How many communities out there regularly band together to fight for a fallen comrade?

I posed this question to myself over the weekend after reading an email from fellow webmaster “Ultra Rob” about the current situation with one of cycling’s most enjoyable voices - “The Fat Cyclist.”

You can get the latest news on the touching story at FatCyclist.com, and you can read the news from Ultra Rob here.

Peruse the stories above, and if you need to buy any cycling gear today, take a look through Ultra Rob’s store, as some of the proceeds from sales will be put towards the Fat Cyclist “Susan’s WIN” Fund.

But back to the question… after mulling it over, I think a lot of communities, especially in the sports world, really band together in the time of crisis. It’s probably because we can all see ourselves in the same situation.

Someone had a nasty crash or got hit by a car? That could happen to any of us, any day. From recreational riders to professional downhillers like Tara Llanes, the possibility exists, and we can only hope and pray for the best.

All the while hoping that there are cyclists out there willing to help in the time of need… From what I’ve seen, these kind people are definitely out there.

Another example I wanted to point out today is a blog from CDF Networks, where Chad is starting something called the “1 For Charity Blogger Challenge” which is all about bloggers supporting charity in a small but powerful way. Chad posts business and marketing tips on the CDF Networks blog, but the real reason to check it out is that he is a fellow mountain biker!

Right now CoachLevi.com is basically a free resource, but you’ll see some more charitable features here in the future. One thing you may have seen is that I also write for a website called Squidoo. Squidoo shares a portion of their revenue with their authors, and authors can choose to take that money or donate it straight to a charity of their choice.

Since I write a lot about cycling and sports nutrition, I naturally chose to have Squidoo donate my earnings straight to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

And don’t forget to read: 8 Great Bicycle-Related Charities You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Or of course you can always make your own donations to the charity of your choice

Thanks for reading this Public Service Announcement and be sure to come back tomorrow when we return to our regularly scheduled cycling training, racing, and nutrition advice!

Now that you have seen Cyclo-Club and everything it has to offer, you might still have a few questions. One that I had to ask myself was “what is the better deal, the Cyclo-Core DVDs or the free video downloads in Cyclo-Club?”

On one hand you can order the DVDs and you get very nice DVDs shipped to you. The upfront cost is pretty high, but it’s a one-time fee.

On the other hand, you can join Cyclo-Club and access $150+ worth of videos and download them, all for under $10 a month.

So we have to weigh the pros and cons of each, and that’s what we’ll discuss today. Keep reading for my DVD vs Download comparison…

Cyclo-Core Workouts on DVD

Pros: If you get the DVDs, you’ll be laying out a lot more than $9.95, but it’s a one-time payment. Once you buy, you’ll get hard-copy DVDs that are yours to keep and use as you wish.

My favorite thing with the DVDs is that you can use them anywhere in your house, without hassle. You can play them straight on your plasma TV in the comfort of your living room, on a laptop or portable DVD player, or you can carry it to your friend’s house and do a group workout.

No matter where you play the DVD, it will provide a high-quality picture.

And of course, no downloads required!

Cons: The one-time payment is expensive. It could be in the $300 range depending on how many programs you buy. Then, once you buy them, you have to wait around while they get shipped to you.

Cyclo-Core Workout Downloads

Pros: First, the downloads are cheaper to start with. It’s just $9.95/month to get into Cyclo-Club where you can download $150+ worth of videos. (Or, if you get a platinum membership, it’s like $750+ worth of video downloads for a $199.95 annual rate.)

Second, they’re perfect if you have a video iPod! The downloads come in MP4 format at just the right resolution for your iPod. So you could carry your iPod with you, then take a break from your ride and get in a core workout along the beach, then go home. Just carry your iPod and it’s done.

So the portability is different, but it’s still there.

Cons: The quality, while pretty good at the 320×240 resolution, is not so good if you watch it full-screen at home. It’s not necessarily bad, as you can still see what is going on, but it’s not the same as DVD quality.

And you’re kind of limited to your computer or laptop though, as there’s no DVD to pop in your living room’s DVD player. (But you can hook your computer to your TV if you have the necessary cables and connections.)

Of course, the download time. You’ll want a high speed internet connection! (A 12 minute video, which would be one section of the workout, is like 72 MB; a full video is more like 200-300 MB.) So that takes a while.

Here’s a screenshot from me watching one of my downloads:

And here’s the actual screenshot from the 320×240 resolution:

Pretty good. But as mentioned, full-screen at 640×680 has a slight drop in quality.

Don’t Forget the Cyclo-Club Discount!

One more thing to consider… As a Cyclo-Club member, you get a 20% discount on any Cyclo-Core DVD purchase!

Yes, just look in the Cyclo-Core store that’s part of the Cyclo-Club members-only section. All the titles are 20% off.

My final verdict is…

The best value is to join Cyclo-Club as a platinum member. Then you get all the good Cyclo-Club stuff and you even get to download a lot of the programs for free. Then buy the DVDs if you really need to, at 20% off.

If you join as a regular member, you’ll be missing some downloads so you’ll have to buy some of the DVDs anyway.

I already have the DVDs so it’s hard to make just one unbiased recommendation, but if I didn’t have the DVDs, I think I’d be happy with the quality of the video downloads. Just weigh the pros and cons I mentioned and see what suits you.

Then…

Go to www.Cyclo-Club.com!

The Cyclo-Club is a brand new membership-based website for cyclists created by cyclist and personal trainer, Graeme Street. You may recognize his name because he also developed the Cyclo-Core and Cyclo-Zen training programs that I’ve reviewed before (and still use almost every day.)

What Cyclo-Club boils down to is a cycling website and club rolled into one. First of all, it is a website, and it’s full of information from training plans and advice to a nutrition center. Secondly, and just as important, is that it’s very similar to an actual cycling club. You have to pay your dues, but once you’re a member, you get all the benefits - members-only discounts, personal discussions with experts and more experienced cyclists, and that warm fuzzy feeling you get from being a part of a group.

Now, let’s look at exactly what you get as a member:

Cyclo-Club Departments

It’s a big club alright! Just check out all these departments:

Quick Workouts. As you can imagine, this section is full of workout ideas that are quick. For the most part you could do these in 10 minutes or less - for example, I looked at the “8 Minute Cyclo-PLAYGROUND Workout” and the “Cyclo-CORE At the Desk Energizer Workout.” Each week there are new “quick workouts” added to the Club, and this could be the most useful and practical department.

Training Center. This is a big section full of articles, special reports, videos, secret tips, and more. It contains everything from training and racing tips to complete training plans. Most of the training info comes from Graeme, although some pro cyclists contribute, too. For example, there is a “5 CROSS SECRETS OF A PODIUM FINISH” special report from Jeremy Powers, a pro cyclist on the Jelly Belly team.

Nutrition Center. The Nutrition Center has features and articles from the experts at Hammer Nutrition. There are lots of thorough articles along with some audio interviews and other neat things. Of course there are articles that mention Hammer’s products, and some of the articles are a little long, but there are good insights and interesting points as well.

Techniques & Drills. This section is similar to the Training Center, but it focuses more on technique and technical skills. Various pedaling techniques are covered, but I was hoping for more mountain biking advice for technical singletrack, too.

Ladies, Let’s Ride! This section features Georgena Terry, founder of Terry Bicycles and women’s cycling expert. It covers various cycling topics related to the women’s cycling market along with a variety of cycling information from a woman’s standpoint, such as, “Ladies, shopping for a new bike?” and “WSD bicycles and 650 Wheels.”

Coach Al’s Corner. This advice section is from Coach Al, a triathlon coach and 8-time IRONMAN finisher. He covers off-season training, riding and training skills, racing information, and nutrition for before, during, and after you train, all from what he learned over the last 25 years in the sport.

Some of Al’s articles include “Improving Core Strength and Stability to Avoid Injury” and “One Leg Drills: Muscle Firing Action!” and “Triathletes: Get Stronger - Run FASTER!” (There’s some good info there; this is another of my favorite sections.)

Bike Fit Pro. This could be my absolute favorite section though, thanks to Paul Swift of BikeFit.com, who shares his bike fitting tips and videos. It covers a wide array of bike fit principles, from bike fit basics to intriguing fit methods I’ve never seen anywhere else. This guy knows his stuff!

Features include “Video Fit Tip: Road Bike Brake Levers” and “Bike SIZING & Bike FITTING — What’s the difference?” and “Trouble Shooting - Quick Fix Chart.”

Tech Reviews. This is the obligatory product review department. Right now it contains reviews of wheels, saddles, and a couple 29″ bikes Graeme started riding, but I’m sure there are more reviews in the works.

You Can Fix it! This section features bike repair and maintenance tips and tutorials, with most of them on video! The head mechanic is Levi Bloom of BloomBikeShop.com. His articles cover basics of setting up a home workshop, basic repairs like fixing a flat tire, and intermediate/advanced repairs like adjusting derailleurs.

More Stuff From Cyclo-Club

Along with the specific departments, you get lots of other cool stuff and member benefits.

Discussion forums. All topics are up for discussion in the member forums. The forum participation is still on the low side, but the nice thing about the restricted access is the friendly environment - these forums aren’t full of trolls who like to bash people for no reason. Sometimes the club experts even stop by to answer your questions!

Member blogs. There are a variety of blogs for you to enjoy if you like to read personal stories and experiences. Graeme Street writes a cycling entrepreneur blog, Cat 1 racer Josh Liberles (Colavita Sutter Homes) writes a “Watch Me Race” blog, and then there are many others like The Dad Racer, MTB Chick, etc. The blogs are entertaining, although I didn’t see any commenting system built-in.

Contests. Yes, you get to win stuff! Submit tips or submit recipes and you could win prize packages, such as a Cyclo-Club jersey or a nutrition sampler pack from Hammer Nutrition.

The Downloads Center. Oh man is this good! You get to download all kinds of good stuff, from exclusive interviews and round table discussions to the actual Cyclo-Core line of workout programs! (Big files though!)

Members-Only Discounts. Members get certain discounts, like a hefty discount on all Cyclo-Core workout programs and training plans, and there might be a discount at the Hammer Nutrition store and some others, although I haven’t figured that out for sure.

Cyclo-Club Pricing

The base price to join Cyclo-Club is $10 per month, but you can save $20 by paying for a whole year in advance (that’s $100 instead of $120.)

To get some of the best features, go with the Platinum membership. As a Platinum member you’ll get more free downloads and access to private forums where Graeme Street and other experts are available to answer your questions. That is about $200 a year (no monthly payment option,) and it has a limited membership, but go for it if you can.

I mean, it is $200, but you get access to download over $1000 worth of downloads, over $700 of which are straight from the Cyclo-Core DVD line of products! How can you pass up that deal? (Of course, I still prefer to have the actual DVDs to watch, but still, it’s a steal.)

My final verdict is…

Cyclo-Club is an awesome website for being so new. The $10 monthly fee is not bad at all considering the content - especially with all the free video downloads of the Cyclo-Core workout programs!

While some departments were low on information, I have a feeling the club will keep expanding and providing even greater value to the members. The only reason I wouldn’t recommend this is if you have no time whatsoever to log-in to the website. However, you apparently have the time to browse CoachLevi.com, so take a look at Cyclo Club!

Official website: www.cyclo-club.com

Cyclo-Club video tour: www.cyclo-club.com/public/378.cfm

Looking for a low-price chamois cream? There are a few good options out there that don’t require you to pay a premium price for a tiny tube, and Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter Creme is one that I love.

Considering that the point of chamois cream is to prevent chafing, I don’t see a good reason to buy something special. Lots of skincare products provide the same function but cost 50-90% less!

Queen Helene’s products are a great example - good stuff, but cheap and can be easily found online or in stores like Wal-Mart. This 15oz jar was about $5. (While Assos chamois cream is an astonishing $22 for a tiny 5oz jar.)

This Cocoa Butter Creme is a blend of natural cocoa butter and pure lanolin, two ingredients that do wonders to protect and moisturize your skin. It just so happens that it has another use…

The Chamois Cream Test

The benefits of cocoa butter and lanolin make this a great substitute for expensive chamois creams!

All you have to do is apply a thin layer of the creme to your crotch/butt before a ride, and any chafing problems should vanish. I’ve been fortunate enough to not have any serious issues with saddle sores, so I rode for years (doing some 100+ mile rides) without any sort of chamois cream. But now that I have seen the light, I won’t go back!

When I first started using this stuff, I just piled it on, thinking a thick layer would be like having extra padding. Well, all the excess just oozed through my shorts, so I decided a thin layer would do the trick, and I was right. (The point is not to add extra padding, but to lubricate your skin.)

Queen Helene’s does the trick on 3 hour rides, but the benefits seem to fade on 4-8 hour rides, especially on hot, sunny days. In that case you might want to reapply along the way.

Problem is, a 15 oz jar of this isn’t something to carry in your jersey pocket. So, for reapplications on long rides, you might want to carry a small 2oz tube of Udderly Smooth.

But a jar of Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter Creme is a great thing to have in your medicine cabinet!

(And Queen Helene uses no animal testing and they are an environmentally concerned company, for what it’s worth.)

My final verdict is…

This is a great chamois butter at an even better price. If you don’t want to spend lots of money on high-end chamois creams, or if you’ve never tried chamois creams, get some of this today! It’s cheap and the 15oz jar lasts forever!

You can use it all over your body, too. It feels good and rubs in nicely. It’s great for soothing dry or wind burnt skin. How can you resist?

Official site: www.queenhelene.com (they do a whole line of skin creams)

Buy online: at Amazon.com

[Click here if you would like to get your product reviewed on CoachLevi.com.]

Have you ever jumped on your bike in the morning, enjoyed a peaceful commute, and received a warm welcome at the office, complete with cheering fans and a disco ball?

I haven’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t! Maybe this dream commute will be realistic someday! (The half about the car commute is dead on, though!)

Learn more about bike commuting and join team Wonderbike at FollowYourFolly and of course, check out New Belgium beers if you are of legal drinking age.

And don’t forget - Bike to Work Week starts today!