Shop ride Sundays: Rainy days and Sunday

As of now the weather for Sunday looks good for a ride, but with the Livestrong Marathon and Half also on Sunday, the choice of routes is pretty limited, so south it is. There will be the no-drop as always and a pick group for either 32/38-miles and the un-escorted option of going to the 4-way stop at Kyle.

Also, Tammy from Tempo Multisport has secured a good deal for future rainout Sundays.
I won't be there this Sunday, I'm heading to the 2nd Triathlon America conference, nor will Tammy, as she's running in the marathon, so when reading this, remember it does apply to this Sunday.

Finally a shout out to regular shop ride cyclist and sometime ride leader Lisa Buckley. Lisa is currently the womens leader in the Austin Distance Challenge and will be running tomorrow for the win!

++Mark.


Hello Cyclists!

Tammy Metzger here, your long-time Sunday shop ride leader. As most of you know, I also have a triathlon team, Tempo Multisport, and one of our sponsors/partnerships is with Flywheel Fitness, an indoor rowing  spinning studio just up the road on South Lamar (2300 S. Lamar, to be exact). Given that we’ve had some unsavory weather of late, I approached Flywheel owner, Sara-Mai Conway, about having FREE indoor cycling for any rained out Sunday shop rides, and she was happy to oblige!

The Sunday shop ride will be canceled if it is raining, or if roads are still slick from previous rain. Now we have a solution to keep up that hard-earned fitness!! Instead of calling it quits, pack up that gear and head to Flywheel Fitness on 2300 S. Lamar. We have 11 Spinning bikes (spd cleat compatible or cages), as well as plenty of floor space for indoor trainers! Let’s make a party of it… we’ll even transport the Taco Deli breakfast tacos for post-spin goodness, and Irie Bean Coffee is just across the parking lot for that traditional post-ride java.

Of course, someone has to be around to let you all in, and keep an eye on things – that’ll be me. So this offer only holds if I am not out of town racing. To be certain, check the Tempo Multisport Facebook wall or follow @tempomultisport on twitter for up to the minute announcements. Now I’m actually hoping for a little rain! Indoor riding can be fun with a group of friends, and the best part is… no one gets dropped! ;)


See you soon!
Tammy Metzger, M.Ed., USAC
Multisport Coach, Tempo Multisport LLC

Shop ride Sundays: Rainy days and Sunday

Shop ride Sundays: Hills for Hugel

One of the big events of the cycling calendar in Austin is the unofficial Tour das Hugel. If you have not heard of it, it's easily the hardest ride in Austin, a century which is two loops with the hardest hills in town. We won't be endorsing or supporting the ride, after all it's completely unofficial.

However, to get you started, we've scheduled a hills ride for this Sunday(10/9). Tammy Metzger and Tempo Multisport will lead out the ride and ride with you to help you understand how to ride hills better. The No-drop will ride out to 360 and back, with James, Hugo and Elizabeth. There are no real hills on the no-drop, but you will have to change gears.

I'm away again this week, so the Saturday Austin 70.3 course ride will be a pick-up ride. If you want to ride the course, show up ready to ride at 7 a.m., there will be a number of groups and individuals riding, pick someone who you can ride with and follow the yellow arrows.

Enjoy the cooler temps, ride safe! ++Mark.

Shop ride Sundays: Hills for Hugel

Shop ride Sundays - Whats going on?

A few updates for December on the shop ride. We had yet another great turnout last week for the Steiner Ranch Steakhouse ride, and so we be holding the shop Christmas Ride up there on 12/19. They'll be free brunch for those with the best bike, helmet and clothing decorations!

For this Sunday, if the weather holds, it will be a glorious sunny, if not cool morning for a ride, predictions are on 48f - We'll have the shop no-drop ride, that will go South for the usual route, 20-miles total.

We'd like to offer a longer ride this week for everyone else, and we may or may not split into intermediate lead by Tammy and Tempo Multisport, and Advanced with Zac. What we thinking would be good would be to take an easy ride out South East once clear of town, do one, two or three paceline groups, based on who shows up. We'll re-group after about 6-miles at a gas station, and then set off back to the shop together, it will give about a 50-mile ride.

So thats the proposal, show up and we will see what folks want to do. There should be enough ride escorts to split into different groups either way.

Shop ride Sundays - Whats going on?

Shop ride Sundays: South it is...

This Sundays see's all the shop rides going South. We start at 8:30a.m sharp with the Advanced ride, down to the gas station at the far end of Buda Main St, regroup and those that want to can add down to the 4-way stop at Kyle, making it about 40-miles round trip, or the group will do a 6-mile add-in loop before returning back to make 36-miles. Here is the route.

The Tempo Multisport Intermediate group leaves 2nd, and will head basically the same route for 1-hour out and an hour back. Mostly making a 28-mile ride, seen here. Then the "legendary" no-drop group leaves, again following the same route, but just 10-miles out and 10-miles back. Here is the ride, but start from the shop!

Now we "love" all our riders, especially those who race off the front and make it hard work for the group to keep up. However, the rides, and especially in the planning and taking the rides on the same route, are really there for you. If you want to sit at the back of the same group week in and week out, you are welcome. Sitting at the back of the no-drop ride is discouraged as it means you can be holding up the rest of the ride.

Afraid to step up to the next group? Don't be. Most Sundays we take similar routes, that means you can start with the faster group and if you can't keep up, simple stop, get your breath back and another group will come along in a few minutes. We mostly follow just a few routes in rotation, check back through blog entries tagged with "shop ride" to find links to maps.

Don't get stuck in a rut, in order to get faster you have to train faster. Every now and again we all have those off rides, you "bonk" for no apparent reason, if this happens to you, just come back next week and try again. I'm out for this week, be good and I'll join you again on the 29th for the Steiner Ranch Steak House Ride. ++Mark.

Shop ride Sundays: South it is...

Please Be Kind….to Motorists - Part 2!

A few weeks back Tammy Metzger, a multisport coach and owner of Tempo Multisport, and Sunday shop ride leader for the Intermediate group, posted the first of her "Please be kind" articles, reminding us that as cyclists we have a duty to be predictable, to help motorists be kind to us. Here is the follow-up.

In last times column, I covered how to hold your line and where on the road to ride. The topics this week are among the most-often committed mistakes. Read on…

Common mistakes made by cyclists:

Regrouping at a stop sign or traffic light - I will openly admit that I have been guilty of this one myself. It’s not intuitive, but think about the following scenario. You’re waiting on a member of your group who may have fallen off the back of the pack on that last hill, so a few of you are huddled at a stop sign or traffic signal. Do the motorist who come through the intersection know that you’re waiting for Fabio to catch up? They don’t, so they are waiting for you to go, and you don’t go, and now they’re getting anxious because they aren’t sure what to do. Proper communication with motorists is the top priority to our safety. Regroup mid-block, preferably in a driveway or low-traffic parking lot. Avoid putting motorists in a situation where they have to figure out what you’re doing, because they’ll typically get it wrong. ·

Wearing audio devices - “I have it on very low”, is a typical response I get when I request a rider lose their ear buds. That’s great, but why do you have it on at all? You have it on because it distracts you from the discomfort of your exercise. Did you read that? Let me repeat: It distracts you. So if you’re wearing an audio device while cycling you are 1) distracted from your environment, thus endangering yourself and everyone around you, and 2) are announcing to the world that you are not mentally strong enough to deal with a little bit of physical discomfort. Whether riding solo or in a group setting, leave the ear buds at home. This is a hard and fast rule for the Jack & Adam’s Bicycles shop rides. No discussion.

Stay tuned for further blog entries. Let’s work together to further each other’s knowledge on keeping cyclist:motorist relations on the best possible terms. A little mutual respect and kindness will go a long way. Please share your comments, suggestions, and observations and pass this information with anyone you know who rides a bike. Be safe out there, and have fun! Coach T.

Tammy Metzger is a multisport coach and owner of Tempo Multisport, LLC, which offers a multitude of skills clinics for cyclists and triathletes, as well as private training sessions. She holds a Master’s Degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology, with an additional concentration in Sport Science & Nutrition, from the University of Texas at Austin. Her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science & Wellness was obtained from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. Tammy has been a certified USA Cycling coach since 2005. She can be reached at Tammy@TrainWithTempo.com

Please Be Kind….to Motorists - Part 2!

Shop ride Sundays: Mystery of the East

This Sunday all rides go east. The plan is to ride out to 183 in groups to avoid traffic problems and be predictable, etc. Once we get the groups out at least to 183, or preferably to the Bud' distribution center, you can have at it. For those on the advanced ride, I'd challenge you to do 2x loops of the lake, we've done it before!

Here is a the no-drop route - the Tempo Multisport and Advanced groups then add this loop by turning left on Decker Lane. Are you fast enough to do two loops?

For ride leaders and escorts this week it will be me(Mark), James and Drew, and Tammy with the Tempo Multisport Intermediate ride.

Also, don't forget, although not an official shop-ride, we will be riding the Austin 70.3 course on Saturday, starting 7am sharp from the entrance to Walter E Long park. The course is through the magic of yellow spray now has direction arrows. Last week we had 11-people ride, split in two group groups. I'm expecting similar for this week. See you on your bike Saturday or Sunday! ++Mark.

Shop ride Sundays: Mystery of the East

Please Be Kind….to Motorists

Tammy Metzger, a multisport coach and owner of Tempo Multisport, and Sunday shop ride leader for the Intermediate group, has written some useful advice for coexisting with motorists in our increasingly busy city roads. She's agreed to split these up into a few blog entries we'll post here over the next few weeks! Thanks Tammy.

We’ve all seen the “Please Be Kind to Cyclists” bumper stickers, and support this misson of this organization. While this is an important message to get out, many cyclists would do well to remember kindness works both ways.

This is the first of a series of blog entries in which I’ll cover how cyclists can better coexist with motorists, and by doing so, can make the road safer for yourself!

According to the League of American Cyclists, over 700 cyclists died on US roadways in 2008, and (get this) over 40,000 were injured! 99.9% of motorists do NOT want to harm a cyclist (excluding JoeBob and his cousin-brother in their pickup truck!). Yet, when a motorist doesn’t know what to expect from you, the possibility of hitting you scares them. And anger typically follows fear. No one wants to face an angry motorist, least of all a cyclist. So let’s all do our part to Please Be Kind to Motorists.

Common mistakes made by cyclists:

• Riding unpredictably (not “holding a line” in traffic)

“Hold your line” simply means that you ride in a straight, predictable line. As you pedal, your bike should move forward in a straight line, not veer from side to side. If you’re doing the later, work on learning proper pedaling technique so that you aren’t simply focusing on the push down part of the pedal stroke. You may also be carrying too much tension in your arms and shoulders, which is transferring to your handlebars, making you unstable. Work on keeping equal tension all around the pedal stroke, with a relaxed upper body, and soft elbows.

It’s also important to practice keeping this straight, predictable line while removing one hand from your handlebars. Signaling, looking over your shoulder for traffic, and eating/drinking on the bike all require you to remove a hand from your bars. If you don’t practice this beforehand, you could end up in the lane of traffic unexpectedly. Find an empty parking lot, and practice riding along the painted lines while removing a hand to signal, take a drink from your water bottle, etc. Mastery of this skill will increase your safety on the roads, and make riding with you much more enjoyable.

• Riding in the middle (or on the wrong side!) of the road

Finding the safest place to ride depends on the environment (how wide is the road, how fast traffic is going, etc), but riding over the yellow line (into traffic) is never a good idea and is just as illegal for cyclists as it is for motorists. There are a surprising number of people who do this on group rides. Why? Because they are not comfortable riding with the group, and feel too “boxed in.” Get comfortable, attend a skills clinic, and work through it, not around it. There’s more than your own safety at stake.

As you turn a corner on your bike, remember to follow the same line you would if you were in your motor vehicle. Stay wide before the turn, and come into the new lane exactly where you ride. Cyclists often cut the corner, going blindly around it into the oncoming traffic lane of the next road. Experienced cyclists know to start wide, and come in tight. If you have a chance, get out to watch some criterium racing at The Driveway on Thursday evenings and watch how the Pro/1/2 field takes a corner.


Stay tuned for further blog entries. I’m passionate about keeping all of us safe out on the roads. Please share your comments, suggestions, and observations and pass this information with anyone you know who rides a bike.

Be safe out there, and have fun!
Coach T.

~
Tammy Metzger is a multisport coach and owner of Tempo Multisport, LLC, which offers a multitude of skills clinics for cyclists and triathletes, as well as private training sessions. She holds a Master’s Degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology, with an additional concentration in Sport Science & Nutrition, from the University of Texas at Austin. Her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science & Wellness was obtained from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. Tammy has been a certified USA Cycling coach since 2005. She can be reached at Tammy@TrainWithTempo.com

Please Be Kind….to Motorists

Shop ride Sundays: NW, Hills and South

This week is one of those rare times we will be all going our own way. I'll be taking the no-drop ride South, 10-miles out, 10-miles back; The Tempo Multisport Intermediate group will be doing the popular Hill Climbing/Descending clinic; and Zac will be taking the Advanced group NW for a longer ride with hills.

But we are not done there. As always there will be Taco deli tacos afterwards, and cold water. This week I'll be doing a repeat of my transition clinic post-ride to practice for Jacks Generic Triathlon.

We'll go through the basics over in Butler Park and you'll have a chance to practice mounts and dismounts. You can then try out some of the speed tricks like mounting with your shoes already in the pedals, I'll also explain what not to do so you don't end up like this fool.

Yes, after 10-years of lightening fast transitions, I made a stupid mistake at last years Marble Falls triathlon, no harm done. So bring running shoes, hats even a towel if you want. At last weeks Couples Triathlon my T1 time was 1:32 including the run up the hill, and my T2 time 1-minute...

Photo by Kevin Saunders of KGS Bikes, San Antonio.

Shop ride Sundays: NW, Hills and South

Shop ride Sundays: Couples choices

This Sunday is the High Five Events Couples Triathlon, the 2nd race in the 2010 Texas Tri Series. I'll be out there racing in the Mixed Couples category with IM Hawaii 2009 Qualifier Shellie Thompson Oroshiba as Team MASH. A number of other well know faces around the shop, including Cassidy, Jack's sister, who is racing with Billy Harllee, and many others. Billy is already talking tough about their chances.

For those of you not racing, we have a "couple" of choices(no pun intended). The No-Drop head up Shoal Creek again, a repeat of the popular alternative ride we did just over a month ago. It's about a 24-mile roundtrip, with numerous regroup stops, suitable for everyone with basic cycling skills. If you can't change gear on a hill, or need basic cycling skills, stop by the shop and ask about the Austin Cycling Camp clinics, or chargeable one-on-one coaching from Intermediate ride leader and Tempo Multisport coach Tammy Metzger.

Tammy will be taking the remainder of the ride northwest for variable distances, here is a map for those that don't know the core route. It's a short, but hilly 20-mile route with a number of options for those that want to go further.

Just a reminder for next week(7/18), after the ride I'll be holding a triathlon transition talk, demonstration and practice session. The session is suitable for beginners, intermediates and experienced athletes, I help you learn how to get out of transition in a minute or less, really! Ever wanted to try a running mount with your shoes already on the pedals, this will be your chance.

Shop ride Sundays: Couples choices

Shop ride Sundays: Northwest Passage

"This is a story of early America during the century of conflict between the British and their American colonies ..."

Oops that was the Northwest Passage film from the 1940's - This is the Jack and Adams Sunday Shop Ride edition! No conflict, and much love from your's truly the British(not Australian) Sunday shop ride guy.

This Sunday the No-drop will go south, helping out with riding hints and tips, keeping people together and helping where we can with technical issues. Please remember to bring your own spares, puncture kits etc. This is especially true for those riding city, mountain bikes, or anything with 650 wheels. We'll help you repair, or even do it for you but don't have access to all types of tubes while riding!

The Tammy from Tempo Multisport will be leading the Intermediate group, and Zac will be there for the Advanced ride. Both will head North West, distance and difficulty will vary per group. Here is a sample of the route. As always, we leave on time, that means pulling out of the shop at 8:30a.m prompt.

After this Sundays ride I'll be over in Butler park, the other side of the railway line from the shop ride to hold a transition clinic to show you how to do transitions, including running mounts and dismounts. Please bring your full transition set-up including run shoes. You'll have the chance to practice on grass and I'll give you some homework so you can be ready for CapTex Triathlon.

Finally, this week we will have post-ride massage by Shannon Burns from Advanced Bodywork Center. See you at the shop!

Shop ride Sundays: Northwest Passage

Shop ride Sundays: Hills clinic recap

We had a stellar turnout for Tempo Multisport’s Hill Climbing/Descending Clinic at the Jack & Adam’s Bicycles shop ride this past Sunday. We rode as a group out to Lost Creek, where we held a quick clinic on the physics of climbing and descending. For a reminder of the tips covered, click here to visit the blog post from our first clinic.

Remember, in order to master these skills you must now practice them! Don’t avoid hills, seek them out and challenge yourself to be better. If there is a component of climbing or descending that gives you anxiety, break it down and practice it in a less intimidating environment. For example, we noticed many riders were not comfortable riding in the drops of their handlebars while descending. As discussed, this is THE SAFEST way to descend a hill. Not only are you lowering your center of mass, which creates greater stability and better handling of the bicycle, you are also protecting yourself from your hands flying off the handlebars in the event that you do hit a bump in the road. If this is you, start practicing riding in the drops while on a flat section of road until it becomes more comfortable, then move on to small descents, and eventually the bigger ones. If this is not physically comfortable for you, chances are you need an adjustment to your bike fit, so drop in and see the fit experts at the shop! Safety and stability on your bicycle is priceless. Just as you wouldn’t dream of riding without a helmet, don’t ride on an ill-fitting bike. When you do, you compromise not only your own safety, but that of those around you.

Thanks to all who attended this clinic. We had a blast interacting with all of you. It was a diverse group this week, with some doing one repeat, having never before conquered a hill such as Lost Creek, and some taking on three repeats on this long, challenging climb before we headed back to the shop. Well done to one and all! In addition to Coach Tammy Metzger, three members of Team Tempo Multisport were on-hand to provide feedback and encouragement to clinic attendees; Shane Carbonneau, Laura Carbonneau, and Kim Barnett! Thanks again, and we’ll see you at the next clinic.

Shop ride Sundays: Hills clinic recap

Shop ride sundays: Take to the hills

a bit late for this week, but better late than never! This week see's the Intermediate and Advanced groups take to the hills. The no-drop ride will go south.

We don't just do hills, Tammy Metzger and the Tempo Multisport will take the intermediate group and do a repeat of the Hills Clinic they did a couple of months ago. You'll get to ride a repeat route and they'll ride either alongside or in reverse and offer tips on gear changes, pedal stroke, position and most of all encouragement.

For the Advanced group, myself, Zac and Lisa will take you on a slightly longer route, with a few more hills and hopefully just as much encouragement. I'll get to ride my new Guru Praemio which the shop fitted and had built for me especially for my Sierra to the Sea bike tour, hills and more hills!

As always, we leave at 8:30am unless its raining at that time.

Next week I'll be rerunning the transition clinic, this time I'll cover both basic and advanced, for those that are interested, I will cover and give you the chance to do running mounts/dismounts. We'll be on grass, so bring your transition gear and we'll go practice after the ride a short walk from the shop!

Shop ride sundays: Take to the hills

Shop ride Sundays - Pay back time!

Good to see a big advanced group leave the shop on Sunday, apparently split later in the ride out to Decker Lake and around the Tri bike course. Big-up to the ever present Zac for hanging back and helping people fix tyres; Zac is over the moon this week having got a slot for LOTOJA 2010, at 206-miles the longest 1-day bike race in the US! Thanks also to Rafael and Team Velossimo for coming out and riding, as well as Tammy Metzger from Tempo Multisport.

A BIG WELL DONE TO also to all the no-drop riders, especially the first-timers! With thanks to Hugo we got everyone out to Decker Lake and back without incident but with some tired legs! Go Team! - Decker is a great skill learning ride for the no-drop, providing a mix of in-town, traffic, hills and flat roads, it's also further than we'd normally take you, everyone seemed to agree is was a good challenge.

This week it's Rookie time, or as Billy Harlee calls it, the "Sprint World Championship Triathlon"! So the no-drop returns to the regular South route down to Atkins High School, and any other rides will be pick-up rides, decided on the day.

Oh yeah, the pay back? Last week the advanced group got back first and demolished 50 Taco Deli breakfast tacos before the no-drop ride returned ;-)

Shop ride Sundays - Pay back time!

Shop ride Sundays: Confused, I am - time for a beer

Well the Lone Star Triathlon festival saw some great performances, both fast, stoic and heroic. Angie, Suzanne and Meriwether from the shop all had great results, as did Austin based and J&A sponsored Natascha Van Der Merwe and Billy Harlee as well as many of you racing in shop kit. Special mention also goes to James Thomas who sends out the communications on the Texas Tri Series and joins most Sundays for the rides. James had an epic day out finishing the 70.3 Me not so much.

My confusion following the w/e, has also spilled over to this Sundays ride. I checked the schedule and there is nothing there... Woah, what happened to May 2nd? It's just AWOL... How comes no one said anything??

So, here's my proposal. Many of your fearless ride escorts, me, Zac and Lisa from the advanced group for sure, as well as Tammy, Shane, Laura and Kim from the Tempo Multisport and shop intermediate ride crew are all doing the Shiner GASP ride on Saturday, 97-miles of chipseal road, into a headwind, followed by eats and some great beer at the Shiner brewery. You can too if you have not signed up yet.

Registration can be done at packet pickup on Thursday from 4 - 7pm; and Friday 11am-7pm on the deck at the shop. You can also register at the ride start Saturday morning. Full details here.

On the basis we have the Shiner ride Saturday and going south while still fun must be getting "old". So, unless there folks on Sunday don't want to, Sunday there will be the no-drop ride and we will all head out to Decker Lake(it works out at about 24-miles round trip for the no-drop. We will split at Decker Lane, we'll bring the no-drop ride back, and those looking for a bit more adventure can thrash around the back of the lake on the Couples triathlon course. Feel free to weigh in with comments, requests, and questions just don't ask me to explain why I quit on Sunday...

How does that sound? Time for a beer anyone??

Shop ride Sundays: Confused, I am - time for a beer

Shop ride Sundays: Back to our routes!

Well it's been a wet and cold year for rides so far, can we have spring back please? When Jack, Drew, Zac and I, with the Velossimo guys and some of the other folks from the shop started the shop rides back 15-months ago, they were just pick up rides.

Since then we 've been joined by literally hundreds of riders, some visiting from out of town, some irregulars and a growing number of regular riders. We've added some variety to the rides, split into two groups, no-drop and long, and then this year were joined by Tempo Multisport who created and staff the intermediate group.

Last week and this week it's 70.3 race time. Last week it was New Orleans and this week it's down in Galveston. A number of the regular riders are racing in the Sprint, Olympic and 70.3, a few of the ride leaders are racing as well.

So, we are going back to the start for the shop ride this week. Meet at the shop for an 8:30 start, there will as always be the no-drop ride, and then depending on who shows up, there may be another group ride! Oh, and of course, Taco Deli tacos afterwards!

Shop ride Sundays: Back to our routes!

Shop ride Sundays: Intervals Follow-up

This past Sunday was the first “Interval Clinic” at the Sunday shop ride. The intermediate group, which started up this year, is focusing on improving skills and training level for those passionate about the sport of cycling and looking to take their game to the next level. While an understanding of group etiquette and strong handling skills are key to a well-rounded cyclist, and addressed in our other clinics, we also want to show you how to improve your fitness, strength, speed, and power! Enter the “Intervals Clinic”.

The word “interval” gets thrown around a lot, and purists will tell you that it’s not an interval unless it’s directed at improving your maximal oxygen capacity. Webster defines interval as “a space between things, points, limits, etc”. For our purposes here, ‘interval’ is simply meant as a period of time in which you are working on some specific aspects of your cycling fitness. There are multiple intervals that should be incorporated into your training over the season, and last Sunday we discussed and practiced three of them as follows…

1. “Muddy Buddies” – Best performed on a slight uphill or into a headwind, get into a gear that allows you to keep a strong 60-65 rpm cadence (imagine pedaling through mud), making conscious effort to keep equal tension all the way around the pedaling circle. Your bike should roll in a straight line as you are never letting up on either side. Hold this for 5 mins, recover and repeat multiple times to fatigue. Work up to 20 min intervals. Caution: NEVER push through joint pain!

Why am I doing this? - Muscles become stronger at the contraction velocity that you train them in. If you spend 90% of your ride spinning at 90 rpms, you’re going to be strongest at that cadence. That’s great until you hit a hill, run out of gears, and grind up it at 65-70 rpms, wondering why the pack is leaving you behind. One way to improve your climbing force, is to train your muscles to be strong at climbing cadence. Think of this as on-the-bike resistance training

2. “Scooby Doos” – Very high cadence intervals, lasting only 30-40 seconds, with 1.5 min recovery between, repeat up to 6 times. Any ‘Scooby Doo’ fans out there? When the scary monsters appear, Shaggy & Scooby run away, but before they take off, they always spinned in place, this is your visual for this interval. Think fast circles with your feet versus sprinting the bike forward. Ramp up your cadence until your butt starts to bounce out of the saddle, then back off just enough to eliminate the bouncing and hold it. As you become more fit, shorten the recovery time between efforts.

Why am I doing this? – Besides the short anaerobic hit, this ‘interval’ will result in the recruitment of more muscle fibers, and give you a smoother, more efficient pedal stroke.

3. VO2max intervals – 3-5 minute efforts at maximal cycling heart rate, with equal recovery. Goal is to attain 30 minutes per session, so work your way up to 6x5 minutes with 5 min recoveries. Find the minimal effort that gets you to maximum heart rate. For example, if I reach my max HR at 20mph on a certain stretch of road, that doesn’t mean I can’t go 22mph… but if I do, I may fatigue myself for future intervals, and won’t be getting any additional benefit.

Why am I doing this? – Increase maximal oxygen capacity. Since you are completing these intervals at HRmax, you are also at VO2max, thus increasing your cycling “horse power”.

All too often, cyclists get stuck in the rut of just riding long, and staying too close to their comfort zone. This type of training results in progress plateaus that frustrate many riders. Incorporate one or two of these interval sessions into your next ride, and you’ll be well on your way to improving your cycling fitness!

See you soon!

Coach Tammy Metzger

Tempo Multisport LLC

TrainWithTempo.com

Shop ride Sundays: Intervals Follow-up

Shop ride Sundays: Hill Climbing redux

We had a fabulous inaugural climbing clinic a couple of weekends back, and as promised Tammy has send along the follow tips as promised

Remember to get out there and continue to practice these skills! In Austin, the hills must be searched out… don’t fear them, OWN THEM!

Climbing - long, steady climbs

• Weight in the saddle, relaxed upper body w/hands loose on the tops of your bars. If it’s not working to get you up that hill, it should be relaxed.
• Open your chest, and take deep full breaths to fuel your working muscles with all the oxygen they need.
• Engage glutes & hamstrings to power your climbing. Scrape that Texas clay off the bottoms of your shoes.

Climbing – short, power climbs

• Ride into the hill, then stand to attack the short climb.
• Hands on the brake hoods (fingers off the brake levers!).
• Use your upper body to PULL on the brake hoods, and allowing the bike to move beneath you.
• Adjust your center of mass depending on the grade of the climb; steeper hills will require you to shift more forward to maintain balance of weight distribution.

Descending

• Feet/pedals parallel to the ground, with body weight in feet, slightly hovering on saddle.
• Hands IN THE DROPS! Practice on the flats if this is not comfortable for you, and make sure your fit allows you to comfortably reach the brakes in this position (If not, make an appt at Jack & Adam’s to have your fit checked. A good fit is imperative to good handling skills and safety!).
• Bend arms to keep upper body low and increase ability to absorb any shock from the road.
• Shift body weight toward back of saddle.

Thank you to all of you joined us for this clinic. This was our first of many clinic offerings for the Jack & Adam’s Bicycles shop ride. Let us know what you most enjoyed about this clinic, and what we could do to improve it in future sessions. If you have any questions about anything you learned last week, feel free to email me.

Tammy Metzger, B.Sc.

Coach | Owner, Tempo Multisport LLC

http://trainwithtempo.com

tammy@trainwithtempo.com

Shop ride Sundays: Hill Climbing redux

Shop ride Sundays: It's Paceline time

This Sunday the intermediate and long group rides will be focusing on paceline training. While many of you may not see the relevance of this to your needs as triathletes and weekend warrior riders, you'll be surprised.

If we can get the group rides to work more together, safely, you WILL learn to go faster, and further. Sure, in a triathlon you can't draft, but if you spend all your time sitting out on your own, you will get tired more quickly using up 15% of your energy for no good reason, and you'll tend to mash the pedals.

Sitting in a group or paceline, taking a turn on the front, etc. will help you be more efficient, you'll develop a higher cadence in an easier gear, and you will have a heightened awareness of whats going on around you. And, yes, through these you'll be able to go further and faster even when you ride alone.

Once the no-drop ride has left, Sundays shop ride will start with a briefing and an explanation and then we will be off to put it into practice. If you don't want to do the paceline clinic, you are welcome to leave alone or in groups at 8:30 as normal, but I'd really encourage everyone to have a go. My biggest cycling improvement in speed was the Summer I spent paceline riding with the St Pete Maddogs and St Pete Cycling rides.

There is a great intro to paceline riding by one of my cycling heroes, Fred Matheny, here. See you Sunday, time to get your paceline on!

No headphones is a must... please leave them in the car.

Shop ride Sundays: It's Paceline time