Gear Check: BikeInside

When we moved here, The Company changed a lot in our assignment contract.  One of those things was that we received a company car, a big ol' VW Passat.  The thing is pretty big as Euro cars go, which is nice for traveling (not so much for Euro parking).  The only minor downside to receiving a car that is basically free is that our roof bike rack from our old car isn't compatible with it.  A new roof rack wouldn't be that expensive, but it would only fit a Passat.  So, by the time we move home we'll have two racks we won't be able to use.  Of course, the alternative would be a hitch rack, which would work with any car.  But, since the car isn't ours, we can't install a hitch.

Enter BikeInside.

www.bikeinside.de

We determined that the best solution for our situation was a system that fit inside our car.  If it was universal, even better.  Lo and behold, a company in Germany makes just such a rack.

BikeInside is compatible with pretty much any model vehicle on the road.  You can check their list here.  It works basically like a tension rod, bracing against the right and left interior sides of your vehicle.  It can be installed towards the front of the car with the seats folded down, or in the cargo area depending on what works best for you bikes.  The front wheels of the bike are removed and the forks fitted into the quick release bracket on the rack.  It takes less than 5mins to get the bike inside the car and attached to the BikeInside.  It can fit up to three bikes at a time depending on how much room you have inside your vehicle.  The rack itself barely takes up any room so you can leave it in your car all the time if you prefer.  But, thanks to no tool installation you can remove it after every use.  Now, depending on your vehicle, you may have to break your bike down further, either removing the seat post or rear wheel or both.  Additional accessories are available to ensure a proper fit and stability.

So, even if you don't have the situation we do, you may want to consider BikeInside for these reasons:

1.  Protects your bike from the weather during travel.

Because it is extremely frustrating to get your bike all nice and clean for a trip just to have it gunked up on the highway while on the top or back of your car.

2.  Increased security

Keeping your bike in your car reduces it's chances of getting nabbed while your stopped for dinner or you're the gas station.  It won't be obvious, especially if you have darkened windows, and you can always throw a blanket over it too.

3.  Doesn't affect fuel consumption

With the bikes inside the car you won't get any of the drag that you get from roof racks. Drag increases fuel consumption.

4.  Doesn't add length or height to your vehicle

This is a huge plus for parking.  A lot of hotel parking in Europe is in underground garages, making roof racks impossible to use.  Parking spaces are also smaller, so extending the back end of the car with a hitch rack can cause issues.  Of course, this isn't as big of a problem in the States, but if maneuverability is a concern, BikeInside solves that problem.

5.  Keeps your bike stable inside the car.

A lot of people find it easier to haul their bikes inside their car, usually by just laying them down.  For one bike this isn't a big deal, but if you are hauling more than one it can be a hassle.  Bikes shouldn't be stacked on each other.  Pedals and handlebars can get caught in spokes, derailleur arms get bent.  The BikeInside keeps your bike upright, stable, and safe from entanglement.

The BikeInside in use in our Passat.

A wheel bag is a good idea for car travel as well.

We've tried our BikeInside for a couple of months when we've wanted to take the bikes further afield or travel with them.  It was a huge help when we drove to Denmark a couple weeks ago.  As you an see above, our bikes fit inside the car while still allowing plenty of space for luggage.  For our car it is necessary to remove the seat post, but the rear wheel can stay in place.  We picked up a cheap dual wheel bag for our front wheels and that tucks in nicely alongside one of the bikes near a passenger door.  With our two bikes and wheels inside, we still had plenty of room for a couple suitcases, camera bags, and a couple duffels filled with cycling equipment.  That still left ample space to pick up a couple souvenir items on our trip.  We didn't have any issues with parking, now that the bikes were inside the car.  When we spent an afternoon at Lego Land, we were confident that the bikes would be safe tucked under a cover, going unnoticed.  It poured for the entire drive home at the end of the weekend, so we were very thankful to have the bikes inside and dry.

So, I highly recommend picking up a BikeInside if you are looking for an internal bike rack system.  They work in almost every car and with almost every style of bike.  While you can't pick them up at an American dealer, they ship internationally from the website.  At about $160.00 (w/o shipping), it's a reasonable and valuable option for transporting your bikes.

We're very pleased with ours!

The World is Round, People!

Look at this!  Two posts in one week?  Crazy, I know.  But, I'm feeling inspired, so here we go.

Women's cycling has been in the forefront this week.  With the Women's World Cup starting on the 15th and the fact it's getting actual coverage, the success of the Half the Road film, and the publicity female pros are getting, people are really starting to take notice.  Good things are happening.  It's pretty exciting.  It's also stirring debate, particularly on the same old subject of gear.

Ah, gear.  I'm a gear freak.  I just realized this recently when I was planning for an upcoming trip. I had more gear going into my bag than I had clothes.  I like things that involve collecting gear.  I love backpacking, an activity that is so gear centric most backpackers end up talking gear with each other instead of where they've been.  I love photography, an art that also requires an endless amount of gear and gear to carry said gear.  Then, of course, there's cycling.  You wear gear, your bike wears gear, you need gear for the gear, you need gear to clean the gear, and there's always new gear.  It's a gear freak's dream sport.  So, I'm always looking at cycling gear and I picked up on the debate raised this week on women's gear, specifically clothing.  Being a woman who rides a bike and needs clothing to do so, I have some opinions on the subject.  I've written about it before, and I'll get to that later.  First off though, here's what I think about the debate itself.

I like it.  I'm glad we have people talking about this subject outside of women's cycling blogs and forums.  I'm glad it's mainstream this week.  I'm very happy that people are saying, "Hey, look at this!  There are things that are moving in the right direction, but there's still work that needs to be done."  That means, at least in my opinion, that thanks to media coverage on the pro road side of things, that change is going to trickle down to the rest of us.  I really like that all sorts of women riders with all sorts of opinions are weighing in.  I really like it that the guys are voicing their opinions too.  I agree with some things are that said and I disagree with other things.  But, that's ok.  People are talking about it.

So here's what I think.

I'm not a roadie.  The Rules?  Eh.  Sure, I definitely agree there's a right way and wrong way to ride road, but I can't get fanatical about it.  To each their own (although, I think sporting team kit and wheelsucking a complete stranger for miles on end is very sad).  I certainly wouldn't pass muster for most roadies.  I'm an amateur.  Definitely.  I ride an entry level road bike.  I'm built like Cavendish during his husky years.  I hate climbing, passionately.  I have no desire to join in group rides or compete, ever.  I can't hang.  I honestly don't care.  Road cycling is something I enjoy doing on my own terms.  I like riding my road bike best.  I like how it handles, I like the aesthetics, I like the speed.  I like the gear.  But, you know what?  I also like riding my hybrid slowly along at German grandma pace, and I like spinning around on my hipster Schwinn in jeans and T on a warm evening.

Image www.teamestrogen.com

What I don't like is getting pigeonholed.  I think the cycling industry loves pigeonholing people, men and women alike.  Get some clear market definitions and it makes it a lot easier to sell stuff.  I don't like being told that because I'm a woman things have to be different for me, that I have to make compromises, that I have to fit in a clique to ride my bike.  I've never been good at that sort of thing, and I've never seen the point of it.  I mean, we're cyclists, right?  We're all just cyclists, men and women alike.  We're all at varying degrees of experience, we all have varying interests.  I don't think anyone likes being told they have to dress a certain way because they ride at one level or another.  I certainly don't think anyone, man or woman, likes being told they have to wear a certain color or style in sport because of their gender.  It's like telling women we have to go back to wearing dresses 24/7 and telling guys they have to wear a suit to work everyday.  It's a pretty archaic attitude.  All of us should be able to find the type of gear that performs best for our needs, our comfort, and our style.  It really shouldn't be that big of deal to find what we're looking for.

Image www.vulpine.cc

Look, I don't wear pink.  I don't do glitter.  I've been a committed tomboy since birth, and I'm not going to betray that when I ride my bike.  It would ruin the experience.  I like subdued stuff and earth tones.  I like solids and classic designs.  I like my jerseys to have real sleeves, pockets that fit more than an energy bar, and cut in way that acknowledges the fact I'm leaning over in the drops just like the boys.  I'm really pleased with brands that carry stuff like that, and I'm excited to see more and more new companies coming to the market with these types of styles.  Rapha has been a leader in that realm, but now we have the recently launched Velocio and the two year old super cool Vulpine in the ring (I mean, look at that sweet merino).  Even established recognizable brands like Castelli are toning down on the girl power centrism.  I'm not saying no one should make the pink, sparkle, flower stuff anymore.  Lots of women out there really like it and that's what they feel the most comfortable in.  That's cool.  We all need to feel good when we're riding.   I'm just really glad the industry is starting to put the breaks on the pink pigeonholing.  The clothing thing is moving in the right direction.  I hope down the road some of the lower priced shop brands will get on board so women with tastes like mine aren't frustrated by their gear options when entering the sport.  Nobody wants to drop a ton of money on clothes when they're first starting out, so cheaper, shop accessible options would be good.  Heck, I still have trouble swallowing some of the prices for the online brands.

But, beyond clothing there's still a lot of work ahead.  I hope the changes in that market will begin to affect the rest of the cycling industry.  WSD models are really making great advances, I'm loving what I see from Giant and Raleigh.  Its nice that those of us who need smaller frames and components can buy a bike off the rack and it's not baby blue or covered in butterflies.  My greatest hope is that I'll be able to walk into any bike shop someday and get treated respectfully and not like the little woman who doesn't know a cassette from a headset.  Not all shops are guilty of this and there are some amazing ones out there that are pleasure to work with, but to be honest Europe needs to try a little harder.

All in all though, I think we have reason to be excited and positive about what's happening.  I hope the debate continues and things keep changing.  As one of my favorite people, Cate Blanchett, said recently, "The World is round, people!"  Women cyclists have just as much right to the road, the bikes, and the clothes the boys get and the sooner we're are no longer marginalized or passed over the better.  I think we're on the right road.

Searching for the Perfect Saddle

Comfort.

Let's face it, that is probably the biggest factor in how much someone participates and enjoys cycling.  If getting on a bicycle causes pain somewhere, most people don't want to get on a bike very much.  The story goes as follows: person remembers that riding their bike was a lot of fun when they were a kid, they dust off their old MTB/roadie/cruiser and pump up the tires, they go for a ride Saturday or Sunday afternoon, everything goes well at first, then there's this pain in the hands/feet/knees/shoulders/rear, they go home, it takes a day or two for the pain to subside, they forget about the pain, they ride again some other weekend, the pain comes back, this happens a few times, so they roll the old bike back in the garage, and they call it a day.  Riding a bike was fun when they were a kid, but unless they're just going for an easy spin in the neighborhood or the park, it's not really for them anymore.  Cycling becomes just something to do with the kids for a couple days here and there in the summer.  The bike spends most of its time with soggy tires and a layer of dust on the saddle. *Sniff

What a lot of people don't realize, even people that do a lot of riding, is that serious discomfort on a bicycle isn't supposed to be a part of the activity.  Unless you're really pushing yourself physically or riding for a long period of time or in adverse conditions, you shouldn't be "suffering."  Your bike itself shouldn't cause you pain.

Now, there are a lot of reasons why you could be uncomfortable on your bike depending on what hurts.  Getting a proper bike fit can solve a lot of those problems.  But, one of the most common problems, especially for women, is pain in the rear.  While sometimes this is caused by saddle height or position, usually the real problem is the saddle itself.  For women that ride road or mountain bikes, this problem is even more common than it is for those who ride upright commuters, city bikes, or cruisers.  Why? Because the saddles don't fit.

Usually, we figure out pretty quickly that our saddles are the problem, but oftentimes we don't know why they are a problem.  Many people think that there isn't enough padding so they switch out the stock saddle for one with more squish.  However, the most common reason for the discomfort is that the saddle is too narrow.  Ok, let's talk anatomy for a minute.

http://yogainthemix.files.wordpress.com/

When we sit down, our weight is distributed over two points of bone on our pelvis called the ischial tuberosities or more commonly "sit bones."  If we're not sitting correctly, for example slouching, that puts pressure on parts of the body that aren't supposed to be weight supporting- like the lower back.  When we're on a bike saddle that doesn't match up with our sit bones, the pressure is often on our tender regions and can cause all sorts of unpleasant sensations.

The thing is, most people don't know this, so they suffer along for years on saddles that don't fit, women especially.  Why? Because most saddles out there are designed for people with a smaller distance between their sit bones- men.  Yep, one of the things that set men and women apart are their pelvises.  For obvious reasons, women generally have a wider pelvis and therefore a greater distance between their ischial tuberosities.  The distance between your sit bones has nothing to do with your weight or whether you've had children (though women may see a change in distance after childbirth).  Even if you are super skinny, you can still have a sit bone distance that would be called wide.  It's just your skeletal structure.  Oh by the way, fellas, you can have wider sit bones too.

If your saddle isn't supporting your sit bones, you end up sitting on your nerves and soft tissue which over time can cause serious pain or numbness.  For me, a long ride on a narrow saddle causes a tingling sensation and pain in my right leg that eventually reaches my foot.  A nerve is being pinched.  If this sounds familiar, you may be using a saddle that is too narrow as well.

So, the first step to saddle comfort is getting one that is the right width.  But, you have to find out what the correct width is, right?  To do this you have a couple of options.  No. 1 go to your local shop that does saddle fits (Specialized dealers often have a nifty setup for this purpose) or No. 2 figure it out yourself.  If No. 2 is what you are left with, there are a few ways to go about this.  You can put a piece of tin foil on a carpeted step and rock back and forth on your tuberocities to leave an impression.  Or you can do something similiar with memory foam, damp tissue, or a bag filled with a little flour.  I tried just about all those methods before I was able to get a clear impression of my sit bones.  After I had an impression, I measured the distance between the two centers of the impressions in millimeters.  That is my sit bone measurement.  Lo and behold, I finally knew exactly why I was getting pain in my right leg.  Nearly all of my saddles were too narrow, a good 20 millimeters too narrow.  All my weight was being supported by my soft tissue while my sit bones were in contact with just the edges of the saddle.

Next, I set about locating road saddles that matched up with my measurements.  Reading through forums and getting advice from other ladies directed me to a few different companies who made saddles with the dimensions that I needed.  It turns out, that while many saddle companies make women specific models, not many make ones that would actually work.  In many cases, they're just a smidge wider with a touch of pink in the design.  While those saddles may work for women with narrow sit bones, they aren't going to help most women out anymore than the mens saddles.  My measurements fell on the wider end of the range so that left me with only a few options.  From there, I narrowed my choices down to two companies- Selle Italia and Brooks.  There were a few other choices out there, but they either fell right on the line of width (I wanted to have some wiggle room) or I just didn't care for their appearance.

amazon.com

Selle Italia's Lady Gel Flow seemed to be the best option from the company's range.  I heard a lot of good things about it and thought it's appearance would match up well with a road bike.  So, I picked one up.  Saddles are like shoes.  You won't know it fits until you try them.  Alas, while this saddle works great for a lot of women out there, we didn't get along very well.  I tried it out over a week's time on long and short distances and each ride resulted in discomfort.  While the width was right, other aspects of the saddle didn't work well for me.  One of those things was actually the length.  The shorter nose limited where I could sit forward and back.  Another problem was the padding.  For me, the three layers of plastic, gel, and leather were too much.  There was too much give and not enough support.

So, my next option was something from the Brooks line.  However, before I committed to the granddaddy of saddles, I had an idea.  I already own a leather saddle with the same dimensions as the Brooks B17 model.  It was on the Varsity.  So, I popped it off the Varsity (which won't come out of the garage until the weather clears anyway) and set it up on the Revenio.  While it certainly isn't a traditional road saddle, it had the advantage of having the correct dimensions while lacking all that extra padding.  Presto!  We had a winner!  While it didn't have all the bells and whistles of the other saddles out there, it was exactly what I needed to have a comfortable ride.

www.brooksengland.com

Now that I know this style is what works, I'll be putting an order in for a Brooks B17 in black.  As comfy as the Varsity's saddle is, brown just doesn't work.

Some of you may be saying, "Gah!  How could you put a heavy old school Brooks on your modern road bike?"  Well, yes, Brooks' saddles are much heavier than other road saddles out there.  But, I'm a recreational cyclist who has no interest in getting up a hill or past a line before anyone else.  My bike is a base aluminum model.  It's not the fastest nor the lightest to begin with.  As to the style, well attractiveness is in the eye of the beholder and I happen to like the vintage look.  In fact, my husband's Ridley Icarus came stock with a riveted saddle and it looks just fine.  But the bottom line is, this saddle is the most compatible for my needs and comfort is the ultimate goal.  On the plus side, Brooks saddles have an extremely long life so not only will it be comfortable, it will basically last forever.  It will probably outlast the bike itself.

The way I look at it, finding the right bicycle saddle is like finding your soul mate.  For some of us, it doesn't take very long and they're the first one we meet.  But, for most of us, it takes a little searching and a little "dating around."  Eventually, if we keep looking, the right match will turn up.  It may not be one that everyone else agrees with or likes, some may even say it's unattractive.  But, as long as the two of you are happy together, that's all that matters.