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Special Guest: FLUID’s David Brown
While it is hard to deny the beauty of sitting on the trainer being entertained by a screen displaying your output (who does not love that?), the latest theatrical release or bike race; I chose a different route, which is probably why I am the slow John. After that 4 hour podcast I needed some some time away – only to wonder how those mountains would be when the snow was gone and the temperatures a bit higher.
Unfortunately at the moment, for a good bit of the USA moderate temps are a pipe dream forcing those wanting to beat up on others in their spring campaigns to emulate the first photo. (Well, maybe not exactly like the first photo, in the sterile room with a mobile workstation). But at least there is a new podcast! In this back to basics installment the Two Johns talk International: Moncoutie ready to rumble, Rock ready to crumble? Local: snowboarding does not help cycling & we both get ready for this weekend’s cross race- one above board, the other on the down low, Interview with FLUID’s founder David Brown to discuss one listener’s question about post ride recovery drinks & Listener Feedback: Alva gives us the run down of champions’ heights and crank length choice & asks a question we probably did not talk about enough- why a clean Armstrong doesn’t mention anything about beating a dirty Jan? The ethics of a cycling gigolo & much much more.
Click here for more information about FLUID or google ‘live fluid’ and you will find them. They are offering a 20% discount to our listeners when they use the secret code of ‘tjpc’ when placing the order.
Have the Two Johns jumped the shark?
January 16th, 2009 at 8:43 am
Given the discussion a few podcasts ago about extra lights making you safer at night… I saw http://www.boingboing.net/2009/01/15/bikelight-that-paint.html today which is a laser concept that ‘paints’ a bike lane around you where ever you ride. I like the comment “providing drivers with a recognizable boundary they can easily avoid”; hmmmmm.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:37 am
The main reason that the ski resort wasn’t crowded is the fact that when you have 13 resorts in about an hour drive of each other it is kind of hard to get a crowd. Another reason is that there are less people out here and so it’s just a numbers game. Makes for quite a bit more enjoyable experience.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Not related to the new ‘cast but this clip from today’s BikeSnob made me think of the two Johns: “Many thanks as always for reading. If it’s cold where you ride, stay warm. If it’s warm where you ride, stay cool. And if you ride a recumbent, stay a safe distance from me.”
)
January 17th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Over a year and a half of listening and finally JG tells JK to speak into the mic. Hooray!!
I always thought it was due to the premise of the podcast being, “the conversation on the way home from a race” and alluded that maybe JK always sat in the back seat and the drop in voice wolume was planned…
January 17th, 2009 at 11:24 am
To the guy in last weeks podcast who suffered fron willie[penis] cold. As a BSc in Knitwear and Textile Technology i can tell you that cashmere is one of the warmest fibres, in my sub 3 hour marathon days i would wear my old cashmere jumpers to keep the scottish winters at bay. Get your wife to buy some cashmere and she can knit you some willie warmers.
regards Fun Run Robbie
January 17th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Dear Frozen Willie:
Try getting out of the saddle fairly frequently to get the blood flowing and try wearing insulated tights over your cycling shorts instead of wearing just leg warmers and shorts. You could also try the sock technique. I’m sure the 2j’s will have a special third leg Defeet custom sock on their product page soon!
January 17th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
There is a mathematical reason for using longer cranks in the mountains. First of all, the formula for the torque placed on a crank is: T=rFsinϑ. T= torque, r= radius (crank length), F=force, and sinϑ= the angle at which force is applied to the crank arm. In order to maximize the torque you would have to maximize radius, force, and angle. Because the amount of force (f) you can place on the crank is limited, and knowing that force is greatest when its vector is perpendicular to the crank arm, therefore, increasing crank length would be the easiest way to increase power. Assume two cyclists are climbing a hill. One has a 170mm crank arm, and the other has a 180mm crank arm. The cyclist with the longer crank arm will be able to produce more torque (because the “r” value in the formula above is greater). So theoretically, if both cyclists placed the same force onto the pedals, the one with longer crank arms will produce more torque, more watts of power, thus using less energy to climb the hill.
January 17th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Two John’s ??
January 17th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m282/peacepoetic/WKRPmyspaceimage.jpg
January 17th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
High school physics won’t get it. Each of your more torquey circles will be larger, so since you are keeping force constant you will be expending more energy or your rpms will drop.
It’s not an instantaneous force problem (unless you are pulling stumps), it’s a power/energy problem.
Crank size is more about keeping your hip and knee angles appropriate for your size and flexibility. I’m 5′10″ and have used 180mm, 175mm, 172.5mm and 165mm (track). 172.5mm is the ticket for me.
QED
-Sir Isaac Newton
January 17th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Agreed. The benefit from a few mm in crank length is probably extremely small, and the fact that each rotation is larger would probably cancel out any benefit. I wouldn’t even bother with a longer crank for an some advantage, appropriate hip and knee angles are probably more important.
It came up in the podcast so I thought I’d just take a guess.
January 17th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Alright, let’s get this TDU talk started.
Will he-who-shall-not-be-named be pack fodder or will he podium? I for one, think that he looks extremely fit and maybe will open a few eyes this week, but then again maybe his pack riding skills will suck and he’ll just follow wheels all week. What’s everyone think?
January 17th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I think he’ll make some noise and be on the Podium for a stage but not overall. I think this will be a training ride.
January 17th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Isn’t the course mostly dead flat? Diversity of terrain used to be his forte. They’re a lot of competent sprinters out there now. If he should get a overall gap, literally anyone could take it from him. Maybe, they will gift him. Besides, Rust never sleeps.
January 17th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Is there going to be anywhere we can see a stream of the race online?
January 18th, 2009 at 3:09 am
To Dave,
I think http://www.cycling.tv.com is going to show the tour down under.
good luck
Fun Run Robbie
January 18th, 2009 at 7:55 am
http://www.cyclingfans.com always lists streams, tickers, and commentary links for almost every cycling race. It’s a cool site and the best part is that most streams are FREE.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Check out Liz Hatch’s blog. She had a nasty accident and there are some pic’s of the aftermath…she’s ok but looks natsy.
January 20th, 2009 at 8:24 am
ATTENTION JOHN K
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2009/jan/20/top-gear-stig-revealed
January 20th, 2009 at 10:51 am
British David- thanks for the heads up. Will they need to find a new one after the unveiling? I came across this yesterday when catching up on some of Captain Slow’s fine articles about bicycles.
Curiously enough, May’s writing about the usefulness of bicycles sounds more appropriate coming from a burger munching American trolling the big box stores than a ponci lad about London. All good stuff though.
JK in NC
January 20th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Feck, no Santa Claus? “Two Johns ruined my life…”
Anyway, it’s time you all knew I am the Stig. And Mark Webber.
January 20th, 2009 at 11:42 am
PS – How’s life down in ‘Hay-wick’, Robbie?
January 20th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Aye Stumpy Rider,
This time of year Hawick is a wild and lonely place, and when i’m out on the venyoux [sarecen] you only have the sheep and dry stain dyke’s [stone walls to you sassenacks] for company.
Hock aye the noo and long may your lum reek
Fun Fun Robbie
January 20th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Superman, Deep Throat and now the Stig! Secret identities are a bitch to maintain.
Of course, now I may have to kill you…
Yours,
-Le Gimpe
-sent from the super-secret Gimpe cave (no, not Abstainer John’s basements)
January 20th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
To the e-mailer looking for cycling pants, Gore makes wet/cold weather pants suitable for cycling, which can be worn over street clothing. I wear them over my tights in extreme conditions. See http://www.gorebikewear.com/remote/Satellite/MenPants?new_activity=OffRoad
January 20th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Not the MTBer thing again.
January 20th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
John K,
Nice job representing the cycling world with Rudy goggles!
The West is Best!
January 20th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
14:47 CST 144km/1km to go
David Moncoutie (Cofidis) has been caught with one kilometre to go.
JK’s boy is showing some early form. Maybe this is the year JK.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:04 am
Ah, the Stig. Actually, its been suspected for some time that the Stig is Ben Collins. I know less about computers than perhaps anyone in the world, but a simple youtube seach would reveal the truth in about 30 seconds… even if you did it over a year ago, Ben Collins is still the answer.
As for The Moncoutie, I think ‘his year’ was sometime in the ’80s…. Had he been around then, I’m sure he would have a TdF podium and KOM jersey or 2 to his name. The genius of the man is that he is still competitive now, but is made of the stuff of a different era…. Born in the wrong decade.
January 21st, 2009 at 3:56 am
Cheers, but my lum hasn’t reeked for many years, Robbie – the douce hamlet of “Living-stone” (!) is strictly smoke-free!
January 21st, 2009 at 4:01 am
Back to the cycling pants thing, and Tightophobic might also want to check out Endura’s offerings: http://www.endurasport.com/Dept.aspx?dept_id=133
They’re also made just along the road from me here in Bonny Scotchlandshire!
January 21st, 2009 at 7:45 am
Johns, the VDB you mentioned in the email header reminds me of the VDB( Frank Vandenbroucke) posts on BKW. Also, the PRO list you mention reads almost exactly from the Official Rules of the European Cyclist Facebook group.
January 21st, 2009 at 9:31 am
Honest Marc- that may explain it. Moncoutie at one time was heralded by the french as their next great hope. Now if I remember correctly, the french race at a different speed (at least the french on french teams) than the rest of the bunch. That speed differential started to develop just after the 80’s ended. Voila! That explains why he was & still is the great french hope! Vive DM!
JK in NC
January 21st, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Spin Racer – So are you saying that not only have we jumped the shark, but have also plagiarized BKW and the rules of the euro? Talk about lack of Quality.
January 21st, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Something that’s bounced around the interweb that much and in so many forms has to be public domain. It certainly predates BKW or Facebook.
I think you are safe from the intellecual property lawyers.
January 21st, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Hi Stumpy Rider,
Why not come to Hawich on the 23/8/09 and have a go in the Ken Laidilaw Sportive [ 160 km] of quite country roads, and after the sportive i can show you all the watering holes , some good some bad.
regards
Fun Run Robbie
January 23rd, 2009 at 6:41 am
Thanks for the offer, Robbie, but I’m strictly fat-tyre at the moment (AND with Camelbak – gasp!). Transition to the ‘dark side’ is, however, almost inevitable so watch this space, credit crunch permitting!
January 28th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Johns, sorry to get back to you so late. I’m not at all saying that you’re plagiarizing BKW or anyone for that matter. Just thought I’d mention where I saw it. Keep up the good work and this snow storm sucks.