Athletes from all sporting disciplines are certain to benefit from an inspirational talk about mental toughness and courage in training and racing that will be delivered by world record holder Dotsie Bausch on Wednesday, June 29th at 7 PM at Bike Effect. The event sponsored by Bonk Breaker energy bars will spotlight the 2011 World Championship silver medalist and six-time U.S. National Champion cyclist who is preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Bausch, who holds the world record in the track cycling event of team pursuit with Team USA teammates Sarah Hammer and Lauren Tamayo, brings a unique perspective to the mental toughness and courage required to compete on the professional and Olympic levels. The nine-year veteran of the U.S. national team and Pan Am Championships gold medalist overcame severe eating disorders that threatened to take her life over a decade ago, which also put a halt to a promising modeling career. During her recovery, Bausch discovered her passion and talent for cycling. She has competed around the world racing on the road for professional teams including Jazz Apple, Colavita-Sutter Home and T-Mobile, and serves as a mentor for young women eyeing the professional ranks for the SC Velo presented by Empower Coaching Systems development team, which she co-founded. In 2007, Bausch tried track cycling for the first time and amazingly rode on to win two national titles on the track that same year. She coaches athletes across the nation through her highly successful Empower Coaching Systems, but is most proud of her efforts to help and inspire young women and men to battle eating disorders and return to healthy eating and living habits.

Bausch’s talk at Bike Effect, a cycling boutique and fit studio that opened in Santa Monica last November, is free and open to the public. Bonk Breaker will provide complimentary samples of their nutritious and delicious dairy-free, gluten-free energy bars that are baked fresh from all natural ingredients. T-shirts, hats and boxes of Bonk Breaker will be raffled off.

Give us a call for more info!
(310) 393-4348

Please join Rapha for a Gentlemen’s Ride* on Saturday, February 19th. The ride will start and end at Bike Effect, venturing up into the Santa Monica Mountains. Upon finishing the 45 miles and 4,700 feet of climbing, you’re invited to have a look at the new Rapha range for 2011.

RIDE DETAILS:

• Saturday, February 19th
• Coffee at 8:30AM — Departure at 9:00AM
• Bike Effect
910 Broadway #100
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Please RSVP to:
rsvp@rapha.cc

*Riders of all levels and genders welcome. We use the term “Gentlemen” to imply a respect for the “rules of the road”. A cue-sheet for the route will be provided.

Larry’s picks and pans:

Favorite ride:  No favorite. Just ride.

Likes:  Being outdoors. Going really fast. Coffee.

Dislikes: Cars

Pretty awesome: He was chosen by Mountain Bike Review as most knowledgeable in tech and sales in 2008

]]> http://www.bikeeffect.com/home/bike-effect-blog/meet-our-new-wrench/feed 2 http://www.bikeeffect.com/home/tip-of-the-day/a-bike-should-fit-you http://www.bikeeffect.com/home/tip-of-the-day/a-bike-should-fit-you#comments Thu, 09 Dec 2010 02:04:10 +0000 bikeeffect http://www.bikeeffect.com/home/?p=225 You shouldn’t fit the bike.  There’s nothing more important than a bike fit.  The slightest adjustment can make a world of difference whether you ride your bike five miles or two hundred miles.  Come by Bike Effect and learn more about what we can do to make your ride a comfortable one.

Richard from Fluid with the new Chocolate Fluid

175 bikes in front of Bike Effect!

Busy morning at Bike Effect

At the Los Angeles Mission where 8% of the population has HIV/AIDS

For more information on Project RideRed click here.

We’re always in search of this elusive treasure. It’s so valuable that many of you have meters mounted to your handlebars to capture numerical evidence of your power; too much never seems to be enough when it comes to cycling. But I’m left wondering how you can accurately measure your power output if you’re not actually accessing all of your potential in the first place.  You’ve got the perfect bike fit, you do the bodywork you’re supposed to and you strength train at the gym…isn’t this enough? How do you know whether the muscles  you’re asking to work for you are working the way they should? Are you maximizing the power output from each pedal stroke?

Cue Muscle Activation Technique!

In my search for more power I was introduced to Sonia Ulrich, a Muscle Activation Therapist, who assured me that she would unlock the potential in my frustrated limbs.  A professional in the fitness industry who has worked with people and their muscles for nearly a decade (and a cyclist in her own right) she is acutely aware of the demands the sport puts on our muscles – and her magic fingers can bring them back to life.

Muscle Activation Technique isn’t Active Release Technique and isn’t trigger point massage, but you lay on a massage table, so… what is it? How does it work? I thought you’d like to hear it from Sonia herself…

“MAT is a hands on corrective therapy used to get the body moving more efficiently.  Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) does just what the name says: I’ll find muscles that might not be functioning optimally and then, through a series of palpations, I will “activate” the muscles so that they can work to move and stabilize the body properly. Eventually we’ll get your body into proper alignment for more efficient function, reduced pain and increased power.

For whatever reason, be it overuse, injury, stress or any number of other causes, the muscles may become inhibited. This means the signal from the actual muscle to the central nervous system is not being sent well, like a light that flickers because of a loose wire between the light switch and the bulb.  But these are OUR muscles and we expect them to work – and often can’t tell when they are not.  Using the flickering light analogy, no amount of changing the light bulb or turning on or off the switch will alter that signal.   And no amount of heavy “working out” will make the signal get better between the muscle and the central nervous system.  It may even cause more damage to the body: strengthening the compensating musculature even more and leaving the less functioning muscle to atrophy.

And this is where MAT comes in.  I will do a range of motion assessment and then determine which muscles may be most inhibited.   The weak link in the system may not be where the pain is coming from!  From here, I’ll perform a muscle test on the suspected muscle(s).  Can the body hold a position?  If not, I’ll palpate the muscle (rub the origin and insertion points to stimulate it), and then re-test.  The body should then be able to hold the position easily.  A well functioning muscle contracts with ease.  From this point I’ll attempt to search out any other weak links. By the end of the session you should be moving in a more balanced manner, have less pain, and see an increased range of motion.   For a cyclist, the body will then be functioning more efficiently and more powerfully, which means better form, more endurance, and more power in every pedal stroke.  MAT can make the difference on the long climbs during training rides or in the sprint to the finish!”

Sonia is taking appointments at Bike Effect ($100) or in your home ($125).

Call (917) 705-7399 or email soniaulrich@mac.com

As always, we ask that you wear RED. We want to be seen, we want to be heard, we want to end HIV/AIDS now!

Please plan on arriving early, as we will roll out PROMPTLY at 8:00 A.M.

RSVP here.

See you Sunday the 28th!

Under $50

Clean Bottle: Mold doesn’t belong in your bottle- keep it in it’s rightful place – Humboldt Fog Chevre!  $10

Rapha Skincare: Rapha’s new line of Mt. Ventoux inspired soap, chamois cream and winter embrocation is not to be missed. This is what clean smells like.  $9 soap/$20 cream/$27 embrocation

Mad Alchemy Warming Embrocations: These embrocations will keep your legs toasty when the weather outside is frightful. In Mellow, Medium and Russian Tea (aka Insanity). $19.95

Trigger Point Therapy Grid: Weekly massage gets expensive! There is a reason the orange Grid is unmistakable on the sidelines of every major sporting event. It is one versatile roller! $39.99

Rapha Winter Cycling Socks: So soft and plush, they might not make it inside your cycling shoes. $30

Chain-L No. 5: This Huile de Chaine is little known, but widely acclaimed for keeping your chain running like butter for thousands of miles.  $12

Superfeet Cycling Specific Footbeds: Everyone needs a little support and your feet are the best place to start. $39.95

Rapha Essentials Case: Stylish enough to carry your phone, cash and credit cards with you everyday, and sturdy enough to handle the rigors of the road. The perfect gift. $55 (well, it’s almost under $50)

Under $150

Bike Effect Tune Up with Ultra Sonic Cleaning: The last time  your bike was this clean it still had a price tag on it. Now is the perfect time to catch up on deferred maintenance. $120

Light & Motion Stella 120 Bike Light: Super bright, high performance, elegance and visibility all in one tiny package. Did we mention it’s USB rechargeable from your computer? $129

SKINS RY400 Recovery Tights: Recover faster, train harder next time. The best compression recovery tights on the market. Period. Ask the boys from Team HTC-Columbia. In Men’s and Women’s sizing. $140

Icebreaker Quantum Zip Pullover: Merino Sportwool technical meets fashion. New Zealand’s finest for men. $139.99

Muscle Activation Technique with Sonia Ulrich: Some call it magic. You think you have power now?  Sonia’s hands will re-introduce you to your muscles and then you’ll have access to the power you were missing. $125 at home/$100 at Bike Effect

Luna Eclipse Jersey: Bring a little sunshine into your winter training with this sweet jersey. In sunny yellow and indigo, short and long sleeves.  $110/$130

Lezyne Carbon 4 Multi-Tool: It’s got all the tools you need and nothing that you don’t. At 40g it’s lighter than an ultralite tube! $75

Under $300

Rapha Long Sleeve Jersey: Perfect for our SoCal winter and cold spring morning rides.  It is everything you love about Rapha Sportwool. In men’s and women’s colors and sizing. $210

Effetto Mariposa Guistaforza Professional Torque Wrench: Yes, you do need to use a torque wrench on that. Really. $225

Trigger Point Hip and Lower Back Kit: You brush your teeth between dentist visits, right?  This kit is like a toothbrush for your muscles! The foolproof  DVD holds your hand at every step. Smart money is behind this kit all the way! $159.99

Luna Eclipse Jacket: The most sought after women’s jacket of the season!  Looks great on the bike, coming from yoga, going to pilates or in line at Whole Foods. $180

Catlike Whisper Plus Helmet: They’re now race legal in the USA!  Light, airy and unique, these helmets really are that special.  Did someone just call you Thor? $275

The Best Money You’ll Spend

Bike Effect Pro Bike Fit with Steven: We know how much you love to ride and you know you want to take it to the next level. You’ll ride with more power, more control, more comfort than you ever thought possible. The best fit of your life is right here. $400

Kurt Kinetic Rock n Roll Trainer: Feel the rock and roll of the road in your living room and maximize your training time with no junk miles. When you can’t get outside, this ride is the next best thing!  $530

Enve  (previously Edge) Road Wheels: These wheels are the difference between where you are and where you want to be. Strong enough to train, light enough for race day (45mm aero,  1379g) and truly beautiful. More specs here. $3253.95

Rapha Softshell Jacket: The ultimate cycling jacket. Come in to see what the fuss is all about. For men and women. $375

D2 Custom Cycling Shoes: Ride in true comfort with no pain and experience real power, maybe for the first time. D2 custom shoes are one of the smartest decisions you’ll make for your cycling life – after a proper fit or custom bike! $725

A Custom Fit and the Bike of Your Dreams: It’s at your doorstep. Come see us and get fit with the Serotta Size Cycle.  You’ll know your bike will be perfect before you leave!  Custom bikes and frames available from Serotta, Cyfac, DeRosa and Time.  Each of these manufacturers has a long history of bikes made with integrity and attention to detail.  We’ll help you choose the one that is perfect for you. Complete customs from $6000 +