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Fusion Lewsletter October 2008

In this issue:

July Specials

Fusion re-Cycles - more bikes needed
Fusion relocation – 68 Commercial Rd PARTY!
Tour de France Social Ride – Saturday 11 July 6.30am
Group Riding Etiquette Tips – part 2
Upcoming Events
Customer Profile – Melanie Gillespie
Bootcamps Australia Offer
Studio Rise Tour de France Promotion
Nutrition Tips, Pre-Workout Supplements

We would really appreciate your feedback on our e-news.

Please click here to let us know of things you like, don’t like, improvements, suggestions…….. it would be great to hear from you!

July Specials

Clothing Clearance 50% OFF instore clothing
Including Pearl Izumi, Fox, BBB and LG
(excluding gloves, socks, winter warmers and Fusion kit)

 

 

Bike Specials


Scott CR1 Team Road Bike. 

Scott CR1 Team Road Bike

Carbon frame, Shimano 105 groupset, Mavic Aksium race wheels.  Size 52 and 58. 
RRP $3500 Fusion SPECIAL $2800

 


Scott Scale 30 Mountain Bike. 

Scott Scale 30 Mountain Bike

Carbon frame, Shimano SLX groupset. Size Large only. 
RRP $3899  Fusion SPECIAL $2999

 

Bike Review

 

Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra Leftie White Edition

Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra Leftie White Edition
The Bad Boy is fast, versatile, and represents the ultimate in authentic utility. It's the urban answer for an unpretentious, go-fast bike - complete with Cannondale's aluminum fabrication expertise. RRP $2999


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Fusion reCycles - more bikes needed


Fusion recycles is opening soon and we need more bikes.  If you have a 2nd hand bike in great condition that you would like to sell, please give us a call on 3252 9997 to book in an appraisal.

 

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Fusion relocation – 68 Commercial Rd PARTY!


We are moving in the next few days.  To celebrate our new premises, we are having a party on Friday night 10 July.  Please come and join us – there will be drinks and nibbles from 6pm and our new range of CERVELO bikes to check out.



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Tour de France Social Ride – Saturday 11 July 6.30am


Nudgee beach ride followed by croissants, baguettes and coffee at Fusion Cycles.  Click here if you would like to join the ride or just turn up on Sat 11th at 6.30am at the shop.


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Group Riding Etiquette Tips – part 2


Hold your line when cornering in a bunch
This is the golden rule when riding in a group, if you are a squirlly unpredictable rider you will not make too many friends in the group, be predictable in your actions and try to consider that the riders behind you will be using your line to establish which line they will take.

 

Rolling through - swapping off - taking a turn
The most common way to take a turn on the front of the group is for each pair to stay together until they get to the front. After having a turn on the front (generally about the same amount of time as everyone else is taking), the pair separates and moves to each side, allowing the riders behind to come through to the front. To get to the back, stop pedalling for a while to slow down, keep an eye out for the end of the bunch and fall back into line there. It is safer for everyone if you get to the back as quickly as possible as the group is effectively riding four-abreast until you and your partner slot in at the back of the bunch.

Be smooth with turns at the front of the group
Avoid surges unless you are trying to break away from the group. Surges cause gaps further back in the bunch which in turn create a "rubber band" effect as riders at the back have to continually chase to stay with the bunch. This is particularly evident in larger bunches when cornering or taking off from standing starts at traffic lights where the front of the bunch can be almost at full speed before the back of the bunch is moving.

No half wheeling
When you finally make it to the front, don't 'half wheel'. This means keeping half a wheel in front of your partner. This automatically makes your partner speed up slightly to pull back along side you. Often half wheelers will also speed up, so the pace of the bunch invariably speeds up as the riders behind try to catch up. This is the very annoying symptom usually of somebody who is a bit nervous and excited. Not wanting the rest of the group to end up not being next to each other in their pairs, (or not wanting the other guy to think that he's better than you), you speed up to match his pace. But, he still needs to be that little bit in front so he speeds up - again, until everyone in the bunch has gone up two or three gears and 10km/hr and no one is particularly happy. REMEDY - when you are second wheel, make sure you know the general speed of the bunch, when you go to the front, keep your speed around the same, and keep your wheels and handlebars in line with the person next to you.

Choosing when to come off the front
You and your partner need to do some planning when you get on the front so that when you roll through you come off at a place where the road is wide enough for the group to be four-wide for a short time. With some planning, it is often possible to come off the front a few hundred metres earlier or later to avoid a dangerous situation and avoid unnecessarily upsetting motorists.

Always retire to the back of the bunch
If riders push in somewhere in the middle of the bunch rather than retiring to the back after taking a turn, cyclists at the back will not be able to move forward and take a turn of their own. This will make them very cranky and colourful language may ensue. No one wants to be stuck down the back of the bunch for the entire ride and subjected to the "rubber band" effect. Remember that riding in a bunch is about all riders sharing the workload.

 

Courtesy of Road Grime website

 

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Upcoming Events

July
Every Saturday Murrarie Road Cycling Criteriums from 6.45am, prize money for first 4 places. 
Click here
for more info. 

 

Every Saturday Category 3 Road Racing 2pm, Murwillumbah.
Click here  for more info.

 

Sun 26 July Merida Enduro leadup to Epic Rides, 25km, 50km or 75km distance, Old Hidden Vale, Grandchester. 
Click here
for more info. 

 

Sun 12 Jul Noosa Enduro MTB Race, Pomona. Fusion Cycles will have a mechanical stand at the event on the day. 
Click here for more info. 

 

Sun 19 July Jon Brooks Classic Road Race, Toowoomba. 
Click here for more info. 

 

Sat/Sun 25-26 July 3Plus3 MTB XC Enduro, Old Hidden Vale, Grandchester. 
Click here for more info. 

 

Sun 26 July MTB Orienteering, Mt Crosby. 
Click here for more info. 


August

Every Saturday Murrarie Road Cycling Criteriums from 6.45am, prize money for first 4 places. 
Click here for more info. 

 

Every Saturday Category 3 Road Racing 2pm, Murwillumbah.
Click here
for more info.

 

Sat 1 Aug Cunningham Classic – Gatton to Warwick road race, 167km or 96km. 
Click here for more info. 

 

Sat/Sun 1-2 Aug Weekend Warrior MTB Festival, Canungra. 
Click here for more info. 


Sun 9 Aug Charles Coin road race, Laidley. 
Click here
for more info. 

 

Sun 16 Aug Tweed Valley Banana Festival Criterium, Murwillumbah. 
Click here for more info.

 

Sun 23 Aug Queensland Elite and Masters Road Championships, Kalbar. 
Click here for more info. 

 

Sat/Sun 22-23 Aug Flight Centre Epic MTB Marathon, Toowoomba to Grandchester. 
Click here for more info. 

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Customer Profile – Melanie Gillespie

Name:  Melanie Gillespie
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Occupation:  Physio assistant, receptionist & uni student
 


How did you get into cycling?
I dabbled in smaller triathlons for a year or two with little consistency and many injuries.  Last year I decided to give it a go and joined a squad to do some consistent training but continued getting back and leg injuries.  I walked passed Fusion when they were setting up for their opening and Matt invited us in for a look. My injuries were discovered to come from a wrongly fitted bike so with a huge effort from Matt and the boys in the shop I got my Bianchi 928 Carbon C2C, correctly fitted- and I LOVE it!

 

I continued to train with the goal of being selected in the Australian Triathlon team for the World Championships on the Gold Coast in September 2009.  My main training for the bike involved the Fusion group rides on a Sunday.

 

And now?
At the end of the tri season after having been selected in the Australian Tri Team I decided to join the Fusion cycle coaching squad with coach Adrian Booth.  I needed some new inspiration and thought the help of a coach might keep me motivated to train through winter (I don’t do well in the cold). 

 

What I got from the squad was so much more, with Adrian’s guidance, motivation and support as a coach I have grown to love bike training more than ever.  In just 12 weeks every aspect of my cycling feels stronger and my times are certainly reflecting that.  I feel I have a new confidence and technical skill on the bike and certainly have a better understanding of what it takes to be a good cyclist and get the best out of yourself.  Through the squad I have met some great friends and have new cycling buddies who certainly keep me honest and make me work harder just to keep up with them. 

 

What’s next?

The world championships are fast approaching and my main goal is improve my times in all disciplines and race well on the day.  From there it is back into the next triathlon season and all the big races.  Constant improvement is the goal and to have a great time along the way! 

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Bootcamps Australia Offer


*just show your Fusion Rewards Card when you book.

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Studio Rise Tour de France Promotion - Reminder


Studio Rise Indoor Cycling Studio is having a Tour de France challenge.  Ride 1hr every morning for 10 days at 6am from Monday 13th July until Saturday 24th July.  Each day will simulate that days Tour de France stage. 

 

Participants can use the Studio Rise indoor spin bikes complete with use of heart rate monitor, resistance, cadence and Kcal recording or bring their own bike with wind-trainer.  There will be Prizes & Giveaways & Food!


Cost: $250 For further information contact:
Studio Rise
T 3162 3231
E info@studiorise.com.au 
W www.studiorise.com.au

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Nutrition Tips, Pre-Workout Supplements


Like fat burner supplements, there are a vast number of these pre workout formulations appearing on the shelves of supplement stores and at gyms.  These supplements are recommended to be taken before a work out and are purported to improve the outcome of the workout session.  The big ones at the moment are the NO supplements.  NO stands for Nitric oxide which is a chemical in the body that has a number of effects. 

 

The main effects that are useful to performance are its impact on vasodilatation (blood vessels expanding and delivering more blood to the muscles) and also the release of growth hormones.  These supplements don’t contain pure NO but instead usually contain an amino acid that increases the release of NO by the body. 

 

The research would suggest that these supplements have no effect but people taking them report feelings of stimulation and often time tingling feeling in the hands and feet (like pins and needles).  So if it is not these amino acids at work what is it?  Again our old friend caffeine comes through.  One supplement I saw the other day had 250mg of caffeine in 1 pre workout serve.  This is equivalent to 2.5 no doze tablets. This is what gives people the buzz. 

 

The tingling is often caused by a chemical added called B-Alanine.  B-alanine is an intracellular buffering agent which helps athletes work out for longer without the impact of acid affecting the cellular environment.  One side effect is this mild tingling and flushing sensation.  So people feel like they are getting a large rush of blood to the muscles but it is actually the side effects of other ingredients included in the supplement.

 

Are the amounts of the active ingredients in these supplements actually beneficial?  A lot of supplement companies have moved away from pure ingredient supplements and move towards proprietary blends.  These supplements have a number of active ingredients usually all reported on the ingredient list as a Proprietary blend. This gives the supplement company a point of difference in the market that they can use to advertise.   This is usually reported on the ingredients list as Xg of the blend and then just of a whole list of active ingredients (sometimes without even associated amounts).  This begs the question “How much of each of these ingredients are in there?” 

 

One main issue I have with this system is that you never actually know how much of the good stuff is in there.  There are a number of supplements that do have performance enhancing effects.  But often times in these proprietary blend supplements there is too much of one ingredient and not enough of another. 

 

The other issue I commonly see in athletes taking these blended supplements is energy intake issues.  Most of these supplements contain a Carbohydrate source to increase the release of insulin which increases the uptake of these key ingredients into the muscle cells.  This adds significant calories often to an already tight calorie budget. This can cause issues when athletes are trying to lose body fat and having 2-3 of these supplements per day.

 

Questions I would suggest anyone who is going to take supplements ask themselves are:-

  1. Does it sound too good to be true (If so why hasn’t a Pharmaceutical company patented it and selling it as a medication?)
  1. Are the key ingredients actually the right amounts to have the best effect?  If they are in a proprietary blend of other ingredients then you might be better off going for pure supplements to ensure you get the right amount.
  1. Is the supplement worth the money or could I be getting the same benefit from somewhere else? ie. A bit of hard work, a well designed exercise program (designed by someone who knows what they are doing), and a balanced diet.

Some supplements do work and can be highly beneficial to athletic performance. Seek suitable advice before starting any new supplement regime.  

  

Greg Shaw
Sports Dietitian
Department of Sports Nutrition
Australian Institute of Sport


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Fusion Lewsletter October 2008
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