Mike Taylor: Spend smarter, go faster
Think you need all the gear to go faster? Think again! In this episode, learn how to spend smarter and go faster on a bike this week, with expert bike fitter Mike Taylor. If you've ever struggled with saddle sores or a numb penis, if you're debating whether you should buy a time trial bike or if you want to know how to really keep your bike clean, but you've never wanted to ask, then this is the episode for you! The amazing Mike Taylor joins me to talk about: 11:44 Become a bike fitting specialist over a year ago 12:56 "The biggest barrier to most people doing long distance stuff is their position" 15:25 "My aim when I go into a bike fit is to make someone faster, more aerodynamic, more powerful and WAY more comfortable" 17:51 "Once you're above 25 mph, the key to speed is aerodynamics" 19:48 "I wouldn't build a super aero position for someone trying to go from 25kph to 28 kph, there's just no point. What you need to do is open up their power and allow them to maintain it for hours on end" 20:26 "It's like we see people turning up with disc wheels and their output is 17-18mph. If it makes them feel good, fine, but it's not making them go faster." 21:02 Helen asks Mike: 'What is the best investment to go quicker?' 23:53 Helen asks Mike: 'Do you need a time trial bike to do triathlon?' 27:30 "Learning how to check your chain is the best gift I can give to the triathlon and cycling community" 28:28 Mike talks about the ideal tyre pressure 31:20 Helen asks Mike: 'How do you clean a bike properly?' 33:35 "It is possible to be comfortable on a saddle" 36:18 "Athletes are still super quick, but in agony" 37:19 "I'm always blown away by how much discomfort a lot of female athletes put up with because they think that's what cycling is." 37:35 "With male athletes, you can have penile numbness and there are so many horrible things that people put down as normal and it really isn't. You get a good saddle and you don't even think about it." 42:08 "You can get some real issues around shorts and chamois" 44:14 Talks about doing a bike fit remotely with Meredith Kessler