All posts by Logician

News

Gadget Gives You Watts and Guards Your Chain

There’s a ton of new tech coming out from every corner of the world, often similar ideas in various forms, but this one’s a new one to me.

Scottoiler System

Automatic Bicycle Chain Lubrication SystemScottoiler Systems have made automatic chain lube systems for motorcycles, now they’ve made one for bicycles. This device clamps to your seat tube and continually lubes your chain as you ride.

The big benefit? Besides keeping your chain cleaner and lengthening its life, they say there’s a power boost as well.

“Dr Florida-James found on average a 5% increase in power output when using a Scottoiler automatic lube system with cyclists taken previously used bicycles onto a moving treadmill.”
– Dr Florida-James, quoted on KickStarter.com

This video explains all (though like me you might need subtitles to follow along)

What do you think? An increase of 5% in power output is not to be sneezed at. On 300w that would bump you up to 315w.

Some other things to think about…

Do you regularly ride long? The 4-5 watt gain is toward the end of longer rides of 3-4 hrs. How much added weight will you be carrying? How much will the refills cost? Do you need another gadget that takes batteries? Will your competitors refill it with Superglue?

When it hits the market in 2016 it will cost around $150.

Learn more: http://www.scottoiler.com/cycle/

Bicycle Upgrade and Maintenance
Made Easy

There’s no doubt that maintaining your bike properly will save you both watts and dollars over the long run (not to mention ensure you catch any safety issues early). As always, my friend Dave stands by ready to teach you the insider tricks of the pros.

News

Lee Fancourt Update, Vuelta, Five Quick Bike Fixes

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing.  That’s why we recommend it daily.” –Zig Ziglar

Lee Fancourt’s Land’s End-John O’Groats-Land’s End Attempt (LEJOGLE)

Lee Fancourt needs no additional motivation. If you remember he was trying to break the record for crossing the length of the UK and back (south-north-south). Unfortunately he had to call it quits on Thursday last week when he became ill and could not keep anything down. His attitude… hey it happens, I’ll be back next year.

BTW, his story is quite incredible. He’s a former boxer and runner but knee problems meant switching to the bike in 2011. He was told he’d never be able to ride long distances. Well he’s already done some incredible ultra endurance feats (including riding around the world).  Learn more about him at LeeFancourt.com.

Vuelta Espana

Well the Vuelta started on Saturday and they’ve already hit the mountains! And there’s some controversy as Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) gets ejected for catching a tow with his team car following a crash. As you’ll see from the video below, it’s quite a tow. Why not just get in the car?

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/08/news/nibali-questions-race-jury-over-vuelta-boot-upset-with-astana_382438

 

Five Common Bike Repairs

Bicycling magazine covers five common bike fixes that you can easily do yourself:

http://www.bicycling.com/maintenance/bicycle-repair/fix-five-common-bike-repairs

diy-bike-repair-dvds

Never pay for bike repairs again…

With the DIY Bike Repairs video course, you will save a bundle, and never be stumped by a bike repair again. This complete video course  of bicycle repairs covers everything, from major upgrades to minor maintenance work.

This professionally shot course is put together by pro bike mechanics, and is packed with insider’s tips and short cuts.

The course comes with lifetime updates and a money-back guarantee, so there’s no reason not to give it a try.

Get the DIY Bike Repairs video course

New Cycling Gear

Treadmill Desks and Exercise Desks

Exercise. I prefer to fit it in during my day, either a morning or lunch ride or run. By the end of the day, my motivation has been sapped, it’s just that much harder to hit the road and workout.

The good news is that you don’t have to wait until the end of the day when you’re tired and it’s getting dark to get your daily exercise in… you can run, ride or walk while you work.

Today there are quite a few options, from treadmill desks, to cycling desks, to under desk pedal systems and desks that clamp to your bike bars.

The Atlantic has an interesting article on the trend, and some scary health facts about sitting. As James Hamblin of The Atlantic has said, “Sitting is the new dying.”

Bicycle Desks: Better Than the Gym

The FitDesk 2.0 - exercise while you work, work better, get in extra workout time! “Research has found excessive sedentary time to be a risk factor for many physical and psychosocial health outcomes including mortality, obesity, cardiometabolic-disease risk, cancer, stress, depressive symptoms, and poorer cognitive function.

Moreover, Carr says that research has shown that this relationship cannot be ‘exercised off’: The negative effects of sitting all day aren’t cured by regular exercise.

The study found that those who pedaled more reported improved concentration at work, suggesting there are productivity gains to being active at the office.”

Read the full article at The Atlantic – Bicycle Desks: Better Than the Gym

7 Great Treadmill Desks and Exercise Desks

Cycling Gear Reviews, Cycling Tips, New Cycling Gear

How Two Tiny Centimeters Unlocked 500 Miles

Reader Brian F tells a story that dramatically illustrates the potential power or destructiveness of a bike fit, and how little adjustments can have major effects. 1500 miles in to a 2000 mile bike tour he faced defeat due to unbearable pain…

“We had already done about 1500 miles, but I started to develop saddle sores. I spent almost two entire days coasting and standing because I couldn’t bear to pedal while sitting. I was resigned to having to take a bus for the last 500 miles of the trip, which was a completely demoralizing thought. About four in the morning I woke up in my tent and said out loud, “Lower the seat.” A couple of hours later I lowered the seat by about 2 cm. and I was good to go. It was like a miracle.

Don’t you love the way his mind figured it out while he was sleeping?

Speaking of bike fit and saddle sores, I had the hardest time finding a saddle that was comfortable. I used to ride quite a bit, up to 40-50 miles was no problem, but a couple of days a week I’d do 90 miles, and occasionally I’d do 120-150.

It’s those long rides that revealed the weakness in a saddle for me… and frankly scared me a bit as I started experiencing lingering numbness and pain.

Finally I found one that worked, here’s the saddle that saved my butt.

Saddles are a very personal thing, but if you’ve had issues and are not quite satisfied with your saddle, I recommend giving this one a try.

Cycling Tips

Bicycle Fit: Nailing Your Saddle Height

One of the critical elements in a good bike fit is saddle height, get it wrong and you can put undue strain on your knees and be in for a world of hurt.

When I had just started cycling, maybe 6 months, I somehow talked my wife into doing the MS150.

Crazy bicycle fit with high saddleI signed us up for the extended version which turned out to be 107 miles on day one. Around about 80 miles my knees started to feel fragile, like they were eggshells and cracking. It was almost unbearable, I only got through it with the help of painkillers.

The painkillers worked wonders and we completed the ride, all 187 agonizing miles of it. My wife has never let me forget.

I learned a valuable lesson; it’s so not so much about the bike, or the rider, but the marriage of the two.

When I bought that first bike, some kid in the bike shop had set me up, and sent me to circle the parking lot a couple of times. “Perfect,” I said. I was clueless.

My next bike was built by a veteran mechanic on the pro circuit, and a bike fitting fanatic… what a diffeence. That bike was a part of me. It still is. Fourteen years later I’m still riding it, it’s my trainer bike.

So how do you stop your knees from feeling like they’re about to shatter? Here’s a quick video on how to get that crucial saddle height right.

How to Set Your Saddle Height Just Right

Click the link below to watch the short video with tips on getting your seat height perfect:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/fitness/bike-fit/saddle-height-why-you-need-to-get-it-right-25379

News

Lee Fancourt Tackles the Land’s End to John O’Groats and Back

Lee Fancourt is attempting to break the Land’s End to John O’Groats and back record, a distance of 1776 miles

The route starts from Land’s End, the southern tip of the UK and goes up to the northern most tip of Scotland.

The current record was set in 2010 by Ben Rockett (see the video below) and stands at five days, 21 hours 8 minutes

According to Cycling Weekly:

Fancourt comes into the challenge on the back of cycling through seven European countries in the space of 24 hours, finishing last Monday.

His trip took him through Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and saw him cover 323 miles in the day.

Full Story:  CyclingWeekly.co.uk

You can follow Fancourt’s ride on his website

Ben Rockett’s Record: Land’s End to John O’Groats and Back, 1776 Miles

Related:  50 Places to Bike Before You Die

News, Opinion

Bicycle Helmets and Cycling Safety

Monday Motivation

“I attribute this to my success. I never gave or took any excuse.” –Florence Nightingale

Mandatory Helmet Laws and Cycling Safety

There has been a lot of discussion about whether the mandatory helmet laws are a good idea or not. Recently it resurfaced in the Australian Senate. (We’re talking traditional helmets here, not this kind.)

As I recall there are at least three main issues: 1) the effectiveness of helmets, 2) whether they help or hinder safety on the road, 3) whether helmet laws deter cycling in general.

On the effectiveness of helmets, I’ve had at least two concussions… er, that I can remember. The most serious one, referred to as “the alleged accident” at Velo Logic HQ, where I was unconscious and hospitalized, happened taking a gentle corner at 16-18 mph (according to a friend behind me).

Ever since then I’ve had doubts about the efficacy of helmet, though I still wear one.  (On helmet ineffectiveness see Robinson Dorothy, 2006. Do enforced bicycle helmet laws improve public health?. BMJ 2006;332:722-725.)

Regarding helmets effect on the road, research has shown that drivers give cyclists without helmets significantly more room when passing. (Ian Walker found that wearing a helmet led to a 23% increase in cars inside the 3 ft danger zone, Accident Analysis & Prevention, March 2007.)

In my opinion the issue is easily resolved. As the Aussies say, it’s bloody simple mate, leave it up to the cyclists, let each person decide whether to wear a helmet or not. We’re big boys and girls, we can make up our own minds and accept the consequences.

This is not a trivial issue, which is precisely why people should be able to decide for themselves, not forced to conform to what politicians and bureaucrats decide is best.

What say ye?

Australian Senate Inquiry Hears from Doctors and Academics

Cycling Demonstration for Fallen Cyclist Disrupted by Bus Collision

In Helsinki a group of 850 cyclists riding in honor of a cyclist killed in a collision with a car last week, were inadvertently part of a demonstration of just how dangerous cycling can be, when a bus ran into the group. Thankfully no one was seriously injured, but fisticuffs ensued between a cyclist and the bus driver.

Bus Collides with Cycling Safety Demonstrators

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Let’s make it a great week, no excuses.

News

The Top Ten Cycling Climbs in the US

Let’s face it, sprinting is fun, descending is thrilling, but the real action in cycling happens in the hills. When the road turns skyward, the gloves come off. If sprinting is a duel, over in a flash, climbing is a vicious, bare-knuckled slugfest that intensifies the agony and drags on, leaving everyone battered and bruised, even the victor.

And yet this brutal battle takes place not in a back alley, but in some of the most spectacular places on earth, heightening the drama and the spectacle.

We have a great selection of climbs here in the US, from the short and brutal, to the longest paved climb in the world (34 miles).

Courtesy of GCN, here’s the Top Ten Climbs in the US.

 

News

Youngest Person to Cycle Around the World

A 19 year old kid from England has done it… completed an 18,000 mile trip around the world.

It took Tom Davies of London just over 6 months, 174 days to be exact, to ride around the world.

The Around the World Route

Interactive map – Leg 1 (London to Istanbul): //ridewithgps.com/routes/6572038/embed

Interactive map – Leg 2 (Mumbai to Kolkata): //ridewithgps.com/routes/6576274/embed

Interactive map – Leg 3 (Mandalay to Ho Chi Minh): //ridewithgps.com/routes/6576365/embed

Interactive map – Leg 4 (Bangkok to Singapore): //ridewithgps.com/routes/6576647/embed

Interactive map – Leg 5 (Perth to Brisbane): //ridewithgps.com/routes/6581038/embed

Interactive map – Leg 6 (Dunedin to Auckland): //ridewithgps.com/routes/6581465/embed

Interactive map – Leg 7 (San Fransisco to Boston): //ridewithgps.com/routes/6588985/embed

Interactive map – Leg 8 (Lisbon to London)://ridewithgps.com/routes/6595323/embed

Read more about Tom Davies’ epic ride here:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/teenager-celebrates-completing-18000-mile-around-the-world-ride-186585

You can check out his ride on Strava, he has 29,186 km so far this year.

New in the Velo Logic Store

Some new things in the Velo Logic store, looking for a good home:

Slaying the Badger – the real story behind the Lemond-Hinault clash

The Cyclist’s Bucket List – there’s a lot to cross off your list, better start now

News, Opinion

The Tragic Lesson of Mr Lock

Last month, Don Lock, a 79 year old cyclist in England was involved in a collision with a car. Details are sparse but allegedly road rage ensued and Mr Lock was stabbed to death.

Sickening. The Argus covers the story “Don Lock is Cycling Through the Pearly Gates:”

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/13593054.Don_Lock_is__cycling_through_the_pearly_gates__wearing_the_yellow_jersey_/

Difficult to believe someone could be that callous to a vulnerable cyclist and an elderly and defenseless man.

It’s hard to control your emotions when your life has been put in danger by some thoughtless action by a driver. But what good does it do you, or your family, if you survive the vehicle incident only to lose your life in the aftermath of emotions?

It’s a good reminder (driven home repeatedly by my self-defense instructor), that there are bad people that don’t give a damn and will kill you without a second thought, and that walking away from a confrontation, and getting back home to your family safely, is a win.

Keep your options open, deescalate and escape, because confrontations on the road rarely end well.

I’ve had at least three with drivers. One went well but I had been chasing the car for about 2 miles and had time to calm down and think it through, and when I pulled up alongside the car in the parking lot, it was two young kids. I stayed calm and kept it brief.

Another time I confronted the passenger of a car who had given me the finger as they passed on a mountain road on which I was doing hill repeats. I rode up to them in the parking lot at the top. It was two guys, punks in trench coats. I was tired and in my cleats. Had the guy I confronted decided to fight I probably would have been history. And if I had got the upper hand, his buddy would surely have jumped me.

Back then I had no idea what I was doing, I was just plain angry… usually a good sign that it’s time to walk away.

But let’s assume for a moment a scenario when everything turns out in your favor, you get into a confrontation, he’s not armed, has no friends, you go at it and you kick his butt.

What then? What do you gain? So you won the physical fight, that’s the easy part, it usually only lasts a few seconds. Then comes the legal fight, and that too has its cost, financial, psychological, it could take a months or years to resolve. It could even cost you your freedom.

It’s at least worth thinking about now, because when tempers flare on the road, it’s usually too late. As it was for Mr Lock.

Not what I planned to write about today but there you go. Had a road rage incident? Tell me about it.

Let’s try to keep brain engaged and fists holstered.

Stay safe.

 

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Davo Smith