By hit the floor I don’t mean we dropped them or anything but you probably knew that. While the list below outlines the mix of styles of bikes we’ve just received, my fav is the Scale Expert 29 Full Carbon uber light dream machine that is less than 3 grand.  If you told me 5 years ago that full carbon mountain bikes would be viable and relatively affordable I would have said you were nuts. And I would have been wrong.

Heres a list of the styles of bikes:

• Scale 29″ hardtails
• Spark 29″ full suspension bike
• CR1 full carbon road bikes
• Speedster aluminum road bikes
• SUB sport utility bikes
• Sportster performance hybrid

About a year ago I started Speed Factory training. With my Opus bicycle, and my Blackburn fluid trainer, I figured I was set. But as I started training, I realized something: When my trainer was cold, my speed would be quite low, and when it warmed up, my speed would be higher as the resistance changed. At first it didn’t bug me much, but as time went on I wanted to see how much power and fitness I was gaining. The problem was that I couldn’t go by speed, because depending on the temperature, my speed would be different from one time to the next. I wanted an objective standard to go by.

I talked to Winston about my dilemma, and he explained that what I wanted was a powermeter. The big problem with that was that it was going to cost me 1500 bucks. Being a cheap Dutchman by nature, I did not want to spend that money. There was a simple solution though: The Kurt Kinetics trainer/power-computer combination. The trainer itself is brilliant. A heavier flywheel gave me much more spin-down then my old Blackburn, and a more realistic road feel. The fluid was of a Silicon based viscosity, so it did not vary resistance depending on the temperature. Finally, the resistance unit is turned magnetically, meaning that there are no seals at all in the trainer. No chance of leakage on my Mom’s nice rug. Of course, I don’t think she likes it when I sweat all over it either, so I also picked up the Kinetics trainer mat. Keeps the sweat off the places it doesn’t belong.

The thing that is really the bonus about the Kinetics trainer though, is that you can buy a speedometer that will give you a power number based on what speed you are doing on the trainer. It’s just a bonus that the Kinetic computer is also one of the nicest computers that I have ever used on the roads in that price range. The power doesn’t work on the road, but on the trainer it gives a nice objective number that every month you can try to improve on. Basically the way it works is the people at Kinetics figured out at a certain speed on the trainer (which has a constant resistance because of the fluid used, as explained before),  how much power is required to maintain that speed.

Immediately I noticed the difference in my training. There was no more cheating allowed. I had a power number to target for every single workout on the bike. No more did I have to subjectively judge what my effort level was. If I wasn’t hitting the numbers, I wasn’t working hard enough. The gains started coming quicker as I was pushed out of being lazy and staying in a more comfortable range of effort. Even nicer, was the fact that the gains were more easily measured as well.

Now when I recently got my Cyclops Powertap hub, I did notice that the Kinetics wasn’t 100 percent accurate but it was consistant. But it’s a great training tool, an objective standard to go by, and it is also close enough to accurate to give you a reasonable idea of where you are in regards to your FTP (functional threshold power).

If you want to make more gains with less time spent training then a powermeter of some type is needed. You need a specific level of stimulus to achieve the adaptations you are after. Without a powermeter you are just guessing if you got enough load to make progress. Training without power is like lifting weights that aren’t labelled. Doing any workout is better than doing none but it’s hard to lift a heavier weight next week if you don’t know what you lifted this week.

The Record – Braun’s set to pedal into new store

To get the most from your time spent on the bike you need to follow a plan.  Like any journey it’s hard to get where you want to go without a map.  The issue is what should your plan contain. Training for cycling can seem very confusing as the demands are so varying and the workouts to improve a specific skill can be at odds with another energy system.

To go fast you need to train hard and to go long you need to improve the processes in the body that are responsible for aerobic energy turn-over. They aren’t mutually exclusive. You The goal is to end up being able to go the distance of your event as fast as possible. If you an ironman then you need to be fast at a different distance than a mountain biker going 30km. The basis of fitness is the same but the focused event specific work will vary as you get closer to the event.

The following principles will help you refine your plan and help you attain your training goals.

You need to go fast to be fast

While I won’t get into specifically how to use intensity but you get faster from going harder than you do from going longer. As with anything, you don’t want to do it all the time but most of your progress is going to come from the hard workouts, not the medium or long ones. The right type of interval can improve both top aerobic and anaerobic conditioning in the same workout. We only have so much time to train so workouts that hit more than one system are key to getting the most out of each season.

Periodization

We are creatures of habit so without a training plan we tend to do the same thing all the time. If you have 2 hours to ride many people do a similiar course at the same intensity day after day, week after week. At different times in the year you should target and build different energy systems and skills to build your fitness to new highs.

As you can’t work on all skills at the same time we break up the year into periods with specific goals and targets. By building from general fitness to specific race fitness we maximize the gains over the course of the season. Even if you just had two programs you alternated every three to four weeks, you would make better progress as your body wouldn’t adapt to the training as easily thus continue to improve.

Another reason for mixing up the types of training is mental burnout. Doing the same thing all the time will get boring after a while. Some times a change will bring about big improvements not because of the workout itself, but the extra enthusiasm that comes from doing something new will usually have you push a little harder.

Progressive Overload

You need to force your body to get stronger so you need to do a little more next week than you did this week. Really simple concept that most people don’t actually follow. And it doesn’t alway have to mean longer training. I regularly have my athletes just do more in a set amount of time. More intervals, higher wattage or less recovery between efforts are all useful tools to increase your workload without incurring extra time on the bike that many of us don’t have.

Training = Work + Recovery

This is a really important one. You don’t get stronger on the bike. It’s in the days after a hard workout when your body recovers from the stress you put on it that you get stronger. Too much work without recovery is just as bad too much recovery without the work, AKA lazy ass syndrome.

Here are some tips to improve recovery.

• In a given week, you should have at least one day completely off
• During a workout if your legs feel sluggish and your heartrate won’t go up like usual, then back off and just do an easy zone 1 ride. Training hard when your body isn’t ready won’t get you progress, only more tired and potentially sick.
• After each 2-3 week build block, take 4-7 days with reduced workload to let your body adapt to the overload you put on it. You get faster when the fatigue goes away.
• Learn to relax. If you want the most from your training, learn to destress. Your body doesn’t know if stress comes from training or work or homelife. Stress is stress and it will wear you down. If you want to succeed as an athlete find a way to reduce the other stresses in your life.

Work in the chassis as well as the engine

Here, Legs and lungs are the engine and your core, lowerback and upper body are the chassis.  Lack of muscular endurance or flexibility, are often the limiter on finishing strong.

You don’t want to have a ton of power but not make it two hours because your lower back gave out.  Strength at the end of a race or ride is down to equal parts chassis, nutrition and conditioning.  Neglect one area and you will fall apart on the longer events.

You should do core and upper body work year round.  Simple, bodyweight circuits are the most efficient way to improve this problem area.

Muscle tightness is another problem that only gets worst with more time on the bike. Make sure to stretch after every workout and if your ever sitting around watching tv, get your butt off the couch and stretch during commercials.

What will make you faster?

A lot of people think you need to ride a lot to get to a very high level of fitness. For many this equates with 6 days per week with 2-4 hour a day to be competitive in the local group rides and races. Most people who have careers and families don’t have this kind of time so they don’t think they can get to a high level.

Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that you can get in the shape to compete on the provincial level with only 6-10 hours per week. The bad news is that if you want these improvements from minimal training time you have to go hard in just the right doses.

Having looked at many studies and seen the results in my athletes, high intensity improves both speed and endurance if applied in the right way. Two of the main metrics in predicting race performance are VO2 max and Functional Threshold Power(FT).

Both of these are best increased with bouts of varying length and intensity intervals at or above your FT power.  The higher your FT the faster you’ll be able to go at aerobic powers below this level and when you do hard efforts they won’t be as far above the threshold so you recover quicker and have more matches to burn.

Due to popular demand we have added another Advance Bike Repair Class.

Location:Braun’s Cambridge, 505 Hespeler Rd

Date: Saturday,  February 18 and February 25, 2012

Time: 9 am to Noon each day

Price: $80 plus tax

Topics Covered:

• Overhauling hubs and installing cassettes
• Overhauling and installing Bottom Brackets
• Replacing cables and housing
• Bleeding Disc Brakes and cleaning pads
• Overhauling and installing Headsets
• Suspension tuning and maintenance
• Advanced wheel truing and spoke replacement

This is when you learn the indepth stuff. Bearings and brake bleeds and installing new gear.

The Basic Repair Course is recommended but if you think you’re up to speed on the basics then feel free to sign up. We supply all the tools. Bring in your own bike so we can cater the knowledge to working on your own.

There are a limited number of spots so sign up ASAP.

Contact Winston at 226-533-9090 ex. 310 or email  winston@brauns.com

Date: Saturday,  February 11, 2012

Time: 9 am to 4 pm each day, 1 hour lunch break

Course 2

Date: Saturday,  March 3 & 10, 2012  (Course is both days)

Time: 9 am to Noon

Course 3

Date: Saturday,  March 3 & 10, 2012  (Course is both days)

Time: 1 pm to 4 pm

Location: Braun’s Cambridge, 505 Hespeler Rd

Price: $60 plus tax

Topics Covered:

• Fixing flats tires
• Cleaning and lubing your bike
• Brake adjustments
• Gear Adjustments
• Sizing and installing a chain
• Basic wheel truing

Learn the basic bike repair skills that will let you do your own maintenance and roadside repairs. The course is two sessions of about 3 hours each. We ask you to bring in your own bike so you can learn what is applicable to your ride.

There are a limited number of spots so sign up ASAP.

Don’t walk home again

Contact Winston at 226-533-9090 ex. 310 or email < cambridge@brauns.com>

Or sign-up Online at  Brauns.com repair course

“What is Speed Factory?” 

I found myself asking this same question after I started working at Braun’s under the tutelage of Winston Endall.  Speed Factory is the name of a group of programs he designed for cyclists of all ages and abilities, from the weekend warrior on up to the competitive triathlete. It encompasses everything from coaching to nutrition to custom bike building to getting the proper fit on your bike (which is way more important than you may think!). The idea behind Speed Factory is to incorporate everything that make you a better rider and have more fun in one program.

My very first exposure to Speed Factory was to the magic that is bike fitting and the resident wizard, Winston. At the time, I hadn’t been doing much cycling and had recently been commuting back and forth to work a few days a week. Even on my relatively short 40 minute 14km ride, I was getting wrist soreness, shoulder and neck pain, and some bad back pain that left me sore for the rest of the day. How could all of this pain possibly be coming from such a short ride?!

On arriving to work one day after about a week or so of suffering, I finally mentioned these aches and pains to Winston. He told me to throw the bike in the trainer for a fitting. I did, climbed on, and, on his instruction, pedaled away as he walked around me while observing every movement.  In no time at all, he told me that he saw what the problems were and explained as he worked what was happening and how his adjustments would fix it. Wrist pain? Fixed by a rotation of the handlebars to bring them back a few millimeters. Shoulder pain? Fixed by adjusting the saddle back and forth to balance my weight. Lower back pain? Turns out, my saddle was too high and I was getting too much leg extension which was making my hips rock. That was what was causing that awful soreness. He fixed it with a slight adjustment of the seat post.

After my next ride, I was absolutely blown away; all the former problems I was having were completely gone! Not only that, but I was shaving a few minutes off of my ride! All it took was a keen eye, a capable hand, and some seemingly minute adjustments that made a whole world of difference in my riding experience. I asked Winston what he did. “I just made the bike an extension of your body”, he explained. “Sometimes there are small adjustments, other times there are large adjustments. It all depends on the bike and the rider.”

Since that experience, I’ve been a huge supporter of getting your bike properly fit.  Not only have I had my bike fit but now I’ve been trained to fit other people.  Without a doubt, I can say that bike fitting is important and will  give you one of the most comfortable and efficient rides you’ve ever had.  No matter if you ride casually on the Rail Trail every weekend, commute, or race , Speed Factory has something for you.

Just saw this. Is he mad?
http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2007/01/cleat-position.html

Mad or not, he’s Joe Friel, author of the Bible (The cyclist’s Training Bible)

Incidentally, when Winston at Brauns in Cambridge did my bike fitting last month, he moved my Keo and Eggbeater cleats from pretty much the front most position (under ball of my foot) to as far back as they would go, both MTB and road shoes. Although not as radical as a mid-foot position, it’s going in the same direction, and this change is working out great so far with the road-bike on it’s trainer as well as the cross-bike out on the roads.

I’m not sure I will want to go all the way to mid-foot myself, as I want a similar setup on all my bikes, and I’m pretty sure I won’t like the wheel-toe overlap on the MTB – but I can’t help but be intrigued by this and wonder why we don’t see mid-foot cleat products starting to pop up in the mainstream.

Joe’s article is close to 5 years old now, has received many praises in the comments, and intuitively it does make sense to use your largest muscles to do most of the pedaling.

On the topic of bike fitting – to anyone who hasn’t had a real bike fitting, I recommend going to see Winston at Brauns in Cambridge. Go even if  you don’t have a specific problem like the knee injury I’ve been battling since October. Winston is a walking encyclopedia of cycling know-how, and the methodology he uses is solid and thorough. I brought in 3 of my bikes (Road, Cross and MTB), put them on a stationary trainer, and Winston observed and adjusted as I was working out. Knee alignment was checked with a laser.
Although I pretty much had my seat height and angle nailed, Winston worked with everything from handle-bar position to shoe insole wedges, and the result is a significant change to my existing position.

Prompted by the wedge adjustment Winston did and the initial improvements from this, I chose to also go see Pedorthist Mike Foregrave at Foot By Foot in Kitchener – and now have a set of custom orthotics that address my lack of any foot arch whatsoever – Mike is a cyclist himself and I’d like to recommend his work as well, for those who need it and can afford it (or have benefits coverage). But start with a bike fit first.

All in all, I now have a position on the bike that has my knees moving straight up/down, more open chest, and pelvis in a better position for utilizing the glutes (largest muscles in the body), and a cleat position that minimizes the angle of knee flexing (With foot down, angle is the same no matter where cleat is placed, but with foot up, knee angle is smaller with the cleat further back).

The pelvis position is similar to what is described in this Joe Friel blog: http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2007/09/road-bike-posture.html

I won’t say it’s easy to get used to. Definitely requires an investment in “getting used to” (strengthening of the lower back, and increasing glute flexibility). I’m glad I’m not riding the Centurion next week with this position, but I’m making progress already and confident I’ll get used to it before season start.

This knee problem has been stubborn, but It looks like it’s finally starting to wear off with the new bike fit, and I am one happy camper.

When you first get a new bike it feels crisp and tight. Everything is smooth and it just flows when you pedals. Due to wear and tear this feeling slowly goes away. Your bike still works OK but it doesn’t have that new bike feel. Don’t despair, you can get that loving feeling back.

With our upcoming repair courses, this is the perfect time to look at how to get your bike ready for spring.  Most of the things that slowly wear are easy to adjust or replace as needed. Some of my suggestions require specialty bike tools which you can get or get us to take care of it for you.

Clean and Lube your Drive Train and cables

Grit in your chain and cables increases drag and noise. Give you chain a good cleaning on the bike with a snap on chain cleaning device or take your chain off the bike to clean it. If you take your chain off, put it in a plastic tub with varsol, put on the lid and gently shake to work out the dirt. If your chain is particularly dirty then your may have to repeat this a couple of times with clean varsol.

As far as you cables go you can drip lube on the cables where they go into the housings. It helps to tip the bike so that gravity will pull the lube into the housing. When you do this, shift through your gears and squeeze your brakes to get the lube to work into the housing. Make sure to wipe off any excess.

Adjust Brakes and Gears

As cables stretch and things get a little out of alignment you’ll find your brakes and gears don’t feel like they didn’t when your bike is new. If your bike shifts but sounds a little noisy then often a half turn counter clockwise on the rear derailleur barrel adjuster will realign things to work much smoother. If your chain rubs on the front derailleur in some gears it’s often just in need of some cable tightening.

Check to see if your brakes are dragging. A little bit of brake drag is noisy and will make it harder to pedal. Depending on the type of brake you have, how you recenter them will vary but you want the wheel or disc rotor running through without drag.

Replace your chain and cassette

When lubing your chain and adjusting your gears doesn’t get your drivetrain purring like new you probably need to replace your chain and cassette. Chains wear at the pins causing a lengthening know as chain stretch. Once a chain is worn too much it doesn’t mesh with the gears properly. This leads to rough shifting and the chain skipping on the gears. If you replace your chain regularly you can probably avoid replacing your cassette. Check chain wear with a chain checker or measure across the pins. 12 full links should be 12 inches. Once it’s more than 3 mm beyond that you need to replace your chain. If your chain is worn beyond this then a new chain won’t mesh with your old gears and your have to replace both. To do this yourself you will need a chain tool, a chain whip and a cassette tool.

Put on a New Pair of Tires

Tires wear just like anything else. Nothing makes a bike ride better than new set of tires. When you replace your tires, it’s a smart move to upgrade them over the stock tires that come on the bike. It’s beyond the scope of this article to get into what tires to go to but choose a set with a high thread count casing (120 TPI) and good rubber. For a road bike going from the stock tires that come on most bikes to a fast race tire like the Kenda C2C makes the bike roll faster and corner better.

Replace your cables with a sealed cable system

When lubing your cables doesn’t get them working like new consider upgrading to a high quality cable system like the Jagwire Ripcord or Gore Ride-On cable systems. The combination of sealed cable housing and coated cables really decrease cable drag for shifting and braking. The added bonus with sealed systems is that they tend to last longer because they keep out the crud that fouls up cables. Friction is the enemy on a bike(except your brakes) so we want to reduce it where ever we can.

Overview

Sometimes when you are craving a new bike it’s because your old one just needs some tender loving care.  Follow these tips and you’ll get many more happy years out of your current bike.

Argon 18 is a small Canadian company that makes very cool road and triathlon bikes.  Started by Gervais Rioux, a member of the Canadian National Team with Steve Bauer, the goal was to provide bikes that are fast but are comfortable and fit as well as you can do without going custom.  Based on the ride quality and geometry they are spot on.  For 2012, they have upped their game again with the new E-118 triathlon bike in particular that is one of the fastest aerodynamically and is super adjustable for fit.

2012 Argon 18 Road Bikes

Radon

Get great performance at an affordable price with this aluminum/carbon fiber mix frame. If you are looking to get into a bike for racing or gran fondo riding this is a good choice.

Krypton

Argon 18′s entry level carbon fiber bikes has a lot of technology going on. The 3D head tube allows you to adjust the length of the head tube without a big stack of spacers. The tubing shape and carbon lay up are designed to be pretty stiff while still being comfortable on long rides.

Gallium

This is the same mold as the Gallium pro with a slightly heavier carbon lay-up so you get the same handling in a less expensive package. Great for the racer on a budget or distance rider who wants really crisp high speed handling.

Gallium Pro

This is the top of the line road bike, ridden by Team Spidertech. Light, stiff and reasonably comfortable, the Gallium Pro is for the rider who wants the best qualities all in one package.

2012 Argon 18 Triathlon and Time Trial Bikes

E-80

When you need aero on a budget the E-80 is a good choice. Fast but affordable this aluminum tri bike is a light, stiff and aero value.

E-112

This used to be the high end bike. Now the price drops but the technology doesn’t. This is the secret of carbon. When the mold is paid for they can make the same bike for a lot less. Get last years cutting edge for the price of many companies entry level bike.

E-116

The same frame mold as the E-118 with a standard stem, aerobar and more conventional aero fork. You get most of the gains at a lower price. Fast, great fit and stable at speed.

E-118

This is where all the stops have been pulled. Every part of this bike has been optimized to cheat the wind. The most aerodynamic frame Argon 18 has made is mated with an aero fork with built in nose cone and their exclusive One-ness aerobar kit. Not only is the bar one of the most aerodynamic on the market, it’s also very adjustable.

Location:Braun’s Cambridge, 505 Hespeler Rd

Date: Saturday,  February 18 and February 25, 2012

Time: Noon to 3 pm each day

Price: $80 plus tax

Topics Covered:

• Overhauling hubs and installing cassettes
• Overhauling and installing Bottom Brackets
• Replacing cables and housing
• Bleeding Disc Brakes and cleaning pads
• Overhauling and installing Headsets
• Suspension tuning and maintenance
• Advanced wheel truing and spoke replacement

This is when you learn the indepth stuff. Bearings and brake bleeds and installing new gear.

The Basic Repair Course is recommended but if you think you’re up to speed on the basics then feel free to sign up. We supply all the tools. Bring in your own bike so we can cater the knowledge to working on your own.

There are a limited number of spots so sign up ASAP.

Contact Winston at 226-533-9090 ex. 310 or email  winston@brauns.com

Location: Braun’s Cambridge, 505 Hespeler Rd

Date: Saturday,  Janurary 28 and February 4, 2012

Time: Noon to 3 pm each day

Price: $60 plus tax

Topics Covered:

• Fixing flats tires
• Cleaning and lubing your bike
• Brake adjustments
• Gear Adjustments
• Sizing and installing a chain
• Basic wheel truing

Learn the basic bike repair skills that will let you do your own maintenance and roadside repairs. The course is two sessions of about 3 hours each. We ask you to bring in your own bike so you can learn what is applicable to your ride.

There are a limited number of spots so sign up ASAP.

Don’t walk home again

Contact Winston at 226-533-9090 ex. 310 or email < winston@brauns.com>

Plus we have many great accessory deals.

Felt AR3 Aero Road Bike

• Aero carbon fiber frame and fork
• SRAM Red drivetrain

Regular $ 5499       1/2 OFF     Now Only $2699

Felt AR5 Aero Road Bike

• Aero carbon fiber frame and fork
• Shimano 105 drivetrain with FSA Gossamer crank

Regular $3499       1/2 OFF    Now only $1749

Felt B12 Tri Bike

• Aero carbon fiber triathlon-specific frame
• Ultegra derailleurs, Dura-Ace shifters

Regular $3499     1/2 OFF     Now only $ 1749

Argon 18 E-80 Time Trial Bike

• Fully integrated aluminum aero frame
• Aero carbon fork, tubular wheels
• Shimano 105 derailleurs, Dura-Ace shifters

Regular $2899     $1000 OFF     Now only $1899

Litespeed Xicon Titanium Road Bike

• Hand-crafted Titanium frame
• Full Campagnolo Athena 11 drivetrain

Regular $4299     $1500 OFF    Now only $ 2799

Rocky Mountain Vertex Mountain Bike

• Hardtail Aluminum Frame
• Rockshox Tora SL coil suspension fork
• Shimano Deore drivetrain with Shimano XT rear derailleur
• Shimano hydraulic disc brakes

Regular $1699     1/2 OFF     Now only $ 849

Salsa Mukluk 3 Fatbike

• Double-butted, heat-treated aluminum frame
• Sram X.7 drivetrain
• Avid BB5 mechanical brakes

Regular $2099     $400 OFF  Now only $ 1699

Guru Photon Road Frame and Fork

• Carbon fiber frame weighing under 750 grams
• Hand-made in Montreal

Regular $ 3999    $300 OFF   Now only $3699

Guru Evolo-R Road Frame and Fork

• Carbon fiber frame weighing 940 grams
• Hand-made in Montreal

Regular $ 3200   $300 OFF   Now only $ 2899

Guru CR901 Triathlon Frame and Fork

• Carbon fiber aero frame weighing 1100 grams
• Hand-made in Montreal

Regular $3500   $300 OFF   Now only $3199

The best prices of the year on 2011 bikes

Plus great deals on many parts and accessories

Starts December 27 at 10 am.

Supply is limited so come early to get the best selection.

Hockey Gear to go with our skate sharpening

Another year is coming to an end and we would like to thank all of our wonderful friends and customers for making this a great year. Without you we have no reason to be in business.

It’s been a busy year with opening new stores and moving others but you’ve all stuck with us on the ride. 2012 will be an even more exciting year with moving the Kitchener store, the growth of SpeedFactory, our new race team and the new launch of Braun’s is Hockey.

From the whole Braun’s family we wish you a Merry Christmas.

Save up to 50% on select accessories

Plus check out our great deals on bicycles

You’ve got 4 days left to take advantage of our Christmas Deals.

We’ve got great deals on:

Bikes

Indoor Bike Trainers

Accessories

Deals end Saturday, December 24 at 4 pm.

We will be closed December 25 and 26.

At this point we’ve only received a few but boy are they cool. Road, triathlon and urban commuter bikes that have style and great technology. The Felt has a history of making light, fast bikes that are a good value.  They also do freaky high end like the $13,000 DA1 triathlon bike shown below. What ever your taste is Felt has you covered.

Come check out the Felt bikes and stay tuned as we get the 2012 models in.

If you have a cyclist on your Christmas list or if you are looking to get in better shape yourself then consider getting a pair of snowshoes and poles. Snowshoeing is a great form of crosstraining for the cyclist as it uses a lot of the same muscles and gives you a tremendous cardio load without the pounding of running.

The great thing about snow shoeing is that you can head to a local park or trail and get a great workout without spending a lot of time. If you use the poles you get the upper body involved raising your heartrate. Due to the resistance of the snow you get a huge cardio load at a moderate pace making it more comfortable for the workload.

Off-trail snowshoeing also helps with stability and core training without having to pay attention to it. The irregular surface get the body firing the stabilization muscles and get the body better at working as a unit. As well, it doesn’t hurt that it breaks up the boredom of just spinning in the basement and gets you out in the fresh air.

Check out our selection of snow shoes at Brauns.com

The snow has started.  There was a little dusting on the ground this morning.  It’s time to move your training indoors which doesn’t work if you don’t have an indoor bike trainer.  We have a large selection of trainers with one to fit your budget.  In addition to trainers we have trainer accessories including riser blocks, sweat nets and training videos.

Trainer Special

Elite Volare Package

Includes:

• Elite Volare Mag Trainer
• Riser Block
• Sweat Net
• Waterbottle

Regularly $379.98     Now Only $269.99  

Until Dec. 24, 2011

Don’t let yourself lose the fitness you built over the summer. Get started on a winter program and go into next spring in the best shape of your life.

To round out your off season training we also carry Kettlebells. A couple of different weight Kettlebells will allow you to do all the cross training you could ever need without leaving your house. Do the four exercises listed below 3 times per week and you will see a big improvement in your overall fitness and health.

• Swings
• Turkish Get-Ups
• Presses
• Rows

If you ask most people where their cycling weakness lies, they will more often than not say hill climbing. Nothing sucks the snap from your legs quicker than a steep uphill grade but nothing is more satisfying than conquering a tough hill. If your goal is better fitness you can’t get a better workout than a ride that hits hill after hill. As a coach, the most common questions I get revolve around how to be stronger on the hills.

Here are the four key areas that affect your ability to go uphill fast.

Climbing Power

Climbing well requires both cardiovasular and muscular endurance. Without getting too technical, the best way to get better at hill climbing is to climb. Hill repeats where you climb to the top, turn around, descend to the bottom and repeat are a great way to get a lot of hill work in a short workout. My favourite is to head out to local hill that is about 1 km long. It’s challenging with a few steep pitches with good visibility at the top and bottom, making it safer for turning around when doing repeats. Early in the season I’ll have athletes do 5-6 repeats, building to 15-20 further into the season.

When training to climb better it is important to work on both seated and standing climbing. Standing up when you hit a steep section is a good way to get up quicker and spread the load over more muscles but it only works if you work at it. When doing hill repeats, alternate doing one time up seated and the next standing. Just remember to switch a gear or two harder before you stand up as your cadence drops when you stand.

If you are a mountain biker, then heading up to your local ski hill is the best place to work on your climbing. You can do either long or steep and as it takes less time to go down than up you will spend more of your ride time climbing.

You can do great work indoors on the trainer. Do 5 minute intervals with 3 minute recovery. Focus on pushing a harder gear to simulate the resistance of hill climbing so your cadence is in the 75-80 range. Keep constant tension, not letting up for the whole interval. Start with 2 intervals and build to 5, adding one per week.  Do this workout twice per week.

Bodyweight

This one is really simple. For the same fitness, the lighter you are the faster you will go up hill. Power to weight ratio is an exact science among pro roadies. For every 5lb you lose you will be 30 seconds faster over 5km of climbing at 7 percent grade. If like me, you can’t see your abs then work at cutting weight and you will see a big improvement in your climbing ability. Don’t lose weight too quickly though as it can negatively affect your power output. 1-2 lb per week is a safe level of weight lose without sacrificing energy you’ll need to train.

Core and upper body endurance

The legs are the prime movers on the bike but the support muscles like your arms, abs and lower back work constantly while riding. Over time they get tired and your pedaling form suffers. When it comes to climbing they work even harder so the fitter you are in your support muscles the longer and faster you will be able to climb. While your core can be the weak link on the bike the best way to train it is off the bike cross training.  See the workout below to improve your core fitness and climb better.

Mental focus

I won’t lie to you, climbing is hard work. That is where both the challenge and reward come from. Part of climbing well is mental. Don’t look upon that big hill with dread. See it as a challenge to overcome. Keep telling yourself in your head that you are a good climber. Attack the little climbs like you own them.

Cross Training Workout to improve your hillclimbing

Do this workout 3 times per week and you will notice an improvement in your cycling within 4 weeks. Try to do the workout with as little rest as possible between exercises. Do a set of each exercise, moving to the next immediately for a total of three circuits. As you become fitter build up to a total of 5 rounds.

3 rounds

30 Kettlebell swings
15 Spiderman pushups
15 Renegade Rows
15 Pullups

This workout won’t take much time but will do a lot to improve your hill climbing.  Put in consistent work and you will see progress in a very short time.

Kettle Bell Swing

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Spiderman Pushup

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Renegade Rows

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Pullups

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It’s taken a while but it’s worth it. Our new Guelph store is now open for business. Drop in and check out the new look. We have lots of parking and fresh new look.

And Braun’s Guelph is easy to find.  We’re located at 51 Woodlawn Rd. West between Home Depot and Walmart.