Essential Road Cycling Decision: To Use Clipless Pedals or Not?

January 2nd, 2009 • Cycling/Fitness • Comments

-Photo by bryanpearson on Flickr.

Pedals are one of the most crucial contact points in any bicycle. For cyclists, this raises an essential question. To use clipless pedals or not. Most bikes come with no pedals at all, leaving the buyer to decide which types of pedals to use. By far, clipless are the most popular. However, the cost and complexity of use drive some riders away from these pedals. The other road-based options are platform and toe-strap pedals. These types of pedals offer various advantages and disadvantages, and are all used by many riders because of these. However, I believe that for any type of serious cycling, clipless pedals are by far the best choice.

Platform Pedals

-Photo by square_eye on Flickr

Of the three choices, platform pedals are by far the simplest solution. Basically the same type of pedals on childrens bikes, they are a flat, two sided platform where you simply put your foot on the platform and ride.

The major advantage of these types of pedals is that they allow you to ride in any type of shoe, are very easy to use, and are the cheapest of the three major options. However, they can limit your power output as you have absolutely no ability to pull up on the pedal in the second portion of the pedal stroke. This means that you are only outputting power when pushing down on the pedals and not when the pedals are moving up. This can theoretically decrease your power output by up to 50%.

Who are platform pedals good for?

• People who want to get one and ride, with little concern about performance
• Newbie cyclists who want an easy to use pedal system as they adjust to the rest of their bike
• Commuters who do not wish to deal with seperate cycling shoes

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Breaking Into the Mainstream {Part 2: The Three Pillars of a Mainstream Sport}

December 26th, 2008 • Breaking Into the Mainstream, My Thoughts • Comments

Before reading this post, be sure to check out Part 1: Introduction to find out more about this five part mini-series.

Motocross is at an important part in our history where we must decide whether or not to break into the mainstream, or continue to grow slowly and maintain the strong core fan base which we have built.

Before we can truly examine the effects which the transition to the mainstream will have on the sport, it is important to analyze the three pillars of support which are present in every mainstream sport in America and throughout the world.

Going mainstream will require 3 pillars of support for our sport. First of all, more fans are needed. While the motocross community is currently of a healthy size, we are no where near the size of football, baseball, or even soccer. In addition, motocross will need more advertising money to fund the sport as it grows, and a better television deal to get the sport out to more telelvision viewers.

The only way for the sport to build these three pillars is to move away from outdoor motocross and focus on Supercross. While this transition will provide newer fans with a more enjoyable experience, mainstream companies with more advertising options, and a more feasible live TV setup, it will also leave the hardcore fans in the dust.

Supercross Will Attract New Fans

-Photo by Paul Buckley.

For new fans, supercross provides a much more enjoyable experience. The events are held inside, where climates are controlled, food and bathrooms readily available. Furthermore, supercross events are generally held near or in large cities. Meaning that a weekend trip to watch a supercross can be incorporated into a larger excursion. Motocross, on the other had, is held outside, and fans are susceptible to the harsh summer weather. At almost all of the outdoor professional motocros events I have attended, it has either been scorching hot, or heavily raining. Neither of which are prime environments for newer fans. For the dedicated hardcore motocross fan who is already a fan of the sport, braving the elements in order to see a race. However, for newer fans, the harsh weather conditions at outdoor motocross races will quickly drive them away from the sport. If you are not intensely interested in motocross as a sport, than going to watch an outdoor motocross race is simply not worth it.

Weather is not the only way that Supercross provides a much more enjoyable experience to new fans. Supercross guarantees a specific seat. You can come when you want, leave when you want, and your seat is still yours. Finding a good spot to watch Motocross, on the other hand, can entail climbing hills, pushing through large crowds of people and holding on to your foot on the fence for dear life, because, if you leave, there are more than enough people to fill the gap instantly. Once again, for hard core fans, this is not a problem at all. In fact, this is one of the joys of going to the nationals. For newer fans, finding a spot to watch at an outdoor motocross race is simply not worth the trouble.

As a result of these stark differences between Supercross and motocross, Supercross is the “gateway” drug of motocross in that it attracts new fans to the sport. Conversely, in order to go mainstream, motocross needs to attract (many) new fans. This can only be accomplished by putting more of our industry’s effort and industry behind the sport of Supercross.

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Breaking Into the Mainstream, A Five Part Mini-Series {Part 1: Introduction}

December 25th, 2008 • Breaking Into the Mainstream, My Thoughts • Comments

The sport of motocross is at a crucial crossroads. The sport is gaining popularity, press coverage and active participants. We are quickly approaching the point where we must make a decision. As a sport, are we going to “go for gold,” and try to break into the mainstream? Or are we going to let our sport grow as it has been, slowly, but steadily. The decisions made by the promoters, sponsors and organizers of professional motocross events in the next few years will shape our future forever.

-Photo by Paul Buckley.

In this five post series titled Breaking Into the Mainstream I will begin to examine what going mainstream will mean for the sport, and whether or not it is truly good for the hard core fans of motocross.

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Why is Cycling Such an Addictive and Effective Cross-Training Sport for Motocross Riders?

December 21st, 2008 • Cycling/Fitness • Comments

-Photo by ro buk [I'm not there] on Flickr.

I have posted numerous times here about my road cycling. Road cycling is by far my favorite form of exercise, and is the only one which keeps my motivated to exercise day in and day out. I began cycling simply as a way to stay fit for life and for motocross. However, I have quickly become addicted, and cycling is now one of my favorite hobbies. I am not the only one either. Motocross is an extremely popular training method for many pro motocrossers, including James Stewart.

So what is it that makes cycling so addicting and effective for motocross training? It is difficult for me to put my finger on cycling’s exact appeal, but there are a number of aspects of the sport which I believe make it such a great way to train for motocross.

Form Factor

-Photo by Christopher Bailey on Flickr.

There is no denying the similar form factor between cycling and motocross. Both machines feature two wheels, handlebars, a frame, and a seat. However, cycling is also different. It keeps you in a more riding position for longer periods of time. In addition, there is no suspension on a road bike, so bumps and ridges in the road can make the ride very jarring occasionally. Some may say that mountain biking is more closely related to motocross, and is thus a better cross training method for motocross.

However, I believe that the difference between cycling and motocross are part of the reason why it is so appealing. Amateur and especially pro motocross riders spend so much time on the motocross bike that spending some time during the week in a slightly different position is not necessarily bad. If more motocross riders used mountain biking as a form of training, their bodies would take twice as much beating during the week, and the damage to their joints and possible risk of injury would skyrocket.

For me, cycyling is like baby bear’s porridge. It is similar enough to motocross that it doesn’t feel entirely alien to me, but it is different enough to give me a break from the standard position of motocross.

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Switching to FeedBurner RSS Feeds

December 20th, 2008 • Site News • Comments

Today, I decided to switch the Mikemartinracing.com RSS Feed to the FeedBurner service. As a reader of the RSS Feed, be sure to resubscribe using the new URL: Http://feeds.feedburner.com/Mikemartinracing.

Why did I make the switch? FeedBurner has a lot of extra functionality over the standard Wordpress RSS feed system. Not only does it provide much more comprehensive statistics, but I now have more control over the feed itself and can insert extra types of content into the feed if I wish.

Once again, you should see no difference in the feed, as long as you subscribe using the new url. If you have yet to subscibe to the RSS feed, please do so. It allows you to quickly and easily have fresh articles from Mikemartinracing.com arrive in your RSS Reader without you ever having to visit the site. It is an extremely useful technology for readers and content producers.

If you have any questions on the switch or how to subscribe, please email me at mike868y@gmail.com.