Saturday, February 28, 2009
A tour of the Garmin facilities in Spain
GARMIN SLIPSTREAM Service Course from Media One Multimedia on Vimeo.
Courtesy our local BC 'Garminite', Ryder Hesjedal
Thursday, February 26, 2009
A Day in the Life of a Pro Cycling Team
Here are a bunch of short videos that give a glimpse into the glamorous world of professional cycling.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Whereabouts Program...
I ran across the following post on Wendy Simms' blog a while ago and it continues to make me wonder if the UCI is truly committed to the cause or have they merely created another bureaucracy to perpetuate themselves...
"Lucky me. I have been chosen to be part of the Whereabouts program. That means I have to account for 1 hour of my day, every single day of my life , minimum, so I can be randomly tested out of competition with no notice to prove that I am a clean athlete. I am all for making sure our sport is clean and fair but this is going to be a pain in the ass. I can tell that already because of the introduction I got to the program.
The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) apparently sent me a letter on Dec 22 which informed me that I had been chosen for the whereabouts program. I guess my one week stint as world #1 caught someones eye. This letter must have sat in the CCA inbox over Xmas holidays because I did not receive it until Jan 5th. As it was the start of a new "quarter" I am assuming I was already in violation as my whereabouts information for Jan had not been inputted into the ADAMS website (Anti-Doping Administration and Management System). I read the letter over and over but had zero guidance of what to do next. I emailed my UCI contact person on the letter. Its Jan 10th and I still have had no response from them. I emailed people at the CCA (Canadian Cycling Association) who had forwarded me the letter, but they could not answer my Qs and forwarded me to the CCES (Canadian Center for Ethics in Sport). So I finally had someone from the CCES who sent me a link to a PAPER copy of the form I could fill out TWICE because one copy had to go the UCI and one to the CCES. Uh no thanks, I would rather use the electronic method. It is 2009 after all. All I needed was a login and password. Noone seemed to know it. Someone from the CCES eventually got back to me with a login/password. He was keen. He even used an exclamation mark when welcoming me to the whereabouts program. I knew he would be good. I sat down ready to start inputting my wherabouts into the ADAMS program but the login/password did not work because of "inactivity". They use big BOLD red lettering when you have an error. And errors seem to be common. I am assuming this "inactivity" refers to the gap between me receiving my letter Dec 22 and my first attempt at input Jan 9th. My keen CCES guy transferred my account from the UCI custodiam (not so helpful) to the CCES (helpful) and I got a login/password that worked.
So yesterday I sat down and tried to get started. Login/Password worked! Step 1 complete. I had been warned by Tony Theriault and Helen Wyman that the ADAMS program was not very user friendly. And I had read Simon Whitfields blog about his frustrations with the program. He basically said - I would rather you inplant a GPS chip in me than have to fill out all this paperwork. Hmmm. Doesn't sound promising. Helen gave me a tutorial but even though she had been part of the Whereabouts program for a few years, the input software had changed 3X since she started so she was still figuring the latest one out. This was the least efficient of the bunch apparently. Well, it took me over an hour to enter my whereabouts for the next 1.5 weeks of my life. Then I was exhausted and needed to go to bed. With an MSc in science I like to think I could do pretty well in "Americas Most Smartest Athlete" TV show so I would hate to see how much time the not-so-smart athletes clocked for this event. I hope to hell I get faster but I really should start tallying how many times I have to type my home address into the system. I guess that is what you get for being world #1. If only for a week....."
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Svein Tuft took a tumble
How Tough Is Tuft? from CycleTo on Vimeo.
Svein crashed on Stage 7 of the Tour of California but managed to finish the stage. He didn't start the final stage (8) today. Former teammate, Cam Evans reported that Svein crashed going 70 km/h and really got his bell rung.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Road Cycling on Haida Gwaii
Though there are only about 150 kilometers of paved road on Graham Island, many have remarked that our stretch of highway is the loveliest road for cycling in all of BC.
Members of Derailleurs in the Mist, the local cycling club, can be found almost daily riding along the roads, and many local people cycle to their jobs and errands. Traffic volumes are relatively low, and drivers are almost universally respectful of cyclists and walkers. The slower, quieter pace of cycling allows you to take in the views, find interesting places to stop along the way, and see more wildlife than you would from a motor vehicle.
Queen Charlotte to Tlell
This stretch of road, about 50 kms to the Tlell River bridge, runs right along the shore, affording beautiful views of the ocean and access to beaches for walks or swims. The round trip from Queen Charlotte to Tlell and back is a favourite half-day ride for the cycling club – ‘the cinnamon bun run’, with a stop at the bakery in Tlell before turning back.
From Queen Charlotte to Skidegate is a distance of six to ten kilometers depending on where you start and stop. Just past the museum, keep an eye out on the water for whales and cormorants; even the occasional sea lion still shows up here. Continuing on, just before the road veers left there is a great view of an eagle’s nest in the dead tree up on the rocky cliff on the inland side of the road. From there, you can continue on the highway as it veers up a short hill, or take the lower road on the right to go along the water through Skidegate Village.
If you are up for some hill-climbing action, take a left from the highway onto Balance Rock Road just north of Skidegate. This will take you past a waterfall and up into Skidegate Heights, with panoramic views of Skidegate Inlet and its islands, followed by an exhilarating descent back down to the highway.
Further along the highway, about 24 kilometers from QC, there is a good rest stop at Jungle Beach, which is marked by a carved bear. Bring a picnic and go for a walk or a swim along the long, sandy beach. Your next landmark is the pullout at St Mary’s Spring on the inland side of the road, 27 kms from QC. Though this is a freshwater spring that has long been used for drinking, the water is untested. To be on the safe side, remember to bring along enough snacks and drinks to manage the 30 kms between the shops and restaurants of Skidegate and those in Tlell. A third rest area is Halibut Bight, a pullout with lovely views on the shore side of the road at about 31 kms from QC, just 10 kms outside of Tlell.
Tlell to Port Clements
Upon crossing the Tlell River bridge, the road straightens out and heads inland for the 20 kms to Port Clements. This stretch can be a bit of a wind tunnel, usually with coastal thermals blowing from Tlell towards Port Clements. If the wind is particularly strong, you might see an aerobatic show put on by ravens over the road. Keep an eye out, also, for river otters as you cross the various rivers and creeks along the way. Mayer Lake is a good stopping point for a picnic or a freshwater swim, and is also roughly the halfway point along the Graham Island stretch of highway.
Port Clements to Masset
On this stretch of road, you get to do some hill cycling as the road descends to a series of riverbeds and ascends on the other side. It will pass through beautiful forest, with bears frequently sighted along the road, not to mention dozens of tiny island deer. You will also cycle by acidic wetlands with stunted trees – natural bonsai forests. Twenty kilometers outside of Masset you will reach Pure Lake, which is one of the first lakes to warm up in the summer and makes for lovely swimming. From there it is downhill until the road once again parallels the coast, this time that of Masset Inlet.
On a cautionary note, the road north of Port Clements is still pending repavement, so the ride is not quite as blissfully smooth as on the southern part of Graham Island. The shoulders are also narrower; do not try to ride on the unpaved shoulder, as it tends to be soft, slippery sand that makes it difficult for a cyclist to stay upright!
Just past the harbour, there is an intersection with a bridge that crosses the Delkatla tidal slough. A left turn takes you in to Masset, and then along Masset Inlet just a few kilometers to Old Masset. Continuing straight will take you out Tow Hill Road. At this point, there are only a couple dozen kilometers of paved road left. Take a side trip down Cemetery Road to a beautiful sandy beach with dune trails, or continue out Tow Hill Road, which parallels beautiful, long, sandy North Beach, crossing the single-lane Chown and Sangan River bridges.
Those with bikes capable of traveling on unpaved roads can continue along Tow Hill Road as it narrows, passing through beautiful dune forest to reach Tow Hill. Cyclists have been known to ride on the firm sand beach at low tide all the way out to Rose Spit. However, keep in mind that if your bike goes near the sand and salt of the beach, meticulous cleaning and lubrication will be needed immediately after the ride to avoid rust and abrasion.
Racing!
The Derailleurs in the Mist Cycling Club annually hosts The Race at the Edge, usually the first weekend in August. It consists of a 5 km time trial on Friday evening, then a 100 km road cycle race on Saturday morning. All skill levels are welcome, and there is always a mix of very competitive athletes as well as folks just there for the beautiful ride and to socialize with other cyclists along the way. The race is followed by a barbecue, with prizes for Men’s, Women’s, Masters Men’s, Masters Women’s, and Youth categories. Check our blog for registration and contact information!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Cozza Leads Up Tunitas
This is just one of Ken Conley's amazing photos from the Tour of California. Click here to see some more.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Cyclists at risk for bone loss
The sport's low-impact nature isn't conducive to building strong bones. Adding high-impact exercises can ease the risks of injury.
By Jeannine Stein, LA TIMES
February 16, 2009
Cyclists are no strangers to breaks and fractures, but Andrew Coggan could be forgiven for not expecting a hip fracture from a bike crash at age 30. He may have been less surprised than most of his peers though, having recently been diagnosed with low bone density.
For many cyclists, an injury like Coggan's is the first sign that bones are not as strong as they should be. Although cyclists are known for staying on top of their training heart rate zones and pedal cadence, increasing research suggests they should also pay attention to their risk of thinning bones.
"Sometimes athletes in their late 20s and early 30s will come in for a femur or a hip fracture, and they'll be surprised because the fall was really not that bad," says Dr. Max Testa, a sports medicine physician at the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Salt Lake City who routinely treats elite cyclists. "But we'll look at the X-rays and see that there is some osteopenia [lower-than-normal bone density] there."
Many factors contribute to osteopenia or osteoporosis (very low bone mineral density) in cyclists, but one of the culprits is the nature of the exercise itself. Cycling is a low-impact sport that puts little mechanical load on the bones. That's great if you have joint problems, but it's the weight-bearing nature of exercise that signals bones to create more mass. Without such stress, bones don't get stronger, making them more prone to injury.
Avid cyclists, both amateur and professional, seem to be especially at risk of bone injuries if they don't do any type of cross-training. (Swimmers may also be in danger, since that sport requires little mechanical loading as well.) The lower spine is a particularly susceptible area, since it gets almost no loading. The hips may get some from the action of pedaling.
Coggan, now a senior scientist and exercise physiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, had been cycling one to two hours a day for about 15 years when he crashed in 1989. "And I recall prior to that," he says, "when I'd be chatting with a group of cyclists, I'd be taking note of the fact that everybody had scars from things like broken arms and broken collarbones."
A recent study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that competitive male road cyclists had significantly lower bone mineral density in their spines than a control group of men who were moderately physically active while doing other recreational activities. They were also more likely to have osteopenia and osteoporosis than those in the control group, despite the fact that the cyclists had a greater calcium intake.
Another study, published in the journal Bone in 2002, found that male road cyclists had lower bone mineral density than male mountain bikers after adjusting for body weight and controlling for age. The difference there could be that mountain biking, with its bumps and jumps, perhaps provides more impact and stimulation for bone growth than does road cycling.
Youthful risks
Young cyclists aren't immune.
"You don't achieve peak bone mass until your late 20s," says Debra Bemben, co-author of the more recent study and an associate professor in the health and exercise science department at the University of Oklahoma. "If cyclists are in their early 20s and they're not doing anything else for exercise that's going to load their spine and help them achieve peak bone mass, it may put them at risk if they fall, since they'll have a greater chance of fracture. This is a pretty important health issue."
Further, some hard-core cyclists may not be eating enough to offset what they burn when exercising, depriving their bodies of bone-strengthening nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Especially at risk are women who have disordered eating, menstrual disruptions and bone loss -- known as the "female athlete triad."
"If there's a deficit in the energy balance," Bemben says, "then the body is not able to build things up, like bone."
That caloric shortfall could also trigger other physiological problems, such as hormone imbalances. For women this could mean lower estrogen levels; for men, lower testosterone levels. Bemben says estrogen and testosterone have protective effects on bones, slowing the rate of bone breakdown.
But hormones aren't only affected by calories. "If people overexercise, that can suppress testosterone in men, as it can suppress estrogen in women," says Dr. Aurelia Nattiv, director of the Santa Monica-UCLA Osteoporosis Center, although studies have not always borne out the low testosterone-low bone density connection.
"Too much of a good thing can cause negative effects on bone. We do see that sometimes not only do women lose their periods and have low levels of estrogen, but elite male runners can have low testosterone. So adequate hormonal balance is important." She adds that a family history of osteoporosis can contribute as well.
Even perspiration can be a factor, Bemben says: "Cyclists may lose a lot of calcium in their sweat," she says. "Even if they're taking in amounts [of liquid] that are seemingly high for the average man, that might not be enough to balance what they're excreting."
Getting the word out
Though the subject of bone density occasionally pops up on cycling message boards, it's not exactly a hot topic. "Some people have no clue," Testa says. "They don't even know it's an issue." A dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan is most often used to test bone density, a non-invasive test that uses low levels of radiation. Testa adds, "Often people are surprised to find that their results are not ideal."
And though women are reminded (via the media or their physicians) to up their calcium intake to prevent osteoporosis, men usually don't get the same messages. Young male cyclists, especially, figure they're healthy and don't need to be concerned. Some sports medicine physicians, orthopedists and cycling coaches discuss the issue with patients, but Testa and others say more education may be necessary.
Coggan, still a competitive amateur cyclist, got another DXA scan a few weeks ago and the news wasn't great -- he has osteopenia in his lumbar spine and osteoporosis in his hips. He says that while he does do weight training and runs occasionally, he knows he needs to focus his athletics more on health rather than performance. "I have a couple more athletic goals I want to achieve," he says, "and then I may have to start jumping rope."
jeannine.stein@latimes.com
By Jeannine Stein, LA TIMES
February 16, 2009
Cyclists are no strangers to breaks and fractures, but Andrew Coggan could be forgiven for not expecting a hip fracture from a bike crash at age 30. He may have been less surprised than most of his peers though, having recently been diagnosed with low bone density.
For many cyclists, an injury like Coggan's is the first sign that bones are not as strong as they should be. Although cyclists are known for staying on top of their training heart rate zones and pedal cadence, increasing research suggests they should also pay attention to their risk of thinning bones.
"Sometimes athletes in their late 20s and early 30s will come in for a femur or a hip fracture, and they'll be surprised because the fall was really not that bad," says Dr. Max Testa, a sports medicine physician at the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Salt Lake City who routinely treats elite cyclists. "But we'll look at the X-rays and see that there is some osteopenia [lower-than-normal bone density] there."
Many factors contribute to osteopenia or osteoporosis (very low bone mineral density) in cyclists, but one of the culprits is the nature of the exercise itself. Cycling is a low-impact sport that puts little mechanical load on the bones. That's great if you have joint problems, but it's the weight-bearing nature of exercise that signals bones to create more mass. Without such stress, bones don't get stronger, making them more prone to injury.
Avid cyclists, both amateur and professional, seem to be especially at risk of bone injuries if they don't do any type of cross-training. (Swimmers may also be in danger, since that sport requires little mechanical loading as well.) The lower spine is a particularly susceptible area, since it gets almost no loading. The hips may get some from the action of pedaling.
Coggan, now a senior scientist and exercise physiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, had been cycling one to two hours a day for about 15 years when he crashed in 1989. "And I recall prior to that," he says, "when I'd be chatting with a group of cyclists, I'd be taking note of the fact that everybody had scars from things like broken arms and broken collarbones."
A recent study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that competitive male road cyclists had significantly lower bone mineral density in their spines than a control group of men who were moderately physically active while doing other recreational activities. They were also more likely to have osteopenia and osteoporosis than those in the control group, despite the fact that the cyclists had a greater calcium intake.
Another study, published in the journal Bone in 2002, found that male road cyclists had lower bone mineral density than male mountain bikers after adjusting for body weight and controlling for age. The difference there could be that mountain biking, with its bumps and jumps, perhaps provides more impact and stimulation for bone growth than does road cycling.
Youthful risks
Young cyclists aren't immune.
"You don't achieve peak bone mass until your late 20s," says Debra Bemben, co-author of the more recent study and an associate professor in the health and exercise science department at the University of Oklahoma. "If cyclists are in their early 20s and they're not doing anything else for exercise that's going to load their spine and help them achieve peak bone mass, it may put them at risk if they fall, since they'll have a greater chance of fracture. This is a pretty important health issue."
Further, some hard-core cyclists may not be eating enough to offset what they burn when exercising, depriving their bodies of bone-strengthening nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Especially at risk are women who have disordered eating, menstrual disruptions and bone loss -- known as the "female athlete triad."
"If there's a deficit in the energy balance," Bemben says, "then the body is not able to build things up, like bone."
That caloric shortfall could also trigger other physiological problems, such as hormone imbalances. For women this could mean lower estrogen levels; for men, lower testosterone levels. Bemben says estrogen and testosterone have protective effects on bones, slowing the rate of bone breakdown.
But hormones aren't only affected by calories. "If people overexercise, that can suppress testosterone in men, as it can suppress estrogen in women," says Dr. Aurelia Nattiv, director of the Santa Monica-UCLA Osteoporosis Center, although studies have not always borne out the low testosterone-low bone density connection.
"Too much of a good thing can cause negative effects on bone. We do see that sometimes not only do women lose their periods and have low levels of estrogen, but elite male runners can have low testosterone. So adequate hormonal balance is important." She adds that a family history of osteoporosis can contribute as well.
Even perspiration can be a factor, Bemben says: "Cyclists may lose a lot of calcium in their sweat," she says. "Even if they're taking in amounts [of liquid] that are seemingly high for the average man, that might not be enough to balance what they're excreting."
Getting the word out
Though the subject of bone density occasionally pops up on cycling message boards, it's not exactly a hot topic. "Some people have no clue," Testa says. "They don't even know it's an issue." A dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan is most often used to test bone density, a non-invasive test that uses low levels of radiation. Testa adds, "Often people are surprised to find that their results are not ideal."
And though women are reminded (via the media or their physicians) to up their calcium intake to prevent osteoporosis, men usually don't get the same messages. Young male cyclists, especially, figure they're healthy and don't need to be concerned. Some sports medicine physicians, orthopedists and cycling coaches discuss the issue with patients, but Testa and others say more education may be necessary.
Coggan, still a competitive amateur cyclist, got another DXA scan a few weeks ago and the news wasn't great -- he has osteopenia in his lumbar spine and osteoporosis in his hips. He says that while he does do weight training and runs occasionally, he knows he needs to focus his athletics more on health rather than performance. "I have a couple more athletic goals I want to achieve," he says, "and then I may have to start jumping rope."
jeannine.stein@latimes.com
Tour of California live
Hear are a couple of free streaming video links for the Tour of California.
The host site: http://tracker.amgentourofcalifornia.com/ is excellent with more than just streaming video.
http://www.cycling.tv/california has recently retired Magnus Backstedt doing color commentary.
The host site: http://tracker.amgentourofcalifornia.com/ is excellent with more than just streaming video.
http://www.cycling.tv/california has recently retired Magnus Backstedt doing color commentary.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Some more cycling science
Allen Lim, Ryder Hesjedal, Tour de France stage 7, originally uploaded by Garmin Slipstream Pro Cycling Team.
I don't make this stuff up, I find it and share it because I find it interesting. Slipstream is becoming America's darling cycling team despite the reappearance of LA. I have been a believer that if you want a different result you need to do things differently; the same method will always yield the same result. Slipstream is doing things differently.
This interview with Dr. Allen Lim is full of insight into his systematic approach and ability to think outside the box.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Canadian Makes Unorthodox Climb to Top
Another Svein Tuft Story today on the front page of the NY Times Sports Section.
I especially like the part where his Mom says “But I want everybody to know that, no, Svein was not an orphan. He was raised by two loving parents. He had his own room, a trampoline, a motor scooter. But he was just looking for something else.”
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
43 Eagles, 29 cars and 3 flats
That's today's ride summary. I flatted just as I met up with the 3 guys heading north. So we all swung into the pull-out at St. Mary's Spring and I proceeded to fix the flat, with lots of advice, which resulted in wasting the first tube , the second tube's valve stem broke off and then finally I got some air in the third one and we were back on our way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
