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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Journey 70.3: The Triathlon Bike Milestone

My bike fitting with enduranceWERX
I got the bike!  After debating for the last few years if I should buy a triathlon bike, I finally took the plunge.  I was recently reading an article how a triathlon bike purchase is one of the big milestones in a triathlete’s life – CHECK!

Many of the race courses I ride are hilly and technical so that is one of the reasons why I haven’t opted for a triathlon bike to date.  But my first half in Atlantic City is a flat course and since I need to pick up speed on the bike, it seemed like the right time.  And with the big birthday looming, the perfect “new gear milking scheme”! 

Shopping for a triathlon bike was a different experience than a road bike.  To begin with, it’s best to start with the bike fit, rather than end with it.  Starting with the fit will make your shopping process much easier as you will quickly narrow down which bikes will best work for you, and it will lead you to the best possible aero position, efficient pedaling, comfort, and injury prevention.  I think it’s best to find a bike fitter who is completely neutral to brands, which means they are probably an independent operator.  Most bike shops throw in the fit with a bike purchase at a certain level, which has some appeal, but you will then feel an explicit or implicit obligation to buy from that shop that may or may not carry the right brand for you.  You can expect to pay $350 - $400 for a bike fitting in the metro NY area, which should include the initial fitting, consultation on bike purchase, and subsequent tune ups.  It may or may not include bike assembly for an online bike purchase.

In the NY area, there are a few independent bike fitters:  1) ACME Bicycle Company owned by Jonathan Blyer, who was recommended to my husband Mike from a fellow triathlete, and where he went for his fitting and would recommend Jonathan.  Since I didn’t want to go all the way to Brooklyn, I researched fitters closer to us in CT.  2) Signature Cycles in Greenwich, CT would have been the closest option for me.  I had remembered seeing them at an expo a few years ago.  However, when I spoke with a person on the phone and described my long leg, short torso body composition, he immediately recommended a Specialized which I thought was odd since it seemed like we should be talking fit before any brand.  I saw later that Signature, which used to be brand neutral, now has a partnership with Specialized so I felt they could be too biased.  3) enduranceWERX, owned by Chad Butts, has been in Harlem for some time, but he had conveniently recently opened a shop in Montrose, NY, about 30 miles from me.  After seeing good reviews online, I opted for Chad.

Chad, like some other fitters, uses the Retul fitting system.  He told me to come in dressed in my bike workout attire.  I soon saw why – you can get a mini workout just with your fitting!  Chad holds a MS in Exercise Physiology so he is very attuned to your body movement and physiology.  He first assesses your flexibility to understand what kind of bike position is going to be comfortable but also the most efficient.  He quickly pointed out how my right foot is naturally turned a bit, something I never noticed but now realize that is probably why that foot “feels different”, and I’ve come to realize the natural crossing of my legs with right foot over left has probably caused it.

The Retul system involves hooking different parts of your body to wires that track your movement, and there are 16 measures that the system captures your optimal position.  At the conclusion, Chad provided a detail report and explained I should search for bikes with a stack and reach range.  He also explained that some bikes are more adjustable than others, and given my body proportions, adjustability was going to be important.

Armed with my data, I began researching triathlon bikes to see which brands would be the best fit.  Unlike road bikes, it’s not like you can just walk into any shop and find bike inventory you can easily test ride for fit.  Still, while Mike successfully bought his tri bike online without a test ride, I highly recommend test riding to insure you have a good feel for the bike and fit.  When one shop told me over the phone, “well most people know what they want and just come in and order it”, I did not visit that shop.

Based on fit and budget, I narrowed my list of brands down to Cannondale Slice, Cervelo P3, Quintano Roo, and Specialized Shiv.  Finding stores with inventory in December proved to be a challenge, although not impossible – I just had to go to 3 different stores to be able to see and test ride 3 of the 4 brands.  But the snow, cold weather, and busy roads near some shops did present some test ride challenges.  I never did find a Specialized Shiv but since it’s pricing was higher than the others for the same components, I eliminated it.  I also eliminated the Slice – while the fact that they had a women’s version (which was basically just a different seat and handlebars) was appealing, the Cervelo and QR had more modern frames.

I thought based on brand alone, I would go for a Cervelo, but as I test rode both a Cervelo and QR, the QR felt more stable.  The Cervelo’s handle bars seemed a bit “jerky”, a topic that was discussed on a forum, although most people said you just had to get used to it.  QR’s website claimed different technology that added to the bike’s stability, but was it all in my head?  And since I had ridden a PR5 with Di2 technology side by side a Cervelo P2, was I comparing apples to oranges?  The QR PR3 was the bike that would be in my budget but was the different chainstay on the QR PR5 really adding to better stability?  I inquired with QR, and the answer I got back is that chainstay technology on a PR5 or PR6 makes a difference with larger sized bikes, but it wouldn’t make much of a difference on a smaller frame I would buy.

So I concluded the QR P3 would be the bike for me, and since Jason at Bonzai Bicycle in VA had been so helpful helping me compare the Cervelo and QR during our vacation travels, I was all set to order from him.  The day I was going to email him to put the order in, a one season used QR PR6 showed up on the Facebook site Tri and Sell It.  It was the same price as the new PR3 but with a lot of upgraded components and a carbon frame 2 models up.  And the seller was in CT!  I tried to temper my enthusiasm – the bike was a size 50 and the new one I was going to order was a size 52 so I didn’t think it would be the right size.  As I dug into the fit charts, however, there was some overlap in the sizing.  Chad thought it would still work and suggested I take pictures with me on the bike so he could further evaluate.

The seller, Linda, was located in upstate CT but was headed down to NYC that weekend so she graciously offered to meet me in Stamford on a Friday night.  But where could I possibly test ride it given the snowy, frigid weather?  Mike’s office parking garage provided the solution.  Linda is also my height but our body proportions are different but still when I got on it, it felt pretty good, and actually a better fit than the 52.  We took pictures and sent them to Chad, who confirmed with me the next day that it was a good fit.  Linda was heading back up to CT that night so we met again and I was the happy owner of a QR, PR6, a much better bike than I had expected! 

A couple of weeks later, I went back to Chad for my fitting.  He adjusted the seat height, position and made the handlebars more parallel but the bike was pretty much ready to go.  He did advise me to get a new clamp for the seat, which had been replaced from the original, but the clamp was the original and not the right fit for the new seat which could cause wear on the carbon seat post.  The guidance and advice of Chad has been very valuable!

The bike took Linda to her first Ironman finish in Louisville last October so we are both excited to see it take me on my first half Ironman journey.

Friday, January 19, 2018

The Gang Is Back Together

It's been two years since I did a triathlon, last year I focused on more weekly cycling and longer cycling events.  My longest ride was the rather windy 50 mile Chocolate Tour with a time of 3:45; which was 15 minutes faster than the year before.  My friend Charlie and I also did the very windy but fun 30 mile Ride Around Valley.


The last Tri I did with Cathy and Diane was Quakertown, and since I was still injured couldn't train seriously (the way I wanted to) so my only goal was to have fun.  Goal accomplished, it was an awesome weekend with new and old friends, full of laughs and memories!   
My riding this past summer was very strong, but I was feeling a few pounds over my happy weight after eating more food for energy to keep up with my cycling miles.  This past November,  I stepped up my winter workout routine mainly for stress relief, and hit the lean and clean eating very hard.  Mental balance and physical strength were my main goals, but in an effort to have a leaner body composition I also lost a good bit of weight.  Usually if I am lean, I have no power on my bike; this year I am determined to find the keys to being BOTH lean and strong at the same time! 




  After 3 years of being unable to run more than a mile due to foot and knee injuries, I finally decided to give it one more try.  Starting with a few easy 1 mile runs, I realized that my foot and knee pain were less of an issue.  Next was the 2 mile mark, my times were horrible, but I was running without much pain.  Finally I completed a 3 mile run, which is what I need to do for a sprint Tri.  My thoughts of doing an event this year were slowly becoming more of a reality with every workout.
Next on the list was trying out my full wetsuit that I ordered last year.  I was considering doing the Philly Tri so I could have some shenanigans with Cathy and Diane again.  But there was no way in hell I would swim in the Schuylkill River without a full wetsuit!  Being a bit of a germaphobe, I really don't want to swim in that river at all, which is exactly why I eventually signed up for this event.  Sometimes life puts you out of your comfort zone unexpectedly, and sometimes you do it to yourself on purpose.  Swimming came back to me pretty easily, although the breathing will take a while to perfect again.
So in my "That's so Barb" fashion:  upon completing a 3 mile run, and enough laps in the pool that I was convinced I would survive a river swim, I signed up for the Philadelphia Tri in June!
I immediately texted Cathy and Diane to let them know, "The Gang Is Back Together" and I can't wait to see what new adventures the coming year brings.