Fezzari Bicycles Blog

“Fezzari Nailed It…”- Road Bike Action Reviews Fezzari Fore CR3

1 week ago

by Tyler Cloward in Uncategorized

Road bike action Magazine had the chance to ride and write a review of the Fezzari Fore CR3 and p[ublish it in the April 2012 issue. Below are images from the magazine and text from the article.

The Fezzari Fore CR3 is a solid-riding, durable bike at a price that is hard to be. See for yourself.

Draper Rush Trail

3 weeks ago

by Russ Page in Mountain Bike Trails

We love this mountain biking trail. It’s called the Rush Trail, and it’s located in Corner Canyon, near Draper, Utah. About 15 miles south of Salt Lake City. Enjoy the vide.

Better late than never! Leadman Epic 125 Triathlon race report

1 month ago

by KelseyWithrow in Uncategorized

Q & A for the Pros

To anyone looking for a truly epic race experience, the Leadman Epic 125 Triathlon is that and more. This race dealt us heat with temperatures in the mid 90s and constant WIND with gusts up to 67mph. Lifetime fitness put on a well organized race and did an awesome job taking care of its athletes.

Pre Race:

I drove down Thursday morning to Las Vegas with a few Salt Lake City athletes that were also racing. The 7 hour drive went by fast as we were all excited to get there. On Thursday night, i took part in the athlete pro panel at the swanky lifetime Fitness in Summerlin. I had never been inside one of those gyms before and was really amazed how nice it was.

Friday was an interesting day. I slept on the pull out couch and must have slept weird because I woke up with what felt like a pinched nerve in my neck. I couldn’t turn my head very well without a sharp pain going down my arms. Lucky for me, one of the athletes I was staying with is a chiropractor and active release therapist who works out of Salt Lake. Dr.Tom(UpZen Health 801-572-2272) took the time out of his day even though he was racing too and worked on my neck till the pain was gone. I highly recommend going to see him if you have any niggles. Its great to have someone in that line of work that knows the aches and pains of us endurance athletes.

Mid day we headed down to Lake Mead area for a warm up on the swim course, a short ride and a run to get the blood flowing. Today would have been the perfect day for the race as there was hardly any wind and it wasn’t very hot. At 7:30, I headed over to the host hotel for the elite athlete briefing. It was short and sweet which allowed me to get back for a good nights sleep.

Race morning:

I woke up at 6:30am with no pain in my neck area:) and headed down for the free continental breakfast. I got ready the night before so i was able to take my time at breakfast. We left for the race site at 7:45 and arrived with plenty of time to get our transition areas set up. Good thing because I ended up borrowing a back wheel from the owner of Las Vegas Cyclery. My tubular went flat over night and i didn’t want to risk having it happen in the race.

Swim(2.5k):

The swim started off pretty calm unlike the ITU style I’m used to. I got on one girls feet and stayed there for the first 400 meters before i decided to make my move into the lead.. The water was really choppy with the wind being so strong but i just tried to keep a steady pace. I exited the water in 1st, about 45 seconds ahead of the next female.. I took my time in transition putting on socks which I never do but I didn’t want blisters.

Bike(109.5k):

I came out of transition on my Fezzari T5 with one other girl and we set out of what would be a really long day on the bike. My coach wanted me to ride at a steady pace with as low of a heart rate as I could. I felt pretty good on the way out with only a few girls passing me. As soon as i hit the turn around, my feeling of being comfortable went right out the door. We went directly into a powerful cross and head wind. It was everything I had to keep my bike upright. I became very dehydrated throughout the bike and watched my power get lower and lower. Girls that I had 10-15 minutes on at the turnaround started passing me. In the last 10 miles, i was blown across the road(thankfully no cars were behind me) three times and passed by more women. Its a very frustrating thing to be having a good race and then it turns into a nightmare. I rolled into T2 very worked and not sure I was going to do the run. I took in some water and gathered myself for a minute then decided I would be a lot more bummed if i came all this way and didn’t finish.

Run(13k)ALL UPHILL:

I started the run off walking, hoping to bring my core temperature down but unfortunately that wasn’t happening. Every time I tried to run i was quickly brought down to a walk. I realized if I was going to finish this is how it probably had to be. The run was 8 miles all uphill with no where to hide from the sun. Thankfully, there were aid stations every mile with water and wet towels. At the 6 hour mark, I finally crossed the finish line with nothing left in the tank and a horrible sunburn.

I’ve gone though a lot of emotions reflecting back at this race. At first I was happy just to finish but then realized that I’m an elite athlete and finishing should not be something to be just ‘ok’ with. I’m happy to have the first race of the season in the books and look forward to a solid season full of podiums and good performances:)

Preventing Squeaky Disc Brakes: Tips from Avid

2 months ago

by Devraux Boshard in Bike Maintennance, How To

Have you ever had your disc brakes squeal or vibrate? This is an issue for a lot of bikers with disc brakes, and it’s not specific to Avid brand of disc brakes, it happens with Shimano, Formula, and Magura. It’s often asked what can be done to prevent squeaky disc brakes, and there are a lot of different answers to be found online. Our friends at Avid provided us with a great set of instruction on how to prevent the squeal and vibration sometimes experienced in disc brakes.

Rotor and Brake Pad Bed-in

To achieve full braking power the brake pads and rotors should be fully bedded in before the first ride. Proper bed in can prevent noise and vibration in a system, if done incorrectly these problems cannot be solved without pad and/or rotor replacement.

The purpose of bed in is to apply a thin even layer of pad material to the brake rotor. At a basic level this layer allows the brake pad material to generate friction on the rotor surface in use. Bed in should be done on a new brake and after any pad/rotor replacement.

To achieve proper bed in the rotors and pads must be brought to operating temperature allowing a transfer and then allowed to cool fully. During this process it is very important the rotor does not come to a complete stop with the brakes applied, this can create a thicker layer of material at one point leading to vibrations later in use.

To bed in a rotor:

1) Select a riding area which allows for a moderate speed, for safety remain seated.

2) Accelerate to a moderate speed and apply brakes evenly, slowing to a walking pace. It is important to prevent a complete stop. Do this 20 times, braking power will increase during this process.

3) Accelerate to a slightly higher speed and apply the brakes, slowing to a walking pace. Do this 10 times, do not come to a complete stop.

4) Allow the brakes to fully cool before riding.

After the bed in process the brakes should operate at full power without noise.

With these tips and proper maintenance you are ready for fun trail rides that are free from squeaky brakes and mechanical issues. For questions please comment below or contact us.

GPP Endurance Tri Camp, Tucson AZ

2 months ago

by KelseyWithrow in Triathlon Bikes, Triathlon Training, Triathlons

part of Mccain Loop by Gates Pass

This past week I got the opportunity to help out and train with the GPP Endurance Tri Camp in Tucson, AZ. It was 3 days of intense triathlon training ranging from Olympic distance to full Ironman athletes. I did most of the workouts with the group but also helped map out routes for our workouts. For the past few years, I have been coming down to Tucson to get out of the harsh Utah winters. Tucson is a great place for endurance athletes with weekly group rides and nice pools to swim in.

After 1000 yard time trial

The first day of camp consisted of a 75 min swim workout with a 1000 yard time trial(fun!) mixed in, a 3 hour bike with 6×20 min tempo efforts and a 1 hour progressive run. I was pretty cracked after the first day but knew that my body would eventually adapt.

Coming back from the Biosphere(one of the many wonders of Tucson)

The second day kicked off with a 90 min swim workout followed by a double duathlon brick.(90 min ride up and over Gates Pass and a 30 min trail run x2) Once again my body felt like it was being hit by a truck and i couldnt even imagine how the other athletes were feeling.

giving directions for bike/run workout

The third day was the most epic day of camp with a 25 mile, 7,000 vertical feet climb up the infamous Mt. Lemmon. It takes anywhere from 2-4 hours to climb to the top from the base. I’ve done it a ton on my road bike, but never on my TT setup so i was unsure of how my body would respond to that much climbing. To my surprise, my Fezzari T-5 got me all the way to the top without any discomfort. A group of us got to the summit around the same time and rested up for the long descent at the Cookie Cabin where they serve Cookies as big as your head!

on top of Mt. Lemmon at the Cookie Cabin

Everyone at camp had great attitudes and were super motivated durring each workout. Each athlete made it to the summit of Mt.Lemmon with huge smiles on their faces and nothing but positive things to say about the ride up. I love surrounding myself with people like this because it can really push you to a higher level.

Hanging out before ride

GPP Endurance will be hosting a few more camps this year.
March 16-19 in St. George, Utah
April 13-16 in Henderson, Nevada
You can sign up on www.Active.com.
Also be sure to ‘like’ GPP Endurance on facebook where you can get current news and updates for each of these camps.

Riding my Fezzari T-5!

Doing some run drills before progression run

Dr. Tom Fletcher giving a seminar about injury prevention

130-Foot Epic Rope Swing, Corona Arch Moab, Utah. Watch the Video.

3 months ago

by Russ Page in Mountain Biking

We love Moab. It’s one of the coolest places to mountain bike on this rock we call earth, but we have to admit, this video with ZERO mountain biking in it is definitely worth sharing. Filmed at Coyote Arch outside of Moab, Utah, we encourage the faint of heart to look away. It looks like these guys weren’t the first to do it either, but there video is definitely the coolest. (See other videos below).

Corona Arch Rope Swing Videos

Dan Osman (RIP). The Original Extreme Rope Swing Daredevil

images courtesy Dan Bock and Agyleist

Fezzari Triathlete Kelsey Withrow

3 months ago

by Tyler Cloward in Professional Triathletes, Triathlon Bikes, Triathlon Training, Triathlons

Fezzari Triathlete Kesley Withrow

Kelsey is a pro triathlete from Park City, Utah who races heavily in the Olympic distance triathlons. She spent 5 years training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado as a part of the National Team aiming for a spot in the Olympics. She also comes from a college swimming background and has had numberless wins in her young career. She was even named the Junior Duathlete of the Year by USA Triathlon.

In 2011 Kelsey set an age group national swimming record for the 6,000-yd. freestyle. In 2012 she is planning to focus on the Half Ironman distance in triathlon. Kelsey is also an avid cyclist where she competes in road and mountain bike races. In the off-season, Kelsey enjoys going on week-long backpacking excursions and taking trips to the south for good country music and honky-tonks!

We were able to sit down with Kelsey and learn more about what makes her tick.

Where are you from originally? What brought you to Utah?

I grew up in Seattle, Washington. After a 5 year stint at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, I moved to Utah for a change in scenery.

What got you into biking and triathlon?

When I was 17, I had a life guarding job at a local country club north of Seattle. Sara Graham, a triathlon coach and spinning instructor saw me running on a treadmill on my lunch break, and asked me if i had ever tried triathlon. I kept her in the back of my mind until I did a half marathon a few months later. I was not untrained and was wearing shoes two sizes too small. I ended up winning my age division and getting a top 10 overall. I called Sara and she helped me discover the wonderful sport of triathlon.

What has been the highlight of your triathlon career so far?

I had a lot of success early on in my career, winning a junior triathlon national championship and being named Junior Duathlete of the year in 2001. I was fortunate enough to get picked to live and train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs as a part of the National team from 2002-2007. On the second day of training there i broke my hip in a bike crash and was sidelined for several months. From that day on it has been a path of perseverance and struggle to get my body healthy and injury free. The highlight of my career was taking 2nd place at Canadian Nationals. I shared the podium with several Olympians including Simon Whitfield(Olympic gold medalist) and Sharon Donalley. It was a surreal moment and I proved to myself that I could compete at the worlds highest levels.

How many miles did you ride last week?

225 miles.

What is your favorite race?

My favorite local races are the Dinoland Tri in Vernal, UT and Battle of Midway Triathlon in Midway, UT. On the world scale, I loved the course from the 2003 worlds in Queenstown, New Zealand.

When did you start biking?

I started biking in 2001 as soon as i got into triathlons.

What was your first bike?

My first bike was a Wal-Mart bought Norco that my coach Sara Graham loaned to me.

What bike setup do you ride now?

I ride the Fezzari T5 TT bike with a Dura-Ace groupset. Only the best!

Why do you bike?

Besides the obvious fact that cycling is the second leg of every triathlon, I love the feeling of freedom cycling gives me and exploring new place on my bike!

What is your favorite ride or route?

In Salt Lake City I love the Emigration and Big Cottonwood canyons. In St. George, I love the Gunlock Loop (part of the Ironman St. George Course).

What is your favorite time of day to ride?

I am not much of a morning person so I prefer to ride in the afternoon when the sun is out and warm!

What is your biggest goal with cycling and triathlon?

From the first day i entered the sport of triathlon my goal was to make the Olympic Team. In 2008 I came close but got injured and had to sit out of an important part of the season. Since the 2012 Olympics spots are all but accounted for, I am taking a break from Olympic distance, draft legal triathlon in 2012 to try my hand at non-drafting Olympic and half ironman distance racing.

What does an average training wee look like for you? Training hours? Type? Where?

An average week is anywhere from 18-24 hours. This winter my coach has me aiming towards quality vs quantity so I am not putting in the huge hours like i have in the past. I have immediately noticed that with this approach, I am never sick, rarely injured, and my motivation stays high so that I can attack every workout. I’m doing 3-4 swims per week, riding 4 times per week, and running 4 times per week. I am also spending time in the weight room, doing yoga, and focusing on rest, nutrition, hydration, and all of the little things that make the big differences!

What do you do for training during the winter?

I typically spend the winter in Tucson, AZ. It’s an ideal training location because of the stable, warm weather, infinite training options, and amazing training partners! This winter has been very mild in Utah and I have been doing most of my training here, but I did get in 3 weeks of training on Maui (where I got to train with members of the Canadian National Triathlon Team) and have a Tucson trip planned for later in February.

What do you do for nutrition on long rides?

I’ll use anything from energy bars to drink mix, but my preferred ride fuel is fresh dates. I can pack a lot of calories into a ziplock bag with dates, and they provide excellent carbohydrate source that is packed with nutrients!

What races do you have planned for this year?

I have a big list of races planned this year. I am planning the RAGE Tri series, as well as the REV3 series in Tennessee, Connecticut, Portland, and Wisconsin. I’ll compete in a bunch of local Olympic distance races as well as do some local road stage races and crits with a TT and endurance mountain bike races mixed in there too.

What’s on your iPod?

I’ve got a bit of everything. For intervals, i really like electronic and euro pop music:) For easy rides and runs I’m usually rocking the country music!