Lapping Central Park – NYC Road Biking

Central Park in New York City has about a 6 mile loop within its borders that consists of 3 hills (that I know of). The double lane access makes for perfect lapping for NYC residents to get in spin time without having to worry about traffic lights, taxis and other city distractions. While I am sure there are regular group rides that assemble pelotons on the streets of Central Park, most of the riders are out on their own taking in the sites of central park and getting in the miles.

What I Noticed On The Central Park Loop

The riders on the Central Park loop are incredibly diverse. You get everything from the hard core roadie looking for long miles to grandma enjoying a day out in the park. It was really kind of cool to see the diverse group of riders…and even more cool to see the guys on fixed gears completely ripping it up.

The diverse crowd also makes it a little bit more difficult for the serious riders to navigate the slower ones. This brought down the average speed of the roadies to make sure that 30 mph collisions are not a norm.

There must be a serious Cervélo dealer somewhere close by as most of high end rides were some model out of that lineup.

I was talking about the riders with my wife’s uncle (we were walking around not riding) and he was telling me about a certain area where the poser roadies hangout and stand next to their high end rides without actually riding them. By the time we got there…there wasn’t anyone standing around to take a picture of…I guess it was too cold outside.

I thought this was hilarious as some things never change no matter where you travel. There will always be those that have more money than talent and the riders that are on complete crap that will rip your legs off. Its not the bike…its the rider…no matter where you are riding.

Overall, it was really cool to see the diverse crowd all getting involved on a cold day in NYC. It really reminded me how many different riding types are involved in road riding and how we can all enjoy the sport at our own speed. Some riders like to pack on triple digit miles while others use it as a source to get in better shape. Central Park is one of those places where riders of all types get together to enjoy the sport. It was an uplifting experience as a cyclist and someday soon…I am going to return to put in my own miles on the Central Park loop.

NYC Road Biking – Lapping Central Park is a post from: Bike198 - Road Biking

Here are some things to consider as you look for ways to keep your endurance and power up during the off-season.

Stationary Trainer

I don’t think I know a single rider that has fond memories of a stationary trainer, but the bottom line is that they work. This boring, monotonous spinning on a fixture that does not move keeps your legs moving during the off months and prevents that first ride back blow up. There are things you can do to keep this activity a little bit more bearable like music and movies, but the bottom line is that you need the spin time. With multiple options out there, you can find a great deal on a trainer. If you want a really good deal, hit up your buddy that bought one, road it twice and never used it again. The used stationary trainer market is filled with barely used merchandise that you can pick up for cheap.

Pros for the Stationary Trainer

• You are spinning on your own bike.
• Good leg exercise.
• Affordable option.

Cons for the Stationary Trainer

• Extremely boring.
• Takes a lot of self discipline to keep the training going.
• No upper body workout unless you mix in weights.

Inside Rollers

This one has really caught my attention as of late. With these stationary rollers (like the E-Motion that you can find at insideride.com), you are actually riding your bike inside. Set your bike on the rollers, start pedaling and start imagining the road in front of you as you are not connected to anything that is stationary. The appeal for me with the rollers is that they keep your attention because you are actually riding your bike. All you really have to do is put a fan in front of you with a movie of the road ahead…and…with a little imagination…you are out there from the comfort of your home!

Pros of the Inside Rollers

• Keeps your attention as you actually ride your bike.
• Great core and upper body workout.
• As close as you can get to riding outside.

Cons of the Inside Rollers

• High cost of entry.
• A little bit of a learning curve.

Working Out At The Gym

One of the most common ways to keep your strength going during the off season (and the on season) is to actually get up and go to a gym. Most gyms have spin bikes you can use with SPD pedals and a good, core workout program will help you regardless of riding ability. The key is finding a good system and schedule that compliments your riding.

Pros of Working Out at the Gym

• Great public spin bikes.
• Low cost per month.
• Strengths muscles that compliment riding.

Cons of Working Out at the Gym

• Monthly fee.
• Have to leave your house.
• Most gym memberships go unused.

Cross Training

When you can’t get on the bike, sometimes it is better to engage in an activity that you like that is possible during the off-season months. You can still trail run, ski and do other outside activities that keep the endurance and metabolism flowing throughout the off-season when you are off the road bike.

Pros to Cross Training

• You get to be outside doing something you actually like.
• Complete body workout in most cases.
• Comparable cost to riding your bike.

Cons to Cross Training

• Some bike riders ride bikes because their body can not handle running.
• High cost of entry into some sports if you are new.
• Still susceptible to weather conditions.

What do you do in the off-season to stay in riding shape?

Snow bikes image by sickmouthy

Off-Season Road Bike Training – What Do You Do? is a post from: Bike198 - Road Biking

Anti-Cyclists Fan Pages On Facebook

Before we get into that, let’s take a look at some of them and what they are saying.

There’s a perfectly good path right next to the road you stupid cyclist!

Fans: 38,406

Whenever I see a cyclist. It just pisses me off. especially road cyclists! I am glad their are more people with the same values as ME!

even worse there is a whole bloody path there why ride on the 2 inches closest to the road!!!!!!!!!!

Damn cyclists.
Not all. Just 90%.
- Feel they need to use the walking path when there is a bike lane 10 feet away.
- Think it’s OK to block traffic and cause a hazard making cars slow down because they feel entitled to do so.
- Are too stupid and ignorant of the law to ride WITH traffic.
And thanks to the a-hole that was s…o important he could not wait for traffic to move and flew by my stopped car hitting the side view mirror. That’s hit and run boy.

I’ll think about sharing the road when you follow traffic rules.

Ur not Lance Armstrong, stop biking on the road

Fans: 116

A+ to whoever made this.

this is too perfect

What Can We Do As Cyclists On The Road?

First, forget about posting on these pages. You just getting into an online argument that no one wins. You can no combat keyboard courage. I think it is as distasteful as you do, but you are not going to change people or change the page by getting your blood pressure through the roof by arguing with idiots.

These pages – and the comments on them – do bring up an interesting point that I have been thinking about for quite sometime. I see a lot of road bikers run red lights, run stop signs, stop traffic and do other “I own the road” maneuvers that really do not help our cause. If we are going to expect motorists to respect us on the road, we really need to respect the same laws of the road as everyone else using that piece of blacktop that day.

I am as guilty as the next rider of running stop signs…I’ll admit it. But that does not mean it is right. Just like with anything, there is a shed of truth in some of the comments left on these types of hatred pages. If we are really going to expect people to change their attitudes about road bikers, we need to set the tone by obeying the same laws of the road and lead by example.

There are always going to be those drivers that think it is funny to run riders off the road or throw things out of their car. We have all been there (the cyclist not the asshole driver) and it sucks. But…we just need to be more aware of our surroundings and try to limit our exposure to the idiots in this world. There will never be enough laws, enforcement or awareness to fix stupid.

As you get out on your next ride…think about what you can do to improve the image cyclists have on the road. You never know…you could be converting one driver at a time over to our side.

Image by biblicone

Anti Cycling Groups On Facebook is a post from: Bike198 - Road Biking

Everything gets into a cycle. Your breathing…your pedal strokes…how you get out of the saddle to hammer. Your only competition is yourself as you continue to push harder…finding you limits without the aid of the draft. Gripping the bars…listening to the chain shift down the gears as you rip through a twisty downhill. You can actually hear the tires as you push the limits. There is no conversation…just a challenge. You and the road…teeing off to see who blows up first.

It is out on the road on my own where my thoughts and stresses get left behind. It is my therapy…I don’t need a fancy chair and some stranger to spill my guts onto…I use the road for that.

Image by LATriBri

The Solo Ride – Peace On Blacktop is a post from: Bike198 - Road Biking

A friend of mine, Jason Milliron, pointed me in the direction of this video late last week. Really shows the visual power of wattage recorders and video for training purposes and just general “hey…look what I did!”.

From the owner of the video:

I’ve been trying to do this on my own for weeks, but don’t know video or code. There are several software programs that auto racers use for video telemetry. Finally gave in and got the software.

I used Dashware by ChaseCam. it’s expensive though, $150 (glad I didn’t spend the gift card Santa gave me!). I’m sure the talented computer guys can figure out how to do this on their own for free.

The program is made to pull data directly from automotive track GPS boxes, but they really just download CSV files. I pulled an automotive file into Excel and put my Garmin data into the columns.

You don’t need GPS, you just need a time column delineated in seconds. Without GPS, the only thing you lose is the little animated map.

The software has a window which runs the video, and another that runs the data. once you find the sync point, you just lock it and that’s it. Since your video file has a time stamp and your workout data (srm, wko or garmin) has the same, you can do a rough link quickly. In the software, you can then adjust by frame or millisecond.

There’s also a gauge editor which you can play with to display your data.

For a helmet cam, you could go with either the GoPro Hero HD or the ContourHD.

Video: Road Biking With Power HUD and ChaseCam is a post from: Bike198 - Road Biking

Losing Weight On Your Road Bike The Right Way

So you have a bike that needs to go on a diet. Before you jump in and dump a load of cash into new parts, there are a couple of things to consider during this journey into weight weenie stardom.

• Every Little Bit Counts – As you continue to upgrade components or look at buying a new bike, little weight differences over multiple parts add up. So as you look at a 100 gram difference, realize that if you save that five times throughout your bike component purchases, you have saved over a pound off your total weight (453.59232 Grams in a Pound).
• Noticing It While Riding Is Tricky For Some Parts – Getting that ti or carbon water bottle cage to shave some weight is really more of an impulse, bling buy. The trick is shaving the weight where you will actually notice the difference while riding.

Where To Start Spending Money On Road Bike Components

Keeping those two things in mind, there are 3 areas you should start in if you are looking at shaving serious weight off your road bike but actually be able to feel the difference on the road.

• Wheels – Rotating mass is probably the #1 place to start if you are looking to shave weight that will actually affect your riding. Not only do they have some serious ability to drop the grams quickly, but that feeling is multiplied on the road as you are having to actually rotate that weight with your legs on the bike. The more you shave off the weight with the wheels, the faster you will accelerate and get to speed. Nothing changes the way a bike rides quite like a new set of high-end wheels. But…many riders will forgo this option in place of a new component set. Regardless of bike, this is one investment that will pay for itself time and time again as you move wheels from bike to bike. Now…be sure to keep in the back of your mind that they still need to be durable enough for your riding style (don’t get the lightest ones you can find if you are 240 lbs and a power hammer rider).
• Frame - By switching frame materials or going to a higher end road bike frame, you can drop a drastic amount of weight and improve your ride quality at the same time. Newer carbon frames are going to have a better ride at a lighter weight than their aluminum and steel counterparts. Your frame is also the largest part of your bike (outside of the wheels), so any change in this department completely changes how your road bike feels (only in regards to weight) while riding.
• You – That’s right…you! This also happens to be the cheapest upgrade you could ever make. It is time to start eating right and riding more. It is much more beneficial to lose 10 pounds off your body than 2 pounds off your bike and it will not cost you several thousand dollars. I see riders all the time dump thousands of dollars into their road bikes looking for that extra bit of speed, but if they would just lay off the calories and get into better shape…it wouldn’t matter what bike they were riding.

As you starting looking for ways to increase your speed on the road, those three areas are where you need to start to squeeze that efficiency out of you and your bike.

Losing Weight Where It Matters is a post from: Bike198 - Road Biking

What does a more efficient pedal stroke do for you?

• Faster over longer rides
• Strengthens muscles in the legs that improve balance and technical riding ability
• Faster with less effort
• And a whole host of other immeasurable benefits…

The Typical Beginner Pedal Stoke

The typical beginner pedal stroke is best explained by looking at a square. After a little bit of ride time on their new, shiny clipless pedals (and some personal interaction with the ground!), the rider starts to realize that they can get more power to the rear wheel by pulling up on the backside of their pedal stroke as they push down on the front. This creates a pull/mash technique as you can see by the illustration above. Many seasoned road bikers are still using this pull/mash technique to this day because they haven’t taken a serious look at how to create more power using their current fitness level and energy. That is why making a conscious effort to increase certain aspects of your cycling is so important.

What is wrong with the pull/mash square stroke technique?

While the pull/mash stroke is more efficient than and mash/mash (only ever pushing down), you still have tons of dead space in between motions that you could be transferring power to the rear wheel. This waste is time and energy that you can never get back during your ride. During the corner parts of your pedal stroke, you are wasting time and energy without applying any power to the chain line. The key is figuring out how to use all of your pedal stroke to generate energy to the rear wheel to create more power for the same amount of exertion on the road.

So what should I be doing while pedaling?

As you start to analyze how you are pedaling on the trail, you need to picture, in your mind, circular movements. Makes sense right? Your already pedaling in circles…you just didn’t actually realize that you were pedaling squares. Some of the best advice I was given while improving my pedal stroke was to imagine sweeping the bottom of your stroke with your feet.

By sweeping the bottom of your stroke (pulling backwards immediately following pushing down in a smooth motion), you are getting rid of one of the corners of the square…the bottom, right corner and turning the bottom dead space into power. In turn, by getting rid of the bottom, right corner…you are effectively removing the top, left corner in the process. Your concentration is on creating power at all stages of the stroke and you are now sweeping the bottom and pushing the top. While I am pedaling…I mentally visualize small circles as I sweep and push. The mash/pull comes naturally already as it should for you because your body is already trained to create power in that direction. You are now training your body to create power in the dead areas of your stroke to become more efficient.

The more efficient you are with your pedal stroke, the more power you are generating…which equals faster times and averages for the same amount of energy release. You are also strengthening the other muscles in your legs for increased stamina in other aspects of riding. Also, the pull/sweep motion keeps that tension on the chain line delivering power to the rear wheel at all times.

To properly deliver the sweep on the bottom of the pedal stroke, you also need to consciously force your foot level on the bottom of the stroke. Naturally, your body wants to pedal heals up toes down. This exaggerates the pull/mash tendency that you are trying to avoid. As you sweep through the bottom of your stroke, keep your foot level throughout the bottom 50% gradually pulling up with the rear while focusing on the next rotation. There is not one part of your stroke that should feel forced or sharp. Just one constant circle that delivers raw power.

The Anatomy of the Efficient Pedal Stroke is a post from: Bike198 - Road Biking

Specs: The Giro Atmos

From giro.com:

Atmos continues to set the standard for high performance, matchless style, and comfortable fit. It’s low profile silhouette, 26 Wind Tunnel vents, and benchmark in-mold Roll Cage make it a top choice for road, ‘cross, and XC riders alike.

Starting Price: $175.00

Review: Giro Atmos Road Biking Helmet

After riding with the Giro Atmos for several months…how did it perform?

Initial Fit and Feel

At first glance, the Giro Atmos is a lightweight road biking helmet for a reasonable price. I wouldn’t call it a budget helmet by any stretch, but…for the serious road biker…it is about middle of the line in comparison with some of the other options out there. With multiple colors available (I do not see the Garmin color scheme as reviewed on the Giro website currently), you are sure to find something that fits your design needs.

The Giro Atmos is light…really light. When you pick it up and put it on your head, you can forget it is even there after a little while. Initially fitting is done with the Roc Loc 4 system which wraps around to the back of your head and tightens via a pinch style ratchet system. With plenty of engagement points, I was able to get the helmet to fit perfectly to my head. The helmet straps were easy to adjust and once everything was secure…the helmet felt great and was ready to roll.

Upon removal, you can have a little bit of difficulty loosening up the retention system, so be careful and take your time to avoid stripping or snapping the mechanism. As long as you don’t force it…it works fine.

On The Road With The Giro Atmos

Once on the road with the Giro Atmos, the lightweight construction and easy fitting really became a positive feature. The 26 vents provide adequate cooling during the hotter months and I never felt like my head was trapping heat or not getting enough air. The Roc Loc 4 system is easy to adjust as needed while riding with a single hand operation.

After logging in a lot of miles, I did notice that I was starting to get a small pressure point at the front of my forehead. A small loosening adjustment on the ride got rid of that feeling, but…that does tell me that I have a small hot spot in the fit.

One of my favorite things about this helmet (outside of general performance and fit) is the ability to place my Oakley Half Jackets securely in the front of the helmet. It is almost as if they were made for each other. Easy in and easy out without any fear of them falling off and hitting the road.

Crashing The Giro Atmos

Personally, I have not hit the ground with the Atmos yet (and hopefully I don’t), but a friend of mine nailed it at 35 miles an hour and reported back that the Atmos has incredible shock absorption. Even at higher speeds, the Atmos transfers that shock very well should the worst happen and my friend walked away without any cerebral injuries. That says a lot for a helmet that vents as well as the Atmos.

Final Thoughts On The Giro Atmos

Overall, the Giro Atmos is a great all around helmet for road bikers. It is not the cheapest lid out of Giro (or any other manufacturers offerings), but it does provide a lot of performance for that price tag.

What I Liked About The Giro Atmos

• Easy fit with high quality feel
• Multiple designs
• Lightweight
• 26 vents allow for adequate ventilation
• Does its job should you smack the blacktop
• Riding glasses fit perfectly in the front of helmet

What I Didn’t Like About The Giro Atmos

• Can be pricey for some cyclists
• Developed small hotspot on forehead during longer rides

Find the best price on a Giro Atmos by clicking here.

Review: Giro Atmos Road Biking Helmet is a post from: Bike198 - Road Biking

Even the most experienced road bikers sometimes fall victim to multi-bike pileups due to a pace line gone wrong (just watch any local crit and you’ll see at least one). So…how can you pull in that rear wheel of another road biker and keep it there without irritating everyone around you or leaving your skin on the blacktop for the street cleaners?

Pace Lining Tips for Road Bikers

Drafting on a road bike will save you upwards of 35% of efficiency to help you ride faster and use less energy doing it. It is a necessary part of long distance cycling and group rides, so you need to get comfortable in the pack.

Getting comfortable in this position is not always an easy thing to do. Even now, there are certain riders who make me extremely nervous in a pace line and I do my best to just get the hell away from them whenever possible.

• Start With Riders You Trust – If you are just starting with pace lining and drafting on the road bike, practice with riders you trust and know their riding characteristics. Do not jump in with a bunch of road bikers that you hardly know and expect to predict their actions while you are trying to figure out your own. Go on several group rides with 6 or so close riding friends and get used to the rotation.
• Call Out Everything – Getting out of the line? Something in the road? Car up? You need to call out everything in the pace line to insure that riders in front and in back of you know what is going on. The majority of pace line accidents are caused by riders not giving other riders in the pack a heads up on what is happening. If you are about to slow down…let someone know…”SLOWING!”
• Do Not Sit Up In The Pace Line – I see it time and time again. One rider sits up and causes chaos behind them. If you need to sit up or slow down your speed, get out of the line first and then sit up. Even small speed changes in the pace line cause drastic affects down the line.
• Keep Calm and Collected – The riders that I want to stay away from the most are those that look nervous or can’t seem to keep a straight line. In one case, a rider actually swerved with every pedal stroke in a pack of 50…it was crazy! While in a group or pace line, keep your bike straight and your demeanor calm.
• Pull Your Own Weight – The natural progression of pace lining is to rotate the work around all of the riders for a maximum output at the minimum exertion. This means at some point in time, you are going to have to face the wind and pull. Now…this is not something to take on if you are not ready for it. If you are already maxing out in the line, it is probably not a good idea to pull out front and slow everyone down, or – even worse – blow up and have nothing left for the rest of the ride. Pull your own weight on the ride, but only if you are ready for that responsibility.

It is really that simple. By following some simple rules, you can prevent being “that guy” on the road. Even some really fast road bike riders end up being “that guy” a lot, so if you want to have good riding rapport with other riders, follow the rules and pull your own weight…and everything else will just fall in line.

Image by megabeth

Pace Lining Tips for Road Bikers is a post from: Bike198 - Road Biking

Regardless of what you think of the new design or new Radio Shack team, you have to admit that the process of building up one of the new ‘Shack bikes is pretty cool. In this video posted on YouTube by Trek Bikes, they take us through the process of making a Madone look like a Radio Shack team frame. Can we say complicated?

Personally…I like the look of the new frames even if they have the R logo all over them.

Video: Building the Team Radio Shack Trek Madone Road Bike is a post from: Bike198 - Road Biking