Trials riding vs Free running - which is harder?

I've always been impressed with trials riding. Having some BMX experience and messing around with some trials guys, I appreciate the difficulty of the extreme balance and handling skills required to hop back and forth between rocks and handrails and then spin off of them in precarious locations.

Like this:



But also having tried a variety of handstands and gymnastics moves to go along with my physical training, I know it's super hard to do free running (or parkour.)

It always impressed me, too, but this video I just saw really stood out because it reminds me of trials riding. Just watch the handstands and hopping between handrails and whatnot.

It's insanely difficult, but also adds a great penalty for error.

See this video:



Two great videos!

20% Off EVERYTHING at PerformanceBike.com

I've ordered quite a bit of stuff over the years from PerformanceBike.com. I also posted a PerformanceBike.com review on my site.

One thing I always loved was the "20% off orders over $100" coupon, which was released multiple times each year. I haven't seen as many good coupons this year, but they have one now!

For this weekend (August 1-2) they have a "20% off everything" sale. Sounds pretty good.

Lightweight, Cheap Road Wheels?

Yes, it's possible. Light and (relatively) cheap.

Light road racing wheels for under $500.

I was set on Williams System 19 if I had to recommend anything. But now I see the Revolution Wheelworks REV-22.

The Rev-22 is $19 cheaper and 90 grams lighter!!

I don't think you'd go wrong with either option. If you're looking for road wheels for hilly races, and you're on a budget, those are two wheels to consider.

Looking for kettlebells?

Kettlebells are a hot trend in workout gear. They're not huge in the cycling world (neither is any sort of weight lifting,) but there are some cool kettlebell exercises for building power in the hips that would benefit cyclists.

And kettlebells are great for building true strength.

They're expensive, so you're usually better off spending your money elsewhere if your goal is to improve your bike racing, but if you want kettlebells, here is good kettlebell buying advice.

Recycle your old bicycle tubes!

What to do with those piles of used inner tubes?

I'm sure most cyclists have pondered that question at one time or another. You can't use them for many things (unless you're crafty,) and you hate for them to end up in a landfill.

So... send them to someone who is crafty!

That would be Cycle-Dog, who makes dog leashes and collars from used tubes. And you can send your used tubes in to them.

Click here: Details on recycling your tubes.

Choose a 2x9 Crankset for XC racing.

Have you noticed that many pro XC racers are setting up their race steeds with a 2x9 crankset? In some cases you do need a BB30 bike, but there are a few options out there for square-taper and ISIS bottom brackets.

To help out, I put together a quick introduction into setting up a 2x9 drivetrain on your bike.

See it here: Guide to 2x9 Cranksets for XC Racing

Feel free to comment here if you have suggestions on what else I should add.

New-School Way to Scout the Giro Routes

Here's a great quote that was in today's RoadBikeRider.com ezine:

Overheard: "I haven't seen anything first-hand, but I've looked at it through Google Maps and Google Earth." -- Christian Vande Velde, Team Garmin captain for the Giro, on the new-tech way to scout race routes.

If you remember, I used this same method a couple years ago, as mentioned in my "Pre-Riding a Race Course is so Old-School" article. It's a nifty tool, but there's no substitute for an actual pre-ride.

Sandisk Sansa Clip - 2GB for $22.99

If you're up to date on my product reviews, you know I am a fan of the Sansa Clip mp3 player. I set up two good ones, but the third one (mine) has terrible battery life and needs charged every night.

But I'd be tempted to buy another if the price is right. I just saw eCost has a red Sansa Clip for $22.99. It's red. 2 GB. Tempting, since that's roughly 50% off.

It's recertified, but that probably makes it better than new. I've purchased other recertified players from Sandisk and they've been fine.

Anyway, that's my deal of the day!

Where all the training and nutriton myths come from

I saw a great quote this morning. It sheds a lot of light on different people having different theories concerning training, nutrition, and even preferred products:

"If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way."
-Bertrand Russel

Source

You Don't Need To Drink Sports Drinks

I've been drinking sports drinks for a while because I always ride/run better when aided by the sugary drinks. But some new research shows that you might not need to drink sports drinks - just rinse your mouth with them.

The sugar doesn't need to enter your body, it just needs to signal something to your brain. That then makes exercise feel easier. Isn't that something?!

Here are more stories about the study:

High energy sports drinks boost performance even if you spit them out

Sports drinks have mysterious effect

Sports Drinks May Give Brain a Workout

I should also note that drinks based on artificial sweeteners DO NOT produce the same positive effects!

But, I get the feeling that by just pretending to take in calories, you'll eventually run out of energy and set yourself up for a bonk :(

"The Supplement Conspiracy"

Last week as I was scanning through some of my favorite blogs, I found that Rusty at Fitness Black Book released a special free report:

"The Supplement Conspiracy"

There's a ton of good info on his site so I figured this report would be awesome. But at the same time, I was kind of skeptical since I take supplements and I'm not planning to give them up anytime soon.

So I downloaded the book and read it immediately. It's easy to read and not that long, so you can just read it in one sitting.

I recommend you check it out, but I must warn you: the main topic is those crazy supplements with claims of drastic weight loss or muscle gain. If you already avoid that garbage, you don't really need to read the book.

But getting the opinions of the "insiders" in the supplement industry was cool enough to make it worth the time. Read it.

VisitPA.com US Open MTB Team Relay Renamed; Intergalactic Interest Brewing

Formerly the US Open MTB Team Relay, the newly renamed VisitPA.com International Intergalactic Global Open Mountain Bike Team Relay Championship of the Universe, Including the Anti-Matter One (There, That Should About Cover It) is drawing interest from all parts of the Galaxy and even from wormholes leading to alternate dimensions.

The only event quite like it in known existence, the visitPA.com IIGOMBTRCUIAMO(TTSACI) - or more simply, THE Open - offers every single team that enters the event a shot at the overall win with a unique handicapping points format that awards points based on laps completed and the team members' experience and ability (hence the "Open" bit). The Open has grown almost exponentially over its first three years and with its new more impressive title is now attracting teams from further afield than ever.

Already entered into this event and as the kids say, "in it to win it," The Empire is bringing in some heavy hitters with four Darths in the line-up and using the strategy of placing the relatively unknown Darth Tyranus in the key position of clean-up rider at fourth in the rotation. They'll be gunning for the two time defending event champs, the visitPA.com Team whose Mike Hebe just squeaked in his last lap to pull of the win in the last year's event, showcasing the importance of that fourth man in the rotation. Not to be outdone, the Rebel Alliance is bringing in a squad primed for the occasion with hope that the force is with them in their quest to bring balance back to the Universe and wrest the perpetual Team Cup from the visitPA.com squad. Luke, the Rebel Alliance team captain, says, "It is our destiny to bring back The Open Team Cup and kick some major butt." Milliways has kept their team together despite severe Intergalactic economic issues and fewer folks being able to afford the trip across the time warp at the end of the Universe. Zaphod has registered a mostly experienced team though he'll be without the injured Slartibartfast who is still recovering from an early season training accident suffered during the test of a new bike designed by the mice. In his absence, Milliways will be counting on Ford Prefect to fill in for Slarti and fans are wondering just how much this will impact the team's shot at the victory. While Scotty will be giving her all she's got for his captain, Kirk, and the rest of the USS Enterprise squad, the handicapping points system even saw E.T. whip out the speak and spell to phone home. E.T. tells us he is expecting a return call letting him know that the rest of his world team is on the way. What with his staring role in the cycling movie that bears his name (reference the bike in front of the moon thing...please try and keep up) his team is sure to be a threat at the visitPA.com IIGOMBTRCUIAMO(TTSACI) or, more simply, The Open.

Renamed so not to confuse anyone with the killer US Open downhill event and its success the best race of its kind in the country, the new name makes this event the most prestigious race any team could win anywhere in any known or unknown place, real or imaginary, past, present, or future and it is still the only race that every team that enters really has a legitimate shot at the win.

All of these teams and everyone from a little closer the the event can find out more at www.highspeedcycling.com and find great things to do on their way out to the race by checking out www.vistitPA.com. Event numero uno in the Toyota Mid-Atlantic Super Series presented by Cadence Cycling and Multisport Centers (www.masuperseries.com) year long points chase, The Open will take place on Saturday, April 4th at the Oesterling Farm, in Marysville, PA on a fast twisty bit of singletrack heaven.

Disclaimer: Promoter may have stretched the truth a bit in the above release, but you won't know for sure unless you show up.

I could go for some cookies

Ever hear of caveman cookies?

I just did a few days ago. I haven't baked any yet, but they look great!

Here are the recipes:

Caveman cookies

Caveman banana nut bites

About as healthy a cookie as you can get. Also a good way to add variety to a diet that doesn't include junk food!

Now Tweeting!

Yes, I've joined Twitter. Lots of pro cyclists, teams, coaches, etc are already on there, so I finally gave in and joined!

http://twitter.com/coachlevi

Time to get wet and muddy!

It's that time of year that's disastrous for riding. The time when it's still chilly, but warm enough to melt the snow and get rain, resulting in lots of mud and nasty conditions.

Lots of fun but man it can wreak havoc on your bike! That's why I wrote "10 Tips to Ride in the Rain Without Ruining Your Bike" - it's about bike maintenance to get your bike through these wet rides without too much damage.

I also wrote "8 Safety Tips For Riding In The Rain" - this is for preventing damage to your body when you're riding in wet, slippery (plus low visibility) conditions.

Strength Training with weights or on your bike?

Weight lifting - always an interesting and controversial topic.

There is a short but good discussion in "Strength training on the bike?" over at Training4Cyclists.

It's not really in-depth but the advice is solid. Basically it tells you why you can't achieve the same strength gains by riding as you would in the weight room. Good stuff.

Six Pack Abs: Explained

I'd venture a guess that at least 95% of the US population has a fascination with six pack abs, even if they won't admit it.

These people may do 1000 crunches per day.

But they might not take the time to understand their abs.

So check that link, it has the info you need to train all your core muscles you get nice abs. It flies in the face of a lot of six pack ab guides out there, but that's fine.

Too much cardio forces you to burn muscle tissue?

Lately I've been seeing nearly everyone who promotes weight training telling you to avoid doing cardio workouts because you'll just break down all the muscle you just built.

I can see the point when you're talking about a cyclist doing 6 hour rides each day. At that point you probably don't consume enough calories to fuel your cycling and have a big enough surplus to pack on serious muscles.

But for most people with a 30-45 minute workout, 3x per week, it's probably not such a big deal.

A great reference for this is "Is it true that too much cardio will force the body to burn its own muscle tissue?"

Great answer there from Jeremy Likness (who also happens to be the author of a great book called Lose Fat, Not Faith.)

Anyone interested in building muscles, check out that info.

Coach Levi's Personal Blog

Welcome to the first post of my personal blog! If you found this chances are you already know about my site, CoachLevi.com, otherwise you probably never heard of me.

That's cool though, I'm not quite as popular as Lance Armstrong or Levi Leipheimer, and I don't mind staying out of the headlines and scandals.

Anyway, this will be my personal blog where I share cool stuff I find and rant about whatever I feel like.

Enjoy :)