iRiver; normally known for things like Mp3 players and other portabel media player devices(PMPs), has released a “portable entertainment unit” for the bike called the NV Mini.

No self respecting roadie would ever be caught on their local group ride sporting this thing. The device has way to much of a progressive design, so only the hipsters would even think about touching it so they could have directions to get from their loft to the local coffee house.  It’s not as large as it seems in the picture. It’s actually about the same size as a 3.5″ GPS unit.  iRiver is marketing it as “eco friendly.” How can you categorize anything like this as being eco or not eco friendly. Is it made by grown adults getting paid $20/hour in a factory powered by solar/wind with a water recycling system? It has all the usual bike computer functions and has external speakers so you can annoy your friends.

It is basically a de-tuned version of their NV Classic that has had the DMB TV stripped out of it. What, you mean watching TV and riding a bike wouldn’t be a good idea? For those you US readers many other parts of the world have DMB TV which lets portable media players like these and GPS units receive TV transmission.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Andrew Love over at Zen and the Art of Speedskating had an interesting post about why speedskaters that cross over to cycling either for off season training or for good tend to make excellent cyclists, but the converse of that scenario is often not the case. Some of the many reasons he lists are that speedskaters develop lots of “raw anaerobic power,” better balance, needing perfect form(for ice speedskating), and much stronger proprioceptive ability.

Andrew is coming from an ice speedskater point-of-view and I come from the inline speedskater world; however, I have done short track ice before and most of his points are valid and true for inline speedskating as well.  I’ve often thought about this subject myself as I am one of those speedskaters that is now a cyclist, so I would like add my own 2 cents worth of baloney to this sandwich.  Many of my friends from speedskating are now Pro, Cat1/2 level cyclists that made it there pretty quickly.

Some of the many reasons he lists are that speedskaters develop lots of “raw anaerobic power,” better balance, needing perfect form(for ice speedskating), and much stronger proprioceptive ability.

I would also like to add one more statement; which will probably have all the ice speedskaters in an uproar: Inline speedskaters make much better cyclists than ice speedskaters.

A little bit of background. I am a former national champion inline speedskater that has transferred over to cycling. A group of speedskater friends of mine and I decided to transfer over to cycling in the 2007 season, so we’ve been cycling for several years, but most of these incites were already formed a few months into my first cycling season and have since held true for the most part. So, for most of my statements assume a beginner cyclists with only 3 months on the bike.

Why speedskaters make good cyclists

1. Raw anaerobic and explosive power: For any given speed it takes a lot more power for a speedskater to go the same speed as a cyclist. Speedskaters are inherently less aerodynamic than cyclists. Due to the very motion of skating you are going from side to side as well as forward and back all at the same time and sometimes swinging your arms all over the place. Due to the motion of pedaling you can only “spin up” to speed one way, in a circle. Skaters have to learn how to go 0-100% in many different ways; therefore, training your legs and body for a stronger explosive power. Skaters do what we call dry-lands. These have lots of nicknames such as off skate drills, iso/plyometrics, OTCs, but they are basically different types of exercises you do off your skates to build muscle. If you called them OTCs you have been a speedskater for over 15 years. All this attributes combined lead to naturally higher power-to-weight ratio. I wish they made power meters for speedskaters.
2. Mental toughness: I’m not saying cyclists aren’t mentally tough. What I’m saying is that top skaters are instilled(or already have) a skate till you puke complex. It’s only natural that this stays with them in any athletic endeavor they pursue. With that being said, when on skates you can’t always go that point because its dangerous. Once you get too tired you will lose form and be a danger to yourself and teammates by causing a fall. Cycling lets us speedskating psychos go till you drop. You can just load the bike on the trainer and go till “can go no mo.” Just make sure you have the puke bucket an the couch nearby. Because of this speedskaters have a small extra gear for training. Neither me no my friends had been skating or training for over 3 years. We were all finishing with the A group on most rides 3 months into starting cycling.
3. Recovery: You cannot particularly recover in speedskating. In most skating races, once you are dropped, you are dropped because your legs are locked up and that’s it. The race is over. You can’t go to the back of the pack and rest. If your legs are locked, you over cooked it and you’re done. In cycling, you can go the back of the peloton and chill where you’re using 30% less power. A prime example: Even though I had only been on a bike for 3 months. I could usually complete a with the A group of  a lot of the local rides in the Atlanta area. I can do the entire ride with the help of drafting off at least one person if not a large group. I went to a 400m track with some national caliber speedskater friends of mine for some skating and they blew me away after only 8 laps! I only led 2 laps and could not recover sitting at the back of the pack.
4. Foot speed: I was not what you would call an all out sprinter. I was more of a middle distance skater. I was too small to be able to put the raw power needed to put down sub 9 second 100m laps for 500 meters or maintain a high speed for 5000m. But, I am extremely quick. I’m only 5’5″ and 127lbs. I can stick just about any sprinter off the start and have always had one of the quickest get-up-and-go abilities in the corner of any other speedskater.  When combined with a speedskater’s higher power-to-weight ratio this yields a better than normal genre for each type of cyclist you will find. On several occasions I have had other cyclists(several times) comment on how fast I could spin up to catch a passing breakaway, especially for someone my size. For a speedskater that transfers over to cycling: As a sprinter you will already have increased foot speed and power. You will also have a quicker recovery time and longer time to failure for both aerobic and anaerobic thresholds compared to similarly trained cyclist. As a middle distance(me) you will have a faster sprint and a quicker recovery time and longer time to failure for both aerobic and anaerobic thresholds compared to similarly trained cyclist. As a climber you will have a higher power-weight-ratio and you will have a faster spring and a quicker recovery time and longer time to failure for both aerobic and anaerobic thresholds compared to similarly trained cyclist.
5. Strategy: After skating for years you’ll pick up a lot of strategy, especially compared to a newb cat 5 rider. During my first Cat 5 crit I was extremely surprised to see how disorganized it was and the lack of understanding of “how to ride a bike.” Nobody knew how to ride through a corner and carry their speed through the apex. Every time we hit a corer(4 per lap) the entire peloton slammed on the brakes turned(not even close to the apex), and sprinted out of the corner. I could move from the back of the peloton to the front at will at a corner just by not braking and apexing the corner. I wasn’t even shutting the door on anyone when I did this! I wasn’t expecting team tactics or anything, but a little more understanding..yes. After thinking about it though, I guess you could compare Cat 5 to the Junior Olympic(beginners with less than 3 years experience) dvision in skating. There are fast skaters in the JO division, but they are dangerous skate just like the Cat 5 riders ride. But, this is why speedskaters make good cyclists. We already have the experience and strategic knowledge that takes years to learn.
6. Now we have gears! When a speedskater gets on a bike and their body learns that they put out(imaginary numbers for illustrative purposes) half the power and go twice as fast for twice the difference because of the gears its like a whole new world. Training becomes fun again. Going up hills on skates is not fun. If you get tired you cannot gear down and crawl up the hill. Once you’re cooked going up a hill on skates you will be crawling… literally.
7. Better proprioception: That is a fancy way to say coordination. In order to be a successful speedskater you have to be extremely coordinated. In order to be fast on a bike, well you just need to know how to ride a bike. I will admit I tipped over quite a few times when I first started with the clipless pedals; which everyone has done too, so that doesn’t count.
8. 8. Form/technique: We already have the muscles built up to stay in an aero/tuck position longer than cyclists of the same experience. As skaters we naturally stay in a tuck position when skating, so we have already have the lower lumbar muscles and hamstring muscles necessary to stay in a more aero position on the bike. I personally actually prefer to stay in a lower position. My arms are the limiting factor in that equation. My back and legs do not get tired and in fact are more efficient in that position.

Why inline speedskaters make better cyclists than ice speedskaters

1. Chad Hederick… nuff said
2. For any given speed an inline speedskater has to put out more power than an ice speedskater. Inline speedskating is inherently inefficient. We have to overcome wind resistance AND lots of rolling resistance from the road and bearings. Ice speedskaters for all intents and purposes only have to overcome wind resistance. Also, when on inlines a significant portion of your power is lost due to the fact that the wheels are always sliding across the ground; whereas on ice pretty much 100% of you power goes to the ice through the blade.
3. A majority of the US world cup and Olympic ice speedskating team members are former inline speedskaters, it might even be as high as 80%.
4. Ice speedskater sdo too many off skate activities. If you want to be a top athlete in any sport you have to do that sport mainly. Cross training is important, but when as much emphasis is put on off skate activities as I’ve seen in ice, it’s not going to work.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

If you don’t have a GPS enabled cycling computer, but do have a Garmin never fear the ugly ass mounts are here! You basically have 4 mounts to choose from: IG-B01A from ITrek Bike, MFX2, Ram Mount, and Garmin’s Own that range anywhere from $10 to $33.

The IG-B01A seems to have garnered mostly excellent reviews on Amazon.com, the MFX2 – not so much, Ram Mount without any reviews, and the Garmin receiving mixed reviews because it doesn’t support the W versions of the Nuvi line even though the picture on the Amazon page shows a W version Nuvi. The Ram Mount looks to be the worst designed one of the bunch with the Garmin looking the best from an aesthetics perspective.

If I had to choose one, I would probably go with the IG-B01A unless Garmin comes out with a mount for the W versions.

I don’t think I’d want to mount my $200 GPS to my bike: 1. This mounts do not look that sturdy. You make friends with the pavement and in addition to any bike repairs you’ll also be making a trip to your electronics dealer for a new GPS. 2. If it rains, the unit is toast. Most PNDs meant for automotive use are not waterproof. 3. You can’t use it for training logging because they don’t account for stops/starts and don’t’ have any other calculable functions. The only plus I can see to see to putting you GPS on your bike is for data logging and finding your way home when you get lost.

IMO you should just save up and get a proper cycling computer with GPS integrated if GPS is that important of a function for you in cycling.

From Navigadget via Wetboy

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I rode with Pinnacle Racing(a local Atlanta club) this past season and they went with an up-and-coming custom apparel manufacturer: Danger Racing/CCN Sports. The quality of the apparel is excellent and the prices are unbeatable. They have no minimum order and they will take your own design or design them for you. They can make everything from jerseys and shorts to arm warmers and jackets: the works. You can see some of their designs here.

I hit the deck goin 25-30mph in a race wearing their stuff and there was only a couple of scratches and no tears in the jersey or the shorts, despite my skin being rather torn up. I am not affiliated with them, I was just extremely pleased with the product, customer service, and price. Our jerseys were only $33 and shorts $42. Try getting that low of a price from Santini, Voler, or Nalini.

Email their Sales Rep Dan Heid and let them know Cogswappr.com sent you.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Well, its been quite a while since I posted. I guess I just got bored with it for a bit. The past Labor Day weekend was the US 10k and US 100k Sponsored by Publix and G.(Does anyone thing that new name for Gatorade is stupid/precocious besides me?) This one of the largest events in the nation with 10k events for runners, inline speedskaters, wheelchair athletes, female cyclists, and a 100k for Pro Men’s cycling.

If you’ve never seen the course, it is a straight 10k shot down a major thoroughfare of Atlanta: Cobb Parkway; which also happens to be extremely hilly. Speedskaters hit between 45-55mph several times including the finish.

This was probably the best year in a long time for the inline speedskaters as they had doubled the participation from the previous year. As usual Charlie Bennett; an incredible speedksater in his own right, did his usual outstanding job as MC getting the crowd revved up for the inline speedskaters. An huge feat given the state of the economy and the cost of the sport. A big thanks to the Blair family for lobbying Joe Cotter to hold NIRA Inline Speedskating Nationals in Atlanta over the weekend. With the 10k being on Monday it would be quite foolish not to stay just one more day for easily the most fun outdoor race of year for inline speedskaters. The entries for the men this year hosted a monstrous field including Harry Vogel: a multiple world champion gold medalist, Jorge Botero: a multiple world champion from Columbia, and Jonathon Blair: a former and current Jr World team member. 2009 was also a great race with Eddie Metzger(winner for something like the past 6 years) getting handily beat(finally) by Harry Vogel, Jorge Botero, Jonathon Blair, and Francisco Ramirez. See the full results here. To be PC about it; Eddie is inline speedskating’s version of Alexander Vinokourov. He’s good, but he’s not well liked amongst the ranks of speedskaters.

A big thanks to Dan Heid and Charlie Craven of CCN/Danger Racing for designing and donating the jerseys given out the winners of each event. Both of them have many years of international speedskating experience; so they have first hand knowledge of what athletes want in a uniform/team kit. The jerseys looked awesome. Make sure you to keep an eye out for this up-and-comping custom apparel retailer. They are putting out awesome designs in quality material at prices that the other manufacturers simply cannot match. They were selected by USA Rollerskating to supply the World Team with full apparel and uniforms the 2009 World Championships in China later this month.

I own several of their team kits, one of which I was wearing when I hit the deck going between 25-30mph and only had a couple of scuffs on it, but I definitely could not say the same about my skin.

On the cycling side of things. Chad Andrews did a tremendous job keeping the crowd entertained , hyped, and informed for the women’s sprint to the line while the men were out doing their 100k. Follow him on Twitter @TotalCyclist. The full results aren’t up at the moment, so I can’t remember what the placements were other than the winner: Frank Travieso of Champion Porsche Cycling.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I may not be a competitive inline speedskater anymore, but I still have friends in the sport and occasionally visit them at local meets. So, this type of thing is something I find very cool especially because it has more correlation with cycling. If you’ve ever been an inline speedskater and a cyclist, you’d know that the 2 sports have A LOT in common. Just about every speedskater that has transferred to cycling is an excellent cyclist and has no catting moving up if they really want to.

A pair of French speedskaters(Nicolas Greafeille and Yves-Allain Endewall) have put together more of a literal Tour of France rather than a race, but I’ve never seen a “leisurely day of skating” not turn into an “I bet you i can beat you to the end” at some point. Speedskaters are just too freakin competitive. There will be 25 different starting/ending points which you can be part of, or the whole shebang if you like. The route even covers Alpe duHuez! I’ve hit 50mph+ going downhill on skates before and that certainly was not on a descent the length of that mountain. I can’t imagine the speeds that will be attained on that one.

They are only allowing 20 skaters to take part to keep logistics and costs in control, so get your applications in early if you’re a speedskater reading this.

Here is a google translation that has all the event details along with an interview with one of the organizers Yves Allain.

Related posts:

1. Speedskaters make really good cyclists Andrew Love over at Zen and the Art of Speedskating...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Well boys and girls, it’s time to get back in the saddle to start the 2009 cycling season for me. I haven’t touched the bike since October 2008. You can stop laughing now. I haven’t done any spinning or anything. I kept active though. I’ve been doing Crossfit since then so I’m actually in the best physical shape of my entire life! My upper body has seen a lot of progress. Being a speedskater for 14 years and then a cyclist I didn’t exactly work on upper body. I’m hoping this will translate to more powerful sprints and easier climbs. Crossfit doesn’t really have any straight cardio involved; however, almost every workout is an endurance test and my total body muscular endurance is higher than its ever been, but I’m sure as I’ll find out later tonight I am nowhere near competition ready from a cycling perspective.

My entire body is still really sore from Monday’s and Tuesday’s workout at Crossfit, so today’s ride although relatively easy because its the first group ride for 2009, will still be a challenge. Monday was a workout called “JT” which was 3 sets of rep counts of 21-15-9. Each round consisted of exercises in this order: Handstand pushups, pushups, ring dips. That workout is much harder than it sounds. Tuesday was Murph: run 1 mile, 100 pull-ups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, run 1 mile. You break up the middle into 5,10,15 or 10,20,30 until completion. I did it in 38:30; which was the 2nd best time for my location. My first mile run(1st half mile has hills) was acceptable at 7:30, but my second was horrendous at 10:05 even after doing 100 pull ups, 200 pushups, and 300 squats. I don’t care what kind of shape you’re in; after doing those workouts on following days you’re going to be sore.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I bet you clicked on that thinking “nuh uh,” “no way,” or “WTF is Lionel Regal, I’ve never heard of him and I’ve been cycling forever,” or something to the effect of one of those clichés. Actually Lionel Regal is an uphill auto racer. Since I’m a car nut as well as cyclist I figured I’d post this up on the blog.

For a petrol-head(word up to my British peeps that check my blog) the noise emanating from the engine is an aural delight to the point it sounds like it wants to get out of the car and eat you. This video has one of the best perspectives of what it’s like to race a car that I’ve seen on youtube. You can really feel the speed and skill it takes to keep such a beast under control. Mind you the car(a 1993ish F3000 that only Europeans would be able to relate to) in this vid has pretty much no electronic driver aids in comparison to the higher echelon of motorsport, so it takes real cohones and massive skill to pilot one of these bad boys up a hill at full tilt.

Source[Autoblog] via Cold track Days: Youtube

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Peleton does its business

As a relative newb to cycling(I started in the end of 07), I’ve had a lot of questions and odd random thoughts about “how things are done.” I’ve been a speedskater for over 14 years, so most of those types of issues just come down to experience and hanging out with the more established compatriots that you become friends with. An interesting question posited by another curious cyclist has been answered by Charles Pelkey over at Velonews. Namely: “What do the pros do for bathroom breaks in their long races?” I’ve never been on a ride longer than a couple hours, so I’ve never had to worry about this issue. It’s not like there’s a “how to” on the subject in Bicycling magazine all the time.

There are several options: Apparently there is a “common courtesy” amongst the pros that you don’t launch an attack when somone has left the peloton to water the grass or you can just do your business whilst still riding. Just make sure you get your bike washed afterward..mmkay? The UCI even has a rule that states you aren’t allowed to do this in plain site of any fans/cameras. They call the infraction “comportement incorrect,” which actually carries a fine of 60-70 Euros if you’re caught.

Fatcyclist even has a step-by-step tutorial with pictures on how to go on the go.

Check out the post over at Velonews for some pretty funny first-hand accounts of this occurring.

Related posts:

1. Speedskaters make really good cyclists Andrew Love over at Zen and the Art of Speedskating...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Holux has released a new gadget(M-1000C) with only one purpose: GPS logging. The unit simply records your route via GPS which you can then upload to your PC via Bluetooth for later analysis.

The software is the same as is used with the Holux GPSport 245. The unit only has one button, so any configuration is done when it is connected to the included Holux ezTour software. It can be configured for the car, cycling, hiking, or running. With an MSRP of only $40-$50, this could be an incredible bargain if you already have a cycling computer without GPS capabilities.

It would be an even better bargain if this could somehow be integrated with other already available exercise tracking apps such as Polar’s software that you get with their devices. I only have the CS 200, so no GPS for me. Integrating CS 200′s HR info with this units GPS info would be awesome! This device would be great for people with iPhones that use Runkeeper or Mapmyride because they could now leave their iPhone in the car. You wouldn’t have to worry about it getting wet or destroying it if you wreck. My Mio C230 GPS has GPS recording capabilities; not to mention is be very helpful when I get dropped from a new group ride and can’t figure out how to get back; but I don’t’ take it with me on rides for the reason just listed. With all of that you could come up with a somewhat accurate power usage profile of a ride. It wouldn’t be real time, but at least you would have the data at a fraction of what a Powertap would cost you. We are now getting closer to what I was figuring might be the future of cycling from my past post here.

Given that you could get a Garmin Edge 205 with GPS for around $140, this device would not make much sense to get if you are looking to get a new setup. Its application lies in the fact that you can add GPS to a current GPSless setup for $40.

The MTK MT3329 chipset in this device is not quite as sensitive at as the SIRFstar III found in most GPS decives at-165dBm vs -159 dBm.(lower number is better). For its intended purpose, I’m sure it will be more than sufficient though.

Specs/Features:

• Built in MTK MT3329 Low power consumption GPS chipset.
• 66 parallel satellite-tracking channels for fast acquisition and reacquisition.
• Built-in WAAS/ EGNPS Demodulator without additional any hardware.
• Compatible with Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP) completely.
• Small, sleek, and lightweight design easily fits in your hand.
• Built-in rechargeable and changeable Lithium-ion battery lasts for 20 hours
• Comes with Cigarette adapter and USB cable for charging/syncing.
• Auto Power Saving Mode
• Physical Size : 62.5 × 41 × 17.1 mm Weight： < 53 g(weight weenie alert)
• LED Functions
  • Orange: GPS status
  • Blue: Indicate Bluetooth status
  • Green/Red: Battery Status and Battery charging status.

Anyone going to get one of these? I think I probably will.

Source:[Navigadget], more screenshots available

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.