Mount Shasta Bike Lock

Taking advantage of the relatively low mental capacities of our citizens, I’ll often just turn my bike upside down before I leave it in the bike rack. The thieves in our area have a hard time identifying it as being a bike when it’s been turned over. They aren’t interested in a bike frame with wheels on top of it.

There's A Bike Hiding In This Picture!

But I know that most of you don’t have it so easy.

Here’s a run-down of the types of bike locks…from most secure to least secure.

The Bicycle U Lock

The U lock’s the top of the line bicycle lock. The Kryptonite company has chosen to offer models named after America’s premier city, New York.

They offer the New York LS, the New York STD (both the Chlamydia and Gonorrhea models), and the lock named for that endearing New York phrase, “Fahgettaboudit”.

What a contrast…

In Mount Shasta, we have the ‘hemp-rope lock’ and the ‘rope a dope’ upside-down technique. In New York, they’ve named their bike locks after sexually transmitted diseases, and an Emerald State insult. And some people still don’t think the USA has a culture gap?

The U-lock is offered in a variety of thicknesses, with the ‘Fahgettaboudit’ model featuring 18mm of hardened MAX-Performance steel.

I found out that not only is the hardness of the steel a consideration, but so is the size of the ‘U’ part. Apparently, if the opening is too big the bike thief will get out his crowbar and twist the lock into submission. Additionally, small ‘U’ dimensions don’t allow enough room to get a hydraulic jack into.

The hydraulic jack technique surprised me, but I really shouldn’t discount Yankee ingenuity.

Along this same theme, the best U-locks will put the key-way in the center of the cross member instead of on one end. Better to resist a wrecking bar, my little beauty!

The top of the line models offer double deadbolt mechanisms for further ‘thwarting’ power.

I don’t know what they do about those lock picking sets that no one’s supposed to have.

When all else fails, the top of the line locks have theft insurance. There are a few details that have to be followed to qualify, but it’s probably worth it when in a high crime area.

If a junkie does succeed in injecting the value of your bike into his arm, you’ll get some money for your loss.

Bicycle Chain Locks

Next down the ladder of bike security are the chain locks. Of course there is a vast range of quality in the chains.

Some thick, some thin.

Some long, some short.

Some heavy, and some heavier.

And there is a choice in length of chain. It’s probably best to only get a chain for as long as is really needed so that there isn’t enough length for a thief to grab onto it with a Caterpillar front-end loader.

The security of the lock part of the chain lock is obviously proportional to the amount of money you spend.

And then there is the trump card…the high end chains have anti-theft protection. I’m trying to get the manufacturers to also provide coverage for three chiropractic visits to undue the trauma these heavy rascals dish out when they’re worn around the neck. Of course the redemption coupons would only be redeemed in my office.

The Humble Cable Lock

Cable locks aren’t as secure as the ‘where do I store this thing?’ U lock or the ‘I’ll crush you into the ground with my sheer weight’ chain lock. But they do have a purpose.

If your city doesn’t have enough aggressive thieves in it to get a bike lock named after itself (‘Hey, That’s My Bike!’ vs.‘Fahgettaboudit’), a mere cable lock may be enough deterrent to keep your bike secure. I guess cable locks are vulnerable to cutters, hacksaws, and who knows what else. But they’ll keep away the casual thief.

Get An Adequate Bike Lock

I’ve had a bit of fun writing about the various bicycle locks, but there’s ABSOLUTELY nothing amusing about getting your bike stolen. If you’ve gotten this far in the article, do yourself a favor and consider this my prod to get a lock from someplace like Performance Bike that’ll satisfy your bike security needs. Who knows, if we reduce the bike theft problem, we may find our streets more crowded with bikes than with cars.

And that’s a good thing.

I’ve had one foot in the world of endurance sports and another foot in the ‘natural’ health care world for quite a while. I’ve been an endurance sports athlete (running and cycling) since the early 1970’s and a chiropractor (chiropracticking) since 1985.

Who would have thought that 1985 would seem longer ago than 1972? Time plods when you’re doing it for a living.

I’ve heard a lot about lactic acid in that time, much of it silly talk. But more and more, the talk’s starting to make sense.

Now Dr. Gabe Mirkin has joined the chorus of ‘right reasoning’ and points out that muscles may in fact contract more efficiently (within reason) while in the presence of lactic acid.

Muscle contraction relies on a transfer of potassium ions across the muscle cell membrane. One of the inhibitors of this process is the chloride ion, which keeps the potassium ions from getting back into the muscle, ready for the next contraction. Apparently lactic acid inhibits the chloride ion, enabling potassium to get transported back across the cell membrane ready to work again.

So, in my book, that would be an advantage.

But What Of The ‘Silly Talk’?

There’s an ongoing refrain emanating from the lips of some ‘body workers’ that’s made little sense to me, but because it’s repeated often enough, it’s wedged itself into the ‘body of knowledge’.

Here it is…

Following a vigorous massage the practitioner will say something like, ‘you may be sore tomorrow because I’ve released a lot of lactic acid from your muscles. Drink a lot of water to flush it out’.

Lactate threshold tests fly in the face of this reasoning. When you’re doing a lactate threshold test, you’re being monitored for your ability to use oxygen to break down the lactate as quickly (within reason) as it’s being produced. When your level of exertion reaches the level at which you can’t process enough oxygen to keep up with the lactate production, there is a sharp rise in the blood lactate levels and the tester can determine your level of aerobic fitness.

But don’t forget, the lactate’s being removed at a rate just short of when it spiked. so when you reduce the exertion level, it’s once again removed about as fast as it’s produced. Reduce the level far enough and the lactate is ‘cleared’ just about as fast as it’s produced.

This leads the inquiring mind to wonder about the old fashioned ‘lactic acid thinking’. If we’re able to clear lactate acid out almost as fast as we produce it (except in extreme exercise), how could it be ‘hanging around’ for hours (or in the case of the lard-ass who never does anything more vigorous than lifting one cheek off the sofa to fart- for decades) waiting to be released at the deft hand of the body worker?

Is lactic acid sticky or something? When Bubba sprinted around to third base at the 1997 softball tournament did he produce lactic acid that now longs to be released by a vigorous massage?

I’ve always understood the muscles to be relatively well perfused with blood, and lactic acid to be an unstable molecule, splitting into lactate and hydrogen ions. Hurray for our side, there are even clear-thinking scientists who tell us that lactic acid is part of a normal pathway to energy production.

So like the title suggests, the truth about lactic acid is coming out of the closet.

‘Make Sure You Hydrate…’

And don’t get me started on the ‘I’ve got to hydrate every 20 minutes fetish’…

Now Even 'Weak-sauce' Dogs Hydrate!

Back in the dark ages I ran a 2:17 marathon at Boston, taking a couple sips from pathetic Dixie cups. Modern ‘hydration thinking’ would have had me dropping over like a wilted piece of lettuce ten miles into the race.

It’s now gotten to the point at which some people have to take a break halfway through their 15 minute chiropractic treatment to hydrate, all the while dribbling urine onto my treatment table from their over-inflated bladders.

Makes you wonder how Wino Walter survives on only the ‘fruit of the vine’, not having tasted filtered water since the 1990’s. Even more puzzling is the fact that while he’s chronically dehydrated and he’s never done an herbal detox program, he hasn’t had a head cold for a very long time.

Of course I exaggerate, but please humor me. I’m practicing for the day I run for public office.

Speaking of public office, and of course the flip-flopping that’s so much a part of politics…let me contradict my rantings about the over-utilization of hydration.

I now present to you the argument of how important it is for you to go to Bike Nashbar to see what deals they’re carrying in the water bottle world. I never want to see you panting down the road with a bottled water container in your mouth.

These lyrics bracket a powerfully moving record of the 2005 Race Across America. A skillful blend of artistry and documentary, this film captures the human condition like few others.

Ernest Becker’s Pulitzer prize winning work, The Denial Of Death is written on the premise that mankind’s efforts are ultimately an elaborate, symbolic defense mechanism against the knowledge of our own mortality. I have seldom encountered a film that captures this life drama as powerfully as does Bicycle Dreams.

Viewed through this lens, the duality of man’s struggle in the physical realm, while being consumed with his achievement of immortality through heroism, is poignantly driven home in the film.

For one rider, this ‘necessary heroism’ takes shape in his touching of his limits to endure torment. He has rubbed elbows with pain for 15 years in his work with AIDS patients who suffer endlessly. His drive comes from caring for others. Ironically, it is his charitable nature that ends his race, when his limits are determined by his unwillingness to sacrifice those he loves. But in determining that limit there is triumph, for it was the discovery of the limits that sent him across America, not necessarily the reaching of the Atlantic.

For another rider the desire appears to be a fight to beat down the childhood voices proclaiming him to be destined to ‘amount to nothing’. He will sacrifice everything to prove the voices wrong, even a longtime friendship, for to not triumph would be to face self-annihilation. Only when he’s unable to picture his wife and son in his hallucinating mind does he waver.

Several of the riders address the issue of our involvement in the natural realm. Modern society’s accomplishment of comfort and safety has distanced us from a primal ‘desire gene’- the will of the body to exist. We’re left longing for authenticity, but so often find ourselves in a reality padded from primal existence.

There is a seduction in the stark reality of endless hours on a bicycle in the desert sun, or against a ceaseless headwind. Whether its cresting a summit to breathtaking vistas, or retreating into one’s self so deeply that sight and sound are muffled, the Race Across America experience plants our feet firmly in our physical selves and in the natural realm.

Teamwork isn’t under the direct focus of the lens, but is evident everywhere throughout the film. The utter dependence on his team forces one rider into the shame of not being completely autonomous. Breaking through his illusion of being independent, barriers no longer have to be maintained and he is free from a fantasy of absolute self-determination.

And then there’s the twist that knocked me on my can. Seldom is gut-wrenching grief captured so powerfully on the screen as in the scenes after the soul is wrenched from the race when tragedy strikes in Colorado.

This film isn’t for those who want to shy away from the tragic side of the human experience, unwilling to risk the cracking of their shell of denial, not willing to risk their coping mechanism.

Bike Dreams moves us to break through the barrier of the fear of death, finding that we will emerge on the other side scathed, but alive. Much more alive, for to maintain the shell of denial consumes tremendous energy, better used in serving others.

From one of the central riders in this event, Bob Breedlove, we’re reminded that “At the end of your life if people say you were kind, that is enough.”

And we are free to touch others kindly when we can get beyond ourselves, a message hammered home in this powerful film.

I highly recommend it.

“I have reason to believe that if I turned myself inside out I’d get out alive.”

Bicycle Dreams Homepage.

For those who don’t like to read very much (what are you doing on the internet?), I’ll get right to the point. The Küat NV rack is the Mercedes of bicycle racks.

It Started With An Email

When Bill from Küat bike racks emailed me not long ago and offered to send one of their racks my way, subject to my highly-refined critiquing skills, I was flattered.

Particularly in light of the fact that my level of discernment was unable to even figure out what to do with the name Küat. The dilemma revolved around the Ü. It has a horizontal colon over it.

What’s a guy supposed to do with a horizontal colon?

Anyhow, I found out that the horizontal colon is actually called a ‘umlaut’ and that it signifies a deviation from the normal pronunciation of the vowel. In this case, the ‘Ü’ is pronounced like an ‘X’.

Not really.

The ‘Ü’ is actually pronounced ‘oo’, like in the word exuberant. The ‘AT’ is pronounced like in the surname ‘Atkinson’, which happens to be the name of one of the founders of Küat, Brian Atkinson. The ‘Kü’ is derived from the other founder’s name; Luke Kuschmeader.

The name ‘Küat’ with the umlaut serves to catch attention (good marketing idea), but raises untold problems for this critiquer, who spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to publish the special Ü.

While I’m at it, I’ll confess that it took me another large block of time (several weeks) to realize that the ‘NV’ has nothing to do with the state of Nevada. It’s a whole lot simpler than that…

NV= Envy

Sort of like- “I don’t envy anyone who gets stuck in the pace line behind stinky Albert.”

Based in Springfield, Missouri, Küat introduced the NV model in October of 2009.

There is a lot of attention to detail in this rack. I hardly know where to start to make this review orderly, so I suppose I’ll just write it like I organize my garage- free form.

But Is This Rack Manly?

I guess I’ll start with the initial lifting. I was caught off guard by the approximately 50 lbs.

This rack is manly, not at all like a spritz of lemon.

I’d been doing some research and mistakenly thought that the rack would be lightweight. I was confused by the Alpha and the Beta, which weigh 13 and 11 lbs respectively. This rack is very solidly made (not that the Alpha and Beta aren’t; but you won’t be throwing the NV across the yard to your friend). The welds are well done and the four bolts that are included for assembly are stout.

‘It’s all good’ (Good lord, how I hate that expression!), but the weight surprised me.

Security Features

One of the most impressive features (in the arena of attention to details) is the built-in cable lock to lock your bike(s) to the rack. It’s pulled out of the innards of the rack and threaded through the frame(s) and rear wheel of the bike(s). When it isn’t being used, it retracts into the arms of the rack and is secured out of the way with a magnet. Remain patient, grasshopper; the video at the end will demonstrate this feature.

Now you won’t have to bring that awkward curly cable lock when you haul your bikes. Very nice.

The hitch pin has a lock on it to keep thieves from walking off with the whole enchilada, with a cover over the lock to keep dirt and grime out of the tumblers.

If you’ve ever been annoyed by a rattling bike rack, you’ll like the tightener that’s built into this hitch. After you’ve put the rack into the receiver, you ’snug it in’ by turning a knob, which pulls a wedge up tight in the receiver. It’s a nice touch.

Speaking of receivers, you can get the hitch in either a 1¼” or 2″ version.

Compromising Accommodating Positions

The rack can be put into three positions and the positions are changed via a spring-loaded lever. Of course you have your ‘up’ position for storage, both while the rack is on the vehicle with no bikes on it and when it is in the garage trying to take up as little room as possible.

When the rack is in the ‘up’ position, a very stylish Küat decal lets everyone know that you have enough class to carry your bikes on a high-quality rack.

Of course there is the carrying position for when the bikes are loaded, and then there is the ‘lowered’ position. This position lets you lower the rack with the bikes still on it so that you can more easily get into the back of your SUV, Crossover, Hatchback, or whatever else you want to call your car.

As you can see from the pictures, the rack holds the bikes in a tray with a ratcheting arm coming down onto the front tire. Hanging a carbon road bike frame by its top tube doesn’t make sense, so this style’s much more appropriate for a lot of us. Not having to hoist a bike up onto the roof of the car is welcome, particularly amongst us older fellers who don’t want to strain a sacroiliac joint. The strap that secures the rear wheel slides back and forth to accommodate a variety of ‘wheelbase’ lengths. I think they’ve thought of just about everything.

The arm that comes down onto the front wheel expands to 33″ so it can accommodate the new mountain bike 29ers. With a special attachment (included) the arm will compress down far enough to carry a little 20″ wheel. Now the kids’ bikes can get a ride on the Mercedes of bike racks.

The arm has an internal ratcheting system to keep it away from dirt and it ratchets down in small increments for a more precise fit. After the arm contacts the tire, it’s best to push down an additional one or two clicks to really secure the bike.

The Shock And Awe Factor

And then there’s the feature that will be sure to catch a lot of attention at any race.

The built-in mechanic’s clamp.

The clamp can be rotated to grip the bike from either the seat post or the top tube. The clamp’s opening can be adjusted down to .75″ and up to 3″. That should work for just about any situation. There are 8 rotational positions so a rider should be able to position their bike exactly where they want it.

There is one easily rectified problem- the post and clamp aren’t locked to the rack. I guess a guy’ll have slide it off the rack and put it into the vehicle when it’s not in use.

The guys at Küat are heavy-duty into the mountain bike scene. Their marketing angle on the clamp is that you’re able to make trail-head adjustments to the bike.

But I’m thinking that if a guy were to take this rack and built-in clamp to a road race, you’d become a pseudo-celebrity. The fame may short-lived (until other racers start showing off with their own NV mechanic’s stands), but such is the nature of fan-based popularity.

In Nor-Cal there are hundreds of racers buzzing around the start/finish area. The reaction to the built-in work station is sure to be the same as a lonely guy taking a puppy to a Pilate class. Only you’ll have sweaty bike racers milling around your bumper, instead of well-conditioned spandex queens.

Drumroll, Please…

Well, there you have it…

The Küat NV is a very, very nice bike rack.  The workmanship is excellent and it’s evident from the features and innovations that the rack is designed by cyclists, not corporate suits.

The price tag is healthy ($495.00 MSR), but considering how much we’re spending on ‘all things bike’, it fits nicely into the upper-end cycling niche.

I know that the rack can be locked securely to the back of my Toyota, but until it gets that first ding or two, the voice inside my head says that the rack is too nice to just leave on the bumper.

But that’s a bit misguided (as are a good number of my thoughts), since these racks are made to be used. I suppose it’s a similar dilemma that owners of shiny new pick-up trucks come up against.  “You want me to haul steer manure in the new Ford 150? Are you crazy?”

But that doesn’t make it any easier to get that first scratch on a new Küat NV…

What makes it so great, you ask?

An Example Of Angle Illustrations

Well, the illustrations of the components of ‘cyclist meets bike’ are excellent. There are a plethora of other sites talking angles, positions, and reach, etc. What you don’t always see are clear images clarifying the concepts.

Not only are the illustrations on this site nicely done (complete with superimposed ‘protractors’), but the explanations of why each aspect of bike fitting is important are thorough and easy to understand.

So without further filler text, I highly recommend that you check out the Bike Dynamics Bike Fitting Specialists.

Carbon, carbon, who’s got the carbon?

From my perspective, the rush toward carbon in the cycling world rivals the stampede to the gold fields of California back when I was a youth. I fondly recall strapping my sluice box onto the back of my ass and traveling through the foothills of the Sierras. Ah, he was a noble steed.

Butt, back to the subject at hand…

I have a full carbon road bike frame, a carbon-enhanced Campy Record rear derailleur, carbon handlebars, carbon water bottle cages (saved a gram or two), and the list goes on and on. But when carbon started showing up in bike shorts (bib shorts too), I was befuddled.

That’s an extremely long lead-in just to use the word ‘befuddled’.

Are the bicycle shorts manufacturers merely trying to be popular by jumping onto the carbon bandwagon? Could it be that these are the same guys who’d smoke, chew, and wear uncomfortable trousers (love that word) just to be part of the ‘in crowd’? Or is there a valid reason to include carbon in bike shorts?

I’ll let those who include carbon fibers in their shorts speak for themselves and let you decide.

I can get twice as much because I keep my eyes
open for deep bike shorts discounts at Bike Nashbar.

From Assos

1). ‘A carbon fiber mesh panel, inserted between the back Lycra bib straps, improves the fit and enhances ventilation.’

I’ve heard it argued that carbon fiber in fabrics adds enough strength to allow the fabric to be thinner without sacrificing its integrity.

If the purpose of the mesh panel is to hold the straps in place without inhibiting heat transfer, then making the fabric as unobtrusive as possible makes good sense. So I can buy that. Maybe I can’t (or won’t) buy it to the tune of $359.99 for the Assos T FI.13_S5 Bib Short, but I’ve been kind of a tightwad ever since my efforts in the gold fields yielded only an ever-increasing stubbornness in my ass.

Let me point out that should Assos want to increase the number of reviews of their products, they may want to dial back the number of unintelligible digits in the names of their products. The extreme difficulty in typing out the names of the Assos models makes it too tempting to move on to reviewing bib shorts named something that makes sense, like ‘Campagnolo Racing Bib Shorts’.

It’s not even good for ‘word of mouth’ advertising.

‘Hey, Albert, those are some sharp bibs you’re wearing!’

‘Glad you noticed, Mortimer. They’re the latest Assos Capital Tee F Eye Dot Thirteen Underscore S Five’s (T FI.13_S5’s).’

That’s just not going to happen.

From Giordana

Giordana uses carbon in its top of the line Ametista fabric.

2). ‘The carbon element controls the stretch of the fabric, enabling muscle isolation to delay the onset of fatigue.’

So say the folks at Giordana. I suppose this is the compression clothing concept that’s sweeping the athletic performance world.

3). ‘Reinforces the material strength so that the fabric can be lighter while still stronger.’

I’m on board with this idea.

4). ‘The carbon repels electronic interference from cell phone towers and power lines that can interfere with performance on the bike.’

I don’t know, I don’t know!

Too Much For Carbon Enhanced Shorts?

We recently suffered through a massive winter storm which resulted in power lines being down everywhere. Had I been foolish enough to have crashed into them while wearing bibs without carbon fibers, I can see how my performance on the bike would have been interfered with.

But on the other hand, I’m not sure I’d have had enough confidence in carbon enhanced bib shorts to give the ‘jump the downed power lines’ stunt a try.

From Pearl Izumi

5). ‘Integrated carbon yarns reduce odor-causing bacteria and improve thermoregulation’.

This one’s had me baffled for a little while. On one hand it sounds overstated, but on the other hand it’s been ringing strangely familiar.

I finally remembered what it is with carbon and odor-causing bacteria.

In my other life as a stealthy bow-hunter there’s a real need for scent containment. This is both because animals have a keen sense of smell, and hunters have an enhanced ability to emit fowl odors.

Enter carbon.

Carbon-embedded hunting clothing traps odors before they can reach the air because carbon is extremely porous and the stink molecules get trapped in the little chunks of carbon. It’s a clever trick, but I guess that’s one of the reasons Homo sapiens are at the top of the food chain.

So I suppose having carbon in the threads of cycling shorts may absorb the stink molecules of that guy in front of you in the pace line.

And that’s just one more reason to not discount the use of carbon in cycling shorts too quickly.

You guys have any other ideas?



Giordana FormaRed Bib Shorts are considered to be the eternal Underdogs by the guys over at Competitive Cyclist. These are the folks who put a lot of very high end shorts out the door (or maybe onto the UPS truck). They sell more than their fair share of $340 Assos bib shorts.

But here’s their observation…cyclists looking for high end bib shorts gravitate to Assos, and may be overlooking the Giordana line. While their ultimate appreciation is for the FormaRed models, the workhorse Laser bib shorts benefit from Giordana’s attention to detail as well.

Where’d This All Begin?

In 1980 Giorgio Andretta started designing cycling apparel and melded the needs of the American cyclist with the authenticity of true Italian race wear. From the start, Giordana got involved with some of America’s biggest race teams and used the feedback from the pro racers to refine their products.

Thirty years later, Giordana has now brought all phases of the cycling apparel production process under one roof…blah, blah, blah. I’m even boring myself.

What Are Laser Bib Shorts Made Of?

I don’t care if it started in 1980, what’re these shorts made of?

Moovix!

A few years ago I wrote about Biemme shorts being made of moovix. Biemme likened the material to honeycomb breakfast cereal, because it is patterned after the multi-sided honeycomb shape. So what?

Well instead of stretching vertically and horizontally, like conventional lycra, moovix stretches in all directions.

And so it is with the moovix used to make Giordana laser bib shorts. It will stretch itself in all directions, not discriminating between well-conditioned, chiseled quads or generous flabby buttocks. To moovix, either challenge is merely something to stretch around.

Chamois (or Insert) Anyone?

I’m not interested in if the founder was named Giorgio Andretta or E. Norma Butts. Tell me what I’ll be sitting on…

Laser bib shorts use the T-SELECT-O.F. insert. The thickness of this insert varies (within the insert itself, not from insert to insert) and the company claims that it fits perfectly with the male cyclist’s anatomy. I always assumed there was some variation within the male gender in the nether regions (at least enough to cater to natural selection), but I suppose it was merely guesswork on my part. Giordana’s groinologists certainly know better than I.

As an aside, Giordana offers the WMC-3-O.F. insert as the perfect solution to providing comfort to the female anatomy. This insert is offered in the women’s specific version of the Giordana Laser bib shorts. Team Estrogen makes sure they have a good supply of these rascals.

Other Accouterments

And finally, I don’t know if we (I’m including you now) care about how many roofs these shorts emanate from. We just want a few bells and whistles.

The Giordana Laser bib shorts have a mesh panel on the back between the shoulder straps, and the mesh is touted to provide added ventilation. I’m no scientist, but I think that no back panel provides more ventilation than does a mesh back panel. But then again, a back panel does a good job of keeping the shoulder straps in place. Trade-offs, trade-offs.

These shorts also have a rear pocket in which to place your mobile phone or MP3 player. I can’t decide if the phone is better positioned in a pocket in the bib shorts or in the jersey. Of course there’s no one putting a gun to my head, forcing me to use the ‘bib shorts based’ pocket. Doesn’t hurt to have the option.

'Don't Get Too Close Or I'll Shoot'

And finally, the shorts feature a reflective Giordana logo on both the front and back. To me the logo’s an interesting image of what a cyclist in a breakaway’d like to say to his or her pursuers.

Giordana’s made a fine name for themselves in the high end cycling apparel industry. While the Laser bib shorts aren’t at the pinnacle (the Giordana FormaRed Carbons are), they are a fine product capable of lightening your wallet significantly (retail for $180).



I can get twice as much because I keep my eyes
open for deep discounts at Bike Nashbar.

While we, as cyclists, spend a lot of effort searching for the perfect bike, the most efficient wheels (that we can afford), and any equipment that will shave a few seconds off here and there, we may have been too polite in our efforts.

This is a performance tip that may not be for every rider. The technique is effective, but entirely too old fashioned for the sensibilities of many cyclists.

Without further delay, here it is…

Speak clearly and authoritatively. Your legs will have no choice but to obey!

When I got my Kurt Kinetic trainer several years ago, I don’t know that it was called a ‘Road Machine’. Kurt Kinetic was just making a splash in the bike trainer pool, and this was their only product. Now there are several new fancy Kurt Kinetic horses in the stable, but the road machine is still like a cowboy’s trusted quarter-horse- not too flashy, but SOLID and impervious to breakdowns.

1) Magnetic Coupling

If you’re new to the bike trainer world you may not have heard of Kurt Kinetic’s unique magnetic coupling design. I’ll get you up to speed.

While fluid trainers are recognized as being at the top of the trainer food chain, they do suffer from a fatal flaw. They start to develop leaks when they shouldn’t and have to be put out to pasture.

I’m just thankful that such a fate doesn’t await us older men when we start dribbling inappropriately. My kids assure me that I’m safe…at least for now.

Kurt Kinetic forged its place in the bike trainer world with a patent that eliminated the need for seals (which predictably fail). The chamber containing the silicone fluid is completely sealed and the roller which your bike tire is spinning is ‘virtually’ connected to the impeller by a magnetic coupler.

Kurt Kinetic Road Machine

Don’t get this confused with a mag trainer, which uses magnetic resistance to provide the workload.

The Kurt Kinetic system uses powerful magnets to couple the external roller with the sealed impellers. So there is no shaft penetrating the inner sanctum of the fluid. Check out the video at the end of this post for an excellent cut-away of the two chambers.

How strong are the magnets?

There were times in the past when I’d accelerate on my Road Machine and feel some slippage. I wondered if the slippage was occurring inside the trainer, in the inner sanctum of the magnetic coupling.

It turns out it wasn’t the ‘innards’ that were failing. Here’s how I found out- I practically wore out my rear tire within the span of a couple of indoor rides. Like a meat head, I hadn’t put enough tension between the roller and my tire. All of that slippage was tearing the tire up.

Since those early ill-fated rides, I’ve discovered that the idea of me having enough power in my legs to disrupt the bond between the coupling magnets was foolish wishful thinking. Kurt Kinetic’s testing demonstrated that the magnetic bond withstood an electric motor’s ability to suddenly accelerate the trainer from 0 to 50 mph without any slippage. My abilities are somewhat less than that.

On a similar note, this trainer provides up to 3000 watts of resistance. As a point of reference, elite road cyclists may produce up to 1700 as an instantaneous maximum at the end of a road race. Instantaneous means for the few seconds of their ‘jump’ as they accelerate.

It’s not likely you’ll be too powerful for this trainer.

2) Why Silicone?

Kurt Kinetic calls their fluid ‘thermodynamically neutral’. That means that the consistency of the silicone fluid remains essentially unchanged even as heat builds up. Other types of fluids lose their viscosity (thickness) as they increase in temperature. So if your trainer doesn’t have silicone in the fluid chamber, your workload decreases as heat builds up.

The consistent resistance in the Road Machine has been calibrated and ‘tweaked’ by testing the trainer’s resistance with a Powertap power meter.

Maybe you don’t know that you can
get up to 50% off on trainers at Bike Nashbar.

3) A Word About Guarantees

Kurt Kinetic maintains that their competitors warrant their trainers for ‘manufacturer’s defects‘. Kurt guarantees their trainers with an Unconditional Lifetime Warranty.

Yes, in the Kurt Kinetic literature the competitor’s guarantee is in lower case, while the Kurt guarantee is capitalized. Further proof that these fellers mean business.

There is actually a ‘crash replacement policy’ guarantee for the lifetime of the trainer. What kind of a fool could crash on a trainer?

My guess would be the type of fool who’s writing this review. But in my own defense, I’d forgotten to tighten everything down. And the impact onto the tile floor wasn’t too bad, since I was pedaling somewhat less than 50mph.

You can get as good a price on Kurt Kinetic trainers at Performance Bike as anywhere online.
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This video showcases the Kurt Kinetic ‘Rock and Roll’ trainer, but hang in there for the demonstration of the two chambers near the end.

There are milestones in life. That includes the life of a website.

The first hurdle was getting someone other than my mom to read my ramblings. Even she was hesitant, no doubt unwilling to discover what she had spawned half a century ago. Other family members followed her lead and the snow flake ball got rolling.

Now Alltop.com has relented to my mother’s incessant urgings and has included Cycling-Review.com on their Cycling page.

The employee here at Cycling-Review World Headquarters is beside himself with joy, and may have injured his shoulder hopping about and bumping into himself.

A while back, when I got serious about including consistent new content on the site, I began perusing for ideas. Using Alltop, I’m able to quickly scan what the greatest minds in cycling journalism are writing.

Sometimes it’d laxitize my journalistic constipation, and sometimes I’d still be left sitting on the can. But movement was happening.

I was getting ‘moved’ to think my humble site deserved to be considered along with such luminaries as PezCyclingNews, Bike Snob NYC, Tour De France News, and VeloNews. For some of us, such delusions come easy.

Well, Noe Mendiola from Alltop agreed with me and I’m now listed on the bottom right corner (prime real estate on websites since multitudes of readers with low self-esteem gravitate there) of the Cycling page.

I now feel intense pressure to write up to an elevated standard of excellence.

Some writers perform well under such a weight, and others crumble under pressure. The evidence of such a tragedy is in the quality of this first post after being Alltop indexed.

But…the winds of change are a blowin and I’m confident I’ll recover.