QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Here you can find answers to some important questions you may have before starting a program.
“CLIPLESS” Pedals
A term used to refer to the clips and pedals that have replaced the earlier system of toe clips and straps. In a clipless pedal system, the pedal has a mechanism that locks it to a cleat screwed into the underside of the shoe.
All riders in every group must be comfortable riding with clipless pedals.
For this reason, our first lesson in the Intro to Riding group is learning this skill. Any rider who misses this lesson will be required to either join a workshop or book a private lesson before continuing on with the group workouts.
Click here to watch a video on which pedals you should buy.
There are two main types of pedal and cleat combination you can choose from depending on your riding style and training goals: Shimano SPD & Shimano SPD-SL.
Casual riders, commuters, and mountain bike riders should chose Shimano SPD as the cleat is small and the shoes are more comfortable and easier to walk in.
Serious riders or long distance riders should chose Shimano SPD-SL as you will be able to generate for energy through the pedal.
If you have the money and plan on riding a lot, it is well worth it to upgrade to carbon soles. You will have your shoes for at least 10 years and the carbon soles will make your ride more comfortable.
Shimano SPD vs Shimano SPD-SL "clipless" pedals
Shimano SPD
- great for commuting, gravel riding, mountain biking, recreational riders
- can clip into both sides
- easier (to learn how) to clip in and out, especially since you can choose a pedal with a wider base
- easy to walk in the cleat is either recessed or the shoes have
- less contact with the shoe which reduces performance as less power is transferred to the pedal
- may be less comfortable for longer distances (3+hours)
- both negatives are also highly dependant on your shoe choice as well
- or + 2 bolt cleats made of metal (heavy but durable and works well in muddy conditions)
Shimano SPD-SL
- most common road bike cleat
- has the most contact with the shoe which transfers more power to the pedal
- SL stands for super light
- difficult to walk in as the cleat is larger and makes first contact with the ground
- single sided so it takes some people a bit longer to learn how to clip in
- + 3 bolt cleats made of plastic (light but less durable and does not work well in mud)
Further information can be found here:
NCCP
National Coaching Certification Program provides standardized, inclusive, and safe sport education to coaches and coach developers across 65 sports. The organization has 3 coaching streams Community, Competition and Instruction. Kits Energy Coaches are Certified at the Community Level. Kristina, Head Coach, is certified at the Competition Level
Power
Power is measured in the form of watts. The two most common and affordable devices to measure power are with Garmin Pedals or through a power meter set up on your left crank.
Heart Rate
Heart rate is a good way to measure exertion but not as accurate as power as it is delayed. Heart rate can be measured through a variety of heart rate monitors offered by Garmin or Wahoo
Rate of Perceived Exertion
Your rate of perceived exertion (RPE) is measured either 1-10 or a more simplified version is 1 – 5 which also coincides with heart rate zones. 1 is the easiest and 5 is the hardest.
zone 1 = easy recovery rides or between intervals
zone 2 = Endurance zone, easy recovery rides or between intervals
zone 3 = Tempo zone, long distance race zone and should be avoided during interval workouts as it does not allow for enough recovery between sets
zone 4 = Lactate Threshold, hard but can sustain for an hour
zone 5 = V02 Max, very hard, can only sustain for 5 mins or less
Zone 6 = all out – less than 30s sprints
Group Levels
In Kits Energy we have very specific group levels not only based on fitness but also on your experience riding in groups and bike handling skills. Riding in a club is not a solo sport and you must know how to ride well within the team before you can move up to a faster group.