Colby Pearce has been a Steve Hogg Certified expert bike fitter for the past 10 years and has worked with elite athletes and WorldTour teams, including EF Education First. He is also an elite cycling coach and has been passing along his wisdom to the riders he coaches for decades. Pearce’s repertoire of knowledge spans 30 years, five continents, hundreds of races, and countless miles in the saddle. The minutiae of cycling and riding technique are just part of the story that Colby shares. Alignment with nature, foundational principles of health, and treating the sport as a practice are some of the philosophies he shares. Cycling in Alignment features a diverse guest list, including those who may or may not be familiar names in the cycling world. Prepare to have your belief systems shattered.
Episodes
Thursday Oct 14, 2021
Thursday Oct 14, 2021
Today’s podcast is with Chek Institute faculty member and osteopath Matt Wallden. Matt was my instructor for the most recent course in the curriculum of the Chek Academy: Integrated Movement Specialist level 3 [IMS3]. In our discussion we cover a broad range of topics including attractor states, Panjabi’s model, and the benefits of barefoot / minimal shoe movement and exercise. Matt worked as the UK distributor for Vibram for about a decade and has a lot of experience in working with athletes in minimal footwear; he is also very well educated on the science of how footwear choices impact athletic performance. We discuss how the human foot negotiates the rigid structure of a cycling shoe, and Matt also educates me on how to pronounce Vibram [hint: Americans say it incorrectly]. We also discuss the forward flexed position of cyclists and the ramifications of this posture. As always, please leave comments or questions on this episode below, and thank you for listening.
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Show Notes:
Matt Wallden's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewwallden/
Check Institute's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chekinstitute/
Matt on the Web: http://www.mattwallden.com
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
This episode of Cycling in Alignment is with author and bike fitter Phil Cavell. I found his book The Midlife Cyclist: The Road Map for the +40 Rider Who Wants to Train Hard, Ride Fast and Stay Healthy to be an excellent read that is loaded with insightful explorations and nuggets of wisdom. Phil notes that it has only been for the last few hundred years that humans started living past their forties in significant numbers, and only in the last few decades have those people started riding and racing what he terms “A Victorian contraption” [bicycles]. Now, there are masters athletes exercising at a high level into their 60’s and 70’s. This opens a discussion about the positives and negatives of high load athletic lifestyle choices on an aging body. Phil consults a number of experts for his book, including four cardiologists, and the results are fascinating.
As always, thank you for listening to Cycling in Alignment with Colby Pearce. I appreciate your comments and feedback on this episode in the comments below.
REFERENCES:
https://twitter.com/PhilCavell
https://www.cyclefit.co.uk
Tuesday Sep 21, 2021
Tuesday Sep 21, 2021
This solo episode breaks down the muscles of the Inner Core. What is the difference between an efficient rider who effortlessly pedals with a supple, smooth muscle, versus a clunky cyclist who seems to wrestle the bike with every pedal stroke? One athlete is using the tonic fibres of the muscles, saving the phasic fibres for when it counts. The second type of rider breaks out the phasic muscle fibers at all intensities, and exhausts their energy before they can see the finish line or complete an effort.
In this wandering examination of anatomy, I talk about the muscles of the Inner Core, why we need it, what muscles are in it, and common exercises we might use to train these muscles.
Screen shots courtesy of Visible Body app.
RESOURCES:
Chek Institute Four Point Tummy Vacuum: https://chekinstitute.com/freegifts847386/TheInnerUnit.pdf
Friday Sep 10, 2021
Friday Sep 10, 2021
Today’s podcast is basically a solo rant on how cycling is a unique sport. Not because of the drama, not because it is beautiful temple of suffering. Not because it is a blend of art and effort. We know all that stuff. If you want to read about the majesty of cycling, see 999 other posts made today, tomorrow, and the next day.
Only Cycling is about how cycling completely ignores fundamental rules of basic movement dynamics, human physiology, and biomechanics, and why it is the only sport to really do this. There are a few other examples of this in other sports, but cycling is #1 at ignoring the basics of what is universally understood in the study of movement as ideal posture, otherwise know as the Instantaneous Axis of Rotation.
As always, thanks for listening and please leave any comments here or on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/cyclinginalignment/). I am grateful for your time, energy, and input.
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
For this episode of Cycling in Alignment I speak with US racing legend Alex Howes. Alex is a former US Professional Road Champion, recent winner of Ned Gravel, winner of the Steamboat Gravel race [the big one without the vowels in the name; see below...], Tour de France veteran, husband, and father. I have had the honor of coaching Alex for a good part of his cycling adventure…”uncoachable” is his own description, but I found him to be intuitive [instead of data focused], practically minded, solution oriented, loyal to the core, and to have an authentic, deep passion for the sport. We unpack all kinds of thoughts on eating during races, training load, and coaching methods. Comments? Suggestions? Please hit me here on the IG feed. Thanks for listening.
Alex Howes’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Alex_Howes
Alex on the Web: http://www.TeamEFCoaching.com
Steamboat Gravel Race on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbtgrvl/
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
This week’s guest on Cycling in Alignment is Team EF Coaching colleague Travis McCabe. Travis is an experienced racer who has won at the national and international level, including the stages at the Herald Sun Tour [Australia] and the Tour of Langkawi [Malaysia]. He is also a former US Professional Criterium Champion. In our discussion, Travis outlines why he has begun his journey into coaching after a long and successful racing career, and he discusses some of the coaching and mentor influences he has had in his athletic journey. We also unpack some of his methods in coaching and understanding the context of total life load in working with athletes.
Do you have feedback on this episode? Questions for Travis? Reach out on the comments below and let us know, we will get back to you.
Find Jesse at the following places:
WEB:
https://www.teamefcoaching.com/coaches/travis-mccabe/
INSTAGRAM:
OTHER RESOURCES:
Marcel Kittel Tour de France intensity breakdown:
https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/tour-de-france-physiology-research/
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
This episode is about old school bike fitting beliefs that need to be assassinated. Bike fitting is filled with a lot of ancient “wisdom” that has lingered and lurked in the shadows of our collective cycling consciousness for a long time, misdirecting athletes in ways that have long lasting ramifications on their fiction and longevity in the sport. Occasionally, we find a few of these ideas to have a good “rule of thumb” foundation but most of them are garbage. I unpack a few of the most common misunderstandings about bike fitting and explain why they need to die. Elevate your understanding of the topic by listening to my words. Did you learn something? Let me know. Do you disagree? Enlighten me on your perspective, we can have a discourse. I invite open, honest discussion.
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
This episode is with cycling and multisport coach Jesse Moore, who has worked with former Garmin-Sharp and Dauphine winner Andrew Talansky, among other high level athletes. Jesse has time in the trenches as a former professional triathlete, and time in the school room as a graduate of UC Davis with a degree in ex-phys. We speak about the different paths coaches can take to achieve a high level of understanding about their sport, some of our favorite podcasts, and the relationship data plays in coaching our athletes. We found a lot of common ground in our discussion, and Jesse had some very insightful perspectives to share on his coaching methodology and techniques.
Find Jesse at the following places:
WEB: https://www.mooreperformancecoaching.com
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/theJesseMoore
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jesse.moore.52459
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thejessemoore/
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
This episode of Cycling in Alignment is a discussion with Stephan Drake and Rob Horacek of Lore, creator and lead engineer of the Lore One, the world’s first 3D printed custom carbon cycling shoe. I am quite excited to share this conversation with my listeners, as I think this shoe will be nothing short of completely revolutionary in the world of cycling. Everything about it from the design concept, execution, method of interaction with the athlete and manufacturing are completely unique and ground breaking. It is quite literally the solution I have been hoping for my entire career. If you are an athlete who has never found a shoe that works, settled for a stock shoe, are on the verge of quitting the sport because of chronic foot problems, found unsatisfactory results from a custom shoe, or a rider who simply wants to maximize performance, this product will be a complete solution. Listen to the podcast and check the show notes for an exclusive discount code and details on how to get on the list for the first limited production run.
Helpful Links:
Lore Shoes
Lore.cc – Exclusive Discount Code: Colby07
Podcast on evolution of footwear:
Peterattiamd.com/irenedavis/
Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Episode 52 is a cross-pod with Nathan Hass who has just started his new channel The Gravelog. We speak about all things gravel including training for gravel events, and how I approach fitting a gravel bike. Nathan shares many nuggets on his own experience and passion for this developing aspect of cycling. As a World Tour racer who got his start in mountain biking, Nathan knows a thing or two about driving a bike down a dirt road, so expect some of his knowledge to come out in the conversation. It was a real honor to speak with him as a guest on his show, I hope you enjoy our discussion. Thanks for listening.