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Stack & Reach Primer: Chapter Two

Our primer on stack & reach continues with the second chapter in the series. We examine how stack and reach enable you to understand how a given bike will, or will not, fit you.

Open water as art

The science of swimming will make you fast in the pool. It’s the art of swimming that makes you fast in the open water.

The Hooker

It’s considered the aerodynamic benchmark for double-diamond (front and rear triangle) bikes.

The bike biz

With Interbike right around the corner I thought I’d write a bit about how the bike business works—not everything about it, but the nuts and bolts of how a bike gets from the “paper napkin sketch” to your local bike shop’s showroom floor.

Bike geometry

I ride a 59cm bike or, if it’s a road race bike (as opposed to a tri bike) I’ll ride a 60cm bike. If it’s a Litespeed tri bike, I’ll ride 57cm, and so it goes. How are these bikes measured, and why do I ride different sizes depending on the manufacturer?

Propulsion in the water

You’ve probably heard the phrases “feel for the water” or “catch,” and if you’ve watched the top swimmers you’ve probably noticed that their bodies seem to glide over the water. Well, they are doing just that.

Running long for improved performance

It is true that runners well below their maximum training load can increase any aspect of their training––including doing more slow and steady running––and see improved racing results.

Run injury free

Take care of yourself, and don’t get pushed around by anybody who sells you anything that goes on your feet.

Open water miscellany

I got a letter yesterday from Clifton May, a Slowtwitch reader. He listed three problems, all of which seem to be common to new triathletes.

The trademark

One would be hard-pressed to come up with an industry, activity or economy in which one single trademark is more powerful or over-arching than in triathlon, and the trade name is Ironman.

Open water tactics

While most of the articles featured in Swim Center are penned by extremely accomplished swimmers, it’s almost counterproductive to have a swimmer like that write about tactics. How would they know? They don’t need tactics. They have talent.

Rise and fall of a triathlon series

Races are hard to produce. The bigger the race, the bigger the headache; the greater the expense; the more hand-wringing the stress; the more sleep-depriving the risk.

The Superform

Yet again (as happens about every 18-months) someone asks about the beginnings of the bike technology that has make our sport unique. I thought I’d answer the question here, and with some photo representation.

Carb-Boom Palomar Challenge

On the same day the men’s Olympic triathlon was contested a group of fifteen or so cyclists started up San Diego’s Palomar Mountain.