Volume 1 / Issue 019

Our every other weekend trips to Dallas are getting back on schedule but are still demand based. I am also adding Houston and Austin so if you need help, I will get to you somehow. If you want me to come to your city and do custom bike fit consultations for you and your colleagues, contact me and we can arrange it. To make it cost effective for you, I need to be able to work with a group of people so let’s talk.

Dallas Custom Bike Fit Consulting Trip, May 29th – May 31st. Consultations will be held in the Cooper Fitness Center in the spin classroom.

Dallas Custom Bike Fit Consulting Trip, June 12th – June 14th. Consultations will be held in the Cooper Fitness Center in the spin classroom.

Hi Kevin,

We received this comment from Sheldon:

The information in the newsletter are topics that I have seen before in other readings. It would be helpful for beginning cyclists. Thank you for the opportunity to read your newsletter.

Sheldon

Hi Sheldon,

I greatly appreciate the time you spent with this comment. I would love to hear what you want me to write about. The ezine is really for you. I plan on posting this thread on the blog with your permission.

Thanks again Sheldon. I always like to hear ways to do things better!

Best Regards,

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I would enjoy reading about your philosophy on bicycle fit. Things like the knee in relationship to the pedal or how much reach for different types of riding. Sometimes people write about how a bike “speaks” to them or how one bike is comfortable and handles well and yet another bike doesn’t. What makes some bikes better than others? I find the different bicycle fit theories of knowledgeable people, like yourself, interesting.

Thanks you for your response and I appreciate your interest in cycling. Posting on your blog will be fine.

Regards,

Sheldon

Hi Sheldon,

I am so glad to do so! This time of year I did get a little slammed and had retrenched some topics, but I frankly had not been getting enough great questions like this. You just suggested at least four articles that I can really say things about.

I hope you will give us another chance, resubscribe and consider subscribing to the blog. I read every comment carefully and get quite motivated when I find out a reader wants more!

Thanks again,

Kevin
Feature Article – How do you Know a Bike Fit is Right?

How do you know a bike fit is right?

This is the second question I usually get, the first one being, “I don’t need a bike fit or a new bike, because I fit my bike just fine.” The question of whether a bike fits or not has been asked for decades and at the end of the day, the answer does not lie completely in the field of “art” or “science.” For me, I feel that there is both a science to determining what is right for a person and an art to working with the person to get the desired results. So the answer to the question is, “You don’t know if a bike fit is right unless you find a better way to determine what “right” is.”

Most bicycle fit programs and protocols revolve around an optimal set of dimensions and angles derived from a large test pool of individuals. The bike fitter then attempts to find the crucial measurements from the rider and then attempts to use the dimensions or angles provided in his or her fitting system to apply those complimentary dimensions to a bicycle. The term “fit me to a bike” is most appropriate because for most of the people in the world, they are trying to find the best compromise in comfort and efficiency to make a particular bicycle useable.

In the case of a single speed commuter bike in Copenhagen Denmark, the difference of an inch or two in saddle height may make no appreciable difference. The bike will still get you to work. In the case of a 21 year old professional Criterium specialist, the requirements for accuracy in fitting go up but the ability of a young body to adapt is quite high as well, so many different setups are going to be ok. When a 40 year old woman who is switching from running to cycling and wants to do a triathlon, the fit requirement is just as important for the bike racer, with two caveats. 1) A 40 year old woman is not going to ride in the same position that a 21 year old full time bike racer would. The range of acceptability shrinks each year. Not only that, injuries and conditions such as scoliosis make the range even narrower. 2) Many people who get serious about cycling as an adult have no idea what a good bike fit feels like because they have never experienced it.

My example for this situation is as follows: Molly is 6 years old and in the first grade. She has trouble reading the letters and words on the blackboard and the other people in class don’t. What Molly doesn’t know is, she needs glasses and the others don’t. Molly thinks that some other reason exists for her difficulty because she has never considered the possibility that she can’t see as well as others. In other words, Molly thinks she sees just fine!

I had written recently about the relative difficulty in professionally and properly fitting someone for a bicycle and still am amazed that after all these years, it is not an easy task to get things perfect. This explains why so many people who get “fitted” by their local bike shops think that they are getting the best there is, because that is all they know. It’s not just recreational athletes that struggle with bike fit, either. Many of the professional athletes I run into have horrible setups on their bike. They are so incredibly talented that they get by in spite of it and of course, they are trained not to complain about discomfort.

So while the answer to the question of whether a bike fit is right or not is not easy, here are some things you should think about the next time you ride to help you determine what is right and what is not.

1) Do you have saddle pain, particularly in the front of the saddle?

2) Do you get low back, shoulder or neck pain?

3) Do your hands go numb? How about your feet?

4) When you take your hands off the handlebars while riding, do you tend to want to slide forward?

5) Is it hard to see when you ride with your hands in the drops?

6) Do you get pain in your knees, particularly in the front?

7) Do you find yourself constantly pushing back in the saddle to find a comfortable place but keep sliding forward?

Is your bike unstable in the corners or on descents?

All of these things are indicators of a less than optimal bike setup. I encourage you to question whether your bike is right for you, rather than if you are right for the bike. I think you are the important part of the equation and if you ride, the time you spend is worth more than even the most expensive bicycle in the world. You can have a comfortable, safe and exciting time on a bicycle, every time.

I hope you have questions after reading this and I will be thrilled to help you find good, sustainable answers.

Until next time,

Kevin

President

KGS Bikes

Dear Kevin,

I bought some Dumonde Tech chain lube from you the other day and need to tell you, it stinks like bananas on steroids. I lubed the chain after a ride and the kitchen was so smelly I had to get my husband to take me out to dinner! No, really, it stinks. I don’t know what to do. You said this was good stuff, but eventually I am going to have to cook dinner in that kitchen. Help!

Renee

Dear Renee,

In two words, I agree. Now that we have that out of the way, I have two solutions for you. First, Dumonde Tech is different from other chain lubes in that you apply it to the chain at the beginning of the ride, not the end. Other lubes have a carrier that needs to evaporate so the “good stuff” can stick around and do what it is supposed to. This stuff has a liquid plastic in it that actually melts onto the moving parts of the chain while you ride. This polymerized coating is very tough and is what allows you to just lube up, ride, wipe the chain down after rides and then forget about it until you hear the chain sounding dry.

This means that you should put the stinky stuff on and when you are done with the ride the carrier should be gone and you can just wipe the chain down. The other solution is, Dumonde Tech is making a deodorized version of their chain lube that can be applied any time before a ride without the gross smell. I like it in the studio because I can lube a bike prior to a client coming to get it and I don’t get gassed out.

BTW the lube works so well I have seen over 9,000 miles on chains with minimal wear! Keep your chain clean and lubed and your bike will serve you well for a long, long, time. Thanks so much for the great question.

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

I have deep aero rims and have trouble airing up the tires. The valve extensions leak and it feels like I am airing up the great outdoors. What do you do in your store?

Tanner

Hi Tanner,

You are not the first person to find that the extensions on these long valve stems are trouble. There are two solutions, either sealing the extension you have or getting a premium valve extension from Continental or Vittoria.

I prefer the premium extensions that fit in between the valve core and the valve stem. You use pliers to carefully unscrew the valve core and then screw in the extension. Tighten it carefully and then install the valve extension. Test the tire to see that it holds air before remounting as sometimes you have to get the extension tighter than you would normally expect.

The other solution is to use the extension you have but use “teflon tape” around the threads to provide a seal. You still have to be careful and not unscrew the extension while airing up the tire but it does a good job of sealing.

Neither solution is perfect but both are quite workable.

Thanks so much for a great question.

Kevin

Kevin Recommends

We only recommend products,  services or companies that we have actually tried or worked with personally. A recommendation, like a reputation, is very important and we do not take this responsibility lightly. The following links are to our friends at the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas. Dr. Kenneth Cooper is considered “The Father of Aerobics” and has put together a group of world class companies that have a direct impact on us as cyclists and as professional people:

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 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 kgsbikes.com for more information, including beautiful photography of the bikes carefully created for their owners.

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