Tip of the Day

Changing tires and tubes without tire levers

How many tubes have you ruined using tire levers to remove and reinstall tires?.

Personally I have ruined lots over the years, not knowing I've even done it until I inflated the tires, went to go riding the next day and sure enough the tire is flat.

The reason for this is usually that when putting the final 12 inches of the tire back on the rim it is very difficult and you have to use the tire levers to get the last section of tire on. When you do this it is very easy to pinch the tube between the tire lever and the rim causing a pinch flat.

Since I stopped using tire levers I have not ruined a single tube and if you use latex tubes like I do it gets expensive replacing tubes at $12.00 a pop.

When you stop using tire levers you will notice very quickly that it requires a lot more strength, especially in the hands. After you are finished your hands will probably hurt and you may even have blisters.

So you are probably saying to yourself by now, Where the heck is he going with this?.

Here's the TIP.... USE RUBBER GLOVES.

The ones that work the best are the garden gloves that look like they have been dipped in rubber. they cost $4.99 at any hardware store. When you start using the gloves you will not believe how much easier it is. The gloves give you a lot of grip to be able to roll the tire on to the rim much easier, with a lot less strength and effort required.

Give it a try and you can kiss goodbye to those dreaded tire levers.

No more scratching rims, no more chasing tire levers across the room when they let go unexpectedly.

Tip of the Day

Eating energy gels while riding

I don't know about you, but I find eating some energy gels can be very frustrating while riding especially in colder weather when the gels take on a much thicker consistency. In my opinion most companies make the opening that the gel has to pass through too small.

Here's what I do.

Before the ride a take a pair of scissors and pre cut both sides of the gel pack down as close as possible to the spot where the gel pack expands out to the main reservoir. Make sure the cuts do not extend all the way into the main reservoir or you will have gel everywhere you don't want it.

This way when you tear the top off with your teeth while riding, it will tear where you have cut it and not the spot intended by the manufacturer. You will get the whole gel into you a lot faster, and with less effort. Most people leave 10-20% of the gel unused in the package and don't account for that when they figure out their nutrition requirements for the day.

The Do's and Don'ts of Group Riding

Halfwheeling.... Nothing good can come of it!!


Ever been pulling at the front of a group ride and the guy beside you is constantly halfwheeling ahead of you.

What I mean by this is that when you try to ride with your front wheels even with each other the person constantly picks up the pace slightly so that they are continually a half wheel ahead of you. This practise drives me absolutely insane when I see it and it is one of the most aggravating things a rider can do in a group. What ever you do DON'T DO IT.

Pulling at the front of the group is a responsibility not a competition. Everything that happens at the front is mirrored and amplified behind you.

Halfwheeling at the front means that every pair of riders behind you is forced to do the same thing if they want to maintain their position in the draft.

When riding at the front ensure that your front wheel axles are side by side and stay there. If you want to pick up the pace, make the decision together and pick up the pace slowly and evenly.

Communication between the front two riders is critical. If the pace is too fast for you, don't be afraid to let your partner know and ask him or her to slow the pace a bit. Remember, riding at the front is not a competition.

If the two of you at the front are having a testosterone fit, then let the riders behind you know that the two of you are going to have a little sprint. This way the two riders behind can maintain control and prevent the main group from splintering.

If you find yourself at the front and the person just outright refuses to ride side by side and continually edges forward then it is your responsibility to return order to the group.

What works for me in this situation is to first ease off my pace. One of two things will happen. the other rider will either slow down with you and get the hint, or they will just keep getting further ahead.

If they fall back in line Great... problem solved. If not ease back even more and motion to the rider behind to come up and fill in the void left by the rider ahead. Now the two of you are controlling the group.

When the rider up front finally realizes that he or she is all by themselves they can either go off on their own ahead of the group or fall back to the back of the group.

If they attempt do drop back and rejoin the group at the front, do not let them. Motion to them and verbally express to them that they are to move to the back of the pack.

They have now given up their privilege of directing the group.

When that person eventually gets to the front again through natural rotation, they will hopefully have learned a valuable lesson.

Halfwheeling in a group riding situation is one of the main causes of accidents and frustration.

Hoiliday Greetings

You may have noticed that you haven't heard from me in a few days. Well the Christmas shopping is finally complete, and not a day too soon. You would think after all these years that I would learn not to wait so long, but its almost like doing hill intervals on your bike. You keep putting it off and putting it off and then when its finally all done you give a big sigh of relief.

I would like to wish everyone and their families the very best of the holiday season and a very joyful, happy, prosperous and above all safe 2010.

Lets all practise safe partying out there and remember not to drink and drive, there may still be some crazy cyclists on the road.

Click on the link below for a special holiday greeting from everyone's best friend

http://tinyurl.com/yjxnhqc

Winter Training by Heart Rate

Here is a great article on Heart Rate Monitor Training By Alex Sinha at www.marathonguide.com.

It is a very extensive article but an excellent read. If you plan to train using heart rate read carefully and you will be able to calculate your own personal work zones by using the link at the end of the article. All you need to know is your resting heart rate (RHR) and your maximum heart rate (MHR). Although it is geared towards runners, the same heart rate zones apply to cyclists as well. Just replace everywhere in the aticle that mentions running or runner's with cycling and cyclist's and you are set.

Enjoy the article and have a great season of winter training.

Scott

Heart Monitor Training

by Alex Sinha

Athletic heart monitors have existed for several years now, but it wasn't until relatively recently that the technology behind them, and the development of heart monitor training techniques came together to make training with a monitor both simple and effective for the average runner. While many runners own heart monitors, often they may not be using the devices to their full potential. Other runners do not own a heart monitor and are unaware of the benefits of training with one.

Why Use a Heart Rate Monitor?

Heart monitors are devices that are designed for wear during strenuous exercise, and serve the purpose of measuring and recording your heart rate, while giving you instant feedback about the work level of your heart. The fitness of the heart is the key to one's aerobic endurance - sometimes called 'cardiovascular respiratory endurance'. Both for health and racing reasons, aerobic endurance is a point of focus for almost any runner. Heart monitors are one of the most effective aids for tracking and developing your progress on the path to increased aerobic endurance.

1) Accuracy And Ease: Heart monitors are the only effective way to track and record your heart rate over the course of an entire workout. Not only do heart monitors provide you with a complete record of your heart rate for the duration of your workout, but they are also more accurate than manual methods. Stopping during a run to count your pulse disrupts both your workout and your heart rate, and even the application of pressure to the carotid artery - perhaps the most common point for manual pulse detection - slows down the pulse.

2) Monitor Your Fitness: Cardiovascular fitness is the single most significant factor in your speed as a runner. Consequently, being able to track your cardiovascular fitness - not to mention tailoring your workouts to meet cardiovascular goals - is an extremely useful training tool. Measuring the work-rate of the heart is the most accurate method of determining how much benefit you are deriving from your workout (a discussion on how to gauge results can be seen in section III). Other methods, such as how hard one is breathing, or how tired one feels, can reflect other factors and give imprecise impressions of the effectiveness of your workout.

3) Prevent Over-Training: For many competitive runners, every week's workout regimen is essentially a seven-day dance along the fine line between optimal training and over-training. Using a heart monitor to avoid stressing your body too much means that you will maximize the efficiency of your training, while minimizing the opportunity for injury. Injuries are much less likely to occur when you are not over-taxing your body, and avoiding injuries is tantamount to avoiding setbacks in your training. While opinions differ on how much running is too much (we will discuss this more later), once you determine the desired intensity of your weekly workouts, you can use the monitor as a gauge. Are your recovery days really allowing your body to recover? The surprising answer, in many cases, is that runners' easy days are simply not easy enough. Use your monitor to stay below a certain ceiling, and you will avoid depleting your body's glycogen stores, ensuring that you will have the energy to perform your intense workouts with vigor and that you will not have to take unexpected days off from fatigue.

4) Prevent Under-Training: Though perhaps less common than over-training, some runners simply do not run hard enough, often enough. In this case, the monitor can function as a sort of coach, telling you when your body can handle more, and consequently, when you should pick up the pace. Set a minimum heart-rate goal for your run, and the monitor will sound an alarm when you have dropped below your target, telling you to work harder.

5) Pacing During Training: Perhaps the most obvious use for a heart monitor is to pace your training runs. Sometimes your time is not the best measure of how hard you are working. Different terrain, different energy levels, inconsistent distance measurements, and any number of factors can mislead you into thinking that you have performed well or poorly when the opposite may be true. Your cardiovascular performance is best measured by the work-rate of your heart, so pacing your training runs according to your heart rate is the best method of targeting your cardiovascular fitness as you do your workout.

6) Pacing During A Race: Some runners not only train with a heart monitor, but race with one as well. The monitor is a better tool for gauging effort during a race than mile markers, as the appropriate speed of each mile during a race can vary. Also, the monitor is indifferent to the wind, the paces of the other runners, the cheering of the crowds, the silence of lonely stretches that occur towards the end of some races, and any hills and curves; it is an objective observer than can help you maintain a consistent work rate, both over varied terrain and in areas where external factors affect your motivation and speed. Within a racing context, a monitor is perhaps most useful in preventing you from going out too fast or working too hard early in the race.

7) Enjoyment: While many runners enjoy their long runs, using a heart monitor adds a twist to running, whether it is being worn for a race or for training, for one mile or for twenty. Monitors can give you an accurate and fun way to quantify your progress, and if for no other reason, contribute some variety to the activity.

How To Use a Heart Rate Monitor

Heart monitors are tools that provide feedback specific to your body. As a result, heart monitor training can only be effective if you use that information to design and implement a workout regimen that is tailored to your body and fitness level. To do this, you will calculate the various work-rate zones for your heart, and use these zones to guide your work-rate during your workouts. The first thing you will need to do in order to accomplish this is to figure out a couple of key values.

Specifically, the zones you will calculate can be derived from two numbers: your maximum heart rate (MHR), which is the fastest rate your heart is able to beat per minute, and your resting heart rate (RHR), the rate at which your heart beats when you are completely at rest and in the absence of stressful external stimuli.

Step 1: Establish Your Max Heart Rate

Simple Formulaic Estimation of the MHR Based on Age:
In general, this method will provide reasonable accuracy for about 80% of runners, but it should almost invariably be supplemented with an actual test. Typically, one of three simple formulas is used to estimate one's maximum heart rate.

Formula #1: The first formula involves simply subtracting your age from the number 220 (for men) or from 226 (for women). This method is preferred for beginning runners, those who have been leading a sedentary lifestyle. MarathonGuide.com Simple Heart Zones Calculator

Formula #2: The second formula is very similar, but is preferable for those who are already quite active. For this formula, simply subtract half of your age from the number 205.

Formula #3: The third formula runs along the same vein as the two preceding it. For men, subtract 80% of your age from the number 214. For women, subtract 70% of your age from the number 209.

All of these formulas provide approximations that are based on the standard curves representing the "normal" MHR's for any given age, and they get you close to your own MHR, but not close enough. The numbers you will get when you plug in your own age would best be used as a guide, as opposed to an accurate measure.

Actual Testing of the MHR Through Physical Exertion:
The only way to truly find your maximum heart rate is to exert yourself vigorously for several minutes, obviously while wearing your heart monitor. In doing this, you have two options.

Option 1: Personal Test
Perhaps the best way for most people to find their MHR is to calculate it themselves. The most effective method is to do interval training, preferably on a hill. A hill of at least 200 or 300 meters will suffice. Sprint up the hill and jog back down, using only the jog as a resting period. Repeat this cycle five or six times, and you will likely attain a heart rate that is at least very near your MHR (your MHR being simply the highest number of beats per minute that you were able to provoke). In the absence of a hill, you may wish to extend the length of your intervals to 400 meters.

Option 2: Lab Test
In a lab test, you will be put on a treadmill with a pulse monitor, and asked by a specialist to run a specific, short, intense program. This option tends to cost around $150, and is best if you have a heart condition, or if you are unsure of your physical health, for medical personnel and equipment are all either present or nearby.

Keep in mind that your MHR can be a little elusive. If, a week after you determine your MHR to be 186 BPM, you see 192 flash across your display as you do interval training, then your MHR is actually 192. This does not indicate a change in fitness or health, but would instead serve as evidence that when you tested you MHR before you were tired, rundown, or perhaps did not exert yourself hard enough. Your MHR is genetically predetermined, and has basically nothing to do with your level of fitness. Some athletes have had MHR's in the 160 BPM-range, while others have rates that exceed 200 beats per minutes. The sole variation in your MHR is a decrease of approximately 1 BPM a year, a process that accompanies aging.

Step 2: Establish Your Resting Heart Rate

Unlike your MHR, which is basically fixed, the RHR is a measure of fitness, and should slowly decrease, as you get more and more fit. In general, the resting heart rates of different individuals can vary greatly. Someone leading a sedentary lifestyle can have a RHR nearing or even exceeding 100 BPM. Most endurance runners will have one below 60 or 50 BPM, and possibly even below 40 BPM. The absolute lowest RHR's belong to elite runners, some of which dip below 30 beats per minute. The reason for this is that the stroke volume of these elite runners is so high that each heartbeat pumps more than twice as much blood as that of a sedentary adult. This allows the heart to slow its rate substantially, while still supplying the entire body with adequate blood flow. A high stroke volume is reflective of a large, strong heart, which results from a high level of aerobic fitness.

Your resting heart rate is exactly what it sounds like: the rate at which your heart beats when you are totally at rest. While finding this number is less strenuous than calculating your MHR, it is easy to make the mistake of trying to derive your RHR at an inappropriate time. The best method for determining your RHR involves strapping on your heart monitor when you wake up in the morning, before you even get out of bed. Simply lay there for two or three minutes; your lowest pulse rate will be your RHR. Doing this test first thing in the morning is logical, for there are many factors aside from physical activity that can lead to an increased heart rate - including stress and the presence of caffeine in your system - which can be eliminated by doing the test immediately after waking up. Dehydration, on-setting illness, and insufficient rest can also manifest themselves in an increased RHR.

Step 3: Calculate Your Training Zones

Calculating training zones allows you to customize your workout to your heart and current fitness level. Using a heart monitor without tailoring your workout to your own personal training zones essentially eliminates the benefits of heart monitor training.

Once you have your MHR and your RHR, you can grab a calculator or visit the MarathonGuide.com heart zones calculator, and easily set up a chart to help you determine how much strain you are putting on your heart at a given heart rate. Typically the chart is based on percentile markers, where your MHR is 100%. To create your chart, calculate the percentile markers in 5% increments, descending from 100% to around 50%, and using the following formula:

((MHR-RHR) x Percent level) + RHR

For example, suppose your MHR is 190 and your RHR is 50. Your calculation for your 95% level would look like this:

((190-50) x .95) + 50) = 183 BPM

For your 90% level, your calculation would appear as follows:

((190-50) x .90) + 50) = 176 BPM

Your chart, then, would show 190 as 100% of your max, 183 at 95% of your max, 176 at 90% of my your, and so on down the line until you reach 50%.

These zones will be crucial when you determine your training program and start to track results.

Step 4: Implement A Training Program And Track Your Results

If you have completed the first three steps, then you are prepared to begin training using your heart rate monitor. How you wish to train, however, depends on your ultimate goals. Some trainers recommend that runners should not run two consecutive days over their 70% level, setting that value as the ceiling for recovery days. Most agree that hard days should be run at the 85% level, if not higher.

Regardless of how you are training, and what you are training for, it will be useful to keep track of your results. It is highly recommended that you track not only your heart rate for each workout and the activities that the workout entailed, but also that you record your RHR daily. Some have even worn their heart monitors for entire days, simply to see what kinds of activities and stimuli provoke what speed of pulse.

III. How To Measure Results

The ultimate goal of training with a heart monitor is to be able to run longer and faster with a lower heart rate. If you keep track of your results, there will be a couple of ways to see the progress.

First, as you improve, you will see that running the same distances at the same heart rate will become easier. Effectively, you will be able to run faster for these distances without your heart having to work as hard. This is a direct reflection of increased efficiency of the heart. To see this, try running a set course - with your monitor - that is several miles long, and stick to a preset speed, perhaps your marathon pace. Then, under similar weather conditions, try the same course again a few weeks later. Run it at the same pace as you ran previously, and compare your heart rates for the two runs. If you've gotten fitter since your first run, your heart rate should be lower during your second.

Another way to see results is to keep track of your resting heart rate by taking it down and recording it every morning before you get out of bed. Many trainers recommend that runners keep track of their RHR on a daily basis, and, as stated above in the RHR section, increased fitness should bring with it a lower RHR.

To customize your own workout zone chart go to

http://www.marathonguide.com/FitnessCalcs/heartrate2calc.cfm

The Do's and Don'ts of Group Riding

This section will focus on the skill's and the etiquette of riding in a group.

Riding in a group can be very intimidating for the newer rider. At speeds of only 25 km's/ hr your bike travels more than 30 feet per second, which doesn't leave much time to react should something happen in front of you. Cyclists are often no more than 12" apart trying to stay in the draft.

Ride Positioning

Always ride in pairs (never more than two across) unless you have peeled off from your pull at the front and are moving to the back of the group.

Motorists are p***ed off with us being on the road enough as it is and we want to stay as safe as possible for our own sakes.

DON'T ride directly behind the wheel of the bike in front of you, DO ride six inches or so to the left or the right. This way if there is a sudden slowdown or braking in front of you, you will not run into the wheel ahead of you and cause a crash taking you and potentially all the riders behind you down.

Stay calm, feather the brakes and if you temperarily overlap or (halfwheel as it is known) the wheel in front of you, its no big deal. Now slow down gradually and slide back into your spot.

This should make your rides much more enjoyable and a lot less stressful.

Winter Strength Training

Here's a great workout video by Selene Yeager alias the "Fit Chick" who does regular fitness spots for Bicycling magazine. You will have to suffer through a 15 sec. plug for Chris Carmichael (Lance Armstrong's coach), before the video will start, but its worth it.

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-strength-train-for-cycling-71103/view/


I've been doing the workout for about a month now and it takes only 40 min's tops to complete and works all the important muscle groups used in cycling.

All you need is a set of 10 lb or less dumbbells.

Start with lighter weight than 10 lbs if necessary, especially doing the push and row push ups, until you get the hang of it

Do the exercises 3 times a week and you will definitely feel the difference on the bike trainer this winter, with the biggest dividends coming when you get on your bike again in the Spring.

If you are lucky enough to live in a warmer climate than I do, you will get to enjoy the benefits right away.

Let me know what you think.

Scott "The Passionate Cyclist"

Tip of the Day

What is the secret to keeping warm, dry and not sweating on the colder days during the winter months?.... MULTIPLE BASE LAYERS

I have more base layers than anything else in my cycling closet. These are the clothes that don't make you look good. These are the clothes that make you feel good, giving you the ability to ride with comfort and power. These base layers may not win you a race, but they sure can lose you one!!!

THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT CYCLING CLOTHES YOU OWN.

At the end of the World Championship Road Race in Switzerland this year Fabian Cancellara was seen sitting down at the finish line chewing on his undershirt, distraught over the fact that he lost the race. In an interview later on, he blamed the loss on his undershirt being too warm, causing him to overheat. We all know that it was not the undershirts fault that he lost the race. It was his fault for making a bad decision on what undershirt to wear. It just reaffirms the importance of this key item of clothing.

Outside my door this morning it is -7 degrees Celsius and sunny, a day most people wouldn't even consider going for a ride. However riding in these temperatures can still be fun and good training.

So... how do we dress on a day like today. Four base layers, yes you read correctly FOUR

The first base layer you should put on is the lightest sleeveless open weave layer that you own. This would be the one that you would wear under your jersey on a hot summer day. this will ensure that moisture is wicked away from your body as effectively as possible. Putting heavy layers next to the skin in the winter is a common mistake and quickly leads to sweating and total discomfort

The second base layer should be a warmth layer. Again this should be a sleeveless layer if possible and preferably made from merino wool. This natural material is about as good as it gets at regulating body temperature and breathability.

The third layer should be a long sleeve winter weight layer. I find the Defeet regular long sleeve shirt ideal for this purpose. This adds more warmth to the body and the first layer of warmth to the arms. Your arms are a good place to shed excess heat on cold days. This is why we go sleeveless on the first two layers.

The fourth and final base layer will be what I call your discretionary layer. This is the layer that you will peel off if the outside temperature goes up to any measurable degree. It can be either sleeveless or long sleeve depending on you. I wear a regular Defeet sleeveless layer for this.

This may seem like allot of clothes, but its not and when you put them on you will notice that there is very little weight and more importantly bulk associated with what you are wearing.

Now you add a winter jacket with a windproof layer in the front and a breathable layer in the back.

The rest is easy, full length winter bibs or tights with a windtex layer in front and breathable material at the back of the leg, lined over booties, breathable skull cap (this is also very important to prevent overheating). Gloves that your hands feel slightly cold in when you start ( they will heat up and there is nothing worse than sweaty hands that you can do nothing about).

Now don't forget to wear something over your mouth, I use a light weight balaclava for this instead of a skull cap. It gives some extra protection to my neck and can be worn over the mouth or under the chin as desired. This will keep that cold dry air out of your lungs and prevent respiratory distress. Try as much as possible to breath in through your nose instead of your mouth, this will help heat and moisturize the air before it hits your lungs.

So that's it, get out there and enjoy a crisp winter day and take a well deserved break from the indoor trainer.


Hey, don't forget that all these cycling base layers can be used all the time to keep you comfortable, no matter what you are doing.


Ride Hard
Ride Strong
Ride Safe

Volunteers Needed for Heart Study

University of Toronto (my Alma mater) in conjunction with Mount Sinai hospital are looking for endurance athletes ages 50-65 for a study on heart function. Info and contacts are below.

Rarely do us 50 and over athletes have the opportunity to participate in a study like this. In all the studies that I have seen they were always looking for athletes under 40.

Here is an opportunity to find out a lot of valuable information about yourself and how you compare to the average in your age out there as well as how you compare to other endurance athletes in your age bracket. It only takes 2 hours of your time. I have signed up and will report back on my results in a later post.

Click on the image above to get a large readable version.

Tip of the Day

If you don't already own a pair of cleat covers, put them on your Christmas list. They cost less than $25.00 and have saved me over $100.00 in the last two years.

How do you ask?

Before I bought my first set of cleat covers, I was buying two sets of cleats a year at a cost of $60.00 due to the cleats wearing out from the constant abrasion of walking on pavement and gravel etc. I would also be walking off the side of the road to relieve the old bladder and getting all sorts of crap stuck in my cleats especially if the ground was wet. I'd hop back on my bike and sure enough the float in my pedals was not working properly from all the grit stuck in the cleat, wearing them out prematurely and putting me at risk of injury on a long ride. I knew there had to be a better way.

Enter Kool Kover cleat covers, in my case Shimano SPD SL covers retailing for $25.00 or so at your LBS. Since I started using the cleat covers my current set of cleats have lasted me two full years and although they are ready to replace now, I saved $120.00 over 2 years. That buys a lot of espresso at the coffee stop and a few refreshments after the ride as well.

More importantly though, I have more traction when walking in my cycling shoes, my cleats always perform flawlessly in the pedals and they release when I need them to without incident.

It's the best $25.00 I've ever spent when it comes to benefit for the buck.

Ride Hard
Ride Strong
Ride Safe

Vitess Bike Review

Toronto, Canada, Dec 10th 2009

Several weeks ago I was talking with a neighbour who mentioned to me that there was a new bike manufacturer in Canada and that I should take a look at their website since as he put it “There were some interesting things on it”.

Since I consider myself to be fairly knowledgeable about the bike industry, I was surprised that I had not heard about something as important as a new Canadian Bike Manufacturer.

So off to the website I went http://www.vitess.com/ not knowing what to expect.

To my surprise, what I found was a very professional and in depth website for a new Canadian manufacturer of HIGH END carbon road bikes.

After perusing the entire website I was glad to see that the showroom for this new manufacturer was in Toronto, only a 30 min drive from my home, and best of all was offering free test rides.

I filled in the online request for a test ride and expected to get some generic response in a week or so saying that test rides in my area would take place on such and such a date and to reserve your spot fill in this long survey.

To my surprise I received a personal email the same day from Julien Papon, the Founder of Vitess Bicycle Corporation asking me when I would like to come down to the showroom and get set up for the test ride.

I called back and talked with Julien directly setting the appointment up for the next day.

When I got to the showroom I mentioned to Julien that I was not interested in just taking the bike around the block and that in order for me to do justice to the test ride, I would need it for the weekend to do my regular routes. Julien said no problem, so I let Julien know what size bike I needed and he said he would have it ready for me to pick it up on Friday.

I have ridden a lot of high end bikes in my day and currently have 3 bikes that one would consider high end pro level bikes which I ride regularly. All the bikes have different ride qualities, strengths and weaknesses.

I am 5’ 11” and weigh 160 lbs. and ride 10-15,000 km’s a year. You could consider me a passionate competitive club racer.

My review of the bike is in 3 sections. The bike, The ride and Other comments.

THE BIKE

I showed up at the showroom on Friday for my appt. and here is what was waiting for me.

A full carbon road bike made with Toray high modulus carbon tubing, the same tubing that several well known very high end Italian bike manufacturers use. The frame was put together with tube to tube construction and finished in a 3k carbon weave with clearcoat. The look was striking to say the least and the finish quality of the frame was as good as I have ever seen. The graphics package was a little subdued for my taste, however Julien told me that there may be different graphic options available in the future.


The geometry of the frame is quite classic looking, however close examination reveals that the frame has a slightly sloping top tube. The down tube has a round top surface and a flatter bottom surface.


The bike was fitted with a full Shimano Dura ace 7900 Group, as well as the top of the line 3T LTD carbon handlebars, seat post and stem. The saddle was a Fizik Arione CX with carbon rails, the same saddle I have on all my bikes, so I was shocked to see it on my test bike considering the fact that this saddle retails for over $300.00. The wheels were Vitess’ own brand of full carbon tubular’s with 50 mm rims and top of the line Continental tires.

The bike has an asymmetrical head tube with a one and an eighth inch bearing at the top tapering to a one and a half inch bearing at the bottom, The seat stays are relatively slim in diameter, a feature common to more than a few top end bikes these days. Although the bottom bracket area is large, it is not as massive as I have seen on other bikes and does not protrude past the seat tube. This allows for more tire clearance and the fitting of larger tires than the standard 23mm if desired.


The chain stays on the other hand are another story. They are the thickest I’ve seen and stay that way right out to the carbon dropouts making the rear triangle of the bike very stiff.

The bike comes with a full-carbon fork, including fully-integrated head-set. The headset is made by Acros a German company, and is quite unique in the fact that it does not use a star nut arrangement, but rather a simple 2 piece wedging system to keep the front end tight. This is a brilliant set up, and is a breed apart from most headsets.

THE RIDE

When I got home with the bike I immediately set about fitting the bike to match the set up on my other bikes. Proper bike fit is an essential part of riding with comfort, safety and power and this is included when you buy a Vitess.

First I put on my pedals. Shimano Dura ace 7800 spd SL’s commonly known as the “Lance” pedal. I’ve been using these pedals for 5 years now and would never switch. They give me just enough float to prevent injury and provide a very sold platform for power transfer with the pedal interface. Next I attached my bottle cages and computer.

The bike came with the right size stem for me already and the handlebars were also set up the way I like them. We did that before I left the showroom so Julien could show me how easy the new headset was to use. All I had left to do was set the saddle height and setback and I was ready to ride.

The seat post that came on the bike was a zero setback post and since I have fairly long femurs I didn’t think that I would be able to get the saddle back far enough to accommodate my proper saddle position (nose of saddle 6cm behind the centre of the bottom bracket). I normally need a seat post with a 26mm setback to get me to the right position.

I was pleasantly surprised that I indeed was able to get my saddle back to my usual position and attribute this to two reasons. Although the 3T seat post was a zero setback, the design of the seat post head allows for greater fore and aft movement than most others.
Also the seat tube angle on the bike is a little more relaxed or laid back (not as steep) as some other frames putting you automatically slightly further back on the bike.

Now that the setup was complete I was anxious to weigh the bike.

The bike came in at 6.9 kg or 15.18 lbs only 100gms over the UCI minimum bike weight. That is very impressive given the fact that this was a ready to ride actual weight with pedals, bike computer and bottle cages on a large frame with no what I call gimmick light weight components.

Saturday morning, 10:00 AM and the temperature is 5 degrees Celsius. I put my leg over the bike looking forward to our 85km route. My intension on this day was to put the bike through an “everything I can throw at it” test ride. I was riding with 9 other cyclists that I ride with on a regular basis

The first thing I noticed when I took off was how well the bike tracked. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this term, it means the ability of the bike to ride in a straight line on its own without having to steer it. This bike rode dead straight and rock solid.

The steering was very responsive but not the least bit twitchy. This tells me that the fork is well matched to the frame and that the trail of the bike is spot on.
At this point I already knew that I had a well built bike under me.

None of the current bikes I own tracked as well as the Vitess. Put a big checkmark in the plus column for this attribute.

Over the next 3 hours I proceeded to put the bike through its paces to the best of my ability. Full speed out of the saddle sprints and climbs, fast descents, diving into fast corners, low cadence climbs and very high cadence riding over a large variety of road surfaces including some pretty rough ones.

The bike has exceptional vertical compliance and soaked up all the various bumps, pot holes, cracks and nuances of the roads here in southern Ontario.
Not even the new rough surface pavement that they are laying down in certain areas in the outskirts which I affectionately call Canadian Cobbles was able to spoil the comfort of the Vitess.

The frame and wheels combined ability to absorb these purposeful imperfections in the road gave the feeling of less rolling resistance, and I didn’t get the same numbing feeling in my hands and feet that I normally get on these roads.
No doubt this was due to the thin seat stays, the slightly longer than normal wheel base and the way the carbon lay up was done on the frame.

From a relatively slow speed I jumped on the pedals on a 10% grade climb and went as hard as I could go. The bike reacted instantly beneath my feet. There was no delay in the power being translated to the road. No noticeable flex in the bottom bracket or twisting from the back of the bike due I’m sure to the massive chain stays described earlier. There was also no rubbing of the rims on the brake pads either, indicating that the Vitess Equinox wheels had good lateral rigidity.

When I got to the top of the climb my heart rate was lower than normal telling me that I had expended less energy than normal to generate the same power on the Vitess compared to my other bikes.

All day people that I normally ride with at equal strength and ability were telling me to slow down. Saying things like what did you have for breakfast this morning?

There’s no doubt this is a fast bike!

The next test was to see how the bike handled in a high speed descent.
Would I get the dreaded speed wobble?

There are several hills in southern Ontario that you can frequently hit over 80km’s per hour on if the wind is right. Although the wind was in the wrong direction on this day I was able to get the bike up to just shy of 70km’s per hour in my high speed descent test. Again the bike was rock solid, instilling enough confidence in me to hit a small hole in the road at this speed to see how the bike would react to it. Normally at this speed I would avoid any imperfection in the road if possible.

The Vitess took the hole in stride. There was no pitching of the bike to one side or the other showing that the frame had excellent lateral rigidity.

The freewheeling ability of the wheels was also very good. I frequently would coast down hills while others had to pedal to keep up. A sure sign of quality bearings and aerodynamics of the 50mm carbon rims.

Everything I threw at the Vitess that day, it passed with flying colours.

On the following day (Sunday) I was supposed to go mountain biking with some friends.
After the Saturday ride on the Vitess I called up my friends and said I wouldn’t be there.

I had to return the Vitess on Monday and there was no way anyone was going to keep me from riding the Vitess again on Sunday.

On Sunday there was no putting the bike through its paces. I just went out on a 90km ride and enjoyed every minute of it.

KUDOS to Vitess Bikes !

OTHER COMMENTS

Here are some things that you may not think about.

If your headset loosens off on you after going over a lot of rough road, how difficult is it to fix on a ride.

With the Vitess all you need is a 2.5mm allen key. Insert it in an adjustment screw in the bottom ring of the Acros headset, make a half turn and you are done.

Time to complete… 10 seconds max by any novice.

Other bikes require loosening and retightening stems and star nuts and realigning your handlebars if you are not careful.

Time to complete … 2-10 minutes depending on how proficient you are and also having the necessary allen keys on hand to fit both the star nut and stem bolts.

And what about putting the proper torque back on the stem bolts on the road? Come on tell the truth…You Guess don’t you!

Most people who ride bikes take their bike back to the shop to have them tighten the headset because they either don’t know how to do it or are concerned that they will break something. Not being able to fix this problem on the road could easily lead to a loss of control on the bike resulting in potential injury or at the very least a spoiled ride.

It may seem like a small thing but it is a very important one.

Here is the bottom line on the test ride…

On the Vitess I was faster, more comfortable, more confident and ended the ride fresher than any other bike I’ve ever ridden…. PERIOD.

Would I buy one at a retail price of $7300.00 including all the top of the line components that were on my test bike… ABSOLUTELY. It’s on my list!!!

Ride Hard
Ride Strong
Ride Safe

K. Scott Judges
The Passionate Cyclist