What does this have to do with “satisfaction”? Well if sat·is·fied is defined as; to fulfill the desires, expectations, needs, or demands of a person, then it follows that an “enlightened, satisfied” cyclist would know what a great cycling experience should feel like and be only satisfied when they were in cycling’s perfect confluence of comfort and performance.

There are millions of satisfied cyclists that potentially don’t know what they are missing due to the fact that they put up with many compromises in comfort and performance that they are not aware of. The driving force behind FASTER was to assemble the tools, services and equipment to help cyclists and triathletes get to the point of being the “enlightened, satisfied cyclist”. There are multiple elements to that “enlightened satisfied state” but there are two particular elements that consistently make the largest contribution to this elevated experiential state of cycling or triathlon Nirvana.

The most influential elements on your cycling experience are firstly what type of bike fitting you have (and who performs it) and secondly what choices you make as a result of that bike fitting. A better cycling experience is inextricably linked to those critical elements.

A great professional bike fitting is an amazing transformational experience for cyclists of all levels from beginners to professional athletes. However, the fitting process is a small part of the total experience. A fitting fundamentally involves choices. If you are being fitted on your bike, your fitter is identifying the best choice of stem, handlebar, saddle, pedal, shoe to enhance your performance and comfort. If you are experiencing a fitting for a new bike, those choices also involve size, model, geometry, material, equipment in addition to all the previously listed choices. A fitting for a new stock bike also involves the fitter balancing how well the fit clients dimensions can actually be applied to a particular bicycle and which compromises may be necessary.

How does all this relate to the “enlightened, satisfied cyclist”? Well, that is where the Über options and choices come into play.

When a cyclist and fitter suspend all the restrictions of a stock bike and stock components, the path to “enlightenment” is a whole lot smoother. The happiest most content cyclists that I know are the ones who decide “I want what’s perfect for me. I want a bike where the fitter, engineer and designer had me in mind from the very beginning.” Modern bicycles are often inspired by skeletal Tour the France riders or sub 8hr Ironman champions.

The process to design a perfect bike for ”you” is a radically different  process and a radically different outcome! A custom bicycle delivers the geometry, aesthetics, materials and performance that you desire, exactly, uniquely engineered for you.

Now, don’t get me wrong you can be very satisfied and enlightened with a stock bike. A professional fitting is the superhighway to get you there BUT there is an almighty difference when the bike, the materials, the geometry, handling characteristics, center of gravity and every nut, bolt and component is designed for…..You!.

A multi dimensional Size Cycle fitting at FASTER is your path to a better more “enlightened” experience on your existing bike or a new stock bike. The Size Cycle is a completely configurable bike fitting tool that allows the fitter to focus on the perfect position without the limitations of an existing bike. Perhaps that Über option of a one of a kind perfectly you bicycle is an appealing option? Your “satisfied, enlightened” smile and smugness is a bike fitting and a few important choices away!

Check out these fine examples of custom and stock bicycles available at FASTER

www.gurubikes.com

www.sevencycles.com

www.serotta.com

www.scott-sports.com

www.cervelo.com

For more information on a professional fitting at FASTER click here

Thanks for reading,

Paraic.

Typically, he is about 8 beats per minute higher than me when all things are equal:  equal freshness, both on road bikes, and riding side by side with equal wind.  When he drafts me, he typically is 25 to 30 beats per minute less than me in my draft.

This last week, I had to go out on the time trial bike while he rode his road bike.  Going east on Dixileta (1% uphill grade into a headwind), with me in the aero position (yet with standard training aluminum clincher wheels) and Jerry in my draft, we rode 2 miles and at the end of the effort, his heart rate was not 25 to 30 less, but 1 beat per minute more than me!  From there, we went down the infamous “Col d’ Pima’let” and I hit 39.1mph on the 1% downhill, cross wind, section, all the while keeping my heart rate in the mid-150’s!  Jerry informed me that he couldn’t stop pedaling and his heart rate averaged about 142 beats per minute for the approximately 5 mile section.

Now what does all this mean in the real world??

While I was on a time trial bike in full aero tuck and Jerry was on a traditional road bike, it confirms that the lead rider goes faster at LESS watts and heart rate, and the drafting rider has to use MORE watts and heart rate!  Just like how you hear that the Tour de France is won by the rider who puts out the least amount of work, this applies if you are riding an aero road bike.

Most of you already know that if you are NOT doing your triathlon or duathlon on an aero bike, with aero handlebars, and aero wheels, you are not on the same playing field as your competition, but most of you have not yet embraced the advantages of aerodynamic road bikes.

The world championships was recently won by Mark Cavendish, who rode an aero road bike, a ¾ sleeve skinsuit, aero shoe covers, and an aero helmet cover for the 160+ mile road race!  When a race of multiple hours is won by sometimes only inches, all things being equal, it is usually going to be the one that is the freshest.  I’m pretty sure that XX watts saved per hour times X hours = BIG ADVANTAGE!

Here at FASTER, we carry Cervelo “S” series aero road bikes, Scott “Foil” aero road bikes, and Blue “AC1” series aero road bikes.  Our manufacturers make claims of anywhere from 20 to 30 watts saved at 25 to 30 mph.  If you train with power, you know how important 25 to 30 watts is!

FASTER has built many “ultimate” bikes for customers and we decided to build the ultimate aero road bike that represents the very best in performance and aerodynamics. Here are the specifications that we came up with.

• Cervelo S5 Frameset

• Shimano Dura Ace Di2 Electronic group (with custom hidden battery setup in the seat post by our service manager, Mark Bunz), as well as very clean and aerodynamic cable routing

• Simkins aero “Egg Brakes” – which are the most aerodynamic road calipers (in our opinion)

• Zipp Vuka Sprint aerodynamic handlebar

• Zipp Service Course stem with “dimpling” for aerodynamics

• Rotor Aero Chainrings

• Speedplay pedals w/ DMT 4-bolt Speedplay drilled shoes (most aerodynamic according to Speedplay)

• Reynolds 81mm deep carbon clinchers for training

• ENVE 60mm front / 70mm rear w/ Smart technology rim profiles

Look out for our ultimate aero road bike picture gallery next week or come check it out, along with all the other items and services that FASTER specifically provides or carries to help you get faster including:  the world’s first low speed wind tunnel designed specifically for needs of cycling manufacturers and both cyclists and triathletes.

We wish you all the best in 2012, and hope you meet all your goals related to bike!

Sincerely,

James

It doesn’t matter if I’m watching the Tour de France, a local cyclocross race, a track cycling event, or the human interest stories from Ironman Kona. It doesn’t matter if I’m on my road bike, time trial bike, fixed gear bike, track bike, or mountain bike. It doesn’t matter if I’m riding easy, training hard, or racing. I love cycling.

In July of 1988, I turned on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and watched Pedro Delgado & Miguel Indurain ride a strategic stage of the Tour de France while racing for the famed Banesto cycling team. The color of all the jerseys, the beauty of the scenery, and the speed of the race intoxicated me. I promptly went out that day and bought an aluminum road bike, with SunTour components, 7 speed down-tube shifters, and toe-clip pedals. I know this dates me in light of current technology! After a few local training rides, I was told about bike races at Portland International Raceway – a 2 mile auto racing track. After three amateur races (only 8 miles long each!) and three top-3 finishes, I bought a USCF license and proceeded to race road bikes from 1988 to 1995, including my ultimate highlight of racing for an impromptu amateur team of racers from all over the country where we raced a summer in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany & Switzerland in 1992.

Due to my own immaturity and compulsiveness, I quit racing seriously after the Europe trip and ultimately stopped riding the bike cold-turkey in 1995. The main reason I quit, was that I thought, at basically at age 23 (after getting back from Europe), that I had gotten as “fast” as I could get. In hindsight, I laugh at my own short-sightedness!

I spent the next 12 years, taking my competitive and compulsive nature to build multiple businesses within the wireless and tower industry, while also getting married and building a family. A focus on those things, led me to build what is now the largest privately held wireless construction and maintenance company in the northwest, but also led to a weight gain of 75lbs over my 1992 race weight!

In late 2007, after realizing that the weight I had gained was affecting my quality of life, I knew I needed to start exercising. It didn’t take me long to realize that getting back on the bike offered me great scenery, fresh air, the exhilaration of speed, and avoided the monotony of stair climbers and treadmills. It also didn’t take me long to realize, with my compulsive mentality, that simply riding the bike and not competing again was contrary to who I was.

So now in my 4th year back racing the bike in my “2nd career” of amateur bike racing, I’m approaching things much differently. While I follow a regimented plan, I try to focus more on having fun. I personally have the distinct ability to make things intended for fun, NOT fun – just watch me play golf and I’ll take something that should be appreciated and turn it into a frustrating situation when I don’t play to my ability!!!

I also try to be “who I am” as a bike racer, i.e. focusing on events that are suited to my strengths rather than doing races not suited to me, i.e. trying to be someone on the bike that I am not. I recognize that there are always new areas of improvement to work on: Training methods (via power meter, via metabolic efficiency, etc.), Nutrition, Flexibility, Tactics, Sport Psychology & Mental Strength.

I focus on rest and recovery, as much as training. In looking back at my race diaries from 1989 to 1992, I am astonished at how many times I was tired and telling myself to rest, but I just kept going back out doing the same training over and over! I wasn’t training intensely enough on my hard days, and I wasn’t resting enough when my body needed it – a vicious circle. Therefore, I wasn’t improving.

So at age 43, I feel like I am the best bike racer I have ever been and still improving. Not because my body is better than 15 to 20 years ago, but because I am wiser and being more strategic.

If you were to summarize my life, it would probably be best summarized with a level of non-contentment – sometimes unhealthy which I have to be cautious about, but usually healthy. Whether it be to improve my businesses, improve my relationships, or grow in my faith, I am rarely content – always wanting to improve. This is what FASTER was born out of.

Do you have goals, not just in cycling, but in life? If not, set them. Then make a systematic plan of what you need to do to accomplish them. You’ll grow and ultimately be better for it. For those that enjoy cycling and triathlon, I envisioned FASTER to be a place that would offer up the most comprehensive list of performance related services to those that either wanted to improve or accomplish their goals. There are a lot of options out there for you to enjoy your hobby and we just hope that FASTER can be one of your resources for you

Have fun out on the roads and be safe!

James

I remember well the first time I grabbed someone’s jersey pocket as they surged on an “epic” attack on a new group ride that I had just started. They were shocked at the confrontation; perhaps I may have let out a few expletives and questioned their “parenthood” but they were absolutely furious with me. At the time I did not care and I invited them to not come back to our group ride to which they suggested violence would be forthcoming. I guess they were surprised that I was perfectly willing to stop and accept their offer, but I digress.

Here I was in a complete vacuum fresh “off the boat” from Ireland and was confused about the urges to race on group rides. I however was resolute that our group ride would not be like that! I continued to be confrontational and abrasive in a quasi charming Irish way and eventually everyone behaved and thrived in the more structured environment. At this point I still had not really done other group rides yet, boy was I in for a surprise. My first local group ride was a mixture of a Roman amphitheatre chariot race and a go cart derby for 16 year olds. I felt a sudden half second pang of guilt for busting everyone’s chops about their horrendous road manners.

In all my years of racing and riding with elite and world class riders I never saw a sprint or attack on a group ride, never! We did practice echelons, leadouts and group intervals but I never witnessed the complete madness that is normal on group rides in the US. My fondest memories of group rides are from Italy riding in Tuscany with my dear friend Danilo Saletti, everyone resplendent in perfect kits and immaculate bikes. The etiquette and skill level on the group ride was like a finely choreographed ballet. The 12 year olds and 60 years olds were at the back just rolling along with perhaps 5mm to spare on the riders wheel in front of them and up front elite athletes and pros would roll along effortlessly taking occasional detours for harder efforts and suddenly reappearing on the front to continue dragging us along the azure framed coastal roads.

When I began riding, I remember an old weathered cycling club member threatening to give me a beating if I let a gap open up again in the group ride. I learned quickly how to behave on a group ride and that good etiquette and road manners are a very important skill. The FASTER group rides will not include angry reprimands for etiquette infringements but we will foster a group riding culture that values the simplicity and beauty of a well organized group ride. We will practice road skills and be courteous to other road users. We will help new cyclists develop and learn these skills to enjoy their riding more. We might appear to be grumpy from time to time but it is a nice grumpy so we all keep it rubber side down!

FASTER GROUP RIDE GUIDELINES

No surging or attacks – this is a friendly organized group ride not a RACE

FASTER group rides obey the rules of the road

Call out obstacles and road imperfections as a courtesy to other riders

Listen to group ride leader instructions

Regroup as directed

FASTER group rides stop for flats

Please be self sufficient with water, food and tubes/inflation

Thanks for reading, Paraic.

Upon full launch, FASTER will house in its’ 7,000 square foot North Scottsdale location, a high-end retail showroom; a full service and repairs department with a specialized bike detailing area; world class bike fit consisting of a proprietary 10-camera 3D motion capture analysis system; a recovery room consisting of compression boots, plasma television, and a Bose stereo with noise-cancelling headphones; a therapy room with both hot and cold immersion tubs, locker rooms, and the world’s first low-speed wind tunnel designed specifically for cyclists, triathletes, and the cycling manufacturing community.

Prior to opening Monday, the day started with a group ride at 5:30 a.m. where approximately 45  people, who had been eagerly awaiting the opening, gathered to ride with several FASTER employees.  After the ride, those people were given an hour sneak peak of the facility prior to the official public opening at 10:00 a.m.  Response by those that attended, and those that have since been the facility, has been overwhelmingly positive.

Currently launched services include the retail showroom, the service department, and the fit lab.  The full suite of recovery services will be available within 2 weeks, with a variety of different packages available to athletes.  The wind tunnel, currently in commissioning with engineers, will be in operation and taking new clients around mid-September.

Paraic, along with retail manager Jerry Humphreys, had a vision to create a retail showroom unlike any other with custom fixtures and brands that exude quality.  The showroom contains bike brands:  Cervelo, Scott, Guru, Parlee, and Serotta, as well as other well known brands:  2XU, Castelli, Clif, Continental, eSoles, Enve, Fizik, Giro, Hammer Nutrition, HED, Lazer, PowerBar, Profile, Shimano, Smith Sport Optics, Specialized, Speedplay, SRAM, Tifosi, Zipp, and Zoot.

It was the goal of James & Paraic of creating a world class facility where service is second to none.  Knowing that having a good vision and facility is not adequate, they went about searching for the best talent in the industry so that FASTER would be defined by the service given to its’ clients by its’ staff.  In addition to providing great service, they even created a position of concierge to provide the highest level of quality service to those clients who want their recovery experience personalized, or to provide customized itineraries to those traveling in to the facility.  Whatever you need, whether it be an item or service, FASTER purposes to provide you the highest quality experience in helping you improve your performance and enjoyment on the bike.

We are located at 16414 N. 91^st Street, Suite 103 in North Scottsdale near Westworld (Scottsdale, AZ  85260), and can be reached at (480) 970-1300.  You can also find us online at www.ride-faster.com, on Facebook under “FASTER wind tunnel, retail, and performance center” or on Twitter.  Our current hours are 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday and from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays.  Hours will expand as demand for recovery services occur.  We look forward to exceeding your expectations and being your home for your comprehensive need for cycling performance services.

Local businessman James Kramer, owner of a wireless cell tower construction company, provided the vision and financing for the project. The facility, called Faster, brings the widest possible range of tools and services—including wind tunnel testing—under one roof.

Kramer recruited Paraic McGlynn, its director of performance services and operations, to provide credibility and expertise gathered over 20 years in the industry. McGlynn, the former director of the International Cycling Institute and fit lab at Serotta, relocated to Scottsdale, where he previously ran local retailer Bicycle Ranch.

Faster has integrated a 2,000-square-foot retail area with state-of-the-art fitting and recovery services. Its retail showroom will focus on lightweight, aerodynamic equipment and road, time-trial and triathlon bikes from brands including Scott, Cervélo, Guru, Serotta and Parlee.

Bike fitting will include proprietary 3D motion capture video analysis and a compilation of best-in-class fit methods. Recovery services will include massage, physical therapy and a suite with tools such as muscle stimulation machines, compression boots, trigger point tissue therapy and a plunge pool with hot and cold therapy to boost recovery.

Where Faster sets itself apart, however, is with a purpose-built in-house wind tunnel that could be a game changer not only for individual cyclists but also for industry companies looking for aerodynamic testing.

“The biggest differentiator is we’re building the first-ever, from-the-ground-up wind tunnel,” said McGlynn, adding that the project required a healthy seven-figure investment.

Faster will use the wind tunnel to evaluate a rider’s existing aerodynamic drag and how position or equipment change the rider’s drag. It will also incorporate biomechanical, power and respiratory measurement tools to ensure that aerodynamics don’t compromise performance.

Unlike other wind tunnels designed primarily for testing aerospace or automobile designs at high speeds, Faster’s wind tunnel is optimized for slower speeds. It will accurately simulate wind speeds up to 50 miles per hour.

“From an accuracy standpoint we are adding new elements to the test bed where we analyze slow characteristics—how equipment, the shape of the tunnel and the design of the fixture in the tunnel give new types of data about forces on yaw angles. We think it will give a more comprehensive data set,” said McGlynn, adding that Faster has hired Thomas Giesen, a mechanical engineer with bike industry background, to manage the facility.

Faster will make the wind tunnel accessible as a research and development testing facility to bike and component manufacturers.

Aerodynamics have always been important for speed. The better the aerodynamic performance, the lower the drag, the faster you can go. That also equates to faster speeds without any wasted or additional energy. Cyclists of all levels are effectively more comfortable and in control at higher speeds. That aero advantage can help you extend your limits. Aero is always “on“, at every speed your aerodynamics are a factor. Aero features can benefit anyone at every level, Cervélo has applied it’s award winning R series gemetry to the S5 to give the best of both worlds. The S5 delivers real world race proven geometry with a more aggressive stem and also allows a more conservative position with a different stem and spacer combination. Let the Cervélo S5 aero design help you be the best rider you can be, and STAY AHEAD!

James Kramer FASTER’s founder had this to say “Prior to riding the new Cervelo S5, I had ridden (4) other high-end bikes in the last 20 months.  The first (3) bikes – high end European name bikes, were nice bikes with comfortable rides and decent stiffness and lightweight properties, but not noteworthy.  The 4th bike, a U.S. brand, was a much stiffer and lighter bike that was impressive in acceleration, yet harsher over longer rides.  The S5 impresses me in that it is comfortable over longer rides, adequate in terms of stiffness and acceleration, but super impressive in terms of the sensation of holding speed with less effort.  The aerodynamic claims by Cervelo are not the standard marketing fluff that doesn’t translate into feel, but the sensation of easier speed and using lower watts is quite real in terms of the rider effort.  I’m sold.”

We can hardly get James off the bike, come see one of the few S5’s in the world at FASTER and see what the newest generation of aero road bikes can add to your cycling experience. Damon Rinard, Cervelo’s engineer offers what we believe to be the most compelling statistic that we have heard on the S5 “It takes 30 less watts to ride at 30 miles an hour on an S5 compared to a conventionally shaped bike”. Ask James, that is very real and one marketing claim that you can actually experience.

S5 KEY TECHNOLOGIES

• Dropped downtube: decreases the gap to the front wheel and reduces drag
• Built for bottles: designed to create better airflow over your water bottles
• Extended rear wheel cutout : creates smooth airflow over the rear wheel
• Shielding stays: the rear stays direct the airflow over the rear brakes
• BBright: improved aerodynamics, no weight gain and stiffer bottom bracket

UPGRADES FROM S3

• Lighter
• Stiffer
• BBright
• Better aerodynamics (seatstays, chainstays)