Art’s Cyclery Blog

Click on this picture to see my view from inside the Garmin-Cervelo team car.

I tried not to fly out the window of the Garmin-Cervelo Kia Mini-Van as we skipped around corners with the wheels chirping and barely sticking to the pavement in an attempt to keep pace with the rider in front of us. Two thoughts simultaneously entered my head at that moment. 1) I REALLY should put my seatbelt on in case we flip, and 2) this is one of the coolest things I have ever done!

As a cycling fan from California, no other race is more captivating to watch for me than the Amgen Tour of California. There’s just something about watching the world’s best cyclists race in my backyard on the very roads I train on - it makes this particular race resonate with me more than any other.I was lucky enough to attend two stages this year - Stage 5 from Seaside to Paso Robles and the Stage 6 Time Trial in Solvang. My viewing experiences were incredible thanks to some fortuitous turns of fate that landed me backstage in Paso Robles interviewing riders for ESPN radio in addition to sitting shotgun in the Garmin-Cevelo team car at the Solvang time trial.

Thursday morning I raced in the Tour of California Fantasy Ride put on by the city of Paso Robles. This 28-mile ride/race went through the rolling hills of Paso’s renowned wine country and finished at the same spot as the Big Boy’s race. I crossed the line first, although there wasn’t much competition to get there.

After winning the Fantasy Ride, I was interviewed by KCOY.

After the podium ceremony, I met up with Dave Alles and Mike Wozniak of ESPN Radio who were on site to broadcast the conclusion of stage 5 live. I had been asked to do a quick interview on-air to talk about my race and maybe plug Art’s Cyclery a little bit. I thought I would be on air for five minutes, tops.

I ended up spending an hour on air as a “guest expert” on the race. Mike and Dave fired question after question and I kept providing answers, surprising myself with how much I had to say. This was my first time on live radio and I must have done well because they had the confidence to keep asking questions. It was a total trip and a blast to be a part of.

My media pass got me right next to the riders, so I was chatting it up with Chris Horner, Ben Swift, Tejay Van Garderen and Leigh Howard. We also got an interview out of Bob Roll, who provided additional insights into the race. Going into the day, I thought I would spend five minutes on the radio and be done with it. I wound up talking so much I lost my voice and getting up close and personal with a handful of riders.

Podium time after the Fantasy Ride.

That was all on Thursday. Believe it or not, Friday was even better. Thanks to our connections with Garmin, I scored a VIP pass and a ride in the Garmin-Cervelo team car behind Andrew Talansky, a young American with huge potential who specializes in time trials.

I hopped in the team car about 15 minutes before Talansky’s departure time. Driving the car was his personal coach Todd. We were also joined by Talansky’s girlfriend Kate and a photographer.

The first thing Todd said to me when I sat down was “I drive cars the same way I rode bikes…fast.”

I should have taken him more seriously. Instead, I laughed and pulled out my GoPro camera to film as much of the action as possible. Todd said the goal on the day was a podium finish and to reclaim the white jersey as the best young rider, so the pressure was definitely on.

If Talanksy had any kind of mechanical problem, my job was to hop out of the van and open the door as fast as possible to pull out his spare bike. I was dreading this scenario, but knew that if anything did happen, I was capable of getting that bike to him faster than anyone else in the van.

I was so pumped up with nerves and anticipation I had to remind myself that I wasn’t actually racing, as much as I would have liked to. Once we were out on course, the energy continued to build. I was totally in awe of the speed and power  Talansky rode with. He took the corners on rails, powered over the small rollers and settled in on the flats at 30 mph.

Standing next the the team car after the race, thankful to have my feet back on solid ground.

Todd shouted encouragement if he sensed his rider slowing down even a fraction. Kate shouted “come on babe, you got it” from the back seat. I just tried to hang on as we sped through the corners. It’s a lot like being on a roller coaster because you are petrified with fear but also overcome with euphoria.

Talansky wound up finishing 11th, 1:10 behind winner Dave Zabriskie. It was a successful Tour for Andrew and I’m excited to watch his career unfold over the next few years. I have no doubt he will be a force to be reckoned with.

So that’s my story. I made memories that will last a lifetime and was way more involved with the race than I expected. Next year is going to be tough to beat.

Evan Pleasures of Riding, Races and racing

Jason Singer celebrates after ascending one of the most iconic climbs in France, the Col du Trourmalet.

Art’s Cyclery customer Jason Singer conquered the iconic Col du Tourmalet, riding the exact route of the Tour de France’s 17th stage in 8 hours 37 minutes. Over 10,000 people started the Etape du Tour Mondovelo, and Jason finished in the top third. It took him 1:56:33 to climb the 18 km Tourmalet, which has an average grade of 7% with the steepest section at 10%+ in the final kilometer.

Way to go Jason!

Evan Pleasures of Riding

San Luis Obispo resident Lauren Brown is riding his bike across the country to raise funds for children in rural India. His goal is to raise $25,000 and provide at least 100 scholarships for children to attend Methodist schools in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Lauren Brown on a training ride in Morro Bay, CA. He's pulling 132 pounds between his bike, trailer and gear!

Lauren began his adventure on Monday, April 26th and hopes to arrive in Washington, D.C. on approximately August 15th. We’ll be following Lauren every step of the way and wish him the best of luck on his journey.

Visit Lauren’s website to track his progress, make a donation or look at some pictures from the road.

Evan Pleasures of Riding

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 General, Pleasures of Riding

In case you didn’t think Marin’s were cool, or their suspension design was anything but hokey, here’s a sweet video we found of Matt Butterworth shredding on his Marin. We’re stoked on the bikes and it seems he is too. One thing’s for certain, it doesn’t seem to be slowing him down. Enjoy!

Postill Vid 2009 from Eric Marciniak on Vimeo.

Click here to see Artscyclery.com’s selection of Marin bicycles.
Hammer On

Bradstone General, Pleasures of Riding Marin, Mountain Biking

Sometimes I wish the cycling clothing companies would just stop making matching apparel sets. That may sound like an odd request but let me explain, because there’s a story that prompted this conviction. This morning I was flipped off on the freeway driving to work. One of those deals where you really didn’t realize you were slowing someone else down for so long. After tailgating me, the man pulled around me on the right, passed me just enough so that I couldn’t tell who he was and stuck his middle finger out the window. What impressed me the most was that it was raining outside, and I had gotten him so worked up that he saw fit to hold it there for almost a minute! Now as far as insults go, I would have to agree with Jerry Seinfeld and say that getting the toe would be much more of an insult than getting the finger. But this person did go through the trouble of getting his hand wet and leaving it outside for quite some time.Yesterday, I was reading another cycling blog and all these people were commenting on how if you wear white cycling shoes (or anything flashy), you automatically look like a d%#k.

What both events reminded me was that people care too much and are too uptight about stuff. I think roadies are generally too image conscious. The proof is that after ten comments, no one had yet said color shouldn’t matter. Apparently the wisdom of don’t judge a book by its cover is forgotten in cycling circles. I just don’t understand why people get so bent out of shape over nothing! White shoes, 10 seconds in the fast lane, it doesn’t matter what it is.

My point is this, if you want to wear white shoes, wear them proud. If you want to ride a fixie and wear tight pants, do it. We place too much importance on our image in this society, and even worse, we make character judgements based on it. If you want to wear the  red polka dot KOM full kit, go for it! Just promise me this, that you’ll enjoy it and not think twice about wearing it. Secondly, if you feel like commenting negatively on someone else’s apparel, get dressed up in your spandex and go ask a retail clerk of a high fashion store what they think of your outfit. We all look like goofballs out on the road so don’t think that just because you wear a black spandex kit that matches itself you somehow look good all of sudden. It doesn’t matter what you look like (as long as you’re descent of course), it only matters that you enjoy riding your bike. Lose sight of this and you’ve lost sight of what cycling’s all about.

Speaking of clothing, we have some incredible deals on last year’s summer apparel, now’s the time to get it so don’t miss out!

Hammer On

Bradstone General, Pleasures of Riding

We here at Art’s Cyclery love Summer for all the same reasons you do—warmth, extra hours to ride before and after work everyday, more time to enjoy friends and family, and that incredible evening light that just makes everything seem perfect. Riding bikes during those magic summertime evenings will put anyone in a good mood and make you thankful to be a mountain biker. Not that road rides on Summer evenings aren’t fantastic as well, but there’s something about the sun’s ray’s hitting the dirt, shining through trees, and lighting the trails of dust your buddy kicks up as they race down the trail ahead of you. Here are a couple of shots to get you in the mood for some evening rides this weekend. Check out our incredible deals on Intense 909 and DH tires and put a spark into your trail riding with Intense’s top-tier rubber.

Warehouse manager Jon Whisenand enjoying the last bit of light. Photo Lucien Gamache

Jon Whisenand, racing the sunset. Photo Lucien Gamache

Luke General, Mountain, Pleasures of Riding

ome call it “hitting the wall,” others call it “blowing up,” but whatever you call it, ride long enough and it’ll happen.  The Bonk.  It sits on the shoulder of every rider, every ride, whispering malicious dehydration and malnutrition mockery into our ears, trying to make us second guess that extra mile.

I remember my first meeting with Bonk.  It was a gorgeous morning group ride through one of my favorite valleys.  It’s a magical place where vineyards and wheat fields line rolling hills in perfect uniformity.  Between climbs the oak tree-lined road descends mildly like a snake.  It’s truly a route I always look forward to.  I’m not sure how I avoided the bonk all those years riding mountain bikes, but I did.  Not so on the road bike.  On my second ride he met me with a right jab to the jaw in the style of Muhammad Ali.  I was riding along enjoying the warm summer morning, feeling strong and keeping a steady 18 mph pace when before I knew it I was dizzy, sweating and cold. My legs turned to jello and struggled to turn the pedals over.  After 10 minutes I was excited if I got up to 9 mph and cringing at the thought of the next climb. Being my first bonk experience, it took me by surprise to say the least.  I’ll never forget that ride.

Bonk is a shifty character;  taunting you all ride one day but never delivering, and then hitting like a ton of bricks without warning on the next ride.  It’s really a humbling experience.  To think that no matter how large your quads are or how many hot air balloons you can fill in one breath, Bonk can still bring you to your knees pleading for mercy.   While it’s good to be reminded of how fragile we really are - keeps our heads from getting too big - bonking is quite unhealthy.  Not much is worse than forcing your system to feed off your own muscles.

So how can you better prepare for those unexpected days when calamity strikes? I’ve learned that there’s no substitute for carrying your wallet and planning a route around different rest points.  A Coke and Snickers bar can go a long way!  Carry plenty of energy with you in the form of bars, gels, and water.  Clif Bars, Bonk Breakers, and the like are pure calorie goodness.  Not the kind of thing you want to eat all day at the office, but amazing for a bike ride.  I remember when I did the 24 Hours of Adrenaline; for the last couple of laps, Clif Shot

My personal favorite, Cytomax Cranberry Grapefriut is the energy drink of kings

was my only source of propulsion.  I had so little of my own energy left that I could tell when my body had finished turning the gel to energy. Take my word for it—gel’s and bars work.  Artscyclery.com has plenty of flavors and brands, so you should have no trouble finding something that tastes good and works for you.  If the Bonk monster hasn’t bitten you yet, it will.  Best to not be like me and have plenty food stashed in that jersey pocket or hydration pack. Don’t forget about post-ride nutrition, either; you’ve got to replace all the fuel you just burned, and your muscles need protein to repair themselves and grow. Ride before work? Artscyclery.com has all the best recovery products to keep you sharp and focused throughout the day.

As always,

Hammer On

Bradstone Mountain, Pleasures of Riding, Product Reviews, Road artscyclery.com, Bonk Breaker, Clif, Cytomax, Hydration, Mountain Biking, Road Biking

We here at Artscyclery.com have all been in love with bikes for quite some time. By now we’ve all formed habits and lifestyles that are conducive to fueling our lust for bikes. If you’re not sure if you’re a true bike geek, here are some tell-tale signs you may be obsessed.

1. You wear cycling socks everywhere.
2. You have a better farmers tan than the farmers.
3. You can’t remember how bad your legs look, you’ve been shaving them so long.
4. Your lower body is disproportionately larger than your upper body.
5. You actually give cyclists enough room when you drive past them on the road.
6. You neglect your children to ride.
7. You see an incredible piece of landscape and your first thought is, “I wonder if there are any trails?”
8. You don’t mind wearing Lycra.
9. You can watch 3 hours of live tour footage and not get bored.
10. You see a Lamborghini parked next to a bunch of bikes and don’t notice the car.
11. You plan your vacations around cycling.
12. Your bikes (or bike) are/is worth more than your car.
13. You wear your compression garments all day.
14. You’re too skinny and you eat too much.
15. Your pajamas have bicycles on them.

If any of these relate to you, you’re probably deeply in love with your bicycle. Fortunately, Artscyclery.com has many delightful products to satisfy your cravings for all things bicycle. What about you reader and friend? Did we miss your cycling idiosyncrasy? Post your comments and let us know what we missed.

hammer on

Bradstone Mountain, Pleasures of Riding, Road Mountain Biking, Road Biking

Matt leads Jon W up the King trail in the Irish Hills. Photo by Luke

We here at Art’s Cyclery are fortunate to have lots of great trails within minutes of the shop. This is great for you as well as us. An example is Brad’s recent post about the BMC Trailfox, which he rode on several lunch rides so he could give you the information you need when considering your next bike purchase. If you ever find yourself in San Luis Obispo, or are planning a trip here, send us an email or call the shop and we’ll be happy to give you the low-down on the San Luis Obispo trails. Here are a couple shots of a recent ride in the Irish Hills Open Space, one of two excellent trail areas within SLO city limits.

Jon making the most of a beautiful January day. Photo by Luke

Luke Mountain, Pleasures of Riding artscyclery.com, Mountain Biking, San Luis Obispo