SPEZI European Bike show

I was fortunate to attend the SPEZI 2023 show in Lauchringen, Germany. The show featured manufacturers and dealers representing a wide range of specialty bikes. The show was in an industrial area of the city and was home to an indoor test track and an extended outdoor test track.

The cycles ranged from enclosed pedal cars to folding bikes and tandems. If you could imagine it, someone at the show had it. The show showcased accessory manufacturers as well. Thousands of people from all over Europe attended.

Want to know more about the show? Gary Solomon’s Laidback Bike Report on YouTube has tons of great show content. If you would like to experience your own personal walkthrough of the show, just click the button.

Building Endurance

Go Farther. Go Faster.

How far can you ride in one day? Christoph Stasser decided to find out. On March 21st, 2015 he hit the velodrome and rode, and rode, and rode....for 24 hours. At the end of that incredible day he had completed nearly 522 miles in a single day. Your goals may be very different, but the process for reaching the goal is similar.

Embrace Reality 

No matter where you are going, the first step is to admit where you are now. If you have never ridden more than five miles in a day, your chance of completing a century ride or metric century ride is about zero. However if you start with five miles today and add one or two miles each day, you will be able to crush that ride in a few months.

See Your Future

The next key to building endurance is to have a target. It could be something you came up with like riding one mile for each year on your birthday or completing a charity ride of 40 miles. Whatever the target, it needs to have a date associated with it. Saying “someday I would like to...” won’t work. You need to have a firm date to complete your goal even if the thought of doing it today makes you want to pass out.

Set The Course

Once you know the distance and the time you can chart your course from your current ability to what you will need to accomplish the goal. You don’t need to ride everyday, but you need to have increasing total mileage each week. You don’t want to stagnate, you have a goal to reach! Mix up your distance and level of effort on your rides to keep it interesting while ramping up your total miles.Remember to have fun, this is something you are choosing to do not something you have to do. The good news is once you can do 80% of your goal in one day, you have enough miles in the tank to do the whole thing.  You will be shocked at what you can accomplish. 

When I started training for a long-distance event I was ok riding 10 miles, but 30 or 40 in one day was out of the question. After sticking with my weekly riding plan I was easily doing 30 miles, then 50 miles, then 80 miles, then 100 miles.

Celebrate!

After you hit your mileage goal or complete your event, don’t forget to celebrate. Take pictures, get a T-shirt, tell your friends, post your time on social media. Then set your next goal and recruit some friends to join you. Training is more fun together!

Pedal Forward!

SHIFTY BUSINESS

Improve your ride with smart shifting techniques!

Your bike probably has a lot more gears than you use on a typical ride. Knowing how to  use them correctly can be the difference between fun and frustration.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your shifting.

It Starts With Your Cadence

It may seem counter-intuitive, but a steady cadence is the key to getting the most from your bike. Some people think they have to pedal as hard or as fast as they can until they can’t keep up the pace and then have to slow down and recover. Like a hamster in a wheel they look busy but don’t go that far. The truth is your cadence shouldn’t be different on a flat road or climbing a hill. The goal is to keep a steady “I could do this all day” pace.

While professional riders may spin at 85-95 RPMs, you will probably be happier at a slower pace. I find that a casual rider can maintain 60 RPMs without too much trouble, although some will have to work up to that pace. This pace allows good speed without over taxing the heart and lungs, resulting in longer more enjoyable rides. Mastering easy spinning of the pedals will make it possible (with enough practice) to go as far as you want. You can go 10 miles or 50 miles depending on your cadence and effort. The more you stay in a comfortable range the longer you can ride.

My cadence is fairly steady no matter if I am going 10 mph, 20 mph, uphill or downhill. If I am trying to sprint I might get my cadence up to around 90, but as soon as the sprint is over, my cadence goes back to normal. I try to keep my cadence and effort steady so I don’t burn all my energy before my ride is done. On days where I don’t have much time to ride I pick up my pace and on longer rides I tone it down.

Shifting Basics

Most bikes or trikes have two or three gears in front and a cassette of gears in the back. Think of the front set of gears as the big jumps and the cassette as smaller steps.  For the cassette, the largest gear is the easiest and the smallest gear is the hardest. So if you are going up a hill, you might want to shift to the smaller ring in front and a larger gear in back. Once you get to the top, you would shift to a larger gear in front and a smaller gear in back to go fast downhill.  

How to Know When to Shift

Knowing when to shift is easy when you know what to look for. The signal to shift is whenever something changes in your effort or cadence. If you are finding it more difficult to keep your steady pace that means you need to shift down to an easier gear. If you find it too easy to pedal, shift to a harder gear. Simple!  The problem is sometimes you ignore the signal and decide to power through. Smashing a gear that is too tough is a good way to reduce your range and potentially hurt your knees. Just like a pulley makes it easier to lift a heavy weight, spinning gears at a faster pace with lighter effort is better because you do the same work with less effort.

Shift Before You Need It

If you about to climb an overpass, shift right before the incline starts. You might need to shift down two or three gears to get to one that allows you to keep an even effort and cadence. Of course some hills are long enough or steep enough that you run out of easier gears and have to suffer to the top. When I was riding in Colorado there were plenty of times I was wishing for more gears (and more Oxygen). Don’t forget to plan ahead for stopping. You don’t want to be stuck starting in a gear that is too hard!

Practice Good Technique

On your next ride, try to maintain a 60 RPMs. Get to that pace and see how you feel. If it feels too hard, shift down to a gear you can keep that pace going.  If you can’t sustain that pace no matter what gear you choose, try working up to that pace by maintaining it for a minute or two and then resting. Then work on getting to five or ten minutes. Before you know it you will be going for an hour and be surprised how easy it seems.

Have questions or ideas for topics you want me to cover? Send me a note

Why Your Next Bike Should be a Recumbent

Ask people why they don’t ride a recumbent bike and most will say something like “I don’t need one yet” or “I have a regular bike”.  People go to great lengths to make their diamond-frame bikes more comfortable. Raise the handlebars, tilt the seat, wear padded shorts and gloves, the list is almost endless. Yet after a long ride, most riders admit to being uncomfortable. Recumbents let you ride with your upper body relaxed so you get off the bike without all the pain and numbness associated with traditional bike designs. Plus, you don’t need special clothing to make recumbents comfortable. Think of your position on a regular bike and your position on a recumbent. A regular bike has you in the unnatural position of sitting hunched over with your neck at an angle with your weight on the seat, handlebars and pedals. On an upright bike you are always watching the next six feet of road.

Recumbents position you with your legs in front of you and your body in a more relaxed position. If someone asked if you would rather watch a show sitting on a sawhorse with your hands on the front of it, or sitting in a chair with your feet up, what would you choose?  Seems obvious when you think of it that way. It is also easier to breath on a recumbent. When you are hunched over the bars of an upright bike it is more difficult to get a deep breath. The problem gets worse the longer you ride because as you tire, you tend to slump even more. The recumbent positions your body in a much more natural position where your upper body can relax and your lungs can do their job without struggling to get enough air.

No matter the type of riding you do, there is a recumbent for you.  Recumbents come in all varieties from fat-tire off-road trikes to recumbent bikes that can blow the wheels off of the fastest diamond-frame bikes.  In fact, in 1938 the International Cycling Union banned recumbent bikes from most competitions because they had an “unfair advantage”. The fact is the fastest recorded speed on a bike is on a recumbent. The aerodynamics are so much better on a recumbent because you are pushing a much smaller block of air than an upright bike. It’s like the difference between a perfect dive and a belly flop. You still feel headwinds on recumbents, but they are much less of a problem. Now I am not claiming that buying a recumbent will make you faster than the average roadie. Speed is a function of the “engine and the incline”. I have personally found similar performance results on a recumbent and on a diamond frame. The big difference for me is comfort.

If you are looking into getting a new bike without considering recumbents, I think you are making a mistake. If you don’t know what it is like to ride a recumbent, why not stop by the shop and give it a try?

Three Ways You are Killing Your Drivetrain

There is nothing like riding with a smooth, quiet drivetrain. Over time, it is easy to take the health of your drivetrain for granted and overlook the noises that you start to hear when riding.  Here are the top three chain issues we see at the shop:

Problem One - Not Cleaning Your Chain

Maintaining your chain is one of the easiest things you can do yourself and is the best way to avoid future repair bills.  All you need to clean your chain is a rag and a spray bottle with water and a little bit of Dawn dishwashing liquid. Just spray the lightly soapy water on the chain and wipe it off.  Even if you just wipe your chain once a week with a dry rag you will be way ahead of most people.

Dirty chains pick up dirt and sand that wear on your components with every pedal stroke. Left unchecked, this means that both your chain and cassette will wear out faster than they should.

Problem Two - Ignoring Chain Wear

Speaking of wear, your chain should be replaced every 2,000 - 2,500 miles depending on how well you maintain your chain. As the miles add up, the links in the chain deteriorate increasing the distance between links causing poor shifting and noise.

I know what you are thinking, “sure checking that would be easy if I had a fancy chain-checking tool like you have at the shop”. The fact is, you can do a pretty good check with a ruler. Just line up the end of the ruler on a chain pin and count 23 more pins. The 12” line should line up with a pin.  If it doesn’t you probably need a chain.

Problem Three - Not Drying Off After a Wet Ride

We have all been there, you cut your ride short because a sudden storm has left you drenched and miserable.  You race inside to take a shower and get some dry clothes leaving your bike wet in the garage or worse, out in the elements to fend for itself. Water is the enemy of your drivetrain. Water causes the lube to come out of the links leaving corrosion in its wake.

A quick wipe down with a rag does wonders for keeping your chain healthy and it only takes a few seconds.

Bonus - Don’t Kill Your Chain With Kindness!

As bad as the three main problems are, Over lubricating can be just as bad. Too much lube picks up dirt and grit and immediately goes to work destroying your cassette. I have seen chains with so much lube they look like they were pulled from the La Brea Tar Pits! More lube is not the answer. If you need to know how to clean your chain the right way, stop by the shop for a free lesson! I am happy to show you where and how to lube your chain.

How to find the right recumbent

Finding the right trike can be fun...

To find the perfect trike, you need to understand what you want to accomplish with the trike and what sort of riding you are most comfortable doing. If you are riding on the beach you need a different setup than if you want to ride paved trails. Here are some basics to consider when buying a recumbent.

Two or three?

Two-wheel recumbents are great for some, but not for others. Two-wheel recumbents require much of the same bike handling skills and balance of a traditional bike and are a good option for riders who like traditional bikes but want a more comfortable riding style. 

Three-wheeled recumbents are comfortable and easy to ride. Just sit and pedal! The public is seeing more and more three wheelers and are discovering how much fun can be. These recumbents sit lower and handle like a sports car. Plus, riding a recumbent means you keep your head up and seeing what's around you instead of just looking at the next two feet.

To Fold or not to Fold?

Folding bikes can be stored or transported in a smaller space, but they generally cost more than similarly equipped non-folding models. You should carefully weigh the benefits of folding and decided how frequently you need to do it to see if it is worthwhile.

How Big?

Should you get a larger rear wheel or have all the wheels the same? There is some debate about wheel size and how it impacts speed and acceleration, but it really comes down to gear selection. If a 20" bike and a 26" bike are in the exact same gear, the smaller wheel will accelerate faster, but the 26" will maintain a higher speed easier. Change the gear ratios, and the story changes. That's why some manufacturers (I am looking at you Greenspeed) don't offer a 26" rear wheel. They make up for smaller wheels with a wide gear ratio.

How Comfortable?

No bike or trike is worth it if you are uncomfortable. Some brands and models will fit your body better than others. This is where you can't just look at what other people say about the trike and try it for yourself. Once you find a style that fits your body, you can customize your fit with things like a headrest.

Of course feeling every crack in the pavement may not be your idea of a good time, so you might consider trying trikes with a suspension system. Suspensions tend to give a smoother, more comfortable ride and will increase the overall cornering of the trike. Suspension costs and weighs more than a bike without, so you need to try both suspended and non-suspended trikes to see which is the best fit for your riding style. 

How Much?

Figuring out how much you are willing to spend will also make the decision easier. There is no need looking at a $4,000 trike if your max budget is only $1,000. However, if you find a trike that you like for $2,500, you don't have to spend your entire budget.  You are in control. 

Making your trike unique

Nobody is exactly the same, so why should your trike look just like everyone else's? You can personalize your trike with custom paint, drive train and braking options as well as unique accessories that separate you from the pack.  Some customizations are obvious while other changes may just give you a better comfort or performance. Most components on your trike can be customized to give you the look you want. Want tires with more aggressive tread? How about a bell or horn to announce your arrival? We specialize in delivering just solutions to make your trike stand out from the crowd.  

Top 10 Reasons to Recumbent

1. Recumbents are fun! Zipping around town in a recumbent feels like driving a go-cart. They corner easily and give you great road feel. Want to kick it up a notch? Most recumbents can accommodate an electric-assist motor that can go 20 MPH.

2. Recumbents are comfortable! Sitting in a recumbent feels more like sitting on a chair with your feet up. My customers describe the feeling as “Relaxercising”. Unlike traditional bikes, there are no pressure points on your hands, wrists, shoulders or backside!

3. Recumbents make exercising easier. The fun of riding a recumbent makes you want to ride. You start looking for reasons to do more riding. If you want to take a break. just pull over, put on the brake, and start again when you are ready.

4. Recumbents are stable. You spend no effort balancing, so you can focus on the fun of riding. People with balance issues can get back to an active lifestyle with recumbents.

5. Recumbents eliminate the “hunchback”. Instead of riding in an unnatural position, you ride in a back-friendly way that leaves you feeling relaxed and refreshed. It is easier to enjoy the scenery around you when your head is in a natural position. Want even more comfort? Most recumbents can be fitted with a headrest.

6. Recumbents are safe. The wider footprint of recumbents actually encourages drivers to give you a wider birth as they pass. The lower seating position also means you don’t ever have to worry about falling off your bike.

7. Recumbents are aerodynamic. The lower profile of recumbents means more of your effort goes to moving the bike forward instead of fighting wind resistance allowing you to ride longer and feel better when you finish.

8. Recumbents are fast. The fastest human-powered vehicle is a recumbent that went over 85 MPH (your results may vary). Generally speaking, people find recumbents faster than uprights with the same effort. It takes a little while for your muscles to adapt to a different riding position, but once they do, look out!

9. Recumbents are adaptable. Not only are recumbents easier to comfortably fit a wide range of people, they can be adapted for wounded warriors or people with physical challenges.

10. Recumbents riders are instant celebrities. Don’t believe me? Try riding a recumbent on your local trail and see how many positive comments and questions you get. Once your friends try it, they will want one too!

The Secret to Powerful Pedaling

On of the best ways to improve your recumbent bike experience is to improve the way you pedal. Most people spend their time on the bike and don’t spend much time thinking about how they pedal. It seems simple, pedal harder, go faster. In reality, the best way to go faster is probably to pedal smarter rather than harder. If you are not using the whole pedal stroke to provide power, you are not being as efficient as you could be.

MAKE A CONNECTION

Power is transferred to your bike through the pedals. The better the connection, the more power is transferred. That’s why I recommend using clipped shoes and pedals. Clipping a shoe into your pedals not only gives you a safe secure base for pedaling, it also gives you more power. When I switched to clips, I felt like I had another gear. Most people report having 15 -20% more power when clipped into pedals. That kind of power can be used to go faster or farther with less effort than riding on traditional pedals.

LINE IT UP

Without clips it is easy to have your feet improperly aligned with the pedal. In order to have the right connection, the middle of the pedal needs to be directly under the ball of your foot. Improper alignment is not only inefficient, it can also make your feet and knees sore. Clipping in makes sure that your foot always gets the most out of each stroke while keeping your comfortable.

CIRCLES NOT LINES

Pedaling without being clipped into the pedal forces you to pedal left, right, left, right, pushing each pedal away from you. Clipping in lets you use the whole pedal stroke, not just the half where you are pushing the pedal. Using both the push and pull part of the pedal stroke gives you more power and spreads the work to different leg muscles. The best pedal stroke applies power in a circle rather than in straight lines. In other words, you should be pulling one pedal down and back while pushing the other pedal up and over the top of your stroke. A good way to feel this action is to unclip one foot and rest it on the boom tube while pedaling with one foot. This will help you develop a strong pedal stroke. Practice one leg at a time and then when you put it together you will be surprised at your increase in power.