In this issue:
Volume 1 / Issue 011
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Perfectly Fit!
The newsletter for active cycling lifestylesVolume 1, Issue 11 / ISSN 1945-1776A Note from Kevin Welcome to “Perfectly Fit,” our Fear of failure is something that has our country’s attention right now. We are afraid the banking system will fail, that the economy will fail, that we might fail in our jobs. Pretty heady stuff! The topic of our main article is entitled, “Failing to Succeed” and will deal with the fact that in life, failures do lead to successes and in cycling and fitness, “failure” is not necessarily a bad thing, but a great thing. The next Dallas Fitting Trip is scheduled for Feb 6th-10th and Feb 27th-Mar 2nd at the Cooper Fitness Center cycling studio. Let me know if you need help with fittings or planning your next dream bike. The best suggestion is to email Kevin so we can make an appointment. The Cooper Fitness Center is at 12200 Preston Road in Dallas. It is at the back of the Cooper Aerobics Center complex. The cycling studio is the first thing you see when you enter the Fitness Center. They will provide locker facilities and I promise an awesome experience. I have been reaching out to people via social networking and have some nice comments from people about what we are doing. Our Q&A section we have a couple of questions to answer this time regarding tire pressure and rolling resistance as well as the differences in operation of Campagnolo, Shimano and SRAM shifters. As of this issue we are adding a new section called “Cynthia Speaks for Women.” Cynthia Heinz started out as a KGS Bikes client and had such an incredible experience that she asked to write a column each issue in the ezine plus add posts to the KGS Bikes Blog. This section will combine questions and answers from women clients with observations and commentary from Cynthia as she continues to learn how to embrace the cycling lifestyle. Cynthia is 30 years old and did not ride a bicycle as a youth. She is an example of a grown woman who knows the risks and dangers of cycling as presented by the media and has overcome her fears, finding most of them unfounded. Cynthia is one of my success stories who went through my program that teaches adult women how to ride, one step at a time. We started Cynthia out on the back of my tandem and showed her how bikes feel at speed and how one can get an intense workout in a short period of time. We then put Cynthia on her Parlee Z3 which was mounted to a Tacx Fortius Virtual Reality trainer. She learned how to shift and judge terrain changes, uphill and downhill, and became comfortable with shifting gears. Finally she got out on the road and felt like she had been doing it all her life. I have used this technique for years to help women get into cycling by overcoming the fear of the unknown while learning good cycling techniques and competency. This knowledge builds confidence, layer upon layer, so one really learns how to safely ride a bike. Thanks, Cynthia for joining the team! Don’t forget to visit our blog as new stuff is posted there almost daily. It is easy to subscribe to the blog so you can get updates sent to you. Thanks again for letting me share with you a little about cycling. I respect your time and will strive to continue to make it worth it. Upcoming Events Our every other weekend trips to Dallas are getting back on schedule. If you want me to come to your city and do fittings for you and your colleagues, contact me and we can arrange it. Dallas Fitting Trip, February 6th through February 10th. Fittings will be held in the Cooper Fitness Center in the spin classroom. Dallas Fitting Trip, February 27th through March 2nd. Fittings will be held in the Cooper Fitness Center in the spin classroom. Comments I have had a server crash at KGS Bikes international world headquarters and with a reinstallation comes plenty of time to do stuff while waiting on computers to catch up. I decided to up my game regarding social media, so started reaching out and finding new friends via facebook. There were too many kind comments to mention, but people seemed pleased to have a new ultra high end cycling resource and I got quite a few thank you notes. When I mentioned to new people that one can’t have too many cycling friends, they agreed! Cynthia Speaks for Women In the world of Although I don’t know much about the ‘technical’ aspects of cycling (send those questions to Kevin – I know I send him a ton!), I want to write for this ezine from a woman’s perspective. While Kevin works with many women, he knows the value of hearing things from a woman’s perspective. As his market has grown, he has seen more and more business-women pour through his doors. My snippets of thought will cover ‘real world’ subjects that relate to women. I want to share my experiences and hope you will enjoy reading. I want to discuss it all; from somewhat sensitive issues like sex & cycling, to overcoming fears, using what you learn cycling to catapult your career, and how to dress in cycling gear and still look feminine. Feel free to drop me a line anytime or send questions to: cynthia@kgsbikes.com Feature Article – Failing to Succeed The concept of failure As young adults we begin to develop a fear of failure. Because it is not totally developed, young adults will take more risks, on average, than older adults. We send young people to war, knowing that they feel invincible and they think, “It won’t happen to me.” People start businesses, get married, assume mortgages and get more and more responsibility. I have been a strength coach among other things and I distinctly remember working with a lovely woman who was a great athlete, but did not like the word “failure.” Her experiences have stayed with me and in part are the basis of this article. The context of our discussions in the weight room centered around the need to work a muscle group to “failure” in order to have a good workout. Fail, Recover, Get Stronger. This woman was great at working out but was marvelously stubborn in language. I could not push her to fail. She learned to work out hard enough to get much stronger but never would allow me to mention the word failure, even though that is exactly what her muscles were doing. I grew up in Amarillo, Texas and Boone Pickens was a family friend. I always marveled at Boone’s tenacity. Some years he was up and some years he was down. He started over many times, succeeding or failing in his businesses, but never acknowledging failure as a person. When bad things happened, he got back up, brushed himself off and dug back in. Boone was my real world example of how one succeeds by failing, learning and trying again. Fast forward to today. KGS Bikes has clients that typically are over 40, quite successful in life and experienced enough in failure to know better! No wonder cycling as a lifestyle is so difficult to achieve if it has not been done in a long time, to a significant degree, or ever. It is a small, yet large mindset shift to become more “child like” and embrace new ideas, processes and habits which have a profound effect on one’s lifestyle but come with a cost. The reason I have a job is, I have developed a plan which helps people learn as adults an activity which is not easy to learn, but as a child was very easy. The first step is to accept the fact that for progress to occur, failure is inevitable but that is part of the process. Fortunately, there is “good” failure and there is “bad” failure, so we can eliminate the unnecessary failures (the bad ones) and only focus on the failures that produce positive change. A fundamental Here are tangible examples. Weight training is very important for adults to maintain bone density and to minimize the loss of muscle mass as we age. The whole concept of strength training is to stress a muscle (work towards “failure”) and then recover. The recovery process allows the muscle to adapt by becoming stronger. The technical term is called hypercompensation. Over time, these muscle fibers get stronger and stronger as well as joints, ligaments and bone. We get stronger. In cycling, we have many different things to learn. This is why I liken cycling as an adult on the road to snow skiing. We think that riding a bicycle is like what we did as kids, but it is not. For example, I had a Schwinn StingRay bike when in Junior High School. I can distinctly remember my first five mile ride, and my first fifteen mile ride. It was a long way for a kid on a kid’s bike. Now I don’t think twice about a Century ride. Much learning and conditioning had to happen to achieve this shift of perspective. To compound things, I wrote recently about “Starting Over.” Back in my full time bicycle racing days, I didn’t have a car and rode over 700 miles per week in Dallas. I could actually beat an automobile across town, due to the topography of Dallas and the timing of lights on roads like Northwest Highway. I learned to draft buses and took great pride in being able to stay with people in cars. As a side note, it was very disconcerting for those auto drivers to see me again and again at traffic lights after they did something rude to me. After I quit racing I became exactly what many of my clients are escaping; a sedentary fat person. I distinctly remember the first time on the bike when I had ballooned to 275 lbs. I rode five miles and it seemed like an eternity! What goes around comes around. Over time, I re-learned what it was like to do a real workout on the bike. I re-learned how to integrate with traffic, how to corner without fear, how to ride smoothly with others and all the while losing weight and getting stronger and faster. Did I fail? Yes, of course. Did I have setbacks? Absolutely. Did I regain control of my life? Undoubtedly. I succeeded in regaining my youth and now at the tender age of 52 I feel like a kid again, who obviously needs “Just for Men”! Not. I succeeded through many little failures, and as a result did not fail to succeed but followed the pathway of success that all our bodies and minds are able to do when placed on that pathway. The marvelous thing about us as humans is this concept of hypercompensation. We fail. We recover. We succeed. My goal in life is to help you succeed. I really believe in the bicycle as a success tool, not an expensive toy. I know that you, like I, have in you the stuff of champions and am honored to be part of your journey. I will be there with you in the good times and bad. This knowledge of the success through failures makes me much stronger when seeing the bad news that permeates the media. Yes, things are tough. The thing the news media doesn’t say, is that “Life is tough,” but the beauty of life is, we get tougher by challenging ourselves. I challenge you to audit your life and your situation. Consider whether you are playing it safe or getting out and improving yourself, one little failure at a time. In closing, I have to quote a dear professor from Westminster College who said, “Life by the yard is hard, by the inch is a cinch.” Until next time, Kevin President KGS Bikes Q & A with Kevin Dear Kevin, I am confused. My friends told me that I need to put 130 lbs of air in my tires. They say it reduces rolling resistance. I am 5’2″ and weigh 110 lbs and am not strong enough to pump my tires to more than 100 lbs. Am I hurting my tires and are they making me slower? Lee Ann Hi Lee Ann, I am asked this First, people think that if a tire says “130 lbs max” on the sidewall that this is the minimum pressure. That is not the case. The real minimum pressure you should be concerned about is, having enough air in the tire so you don’t get “pinch” flats. A pinch flat only occurs in clincher tires (not tubulars) and is a result of hitting a rock, pothole, curb, or other obstacle hard enough that the tube is actually cut by the flanges of the rim. The way you can tell you have a pinch flat is 1) it probably happens right after hitting something, and 2) the tube will have two little holes that look like a rattlesnake took a bite out of the tube. You weigh 110 lbs so the risk of pinch flats is very low. I weigh 207 and I put 105 lbs of air in a 700-23 clincher tire. That said, I have learned to lighten up, or even bunny hop, when going over obstacles so I never get pinch flats. I have seen people that weigh much less than me get pinch flats with 110 lbs of air, but they are hitting these obstacles much harder. Another thing to consider is the size of the tires. The bigger the tire, the less pressure in PSI (pounds per square inch) is required to keep from getting pinch flats. For instance, my touring bike (700-28 ) gets 85 lbs, and a mountain bike gets 40-60 lbs. My tandem has 700-25 tires and it gets 120 lbs of air. The other concept you asked about is rolling resistance. There is actually a point where more air pressure does not contribute to lessening rolling resistance. Additionally, higher pressures make for unstable cornering, rough ride and more flats! Time trial bikes can use more air, up to 130 lbs, and track bikes can have up to 200 lbs, but for road riding, here are some suggestions, assuming that you are reasonably careful when avoiding nasty bumps. Rider weight, under 150, try 90-100. Rider weight, 150-200, try 100-110. Rider weight, 200-225, try 110-120. Over 225, try 120+ Kevin Dear Kevin, I have Shimano Dura Ace components on my bike. I see other bikes with Campagnolo and SRAM components and am on one hand considering a change but am afraid to, as I am told the shifting is different and I will have a hard time learning how to shift the bike. What’s the deal? Sarah Dear Sarah, Shimano has by far the largest market share in road bicycles so it is not surprising that you have them on your bike. At KGS Bikes, most people buy Campagnolo equipped bikes because they have a higher end version than Shimano or SRAM. All three shift well and last a long time. They do operate differently but it takes about half a ride to get used to the change. Here are the three major brands and how they operate. Let’s give you a little background on what is actually happening with shifters, cables and derailleurs, because once you know how they work, actually operating them is much easier. The front and rear derailleurs on modern bicycles operate exactly the same, meaning when the cable is tightened, the derailleur moves from a smaller cog in the back or smaller chainring in the front, to a larger one. You probably know that a larger chainring or a smaller cog equals a bigger gear, and on front or back a bigger gear is attained by the derailleur being farther from the centerline of the bike. The shifters on Shimano. DuraAce and Ultegra shifters operate the same way. When you want to tighten the cable, you push the big brake lever inward. The right lever will move the rear derailleur to a bigger cog (downshift) and the left lever will move the front derailleur to a larger chainring (upshift). To loosen the cable, you push the smaller lever (behind the big one) inward and the cable is loosened. Significant features of Shimano are, the right lever will allow upshifts one at a time by pushing the small lever. Click, Click, Click. The left lever has one trim stop for adjustments, so when you press the small lever there is a small click to trim the derailleur when you want to ride in the big chainring and the largest cogs. If you press the little lever again, or keep pressing it further, the derailleur jumps to the small chainring. The downside of this is that front adjustments are limited and sometimes the chain gets thrown too far and it unships to the inside. SRAM. This is a new component group which has moved all the operation to the small lever. This means the big brake lever is only for braking and does not pivot. The little lever has an ingenious “double click” feature that operates as follows: if you press the small lever until it clicks and release it, the cable is loosened. If you keep pressing it past the first click you actually tighten the cable and there is a second “click” that lets you know you have shifted a gear. It is easier than it sounds, but I still have trouble with it, especially with the front derailleur. SRAM components are very high quality and work well. I don’t like them personally as I don’t think they are developed enough for a super high end bike but that is my opinion and lots of people absolutely love them. Women and men with smaller hands tend to like the ergonomics as well. Campagnolo. Campy The small lever under the brake lever works opposite of Shimano. It tightens the shifter cable. The thumb lever loosens it. This means that people with small hands can work the shift levers easily and that one can shift more than one gear at a time. One thing that is particularly nice is a double shift from the big front chainring to small, at the same time a shift from larger cogs to small occurs. This happens a lot in the Texas Hill Country where one might need to shift from a 53/23 to a 39/18. With the other brands, three clicks are required to do the triple upshift on the back, but with Campagnolo it is easy to do it in one movement. I know this is a lot of information, but rest assured that when you actually try the other brands of shifters that all of them are intuitive enough that you can learn them easily. Consider the size and strength of your hands and what you think works best for you. If you have more questions please don’t hesitate to ask. Kevin Kevin Recommends We only recommend products, Cooper Complete – We have arranged for 10% off anything you buy from Cooper Complete if you put “KGS” in the coupon link and then “recalculate”. Cooper Clinic - The world renowned Cooper Clinic is starting to create medical exams and services aimed at professional adults who ride bicycles. Cooper Fitness Center – The Cooper Fitness Center has a special strength training introductory program for cyclists. These links are to our frame builders and other providers that make KGS Bikes the premiere fitting studio and cycling boutique in the world: Co-Motion Cycles – We’ve long enjoyed a reputation for building tandems that simply handle better. Guru Bikes – Our approach is based on combining the best of both worlds: cutting edge technology delivered by hand and with an old school attention-to-detail. Lew Racing – Lew Racing has achieved a following among racing cyclists because of the wheel’s tremendously high strength, low weight and the meticulous attention to engineered performance inherent in its design. Parlee Cycles – Simply put, PARLEE frames are the best built and best riding carbon fiber frames available today, at any price. They are functional works of art. Rocket 7 – Since 1999, Rocket7 has been handcrafting cycling shoes in the USA with the finest materials available. Sem Custom Paint – Dave Sem is the best extreme detail painter in the world. Serotta – Only Serottas have the extensive engineering of our proprietary Colorado Concept tubing design. It’s the foundation behind the unique ride of each and every Serotta. Source Endurance – They are teaming with us to provide physiological testing, data analysis, training consultation and long-term coaching. They have two state-of-the art labs, one in Austin and one in San Marcus. We are proud to recommend them and invite you to check them out. Storck Bicycles – Numerous innovations in frame and component design that are standard in the industry today were developed, patented, and introduced by Storck Bicycle. Tacx – Home of the Fortius Virtual Reality trainer. This is the trainer component of our “Ultimate Spin Bike”. Tacx also makes many other fine products. KGS Bikes is an Authorized Tacx Testing Center. Topolino Technology – Our wheels embody this ethic: A fundamental redesign of wheel construction to take advantage of extraordinary materials with amazing properties, yielding a wheelset that performs like no other. Zinn Cycles – For more than a quarter of a century, Zinn Cycles have been working to make cycling more enjoyable for customers, and that commitment remains at the heart of everything they do. About KGS Bikes and Kevin KGS Bikes is known Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends! We appreciate your time and interest. |
newsletter which is designed to help you get the most out of an active, cycling lifestyle. I have a team of pros from all over the world that will help me provide you with great info and a place for you to find out what you want to know. Your feedback is so important and we will make a place for you to be heard.
cycling, I’m considered a novice. I bought a bike from Kevin at KGS Bikes and it changed my life. I went from being scared to death of clipping myself into the pedals, to wanting to cycle ‘just occasionally’, to now wanting to create a ‘secret society’ of elite, beautiful, motivated, & successful women that want to join together and push themselves harder in every aspect of our lives. Women that get bored with the traditional stereotypes will love this new private club I am forming with Kevin and you will hear much more in the future.
a bike do one thing and one thing only; either tighten or loosen the cable. All three manufacturers have different approaches and ergonomics but once you understand that at the end of the day a cable is being tightened or loosened that pulls on a derailleur, you are ahead of the game.
has gone a different route, separating the functions of cable tightening or loosening by having a small lever under the big brake lever as well as a thumb lever on the inside of the brake lever body.
around the world as the premiere bicycle fitting studio and cycling boutique. Kevin Saunders, President, has over 25 years experience in bicycle fitting and high-end bicycles. He also has a broad knowledge of anatomy, structural engineering and industrial design. In addition to fitting services, KGS Bikes sells bicycles from Parlee, Serotta, Zinn, Co-Motion, Storck and Guru. They also feature Lew wheels, custom shoes by Rocket7 and the best available components from around the world. Visit 
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