First Race of the Season & First Win of the Season! 2014 Eagle Creek Fast Criterium Race Recap

WHY I'VE BEEN M.I.A. THESE PAST MONTHS

If you follow me on Strava, you might have learned that at the end of the 2013 season, my Continental GP4000S tire blew up right after I made a solo attack and reached 33mph.  It sent me falling to the ground on my back and shoulder, gave me a concussion, plus strains and sprains at my neck, shoulder and abdomen.  The most dangerous aspect of my fall was that it was impossible to anticipate the tire failure.  The tread separated from the casing and caused an instant loss of traction- enough to send me to the ground despite travelling in a straight line.  Here are some pictures of my wounds.  Some of them went deep enough to reach my fat cells.  Check it out:

After 2.5 months off my bike to focus on rehabilitation, I was finally able to turn my head without my neck and shoulder going into spasms.  When I finally made it back on a bike, my legs and lungs hit the wall 15 minutes into the ride and forced me to stop.  Afterwards, my neck proceeded to go into spasms for hours due to the riding position.  

Continental never apologized or responded to my concerns about the tire.  My tire had no sidewall bubbling or cuts, and I actually checked my tire pressure with a tire gauge prior to its failure.  Despite riding on several pairs of Continental GP4000S tires for three years, I probably will never ride on them again.

Without my girlfriend of seven years, I wouldn't have survived the months healing and rehabilitating the injuries I sustained.  She patiently waited for me as I spent hours in the shower trying to tolerate the massive pain all over my body.  No one else could lighten the mood and help me laugh through the healing process.  The proof is in the pictures!  I was smiling in all of them thanks to her! :)

MICHELIN PRO 4 - MY NEW FAVORITE TIRE

After riding on a defective Continental GP4000S, I decided to go tire shopping to find a better tire.  After riding on the Michelin Pro 4 for almost ten months now, including three criteriums, I can confidently say that its better than the GP4000S.  I've only had one flat which was caused by hitting a deep pothole.  I've always known the Continental GP4000S to produce flat tires from hitting decent pieces of gravel.  I remember worrying on several occasions that I would flat after hitting similar objects only to find that the Michelin Pro 4 survived without a scratch.  The grip surprised me the most about the Pro 4.  I wouldn't be surprised if an independent research company finds that the Michelin Pro 4 has better grip.  I've taken corners just as hard or harder than the Continental GP4000S this season.  I have yet to experience its limit around a corner.  I always thought that some sliding was normal in a tire until I tried the Pro 4.

THE COURSE & THE LAPS LEADING TO THE LAST LAP

As usual, I got lost trying to find the parking lot in Eagle Creek, so I ended up running late.  As a result I didn't get a chance to ride warm up or practice laps.  As soon as I received my number and had it pinned, I immediately had to line up at the start line.  Since I was also late to line-up, I had to start at the back.  I wasn't too worried since I knew we had 45 minutes to race.  Plenty of time right?

When the race started, Each lap only lasted about one minute and 44 seconds long.  I basically spent the majority of the race trying to move up to the front of the group.  It was hard trying to remain at the front due to the constant rotation of the group, and by the time we reached the final lap, I was about fourth place... from the back!

THE LAST 1/2 OF THE LAST LAP

By the time we hit the bell lap, I was definitely panicking and almost accepted that I had no chance at even reaching a mid-pack finish.  That all changed about halfway down the lap.  The group hugged the inside of the road and left a moderate opening at the left.  As soon as I saw the opening, I knew that it was my last chance to reach the front, so I accelerated hard and bridged up to the front.  Once the five leaders were in sight, I noticed that I was approaching them quickly... while coasting!  Instead of coasting and slowing down to their speed, I started my sprint with an advantage and blew past the leaders.  When I crossed the finish line in first position, it didn't seem real, especially since I was almost last place by the start of the last lap!

ANALYSIS VIA STRAVA (FOLLOW ME ON STRAVA)

Looking at the speed graph in the screenshot below, you'll notice three peaks.  The first acceleration was influenced by the group being aware of the last lap.  The second peak occurred when I bridged up to the front.  The last peak was the final sprint.  You'll notice that it took more speed to catch the leaders than it did to perform the final sprint!  Everything seemed to connect perfectly today!

SPONSORS

Big thanks goes to Velocity Wheels and The Wheel Department for helping me replace my severely bent A23 Pro Build wheelset!  Your support helped motivate me to train and win the first race of the 2014 season!  Thanks guys!

Velocity A23 Pro Build Review

VELOCITY A23 PRO BUILD REVIEW

I would like to start this review with a huge thank you to Velocity and The Wheel Department for sponsoring me through the 2013 season!  In the Velocity USA website, they described the A23 Pro Build wheeset as "THE set for crits, road races, and cyclocross.  This is not an exaggeration because I rode my A23 Pro Build to three podium finishes out of five races.  Thanks guys!

When you buy a Velocity A23 Pro Build wheelset, they arrive individually wrapped inside familiarly shaped boxes.  I was too excited to open up my wheels, so I didn't get a chance to take unboxing pictures.  I only remembered to take a picture when I saw the sticker signed by the wheel builder who built my wheelset, Jacobi!  Check out his bio at The Wheel Department website.

THE LOGIC BEHIND MY BUILD:

The benefit of the Velocity A23 Pro Build is that each wheelset can be entirely customizable to the rider. Other than rim, spoke, hub and nipple color, you can choose the number of spokes and lacing pattern to fit your needs.  My top priority was on lateral stiffness.  Since I mainly race criteriums, I needed a wheelset that was predictable in the corners and strong enough for a sprint, so lateral stiffness was my number one priority.  

Since the bracing angles in the front wheel are always extremely high (most important variable in lateral stiffness), I went with radial lacing and a lower spoke count at the front to save weight while improving aerodynamics, respectively.

Lateral stiffness was the top priority in building the rear wheel.  I chose 28 Sapim CX-Ray spokes and an asymmetrical rim to allow for more uniform tension.  The asymmetrical rim allows the spokes to engage the rim more symmetrically.  This prevents the wheel from deflecting towards the group of spokes with higher tension.  To further increase stiffness, the drive and non-drive side were laced in a two cross pattern to place the spokes in a tangential position relative to the rim.  A tangential spoke position causes the spoke to pull forward on the rim versus laterally on the rim (radial lacing).  The end results is a wheelset that is theoretically very stiff.  Check out the build specifications below:

Fuji SST equipped with the
Velocity A23 Pro Build wheelset

FRONT WHEEL:

• 700c 20 hole
• Road Race hub
• Black Sapim CX-Ray spokes
• Black alloy nipples
• Radial lacing

REAR WHEEL:

• 700c 28 hole
• Road Race hub (black)
• Sapim CX-Ray spokes (black)
• Alloy nipples (black)
• 2x drive, 2x non-drive

To test whether my rear wheel was actually stiff, I placed a camera facing the rear wheel to detect deflections.  If you haven't seen my other Lateral Stiffness Test videos on YouTube, please visit the EatSleepTrainSmart YouTube Channel to check them out.

Here's the Lateral Stiffness Test video for the Velocity A23 Pro Build:

Compared to my unreasonably heavy 32 spoke Alex rear wheel, my 28 spoke Velocity A23 rear wheel appeared to perform better!  Despite riding over bumps, the impact didn't seem to induce any deflection on my Velocity A23 rear wheel.  Before filming my A23 rear wheel, I honestly thought that I was going to see some flex, especially at such a low weight!  If you're worried about lateral stiffness, feel free to copy my build.  Nothing beats the feeling that nothing is holding you back in sprints or attacks.

2013 CRITERIUM RESULTS:

Below are my race results with the Velocity A23 Pro Build.  Out of five races, I achieved a podium finish in three of them.

• Indy Criterium Cycling Race & Festival: 2nd place (89 riders)
• Mass Ave Criterium: 2nd place (56 riders)
• Bloomington Cycling Grand Prix: 3rd place (52 riders)

While the engine and the driver's skills are important, the suspension is equally important.  The wheelset definitely helped me stay calm and focus entirely on what I needed to do.  Thanks to the width of the rims, I had so much grip that I never once worried about leaning hard into corners.  I often found myself exiting corners faster than everyone else.  Imagine how much energy is saved just by having to accelerate less.  With this wheelset, I noticed that I was able to approach the final lap with significantly more energy to produce podium-worthy sprints.

PHOTOSHOOT!

Equipping my A23 Pro Build with Michelin Pro 4 tires.

Custom Fuji SST with a blue Selle SMP saddle and a blue A23 Pro Build wheelset.

Side view of my custom Fuji SST road bike and A23 Pro Build wheelset.

28 Sapim CX-Ray spokes.  Two cross lacing.

Low view of my Fuji SST road bike and A23 Pro Build wheelset.

Fuji SST with a custom blue Selle SMP saddle and A23 Pro Build wheelset.

Eat Sleep Train Smart Polar CS600x display.  Michelin Pro 4 tires and
A23 Pro Build front wheel.

Kinesiological Approach to Bike Fit: Saddle Tilt

Saddle position is the core of any bike fit.  When the saddle is positioned incorrectly, it can cause a wide range of overuse injuries throughout the entire body.  Pain or numbness can occur at the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, back (commonly low back), knees and feet.  This is no exaggeration!  Whenever I perform bike fittings, it's not uncommon for me to fix almost all of the rider's problems solely from correcting saddle position.  This post will discuss saddle tilt.

THE PEVLIS & THE LUMBAR SPINE "LOW BACK"
Since the lumbar spine attaches directly to the pelvis, its fate is determined by the tilt of the pelvis.  When you tilt your pelvis forward, the lower back extends.  When you tilt your pelvis backwards, the lower back will flex.  The right amount of saddle tilt is one that lets the pelvis maintain neutral- the healthy balance of flexion and extension.

Image taken from: http://fixtheneck.com/Other_postural_effects.html

It took some digging around the internet to find the pictures below, but I found three pictures of Nairo Quintana using different amounts of saddle tilt.  Keep in mind that the UCI rule for saddle tilt is plus or minus 2.5 degrees with a tolerance of +/-0.5 degrees, so he's fairly limited with regards to how much he can tilt his saddle.

Nose down = Almost Neutral

If you observe closely, Quintana's saddle was slightly nose down allowing him
to almost reach an almost neutral back.  A few more degrees downward and he would
likely reach neutral!

Level Saddle (0 degrees) = Flexed Back 

With a level saddle, Quintana could not tilt his pelvis forward, so his lumbar AND
thoracic spine had no option but to flex.  Interesting how a few degrees
can cause such a significant change in posture!

Level Saddle (0 degrees) = Neutral Back

Since the climbing position doesn't require a lot of pelvic tilt to reach neutral,
a level saddle was appropriate in this situation.

LEVEL SADDLE... GOOD OR BAD?

There's a lot of bad information circulating and I want to clear it up because I have worked with several clients with problems related to back pain caused by level saddles.  Having a level saddle isn't necessarily bad, but when it is not appropriate for the type of riding to be expected or the rider's condition, that's when problems occur.  A level saddle is not recommended for riders who spend a lot of time in the low racing or time trial position (triathletes and time trialists).  Also, if the frame geometry is aggressive and forces a low position even at the hoods or handlebar tops, then a level saddle is not recommended.

On the other hand, there are situations where a level saddle is appropriate.  If the majority of the time spent cycling is focused on climbing or riding in an upright position, then a level saddle is fine.  A level saddle is also safe for riders with scoliosis or restrictions to avoid extension at the spine.

My custom Fuji SST 3.0. Matching blue
Velocity A23 Pro Build wheelset and
Selle SMP Evolution saddle.

HOW SADDLE DESIGN AFFECTS AVAILABLE PELVIC TILT.
Here is something to consider for those who need an equal amount of climbing and time trial comfort.  A study found that saddles designed with a large cutout allows the pelvis to tilt forward without physically altering the actual saddle angle via the seatpost(2).  So in addition to improving blood flow, saddles with cutouts allow the rider to climb and time trial in a seated position comfortably.  Saddles in the Selle SMP product line are especially versatile at providing both climbing and time trial comfort.  In my personal experience with the Selle SMP Evolution saddle, I have never experienced any discomfort even in 5-7 hour centuries.  It's never a bad idea to invest on comfort, especially near the sensitive areas!


NOSE DOWN:  HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
In order to allieviate or prevent low back pain, most riders can tolerate 10-15 degrees of negative tilt (3).  After 15 degrees, most riders will experience discomfort on the hands or sliding on the saddle.  Grip strength, shoulder stability and core strength will determine how much negative tilt you can handle.

HOW TO PREVENT NOSE DOWN SADDLE TILT PROBLEMS:
Here are common reasons why riders cannot tolerate a nose down position:

• Saddle movement (sliding down the saddle)
• Hand pressure
• Shoulder fatigue

These issues arise mainly because more body weight is transferred towards the front of the bike.  This places a higher physical demand on the upper body and core.  In order to prevent these problems, the following variables need to be addressed.

• Core strength
• Grip strength
• Shoulder stability
• Posture

Strength exercises done in the gym should be focused on improving one or all of the things listed above.  Exercise with a purpose!

Once these deficiencies are accounted for, you will be able to ride in an aerodynamically low position for hours without discomfort.  Sliding on the saddle no longer becomes an issue because the core and shoulder are able to stabilize and support the body weight.  Hand numbness is eliminated because the intricate muscles of the hand and forearm are able to support the extra body weight.

As a bonus, you will appreciate the extra weight at the front because it will increase grip at the front tire- the tire responsible for steering and cornering.  Since more weight is already placed at the front, you'll also experience smoother and more predictable braking because less weight will need to transfer before deceleration can begin.

HOW TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF SADDLE TILT
Saddle tilt is something that needs to be adjusted based on the type of riding to be expected.  Just as you adjust tire pressure to accommodate for riding on pavement (high pressure) or rough roads (lower pressure), saddle tilt should be adjusted based on the terrain of the environment or the workout.  If you're going to be climbing for the majority of the time, then a nose down saddle isn't very important- you can favor a more level saddle.  If you live in the midwest where it's flat and windy, then a nose down saddle is appropriate to make the aerodynamic position more comfortable.

In a sport where aerodynamics are extremely important, there are more benefits in holding a low aero position comfortably versus focusing only on leg exercises, especially since the body accounts for most of the drag.

REFERENCES:

1. Asplund, Chad, and Patrick St. Pierre. "Knee Pain and Bicycling." The Physician and Sports Medicine 32.4 (2004): 1-11. Print.
2. Bressel, Eadric, and Brad Larson. "Bicycle Seat Designs and Their Effect on Pelvic Angle, Trunk Angle, and Comfort." Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine 3 (2002): 327-332. Print.
3. Schultz, Samantha, and Susan Gordon. "Recreational cyclists: The relationship between low back pain and training characteristics."International Journal of Exercise Science3.3 (2010): 79-85. Print.