During the fitting process, we often hear about riders who experience numbness in their hands. This numbness is often correlated to compression or constriction of the nerve(s) and in the hand. Let’s talk nerdy with resident bike fit expert Coach Brady and examine the science behind this issue!
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Many individuals get into triathlon with a running or swimming background. Their first order of business is to purchase their first “real” bike. The question they ask us most often is, “What is the best bike to get?” Like many questions in the world of endurance sports, the simple answer is, “It depends.” That said, we do have some advice that might point you in the right direction.
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Should you foam roll after your next run or bike ride? Not all post-workout activities are created equal.
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Friends of Science of Speed know that we take great pride in our expert bike fits. Last year, we launched Bike Fit Box to bring that expertise to cyclists through virtual, at-home fittings. Now, Bike Fit Box is introducing a brand new service that is changing the game once again.
Bike Saddle Box is a first-of-its-kind saddle demo experience that allows cyclists to try out multiple saddles at home, on their very own bike for fourteen days.
This unique way to shop for saddles is built for convenience, which is the foundation of all the services we offer at Bike Fit Box. Cyclists can test ride these saddles at home on their own bike for as many rides as they like. They keep what you love, send back what you don’t. It’s that simple – and should always be this simple – to make your next ride more comfortable.
The Bike Saddle Box demo experience comes at a flat-rate cost of $75. Cyclists who opt to keep one or more saddles from the demo are charged for those saddles at a discounted rate following the completion of the demo period. More than 40 models are available to try from top brands like ISM, Pro, Selle Italia, WTB, Prologo, Fiz’i:k, Origin 8 and Terry.
Curious about Bike Fit Box and Bike Saddle Box? Learn more and book your at-home delivery today!
A question that athletes have been asking us a lot lately is: should I be using erg or resistance mode when I’m completing an interval workout on the bike training? As the answer often is with training, it depends… but here are some things to keep in mind as you decide which is best for you!
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So much of the fitness industry is telling you that dieting is how people get more fit. This may be true if weight loss is your goal – calorie deficits are the path to taking off weight. Though, if increased and sustained physical fitness is your goal, here’s a newsflash for you: it’s going to take more food.
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In the last ten years, we have seen an increasing trend in saddle manufacturers to create a short or no nose saddle. These saddles originated in Pro Tour TTs as athletes began cutting the nose of saddles off to make their seat fore/aft position meet UCI regulations. It later caught traction in triathlon due to the improved comfort and is now prominent in the road and off-road scenes.
Many cyclists wonder, “Will a noseless saddle work for me?” Here are some changes you might see if you switch to this saddle style.
Aggressive position
In this situation, the wider front of a noseless saddle provides greater support of the ischial rami and helps to alleviate numbness in many circumstances.
Further forward saddle position
Most riders sit further forward on a noseless saddle. This naturally moves the rider forward in relation to the saddle rails and provides an increased forward placement of the rider.
No more irritation from the saddle nose
For some cyclists the longer nose of a traditional saddle has a tendency to get in the way. By switching to a noseless saddle you can reduce chaffing in both the thigh and groin.
Curious about your bike saddle and how it affects the way you ride your bike? Learn more about our bike fitting services where we can dial in your saddle, cleats and cockpit for the ultimate riding experience.
“Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.” – Abraham Lincoln
If you didn’t just chuckle out loud, read that first line again. It’s so easy to trust the quotes, articles, and images that are served up to us online, including those about sport! As we scroll through our social media apps and click through our emails, you might see something and think, “Is that for real?”
You’re not alone! Coach Brady spotted this social media ad last week and it made him say, “Huh?”
He sat down to fact check this social media ad. Here’s his feedback:
“In the image and the description, the company states that pressure is put on the ‘pubis bone’ due to the necessary rotation of the pelvis for an aero/triathlon position.
It is true that we do have to rotate our pelvis forward in the aero position. It is also true that certain saddles and a bike fit that includes that saddle can help you avoid discomfort.
What’s misleading here is the idea that your rotation would be extreme enough that your weight and pressure is supported by the pubic symphysis (pubic bone.) That would result in a contact point in front of your genitals. This would not only be uncomfortable but very awkward from a positional standpoint. Ouch!
The change that actually occurs when we move to this position is from our ischial tuberosity on to the inferior rami of the ischium.”
Drawing By Henry Vandyke Carter – Henry Gray (1918) Anatomy of the Human Body (See “Book” section below)Bartleby.com: Gray’s Anatomy, Plate 235, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/…
If you ever have a question about training advice, technical specs, or the athlete’s body you see online, your Science of Speed coaches are here to confirm or debunk! Science is the first word in our brand name and we take that very seriously. It’s why our team is comprised of people with the highest level of education, experience, and expertise. We looking forward to hearing from you soon!
The early season, for many athletes, is a time to build aerobic capacity, improve inefficiencies or fine tune form. One, very common method of improvement that cyclists and triathletes use is fast pedal drills. I am certain the vast majority of you reading right now are, not only familiar with these drills, but have more than likely done them yourself.
Fast pedals often consist of very high cadence, 120+rpm pedaling, for 30-120 seconds. In these drills it is usually recommended that athletes pedal up to a cadence where they begin to bounce in the saddle and then slightly lower pedaling cadence down until bouncing stops.
“Why do this?” you may ask. The most common goal is to help athletes increase average cadence and smooth out the biomechanics of the pedal stroke.
Getting nerdy:
Ultimately the factor in improving pedaling biomechanics is to improve neuromuscular efficiency. This increase in efficiency is caused by an improved synchronization of motor unit firing (think muscles working in unison) and an improved ability to recruit motor units (think force production). In the end this leads to more efficient muscular contractions and more forceful contractions when needed.
With this goal in mind, I believe that it may be time you rethink your fast pedal approach. Instead of what you have done previously I recommend you try high cadence pedaling intervals. Where cadence is a factor as well as load. These intervals would be as follows:
5×6 minutes @ 88-90% of FTP
10RPM above your “comfortable” cadence
To properly train the body we are looking at not only the neuromuscular level but the entire system must be working in unison. My concern for many is that as cadence increases to the extremes biomechanics deteriorates and therefore muscle recruitment is not optimal.. If we go back to the old Vince Lombardi quote that “Practice does not make perfect, but perfect practice makes perfect” then fast pedals may be going about it all wrong.
Often times, goals are picked without all of the considerations in mind. Use the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting method to help try and select your goals for your future events, or even in life.
Specific – Picking a goal that is clear and well defined will increase your likelihood of achieving your goal. So, instead of a goal of “Improved performance,” chose something like “FTP of 250W,” or “I want to perform 5 workouts per week at a minimum of 60 minutes each, with two of them being an interval focus” Both of these goals keep in mind where you are currently at and where you want to be in the near future.
Measureable – A measurable goal allows you to track your progress, have bench marks and allows you to base success on something tangible. The Specific goals that were given in the previous point are perfect examples of this. You can track whether or not you achieved each of these at the conclusion
Attainable – Keep your goals challenging but realistic. If you are new to triathlon and have only run a 5k, cycled 15 miles and do not know how to swim it may not be in your best interest to want to set a goal to race a sub 11 hour Ironman in the next 12 months.
Relevant – Make sure these fit in with what is happening in the rest of your life and will support the rest of your life goals. As an endurance athlete with a lofty goal of an ultra marathon, having a secondary goal of joining the local crossfit box and doing 4 workouts a week does not support your initial goal.
Time Bound – You need to have a deadline to achieve your goals. Think of when you were in school. Often times that paper that was due in a month was done the night before or the days leading up to it. In this instance though you are not able to cram for success or possibly even completion.
As you are looking through your goals be sure that they are something that inspires and excites you. If the gain or potential result is not great enough to lead you to sacrifice in the necessary areas it may require then you are far less likely to achieve what you want.
Do you have your SMART goals already selected? Make sure your process goals are in line to steer you in the right direction and help improve your rate of success!