Lee's Cyclery Blog » trek

Out with the old, in with the new

Steve Lacey — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:25:09 +0000

To all those who bought or donated items for Stuart’s auction I give you my sincere thanks……Thanks for showing me that the cycling family is strong and supportive of those in need. I don’t know the exact numbers of the money raised as of yet but I can tell you quite a few of the items got more attention than a teenager’s cell phone, and the bids were changing faster than the ink could dry from the previous ones. In the end, it didn’t matter so much what was bid on and won, as much as who won.
Speaking of winning, did you happen to see the results of the Leadville 100 which took place last Saturday as well? It seems the Tour de France is the perfect training event for the race across the sky as none other than Lance crushed the field and the course record while beating last year’s winner, Dave Wiens, by about a half an hour. Oh yeah, and if you think you could slow him down by letting some of the air out of his tires, think again; with about ten miles to go, he got a flat rear tire and without the aid of his team car, quickly realized he rides better than he wrenches, and finished with the same flat tire.

Photo by Bruce Turner

Another winner you might not have heard about is a guy by the name of Owen Murphy…..Who? O-W-E-N M-U-R-P-H-Y! He finished the Colorado Trail Race in 4 days, 3 hours and change, beating the old record by about a day. That’s 470 miles, Denver to Durango, on a mountain bike without feed zones, domestiques or room service. Only about ten yahoos completed the entire course and to the winner goes……..well, his name is Owen and he is most likely faster than you on a bike!

News from my side….the time finally came…the old Specialized Enduro got replaced. Yep, she was a good ride alright and we had a lot of good times together, but the rough miles, hard landings and fast descents were getting to be a bit too much for the old girl. It was time to upgrade to a new model; better built, firmer shocks, anxious to try new obstacles….The Trek Remedy. Like the Enduro, the Remedy is more of an all mountain bike, meaning it’ll go anywhere and tackle just about anything….Or as much as I can throw at her anyway. With a bit more travel and refined suspension, the Remedy gives the trails a brand new feeling and I can’t wait for the Fall trip to Moab and Grand Junction. We’re still getting acquainted and figuring air pressures and settings, but so far, it’s a keeper. One thing I just couldn’t part with was my old seat, torn up as it is, some things just feel right.

Ah yes, the Fall trip! Is it that time of year already??……Well, no, but planning is key and if you’re planning to ride this winter, might I suggest keeping your eye out for some inexpensive closeout shoes a couple sizes too big to allow room for a thicker pair or two of wool socks and a little wiggle room? You know, just in case you get a snow day!
Finally, don’t forget your summer time goals either just because Fall is on her way…. there’s still plenty of time to reach them!

Steve Lacey

The Power of Positive Thinking

Steve Lacey — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:05:18 +0000

Are you as fit or conditioned mentally as you are physically for your next ride or race? Whether you are going on a road ride or mountain bike ride your mental attitude plays a big, more like the majority, role in your success. Notice I said success and not failure…..we might as well get on the “right” foot here. There is no place for negative thoughts before a ride or obstacle and positive ones can always be found.

Just as the laws of motion define the way things move, the way we think defines how we move. For every negative thought, there is an equal and opposite, positive thought. Think of every obstacle you encounter on your mountain bike as a chance to excel; not a chance to put a scratch on your shiny bike. Think of every piece of road as purposeful; the ones less traveled are builders of character and strength. Think of the wind as always blowing in your direction; at your back,it’s helping you along; in your face, it’s giving you a taste of what’s ahead; to the side, it’s keeping you from traffic or from the shoulder. Your bike never breaks by itself and would last years if you didn’t touch it; never blame your bike. Hills are great; if we didn’t have hills, Shimano wouldn’t be in business!

One of my favorite quotes and words I try to live by came from JFK, which I have written on my top tube by the way, “Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly”. A bit more profound than “Yes we can” because let’s face it, at times there are things that happen beyond our control and we can’t. If you have the chance to race against Lance, take it! Not because “you think you can” beat him, but because if you dare and he has a bad, albeit very bad, day you may succeed. If you go to a race and don’t win it’s not because you lost, it’s because someone else rode better than you and you had no control over that person. Likewise, pushing yourself to complete your first century or conquer an obstacle on your mountain bike takes a willingness to succeed.

I hope some of these thoughts help you get through your next ride; if they don’t, I’m positive you didn’t need them in the first place.

This week’s tip was inspired by a thorn in my tire which I was happy to remove from the street. When patching your tube, stretch the tube around your pump or other cylindrical object when scuffing it up. This allows the sandpaper to work better and provides a good base to support your tube. Don’t forget to remove the thorn from your tire before replacing your tube!

By the way…..Did you happen to see Lance lose the Giro or Team Astana win the Giro?

Have a good ride!

Brain picture by dierk schaefer

Steve Lacey

Working Smarter Resting Harder

Steve Lacey — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:17:22 +0000

It’s official; the training season has officially begun. Whether you’re getting ready for your first race, your first organized ride or your first 50 – 100 mile ride, following a training program can make your end goal seem like a walk in the park. The phrase “work smarter, not harder” may not have been coined on a bike seat, but it certainly should be stamped on one. If you’re like me, you ride your bike because you like to ride your bike; racing and other milestone rides are bonuses. But these days time is money, so spending quality time on your bike is a must while working towards your goal, even if it means staying off your bike. WHAT? Stay off your bike to be more proficient on your bike? That’s right! Countless hours on the bike can actually do more harm than good. Following a training program helps you think about the rest needed to repair and build muscles damaged by training. It also helps you make the best use of your time.

However, not all training programs are created equal. Selecting the right training program depends on your final goal and how much time you have until your planned event. A racer training for a 2 hour race will follow a different training plan than a person wanting to complete their first 100 mile ride (aka a century). No matter what plan you choose to follow, aspects of the plans are constant — hard days, easy days and rest days. The duration and frequency of each of workout or rest day depends on what your end goal is and where you are in the training program.

So……Where do these training programs come from? Search any of the top bicycling periodicals, websites or books and you’ll be able to find generic training plans for most riders and rides like this one. Specialty training sites like Training Peaks will set up a training plan specific to your needs using a questionnaire to help determine your goals. For the more serious riders, a personal trainer may be the ticket. I recently spoke to Kevin Livingston from Pedal Hard Training Center in the basement of Mellow Johnny’s bicycle shop, the one Lance owns, about training, pedal-hard and it was truly enlightening. I must admit, I have some work to do on my training program, or lack thereof after talking to him, and in weeks to come, I hope to share my progress with you. No matter which style you choose, the key is to write it down and follow it. I’d be willing to bet if you’ve never followed a structured training program before and make an honest effort to follow one you’ll be amazed at the time it saves actually spent on the bike and the rate at which you improve.

My riding tip for this week is more like a resting tip. Rest is the most important day in a training cycle. It’s when all the good stuff happens. Riding hard or long tears muscle fibers down. These fibers get repaired and grow during the rest days and recovery days. Even during interval training, the rest phase is not to be skipped to cut down the work out time.

In the coming weeks I hope to make some changes to my own training program dealing with my rest and duration in preparation for the upcoming race season and report on my progress. I hope to see your progress as well but until then, remember to kick back once in a while and put your feet up and rest!

Steve Lacey

Trekkie’s out in force this weekend!!…And other news!

Steve Lacey — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:59:49 +0000

Sorry Vulcans, I’m not talking about the movie…. I’m talking about team Astana riding their TREK machines in the 100th running of Giro de Italia May 9 -31. Team Astana looks to be the team to beat this year despite one of its members coming off a broken collar bone…..but it also helps that the recovering rider is Lance Armstrong. I’m guessing if Lance can come back after being diagnosed with cancer and win seven French glasses of champagne, a little collar

bone won’t be too much of an issue. Just in case Lance wasn’t enough to give Team Astana notice, maybe Levi Leipheimer, Alberto Contador are. Levi and Lance participated in the recent Gila 5 day stage race in New Mexico-1st and 2nd isn’t too bad of an overall finish. Alberto is last year’s winner of the Giro d’Italia and this year, the race has more mountain finishes and individual time trial miles than past years. This plays right into the hands of Lance and friends. But Italy isn’t shaped like a boot for nothing – the local riders would like nothing more than kicking some foreign butt, no matter who they are. I know I’ll be watching and following the coverage whenever possible. Stay tuned.

Back Stateside and closer to home, despite the gloomy weather last Saturday, the trails were perfect for the Gowdy Grinder Mountain bike race at Curt Gowdy State Park in Wyoming. The weather scared all but the determined riders away, leaving the expert class with the most participants. Those who stayed home missed out; because up until the last 15 minutes of the last race, it was perfect riding or should I say, “racing” weather. I talked a friend into making the drive and entering the race because the trails in CGSP are some of the most fun around and it was a good enough excuse just to ride them. I also talked the same friend into signing up for the Expert class. He didn’t finish last but it sure took him a while to unlock the car door for the ride home. If you have not been to the park, I highly recommend the trip and not just to ride mountain bikes. They have great campsites, a couple of boating lakes, streams, hiking, and did I mention mountain biking? They have trails and obstacles for any level rider to enjoy, and you will, with many more miles of trails planned to be built this summer.

If you’re going to be around Fort Collins this weekend, you are in for a treat; the USA Cycling Collegiate Nationals Road Bike Races are in town May 7 – 10 and are part of the Fort Collins Cycling Festival. You can also what the races live online here. Races are just a part of the events of the weekend with plenty of fun events and group rides for everyone. For more information, times, and course maps visit fccyclingfest.com . It’s never to late to volunteer to help out for the races either, and for more information about volunteering, visit the Fort Collins Bike Co-op web site.

Tuesday was the last night for the New Belgium Short Track Series and the racers were out in mass- some of the biggest fields yet. There were also plenty of spectators to cheer each of the riders on each of their laps. Next year should be interesting. Those who entered all four races had the chance to win a sweet cruiser bicycle that was raffled off along with a bunch of other goodies. I walked away with a nice backpack from Deuter which will come in handy since my camelback is on its last leg and would not have made it through the summer. Thanks again to all the volunteers who came out weekly to make it happen. Look for the NBB cyclocross races this fall at the same location!

Now it’s time to switch gears and get to this week’s bicycling tip – it just so happens to be about switching/shifting gears. Each time you shift gears, a tremendous amount of stress can be put on your drive train which can damage and wear your components out prematurely. A rider can minimize this stress and add many miles to their drive train with some simple techniques.

Now get out there and enjoy your ride!

1. Shift in advance of a hill or obstacle – avoid shifting under power.
2. Shift smoothly without shifting multiple gears at one time.
3. Avoid riding with the chain on the big chain ring in the front and big gear in the rear or on the small chain ring in the front and small gear in the back.

Steve Lacey

Welcome to a brand spanking new blog

Steve Lacey — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:51:26 +0000

Welcome to the Lee’s Cyclery Blog! In the coming weeks, we will share gems of wisdom about the bicycling community, bicycles, events, riding and training tips. I encourage readers to comment on blogs or send questions they wish answered and we will try to answer them in a timely manner.

The first tip is to see and be seen. No one, besides your mom, is more concerned about your safety than you. Be aware of your surroundings, watch for hazards and be prepared for surprises. Reflective clothes and lights both front and rear should be used in questionable daylight or at night.

We also encourage all riders to wear a helmet and follow the rules of the road or mountain bike trail while on a bike. Each week we’ll share a riding tip to help make your riding experience enjoyable, safe and fun. So let’s get started!

Just because there is snow on the ground doesn’t mean it’s not Spring. And what does Spring mean besides flowers? Bicycling! Let’s face it, the times you spent on your bike as a kid are some of the happiest times you’ve ever had in your life. It was how most of us truly broke away from our parents’ grasp for the first time. You may not live with your parents anymore (or maybe you do and you still need some space!), but we’re willing to bet you haven’t forgotten how to ride a bike. You know why? Because you loved it so much. Yes, that feeling is still there itching to get out and if you let it, you may just find the purest of all fountains of youth. But first, you may have to actually go out and purchase a new or used bike. This can be quite overwhelming!

If you haven’t been to a bike shop in a while you may be quite surprised by the number of different styles of bikes on the sales floor. There are cruisers, comfort, commuter, road, mountain, hybrid bikes (!) and even more. Some bikes look more suited to an art gallery than a bike shop. In proportion to the number of bike styles, there are an equal number of different price ranges to suit everyone’s needs. So here’s the skinny…or the phat….on bikes you may see around the bike rack.

The Cruiser – The name says it all. Designed for a very relaxed and laid back kind of ride along the bike trail or neighborhood street while on the way to the local coffee shop. Generally in the lowest of the price ranges. With a low wide seat, wide handle bar and wide tires, this bike is unmistakable.

The Comfort Bike – Generally these are for traveling shorter distances at lower speed and are well suited to a basket or rack for trips to Whole Foods or the local Farmers Market. They’re also designed to give the rider an upright comfortable riding position. The addition of gears makes these bikes just a tad higher in price than the cruiser.

The Commuter Bike– Getting people from point A to point B reliably and efficiently is the function of this bike. Geared or not, this bike is usually set up with fenders, narrower tires, a rear rack and straight handle bars. Many different bike types can be set up as “commuter” type bikes with today’s accessories and tire choices,giving you a lot of flexibility in designing what you need.

The Road Bike– With the multi-curved handle bar and skinny tires, these bikes are as

distinctive as the cruiser. Think Lance Armstrong. Road bikes are designed to cover some serious road miles efficiently. The curved handle bars allow the rider to use many different hand positions for comfort and aerodynamic positions. These bikes have many different price points depending on the frame material and component selection. Generally the lighter, the bike the more expensive it is. Fit and price are the main considerations when buying such a bike so take the time to have a trained technician fit the bike to you. This will put you in the proper body position and decrease the risk of injury and fatigue.

The Mountain Bike – Without a doubt, the mountain bike is the most versatile of all bike types. These bikes were developed primarily off road and were first conceived and built by Gary Fisher in Mount Tam, CA. Wider tires and many gears allow riders to climb very steep inclines over all types of terrain. But set up correctly with skinny tires they can also fit very easily into any social group ride on the road as well. 26 or 29 inch wheels are available options for mountain bikes these days and the jury is still out as to which one is better. It seems to depend on the rider.

So there you have it, the lowdown on bikes. There’s a bike for everyone, so as you get ready to ride, think about what kinds of things you want to do with your bike and what you want your bike to do for you. I promise you, you will not be disappointed!

Ride on and catch you next week with another amazing installment on Spring riding!

Steve Lacey