Chris Swan

While we haven’t had any super deep freezes yet here in Portland Oregon, its still cold out there and its good to take measures to keep warm and comfortable while riding.  I cant remember sending anything out with tips for cold weather riding yet, so thought I would.

When first heading out, ideally you want to wear enough that your a little cool when you first step outside, this will allow you to be the right temperature once your warmed up and moving along.  But if you have room its good to bring an extra wind jacket just in case.

Layer up.  It helps your skin to breath better, and allows you to unzip a layer as you need to for climbs or if you warm up.  I always bring an extra layer, even if its just a rain coat, on my rides this time of year to be sure I have something I can put on for a long descent, while Im changing a flat on the side of the road, or if it gets a little colder out than Im expected.  Especially since its pretty common for it to start raining mid ride around here, even if its sunny when you start your ride.

On your head, keep your ears covered for sure, head covering is great too, but at the lease cover your ears.  Another good trick for keeping your head warm in the winter, is to cover a couple of the vents on your helmet with clear packing tape.  This can make a big difference as it will greatly cut down on the freezing cold wind going through your cap.  And as long as its clear tape it wont look too funny.  I usually cover up some of the front vents and leave the back ones untapped for ventilation when I do this trick.

Fenders-keep them on all the time.  If its at all wet, this is one of the biggest things to help keep you warm.  Full fenders are the way to go if you can, but anything is better than nothing.  Even if its clear out, your likely to come across roads that are still wet from the last rainy.

Lights/viability- I always try to have lights on my bike this time of year.  Although were over the hump of short light hours and days are getting longer, our miles are getting longer now for most of us as we enter base miles for the upcoming  season, and it doesn’t take much of a set back to end up getting home after dark.  If its over cast, foggy, rainy, or I just feel like being safe Ill often have be running my lights in the day time as well.  And lights dont have to be restricted to your bike along as well.  Attaching an extra light to your jersey pocket, a head lamp, or light on the back of your helmet is another great way to get extra viability.  Brightly colored clothes are great as well.  Every chance you can use to get a little more visibility on the road is one you should take.  I usually avoid dark colored helmets whenever possible for this reason.  There are also tons of sticky reflective things you can pick up to help make you more visible as well.  I just got a strip of super reflective tape and stuck it along the length of the back of my fender.  It turned something that was pretty much invisible to drivers (black plastic?  Not so visible,) into a 1inch by 12inch strip of bright neon reflective material.  Its like the voice of heavenly angels is shining through my fender now lighting up the darkness for all to see behind me.  So, wherever you can find a spot to make yourself more noticeable on your bike or self can be worth it.

Food-be sure to bring a little extra food, I always find myself needing more food on these cold days to get through a ride and finish strong than I do for the same ride in the summer.  Even if my power tap says I burn the same number of kilojoules.  Be sure your packing along at least 300 calories for each hour of training your doing, and a bottle of water.  Be sure to drink as well, you have to remind yourself of this more frequently when its cold out, you generally aren’t as thirsty, but you are still losing hydration on the bike and in need of drinking even though its not hot out.  Be sure to pack the water along with you and keep on drinking it.

Hands and feet- Hand warmers can be helpful in the cold.  Put them right in your glove and keep your hands toasty.  On your feet, the trick is to put them on top of your shoe, in between your shoe and your booty (You do have booties on right?).  Other wise glove liners can be a handy trick, and Ive known people who will swap out wet glove liners with dry ones mid ride as well by bringing an extra pair with them in their pocket in a plastic bag.  I will also tape up over some of the vents in my shoes, all the ones on top are generally covered by your booties, but any vents on the sole of your shoe may be exposed with openings for the cleat or heal pad in your booties.  These ones can mean a big difference by putting a piece of tape over the bigger openings.  Thicker socks in the winter area also the way to go.  A good pair of winter gloves are worth it.  I have some lobster gloves that are pretty good and have served me well on some base miles through sub freezing temps, and even on base miles where Ive had to put on studded cross tires and get in some snowy mountain miles.

October.

That means the cold, wet, and dark that we call winter here in Portland is coming back.  I cant think of a better way to spend the winters in Portland by getting in some great cross training with your friends, so you come into the next season strong and ready to hit the ground running.

The training we do is focused on the intent to help support your goals as an endurance athlete, whether that means a couple of group rides or events a year or competing on a high level.  The classes are progressive, and structured so that you continue to be challenged to achieve maximum gains from the training through the whole series, unlike many classes, that follow more or less the same formula every class that leaves your fitness adapted and needing additional challenges to improve after a couple of weeks.  Don’t worry, this structure doesn’t eliminate your chances to jump in at any point, so feel free to come and try it out even if you have missed previous classes.

The training we do in the class include running, agility drills, plyometrics weights, core and stretching.  The goal is to provide weight bearing activity and movements that take you in all directions, so if you are stuck in one plane of movement with your main sport, this training can really benefit you by strengthening and supporting secondary muscle groups that are being neglected in your sport while the main muscle groups from are being overworked.  This is a common problem and can lead to muscle imbalances that eventually lead to injuries, aches and pains as the under trained groups start loosing the tug of war with the stronger groups.  Having a body that is strong in both primary and secondary muscle groups for your sport will help you reach your goals with increases overall performance gains, and a more balanced and comfortable body. This is achieved as lesser used muscle groups play a better role in supporting the primary movers.

The class lasts for 1 hour, starts at 6pm on Tuesday and Thursday nights.  The classes have already started, and go through the end of December, with no class on Thanksgiving.  The cost is 15$ a class, or buy a ten pack of classes for 125$.  Sign up and try out the next class here:

http://www.upperechelonfitness.com/training/classes-and-clinics/

Contact me if you have any questions about the classes, or just drop in on a class and we will catch up there!

I just figured I toss out some general cyclocross racing tips for getting ready since Im getting a lot of the same questions from clients lately.  First off, here is a short 45min warm up that is pretty good for cross that I like to do.  I will often times alter it based on what generally seems to work for a rider I am coaching, but here the one I like to use that seems really effective for most riders:

45min on trainer with trainer rear wheel and tire:

• 5 min endurance pace, 90-100 rpm
• 4 min tempo pace, 95 rpm
• 2 min rest
• 3 min threshold or just below at 100+ rpm
• 2 min rest
• 2 min hard effort, over threshold, 100 rpm
• 2 min rest
• 2 min hard effort, over threshold, 100+ rpm
• 5 min rest

Remove bike from trainer, put on race wheels and check equipment.

Another note on race prep, be sure that you gear is packed, cleaned, maintained, ready to go the day before the race.  You don’t want to be fidgeting around with anything right before the race, or find any problems in the gear.  This is cross, the bikes take a little extra TLC to balance out the mud and abuse they take than your road bike, so be sure to keep this in mind when planning out your weekend racing plans, and prepping your gear.

Racing this time of year has all sorts of weather, be prepared for whatever may come at you.  Once you start the race, you probably wont need a lot of extra clothes on you, a skinsuite with a base layer under it has been plenty warm on cold days for me, but during the warm up, you dont want keep as warm and loose as possible(not too warm, we dont want to get overheated in the warm up either!)  So the main goal is to have clothes for the warm up.  If you take a preview lap before your warm up, or right before you race, try to keep on any rain gear you have if its wet and muddy-nothing wrong with a preview lap with a clip on fender, rain pants and a rain coat on a muddy day-you dont want to start your warm up already wet and muddy, or be standing around at the start line getting cold.  Most rain gear is pretty easy to rip off at the last second and hand to your buddy or significant other at the start line right before the race start.

Another thing, dont eat ANYTHING in the 30min before race start, you dont need it.  Digesting will take blood away from your muscles that need it to make you go fast!  Its a short event, you should have more than enough energy stored in your body to propel you through the race without having to consume additional food.  The old Gu at the start line routine before a criterium, time trail or cross race really doesn’t do anything for you, and might actually slow you down due to the decrease in blood flow from your legs.  Of course, there is the side to things where the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, shutting down your digestion whether or not theres food in there, thus sending blood flow from your stomach back to your legs when you start racing.  If this is the case, your going to have food just sitting there waiting to cause cramps or extra trips to the porta johns before the race.  In the hour before the race starts, stay away from solid food, maybe a gel in the first 20min of your warm up if you really feel you need an extra kick(again, the extra kick is mostly a mental thing, sort of a placebo effect), but nothing after that.  My best crits, TTs & cross races where the ones where I went into them being a little bit hungry.  Eat a good breakfast 3 hours before the event, but dont really eat anything until after the race at that point.  A few small snacks up to 1hr before the race, but in the final hour of prep before the race I think its best to avoid eating if you can.  You aren’t gonna bonk in a cross race unless you haven’t eaten anything that day, and your going to have a smoother blood sugar level with no food in the stomach, which means you’ve got premium gas in the tank and not diesel.

This does exclude hydration, I think its good to stay hydrated right up until the race start, and if your race is longer than 30min, take a big swig a few minutes before your start and it will slowly be distributed as its needed.  Be sure to be continually sucking down a water bottle through your warm up.  It wont cause the same problems unused food will in your stomach during the race, and if your in a race with no water bottles, being more hydrated than the next guy is gonna be a good thing for you.

Keep tuned for more tips, or shoot me a message if you have questions!

So after a road season ending crash I took at the Eugene Celebration, I took it as a subtle hint that maybe this year I was not destined to have a full road season, and instead I was destined to race cross.  I mean, this is Oregon after all, and its hip to do cross.  After all, it has the highest attendance of any of the bicycle racing disciplines, kinda ironic given the number of people that are in it because they deem it as being counter culture, against the norm, or some form of rebellion against the sport of bike racing while still getting to race bikes.  But what ever the reasons, its just plain fun.  Especially given that fall and winter here is usually pretty cold and rainy.

So, back into the training and racing game!  First race back was pretty successful, managed to pull off a 4th place after a minor mishap that involved getting unclipped from both pedals simultaneously and the chain falling off, so I had to get off the bike, fix the chain, and then get back into the race.  Could have been worse, and I managed to claw my way back to the front group, only to have a side stitch that clawed its way under the right side of my lower rib cage, making responding to any hard efforts handed out by the guys pretty much impossible.

All in all, its good to be back in the saddle and racing again.

Ill be doing a little “Rules of Thumb for Bike Fitting” Presentation as part of the Lloyd Transit brown bag lunch series, on September 14th.  I just finished putting together a little hand out to cover some basics that I have picked up through my years of coaching and working at bike shops.  It might not solve every fit problem your experiencing, but it might help.  The best bet is to go talk to a professional in person to have your position assessed and have the changes made that you need based on good body mechanics and position, given from an experienced eye.  But, in the mean time, enjoy these little tips to help you find more comfort in your ride!

Initial Fitting Guidlines
Seat height-Stand straight against a wall, wearing whatever shoes you intend to ride with, then measure your inseam by holding a book horizontally, bringing it up between your legs, holding it firmly to you and the wall, step over the book(or have someone else measure) and measure the distance from the top of the book to the floor. Then take this number, multiply it by 1.09, and this should be the distance from your pedal at the BOTTOM of the stroke(measure your pedal in the 6 o’clock position, in line with the seat tube) to the top of the saddle.
Seat position-Level is key – the saddle should be perfectly level, or a slight tilt down in the nose. Too much forward tilt will cause you to slide off the saddle, causing back pain as your core and shoulder works to stabilize you on the saddle.
Fore/Aft saddle position – make a plum bob using a weight of some sort and a string. While seated on the bike, have your feet and pedals at 3 and 9 o’clock, have the plum bob dangling from the end of your femur by feeling your knee cap, then slide just to the inside of your leg, to where it is hard bone, and you have dropped off your knee cap(this is the femur) drop the weighted string from this point, it should be at or behind the spindle of the pedal.
Upper body-you should be able to COMFORTABLY reach your brakes and shifters. While sitting within reach of the brakes, you should have your arms slightly bent. Ideally, you want some weight on your arms and to not be in a completely upright position-this takes some weight off your sit bones(less saddle sore!) and allows vibrations to be more evenly disbursed through your core, and not up your spinal column as you ride. It also allows some more weight on the front wheel, producing better control and braking of the bicycle.
Common pains, possible causes, and possible fixes
Pain in the back of the knee- Saddle too high(lower saddle!), saddle too far back(slide forward!).
Outside Knee pain- Saddle too low(raise saddle!), Tight Hamstrings(Stretch!), Toes pointed in on pedals (point further out).
Inside knee pain-toes pointed out(point more inward!) stance on pedals too wide(narrow stance).
Front knee pain- Saddle too low(Raise Saddle!), Saddle too far forward(Slide back on rails!), Cadence too low(pedal faster in easier gears!), Crank too long(buy a shorter crank).
Neck and Shoulder pain- Saddle has too much tilt (neutralize/level), improper reach to handle bars(get shorter/longer stem), Handle bar too low(raise handle bars).
Low back pain-Handle bars too far away(get smaller stem/smaller frame), Bars too Low(raise), Too much tilt in Saddle(Neutralize/level saddle), poor core strength/leg flexibility(core work/stretch legs especially ham strings).
Chris Swan-Upper Echelon Fitness Cycling Coach – chris@chrisswan.com – (541) 556-8815
Sore hips – Saddle is likely too low (raise saddle!).
Numbness or painful hands-too much tilt in saddle(Level saddle), not enough padding(new bar tape/grips/gloves), improper reach(shorten/lengthen stem).
Numbness or Pain in feet-poor cleat position, shoe too small(size up for cycling shoes!), shoe not stiff enough(cycling specific shoes are STIFF to distribute weight).
Pain/discomfort on sit bones-wear cycling specific shorts(have pads built in, and less chafing as well!), try a different saddle(more padding does not always mean more comfort! Some shops allow you to demo saddles), more time in the saddle(not what people usually want to hear, but it works!).
These are only some TIPS, getting a perfect fit to your bike takes time, trial and error, and experience. Once you have a fit you like (and definitely before you make any equipment changes on your bike), be sure to take the measurements of the distances from your saddle to pedals, reach to bars, drop in bars, and position of the saddle. One other thing to keep in mind is that there are subtle differences between equipment sizes. For example, if you purchase a new saddle, the new saddle may sit shorter from the rails to the top of the saddle, effectively lowering your seat post when you put on the new saddle. Always measure and re-measure when replacing/trying out new parts. If you still are not achieving comfort while on your bike after trying some home trouble shooting, talk to your local professional bike fitter about scheduling an appointment to be fitted to your bicycle. Keep in mind, that many local shops don’t offer a professional level fitting, just a basic fitting with a few tools to get you in the ball park, so don’t be afraid to shop around a little for the right person. An experienced eye of someone who fits several people a day, experienced in body mechanics and focuses on body mechanics in cycling can make wonders! Riding your bike should not be an uncomfortable experience!

Its November, the days are getting shorter, and the weather colder and wetter.  What better excuse than to come partake in some classes at UEF!  I have a cross training class for cyclists on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6:30pm-7:30pm, and a Trainer Class on Wednesdays from 6pm-7pm which fits this need perfectly!

The cross training class focuses on strengthening both primary and secondary muscles used in cycling, in order to balance cyclists out as athletes, and build a solid foundation of fitness ready to hit the miles hard, and be ready to perform come race season.  The cross training includes agility drills, weights, plyometrics, core and stretching.

The Trainer class is an hour long class, focusing on improving cadence, and aerobic endurance, with fast paced workouts designed to keep you riding strong through the off season.  No trainer? No problem!  We have a large variety of trainers and rollers at the space, so all you need to bring is you, your bike, and the ambition to train hard!

The cross training classes run on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and go from 6:30pm-7:30pm.  Come wearing workout clothes, running shoes.

The trainer class is on Wednesdays, from 6pm-7pm.  Bring your bike and kit, show up a few minutes early to get your bike on the trainer and ready to roll by 6pm.

The classes are $15 each, or buy a ten pack of classes at a reduced price, which also allows you to mix and match your classes getting a little bit of the full spectrum of training!  Check out the Upper Echelon Website for more details and to sign up for the classes!

Well after a long, but very fast moving, off season is done, its time for an even longer, and faster moving, race season to come back.  So far Ive done 2 races this year, Cherry Pie and Sublime.  Skipped Jack Frost this year, it seems to be becoming an every other year sort of race for me, to enjoy the nice weather.  It was such a nice day out, I thought that a good long training ride would be a much better way of honoring it  rather than riding so hard you forget that its a nice day in the first place.

Cherry pie had a good showing as usual, but  me and my team missed the break, whoops.

Then it was Sublime.  It had a few more heavy hitters in the field than last year did, and I managed to get back on the podium, but once again, missed the break…whoops again.

Sublime was a race of attrition, which you would know pretty well if you raced it.  If you havn’t raced it, looking at the profile it doesn’t look too menacing, but it is.  If you dont like to climb, you may not like this race.  But you should still give it a try, if nothing else to build some character and make yourself a better bike racer by learning to suffer a little more.  Dave Kuhns puts on a great race, he is fast becoming a top notch race promotor.

In other news, training is good, the team is looking good and we have a lot of new support that we didnt have last year.  Some of which includes Blue Cycles, Ill be riding on their AC1 this year.  For nutrition we have Dr Will Bars; these are addictive, and prove to be the best bar Ive tried on the bike so far.  We also have Nuun, which is a great electrolyte product, and another food that I would happily eat on or off the bike.

Other new things for the 2010 race season include becoming a portland resident.  I miss the training in Eugene, it has some of the best roads I have ridden on by far.  Ill miss the Thursday night group rides, and the Tuesday Night crits-which are the hardest crits in Oregon, aside from Cascade Cycling Classics NRC downtwon crit, and I have the power files to prove it.  The plus side of living in portland is that there are some better climbs, and all the racing is closer.  That and living in what has been voted the best cycling town in the country is pretty cool.

This weekend is the first banana belt, Im hoping it will be a nice day, but knowing the history of the weather for these races, Im not going to be too surprised if there is sleet, rain or snow on the sides of the road.

Should be fun.  All in all, 2009 season was good, but Im confident that 2010 will be even better.

The end of the season is near for us Oregon bike racers.  California still has a lot of action going through September(why don’t we here in Oregon?  The banana belts should be in September instead of march, way better weather!) but here its cross time.  I guess that’s no surprise, I think it would be a tough case to argue against that Oregon has the best cross scene in the nation, with cross stuff going on every week, all over the place, and the huge numbers that turn out to races such as the Cross Crusade.  All that and some of the top cross racers in the nation hang out here.

But I still have a bit of California racer blood in my legs, and have a hard time saying goodbye to road races in august.  Ill have to  catch some of the early season cross races before saying so long to the start line this season.

Ill also spend some more time exploring new roads on the cross bike, and climbing incredibly steep hills only to bonk half way up, and eating blackberries on the side of the path to get the sugar needed to make it back.  Yep, sounds like some good times.

The road season is winding down, and that means one thing-Cross season is coming out to play!

That means its time to dust off the cross bike, and get it up and running again.  I got my bike tuned up and working again just in time to go help out at the cross clinic.  I got it put together just in time, but could have used a few rides on it before heading to the clinic, where the cable stretch from a new shifter and cables made using any of the easier gears on the hill impossible.  But luckily for me, I was mostly able to sit back, as I was paired with Molly Cameron to instruct, and didn’t have much to add as Molly really knows cyclocross like non other.  We had a great sized group of riders, small enough that its nearly one on one instruction, and everyone is able to get adequate attention.  It was a good time, I’m already looking forward to next weeks session.  Hopefully Ill have a fully tuned up bike now that I’ve got the time to get some miles on it and work out its issues.