Arts Cyclery Blog

We’re huge fans of WTB products and are super stoked on the new TCS tires. For those who want to know what all the hubbub is about, Decline Magazine has done an excellent review. Though they state the TCS tires are the same weight as the race versions, our own independent testing has shown that the TCS tires are in fact heavier (considerably in some cases) than their Race counterparts. However, they are every bit worth the cost - and weight. Actual weights can be found on our website. Look for our own review soon. We’ve been thrashing around a set of Weirwolf 2.3 AM TCS’s and are so far in love with them. In the mean time, check out this article, as it does a great job of explaining the technology behind the tire.

Hammer On

Bradstone Uncategorized

It’s no secret that here in California we’re spoiled in regards to weather. The ability to even be able to ride this time of year is a privilege. I think however, that our inexperience with the weather has some what scared us out of riding when it turns foul. Not I however! This fearless blogger has now braved 4 days of rain soaked riding and many more where the roads were significantly wet; it would’ve been more, but again, it’s California. I’ve learned a few things while hammering in the rain that may come in handy should you ever choose to ride regardless of the weather.

Check your tires after every wet ride

Water is an interesting substance. When forced between bicycle rubber and pavement, it tends to grab every piece of debris (small rocks, glass, splinters, etc.) in the road, pick it up and swing it around the tire so that you run over it every revolution of the wheel. This has an especially degrading effect on your tire, as you can imagine. When it’s not raining, tires tend to not pick up the debris, but watch out when it is. I learned that it’s a great idea to check your tires after every wet ride. Go over them with a pair of tweezers to pull out anything that may cause a flat next time you go out. You may be surprised at what you find. I personally have discovered that not all tires are suited to the wet weather. My first ride out in the rain on my stock Specialized Mondo Pro IIs rewarded me with a flat rear tire. My second rain ride resulted in the same and a significant hole in the tire.

Some road debris lodged in my tire after my first rain ride

To the left are some examples of the debris I found in my tire after my first ride out. You’ll notice that each is a different substance - a rock, a piece of glass, and a metal shard. I actually found much more but these were the biggest examples. I put them on a sticky note for reference. As you can see, it’s a very good idea to check your tires after every wet whether ride.

Get a Set of Rain Worthy Tires

After my second flat I decided to upgrade to a good set of rain worthy tires. I called around and Vittoria was happy to let me try out a set of Open Pavé CG’s. If that sounds unfamiliar to you, think Paris Roubaix. Since 1978, 16 Paris Roubaixs have been won on Pavé Evo CGs - the most recent victory coming in 2007 by Stuart O’ Grady with CSC, shown below. The tire is designed specifically for the slippery cobbles and wet weather that characterizes the Hell of the North. It’s easily identified from all other tires by it’s trade mark green stripe which also separates it from any other tire in Vittoria’s line.

O' Grady on his way to Roubaix victory

It’s easy to mistake the Open Pavé Evo CG for a Corsa Evo CX, but beyond it’s skin, the Pavé Evo CG is an entirely different animal. Starting with the casing, it has a true 320 tpi casing where 80% is polycotton and the other 20% is Kevlar, making it one of the strongest casings on the market. It also only comes in one size, 700×24c. The larger volume helps the tire absorb more of the pavés ( for those who aren’t fluent in French, Pavé means “paving stone” hence the name) or any other road condition you may encounter. For 2010, the tread design is slightly different also, with the chevron blocks being slightly taller than on a Corsa Evo. The tire also employs Vittoria’s PRB 2.0 which is a strip of material under the tread that increases puncture resistance by 40% over the older versions. The question now is did it live up to the hype? I answer that with a resounding yes! Having just gotten off the Specialized tires, I had a great standard to compare the Pavé Evos to.

Unlike my Mondo Pro IIs, the Pavé Evos don’t pick up water nearly as much. I don’t know how but my guess is it has something to do with the tread pattern. Because of this, the tires haven’t seemed to pick any road debris and thus after 5 or 6 wet rides, I still haven’t had a flat. In fact, my tires still look almost new, with virtually no slits or tears in the tread. This is the biggest difference; other than the fact that I still haven’t gotten a flat, the tires grip well and the 24c size combined with such a high tpi count is heavenly to ride on. Pavé Evo CGs are fast and smooth. Lastly, as with all Vittoria Open tubulars, you really get the sense that you’re installing a nice tire. Many tires give the impression that they shouldn’t cost as much as they do, but Vittoria’s handmade tires look the part. You instantly recognize the 320 tpi handmade difference just looking at the inside of the tire. Open Pavé Evo CGs will soon be available from us here at Arts. We wanted to make sure they worked before we sold them to you, and they most definitely do.  In the mean time Continental Ultra Gatorskins are the standard for wet weather performance, and Vittoria’s Rubino Tech is also a wet weather champion.

My last little bit of wet weather advice is get a good set of fenders. I’ve learned this one the hard way. I’ve got some SKS Raceblades which are light, easy to mount and keep the water off my back and bike. What more could you want? Now get off the trainer and get out there!

Hammer On

Bradstone Gear, Road

Ultra-marathoner and endurance legend Dean Karnazes is stopping at Art’s Cyclery on March 17th at 6:00p.m. on his journey from S.F. to L.A. aboard an elliptical bike! Come by to meet the best-selling author recently named one of Time Magazine’s “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World.”

Dean Karnazes will ride his ElliptiGO almost 500 miles from S.F. to L.A. before running the L.A. Marathon.

Evan Uncategorized

Two weekends ago, Lance Armstrong and professional triathlete Chris Lieto dueled in an 11-mile time trial along Kona’s Queen K Highway - a notoriously windy stretch of road that serves as the bike leg of the Hawaii Ironman World Championships.

The spontaneous face-off came about from an exchange on Twitter after the two endurance stars passed each other while training. Lance initiated the challenge writing, “Hey Chris, a little TT showdown on the Queen K tomorrow? You, me and whoever.”

Lieto accepted the challenge and the race was on. Both athletes turned in impressive performances, averaging over 35 mph with a strong tailwind. Lieto was slower, but only by nine seconds. Nine seconds to Lance Armstrong, the greatest cyclist to ever throw a leg over a bike, is ridiculously impressive considering Lieto isn’t a full time cyclist. He trains for 3 sports and can still ride within nine seconds of the best ever.

This brings me to my advice to Lance about his expressed desire to compete in triathlon, specifically at the Ironman distance - DON’T DO IT, at least don’t do it with the intention of winning. Lance’s greatest strength in triathlon is obviously his bike leg, but this TT with Lieto proves that it’s not as big as he thinks. Lieto turned in the fastest bike split last year in Kona, riding 4:25:10 for 112 miles with an average speed of 25.34 mph. I don’t doubt Lance’s ability to match Lieto on the bike, but could he run a sub 2:50 marathon right after? I’m thinking not even close.

I acknowledge the fact that Lance got his start in triathlon and has run marathons recently, but there’s no way he could turn himself into a world class triathlete. I’m not the only one who thinks so either. Chris “Macca” McCormack, the 2007 Ironman World Champion, had this to say to Competitor.com when asked about Lance’s chances:

“It’s not about the bike at Kona. It’s about being able to put together a swim, bike and run…I’d have money that he’d have a very, very solid war with someone like Chrissie Wellington…”

And that’s why Macca is one of my favorite triathletes, he’s not afraid to speak his mind and state that Lance would have a close race with last year’s women’s champion. She is an amazing athlete and set the women’s course record last year, beating the majority of the pro men’s field in the process, but she was still a long way off the pace of winner Craig Alexander.

Historically, questioning the strength and physical ability of Lance Armstrong is not a good idea. But when it comes to Ironman racing, I just don’t see him being competitive. Don’t get me wrong, I would absolutely love to see him toe the start line in Kona, but his chances of another Tour podium finish are significantly better than his chances at an Ironman top-3 finish.

I can’t wait to see how this plays out. I love that guys like Macca and Lieto have the guts and confidence to stand up to Lance. I’m praying LA takes a shot at Kona. If nothing else, it will at least draw a huge amount of attention to the sport. And when Lance gets crushed by the world’s best triathletes, maybe the cycling community will have a little more respect for their multi-sport counterparts.

Evan Uncategorized

The importance of breakfast is a widely publicized topic among families and school-aged children – it increases attention span, improves grades, etc. But breakfast is not just important for school children, it is important for all of us, certainly us cyclists. During a night of sleep, which is technically an 8 hour fast, hormones trigger the use of our liver glycogen to maintain blood glucose  levels. By morning, our liver glycogen levels are low and breakfast  allows us to replenish those stores and fuel the body for the day ahead (particularly the bike ride).

A healthy breakfast is key to a successful workout

A great way to start the morning is with a plentiful breakfast including primarily carbohydrates, some protein and fat (yes fat is OK! - but too much before a ride will take longer to digest) – my personal favorite, a bowl of oatmeal with apples, peanut butter, and little granola on top, add a couple of eggs if you’re a bigger guy. If you like to ride in the morning, and have the time, it is wise to eat 2-3 hours prior to riding; give yourself time to digest, or risk stomach upset (the body directs blood flow away from stomach, leading to lack of digestion which creates potential stomach issues) or losing your meal rather unpleasantly…

This 2-3 hour window is also important for racers. For those planning to race, eat a substantial, typical (eat what your body is used too, pre-race is not the time to experiment with new foods! Save that for training rides) meal - primarily carbohydrate - 3 hours pre-race (morning or afternoon race), and a carbohydrate snack 30 min to 1 hour pre-race (i.e. bar, gel, chews - preferred snack of choice). Example: Breakfast - 1 c oatmeal w/ honey or brown sugar, 1 TB peanut butter, banana, 1 c non-fat milk, 1 egg (I enjoy hardboiled); Snack: Rice cake w/ 1/2 - 1 TB PB and honey. *Meal size also is dependent on rider size, but caloric intake is a bit more complicated, bigger riders (I am 5′1, 115 lbs) may want to add toast, bagel, or another serving of oatmeal and an additional egg. 

On a day-to-day basis, not all of us might want to wake up at 5am to eat breakfast just so we can get a quick ride in at 7 or 8, and then jam to work or school. If you are planning to fit in a 2+ hour ride, or are racing, give yourself plenty of time to fuel your body in the morning. However, if you are going for a quick 1-2 hr ride in the morning, you may find that you can get by without eating, or if anything a quick bowl of cereal, bagel, or sports drink (quick to digest food) will do. Because our muscles store glucose (muscle glycogen), we are able to rely on our muscle glycogen stores for fuel during those short morning rides. But after approximately 1.5hrs, those stores may become depleted, and our capacity for performing diminishes. At this point, you will require on-the-bike nutrition.

For those lunch time, or afternoon riders, have your big breakfast in the morning (lunch if you are riding later afternoon), and a small carbohydrate snack, i.e. Clif bar, and you will be good to go for that 1 hour hammer ride. For anything over 2 hours, on-the-bike nutrition becomes important. So what kind of on-the-bike nutrition you ask?

Stayed tuned for part 3 of Jammer’s nutrition series, and all will be revealed

Evan Uncategorized

Just a quick heads up to my favorite people out there—we have received the first shipment of Giro Prolight helmets. As of this writing we are it. “…You want to get a Prolight, you talk to me!”  (Bonus points for whoever knows which movie I’m paraphrasing there. Hint—it’s not one of the greatest movies ever made, but the first movie in it’s trilogy was.) So anyway, check out the Giro Prolight at Art’s Cyclery and get one now before we sell out. This first shipment is limited and it might be a bit before we get the next one.

Luke Gear, Road

Hey folks, Art’s Cyclery just received the first shipment of 2010 Dakine packs and bags, and I am stoked! We are trying out a few new items from Dakine this year, and I think they are going to be very successful. First of all, I am a big fan of Dakine product. Most of us have one of their hydration packs, and we use their gear for other sports as well. What makes me so fond of Dakine is the usability of all their products. Everything they make is exactly how you would make it—pockets, materials, zippers… It all just works! 

The first of the new products is the Dakine Commuter Pack. This is the item that will bring Dakine to the roadies. Dakine’s Commuter Pack is perfect for cyclists who use their bike as transportation, or for those who take their lunch break on a bike. It’s large enough to carry clothes, a computer, food, and then some. An integrated shoe compartment keeps your smelly togs away from the clean linens. 

Next is the Dakine Rider’s Duffel, which is a gym bag for cycling. Keep it in your car to organize the mess, use it for traveling to races or new places for weekend epics, or take it to work to keep all your gear ready to head out at a moments notice. There is room for practically all your riding gear, and it’s made out of tough, Cordura-like polyester.

Finally , the last of the new stuff (for us), is the Dakine Messenger Bag (large). Ever since we started selling Chrome bags, and they started flying out of here, we have been on the lookout for a low-cost option for casual or office use. If you need to know where everything is in your bag, the Dakine Messenger is for you. There are tons of pockets and pouches, and the bag is adjustable for right- or left-handed use. If you need a bag that can survive a trip through a gravel crusher, the Chrome is still the way to go, but for many of us the Dakine will be great.

Of course, all the Dakine hydration packs are back as well, and all dressed up in their 2010 outfits. Bomber and Checks are my favorite, but check ‘em all out and order your favorite. We will be stocking the Apex, Nomad, Drafter, and Amp packs, and if you want something we don’t have on the website, just give us a call and we’ll get it.

Luke Gear

Hello Art’s Fans! Jenna “Jammer” Kowalski here. I recently graduated with my B.S. in Nutrition from Cal Poly, and I thought I would share some of the 5 years of knowledge crammed into my brain before it flies out. This is the first installment of a four-part series to offer you an overview of the importance of nutrition for cyclists. I’m a Cat 2 cyclist and race for Team Now MS out of Southern California. If you have comments, want specifics, or need more detail on the metabolic processes (my favorite topic…no joke), let me know!

Nutrition is a continually growing and changing science. Everybody has their own idea as to what’s healthy and what’s not. And while nutrition may not be an exact science, it has proven to be an important one. Especially for cyclists. As far as cyclists are concerned, we feed our bodies in order to perform to our greatest potential - although, I do know a few individuals who ride solely to justify that gooey cinnamon roll and ’skinny’ latte on the weekly coffee ride.

In the most basic of terms, the food we eat (ex. Pasta – a carbohydrate) is digested to its most simple components (carbohydrates become glucose) and converted into energy which fuels our body. Our body utilizes this fuel based upon our individual needs, and when  exercise is added to the equation, the demand for fuel increases. When our body runs out of fuel, we are unable to continue performing at the same level (~50%). During a race or difficult ride, we have all experienced this feeling of ‘bonking’ or ‘hitting the wall.’ We prevent these situations by providing our body with proper nutrition. Proper nutrition pre-race (ride), during, and post (recovery) are essential to maximize performance on the bike.

The body’s preferred fuel is glucose. Glucose is obtained by consuming primarily carbohydrates (bread, pasta, oats, rice, sugar), but can also be made in the body by converting our body’s protein (muscle tissue, etc.). Glucose is stored in the liver and in the muscle, and  is known as glycogen. Glycogen from the liver can be broken down and used as blood glucose to fuel our tissues, while muscle glycogen is used only by the muscle in which it is stored. During aerobic exercise, our body relies on both blood glucose and muscle glycogen to fuel working tissues. Anaerobic bouts rely primarily on muscle glycogen, and an intense workout may deplete our muscle glycogen stores. Training enables us to maximize our muscle glycogen stores, BUT, in an unfed state, as our glycogen stores diminish, our capacity for exercise decreases as well.

Proper nutrition enables us to maintain our blood glucose and replenish glycogen stores, and it all begins with a good breakfast…

Next time: Pre-race/ride nutrition

Evan Nutrition

We here at Art’s Cyclery are exited that the Pro Road season is finally underway. There was a lot of deck-shuffling and surprise moves made over the off-season, and the trash-talking has already begun for the new year—it all means more excitement for us, the race fans. Team HTC-Columbia is back to their old tricks—winning races—with Andre Greipel riding to victory in the Tour Down Under. Looking forward, will Tom Boonen become only the second man in history to win Paris-Roubaix four times? Will Levi and Lance dominate the greatest Tour of California yet? Of course the race we’re all looking forward to is in July. This year’s Tour de France could be one of the best we’ve seen in a long time. Cadel Evans’ move to BMC puts him on a team that can provide real support, and he’s got to be hungry for a Tour win. Will Cavendish go all-out for the Green Jersey that so many people think should be his? How about the Schleck Brothers? Are they for real? We’ll find out soon.

Lance. Contador. Who will win… Last years display of dominance by the Spaniard seems to have left little doubt, but Lance seems to have the stronger, more disciplined team, and even though he’s another year older, he’s had another year to train himself back into race shape—just look at all those FRS advertisements. For Contador, the question is whether or not Vinokurov and Pereiro will truly lay themselves on their swords for their leader. If Contador has their unyielding support, he could be untouchable. And those new yellow pedals he’s got might help him out, too.

July is a long way off, however, and there will be a lot of great racing to watch before then. Let Art’s Cyclery get you all kitted-up by visiting one of our Pro Team stores; Liquigas, Quick Step, and of course, HTC-Columbia, so you’ll be ready to go when your favorite race kicks off this 2010. Until then, keep riding.

Luke General, Racing and Races, Road, Uncategorized

Cerro San Luis (San Luis Mountain) lies smack-dab in the middle of San Luis Obispo and is a big part of everyone’s mountain-biking experience here. It’s the go-to ride-from-the-shop during the summer, and if you live or work in SLO, it’s easy to ride Cerro San Luis before or after work, and the mountain has a little bit of everything; singletrack, fire road, steep sections both up and down, and rocks. Lots of rocks. The trail on the backside of the mountain is known as the Rock Garden, and while it’s not the gnarliest trail around, it definitely has consequences if you fall. Many local riders have intimate relationships with the Rock Garden, and Anthony Medaglia, SRAM engineer, is one of the fastest. Enjoy this POV video and if you live here, compare Anthony’s run to the lines you usually take. Also, always send a buddy down ahead of you to make sure there aren’t any hikers. Don’t risk having mountain bikers kicked off the mountain.

Luke Mountain