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In order to provide you with a bike close to what you’ve got at home, we need bike measurements. We can get a very good idea of your bike size from your height, however the following bike measurements will help us choose the ideal bike for you. If you want to get really close we can change the saddle to your own saddle: it wont be the same as your bike, but it will be close, comfortable and working well.
The measurements bellow are intended as a quick hack and not a thorough bike fit. Given slight differences in the morphology of frames, stems, handle bars we can only get a close fit.
Saddle height is measured from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the saddle. In case you don’t know your correct saddle height, the Le Mond formula provides a nice rule of thumb to get started (inside leg length x 0.883) you can read more here: http://veloptimum.net/Velop/documents/1-choisir/RBR15juil10.htm
Measuring saddle height
Basically allows us to know how many spacers to place under the stem.
Measuring stack
There are a number of factors which affect reach, including the seat post angle (usually about 71-73º, larger frames being more slack), saddle set back, frame length and stem length… So this is just a hack. If you do know you saddle set back (measured from the centre of the bottom bracket in the X axis) then we can put that correctly.
Measuring length
Please note that, no two bikes are identical. As Dr. Andy Pruitt said “Cycling is a marriage of the human body, which is somewhat adaptable, and a machine that is somewhat adjustable“.
P.s. Apologies for the American spelling of center!
Swift Momentum Sports got mentioned in the Algarve Resident! In case you missed it, it’s here: http://portugalresident.com/local-ex-pro-wants-to-bolster-cycling-in-the-algarve
There’s a movement happening in the Algarve, it’s momentum sports. When I bought my first bike in 2000 I was pretty much the only cyclist in the Barlavento (at least that I remember noticing). There were a couple of bike shops in the entire region and I worked all summer long to buy a bike because I saw them in Maxim and thought they looked cool. Now there’s a plethora of people doing momentum sports, next year there are 10 triathlons just in the Algarve!
There’s the Algarve Granfondo and the Volta ao Algarve:
And there’s a multitude of running events:
There’s several open trainings which we will be posting up on www.swiftmomentumsports.com/open-trainings-and-events
Basically I (Tomas) don’t believe in reinventing the wheel and although I can coach swimming (going back to first principles) I haven’t got the depth of experience to accompany this. Hence I set out in search of a swim coach to work with and provide a much better service to my triathlete clients (no swimmers yet). I’ve personally been trained by Ricardo and went from barely scrapping 13:30 for 750m to 11:30… and if I’m honest, I haven’t exactly been strict with my training -its been very little and erratic!
I’ve been a competitive swimmer for 15 years, and won the regional open water swimming cup three times over all and six timers as an age grouper. In this time I’ve won several of these grueling events. Now I do it for fun just and in support of young local athletes that I train professionally at my club, F.C. Armacenenses.
In 2010 I turned to triathlon, simply because I wanted to get fit, healthy… and I needed a personal challenge!
open water swim coaching is my passion
In terms of my studies, I’ve got a degree in Sports Training and many certificates specifically in swim training.
I run several workshops throughout the country, both with SMS and for my team and friends.
What I love about swim coaching is that it allows people to improve dramatically and measurably in a short period time.
* being stranded in the wilderness with a mechanical by using our ’emergency pick up service’ prices at €20 and €0.20 per kilometre (for up to three people).
* having your bike broken on the plane by renting our new Shimano 105 equipped race bikes.
* straying into a traffic filled area or onto a motorway by getting custom made routes provided in print and in .gpx for just €10 per route.
* not getting to know the place you are visiting by getting a guide.
* getting ripped of by some anonymous company by using a service you can trust.
E-mail me with your request!
* training tempo and ignoring lactic tolerance and power by evaluating your training levels.
* training for something that doesn’t suit you by getting some easy tests done.
* following numbers blindly without someone taking the time to explain to you what they mean by getting an attentive coach.
To find out more about training with me, read my training blog www.swiftmomentumsports.com/trainingblog
Or check out the coaching page:
http://www.swiftmomentumsports.com/trainingblog/training/training-sms/
If you’re a runner you need places to run: good quiet roads with little or no camber, a track for speed work and preferably some off road for longer distances.
A cyclist *just* needs good roads and interesting, varied terrain.
A triathlete; well, all the aforementioned plus a pool and some open water…
And good weather all round -this is where the algarve comes into it’s own.
That’s quite a lot to get right! But we can do it! As it happens the algarve offers all these conditions within a relatively short distance. Sat here in the SMS ‘headquarters’ in Carvoeiro I’m 1.1km from the beach, 8.5 km from the athletics track, 200 m from the coastal trail, 6 km from the municipal 25 m and 13 km from the open mountains.
The algarve’s key advantage is it’s proximity to northern Europe and good weather. Also, cycling wise it offers an alternative away from Mallorca, and it’s a little bit more picturesque than Tenerife. Most often people come away from a holiday: be it a tour or a training holiday feeling like they’ve visited Portugal and not some generic ‘sun and sand’ resort that might be in Florida, Canaries… where ever.
In this economy it’s important to know what we are paying for and with SMS it’s customization, quality, local knowledge and availability. What I mean by availability is that you have the assurance of knowing you can call upon us any time on your holiday, to help out with a mechanical, arrange a masseuse, whatever you need (within reason). Not to ring our own bell too much, but we are experts in sport, travel and the algarve.
Browse our series of self guided cycling routes:
our training camps
…and if there is nothing that tickles your fancy, get in touch:
info@swiftmomentumsports.com
Phone me 00 351 922011153
or text me any time and I’ll be in touch a.s.a.p.