components Archives - Page 4 of 10

Building Your Own Bike – Crankset Installation (Podcast #33)

[dc]B[/dc]uilding your own bike can seem like a daunting task to anyone. Beginners to the sport, long time riders, racers…almost everyone has some hangup about building a bike. When you break it down into easily digestible bites, building a bike is nothing more than a series of simple part installations. From a simple derailleur install to complex drivetrain tuning, this series of video blogs will detail the process of building a bike (in this case my BMC ProMachineSLC01 race bike for this season) from a bare frame into a functioning ride.

In this post, my video blog will detail the installation of the bottom bracket cups into the frame and crankset into the bottom bracket After watching the video, check below to see a few of my tips and tricks, and remember to post any questions to the Tailwind Coaching Facebook Page.

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Tags: components, drivetrain, podcast, video, wrenching|

2014 Holiday Gift Guide

[dc]T[/dc]he holiday gift giving season is nearly upon us, and many of us are creating our own "wish lists" for loved ones to peruse. Others may be on the hunt for the perfect gift for "that crazy bike guy" in their life. In the spirit of the season, I'm listing some of my favorite gifts for beginners, some gifts for the hardcore racing crowd, and a few items that will suit anyone who appreciates the two wheel lifestyle. Without further ado, let's look at some gifts for:

For The Beginner Cyclist

Chamois Butt'r

Beginners to the sport are often somewhat squeamish about the idea of wearing lycra shorts with a chamois in them in the first place. Introducing them to the process of smearing chamois lube (in this case Chamois Butt'r) on their rear end may sound like a huge step, but once they get a couple of lubed up rides in, they'll wonder how they ever did without. Not only does Chamois Butt'r help to prevent chafing during long days in the saddle (and thusly prevent saddle sores) the proprietary non-greasy blend is gentle on sensitive skin and easily washes off both skin and clothing. And if the recipient does tend to suffer from saddle sores, try the Eurostyle which adds a cooling element to cut down on the soreness of long days and weeks in the saddle. Forget the awkwardness of giving your cycling obsessed loved one some bit Butt'r, and dump a tube of lube in their stocking.

$16/8 oz. tube or $20/8 oz. Eurostyle tube.

http://chamoisbuttr.com/

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Tags: beginner, coffee, components, power|

Upgrading Your Bike (Podcast #29)

Black Friday is here, which means the official kick-off of the holiday shopping season. There's no doubt many of you have bike parts, clothing and other upgrades on your holiday wish list. But really, which of those upgrades are going to give you the most performance for your dollar? Which one of those upgrades will actually help increase YOUR performance?

In today's podcast I'll explore all of the above and more, including:

Reasons to upgrade parts
What are most noticeable upgrades you can make
Which upgrades make a difference to your performance
Considerations for upgrading wheels, tires and components
How maintenance “upgrades” can be the biggest bang for the buck available

I'd also like to take a moment to welcome aboard two new sponsors of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast: RoadID and Competitive Cyclist. I've long been a user of RoadID and a proponent of carrying sufficient ID and contact information with you while riding or training. My partnership with RoadID will allow me to further advocate for the peace of mind that carrying ID allows for. Meanwhile, Competitive Cyclist is a leader in the high end online bike retail industry. While I'm always an advocate of shopping locally at your LBS, sometimes shopping online is necessary in order to get exactly what you need or to stretch your dollar further (an important concept in these tough economic times.) Check both links on my pages (off to the right hand side, underneath my contact/”follow Coach Rob” pane) periodically for great deals on all kinds of equipment and help support the Tailwind Coaching Podcast. (Proceeds from affiliate sales go to web hosting space and bandwidth.)

If you like what you hear, go over to the Tailwind Coaching Podcast on iTunes and rate it 5 stars. Don't forget to post any questions to the Tailwind Coaching Facebook page.

And don't forget: Tour of the Battenkill race and fondo are on April 5th and 6th. You can get my new, revised and improved 20 week Battenkill Training Plan in my online store, and be well on your way to the podium. Remember to save 20% with the coupon code in this week's podcast through MONDAY 12/2 ONLY!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:20 — 42.4MB)

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Tags: Coaching, components, podcast, wrenching|

SRAM Yaw Front Derailleur Review

It's been well advertised that the SRAM Red Yaw front derailleur has revolutionized mechanical front shifting. Tom Boonen won a pair of monuments on it last year. One could arguably claim that the simple concept of an uneven parallelogram that pivots about the seat tube, negating the need for a trim function and packaged into a lightweight and (importantly) stiff front dérailleur is the crown jewel of the new Red group. But does this seemingly unsung piece of metal really live up to the hype?

After the jump I'll examine my experience with the Yaw unit over the past eight months and figure out if it lives up to the hype.

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Tags: components, reviews, wrenching|

Climb Like A Pro – Part 2 (Podcast #22)

In the last podcast, Climb Like A Pro – Part 1, I covered some of the basics of climbing physiology and what makes a good climber. In part two, it's time to tackle some of the more technical aspects of your bike and your technique: namely gearing and leg speed. Along with fitness, perhaps the most important choice you can make in terms of climbing strongly is your gearing choice. Are you on a standard when you should be on a compact? Do you use an 11-23 tooth cassette when a 12-27 is more appropriate? And how does your leg speed, or ability to control that leg speed, factor into those decisions? I'll cover the following in part 2 of the “Climb Like a Pro” series:

Proper crankset gearing
Proper cassette gearing
The importance of leg speed while climbing
Leg speed out of the saddle and efficiency
“Flattening” the terrain

As noted in this podcast, here are links to some in depth information on choosing proper gearing:

Choosing Crankset Gearing

Choosing Cassette Gearing

Be More Efficient: Pedaling Efficiency

As always, take a moment to rate the Tailwind Coaching podcast on iTunes and help me reach more and more people. And if you have any questions, you can either email me or post them to the Tailwind Coaching Facebook Page.

If you want to check out the rest of the “Climb Like A Pro” series, check here:

Climb Like A Pro – Part 1

Climb Like A Pro – Part 3

I'll see you next time: I'm going out for a climb or two…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:18 — 36.9MB)

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Tags: climbing, Coaching, components, drivetrain, podcast, skills|