Bike Fit Tips

10 things you should know when you think to shop for a bike fit:

1. Look for a "certified" bike fitter. Ask if they hold any certification.
2. Look for an independent bike fit - Why? For different reasons: bike fit done by a bike shop not always have a professional certified bike fitter available; moreover their bike fit are usual driven by the interest to sell not only new equipment but the type of equipment they sell, that not necessarily works for you.
3. Do not believe if they say you have "legs discrepancy". Legs discrepancy can be assessed only by X-Ray. More often it's a "muscle imbalance" that needs to be addressed by specific strength exercises.
4. Make sure that bike fitter does flexibility and posture assessment
5. Ask for the independent bike fit has an agreement with a bike shop near by. The advantage is that the bike shop will sell and mount equipment according to the new measurements and suggestions given by the bike fitter
6. The bike fitter should ask the main goal of your bike fit: performance vs. comfort.
7. Ask for a written document that lists what changes have been done and why, which changes have been done to address which problems or pains or performance requests. The document should also list all the new measurements.
8. Ask if they have "follow-up" process in place. After a new bike fit some discomfort is expected to allow the body to adapt to the new position. However, if you have pain and not discomfort or your discomfort has not gone away in 2 weeks of riding, then you need to call the bike fitter. The bike fitter however should call you any way within 2 weeks from the bike fit, and ask for a re-assessment. The re-assessment should be at no additional fee, unless you changed position or equipment meanwhile.
9. Do not change position by yourself just because you are in pain or you feel discomfort. Call the bike fitter fist, ask for a new visit. If after they are not able to address your problem, then just shop for another professional bike fitter
10. It's a plus if the bike fitter has "coaching" and bio mechanics knowledge, to advise for the best position to address performance goals and prescribe exercises and training that can address eventual flexibility and muscular imbalance issues.

Schedule a Bike Fit for an existing or for a new bike with Davanti Cycling by February 28,2009 and get 20% discount. Mention the discount code "10 tips for bike fit".

email now to: luisa@davanticycling.com or call 1-888-348-5228

OFF Season Nutrition - 5 Tips - Versione Italana sotto

Most cyclists, recreational or elite, in October already have gained between 5 and 10 lb as a consequence of the OFF season and training less and eating more.



I would like to share some nutrition tips and info about how to avoid gaining weight in this season and why it's wrong to gain weight.

1. Nutrition should follow training demand. Train less? Eat Less. Remember you eat to train, you do not train to eat.


2. Do not think to gain weight now to loose it later when you start training more seriously, because, when volume and intensity of training increase, you would need more calories and carbo intake and dieting would affect your performance


3. Also, in this season, beside fluid intake before, during and after training, and beside the usual light snacks (200-250 Kcal) mid morning and mid afternoon, you do not need any power bar or food during training. In this period training has low volume and intensity and not to eat during your 2-3 hours endurance ride or weight routine, would help to use fat as fuel and loose weight.


4. Use only sodium in your drink after training, not carbo.


5. Weigh yourslef and take 200 mg sodium for each 1/2 kg (1 lb) lost.
6. I will send to you a OFF season nutritional plan for $15. Email me to luisa@davanticycling.com indicating your weight.


7. Do you want to hear more on

• how to stay way from hunger feelings?


• How many grams of carbo, proteins and fat you need to intake in this period based on your weight?


• How to get over holiday without gaining weight?


• Come to my Seminar in Boulder,

Sunday Nov. 23 at 3:00 p.m. or Tuesday December 9 at 6:30 p.m.

Where: 2020 Pearl St. Suite B - Boulder

How long: 45 min. presentation and 15-20 min Q&A questions - arrive early if you like the 15 min. free chair massage

Complimentary: 15 min. chair massage, tea, coffee & cookies

Cost: $15

Registration: email to luisa@davanticycling.com or call: 1-888-348-5228

-------------------------------- Versione Italiana -----------------

In Ottobre, la maggior parte dei ciclisti, da amatori a professionisti, aumentano di peso, dai 5 ai 10 kg. Vorrei darvi 5 consigli su come eviatare di acquistare peso in questo periodo di transizione e perche' e' sbagliato acquistare peso.

1. L'alimentazione deve seguire le necessita' fisiologiche dell'allenamento. Ci si allena di meno? Si deve mangiare di meno. Ricordatevi : si mangia per allenarsi bene non ci si allena per poter mangiare
2. E' sbagliato pensare che "tanto poi perdo il peso acquistato quando ricomincio ad allenarmi seriamente". Quando il volume e l'intensita' degli allenamenti crescono, allora cresce sia il numero delle calorie, che di carboidrati che si devono ingerire, e fare la dieta a questo punto influenzerebbe negativamente la vostra prestazione.
3. In questo periodo invernale, non mangiate o prendete integratori durante gli allenamenti. Solo il solito piccolo snack a meta' mattina e meta' pomeriggio. Se fate l'allenamento subito dopo colazione, aspettate il pranzo, dopo.
4. Come fluidi, solo acuqa prima e durante, e un po' di sodio (200 mg) per ogni 1/2 kg perso dopo gli allenamenti.
5. Abbinate proteine (un pezzo di parmigiano, yogurth..) con qualcosa di integrale come snack per tenere lontana la fame tra pasti principali.

Scrivetemi a :luisa@davanticycling.com, indicandomi il vostro peso per Euro 15 vi mando il piano di alimentazione e il numero di calorie che dovete ingerire in questo periodo in base al vostro peso.

Luisa Sullivan

http://www.davanticycling.com/

Why Cyclists should do Weight Training in Winter?

Controversial issue!

Here my thoughts and believes based on science evidence

Starting 35 years old we start loosing:

• muscle mass and also
• strength. Loosing strength is the primary reason of aged-related decline in power (power=Force * velocity) rather than velocity [2]. Studies on older marathon runners state:"single muscle fiber from veteran runners are smaller, weaker, contract faster and produce less power compared with normal sedentary individuals".
• Moreover, there is some scientific evidence [1] that strength and plyometric training can improve economy (the amount of oxygen requested for producing a certain power), which means that you can still produce 300 w using less oxygen, which means you can sustain that 300 w longer and with a lower rate of perceived effort (RPE).
• number of neurons, especially those who innervate Fiber II (the fast) type muscle fibers.
• stability and balance. P lyometric training, that I always include in the first phase of my strength training for cyclists, enhances stability on the bike and prevent injuries, since enhances the strength of tendons, joints and ligaments.
  

These are all good reasons to engage a strength training program specific for cyclists.

Why specific for cyclists?

Because you want to regain that muscle mass you loose aging and with long endurance rides during the season, without adding harmful weight gain. You also want to do the weight exercises that stress muscles involved with the cycling movement, performed at the correct angle, position and velocity for a quicker transfer of the strength gained in the weight room to the cycling movement.

So, it's very important a correct balance in terms of length and number of sessions among the hypertrophy phase and the strength phase. Also this balance depends on your own cycling and training goals. A weight program for a track racer is different from the one for a climber, and it's different for a young cyclist below 23 years old versus a 40 years old cyclist.

Read more details on how a strength training works on my article :

http://www.davanticycling.com/StrengthTrainingforCyclists.pdf

or contact me: http://www.davanticycling.com/contact.html

Do you want a "12 weeks weight training" for "all around" cyclist?

email to luisa@davanticycling.com and I will email it to you for $45 (procedure to assess 1 RM included).

I also offer strength training program at the Mountain's Edge Fitness center in Boulder.

Contact me for details and registration.

Stay fit during the winter....

Ciao

Luisa

References:

1. Sports Med 2007; 37 (4-5): 316-319 CONFERENCE PAPER 0112-1642/07/0004-0316/$44.95/0
2. 
   Marathon Runners
   How Do They Age?
   Scott Trappe
   Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA

Winter 2009:

Sunday Feb. 8, at 3:00 p.m. and Tuesday Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m.

Davanti Cycling Seminar: Aging & Exercise
2020 Pearl St. Suite B (behind Bartlett Interiors)
Complimentary tea, coffee and cookies

Some of our physiological factors determinants for performance start decling at the age of 35.

Come over and learn which factors are affected by aging and in which way.
Come over and learn how execise can or cannot help this decline.

It's not only a matter of competitive perfromance, but it is also a matter of performance in our normal daily acitivity. We cannot avoid aging, but we can age in a healthy way to have a better quality of life as we age.

I want to share what I know and what I studied to make difference in your life.

Be there!!! register emailing to: luisa@davanticycling.com -
Cost: only $15
Ciao
Luisa

Last Thursday October 23, I opened a new cycling coaching center in Boulder. It is located on 2020 Pearl St. Suite B, behind the store of Bartlett Interiors.

I want Davanti Cycling coaching center becoming the "one stop shop" for the cycling community in the Boulder area.

The name "one stop shop" comes from the idea of "Integrated approach" to coaching.

What does integrated mean? It means that unlike other cycling coaches who send you all around town for services like bike fitting, performance testing, and nutritional advice,we bring the proven experience needed to provide these services for you.

I strongly BELIEVE that an integrated approach ensures that people train more efficiently and consequently with better results.

Correct assessment of training zones, correct bike position, well balanced nutrition to match training demand, learning technical skills are all aspects of your training, all these aspects together make you a better and a faster rider and we will follow you through for an overall view.

Come over and visit us and check out all the programs and services we offer.

We offer a professional and yet a suppprtive and friendly environment!

Ciao

Luisa

What this blog is about

This blog is a cycling brainstorm.
It's for sharing my thoughts, experience and what I daily learn about cycling and what I love about this sport.
Cycling in terms of performance, training, rides to explore, experience with others, what cyclists should share and have in common.