Race Camp in Greenville, SC... "Kenda Team"

Race camp for the Kenda Pro Team just went down. Wow! It was based in downtown Greenville, SC and tons of work. The land of George Hincapie and his company Hincapie Sports Wear who was part of the camp. George's brother Rich runs the Hincapie Sports Wear. We even had some meetings in their office.

I already knew why a pro roadie like George Hincapie would want to live in an area, its the rides, some of the best in the US, over hanging trees, banked curves, steep uphills and downhills. The land of NASCAR, you learn how to drive on banked roads, there are few straigths! Miss a turn and you go off a mountain! Don't ride in the back of the car or you will get car sick! The drive ways are even steep enough for car tires to leave skid ma

rks on dry surfaces! Maybe that's why German BMW make their cars here? A good test track every where you go! Put rain or snow on these roads and look out!

Lot of uphill rides that head up to the mountains of N.C. If you've ever watched "The Last Mohican" it was made just north of here in the mountains of N.C. Some very long uphill rides up some very narrow roads with a lot of turns. One is Caesars Head Rd. that heads up from Travelers, S.C., to the alpine town of Brevard, NC where I grew up! We even had a mountain home up at Caesars Head area and recall my dad driving the car down our mountain road like a bob-sled run "the roads are very banked" and that day it had snowed 2 1/2 feet. I know the roads very well, steep and tons of banked curves!

Only about 100 hours of work to do in 5 days! Things start at 7am and go none stop, no lunch, like last night till 1 am, just lucky to have 5 WN dealers on hand to be of help! With all the work, people can make mistakes and they did. The main point is we work things out before we all leave. Think about the 20 pro and being willing to try something new? But it can work!

It's not easy to do a whole team and with multi USA Championship like Scottie Weiss who does the design work for Hincapie Sports Wear you need to pay attention! He knows what his body can and can't do! We had so much going on the first day that a mistake was made on the degree angle of his seat post. First ride, going hard, he knew it!

"Any time you think you have influence, try ordering around someone else's dog."

That's all it takes, enter a wrong number and the solution will be off. It goes to show you how important and concise our numbers are. After re-measurement, we had Scottie Weiss right where he had taken 20 years to learn, but even more refined! On top of that, we found a leg difference of 1cm on his left leg due to a very bad bike wreck, he fractured his hip.

Once again, it shows how important it is to find the bones (hard parts) and their shapes! This would not had been found with just video, as the muscles of the hips hinder a lot. Even if we place a (led) or dot, that dot or (led) is going to move because it is on the bibs, or skin.

All solutions done, Sunday races canceled, and the temps are really dropping. We have a 2 hour drive in what looks like a river on the road while we are pulling a trailer and by the time we get near our airport, it is snowing and I mean as hard! Cars wrecked everywhere. It only took 2 days to get home and one of my friends Remi, long time WN user, also a USA National Elite Road Champ, wife is headed to bring their new baby into the world.

Race camp never stops for us, it is what we do for a living, 24/7! We not only stack the bones correctly, teach you what you need to work on, but get results e.g. getting people into breakaways like the Tour of CA.

The new Kenda Pro Team has new members on staff and two that worked with Rock Racing last year. They tell us that most of the team had major knees issues all year with their bike set ups! Careful you don't use someone who thinks they know what you need and hang a plum line. And we know why! All the new and old ideas will be tested! Simply put, if you are not in the game, game over!

We think it is important that we don't pay our racers to use our solutions! Many of pros even pay for their solutions even when they are on another team that has a fitting solution?

We have helped take many people to world championships not once, but repeats. After they make it to the top, most get a job with a major bike company who pays them to use their bikes and then their fitting methods. They have to make a living and we understand. We know that we are a major part of them getting to the top! That is why we keep our data on them!

Just like in pro NFL player leaving one team for another for the "sell out" or the finanical or material benefit. It does make you wonder why if you win the world championships doing something, why would you change what got you there? Answer: Money or material and perhaps you know you are not going to be racing in the near future, perhaps it is your last year. Best be thick skin in this game!

As Andy Applegate and Craig Upton put it, our tt fit is so good, you are mostly only teaching the person how to hold a better aero position. We know of no other way to stack your bones with anything that is as concise as our CAD. Then we focus on your pedal stroke with the Dartfish.

Our results and trends to this year have been the best! We where the first to perform fits online and now many have followed that method. Now the major bike makers are attempting to perform fits, copy Dartfish only after their reps said we would never make it, saying we could not do what we do a few years ago! The nature of the beast!

What will they sell us next?

Another Day at the Office!

Innovations come from learning a few things and not being a copy cat! To be competitive you can't just copy someone else; you will only obtain the same result if you’re lucky. Most will just attempt to copy the lead of others! Then it is only luck!

We have thousands of fits on record! We know the constraints of many and that helps us know how they obtained their great performances! People in our data base continue to create successful performances (trends) and at the hardest of races.

Science is in our nature! It is just hard to show what we do! We’re working hard every day on our latest technological innovation that will once again revolutionize the sport. The people who are in our data base will improve their game once again and run at the top!

What is technology? Anything that makes a difference in performance from a form of applied sciences.

What is the specific benefit of something? Modification's that can't be seen but provide gains, things that allow you to interact with the bike and provide improvement in your ability. Things that excel at distance events. Simply put, you go more distance easier!

What other features are improved! New technology at the micro level will make a difference, it's just hard to prove and achievements are measured by the smallest %. You have to take it to the race and see if it holds water, and if it is competitive? And only then can you say you see a trend.

A good analogy is how a bicycle chain, although made of metal, bends due to flex points in the links. Now plug that in the “human link chain”. Does a human eye or video see a chain bend?

Experience on the course is great for the office. We draw more truth from the many pros who believe what we do! Another breakaway and two racers fitted by Craig Upton using our Wobble-naught & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish know-how are hard at work! Jeff Louder (BMC) and Glen Chadwick (Rock Racing) out making a living when many are out of business!

Perhaps it’s the "best deal for any wheel."

In today's day & time it’s good to have a job. Sure it’s hard work but only the best of the best are successful and have a job. You have to be "the real deal."

Go see Craig Upton at Performance Labs, only if you want to learn how to break away from the norms! Craig has well over 1,000 fits under his belt and he uses our data for each and everyone one of them! How else would we know the numbers?

Once again, you never know who is in our data base until after their performance! The Amgen Tour of CA is the real deal and it has the best in the world racing, and they are racing hard!

Ultra Endurance Opener! Rebecca Rusch gets Early Points!

The ultra endurance opener, a 100 kilometer cross-country race was held Feb. 14th in Terlinga, Texas.  It is part of the USA Cycling Ultra Endurance cross-country mtb calendar.

The season is already here, and snow is still on the ground in Idaho. This is a relatively short race for Rebecca, but she was thankful that the race wasn't 1 km longer.  She was pushed from the start, as she could not get her times or placing. She was the Queen of the Mountain and took the cash and broke the female course record by 6 minutes!   Goes to show you, if your bike is dialed,  and you can focus on each and every pedal stroke, the muscles can work correctly!

This early season success is great for points for the USA Cycling Ultra Endurance Series!

Once again, Rebecca Rusch (Specialized-Red Bull) is now motivated for the 2009 season.

We think it is good that she does other sports.  Too often people burn out by being on the bike too much!

Who Critique's your Needs?

If you have no will to change it, you have no right to critique it!

Below is a image of the hardest thing in the body to alter! 

It is also the coordinating center that can really make a difference in your game!  Some cerebellum's execute the highly skilled movements better than others!

Serious attention and consideration applied to doing something correctly is key.

If you don't care or not willing, it doesn't matter!

Why do the sport?

Go wake up your luck!

Revolutionizing any sport is a long and a hard piece of work. Advancements in the history of cycling have been slow to come forth.  For most, you have to see if all the talk is true.  You HAVE to try it to believe it.  

We love the race!  So many teams, so many ideas, so many opinions!  Take all the ideas to the race and let the ideas fall as they will!  It is not a place for the faint of heart or of the thin of skin, you have to be your own person and not easy be influenced by others.  Offensive words will be uttered, to gain an advantage or to exploit a temporary distraction, since your are an opponent.  Their quest, to get in your head and curse you up one-side and down-the-other, in an attempt to anger or be a annoyance to you.  Words are power both in the media and sport!

You will even have some character change the fit on a racer, they will do anything to win, just look at all the drugs in all sports, not just cycling!  We had that happen at Worlds with Sue Butler!  The spacer was on the wrong side of the stem?  Perhaps it was a simple mistake, but Sue knew she was not able to do what we have worked long and hard on for her.

Think about someone stealing you bikes i.e. Lance's at the Amgen Tour of CA!  Its a tough game!

I can't tell you how many times someone has been across the pond, and moved one our racers setup because they used their opinion, not knowing what we really do. Opinions don't always address the the unseen quality or worth of something.  

Then you are always going to have people who are attempting to sway you. 

Are they attempting to make a living in their sport?   Are their judgements holding the merits of the sport. These people have a way to question and make things seem true or probable to you at the time.  They base their feelings or biases more on a record to see who they can sway, or income, to get more people in their camp.

There will always be people who make judgement, or arguments in the world of sport.  Have they earned the worthy merit of their approach or attention within the sport?  That depends on the track record or the history of the evidence about the past!  

 Aren't you glad someone was paying attention in science class?

That is the only evidence we know, as it provides the sum of the past achievements or performances!  That is the only reference we can provide, it is the best source of true facts!

People will have strong convictions, a strong belief (that it was no accident) that is unshakable because you want to believe that it's true rather than because there is evidence proving it so.

Just look at all the different brands of bikes out on course and at any given day, one can win over another brand.

Competition drives the high-tech in the commercial or sporting arena.  With all the newer high-tech, both growth and death will come forth, depending on gaining a share of the limited resources.  We have seen a lot of folks and their living in cycling go away!  

The ideas that don't hold water will be tested!  If you don't have a means of well established system you are gone!  High-tech keeps things moving from the "stone ages" of even 10 years ago!  The stone age covers a period of about 2.5 million years, it was a time where the ancestors of man first used tools.  Paleolithic, to Mesolithic, to Neolithic periods, succeed in Europe by the Bronze Age (Copper Age) only about 4,00o years ago.

Wow!  It sure has taken a man a long time to learn how to use tools?  And we are still learning! 

See you Wobble-naught & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish dealer so you can see - hear- and feel the ultimate cycling experience. We are expanding the joy of cycling!

I guess that is why we have new dealers coming to Boise, ID to train?

Jeff Louder (BMC) Impressive Effort in Amgen Tour of CA!

Wow! It was a action packed day in CA.  Levi goes down from Lance's rear wheel and Jeff Louder who was fit by Craig Upton, owner of Performance Labs was in a foursome break-away!

Jeff Louder is in our data base, as is many other top pros.  Mr. Louder was Fit 10637 performed by Craig Upton.  We track every fit!  We have thousands and thousands of fits.  Jeff has not changed for something else?  Because it works!  In fact, I think Craig is Jeff's coach.  Jeff liked the fit so much he got his dad Ken Louder to even come to us for his tt and road and we understand is also being coached by Craig.  Ken had been in the wind tunnel and after our fit even found improvements. If you can't make power, being too aero will not make you go!

At 6 foot and 165 lbs., Jeff has had some very good races and is a powerful climber. He did very well at the 2008 Tour of Utah - and today had another super performance.

Jeff with 3 other racers made the breakaway from the gun for most of the 104 miles and only had about few hundred meters before the sprinters showed up.

If you know what to look for, with the use of our Dartfish, we can see his moves in the real world.  Not in a trainer! But, just connecting the dots, or watching the "human link chain" is not enough.  YOU have to understand the forces at the joints i.e.  compression, tension, shearing. We're not sharing his fit values, nor his fit computations and that holds true for many of the best racers in the world.  We have a rich history of racers trying new ideas and then coming home to something that gets them results!  You can't just focus on the muscles, you have to focus on the bones!  You would have to get a MRI of every joint in the body to do better, but then you still have to learn how to pedal!

Buy the best golf club in the world, pay the most money for it, have it custom fitted to you and you will still not hit the perfect ball every time.  You have to learn to do that!  Then you have to get off the practice tee and get in the real world, on the course!  Then you might learn how to play the game against hard core rivals.  

Some will protest!  Statement's from our rivals, that our name is not on their kits or they don't have our stickers on their bikes.  We are OK with that! We don't have the huge money to buy a team.  And we know how it works, most of the GM's will not make a racer use a certain fit over the other!  It's like making them eat certain foods, they will do what they want!  Our satisfaction comes when you have a person on your setup and they race the world's best and do well. Top performances and results are the real deal over marketing!  

We know it is only one race, one day, but it was a very taxing race with hard climbs and nasty weather.  A true test of the human body.

Every fit idea in the world was at that race and we had one of our fits almost pull it off!  We are knocking on the door!

One of the foursome "Mollema" went off with Jeff, passed him and Jeff had to work very hard to grab his wheel.  Once Jeff got on, Mollema would not keep the pace "sat-up" in front of Jeff to slow things down. That is all it takes! During the last finish circuit in Modesto, they had the sprinters on them for the last few meters.

What a super effort, to ride that many miles with only a foursome! 

Way to go!  That's racing and racing hard!

2009 Watch "Monavie -Cannondale MTB TEAM"

Not unlike NASCAR, each year things change! This past year has seen a great deal of change!

In the ever evolving world of cycling, technological advancements are offering exciting opportunities for cycling at all levels to improve their cycling skills.

You might want to keep a eye on the 2009 Monavie-Cannondale MTB Team!

We have been working with Monavie - Cannondale since they started and we are pleased to still be working with a World Level MTB Team.

Stay Tune!

World Special Olympics - Idaho

"Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each others eyes" - Thoreau

I recall a close friend attending a Special Olympic Games in BC. He pointed out that, even after reaching his goal, the PSIA Demo Team changed his outlook on sport. It helped with the promotion of understanding, acceptance and inclusion between people. Something as a coach or teacher needs to be learned and understood. Far too often a person makes it to the top only to forget where they started. What is the point of reaching the top if you play dirty, take drugs, or are not liked?

Thousands of of athletes, coaches, families and fans from around the world are here in Idaho for the 2009 Special Olympics Winter Games.

The Special Olympics athlete oath:

"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

Not all people can be the most-advanced athlete like a Lance Armstrong. It is said, the games will change the way a person view others with developmental disabilities and it is a matter of language and attitude.

Athletics’ even from the least advanced competition challenges not just its participants, but each of us in strengths, values and differences. There is always going to be language barriers, those who view this as insignificant and take it less seriously, very sad, smiles are infectious on all levels.

If it is the Tour de France, or Tour de CA, or Special Olympics Games, we all win!

Ideas are being introduced to crowds at all events. One that stands out is adopting the term "diffability" in place of "disability," because every person has different abilities and learning styles from the person next to them. Boy Howdy!

Idahoans have a unique opportunity watching exciting competition from McCall, ID, Bogus Basin, ID, Sun Valley, ID and at Boise's Qwest Arena.

A message can be strong enough, and creative enough, to spread. Games are important for us all!

Getting to the bottom of it! "The Future is Near".

The body is an amazing machine! Countless coordinated events occur simultaneously, that allow complex functions, and almost all your body systems will be called into action, including the many layers of muscle, all the way down to the bone in which they move. 

We urge you to be forever curious and always learning, and we have the same goals.  First is keeping up to date, second is sharing the love of the movements with each of the athletes.  We are devoted to the goals of techniques that are natural to you and make you not just better, but good, rather exceptional.

So you have some folks you are working with and you want to share your "how to".  How many skills do you need? The first one is being a keen student of bio-mechanics and physics.  No one excels on all fronts of "how to", to teach cycling skills, and technical technique is first!  That requires knowledge, time, effort.  One needs to transmit to the athlete the high energy, enthusiasm or the love of the movement that is so often killed by a strong ego.

It is best to swallow the pride, overcome the instincts, and have the technical down before you move the the other skills like training, habit, tactics, etc...  You don't want to compensate.  Only a small number of people are born with an ideal body and the rest have a wise technical coach should they wish to be their best.

The Future is near!

We have a vision, and it is going to be on our front page as a service to address your bio-mechanics needs!  Its been a long time in the making, but we have a new "Vision Quest", what the future will be for you learning over the internet.  Live anywhere in the world and we will be able to help. 

The hip is functionally and structurally a very complex joint holding many muscles.  Structurally, it consists of the acetabulum, the femoral articulation, and the supporting soft tissue, muscle, and cartilaginous structures.

We are not all the same, No two hips are the same, we can have a normal femoral angulation or a anteversion or retroversion angle. These things make a difference and should not be over looked by basic fitting tools.

Many things can limit the movements of this area.  Perhaps the greatest is your conscious effort, a better understanding, enabling you to successfully exercise.

We have watched a very large % teachers duck this responsibility. 
The teaching needs to be done right and we don't care how they justify their mass marketing tools.  It is not enough to provide some form of alignment, but to provide better understanding of why.

We all know if you continue a routine daily for weeks or months and gradually increase the duration and intensity, your body will adapt and have some % of improvement. But what if you have a the wrong set up?  It will place limits to the adaption and "Boy Howdy" have we watched a few top guns fall in their performance.  The reason, you might be on a team who doesn't like or buy into the other line of thinking. Technical attention has been low, but yet is a significant element to your success.  Keep moving things around and the body will not adapt and that can hold you back.  The season is long!

It's good to have to greater depth of understanding,  given the many muscle layers, their actions and the forces. There are many interrelationships. 

The need to synthesize anatomy and mechanics in a conceptual mode is the most effective in teaching and applying these concepts.

Greater strength comes from a qualitative approach to the study of human movement facilitating more effective teaching, learning, and retention of biomechanical concepts.

Biomechanical principles govern the effectiveness of human movement and our intent is on presenting competen movement analysis within a conceptual framework. The illustrations are used as a source of information as well as an example of concepts.

There are many areas of study that can lead to a broad definition of human movement and from a variety of perspectives: biomechanical, psychological, philosophical, sociological or physiological.

You can get lost with the sub-disciplines, the curriculum, and associate one with the other. Biomechanical knowledge and its disciplines including biology, ergonomics, engineering , physiology, medicine, and mechanical physics.

A biomedical engineer may study the biological and material properties of the human body and appropriate mechanical aspects to understand the flow of blood within the arteries. The knowledge gained may be applied to reduce or solve circulatory problems.

Understanding the physical characteristics of the human body and mechanical physics will guide a performer to a mechanically effective performance.


Exercise physiology is the study of how bodies are altered when it is exposed to acute and chronic bouts of exercise. Sport physiology further applies the concepts of training the athlete.

It helps to distinguish between the two closely related branches.
Exercise physiology helps better understand how bodies derive energy from foods.

Sport physiology then takes the above info, realizing that the body has limited energy stores.

It is hard to clearly distinguish the exercise physiology from sport physiology?

Biomechanics is the area of study wherein knowledge and methods of mechanics are applied to the structure and function of the living human system.

Kinesiology is the study of human movement from an anatomical or mechanical perspective or both. It has more to do with body positions and movements in space.

How do you know that certain muscles are doing the work. It is no wonder its hard to find your best solution given the many shapes and sizes.

Many of our new dealers have a passion, a history of attending the many fitting ideas schools that are out there.

Many move with fitting systems to get the brand of bike in their store. Their way or the high-way!

We know that muscle strains can occur at any part of the body, but they can occur within the complex hip.

They are also graded.

Grade 1 may be a simple muscle spasm or cramp.

Grade 2 may result from "true overuse" from the activity and usually resolves with some rest.

Grade 3 is a true muscle tear that can occur within the muscle. It doesn't occur at the belly of the muscle due to the cross section.

It occurs at the muscle-tendon junction, or at the origin or insertion of the muscle.

So if you don't know the shape of your hip and how it makes contact with the saddle you can cause some very real issues.

How do you know where the hard parts are and where the muscles attach?

Why would you push a muscle into tension, if we don't go there with your best fit solution. The belly of the muscle is where you get more cross-section? Where you get more work.

It helps to know the relation of all the muscles and not place one into more stress over the others. They need to work together in concert!

If you have a poor pedal stroke, you can hurt your muscles!

Does it not make sense that you would not want a given muscle doing all the work?

There are always things outside a performance that we have no control i.e. gravity and mass marketing! Money buys the media! Place ads on a cycling site and you have a better chance of cutting a deal with them and getting press. Out of our control.

We do have a little control of your brain and with some effort teach you more truth. We can show you both the data and the pics in hopes you learn. It is not our ego, rather its providing tools that make a difference for you to learn. We have methods that enable you to successfully
move your physical characteristics. Knowing your anthropometrics and each segment makes a huge difference, perhaps allowing you to be the best in the world. But can you stay there?

That's the hard part, as we have taken people to the top of their game. Then after getting them to that level, loose them, as someone else gets in their head, or they get paid by them to use their methods.

Marketing has an impact on what you think, if it is the truth or not or if it is best for you?

Some point out to us that we are not on a certain pro kits, yet we hold the data of certain persons or we don't have a sticker on a team bike. True, we don't pay for the billboard space on any team kit. Never have! Many, who want to promote their services have given money to be on a (x,y,z) kit if they provide a service or not.

In most teams, the team description or rules doesn't demand what that person can eat, drink, or have for their bike solution. Most GM's inform us they allow a person to have any solution they want and some will even have a different bike brand and just paint it so it looks like a team bike. That is very much part of the game. In most cases, we don't have any control on these things.

One constant we can do have control is your gravity. Everyone has the same (g) until you move it. Big over a small time or small over a longer time. In both cases you fight gravity. That is where we make a difference.

When watching someone from the outside using led, video, you can't see the inside forces (compression, shearing, tension). In fact the skin moves and that causes a misreading of what the joints are doing with the gravity and the forces of greater effort. Think of the femur neck alone and how it moves.

The next time you look at a string instrument, try to guess the tension of a given string. You can't by just watching it. It might make bad music if it is out of tone or if the strings don't work together!

2009 Cyclo-cross Worlds

Many learn that in a 40 min. race, getting a good start can be an effective move.  A crash at the start split the field into small race groups.  

Rock hard road conditions in Hoogerheide, The Netherlands, rewards those who have more track and road time.  Marianne Vos, a sprint specialist used those skills to obtain her 2nd World Cyclo-cross rainbow jersey.   She won a gold last summer in track, at the games.

Top American, Katie Compton shot off the front and was able to get a 17 second lead, only to be reeled in later in the frozen hard-pack.  At the end of the race, Compton kept the pace high in an attempt to take the sprinters out, it did not work.  Vos still had a little tt in her at the end, for a sprint that decided the winner over Kupfernagel and Compton.  When you race each other as much as these gals, you know you skills and you know if can  successfully perform a sprint over your rivals.  It goes to show that when someone gets  in the top 5, you have had a super race!   

A crash just after the start of the race, killed the hopes of many, including Georgia Gould.  She pointed out that she had no interest in killing herself for top-15, having to get off the bike and walk through the crash. After finishing 3rd at a World Cup, the expectations can really make the outcome very clear!  She just worked on improving her position.  

The season has been long!

Results

1. Marianne Vos (Net)                          42.39

2. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)                  0.01

3. Katie Compton         (USA)                0.02

4. Sanne Van Paassen   (Net)                 0.29

5. Caroline Mani            (France)

6. Sanne Cant                (Bel) 

7. Daphny Van Den Brand  (Net)          0.30

8. Mirjam Melchers            (Net)          0.31

9. Eva Lechner                   (Italy)         

10. Maryline Salvetat      (France)

11. Rachel Lloyd                (USA)           0.32

12. Christel Ferrier          (France)        0.37

13. Georgia Gould            (USA)            1.02

14. Nikki Harris         (Great Britain)   1.13

15. Joyce Vanderbeken      (Bel)            1.34

16. Helen Wyman      (Great Britain)   2.03

17. Sue Butler             (USA)                   2.04

18. Wendy Sims          (Canada)             2.30

19. Laura Van Gilder   (USA)                 2.57

20. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (France)   2.58

What is best for you?

"It is the most important function of art and science to awaken this feeling and keep it alive in those who are receptive to it." Einstein

All ski runs are open at our local ski area and the slopes are ice.  So I have been spending time on rock hard snow/ice, many days with cold feet, but the best time to dial a new pair of high end modern ski boots (think of it as cleats for better stable grip) w/ the new modern World Cup skis.  Not a easy thing to do and I can't do it myself.  I can't fit my own boots when they are on my feet.  

At the start of the task I had to trust a pro shop. May I point out that I have about $1,500 into the boots alone and left unable to use them, even use the custom made liners.  Ouch!

I even went a great distance seeking out the pro shop at a major ski area, only to be shell sized wrong, posting the wrong footbed,  foaming the high-end liner wrong.  Now I have a lot of work, another pro shop punching out the shell of the new $1,200 boots for my feet, We even had to change the base of the boot to 2-degrees to get it right, at extra cost of about $400. I could have had about 7 bikes fits for that amount of money. But if I want to have performance and have fun it is a must!

The funny thing, is I know the owner and he pointed out, even with all the high-tech, his major issue is his staff & turnover. Sure the young man's intend at Sun Valley, ID was good and he was a nice guy, but he missed the target.  As he said, he only works by the clock and its not his store, besides he is going some where else in the summer.  It is a bigger issue than you know and I fell right in it.

As in any sport, you want to play at a higher level you have to get your gear right to meet the below list:

1) A natural style

2) Exceptional balance

3) Dynamic motion (no position)

4) Skills

5) Strength

6) Quickness & Agility

7) A small window of relaxation

8) Lateral movements

9) Playfulness and imagination (THINK FUN)

Riding up the chair lift in 8-degree temps, I watched skiers and noted the qualities of each skier. Had you been with me, and I asked, you would not be able to check off the above list. Why? These elements are key for optimum performance.  

Given the vast combination of skills that are evident, you will have one guy saying you need "cross-over" or "cross-under.   Did the person do this or that? Was that a ankle roll, knee, or hip, perhaps it was a spine?   What do you think the percentage of weight was on that outside ski? How high or low was the hip position? How much femur rotation did they use and no, and on.   A very complex task to analyze.

You have to be careful, as you can absorb these strong impressions (images) into your consciousness and the next thing you know there in your head i.e. note the pros on the PGA will sometimes turn away, so as to not see a bad stroke. In other words your moves reflect you skills! True pictures explain this better than words, and that is a real issue.  Who is teaching it might not put things in the correct order. You should be foot conscious when you ski, but you don't want to be "a day late".  The same with learning the pedal stroke, the fundamentals define good strokes at all levels.

So, how can you learn movement? First, be sure you understand the concept.

Let it be know, you don't have to be good at things to have fun.  But the skiers did not have a smile on their face, rather a look of stress from their extremely straight legs on a very hard surface.  Had they taken the time to get their equipment right, they could be enjoying the ice a bit more.  

For the best dynamic motion, you have to be in continuous motion. However static positions seem to be the norm on the hard snow i.e. static bike setup.  What is best, is a full fluid range of motion - extension & contraction, weighting & unweighting on all slopes and conditions (powder, crud, ice, etc...) is an image of the most effective body regardless of its shape and size.

Here is where people get lost!  Is there a certain look and shape and size.  No! Athletic people come and all shape and sizes. Watch the Super Bowl this weekend and note. Are we saying you have to carve all turns? No! But that is what you should strive for. Its just good skiing and it provides more stability and precision and it needs to be mastered! You are not born with it!!!

As in any sport, you display your moves for all to see.  Next time you go for a ride, note the face and see if they have a smile or stress. When you hold the right skills, your game becomes easier than walking or running. Insufficient strength is always limiting. Meaning the strongest can do it easily, plus use the reserve for sustain graceful & relaxed movements.

With the newer skis, you can get stuck on the tails, into a difficult position and that can overwhelm most anyone. On the other side, you can be too far forward.  Both can lock up your legs. The same thing happens with the pedal stroke.  It is just harder to see as you are sitting on a saddle and have your hands on the handlebars.  But if your saddle is not allowing the correct range of motion you can't perform and the stresses are high. Quickness and agility are not enhanced, rather inhibited.

The laws of physics tell us that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Muscles that are busy doing one task are less efficient at doing others. This is what we see on the slope and on the bike!  The pedal stroke can be off, not getting the maximum response from the minimum effort.  Look at it like this, watch a person swing a golf club, can you tell by the swing how far the ball will travel?  Most can't.  

We ski for fun and we bike for fun, so relaxation is critical to fluid movement. Take someone to play golf and you will note the same thing, if they don't know, they are not having a good time.

The key in sport is allowing the muscles to rest and the bones carry the weight.

Functional skiing should prevail over "pretty" skiing.  There is no "correct form" or "proper position" that all should copy.  A major problem, people who teach often demonstrate "correct positions" which become static model.  Note no two people walk or run or ski or cycle the same. Part of the problem with all the teaching is you see a pic or a video of people being "posed" to show you something?  That sticks in the mind.

Our methods are for cycling fans who are serious about learning. We all know that progress in athletics is seldom easy, but that makes it more rewarding. If you enjoy learning as much as we enjoy teaching, we'll make a difference in your game.

If you already know it all, we view the complacency as being a handicapped athletic person and can't help you! This is a daunting task for people who have many miles under their belt, your mind is both an ally and an enemy in the task of athletic ability.

Cycling technique should be functional and that means it comes from your joints and how they move and rotate in space. You should not use a , plumb line, or laser to force you lower legs into a certain path.

Only when we can over come the complacency of ignorance, can we determine your best alignment - for better or worse. The quest is to transmit forces to our pedals. These forces are sometimes powerful and other times subtle. To make a human function or work as well as possible is a more complex task. You don't just need a bike fitter, but a alignment specialist.

That means they need to be aware of technique. When the whole body is perfectly aligned, athletic skiing & cycling is enhanced. If any part of the system is mis-aligned, performance is diminished.

There are so many different foot shapes, leg shapes, and body builds that every skier must be seen as an individual with special needs. Even with a discriminating eye and some judgement is not enough.  

As in my case, there is a lot of work stacking the bones on the equipment, a lot of skill to get the ski on edge and carve from tip to tail.  The result can even be seen with the track you make. Not so with the pedal stroke and that is why there are so many ideas of what is best for you.

That is why we use the Dartfish to show you your moves out in the real world.  We can track your moves, allowing you to better understand and improve your skills.

Just ask 37 years young Sue Butler or top gun Georgia Gould.   Both are racing w/ Katie Compton at Worlds.  They know how seeing their moves outside has made a difference. 

Lets wish the USA gals good luck. 

It's a Brand New Day! Stay Tune!

We are in the process of some substantial improvements in propelling your cycling movements into a new age, with knowledge, technique, and equipment advancing all levels of greater service and customer experience.  We accept no compromise, providing you with your optimum performance (relaxation, strength, agility, quickness, economy of motion). It is not instinctive. We are sounding the trumpets for all to hear! 

This is a new year, for consumers and we are anxious to bring a much needed means of teaching you how to pedal over subjective ideas.  Anyone who is interested in modern cycling technique should be challenged and take note in this active, energetic and dynamic sport.  It offers constant challenges to improve and will provide a significant contribution for your knowledge and enthusiasm of cycling in real-time.   There are many micro cultures within a community in many sports, leading to certain levels in intellectual achievement collectively for that given area.  Many just don't learn the skills and reach their potential.  We see what their bodies are doing, but wonder what's in their minds or who holds influence their cycling knowledge.   We appreciate how cycling packs are very much like wolves i.e. living and leaning in packs, learning from a local lead dog.  

Many have invested much time, they are trying to learn a type of cycling over another.  A good question is "What will we teach you?  What kind of cycling will I learn?  In sum, athletic cycling.  We feel that riding at certain miles per hour are a lot more fun than those who ride a very slow speeds. It opens up new playful play grounds.  Innovations are what makes things move forward i.e. cell phones, and a sport is no difference with new ground, providing a more precise efficient technique.

We are not a cookie cutting training program. No two bodies are the same; and no two riders should look alike. We are defining the relationships between correct alignment, your efficient technique in continuous motion.  It will change forever the way we think about balance, forces and dynamic cycling.

Our time proven approach has made a difference for many in the last 10 years.  Our knowledge of multi-sport physiology and sports enriches the ability of any athlete and brings broad perspectives to the analysis.

That is why we are the only company the world that holds a contract with Dartfish and now Kurt, who makes trainers for indoor use.  Few books have been published that deal with modern cycling technique and technology.  We have undergone may technical and technological changes.  By teaching you the best movements to all ability levels, we invite you into the fill with delight world of their cycling, a blend of technical and technological features with emphasis on balance as the underlying factor for all movement on a tools that seem to forgo its basics.

We offer unequaled insight into a scientific approach to understand how different adjustments of equipment can influence a rider's performance. We invite you to be part of the global contribution to the sport of cycling world of modern cycling.  

How does the US rate in Cyclo-Cross?

As in any sport, you have your local level of understanding, then you have a few that make it to the next level and hit the mud circus, so its hard to know just how you stack up to the world. When you talk to people they base their know how on, " I heard the Germans do this, the Aussies do that" and so on, etc...  You can start a war over this kind of stuff! 

Funny how people come out of so many schools of thought?  So, just because you are on a national team, doesn't mean you are the best. Look at guys like Bode Miller, the most successful ski racers the US has ever seen, but will not work with US Ski Team.  He has is own team and that allows him to pick and choose the gear he wants to use.  Perhaps the skis or boots are not part of the ski pool?  

One of my friends, Dane Spencer, a long time member on the US Ski Team knows how that works.  He has had issues with many ski boots in his long term career.  And as Dane puts it, you can have 60 guys have a "outer body experience" and make it in the top 5.  

That seems to be the number of top guns that makes it to a World Cup level event.  So you have about 60 who can pull it off.  Not a easy thing to predict!  But, Katie's win goes, and the fact that some other gals from the US know how they stack against her, the US is going to have an edge this 2009 event.  

So, how good are the US gals in cyclo-cross?  At the elite level they are very good!  With the Cyclo-cross World Championships coming up in about two weeks, we stand a very real chance of getting a US gal on top.

Its too bad, they don't make that much money doing it!  Perhaps they also need a bail out?

It cost to do the sports and where does the money come from?  The industry doesn't put the cash into the events.  Sad!  Its every bit as cool to watch as any other sport!

Katie Compton just made her mark in Roubaix, France.  She took World Cup #8, and uses both the Thomson seatpost and stems.  We have known for years the seatpost/stem are best off road products made.  The stem allows you to grab a hand-full of handlebar and put the medal to the pedal! The seat post allow for less flex i.e. race plug ski race boots "stiffer"  for the needs of racing, and after a life time of understanding those needs suggest that every racer give them a try!

Back to the US gals!  Some of the best in the world, some of the least paid, and they can step up and throw it down!  

Results:

1. Katie Compton  (USA)

2. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)

3. Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned)

Mind Body Machine 2009! Your best connection!

Wobble-naught, Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish, and now Kurt Manufacturing, a company that does over $120 million per year, plus makes the Kinetic line of cycling trainers are working together to bring you yet "higher-tech" in 2009. 

They understand engineering and they know we hold "objective - not influenced personal feelings or opinions" 10 years of data i.e. tens of thousands of precision measurements.  Time proven solutions that have allowed many different shapes and sizes to reach their dreams! Simply put it, they understand  we measure from the inside, not the outside in.

They also are aware that we did not allow our CAD to be used, tested by a university, who would then have rights to it, or allow any person who wants to get a masters, Phd, etc... i.e. a kinesiology department, a orthopaedic biomechanics research lab to learn what we do.  

Perhaps, that is why some wear their degree on their shoulders for marketing their worth? Not to say attending a university is a bad thing, but understand a university is a business!!!  And one of our start up members was a professor, taught at the masters level and held a Phd in Business at a state Idaho State University and knew how the university system works. 

As he use to put it.  There are many a pro without a degree either a masters or Phd i.e. Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Michael Jordon, etc...   We even used Bill Gates as an example of success without a degree.  

To some people, and to some fitting systems the term vertebral column might suggest a rather rigid supporting rod, but this picture is far from the truth.  The vertebral column consists of 24 bones and are connected in such a way as to provide a curved structure.  Of the 24 single bones, the 7 vertebrae of the neck are cervical vertebrae, the next 12 are the thoracic vertebrae, and the 5 supporting the lower back are lumbar vertebrae. When we attended school it was helpful for remembering common mealtimes.  

A good question. What other fitting system looks at abnormal spinal curvatures i.e. scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis and plugs those constraints into the CAD,  along with your hip shape and size and cleat placement.

We find your best blue-print!  With rare exceptions, every bone in the body is connected to, or forms a joint with, at least one other bone!

7 AM - neck

12 Noon - thoracic vertebrae

5 PM - lower back

Why would anyone care about this info?  The reason, as a person ages, the water content of the discs decreases (as it does in other tissues throughout the body) and the discs become less compressible.  The situation, along with weakening of the ligaments and tendon

s of the vertebral column, predisposed older people to slipped discs.

Sensibility that was achieved not just through years of teaching the subject, but also a continuing effort to facilitate a better solution.   Why would you not stack your bones and displace the weight and forces?  Every muscle of the body is attached to bone (or other connective tissue structures) at two points - the orgin (the stationary, immovable, or in cycling, the less movable attachment) and the insertion (the more 

movable attachment).

When the muscle contracts and its fibers shorten, the insertion moves toward the origin. The type of movement depends on th

e construction of the joint i.e. nonaxial, uniaxial, biaaxial, or multiaxial) and on the placement of the muscle relative to the joint.

Types of movements:

Flexion, Extension, Abduction, Adduction, Rotation, Circumduction, Pronation, Supination, Inversion, Exversion, Dorsiflexion, Plantar flexion.

A lot to deal with, that is why we use CAD, in which looks at the whole body in 3-D.  Its the constraints we capture, then the software does the rest. 

Then  you have to consider the movements of the bike between the legs in concert with the whole body!  You need to know the actions of every muscle in the body. 

What you do in a trainer is not what you do out in the real world of cycling!

We are in the process of changing that!

Stay tune!!!

Stacking bones Male Comparison to Female

A major constraint that most fitting systems don't concern is the comparison of the male and female pelves.  This is a major constraint, as it attaches to the lower vertebrae column and their can even be abnormal spinal curvatures (scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis). 

Because most of the stress of the vertebral column occurs in the lumbar region, these are the sturdiest of the vertebrae.  Their size does vary from person to person (male to female). However, a bone that articulates with L5, the sacrum (a 5 fused vertebrae) that lies within pelvic girdle is of great concern.  The sacrum is slightly concave anteriorly and forms the posterior border of the pelvis.  It also has a couple of articular process(s) that lie superior and lateral and allow for movement with the inferior articular process of the next upper vertebrae.

This important antomic landmark articulates with centrum of 5th lumbar.  Why?  The presence of the discs and their construction of the vertebral column prevent shock to the head and allow for flexibility in the movement of the body trunk much needed for balance sports.  Don't measure this complex system or have the wrong saddle shape tilt that is too far forward or backwards or has the wrong tilt and you will cause problems.  And as we know, you don't use the shape of a male hip and turn around and use that info for a female hip.

Although bones of males are usually larger and heavier and have more prominent bone markings, the bones of the male and female skeletons are very similar when looking from the outside only.  But truth is, there are many difference!

The outstanding exception to this often generalization is pelvic structure.  So striking are the differences between male and female pelves that a "trained anatomist" can immediately determine the sex of the skeleton during a casual examination of the pelvis.

Characteristic    

                                                      Female                Male

General structure        Tilted forward, shallow,                     

Less tilt, narrow, and deep, for

and functional               broad pelvis                                        males heavier build & stronger mm

                                                                                                                    

Bone thickness             Less, lighter, thiner                          Greater, heavier, thicker

Acetabula                     Smaller; farther apart                           Larger; closer

Pubic angle/arch        Broader (over 90-degree)                     Angle more acute (less than 90)

Anterior view             Mini Mouse look                                     Micky Mouse look

Sacrum                       Wider, shorter, sacral accentuated       Narrow, sacral more ventral

Coccyx                        More movable; straighter                      Less movable; curves ventrally

Lateral view            Coccyx points more posteriorly               Coccyx more tucked

Pelvic inlet              Wider oval side-to-side                              Narrow, heart shaped

Pelvic outlet          Wider; ischial tuberosities shorter,          Narrower; tuberosities longer

                                 father apart, and everted                            sharper, and point more medially

The ability to bear weight is more important here than exceptional mobility and flexibility. The combined weight of the upper body rests on the bony pelvis (specifically, where the hip bones meet the sacrum).

In both sexes, the sacroiliac joint, because of the pressure it must bear, is often a site of lower back problems.  The dimensions of these regions may better be determined by palpation, more accurately.  

The iliac crest terminates in the anterior superior spine ASIS (the origin site of many thigh flexor muscles) and the posterior superior spine, to which many muscles extending the thigh attach.  

The ischium is the "sit-down" bone, forming the most inferior and posterior portion of the coxal bone.  The most outstanding marking on the ischium is the ischial tuberosity, which receives the weight of the body when sitting on a saddle of choice.

Two other anatomical features are the lesser and greater sciatic notches, which allow passage of nerves and blood vessels to and from the leg.

Then you have the thigh.  The femur is the sole bone of the thigh and is the heaviest, strongest bone in the body.  The head of the multi shape thigh articulates with the acetabulum of the hip bone.  The femur inclines medially as it runs downward to the lower leg bones; in most cases: this brings the knees in line with the body's  center of gravity or maximum weight.

I think you get the point.  Without taking true palpations or more costly X-rays measurements of the many landmarks that lie within the body i.e. hip , you are only providing a basic observation of movement.  Think the many muscles that attach here!

Bottom line!  If you don't get the front end of the car aligned by a professional who takes measurements of the hard parts, you are going to wear the tires out faster!!!

Basic Biomechanics of Cycling "NAUGHT"

It is common sense or very basic that there should be some bend at the knee with the foot (bottom dead center).  You don't have to be a (ortho) bone professional to know this. Like skiing, you see so many with poor movement skills. Good for the "ill care business", bad for a long active life-style!  

So why is this a hard sell to the many who need it?  It's because many don't understand a deeper level of biomechanics and are informed about it in some basic fashion, or don't provide the bone measurement solution i.e. I have been doing this for 20 years and I know, or we don't have that system here, but we sent a guy to some school for basic training.

A friend who has a degree in sport science, a masters in exercise phys. who has had a very hard time making a living is now headed to PA school.  Why?  In hopes to pay the rent and her school loans!  This person has coached in sport at a very high level.  They see a very real problem at the grass root level. 

Think of the many kids that don't get the help they need when they are young. In their small pond, they learn for better or worst.  Many, by the time they make it to the next level have poor skills.  The damage is already done and it is very hard to change what they learned for (x,y,z).

The adults just say they are young, they don't need it? Mostly its the fact that its not for them, the person who is paying for it.  Most kids don't have a income and someone simply states" that's not going to happen".  

So even with many years in a given sport, you can have poor skills!

The issue in cycling is the heel of the foot is not attached so the person with poor pedaling skills is not aware of that part of the body (poor biofeedback).  They don't know the trajectory needs.  Another issue is the timing of the stroke or firing of the muscles i.e. golf swing, swinging a bat, even fly fishing.  After all, you learned to pedal when you only where hitting the scales at maybe 60 lbs.  Much less weight than you are now!  

Think about weight as wear & tear. Now think of how many times the average person pedals i.e. over 5,000 per hour?  Should you have poor alignment, poor skills, a basic solution,  you will hurt later!  As an adult, the size of your bones, leg mass provide enough weight to cause damage with poor skills.

Below is a very basic understanding of the biomechanics of cycling.  Note:  Between 25 to 30 degrees.  So what is it?  That is the point!   What is it?  You need to take into account your knee size, shape and even the size of the knee cap i.e. Type I, II, III.

What about the size and shape of your hip?  It is a major constraint and it comes in all shapes and sizes. That holds true for your sit bones. We even have a method of measuring your sit bones.  Then we find your true spine shape to assure you don't place the hands in space too far from your sit bones. 

We wish there was a quick fix, but as painful as it is, you have to learn how to pedal.  Even with stacking your bones, you have to think about what you are doing.  You really can have the wrong stroke and not know it!!!  

That is why we use Dartfish!  To help teach you what you might need!

We do not use it to fit you!

YOU CAN'T measure your bones from the outside!

Biomechanics of cycling.  

In cycling, the height of the saddle is commonly associated with the knee joint injuries.  It has been shown that the optimum angle of the knee joint flexion at the maximum reach (dead bottom dead center) is between 25-degrees to 30-degrees.  Saddles that are too high reduce this angle and can result in posterior knee pain.  Saddle that are too low, too far forward can produce anterior knee pain.

Patellar tendinitis is a common injury in cyclists.  The main factors that contribute to this are internal tibial rotation and pronation (which is associated with internal tibial rotation/heel out).  You could be doing this just from where your knees are in space.

Medial knee pain occurs in high mileage cyclists and can be aggravated by a valgus (L shape) knee and internal tibial rotation.  

Once again, if you don't have your cleats correct you can increase/decrease your valgus pressures. 

So, you think a basic fit is going to address your special needs or (knees). Ha!  Next time you see people smiling, think of the many shaped teeth and plug that into the many shapes of bones in the lower legs!

Injuries come from: 1) compression  2) shearing  3) tension.

You can't see any of the above by tracking dots on the outside your your body! You have to measure your bones to reduce the wear & tear that can come from poor alignment!

It seems that "Sizzle Business" sells!  There are a lot of bones in your body and they come in every shape & size.  If you think its about your muscles and how they adapted to your setup, you best rethink it.  Your true (ROM) comes from the joints, not your muscles and just the timing of the pedaling stroke is enough to change the compression, shearing, tension.

Happy New Year! 2009 is a time of change!

If you have lived long enough, you know things do change i.e. bikes, skis, laptops, TV's, phones/pda's if you like it or not, for good or bad.  Time & change never stops, do people? How you handle the new tools is also your choice and greatly depends on your choice of instruction, then skill level.  It seems people don't change regarding learning skills in a given sport.  

I just went skiing for the first time this season "2009 New Year Day".  I had a 2008 pass last year and only went for 3 hours after getting the latest & greatest gear $$$.  The custom fitted boots really hurt my feet and it was made worst by the 2008 cold temps for break-in time, in which I had none. I needed time (days/weeks) and warm temps to break them in.  I didn't find that time, too much work, too cold, so I didn't go!  Then I was off to cycling race camps across the US. So I didn't find time to break them in in the spring.

After a number of years off the slopes, due from working, burn out, old knees after doing it for a living at a professional level i.e. coaching some of the best ski racers in the world, jumping off high cliffs in Jackson Hole, plus I was spoiled from skiing the real (steep & deep) play grounds of CO, UT, WY, I just didn't care to go to the lesser hill or "thrill" that is only 18 miles from where I live.

2009 is a time of change!  I am going to go!  I have heard from the market how things have really changed? How easy it is now and how well humans ski.

After a day of skiing in 8'' new heavy snow, hanging next to trees due to the "white out- more O2",  skiing the fall-line, then riding back up the chair lift over and over watching others attempt to ski the new snow it then, under the present set of conditions (some wind packed, bumps, white out, 8" of heavy new" I was seeing the same old human movements or can I say a lack of!  The skills where so low?  Why?

How can this be, people stopped, standing all over the slopes?  People doing huge zig & zag on their new improved toys wider better (snow boards, skis).  I am skiing in 2009 and people still don't have the needed skills?  But it is said the skis are wider, shorter, snow boarding makes is easy?  After all, that is what everyone claims!  Not true!

Again, the skill level was very low!  It didn't matter how cool the new toys looked or made! They just didn't know how to ski it?  Even the ski school had issues? The same as it was when I made a living in the sport!  People are only as good as the instructions they obtain!

It made me aware of the problem with cycling!  I was just watching two guys on the HD channel who won bikes, trips to France and had been sent to a location in CO to get the latest and greatest.  They both where even fitted. The comment was anything between 25 to 30 something is good, even using the so called "latest & greatest" device to watch their movements.  Even their VO2 was taken.  OK!

The show then showed the guys riding with two top guns Levi & George.  On air, the taller of the two pros said to the larger of the two winners- who where just professionally fitted by the new high-tech fittings system that he should raise his saddle! Wow!

But he was correct, the poor guy had his saddle too low, too far back, plus did not hold the skills to climb hills.  I even saw the lack of skills with my naked eye, that where not addressed in the early part of the show and I watched to see a change in the way this guy rode.  

His lack of pedal stroke skills really taxed him and he was just like the skiers on the slopes.

Not having the skills to get the job done.  Think about that the next time you look for a sliver-bullet. 

Long story short, the guy could not even finish the stages in France he won. 

The new custom make bike didn't help him, nor did the new fit help him?  Ouch!

A good resolution is like an old horse which is often saddled but rarely ridden!

2009 is going to be a good year for those who are willing to put the time into it and learn the correct skills, then change!   Old skills are hard to change!  Saddle up and let it buck!