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Riding With Wayne

By Jeremy Dunn • 16th June 2010 06:29pm • Posted in Rapha Continental

Photos by Dan Sharp
Words by Joe Staples

Two days ago we, the Rapha Continental, did 95 miles, with 10,000ft ft climbing including a single 20 mile ascent that topped out at 10,800ft. It was the second day of Ride the Rockies and we shared this amazing experience with roughly 2000 other people. That's enough stats for one day, this ride isn't about numbers, it is about meeting people and you can imagine, on a ride with that many people, you will meet a lot of them.

Amongst the great people we rode and chatted with was one Wayne Stetina, if you don't know who he is, hit yourself twice and then Google him. Wayne was riding with/chaperoning/schooling Elliot, a young U23 Garmin rider, and in the same breath he also schooled us. It is also interesting to note that Wayne's nephew, Peter, is part of the current Garmin squad. A family with a real tradition in cycling.

While I  rode in the paceline in front of him I wasn't aware that he was checking out how I rode. But, at the next stop Wayne pulled me aside and said "You've got a really nice pedaling action and long femurs, but your bike is set up like a track bike. That saddle needs to be "slammed back". He then explained the physiology that I thought I already understood [but obviously didn't] and asked if I wanted him to fix my position. Errmm, yeah.

Right now you're probably thinking, "Joe, it's pretty dumb to change your position 10miles before a 20-mile climb", I thought the same. Wrong. My new position is amazing.

Story doesn't end there. He had other comments for Carey, he lowered her saddle considerably and slammed it back, she has never been more comfortable. Another one who received the treatment was James Selman, again, "Slammed by Wayne". Selman has finished 11th at Leadville 100, he knows bikes. But in 5 minutes he had knowledge dropped on him that he says has "changed his world." Now he says he can't wait to get home to redial his other bikes.

Comments

Patch Hofweber

16th June 2010 06:56pm

Dave Kirk has a little writeup about it that pretty much explains it all.
http://www.kirkframeworks.com/blog/?p=223
A Kirk continental frame is long overdue.

Nigel Sanderson

16th June 2010 07:47pm

Nice article Patch…so I'm clear…is he saying that if you've had a fitting done where they use the 'weighted string' from knee to ball of foot to determine your position it is very likely you are sitting too far forward?

cheers

Jim James

18th June 2010 04:25am

Slamming isn't a cure-all; one's femurs must be sufficiently long. By the same token, lowering and slamming can get you kops. Remember during the Lemond era folks ran high saddles and flat backs; not so much today. Too slammed and your back can form too actute an angle, resulting in pain. There are a million ways to set up a bike, but lack of pain is the foremost criterium.

Slate Olson

21st June 2010 10:33am

Mike, when you start suggesting recumbents, you've cross the line.

Carl Lyda

27th June 2010 06:01am

The first bike race I ever saw, the Boule Miche in downtown Chicago, was won by one of the Stetina brothers. I think it was Wayne, but it may have been Dale. It was nearly 30 years ago, and the winning break included Greg Lemond. It just astounds me now, the first race I saw in person and Lemond was in it. I always felt just a little sad for the Stetinas that they were at their peak just before the Euros started looking to America for talent. They probably had a lot to do with nudging the door open for guys like Lemond and Boyer.

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