What I don’t understand is the “sporadicy” of all of these changes. Isn’t this why you have a coach? Or even a solid advisor? I agree there is some attention to detail missing but you lost to an Olympic Gold Medalist. That’s not a justifiable reason change every single thing you do on the bike.

I'm glad you found this. As thoughtful as what people make him out to be, he's really always behind the curve regardless of all of the knowledge around him. He goes to the velodrome and gets this done... and then later he disregards the changes made because he felt he wasn't low enough and "wasn't using enough of his glutes" so he just slams the front end. Now this latest video comes out and he's going to make all these new changes... and because Jan runs Speedplays i'm going to run Speedplays now. Soon it will be something else... There doesn't seem to be any consistencies, just impulsive decisions.

My 2 cents.

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Inside The Big Ring: Podcast & Coaching

Lets not forget that this is also the guy who decided to wear a camelbak under his tri top in Kona a few years ago when nutrition/hydration was his biggest problem with that race. I hand it to the guy for trying, but there is a reason that no other top competitive pro has gone that route there. He spent time changing his position only to basically abandon the whole thing a few months later. It will be interesting to see what sticks this time. Meanwhile the 2 time World and Olympic gold medalist will just continue doing what he is does...

I hope he ordered his Speedplay pedals with long spindles! He pedals a bike like Yosemite Sam ;)

He went there 2 years ago almost day for day.
He made several changes since that he never tested.

-170 cranks
-Better bars - Angled up
-Legs tracking closer to frame
-60 front wheel


Maybe leaving Garneau would be for the better?

These are my predictions. What are yours?

Yep, don’t get me wrong, I’ve become a big Lionel fan over the last 18 months but he consistently shows that he lacks key knowledge areas competitors like Jan excel at. Top level sports is dominated bythe athletes who utilise the people in the world who excel in getting the best out of their athletes. I don’t know Lionel’s full story, but I have to assume he’s had a bad coaching experience or something. Either way what that dude needs is someone he genuinely trusts and a willingness to form long term relationships with the best people he can in nutrition, aerodynamics, maybe even business advice.

When you come second in Kona you’re not exactly the underdog anymore.

A small frame? Is he going to get surgery to remove four inches from his ankles?

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

[quote]Angled up [/quote]

Especially if you're in the M45-49

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

He is already on 165 so you are suggesting he goes longer? Steve and Steve (J and Brandes) really hit the nail on the head in this thread. Lionel has already been to Alpha which I think is probably a better way to go than the tunnel truth be told unless you are a close to a tunnel. Given the amount on the line financially why mess around with this stuff, take it seriously before you make 5 figure mistakes in races. I get everyone is going to have epiphanies in life but the one Lionel isn't having/seeing is he can make all the changes he wants on the bike, and ride all he wants on the trainer, but part of the reason the rest of us tinker around or at least know what we would like to change is we go outside and ride and some things just aren't sustainable. If Lionel wants to commit to changing his position he needs to commit to riding outside. Not all his training but he needs to get out there 2x a week.

Regardless, for Lionel I suspect his mobility is going to catch up with him at some point. I would be curious to see how mobile he is but I wonder about Lionel's run hitch. I wouldn't be surprised if his developing some tension is upper thoracic spine or somewhere which could lead to further issues with his bike position. Maybe he is a supple athlete and I just don't know, but he sure doesn't look supple so I don't know if going lower is really the best thing for him. He still has all that back from the hunchback that is hitting the wind so going lower is just want going to put more tension on everything. Does anyone know what kind of gym routine/strength/mobility Lionel is doing?

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I may be misremembering, but I thought he came away from that alpha session with a bunch of suggestions that he pretty much went and ignored. I seem to remember Andy coming on here to try and make that clear, that the position we ended up seeing wasn't really Andy's work, but trying to say it in a nice way.

Could be wrong.

There are things he tested at the Velodrome but after riding with them for a while made changes because he couldn't hold them.

LOL! You win the internet today.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

Albeit faster than most ;)

is that because he mainly trains indoors on the bullhorns? rather than practising being in aero and allowing himself time to adapt?

Yeah it weirded me a bit that the videoed training day he posted the other week he was doing his efforts not in the aero position. I didn't see him go aero at all???

I can't speak to his gym routine, but I would love to know how this TriRig relationship was formed? It seemed to appear quickly after Oceanside and I can't help but wonder if he's pissed off the folks at LG?
Hard to imagine LG being happy about their marquee athlete effectively whining about bike optimization and then going elsewhere to achieve it.

LG doesn't make bars though, which is the primary benefit tririg can bring. Doubt there is too much crossover.

I would fully expect him to make changes. We are all striving for continuous improvement in all facets of the sport as I'm sure Lionel is as well. But it seems he's making changes out of thin air and not using the resources he has available to him or could have available to him if he would simply ask. Why hasn't he been back to the velodrome or to the tunnel?

Why all of a sudden does he feel his whole front end needs re-worked? Why a small frame? I could see experimenting with these changes during the off season but it just seems he made an impulse decision after seeing another pros bike in a race that got beat. A pro who he seems to put on the pedestal and obsesses about. Maybe it's just the way it comes off in the video's and he doesn't intend it to be this way but he idolizes, copies, mimics (or whatever you want to call it) Jan like he's in middle school. He needs to be his own athlete, ask for advice from others, and then form his own opinions. Not just go out and buy speedplay pedals because the guy who most recently beat you rides them.

I don't expect to see a significant gain from a reworked front end. His position isn't terrible in my opinion (when you see it in a static position). A more adjustable bike (like a speed concept) would probably allow him for a more optimum position but that is out of the question for now with the LG deal. IMO, his biggest gain he has yet to find has to do with the rubber that is on his wheels. He could easily save 3 minutes in an IM.

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blog

 
The one thing I wish for Lionel is to find someone he really trusts to help him with his changes.

He isn't on Gatorskins is he?

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come on, you know gatorskins cost more than 3 minutes in an im.

He goes into this in depth at 8:55 here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOn4zGoZ8Rg

and leaving no stone unturned...all hail the Gatorade Institute!

replying in general, not just to you, steve:

i am surprised no one has outright called out the irony of his epiphany: "wow, Jan pays so much attention to the details of his bike, and spends a lot of time focusing on that stuff!"...

and then he promptly does a bunch of things because that's what Jan did.

as many have pointed out, he's pretty much just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. which, is better than not changing anything, but not really any more productive, and certainly not aligned with the concept of "paying attention to the details."

i do appreciate his candor, though. he's basically Trumping around triathlon (spouting out whatever comes to mind, without much need to fact check/research). at least him ordering speedplays because Jan rides them doesn't increase the liklihood of a nuclear war.

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@adamwfurlong