Volume 2 / Issue 001

I have had so many positive comments lately about the new website, the blog, and the KGS experience I would have a long list indeed. We work for you and want to make cycling your Fountain of Youth! Keep those comments, questions and challenges coming. Thank you so much for your appreciation of our work.

Feature Article – The Emperor’s New Clothes, or How a Biomechanic Can Give you a Fairy Tale Ending!

An emperor of a prosperous city who cares more about clothes than military pursuits or entertainment hires two swindlers who promise him the finest suit of clothes from the most beautiful cloth. This cloth, they tell him, is invisible to anyone who was either stupid or unfit for his position. The Emperor cannot see the (non-existent) cloth, but pretends that he can for fear of appearing stupid; his ministers do the same. When the swindlers report that the suit is finished, they dress him in mime. The Emperor then goes on a procession through the capital showing off his new “clothes”. During the course of the procession, a small child cries out, “the emperor is naked!” The crowd realizes the child is telling the truth. The Emperor, however, holds his head high and continues the procession.

In many ways, buying a bike can be compared to the experience the emperor had with the two swindlers. You rely on the information from bike company’s marketing and advertisements, enter the bike store and moments later you have a new bike! If anyone says anything other than fawning praise, you defend it vehemently. You heard that KGS Bikes was too expensive and chose not to go there. You have a bike and bring it into see me to “make it fit”. You don’t tell anyone, but quietly call me up and tell me your problems.

I know this may not have actually happened to you, but since I opened KGS Bikes over three years ago, this is the typical scenario with folks that do visit. To make matters worse, I am the one that has had to deliver the good news / bad news story, “Yes, you can be more comfortable, but no, your frame isn’t capable of those adjustments.” At the end of the day, you spent $375 more dollars to have me confirm what you knew all along but couldn’t admit to yourself, much less your friends.

This problem has bothered me since I opened the doors of KGS Bikes. With a small boutique, having happy clients that tell their friends that I made a world of difference is the only way to grow. The rub has been, how do we turn a bad experience into a good one? It wasn’t until the economy headed south last year that I realized that High End was a dirty word. I see the value but many folks didn’t. What was funny was, they were spending the same or more at other bike shops and were buying bikes that didn’t fit. I knew this because so many of you saw me after buying the bike, not before.

If you have a problem with a bike, you take it to the bike mechanic. If you have a problem with your positioning, you go to me…a BioMechanic! It is easy to spot the problems, the hard thing was to propose a solution that worked. No matter what I thought, many of you would just as soon suffer and ride your ill fitting bike until it wears out than to cut your losses and get another bike.

We finally broke the code with the FrameUp™ program. You don’t need a new bike, but you may need a new frame. If you could get a new frame, recycle the existing parts, within reason, and have us sell your old frame on eBay, wouldn’t that be cool? It is. By biomechanically positioning you so you are in fact comfortable and efficient, we can fix your bike. It requires at least one component, the frame. You get the best of both worlds.

Give me a call and let us show you how a custom bike that combines the best of what you have and what you need can transform your cycling, your fitness and of course, your performance.

Until next time,

Kevin

President

KGS Bikes

Hi Kevin,

I just got my bike back from you with the new handlebars and setup. While I like the position, I am not used to the brake levers set up backwards. The left brake lever now works the back brake, not the front. I am sure you have a good reason for this, and do you mind sharing it with me?

Mike

Hi Mike,

You were out of town when I did this and I didn’t have the opportunity to tell you. I strongly believe that competitive triathletes need their brakes set up, Left Rear, Right Front. It is for one reason, safe fast dismounts. When you come blazing into the T2 dismount line, you gauge your speed and then swing your right leg over the toptube, stand on the left pedal, and then sprint off the bike at a fast run. This all works well unless you are coming in a little fast or if someone stops too quickly in front of you.

If your left brake lever works the back brake, you will not do an “endo” if you over modulate the lever. You see, the weight transfer when braking moves to the front wheel. In the excitement of a transition, you may have one hand on the left handlebar, one hand on the saddle, and have to hit a brake. If it is the back brake, you can remain in control.

You still need to practice and frankly, you can learn to work the brakes whether oriented US style or UK style. If you crash at a transition, it is not pretty and this is one little thing that can help you be more competitive and safer in the future.

Kevin

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Hi Kevin,

I saw your photos from the Austin Triathlon and something jumped out at me. Many of the athletes had aero helmets on and when they looked down, the helmets stuck up in the air! They look funny but does this slow them down too?

Ann

Hi Ann,

You are correct on both counts. These high tech helmets are a double edged sword. When you wear one you have to keep your head very still and in the right position at all times. The photo on the right showing pro triathletes Desiree Ficker illustrates the correct way to do it. The other photo shows an example of what you saw. Turning your head sideways also turns the helmet into a sail which is the opposite of what you want in a timed event.

Kevin

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:

KGS Bikes is known around the world as the premiere custom bicycle studio. Kevin Saunders, President, has over 25 years experience in bicycle fitting and design of custom bicycles. He also has a broad knowledge of anatomy, structural engineering and industrial design. KGS Bikes creates custom bicycles with the best components available and uses framebuilders such as Co-Motion, Guru, KirkLee, Parlee, Serotta and Zinn. Visit kgsbikes.com for more information, including beautiful photography of the bikes carefully created for their owners. Don’t forget to find us on Facebook, twitter and at your next event to photograph your bike position and post it on Facebook and Flickr for you to share with your friends.