The folks from Beginnertriathlete.com were at Fit Werx 2 to discuss a number of topics including how to decide between a Triathlon Bike or Road Bike? Click this link to watch the video feed.
URL: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1659
The American Diabetes Association’s signature cycling event, the Tour De Cure, raises millions of dollars to help find a cure for Diabetes and support the ADA’s mission.
Marty Miserandino, Co-owner of Fit Werx 2, founded “The Ride for JULES” indoor cycling spin-a-thon in 2004 to help raise money for the ADA and the Tour De Cure. This past March the “Ride for JULES IV” spin-a-thon raised $77,775 for the ADA and in doing so was the 3rd leading fund raising team in the entire country.
“On behalf of my family I want to thank every person who participated and/or donated to the Ride for JULES and the ADA. I founded this event to honor and inspire, not only my mother Julie, but the millions who suffer from this horrible disease. My mother lost her battle on February 10, 2008 and it was the saddest day of my life. She was so honored to be the Jules in Ride for JULES and truly appreciated everyone’s efforts. Her hope was that other people would not have to suffer the way she did. Her hope was that one day we would fine a cure. Her hope lives on in each one of us who are willing to ride and raise funds to find a cure for Diabetes. Thank you so much for support”, said Marty Miserandino
Ride for JULES V
The Ride for JULES V will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at Boston North Fitness Center in Danvers, MA. This year’s ride will be held in loving memory of Julie “Jules” Miserandino and all who have lost their battle with Diabetes. We ride in their honor, and in hope, that one day we will find a cure.
For more information on the event and how you can participate please visit www.rideforjules.org or contact Marty Miserandino at marty@fitwerx.com
Top ADA Fund Raising Teams:
Here is a link to the entire list: http://tour.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TC_topteams
| Save $200 plus 0% Financing for 1 Year and Free Real Course Video |
| Even in these trying economic times, cyclists from all over the U.S. and Canada are buying CompuTrainers in record numbers. No wonder—-the price is the lowest in years, they’ve heard great things about the new Interactive Real Course Videos, and the 0% Financing meets many people’s current needs. |
CompuTrainer provides the most interesting indoor bike experience yet created. It increases your cycling power by 20 to 30% and your speed by 2 to 4 MPH. Whatever your starting point, you’ll improve significantly.
CompuTrainer is best in its class by a wide margin. It sets the industry standard for accuracy (± 2.5%), power (1500 watts), quality, and service lifetime (10+ years). Exclusive performance features like SpinScan™ electronic pedal stroke analysis and Adjustable Aerodynamic Drag Factor are unique to CompuTrainer.
This is the trainer we use in our fitting process that details the efficiency of the pedal stroke. There are lots of options for courses you can ride or even design your own.
The sale ends on December 31, 2008. Please contact Brandon at service@fitwerx.com or (866) 833-4FIT (4348)
The snow is here and the riding out on the roads in the Northeast is becoming increasingly more difficult with the low temps and icy conditions. So it’s time to get out the trainers. We have a shootout that details the top 3 choices out there for your inside winter riding. As always, we are here to answer any further questions you may have regarding the options and all trainers in the shootout are shipping for free.
http://www.fitwerx.com/fluid_trainers_shootout.html
Enjoy!
Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season
It’s that time of the year and in addition to offering gift certificates and gift cards in the dollar denomination of your choice, we have compiled a list of the latest tech gadgets and helpful products that can deliver a smile to your cyclist’s face all year long. Watch out, you just might find something to put on your own wish list this year too!
If you would like any of these items, or would like more gift ideas, please stop-in one of our locations or call/e-mail us and we can send it right out! Happy Holidays!
Gifts Under $100
Trigger Point Massage Ball. $25. The TP Massage Ball is great for working through the stress or discomfort of the neck, shoulders, back, chest, piriformis, or calves. Comes with an 8 minute instructional DVD.
Hincapie Base Layers and Arm and Leg Warmers. $25-$40 each. Buy one or buy the whole set. Perfect for any cyclist, these arm and leg warmers add to the summer shorts and jersey to give more coverage and protection for the cool temps. A nice addition for spring, fall or winter riding.
Giro Pneumo Helmet. Regularly $140, Sale $99! Cyclists should replace their helmets every 3-4 years as the Styrofoam is broken down by UV rays. Upgrade your rider’s current lid to a very light, stylish and ventilated helmet, which will help keep them safe all at a bargain price.
Gifts Under $200
Trigger Point Body Package. $140. The TP Therapy Total Body Package is the ultimate set of tools for creating and maintaining a healthy, active body. This package is comprised of the complete line of TP Therapy tools: the TP Massage Ball, the TP Footballer, the TP Quadballer, and an instructional DVD. Use the Total Body Package to treat injury, prevent injury, increase flexibility, and enhance biomechanics. Recommended for anyone who enjoys an active lifestyle or needs a simple solution to pain and discomfort from a repetitious sport.
Rudy Project Eyewear $110-200 Rudy Project glasses come in many different styles for every taste. The difference is in the details: interchangeable lenses, adjustable nose and ear pieces, RX friendly design, and unmatched optical quality. RP recently received the Gear of the Year award from Outside magazine.
Giro Advantage 2 Helmet $150. Aero helmets are proven to be one of the most aerodynamic pieces of equipment a rider can use and the Giro Advantage 2 is honed to aerodynamic perfection for the TT rider or triathlete on your list. If your rider is interested in an aero helmet that slices the wind, slashes bike times, and is on the cutting edge of aerodynamic performance, then the Giro Advantage 2 is the perfect gift.
Gifts Around $300
Existing Bike Fitting with Motion Capture. $275. Fit Werx is all about the best possible bike fit and this makes a fantastic gift for any rider. The Existing Bike Fit is the perfect gift that keeps on giving everytime your favorite cyclist goes for a ride.
Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer. Reg. $375, now $319 including shipping (continental US). Join the pack on the world’s best fluid trainer. Quiet, smooth, completely leak-proof, and, best of all it’s the most realistic ride out there. From sprints to intervals to an all-day cruise, the PowerTap calibration delivers the most accurate simulation of an outdoor ride yet. Automatic resistance adjusts as you pedal.
Gifts For That Someone Special
New Bike Fitting with Motion Capture. $375. One of our most popular gifts and for good reason! Don’t just give your favorite someone a any bike, give them a new bike that is guaranteed to actually fit them well. Not all bikes fit all riders and the New Bike Fitting eliminates the guesswork and allows the rider to know for sure they are getting the ideal bike for their body and their needs. If you want to show that you really care, this is a nearly impossible gift to beat. A partial credit is even available from the New Bike Fit towards a new bike.
Garmin Edge 705 Deluxe GPS. $650. Trainer and navigator, the Edge 705 pushes the rider to do his or her best, then shows them the way back home. This GPS-enabled cycle computer knows no limits: heart rate, cadence, turn-by-turn directions, power data (from ANT+™-enabled third-party power meters) — the works. One can even share the data with other Edge 705 buddies after the ride. All wireless with a color display, this is no ordinary cycle computer.
Zipp 404 Wheels. Reg. $2200, now just $1699 a pair! Earn major bonus points with that cyclist in your life that likes to go fast (or at least look fast…). Or maybe at this price you can’t pass them up for yourself… We have them in clincher and tubular along with almost every other wheel Zipp, HED, Mavic and Easton offer. Upgrade that bike now and be ready for the new year.
Happy Holidays to everyone and just call or e-mail for more gift ideas or to order!
If you missed the Training with Power Seminar held a couple weeks ago here is your chance to see what you missed. Beginner Triathlete was on hand to video the seminar for their site. They were kind enough to let us post it here also for those of you that were unable to attend. Please enjoy the video and contact us via email if you have questions.
TECHNICAL VIDEO: Watts Up? Training with Power – Part 1
By jasongootman
What is power training? In this first part, learn the terms and definitions associated with power training. Presented by Tri-Hard coaching and FitWerx.
Beginnertriathlete.com – Recent articles – http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/
Here at Fit Werx our goal is to provide the most consistent builds possible. All bicycles from Fit Werx are designed to provide their owners with the best possible long-term ownership experience and to require as little adjustments as possible. Below we will detail what goes into our Pro Build step by step to show that each step is important in the overall feel and lifelong performance of our bikes.
Frame and Fork
We start with frame and fork alignment and preparation. Here we check to make sure the frame is aligned within Fit Werx’s tolerances which are even tighter than most manufactures.
Next we check the finish on the bicycle to be sure there are no blemishes or defects in craftsmanship. We also record the serial number on three documents that you will receive.
We flex hone the Seat Tube to ensure there are no sharp edges or debris inside that could bind the seat post. We apply grease inside the seat tube for steel and alloy frames, anti-seize inside Ti frames, and carbon paste inside our carbon frames to ensure the seat post does not slip.
Chasing the Bottom Bracket threads ensures it takes little effort to install the bottom bracket straight and reach the proper torque.
Facing the Bottom Bracket shell takes off any additional paint that is left on the outside surface and allows the bottom bracket to fit tightly and flush against the frame. This process keeps the bearings on each side of the bottom bracket aligned so they function smoothly and wear more evenly.
Moving on to the Head Tube we also face the external surfaces to ensure the headset bearing are aligned properly. This makes installation smoother and gives you years of easy turning.
The Fork Crown is an often over looked piece of the puzzle. We also face this surface to ensure the crown race of the headset is centered and straight on the fork crown. This eliminates any asymmetry in the fork headset junction.
Our last step in frame preparation is chasing the threads for the rear derailleur. This step removes any excess paint from the threads and aids in alignment of the derailleur.
Frame Bearing
Moving along in the process, we begin to install the components. The bottom bracket is wrapped with Teflon tape before installation. The frame threads are greased or anti-seized for titanium, and then the bottom bracket is torqued to specification.
The headset is installed next in similar fashion. The frame is coated with grease, or anti seize for titanium, then the headset cups are pressed in with the appropriate adapters to ensure the bearings are not harmed. The logos are correctly aligned, no detail is spared.
The headset race is installed on the fork with a race setting tool. Grease is applied under the race to ease the stress of installation.
The fork is now installed and the bearings are covered with grease to seal from outside contaminants.
Component Installation
We now begin to install the components on the frame. This is everyone’s favorite part and it is easy to forget to grease every bolt that is used here. This makes the proper torque easy to achieve and also keeps them from seizing in place over time. The crank goes in first and all bolts are greased as well as all bearing surfaces. The final step is ensuring proper torque of all bolts.
Derailleurs are the next components to be installed. The mounting bolt on the rear derailleur is greased and attached to the frame.
The front derailleur is a bit more involved to mount properly. The height and rotation of the front derailleur are crucial. We align the outer cage of the derailleur parallel with the outer ring of the crank set. We also set the height of the cage 1-2mm above the teeth of the chainring. We grease the fixing bolt and torque to spec.
Installation of the brakes is a very straightforward affair. We grease the mounting bolts and use longer bolts when required by carbon frames.
The chain is cut to length for each bike and left with extra room to use lower gearing when possible. We then install the chain per the manufactures direction to ensure highest strength.
Cockpit Component Installation
We begin installing the components that the rider will contact. These components are installed to the position dictated by the frame template. The stem is placed at the proper angle with the correct number of spacer below to achieve the correct handlebar position. The stem bolts are then torque to spec.
The handlebar is mounted in the stem and rotated to the proper position. The face plate mounting bolts are torque to the spec allowed by the handlebar manufacturer.
The shifters are installed once the handlebar position is dialed in. We use a straight edge off the flat section of the bar to ensure that each lever is symmetrical to the other.
The saddle rounds out this section in the checklist. The saddle clamp bolt on the seat post is greased and the saddle is mounted to the position dictated by the template.
Wheels
Wheels are a very dynamic part of the bicycle. Every pedal stroke accelerates them and every bump in the road is transmitted through them. Brand new wheels from the factory can have lots of issues. We take each wheel we sell and manually pre-stress each spoke to insure they are properly set in the hub and rim.
We then true and dish each wheel to our personal spec to make sure the spokes are uniform in tension and the wheel can run true for years to come.
Once the wheels have been tuned it is time to install the tires. We replace any factory rim strips that are in bad condition with Velox rim tape. We install the tires with the labels over the valve holes and apply a coating of baby powder to the inside before installing the tubes. We then fully inflate the tires.
We grease the cassette and locking before installing to make removal easier in the future. The skewers are greased and installed into the hubs. Then the wheels are mounted to the frame with the correct quick release tension.
Shifter and Brake Adjustment
The cable housing is routed in the smoothest possible manner and cut to length accordingly. The ends of the housing are ground down to be smooth and leave no burrs to snag the cable. This step ensures the cables will run as efficiently as possible.
As the cables are inserted into the housing a thin layer of Teflon lube is added to aid in the shifting and braking smoothness.
When we have the cable all run we begin to adjust the brakes and derailleurs. The limits on the derailleurs are set to prevent over shifting. The B tension screw is adjusted to position the upper pulley in the closest possible position to the cassette.
The brake pads are adjusted to the center of the braking surface and slightly toed in to provide maximum braking force. On aero bikes we add tension to the rear brake spring to aid in lever feel.
At this point all cables are firmly stretched to make sure the housing and ferrules have settled in firmly. This pre-stretches the cable to minimize future adjustments. All brakes and derailleurs are then readjusted.
The cable ends are then cut 5cm past the anchor bolts to allow easy future adjustments. All cable ends are soldered to keep them from fraying and make it easy to rethread them when the bicycle is shipped.
Final Prep
The final step in the build finishes off the bicycle with a professional touch. We wrap the bars from the bottom to the top and from the inside out to keep the tape from unwrapping under normal riding conditions.
We clean the manufactures grease off the chain and apply a Teflon lube to the chain to keep from attracting too much dirt.
We install and calibrate any additional accessories such as computers and water bottle cages making sure all wires and cables are secure and cleanly routed.
Once all the work has been completed the bike gets a final polish to give it that shine.
The last touch is the Fit Werx decal.
The bike is now ridden and put through its paces to make sure the bicycle is performing as it should. Once the test ride is completed the bicycle is fine tuned again and all the bolts are checked for proper torque. We also weigh the bike and record it on your checklist.
Here you have the finished product, all shiny and ready for the consumer. Along with the actual bicycle you will receive all the manuals that come with the components as well as our build checklist ensuring we have completed each step. Your warranty information will be completed and filed by us promptly after pick-up.
This year, give a gift that really says you care and understand the cyclist or triathlete in your life – a gift certificate at Fit Werx. Gift Certificates & Cards can be for a dollar amount, good towards any products or services, or can be specific to an item – a New Bike Fitting, for example. Certificates may be redeemed in store or via mail (we ship daily).
Call or e-mail one of our locations to order. Secure on-line billing is available via e-mail.
We have 2009 products coming in each week now and I don’t think we have been more excited about anything we have received than the new additions from Mavic. They have expanded their offerings this year with new wheel models, shoes, a very technical clothing line, updated computers, and pedals (available after the new year).
The wheel sets from Mavic have long been the benchmark in terms of reliability and performance. They have made improvements to one of their most popular wheel sets that debuted last year with the addition of the R-SYS Premium. The R-SYS has quickly become one of the lightest and most torsionally rigid climbing wheels on the market. This year with the addition of the Premium version they have added carbon dust caps and a titanium axle and skewers. This only saves about 10 grams of weight, but the new black rims and hubs are sure to be a hit. If you have not given these wheels a ride, stop in and take our demo set for a spin and you can judge for yourself how well they soak up our wonderful Vermont roads.
The newest wheel from Mavic takes the best features of the wheels in the Cosmic line and combines them together for a wheel that is the perfect blend of aerodynamics, light weight, stiffness and the practicality of a clincher. What more could you ask for? When Mavic introduced the Ultimate last year, they developed the R2R spoke technology that used a single carbon spoke that stretched from one side of the rim to the other, while wrapping over the hub in the center. This design minimizes weight while increasing the torsional stiffness significantly. Now you can enjoy the torsional stiffness of an all carbon wheel but in a clincher version. This wheel has lots of features not found in its competitors and is sure to put smiles on the faces of all those clincher fans.
New to the Mavic lineup is the addition of Mavic branded shoes. These shoes were designed from the ground up with the priority of proper fit. Mavic started the design process by scanning a 3D image of thousands of feet. From this they found the optimum ratio of length to width which just happens to work very well for my feet. I have always found the Italian shoes a bit narrow and when I found the most comfortable width, there was always extra length. The new Mavic shoes fit very snug all over without any extra pressure to ruin the comfort. The parent company that owns Mavic also owns Salomon and Arc’teryx and the shared relationship with these performance apparel companies shows in the new shoe line. Mavic has been making shoes for years now and marketing them under the Adidas brand name. The new line bearing the Mavic name shows a dramatic improvement with new technologies that improve performance and fit. The Pro Road model could cause some waves for the Italian shoe manufacturers. Featuring a carbon sole that is only 5.5mm thick, your foot will be set closer to the spindle for optimal power transfer. You can greatly reduce the rotating weight with this shoe coming in at 295grams for a size 10.5. That is competitive with the lightest shoes in its category and Mavic will be debuting a shoe that is more than 60grams lighter in the near future. So, what’s all this mean to you? You can now get a shoe that fits better, is lighter, has a full carbon sole, and saves you a few bucks. The new shoes from Mavic are sure to shake things up.
If you weren’t able to attend last night’s “Watts Up? The Skinny on training with a Power Meter”, you missed a terrific time. Over 40 people attended the catered event and talked cycling and triathlon. What’s better than that?
Well, throw in an informative seminar on how to improve your performance given by Will and Jason from Tri-Hard Endurance Sports Coaching and there you have it. Just awesome!
Also, BeginnerTriathlete.com was here for the seminar filming so keep an eye on their site and see the presentation.
For those of you who could not make it, but still would like the information Jason and Will presented they have provided a link where you can download the PDF of the presentation.
PowerPoint presentation with speaker’s notes: http://www.tri-hard.com/SCC%20Materials/Watts%20Up.pdf
We want to thank everyone who attended and look forward to seeing you at our next event.
