The Tao of SingleTrack
Name: Tom LeCarner
Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
Job: Grad Student/Teacher
Follow @tlecarner
The First SJ Trail Crew Throw down…
Ok, so maybe it won’t really be a “throw down” per se, but there will surely be some serious riding in the Utah desert next week–maybe an elbow or two, but surely nothing more. I, for one am so stoked for this trip. It’s the first time the TrailCrew has ridden together and I think we’re all pretty psyched to ride as a group on some crazy-fun singletrack and slickrock…Utah-Style.
I think I can speak for all of us in the colder climes, that we’re looking WAY forward to some short-sleeve jersey riding–it’s supposed to be in the 70s. While I love my new Rapha jacket and all, but I’m OVER the cold. The past three days here in Boulder it’s been in the high 60s and sunny. It’s supposed to snow 5-10 inches tomorrow…WTF? Anyway, this trip will be epic–um, well, Stumpjumpic?
I haven’t been to Gooseberry Mesa in about 7 years, but the last time I was there, Chris and I had an absolute blast–and as I recall, I was on the first generation Epic S-Works for that trip…I have to say, the Brain suspension has come a long way baby.
So, we’re heading out to Utah with the good folks at Western Spirit, which is a bike travel company based out of Moab, Utah…needles to say, they know the Utah desert well. Having been involved with a Western Spirit trip to Fruita, Colorado (the next TrailCrew adventure in May) a few years back, I can say from personal experience that these folks really know how to run a show. Every detail is taken care of for you–they cook, they clean, they drive your crap around for you; all you need to do–IS RIDE, EAT, RIDE. What more could you ask for, seriously?
There is an amazing mix of slickrock and technical desert singletrack to keep us smiling all weekend long. It’s always a trip to think that all of this desert used to be under water. The JEM Trail (named after the three people who built it) is a mix of double and single track with amazing cliff-side views of the Virgin River–it should be amazing. And the Bearclaw Poppy trails are also a great mix of singletrack and slickrock with some nice drops to keep the heart rate high–oh, and there’s something called “Clavicle Hill” that should be interesting.
I don’t want to give away too much of the trip (We’re still unsure as to what trails we’ll actually be riding), but it’s pretty safe to say we’re all pretty stoked about the trip. I boxed the Stump up today for shipping tomorrow. STOKED. Check back in a week or so for some SICK vids (all of us will have HD helmet cams, provided to us via the good folks at GoPro and Specialized…as well as awesome pics and the great stories from all the guys. Keep pedalin’
It is About the Bike…
This is an altered version of an article I wrote a bit ago after the VN Buyer’s Guide was published. I think it’s pretty timely though…
It Is About the Bike
The essence of the Buyer’s Guide at VeloNews is to celebrate the creativity, the ingenuity, and the artistry of cycling’s innovators. Much like Christmas though, I think we tend to get so caught up in the buying that we forget the spirit. Yes, indeed, let’s celebrate the $6,000 wheels and the $9,000 mountain bikes, but let’s not forget the very essence of the bicycle itself—the ultimate potential that it has, and what it brings to literally tens of millions of people around the globe—and what, in its simplest form, it can do. In many poor countries throughout the world the bicycle is the key to mobility and the key to freedom itself.
The bicycle has the potential to change lives, to save lives, and without hyperbole, to save the very planet we live on.
In Africa, for example, the bicycle is a lifeline; it is medicine, it is transportation, it is the difference between life and death in many cases. Bicycles for Humanity, a non-profit organization originally based in Thunder Bay, Onatrio, Cananda has developed a project called BEN—the Bicycle Empowerment Network. BEN is essentially a bike shop in a box and can be delivered anywhere in the world. A BEN shop typically includes several hundred bicycles, tools, spare parts, and comes with a comprehensive training program to teach would-be mechanics the basics of wrenching. The BEN Namibia project, started in 2006, has provided transportation to Home-Based Care (HBC) volunteers, as well as orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), which improves their access to education. The HBC bikes enable volunteers to visit more families affected by HIV/AIDS; they are able to spend more time (35% more) with each family due to the drastically reduced transportation times (46% less) between visits.
BEN Namibia has also developed and distributed over 50 “bicycle ambulances” to bring emergency medical attention wherever it might be needed. Kona, through its “BikeTown Africa” project has donated over 500 bikes to communities in African nations and has set a goal of giving another 1,000 bikes this year. These bikes serve the vital function of bringing HIV/AIDS medications to medical facilities throughout the continent. Bicycles also function to assist families in gathering food and water more efficiently, in allowing families to bring their goods to market more rapidly, in bringing children to school more efficiently without them having to walk long distances, which results in exhaustion and hence difficulty in studying and learning; they also provide employment opportunities for bike repair and maintenance jobs which would otherwise not exist. Kona has announced plans to introduce the BikeTown project in Afghanistan as well. There are projects like this all over the globe, from Namibia and Uganda, to Cambridge and Vancouver.
Despite the mind-boggling technologies employed by bike makers like Specialized–that is, the ones we get to ride here, the bicycle is a relatively simple machine that can be maintained anywhere in the world with relatively few tools or parts and with very little training. The bicycle allows otherwise sedentary peoples to move about more freely, to exercise not only physically, but also psychologically.
In addition to these life-changing benefits of the bicycle, we cannot forget the importance of the bicycle to the health of the planet. While the production process of bicycles and the parts we use to repair them does in fact contribute to global pollution, that contribution ends with the final product. There are many companies, however, that strive to make their businesses ever greener. In fact, the cycling industry publication Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN) recently introduced its annual BRAINy award for the greenest cycling companies and this year’s awards went to Specialized, Thule, and Pedros. Pedro’s was lauded for introducing an entire line of biodegradable lubricants as well as recycled seat bags and other eco-friendly products.
The importance of the bicycle in developed countries like the United States is often taken for granted, or worse, forgotten entirely. In the most wasteful and gluttonous country on the planet, we purchase between 15 and 20 million bikes every year; we discard nearly half of those in landfills and countless others sit unused in garages from Los Angeles to Portland, Maine. Fewer than 100,000 a year ever make it to poor developing countries. If that doesn’t make you want to dust off the old Huffy and take it out this weekend, well, fine, donate it, sit back on the couch, and at least feel that the old steed has been put to good use by someone, somewhere in the world.
So, cheers to the engineers, designers, and manufacturers of the world’s most technologically advanced bikes and components – the 13-pound carbon featherweight, the sweet ceramic bearings, and the luscious deep-dish wheels, but let’s not forget the 35-pound steel 3-speed in Nairobi with baskets that just saved someone’s life – for the third time this month.
The New Ride, The Knee, and Gooseberry Mesa Prep
Well, the new road rig is finally complete and it’s absolutely sick:
I’ve taken it out about six times now and it rides as fantastic as it looks…very fast and responsive, but the carbon really damps the vibration nicely. Needless to say, I’m stoked.
What’s FAR more exciting to me than the new bike (which is really up there) is the major improvement in my knee. I’ve been dealing with a tenacious case of pes anserine bursitis (Google it) for almost two years now. As you read in my last post, I recently had a PRP injection, which seems to have provided some improvement. I’ve also had some cold laser therapy provided by Dr. Kevin Reichlin, one of the team docs for the ProTour Garmin Transitions team. I’ve also been incorporating a really serious stretching regimen–the reason for the stretching, apart from the fact that I’m just damn old, is that this condition is pervasive in people with tight hamstrings…which I have always had.
So I’ve had a host of 3D bike fits, a PRP injection, weeks of physical therapy, cold laser therapy, stretching routines, and cortisone injections. The question then becomes–how do you know which one was effective? The reality is–and I recognize that this might be contrary to all things scientific: I don’t care. The last two rides I’ve done have been 100% pain-free and after nearly two years of pain, I can’t begin to describe what that feels like. I’ve had ups and downs over the course of my therapy–good rides, and bad–but my knee has never felt this good; it feels like the knee I had before my injury…and I don’t care how it got this way, I only care that it IS this way. I have my personal suspicions as to what was most effective, but the reality is, I don’t know–and neither do any of my caregivers. I can only say that over the course of a long, chronic injury, it can get pretty damn depressing to be in pain doing the thing you love to do. And these past two rides have been nothing short of a miracle…
And now…we’re heading to Gooseberry Mesa with the TrailCrew this month and I couldn’t be more stoked. Although my fitness level isn’t where I’d like it to be, the fact that I can now ride without pain will make the trip that much more amazing. We’re heading out with the folks at Western Spirit, who are totally amazing. I’ve ridden with them in Fruita, Colorado and it was a blast. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Gooseberry, it’s an incredible place to ride. Just outside of St. George, Utah–about 2 hours from Vegas, it’s a mix of sick singletrack and slickrock that defies description; it must be experienced. The views are spectacular–particularly from atop the mesa itself–you can see miles of gorgeous Utah desert. Our first TrailCrew group trip will be one to remember for sure.
So, now, while I’ve got some weather that’s favorable to bikes, I’m going to get out on the Stumpy today and do some hill climbing drills…I don’t want to be too far off the back in Utah. Looking forward to it guys. See you in a few weeks!
MY NEW TOY…
Well, since Matt got to share his new car yesterday (totally sweet by the way Matt, congrats!), I felt it was only just to share my new toy as well… Here it is:
Yep…a 2010 S-Works Roubaix SL2. Not too shabby. I figured if it’s good enough for Tom Boonen to win Paris-Roubaix, it’s good enough for me–although I’m not sure about the winning Paris-Roubaix part. I’m building it up with full SRAM Red, an S-Works cockpit, and a set of Fulcrum 2-way wheels. I’m really looking forward to trying tubeless tires on this bad boy. We did a test in the latest VeloNews Buyer’s Guide on tubeless wheels/tires, and the test crew at VN are all psyched on them, so it should be nice. It’s like Christmas in Boulder–in February! Now if my other road bike would just sell!!
We’re heading out to Greeley, Colorado today for my son’s second BMX racing series…so stay tuned for some pics and vids from that!
A Vampire Weekend: PRP Injection Therapy for my knee…
I have had a nagging knee injury (pes anserine tendonitis) that has lasted nearly two years now. Here’s what my knee looked like before my injury:
As you can see, they were pristine; I’ve always taken good care of them…
I’ve had three 3-D fit sessions at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine to get my bike fit right; it’s perfect now. I’ve gone through weeks of physical therapy, massage, and have also had two cortisone injections. Through all of these efforts, my knee has improved tremendously. I can now ride my bike, mountain or road, pretty hard for more than two hours before feeling anything. And while these improvements are certainly encouraging, I still can’t go out on a Saturday and ride for four or five hours like I used to before the injury. After speaking with Andy Pruitt about the possible next steps, he said, “I think you’re a perfect candidate for a PRP injection.” “A What?” I said.
If you have never heard of PRP (Platelet-Rich-Plasma) injection therapy, that will likely change very soon. PRP therapy is on the forefront of sports medicine and orthopedics and is poised to make great strides in the very near future as technological advances are making the procedure more affordable and staff members at top sports medicine facilities are being trained in the procedure.
What is PRP therapy? It’s a relatively simple procedure actually. The first step is to take out some of your own blood, in my case, approximately 60cc worth. The blood is then placed into a specialized separation container—which is a euphemism for a Tupperware cup. The container is then placed into a centrifuge:
The blood is then spun at 400-500Gs for 14 minutes. The spinning separates the blood into red blood cells, plasma, and platelets. The result looks something like this:
After the platelets and plasma have been separated out, a needle is inserted into the container and the platelets, in my case approximately 1 billion of them, are extracted with a little bit of plasma into a syringe (the plasma is what makes it possible to reinject the platelets into my body). After the spinning was done, my very own platelet-rich plasma was reinjected into my knee—approximately 8ccs. It wasn’t a painless injection; I’ll leave it at that.
The science behind this therapy concerns the properties of the platelets themselves. When the platelets are activated, (i.e., injected) into the body, they release healing proteins called growth factors. By increasing the baseline concentration of platelets in the patient’s blood, the process triggers a massive healing response in the affected area. Early studies have shown dramatic improvement in patients suffering from tendon injuries in various areas including the knees, elbows, and ankles, among others.
As the New York Times reported just last February, “two of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ biggest stars, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu, used their own blood in an innovative injury treatment before winning the Super Bowl. At least one major league pitcher, about 20 professional soccer players and perhaps hundreds of recreational athletes have also undergone the procedure.” Tiger Woods had the procedure done last year on his knee, but that’s as far as the comparisons between the Tiger and myself will go.
In many cases, PRP has aided in actually regenerating ligaments and tendon fibers, which obviously shortens rehab time out of the saddle for us cyclists; it can even obviate the need for surgery in some cases. By introducing blood platelets in areas that have low blood circulation, like tendons, the result is often a dramatic shortening of the healing process.
What the New York Times article failed to mention, however, is the disparity in the way PRP therapy has been conducted. The Times claims that the process introduces “high concentrations” of platelets, which it considers to be between three and 10 times higher than a patient’s baseline. This is where the disparity comes in. The vast majority of centrifuge machines on the market today produce these types of numbers. The very latest machines however, like the one used at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, produce figures as high as 700-800 times higher than baseline. This is critical because recent studies have shown a direct correlation between the number of platelets and the rate of success.
Because the injection is autologous, there is virtually no risk of rejection or allergic reaction. And while the procedure remains, at the moment, “off-label” or “experimental” that will likely change as more and more studies are coming forth showing the benefits of PRP.
While the Boulder Community Hospital has done many PRP procedures, I was the very first patient to have the procedure done at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, which has just recently invested in the most advanced equipment available for PRP therapy. I will likely be off the bike for two, possibly three weeks, after which time I can begin training again that will eventually ramp up and hopefully put me close to where I was before the injury–like in the photo above. I will be documenting my progress here, so stay tuned for more.
A mountain biking holiday with my son…
One of the many great things about being a teacher is having winter break. A three-plus week period to enjoy the holidays and spend time with family and friends. Of course that also means that my son, Jacob, who is in second grade, is also out of school and at home–um, all day. 
Needless to say, with many of his friends on vacation, he can get bored rather quickly (playing legos with Laura and me only goes so far). So, this break we took the opportunity to send him to an indoor mountain bike skills camp here in Boulder. The Boulder Indoor Cycling Center (www.boulderindoorcycling.com) is a velodrome and mountain bike skills park that provides a great alternative to Boulder’s thriving cycling communities when the weather turns sour. Over the holidays, they hosted mountain bike skills camps for kids–with all day or half day options. We signed Jake up for three 1/2 days, packed up the Specialized HotRock 20, and hit the ramps:
The first few hours were a bit frustrating for him, particularly the woops, but by the end of the first day, he was riding the double black diamond routes–as fearless as ever:
While we were at camp, we met a young boy named Wyatt Bell. Wyatt is the youngest world champion, in any cycling discipline, ever. He won the world BMX championship in China at 5-1/2 years old…needless to say, now at age seven, he’s very impressive on his bike. Wyatt’s dad invited us to the first weekend of the new Colorado Indoor BMX Racing series up in Greeley, Colorado. So, we headed up to Greeley last weekend to watch the pros (and Wyatt) tear up the indoor track. Jake doesn’t have a BMX bike, but we brought the HotRock along to try out the course with his newly-honed MTB skills. After a few laps of practice, Jake was hooked–he wanted to race. So, we signed him up, borrowed a BMX rig, and the rest is, well…history. He didn’t win his first race, but he didn’t let a fall stop him from finishing either–I was very proud. It was an amazing way to spend our break, as a family, riding bikes…too cool.
And if you look carefully at the video in our “Videos” section of the website, you’ll see me on my Stumpy hittin’ the BMX track myself, like the good ol’ days. I might have to try the 4X race next month!
Ok, not so much a “group” ride then…
While I didn’t expect a huge crowd this morning at 9am and a temp of 30F, my expectations were right on. Camran Taylor, from Sports Garage Bike Shop here in Boulder was my one compatriot for what ended up being a fantastic Sunday morning. The storm that was supposed to arrive last night and last into this morning steered to the west and south of us and we ended up with this:
After a good two-mile climb through the canopy of pine trees, we hit the top and made our way down the rocky, but really fun singletrack–(although I’m not sure how “fun” it would be on a hard tail…). The Stumpjumper performed flawlessly; and this was my second ride since getting fit at BCSM, and I have to say the suspension is really dialed in nicely. The Brain can have a bit of a “flutter” before it engages, if it’s set up improperly, or if it’s at set up toward the “hard” end of the dial, in which case the bike really rides more like a hard tail–but to have such a wide range of options–from 5.5 inches of plush travel to 4 inches of fast, cross-country racing style travel–is one of the things that sets this bike apart from others. Pretty sweet. So, it was cool, sunny and nobody was out there today–Camran and I pretty much had the entire mountain to ourselves.
So, needless to say, we took advantage of it:
As the Thanksgiving weekend comes to an end, I’m thankful for my family, my health, the many sunny days here in Boulder, Colorado, and the fact that I have this amazing bike to enjoy them on. And while I’m ready for some snow and to get up into the high country for some skiing, I’m going to revel in days like today when the trails are empty and the smiles are long… I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.
Heil Meet Up Ride Tomorrow!
Thanksgiving is behind us, we’re stuffed and snow is on the horizon…but that won’t stop us from heading out tomorrow. Me and some of the guys from Sports Garage here in Boulder are going to head up to Heil Ranch tomorrow morning at 9am, bright and (too) early. Forecast shows 20% chance of snow tomorrow and that’s after a 40% chance tonight, but should only be a dusting (hopefully). So if you’re up for some cold-weather antics, meet us up at Heil Ranch tomorrow. Look for pics and vids after we thaw out. See you up there!
Heil Ranch
In Boulder, Colorado in the month of November the number of days one can ride off road is severely limited…it’s often sunny here, but the temps are typically around 40-45 in the daytime and into the 20s at night…and if it has snowed recently, the trails are often pretty mucked up for weeks or even months. Thankfully, we’ve had some dry weather and temps into the 50s here lately and the sun has melted nearly all of the snow off the trails.
Laura and I headed up to Heil today to try out the Stumpjumper with the new settings since my fit at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine–AND, lest I forget, we got Laura an early birthday/Christmas present yesterday in the form of a Santa Cruz Juliana…so she was just as eager to get out today as I was…
Needless to say, we had a great ride. The weather was awesome (relatively speaking…) and the trails were in great shape. The fit worked wonders too. With the new suspension set up, the otherwise very rock trails at Heil felt like a fire road–so a huge shout out to Sean Madsen at BCSM for all your help with the fit session–the bike is dialed; now let’s just hope the weather holds for a bit longer!
Bike Fitting at BCSM
Chris Matthews from Specialized came out to Boulder this past week to attend a Bikes Belong meeting that was happening here at the St. Julien hotel. He also decided to take the opportunity to head up to the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine with me to get a fit on his road bike, while I got fit on my new Stumpjumper. For those of you how aren’t familiar with BCSM, it is one of the world’s leading facilities for athletes from around the world in the areas of biomechanics, nutrition, recovery, physical therapy, and a host of other related services. The center is led by Andy Pruitt, Ed.d, PA, who has been instrumental in developing the BG Fit System used by Specialized dealers around the globe. He has worked with many ProTour teams, including the entire Saxo Bank team, fitting the likes of Fabian Cancellara and the Schleck brothers. Sean Madsen is the lead biomechanist at BSCM and he did Chris’ fit as well as mine.
I’ve had some knee issues over the course of the last year and have been to see both Andy and Sean; in fact I wrote a continuing column about my experiences at BCSM, which you can find here: http://velonews.com/article/85817
There are several different types of fits available at BCSM, however, the 3D fit process is the most comprehensive that you will find anywhere. There are six infra-red cameras surrounding you as you sit on your bike, in addition to a video camera that captures the entire process from the side view. You are fitted with “anatomical landmarks,” which are little globe-looking dots, strategically placed at critical points on your body to track your movements on all planes. As you pedal, the cameras capture the data which is then fed into the computer system. Then you can see an animated version of “you.” You can then watch your knees, feet, and hips as they go through the entire pedaling process–for better or worse.
Since I’ve done extensive 3D fits on my other bikes, a 3D fit wasn’t necessary for me at this point, but we did set up the suspension for my weight and riding style as well as adjust the saddle height and the width of the shifters and brake levers.
The end result was the saddle was raised a few millimeters, and the shifters and brake levers were brought in a few millimeters and the suspension was set at 190psi for the rear shock and 80psi for the fork. I’m heading out today to try it out for the first time since the fit. I’ll report back later.
