Two past Team Lipton racers doing very well!

Novilon Eurocup Ronde van Drenthe

Netherlands, April 13, 2008

It is too bad that the Team Lipton racers lost the funds for their team just one year before the games.  In this game you never know what team you are going to be on from one year to the next.  They had the players and those players are doing very well.

It is super news to hear that USA racers  like Kristin & Kori are doing so well and across the pond!

Boise's Kristin Armstrong Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team is flexing her guns and knows what she needs to do to win, showing just how strong she can be by winning this past weekend in a time of 3.25.32. Also Kori Kelly Seehafer Menikini - Selle Italia having super results, placing 10th.

How cool is that!

A Beginning and an Advanced Player Are Very Different!

To look at them both, the eye would see that they are demonstrating the same contributions to the pedal stroke. Nothing could be further from the truth!

The effects of acceleration and deceleration of the many segments and how they are traveling are, for the most part, so fast that the muscles cannot keep up, let alone accelerate the segment further. Nor can the brain process the information to better understand the axis or the acceleration of the segment.

Think of a kicking pattern or a throw-like pattern in which the proximal segments initiate the movement forward, causing a lagging back of the distal foot segment. The knee extensor muscles and the surrounding tissues prevent the leg and foot from lagging back too far. The pattern of motion is consistent with the "link" principle.

We know how important the hip muscles are and in the advanced player they put out, perhaps, 90% of the work done by the leg muscles. The beginner attempts to control the distal part of the stroke. This is a very delayed feedback process, rather than being more proactive. The hip muscles are responsible for both the thigh's motion and the knee's extension.

The knee is extending so rapidly that the knee extensors are incapable of exerting a forceful contraction due to their inherent force-velocity limitations. Meaning, the distal segments are also traveling so fast that the muscles cannot keep up or provide good feedback to your brain...as in the case of being on a trainer and adjusting the distal segment to record power, let alone accelerate or refine the segment further.

The acceleration of the thigh flexion about the hip joint should take place as long as possible because the acceleration of knee extension tends to decelerate the thigh segment. Your saddle location is key. Thus the longer the thigh can accelerate, the greater the angular velocity of the foot as it is attached to the pedal e.g. of the foot when it reaches a ball.

As the leg accelerates, the thigh either begins to decelerate or its acceleration is reduced. This is due to the hip joint that acceleration moves about.

If you care about getting this right, go see one of our Wobble-naught & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish dealers!

All Dealers! Please login to the Myo-facts site.

The site is for the professional dealer only!

It is going to be packed with more truth!  A "A to Z" packed full of information regarding the best solutions for cycling.

Note:  This is not a basic information that is available to the public!!!

It is a way to share the Dartfish and teach our customers faster!!!

So Often we post just the top 5 or the Winner.

Here are some other great Results

1 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Womens MTB team               1.20.14  WN & Myo-facts 2 Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Womens MTB team                  1.47 3 Dellys Starr (Aus) Dales Pale Ale/Spot Brand              2.00 4 Kelli Emmett (USA) Giant MTB team                         2.08 5 Kathy Sherwin (USA) Sobe-Cannondale                       2.49 6 Monique Sawicki (USA) Ellsworth                           3.19  WN & Myo-facts 7 Lea Davison (USA) Trek/VW                                 3.55  WN & Myo-facts 8 Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher                  4.42 9 Jenna Zander (USA) Sobe Cannondale                        4.55 10 Melanie Mcquaid (Can) BMC/Natures Path                   5.30 11 Chloe Forsman (USA) Luna womens MTB team                 5.41  WN & Myo-facts

Just placing in one of these races a good job!

Gould rides away solo in NMBS Fountain Hills, AZ.

Georgia informed us she felt like she was in her best form yet starting early in 2008! However she knows that she needs to stay very focused, it is still a long way to the games personal records. She is also smart enough to be looking for more speed, given she is a prospect to take a gold.

She continued her streak of NMBS cross country victories at Fountain Hills, Arizona. Georgia is very lucky, she has not had to change teams, GM, coaches, bike fit ideas, as so many do each season, getting new information as they move from one team to another.

In sport there is going to be bad blood between teams, ideas, etc... When you are on a pedestal, people are going to take aim at you. She has not changed her Wobble-naught & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish understanding and the results are still coming. We know comments will come forth, that comes with sport.

Right now, Georgia can usually finish the job. She is thoroughly enjoying the journey!

She has not let her victories go to her head and has a real smile, takes info on things that make a difference from sources she trust, "say a real track record" on what best works for her.

We have been working with Georgia for a number of years during her journey in mtb racing!

Some might say that she is now athletically gifted, as she thrives on the pro tour. They don't know the work she has put forth!

She is like a Tiger Woods, as she clicks off the wins towards perhaps a new record! This is not always the case as racer's jump from one team to another, perhaps even having a fitting service to change their fit, shoes, cleats, footbeds, handlebars, etc... It is sport, and you have to survive the "meanest streets in behavior" in this game and many can stray you off course.

You have to prove the naysayers wrong! And that is what we are doing with Wobble-naught & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish with Georgia Gould.

Too often, we help a racer to the national ranks or even the world ranks and then they change. Some, even when they started racing, gain success, win a number of races, then things can change. People do move and they do get pushed while in a given area by forces like a given team, or teammates who regard their know-how as the end all? I know, I am, I have worked with, and such & such!

Sports are sports, its a "tough haunting road," just riding alone or hanging out with relatives and friends, someones comments can fuel your mind, change your game. People publicly judge you, even if they don't know you. They tend to judge yo based on how you look, how many tattoos or whatever. It is hard to stay positive with all the pressure, you can get a chip on your shoulder. For most, they never know what team they are going to be on next season.

This also happened to a gal I coached Anke Friedrich in skiing, as she won a lot of races, made the World Cup on the German National Team and then someone there said she was too old? She then took NCAA National Champiohships in SL & GS 90/91, two years running, made the blue book of records! This happens more than you know! All you need is someone to throw a "negative" about something at you! More times than you know, as a player, on a team, you have to do what they rattle off "right or wrong" or you don 't go to the game!

Then you have racers that obtain "A don't fix it if it isn't broke type of thinking." It's as if they think they can't get better? We all can get better! The talent and pace may be new age, and old school might not work!

If you get to stay in the sport long enough, you see all types of thinking! It is pretty amazing how the different events vary in mind set. The road racers ways vs. mtb ways, tri vs. tt, and

then the industry claims!

The truth is, Georgia Gould is still working hard, learning to take her cycling game to another level. She is opened minded, well liked and she puts total effort into every pedal stroke, and it shows!

Georgia keeps learning, and the results keep coming, as she knows that she needs the speed/skill on all terrain in order to race at the world level. You have to be a all-a-rounder racer to take it to the world. That means racing well uphill, downhill, flats, mud, sand, turns, sprints, being more aero, etc... It's a real gun fight with many battles in the war!

A lot of different moves of the game need to be learned, to be spot on or you can be in second place in a hurry. The stats will come from the scoreboard after the war, that's racing. Its not for everyone, it is a tough mental game.

Super Results in AZ. NMBS Super D TT - "Georgia Gould."

National Mountain Bike Series #2

Fountain Hills, Arizona  April 4-6

When you focus on what goes up is a big part of winning in mtb races, but you also need to have the bike setup to go downhill also!

"What goes up - must come down."  And these gals can come down fast!

April 4th:   Super D Time Trail

Pro Women

1  Georgia Gould  WN & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish

2  Katerina Nash

3 Wendy Simms

4  Delys Starr

5  Mical Dyck    WN & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish coached by Steve Neal

6 Pua Sawicki   WN & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish

We also have lot of the top pro men on the system.

Pro Men Marathon

1 Liam Killen

2 Evan Plews

3 Tinker Juarez  Mona Vie      WN & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish

4 Nat Ross       Gray Fisher      WN & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish

5 Travis Brown

6 Brad Pilling

7 Cale Redpath

8 Ben Thompson

9 Matt Ohran     Mona Vie       WN & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish

Check out April Velo News & The 2008 MTB Preview.

Look who's on the cover of the April 28th, 2008 Velo News.

Given all the different ideas on fitting our gal Georgia Gould stays the course with Wobble-naught & Myo-facts sEMG/Dartfish.

She is now viewed as one of the world's best athletes. Georgia has the results to take it to Beijing. She is undefeated on the NMBS.

Only two women will go, only the best of the best make the final cut. It is based on international success, that's who will be going to be racing in Beijing. Any gal that finishing inside the top three at one of the 4 European World Cups that fall before June 2th or June 22th world championships, earns a automatic ticket to the big show.

Georgia is racing down in AZ this weekend, lets hope she can stay the course! She then heads to Europe and will miss Sea Otter.

Georgia said she is in her best form ever!

Never say die... Rebecca just doesn't quit!

Why we like her style! You can count on her doing her best, doing her part! That's success!

Rebecca pulling her teammate, doing her job!

Never say die...Rebecca just doesn't quit. After ensuring that Christina is in sound care, she and her coach made the decision to not pass up the opportunity to finish the ride across South Africa...when would one ever get a chance like that again! Below is Rebecca's diary entry for the 5th stage of the race, although she of course is no longer officially competing.

More animal sightings...baboons this time. And even without a racing teammate, you'll read that Reba is holding her own with timings on the course. Total bummer that they''re out of the race, but way cool that she's still able to do the course.Regards, Judy (on behalf of Rebecca)
Cristina drafting off Rebecca in Stage 4...before the fall. Photo by Gary Perkin Stage 5 - The Scarlet Letter April 2, 2008 - by Rebecca Rusch Even though Cristina and I are officially disqualified, I decided to ride today’s stage solo. I emailed with my coach and home and weighed my options and it was clear that the training and being able to ride across South Africa was an opportunity I should not miss. I removed my race number and just joined into the peloton after the start. It took some logistical planning to arrange to have Claire and Ryan stay with me to drive the motor home and crew for me. We are now down from a posse of 10 people to just three. I spent the first hour of today’s 146 km stage, just sort of rolling casually with the group and warming up. I felt quite odd to be riding alone and in a sea of two person teams.

It was as if I had a scarlet letter A (for alone!) branded on my jersey. Probably 50 different riders asked where my teammate was, how she was doing and giving her good wishes. People who I only know from the color of their jerseys seemed genuinely concerned for the both of us. After many hundreds of kilometers of riding and suffering together with strangers, there is a strong bond that has formed among us. I felt a bit guilty riding without Cristina, but I knew she was in good hands with our team manager, Bobby. After a couple of hours of riding, I started to get into the groove again. I really got motivated when I saw the 3rd place women’s team in front of me. I wanted to see if I could catch them and stay with them. The riding was a lot of dirt road today mixed in with a 15 km sand bog and some very rocky, rolling hills. We got our first views of the sea and could hear the surf crashing as we were on the cliffs above in over 100 degree heat. I also got my first view of some baboons hanging out under a shady tree watching the race go by. There were very, very strong headwinds today, so sticking with a good pack for the road sections was crucial. There are definitely some riders here who are not used to riding in groups, so it’s a bit of a crap shoot of what quality of rider you will get when you join a group. With Cristina’s crash fresh in my mind, I was a bit more conservative on the downhills, but raced hard today. I even got to ride the last 5 km with cycling legends Thomas Frischnecht and Tom Richey!

I had to duck under the tape before the finish line, but my time would have placed me fourth in the women’s field, 50th in the men’s field for today and would have moved Cristina and me up to 5th place overall. It feels good to know I can ride among some of the best riders in the world, but is disappointing to be a ghost on the results sheet.

Cycling with legends. Tomorrow is the last stage that is over 100 kilometers. With three more days left, the mileage is winding down. However, the weather is ramping up. At the moment is pouring rain and thundering like crazy outside. If it stays like this it will add hours onto the stage times.

Cheers,
Rebecca

Thinking makes it so!

Look at all the different ideas on how men and women should be set up on their bikes. Why?

There are different games e.g. tt, mtb, track, etc...

We see this from the road expert pushing his advice on the mountain biker. Mountain biking is not the same game and if your fit is off it will show. Mountain biking is a game of you and the trail in which handling and power are key! For the most part, you don't have someone pulling you for the long haul. Your fit could be off and you may not even know it until you hit a real climb.


Careful of what you hear! Learned information is placed in the residual nerves. Residual nerves are the ones that carry the commands from the brain to the motors (legs.)

What is sad here is that the brain hears the advice, takes it to heart, and then attempts to learn to control movements that the muscles won't be able to perform if the bike setup is off. Many times the muscles are not working in concert. They fight each other or they fight the weight of a heavy front end.

Again, it is the muscles and the structural elements of the bones that receive commands from the brain to produce targeted muscle movements. If you are setup on the bike incorrectly, it will not stop you from competing, but don't expect to set PRs! It you can't find the setup that allows you to transfer more power into your pedal stroke don't expect to be more powerful.

If the command center only hears advice, it doesn't really understand! You need to see what you are doing to improve it! A clear picture is worth a thousand words!!!

Go to a Wobble-naught dealer who is using Dartfish and see more truth! It will change your world!!!

Here We Go Again! Gould takes STXC!

What is really impressive is that you can go to one of our dealers and get the same attention to details that makes a difference!

Yet, another impressive victory for the short track title!  Georgia was able to ride a tactically precise racer.   She knows a few things about the term "bridging" has she Wendy Simms, then when she lost some pace, unleashed an attach that both teammate Katerina Nash and Simms could not answer.

Just behind, another WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish user Mical Dyck, coached by WN dealer Steve Neal riding solo.  Behind that was nothing but chaos from postion 5 to 10 positons.

1. Georgia Gould               0.25.12    WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish  Tom Coleman/Nat Ross

2. Katerina Nash                    0.07

3. Wendy Simms                    0.12

4. Mical Dyck                          0.12    WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish  Steve Neal

5. Kathy Sherwin                    0.13

6. Willow Koerber                 0.16

7 Heather Irmiger                 0.18

8. Lea Davison                       0.47     WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish  Tom Coleman

9. Chloe Forsman                  0.55      WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish  Tim Carolan

10. Shonny Vanlandingham 0.56     WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish  Tom Coleman

16.  Pua  Sawicki                    1.27      WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish  Tom Coleman

That is a lot of WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish users!  Do we need to ask the question why?

Georgia Gould keeps her "UNBEATEN STREAK" in Fontana, CA

Georgia is right on track in 2008 with her early season fitness, winning the 2008 NMBS opener in Fontana, CA.  She seems to have the game on early, the same as last year!

Georgia Gould has learned well, to blast away from the field from the gun to retain her unbeaten streak on the NMBS, which reaches back to March 2007.

On another note, 5 of the top 10 use Wobble-naught & Myo-facts/Dartfish.  

"Georgia Gould said."  "I had some butterflies before the race.  It's good to know that things are going as planned."

Life is full of butterflies!  As soon as you don't have them, you are getting ready to get run over!

March 29: Elite Women Cross Country

Super Results

1.  Georgia Gould Luna MTB Team                  1.57.41 WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish

2,  Katerina Nash Luna  MTB  Team                    2.52

3. Wendy Simms  Kona                                          4.21

4. Catherine Pendrel Luna MTB Team                4.27

5. Emily Batty  Trek Bicycle Toronto                   5.32 WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish

6. Kelli Emmet   Giant MTB Team                       5.34

7. Heather Irmiger Subaru-Gary Fisher              6.45

8. Lea Davison Trek/VW                                       6.56 WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish

9. Mical Dyck Trek/Terrascape Raciung             7.05 WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish

10. Monique "Pua" Sawicki Ellsworth                 9.55 WN & Myo-facts/Dartfish

We would like to point out that our dealer Steve Neal has fitted both Emily Batty & Mical Dyck and personally coaches them...  Steve has been our number 1 dealer in Canada.  Steve's hard work is showing up on the best mtb racers in the Canada!

The above is important, as you can go to one of our dealers and get the correct fit for your game!  

What's in your game?  Want to know more, go see one of our dealers!

Rebecca Rusch in South Africa for the Cape Epic 9-Day mtb race.

Rebecca in red, on the left in South Africa for the Cape Epic 9-Day MTB Stage Competition Inbox X

(Hello Friends & Fans of Rebecca,
The following is a note from Reba recapping what she has been up to over the winter and also offering a pre-race write-up on the major MTB competition she is set to begin this weekend in South Africa. Enjoy the read and the pictures (at the end of this email).


Hello out there. It has been a long while since I’ve written, and a ton of experiences have presented themselves this winter. I’ve posted some new blogs on my web site with stories about my photo shoot with 5 World Champions and the Tour of California. There is also a posting about my surprise status as a world champion in another sport! To read more about these, click on rebeccarusch.com/news/blog.htm .

Just to get you up to speed...10 days ago, I left the snow in Ketchum and 35 hours later
landed in Capetown, South Africa. I’ve had a week and a half of amazing days mountain bike training and tire testing with the Specialized team. We have three current World Champ athletes here, plus team mechanics, tire designers, our team manager/comic relief and soigneur. There are 6 different accents and cultures represented in our group of 8 people. You can also read about the tire testing experience and check out pictures on the blog page.

However, our relaxing schedule and comfy bed and breakfast lifestyle is about to be turned upside down. In a couple of days we embark on a 9-day mountain bike stage race across the western cape of South Africa. The race is called the Cape Epic and is 966 km of riding with 18,500 meters of elevation gain. For you Americans, that’s around 600 miles and 60,000 ft. Each day starts and finishes in totally different places, and the race support crew will move along ahead of the riders. It is a two person team format, and I am racing with former 24-Hour World Champion, Cristina Begy. Cristina’s done this race twice along with a host of other multi-day bike races. She and I have never raced together or against each other before, but I know her race resume well. We were connected by a mutual friend and so far it seems to be a great match up. She has more cycling experience than I do, but we get along wonderfully. After just a couple days of hanging out, I already have a good feeling about our partnership.

This race is just four years old, but has quickly become the premiere stage race for elite level cyclists. The team entries fill up the 600 team limit in just days. Many of the pro cyclists have been using this race as a great early season training vehicle. The roster is full of Olympians, World Champions, National Champions from various countries and legends in the sport. There are 1200 riders registered and the top end of the field will be extremely competitive. In addition to the fast pace, the heat and the technical terrain, rumors of hippo and other wild animal spottings are also common in past race reports.

We will try to get out some update during the competition, but you can also follow the race on the official website www.cape-epic.com . This site also has a link to Cycling.tv where you can watch video coverage of the race each day.

If I have time, energy and internet access after each stage, I will be posting some daily reports and photos on VeloNews at www.velonews.com.

Enjoy the show and send me thoughts of tall glasses of iced tea!
Cheers,
Rebecca

Bart Gillespie kills it for Mona Vie Cannondale, but also Matt Ohran has super results! Hmm?

http://www.intermountaincup.com/

We have been working with Bart for years now and we expect him to haul it as he road away from the field. Bart raced off into the westner sun set at the Red Rock Desert Rampage and against some big names at a Intermountain Cup race held in St. George. He put about 8 minutes into 2nd place when it was done.

But other super results came forth! The founder of Mona Via Cannondale also had a super results, as he got a 8th place. Why is this cool, well for one Matt Oharn back was very messed up from motor cross bikes! In fact he had to get it worked on (cut on) and this is the first time that he has raced pro. He was not a happy lad! Now watch him go!, even pro! Hmm?

Both Bart and Matt will not set their bikes any other way except the WN & Myo-facts way!
That is why Mona Via Cannondale is the official fitting system of the team.

Results are the end all to all the different fits! If you don't get better results, improve your game, breaking your PR's well what good is the fit?

We are the only system in the fitting game that sets the bike up for the sag "you put on your bike". How many times do we see road fits used on mtbs? It is not the same game!!!

The 2006, 2007 World Triathlon (AK) Champion on WN & Myo-facts.

Matt Perkins is a above the knee amputee, (Type of Amputation: AK), but that has not slow him down. Matt is extremely active and enjoys skiing, tennis & basketball, swimming, and then took up triathlons and does very well!

Matt is the marketing director of Coyote Design, an orthotic and prosthetic manufacturing company specializing in locking mechanisms for prosthetic sockets based in Boise, Idaho.

Matt is the real deal and was even on the US Ski Team for a few years and has no problem catching big air, enough air to sail over the top of your head standing straight up, nailing it and keep on booking. He then took up cycling, running, swimming, etc..., he has already made his mark in the world.

He has won two World Championships in triathlon, one in 2006 and then 2007 and looking for number three in 2008.

So when you think your leg(s) are dead and your having a bad day, think about what Matt feels?

Many times, you don't have any feeling, and you just have to go!

That is why is came to us, to get his one good leg blueprinted!

We are "blueprinting" is one leg, using sEMG, Dartfish! He needs to have the perfect pedal stroke to hold pace! He can't have the brakes on his only leg! Meaning when the muscles are not working together to move you down the road. His saddle has to be in space at the perfect zone! No guessing!

Field Testing!

Cycling is not like other sports e.g. distance running and swimming, its highly variable nature include (race tactics, courses, drafting, and environmental conditions, and that means that it is difficult for cyclists and their coaches to accurately use competitive performance to monitor to achieve optimal performance.

Not unlike navy seals, you must overcome the environmental conditions! You have to identify the specific strengths and weaknesses of an athlete's physiology that may influence the achievement of a particular goal.

With that, you hands don't always stay warm, and you can't feel the hoods. No matter! Your center of balance comes from your ears.

Hearing and balance can be divided into 3 parts: external, middle, and inner ears. The external and middle ears are involved not only in hearing, but can be used to check the winds! The inner ear functions in both hearing an balance. The inner ear contains the sensory organs for hearing & balance. It consists of interconnecting fluid-filled (endolymph) tunnels and chambers within the petrous portion of the temporal bone.

You have to learn your balance, as it is not what you do in the normal daily activities. You have to train your brain and sense other parts of the body to move in & out of balance.

You can't let cold numb hands slow you down! You have to learn to balance from the eyes, or better yet the seat of your pants!

As the head changes, such as when a person bends over (to get more aero), the maculae respond to the changes in position of the head, relative to gravity by moving in the direction of gravity.

As a person begins to move in a given direction, the semicircular canals begin to move with the body, but the endolymph tends to remain stationary relative to the movement (momentum force; in the opposite direction).

There is more balance disorder's in people than you would know. Think about when things go numb? The brain must adjust to these unusual signals, or symptoms may result such as headaches and dizziness.

That means you have to get out on the bike and put in the time for the brain to adapt!

Another racer on track! Pua gets 7th in her first World Cup!

Pua gets 7th at the MTB World Cup Marathon #1, at Manavgat, Antalya, Turkey, March 16th against the best mtb riders from all over Europe! Sometimes we view the US as the hot bed of things. When you race the world, you realize the world is a very big place! 

You might think that 17.44 mins. behind the leader is a lot. But it really is not!  

It is not that easy! You must learn "major lessons" about travel, jet lag and nutrition when you travel the globe to race World Cup races. A few more experiences for Pua and she could be right there because anyone that places 7th in their first World Cup is a contender!

"I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday, and I love today." - William White

Most races are only say 40k, or 4 to 5 hours long. Now, think 12 hours or 24 hours!

If your bike is not part of you, your body will quickly tell you so in the next 48 hours.

Results

1  Pia Sundstedt  (Fin)                                        3.28.16

2 Annabella Stropparo (Ita)                                    0.05

3 Esther Suss      (Swi)                                              7.23

4 Blaze Klemencic (Slo)                                          11.09

5 Janka Stevkova   (Svk)                                         13.19

6 Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Swi)                        16.44

7 Marielle (Pua) Sawicki                                         17.21

There's more than the eye can see!

We measure you and your every joint, place that in the correct range of motion, then allow the muscles to adapt!

According to the game you wish to play, the body needs to be aligned in space for the best movement in and out of balance!

The upper body is a counter weight for the legs to work under.

Even the volume of your chest size plays a role in allowing you to get the most from your legs.

The range of motion of the shoulders can make the difference in breathing!

Take a windy day, add the huge aero wheels and you can have your hands full!

So, even if you are the strongest human ever made if you are not getting your oxygen, well, then what?

Just because you look at the outside of a race car, doesn't mean the you see the motor and how it is "blueprinted."

No wonder so many people have back problems.

The spine needs to work in all directions, to be functional!

A functional spinal unit (image) consists of an inferior and superior vertebral body and all of the connective soft tissue between them. Contractile and nervous tissues are excluded.

Then, there is the rest of you!

What's in your game? Are you functional?

Spring is here and we are starting to see Snipes! What kind of bird are they?

Every spring, the birds come out and we love to watch and hear them. Some even put out a lot noise when you get in their neck of the woods.

There are birds that can haul it for a short distance and then have to shut it down after 100 meters, and there are birds that can go from north to south and not fatigue.

No question, many birds have different tissues to respond to stimuli that normally evoke muscular contraction.


Did you know that not all birds have the same muscle tissue? Not all birds are the same. Look at a duck's muscle and note the dark tissue, due to mitochondria that function in cellular metabolism and respiration. Then look at a ring neck pheasant and note the lighter color (white) tissue, also known as a game bird. The pheasant can run, jump and make distance fast. It only hits it for a short distance and well, game over. On the other hand, the duck can have a long flight. Call it "Bird Sense."

It is said that "birds of a feather fly together." I suspect the sounds they make are the same given their environment and time they spend together. But then you see a few birds on their own. Bodie Miller, a very different bird, does his own thing. This bird has put distance from the US Ski Team. He is winning races.

There are many different birds in the sport of cycling. Take the Snipe. Pretty much likes its own natural environment work and live. They are develop maximum independence while doing their own thing.

The Snipe: A wading bird of wet meadows with the very best brown camouflaged plumage and a drumming display flight. If you attempt to get to close to the snipe it may set into flight. There are several species, e.g. The common snipe gallinago.

You can be looking right at them and not know they are there!

When growing up, we use to take people out snipe hunting in the dark as a joke. We would provide the novice outdoors person a bag and set them out in the woods. Then we would leave him and see how long he would stay out there. A few times, we would sneak up on them in the dark and make bear sounds and watch them climb the nearest tree. That was good fun!

ORGIN Middle English: Of Scandinavian organ; compare with Icelandic myrisnpa; related to Dutch snip and German Schnepfe

But there is another type of snipe. The Sniper - this bird takes shots at something from a hiding place, attacking from afar with a sly or verbal attack. It may be considered "fight or flight" as our science continues to unveil more truths! The sniper wants to know everything we are doing...Why does the sniper worry about us?

It seems that we are stepping into their woods and they feel that our science (the tools we use) might endanger their informal ways. Perhaps the science is going to make a few birds leave the meadows, as they are having a hard time with the difference our science is making. It goes against what they have been sounding, as they attempt to make a living.

In the past, it has been very easy to tell people anything on how to best ride a bike. If it didn't work, well they might not have come back for more. But when someone sees the light the camouflaged ideas go away!

Think of it this way: If you have 30 people paying you 100 plus per month for information, that is $3,000 per month or $36,000 per year just for making your bird sounds! If you are a good looking bird you might get a lot of bird watchers!

We are hunters of more truth. We don't mean to kill off the birds, but the birds better present more truths or they will be unveiled and won't be able to make a living in the woods.

We have always heard of the myths that go along with this bird (snipes). But by using our bird dogs, transmitters, and newly aligned custom fitted shot guns (bikes) we are finding them out! The snipers have heard that we now use video out in the meadows (or next to them on the road). We are learning a lot!

No matter how fast these birds are, we are finding them out,as we use science to bust their myths! Perhaps the only thing these birds can do is snipe at us from a far as they become endangered.

Road Bike Action Magazine on Bike Fit?

To Slam or not to Slam?

That is the question when you want to mass market! Most of the industry just wants you to ride a bike, they don't care about compression. They don't really teach you how to ride like we do, even outside using Dartfish.

We are all for more people riding bikes...but at what cost? We are glad the industry is now taking note and using basic ideas for their dealers.

You can't change your bones or your joints. Your muscles move the bones according to the joints' range of motion. Where does flexibilty come into play when your in the middle of the joint range of motion?

You must learn to pedal just like a golfer learns to swing with their high-tech clubs!

We actually measure the bones using our proven methods and CAD tools so we can then better understand how to deal with the specific movement of the cyclist. Movement can take place only in the direction or directions and to the extent permitted by the configuration of the joints and their supporting structures.

Things have to be looked at from a rotary component: the force that tends to turn the bone around the fulcrum while in space.

We need to take into account angles, force vectors, compression forces, and shearing forces along with the components of muscle force that tend to rotate a bone about a joint and tend to create bending torques.

Muscle contractions tending to elongate tendons are said to cause tensile forces in the tendons. Even the size of the knee cap or the spine can influence these forces. Change the lever arm and you change the line of action for the force!

A very real problem with just eyeing things is that you can't get all the necessary vectors. Just going with a certain spine angle e.g. 60-degrees, 45-degrees, 30-degrees, 10-degrees is way too basic!

Why is there still a question of where the stem is in space? We all know that a fit is only part of the game. Out in the real world, where you have cross winds etc., you better learn how to pedal!
Then comes the question about the hip shape and it allowing you to use the quads and the hamstrings. We measure your hip shape and know where it needs to be in space according to the type of game you wish to play.

What about the riser FSA flat riser K-Wing Bars, placement of the hoods, shape of handlebars, etc.?

It is more about where the hands are in space than this "Slam or not Slam". I do agree with one statement: The more muscle groups that are engaged, the more power will result. And, you need that power when you climb or want to go faster. Just like a weight lifting, golfing, and skiing, cycling is dynamic.

I think a basic fit is better than nothing, but if you want to really learn to ride come see one of our dealers. Maybe very upright ski boots are the key for comfort & walking around in, but don't expect to ski well. I suspect many of them would have knee issues, perhaps most of them would be sitting on their butts on the slopes? But walking around the ski lodge and looking the part is cool! That puts more people near the slope! And yes riding a bike is cool!

Why Pua uses Wobble-naught CAD & Myo-facts Dartfish?

I love what the Sequoia Classic promoter Sheri Clark said about women racers.

"We want the women to understand that we see them as just as important to cycling in North American as the men."

Idaho had a UCI stage race "Women's Challenge [from 1984-2002] and lost it due to lack of support. HP pulled out and we had another company stepping up!  However during a web interview with Wobble-naught, including  two present world champion ladies from Idaho, some gals in the background started to dis on Kristin, Reba, and Wobble-naught.  What they didn't know, was the VP of the new support was on that site that day!

One of the gals said "Great we are all going to have to eat chicken pot pies."  Another typed: "Who does Kristin think she is?, a world champion or something."

Many hits came about Wobble-naught CAD, etc...

Why bring this up?  Fro one, our voices are being heard and what you say can damage the sport.  We hear the guys saying it about the gals all the time.

Talk about women racing to most men and they will say "what ever dude."

I coached a gal from Germany, Anke Friedrich who took NCAA Championships in 1989-90 in both sl & gs and the same thing would be heard from the guys or other coaches. 

I also have two girls and I support them and their efforts!  A women has to overcome the disrespect of many who think they don't rank.  

Here is a quote from Alison Dunlap:

"There is a lot to figure out with the sport. Unless you have a ton of time to got to read and go online and research coaching, you're really just guessing.  You're going to waste a lot of time."

"There are thousands of coaches out there and some are really cheap and some are really expensive.  Find one you can afford and find one with whom yo get along.  That will make the learning curve a lot less painful."

Through the years, we have supported the best female racers in the world!  And we will always stand behind them!  How narrow are the minds, to think that the sport is for men only, even calling the gals names.  Those same voices also dislike the lack of money they make, and grumble about the lack of support for teams.

I will say, it is not just the men, but also the gals that dis on their own sport.  With that!

Understand even if you dis on another cycling event (road, tt, tri, mtb, xc, etc...)  that you don't race,  your voice about the sport looks bad!  

There is a lot of trash talk in the game and about everything!  Someone doesn't like this or that because they think they know and look at all the detection of crime with EPO.  How does one know what brings more truth.  How do we put order to it all and bring more truth?

Be ware of hear say and get the facts. That will help your game more than you know "male or female."  We measure everything and then can show you with the Dartfish inside or outside. Pua came here to get more truth.  I am sure there are some who will not like that and will dis on the sport.

Pus wanted to unveil more truths!  To learn what she needs, not what someone else thinks she needs. Why would anyone just go by someone's eye when you can use science to unveil more of what you need?

Why is science not being used more? Science can be proven and replicated. Only science can unveil the truth!

It is not really the fault of the retail outlets, as they have to focus on the sales and marketing of their products. Bike fitting sometimes falls by the wayside here as the main goal there is the sale of the bike. So look at it like this: A retail store has to buy in October and then pay it off by July. That's hard core! They tie all their money up with brands to have them in their retail space and hang on, in hopes to pay them off by July, only to do it again! About 2,000 new retail stores open and about 1,000 go away in a given year! This is a tough game. The major bike marketing company that puts everything together in a box doesn't want to hear that the stem and seatpost they put in a package to save money doesn't fit everyone!

Today you see saddles that hit the $450.00 mark, a handlebar $280.00 and a stem $250, but if the saddle & handlebar are in the wrong place in space, well game over! The positive here is that people have learned that fitting is important. So if you are getting some basic fitting, that is still better than nothing!

Understand this: You can buy your golf clubs, skis, or bikes at any store but you still have to learn how to use them. That is what we do! We use our tools to teach you and show you the truths, not just tell you. We don't care if the paint job matches your eyes or how cool the bike looks when you ride up to a coffee shop!

Sure you can hang a plumb line, but there is so much more. Bike fit is not about getting "close", it's about getting it right. There is more to our service because we care. That is why people like Pua want our service, we are the real deal and so are our dealers.

Why would you build a house without a blueprint? The same holds true for fitting you to your bike. No blueprint means you are guessing!

It seems that Pua who just started using our systems also has heard them all, but she moved with Wobble-naught & Myo-facts Dartfish. And that has made a difference!

Keep a close eye on her! She is breaking personal records everywhere she is going! And everywhere she is going, she is winning races!