Are Your "Stiff" Wheels Actually Stiff? *Updated: New Video (No Flex)*

How many times have you heard or read a testimonial where someone said "these wheels are very stiff" without showing how stiff the wheels actually are?  It would be an understatement to say a lot, but I'm hoping to change this!

1000 WATTS + FLEXY WHEEL = 850 WATTS
The equation above is the reason why I'm writing this post.  After reading the "Great Wheel Test - Part 3 - Stiffness" article, I learned that during sprints at 1000 watts, you can expect to lose 150 watts on a flexible wheel.  So instead of 1000 watts, only 850 watts effectively gets used towards the acceleration.  That's a huge loss!

Since I don't have the equipment to measure lateral stiffness, I created a video to demonstrate a wheel's lateral stiffness under real conditions.  If the wheel isn't stiff, you'll either see the wheel deflect into the brake pads or go out of true... or both!

THE E.S.T.S. LATERAL STIFFNESS TEST VIDEO:  A FAILING EXAMPLE
The Oval Concepts 524 rear wheel in the video below was the OEM wheel that came with my full carbon Kestrel Talon road bike.  Not only did the rim hit the brake pads despite having the calipers open and slightly rotated, it went significantly out of true!  Check it out:

Oval Concepts 524 Rear Wheel Lateral Stiffness Test

As you saw, the wheel initially maintained its shape, but immediately flexed into the brake pads as soon as the sprint started.  After a few more revolutions, the wheel lost its true.  Keep in mind that the spoke tension was within spec and confirmed with a Park Spoke Tensiometer.

The video was taken during a 20 second sprint from 14.5 mph to 27 mph.  Since I am a lightweight rider (137 pounds) sprinting on a relatively flat surface, I started at a cadence of 41 rpm to guarantee a high peak power output.  The max cadence I hit was 72 rpm.  I wish I could also provide you guys with some power data, but I unfortunately don't own a power meter.

Here's a screenshot from my Polar CS600X cycling computer showing the data from the sprint graphically.

The spreadsheet below was taken from my Polar CS600X.  The sprint started at the top of the list and ended on the highlighted row.

Here are some of the specs for this wheel:

• 21 mm rim depth
• 24 round spokes
• 2-cross (drive side), radial (non-drive side)

THE E.S.T.S. LATERAL STIFFNESS TEST:  A PASSING EXAMPLE- VERY STIFF!
After discovering how weak my Oval Concepts 524 rear wheel was, I needed to find a rear wheel that wouldn't flex.  The first wheel that came into mind was my 32 spoke rear wheel from my Fuji Roubaix 3.0!  With eight more spokes, it has to be stiff right?  Check out the video below to find out:


As you didn't see, the wheel barely made any sign of flex despite my hardest effort.  This video confirms two things.

1. My frame DOESN'T flex or twist a discernable amount.
2. The wheel is more likely to flex than the frame.  Makes sense especially since the wheels are supported by thin metal wire and the frame is a giant piece of carbon fiber.  Frame wins.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A WHEEL STIFF (IN ORDER OF MOST IMPORTANT TO LEAST IMPORTANT)
While there's a compromise of either weight or aerodynamics, wheel stiffness needs to be a high priority in any type of race or course where accelerations, sprints and climbs are to be expected.  Of course, there are tradeoffs, and if a super stiff wheel means doubling weight, then this would be detrimental to performance.

1. HIGH BRACING ANGLES
2. TANGENTIAL SPOKE LACING
3. LARGE FLANGE DIAMETER
4. HIGH SPOKE COUNTS
5. SPOKE SIZE
6. SPOKE TENSION
7. RIM MATERIAL:  Not all carbon fiber rims are stiff.  Carbon fiber can vary in tensile strength (the amount of force to break the fibers) and tensile modulus (the stiffness of the fibers).

HINDSIGHT IS 20/20:
As crazy as this sounds, throughout the entire 2012 racing season, I used my stock Oval Concepts 524 rear wheel in all of my races.  I remember losing the podium by a bike length and sometimes, by a few feet.  I trained harder, but my sprints barely improved because the extra strength only contributed to harder deflections and brake pad rub.  It's without question that a stiffer wheel could have changed the outcome of my results.

To be honest, when I bought my full carbon Kestrel Talon (Oval Concepts 524), I was very disappointed.  It always felt ridiculously slower to accelerate compared to my aluminum Fuji Roubaix 3.0 (Alex Rims DA13 rear wheel).  Despite having a stiffer frame, it now makes sense why my full carbon Kestrel felt slower than my aluminum Fuji in sprints.

While I don't recommend this to anyone, I started riding with my rear caliper open and it has done wonders to my sprints!  There's such a noticeable difference that I don't need data to tell me that my sprints are faster.

TAKE HOME LESSON
After watching my own footage, I've been really careful about how I shop for wheels.  I seem to pay more attention to things that I normally would not notice.  While subjective reviews are helpful in many aspects, going by feel doesn't seem to be the most reliable method to evaluating stiffness.  I hope this post helps everyone else out there make better decisions when buying a wheelset!

EAT SMART: Tunisian Vegetable Couscous Recipe

I've been trying to figure out a way to incorporate vegetables into my meals and this was the perfect way to do it!  I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and made some modifications to it based on the comments and the antioxidant levels of some of the vegetables.  This recipe has a large variety of healthy vegetables packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals- nutrients we all need for a fast and effective recovery, especially if we're deficient!  This recipe works well with rotisserie chicken, but not so much with fish.  I'm still experimenting with this so feel free to leave a comment below with suggestions!

If you've never tried Tunisian food before, the ground cardamom might be a little strong on the palate, but personally, I really enjoyed the aroma and flavor of this spice.  Honestly, I was hesitant to buy the cardamom at first because it was almost $13, but it was worth it since I plan to make a lot more of this in the future.

Prep time: 20-30 minutes (I'm slow in the kitchen...)

Cook time: 15 minutes

• INGREDIENTS:
• 
  
• VEGGIES (Chop into cubes or squares):
• 3/4 red onion, diced
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 2 carrot
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced baby portabella mushrooms

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

2 Roma tomatoes

1 clove garlic

CHECK THE PANTRY:

1 tablespoon olive oil

• 4 cups vegetable broth (1 box of Swanson broth = 4 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (16 ounce) frozen peas, drained
• 2 cups dry Italian couscous

GARNISH:

Sliced almonds

• 
  
• 
  

Directions

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-low heat. Place onion, zucchini, yellow squash, and carrot in pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the red and yellow peppers and mushrooms, then cook another 3 minutes. Vegetables should still be firm.
2. Pour in the vegetable stock and season with paprika, cardamom, salt, and cilantro. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low. Stir in chickpeas and tomatoes. Slowly pour in the couscous; stir. Cover pot immediately and remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes (if you use Italian couscous). The couscous should have absorbed about half the cooking liquid.
3. Serve at slightly warmer than room temperature. Garnish with sliced almonds.

Racing Three Times in ONE Day - Indy Criterium Cycling Race & Festival

Results from the Indy Criterium Cycling Race & Festival

When I signed up for three races, I thought it was a crazy decision, but looking back on that day, it was a lot easier than what I expected!  Before race day, I had a plan nutritionally and tactically which was all determined by the schedule/ duration of each race.  Here's the schedule of the Indy Criterium Cycling Race & Festival:

• Race #1:  Cat 5/ Citizens - 30 minutes @ 10:30 am
• Race #2:  Cat 4/5 - 45 minutes @ 1:00 pm
• Race #3:  Cat 4/5B - 30 minutes @ 4:55 pm

Race #1 (Cat 5):  Before this race, I ate my usual breakfast and warmed up the same way as I would on a single race day.  However, during the race something unexpected occurred.  Because there were a lot of riders (~50), I was pushed near the back of the group.  I worked hard to move up in position quickly and by the time I moved up to what I thought was the front of the group, I noticed that a large gap had formed.  Apparently, an early attack split the group in two.  Unfortunately, I was in the group that was slowly beginning to get dropped and DNF'd out of the race...

Without hesitation, I sprinted all out and attempted to bridge the gap.  I failed to catch a wheel on my first attempt and started to drift back, but after a few seconds, I forced myself to sprint one more time even though my legs were on FIRE.  Although it didn't feel like a fast sprint, I was luckily able to catch a wheel and hang on.  For the remainder of the race, I tried my best to survive, recover and hold a decent position.

Surviving this race was difficult because of the combination of rain and a mix of inexperienced riders.  Several riders crashed or lost control because they didn't try to avoid slick spots such as sewage drains and paint lines.  In order to avoid crashing, I frequently used an early apex to prevent myself from getting sideswiped by other riders- it was a slower and less efficient line, but a safer one.

Since I put a higher priority on staying safe, I wasn't able to recover and save enough energy for a strong sprint.  I lost about three positions before the finish line, but was happy to safely place top 10.

Race #2 (Cat 4/5):  With a 2.5 hour break, I stopped by my car to replenish the carbohydrates I wasted from trying to avoid accidents in Race #1.  Although I knew that a mix of carbohydrates and protein would have been optimal for glycogen replenishment (1), I didn't pack any chocolate milk for the day.  Why?  I'm one of the many people who gets gastrointestinal distress after drinking a glass of chocolate milk.  Since I had a higher priority on feeling comfortable before the next race, I decided to take the safer route and drink Gatorade that I purposely made at a higher-than-normal concentration.  While it wasn't the best option, I still reaped the benefits of replenishing carbohydrates similar to the effect of chocolate milk without the risk of GI distress (1,3).  After eating two bananas and finishing some of my Gatorade, I drank half a bottle of green tea to help my body utilize fat and save my carbohydrate stores for before and during the race.  I had an additional bottle of Gatorade during the last hour which was provided for free near the registration tent.  I couldn't pass up free Gatorade!

Early in this race, I was in a better position because I cut my warm up short so that I could start closer to the front of the pack.  It was a good decision since there were about 75 riders in this race.  I didn't want to make the same mistake that I made in the first race.

Because of the size of the group and the mix of inexperienced riders, more people crashed in this race compared to the first race.  To avoid crashes, I used an early apex as often as possible.  Unfortunately, I almost crashed in the final lap because I was unable to position myself closer to the inside of the turn.  During the turn leading into the roundabout, a rider on the inside of the turn forced me to take a wide line and run straight into a line of large construction cones.  Luckily, I was able to stay upright despite hitting three cones, but as a result, I lost about 10-15 positions due to the close-call wipe out.  Again, I was happy to end the race crash-free.

Race #3 (Cat 4/5B):  Since I had almost four hours to rest before the last race, I knew I had enough time to eat and digest a full meal, so I conveniently went to Subway for a late lunch.  Since caffeine is best ingested about an hour before exercise (2), I drank the rest of my green tea an hour before the last race.

This race was supposed to be 45 minutes long, but was shortened to 30 minutes to meet the scheduled time for the raffle prize- a Zipp 303 wheelset. Throughout the entire race, I didn't really have an opportunity to recover.  The pace was fast, so passing was very difficult to accomplish.  Thankfully, the roads were completely dry, so I was able to take more efficient lines and save energy around the corners.  I ended up placing 16th without losing my position to other riders.

Take Away Points:
The course favored the heavier rider mainly because the course had nearly no elevation changes.  As a result, lighter riders (like myself) had to work harder to maintain the same speed.  In order to reduce this handicap in the future, I made changes to my training program to focus more on improving my maximal power output and lactic threshold to make high speeds easier to sustain.

Indy Criterium Course Map

In the upper section of the course, passing was very difficult because the turns were close together.  The only two convenient opportunities I had to pass were in the two long straightaways.  Because a lot of riders were aware of this, the pace would lift to very high speeds in the straightaways to prevent riders from passing.  This was a major reason why start position was very important to having a successful finish- it was easy to hold a position, but difficult to move up.

My next scheduled race, the NUVO Elite Indiana Criterium Championship will be nearly flat with only three turns and three opportunities to pass.  This is another course that favors the heavier/ more powerful rider, especially since the race will only be 30 minutes long.  After spending a week training to raise my maximal power output and lactic threshold, I hope to perform significantly better at this race.  We'll see what happens this weekend!

References:

1. Casey, A., R. Mann, K. Banister, J. Fox, P.G. Morris, I.A. Macdonald, and P.L. Greenhaff. Effect of carbohydrate ingestion on glycogen resynthesis in human liver and skeletal muscle, measured by (13)C MRS. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 278(1):E65-E75, 2000.
2. Fletcher, Deborah, and Nicolette Bishop. "Effect of a High and Low Dose of Caffeine on Antigen-Stimulated Activation of Human Natural Killer Cells After Prolonged Cycling." International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 1 (2011): 155-165. Print.
3. Wojcik, J.R., J. Walber-Rankin, L.L. Smith, and F.C. Gwazdauskas. Comparison of carbohydrate and milk-based beverages on muscle damage and glycogen following exercise. Int. J. Sports Nutr. Exerc. Metab. 11(4):406-419, 2001.

Bradley Wiggins New Posture 2009 vs 2012

Bradley Wiggins BEFORE (2009)  - Photo by 
BAS CZERWINSKI/AP/Press Association Images

Bradley Wiggins AFTER (2012) - Major postural improvements!

I was watching Stage 19 of the 2012 Tour de France and couldn't help but notice that Bradley Wiggins looked very different compared to his time trial position in 2009.  

While there were small improvements over his original bike fit, the biggest difference I noticed was his posture!  I don't know if he focused more on posterior chain core exercises or worked on improving the mobility and range of motion of his spine, but his new posture is much better.  If you compare his thoracic spine, it's a night and day difference.  In the 2009 photo, he had some obvious postural deviations, but in the 2012 photo, he's nearly maintaining a neutral spine!  Now all he needs to work on is his lower back flexibility, but most of that isn't his fault- it's mostly due to UCI's decision to enforce Article 1.3.014.

Article 1.3.014 restricts all cyclists to a saddle tilt position of +/- 2.5 degrees from level with a margin of error of +/- 0.5 degrees.  This means that most of the riders will have a posterior pelvic tilt which will essentially cause the lower back to flex- a posture identified as a major contributing factor to lower back pain.  While UCI claims that this rule will reduce the amount of weight on the aero bars and allow the rider to safely maneuver the bike, it's not "biomechanically" healthy to force riders into this position.

Rules like this makes it even more important for riders to work on improving core strength, flexibility and mobility to maintain a neutral spine despite an inefficient saddle position.  While I keep stressing that good posture can prevent common cycling injuries, good posture can also allow a cyclist to ride more powerfully, efficiently and aerodynamically.  Although I can't say that Bradley's new posture was to key to winning the time trial and the Tour de France, there's no doubt that it helped!

Eagle Creek Classic Circuit Race Results 06.02.2012

RACE RESULTS - 11TH PLACE (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

I can finally and officially say that I can comfortably keep up with the peloton in a Cat 5 criterium!  Hopefully this will also be the case in my next race (Cat 4/5) on 06.23.2012.

I placed 11th out of 20 people and was behind the leader by 4.602 seconds.  I could have placed top 10 for sure if I didn't have to recover from a little mishap near the final lap.  I'll cover the craziness of what happened in more detail below.  With the help of the group, I covered about 12 miles in 28 minutes and 10 seconds-- a 25.56 mph average speed.  FYI, I can't hold this average speed solo...  Drafting within the group helps A LOT.  Just to show how much it helps to be sheltered in the group, my best solo average speed is about 20.2 mph over 32 miles in 5-10 mph winds.

Elevation data of my best average speed from Strava.com

PRE RACE:

A quick tip for anyone registering for a race in a large park... always ask the employees at the front for a map and directions to the race location.  I spent about 30 minutes driving around the park lost out of my mind!  I arrived with 14 minutes until the start of the race.  As soon as I parked my car, I sprinted to the registration tent, sprinted back to my car, had my girlfriend pin my numbers to my jersey (THANK YOU!) while I changed into my race clothes, assembled my bike and checked tire pressures.  Somehow I still had time to run through the course three-ish times.  Fight-or-flight response win!

DURING THE RACE:

If you check out the chart below, the numbers represent the position of the rider at the end of each lap.  While it doesn't provide extremely useful insight for training, it does show some interesting sections of the race.

During one of the final turns before concluding lap seven, my back wheel suddenly lost traction and forced the rear end of my bike to rotate around.  My bike rotated hard enough to unclip my left foot from the pedal.  Since I was already leaning into the turn, the slip forced me into an even wider line.  I was literally an inch or two from going off the pavement and dropping about four inches into the gravel shoulder- an almost guaranteed wipeout.  While I looked around for a decent place to crash/ slide, I realized that my right foot was still clipped in, so I pressed down and finished the turn with one foot.  By the time I clipped in after the turn, the group dropped me by about five seconds.  The sprint to catch the group was fairly tiring, but I eventually caught the group and was able to recover for the final lap.

When the final lap started, I was 16th place and had to work hard to stay there because everyone decided to raise the speed immediately to spread the field.  During the uphill sprint to the finish, I passed five people and moved up to 11th place.  I should have moved closer to the front during lap 11 to anticipate the acceleration.  While I didn't meet my goal to be top 10, I was still happy because it was my first time keeping up with the group in a criterium. :)

Village at Winona Lake Road Race Results - Cat 5 28 miles

Winona Lake Road Race Results (click to enlarge) - 22nd out of 42

I think my theory on developing an immune-to-weight physiology might have some validity to it!  I not only kept up with the peloton, but kept up with moderate effort and didn't feel nearly as fatigued as I normally would during my solo rides.  During the last lap, I considered breaking away on the steepest climb about six miles from the finish line!  Although it was extremely tempting to breakaway, I held back because my number one goal was to finish with the pack.  I think it's also worth mentioning that during the uphill sprint to the finish, I passed about 10-12 people who ended up re-passing me because I had to slam on the brakes for some riders who were slowly approaching the finish line- not sure if they were even in the race...  Realistically, I would have been around 10th-12th place- still not enough for points to move up to Cat 3 so it's ok!

PRE RACE:
The Village at Winona Lake Road Race was one of the most well organized events I've gone to.  Registration was quick and the staff was always prepared and friendly even when they were busy.  They also had a table set up for hot dogs and another with two barrels of ice cold Gatorade which never went empty-  I've never been to a race where they gave out free food, so major props to them!

The only area that needs improvement involved the group releases.  They called the Cat 5, 4 and 3 riders to the start line and completely forgot that the Cat 1 and 2 riders were still on course to finish their last lap.  The race officials had to scream to get everyone (over 100 riders) to clear the road when they noticed that the riders were sprinting to the finish line.

Once everything was figured out and the "ok" was given to bring the group back onto the start line, it was just a waiting game until the Cat 5 group was released.  It was so hot that when I tried to lift and adjust the direction of my bike, I couldn't lift my bike off the ground because I wasn't expecting my tires to be stuck to the melted tar!

DURING THE RACE:
I wasn't sure what to expect since this was my first road race.  Compared to criteriums, this was the most laid back race I've even gone to.  There were no attacks and all of the accelerations were predictable (after every turn).  We took every turn conservatively because of the patches of sand sitting in each corner.  The pace started to get challenging in the last six miles where the group lifted the pace to a 25-26 mph average.  If I could do this race again, I think an earlier move at 18 miles would have been the ideal time to attack.  Below is a screenshot from Strava.com showing the course route and elevation changes.

Measure Saddle Tilt with The Leveler App Angle Finder

Instead of measuring saddle angle the old school way using a plumb line, download the Leveler App to make your life a lot easier.  It's simple to use, free and seems to be just as accurate as a $40 dedicated angle finder tool.


HOW TO GET THE LEVELER APP (ANDROID):
If you go to the Android Market aka. Google Play Store, search "angle finder" and download the Leveler app created by chkuentz.  In order to use the free version of this app, it will require you to download Adobe Air.  If this is a deal breaker, you can download Leveler Pro for $0.99 and avoid downloading Adobe Air.  It's still a lot less expensive than driving to and buying an angle finder at your local hardware store!






HOW TO USE THE APP:
Ok, so it's not exactly a free app if accuracy is extremely important, which in this case it is.  Before using the app, you'll need to calibrate the phone on a level surface- the only way to be sure that you're calibrating it on a level surface is to use a bubble level.  If you don't have one, you'll need to buy one.. but most likely, you already have one sitting in your garage or tool box.  You'll notice that even on a counter top which appeared to be level, I needed to put two sheets of paper under the left side to level it out.  I could have probably used more.

After you've calibrated the phone, you can go ahead and use it to check the position of your saddle!  If you have a saddle with a varying slope like the Selle SMP Evolution, try to find the flattest part of the saddle to get the most accurate read out.  The key is to be able to produce repeatably accurate measurements.  Take note of where you placed the phone and measure the angle at least three times.  Most importantly, write down your measurements (with the date and some subjective notes about how the saddle position felt) so that when you decide to experiment with different angles, you remember where you left off.