Bike Maintenance Isn't Just For Spring - 4 Reasons To Visit The Bike Doctor More Often

A lot of you bring your bike(s) in for maintenance in the spring just as you transition from indoor training to finally hitting the road.  You'll get a regular top-to-bottom spring tune up and swap out your trainer tires for road-worthy rubber. And for some of you, that's about it. But there are lots of reasons to come and see us more often:

1.  Keep it clean!

Grit and grime in your chain and cassette will cause extra wear and will result in having to replace them earlier than a clean drivetrain.  If you aren't the sort to clean your bike regularly, and certainly after riding in rainy conditions, we're here to help.  Bring your bike in for a spa day and you bike will ride better and your parts will last longer.

2.  Check your tires

If you ride a lot, your tires can take a beating.  You check for proper tire pressure every time you ride but if you aren't sure how more miles your current tires are going to last, we can help you monitor them through the season.

3.  Bike Fit

As you start put more outside miles on your bike, your should consider whether your bike fit position is changing. As you get fitter, you might want to transition to a more aggressive position. Or if you are experiencing some aches and pains that are preventing you from riding as hard or a much as you had planned, your position should be assessed so we can get you more comfortable.  Don't suffer more than you need to!  Yes, we expect our muscles to scream at us after a hard climb or sprint, after a long ride or race but riding your bike shouldn't damage your body!  And a good bike fit doesn't need a lot of expensive equipment:  a great bike fit requires communication between the rider and the fitter and the ability to problem solve and find a solution for the cyclist.  

4.  Saddle!  

If you aren't happy with your current saddle yet, it's time to change it up.  There are tons of saddles out there and you can always find at least on review that says any one of them is the solution.  It can be mind-boggling and expensive to sort through all the marketing noise on this one.  But we've worked with literally 100's of saddles and 100's more customers so we've been able to put together a curated selection of saddles that have worked for a wide variety of saddles.  Ask us and we'll help you find your happy place sooner.  If you're not in Edmonton, reach out and ask us for some suggestions.

10 Ways to Make Your Bike Faster This Summer and/or for Your Next Race

1.  Maintain proper tire pressure.  

This is so easy yet it's so important, it's worth repeating.  And it's not an issue where more is necessarily better.  Ask Cam to set you straight on what works best for you. And your tires will last longer too. 

2.  Aero Wheels.  

But you already knew or suspected that.  Again, Cam's a wealth of knowledge on this topic.  This one is on the expensive end of the list so it warrants some careful consideration of your options.  

3.    Add aerobars.

 If you are on a road bike and a triathlon is in your future, chances are you've already considered this one. 

4.    Make sure your drive train is working at its best. 

Besides keeping it clean and properly lubed, you want to make sure it is shifting crisply and that everything is correctly adjusted.  Spontaneous or sluggish shifting or a dropped chain can be a distraction that can throw you off your game on race day.

5.    Get a new chain!  

Yes, it can make you faster and it's far less expensive that an new wheelset.  One industry reference suggests that a properly lubed, fresh new chain can save you about 10 watts.  

6.    Clean up your front end.

Check your bar tape and clean up any loose ends on the front of your bike to reduce the chance of any excess "dirty air".  Anything flapping around in the wind is costing you both time and watts and it's an easy thing to fix.  You don't necessarily need to replace anything but make sure any loose ends are taped up and your bar end plugs are in place to make sure nothing unravels on you.

7.    Streamline your position. 

Can you get more aero (and thus, faster)?  Getting your body lower in front will help you cheat the wind.  Lowering your front end or adding aerobars are topics you might consider discussing over a bike fit assessment.

8.    Lose weight.  

And, no, we're not suggesting going on a crash diet yourself ('cause you're just fine the way you are) but consider all the accessories you've added to your bike. Do you need them all on race day?  Pare down what you can.  If you can refuel along a race course, whether it is a Fondo ride or a triathlon, you don't have to carry 3 or 4 full drink bottles on your bike.

9.    Watch the numbers. 

If you've got a bike computer and you've been gathering and using all that data in your training, make sure you use it to your advantage on race day:  ride smart and efficient for your best results.

10.   Consider the cassette block on your bike.
  
Is it the best option for your race conditions?   You might want a different gear range on your cassette for a flatter race like Ironman Florida, Ironman Arizona or Stony Plain Alberta's Great White North than you might want for a hillier race like the Ironman Canada, Ironman Lake Placid, Ironman France or Edmonton's WTS race in Hawrelak Park..  

Swimming for Triathlon: Open water swimming may require different techniques.

Finally, in the triathlon world, we are starting to see some recognition of the differences between open water swimming and pool swimming and the differences in the techniques that each might require.  So often, triathlon swim sessions are coached by swim coaches from a pure swim background.  And also quite often, the swim workouts are taken from traditional swim training.  Now we are seeing triathlon swim specific training that addresses both the longer aerobic developmental requirements as well as some coaches who have identified the techniques that are most effective for open water swimming.  

A different focus for swim training

Most swim teams are training swimmers to race 50m to 400m.  For a sprint distance triathlon, the swim portion is 750m and for an Ironman, 3800m.  It stands to reason that the nature of the training should be different.  Element Swim Training is structured more specifically to address the aerobic needs of triathletes.  For more information, check out the program information under our "Race and Train" pages.

Open Water Swim Techniques

Unlike traditional swim racing, triathletes don't get a lane all to themselves nor do we normally race in a pool.  An open water swim starts with a mass start of 50 to 3000 people.  You be racing 750 to 3800m but the mass of people around you will be pushing you to your fastest 50m sprint time.  And as soon as you put your face in the water, you're more likely to get a swift kick in the face than you are to get some nice smooth water to show everyone how smooth and long your glide out front has become since last season.  "Front quadrant" swimming or any swimming style that focuses on a long, smooth glide out front to maximize front end propulsion is one style of swimming that is commonly considered to be efficient.  This style has been touted to triathletes and new swimmers alike as an effective method to learn and to improve swim technique quickly, often over the course of a weekend.  Now, top triathlon swim coaches are being recognized and many are proposing that an alternative stroke style featuring a higher elbow recovery and higher turnover might be more effective in open water swimming.   Recall back to your last mass swim start or that last swim you did in choppy water.  Under crowded and choppy conditions, the front end of your stroke is the first thing to get lost in the madness.   As we find more resources that address this, we will post them here.  Lava Magazine recently posted an article on the subject.  Take a look at what one of the experts in the field says on the subject (there is also a really informative video which I strongly recommend).

Read more:  click here to go read the complete article in Lava Magazine. Click here to read the complete article in Lava Magazine