Welcome Podiatrist Ana Downey-Smith to The Pedaler.

We are very excited to introduce the newest member of our team Ana Downey-Smith. Ana kicks off next week at both our Milton headquarters and at North West Physiotherapy Everton Park. She has been working over the past few years in Bathurst and is looking forward to the challenges and opportunities presented by working at The Pedaler.

Ana grew up in Central West NSW and studied a bachelor of podiatry through Charles Sturt University completing her studies in 2013. Initially she started her career in a public hospital in Sydney working with a prosthetics and orthotics team, then returned back to the country. Ana is currently studying a degree in Sports Medicine through the University of Melbourne, expected to be completed by December 2019.

Ana is qualified in dry needling, trigger point therapy and soft tissue mobilisation. This helps to provide an in-depth treatment with longer lasting results. Ana also has a keen interest in biomechanics and alignment. After several years of experience in private practice, Ana has clinical skills with people of all ages and health types, but particularly enjoys working with children, teenagers and athletes.  

Ana prefers to take a holistic approach to treatment, focusing on more than just the areas of pain. She also has over 6 years experience making and prescribing orthotics, as well as adjusting or modifying and fitting shoes and cleats. Ana and her husband have been long-term members of cycle clubs in Central West NSW and you will often find them around the local cycling crowds. 

During spare time Ana enjoys mountain biking, hiking with her 2 dogs and travelling.

YES, we make running orthotics!!

We are well known for hand crafting cycling orthotic solutions for all athletes from Pros to weekend warriors. Our off site Northern Suburbs Orthotic Lab allows us the freedom to create all types of unique solutions for cyclists and yes, also for runners as well.

Our access to the Carbon Lab at our facility means we can create light weight dynamic ‘Pure Carbon Fibre’ running orthotics for intermediate / advanced runners and also a mixed Carbon / EVA version for beginner / intermediate runners who may be a little heavier.

The main benefits of using Carbon Fibre as the core material of a running orthotic are

• light weight

• excellent stiffness and memory

• very low volume

• snappy dynamic return to shape properties

• improved foot feel

There Is a good reason why Nike are using Carbon plates in the midsoles of their latest trainers.

The only trade offs for Carbon over Plastic is the materials are more expensive (that’s our problem, not yours) and that the life span of a carbon device is closer to 12 months. Whilst this isn’t as long as a standard plastic polypropylene version, it does provide far better foot feel over the life of its use and with our standard No Gap policy on 2nd sets, you won’t be out of pocket when you replace them anyway (must have applicable health insurance).

If you’re looking for a more dynamic lightweight solution for your running issues, make a time to discuss your needs and issues with us at The Pedaler and let us work with you to create a unique cutting edge solution.

The Pedaler Labs

Exercise Physiologist Matt McDonagh joins The Pedaler. Another solid recruit for our Team.

Matthew is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Sport Scientist who completed a bachelor of Exercise Science at the University of Tasmania. Since graduation Matthew has gained experience working with both clinical populations and elite sport. Matthew has a keen interest in musculoskeletal injuries, particularly the shoulder and lower back as well as endurance cycling performance.

Matthew is a keen cyclist having raced with the Lawson Homes cycling team, competing in road and track racing in Tasmania as well as the National Road Series. Matthew enjoys riding a range of bikes including road, MTB, Track, Fixies and bike polo.

Matthew has experience in a broad range of areas including, exercise rehabilitation for complex injuries, physiological performance testing including lactate and Vo2 Max, improving recovery by maximising sleep quality and guidance for everyday athletes with medical issues such as high blood pressure.

Matthew is excited to offer services, often only available to elite levels athletes to all cyclist of Brisbane to maximise their training and performance as well as reduce risk of injury or overtraining.

The Pedaler Exercise Physiology offers many services including:

-Physiological performance Testing (Lactate Threshold Testing

-Strength and Conditioning for Cycling Performance

-Injury Assessment and Rehabilitation

-Sport Performance Advice

-Recovery and Injury Prevention Advice

Fees (All Claimable under HICAPS)

Lactate Test and Report (Code 102) $170

Lactate Test Results Consultation (Code 202) No Gap (Conditional to Private Health Insurance Rebate)

Initial Consultation (Code 102) $80

Standard Consultation (Code 202) $74

Why do my feet burn when I ride?

Photo @cyclebro

The most commonly reported lower limb symptom reported from our patients at The Pedaler is burning feet or 'hot foot'. There are numerous reasons why your feet burn when you ride, however, the solution is usually fairly straight forward.

Riding involves an enormous prolonged period of repitition.  As a consequence, the potential for small issues to evolve into larger problems is common.  The load on the foot when cycling is one such example of the extremes of the sport.  As social rides now creep up into longer and longer distances, it is unsurprising that so many begin to experience discomfort.

Often when discussing burning feet, I'll typically advise the cyclist, that while cycling may be an extremely efficient form of transport, it is not a pursuit we have spent centuries adapting to.  With firmer carbon soles paired to stiff bikes and extra miles, the peak pressures on the forefoot are likely to lead to a degree of pain.  In these instances, the prime area of load when cycling is the ball of the foot under the big toe.  Secondary to this is the base of the big toe followed by the remainder of the pad of the foot.  Studies also indicate load through the lesser toes and into the heel.  The location of the cleats and the stiff sole of most cycling shoes tends to promote some loading (around 10%) through these structures.

When hot foot is caused by 'overuse' and increased distances rather then other pathologies, we reduce peak load on those particular locations through deflection, padding or cleat movement.  If the shoe size is inappropriate, then this will need to be changed as well.  Shoes that are too long for the foot cause huge problems as the stiff sole bites into the foot in the incorrect locations.

If there is soft tissue or boney prominances in the forefoot then targeted deflection and proximal loading with a prescription cycling orthotic is typically effective.  In some instances the addition of a spongey metatarsal dome is also warranted to reduce peak forefoot load.  

There are a raft of other causes for hot foot that will not respond with deflection and padding. In these instances, further investigation, diagnostic imaging and a tailored solution to ensure a quality outcome is the only way forward.  Simply treating all forms of 'hot foot' with a blanket solution will certainly lead to a high rate of poor outcomes.

If you have burning feet when you ride, or indeed, when you don't, make time to use our experience and skill set in this niche field.

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Words

Nathan White  B Hth Sc (Pod) Hons  M A Pod A

Coaching with Kerby - Set your goals.

With the 2017 season on our doorstep, now is the time to start setting yourself personal goals for the months ahead.  Training full noise to beat your mates up Cemetery Hill is not going to get it done when you arrive at Battle on the Border at Easter time.  Set your training to be specific to your needs and your physiology.  

Make a time to drop in and sit down with Jordan and set out your training goals for the new season.  We will ensure that your training fits around your life, not the other way around.

Hunter Bros Pop Up @ The Pedaler

Over the last few years we noticed this bespoke brand emerging out of Melbourne with the cool stylised art emblazoned on Italian kits.  The company consists of brothers Hal and Ray, and their father James.  Each member of the family brings a different strength to the brand.  See more of their back story here.

All the designs look and feel like the alleyways and boards of Melbourne's Cycling Landscape. The vivid colours and powerful designs are both visually striking and instantly iconic.  In a rare departure from the common design process in cycling apparel, every design and detail is hand drawn.  The core art based around tattoo motifs look clean but become mesmerising when compiled into an overall design.

With The Pedaler's permanent and ongoing influence from Attaquer emanating out of Sydney, Hunter Bros, provides instead a tasty insight into the Melbourne cycling culture for the kit hungry Brisbane masses.  

We will have a strong and diverse range including the recently released Daggers Ltd Ed Kit.  We will have no holds, no Laybys and no discounts on this range.  10 days only for a start.  Drop in, give us your feedback and taste the happy, Michael. Taste the happy.

That's a wrap. QRTS 16 winds up on the Sunny Coast.

It has been an unusual Queensland Road Team Series (QRTS) in 2016 with the event under a cloud until early in the year.  Just when the spectre of a year without elite team's racing looked to be on the cards, a shorter format four round event heavily shaped towards crit racing was presented. Gone were the back to back road stages of previous years, replaced with Team Time Trials and multiple criteriums with heats and finals.  It seemed on paper to be a year where the series has taken a small step backwards.   On a personal level, I also missed visiting the country towns this year such as Kingaroy and Gympie where the locals seem more enthused about the event and the benefit to the local tourist trade that it brings.

Despite the shift the series has taken this year, the racing was still intense and consistently enjoyable.  Our squad was our most age diverse ever with 24 years separating our youngest to oldest rider.  The new faces in our team lifted the overall strength of the squad although the varied approach to training and racing still provides a nice touch of reality.

Our stand out rider for the entire series was Mitch Neumann who has been a model of consistency across the entire event.  His Individual Time Trial win up Montville in round 4 was most definitely the highlight, with the overall round honours also a huge bonus.  I could spend many paragraphs regaling the merits of his endeavours for us in 2016 but those who know Mitch, know this would make him uncomfortable.  7th overall for the series was a fine tribute though and one we would like to build on for 2017 (if he indeed can survive another year at Cobra9 Intebuild Racing).

The other members of the team have also put out credible and in many cases, career best efforts in 2016.  The ageless Kurty seems to find another level each year alongside Adam who also has stepped it up despite the advancing years.  Josh Prete who arrived in our team, and at The Pedaler in 2016 has been a great influence on all the lads and especially on our attitude towards our racing.  Rather then concerning ourselves with sitting in and surviving till the pointy end of the race, the approach has shifted towards trying to win or get a result, even if that means losing.  

A few member of the team staff need to be singled out for high praise.  Brett from Megabake again has been a huge supporter and all round good guy.  He adds so much to the atmosphere around the team at races, and his Cobra9 TV episodes (seen only by the closed group sorry) are as famous as his taste for the rum.  

Adrian Duffy QC is another supporter who adds mirth and depth of personal experience to the whole team.  I'd like to provide an element of insight into his musings however doing so may end his professional career.  He loves the team, the boys and the Cobra9 mentality and we love having him at races.  His chosen nightcap trends towards the reds.

Luke Stenner is another famous part of the Cobra9 Intebuild fabric who is essentially behind the entire race weekend operation.  Notoriously detailed run sheets and time tables are his strength.  The rum though, may be his weakness.  That and white shirts.  His role gets bigger every year and despite a crowded work/life schedule, he keeps getting it done.  It has been a pleasure being 'beside' you all year mate.

The last sneaky member who always flies under the radar is Dugs Macarthur.  I spell his name wrong more often then any other rider yet he keeps showing up.  Dugs essentially runs the team for us away from races and makes all the tough decisions.  He also races and has some of the best calf muscles known to South East Queensland.  We are already working on the 2017 team and race calendar and the team simply wouldn't exist without him.  I probably should pay him.

This year we also had a quality bunch of Sponsors.  Intebuild and Cobra9 again provided essential funding support alongside a family of riders who follow the team week in and week out.  This family has been running strong for over 10 years and the Elite Racing component is a babe in arms compared to the established originals.  The Intebuild founding group has a vast amount of experience and business acumen that has been wonderful for the younger riders to experience.  Hopefully the period of time the new members spend riding with our team will leave them better for the experience.

Attaquer again has backed us to the hilt with clothing.  The quality of the kit is remarkable and the feel and ride comfort is unsurpassed.  For a brand that earned their stripes with cutting designs and edgy motifs, the functionality and durability of the garments is impressive.  We can't wait to unveil the design with Attaquer for next season.

POC again has provided safety gear which is visually appealing while still being at the cutting edge of design.  We have now racked up 6 broken Octal MIPS for 2016 without a single concussion or neck injury.  We also get to look bling in the varied eye wear offerings, time trial overshoes and assorted wet weather kit.

2016 marked our emergence with Colnago as well.  Whilst organising a fleet of top end Nagos was a risk, the bikes are just superb.  It is very rare that every rider on the team is enamoured with their rig.  The C60s are immense machines, and the V1rs have proven to be wonderful race weapons.  The diverse range of colours has snapped many necks at the brew shops of Brisbane. Hopefully we can maintain the rage with the Italian Stallions in 2017.  Obviously, The Pedaler will do its bit providing the underlying Service Course for the Squad again in 2017.

4Shaw again has maintained our sock game in 2016.  While the focus from Dion has moved a little into the world of the Barbershop at the moment, there is no questioning the quality and styling of his socks.  He is also a Tassie legend through and through.

Megabake and Brett Ledger are more then sponsors but it would be remiss not to describe the virtues of their products.  The Megabake bar range has been the staple race diet of every rider for the entire year and has proven again to the perfect race fuel.   The quality, individually sourced ingredients paired with Brett's OCD regarding his recipes guarantees a certain quality.  A new product to the line, the Megabake Museli will be one to watch in 2017.

Finally, Wurkstand.  Almost everyone knows the melancholic footnote to our season has been the loss of the founder to this local company.  Steve Small will always be in our corner, and every C9 kit produced going forward will honour the big man.  We also lost team rider JJ to depression this year and these pair of tragedies has coloured the 2016 season for all involved.  

Despite these equally horrific happenings, the members of Cobra9 Intebuild racing have soldiered on all year.  No one has forgotten these team members.  We talk and laugh regularly at the antics of both of these special guys when on bunch rides or at events away from home.  Indeed it would seem that on occasion, they are both still with us and I hope that this remains the case well into the future.  As long as their memory lives on, then they live on.

What's next?  Well, a few extra kilograms and schooners of beer in the short term.  2017 promises a lot although with the underlying structure around elite racing in Australia still uncertain, it looks like another year where hedging your bets may prove important.  Nationals in January will again be the kick start to the season and then on it goes.  We'll keep you posted.

Battle on the Border is getting close. Be sure to give your race rig the 'once over'.

With the annual stage race Battle on the Border less then 2 weeks away, now is the time to ensure your machine is ready to roll.  There is nothing worse than training for an event only to be let down by your equipment.  Here is a list of the crucial points worth checking.

1. Tyre Wear - Check your tyres thoroughly for any cuts, or signs of degradation. Degradation usually shows itself by the tread of the tyre starting to crack. 

2. Chain Wear - A stretched chain means gear slip, you don't want this. If you are running Campagnolo, and have a vernier at your disposal, it is quite easy to check your chain for wear. Count out 6 links and measure the length of the chain, if it is over 132.6mm your chain is worn. A new campag chain will measure 132.2mm.  If you do not have a specific chain checker for Shimano and Sram chains, a simple way to check wear is to shift the chain into the big ring on the front and the lowest gear on the back (ie 25 or 28t). When the chain is in this position, attempt to lift the chain off the front chain ring. There should be no give in the chain in this position.  If there is it would suggest that your chain is worn out. (Again, if you run Campy, then be sure to have it fixed and race ready before you head to remote race locations as the likelihood of finding spare parts is poor).

3. Cassette and chain ring wear - If you have a worn chain, you may also have worn out your cassette and chain rings. The teeth on your cassette and chain rings should look slightly squared off on the top, if you notice that they are starting to look like sharks teeth then they are worn out. On the cassette an easy way to do this is look at the middle gears, and compare this to the 11 or 12 tooth cog, typically most people will be riding in the middle of their cassette for the majority of their rides, so these are the cogs that will show wear first.

4. Cable wear - Deterioration of cables is the unseen destroyer on race day. If you are running a mechanical groupset, a fraying cable can creep up on you and suddenly snap when it is under load. It would be a good idea to completely remove your cables and check for any kinks, or frayed sections. If you have internal cables make sure you pull a sleeve through from the exit point to the entry point near the lever before removing the cables, otherwise you may spend more time than necessary trying to reroute your cables. Also be sure that your cables are not crossed inside the frame. It is amazing how easily this can happen.  It is not always obvious when cabling a bike, but the shifting will turn very bad, very quickly if you accidentally do this. When pulling cables through a frame, make sure to check that they don't pull on each other before tensioning them to the derailleur. 

5. Brake pad wear - This is an easy one, as most brake pads have wear indicators. Make sure you have enough meat on your brake pads, and of course if you are swapping to carbon wheels chuck in your carbon specific brake pads. 

6. Bartape - This is purely aesthetic, but getting to the start line with crisp new bar tape always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

Words by: Joshua Prete
                  Wurkshop Manager