The Cycling Jury is OUT! Is shaving your legs more aerodynamic? YES!

Ok so when I shave my legs it's only for TT's and I haven't ever shaved all the way to the skin.  I just use an electric shaver which leaves an eighth of an inch and call it good.  Before I did my first official race this year I researched the topic of shaving my legs for cycling.  I didn't really delve too deep and I was left with a "well it doesn't really matter" thought, but I decided to shave anyway figuring it must be more aero to shave than to let my field of long grass make waves like the ocean in wind.  You see I had taken notice to the hair on my arms as I had ridden around and thought that it can't be that aero.  Shaved, raced, let my hair grow back, shaved again, raced again let the hair grow back and now before another race I stumbled upon this article on my twitter account put out by Bicycling magazine (click on article to read it). I'm convinced, shaving will save me time.  To reassure myself and you about this article we have to take notice that this is coming from a Specialized aerodynamicist.  To me Specialized = the most aero.  This may not be true, but they do have Tony Martin sporting their stuff and he's fast (and aero)! Check out the article and uhm... shave.  At least shave for your next TT or flat RR and save yourself time and energy! 

Handlebar Palsy : Don't hang on tight!

Fish and Shellfish

A few weekends ago I challenged myself to do the Sherman Pass Road Race.   To find out it is considered to be one of the most if not most difficult single day road races in California.  From everyone that I talked to who had done far more racing than myself this is the big one.  But this isn't about the race itself it's what happened to my body because of the race.  

Cereals

        I went slow, I was out just to finish this one and I did finish and I didn't get last place.  I was tired after about 9,000 ft of climbing in 53 miles and I needed a ride back down to my car.  Was there any room in the 'inn'(cars) for me?  Of course not.  Luckily a guy who finished around the same time as me was also looking for a ride down to his car which was parked at the 30 mile mark and he also didn't have a ride.  We agreed to ride down to his car and he would give me a ride the last 30 miles to my vehicle.  A couple more guys joined us though they road down ahead of us to the 30 mile parking area.  After an additional 15 miles and 1500 ft of climbing my body could handle no more, literally.  I about fell off my bike from passing out.  I was nourished enough and had water, but my body was aching namely my back arms and to find out my hands which would be the biggest problem.  I got off my bike and told him (Terry) I couldn't go any further.  I asked if he could come back up for me and thankfully, he agreed.  I laid on the ground 9000 ft up in the Sierras amongst the redwoods and stared into the sky as I had a gel and water, then later a banana that a van of riders going down the mountain threw my way.  I felt alright by the time Terry got back up to me with the other two riders in his van.  I piled in and down the mountain we went.  It was at this point going down the mountain that I really realized that something was wrong.  I couldn't feel my hands.  At least not completely.  They were in that numb half asleep way that you get sometimes when you ride, but then you just shake it out and it goes away.  This wasn't going away.  Forty-five minutes later when we got to where my car was my hands were still numb and tingly.   I promised Terry $20 bucks for gas, but he wouldn't take it so I threw it in his van.  He really saved the day.  I couldn't and can't thank him enough.  I got my car made some calls then drove home with numb hands.  

Cheeses

         Once I was home and my kids were in bed I really had a little time to pay some conscious attention to my hands.  Where could I feel? Where couldn't I feel?  Turns out my pinky and ring fingers on both hands seemed to be the worst off.  I didn't think too much of it and decided to sleep.  Nothing heals the body better than some good solid ZZZZs.  

Milk and other dairy products.

        When I woke up it was more of the same.  I decided I'd like to find out what could be wrong.  A quick search online did the trick.  Apparently there are a couple important nerves in your hands  and one of those is the Ulnar nerve shown in the picture.  There's also the median nerve but I didn't seem to have any problems with the feeling in my middle finger, index finger, or thumb, which ruled out the problem being the median nerve.  If I remember correctly if you have a problem with the median nerve it is carpal tunnel syndrome, not handlebar palsy or cyclist's palsy.  As I said it was my pinky and ring finger giving me the most numb/half asleep sensations almost constantly and this is due to the ulnar nerve being damaged.  The nerve can either be stretched thin or smashed to where the outer sheath of the nerve is damaged.  This is what causes the problems.  I read up that it could be days to months until my fingers would be back to normal (not very conclusive - I'm guessing it's just due to however badly the nerve has been damaged).  So it would be a waiting game.  I didn't know how bad it was or how long it would be until I could feel again.  Next was to see how I could shorten the numbness period and help the healing process.

eggs

         To lessen the period of half-way pain all I had to do was not use my hands.  Not fun if you want to get out on your bike.  I tried several different positions on the bars but nothing was comfortable so I made the choice not to ride and would workout in other ways instead.   The other thing that I thought was important to know is that B12 is vital to nerve regeneration.  So I went about finding from which foods I could get some nerve regenerating B12.  I wasn't very happy with the results of my search, not that I was unhappy, I just wasn't happy.  The answer is not ice-cream (though B12 is in most dairy products, i.e. milk, cheese, and yogurts).  B12 is a bacteria so it's totally vegetarian or vegan but... it's found mostly in meat products (seafood and beef).  Some of the highest levels of B12 are found in foods that are fortified with it, like cereals and tofu.  Most multivitamins will contain B12 or you can just get a B-complex vitamin.  It's pretty easy to get your B12 fix.  I get my B12 through almond milk and a multivitamin.  I wasn't happy because I was hoping for something green be high in B12, but I guess many of the veggies in which B12 can be found is actually not a complete B12 (at least that's how I understood it).  "Eat some good healthy food and your body will get what it needs to grow the nerves back," is what I thought.  It worked.  I kept eating what I normally eat and in one weeks time to the dot (Saturday to Saturday) I could feel my hands and could go out and ride.  And ride I did.  Hope you can get out and ride too! Just don't hang on too tight.

yes. B12.

About Time I Post This : Links to Watch Cycling

The Tour de France has inspired me to finally post these links that I use when I really want to watch a cycling event.  More specifically the 5th stage of the Tour de France has inspired me.  I'm a fan of the day classics and well the 5th stage is taking it's route through several of the cobbles common to Paris-Roubaix.  GCN (global cycling network) put up a good video on Youtube discussing the cobbles.  There are some slow shots that are pretty telling of the torture the riders bodies will endure.  Anyway back to the links.  If I really want to watch a cycling event I have my go to site.  It's www.cyclingfans.com every now and again there won't be coverage of a race but usually there is.  I was watching Kittel take down Kristoff this morning ( I like Kittel but I would have liked to see Kristoff win) and I'll be watching tomorrow morning as they cross the cobbles!  There is another link that has some cycling for bigger events but is actually a good place to watch most other sporting events and it is www.livetv.ru .  or I guess for all of you non-Russian speakers http://livetv.sx/en/  .   Hope these help.  And I hope everyone can get out and ride!

Uphill Cog Classic : Start / Finish Locations

Starts will be in this order Honey Run, Coutalenc, and Cohasset in these locations :

                                                   here

here

and here

While finish locations will be 

here

here

and here

respectively.

Check out the "more info" section for just that, more info.

Honor to Paris-Roubaix : A couple ways you can honor The Hell of the North too

Yesterday I paid my respects to The Hell of the North in my own way.  For those who don't know, the Hell of the North is a more formally known as Paris-Roubaix and is a cycling road race known for it's many sections of cobbled and muddy roads.  It's taking place today. In fact it might be over by the time you read this but as I said I paid my respects to the race yesterday and you can too. All you need is a handful of this :

yes it's gravel

and one of these 

a driveway

or just the street.

This is how it's done.  Get all dressed up in your cycling clothes. Toss the gravel on the driveway (not to all-over since you're probably going to have to sweep it up).  Climb on your road bike. Ride through the gravel. Hop off the bike and go inside to enjoy the rest of the day!  

The next way takes a little more effort or premeditation.  If you've seen a cobbled driveway or sidewalk near your home then just spin over to it and quickly ride across it so that no one notices that you're trespassing.

 Respects paid to the race and you can go home or enjoy a normal ride.  If you're lucky you might even have a cobbled road (I know there are some in Pittsburgh) or public with cobbled sections.  I don't recommend this second method or trespassing.

Ok so I didn't do either of these but I thought about them as I road.  I did ride through a short section (a mile) of gravel on my ride yesterday.  This is probably the best route to take if you have the time and sturdy tires and wheels.  If you are going to do this just remember to stay seated if you have to do go uphill at all in gravel.  If you stand your rear wheel is very likely to just spin and kick up rocks.  This is bad.  Leave your weight on the seat and suffer.  Better yet don't go uphill at all if you're not into torture.  

On the subject of torture or self torture I have come to the conclusion that cyclists (or any athletes for that matter) are at least a little masochistic.  I actually never thought about this doing any other sport except cycling so I relate this more to cycling than anything else.  Completing a hundred mile ride earlier this year for the first time which included a five mile strip of hilly gravel secured this conclusion in my mind.  When all was done I told my wife I had fun.  And I'm still going back for more.  

I'm going back to bed.  Ride. Watch the Pros suffer today if you can while you rest or at least be amazed by their suffering after the race and all of the pictures of the muddy dirty riders come out.  www.cyclingnews.com is a good place to check out news and pics for cycling.

A Filter, Cough, and Power : How to Have More Energy While You Ride

I've been sick the past few days with a cyclingy nose and a slight sore throat but this has not kept me from riding.  I've mostly just been spinning inside but today I went out and about.  I have this baseless idea that if I exercise myself to death I will in turn make my body uninhabitable for any bacteria or virus that is causing me to feel lousy.  I do know that my sinuses clear up quite nicely by the end of my ride where 'er it may be.  The beginning of each ride though is most uncomfortable as was the case with today.

   I started out and was quickly reminded of my hindrances.  My nose allowing no air in as though clothes pinned shut and my throat felt like it has an air filter in it only it wasn't filtering grime from the air it was filtering air from the grime leaving me wheezing and coughing and grasping for air.  As I was so desperate for air my mouth was gaping open and a wide open mouth dying for air on a warm spring evening while many little friends are out and your traveling at 28-30+mph is a bad combination.  Yes. I got a little friend who should have traveled straight on down the tube stuck in the filter of my throat.  I have no problems swallowing a gnat.  It happens.  In fact racing cyclists on average swallow three to four times more bugs than your average person (just made that up, but it sounds good).  The problem here was that it just did not want to go down or up for that matter.  This left me coughing and hacking and nearly lung chucking for a mile and a half if not more.  All things, it seems, have their purpose.  On this day this gnats purpose was to lead me to discovery.  
   The first discovery was that I can ride with no air for a mile and a half if not more at a fairly slow pace.  The second discovery was that once the gnat went down I felt a better.  This may seem trivial but it has grounds.  You see as I explained to my wife, I was able to ride a bit quicker than usual after swallowing that gnat and the reason being is that I got a tiny shot of protein which boosted my energy for the remainder of the ride.  Do not forget if you need a little oomph during a ride, open your mouth and invite the protein bites to get that energy boost.

On very special occasions I take my favorite treat - a bag of Haribo Gold-Bears.
Interestingly enough the flavors are different in Russia than in the U.S.  This
is and image I think of German vs. U.S. Haribo Gold-Bears.  I don't care where
they're from. They're good. 

  Actually by the time I did get rid of the gnat I was all cleared up and able to ride at my normal pace.  And further more there are lots of good ways to keep your energy level high while riding.  It's called drinking and eating.  I always brink two 28 ounce bottles with me when I ride even if I know I won't be out long. 
I usually fill the bottle with Gatorade since it seems to give me that little extra that water does not i.e. sugar and those lovely electrolytes.  Plus from all the reading I've done it seems that Gatorade keep your body going quite well.  I've actually filled one bottle with a protein drink during a longer race.  I don't know if doing this has any positive research results but it  seemed like a good idea and I felt good during the race.  When your about to leave don't forget to bring that banana or something that will keep your body fueled.  Sometimes a short ride turns into a long one and then when you're towards the end of the ride you'll wish you had that sustenance in your back pocket.

a day late and a chance short : no dream bike for me this year

Bicycling Magazine has a contest each year in which one lucky contestant wins a bike.  The bike can be any of the bikes from their editor's choice edition as long as it's $5,000 or less!

This wasn't one of the options to win but I wouldn't mind spending my time riding one of these Diamondback Podium 7 with Sram Red. Notice the similarities with the bike-trike below.

  Don't mind if I do. I found out about this last year after the contest was over and have been waiting anxiously until now.  Now I will have to anxiously wait another year.  The entries were due yesterday the 8th and of course I remembered about it today the 9th.  Was I unprepared? No. 

   This year the contest was to write a parody in 150 words or less of one of the bloggers/writers for Bicycling.  You were supposed to read his blog and write a parody and you also had to send it in.  I did the reading and the writing but oops like a said it is now a day late.  I'm going to share my parody anyway.  You might have to read his blog to get where it's coming from but it's kind of cute in and by itself.  Here it is unedited (I didn't get around to trying to fix it much). 

Tolik’s Tipsy Trike Troubles

 

I would ride forever, but Ma makes me sleep.  My trike gets at least two miles a day.   I carry my bottle in mouth as I ride.  My parents think it’s cute but it’s necessity.  The walls blur as I spin around the kitchen island.  This is my island.  My cousin comes over sometimes to race but I know my route; each angle and stretch.  I swerve deep into each corner, release wide to maintain speed, drinking as I ride, and dive into another turn.  THUD!  The plastic tire smashes into a cupboard door flinging me into my handlebars and to the floor as my trike topples over.  I don’t feel the pain.  I pick up my bottle and take a sip of juice.  I take a step and collapse.  More juice will be my remedy.  Where did I find this bottle? Oh well, I ride again tomorrow. 

Keep spinning and thinking those cycling thoughts.