Back when I first started road biking, a good friend told me to get a bike computer with a cadence meter. If you don't know what cadence is, don't feel bad, I had to have it explained to me as well. In a nutshell, it is how fast you pedal. And if you already knew that, my apologies for back tracking. I got the cadence meter and was told, "Don't let your cadence drop below 80 RPM"
Now, my frame is what I like to describe as being of heroic proportions, and it was easier for me to pedal slower in a harder gear than to spin the pedals faster, so for later computers, I opted to save money by eliminating the cadence feature.
This fall, I got a trainer for the bike in order to try and get a jump on the spring season. Biker Bill was kind enough to let me keep the trainer set up at his house, and we committed to doing training rides twice a week. Bill shelled out for the entire Carmichael Training Series (Chris Carmichael was one of Lance's trainers. I know this because he casually mentions it several times each DVD). And low an behold, they are back to talking about cadence. I couldn't escape it.
So just before last nights trainer ride, Bill (graciously and without complaint) installed an inexpensive Cat Eye Cadence computer. It took about a half an hour, and I am quite sure it was the last thing he wanted to be doing. It made a difference in the ride. I can only say to all the big boys out there, learn to ride cadence. I can also say, "Thanks Bill!"
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Triathlon News
Hi Everyone,
Now that 2008 is upon us it is time to start thinking about the upcoming triathlon season. If you are like me and think the best warm-up for a 30 mile road race is swimming one mile next to hundreds of others competitors read on.
The masters swimming at Drew University started on 1/14. It runs for 15 weeks and costs $225. These workouts are coached by Dorsi, the head swimming coach at Drew. The sessions are:
Mon: 6:00-7:15 AM, 9:15-10:30AM
Tues: 7:45-9:00 PM
Weds: 6:00-7:15 AM, 9:15-10:30AM
Thurs: 7:45-9:00 PM
Fri: 6:00-7:15 AM, 9:15-10:30AM
Sat: 7:00-9:00AM
Although most races are months away it is time to start registering as many of the better races close out early. Here is a list of race dates that myself or other members of the Marty's Triathlon team will be competing in:
4/27 Bassman Tri and Du athlon - Bass River State Forest http://www.citytri.com/
6/1 Black Bear Half and Sprint - Beltzville State Park, PA http://www.cgiracing.com/
6/14 Wyckoff Sprint http://www.wyckoffymca.org/
6/21 Philadelphia Sprint and Olympic
7/13 Randolph Sprint
7/20 Ironman Lake Placid http://www.ironmanusa.com/
7/27 New Jersey Sprint and Olympic http://www.cgiracing.com/
8/3 Cayuga Lake Triathlon (Sprint National Championships)
http://www.ithacatriathlonclub.org/race/default.html
8/17 Timberman Half and Sprint - Lake Winnipesaukee, NH
9/7 Patanella's Buckman Sprint and Olympic, Round Valley Reservoir http://www.greenbrookracing.com/
10/4 Bassman Half and Sprint - Bass River State Forest http://www.citytri.com/
If you have never attempted a triathlon but want this to be the year you tri, (sorry for the bad pun) there are many local short races to consider. The Randolph Triathlon is held right behind Marty's in Randolph and is a sprint distance race. If you want information about training for this race, send me an e-mail jtiman@comcast.net and I can help get you started. The Friday night rides on the Randolph course will start up again this spring.
If you want to do one part of the triathlon as part of a team let me know and I can help find others who are looking for teammates.
There is also a going to be a triathlon seminar at Starting Line Sports in Madison for novice to intermediate triathletes. The seminar is on Sunday 2/24 at 9:00. You can register through http://www.trisports.com/
Now that 2008 is upon us it is time to start thinking about the upcoming triathlon season. If you are like me and think the best warm-up for a 30 mile road race is swimming one mile next to hundreds of others competitors read on.The masters swimming at Drew University started on 1/14. It runs for 15 weeks and costs $225. These workouts are coached by Dorsi, the head swimming coach at Drew. The sessions are:
Mon: 6:00-7:15 AM, 9:15-10:30AM
Tues: 7:45-9:00 PM
Weds: 6:00-7:15 AM, 9:15-10:30AM
Thurs: 7:45-9:00 PM
Fri: 6:00-7:15 AM, 9:15-10:30AM
Sat: 7:00-9:00AM
Although most races are months away it is time to start registering as many of the better races close out early. Here is a list of race dates that myself or other members of the Marty's Triathlon team will be competing in:
4/27 Bassman Tri and Du athlon - Bass River State Forest http://www.citytri.com/
6/1 Black Bear Half and Sprint - Beltzville State Park, PA http://www.cgiracing.com/
6/14 Wyckoff Sprint http://www.wyckoffymca.org/
6/21 Philadelphia Sprint and Olympic
7/13 Randolph Sprint
7/20 Ironman Lake Placid http://www.ironmanusa.com/
7/27 New Jersey Sprint and Olympic http://www.cgiracing.com/
8/3 Cayuga Lake Triathlon (Sprint National Championships)
http://www.ithacatriathlonclub.org/race/default.html
8/17 Timberman Half and Sprint - Lake Winnipesaukee, NH
9/7 Patanella's Buckman Sprint and Olympic, Round Valley Reservoir http://www.greenbrookracing.com/
10/4 Bassman Half and Sprint - Bass River State Forest http://www.citytri.com/
If you have never attempted a triathlon but want this to be the year you tri, (sorry for the bad pun) there are many local short races to consider. The Randolph Triathlon is held right behind Marty's in Randolph and is a sprint distance race. If you want information about training for this race, send me an e-mail jtiman@comcast.net and I can help get you started. The Friday night rides on the Randolph course will start up again this spring.If you want to do one part of the triathlon as part of a team let me know and I can help find others who are looking for teammates.
There is also a going to be a triathlon seminar at Starting Line Sports in Madison for novice to intermediate triathletes. The seminar is on Sunday 2/24 at 9:00. You can register through http://www.trisports.com/
As it gets warmer I would like to organize weekly open water swim sessions along with some track running work-outs. I am also planning to go up to Lake Placid for a weekend to train on the Ironman course with anyone who is interested.
That's it for now but I will keep you posted on any other multisport happenings in our area.
For now stay warm, be one with your indoor trainer, (remember it is our friend) and before you know it the season will be under way.
John
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Our trip to Guru
Montreal, home of the Canadiens, Expos, Mt. Royal, Notre Dame Basilica, Old Montreal, Guru, Rue St. Catherine, Martin Brodeur......wait a second, didn't the Expos move to Washington D.C.? Oh, yeah. And this Guru you mentioned, what's his name? No, not a spiritual leader, Guru bikes. Never heard of them? You will.
When Marty's was looking for another bike line to carry, many names popped up. One of the areas we wanted to address was the custom market. Guru was a name mentioned. So, we gave them a call. As luck would
have it, they were having a dealer open house in 2 weeks and invited us up. No need to ask twice. I dusted off my passport and along with Jesse, Ben and Marc we headed out in Marc's Eurovan to the Great White North. Sorry Rush, no residuals here. You either Bob and Doug Mckenzie. 
One grumpy customs officer and seven hours later we arrived in Montreal.
Marc and I caught a Canadiens game that first night. The next morning it was down to business. We took a shuttle bus from our hotel in Old Montreal to the Guru factory. Guru makes custom, hand built bikes in four weeks. They've been doing this since 1997. We were met by the founders of Guru Tony and Robert. Nice blokes, sorry, bonne mecs. Tony gave us a tour of the factory. As you can see from the pictures, their carbon bikes are i
ndeed hand made. He explained that they only use the best carbon, which incidentally comes from California, not Taiwan. Tony also explained that it is how you lay the carbon up that determines stiffness. He then gave us a tour of the rest of the factory. The welding station for aluminum and titanium frames, the paint booth, decal station, finishing station.....okay, if you're like me this is all well and good, but the bottom line is, how do the bikes ride?
Guru makes four road models. The top of the line Gen
eo and the Evolo are carbon frames. The Praemio which is titanium and the aluminum Venio. They also have four triathlon/time trial models. Crono, which is the top of the line, and Magis are made out of carbon. Merus is made out of titanium and the aluminum Ventus rounds out the line. Gu
ess which ones I wanted to ride? If you know me, you already know the answer.
First up, Geneo. After taking ten minutes to dress for the cold, lightly snowing Montreal weather, it was time to put the Geneo through it's paces. This bike is light, but it's not stupid light. Just because you have a 900 gram frame doesn't mean it will ride nice. At 1,150 grams, the Geneo is plenty light. The ride quality is excellent. The bottom bracket is nice and stiff. The carbon frame did what carbon frames are supposed to, it soaked up the road vibrations extremely well. When you are going around corners at race speed, which I did, the Geneo goes with you. It doesn't want to go in a different direction. That is a good thing. Sorry Martha.
Next up? You guessed it, Crono. I was lucky enough to find a straight, flat road section. I tucked down on the aero bars and let the Crono do the rest. Like Geneo, the Crono is stiff at the bottom bracket. When you s
tep on it the Crono responds immediately. Instantaneously I felt a surge in my speed. Going around corners at speed was also a treat. I felt very stable and at no time did I feel the Crono would come out from under me. Test rides over, it was time to tell Tony and Robert what a great ride the Geneo and Crono are. One last night in Mo
ntreal and one rooster sculpture for my mom later, it was time to pile into Marc's van and head South.
Something Tony said during our visit stuck with me. "I believe we make the best damn bikes in the world, but nobody knows who we are." That's passion, and it shows in everything Guru does. Now you know. But don't take Tony's or my word. Marty's has demo Guru bikes for you to ride. I'm not talking about a parking lot or a down the street ride. Take them out for a couple of days. When you return the bike, we'll be here to take your custom Guru order. It'll be ready in four weeks.
Thanks
Lou
Photos courtesy of Marc
When Marty's was looking for another bike line to carry, many names popped up. One of the areas we wanted to address was the custom market. Guru was a name mentioned. So, we gave them a call. As luck would
have it, they were having a dealer open house in 2 weeks and invited us up. No need to ask twice. I dusted off my passport and along with Jesse, Ben and Marc we headed out in Marc's Eurovan to the Great White North. Sorry Rush, no residuals here. You either Bob and Doug Mckenzie. 
One grumpy customs officer and seven hours later we arrived in Montreal.Marc and I caught a Canadiens game that first night. The next morning it was down to business. We took a shuttle bus from our hotel in Old Montreal to the Guru factory. Guru makes custom, hand built bikes in four weeks. They've been doing this since 1997. We were met by the founders of Guru Tony and Robert. Nice blokes, sorry, bonne mecs. Tony gave us a tour of the factory. As you can see from the pictures, their carbon bikes are i
ndeed hand made. He explained that they only use the best carbon, which incidentally comes from California, not Taiwan. Tony also explained that it is how you lay the carbon up that determines stiffness. He then gave us a tour of the rest of the factory. The welding station for aluminum and titanium frames, the paint booth, decal station, finishing station.....okay, if you're like me this is all well and good, but the bottom line is, how do the bikes ride?Guru makes four road models. The top of the line Gen
eo and the Evolo are carbon frames. The Praemio which is titanium and the aluminum Venio. They also have four triathlon/time trial models. Crono, which is the top of the line, and Magis are made out of carbon. Merus is made out of titanium and the aluminum Ventus rounds out the line. Gu
ess which ones I wanted to ride? If you know me, you already know the answer.First up, Geneo. After taking ten minutes to dress for the cold, lightly snowing Montreal weather, it was time to put the Geneo through it's paces. This bike is light, but it's not stupid light. Just because you have a 900 gram frame doesn't mean it will ride nice. At 1,150 grams, the Geneo is plenty light. The ride quality is excellent. The bottom bracket is nice and stiff. The carbon frame did what carbon frames are supposed to, it soaked up the road vibrations extremely well. When you are going around corners at race speed, which I did, the Geneo goes with you. It doesn't want to go in a different direction. That is a good thing. Sorry Martha.
Next up? You guessed it, Crono. I was lucky enough to find a straight, flat road section. I tucked down on the aero bars and let the Crono do the rest. Like Geneo, the Crono is stiff at the bottom bracket. When you s
tep on it the Crono responds immediately. Instantaneously I felt a surge in my speed. Going around corners at speed was also a treat. I felt very stable and at no time did I feel the Crono would come out from under me. Test rides over, it was time to tell Tony and Robert what a great ride the Geneo and Crono are. One last night in Mo
ntreal and one rooster sculpture for my mom later, it was time to pile into Marc's van and head South.Something Tony said during our visit stuck with me. "I believe we make the best damn bikes in the world, but nobody knows who we are." That's passion, and it shows in everything Guru does. Now you know. But don't take Tony's or my word. Marty's has demo Guru bikes for you to ride. I'm not talking about a parking lot or a down the street ride. Take them out for a couple of days. When you return the bike, we'll be here to take your custom Guru order. It'll be ready in four weeks.
Thanks
Lou
Photos courtesy of Marc
  | ||||
  | ||||
 |
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
New Guru wows me!
Hi Everyone,
I just rode my new Guru Geneo for the first time a few days ago. I was extremely pleased with the ride, and am happy to report that it is the most beautiful and best riding bike that I have ever owned. I find myself thinking about it a lot while I'm at work, and sometimes I go to the service shop of Marty's just to peak at it. Don't tell Marty.
It's really nice to have a bike that makes your blood run hot and helps to motive you to get out there and ride when its 10 below zero. OK, I'll never ride in weather that cold, but you get the idea.
What I like about the Geneo, is that it is not only really light, like every other bike in that category, but it is extremely stiff in the bottom bracket area, and rides like I was sitting on a cloud. I really feel a big difference in the power transfer from my 2007 s-works Roubaix, to the Guru. Don't get me wrong, I really loved that Specialized, and I thought that it was an incredible riding bike. I especially liked the smooth ride and upright position of the Roubaix, but the Guru is everything that the Roubaix was and more.
The paint is custom Team Marty's blue and white, which makes it even more amazing looking, not to mention the really cool way that Guru shapes the tubes of the bike to give it a unique look. The ride of the bike was really second to none, which amazes me because, I was so happy with everything that the Specialized has to offer.
The fact that every bike that Guru makes is a custom machine designed for the individual rider makes all the difference in the world. You cannot appreciate a custom bike until you have ridden one that has been designed for you and only you. This has been a huge transformation for me. There is a noticeable difference between this bike and every other stock bike that I have ever ridden, and to be honest, I didn't always believe that there would be. I'll be posting more about my Guru soon, so tune in.
Happy New Year,
Jesse
I just rode my new Guru Geneo for the first time a few days ago. I was extremely pleased with the ride, and am happy to report that it is the most beautiful and best riding bike that I have ever owned. I find myself thinking about it a lot while I'm at work, and sometimes I go to the service shop of Marty's just to peak at it. Don't tell Marty.
It's really nice to have a bike that makes your blood run hot and helps to motive you to get out there and ride when its 10 below zero. OK, I'll never ride in weather that cold, but you get the idea.
What I like about the Geneo, is that it is not only really light, like every other bike in that category, but it is extremely stiff in the bottom bracket area, and rides like I was sitting on a cloud. I really feel a big difference in the power transfer from my 2007 s-works Roubaix, to the Guru. Don't get me wrong, I really loved that Specialized, and I thought that it was an incredible riding bike. I especially liked the smooth ride and upright position of the Roubaix, but the Guru is everything that the Roubaix was and more.
The paint is custom Team Marty's blue and white, which makes it even more amazing looking, not to mention the really cool way that Guru shapes the tubes of the bike to give it a unique look. The ride of the bike was really second to none, which amazes me because, I was so happy with everything that the Specialized has to offer.
The fact that every bike that Guru makes is a custom machine designed for the individual rider makes all the difference in the world. You cannot appreciate a custom bike until you have ridden one that has been designed for you and only you. This has been a huge transformation for me. There is a noticeable difference between this bike and every other stock bike that I have ever ridden, and to be honest, I didn't always believe that there would be. I'll be posting more about my Guru soon, so tune in.
Happy New Year,
Jesse
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)