The Bike Lane: From Bootcamps, to Wall-ball, to the Kitchen

Season 3, Episode 8

Welcome to episode 8 of The Bike Lane's third season. In this episode we have special guest Chloe McConville giving us her insights from the AIS selection bootcamp, we preview the Herald Sun Tour and Road Nationals courses, Orica-GreenEDGE's Mitch Docker answers your questions and My Kitchen Rules finalist Chris Cavanagh tries to better his cousin's time on The Hot Lap. That plus all our regular segments this week.

In this episode we:

Preview the new courses being used in the Road Nationals and the Herald Sun Tour in 2014
Put your questions to Orica-GreenEDGE pro Mitch Docker
Follow Huon-Genesys’s new recruit Mark O’Brien as he gets an Avanti Plus Bike Fit
Chat with Chloe McConville about her experience at the infamous AIS women’s selection camp
Get another Healthy Living Tip as Scott McGrory chats with dietitian Alan McCubbin, thanks to Health.com.au
See if Chris Cavanagh from My Kitchen Rules can beat the time set by his cousin Smiley Sam in last week’s show
Encourage you to support our Movember efforts which come to a close this weekend (you can donate here)

Be sure to follow The Bike Lane on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also subscribe to the show on iTunes by heading here or searching for “The Bike Lane” at the iTunes Store.

Special thanks to our season sponsor Health.com.au, Country Road for dressing us and to Malachi Moxon for letting us film the show at Northside Wheelers. Also, thank you to The Sweetshop, our production partner.

If you’d like to support the panel’s Movember efforts, you can donate to the CyclingTips Movember network here.

Tags: The Bike Lane

Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #1: How do you rate the new Herald Sun Tour route, including the Southbank prologue and the Arthurs Seat finish?
- echidna_sg
  
  Definitely good. Prologue is a bit short, but I can understand road closures in the CBD being a bit tough to organise.
  
  would love to see a ‘proper’ climb like mount macedon integrated into it too… but you can’t have everything!
  - Matt de Neef
    
    Wouldn’t it be awesome if the Sun Tour headed out to the Victorian Alps like it did in the good ol’ days?
    - echidna_sg
      
      Agree, but if you want greater numbers of spectators, keeping it close to the big towns/cities seems to be the easiest option there, hence ballarat, bendigo and geelong all getting a visit.
    - Scott McGrory
      
      In the past we always had Mts Buller, Hotham or Buffalo to tend with. But three times up Arthurs Seat is enough of a challenge to crown a worthy winner. And it’s proximity to Melbourne is a far better option.
      
      All of the stages are easy to get to from Melb, and I can see the twilight finish up Arthurs growing into something special. Imagine if there was a concert after the finish and fireworks!
- Abdu
  
  Richie P just belted up Arthur’s in 8.11 last Sunday…
  - Matt de Neef
    
    I seem to remember that when Igor Silin won the stage up there in 2011 he did it roughly a minute faster. Can someone confirm?
    - Abdu
      
      7 mins 53 secs as I recall, Katusha rider on his second trip up.
- Chadwick
  
  Awkward not mentioning the Nagambi stage seeing as Gerry Ryan is the CA boss and its hosted a stage and is the birth place of black caviar like thats a big thing to miss. They need the tourism now that the highway bypasses it.
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #2: What’s your impression of the revamped Nationals road race course? Is the course too selective? And could a non-Orica-GreenEDGE rider win it?
- Notso Swift
  
  They ‘could” but OGE will be targeting it hard, handy WT points and a lot of insult if they didn’t win
- NeilvdP
  
  Bloody hard! Too selective for most, and yes of course they could!
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #3: Have you had a professional bike fit done before? If so, how did it affect your riding?
- Anon
  
  Had a full workup done with video analysis etc. They put my seat up by 2cm. $350 later…
- echidna_sg
  
  made a big difference on my TT bike in terms of power output and aero position… but that was coming from not having a clue how to fit myself on one.
  
  Roadbike? stuff all change. moved cleats a few mm, recommended concentrating on keeping heels down for more power. Thats it!
  
  would I have another on my next bike? yup.
- dbranson
  
  Yes and it did wonders. I had been riding for a while and had tried fitting myself following ideas in books, online, etc. but as my distances increased so did my aches and pains. My health insurance covered bike fit as part of prescribed physical therapy so I gave a professional fit a try. The fit fixed all of my mistakes from the cleats, up to the seat and out to the reach. We also worked on stretching and strengthening exercises to help with positioning. Since the fitting I have been riding the new position for a year and my distances are up, my power is up and I have never felt better.
  
  I would suggest everyone be fitted for their individual needs and goals. A good bike fit is an individualized process that should be tied to your riding goals, your medical history, a musculo-skeletal function assessment, and an assessment of your current equipment. Look for a bike fit that is based on solid biomechanics and principals for bicycle-related injuries and pain syndromes. So do some research and ask others about good fitters and their experiences. It will be worth it.
  - Sean
    
    “a musculo-skeletal function assessment…. Look for a bike fit that is based on solid biomechanics and principals for bicycle-related injuries and pain syndromes.” Somehow i think that can’t be teached to a bike shop owner in a weekend or even a week long course.
    - dbranson
      
      Absolutely… for a proper fitting definitely find someone who has been bike fitting for years with a good scientific bike fitting background. Some shops might have a service but if they only have had a short course and have not fit lots of people then your mileage will vary. My experience through a physiotherapist that specialized in bike fitting was superb.
- Notso Swift
  
  Yes, but I have a custom bike so it was integral to the design. (although you can do it separately)
  
  It is telling that I jumped on the new one and instantly felt like the most comfortable bike I ever rode.
  
  I then adapted to to my old bike, although 16cm stems are a bit hard to find!
  Cyfac Positional system was developed by Lyon University based on 65000 subjects, it is a bit “old school” body measurements, but who care if it works.
- Abdu
  
  Yes, 1.5 hours of stretching, checking, video analysis, tweaking and shifting. Had the Specialized BG fit. The hard sell was as expected (new saddle, who can resist the fear factor of losing sensation to your ‘boys’ with the old one?). Well worth it.
- Pete
  
  Had one done 12-18 months after I got my bike… Felt absolutely amazing afterwards. I have no idea why it took me so long to get it done. New saddle = amazing.
- Michal
  
  It has alerted me to bad body posture and has helped me outside of cycling as well. The fitter I went to has a blog where I have got lots of good ideas from, including saddle, foot support and more. It has worked for me, so in the end I have seen Steve Hogg in person with my bike & shoes. Among other things cleats went more backward and legs are “fresh” after long or hard rides. Bike feels “natural” and it’s “part of me”. Very comfortable. Fit took half a day & wasn’t cheap, but was worth it. I was given 20pages report inc.recommendations, follow up support and “no questions money back guarantee” if I don’t like it.
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #4: What impact do you think Mark O’Brien will have when he returns to the NRS next year, riding for Huon-Genesys?
- Paolo
  
  Maybe he can…if he gets to ride a frame in his size. No, i don’t need a video to see that the frame is too small and too short for him.
  - Notso Swift
    
    I bet they don’t make one large enough, try and get stuff bigger than about 58 TT (real not what the marketing calls it) and there are very few options such is the rationalising of sizes for manufacturing ease
  - Jono_L
    
    Don’t sweat it, that’s only a test bike.
  - Sean
    
    Dude you’re missing the point of the story, arrogant know it all twats in this sport pizz me off. Go for a ride and chill out, do you even ride brah?
- NeilvdP
  
  I reckon he could sub-in Matt Keenan for a few laps if he needed to take a break- Those guys must be brothers or something!!
- sean
  
  Marks been the most underrated rider in Australia for 2 or 3 years. Top bloke too, one of the few nice guys who are at the pointy end of the sport.
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #5: What’s your perspective on the AIS women’s selection camp? Is the bootcamp style the wrong approach?
- Wish I was on the bike…
  
  If the assessment ctivities are relevant to the objective, then there may be a place for this type of camp. I’d be interested in how and where they draw the lines. If you couldn’t lace a wheel, that wouldn’t be a reason to cut a rider obviously. There clearly are talented riders who don’t make the cut but who go on to success. A bit more detail on the performance measures would be interesting. There’s no doubt those that complete the camp are very, very tough.
  
  Does it happen that some candidates who don’t get to the end still get a scholarship because of other cycling assets they demostrate along the way? For example are there riders who make it who aren’t as physically strong as others but whose mental persistence is recognised? Such a rider may not have finished in the top few of some physical tests.
- velocite
  
  White man’s magic.
- NeilvdP
  
  Right or wrong, it’s an interesting approach!
- Pete
  
  I don’t mind it. Although it should be the same for the mens and womens camps. (although the men don’t have a selection camp if I remember correctly)
  - Dave
    
    Correct. The reason for this is that men’s racing in Australia is hard enough and large enough to work as a selection process in its own right, the women’s racing is way too easy and as a result too many scholarship holders selected from a few good results here used to bomb out in Europe.
- Steve G
  
  Too early to tell. Why don’t we wait to see how the individuals that passed ‘selection’ progress physically, professionally and psychologically (coping with race load, in race pressures etc etc) before judging if the approach is right or wrong?
  
  No matter what though, we can all agree that the individuals selected are damn hard!
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #6: What (legal) supplements have you used to try and improve your cycling? Which ones have worked and which ones haven’t?
- Notso Swift
  
  Wine
  - Rocket Surgeon
    
    And beer.
- scottmanning
  
  I train early in the morning and in the 30 min between wake up and ride out of the garage there is no way my stomach is going to handle a decent meal beforehand. To that end I’ve been using Sustagen Sport since the AIS recommended it and found my training far better with a (liquid) meal in the gut that doesn’t make me regret eating it.
- Tom
  
  Trying paracetamol after reading a recent report into it’s performance enhancing effect, one of which is cooling the body, thought it might help with the intense heat here in perth, and as an added bonus, relieves the night befores hangover!
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #7: Who would you like to see take on The Hot Lap?
- Scott McGrory
  
  Nobody fast…lol
  - http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
    
    Martin, Cancellara and Wiggins for an hour around the hotlap.
  - dbranson
    
    Matt Keenan it is then! Put him to the test!!!
    - donncha
      
      Yep, why hasn’t Matt been subjected to the hot lap??
    - scottmanning
      
      Seconded!
    - Sean
      
      He’s waiting until that stache has been shaved, he knows he needs every advantage possible if he wants to step out of McGrory’s massive shadow.
  - Tom
    
    but you’ve already had a go ;)
- JS
  
  Was there any story as to why Sam and Chris were on The Hot Lap?
  
  They seem like two mildly famous people who can ride bikes okay, even if they’re not cyclists proper, who have cookbooks and catering companies that can benefit from some exposure.
  - a different ben
    
    Mildly famous? I had never heard of them, nor seen the show they were on. Bemusing choice. Let’s hope some of the talent home from Europe have a crack at it.
    - echidna_sg
      
      Does sam or chris race? and if so, what grade? or they just joe average cyclist with something of a media profile? you *may* have overdone the whole catering joke ;-)
      
      I’d love to see some euro pro talent have a go vs some NRS young guns… of course timing during the season etc will make a difference, but what the heck - is an off season Koen de Kort 3, 5 or 15 seconds faster than a former olympic gold medal winner? ;-)
      - Scott McGrory
        
        Or slower…haha!
      - Matt Keenan
        
        Koen de Kort will be on the Hot Lap either this week or next week. Stay tuned.
        
        Scott McGrory
        
        Bugger…
        
        GrahamWKidd
        
        Woot!
        Yes more of the Pro boys home on hol’s for the Hot Lap if you can organise it please.
    - mattb
      
      about half a million people watched that show every week. not my cup of tea, and I hadn’t heard of them either - but that doesn’t make them irrelevant.
      I like the hot lap being not just about who can have the fastest time.
      - a different ben
        
        But there are so many ‘identities’ in the local racing scene… or even amongst the ‘where are they now’ lists of ex-racers, why not go for them first? I just said it was bemusing, not offensive.
    - Sean
      
      you dill, since when is your awareness the benchmark for someone being mildly famous? I don’t see anything wrong with having club reps, TV personalities (no matter if you know about them or otherwise), euro pros, local NRS riders or even Mr average who has a mouth full of ego like you. This is best cycling show by far, the hot lap rocks regardless of who’s giving it a crack.
      - a different ben
        
        That got pretty personal Sean! You’re very good at reading a lot into very little.
  - Dave
    
    It would be interesting to have a look at a complete list of sponsors, endorsements and management/PR contracts for each of the Bike Lane hosts and the guys who were on MKR together (and the shows themselves - The Bike Lane and MKR). The cynic in me says there’s going to be at least one company overlapping, probably more than one.
    
    Let’s face it, it’s better to put up with product placements and mutual backscratching than to have to pay Fox for the privilege of watching TBL.
    - http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
      
      @Dave, as always CyclingTips always discloses any commercial relationships that may influence the content. That also goes for The Bike Lane. I can assure you that we always give mention to the show sponsors either in the video or underneath in the copy. There is no commercial relationship with MKR (formal or otherwise). Health.com.au are sponsoring the Healthy Living Tips segment, and Avanti are sponsoring “The Inside Line” which have both been disclosed.
      
      It’s good to be cynical, but I can assure you that it’s misplaced here.
- http://www.facebook.com/pmark1bike pmark1bike
  
  Jo Hogan take on Hollywood
- Paolo
  
  Mark Webber…or if he doesn’t want to maybe Caleb Ewan. You could ask Vettel and maybe that would make Webber come too ;-)
  - Scott McGrory
    
    Hang on a minute, Webber, Vettel or Ewan…Caleb is full of potential but he won’t win an F1 race…will he?
    
    That said, Webber is not as far a stretch as we might think think…or Alonso!
    - Dave
      
      No way you’d see Seb Vettel on a bike, there’s a chance he wouldn’t come first.
  - scottmanning
    
    Hrm… you’ve got me thinking.
    How about Troy Bayliss? He’s quite handy on a pushy as well as a Superbike…or has everyone forgotten who he is? Many of the pro motorcycle riders cycle to keep their fitness up.
- Notso Swift
  
  Said before Caleb Ewan will be the man. You need to organise a Pro day after the Willy Crit
  
  Also Koen and Kittel are obvious, as they are doing their AFR thing at the moment
  - Paolo
    
    Kittel is not in OZ.
- Jono_L
  
  The man of Steele!!!!!!! Come on. McGrory is going down!
- NeilvdP
  
  I see far too much of him, but I think Paul AKA “Quadzilla” van der Ploeg would be a fine representative from the dirty side of cycling! Current MTB sprint Eliminator World Champ 193cm, 90+kg’s- GREAT to watch (unless you’re his mechanic)!
  - NeilvdP
    
    I have tweeted this, and SEVERAL people have retweeted in support!
    - Scott McGrory
      
      nah nah nah nah fingers in ears nah nah nah nah lol
- velocite
  
  Steve Bracks.
- scottmanning
  
  You had a perfect candidate right under your nose! Chloe McConville. Just passed the AIS trianing camp….
- Dave
  
  Chris Hoy if you can get him to Melbourne when he’s here for the TDU next year.
- Richard Riley
  
  How about Charlie Pickering?
- Tom
  
  Long shot maybe, but what about trying to organise whilst the F1 GP is here, getting the likes of Button and maybe Coulthard to do a lap, Gerro should be able to sort it out, as he’s based where they are!
- Steve G
  
  Me… I want to give everyone’s numbers a boost by being last and probably take a spill along the way.
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #8: What’s on your mind? What would you like the panel to discuss on next week’s episode?
- a different ben
  
  Seems like Wade’s ‘whinge’ about Masters racing deserves a look-in.
  - http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
    
    If you think that was a whinge, you should hear my arguments about having a separate category for McGrory’s hotlap!
    - echidna_sg
      
      like the F1 drivers board on topgear?
      
      it has merit.
      
      perhaps get the SKCC super crit pro field up there all on one day and smash out 10-20 new numbers for the list…
      - Scott McGrory
        
        Perhaps not…
        
        But the F1 style separate leaders board does have merit. Coming from my angle though, I’m ok with a period of retirement to qualify as a non-Pro.
        
        For me it was 8yrs from Pro to the Hot Lap, but I’d say 3yrs retired would be enough though.
        
        PeterC
        
        Watch out. Robbie’s fit - as anyone at the GC (or Noosa) crits can attest
- dbranson
  
  Let’s start looking at the Tour Down Under… If you are going to go see it what are the tips for the best experience.
- NeilvdP
  
  UCI points structure. Pretty much all the points go to a teams protected rider- Whatever the style of race may be. Domestiques don’t get ANY points even if they ride a flawless race!! Sprint trains highlight this, the Marcel Kittel’s of a team take the shot, but without the ball getting passed to them- and passed well- they can’t score! In a team sport, is it right that the riders who cross the line first are the only ones who get the points? I think this obviously needs to change- E.g. Sprint finish 50 points to winner- 10 points to each team members.
- purpletezza
  
  Yes we know that there is sponsorship galore at the pro level and they all have to be 100% on board with their sponsors latest products and their benefits but here is a question for pro and ex-pros:
  
  Forgetting what the best bike was that you have ridden, what is your favourite bike you have ridden? You know the bike that you keep going back to, despite having the latest and greatest speed weapons at your disposal.
  
  I asked Dave McKenzie this a few years back and his answer was an old Colnago, and he still rides it!
- Steve G
  
  The subject matter in this inrng article: http://inrng.com/2013/11/pro-cycling-society-gap/
horses

The iTunes/podcast thing seems to be broken, and I can’t possibly watch it any other way…
- michael addison
  
  +1 missed the latest episode last week on the train
- Matt de Neef
  
  When you say broken, do you mean the episode didn’t appear in the list? We had a couple of issues getting it uploaded this week. It’s up there now though.
  - horses
    
    Yep, that’s right. I see it now - thanks, Matt!
Raymond A. Poythress

That is a very good exercise and a stress reliever task. But be sure you guys wear your helmet when you go biking. Thanks for posting!

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