Welcome New Multisport Coach Extraordinaire, Jeri Howland!
For over 25 years Jeri Howland has competed internationally in triathlons. In 2004, she had the race of her life and set an age group world record at Ironman Austria with a time of 10 hours, 40 minutes (at age 46)! Jeri has competed in 19 Ironman distance triathlons, seven of which she was the age group champion. She has competed nine times at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships in Kona; completed 23 Ultra-marathons and won her age group all but twice. She is the two-time overall female champion of the Quadruple Dipsea and the 2009 Mt. Tam Triple Crown Female Champion. She also competes at skate skiing, a passion that enabled her to meet her husband, the "other" Jerry, top Dipsea runner and former President of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition. To fuel all of these activities, not to mention working full time at her "day" job, she founded Bungalow Munch Organic Granola, a Marin-based granola company. More about Jeri>
Fitting Tips: Small Changes Make a Big Difference
by Dario Fredrick
In over a decade of fitting cyclists, from first-time bike buyers to world-class professionals, I am continually amazed at how the combination of very slight changes to position can significantly alter one’s biomechanics, comfort, efficiency and overall ride quality. Make a small shift in cleat position, a minimal tilt of the foot or even move the saddle angle one degree and the entire pedaling experience can change. Given that a little goes a long way when it comes to fitting changes, if you decide to switch your saddle, shoes, pedals or bars from your original fit, a follow up fitting will ensure that your position continues to serve you well...More>
Product Spotlight: MacroBars
You focus on healthy, whole foods off the bike, so why not carry that approach to on-the-bike food as well? Introducing MacroBar, macrobiotic, vegan, energy and protein bars that are made fresh daily on a rural farm in S.W. Wisconsin. Minimally processed and certified organic, the bars utilize simple healthy ingredients to boost your immune system and help provide your body with essential nutrients. The macrobiotic approach to food is dynamic. GoMacro products do not use any additives or preservatives, refined sugars or flours or dairy, thus helping to create a pH-balanced environment in your body, leading to better absorption of minerals and other nutrients. More>
When Things Don't Go Your Way
by Marvin Zauderer
You get dropped – for good. You get a flat and there’s no follow car. Your mind is willing but your body isn’t. Suddenly your goals for the day may become – or at least appear – unreachable. And then what? When the game changes, the mentally fit cyclist avoids common traps and quickly restores focus, motivation, and commitment.
Third Annual National Championships High-Altitude Training Camp for
Whole Athlete-Specialized Cycling Team
For the third consecutive year the Whole Athlete-Specialized Cycling Team will prepare for the Mountain Bike National Championships by participating in a three-week high altitude training camp. The team will stay in North Lake Tahoe for two weeks following Whole Athlete's holistic approach including daily yoga, highly nutritious meals, mental training sessions with team sport psychologist and of course, epic riding. The camp is truly a team effort and the young riders share the cooking, cleaning and bike maintenance responsibilities. As a final prep the team will race the Downieville Classic, then it's off to Sun Valley, Idaho for the championship events. Eight junior boys, five junior girls and four U23s represent the squad at Nationals with Kate Courtney and Keegan Swenson defending their 2010 Junior titles. Team website>
Holistic Performance Newsletter - Vol. 21, Spring 2011
Fitting Tips: Small Changes Make a Big Difference
by Dario Fredrick
In over a decade of fitting cyclists, from first-time bike buyers to world-class professionals, I am continually amazed at how the combination of very slight changes to position can significantly alter one’s biomechanics, comfort, efficiency and overall ride quality. Make a small shift in cleat position, a minimal tilt of the foot or even move the saddle angle one degree and the entire pedaling experience can change. Given that a little goes a long way when it comes to fitting changes, if you decide to switch your saddle, shoes, pedals or bars from your original fit, a follow up fitting will ensure that your position continues to serve you well.
Saddle Up
Not all saddles are created equal. Saddles vary in shape, length, ideal contact points, and degree of compression. Saddles also wear out, and can compress quite a bit over time to alter your position. The softer the saddle, usually the more it will compress. Also, cutout saddles tend to morph in shape where the material and padding are minimized in the center. If you change your saddle, even if you match your new saddle exactly to your original fitting specs, you may be significantly altering your position. Each saddle will usually have its own set of fitting measurements. Your unique fitting specs include not only the saddle position relative to the bottom bracket, but reach and drop are measured from the saddle to the bars as well. Quite simply, if you get a new saddle, it requires a follow up fitting to ensure proper positioning. For tips on saddle selection, check out the article By the Seat of Your Shorts.
These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking
Cycling shoes are like saddles in that, first and foremost they must fit you well regardless of brand, model or shape. If your feet are not entirely comfortable in your current shoes, start trying on other options. Once you’ve found a pair that fits well, where the footbed accommodates the width and length of your foot, the shape of the sole of your foot is well-supported, including correct arch support, and the volume (vertical area within) can be closed down onto your foot comfortably and snugly, it’s time to get your cleats re-fitted. Cleat nut drilling can vary among shoes, and even if you are meticulous about matching the cleat position between shoes, your feet may end up in a different place relative to the pedals. Changing pedals can have the same effect as well. Come see us when you change your pedals and/ or shoes to make sure that this critical contact point is optimized in your fit. For additional foot-related fitting tips, see the article Start at the Foot to Reach the Peak Fit.
Getting a Handle on It
Handlebars comprise the final contact point of your integration with the bike and their dimensions can vary much like saddles and shoes. In our last newsletter, we covered many of the details of handlebar selection and placement in the article It's in Your Hands Now. For drop bars, width, reach, drop, shape and angle of the drops, and position of the levers all combine to define the front-end of your position. Even shift levers themselves vary in shape and length among models and brands. Mountain bike bars can also vary in rise and sweep, which affect hand position and wrist angle. If you find that your hands are not comfortable in the drops or you can’t reach the levers easily, your bars and levers need adjustment or perhaps the shape and dimensions of your bars could be improved with a different handlebar. A quick refit is the best way to determine exactly what you need to best accommodate the front end of your position.
Stay in Contact
Each of the three contact point components (saddle, shoes/pedals and handlebars) provides unique body to bike interaction and orientation of your fit, and not all components are created equal. The measurements from one model rarely translate exactly to another. If you do decide to change any of these, be sure to come see us for a quick follow up to maintain your optimal position, biomechanics and maximize your enjoyment of riding.
About the Author:
Whole Athlete founder, Dario Fredrick brings a unique blend of experience and well-rounded qualifications to the bike fitting profession. With over a decade of experience fitting a multitude of cyclists, a Master's degree in applied exercise science including formal training in biomechanics, 13 years teaching Iyengar Yoga and an accomplished cyclist himself, Dario is uniquely qualified in the fitting world. His fitting philosophy is to work with each individual in a holistic fashion without limits or confines of any one fitting system, formula or tool.
MacroBars are macrobiotic, vegan, energy and protein bars that are made fresh daily on a rural farm in S.W. Wisconsin. Minimally processed and certified organic, the bars utilize simple healthy ingredients to boost your immune system and help provide your body with essential nutrients. The macrobiotic approach to food is dynamic. GoMacro products do not use any additives or preservatives, refined sugars or flours or dairy, thus helping to create a pH-balanced environment in your body, leading to better absorption of minerals and other nutrients. The macrobiotic approach to food is dynamic. What works for one person may not work for another and the needs of each person vary from day to day so each bar is designed to cater to individual needs. Whether you need protein, energy or fiber; a meal replacement, a healthy snack or a delicious dessert you will find it in MacroBars.
The bars are sweetened with grain-based sweeteners. These sweeteners take longer to digest, thus avoiding the blood-sugar spikes associated with refined sugars. The fats in GoMacro bars are healthy fats derived from nuts and seeds containing omega3 fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. Carbs are complex carbs from whole grains. These are slow-burning carbs that boost energy levels throughout the day. Protein comes from brown rice protein – a great high protein alternative to animal products and soy.
Check out the delicious flavors and read more about GoMacro's vision and commitment at http://www.gomacro.com.