That's a wrap. QRTS 16 winds up on the Sunny Coast.

It has been an unusual Queensland Road Team Series (QRTS) in 2016 with the event under a cloud until early in the year.  Just when the spectre of a year without elite team's racing looked to be on the cards, a shorter format four round event heavily shaped towards crit racing was presented. Gone were the back to back road stages of previous years, replaced with Team Time Trials and multiple criteriums with heats and finals.  It seemed on paper to be a year where the series has taken a small step backwards.   On a personal level, I also missed visiting the country towns this year such as Kingaroy and Gympie where the locals seem more enthused about the event and the benefit to the local tourist trade that it brings.

Despite the shift the series has taken this year, the racing was still intense and consistently enjoyable.  Our squad was our most age diverse ever with 24 years separating our youngest to oldest rider.  The new faces in our team lifted the overall strength of the squad although the varied approach to training and racing still provides a nice touch of reality.

Our stand out rider for the entire series was Mitch Neumann who has been a model of consistency across the entire event.  His Individual Time Trial win up Montville in round 4 was most definitely the highlight, with the overall round honours also a huge bonus.  I could spend many paragraphs regaling the merits of his endeavours for us in 2016 but those who know Mitch, know this would make him uncomfortable.  7th overall for the series was a fine tribute though and one we would like to build on for 2017 (if he indeed can survive another year at Cobra9 Intebuild Racing).

The other members of the team have also put out credible and in many cases, career best efforts in 2016.  The ageless Kurty seems to find another level each year alongside Adam who also has stepped it up despite the advancing years.  Josh Prete who arrived in our team, and at The Pedaler in 2016 has been a great influence on all the lads and especially on our attitude towards our racing.  Rather then concerning ourselves with sitting in and surviving till the pointy end of the race, the approach has shifted towards trying to win or get a result, even if that means losing.  

A few member of the team staff need to be singled out for high praise.  Brett from Megabake again has been a huge supporter and all round good guy.  He adds so much to the atmosphere around the team at races, and his Cobra9 TV episodes (seen only by the closed group sorry) are as famous as his taste for the rum.  

Adrian Duffy QC is another supporter who adds mirth and depth of personal experience to the whole team.  I'd like to provide an element of insight into his musings however doing so may end his professional career.  He loves the team, the boys and the Cobra9 mentality and we love having him at races.  His chosen nightcap trends towards the reds.

Luke Stenner is another famous part of the Cobra9 Intebuild fabric who is essentially behind the entire race weekend operation.  Notoriously detailed run sheets and time tables are his strength.  The rum though, may be his weakness.  That and white shirts.  His role gets bigger every year and despite a crowded work/life schedule, he keeps getting it done.  It has been a pleasure being 'beside' you all year mate.

The last sneaky member who always flies under the radar is Dugs Macarthur.  I spell his name wrong more often then any other rider yet he keeps showing up.  Dugs essentially runs the team for us away from races and makes all the tough decisions.  He also races and has some of the best calf muscles known to South East Queensland.  We are already working on the 2017 team and race calendar and the team simply wouldn't exist without him.  I probably should pay him.

This year we also had a quality bunch of Sponsors.  Intebuild and Cobra9 again provided essential funding support alongside a family of riders who follow the team week in and week out.  This family has been running strong for over 10 years and the Elite Racing component is a babe in arms compared to the established originals.  The Intebuild founding group has a vast amount of experience and business acumen that has been wonderful for the younger riders to experience.  Hopefully the period of time the new members spend riding with our team will leave them better for the experience.

Attaquer again has backed us to the hilt with clothing.  The quality of the kit is remarkable and the feel and ride comfort is unsurpassed.  For a brand that earned their stripes with cutting designs and edgy motifs, the functionality and durability of the garments is impressive.  We can't wait to unveil the design with Attaquer for next season.

POC again has provided safety gear which is visually appealing while still being at the cutting edge of design.  We have now racked up 6 broken Octal MIPS for 2016 without a single concussion or neck injury.  We also get to look bling in the varied eye wear offerings, time trial overshoes and assorted wet weather kit.

2016 marked our emergence with Colnago as well.  Whilst organising a fleet of top end Nagos was a risk, the bikes are just superb.  It is very rare that every rider on the team is enamoured with their rig.  The C60s are immense machines, and the V1rs have proven to be wonderful race weapons.  The diverse range of colours has snapped many necks at the brew shops of Brisbane. Hopefully we can maintain the rage with the Italian Stallions in 2017.  Obviously, The Pedaler will do its bit providing the underlying Service Course for the Squad again in 2017.

4Shaw again has maintained our sock game in 2016.  While the focus from Dion has moved a little into the world of the Barbershop at the moment, there is no questioning the quality and styling of his socks.  He is also a Tassie legend through and through.

Megabake and Brett Ledger are more then sponsors but it would be remiss not to describe the virtues of their products.  The Megabake bar range has been the staple race diet of every rider for the entire year and has proven again to the perfect race fuel.   The quality, individually sourced ingredients paired with Brett's OCD regarding his recipes guarantees a certain quality.  A new product to the line, the Megabake Museli will be one to watch in 2017.

Finally, Wurkstand.  Almost everyone knows the melancholic footnote to our season has been the loss of the founder to this local company.  Steve Small will always be in our corner, and every C9 kit produced going forward will honour the big man.  We also lost team rider JJ to depression this year and these pair of tragedies has coloured the 2016 season for all involved.  

Despite these equally horrific happenings, the members of Cobra9 Intebuild racing have soldiered on all year.  No one has forgotten these team members.  We talk and laugh regularly at the antics of both of these special guys when on bunch rides or at events away from home.  Indeed it would seem that on occasion, they are both still with us and I hope that this remains the case well into the future.  As long as their memory lives on, then they live on.

What's next?  Well, a few extra kilograms and schooners of beer in the short term.  2017 promises a lot although with the underlying structure around elite racing in Australia still uncertain, it looks like another year where hedging your bets may prove important.  Nationals in January will again be the kick start to the season and then on it goes.  We'll keep you posted.

Cupping for the lower limb also now ready to roll at The Pedaler

We are huge fans of dry needling to kick along a recalcitrant tissue response.  We have added Cupping to our arsenal of conservative treatment options.  This type of therapy has been around for many years but has gained traction again now it benefits are more widely known to western medicine.  Lets run through Cupping for those not familiar.

What are the benefits?

• Deactivation of myofascial trigger points

• Breakdown of fibrosis and scar tissue

• Improved range of motion

• Effects are immediate

• Improved joint mechanics and muscular recruitment when used in conjunction with movement prescription

• Reduced pain

• Reduced stress

• Improved sleep

• Improved relaxation

Conditions treated?

• Plantar Fasciitis

• Heel Pain

• Shin Pain (Splints)

• Patellofemoral Pain

• Tendonopathy

• Ankle Sprains

• Lower Back Pain

• Muscle Soreness

• Muscle Tightness

• Muscle Recovery

• ITB pain

• Achilles Tendonopathy

• Fibrotic and scar tissue

How does it work?

The majority of soft tissue therapies operate through the application of a compression force to the myofascia, eg. massage, ART, foam rolling. 

Alternatively, cupping uses the negative pressure created by the vacuum in the cups to place a decompression load to the tissues. 
The negative pressure created by the removal of air from the cups lifts, stretches and separates the underlying tissue.

David is excited to provide even more comprehensive options for our Pedaler clients.  Drop by and discuss Cupping or organise an initial session and get the mobility ball rolling. 

12 months on. The Pedaler story thus far.

It has been 12 months since we kicked off this new venture and it is amazing how much has changed in that time.  The journey continues but I felt it may be interesting to provide some insight into where we have come from.

My background has always been specialised sports podiatry.  This has been my bread and butter for the last 16 years.  Over the last 9 years, cycling orientated podiatry has also become a focus. I love riding.  I love bikes and I enjoy the culture around the industry.   

My first foray into the cycling industry was through Cobra9 Cycling Orthotics.  I started this company in Hobart in 2009 with my close friend Chris Angel who had reintroduced me to cycling in 2007.  We started making specialised carbon insoles for cycling shoes and grew from there.  We played to our strengths.  We also enjoyed plenty of nights on the wines thinking big about our fledgling company.

In that same year, we sponsored our first race team - Cobra9 Racing.  This was a bunch of early adaptors and hubs, including myself, who raced down the grades and got belted at events routinely.  The first kit was fairly basic but the core and ethos was born.

As the racing team grew, so did our associations within the industry.  Our earliest supporter Dion from 4Shaw has hooked us up with socks since 2011.  I can still remember his email discussing a collaboration (rare in that time) with our socks.  I ignored the email as I didn't have a clue who he was.  A year later, 4Shaw was huge and meekly I finally replied to his email and we organised our first hook up.

With Cobra9 growing, the racing team became an important focus for marketing purposes. The team has grown from 5 riders to around 35 currently.  The team's involvement has shifted from Elite B, to Masters A and now to the Elite A level.  The team now competes regularly at NRS events and occasionally at UCI races.  The same underlying ethos remains. Race hard and enjoy the experience because the journey is the destination.  Every moment we race, travel and train is there to be enjoyed.  It won't last forever and the time to embrace it is now. As we commence preparations for season 2017, Cobra9 Intebuild Racing has become one of the longest standing active cycling teams in Queensland.

The team's emergence and increased prominence has grown some of our most important connections within the industry.  Long time supporters Megabake emerged out of this evolution and Wurkstand grew alongside the team's journeys.  Industry heavyweights, Attaquer jumped into our corner in 2013 which has been enormous for our brand and business.  I can't speak highly enough of the crew behind this particular company in terms of their professionalism and work ethic.  In an industry full of hollow promises and whingers, these guys keep delivering.

The Pedaler was conceived to capitalise on these strong brand associations.   However it would be another 12 months before the shop opened.   In the foot hills of the iconic Park Rd 'Eiffel Tower' where the cycling scene kicked off in Brisbane, The Pedaler was born.  The business model was supported by a sports focused Podiatry business in parallel with a strong core of quality cycling brands.  

We set out to only carry brands that we believe in.  POC safety gear fits this concept neatly as do the shoe offerings from Suplest, Fizik and Lake. The fabled Italian brand Colnago was our primary bike brand followed shortly after by Johnson Bikes from Ben Johnson in Noosa. Another example of a quality human in the cycling industry.

Our onsite lab has allowed us to build all types of orthotic solutions for our clients.  It also helps us ensure the best fit for our clients and their cycling shoes.  We have grown from one shoe brand to four and hope to create a proper 'wall of shoe' for our customers. It naturally plays to our strengths as qualified podiatrists.

None of this would be possible without our crew.

Our staff started with a very small core group. Podiatrist and now born again trackie, David Gruhl has been with us from the start.  He has been a stellar example of continuous endeavour and purpose.  His manual therapy skills have been incredibly important to our practice and his relationships with trainers and industry professionals continues to grow. 

Phil Cavdarski has manned the front desk regularly since opening and always presents with purpose.  He also brings humour and coffee.

The most recent arrival to our team in March of this year was Josh Prete. He is a huge addition for us as we have transitioned into comprehensive bike servicing and more complex builds. His customer relations are impeccable and he has grown into an integral part of The Pedaler providing assistance in developing brands and generating new market directions.  

We also need to laud the assistance of some other 'staff'.  Hadleigh has cleaned up our books enormously and allowed us more time to focus on the business and less time spent trying to untangle my BAS musings which look a lot like a scene from 'A Beautiful Mind'. Dugald runs the racing team with an efficiency that could only come from working at Australia Post for decades.  Adam my brother is a constant with the race team and co owner at Cobra9 Cycling Orthotics.  Daniel of Cycling Enquirer fame has also helped us look better then we really are on a regular basis driving much of our social media. 

Abbie and myself continue to learn important lessons daily. The first 6 months were pretty intense.   Up front costs associated with starting the business from scratch were epic and the ongoing expenses were uncomfortable.  As our community and the business has grown, the pressure has eased and the head space this allows has fuelled more creativity.  We like enjoying our days at work and subscribe to concept that our staff are our most valuable asset. We toast mars bars, take suicidal photos on Douglas St, create album covers and enjoy the experience.  In this way, the ethos of The Pedaler is similar to the race team's.  Enjoy the journey now.  Our other motto is just as important.  Don't spend every moment of every day worrying about the next.  If you have a quiet period, relax and use it.  

In our first year we have also had our fair share of set backs.  We lost our mate and most loyal fan JJ to depression.  He was an enormous help for us over the first few months of our journey. He was also our biggest supporter and it was a huge shock to lose him in such painful circumstances.  We hope to create an event in the coming months as a fitting memorial to our mate and one that typifies what this colourful character meant to the Brisbane cycling scene.

We also lost another of our best friends Steve Small from Wurkstand.  He was the victim of a hit and run on his way home from work in Noosa.  It is impossible to put into words how much he helped us create The Pedaler and also, how much he meant to our race team.  His untimely death is still painful to digest.  Fittingly at our 1st Birthday, we will unveil our Tribute kit to Steve.  All profits from this venture will go to his family to help reconcile a tiny portion of their loss.

There are more ideas and business ventures we are hoping to launch in the coming months. We remain loyal to our foundation brands and will grow from this base.  We also remain focused on providing comprehensive best practice Podiatry care and a top shelf customer experience. Each interaction is a relationship, not a transaction.   

Thank you all for your support.  Come along on Saturday to our Sausage Festival and enjoy the snags (maybe even a few vegan versions by popular demand).  Tunes, drinks, banter and epic snaps.  It's The Pedaler way.

Nathan

Father's Day at The Pedaler

We're all Dads here at The Pedaler, well, one of us is that we know of.  We know what it's like to get crappy presents.  I've had my share of oversized t shirts and stacks of lollies.  I wish my family had bought me gear from The Pedaler.  That's why we created The Pedaler.  To end sh#tty present giving once and for all.

We will be running a different special every day in the week leading up to Father's Day.  On top of this, you spend over a hundy, and you get a free Pedaler t shirt for extra kudos.  If it's too hard, get a voucher and be done with it real quick.

If you call us and order the $100 voucher, we'll even wrap your free T Shirt and you can pick it up. Job done.

The Pedaler cares.........about your Dad.  So should you.

Improving your Hamstring's flexibility.

Many amongst us know that they need to work on their hamstring flexibility. When I bring it up with my patients they aren't unduly surprised.

Aside from stretching, I also ask patients if they perform myofascial release with their hamstrings (Eg. Foam Rolling) and often the answer is yes.

The difficulty is that foam rollers are too large and cumbersome to properly address this particular muscle group. With this approach, you will generally find that the relief is temporary and minimal.

I have a two step approach for addressing hamstring muscle stiffness based on the anatomy. 

Step 1. Addressing muscle stiffness at the hamstring origin point.

Step 2. Addressing hamstring muscle stiffness in the belly of the muscle.

Step 1: Addressing muscle stiffness at the hamstring origin point. Hamstrings originate from your ischial tuberosity, aka your 'sit-bones' and from the femur. There is a degree of irony here as our hamstrings weren't actually designed to be sat on. 

• Sit on a hard surface, preferably a chair.

• Take a tennis sized ball and place it just past your 'sit-bone'. (This is one of the few times I would recommend using a harder ball like a cricket or lacrosse ball.)

• Move you body weight onto the ball and proceed to roll from side to side. (If you feel as though you are rolling over steel cables then you are doing it correctly.)

• Do this for 2-4 minutes or until you feel a change or until you stop making change.

Step 2: Addressing hamstring muscle stiffness at the belly of the muscle. We have three hamstrings; semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris. The first two are located closer to the inside of your leg and the other is closer to the outside near your Iliotibial band (ITB).  Remember to roll on the center of the hamstrings but also on the inside and outside.

• Sit on a hard surface, preferably a table or bench top.

• Hard balls don't work for this, I only use the ALPHA ball from yoga tune up. These balls have some give and their large grippy surface is ideal.

• Place the ball in the center of your hamstring and then move your body weight atop of the ball.

• Once you have found a tender spot or knot then sit on that spot with your weight and begin to flex and extend your knee. You will feel you hamstrings moving past the ball as you move your leg.

Re-test your flexibility!

Try to touch your toes and see the difference.

NB. If the spot is not tender make a mental note of relaxing and if that location is still not tender move to a new spot.

NB. If you start feeling numbness or tingling down your leg or foot move to a new site. The sciatic nerve does pass down the back of the leg and can become trapped by the ball.

David Gruhl

Why does my heel hurt?

Perhaps the most common problem we encounter as Podiatrists at The Pedaler is heel pain.  'My heel hurts when I get out of bed'.  'It hurts when I get up for a coffee'.  This type of pain is synonymous with our old friend 'Plantar Fasciitis'.  A name that looks as painful to pronounce as it is to deal with.  It's pronounced 'fashy-i-tis'.

Make a time to chat to us about heel pain.

Plantar Fasciitis (often termed heel spur) is the most common pathology effecting the foot.  Approximately 10% of the population will experience pain under their heel in their lifetime with women more likely to suffer from the condition then men.  The highest risk category are those between the ages of 44-64 who spend prolonged periods on their feet.  Obesity is also closely linked to the presence of heel pain.  The term 'heel spur' is often used in place of Plantar Fasciitis, however there is little evidence to support the link between the two. Heel spurs are quite common in the ageing population without the presence of any heel pain.  Again, the link between the development of heel spurs and obesity is tightly linked.

The pathophysiology of Plantar Fasciitis is not pure inflammation as the name would suggest.  Essentially, the plantar fascia is subjected to enormous repetitive loading over our life times and becomes damaged through micro trauma (tears).  This hinders the structural integrity of the tissue often leading to enlargement, collagen disruption and pain.  Due to this often non inflammatory process, the term fasciosis is often used rather then fasciitis.  Either way, it still hurts.

Despite being an enormously common condition, a treatment outcome for Plantar Fasciitis is notoriously fickle. Anyone who professes to have a blanket solution to Plantar Fasciitis across the population is treading dangerously close to selling snake oil.  Each case of heel pain needs to be taken on its individual merits.  An understanding of the patient's risk factors needs to be taken into account and realistic expectations need to be set out.  Far too often, the magic pill of orthotic therapy is wheeled out and its failure is often related to missing the other key components of a comprehensive treatment plan. 

To this end, if your heel hurts, we need to get a full picture of your presenting complaint. This will translate into a thorough treatment solution not limited to orthotic therapy.  With the right tools, a conservative option will lead to gradual success.  If it doesn't, then the less conservative treatment options tend to get a little 'uncomfortable'.  Make a time to have a chat with us about your heel pain today.

The popular Attaquer Core and All Day range is now restocked and available

The new range from Attaquer which sold out quickly when first released has now been restocked.  Now is the time to get your spring kit dialled in.  Drop in and get sized.  If we haven't got what you want in store, we'll get it in for you and throw in a free pair of socks or a kiss from JPed for your troubles.*

*only on full kit purchases.  You can still get a kiss from JPed even if you get some socks.

(Dave is the meat in a brutally handsome sandwich)

Podiatry Myth Busting - Flat feet are bad.

I love this topic.  It's one of my favourite bug bears.  'Your feet are too flat'.  'You need arch support'.  'If you don't treat that, your arches will drop'.  'We can build your arches up'.

What a load of complete BS.  This sort of science belongs back in a era when the concept was used as a determining factor for admission into the Armed Forces during the Second World War.

There have been a large number of studies that have investigated 'foot posture' and it's relevance to injury rates.  There is no correlation between injury rates and flat feet in most instances.  Indeed there are some studies that indicate injury rates in certain activities are actually more prolific in cavoid (high arched) foot types against their more planus (flat) incarnations. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16130646

Lets address each of these statements individually.

Your feet are too flat.  This would suggest that their is a normal or perfect foot type (there isn't).  It simplifies the assessment of mechanics down to a purely static visual assessment rather then as part of a thorough investigation.  It also creates an arbitrary ranking system where every clinician's opinion drives intervention. Many of the world's best athletes have planus feet and excel in their sport.  

You need arch support.  I love this one.  Do your arches need some form of guidance counselling? A support group of sorts?  Anyone who has passed through The Pedaler Podiatry would have seen first hand our reluctance to use this arbitrary term.  Orthotics don't 'hold feet up' so as a consequence, popping an orthotic into their shoe won't provide the theoretical 'arch support' they require.  An orthotic is simply an inert material placed inside your shoe that your foot lands on.  It doesn't push back.  It doesn't stick to your foot and hold it up. 

If you don't treat that, your arches will drop.  Umm, no.  No studies support this theory.  The key driver of intervention should always be pathology, pain or function impairment.  Treating based on the assumption that not treating will cause the arches to drop further is inaccurate.

We can build your arches up.  Holy cow.  Firstly, why?  Secondly, how?  We know that flat feet don't cause any more problems then more cavoid versions, so why are we doing this?  We also know that putting orthotics inside shoes won't lift the arches over time either.  

Now, don't let my cynical musings convince you of other false generalities.  There are exceptions to every rule.  Human anatomy and mechanics are not simple structures.  There are examples of planus feet that may require treatment, as there is when dealing with cavoid feet. There is also a place for orthotic therapy when required within this space especially when dealing with pain or imperfect function.  In these instance, the use of an orthotic insert may assist in shifting load from overloaded tissue or changing the length of time a structure undergoes load.  

Orthotic therapy can achieve pain relief, but if your about to prescribe it, you better have a better reason then - your feet are too flat.