Doge

I agree. Regardless, telling people how to ride their bikes, with no evidence from crashes that it is dangerous seems a bit paternalistic.

This whole things is somewhat of a dark cloud. I have no dog in this fight now except I am a baby official and my kid still rides - and I'm an American.

You should be able to touch your bike how you want.

This is just more of what I was ranting about on the gears. USAC coaching takes the worlds most talented kids (2015 UCI Nations Cup winners) and whittles them down. Now they are starting on the lessor talented kids.

This whole thing also backfired. The big "privileged" teams like LUX, Hot Tubes have folks to read the rules made on a whim. It is the struggling riders and clubs that got busted.

mattm

Meh.

There are plenty other windmills to battle.

Ygduf

I've seen people relegated for taking their hands off the bars as they cross the line. They sent a comunique saying to keep your hands on the bars? Best keep your hands on the bars.

Looking at scenery is an absurd comparison. As is riding out of the saddle. Strawmen to the extreme.

mike868y

does anyone here live/have lived in london?

Doge

The comparisons were hyperbole to point out USAC is not to tell riders how to ride. The official who would communicate hands need to stay on bars is doing it wrong. I've seen officials corrected on this one and have an old email on it as it was an incorrect junior instruction in SoCal - just like pins are needed for a number. The only thing officials are supposed to penalize is dangerous/unfair riding - and the other stated rules. If the jersey is wrong, they didn't sign in etc. are about order. Telling some riders how to ride and not others, seems to me to be a problem.
Being dangerous? That can certainly come from hands off the bars, or forearms on the bars or a variety of other positions.

Ttoc6

Don't want to jump too far into this debate, but let the riders ride. Time trialing is about power in a compromised position. Especially in a time trial where the only person they are endangering is themselves, let them do what ever the hell they want. Let em grab their fork blades for all I care. If they get hurt it's due to their own lack of practice and experience.

hack

They're applying the rule to all the kids and it shouldn't change the TT results. I think it's fine. But then again, I think Jrs should all race on "Jr standardized equipment" for USAC races (e.g., aluminum frame, box wheels, 105/rival).

himespau 

Mail man dumping his ash tray?

Ygduf

If they tell you not to fold your number and you fold your number and get a penalty, maybe don't complain. If they tell you to keep your hands on the bars, or forearms off the bars, and you do that and earn a penalty, maybe don't complain.

Doesn't matter if it's logical or not.

TheKillerPenguin

GF is sick just as I'm getting back into the swing of things. What do you reckon is the over/under on avoiding the crud? I'm betting roulette odds or worse

rideaz

I have always had success taking airborne and zicam. I take it whenever one of the family members gets sick, they say to take it at the first sign of sickness but I like to get a jump start :-)

topflightpro

I threw my back out yesterday. I do this about every 4 or 5 years. It's not fun.

TMonk

Heal up soon @topflightpro, that sucks. I threw mine out (as you're aware) from overuse injuries a few years back and still get occasional flare-ups, though they're less frequent and severe than they used to be.

How did it happen?

topflightpro

Yeah, I remember your issues. We exchanged quite a few messages about it.

I think this past week of work took its toll on me. I spent three days standing at a conference, and my back wasn't enjoying it. But I fully threw it out while doing squats at the gym. I've been hitting the weights a lot more this past year as I am spending more time on the track. Sunday is my standard gym day. I was doing my warm up set of five, when I felt something pop. I tried to go stretch it out, but it didn't feel good, so I just went home.

Now I am just incredibly uncomfortable, and I am not walking well. I also look very funky - my shoulders are about two inches shifted from my hips. I also cannot really stand up straight. I only came into the office because I have a better chair at work than I do at home.

himespau 

As someone who first sprained his illial-sacral joint when he was 20 and has been re-aggravating it every year or 2 for the ~20 years since then, I wish you only the best.

TheKillerPenguin

Done and done! Thanks for the recommendation.

Doge

Sorry.
I did that about 5 years ago and it has been getting better very slowly every year.

I chose not to do surgery. I changed my running from heal strike to forefoot strike.
I still have some nerve damage. I'd blame this mostly on age, but I can trace this to injuries in my late teens.

Ygduf

hammer the zinc

TheKillerPenguin

*ahem* twss...

Doge

I had several communications on this today. I do think, while I have issues with USAC, they listen a lot. I was assured that the VOS thing was done for safety and the intent is not how to tell riders how to ride (my concern - and yours). I see this as a trust but verify thing, but what I heard sounded good.
I don't buy what was done at VOS was needed, or should have been done, but a ref making a call for safety is fine with me, even when I don't agree.

Ygduf

wait, wtf could it have been other than for safety? that you need to be told that is really odd.

Hermes

I injured my back in 1981 - not a typo. I had problems for years. My is much better, it only took 40 years, and the key for me to getting better was improving glute strength and neurology. Before I do any max efforts in the gym or on the bike, I make sure that my back and glutes are activated and actively stretched - not yoga.

Also, sprint coaches prescribe heavy lifting and the more weight the better. It is true that more weight and more rapid motion such as a power clean build explosive power. The problem is that more weight and explosive moves cause injury more frequently and soft tissue takes forever to heal.

I do band walking and bridges for glute activation and focus on my posture. I try to visual my glutes firing first versus my back. I like to do a set of no weight bridges where I put my shoulders on a large ball with a band around my knees before starting a leg workout.

Here is a video showing the bridge from the floor and then from a bench. I use a ball versus a bench. Also, one can add weight when bridging. Note that she does not move her back as she bridges. The problem I had in physical therapy was that my brain wanted to roll my spine first before lifting my ass off the floor. It took weeks to be able to engage the glutes without rolling the spine.


Glute activation. Here is a video about glute activation before a leg workout. Just search youtube for glute activation and band walking to find lots of examples. It is interesting that it is mostly women doing these but IMO, bike racers and especially trackies and sprinters need this to protect our backs before big efforts. As always, finding the right routine is up to the athlete. YMMV

Ygduf

"interesting" indeed

Doge

I'm pretty certain it was not for safety, and it is in the coaching via rules just like gears. Otherwise they would not have targeted just juniors.

Ygduf

junior gears also purportedly for safety tho