Kevin Saunders

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.

This is our last issue for 2009 and I have reflected on the things that went well and those that didn’t. In our main article today I write about Changing the Game, to continue to improve the way I can help KGS Bikes serve you better! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have a job and I never forget this. The coming year will bring all sorts of new things.

Speaking of the coming year, I have gotten our video production to the point where I will be introducing videos to help, particularly with technical issues. Please send me questions that can be answered in a video!

Our BikeTech Help Desk addresses tubular tires and the reasons I endorse them, plus talks about adjusting gears and why you should learn to do it yourself.

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.

These days I am hard at work designing bikes for triathletes who are ready to get their bikes for the off season. This time of year I am staying close to home because people are making the trek to San Antonio. Every positioning session is an event and one which you will find most valuable. Don’t forget lead times in these custom bikes. With six to eight week deliveries, you need to factor that into your purchase plans so your season can be best utilized for success.

Desiree Ficker showing us how the game is played. Photo: Kevin G Saunders

As the new year approaches I have spent considerable time in reflection regarding the things that went well and those that didn’t in 2009. I don’t believe that anyone was spared, directly or indirectly, by the economic upheaval that was such a big part of our lives this last year. I learned the similarities and differences between my business and that of the bicycle industry and have started my ongoing project to change the game for you.

The state of the bicycle business is as follows: Bikes, even nice ones, are impulse buys. They for the most part are commodities and traditional bike shops try to sell them as if they are not. The bottom line is, however, most bikes are mass produced machines that can be purchased at a discount somewhere. All the other stuff for sale at bike shops is a commodity too and that is why bike shops discount and do everything they can to get your local business.

How I want to change the game is to separate the bicycle purchase from the rest of the bike shop food chain. If you plan your bike purchase properly, you can get more than a commodity for less money long term and increase your enjoyment, comfort and performance. That is a big deal.

Another goal of mine in changing the game is to help you redefine what is important regarding the relationship between you and your bicycle. If your bicycle is more important than you, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t fit well as you can adapt to it. If the value of your time and the quality of your rides is less important than the brand of the bicycle or how you look on it to your friends, don’t go changing as you have made good choices. If, however, the machine is what I believe it is, a tool to help you stay young, get fit, increase your enjoyment of life, or any of the other awesome reasons to ride a bike, consider assessing it objectively.

Technology exists right now that can transform your cycling experience. You may have to cut your losses and you may have to plan a little. Is it worth it? If so, check out your options. Be an agressively skeptical consumer. Hold me and all others in this business to a higher level. I can’t speak for others in the bicycle business, but I will commit to you to make your life on the bike a lot better. I have the tools and knowledge to do so and you are worth the effort.

At the end of the day, either cut your losses or don’t, but if you don’t, at least know why you love the bike you do. If it is because you got a great deal on it, that’s ok. If the pain of riding a bike that isn’t really designed for you is counterbalanced by the enjoyment of knowing that a top pro rode a similar bike to win in the Tour de France, that is ok too. I only ask that you really look at the reasons why you love or don’t love your bike.

The game is changing. Excellence is possible and you can reap the reward, if you only ask how. I wish you the happiest and most successful of New Year greetings and hope to be of service to you in 2010.

Kevin

President

KGS Bikes

Tubular Tire. Photo: Continental

Hi Kevin,

I recently read that you endorse tubular tires over clinchers, even for everyday training. I get flats all the time and wonder if you might change your tune in my case. I weigh 200 lbs.

Fred

Hi Fred,

Great question. Right now I am in my off season weight of 220 and yes, I ride tubulars. Here are my reasons, though yours may not be the same as mine.

1. Ride quality. I love the way tubulars ride. There is nothing like it and the quality of my bike ride is important to me. It is not as important as good positioning, but close!
2. Less flats. Tubulars don’t get “pinch flats” as I have described in earlier articles. They just don’t flat as often.
3. Vittoria PitStop. This foamed pressurized latex “fix a flat” product will seal most all small punctures, like one would get from glass, thorns or tacks that someone thoughtfully left in the road for you. A big cut can’t be saved, but this is the same in a clincher tire.
4. Climbing and cornering. Tubular wheels are lighter and stronger and that is another reason I like them as a big rider. The cornering ability of tubulars is wonderful.
5. Tufo Tape. This has revolutionized tubular wheels and tires in my opinion. Gluing is still preferred for elite racers and the like but for me, it is a great technology.

Good luck and go for it!

Kevin

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Cable adjusters on the frame. One quarter turn at a time! Photo: Kevin G Saunders

Kevin,

I just got a new bike with Nokon cables and after the second ride the gears don’t shift well. I am having second thoughts about these expensive cables. What gives? Will I constantly have to bring my bike back for adjustments?

John

Hi John,

Nokon cables and housings are very cool but they do tend to settle in, requiring a couple of adjustments. The good news is, you can learn to do this yourself. If you think about gearing, it is quite simple. The shifters and derailleurs are connected in two ways, by cables and by housings. The housing is a tube that the cable runs in, and since the cable is clamped and a fixed length, the adjusters really change the length of the housing tube and that is how the relative cable length is changed. This may sound a little complicated, but consider this. The cables don’t really stretch, but as the housing settles in, it gets shorter. This means that the cable is not pulling as much on the derailleur.

You can test to see if the adjusters need to be moved out (loosening, which extends the housing and as such, tightens the cable) or the reverse, by listening to the different sounds the derailleurs make when you slowly apply pressure to the shift lever. By slightly tightening the cable while you are riding, you will hear if the derailleur quiets down or if the noise gets worse. Just adjust the cables one quarter turn at a time and if you go too far, go back. This is all the pro mechanics do and with care you can do the same.

Don’t be surprised if you mess up a couple of times and if you get a chance, ask your mechanic to show you what to do. Everyone should be able to adjust their own gears and there is no time like the present to learn! Let me know if you need more help.

Kevin

Go ahead! Give them a tri! Photo: Kevin Saunders

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 custom bicycle studio 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. We are very excited about the quality and performance they bring and are proud to offer KirkLee frames as part of our KGS custom bicycle options.

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.

River Place Country Club – This is our Austin address where we can meet in person to define your custom bike. We arranged with the folks at River Place CC to rent space on an as needed basis to offer a quiet focused environment to determine your ultimate bicycle position and then design a custom bike around that position. The New York Times describes cycling as “the new golf” and River Place CC recognizes that they can offer more than golf to the active lifestyle advocate.

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.

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.

KGS Bikes Studio interior view

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.

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