Pain-Free Running, Part III

To recap the prior post: As I became fatigued while running, my feet started to slap the ground, which set off a whole cascade of pain. This confirmed that I would never again run as I did in my youth. It was clearly time to change my stride into something that would work better with the bones and muscles I had today.

This wasn't the first major change I had encountered on my path toward becoming a triathlete. While I had owned up-market road bikes for 35 years, I had never competed. When I started training for triathlon, I finally started to learn what competitive cycling was all about. It all comes down to two basic things: Minimize drag, and use muscles wisely. Some would add a third basic item: Get a power meter. But my budget hasn't made that possible.

When Joe Friel was the guest speaker at a TCSD meeting, I heard about "mid-sole cleat positioning". Since I have flat feet, I was already positioning my cleats just behind the ball of my foot, to provide some support to my plantar fascia. Joe showed that moving the cleats further back would greatly reduce the load on the calf muscle, freeing up energy that would then be available for propulsion.

My bike shoes have very long cleat slots, and I was able to move my cleats back a centimeter. The effect on my feet and calves was literally night-and-day: Since pressure on the ball of my foot was further reduced, my plantar fascia never hurt, no matter how hard I pedaled, and no matter how rough the road (bumps and corduroy used to hurt my feet). Even better, my calves stopped cramping when going up steep climbs.

I found it hard to believe that such a small adjustment could possibly have such a large impact on my riding. I wondered if something similar would be possible for my running.

I did lots of running research online. I found no sites dedicated to the "bad/broken runner". There were sites for doing physical therapy and rehab on injured and post-surgery runners, and lots of sites focused on making slow runners into faster runners, but none for those of us who just can't run any significant distance due to non-fitness issues.

The odd thing was, there were lots of sites for non-swimmers, and non-cyclists, but not for non-runners. The only advice I found, repeated over and over again, was this: "Start jogging. Then start running." Not exactly the advice I was looking for.

So I went offline and started looking a bit closer at other runners, particularly those with physical limitations of some kind. Two common limitations soon became clear: High weight, and great age. So I focused on watching very heavy and very old runners. And one thing was immediately obvious: The best runners in both groups tended to run with a rapid, short stride.

So I tried running with faster, shorter strides. And I felt as if I would shake myself apart. It wasn't a pretty sight, and I had trouble getting around a single block. And I still hurt when I finished, but in all-new places: My butt and lower back hurt.

When I went back online to research different running strides, I stepped into the endless discussions and religious wars concerning heel-strike versus toe-strike versus mid-sole strike. Google for them if you are curious. The one thing I did take from the discussions was that I did not, necessarily, have to strike so hard with my heel.

The mid-sole strike got me thinking about how mid-sole cleats had affected my biking. In particular, could I use my calves less while running?

So I tried an experiment, and replaced my toe-push with a heel-push. Using a heel-push wasn't new to me: When hiking with a 60 lb pack on my back, the only way to get up steep hills was to use a heel-push, never a toe-push. Use the big muscles instead of the little ones. And when the going was steeper, take shorter steps: Sometimes, my feet overlapped, moving only a few inches up and forward with each step. I've hiked up a few mountains that way, making it to the top with lots of energy.

Trying to run with a heel-push and a short stride is vastly different than walking with one. The running toe-push seems to be programmed in at almost a genetic level, and it was extremely difficult for me not to use my calf muscles. The resulting stride still lacked smoothness, but it was somewhat more comfortable than my prior short-stride test. Getting around the block was still a struggle, but it was much less uncomfortable.

Back to the net, where I found no discussions of heel-push running. Nada. Zilch. Bupkus. Oh, sure, people will rage about foot strike, but not the push. Obviously, it was too obvious to discuss. Obviously, I was on my own.

One thing was immediately clear: If I was going to run with a short stride, and if I ever wanted to run fast, I was going to have to make those short strides happen very quickly. In cycling this is your pedaling "cadence". In running, I learned it was called "turnover". The general consensus was that higher turnover was better, but that whatever your "natural" turnover was would be best.

I had no way to measure my turnover, so I purchased a shoe-pod for my Garmin 305. It goes well with the bike-pod, and serves a similar purpose. Some running web sites recommend using a metronome, but I also want to record my cadence during a run, and my Garmin 305 with the shoe-pod would that too.

On the bike, I had worked hard to get my normal cadence on the flats up from the low 70s to 90, and my speed improved with it. Should I try to run with a 90 cadence as well? I did some short test runs, and it seemed faster was actually better, since it made my shorter stride "flow" better. But holding a 90 pace was just about impossible.

My stride still needed more work.

Pain-Free Running, Part II

Last post, I described how I started to get back into running, and how it wasn't working for me. This time I'll describe where I went from there.

First, I'll share my definition of "pain-free" running: No joint pain, no foot pain, no back pain or any other structural body pain. No shin splints. No plantar fasciitis. No tendon pain.

Muscle pain, though not desirable, should not be unexpected. If cramps occur, they should be taken as a clear sign of over-doing it, and are an excellent reason to end the run and start walking. Tendon pain must be prevented and avoided to the greatest extent possible, but when it does occur it must be treated as an injury.

While doing the 1/2 mile runs described in the prior post, I noticed some pain in the front and side of my knees that tended to ache and fade slowly. I scheduled an appointment with my GP, who promptly referred me to Dr. John Fellow, a sports medicine specialist.

X-Rays revealed some roughness on the inside of one of my knee caps (mild chondromalacia), and Dr. Fellow also detected a small amount of patellar tendonitis on both knees (not unexpected at my age). After performing some mobility and stability tests, Dr. Fellow's final diagnosis was ITB Syndrome (ITB = IT-Band = IllioTibial Band, the tissue along the outside of each thigh). This too is very typical of people getting into running, and Dr. Fellow was not too concerned. He prescribed some stretches, which I added to my normal (and very thorough) stretch routine.

A note about stretching. Over the years I've put together a great 20-minute active stretch routine that borrows from yoga, modern dance, martial arts, strength training, massage therapy, and, of course, doctors. It has kept me extremely flexible and very limber, and has provided many benefits beyond flexibility: I'm much more resistant to accidental injury, since I can bend before I break, and I'm more able to catch myself when I stumble, instead of falling. I can't recommend highly enough the value of a proper and safe stretch routine!

Over the years, I've accumulated some basic rules about stretching. These are my rules, based primarily on my own experiences. Since I'm in no way a stretching expert, you should take them only as basic advice, not as laws.

1. Never stretch a cold muscle. This is #1 for a reason, since it is the easiest way I know to rip muscle and tendon. Don't do it. Never, ever. Always warm up a muscle before stretching it.
2. Never stretch immediately before hard exercise. Recent studies have shown that stretching decreases both muscle strength and endurance when done before hard exercise. Stretching is best used as a recovery activity, or as part of a series of low-intensity exercise or training activities (such as in a fitness class). Think of stretching more like vitamins: Something you want to take daily, but not right before a big race.
3. Always activate the muscle being stretched. Never "relax" into a stretch. Work against the muscle being stretched, but don't over-do it. Mild to medium activation is all that's needed.
4. Never "fall" into a stretch using gravity. Gravity may be used provide a slight assist, but should not be used to force a muscle to lengthen. Re-orient your body (such as lying on a mat) so gravity can't help over-do the stretch.
5. Never "bounce" in a stretch. This is another great way to rip a tendon or muscle. The worst general error in this area concerns stretching the groin and Achilles tendons. Be very careful!
6. Never "force" a stretch. Go gently and slowly to the limit of motion, then hold using dynamic tension (pull using opposing muscles, and stay in the same place). Excess force can cause a range of injuries, including joint dislocation.

I won't go into the "why" behind each of my rules, but I will say they are generally based on my own mistakes, or watching the mistakes of others. I won't describe my specific stretch routine here, though that may be a topic for a future post.

The bottom line is to make no assumptions about stretching: If you don't know what you are doing, then stick to doing an easy warm-up followed by very gentle stretches, with muscles activated (stretch against a tense muscle using the opposite muscle), without any gravity assist.

Back to the main topic: I did only easy 1/4 mile runs while waiting for the new stretches to help correct my ITB Syndrome. When all was well, I resumed my 1/2 mile runs, this time without knee pain.

When I extended my run to 1 mile, I started huffing and puffing at the limit of my fitness, and the old ankle and hip pain returned (without knee pain this time), I also had shin splints, and my feet hurt. I was running with the same style I was using 15 years ago: A long stride with a hard heel strike. Immediately after that run, I took off my shoes and probed my feet and all my joints. My plantar fascia were tender, and my joint stabilizing muscles all were tight, much tighter than I had ever noticed before.

Some Googling led me to several running and sports medicine web sites, which helped me put together a picture of what was probably going on: When running faster and farther, as I started to fatigue my hard heel strike caused my foot to slap onto the ground. That slap sent a shock wave up my leg that caused my shin splints. The foot slap was also stretching my plantar fascia, which was making my foot hurt when I pushed off of the ball of my foot. The stretched plantar fascia was making my foot less stable, which in turn was causing me to tighten my ankle for additional support. The ankle support muscles soon tired, and the knee tried to provide the needed stabilization. But my knee was now more limber, so rather than taking more damage and hurting, it became weaker, and the weakness traveled up to my hips.

I had gone from running using my feet, legs and muscles, to running on flippers under stacks of wobbly bones. No wonder I hurt!

At this point, it was clear I needed to do things differently. My next thought was simple: If I could get rid of that foot slap, perhaps I could completely prevent the rest of the joint pain. More about that in the next post.

Pain-Free Running, Part I

This is the first in a series of posts on my year-long evolution from a broken/painful non-runner to now being a pain-free runner.

First, some history: I started running while I was in the Navy ('75-'81). I ran 1.5 miles twice a year. That was about it. While in college ('81-'86) I ran even less.

But at my first job immediately after graduation, I shared an office with an engineer who ran all the time. And he hated to run alone. So he dragged me out, kicking and screaming (literally), and coached me until I became a runner with a 7:30 min/mile and a 10K time under 45 minutes. I should mention this engineer was married to one of the fastest women in San Diego, and was her coach. I once watched her win her age group while she was 8 months pregnant!

I should also mention that I have long narrow feet that are utterly and completely flat. Like pancakes. And I have skinny ankles that were always getting twisted or sprained. And I'm a bit bow-legged. Not exactly the ideal legs for a runner. My coach and I worked diligently to find a stride that was fast, efficient, and comfortable for me. I was overjoyed that I was able to do consistent 7:30 miles.

After a few years I stopped getting faster, and I grew tired of running 10Ks and not improving. At that point, the universal advice was: "If you can't go faster, go longer." So I started training for half-marathons. I extended my training runs to 7 miles, then 8, then 9, then 10, at which point I experienced lots of pain in all my leg joints; hip, knee and ankle. Even the soles of my feet hurt.

Following advice, I took a few days off from running to wait for the pain to face, then tried my original training run. The pain immediately came back. I took more time off, then tried a shorter run. More pain. After a few months, it was getting to the point that the pain was taking longer and longer to fade between runs, and I had some joint pain when getting out of bed in the morning (though it never affected my sleep).

At that point, I made an appointment with my GP, who said I had no detectable damage to my joints. He recommended no physical therapy, since once the pain faded, my walking was completely unaffected. So I retired from running, and pursued other sports.

One year ago last August, after 15 years without running, I became involved with triathlon. I quickly changed from being a non-swimmer to being a fish (2 miles in 1 hour). My bike performance started to improve as I went on TCSD club and sponsor rides. But my main concern was the run. I didn't want to start running again until I was as prepared as I possibly could be.

My first step was to see how running shoes had evolved over the prior 15 years. My old shoe was the original, classic, Nike Air Pegasus. I lost count of how many pairs of that shoe I ran through. On the advice of my triathlon sensei and swim instructor, I went to the San Diego Running Institute (SDRI).

Jesse at SDRI first did a battery of measurements, with my foot under load and unloaded. Then he brought out not 2 or 3 pairs of shoes to try, but six pairs! I tried the first pair on, walked a bit, jogged a bit, then switched to the next pair. After trying all 6 pairs, the list was narrowed to two. I put each of them on and ran a bit more. Then I took one shoe from each pair and ran, then again with the other shoe from each pair. Soon enough, the best pair was clear, and after one final short run, I took home a pair of Mizuno "Wave Creation 10" shoes.

I started running just 1/4 mile at a time at an "easy" pace, ready to stop immediately if I felt any discomfort. After a couple weeks, I went to 1/2 mile, and I started to feel the same old twinges in my joints.

At this point, I realized either I was not going to return to running, or I had to find a whole new way to run. I clearly chose the latter, since this wouldn't be a series of posts otherwise.

Return of the TitanFlex!

This afternoon I returned the TitanFlex to its creator, Tom Piszkin. I didn't get another ride in due to other commitments.

Thanks, Tom, for such a generous 5-day demo, and for your endless patience answering my many, many questions!

And I also just learned I could add images to my blog posts! Here's a shot of Tom with the TitanFlex Veteran I've been demoing, just before he removed my wheels, pedals, saddle, bottle cage, and cadence/speed sensor:

This shot shows the "cleanbrake" front brake control Tom invented:
After I got used to it, I found it to be very convenient. I'm still an aero newbie, and having such easy access to the front brake boosted my confidence, and permitted me to stay in aero more of the time.

Here are a few shots showing some TitanFlex Veteran construction details that are nicely visible on the unpainted frame. First, a close-up of the cable entry into the top of the frame:

Next, a shot of the front derailleur cable exit. This photo was taken with the camera between and just above the rear dropouts. The extra cable length from the front derailleur was tucked back into the frame to get it out of the way, rather than cutting it just for my demo.

The next photo shows how the front derailleur cable tube is routed out of the monocoque frame. This hole is normally plugged before the frame is painted.

Next, a shot of the Cane Creek fork with the rear-mounted brake:
The above image also shows an almost edge-on view of the monocoque frame. The body of the frame is truly hollow, containing no inner tubes. The inserts for the bottle cages attach only to welded sheet metal. The monocoque TitanFlex Veteran frame uses only 4 short tubes: One to close the triangle between the chainstays and the seatstays, one for the headtube, one for the bottom bracket, and one to hold the beam tube.

The TitanFlex Transition frame replaces the monocoque section with a pair of shaped aluminum tubes. This link shows side-by side images of each frame type, and this link provides detailed dimensions for all TitanFlex frames. The frame I demoed is the Veteran 700-ST (Stretch), and it's detailed diagram is here.

Since this was a newbie demo, and not a formal review or test ride, I'm rather limited in the lessons and conclusions I can draw from this demo. But there certainly are some very obvious things I can state:

First, since this demo was also my first ride on a TT bike, I now know I really like riding in a deep aero position, and I've shown I can achieve a PR on a windy day, even when I'm tired. Clearly, a TT bike is in my future! However, this does not mean I will ever retire my road bike, since a TT bike is not the safest thing to ride on streets filled with traffic, nor is it practical for very long rides.

Second, the TitanFlex clearly achieves dramatic vibration and bump reduction in a very light frame. This behavior was it's primary design motivation, and it achieves that goal in spades.

Third, the extreme adjustability of the TitanFlex geometry, provided by beam tube and seatpost positioning, means almost any TitanFlex frame can be fit to almost any rider. The Veteran 700-ST ("STretch") frame I demoed was, by any "normal" measure, way too "long" for me, with a bottom bracket to front dropout distance of 62.4 cm. By comparison, this distance on my Trek Madone road bike is about 58.5 cm. Despite this apparent size difference, the TitanFlex frame was easily adjusted to match the precise fit JT (of Moment Cycle Sport) had optimized for me.

So, if a rider can get a precise fit using any of several TitanFlex frames, what factors should drive the TitanFlex frame selection process? I mean, for most bikes, we can only select among those specific frames that can fit us, which is usually just one or two frames from each manufacturer (with various accessory and component options across a wide price spectrum). Then you have to trade off between whatever features each frame designer chose to provide and how they were implemented. It seems to me that TitanFlex turns this upside down, where you can select the design features you want, knowing you are certain to get a frame that fits.

Fourth, and finally, when TitanFlex bikes are compared to other road and time trial bikes on the market, it is clearly competitive on price, performance, and features. And the TitanFlex delivers one important additional feature no other performance bike currently on the market even tries to deliver: Extreme vibration reduction. Even if you don't need that feature, it is included, and I expect it would prove valuable to all riders, from elite to newbie.

Given that Tom Piszkin is both a local manufacturer and seller, and is also a generous TCSD sponsor, I believe every TCSD member should give a TitanFlex serious consideration before buying any other bike. I suggest that the first question in our minds when we start thinking about getting a new bike should be: "Why not a TitanFlex?" We should ask this question no matter what kind of bike we need, and no matter what our budget is.

I recommend seeing Tom first, then compare his product to everything else on the market. If you do find that some other bike suits you better than a TitanFlex, please let Tom know why, to give him the opportunity to tailor his future products to better meet all our needs. Tom doesn't try to address all possible bike markets, but I do believe he targets triathletes particularly well.

Tom is one of "us", and he certainly deserves the chance to earn our business!

One final note: After several conversations with Tom, I developed a general idea of the size of his annual sales. His gift of $4000 of TitanFlex products to the TCSD 25th Anniversary Party represents a significant percentage of his total revenues, and I suspect a surprisingly large percentage of his total 2009 profits. I seriously doubt that any other TCSD sponsor is donating anywhere near this percentage of their revenues to the club! (Though I do know of several TCSD sponsors who donate even when it hurts.)

Ask Tom why he's doing this. You'll like his answers!

Reminder: The opinions expressed here are those of a total TT newbie. If you can improve this dire situation, please add your comments!

More on the TitanFlex

OK, I was going to call this "Moron on the TitanFlex", but I guess you figured that out by now.

Thursday evening is Jonathan Jefferson's Beginner's Open-Water Swim (BOWS) clinic, and after nearly a year of attending, I'm still a regular there, since I'm still learning, though I now help other swimmers when I can (I'm not the newest newbie!). Normally, the BOWS is held at De Anza Cove, but this time it was to be held on Coronado at Glorietta Bay, to provide a preview of the swim portion of the next TCSD beginner's club race.

And being at Glorietta Bay meant I would also be right next to the Strand, an ideal place to get in a long, fast ride, which is the final element I wanted to work on during my TitanFlex demo. And I also wanted to check out the recent extensions to the bike path in Imperial Beach, so I planned to arrive about 2 hours before the BOWS to get in a longer ride.

I arrived plenty early, got on the bike, and just as I was getting started, I was immediately passed by a rider on a brand new Trek Madone 5.9 (suh-weet!). I got into a deeper aero position, geared up, and went in pursuit. While the other guy didn't seem to be trying too hard (though he did go into the drops now and then), I was having a difficult time catching him. I tried using a smoother, faster spin, and did the one-up/one-down drill to get a bit more speed. I was gaining only slowly, but at least I was gaining.

I finally caught the guy just before the light at the entrance to Loews Coronado, slightly over 3 miles from where I started. It was clear I hadn't fully recovered from all my recent riding. It was also clear I only had enough gas in the tank to make it back to Glorietta Bay. When I reached the light, I turned around and headed north. The only people I passed on the way back were on beach cruisers.

So, no long ride that evening. When the BOWS started, it was clear I was really tired, since even swimming was difficult (and I'm a strong swimmer, though not super-fast).

That's what I get for trying to do a thorough bike demo when I haven't been getting enough saddle time!

Friday was a rest and recovery day. We'll see if I can get a ride in Saturday, before I return the TitanFlex at 3PM.

The TitanFlex Demo Continues

Wednesday morning, I brought the bike back to Tom for a quick tune-up. Turns out the source of the shifting problem was using too wide a chain with the 9 speed cassette. A quick chain swap and derailleur adjustment and I was on my way.

I decided to do a short ride on the nearby CA-56 bike path to charge up some of the steep hills that are easy to access from the bike path. Just how stiff is the TitanFlex frame? Well, all I can say is it is more than stiff enough to handle my 185 lbs without any noticeable deflection. It is as least as stiff as my Trek Madone carbon frame, and the Trek frame has a good reputation for stiffness combined with comfort.

Speaking of comfort, how could I best evaluate the quality of the beam tube suspension? Sure, I had already ridden over normal road bumps, railroad crossings, and small potholes without a problem. For the first several I encountered, I instinctively got out of the saddle, as I do on my road bike, to take the bump with my legs, instead of forcing the frame to take the hit. It took a conscious effort for me to stay in the saddle over these bumps, and the resulting ride was surprisingly smooth.

On the larger bumps, I was expecting the boom to flex back quickly enough to lift me off the saddle, but that never happened on any of the larger bumps I rode over. My guess is that the rate of energy return from the beam is compatible with what the body can dissipate.

I wouldn't hop a curb in the saddle (well, I didn't try), but anything smaller should be no problem. One of the things I fear most on the road is hitting a large bump I can't prepare for. On a stiff frame, a big bump can throw you from the bike. On a TitanFlex, I know I would not have to worry nearly as much about that.

So, individual bumps are OK on a TitanFlex. But what about some mean, nasty, corduroy road? You know, the kind that shakes you hard and long enough to make your fillings fall out, make your hands and feet go numb, and make your vision blurry. Well, OK, I don't know of a road like that in San Diego. But I do know of a few bumpy stretches.

You know the western part of the CA-56 bike path that goes through the edge of that gated community? There are parts of the asphalt path that have cracks from tree roots that have either not been repaired, or have been only partially ground down. Staying in the seat on the TitanFlex over that stretch of path was no problem at all. The only adaptation I made was to come out of aero, since I'm still very much a newbie in that position.

For those of you who really know the CA-56 bike path and the roads near it, you will also know of a tiny stretch of extremely rough road just south of CA-56 at the Carmel Valley Road exit. When you head south from the exit, you immediately turn west onto a small road that provides access to a dog boarding facility, a plant nursery, and a couple of other small businesses.

This road takes a dip into a wide natural drainage ditch, and at the bottom of the ditch is one piece of mean road work. It's an array of cement ovals that are 2" wide, 3" long and about 2" high, that are separated by 1/2". Yes, concrete cobblestones! This stretch of nasty road is only about 100 feet long, but it is a punishing 100 feet. I call it the "Tres Petit Paris-Roubaix". Here's a photo of it:

And a closeup, with my foot included for scale:

Previously, I had only traveled this road on my hybrid bike, which has tires that are 2 inches wide that are inflated to 60 PSI. On that bike, the road provides quite a nice butt massage. I had never EVER planned to ride over this road on tires 23 mm wide inflated to 110 PSI!

So, there I was, at the top of one side of the ditch, looking across to the other, with the "Tres Petit Paris-Roubaix" at the bottom. Thought I was gonna die. I took the first pass out of the saddle at about 5 MPH, to be sure I could retain steering control. Bumpy and shaky, but no control issues at all. I climbed up the opposite side, turned around, and did the same thing in the opposite direction, this time in the saddle. Surprisingly smooth! I increased speed to about 10 MPH and did it again, still in the saddle. Though my hands felt large amounts of vigorous vibration, my butt was comfortable. For the last pass, I increased speed to about 12 MPH, and the vibration became a hard buzz in my hands, but my butt hardly felt it.

I'd say the TitanFlex primary design goal has absolutely been met: The titanium beam suspension really does its job, isolating the rider from a huge amount of road vibration and bumps.

Let's compare the TitanFlex titanium beam to other means used to reduce the vibration applied through the saddle. I'm not talking about MTB rear suspensions here, but specifically about vibration reduction systems.

First, there are gel saddles, which are available starting with a thin layer of gel (to dissipate normal seat pressure), going all the way up to about a gallon of gel (for improved vibration isolation). The larger saddles do reduce vibration, but the weight penalty is large, and these saddles make it harder to stabilize the butt while spinning. They also do little to keep you in the seat over small and moderate bumps.

Next are the various seatpost shock absorbers. Some are true shocks, like the front shocks on MTB bikes, with a corresponding weight penalty. Others are little more than chunks of elastomer inside a telescoping seatpost. They handle small bumps and vibration very well, though I've never seen one that can handle significant bumps without bottoming out, which makes them worse than a gel saddle in that situation!

However, none of the above are ever seen on racing bikes. For road and TT bikes, there are very few options, none of which have much market share.

Before getting into the road accessories, let's discuss the ageless war between frame stiffness and "compliance" (comfort). I used to have back spasms, so I've always tried to protect my back whenever possible. My first road bikes (mid '70's through early '80's) had CrMo frames that twanged like crazy over every bump, and vibrated over all but the smoothest roads. Very bad for my back, but that's all that was available on the market that was also lightweight. Steel frames were significantly heavier and still twanged, though only a little less than CrMo.

Then came aluminum road frames, and while the early Trek frames were still very twangy, along came the "fat downtube" Cannondale frames. For me, that frame completely redefined what comfort on a road bike could be. I still have my '85 Cannondale frame, and probably always will. I rode that frame through the early days of carbon frames, which were either twangy or fragile or both. Not until I purchased my '06 Trek Madone SL did I find a carbon frame that exceeded the stiffness of my Cannondale with equal comfort and adequate ruggedness.

But the vibration reduction, while significant, only seemed large in comparison to the torture of CrMo frames. Race accessory manufactures have not stood still, and have tried many ways to provide additional vibration reduction.

The first change was to saddle geometry. Change how the saddle applies force to the body, and you change how that force affects the body. For me, the biggest change in this area has been my Adamo road saddle. But many people can't ride this saddle, and while other innovative saddle geometries exist (such as "sling" suspension saddles), no manufacturer has yet gone to an alternative geometry saddle as the standard saddle on their race bikes. They still ship thin hard butt-killing saddles by default.

I've only found one other accessory that claims to reduce vibration on race bikes, and that is a carbon seatpost that contains a small cantilever at the top of the post. It looks like a question mark. Genius or gimmick? I can't say. Again, no manufacturer I'm aware of even offers it as an option.

So, for a standard road or TT bike, the default solution seems to be reduced tire pressure combined with a "suck it up" attitude to butt and back pain. For many of us, that answer is simply not realistic.

If race accessories aren't effective, and traditional frames have been optimized, that would seem to leave only non-traditional frames as the path to better vibration reduction. And of all such frames, few ever made it to production, and they were all "beam bikes", somewhat similar to the TitanFlex.

There have been several other makers of "beam bikes" over the years, but the TitanFlex is the only one I am aware of on the market today. Clearly, the idea was good, but making it work in the market was hard. For Tom Piszkin, this has meant being a one-stop shop with no middlemen, so he can reduce costs and overhead at all levels to their absolute minimum. As a result, despite relatively low sales volume, Tom's TitanFlex bikes are competitively priced.

So, yes, the TitanFlex beam eliminates vibration and small bumps, and the frame is more than stiff enough to climb well. That's all very nice, but I need to know about the bottom line: Will the TitanFlex bike help me go faster in my next sprint triathlon?

My next stop was Fiesta Island, for Andy Concors' Wednesday 6PM time trial. While I have ridden Fiesta Island many times, both on my own, with friends, and in TCSD club races, this was my first time at Andy's time trial event. This was also my first time doing a timed ride on a TT bike in aero position (remember, I'm STILL a newbie). I had also been riding more this week than I usually do, so I was already a bit tired before the start. And the wind was blowing at around 10 MPH. Conditions were not ideal for an exceptional performance.

I started, and right away I had more problems. I couldn't get my cleats clipped in. And I came out of aero at the first corner, simply because I wanted a better view, despite the fact that the other rider who started with me was still in sight right in front of me. When I came around the end of the island and hit the wind head-on, I had to shift to my inner chainring, and the front derailleur refused to get the chain back onto the outer chainring. Arrgh! So I had to do the rest of the race using only the inner chainring. (Note to self: TAKE A RIDE IN THE PARKING LOT AFTER ANY BIKE ADJUSTMENT!)

The only things I felt I had going for me were that I was spending more time in the aero position, and I was on a TitanFlex bike, which hopefully would reduce vibration enough to make a meaningful difference to my fatigue and discomfort levels.

According to my Garmin, I did the 3 large loops (12.35 miles) in 36:13, for an average speed of 20.4 MPH. For me, this was a PR for this distance, wind or no wind!

If I were I fresh and on my road bike using the aero bars, I expect I could do just a well, maybe better. Why? I think the main improvement was due to my being in the aero position. I believe it will take some long rides on the TitanFlex to judge any change to fatigue or discomfort.

By this time I was dead tired. No long rides tonite! Time to head home.

The TitanFlex Demo begins...

"If you don't mind riding your own wheels I can have a TitanFlex ready for you tomorrow!"

After six emails each, back and forth, Tom sent the above line early in the evening of Monday, August 10th, 2009. Tuesday morning, I took the saddle, pedals and wheels off my road bike, and went to meet Tom.

When I got there shortly before 1 PM, Tom had an unpainted TitanFlex Veteran in his stand, waiting for my components. The components already on the frame were a mixed bag: Suguino crank, Shimano 105 rear derailleur, Oval Tektro front brake mounted behind a Cane Creek fork, Cane Creek 200SL rear brake, and aero bars, the identity of which were obscured by bar tape. Tom said he had to gather parts from spares and other bikes to get a full set for my demo. My Bontrager RaceLite wheels, Shimano SPD pedals and Adamo saddle fit right in.

Soon enough, the bike was fully assembled, we made minor adjustments to the fit, and I was out the door.

A note about the fit: Once I knew I wanted to demo a TitanFlex, I immediately had a small problem to overcome: I had never ridden a TT bike, and I had spent very little time in the aero position on my road bike. I needed to learn how to ride the aero position on a TT bike, and I needed to learn fast.

The quick solution was also the best: Go to Moment Cycle Sports and get one of JT's famous two-hour fits. My fit actually took closer to 2.5 hours, and I was pushing 200 watts most of the time. We started with a "newbie" fit, with the seat not much higher than the aero bars. Fortunately, my years of "active stretching" had given me enough useful flexibility where a more aggressive aero position was both possible, and surprisingly comfortable.

JT produced a CAD drawing of my optimized fit, and gave me a copy. I sent the numbers to Tom, who had the bike configured very close to my fit even before I had arrived. The main adjustment required was to slightly lower the seat, since my fit with JT used a 172.5 mm crank length, and the TitanFlex was fitted with 175.0 mm.

As I was walking the bike to my car, another issue came to mind: Would the solid-body TitanFlex Veteran frame fit on the Thule "Spare-Me" bike rack bolted to the spare tire on the rear door of my tiny Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV? Turned out not to be a problem, but it was close. The front strap had to go completely around the TitanFlex frame just behind the fork, and the strap was barely long enough. The open-body TitanFlex Transition frame would have had no problems. Here are some photos:

In the car, leaving the parking lot, I now had to decide where to go for my first ride on the TitanFlex, which would also be my first time on the road with a TT bike. I was near Sorrento Valley, and I knew that Sorrento Valley Road between Carmel Valley Road and Carmel Creek Road had minimal traffic. I went to check it out, and found it deserted. Unfortunately, I also knew my risk of crashing would be highest during my first few minutes on the bike, so I'd prefer to ride where there are people, but where traffic would not be an issue.

Only one place came to mind: Fiesta Island. After parking between the two loops (where the spring TCSD club triathlons are held, as well as other club events), I did a small ride to ensure everything was dialed in. The first thing I noticed was that the steering was very twitchy, and my elbows were much closer together than the were during my fit with JT or on my road bike. First stop, adjust the aero bar separation. Ah, MUCH better!

As my confidence grew, I added a little speed. When I came to my first significant turn, I applied some brakes, but very little happened. Second stop, adjust the brakes.

I forgot to mention a special customization Tom made to the front brake: It had no brake lever! Instead of a lever, the brake cable went from the tip of the bar to near the center, making a triangle with the bar. Tom calls this his "cleanbrake" system. To stop, you could either push the cable with your left arm, simply by dropping it from on top of the aero bar to next to the end of the bar. This motion is both fast and economical, since you don't have to lift your arm off the pad. Just what's needed to bleed off a little speed before a turn.

For harder breaking with the front brake, shift your hand to the bar, and wrap your thumb over the cable and close your hand. This takes a little getting used to, but it isn't difficult. The mechanical advantage of the front brake, combined with the use of high-friction brake pads, means plenty of stopping power is available.

The neat thing is this: To apply the front brakes, you need only push on the cable from any direction, and braking will occur. This is much simpler, faster, and more versatile than having to remove your arm from the areo bar and arm pad, grip the bar end, and reach for a brake lever. But it sure is different!

With the brakes adjusted, the ride resumed. As my cadence increased, I tried to shift, only to find the derailleur was very reluctant to give me the gear I had selected, skipping gears and making clicking noises almost all the time. Another stop, this time to adjust the rear derailleur.

OK, I now saw the moral of the story: When demoing a freshly assembled bike, take the first short ride IMMEDIATELY, and do so IN THE PARKING LOT!

After another stop, I realized I was no good at rear derailleur adjustment. Instead of losing more time with repeated adjustments, I shifted through all the gears to find the ones I could use, and continued my ride using only those gears.

I completed my loop around the north end of Fiesta Island, during which I became more confident in my ability to control the bike from the aero position, and started adding more speed. My second big loop was a full loop, during which I started to add more speed on the straights.

Two observations: First, I really like the aero position! The wind was blowing 15-20 mph during my ride. In the drops on my road bike, I'd be lucky to maintain 14 mph into such a stiff wind, even out of the saddle. My first time on the TitanFlex, and my first time in a serious aero position, and I was easily doing 16 mph.

Second, the TitanFlex boom suspension doesn't let you cheat! You know how, in spin class, if you take it too easy at a high cadence, you start to bounce in the saddle? I found I was bouncing on the TitanFlex boom whenever my power output dropped significantly while my cadence was high. This meant I either had to use the gears more to keep some power applied at all times, or coast. For me, the bouncing tells me I haven't been getting enough saddle time lately, and my continuous power level had dropped somewhat. Like I said, no cheating!

After finishing that loop, I called Tom and made an appointment to bring the bike back for a quick tune-up in the morning. The adventures continue in the next post!