Volume 1 / Issue 022

A Note from Kevin

Welcome to “Perfectly Fit,” our 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.

We are getting more and more traffic on our upgraded website and found an interesting ranking here on Alexa. We rank #10 in the world for bike shops as counted by Alexa. This means you keep coming back to the website for information and that pleases us greatly!

Next, we are offering KirkLee bicycle frames as part of our Custom KGS Bikes lines. KirkLee is an up and coming great framebuilder from Austin. They build an 850 gram frame for $4,500 that is mind boggling. I think many people will love them and KirkLee fills a void in our offerings that has much demand.

The main article in this issue looks at the best time to consider changing one’s position on a triathlon bike and look into a new custom bicycle.

Cynthia Heinz writes of her little technique consulting rides with me and compares riding on the tandem to learning how to ride fast on a single bike.

The next Custom Bike Fit Consulting Trip in Dallas is now “on demand” as I am being spread thinner with demand in Austin and Houston as well. The best suggestion is to email me 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.

In our Q&A section we have two questions. The first deals with quick release skewers and the second discusses the best way to recover from a dropped chain.

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

Comments

Natasha posted this on our Wall in Facebook:

“just did the Mopac Time Trial put on by Run-far. They do it every 2nd and 4th Tues.
i posted a 24.3mph bike.
Last time i did it a month ago , i was ecstatic do to 22mph.
so , yay.. getting there.
Goal – Uberbiker !!! ”
Way to go Natasha!
———————-
Pete wrote:
Great pictures from the Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon! Thanks for making us look good.
Pete

Thanks Pete!

Feature Article – When is the Best Time to Get a New Triathlon Bike?

I recently met many friends while manning a display booth at the Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon in Lubbock. Lots of folks were interested in the way they could get performance and comfort gains with a custom bicycle. They liked the idea that their triathlon times would improve, but many were perplexed regarding the timing of the bike purchase and the fitting that preceded it. This is a very good question and of course the answer is, “When you think the time is right,” which does not really help most people. What does help, however, is the knowledge of what is happening to you before, during and after the racing season.

Triathletes as a whole tend to be leery of changing anything. From shoes, to diet, to training routines to bicycles, any change will impact the other events and can be difficult or even counter-productive. As such, many people postpone any change as long as possible. I usually hear, “I can’t change before the season starts because I am building up for the season.” Then the story changes to, “I can’t change during the season because I can’t afford any interruption in my training.” Finally, I hear, “It’s the off season and I am recovering, plus I made it through this season, so I think I will keep things the same for next year.” Are you beginning to see a pattern here?

I believe the issue is, people have had such bad luck with change that it doesn’t work that they don’t have confidence that a positive change will in fact occur. They fear that the potential change will not outweigh the risks of training interruption, learning new technique or mastering new equipment. This is totally understandable because there are tons of stories out there describing bike fittings gone bad, running shoes not working, diet changes ruining races, etc.

The points I suggest to people are as follows:

1. If your position on the bike is less than optimal, you are subject to:

a. Limiting your performance on the bike and the run.

b. The potential for overuse injury.

c. De-motivation to train on the bike, instead substituting time in the pool or running to compensate.

2. The key component of the KGS Fitting System is moving from a less “natural” to more “natural” position for you. This means that changes in position can happen immediately with minimal adaptation time in most cases.

This means that you really have the ability to change bikes for the better at almost any time in the season. Keep in mind the lead times for custom, however. If you need a new bike, typical lead times are anywhere from six to 14 weeks depending on the frame manufacturer and if there is any custom paint involved. Many people fail to take this into account when considering their bicycle program.

At the end of the day, the bicycle is the one part of your triathlon program that costs the most, lasts the longest and provides the biggest way to improve not only your finishing times but your comfort while training and racing. I have never seen anyone regret improving their bike program but I have seen plenty regret delaying and procrastinating as the need for a new bike sneaked up on them. That said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If you are truly comfortable, efficient, fast and really enjoy all aspects of your current bicycle, a new one would simply be an expensive way to look cooler as you have already optimized all that can be improved. Your current bike is fine and you can just train and enjoy your cycling experience.

If, on the other hand, you feel you have not met your potential in the bike leg, you have issues with comfort or efficiency or you are ready to upgrade, consider making your hard earned dollars go as far as possible, with a bicycle designed so well that it feels like a part of you.

Until next time,

Kevin

President

KGS Bikes

Cynthia Speaks for Women

Learning to ride on a tandem bike has very few disadvantages. As I’ve written about in the past, it helped me learn how to clip in and out of the pedals, get comfortable with speed, cars on the road, and build my leg muscles. The only really bad habits I developed with this method were (a) closing my eyes on the fast down hills and (b) shifting my weight a lot during hard efforts, both of which I was immediately cured of during my first bike ride going solo. Closing my eyes meant certain death when I was responsible for my own steering, and shifting my weight meant tumbling right into traffic because with only a little scratch of my nose on my ultra-light bike I found myself off-balance.

One technique I heard about constantly when I was riding tandem that I just wasn’t sure about was drafting. I mean, I was riding ‘down wind’ all the time and must say it wasn’t always the most enviable position to be in! Was ‘drafting’ really going to be all that different?

My first strategy in figuring out this concept was to look it up in the dictionary. My dear friend Webster told me that drafting means: “To drive or ride close behind another vehicle so as to benefit from the reduction in air pressure created by the car…errr…bike ahead.” With bikes so small and light, I really was a little cynical on the whole matter, even after my consult with Webster, but decided to give it a whirl anyway. And boy did it make a difference.

During our ride last week, we had a gentle breeze blowing in from the South (which for most of the ride was coming from our left side). I followed in behind Kevin, my fore-runner, and immediately ‘felt it’. It was like a little air pocket, and once my bike was in it, it seemed to want to stay there. I pulled my bike out of the pocket, then back in, out then in, and just got comfortable with how close or far I needed to be in order to stay in the pcket. With the wind from my left, I put my front tire to the right and slightly behind Kevin’s back tire, and actually had a pretty big draft pocket. I am assuming that the pocket can grow or shrink significantly depending on wind speed, direction, etc.

Now that I could feel the pocket, however, I wasn’t sure what to do with my newfound knowledge. So I asked Kevin, and he said, “You’re about to know what to do with it. Your only job is to keep up with me.” With that, he proceeded up the next incline. As I was busy bragging about how easy the ride was and how much stronger my legs have grown since I first started riding, Kevin sped up a little more…and a little more. So I pedaled faster…and faster. And so did Kevin. Not a second later I felt like my strong legs turned into spaghetti and my light bike turned into a semi-truck! What had just happened? I fell out of his draft, and once out of it, it was nearly impossible for me to get back in.

For women especially, drafting is key to being able to hold your own in a ride. Women are so small, it’s hard for a man to get a really good draft off of them, but women can easily slide into a man’s draft and hang around longer than a fly at a picnic. A strong female rider can be nearly impossible to beat as she can conserve energy drafting during a race, and then power it out to the finish line.

Good bike handling skills and stamina are both needed to draft effectively. Kevin is a much stronger rider than I am, and at this point I still don’t have the endurance to stay in his draft if he wants to try to drop me. As my endurance grows, however, even without equal strength, he won’t have a chance!

One great tip I learned in order to have a better chance of staying in someone else’s draft is to take note of what gear your fore-runner is in. More experienced riders know whether they should be in the big chain rink or the small chain rink, and what gear they should use for maximum power and efficiency. If you copy their gear ratio, and change gears when they change gears, you won’t find yourself falling out of the draft due to bad gear selection.

The moral of today’s story is…it’s not always bad to be down wind. Just watch out for snot-rockets!

Feel free to drop me a line anytime or send questions to: cynthia@kgsbikes.com

Q & A with Kevin

Dear Kevin,

I was riding recently and my bike made some creaking noises coming from the front. When I stopped at the end of the ride, my quick release was too loose according to one of the guys on the ride. My question is, what is the best way to deal with quick releases on wheels?

Tiffany

Dear Tiffany,

You have touched on a subject that is important, yet misunderstood by many. The quick release was invented by Tullio Campagnolo earlier this century and represents one of cycling’s true innovative breakthroughs. A simple flick of the lever and the wheel comes off, or is attached firmly to the bike. This is the best case. If not adjusted properly, the quick release will not hold the wheel on tightly enough, causing the wheel to move around in the dropout. This is the source of your noise.

Back in the day, a quick release lever could be adjusted for a particular frame or fork and simply flipped open or closed with the right amount of tension. Nowadays, enough people have improperly adjusted the levers, wheels fell off, and they sued manufacturers for not protecting the consumer from themselves. Now the front fork dropouts have little tabs on them to keep the wheel from falling out if the quick release is improperly adjusted. I unaffectionately call these things “Lawyer Lips” as they are a pain in the neck and I am never one for giving people a false sense of security to allow them to behave irresponsibly. If the quick release is adjusted properly it is perfectly safe. Lawyer lips cause one to have to readjust the quick release every time and sometimes people just don’t tighten the things enough.

Anyway, this doesn’t need to digress into a political discussion but there are a couple of things to know about quick releases. First, they need to be tight enough as to leave a slight red mark in your hand when you tighten them. Second, if you line the quick release lever up with the fork blade or seatstay, you may have trouble getting your fingers underneath the lever when it is time to remove the wheel. I like to put the lever parallel to the ground on the front wheel, and while I like to do the same on the rear wheel, it is perfectly acceptable to put the lever in between the seatstay and chainstay. Just make sure you will be able to get a comfortable grip on the lever with your hand so you can remove it easily.

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

When we were riding the other day and my chain fell off, I had no idea you could get it back on the chainrings without stopping. Thanks for helping me do this but I want to know how to do it if you are not on the ride!

Siobhan

Dear Siobhan,

Thanks for the question. Your chain fell off to the inside when you were trying to shift from the big chainring to the small ring. You also had the chain on one of the smaller cogs in the back which changes the angle that the front derailleur sees to move the chain from one ring to another. When the front derailleur is misadjusted the tiniest bit, the chain can come off to the inside or the outside. New chains are much more flexible and this is something that plagues us all.

First, you need to have the front derailleur properly adjusted, 2 mm off the chainrings, inner part of the outer plate parallel to the chainrings. When the chain is on the small chainring and the biggest cog, there should be about 1 mm of space between the chain and the front derailleur. When in the big ring and the small cog, same story.

That said, sometimes the chain still comes off. Here is the technique. If you are moving from the big ring to the small one and the chain falls off to the inside, you will hear it. Immediately stop pedaling, then adjust the front derailleur so it is over the big chainring. Now slowly pedal and the chain should move to the big ring. If you don’t catch it quickly enough, it may hang slack and you have to stop. Timing is everything!

The reverse, when the chain overshifts past the big ring, when you are shifting from small to big, is more common. In this case you quickly realize what is happening, stop pedaling, move the front derailleur to the small ring and slowly pedal to put the chain back on the rings. It can be done, but don’t force anything!

When in doubt, stop, but I would try this technique first as most of the time it works, saving you time, having to catch the group and of course, keeps your hands from getting dirty!

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.

Kirklee Bicycles – KirkLee is an up and coming great framebuilder from Austin.

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.

Red Licorice Events – The “Sweet and Twisted” team that promotes Austin’s best athletic events. KGS Bikes is an ongoing sponsor of triathlons produced by our friends Erin and Leilani and we are thrilled with the relationship.

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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KGS Bikes – 16611 Huebner Rd. – San Antonio, TX 78248 – 210-849-2501