’s compact size is that it does not display a map of your location or allow you to follow a pre-programmed route like the 705 and 800 (it simply records the GPS data of your route), it does display pretty much all other data you could imagine. With three fully-customizable data screens and up to eight data fields per screen, the user can configure the Edge 500 to show any and all pertinent data, and nothing the user doesn’t want to see. From power metrics to altitude data to the traditional speed, distance, and cadence, the 500 can display anything you want. With climbing data such as current altitude, total climbing altitude, and vertical ascent speed, the 500 is a must-have for any climbing aficionado.

Most importantly, the Edge 500 is incredibly easy to use. It’s intuitive interface is completely plug and play and I have yet to use the instruction manual. It synchronyzes with your power meter immediately and without a lengthy search or calibration process, and can switch between two different power meters (a PowerTap or an SRM, for example) in a matter of seconds, which makes it especially useful for cyclists with multiple wireless power meters. All of the power meter’s functionality is maintained and the 500 picks up the data with identical accuracy as the stock company’s head unit.

As with any GPS computer, the on-bike functionality barely scratches the surface of the 500’s total functionality. Downloading the files to a computer opens up a whole new universe of possibility in data analysis and training archiving. Garmin offers a free web-based training resource, Garmin Connect, where you can upload and view all your files and keep a full training history. Like everything Garmin does, Garmin Connect is easy to use and incredibly useful. If you want more in-depth analysis you can also view the files in third-party software. Some of these third-party applications, such as web-based Strava, allow riders to upload and compare rides and performances on local climbs, adding a whole new dimension of virtual competition to every training ride.

In short, the Edge 500 is good. Real good. It’s so good, it inspired me to switch back to my PowerTap wheel from the wired SRM I was using earlier this summer, because, being already fully addicted to power data, after getting a taste of the GPS AND power data combined, I just couldn’t go back to plain old power data. Your results may vary.

Get your 2011 started! From the Dean

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:38:00 +0000

From the Dean...

Are you on track for a great 2011?

How do you decide what your goals are? How do you decide what to prioritize? How do you get more energy to tackle your goals once you set them? Do you want to get past what has stopped you in the past? Are you tired of getting dropped and not reaching your goals? If you answer yes to any of these, it is time for Advanced Focus and Motivation (AFM).

Turbo charge your focus for 2011 by choosing strong goals here are some fundamental questions everyone must ask:

#1. What worked and what didn't work this past year. What did I learn?
#2. Goals for next season. What is one or two steps higher than last year? Where can I put them where I will see them each day.
#3. What is my plan so I build on my strengths and get to next Spring as strong, focused and charged as possible.

Now as easy as these 3 steps are, how many of you have already answered them for 2011? This is where I can help. I have been developing my mental coaching skills for 20 years and can coach you to do the same and find out for yourself what reserves of focus, courage and discipline you have to make a big improvement in 2011.

I call it Advanced Focus and Motivation, AFM and it is one of my favorite things to coach, in fact I believe it is the most neglected aspect of training and the one that can make the biggest difference for any athlete. I have done it for Teams, Groups and many individuals with great success including Adrian Hegyvary and the Huskies beginning in 2004. I now want to share it with anyone wanting to improve their mental game and ramp up their rate of progress.

I am doing a free session January 8th at 4pm to kick off the new year at our West Seattle training center. Why? Because the more I teach it, the better I ingrain it for myself and I love to see everyone improving as fast as possible, no matter what your pursuit.

If you are willing to commit to making a change, even if only 1%, Email Me and I will hold a spot for you, Date: Saturday January 8th 4pm - 5pm at West Seattle. Open to the first 30 people.

Thanks for listening, now get a great plan together and go after it 2011 now!

Coach Craig

Amara - "the hill climber"

noreply@blogger.com (Amara) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:25:00 +0000

The Cycle U experience has been a blast so far, since starting a little over a month ago I am already involved in just about everything. I am teaching outdoor classes, doing private lessons, working in the shops and perfecting my mechanic skills.

However, I should have figured that Craig wanted to make me into a climber. Since working here the only classes I have taught have been hill climbing classes or bootcamps. If you know me or my riding style you know that I am a sprinter, I love the track and flat races. Ever since I started racing and riding 10 years ago hills have been a challenge for me. Whether it was weight, power, or mental issues I have never performed well in a race with a hill in it.

Teaching the hill climbing classes have made me realize how much climbing is all in your head. Sometimes in races I will find myself already at the back when a hill is approaching and I have mentally given up before it starts. When I am helping the bootcamp cadets or the other students I am assuming a climbing role and I am actually climbing well and enjoying it. I know that I can climb, I have the muscles and the form I just need to make the connection in my brain that I LOVE HILLS! Too often there is this stigma that you either love hills or you hate them, for too long I have been in the later category. Everything you do has a large mental component and climbing is one for lots of people that is hard. A few things that I am working on is forcing myself to stay in the zone mentally, tricking my brain by making smaller goals up hill, and having positive self talk when climbing.

I don't know if I will be winning any uphill TT's or hilly road races but I can tell you that I will be more mentally prepared for the hills.

Shiv n Dale. Getting ready for Nats.

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:59:00 +0000

Dale and his SHIV!

Good luck at Nationals Dale.

Chelan Camp rocked!

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:10:00 +0000

Great time, great friends, great riding! (click the title above to see a sample video) Basically a climbing and descending camp with good mileage for the beginner to intermediate rider, with options for advanced. Skills we focused on were: climbing technique, standing climbing, cornering, paceline riding, fast descents, pacing on long rides, nutrition and having a damn good time.

Mark your calendars for May 12, 2011 and join us for some killer riding. It will be inexpensive and some of the best riding you can do in Washington.

Hope your riding lots and having a great early summer!

Coach Craig & the staff at Cycle U

Indoor TT Series Final Results

noreply@blogger.com (Lang) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:04:00 +0000

The 2010 Cycle U Indoor TT Series came to a thrilling conclusion this week, with Martin Criminale (IJM.org) and Jess Cutler (Cucina Fresca) wrapping up overall victories in the Men's and Women's categories, respectively. Martha Walsh (Echelon Gran Fondo/Zteam) and Annie Richardson-Lander (Cycle U) rounded out the Women's podiumn the Men's race it was a clean sweep for IJM.org with Alex Telitsine and Dustin Van Wyck placing second and third.

Check out the full results here to see where you ended up and also check out nightly results from every race of the series. Podium finishers can look forward to some great prizes from Cycle U.

Watch out for these racers out on the roads as they put in so many solid efforts this winter they will be flying!

Indoor Time Trial Series Season - Last Race Next Wed!

noreply@blogger.com (Lang) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:46:00 +0000

As the road racing season heats up our Indoor Time Trial series comes to a close with the last night of racing next Wednesday March 17th. After several months of racing, Martin Criminale and Jess Cutler have a firm grip on the top step of the Men's and Women's podiums (respectively). Many of the other placings are up for grabs as we head into this last race so come on down next Wednesday and get in a last night of fury to secure your spot in history!

Full nightly results and current series standings can be found here

Click here to sign up for next week's race

New team kit!

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:42:00 +0000

Time Trial Bootcamp!

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Hegyvary) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:43:00 +0000

Cycle University presents a valuable addition to our curriculum with the inaugural Time Trial Bootcamp February 26th and 28th. Taught by professional cyclist Adrian Hegyvary, this program will cover all aspects of time trialing and short-course triathlon cycling including: training, warm-up technique, course reconnaissance, race tactics, equipment selection, bike fit, as well as a few secrets of the pros.

Students may choose between one or two day courses. Class begins for everyone with a seminar on Friday, February 26th from 6-9pm at the Sandpoint location. This first session is indoors and will focus on the “conceptual” aspects of time trialing, with bike time limited only to fit optimization. Cost for just the seminar is $60.

Sunday’s class takes place at the Frostbite Time Trial on February 28th and offers students a chance to apply their skills in a practical environment. We will spend significant time on the bikes and get a chance to prepare, race, and evaluate performances together. Class begins on site at 7:30am and ends approximately one hour following the last rider’s finish; allow the whole morning. Cost for the whole bootcamp is $140, not including race entry; enrollment is limited to 15, please register early to guarantee a spot: http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=3476&stype=-8&sLoc=0

Adrian Hegyvary is a time trial specialist with the top-ranked UnitedHealthcare pro cycling team presented by Maxxis. He was a silver medalist at the 2009 Elite National TT Championships and holds numerous course records on time trials throughout the Northwest.

Indoor TT Series Update

noreply@blogger.com (Lang) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:16:00 +0000

The Indoor TT Series is now in full swing with and the competition is heating up! In the Women's series, Jess Cutler (Cucina Fresca) has overtaken perennial favorite Martha Walsh (Echelon) by just two points, while in the Men's series Martin Criminale (Thumbprint Racing) still holds a commanding lead over teammates Dustin Van Wyck and Alex Telitsine.

Standings:

Women
Name Place Total Points
Jess Cutler 1 24
Martha Walsh 2 22
Annie Richardson-Lander 3 15
Tina Zeigler 4 11
Kristen Walker 5 9

Men
Name Place Total Points
Martin Criminale 1 120
Dustin Van Wyck 2 77
Alex Telitsine 3 57
Justin Angle 4 44
Mick Walsh 5 30

Click here for the full series standings and results from every day of racing.

Indoor TT Series Standings

noreply@blogger.com (Lang) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:04:00 +0000

Indoor TT results are now posted through 1/8/10, check them out by clicking here.

We have also tabulated series standings through 1/8, which can be viewed at the above link. Martin Criminale (IJM) is currently crushing the Men's competition with 62 points and 3-time champion Martha Walsh (ZTeam) is leading with double the points of her next competitor. Click the link above to check out where you stand. We're just about halfway through the ITT season so come on down and get those points!

Here are the top three in each division:

Women:
Martha Walsh 16
Jess Cutler 8
Katie Poinier 6

Men:
Martin Criminale 62
Dustin Van Wyck 38
Alex Telitsine 29

Indoor TT Results Week of 12/28

noreply@blogger.com (Lang) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:12:00 +0000

This week marked the addition of our Women-only TT to our Indoor TT race Calendar on Monday nights and the kickoff was a huge success! Results are posted here from last weeks' racing, including the Women's TT on Monday and the 10k open TT on Wednesday.

The series continues with Women's TTs Monday nights, a 10k open TT Wednesday nights and a 10-mile open TT on Friday nights. Click here to sign up!

This Week's Indoor TT Results

noreply@blogger.com (Lang) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:22:00 +0000

The Indoor TT series is heating up! Click here for this week's results.

Overall series results will be posted soon, stay tuned.

Our women-only Monday night TT starts on 12/28, come on out and join the fun! Email Lang at cycleu.com with questions.

This Week's Indoor TT Results

noreply@blogger.com (Lang) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:31:00 +0000

We had another great showing this week for the indoor Time Trial Series. It's way too cold to ride outside so come join these smart folks for an intense and focused indoor workout, click here to sign up for next weeks TTs!

For results from Wed 12/9 10k TT click here

For results from Fri 12/11 10-mile TT click here

Have a great weekend!

Indoor TT Results

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle U) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:34:00 +0000

Results from last night's exhilarating Indoor Time Trial Series races are now posted:

Along with results from 11/25:

And 11/11:

Indoor TT Series is ON!

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle U) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:49:00 +0000

Cycle University Indoor Time Trial Series: Wednesday Night 10-kilometer, Friday night 10-mile, heats at 5:30, 6:15 and 7:00 click here to sign up!

Now in its fifth year, the Cycle University Indoor Time Trial Series starts this week at our Sandpoint Location for its 2009-2010 season. Highlights from years past have included course-record breaking rides from local professionals and epic battles between teammates. For many the competitive season doesn't start for several months, but now is the time to start high-intensity efforts to lay the foundation for a successful 2010. Come on down and enjoy a controlled suffer-fest that will leave you more fit than ever when the season starts next year. This year Wednesday nights feature a 10-kilometer course while Friday nights feature a 10-mile course and racing starts on both nights at 5:30. This series is a great workout for cyclists of every level from beginners on up and from Juniors to masters.

Here are some answers to FAQs we get about the ITT series:

What is an Indoor Time Trial?
The Indoor Time Trial is a virtual race – we hook your bike up to one of eight CompuTrainers connected on our MultiRider setup. Each heat is held on a rolling course and the CompuTrainer adjusts the resistance on your rear wheel in real time according to your progress along the course. All of the riders start at the same time in each heat and every rider’s progress along the course is displayed on our projection screen along with speed, power, and heart rate (both current and average).

Why is it called a series?
The results from each heat are compiled into a set of overall standings where each rider earns points according to their placing and the number of competitors. There are two categories for the overall standings: Men and Women.

Why is it such a good workout?
The best way to get faster is to ride harder. An Indoor TT course takes most people 15-20 minutes (10k) or 22-35 minutes (10 mile) to finish, ideal interval lengths for increasing your sustainable power. Getting in solid, long intervals is a great way to incorporate threshold-level intensity work to your winter training. The CompuTrainer accurately measures and displays your power, allowing you to dial in the intensity of each effort and also quantitatively assess the progress of your training. Whether you use it as a weekly workout or a monthly test, the Indoor TT has a place in every winter training regimen. Lastly, as it is always easier to push yourself harder in a group, an Indoor TT often leads you to ride harder than you would at home, improving the effectiveness of your training.

How Does the Indoor TT Series Compare to InCycle?
Indoor TTs are only held twice weekly and are not a fully-coached, periodized training program. Nonetheless they are a great way to work out in a supportive group environment with the quantitative feedback of wattage data.

When and Where Does the Indoor TT Series Take Place?
Indoor TTs takes place every Wednesday and Friday nights at Cycle University on Sand Point Way. There are three heats: 5:30, 6:15 and 7:00 with eight spots in each heat.

How Do I Sign Up?
Just go to our Calendar!

New West Seattle Cycle U - Dreamy!

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:25:00 +0000

It is true, we are moving into a fantastic new space in West Seattle. Here are some pics. Come by and see us after our opening October 10th.

Expectations and Perspective: the mental game of cycling.

noreply@blogger.com (harm) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:46:00 +0000

Athletics is entirely mental. Every season of cycling has further reinforced this notion for me. I have also, throughout the years, found out the golden race ratio: for every one time you succeed in racing, there are fifty times you either mess up or get screwed over. To be able to survive the mental damage these odds inflict you must intentionally strengthen your perceptive and meticulously analyze your expectations.

********************

Let me speak in concrete terms: two weekend ago in Portland I raced the Alpenrose Challenge, which is a premier National 3-day Track Race poised on the steep and bumpy concrete walls of the aging Alpenrose velodrome.

Throughout the course of the three day event the temperatures persistently rose to the high nineties. The relentless heat reflected off the white track heightened the intensity of the event, creating an atmosphere of survival and restlessness.

Friday morning I was running late. The pursuit, which is an individual time trail event for 4 kilometers, began at 10pm. I arrived at 1030pm, a half an hour fashionably late, due to a lapse in foresight about the pace my forty-year-old pick-up could maintain on the highway. Luckily, the race directors knew me well and allowed me to register late and slotted me in last to go. This meant I had to get ready and warmed up in about 40 minutes, about 2 hours less than I would comfortably have liked.

Over the past six months my training has been sporadic. College loans and the necessity of having a consistent income has put a damper on the nomadic freedom of an elite bike racer. The inconsistency in income most domestic "pro racers" have--which consist mostly of prize money, even for riders on established pro teams--was not going to cut it when it came to paying off my fru-fru humanitarian degrees.

Because of this inconsistency in training, and lack of time and money to race, I have had to shift my perspective on training. If I were to try and train as much as I did when I was racing full time, then I would end up a complete stressed out mess. So, to avoid this, I decided that my training would be purely for fun, and I would do it only when I felt like it. This alleviation of pressure allowed me to actually train more, since it was more of a hobby as opposed to 'homework.'

But, the lack of training regiment does have its downfalls: security. I had no idea what type of shape I was in. Over the years I have dominated the pursuit, and I did not want to embarrass myself now.

As I briefly warmed up I ignored the condition of my body and focused rather on my mindset. Half way through my warm-up an Australian Professional cyclist set a blistering time, nearly one second off the course record. His time was two seconds faster than my fastest time last year when I had won.

Initially I became downcast. There was no way I could beat that time, I said to myself, I am out of shape!

But then, I stopped the complaining thoughts and starting checking off the list of advantages I held: I knew the track better than anyone. No one has beaten me in a pursuit besides the alien genetic experiment also known as the Taylor Phinney trust fund.

So, I decided that no one else was going to beat me. And this meant today.

I was up in two heats. Usually in a pursuit you race with another person who starts on the opposite side of the track. Originally I was going to go solo, but a last minute change from the officials had me racing a heat earlier with a different rider. This would not have been an issue if the officials practiced standard protocol of having riders race with similar ability levels.

At the start line I knew I was going to pass the other rider in my heat quickly. What I did not realize was that I would pass him twice when I was on pace to beat the course record by over two seconds.

On the last lap, coming into the finish line, I had to pass the rider a second time, which caused me to have to accelerate over him on a 47 degree banked wall, which is the equivalent of having to sprint up a wall after holding near 600 watts for 4 minutes and change.

The clock stopped with me missing the record by 0.5 seconds and a bunch of money for breaking the record.

I was disspointed.

But why? I had won? Who cares if I missed the record?

I had two options: I could complain about missing the record. Or, I could look at the moment and say, "Damn Dan, you crushed this pursuit harder than you ever had and you aren't even training. Nice work!"

It was a tough decision, one that I could not make, so I, like a good human, decided to do both.

*****************

As an athlete it is so hard to ignore the negatives and only focus on the positives. So hard I would argue it could be impossible. We, as humans, learn from mistakes, and usually the important mistake--the ones that teach us the most--are the ones that are hardest to forget.

*****************

The next event was the Madison Race--a race consisting of two man teams racing together in a tactically mind boggling endurance event. The team of two racers literally grab hands at 30+ miles an hour and throw each other into the race amongst 30 other competitors.

The Madison is hands down my favorite race because of the tactics, speed, and adrenaline. Last year, my former Madison partner, Coach Adrian, and I dominated the National Madison circuit. Our season was cut short by him breaking his shoulder in a road race...

Since Adrian is racing on the road this year, I had Jamie as my Madison partner. He is strong as all hell, and we suit each other tactically. From the very beginning him and I were establishing ownership of the race. After the first sprint I attacked and punished the field.

The next lap, as I came sprinting into an exchange with Jamie, his wheel hopped up from a bump in the infamous Alpenrose track surface. When his wheel touched ground the force ripped off his tire, causing him to plough into me. The force of the impact swung my handle bars ninety degrees.

My wheel was now in a precarious position of having 190 pounds of me pushing into it the wrong way. The wheel decided to lose and literally, not figuratively, literally snapped in half, sending me flying over my bars, shoulder first, into concrete at 30 miles and hour.

My shoulder broke. And my bike was now 1500 dollars cheaper from all the damages. I had expected to go home with at least 500-800 bucks in prize money for two days of work, and instead I was in the hole big time. The head impact caused me to have long lapses of brain inactivity, also known as space-case-ness.

In these moments one single word crept to the forefront of my brain: QUIT. Yes, it is time to quit. The crashes, the money, the stress, the unavoidable golden ratio had me tired and worn out.

******************

On the three hour (ahem, I mean four hour) drive back to Seattle I had a lot of time to think about how racing fits into my life. In less than a year I have gone from thinking unquestionably that I was going to be a lifetime pro cyclist, to deciding to race regionally for fun so I could pursue other artistic interest, to now thinking about giving up the sport entirely.

Something was not right. I had to figure out why there had been so many shifts. I knew there is something about the sports that keeps me coming back for more? For me, it is the feeling of pushing my bodies limitations. The competition is merely a way I can gauge how hard I have gone.

*******************

Thus, the story ends simply: Despite having a broken shoulder, the next weekend I went out to race the pursuit at the FSA Grand Prix, which is the Northwest's premier track race event. Because of my shoulder injury I could not race any of the mass start events, but the Pursuit is a solo event. Just me against the clock.

And I won. I was 8 seconds slower than my time last year. But, this did not matter. Beating my best time was not my expectation. I knew my body would be tired and worn from the crash. My only expectation was to win, and the reason I wanted to win was to prove to myself that I, despite the rough stretch of racing luck I have had, could still maintain a positive perspective, the perspective necessary to never give up.

Issaquah Triathlon

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Triathlon is in full swing in the Northwest. Congrats to the Cycle University Triathlon team. Everyone did a wonderful job. Also If anybody is interested a group of triathletes/runners have been meeting at Redmond watershed every wednesday at about 5:45pm. If you can excape from work a little early head on over.

contact me at seamss@spu.edu

Coach Scott

Track Season gains momentum: Big races on the way.

noreply@blogger.com (harm) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Track racing in the Northwest begins to hit a peak in late July. National caliber events--such as the FSA Grand Prix in Seattle and the Portland based Alpenrose Challenge--lure out the fastest track racers in the USA and Canada with prize lists boasting upwards of $15,000.

After returning from a hard education of track racing in Europe through the winter, Coach Adrian and I raced the track full-time last summer--including the FSA Grand Prix and Alpenrose Challenge, as well as multiple other Nationally ranked races--with the specific focus of crushing the Madison (which is an event consisting of multiple two-man teams and involves complex tactics and pure endurance).

Our ambitions were often met with big wins and healthy pay-days. But, there were also numerous disappointments, such as a second place in the Madison on our home turf at the FSA Grand Prix, losing to a team we had beaten both at the Alpenrose challenge and at the larger event, Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minneapolis. There was also the time at Alpenrose Challenge when I missed breaking the track record in the Pursuit by a mere second. This record has not been broken since the 80s.

This Summer much has changed. Adrian will be out of town for both races, choosing to focus on pursuing his goal of professional road racing, and thus putting track racing on the back-burner. I have chosen to do the opposite and focus solely on the track, yet real life has crept up on me and my usual free time to train for the track has been filled with work obligations and worries about paying off student loans.

Track races season culminates down in L.A. in early October at National Championships. Will Adrian be rusty at the Madison from missing very important races? Am I going to be able to keep up my high level of fitness from past years?

There are a lot of unknowns and variables this summer, and this will undoubtedly add to the suspense of how Adrian and I are to defend our reputations as two of the fastest track racers in the USA. I will keep you posted with inside perspectives from all the upcoming races. Stay tuned.

In the meantime: Come see the races for yourself!!!

-The Seattle FSA Grand Prix is at the Marmoor Velodrome July 25-26. There will be festivities, a beer garden, and events for kids, as well as insane track racing action!
-The Portland Alpenrose Challenge is July 17-19.