with Coach Andrew Christensen

As a bike shop owner I probably shouldn’t be writing this. I should instead be helping to hype the newest, lightest doodad that the magazines and web sites have all declared as the best performance-enhancing product on the market, in order to increase my sales. But instead, the coach in me wants to give advice on how to purchase wisely. Not that the new product won’t improve performance or make your bike lighter, but is the money out of your pocket actually going to be justified by the “performance boost?"

For example, the other day, a person came into my shop and was asking about purchasing a time trial bike. After talking to him for a while and trying to find out what he was really trying to accomplish, I discovered he races in triathlons and he had noticed that all the winners ride time trial specific bikes. Consequently, he was thinking that riding a time trial bike would get him up there with the leaders. After finding out more about his riding and finish times, I told him that even with the more aerodynamic position of a time trial bike he probably still wouldn’t be up there with the leaders. He seemed somewhat taken aback, but I explained to him that without proper training, even the best equipment won’t make him the winner. I did offer some less expensive ways to improve his performance, such as a good set of tri bars, training with a heart rate monitor and using lighter, more aerodynamic wheels; suggesting that then, when he is in that percentage where the seconds the manufacturer claims their bike will take off your time will make a difference, that is the time to upgrade to the time trial bike.

Probably the most cost-effective items to boost performance are good tires and wheels. A set of high performance tires will lower rolling resistance and improve your bike’s handling. A good set of light wheels will also improve its handling as well as increase its acceleration, improve its aerodynamics and make the bike lighter over all. And if you are worried about crashing a nice new expensive set of wheels in a race, most wheel manufacturers have some type of crash replacement insurance you can get which will replace the wheels if this situation arises.

Another less expensive piece of equipment that will improve your cycling is a good heart rate monitor or power meter that can also keep track of your mileage, speed, and even altitude climbed so you can effectively track your training. Being able to download that data to a computer and keep track of it can be a great motivator as well as being an easy way to review your fitness level. For many riders a simple and inexpensive heart rate monitor is all they need in order to train more effectively.

It may seem a bit “retro grouch” not to hype those cool looking carbon fiber compact cranks, but the fact is they are not going to get you up that hill any faster without proper training. The bottom line is, for most of us who are racing as a hobby, the weight savings many products offer will not make that much of a difference in winning or losing a race - although they may help us feel like riding our bikes more, which is the reason many of us got into this sport in the first place.

(Editor's Note: If you are in the market for new items check out "Weight Weenies", our Resource of the Month, for specs on cycling equipment.)

Experienced, knowledgeable, and diverse are all words that come to mind when describing Coach Valerie Spees. With many years of competitive experience in a variety of disciplines (including rowing, triathlons, cycling, swimming, and running) and her educational background in Exercise Physiology, Valerie relies on a combination of her own training experiences and knowledge of physiological principles to deliver a well rounded coaching experience. As a passionate athlete herself, Valerie understands the level of hard work and commitment that it takes to succeed in sport and she continues to remain active today (even after the birth of her son!) by participating in a variety of sports on a regular basis.

When it comes to educational credentials and professional level certifications, Valerie delivers. She holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology and is a certified Exercise Specialist with the American College of Sports Medicine Exercise Specialist certification as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

As a working mother, Valerie excels in time management skills, which she uses on a daily basis in order to balance her professional, athletic, and personal life. If you ask many athletes what makes a great coach, they will often tell you that one of the most important qualities of a successful coach is the ability to “read” the athletes they coach. Over the years that she has been working with athletes, Valerie has shown that she possesses this unique ability and is able to get a good sense of what level and type of support they need to succeed.

If you’d like to find out more information about Valerie, you may be able to find her behind her jogging stroller pushing her son through the streets of Dayton, Ohio or simply click here to read more.

Have a personal or cycling site with some readership following? Between now and May 31st, show Wenzel Coaching your new link on your site to www.wenzelcoaching.com and we'll send you a free water bottle! Limit one per client. Send the link to your page showing the www.wenzelcoaching.com link to info@wenzelcoaching.com.

It’s not everyday that a champion cyclist encourages you to look into coaching. However, this is exactly how Coach Andrew Creer got his start with Wenzel Coaching. When former World Champion and current Wenzel Coach, Erin Hartwell, was in Andrew’s research lab while a few of his athletes were participating in physiological testing, he spoke to Andrew about Wenzel Coaching and encouraged him to look into it. After a few years of thinking about breaking into the coaching world, this was all the incentive Andrew needed. The rest, as they say, is history.

Andrew’s racing experience is vast and he has been exposed to many aspects of endurance racing. His early exposure came in high school where he competed in swimming and running. His start in bike racing came on the mountain bike and he went on to begin racing on the road and triathlons while in graduate school.

As a coach, he combines this personal experience in endurance racing with his intimate knowledge of human physiology. With a Ph.D. Human Bioenergetics from Ball State, he has the ability to explain the “why” behind training to help athletes reach their full potential in their pursuit of their personal performance goals. He continues to work in the academic realm today studying many aspects of physiology including several cycling performance.

Besides his number one hobby of spending time with his wife and two children, Andrew still finds time to remain an active cyclist. He is driven in this pursuit by his fellow “lab-mates” who are also active cyclists, and they compete in regular tests for “lab glory." There is nothing like a little competition in the Exercise Physiology lab to keep the motivation for training high!

Click here to read more about Andrew.

Susie Bump - Completed Hemet Double Century and Solvang Double Century on way to California Triple Crown

Joshua Adelman - Stanford Collegiate Road Race, 2nd place in men 'C', Upgraded from 5s to 4s

Hanns Detlefsen - Pinole Team Time Trial, 1st place in Elite 4

Tracy Lillig - Sea Otter Road Race, 2nd Women 40+

Tony Homes - Santa Cruz Classic Criterium, 1st Elite 4

Tammy Sporleder-- 1st Women's Open, Aledo Road Race

Clay Hobson-- 3rd, Plano Tuesday Night Criterium

Keith Shurtleff-- New PR by over 20 minutes on his home 100K course!

Sten Schmidt--3rd (Omnium) Friday Night Track (Alkek Velodrome in Houston) --11th Medical Colleagues of TX RR (Coldspring) --5th Fayetteville Stage Race (Stage 1)

Noah Williams--1st (10-12) Heights Criterium LAJORS --1st (Omnium) Friday Night Track (Alkek Velodrome in Houston)--2nd (10-12) Mineral Wells RR LAJORS --1st (10-14) Friday Night Track (Superdrome)

David Foong - 4th Place - Purdue South Campus Crit - Collegiate Cat. C

Wenzel Coaching offers signed copies of Bike Racing 101 for only $15.00 plus shipping! That's nearly $4 off the list price!

Click here for more information.

Portland, OR ~ May 20 & 21, 2006

What: Learn cycling skills and potentially learn to race!

Where: NE Portland, OR. On-the-road skills on Swan Island.

When: May 20, 21 -- Attend one or both sessions!

Clinic limited to 20 participants. Register Online or by mail! Pre-registration closes Wednesday, May 17.

Whether you are a very first time racer or a rider with a few races under your belt, this clinic will help you become a more confident and smarter racer and pave the way for you to become a stronger one.

Join Coaches Kendra Wenzel and Melissa Sanborn for a weekend of cycling learning both on and off the bike! Saturday's morning session will cover everything from cycling terminology to cornering and evasive braking. On Saturday afternoon we'll take everything we learned in the classroom in the morning out into the field!

Sunday's clinic will include entry into the Swan Island Criterium. Swan Island is the perfect course to learn to race. With great pavement, gentle turns and flat terrain, there couldn't be a better beginner's course. We'll talk about race training, preparation, nutrition, and tactics, and then we'll take it right to the field. We'll guide you through every step of the way including everything from registration to post race analysis and get you on your way toward racing your next race!