DOES RIDING FIXED IMPROVE YOUR GEARED RIDING?

There are differing opinions out there on whether riding fixed has any positive training effect for geared bike riding. For a rider at the elite level, with excellent coaching, there may be less benefit, but for the average enthusiast cyclist I think there are clear benefits. This position is based on my own experience over the years, and from others I trained with.

For one, with no coasting there’s no question that the cardio gets more of a work out- it’s as close to running as you’ll get on 2 wheels. This, of course, assumes that the RPMs are at a high enough level to push your heart rate.

Secondly, it forces you to increase your RPM range. On the geared bike will you be able to maintain the same high cadence as on your fixed? Probably not- the fixed design helps you complete the pedaling circle by carrying your feet through the back side of the circle. But, your legs are conditioned to operating across a wider range of RPMs, which is really helpful when responding to an attack, for example. You can get up to speed quickly without necessarily immediately shifting to a higher gear. Think Ferrari instead of Detroit V-8.

Third, for climbing, your legs get used to a mid range gear from the climbing you did on your fixed, which will make you a stronger climber on your geared bike. And the climbing technique is improved since you had to learn to negotiate those hills with that one gear.

Overall, the fixed is particularly well suited to off season use, since it effectively prevents you from pushing the big gears, so your legs are fresh going into the spring season. There is another benefit as well- fixed is a blast and a refreshing mental change from riding gears!

 

 

THANKS FOR A GREAT 2010, WABI RIDERS

In efforts to avoid the standard 2010 nostalgia/2011 anticipation, we found ourselves doing just that…thinking about all of the great customers and people we’ve encountered and how excited we are for 2011. As some of you may know, 2010 was the first full calendar year for Wabi Cycles, and it could not have gone better. It’s been extremely rewarding to receive all of the positive feedback from both customers and press, and to meet some of the fixed gear enthusiasts that we’ve had the pleasure of talking to. So, we just wanted to take a minute to say thank you: thank you to the Wabi owners, the loyal fans, the people who want to make cycling the future. We can’t wait to see what 2011 has in store for us!

ADDENDUM FOR WINTER RIDING

As a short follow up to our post on Friday, we thought we’d share some tips for riding in the winter. This post is augmented by an article from the Chicago Tribune, which also shares some winter riding tips. We’re a Los Angeles based company so we don’t necessarily think about “winter riding” on a daily basis, but we know many of you will be subjected to snowy weather. Just because it’s snowing and cold does not mean you can’t ride your bike! Here are our thoughts…

 

-       Be sure to use extra headlights or reflective gear, because visibility is worse than usual in winter months.

-       Dress in layers and wear as much waterproof gear as you can – waterproof gloves, waterproof shoe covers, and a breathable water and windproof jacket.

-       Check your tires and make sure they’re good for riding in the snow.

-       Use an all-weather lubricant on the chain and any other metal-to-metal parts.

-       Get some fenders to keep your bike looking clean!

If those who are very experienced in riding in the snow want to share some of their tips, we would welcome some more.

 

RIDING A BICYCLE IN TRAFFIC…OUR THOUGHTS

There are a lot of things to consider when sharing the road with multi- ton vehicles. While there’s no teacher like experience, here are a few of the things I’ve learned over the years.

1. Don’t be afraid to ride on the streets. Be super vigilant and use good sense (don’t pass a stopped bus on the right, for example. Could hit a passenger getting off of the bus), but don’t be afraid. There are many riskier behaviors that people indulge in all the time.

2. Be predictable and obey traffic laws. Ride in a straight line, far enough out to avoid being doored.

3. Make eye contact with drivers who may come across your path. Many drivers are not thinking of bikes (insert vid of the dancing bear here) when looking at oncoming traffic, so try to connect via the eyes to make sure they acknowledge that you’re there.

4. Related, put yourself in a position in the lane that you are visible from a greater distance. For example, if you’re coming to an intersection, and the visibility for cross traffic (assuming they have the stop sign) is poor, move toward the center or left portion of your lane, so you’ll be where they can see you sooner, and where they’d be looking for a car. This decreases the chance of their pulling out in front of you.

5. Try to anticipate a driver’s next move. This could be by where they are looking, or what tendency they may be showing with where they are positioning themselves within a lane, for example. Same routine as for when you drive, just with a heightened awareness!

6. Be assertive, take your lane when necessary. Don’t unnecessarily hold up traffic, but you need not yield your right of way just because they’re in a car and you’re on a bike.

7. Don’t yell or flip off a driver who does something stupid, no matter how tempting it may be. Being rational and calm almost always works better when you’re trying to get a point across.

I would welcome any other points and tips from our readers to add to the list. Share your good ideas with us!

 

HOW TO REMOVE AND INSTALL REAR COGS

In our other new video, we give a quick how-to lesson on removing and installing rear cogs. If you have any further questions on how to do this, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or reach out to us – we’ll be happy to help.

Enjoy!

HOW DO YOU FLIP FLOP THE REAR WHEEL FROM FIXED TO FREE?

A YouTube viewer recently requested that we do a video on how to flip flop a rear wheel from a fixed gear to a free wheel. So, rather than trying to tell you how to do this, let us demonstrate in one of our newest how-to videos. Enjoy!

And, as always, if you have any suggestions about videos you’d like to see from us in the future, leave us a comment or shoot us a message and we’ll do our best to deliver.

ANKLING TECHNIQUE FOR PEDALING

Way back when I first started cycling, you’d see the occasional article on ankling, a technique where you consciously alter the angle of your foot to your leg as you pedal through the circle. The idea is to use more of the leg muscles, to spread the work load, making you more efficient and/or powerful. It’s been described as a similar motion to scraping mud off of the bottom of your shoe. Note that this technique is possible with even street shoes, but is far more effective with cleated shoes, either with clips and straps, or clipless. Typically, the average cyclist is doing this automatically to some degree. What I am describing is the conscious exaggeration of this motion in certain situations.

Some argue that it’s not a valid technique but as with a lot of things, each person has to check it out for themself to determine if it’s helpful. As for Sheldon’s experience, it should be noted that doing anything new like this requires caution, so as not to over stress the body. So, try it sparingly, not for extended periods of time, and let your body adjust gradually.

Personally, it’s something I use on an irregular basis, generally while climbing, although I have also used it for down hill spinning in fixed gear mode. The advantage at that point is that it makes the diameter of the circle made by the knees smaller (by pointing the toe downwards at the bottom of the stroke), allowing a few more RPM with less bouncing on the saddle.

Definitely, if you want to try it, be cautious with it, and don’t over exaggerate the motion. And I’d be interested in hearing any feedback, on whether this technique was helpful for you at all.

Check out this video on my own demonstration of ankling:

SHOES AND CYCLING EFFICIENCY

While I don’t  recommend tackling clip in pedals and first time fixed gear riding at the same time, once you’re comfortable with your bike and want to add some instant horsepower get yourself some rigid soled cycling shoes and a good pair of pedals. The stiff shoes transfer power to the rear wheel far more efficiently than street shoes and being able to apply power through the entire pedaling circle (if your connected to the pedals you can pull up on the back side of the stroke) allows you to use more muscle groups, so you’re more powerful and efficient. For maximum flexibility, the SPD system is the best. You can get the efficiency of clip ins and rigid soles and still be able to walk around normally since the cleat is recessed. It will take a few tries to get the routine of entry down, so practice a bit before banging elbows with the cars.

 

IS LYCRA/RACING CYCLING GEAR COOL?

Why is there such hatin’ going on about Lycra clothing especially among the single speed crowd? Is it because the racing crowd uses it? So what? I’ve been using cycling specific clothing for decades and there’s no way I’m going to wear blue jeans, etc. except on a short commute. The comfort and efficiency of cycling specific clothing is just too good. Lycra shorts are comfortable, don’t bunch up, and don’t flap in the breeze. A good pair, in the right size allows you to forget that you’re sitting on a bike saddle. The highest praise for shorts (or saddles) is to really not think about them when you’re riding. And the jerseys allow you to carry the basic essentials in their back pockets so no pack is needed. It’s pretty logical actually- these designs have evolved over decades of use, and are what they are because they work. So, it’s time to stop dissing the duds that the racing crowd uses and instead use them to enhance your ride!

 

CicLAvia

Unfortunately, I was not able to participate in the CicLAvia event in LA on Sunday (a personal engagement on the East Coast), but it sure is inspiring to hear it was a resounding success. Check out this link

http://la.streetsblog.org/2010/10/11/ciclavia-100000-cyclists-0-incidents-millions-of-stories/

for more info, especially the comments. City leaders, are you listening?