April 30, 2025 • 37 mins
OVERVIEW
When it comes to the equipment choices and mistakes athletes make before big events, Tony Bustamante has seen it all. The founder of Velosmith Bicycle Studio, which specializes in customized builds for discerning cyclists, and a second-generation bike shop owner, Tony has been that guy you implored to fix your brakes last minute or install that super-important part the afternoon before your flight. Not only does he not recommend you do that, he has other potentially race-saving, trip-saving, and money-saving advice for cyclists as we head into the height of summer event season.
TOPICS COVERED
- The 3 Categories of Concern for Cyclists
- Rider: Apparel and Contact Points
- Bike: Frame/Fork, wheels/tires, drivetrain, controls
- Variables: Bags, aero bars, on-bike tools, lights, etc.
- How to choose a mechanic you can trust
- Timeline for event-specific equipment choices/changes
- Timeline for having your bike worked on before an event
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LINKS/RESOURCES
GUEST
Tony Bustamante of Velosmith Bicycle Studio. A second-generation bike shop owner, Tony Began working for his father in 1986 and over time worked in shops from L.A. to D.C. In the late 90s - early 00s. He worked at Seven Cycles in production/manufacturing and design before starting Velosmith in 2011 with a focus on building custom bicycles and delivering an exceptional level of mechanical service and hospitality. One last bit about Tony: he was an athlete Adam Pulford worked with for a handful of years and Adam has utilized Tony's skills and guidance on equipment choices, bike fit, and more.
HOST
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
From the team at CTS.
This is the Time Crunch Cyclistpodcast, our show dedicated to
answering your trainingquestions and providing
actionable advice to help youimprove your performance even if
you're strapped for time.
I'm your host, coach AdamPulford, and I'm one of the over
50 professional coaches whomake up the team at CTS.
In each episode, I draw on ourteam's collective knowledge,
(00:30):
other coaches and experts in thefield to provide you with the
practical ways to get the mostout of your training and
ultimately become the bestcyclist that you can be.
Now on to our show.
Now onto our show.
Welcome back, or welcome to theTime Crunch Cyclist Podcast.
(00:54):
I'm your host, coach AdamPulford.
Like many of my athletes, manylisteners here are likely coming
into their first big races orevents for the year.
That means it's time to stressout about the last minute
marginal gains and second guesseverything you've been riding on
for months and months rightWrong.
Spoiler alert big last minutechanges could do more harm than
(01:18):
good if you don't know whatyou're doing.
So to help bring some sense andlogic to all this and to help
us fine tune our equipmentbefore our big race or event, I
brought on what I think could bethe best person to talk to
about this particular subject.
He's a father, a bike racer,owner of VeloSmith Bike Studio
(01:40):
and a forever tinkerer of allthings bikes, tony Bustamante.
Tony, welcome to the show.
Thank you, adam, it's great tobe here, it's great having you
on.
And, tony, before we get intothe meat and potatoes of this
show, could you give us a briefhistory of how you got into this
industry, or should I say,helping people simplify and
(02:03):
enjoy riding their bike?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
say, like helping people simplify and enjoy riding
their bike.
Uh well, I I'm a lifelongcyclist.
I was uh born literally intothe bike business.
My father owned a bike shop for33 years.
Uh, I grew up uh riding, racingmy bike from uh my earliest
memories, and then that hascontinued, and, with the
exception of about a 10-yearstint, I have been working in
(02:31):
the bike industry in one form oranother since 1986.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
That is impressive, to say the least, and I'll link
to the VeloSmith website and thesocials as well Instagram
you're pumping out somebeautiful pictures of your
builds there, yeah, and we'llget into that more.
But one last bit about Tony herebefore we get into it is he was
(02:57):
an athlete of mine that Iworked with for a handful of
years before COVID hit andruined lives for everybody, and
he had to make some life changes.
But in that end and one thingthat I tell all my athletes and
I said this on a previouspodcast is hopefully, if I'm
dead and gone or we're notworking together anymore,
hopefully you've learned somestuff along the way and it can
(03:17):
help and it can help you and ithelps you know Tony manage his
riding and training, but throughthe experience of working with
him as an athlete, I got tolearn how he thought, how he
thought about his craft andreally that brings us to this
podcast today, because I'vealways wanted to do a topic like
(03:37):
this.
One day I was out for a rideand I was like, man, it's Tony,
because he you're you'respanning across different brands
, you're spanning of bikes andgroup sets and and you're
working with the clientone-on-one and you're a time
crunched.
Athlete yourself Like you gotkids, you got a business.
You're, you're trying.
(03:58):
You're trying to do your bestin a short amount of time, right
.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yep, yeah, exactly, and, um, you know, from the time
that we spent together, um, Iappreciate your holistic
approach to coaching and that'ssomething that, uh, I try to
bring into the way that that weapproach bikes and our clients
and how these bikes are going tobe used, um, how to find the
(04:23):
right solution for theindividual rider athlete,
however you, however you titleyourself.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, that's right.
The individual approach, Ithink, is the best approach.
So, with all that said, onefinal disclaimer.
This is part one in a two partseries of some sort of like time
crunched tech talk sort ofthing.
But the first episode is goingto be focused on best practices
for race day and event equipmentprep, and the second one will
(04:52):
be finding your best tire orwheel combination for how you
use your bike.
Now, I'm sure my editor, jimrubber, will find a way snappier
title for each of thoseepisodes.
A shout out to ready for alwaysmaking these things sound way
better than they are whenthey're recorded.
But for all athletes.
(05:12):
Now, as we turn to the actualcontent here, this is for all
athletes coming into the finalweeks before an event.
Tony, I'll ask you thisquestion.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Tony, I'll ask you this question when the training
is done, nutrition is dialed andthe race or event days coming
upon us.
How should athletes approachtheir equipment?
Well, I think that the approachto equipment is very similar to
your approach to training, so Ithink it needs to be metered,
it needs to be calculated, andit helps if you have a timeline.
So one of the things that bikeshops have taught me is that and
(05:59):
I say this as a person who hasraced their bike as well people
competing tend to wait to thelast minute for everything
related to the mechanical sideof the equation, and so we are
constantly trying to remindfolks that the key to this is to
back up, and so you don't wantto leave service work for the
(06:21):
last minute.
You don't want to change upreally critical pieces.
You don't want to change tires,you don't want to change a
drivetrain gearing, a saddle,you certainly don't want to make
changes to your fit.
These are all things that haveto begin further back, and it's
(06:42):
important from a few differentstandpoints, I think.
When you're talking aboutfitting, when you're talking
about optimizing rider on thebike, this is something that
takes time.
There is a small trial anderror period, even when it's
absolutely dialed, and there isan adjustment period.
Your body is not efficient in anew position on race day.
(07:05):
So, um, essential.
And then, from a mechanicalstandpoint, um, even the best
mechanics would prefer that youhave a couple of rides on the
bike before taking it to theevent.
That that does so much toensure that everything that is
dialed, calibrated, is justworking perfectly.
(07:28):
It can be as simple as sealantand ensuring that the sealant is
holding.
It can be something morein-depth, like drivetrain
adjustments or, these days,battery swaps or replacements.
So just making sure that therearen't any surprises on event
(07:49):
day, on race day that could havebeen handled in advance.
Week's days, yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah, I agree with that wholeheartedly, and I think
, for all of our listeners here,what's good about this is
because we'll spend some timetalking about no-transcript,
(08:31):
whatever.
All of this talk that we'regoing to discuss today applies
to all things bike.
So, tony, how can we unpackthis a little bit more and how
can you help us organize theprocess of equipment prep that
spans across all things with twowheels?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
I think in simplest form, I think it breaks down
into three categories.
So category one is related tothe rider, so that's everything
rider related clothing,nutrition, gear, bag.
Number two is the bike, sothat's going to be everything
that is related to those twowheels.
(09:11):
And then the third is going tobe variables, and variables are
going to be anything rangingfrom bags on the bike to, uh,
tire selection, uh, you name itin the, in the variable category
.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Excellent.
I would even say like thevariable category and this.
This comes from the coachingbackground, right, it's like
almost like a uh group, likegroup and handling skills.
Like how do you even know howto use your bike?
Do you know how to use yourtools?
You know, so we can.
I'm going to lump that in andmention just a few things when
it comes to the variable,because in the bucket of
(09:52):
everything else, I'm going tothrow it in there, because
there's nothing worse than Idon't know, there's nothing
worse than getting to a massstart event and everybody goes
and there's a bunch of crashes,right, like we want to avoid
that as best we can.
Anyway, we'll come back to thatlater.
Uh, okay, so we have the rider,the bike and the variable.
Tony, let's start with therider.
(10:14):
Like what's, what'sencapsulated there?
What's your advice when itcomes to thinking about all
things on the, on the riderthemselves?
Speaker 2 (10:22):
So so, rider, I think let's start with a physical
person.
So, um, if, if training is done, if nutrition is done, all of
that is ironed out, then itwould also be ideal if a rider
feels dialed into machine.
(10:43):
And so when we talk about afitting at VeloSmith, we're
really talking about feeling atone, or feeling a part of the
bike.
So not wrestling with it, notfidgeting.
Uh a ride, whether it's for anhour or for eight hours or 12
hours, the bike should be ascomfortable as it can be.
(11:04):
Um, arguably, rides that are inthe 12 hour range, uh, there's
going to be, uh, some wrestlingwith the bike, but but, largely,
if you're dialed in, then whatthat means is that comfort is
present, that efficiency, poweroutput and then, of course,
injury prevention.
(11:25):
So cycling is one of thoseactivities that is low impact
but it's also incrediblyrepetitive.
So saddle height beingincorrect, cleat position being
incorrect over the course of along ride or a period of
training, that can generateissues.
(11:45):
It can become a knee issue, itcan become saddle sores, a host
of different things.
So, to have rider dialed in,those elements really need to be
explored, need to be unpacked,need to be dialed in well, in
advance.
I would say that if you'repreparing for an event and
(12:06):
you've started to lay out thegroundwork, the timing for this
event, that's when you want tobe looking at fitting.
And if you're coming into thisevent and position feels great
you've raced on it for a coupleof years, everything is good
then I, if you're coming intothis event and position feels
great you've raced on it for acouple of years, everything is
good Then I think you're moreinclined to just look at it from
a check-in standpoint.
(12:26):
But by leaving this window oftime, you're going to be able to
incorporate any of the changeson the bike in a positive way,
so it's not going to lead torepetitive injuries.
Uh, because the adjustmentperiod wasn't sufficient between
changes and event.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Okay, Quick question when you say this time period of
, like breaking in and makingthose adjustments, how far out
from the event are we talking?
Like what would you recommendsomebody get a bike fit to have
the adaptation over time?
Or, you know, try the newcycling clothing to make sure.
Like how long are we talkinghere with some of those things?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
I think, uh, as much time as possible, really.
Uh, so, if, if, um, if, if youput a time on it, I would say
maybe 12 weeks would be good.
Um, if, if you put a time on it, I would say maybe 12 weeks
would be good.
Um, it's, there's, there's ahandful of things that happen
with, uh, with fit, for example.
So, um, getting the positiondialed in, uh, ironing out any
(13:29):
of the details, any of the the,the fine tuning, um, the way
that you sit on your bike, theway that you power your bike is
different.
It can be different, it can beradically different.
But also the way the bikehandles so, if your weight is
further forward, is further back, the way that it steers, the
way that it pitches into acorner is going to be different
(13:50):
than the bike that you know orthe bike that you knew, and so,
ideally, allowing time to adjustto those changes and and
develop a mastery of how thebike handles as well.
Now, in in the Chicago area,one of the things that we that
that riders from this any coldclimate you're going to spend
(14:11):
time on the trainer, and thetrainer is incredibly static
from a position standpoint, andso that, if you are going to
spend the winter preparing foran event in the summer.
You should have a fitting priorto that and it should be
incorporated before you'respending time indoors on the
trainer.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
So here's a real-world question for you.
Let's just say somebody's doingSBT, which is end of June this
year, and we're in middle of May, and let's say they have saddle
sores, maybe some weird handissue, that kind of stuff.
They hear this podcast and theysay, wow, tony and Adam said 12
weeks and it's, it's not, it's.
It's a lot shorter than 12weeks.
(14:50):
I guess I'll just run what Ibrung and not get the bike fit.
Should they get a bike fit ifthey have pain even though SBT
is coming up, or should theyjust keep on going?
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Yeah, I think, um, if you have pain, if you have
obvious pain, uh, yes, youshould, should spend some time,
uh, with a fitter.
But but that's also one where Iwouldn't say, yes, get a
fitting and, yes, make allchanges.
I would say that, uh, it'spossible to to sabotage yourself
with that approach.
So, um, yeah, pain, uh,sometimes the changes to remedy
(15:28):
pain are so small that theadaptation period is very, very
short and and arguably fromexperience, when the changes are
for the positive, theadaptation process is also very
short.
It happens very quickly.
But if you are looking forsomething to occupy, a taper
(15:49):
window, a bike fit is not thething to do.
Leave it, it's ready to go.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Yeah, totally agree with that, totally agree.
But I I would say I mean forfor anybody.
Yeah, like having pain, go getchecked out.
And I think to Tony's pointyeah, even like a slight like
saddle tilt or maybe just a fewmillimeters up or down on the
saddle height or maybe there'ssomething you know with the
handlebars, just microadjustments, that's good.
If you have an event, you know,six to eight weeks out and you
(16:18):
go to a bike fit and they wantto raise your saddle like three
inches or something like, that'dbe weird.
But number two if it's theirbig changes, go in small
increments.
And if someone doesn't suggestthe small increments, even
despite the bigger change,meaning okay, let's just do
three mil for now.
Get you through the event orsee how that goes.
Get you through the event andthen we can make some bigger
(16:39):
changes over the longterm.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
That's a better approach from a fitting
standpoint, yeah, and I think interms of investing in self, um
a bike fit like the decision tohire a coach is um is is taking
uh yourself out of the equation.
Bring a professional in to lookat it.
It provides a change ofperspective that can be enormous
in the outcome.
You know, sometimes youmentioned saddle sores.
(17:10):
Sometimes a saddle sore is assimple as the last time you put
your bike together after a trip.
The saddle is slightly crooked,it's that simple.
Saddle height is correct, butit's off to an angle and often
it just takes somebody from theoutside to look at it.
Second set of eyes to say maybethis is the problem.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Yeah, that's it Saddle sores as well as other
issues.
I've had two separate athletestravel with their bikes, have
some weird like knee and likequadricep and glute issues going
on, and it was simply becauseof that.
The saddle was in there on awrong tilt, caused some problems
, took a couple of weeks to getit right.
But there again, through thiswhole training process and
(17:54):
focused on the rider and comfort, it's like going through the
process and having someadversity is actually not bad
because it helps you figurestuff out when it goes wrong.
And really the main messagehere is you know, going through
the process and bringing in someoutside professionals to help
in that way is going to make theevent go off in a much like a
(18:17):
much better way.
Right, having the outcome thatyou want to do, and that means
riding the equipment that youlike the bibs, the Jersey, so
that you know where the pocketsare, where you can stash stuff
and you want to be consistent intraining so that there's
nothing new on race day.
I get to keep on preaching thatover and over.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Yeah, it's um.
I think a dress rehearsal is isa really good strategy.
So that is uh in in the timeleading up to the event, and I
think everybody is going to bedifferent.
This is not something to savefor the last week, but perhaps
two weeks out, maybe three weeksout is um using the gear.
And so, uh, bib shorts make anenormous difference.
(18:59):
Anybody who has trained a lotknows that there will be in the
collection bibs you prefer.
Those are the ones good forlong days, those are the ones
that are good for hard days.
That selection process shouldbe done in advance.
The same is true with shoes.
I think a lot of cyclists, asthey ride for a long period of
(19:20):
time, they will amass acollection of cycling shoes and
a cycling shoe.
There will be some that aremore comfortable, I mean,
perhaps they're roomier.
There will be some that dryfaster.
Whatever your logic is behindthe shoes, I think those need to
be part of your shakeout.
Whatever your logic is behindthe shoes, I think those need to
(19:40):
be part of your shakeout.
And you know, in the case of anunbound where at a midway point
you plan to change shoes, bothpairs of shoes should get the
shakedown rides as well, and Ithink to your point.
(20:05):
You know, looking at how muchyou can fit in the pockets, it's
a good time to discover thatone of the pockets has a tear at
the bottom of it.
It's really the time to figureout what equipment's going, what
equipment is not going, andthen be as familiar as possible
with what you take.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Yes, so quick personal story on this one.
I've done a couple kind of likedress rehearsals.
Now I've got the Trekka comingup, which is a big gravel race
in Spain and I mean I just wantto experience it.
I've got athletes uh going forthe win, I've got athletes going
to just finish and I'll bethere also just hoping to finish
(20:36):
.
I'll be there also just hopingto finish and but in that way,
uh, I ride Velocio and they havea lot of cool uh stuff,
including the, the utility bibsand some of their their concept
stuff which fits me well.
Uh, I like the pockets because Ican get my big hand with a very
minimal uh range of motionshoulders going on in there
(20:56):
Right, so I can access thepockets.
Well, it also has two pockets,like kind of low back, mid back,
where I can stash stuff for thelong haul, like gels and drink
mix and that kind of thing.
So I've got one, two, three,four, five, six, seven pockets
total.
And because for a race likethis where my wife Kristen,
who's an amazing uh uh aidstation support personnel, she
(21:18):
won't be out there because it'sjust too hard to get there.
So I can't rely upon that.
So I'm just going to go full onaid stations, right?
So I got to carry everything,much like everybody listening
would have to do that.
It's not a pro type experience,so can I carry everything you
know 2000 calories with me.
Stop and get water along theway, rip and roar.
So the past couple of weekendsthat's what I've been doing in
(21:39):
my outfit on my rig.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Yeah, and I think you're going to add another
element, uh, as well, and thatis the logistics of travel that
go with it, and so, um, it's,having everything laid out,
tested well in advance and thenleaving some essential pieces at
home on your bench where you doyour bike work is a bad plan.
(22:04):
So I think, in this case,incorporating what items are
going, having a good, thoroughchecklist for the items that
need to be in the travel case,for the items that need to be in
the travel case, the items thatneed to be on your person and
the items that need to be in thebaggage, that you check is
really key.
For a long time, people willtravel with bike in one package
(22:31):
and then cycling kit, shoes,helmet in another, and that's in
the event that a bikedisappears for some reason.
You still have what you need tobe able to do the event, find a
rental bike, and so, yeah, thelogistics is a big part of it as
well.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
It is a big part of it, and we could spend hours
talking about that.
Fun fun fact.
I did do a podcast with KerryWarner about all things bike
travel, so I'll be sure to linkto that if you want to go deep
on how to travel with your bike.
But it's an art in itself, soI'm glad you mentioned it there,
tony.
But since we're talking aboutthe bike, let's briefly talk on
(23:11):
a couple aspects there.
When we refer to the secondcategory as the bike, you're
talking about your existing bike, not a brand new bike, right?
Speaker 2 (23:24):
You don't want to buy a new bike two weeks out, in
other words.
Yes, not a good strategy.
Well, great strategy, just notfor the event, for your next
event.
Great strategy, just not forthe event, but, um, for your
next event, for your next event.
Yeah, so when, when talkingabout the bike, we're talking
(23:44):
about, um, having bike be fullyoperational, ready to go.
Um, any changes that you wouldlike to make, anything that that
is going to update, uh saidbike, it needs to be done in
advance.
So, um, said bike it needs tobe done in advance.
So you know, when we, when webreak down the bike here at the
studio, we always describe abike in the simplest terms and
we look at it as being made upof four different components.
(24:06):
So that's, the frame and forkare component one.
The wheels, component to thedrive train component three.
And the cockpit, which issaddle to the drivetrain
component three.
And the cockpit, which issaddle, seat, post, handlebar,
stem as component four.
And so you know, looking at allfour of those components, the
(24:27):
lead up really should doeverything that it can because
at the end of the day, it'sstill a machine.
You want to do everything thatyou can to make sure that it is
operational, everything on thebike is working correctly and
you have a familiarity withwhat's there.
When you talk about gravelevents, that's probably the best
(24:49):
example where you have suchvarying terrains that that might
be a time that would encourageyou to try different gearing to
increase the gearing, remove afront derailleur, go to a one-by
.
These are conversations we haveon a pretty regular basis.
I think in those scenariosthat's work that should be done
(25:10):
well in advance.
That's work that should giveyou time to get used to the
gearing, work that will allowyou to reestablish what your
favorite cadence is.
You know, the scenario likethat isn't necessarily going to
cost you the event, but it's oneof those things that can crawl
(25:30):
into your head and nag at youfor a lot of hours in the saddle
.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Yeah, like, cadence is a habit and if you change
something major, like in yourdrive train, that's going to
change your cadence.
We all know habit takes a longtime to form, you know, not 21
days, but more like 66 or more,right, so that it falls in line
with what you're talking aboutof you know, all these big
changes 12 weeks out, some ofthese minute changes a couple of
(25:55):
weeks out.
Yep, all these big changes 12weeks out, some of these minute
changes a couple of weeks out.
And like, let's, let's say youknow we're coming into a track,
right, that's in a couple ofweeks.
So I'm going to go to mymechanic and I've got some
things that I want done Right,and I have full faith and trust
in him because I've been workingwith him for like two years.
What can you say about findinga good mechanic to?
(26:16):
You know, hand off your $10,000bike before you travel across
the ocean and go do your yourthing.
Tell us a little bit about whoshould be working on this bike
and how to identify them.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Well, uh, a good bike mechanic is is really about a
relationship, and so findingsomebody that you feel
comfortable talking with,finding somebody that hears what
you're saying, somebody who's agood communicator, those are
really the key elements, okay,so then, on top of that,
(26:50):
somebody who is a good wrench,so someone who is familiar with
your equipment, a good wrench,so someone who is familiar with
your equipment.
Ideally, you don't want yourbike to be the first bike that
somebody sees that's missing afront derailleur or has
electronic shifting or tubelesstires.
So I think finding somebody whohas a good reputation with the
(27:13):
type of equipment that you'reusing is really key.
And then, I think, with thosein place, then trust is where
everything takes over.
So trust that this is the datefor my event.
Tell me when I need to be hereto have service work done, so
that I can have a shakeoutperiod and not compress the
(27:35):
timeline so much that if I needparts, we have a window to get
them.
Trusting that they understandthe importance of the event.
Trusting that if they say toyou hey, replace these cables,
they're worn, it'll be betterwith new cables that you feel
confident that, yes, that isgood counsel and I will take it
(27:59):
and whatever you see fit is whatI'll do.
Um, so that's really, reallyimportant.
And then, um, you know, I, I,as a bike shop person for a long
time um tip your mechanics.
They love that, and if there isuh something that is going to
pop up in the short windowbetween departure and uh and and
(28:21):
this issue, they're going tomake sure that they get your
bike taken care of uh as fast aspossible.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
So no downtime.
Yep, yep, I couldn't agree morewith that.
And a quick shout out to BrianCrow at Conti's bike shop in the
DC, conti's DC Navy Yard.
He's a hell of a mechanic and Isuggest anybody in the DC area
go to him for all the stuff.
But to that point, I think, acouple of things.
(28:48):
Yes, tip your mechanic, I meanservice industry employee.
They're a professional like,treat them well, treat them like
anybody else that you respect,but to a high degree, um,
because they're working on thatrig that you spend, you know,
six, eight, 10, 12, 20 hours aweek on, right?
So that's, that's an importantaspect.
I also think that, like youknow, getting a discount on
(29:12):
stuff is different than adiscount service.
I've always held in my head isI'll never discount the service,
but sure, if there's a discounton, like you know, tubes and
tires or something, somethinglike this, oh, okay, fine, but
never try to get a discount onthe service.
I just want to put that out inthe world.
So now, flipping back to some ofthese best practices, right,
(29:34):
leading up, I do think, um, youknow, two to three weeks and
also pre-communicate with yourmechanic to make sure that they
have time for that.
But two to three weeks fits fora lot of things.
If you're going to uh, like yousaid, new tires, new brake
cables, uh, brake pads, newcleats on the shoes, something
like that for all our mountainbikers out there, I highly
(29:55):
advise tuning the suspension wedon't do that enough as mountain
bikers and get that done two tothree weeks out, because there
is that break-in time period.
Whether it is the brake pad orthe suspension, it just needs a
little friction, a little bit ofwear before it feels right
again, as opposed to tight orfrictiony or something like this
(30:15):
.
So two to three weeks out, giveher a couple of good rides and
you're on that timeline forreally good success.
Is there anything else on thebike that you want to mention at
all here, tony?
Speaker 2 (30:29):
Yeah, I think you know, when you do spend that
kind of time on the bike thenhow the bike feels in the lever
throw.
Those are some of the elementsthat you have time then to
tinker with.
So a service may change the waysomething you're familiar with
feels, and then that smallwindow gives you time now to
(30:52):
dial it back to where everythingfeels good, Everything feels
like it's your bike now to dialit back to where everything
feels good.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Everything feels like it's your bike, that's a, it's
a super good point.
And, of particular note, onething that can really change the
feel of a bike is tires, wheelsand tire pressure, and that's
one thing that we did not talkabout on the bike and some
people would be like you didn'ttalk about that, but we have,
like I said, we have a wholepart two of this, uh, this topic
coming, so we're going to savetire, tires and wheels for that,
(31:19):
so we'll keep everybody on theedge of their metaphorical seat
until then.
Yep, um, put a pin in that.
We'll put a pin in it.
Let's talk about our third andfinal uh bin here of the
variable, which is everythingelse.
What are we talking about?
How should we organize this?
Speaker 2 (31:36):
leading into the main event, so I think, um, anybody
who's who's going to break thisdown and start looking at the
individual components?
Um, you know, categorize as youwill, but I think the variables
are going to be um elementsthat, uh, are going to play an
important role in the event butaren't necessarily going to be
(31:58):
front of mind.
So I'll point to gravel again.
Gravel is so dynamic that ittends to be a great example, but
if your event calls for a framebag, that frame bag is
competing with space that maynow have water bottles or a
(32:18):
frame pump.
So these are things that youneed to sort out in advance and
I think, in addition to fittingeverything or a number plate.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Or a number plate.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Yes, exactly.
So finding a home foreverything and having it be in a
familiar place is reallyimportant.
These are items that should notbe thrown into the bag with the
intent of installing everythingon race day.
Another aspect of that would beif you're carrying it, if it's
(32:53):
with you for the event, it has apurpose and it has value.
So knowing how to use theseitems is essential.
So a plug tool Do you have atire plug tool?
If so, do you know how to useit?
Is it empty from the last timeyou used it?
Is your CO2 dead?
(33:14):
Is your saddlebag empty?
Is the tube that's in therespent?
These are all things thatreally seem obvious when we're
talking about it now.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
but is your electric inflatable air tool fully
charged?
Speaker 2 (33:30):
that's a new one, yes do you have your battery
charger for your bike with youin your bag?
Is uh are the coin cellbatteries in your shifters dead?
Like these are the things thatum can can derail an event after
weeks and weeks and weeks ofprep, and um they're the kind of
things that uh are bothfrustrating and um avoidable.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's it.
And a whole host of things thatare like super specific to like
your bike or your equipment,make sure you have backups,
especially if you're traveling,traveling overseas, or something
like that.
The 2032 batteries, the batterychargers, anything along those
lines.
A set of cleats Cleats, yeah,derailleur hangers If you're not
UDH, you know all that kind ofstuff.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
So, yes, yes, and, and all of that takes time.
So, again, you know, looking atthe different categories,
backing up, giving yourself asufficient window to be able to
sort all this stuff out, um,it's, it's, uh, it's.
It just cannot be uh overstatedhow important these things are
(34:34):
because, um, you know, again,everything else is dialed in the
training's done.
You've, you've, you've done allthe hard training you've ridden
in the rain.
We didn't want to.
Uh, nutrition is dialed in.
You are, you are ready.
Uh, leaving the the the rest ofthe event to poor planning on
the bike side is, uh isshort-sighted.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Yeah, that's it.
And and you know reminder toeverybody listening here it's
like the assumption before thisconversation started was that
you know the training was done,the nutrition is dialed, what is
next?
And I think so many people Tony, you can speak to this too but
like so many people hit that twoto three weeks out and they're
like second guess everything.
They're like what else can I do?
What else should I do?
Oh, my, my, my buddy said to dothis or whatever, and there's a
(35:21):
lot of anxiety that goes on inthat.
So you know some big.
So here's the things to avoidany big last minute changes, any
tinkering in the final weeks ordays leading up to the event
and using something new on raceday.
Just avoid all of that.
Just avoid it.
Anything to throw on there, Tony.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Um, the.
The example that we always useis you wouldn't wear new shoes
for a marathon and uh, I thinkit's a good illustration because
from a cycling standpoint, youcan talk yourself into, uh,
making a handful of changes thatwon't be a big deal, but in
reality they probably will be abig deal, but in reality they
probably will be a big deal.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
So yeah, don't do that.
Don't do that, yes.
And what to do is check in withyour equipment, full tip to
tail, six weeks out from theevent, do your drive runs, your
dress rehearsals, whatever it is, and then get your bike into
your mechanic two to three weeksout before the main event, have
them do a once over, make surethe rig is operating and then do
a couple, uh, shakedown ridesor shakeout rides, as Tony was
(36:19):
was talking about.
So everything is dialed forrace day.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Final word to you, Tony uh, keep a list and cross
things off, make sure that itall gets in the bag, it all has
a purpose and uh, and, andyou're ready to go Love it.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Well, let's leave it there for today, tony, and for
all of our listeners.
Be sure to come back next weekas we discuss how to find the
best tire and wheel combo, andmaybe how to find your best bike
and how you want to ride yourbike and everything that goes
into that.
So thanks, tony uh, for sharingyour time and knowledge with us
here on the podcast, and can'twait to talk about tires and
wheels.
Thanks Thanks for joining us onthe time crunch cyclist podcast
(37:04):
.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
If you want even moreactionable training advice, head
over to train rightcombackslash newsletter and
subscribe to our free weeklypublication.
Each week you'll get in-depthtraining content that goes
beyond what we cover here on thepodcast.
That'll help you take yourtraining to the next level.
That's all for now.
(37:25):
Until next time, train hard,train smart, train right.
From the team at CTS.
This is the Time Crunch Cyclistpodcast, our show dedicated to
answering your trainingquestions and providing
actionable advice to help youimprove your performance even if
you're strapped for time.
I'm your host, coach AdamPulford, and I'm one of the over
50 professional coaches whomake up the team at CTS.
In each episode, I draw on ourteam's collective knowledge,
(00:30):
other coaches and experts in thefield to provide you with the
practical ways to get the mostout of your training and
ultimately become the bestcyclist that you can be.
Now on to our show.
Now onto our show.
Welcome back, or welcome to theTime Crunch Cyclist Podcast.
(00:54):
I'm your host, coach AdamPulford.
Like many of my athletes, manylisteners here are likely coming
into their first big races orevents for the year.
That means it's time to stressout about the last minute
marginal gains and second guesseverything you've been riding on
for months and months rightWrong.
Spoiler alert big last minutechanges could do more harm than
(01:18):
good if you don't know whatyou're doing.
So to help bring some sense andlogic to all this and to help
us fine tune our equipmentbefore our big race or event, I
brought on what I think could bethe best person to talk to
about this particular subject.
He's a father, a bike racer,owner of VeloSmith Bike Studio
(01:40):
and a forever tinkerer of allthings bikes, tony Bustamante.
Tony, welcome to the show.
Thank you, adam, it's great tobe here, it's great having you
on.
And, tony, before we get intothe meat and potatoes of this
show, could you give us a briefhistory of how you got into this
industry, or should I say,helping people simplify and
(02:03):
enjoy riding their bike?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
say, like helping people simplify and enjoy riding
their bike.
Uh well, I I'm a lifelongcyclist.
I was uh born literally intothe bike business.
My father owned a bike shop for33 years.
Uh, I grew up uh riding, racingmy bike from uh my earliest
memories, and then that hascontinued, and, with the
exception of about a 10-yearstint, I have been working in
(02:31):
the bike industry in one form oranother since 1986.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
That is impressive, to say the least, and I'll link
to the VeloSmith website and thesocials as well Instagram
you're pumping out somebeautiful pictures of your
builds there, yeah, and we'llget into that more.
But one last bit about Tony herebefore we get into it is he was
(02:57):
an athlete of mine that Iworked with for a handful of
years before COVID hit andruined lives for everybody, and
he had to make some life changes.
But in that end and one thingthat I tell all my athletes and
I said this on a previouspodcast is hopefully, if I'm
dead and gone or we're notworking together anymore,
hopefully you've learned somestuff along the way and it can
(03:17):
help and it can help you and ithelps you know Tony manage his
riding and training, but throughthe experience of working with
him as an athlete, I got tolearn how he thought, how he
thought about his craft andreally that brings us to this
podcast today, because I'vealways wanted to do a topic like
(03:37):
this.
One day I was out for a rideand I was like, man, it's Tony,
because he you're you'respanning across different brands
, you're spanning of bikes andgroup sets and and you're
working with the clientone-on-one and you're a time
crunched.
Athlete yourself Like you gotkids, you got a business.
You're, you're trying.
(03:58):
You're trying to do your bestin a short amount of time, right
.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yep, yeah, exactly, and, um, you know, from the time
that we spent together, um, Iappreciate your holistic
approach to coaching and that'ssomething that, uh, I try to
bring into the way that that weapproach bikes and our clients
and how these bikes are going tobe used, um, how to find the
(04:23):
right solution for theindividual rider athlete,
however you, however you titleyourself.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, that's right.
The individual approach, Ithink, is the best approach.
So, with all that said, onefinal disclaimer.
This is part one in a two partseries of some sort of like time
crunched tech talk sort ofthing.
But the first episode is goingto be focused on best practices
for race day and event equipmentprep, and the second one will
(04:52):
be finding your best tire orwheel combination for how you
use your bike.
Now, I'm sure my editor, jimrubber, will find a way snappier
title for each of thoseepisodes.
A shout out to ready for alwaysmaking these things sound way
better than they are whenthey're recorded.
But for all athletes.
(05:12):
Now, as we turn to the actualcontent here, this is for all
athletes coming into the finalweeks before an event.
Tony, I'll ask you thisquestion.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Tony, I'll ask you this question when the training
is done, nutrition is dialed andthe race or event days coming
upon us.
How should athletes approachtheir equipment?
Well, I think that the approachto equipment is very similar to
your approach to training, so Ithink it needs to be metered,
it needs to be calculated, andit helps if you have a timeline.
So one of the things that bikeshops have taught me is that and
(05:59):
I say this as a person who hasraced their bike as well people
competing tend to wait to thelast minute for everything
related to the mechanical sideof the equation, and so we are
constantly trying to remindfolks that the key to this is to
back up, and so you don't wantto leave service work for the
(06:21):
last minute.
You don't want to change upreally critical pieces.
You don't want to change tires,you don't want to change a
drivetrain gearing, a saddle,you certainly don't want to make
changes to your fit.
These are all things that haveto begin further back, and it's
(06:42):
important from a few differentstandpoints, I think.
When you're talking aboutfitting, when you're talking
about optimizing rider on thebike, this is something that
takes time.
There is a small trial anderror period, even when it's
absolutely dialed, and there isan adjustment period.
Your body is not efficient in anew position on race day.
(07:05):
So, um, essential.
And then, from a mechanicalstandpoint, um, even the best
mechanics would prefer that youhave a couple of rides on the
bike before taking it to theevent.
That that does so much toensure that everything that is
dialed, calibrated, is justworking perfectly.
(07:28):
It can be as simple as sealantand ensuring that the sealant is
holding.
It can be something morein-depth, like drivetrain
adjustments or, these days,battery swaps or replacements.
So just making sure that therearen't any surprises on event
(07:49):
day, on race day that could havebeen handled in advance.
Week's days, yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah, I agree with that wholeheartedly, and I think
, for all of our listeners here,what's good about this is
because we'll spend some timetalking about no-transcript,
(08:31):
whatever.
All of this talk that we'regoing to discuss today applies
to all things bike.
So, tony, how can we unpackthis a little bit more and how
can you help us organize theprocess of equipment prep that
spans across all things with twowheels?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
I think in simplest form, I think it breaks down
into three categories.
So category one is related tothe rider, so that's everything
rider related clothing,nutrition, gear, bag.
Number two is the bike, sothat's going to be everything
that is related to those twowheels.
(09:11):
And then the third is going tobe variables, and variables are
going to be anything rangingfrom bags on the bike to, uh,
tire selection, uh, you name itin the, in the variable category
.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Excellent.
I would even say like thevariable category and this.
This comes from the coachingbackground, right, it's like
almost like a uh group, likegroup and handling skills.
Like how do you even know howto use your bike?
Do you know how to use yourtools?
You know, so we can.
I'm going to lump that in andmention just a few things when
it comes to the variable,because in the bucket of
(09:52):
everything else, I'm going tothrow it in there, because
there's nothing worse than Idon't know, there's nothing
worse than getting to a massstart event and everybody goes
and there's a bunch of crashes,right, like we want to avoid
that as best we can.
Anyway, we'll come back to thatlater.
Uh, okay, so we have the rider,the bike and the variable.
Tony, let's start with therider.
(10:14):
Like what's, what'sencapsulated there?
What's your advice when itcomes to thinking about all
things on the, on the riderthemselves?
Speaker 2 (10:22):
So so, rider, I think let's start with a physical
person.
So, um, if, if training is done, if nutrition is done, all of
that is ironed out, then itwould also be ideal if a rider
feels dialed into machine.
(10:43):
And so when we talk about afitting at VeloSmith, we're
really talking about feeling atone, or feeling a part of the
bike.
So not wrestling with it, notfidgeting.
Uh a ride, whether it's for anhour or for eight hours or 12
hours, the bike should be ascomfortable as it can be.
(11:04):
Um, arguably, rides that are inthe 12 hour range, uh, there's
going to be, uh, some wrestlingwith the bike, but but, largely,
if you're dialed in, then whatthat means is that comfort is
present, that efficiency, poweroutput and then, of course,
injury prevention.
(11:25):
So cycling is one of thoseactivities that is low impact
but it's also incrediblyrepetitive.
So saddle height beingincorrect, cleat position being
incorrect over the course of along ride or a period of
training, that can generateissues.
(11:45):
It can become a knee issue, itcan become saddle sores, a host
of different things.
So, to have rider dialed in,those elements really need to be
explored, need to be unpacked,need to be dialed in well, in
advance.
I would say that if you'repreparing for an event and
(12:06):
you've started to lay out thegroundwork, the timing for this
event, that's when you want tobe looking at fitting.
And if you're coming into thisevent and position feels great
you've raced on it for a coupleof years, everything is good
then I, if you're coming intothis event and position feels
great you've raced on it for acouple of years, everything is
good Then I think you're moreinclined to just look at it from
a check-in standpoint.
(12:26):
But by leaving this window oftime, you're going to be able to
incorporate any of the changeson the bike in a positive way,
so it's not going to lead torepetitive injuries.
Uh, because the adjustmentperiod wasn't sufficient between
changes and event.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Okay, Quick question when you say this time period of
, like breaking in and makingthose adjustments, how far out
from the event are we talking?
Like what would you recommendsomebody get a bike fit to have
the adaptation over time?
Or, you know, try the newcycling clothing to make sure.
Like how long are we talkinghere with some of those things?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
I think, uh, as much time as possible, really.
Uh, so, if, if, um, if, if youput a time on it, I would say
maybe 12 weeks would be good.
Um, if, if you put a time on it, I would say maybe 12 weeks
would be good.
Um, it's, there's, there's ahandful of things that happen
with, uh, with fit, for example.
So, um, getting the positiondialed in, uh, ironing out any
(13:29):
of the details, any of the the,the fine tuning, um, the way
that you sit on your bike, theway that you power your bike is
different.
It can be different, it can beradically different.
But also the way the bikehandles so, if your weight is
further forward, is further back, the way that it steers, the
way that it pitches into acorner is going to be different
(13:50):
than the bike that you know orthe bike that you knew, and so,
ideally, allowing time to adjustto those changes and and
develop a mastery of how thebike handles as well.
Now, in in the Chicago area,one of the things that we that
that riders from this any coldclimate you're going to spend
(14:11):
time on the trainer, and thetrainer is incredibly static
from a position standpoint, andso that, if you are going to
spend the winter preparing foran event in the summer.
You should have a fitting priorto that and it should be
incorporated before you'respending time indoors on the
trainer.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
So here's a real-world question for you.
Let's just say somebody's doingSBT, which is end of June this
year, and we're in middle of May, and let's say they have saddle
sores, maybe some weird handissue, that kind of stuff.
They hear this podcast and theysay, wow, tony and Adam said 12
weeks and it's, it's not, it's.
It's a lot shorter than 12weeks.
(14:50):
I guess I'll just run what Ibrung and not get the bike fit.
Should they get a bike fit ifthey have pain even though SBT
is coming up, or should theyjust keep on going?
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Yeah, I think, um, if you have pain, if you have
obvious pain, uh, yes, youshould, should spend some time,
uh, with a fitter.
But but that's also one where Iwouldn't say, yes, get a
fitting and, yes, make allchanges.
I would say that, uh, it'spossible to to sabotage yourself
with that approach.
So, um, yeah, pain, uh,sometimes the changes to remedy
(15:28):
pain are so small that theadaptation period is very, very
short and and arguably fromexperience, when the changes are
for the positive, theadaptation process is also very
short.
It happens very quickly.
But if you are looking forsomething to occupy, a taper
(15:49):
window, a bike fit is not thething to do.
Leave it, it's ready to go.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Yeah, totally agree with that, totally agree.
But I I would say I mean forfor anybody.
Yeah, like having pain, go getchecked out.
And I think to Tony's pointyeah, even like a slight like
saddle tilt or maybe just a fewmillimeters up or down on the
saddle height or maybe there'ssomething you know with the
handlebars, just microadjustments, that's good.
If you have an event, you know,six to eight weeks out and you
(16:18):
go to a bike fit and they wantto raise your saddle like three
inches or something like, that'dbe weird.
But number two if it's theirbig changes, go in small
increments.
And if someone doesn't suggestthe small increments, even
despite the bigger change,meaning okay, let's just do
three mil for now.
Get you through the event orsee how that goes.
Get you through the event andthen we can make some bigger
(16:39):
changes over the longterm.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
That's a better approach from a fitting
standpoint, yeah, and I think interms of investing in self, um
a bike fit like the decision tohire a coach is um is is taking
uh yourself out of the equation.
Bring a professional in to lookat it.
It provides a change ofperspective that can be enormous
in the outcome.
You know, sometimes youmentioned saddle sores.
(17:10):
Sometimes a saddle sore is assimple as the last time you put
your bike together after a trip.
The saddle is slightly crooked,it's that simple.
Saddle height is correct, butit's off to an angle and often
it just takes somebody from theoutside to look at it.
Second set of eyes to say maybethis is the problem.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Yeah, that's it Saddle sores as well as other
issues.
I've had two separate athletestravel with their bikes, have
some weird like knee and likequadricep and glute issues going
on, and it was simply becauseof that.
The saddle was in there on awrong tilt, caused some problems
, took a couple of weeks to getit right.
But there again, through thiswhole training process and
(17:54):
focused on the rider and comfort, it's like going through the
process and having someadversity is actually not bad
because it helps you figurestuff out when it goes wrong.
And really the main messagehere is you know, going through
the process and bringing in someoutside professionals to help
in that way is going to make theevent go off in a much like a
(18:17):
much better way.
Right, having the outcome thatyou want to do, and that means
riding the equipment that youlike the bibs, the Jersey, so
that you know where the pocketsare, where you can stash stuff
and you want to be consistent intraining so that there's
nothing new on race day.
I get to keep on preaching thatover and over.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Yeah, it's um.
I think a dress rehearsal is isa really good strategy.
So that is uh in in the timeleading up to the event, and I
think everybody is going to bedifferent.
This is not something to savefor the last week, but perhaps
two weeks out, maybe three weeksout is um using the gear.
And so, uh, bib shorts make anenormous difference.
(18:59):
Anybody who has trained a lotknows that there will be in the
collection bibs you prefer.
Those are the ones good forlong days, those are the ones
that are good for hard days.
That selection process shouldbe done in advance.
The same is true with shoes.
I think a lot of cyclists, asthey ride for a long period of
(19:20):
time, they will amass acollection of cycling shoes and
a cycling shoe.
There will be some that aremore comfortable, I mean,
perhaps they're roomier.
There will be some that dryfaster.
Whatever your logic is behindthe shoes, I think those need to
be part of your shakeout.
Whatever your logic is behindthe shoes, I think those need to
(19:40):
be part of your shakeout.
And you know, in the case of anunbound where at a midway point
you plan to change shoes, bothpairs of shoes should get the
shakedown rides as well, and Ithink to your point.
(20:05):
You know, looking at how muchyou can fit in the pockets, it's
a good time to discover thatone of the pockets has a tear at
the bottom of it.
It's really the time to figureout what equipment's going, what
equipment is not going, andthen be as familiar as possible
with what you take.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Yes, so quick personal story on this one.
I've done a couple kind of likedress rehearsals.
Now I've got the Trekka comingup, which is a big gravel race
in Spain and I mean I just wantto experience it.
I've got athletes uh going forthe win, I've got athletes going
to just finish and I'll bethere also just hoping to finish
(20:36):
.
I'll be there also just hopingto finish and but in that way,
uh, I ride Velocio and they havea lot of cool uh stuff,
including the, the utility bibsand some of their their concept
stuff which fits me well.
Uh, I like the pockets because Ican get my big hand with a very
minimal uh range of motionshoulders going on in there
(20:56):
Right, so I can access thepockets.
Well, it also has two pockets,like kind of low back, mid back,
where I can stash stuff for thelong haul, like gels and drink
mix and that kind of thing.
So I've got one, two, three,four, five, six, seven pockets
total.
And because for a race likethis where my wife Kristen,
who's an amazing uh uh aidstation support personnel, she
(21:18):
won't be out there because it'sjust too hard to get there.
So I can't rely upon that.
So I'm just going to go full onaid stations, right?
So I got to carry everything,much like everybody listening
would have to do that.
It's not a pro type experience,so can I carry everything you
know 2000 calories with me.
Stop and get water along theway, rip and roar.
So the past couple of weekendsthat's what I've been doing in
(21:39):
my outfit on my rig.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Yeah, and I think you're going to add another
element, uh, as well, and thatis the logistics of travel that
go with it, and so, um, it's,having everything laid out,
tested well in advance and thenleaving some essential pieces at
home on your bench where you doyour bike work is a bad plan.
(22:04):
So I think, in this case,incorporating what items are
going, having a good, thoroughchecklist for the items that
need to be in the travel case,for the items that need to be in
the travel case, the items thatneed to be on your person and
the items that need to be in thebaggage, that you check is
really key.
For a long time, people willtravel with bike in one package
(22:31):
and then cycling kit, shoes,helmet in another, and that's in
the event that a bikedisappears for some reason.
You still have what you need tobe able to do the event, find a
rental bike, and so, yeah, thelogistics is a big part of it as
well.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
It is a big part of it, and we could spend hours
talking about that.
Fun fun fact.
I did do a podcast with KerryWarner about all things bike
travel, so I'll be sure to linkto that if you want to go deep
on how to travel with your bike.
But it's an art in itself, soI'm glad you mentioned it there,
tony.
But since we're talking aboutthe bike, let's briefly talk on
(23:11):
a couple aspects there.
When we refer to the secondcategory as the bike, you're
talking about your existing bike, not a brand new bike, right?
Speaker 2 (23:24):
You don't want to buy a new bike two weeks out, in
other words.
Yes, not a good strategy.
Well, great strategy, just notfor the event, for your next
event.
Great strategy, just not forthe event, but, um, for your
next event, for your next event.
Yeah, so when, when talkingabout the bike, we're talking
(23:44):
about, um, having bike be fullyoperational, ready to go.
Um, any changes that you wouldlike to make, anything that that
is going to update, uh saidbike, it needs to be done in
advance.
So, um, said bike it needs tobe done in advance.
So you know, when we, when webreak down the bike here at the
studio, we always describe abike in the simplest terms and
we look at it as being made upof four different components.
(24:06):
So that's, the frame and forkare component one.
The wheels, component to thedrive train component three.
And the cockpit, which issaddle to the drivetrain
component three.
And the cockpit, which issaddle, seat, post, handlebar,
stem as component four.
And so you know, looking at allfour of those components, the
(24:27):
lead up really should doeverything that it can because
at the end of the day, it'sstill a machine.
You want to do everything thatyou can to make sure that it is
operational, everything on thebike is working correctly and
you have a familiarity withwhat's there.
When you talk about gravelevents, that's probably the best
(24:49):
example where you have suchvarying terrains that that might
be a time that would encourageyou to try different gearing to
increase the gearing, remove afront derailleur, go to a one-by
.
These are conversations we haveon a pretty regular basis.
I think in those scenariosthat's work that should be done
(25:10):
well in advance.
That's work that should giveyou time to get used to the
gearing, work that will allowyou to reestablish what your
favorite cadence is.
You know, the scenario likethat isn't necessarily going to
cost you the event, but it's oneof those things that can crawl
(25:30):
into your head and nag at youfor a lot of hours in the saddle
.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Yeah, like, cadence is a habit and if you change
something major, like in yourdrive train, that's going to
change your cadence.
We all know habit takes a longtime to form, you know, not 21
days, but more like 66 or more,right, so that it falls in line
with what you're talking aboutof you know, all these big
changes 12 weeks out, some ofthese minute changes a couple of
(25:55):
weeks out.
Yep, all these big changes 12weeks out, some of these minute
changes a couple of weeks out.
And like, let's, let's say youknow we're coming into a track,
right, that's in a couple ofweeks.
So I'm going to go to mymechanic and I've got some
things that I want done Right,and I have full faith and trust
in him because I've been workingwith him for like two years.
What can you say about findinga good mechanic to?
(26:16):
You know, hand off your $10,000bike before you travel across
the ocean and go do your yourthing.
Tell us a little bit about whoshould be working on this bike
and how to identify them.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Well, uh, a good bike mechanic is is really about a
relationship, and so findingsomebody that you feel
comfortable talking with,finding somebody that hears what
you're saying, somebody who's agood communicator, those are
really the key elements, okay,so then, on top of that,
(26:50):
somebody who is a good wrench,so someone who is familiar with
your equipment, a good wrench,so someone who is familiar with
your equipment.
Ideally, you don't want yourbike to be the first bike that
somebody sees that's missing afront derailleur or has
electronic shifting or tubelesstires.
So I think finding somebody whohas a good reputation with the
(27:13):
type of equipment that you'reusing is really key.
And then, I think, with thosein place, then trust is where
everything takes over.
So trust that this is the datefor my event.
Tell me when I need to be hereto have service work done, so
that I can have a shakeoutperiod and not compress the
(27:35):
timeline so much that if I needparts, we have a window to get
them.
Trusting that they understandthe importance of the event.
Trusting that if they say toyou hey, replace these cables,
they're worn, it'll be betterwith new cables that you feel
confident that, yes, that isgood counsel and I will take it
(27:59):
and whatever you see fit is whatI'll do.
Um, so that's really, reallyimportant.
And then, um, you know, I, I,as a bike shop person for a long
time um tip your mechanics.
They love that, and if there isuh something that is going to
pop up in the short windowbetween departure and uh and and
(28:21):
this issue, they're going tomake sure that they get your
bike taken care of uh as fast aspossible.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
So no downtime.
Yep, yep, I couldn't agree morewith that.
And a quick shout out to BrianCrow at Conti's bike shop in the
DC, conti's DC Navy Yard.
He's a hell of a mechanic and Isuggest anybody in the DC area
go to him for all the stuff.
But to that point, I think, acouple of things.
(28:48):
Yes, tip your mechanic, I meanservice industry employee.
They're a professional like,treat them well, treat them like
anybody else that you respect,but to a high degree, um,
because they're working on thatrig that you spend, you know,
six, eight, 10, 12, 20 hours aweek on, right?
So that's, that's an importantaspect.
I also think that, like youknow, getting a discount on
(29:12):
stuff is different than adiscount service.
I've always held in my head isI'll never discount the service,
but sure, if there's a discounton, like you know, tubes and
tires or something, somethinglike this, oh, okay, fine, but
never try to get a discount onthe service.
I just want to put that out inthe world.
So now, flipping back to some ofthese best practices, right,
(29:34):
leading up, I do think, um, youknow, two to three weeks and
also pre-communicate with yourmechanic to make sure that they
have time for that.
But two to three weeks fits fora lot of things.
If you're going to uh, like yousaid, new tires, new brake
cables, uh, brake pads, newcleats on the shoes, something
like that for all our mountainbikers out there, I highly
(29:55):
advise tuning the suspension wedon't do that enough as mountain
bikers and get that done two tothree weeks out, because there
is that break-in time period.
Whether it is the brake pad orthe suspension, it just needs a
little friction, a little bit ofwear before it feels right
again, as opposed to tight orfrictiony or something like this
(30:15):
.
So two to three weeks out, giveher a couple of good rides and
you're on that timeline forreally good success.
Is there anything else on thebike that you want to mention at
all here, tony?
Speaker 2 (30:29):
Yeah, I think you know, when you do spend that
kind of time on the bike thenhow the bike feels in the lever
throw.
Those are some of the elementsthat you have time then to
tinker with.
So a service may change the waysomething you're familiar with
feels, and then that smallwindow gives you time now to
(30:52):
dial it back to where everythingfeels good, Everything feels
like it's your bike now to dialit back to where everything
feels good.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Everything feels like it's your bike, that's a, it's
a super good point.
And, of particular note, onething that can really change the
feel of a bike is tires, wheelsand tire pressure, and that's
one thing that we did not talkabout on the bike and some
people would be like you didn'ttalk about that, but we have,
like I said, we have a wholepart two of this, uh, this topic
coming, so we're going to savetire, tires and wheels for that,
(31:19):
so we'll keep everybody on theedge of their metaphorical seat
until then.
Yep, um, put a pin in that.
We'll put a pin in it.
Let's talk about our third andfinal uh bin here of the
variable, which is everythingelse.
What are we talking about?
How should we organize this?
Speaker 2 (31:36):
leading into the main event, so I think, um, anybody
who's who's going to break thisdown and start looking at the
individual components?
Um, you know, categorize as youwill, but I think the variables
are going to be um elementsthat, uh, are going to play an
important role in the event butaren't necessarily going to be
(31:58):
front of mind.
So I'll point to gravel again.
Gravel is so dynamic that ittends to be a great example, but
if your event calls for a framebag, that frame bag is
competing with space that maynow have water bottles or a
(32:18):
frame pump.
So these are things that youneed to sort out in advance and
I think, in addition to fittingeverything or a number plate.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Or a number plate.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Yes, exactly.
So finding a home foreverything and having it be in a
familiar place is reallyimportant.
These are items that should notbe thrown into the bag with the
intent of installing everythingon race day.
Another aspect of that would beif you're carrying it, if it's
(32:53):
with you for the event, it has apurpose and it has value.
So knowing how to use theseitems is essential.
So a plug tool Do you have atire plug tool?
If so, do you know how to useit?
Is it empty from the last timeyou used it?
Is your CO2 dead?
(33:14):
Is your saddlebag empty?
Is the tube that's in therespent?
These are all things thatreally seem obvious when we're
talking about it now.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
but is your electric inflatable air tool fully
charged?
Speaker 2 (33:30):
that's a new one, yes do you have your battery
charger for your bike with youin your bag?
Is uh are the coin cellbatteries in your shifters dead?
Like these are the things thatum can can derail an event after
weeks and weeks and weeks ofprep, and um they're the kind of
things that uh are bothfrustrating and um avoidable.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's it.
And a whole host of things thatare like super specific to like
your bike or your equipment,make sure you have backups,
especially if you're traveling,traveling overseas, or something
like that.
The 2032 batteries, the batterychargers, anything along those
lines.
A set of cleats Cleats, yeah,derailleur hangers If you're not
UDH, you know all that kind ofstuff.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
So, yes, yes, and, and all of that takes time.
So, again, you know, looking atthe different categories,
backing up, giving yourself asufficient window to be able to
sort all this stuff out, um,it's, it's, uh, it's.
It just cannot be uh overstatedhow important these things are
(34:34):
because, um, you know, again,everything else is dialed in the
training's done.
You've, you've, you've done allthe hard training you've ridden
in the rain.
We didn't want to.
Uh, nutrition is dialed in.
You are, you are ready.
Uh, leaving the the the rest ofthe event to poor planning on
the bike side is, uh isshort-sighted.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Yeah, that's it.
And and you know reminder toeverybody listening here it's
like the assumption before thisconversation started was that
you know the training was done,the nutrition is dialed, what is
next?
And I think so many people Tony, you can speak to this too but
like so many people hit that twoto three weeks out and they're
like second guess everything.
They're like what else can I do?
What else should I do?
Oh, my, my, my buddy said to dothis or whatever, and there's a
(35:21):
lot of anxiety that goes on inthat.
So you know some big.
So here's the things to avoidany big last minute changes, any
tinkering in the final weeks ordays leading up to the event
and using something new on raceday.
Just avoid all of that.
Just avoid it.
Anything to throw on there, Tony.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Um, the.
The example that we always useis you wouldn't wear new shoes
for a marathon and uh, I thinkit's a good illustration because
from a cycling standpoint, youcan talk yourself into, uh,
making a handful of changes thatwon't be a big deal, but in
reality they probably will be abig deal, but in reality they
probably will be a big deal.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
So yeah, don't do that.
Don't do that, yes.
And what to do is check in withyour equipment, full tip to
tail, six weeks out from theevent, do your drive runs, your
dress rehearsals, whatever it is, and then get your bike into
your mechanic two to three weeksout before the main event, have
them do a once over, make surethe rig is operating and then do
a couple, uh, shakedown ridesor shakeout rides, as Tony was
(36:19):
was talking about.
So everything is dialed forrace day.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Final word to you, Tony uh, keep a list and cross
things off, make sure that itall gets in the bag, it all has
a purpose and uh, and, andyou're ready to go Love it.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Well, let's leave it there for today, tony, and for
all of our listeners.
Be sure to come back next weekas we discuss how to find the
best tire and wheel combo, andmaybe how to find your best bike
and how you want to ride yourbike and everything that goes
into that.
So thanks, tony uh, for sharingyour time and knowledge with us
here on the podcast, and can'twait to talk about tires and
wheels.
Thanks Thanks for joining us onthe time crunch cyclist podcast
(37:04):
.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
If you want even moreactionable training advice, head
over to train rightcombackslash newsletter and
subscribe to our free weeklypublication.
Each week you'll get in-depthtraining content that goes
beyond what we cover here on thepodcast.
That'll help you take yourtraining to the next level.
That's all for now.
(37:25):
Until next time, train hard,train smart, train right.
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