What Bike Should I Buy?

As a triathlon coach, I do my best to promote the sport - which often includes converting my personal training clients and runners into beginner triathletes.  In doing so, I have to answer a slew of questions - how much training does it take, how hard are they, how do I conquer my fear of open-water swimming  . . . all valid inquiries, and as you might imagine - I provide a slightly different answer for each person.

Lately, though, I have been bombarded with the question of "what bike should I buy?"  I initially provide my typical response to any fitness/nutrition question that "it depends."  And bike choice is highly dependent - bicycles can range from $50-$15,000 in price, can get you from point A to B, down the Kamikaze at Mammoth, or 112 miles across the Hawaiian desert.

To better answer the question, though, I ask a few questions myself:

1) How much do you have to spend?
When discussing price, I recommend to set two limits: a "soft" limit (how much you would like to spend) and a "hard" limit (the amount you absolutely can not exceed).  These limits are imperative when walking into a bike shop - in fact, this will be one of the first questions they will ask you.  Some aspects of a bike are more more important than others; for example, it's worth spending a little extra money on the components (brakes, gears, shifters) than on race wheels.  In short - select a bike with Shimano 105, Ultegra, or DuraAce components or any SRAM components.  Shimano Tiagra and Sora components are of much lesser value.  And for an entry-level bike, either an aluminum or carbon frame will work well.

Good bicycles (worthy of triathlon races) start around $1,000, but if you want a competitive bike that will will be happy with for multiple years, expect to spend in the $2,000 range.  The good news is that is somewhat levels off from there - the difference between $1,000 bike and a $2,000 is pretty significant; however, the difference between a $2,000 bike and a $10,000 bike is rather small (unless you are an elite athlete).

Note: do not forget to consider sales tax, pedals, shoes, and helmet when planning your finances.

2) What distance of triathlon do you plan to do?
If you want to just try out a triathlon and plan to do one sprint-distance race (bike course is 15 miles or less) before committing to anything else - a mountain bike (or borrowed road bike) will service you just fine.  If you do race on a mountain bike, though, it is well-worth spending $30-$40 on "road slicks" (smooth tires) as they will save you a considerable amount of time and energy.  If you plan to compete in an Olympic distance race (or greater) or try a season of triathlon racing - you will need a road or triathlon bike (more on those differences below).

3) What other riding do you plan to do (bike racing, century rides, commuting)?
This question has to do with the type of bike you purchase.  The three main types of bicycles are Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes, and Triathlon (aka Time Trial or TT bikes).  Mountain bikes are suitable for short commutes or off-road riding.  Road bikes are the most versatile - they built for a combination of comfort and speed ("comfort" is a relative term, especially if you have never ridden a road bike) and can be used in a triathlon or road race.  Triathlon bikes are built for speed, but are not legal in road bike racing and might be uncomfortable for longer rides (over 70 miles).  Frame geometry is the main difference between road and triathlon bikes.  If you are unsure what you want to do - buy a road bike.  If you know you only want to race triathlons and want to go as fast as possible, buy a triathlon bike.  Most enthusiasts, though, have at least one of each, so if you get bit by the endurance-sport bug, chances are you will have three+ bikes within three years.

4) How long do you plan to keep the bike?
This question related to the price question.  If you are satisfied with upgrading to a new bike in a year or two - it's okay to spend $1,000 or less (for a used or new bike with lesser components).  For the average athlete, spending $2,000 will get you a ride that you may never outgrow.

Most Important Part!
Above all, the absolute most important factor in bike selection is the "Bike Fit".  A carbon-frame bike, with SRAM Red components, and Zipp 808 race wheels is useless if you are uncomfortable on it.  Getting fit to a bike is much more complicated than standing over the top tube and making sure you have 4-fingers of clearance (frame size, in fact, is only a small consideration of the fit).  A bike fit (by a certified professional) should be the first step in selecting a bike.  Most shops can narrow your choice of bikes to 3-4 based on your fit and price range.

San Diego has a plethora of quality bike shops - I recommend two: Moment Cycle Sport (Point Loma) or Nytro (Encinitas).  Browse through either of their websites to read more about bike-fitting philosophy.

To summarize, selecting a bike depends on a number of factors - the two most important are your budget and the bike fit.

I hope this helps - the discussion of how to get into triathlon is a lengthy one, but the coaches at RU Sports Performance Center are always happy to offer advice.

Good luck!

Justin Robinson, MA,RD,CSSD,FAFS,CSCS
Director of Strength & Conditioning
Rehab United Sports Performance Center

RU Fit? Challenge #3 - Sack Lunch

The RU Fit? challenge is by no means about success or failure each week - if you had a snack last week that contained Red #5, you did not fail the challenge.

My purpose with the challenges is to increase your awareness of your food choices. Every decision, every movement in life is driven by something else (both conscious and subconscious drivers/triggers) - how often do you think about the "WHY" behind your decisions of when and what to eat?

This week, I ask you to bring your lunch to work every day for 1 week. I don't need to say much about the benefits of cooking or preparing your own meals - it will definitely save you money in addition to sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and preservatives (all common in fast foods).

The key is to plan ahead - take 5 minutes right now to write down your appointments and meetings for next week, a few ideas of what you can throw together each morning and/or what dinners might work as leftovers.

As always - good luck!

Justin Robinson, MA,RD,CSSD,FAFS,CSCS
Registered Sports Dietitian

RU Fit Challenge #1 - "3 Colors"

At the "Oxidation and Inflammation" nutrition seminar earlier this week, I discussed how some foods can decrease inflammation and help rid our bodies of free radicals - thereby improving recovery time, decreasing risk of disease, and simply making us feel better.

Antioxidants and phytochemicals are collectively called "nutraceuticals" - compounds in foods that have particular health benefits.  Without getting into too much chemistry, certain nutraceuticals are associated with particular colors of foods - red, blue, and purple fruits and vegetables, for example, are high in flavonoids which have strong antioxidant properties.

Since nutraceuticals work synergistically, i.e. in-tact foods provide better nutrient absorption than supplements, I pose the "3-Color Challenge": Have at least different 3 colors on your food plate at every meal and snack for one week (and various shades of beige do not count).

Example - instead of eating chicken and rice (which is really the same color) - try chicken with wild rice and replace half the rice with any green vegetable.

Your body, in addition to your palate, will thank you.

Good luck! 

Justin Robinson, MA,RD,CSSD,FAFS,CSCS
Registered Sports Dietitian

Barefoot Running - Does it Fit?

I have read a number of listserv posts, training tips, articles, and such lately touting the benefits of barefoot/minimalist running. In short - proponents claim that running with no shoes (or with "barefoot" shoes such as the Vibram 5 Fingers) improve running form, posture, increase musculature of the feet, and can help prevent injury.

I do not disagree - I firmly believe barefoot (or minimalist) running has its merits, but I also believe most people are thinking backwards when it comes to their use.

Unfortunately, many people have pain while they run with such shoes - sometimes immediately, sometimes a few miles into a run. To attenuate this pain, supporters advise altering running form and/or easing into a barefoot-style program (i.e. wearing barefoot shoes for 20-30 minutes at a time, a few days per week).

Once again - I do not disagree with this advice, however I will pose a question - should we tweak our bodies (or our running mechanics) to match our shoes OR we should find the right shoes for our bodies?

Vibrams, Nike Frees, etc. are not for everyone. If you have a very rigid foot, for example, barefoot shoes will not fix anything, but will actually exacerbate the issue. Based on individual foot anatomy (as well as everything else higher up in the "kinetic chain" - shins, knees, hips, and back) certain people are meant to run in stability shoes or use orthotics. True structural issues can not be fixed with improved form - even with proper stretching and strengthening.

If you are unsure if you have "structural" issues versus "biomechanical" (which typically can be corrected) - visit a biomechanics expert, such as a strength & conditioning coach or Physical Therapist who specializes in endurance sports.

In regards to the question I posed, here's an analogy - the bike fit. ANY bike shop owner will tell you that the most important factor in finding a bike is how it fits you (and I agree 100%). The fit process involves finding the right frame size, geometry, and tweaking the saddle and bars to match your specific anatomy.

I have never heard a coach or shop owner say, "no matter what, you need to ride the Felt DA because it's the fastest bike. And if it's uncomfortable, and hurts your back, just ride the bike for 20 minutes at at time and slowly increase time in the saddle until you get used to it."

So if we agree on this "correct fit" approach to our bikes, why do we not use the same approach to our shoes?

Justin Robinson
 Director of Strength & Conditioning - RU Sports Performance Center

Operation Injury Prevention

Many of the RU faithful have heard by now, but just in case you have not - Rehab United Physical Therapy and Sports Performance Center has a feature article in Triathlete magazine this month.

We have been interviewed for other publications (Competitor Magazine, Stack.com, Askmen.com, MaxPreps, and a few others), but this is the first multi-page spread in a national publication since I have been a part of RU. 

We greatly appreciate this opportunity - if you have met anyone who works at RU, you know we are all passionate about our work and firmly believe in our functional training philosophy.  The Triathlete editors did a great job of conveying that philosophy and after reading the article hopefully you too will "drink the kool-aid," as our mentor Gary Gray would say, and "train the way you play (tm)," as we always say.

We have posted the article online - but it would be great if you could support Triathlete and go pick up the June issue.

Click Here to read "Operation Injury Prevention"

Justin Robinson
Director of Strength & Conditioning
RU Sports Performance Center

Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

I'm finally giving away the secret!  I make this soup 3-4 times per year (usually for our team carbo-loading dinner parties) and the leftovers (if any) never make it past the next day.  Enjoy a small bowl as an appetizer or ladle a large bowl and accompany it with a salad for a filling meal.

Note #1: "Sweet potatoes" and "yams" are not the same.  If you order sweet potato fries at a restaurant, you are eating yams.  True sweet potatoes are the yellow variety (they look similar to russet potatoes, but are longer and much more flavorful).

Note #2: The nutrition facts do not include any of the garnish - sour cream will obviously up the Calories.  I also recommend toasting a few slices of sourdough baggette to dip in the soup.

Note #3: Click on the image below - then right click and "save as" to download the recipe.

Enjoy!

Justin Robinson, MA,RD,CSSD,FAFS,CSCS

Registered Sports Dietitian

Getting to Know . . . Christine Gould

Christine Gould is a member of the RU Team EXCEL elite squad, a regular at RU Sports Performance Center Classes, and a Catalyst Endurance Coaching Athlete.

RU: Thanks for taking a few minutes . . . so what first brought you to RU?

CG: I had been doing some functional strength training with a personal trainer, and he decided to back to school. I wanted to maintain that sport-specific type of training and I heard about the classes through emails and Facebook. Wanted to check it out!

RU: How has training at RU changed things for you?

CG: I feel strong overall – stronger in my workouts and stronger in my racing. It has also dramatically reduced my incidence of injury and has introduced me to a wonderful, supportive group of people that I am happy to call my friends and teammates.  I previously struggled with hip injuries (first suffered when training for Boston Marathon a few years ago), but no injuries over the past year – hence, RU is super!

RU: What got you into triathlon?

CG: I like a good challenge. I grew up as a swimmer and started running marathons after college. When I moved to San Diego, I learned it was the “triathlon capital” and I wanted to give it a shot.  My first tri was an Olympic Distance in 2004.

RU: So you didn’t start off with a sprint distance like most normal folks?

CG: Nope – and I actually did the Olympic distance because I didn’t know about Ironman at that time. I always figure, go big or go home.  I probably didn’t do a sprint distance until my 10th tri.

RU: What has been your best race to date?

CG: Honestly, my most recent finish at California 70.3 (April, 2011). I feel like this race was a huge breakthrough for me – especially in terms of my cycling and running fitness. I finished 4th in my age group (W30-34), 1st amateur female out of the water, and 6th amateur female overall with a 14 min PR. I feel like I have reached a new level with my racing.

RU: Excellent work!  What pre-race meal or “good luck” do you fuel up on before an important race?

CG: I have learned this year that a turkey burger and sweet potato fries do the trick for me. I always have some ice cream too.

RU: Do you have a favorite post-race meal?

CG: I’m usually fairly salt-deprived post-race so, French fries are a good fix for me (McDonalds are probably still my favorite).  And after California 70.3 this year, it was nothing fancy – a regular sundae from Dairy Queen.

RU: So achieving this success does not come easy – what’s your favorite, or most painful (since for many triathletes those are one and the same) workout?

CG: Swimming: 100 x 100s . . . just to see if I still can!  I also love riding hills and running a good fartlek.

RU: 100 100’s?!!!  That’s probably what I swim in a season.  When was the last time you did that?

CG: Last time I completed that swim workout was November 2010 – my PR (back in college) is a 1:18 average per 100 meters.  That was a record at my school. =)

RU: What do you enjoy doing when you are not training or competing?

CG: Hanging with my friends . . . yoga, reading, and traveling.

RU: Ever travel anywhere interesting?

CG: I went to Greece after I completed my PhD – it was my first time going to Europe.

RU: PhD?  Impressive.  What is your alma mater?

CG: I have a B.S. in Biology (2002) from Truman State University in Kirksville, MO and my Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from UCSD (2009).

RU: Smart and athletic – there are so few of us.  Okay, we’ll finish up with a few random questions just for fun.  Tell us a little known fact about Christine Gould.

CG: I don’t like cheese.

RU: Can you do any super human tricks?

CG: I have freakishly loose shoulder joints from my years of swimming. You probably don’t want to see what I can do.

RU: Probably not.  What’s in your CD player (or on your iPod) right now?

CG: Thievery Corporation – great music to train to, race to, and work to.

RU: Agreed.  Ever seen them live?

CG: Mmmmm . . . only five times!  Definitely a top-five show I have ever been to, maybe even the best.

RU: What can you do today that you could not do a month ago?

CG: Put the wheel back on my tri-bike . . . seriously – I didn’t know how to do this, it’s tricky!

RU: Lastly – What’s your fondest memory of RU?

CG: I am down there three nights a week and I love walking in there and feeling like I am family; it’s a great environment. Also, seeing everyone out there cheering for me at Ironman 70.3 California was amazing! I was teased that I was the most popular girl on the course. I couldn’t be more grateful for the support!

RU: Well, we are grateful for your time today as well as having you on our elite team and part of the Rehab United family!

Christine at 2010 Vineman 70.3