A new age where Knowledge & Technique are King

All sports advance. Whether you're sixteen or sixty, male or female, beginner or expert-when you ride your bike you should know the best techniques. You don't have to be a super athlete, just bring whatever ability you have, and let us teach you to exploit what you are capable of doing. The only thing you need is a commitment to learn.

This is not the seventies and many technological breakthroughs have taken place. We have the tools to teach, to make you better. Bike designs w/ geometry & construction materials have also changed. Why then has bike fitting taken so long to change? Why should you be forced to use old outdated bike fitting info and methods? Why don't retail stores care? Who has the tools to unveil the "TRUTH" of what you need?

Think about it, you don't have to be in the know to own a retail store. And if you did own a store why would you care about how someone rides. That is not your concern! You only want your money from pushing whatever brand you have on the floor.
Great for the dealer, bad for the person who wants to learn.

Even if you have some sort of sizing cycle, tool, or a basic plum-line, it is not just about the fit. People want to learn the "TRUTH" and there are very few places that teach you how your muscles are firing w/in the pedal stroke. Yes, teaching the better techniques/movements of the world's best athletes to other cyclist at all ability levels we can be a primary influence in the sport. Yes, education is the way to help you understand the dynamics of cycling. Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish is the key for that learning.

We are witnessing another technological breakthrough in cycling "TEACHING". But where does one go to get the biofeedback. Power meters only tell you the sum of the movements, it will not let you see what muscle is firing and when. So who is to say you need to have a certain bike setup w/o having the tools that provide the biofeedback data? Very soon, you will not have to take the word of someone who thinks you need something because they are the person who works on bikes every day, are your Coach,MD,PT,PA or they are the fastest fish in their pond! Very soon, dealers will hold the biofeedback tools that show you what you really need.

Thank goodness, for the power meter. The power meter has busted a lot of ideas on training how too! They are a great tool, but now we can even break it down to the single pedal stroke using Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish. The game will never be the same!!!

Here is how change occurs! It was not long ago, that old classic cross country skiing (plum-line) vs. skating (Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish), now that is the norm. After people learned the new skating, they describe it as "exciting...fast...dynamic...kinetic energy maximization..." But it took time for the results to change things. There where many professionals teaching the old school game. Nothing wrong w/ the old school, but it is not what won races. The same is being said after people use our Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish. Old school meet new school, things are changing! In the mean time, many are going to have to learn from the old school of someone telling you what they think you need to do! Better? Perhaps? But if someone uses our Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish, they see it, get and get better faster!

So what is a person to do? Here is how most retail stores work. Take skiing,you go buy your skis(bike), boots, etc..., at your local retail ski store, then you hit the slopes to learn on you own or you head to a ski school, or a join ski team to learn how to use them. Super, So where do you go to learn how to pedal? Who has the tools to teach you? Do you get a coach over the internet and instruct you? They don't have the biofeedback to show you what you need to do? Or you are very much on your own, after all there is not that much to riding a bike and I can keep up w/ my club. What's to learn anyway? The experts in my pond know! RIGHT!

It is ski season and as I look outside it is starting to snow. There are few hardcores jumping on their bikes for 2 1/2 hour ride. Perhaps everyone should get off the bike, get on the snow and learn how to bend a ski. It might do more for their pedal stroke and learning how to move than they know. Hope they have the focus and do the right moves or they are just learning bad motor skills for their base.

There is a lesson here, we learn from others and maybe we learn from the people we ride with? We know mass marketing impacts what we can learn. Ford is pushing their car & parts and Chevy are pushing their products. Then you have Porsche & BMW designs that perhaps care a bit more? Now think of the USA market and the 1,000 Chevy dealers and 1,000 Ford dealers? This is true, to become a dealer, you have to follow what they tell you. Sell,sell,sell!!! You don't make them money by teaching or caring how to drive the car. How about translating pedal power to the chain?

It's not the parts, it's how you put everything together. After that you still have to learn how to fire the muscles and learn the pedal stroke. Where can you go?

Why has cycling taken so long to unveil its secrets of movement? When Lance Armstrong was racing, do you think he was going to share w/ you what you need to do to take him out! Let's see, Tiger Woods is going to share w/ you what he knows to play on the PGA Tour? Come on! That is how they make their money.

So the next best thing is listen to the guy on TV who thinks they know what Lance or Tiger's muscle tone is when they make their moves. Do they know? Answer: NO! That is why they are now using software to break the movements down. The eye can't do that!

Back to the industry giants and how they have had a "gun-to-the-head" of their dealers. Dealing w/ specific fit needs "NOT". They want the dealers to sell bikes that they determine are the mass marketing needs. It cost the giants money to care!

Some brands market their brand by saying that if the dealer doesn't have their $$$$ sizing tool, plus 18 bikes on the floor, you don't become a dealer. Again, sizing a bike is some what a myth. We can fit you on a bike that is too small or too big. It mostly depends on what is it you want to do?

Just like skiing, we can fit you to long DH boards or shorter SL, but you will have a harder time dealing w/ the longer skis in tight turns or the bumps. So the question becomes what are the best-handling sizes for your game. Most brands come in sm,med,lg,xl to cover sizing. But the sales guy/gal has been told to sell what they have on the floor or else?

Look at skiing. Talk about understanding what is the best aero position. How getting your hands just so to mask your forearms, shaping your ski poles around everyhing allowing for a better tuck, allowing the eyes to see w/ the best head position, counter rotation, leg lead-change, hip angle allowing for the best use of the legs, all working as a moving counter weight for the legs to work. Understand in skiing, you can't make speed, you go w/ what the hill,surface and wind allows you.

Tiny margins make a huge difference in the sport of ski racing where 1,000th of a sec. makes a difference. And every country has their methods of looking for an edge! Skiers got into wind tunnels 30+ years ago! We found that sometimes being more aero will get you kill if your muscles don't work w/ the best range of motion at 45 to 70+mph. Look at the wrecks you see w/ tt setups!

This is important, we have a long history of looking for tiny margins. We know that is what makes a difference. Working w/ Olympic Champions from around the world. I mean people who won, not just one gold, but gold's! Working w/ the biggest names in the history of the skiing. Too many to name, but one comes to mind. James Major, the brother of Paul Major who was first a coach at CU, then being asked to work w/ the US Ski Team. James was the only North American named the head coach of a major European ski team. James Major was the coach for many years of World Cup, World Championship and Olympic medalist Ole Christian Furuseth. He used pictures to teach!

James is the co-author w/ Olle Larsson of a book "World Cup Technique"on ski technique and another on training methods. The book broke down the moves of the best in the game. They did not have the software we have today. He holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the U of Utah. As I know, his wife Helde Aune from Norway is currently the assistant coach of the UC Davis Gymnastics team and the Program Director of the Davis Diamonds Gymnastics program. In addition to coaching ski racing, James has coached ski racers and gymnasts in gymnastics programs for almost 30 years.

Why is this important. Because we are new to coaching and we have been working w/ the physical demands of sports at the highest level true experts/coaches for years. From World Cup to Pro Tour to NCAA Champions! We have a rich history of success w/ many, long before all of the cycling success. We are not new to elite level sports.
I will say, what you learn in your pond might not be what is needed to make it in the ocean!

Take just using video and reflectors. You need to know that skin moves and you "Can Not" track the true joint angles, nor understand the extremity kinematics.

How can you determine the muscle activation (tone)that in truth determines the outcome?

Anyone who has spent any time at all skiing at the World Cup level knows that we can tune your skis for a given course (bevel edge angles), cant your ski under the binding or from the ski boot, or w/in the ski boot w/ a footbed. They all do different things. A footbed is use to reduce the lag time of any movement in any direction (inward/outward,forward,backward,etc...) And some would say, you don't need them. They can even hurt you if you don't know what correct!

Too much and the knees may wear out, or the hips, or your lower back. Too little and they don't do you any good, power can be lost. Your ankle angle is a very large part of being good in skiing, being able to feel the slope, as it is in cycling. To adjust the flex of a boot for correct angling is determined by the speed you can handle of any event (Sl,GS,SG,DH Bumps,Gen). In cycling is harder to learn, as you have to learn your angles in space. The heel is not providing feedback.

Further more, the person on skis needs to learn how to ski, timing, pole plants, one pole, two poles, etc..., when to pressure, when to get on/off edge, down-weight, up-weight, dive downhill, thrust the hips forward after the turn, where the hands need to be in space, counter rotation, and on & on. Then you have all the different events SL,GS,SG,DH plus getting more aero.

Sounds like a lot? It is! So the next time you jump on your bike, regardless of the setup and that might not be what you want, and it can even hurt you? Run all this through your mind.

Even w/ the perfect bike setup, using a Power Tap, SRM or Garmin, you still have to pedal, to learn to ride. And most important of all, how to fire your muscles!!!

A preview of a Mythbuster coming in Jan 2007

This is the real deal. This is not some toy! Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish is changing the level of understanding.


Do you want to know how your muscles really work? How your motor unit recruitment patterns occur. Muscle tone provides the basis for resistance to gravity's pull, emotional tone, leading to your best movement. Without this biofeedback you are only guessing. Do you really want to waste your time on bad motor skills?

The pull of gravity is ubiquitous, and the muscles must respond to this call. On the other hand, if muscle fibers fired continuously in order to counter this force, they would soon become exhausted.

This means that the central nervous system rotates which motor units are firing w/in a given muscle group. We can show you what your muscles are doing long before you find the sum of muscles by only reading the wattage!

Congratulations To Georgia Gould (Luna) 2nd Overall in the USGP

What a season she had! You can't ask for more from anyone. She is one tough gal.

Note the two crowns above in the background! I didn't see it when I took the pic. I guess I should had moved to their right more to get the crowns over their heads. How funny!!!

If you don't know Georgia's face, she is the one on your left. Both gals where mtb 2006 NORBA champions, Georgia in mtb XC & Reba in mtb 24 hour. We have some really tough girls in Idaho.

Science has helped separate Georgia from the pack w/ cutting-edge techniques. This science allowed her to widen her (know how) lead over the competition. If you intend on racing w/ the pros, optimal racing performance is needed in this grueling sports event. These races are won or lost by very small margins.

At this level, a scientific approach is vital for optimizing performance.
Georgia Gould has a bright future!!!

What does it take?

What does it take for an young smart individual to race some of the most knowledgeable elite-level racers on earth? To battle North American's national champions.

Think about it, you are a newcomer and you have captured the lead in the USGP series until the very last day. There is only one race left and you have a chance to take the championships. How cool is that?

A big part of one's success and career is by "Demystifyling" how you bike is set up, what your muscles should be doing, not what you think they should because someone said so? You can't waist your racing career/seasons w/ confusing information. Sure you can read this and that and you will hear everything. But the numbers of sEMG don't lie.

Bold moves by Georgia placed her at the top of the elite-level cyclists,wearing the USGP leader's jersey for most of this 2006 season. Georgia was smart enough to take time (6 hours) to learn the "TRUTH" about your pedal stroke. Most just guess and go ride. She knows that she has taken it to the next level. Knowing truth is power!





With a second-place finish by Bessette and Gould's fourth-place finish, Bessette regained the USGP leader's jersey she relinquished to Gould after Gould's victory in Gloucester. Compton missed the opening weekend of USGP racing and is not in contention for the USGP title. Bessette now leads Gould by only six points.

It has been a "Great Run" by Georgia Gould no matter of the outcome today! What a year she has had.

Go to our Results and see what we do!

While sitting and attempting to describe to a freind what we do, I had Joe Brungardt who is a teacher to provide feedback on how he see's what we do. Here is his thoughts.

Consistency is the name of the game. Since 2001, when we took 5 National Championships up through this year 2006 season our count was around 20 National Championships in 2006 alone, plus a world.)
How do you backup what works? Our results speak for themselves!

YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!

We can teach you inside!


We can provide graphs that make it easy to understand!


We can even go outside!




We can focus on the game you want to play (road,tt,mtb,track,cyclocross,et...)
What is it you want to know?

Think about watching, learning everything you motor is doing i.e. which muscle is firing and how much and at what time, your heart rate, your cadence, your wattage, your speed and finding angles that make a difference? The game will never be the same!
Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish "Truth Inside & Out." while on your bike anywhere!

More than a promise, it's how we do business. What's in your game?

Coming Soon!

What is the "Truth" about your cleat placement?

You hear and read everything about cleat placement. Do this, try this,etc... You never hear info on what muscles impact your pedal stroke? No one talks about "what is the best line of pull for the muscles that make a difference? They don't even inform you about what muscle needs the "best range of motion"?

General info is just that!!! Most people don't understand that by adding a footbed changes the cleat placement? How can you determine the contraction of a muscle in question w/o using sEMG? How can you determine the best line of pull of muscles w/o Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish?

Free advise is just that, very general at the least? After all it is "Free." We don't care to waste our time nor yours w/ the generals, that is why we use science to nail the "Truth" about things.

Do your homework and study! It will do you well to study the Tibialis anterior and Extensor digitorum longus "why focus" on it? True, we not free, nor was our schooling & tools, they costed us huge time and money, but its correct when you leave.

A letter from a real mtb pro.

Hey guys! Would you think of using a different fit?

Do you like the Wobble-naught & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish? A smile is worth a thousand words!




I just sent a thank you to our friend "Chopper" for giving us a thumbs up to yet another pro. Greg Randolph is a much respected voice of mtb pros and road racers. He is the real deal and for those who don't know of him look his name up.

Chopper is the guy in the chicken outfit, standing w/ our good friend Whit. Why is this funny, because to see him ride is "Chicken Not." In fact I would say that most riders can't keep up w/ both Chopper or Whit. Look up Chopper and note who he is. Whit is Idaho's mtb state champion. Perhaps, your only time to watch them might be when they ride away from you.

I want to point out that "Chopper" paid for his bikes to be fit. Pros pay for our services.

The point here, if your product doesn't work, it will be found. Sure there are many mass marketing fitting systems that would like to cut our legs or our head off. But results and good words w/in the circle of pros is the real deal. Having the cash to write books, pay pros or hype things up might not be what you read or even see. It either works, obtaining the results or it doesn't. It takes brains to be good and for that brain to work the muscles correctly.

In our game, you become much like a chicken w/ his neck on the chopping block(Chopper)? You could loose your head! Racers will not use anything that doesn't make them faster. You can't give them free services that don't work or make sense, in most cases you can't even buy their respect, you have to earn it. If it is not the real deal, (their underground word) you neck will be cut off! Its black or white and no gray here. It works or not!

It is well know, that pros can hold a team contract,be on that team that uses a certain brand bike, etc..., but will ride another bike w/ a team paint job if it is that important to them. A lot of cycling is marketing.

Again, racers will do anything to gain an edge. That is why we have rules. Look at all the problems w/ so many pros using drugs to get an edge? We need to point out that this is not just in cycling, but in all sport. Even NASCAR pros get busted/fined each week through the whole season for some sort of edge over the field. They get hit w/ huge fines and move on until NASCAR change the rules.

We agree, that everyone should be on the same playing ground (run the same gas.) So we don't want to see someone running hot racing fuel, racing the next guy on regular gas! That is not sporting?

So, would you not agree that it is nice to see something that really makes a difference for so many pros. They simply "LEARN" what they need to do w/in head. Knowing how is what makes a difference! So where do you go to lern how?

Read what Chopper has to say!

Hey Tom

Not a problem. I think it is a great service and something which I confidently recommend people do. I see a lot of folks who are not enjoying riding as much as they could because their bike set up sucks so bad! If it is ok I would like to hit you up in the late winter/early spring to fit my new mtb and road bike. Other than that I really appreciate what you have done for our local kids and that program is really cool for them. Billy is going to start knocking it out of the park for you over the coming year I expect. At some point it would be cool to try this new stuff you have with the Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish but the main thing for a guy in my life now is to have a comfy bike.

Cheers Tom enjoy the big island!
Chopper

Greg Randolph
Bike Promotions and Marketing Manager
Smith Optics

Chopper did our Wobble-naught fit and our Myo-facts sEMG before adding the Dartfish. But even w/ the Wobble-naught CAD, we make you comfy, provide you w/ the most power. Now you learn what you muscle are doing, plus see the outside angles for the best line of pull and the best range of motion.

Do you really enjoy your riding? Do you know what your muscles are doing? Do you know the best line of pull? If you did not use our system, chances are you don't know the "TRUTH."

How can some mass maketing fit show you how your muscles are moving? Reading the power meter only tells you the sum of the muscles. It doesn't tell you which one is doing what? We take you to a "higher self." We change your brain!!!

Why are the best in the game using our service?

Because in any sport, why would anyone not want to be better. Do we play sport to see how poor we can be? Do we take pride for poor performance? Our tools simply allow you to tap into a "Higher Self." There is no better way to gain the "TRUTH" about what you need to focus on.

Even w/ our science, it is true many don't want to know what they are doing wrong?

Our last count was 15 "Stars & Stripes", but Kenny Williams pointed out that we did not add his results. Sorry! He informed us that he took 7 major wins and won many gold's on the track.

I would have posted his success sooner, but he was out "bow hunting for elk" in his home state in WA. It is said that we are what we eat and elk is high protein. They perhaps have the most powerful legs of any large game in North America. To see what they can do in the roughest moutains you can find is a sight to behold.

Elk are not dump, they are smart, and that is how they stay alive! Of course, the elk's streamlined long, narrow body and long legs are perfect for outrunning predators or wind-whipped wild fires. Even when a large predator, such as a grizzly bear, does bust up the herd with a sudden rush, the elk usually run off only a couple hundred yards and regroup. Sounds like Kenny when he wants to put the hammer down on his bike.

To get close to one of these powerful animals is a real contest. Western elk country is vast, and elk are not found everywhere, even in elk country. You better have the legs to climb to upper sub alpine regions of real mountains, not hills like back east. Talk about dryland training (toughest there is)! Most of the time you are above you start at 8,500 feet and go up and the air is thin. Then if you get one, you have to pack it out. That is not like your local gym or riding on a trainer.

Kenny is well know for outrunning (outcycling) his predators. If you know him, look at his legs, you will know what I have talking about. He doesn't just go to the gym or ride a trainer. He does some real dryland training in the snow, rain, etc...

We are a product of what we do (Body Adaptation.)

Guess who is on deck from Luna Chix for our WN fit & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish?

She is a really good rider and is a very complete athlete? She is a member of the strongest female squad in the entire cycling universe. Her coach ownes the distinction of being Lannce Armstrong's first coach. She was also a former Homecoming Queen.

Proprioception "Make Sense Of It All"

When we started our company, we didn't want to become a coaching company, but we are finding that many folks are not getting what they need to hear from the many coaching programs. Just jumping on a trainer is not going to make a difference in your proprioception. Get off the bike and take time to learn your motor skills!!!

Proprioception is the human body sense of joint position, pressure, and movement. During any sporting activity, proprioceptive information plays a key role in the control, organization, and timing of actions. So how does it work w/in the pedal stroke.

With regard to the knee and your motor skills, the sensory afferent information comes from mechanoreceptors situated in the cruciate ligaments, menisci, infrapatellar fat pad, and joint capsule.

In the fall if a athlete just trains on the bike, proprioception information can become a problem. Bad motor skills can come to play. Even w/ spinning, when the leg speed increases, you simple can't sense the mechanorecptors information. Your bike setup can be off and that can lead to a overuse issue.

In overuse soft tissue injuries, nerve endings and pathways may be damaged leading to impaired transmission of nerve impulses in a reflex action. This may result in impaired balance, reduced co-ordination and joint position sense, and a tendency for the knee to give way to wear & tear. Get off the bike and go do something else.

Proprioceptive exercises should be part of ones fall/winter training. The athlete should become more aware of his/her joint position sense. This will help w/ the correct pedal pattern, including alignment and position of the knee, and correct weight transmission during the stroke. plus help the proprioceptive input. We have found that many pedal in a poor pattern because they can't sense what is needed. They just sit in the saddle and pedal.

Here are a few things that can aid in your propriceptive needs. I think eveyone would agree that the pedal stroke is semi-weight bearing and the forces will increase w/ climbing. So perhaps off bike exercises should be as follows.

Proprioceptive exercises can be started in a partially weight bearing position such as sitting with feet placed on a rocker board and moving forwards and backwards. Proprioceptive exercises can progress to using unstable surfaces such as a rocker or balance board, a mini-trampoline, or a Pro Ski Fitter. Balance boards are used initially with two legs, then with one leg only, w/ gradual progression of difficulty.

Once the athlete can manage these tasks, jumping and hopping exercises can be undertaken, initially on a mini-trampoline, and then on the floor, adding twisting movements. Maybe a few weeks of , walking, running, snow skiing, something other than sitting on the bike.

Skipping can be used with different combinations of hopping including: on the spot; forwards; backwards; sideways; or single hops (on each leg). A sports cord can be used to resist motion when jumping and hopping. Agility and sports-specific drills also encourage an improvement in proprioception. Repetition of specific movements and actions helps to pre-program muscle activity which is important for neuromuscular control and joint stability.

Bottom line, get off the bike and get control of your movesments. It will make a difference in your ability to pedal better.

Not one week goes by w/o someone showing up w/ their saddle too low?

A joint is a structure of peculiar delicacy, and one that responds only too readily to injury. Man was not originally deigned to stand upright, and so it is natural that the weigh-bearing joints, in particular those of the lower limbs and vertebral column should be among the principal sufferers. Add gravity (hill work)and that changes everything as the loads increase.

You can buy the best tires in the world, but if the front end of the car is out of alignment they will wear out quicker. Now think of the chronic wear on the knees.

Rather than having a totally destructive effect on joints, it seems more likely that since we are semi-weight bearing while on the saddle moderate, regular exercise is beneficial. But the truth is anything over moderate can cause you problems.

Use the idea of hanging a plumb line from you knee and you are sure to get things off. For starters, no two people have the same knee cap size/thickness, nor foot size. What about the different sizes of upper & lower legs? Even the inclination and diameter of the pelvis can affect the "human link" chain.

Maybe that is why we consider the hip shape and size as part of the fit. Not just the knee over the ball of the foot.

We can't tell you how many knee problems we seem to relieve from a too low saddle. We ask how did you find you saddle height? They always come back that they used a plumb line?

Even w/ the perfect set up you still need to know how to pedal.

BIshop reported in stable condition!

Bishop is well know for his downhill speeds. The point here is if you going faster you wreck harder and this one really hurt!

After the incident, Bishop was reported in stable condition but will undergo an operation to treat two fractures on his nose and jaw that he suffered because of the accident.

A note from his coach Hunter Allen:

Jeremiah is doing better and I think he’ll fly home tomorrow. He’s pretty messed up, and I don’t think he’ll ride for a few weeks.

H

We hope he recovers quickly.

Rebecca Rusch takes 4th GC. In Costa Rica.

Women
1 Marg Fedyna (Can) bungalowboys.com 5.57.34
2 Hilary Harrison (USA) Kenda-Giant 21.53
3 Louis Kobin (USA) XFusion 26.16
4 Rebecca Rusch (USA) Specialized-Red Bull 42.11
5 Marla Streb (USA) Luna-Red Bull 1.00.19


General Classification

Open Men
1 Leonardo Hector Paez (Col) Full Dynami 14.01.52
2 Andrei Amador (CRC) BCR-Pizza Hut 24.41
3 Federico Ramirez (CRC) BCR-Pizza Hut 37.57
4 Deiver Esquivel (CRC) IBP 1.17.43
5 Marzio Deho (Ita) Olympia 1.19.18
6 Tinker Juarez (USA) Cannondale 1.21.21
7 Adam Craig (USA) Giant USA 1.43.00
8 Eddy Perez (CRC) Dos Pinos 1.44.03
9 Marvin Campos (CRC) IBP 1.51.47
10 Thomas Frischknecht (Sui) Swisspower-Scott 2.04.32

Women
1 Marg Fedyna (Can) bungalowboys.com 19.11.15
2 Louis Kobin (USA) XFusion 1.12.08
3 Hilary Harrison (USA) Kenda-Giant 1.27.52
4 Rebecca Rusch (USA) Specialized-Red Bull 2.21.29

Georgia Gould holds on to the USGP title.

Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Overall Series leader is Georgia Gould, by 10pts.

Even w/ the race Compton/Bessette battle today for the win,Georgia Gould (Luna) held on to the USGP title after battling back from mechnicals placing 3rd. She has place in the top 5 of her races in both mtb & cyclocross for most of the season.

After Gould finished third, retaining the series lead, she also collected the Adidas Most Aggressive Rider award.

Georgia is learning her ropes! She is young and taking many notes. She is becoming one of the strongest female racers in North America.

Bishop is out, so are a few teeth and his nose is out of place.

The strong performance of Bishop sitting in 2nd place in Costa Rica is over. He over cooked a turn and had a very hard crash. From what we know, he broke two teeth and his nose just a few k from the end of the second stage.

He had it going on, and it sounds like he was attempting to close the time gap on the leader on the downhill. There is always a point of no return and when it happens, it happens quick. Racing is pushing it to the limit and he did.

We hope he is going to be ok? We are just glad that he did not get hurt more!!!

Xilinx Cup, USGP #3, Gould takes 2nd.

Xilinx Cup, USGP #3- C1
Longmont, CO, USA, November 4, 2006

US Gran Prix of Cyclocross #3 in Longmont, Colorado, National Champion Katie Compton does well at home, as she takes another victory with a margin of more than one minute. We saw how tough she is after a hard crash last week.





Good for her after having her bike ripped off.

Our gal Georgia Gould took second in a sprint finish over Katerina Nash. Lyne Bessette and Melissa Thomas rounded out the top 5.

Results

Elite Women
1 Katie Compton (Spike)
2 Georgia Gould (Luna)

Jeremiah Bishop takes 2nd today in Costa Rica.

Hector Leonardo Paez (Full Dynamix) has taken a large lead in the La Ruta de los Conquistadores after the first day of racing. He put nearly 15 minutes in front of Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-VW). Bishop's obstacles were mainly mechanical problems: " ...my cassette broke to pieces...

Costa Rica's Andrei Amador (BCR Pizza Hut) preserved local pride with third, almost seven minutes behind Bishop.

Defending champion Thomas Frischknecht (Swisspower) fell of the leader's, succumbing to the heat and humidity - although going off course in the final 15 kilometers didn't help matters.

Results
1 Hector Leonardo Paez (Full Dynamix)
2 Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-VW)

A Word from Rebecca Rusch in Costa Rica.

(The following is from Rebecca who is already in Costa Rica and probably just about finishing the first day of competition. Race started at 5:15am Friday morning. )

Hello Everyone!
After three weeks of rest from one of the hardest races I've done (24-hr solo Worlds), I feel ready to go again. I am on my way out to a race called La Ruta de los Conquistadors that traverses the country of Costa Rica. It's a 3 day mountain bike stage race, so we stop in a new town every night. Sounds easy getting to sleep at night, right?! Well, this race is rumored to be more of an adventure than a bike race and average mileage times are exceedingly slow...less than 5 mph. It has the reputation of being one of the hardest bike races in the world with over 30,000 ft of climbing over 250 miles in 3 days. The course is full of mud, river crossings, very technical terrain, and of course snakes, bugs and the typical jungle bacteria. I think that keeping the bike running and being able to make the 5am start every day will be quite a challenge. There is also a really strong women's field, so I'll have my work cut out for me.

The website (www.adventurerace.com ) shows the daily profiles of the route and will also be doing regular updates. (Note from Mom: Be sure to click on "Last Minute" on the left to see stage map, elevations, race course surface, mileage, etc...loads of info.) After the race, I'm actually staying down there for a much needed beach vacation after a long, hard, good season!

Included below are some links from some really funny video clips from 24 Hour Solo World Championships. My sponsor from Light and Motion was there to capture some of the drama and it's quite eye-opening to watch my crew in action and see how completely spent I was towards the end of the race! So happy internet surfing!

Thanks again for reading and for keeping tabs on me. Mom will be sending out race updates and hopefully a few photos while I'm down in Costa Rica. Otherwise, I will be in touch again in mid November!

Have a great fall!
Rebecca

Don't get fit and then go race that same week!

We performed a fit on a racer/bioengineering student one night. A few days later we then used Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish to show her the % of muscles she was not using. She spent about 1 hour on our system. She then raced the next day. Ouch!!!

We never know how your bike might be set up? So things can change big time using our CAD. Her fit really changed. We then worked her over w/ the Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish, her muscles/body did not get a break. It should be pointed out that the biofeedback has you doing the moves correctly, so you are using muscles and a greater % of muscle fibers. You are going to be sore!!!

Sonya is bright and is going to grad school at CU in bio-engineering. No question, school is a place to learn. Lesson learned "Too much - Too soon." Her hamstrings got cooked. When you change you fit, one needs to give their body time to adapt!!!

We say, 30 days to train the muscles (on the bike) and 21 days to change the brain.

Read about it at her blog. sonyalooney.blogspot.com.

Only Three days till the La Ruta de los Conquistadores.

Can you say "Climbing-28,858 feet." It is less than three days until the 14th edition of the La Ruta de los Conquistadores. The event begins on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Today, the organisers held a press conference in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, with some of the top contenders, our man Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-VW).

Also on hand is our 24 hour Natonal Champ Rebecca and from what we understand the field is 40 deep.

Total distance: 176.4 miles.
Total climbing: 28,858 feet.
Total maximum finish time: 35 hours.