The shop hours are:
M-F: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
​Sat: 11:00 am to 4 pm

​Winter Hours of Operation 
  Monday thru Friday:  10:00am to 5:30pm
   Saturday:  10:00am to 4:30pm
​Call anytime if need anything outside of operating hours, I am happy to help you.
For more information call:  910-528-4365 or email:  gcombs@maystreetbicycles.com

Okay, you spent loads of cash on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday Sales.  So, you may be a bit stretched out on spending more cash right now. Or, you don't want to buy a Christmas bike(s) for your child (children) or significant other too early and then having the challenge of keeping it as a surprise.

​So, May Street Bicycles is offering a Lay Away Program to allow you to get the best bike and keeping it for you until you are ready to pick it up for that great surprise gift.

Yes, back in the day I was in the Military. Veterans Day is coming up and it always weighs heavy, so my goal is to always give back, pay it forward, and live my life to the best of my ability.

​I have the pleasure of helping young fellows that stop in the shop to teach them bicycle repair. These young gents learned how to true a wheel, replace bottom bracket, replace crank set, adjust brake pads, and install new pedals. These gentlemen are sons of an active duty soldier. They are home schooled and they have flexibility to swing in and repair their bikes. The parts were free from my bike swap. I love paying it forward.

Shameless Plug Time:
​Swing in and check out Tifosi’s casual specks only $25.00

Stop in and say hello to Kilo. She is progressing nicely as great shop dog. That says alot since she is a Malinois.

To understand the importance of metabolic testing below are highlights from “METABOLIC EFFICIENCY TRAINING – TEACHING THE BODY TO BURN MORE FAT” by Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS

1.  UNDERSTAND ENERGY DEMANDS.  "It is a common mis-perception that we only burn fat or carbohydrate during exercise.   The opposite is true across most intensity levels. We use both carbohydrate and fat to fuel exercise up to maximal intensities," says Seebohar.

The percentage of macronutrient will depend on individual characteristics, most notably exercise and nutrition adaptations.  Go figure... you are what you eat:)

An athlete who is more aerobically conditioned can use more fat as energy at higher intensities and this can provide a glycogen sparing effect (preserving internal stores of carbohydrate).  This is important, especially to the long distance athlete. Have you experienced or heard of athletes bonking or having G.I. issues in marathons or long distance triathlons and cycling events?  So, consuming a high carbohydrate diet or doing too much high intensity training at inappropriate times of the year can reduce metabolic efficiency.  

2.  BE METABOLIC EFFICIENT.  Metabolic efficiency can be easily manipulated in a rather short amount of time. It is difficult to predict an athlete’s metabolic efficiency without formal metabolic testing.  The information from metabolic testing is crucial for designing a training and nutrition program to improve metabolic efficiency.  So in accordance with Bob Seebohar's guidelines and recommendations, it is critical to know how metabolically efficient you are prior to going into competition.  

3.  KNOW YOUR ENERGY DEMANDS THROUGH METABOLIC TESTING.  From a metabolic test you can find how many sugars to fat you are burning during various intensity levels. The metabolic test will also provide information in establishing training and nutrition strategies.

4. DEVELOP A PLAN TO IMPROVE YOUR METABOLIC EFFICIENCY. I have seen up to 20 percent improvement with many of my clients within a very short time frame, but it is critical to perform a metabolic test to fully understand their abilities.  I recommend to my clients that are sugar burners to reboot their training and nutrition to become more metabolically efficient. The path to improve metabolic efficiency is not difficult.  I explain the appropriate nutrition and training methods with my clients once the metabolic test is complete and we review the results.     So call or email me to schedule a metabolic test to meet your training and fitness goals.
​
If you think you do not need a metabolic test or you are not sure check out this link from Joe Friel’s blog:      http://www.joefrielsblog.com/2010/10/fat-burners-and-sugar-burners.html

Steve from In The Know Cycling notes one of the best ways to ride faster is...
Get Your Bike Fit
He states, "As you train mentally and physically with better riding techniques, you’ll notice improvement.  You also may notice your knees or back or butt hurts.  Or, you may plateau.  While some of these may be a result of hard training or the need for appropriate rest in your training plan, it may also be that your bike isn’t set up right."

Steve notes, "you likely bought the right size bike and had some help adjusting the seat when first buying it, the rest of the bike may not have been fit to your unique anatomy or adjusted as your flexibility or an injury made your initial fit out of date.  You may be riding inefficiently because of your fit alone, beyond what you are doing right with your training or technique."

Below are a few pictures of the May Street Bicycles' Bike Fit and Assessment Area.

At May Street Bicycles I do several assessments on and off the bike versus just measurements and metrics.  Along with assessing your skeletal structure I evaluate range of motion, core stability, and muscle imbalances that often make your feet or knees bow one way or the other, as well as alignment of your spine, and pelvic alignment.  

Upon an initial dynamic assessment on the bike (how you are riding), I determine ideal saddle height/width and fore/aft position, reach to your handle bars, length and angle of your stem, crank length, cleat position, and foot beds. 

Steve, notes, "All of this costs money, both for the fit assessment and for any components you need to make the fit work.  After three generations of the Roubaix frame and about 8 years from the first one till now, I finally got a new bike fit for $300 (my fee is only $200)."  

Steve's says it was the best money he had spent on his bike.  He noted he had no more hip pain and more comfort in the saddle.  As well he is riding faster on the road.  In his article he states, "My power on the trainer is up, though I can’t isolate how much of it is due to a better bike fit vs. being more physically fit from training.  Probably some of each.  I can definitely go longer, always a good thing on the bike (and off of it too)."

It's funny Steve states he could have put that money toward a lighter or more aero wheelset.  But he is confident that getting a bike fit first will make the speed (and enjoyment) gained from a new wheelset all the more than he had not done it. Interestingly, many of my clients come see me after they had spent loads of money on equipment. I wonder how much money these folks would have saved by focusing on being faster, more efficient, and more comfortable if they had gotten a bike fit first.

Steve, says, "There are many types of fitters who lean on different combinations of experience and technology to fit you.  The better ones use the input from the realms of both art and science.  The use of motion capture camera technology and better measurement systems have advanced the science significantly in the last few years to really help the experienced fitters do the job more precisely and less iteratively than in the past." At May Street Bicycles this exactly how I do a bike fit/assessment. With over twenty years experience of bike fitting I take a holistic approach to helping my clients with imbalances, but also using technology and science in identifying that optimum position for my clients.

So, if you wanting to ride faster... consider a bike fit. You may even enjoy riding your bike more, too:)
​
Yours in Cycling and Fitness,
​Greg Combs
President of Fun
​May Street Bicycles is not your typical bike shop. Sure we sell awesome bicycles, provide bicycle repairs, and rental bikes all at great prices. But we do a great deal more such as dynamic bike fitting, metabolic testing, altitude training, and personal training.