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 first issue for 2010 and I am thrilled to be able to help you make this your best year ever. The economy has been tough on bike shops and they are closing at the rate of a shop a day across the country. I am so happy to have kept the focus of KGS Bikes on quality and integrity and pledge to work even harder for you this year.

Our main article talks about the pedal choices that the triathlete has and how this impacts shoes and the transitions. It is fairly technical and if you have more questions please let me know.

Our BikeTech Help Desk has one question this time, about the potential problems with wireless power meters.

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 cyclists and triathletes wanting to get a jump on the 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.

Type A dismount properly done. Photo: Kevin G Saunders

As the new year approaches I have spent considerable time in reflection One of the funny quirks of the bicycle business is pedals. Bikes are typically sold without pedals and there are what seem like a zillion different types. For the triathlete, especially one who comes from a running background, this is both confusing and can get very expensive if the wrong decisions are made.

A triathlete needs to consider one big issue before choosing a pedal type. This is, “Will I leave the shoes mounted on the bicycle in the transitions, or not?” This is such a strong determinant of pedal and shoe needs that we need to define either Type A, those who leave the shoes on the bike at all times, running barefooted to and from transition, or Type B, those who don their shoes at the transition, run to the bike mount line and clip in, then at T2, unclip and run in the cycling shoes to the racking station.

The reasons for this are as follows. If you have to run in your cycling shoes, the cleats could pick up mud or worse, cause you to slip and fall. Both are big time wasters in a race against the clock. If you leave your shoes on the bike, you have a different problem. The cleats won’t pick up mud, but the straps of the shoes could get caught in between the chain and the big chainring. Not cool.

Now we can talk about pedals. A modern bicycle pedal has to do two things. First it has to have a clip system that will allow the shoe to easily attach, hold the foot in position in all normal cycling moves and of course, unclip easily in case of stopping or crashing. Second, it has to transfer the energy from the rider’s foot to the crank arm efficiently.

This is why you need to practice Type A dismounts. Photo: Kevin G Saunders

There are three major types of pedal systems, while there are many sub types. For the purposes of this article, I will call them Speedplay type, which has a big cleat, metal walking surface and internal clips, Look type (which includes Shimano, Campagnolo and other similar types) which have the clips on the pedal, and a plastic cleat that has a fore and aft external tab to mate with the clips, and SPD, or mountain bike type (includes Crank Brothers, etc) which are small metal cleats with external tabs like Look type, but recessed into a shoe with a walking surface.

Each pedal type has advantages and disadvantages. Let’s start with Speedplay. Two variants of Speedplay pedals are available, the X type with unlimited “float” or range of twisting motion, and Zero type with adjustable float. There are Nanogram and Light action subvariants, plus there are optional spindle lengths to adjust for “Q factor” (width between feet while on the bike). Speedplays are double sided, which means that either side of the pedal can receive the cleat. This is a good thing. They also have a lower stack height so the foot rides lower on the pedal spindle. This is a really good thing. Finally, the cleat/pedal combo has a relatively wide surface area on the sole of the shoe, so while the pedal itself is small, the load transfer is good. There is more freedom for the foot to rotate along its own axis, perpendicular to the pedal spindle, which causes some folks to say the load surface is small. This is not the case but in actuality is a good thing because the ankle joint is not directly lined up along the pedal axis. This means that the foot pronates and supinates a bit during the pedal stroke and the Speedplay system gives you some slack.

The downsides to Speedplay pedals in triathlons are twofold: First, they are subject to picking up mud in wet transition zones and that can cause big problems clipping in. Second, the cleat springs are very stiff when new and they need some breaking in before you can clip in easily.

Look type pedals are the original “clipless” pedals. They revolutionized cycling as the uncomfortable toe clips and straps were made obsolete overnight. They have variable float based on the type of cleat you use in the Look brand, and many brands also have adjustable spring tension. They are better in muddy transition zones than Speedplays but like Speedplays are tough to run in. It is very easy to slip and fall when your body is full of adrenaline in a transition. Another downside to Looks is the fact that they are single sided, and the cleats also wear quickly.

At the end of the day, I still recommend Speedplay pedals if you are a Type A triathlete. You don’t need to worry about mud since the shoes are already clipped in. You don’t need to worry about the slick cleats either. The real reasons that I like Speedplays best are as follows. 1) The stack height is lower. This is more efficient. 2) The Q factor is more adjustable due to the increased numbers of spindle lengths. 3) They are more aerodynamic, but this is a small difference. 4) The cornering clearance is higher and you can pedal through corners that you would have to coast with other pedals. Granted, this is not a big deal to most triathletes but if we are splitting hairs it counts.

Type B dismount. See how mountain bike shoes would help? Photo: Kevin G Saunders

The other pedal type not mentioned was SPD, or mountain bike pedals. If you are a Type B triathlete, I highly recommend you consider this option. You can use shoes that are designed for walking and you can actually run in them safely. The SPD pedals are double sided. You do have some downsides, however. 1) They re less aerodynamic. 2) The platform size is smaller and if you don’t have good shoes you can get hotspots.

We really get down to the type of transition you choose. I strongly encourage you to learn to mount and dismount the bike with the shoes already clipped in. You have to toughen up your feet as you will be running barefooted, but there is a reason the top triathletes use the Type A system. It saves lots of time. If you think about it, a triathlon is a series of mini events, each of which takes a certain amount of time. You can gain or lose lots of time in transitions and some thought and practice focused on the whole transition event will significantly improve your game.

Kevin

President

KGS Bikes

Hey Kevin,

Power Meters can do the job wirelessly without the mess of wires. Photo: Kevin G Saunders

I had a question on what you think is better? A wireless or wired power system. I’ve heard the wireless is a nice feature and is easy to get on and start taking care of business. However, I also hear that it drops data at certain points. Is a wired power system generally more robust? Is a wireless system the way things go? I would love to hear your opinion.

Best,

Gee Li

Hi Gee Li,

Thank you so much for the inquiry. This is true that wireless systems can drop data. They are getting better but it still happens. I still prefer the wireless setups because the wires are a pain, plus they are ugly. I can deal with a little dropout because the power meter is designed to record changes over time and the small amount of dropouts won’t really matter if the sample size is big enough.

Thanks again,

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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