Carmichael Training Systems Support

[dehoopta]

Has anyone had to deal with CTS? I received the TrainRight VHS set for Christmas, but don't have a VHS in my basement. I wanted to exchange for DVD. No one ever answers the phone, they just ask you to leavea message, but never called me back. After my last email begging them to respond or tell me to quit bugging them, they claimed they had never received an email from me. When they asked what they could do to me, I told them. But as usual they again didn't respond.

Have any of you experienced the same thing from them. Heaven forbid I bought into their coaching program and had a question. :crap:

[Blastinbob]

Doc Rock signed up too, needless to say he cancelled in less then 1 month and got his money back due to customer no-service.

[Dr. Doofus]

they suck

and not in a cool way like the dead milkmen

[Ti Designs]

I received the TrainRight VHS set for Christmas, but don't have a VHS in my basement. I wanted to exchange for DVD.


In getting 8 Cyclops trainers for the team I coach I also got 8 copies of the time trial DVD. The only entertainment value is counting the times Chris says "just like Lance", and I really don't need 8 copies to do that. As far as I'm concerned, coaching by DVD is about as bad as it gets. It's almost as bad as cyber coaching where someone you never met e-mails you a trining plan once a month. At least you don't have to shove money into the DVD player each time you watch it...

Anyway, I feel for you, you have a product that doesn't work for you and the company does nothing about it. I have at least part of that product that would work for you, and I'm using them for drink coasters. If you need a copy of the time trial DVD, PM me and I'll send one out to you.

[keno]

Just last week bought a mounting bracket kit for my Power Tap from CTS. Called to make sure it was in stock and it was. Had it in 3 days. CTS, Velomax, CTS, Velomax...I gets lucky, I gets lucky not.

keno

[Michael Katz]

For what it's worth, Cadence Cycling in Phila, formerly touted as 1 of the 2 CTS training centers in the US, recently terminated its relationship with CTS due to issues of responsiveness and the belief that they can better individualize training programs.

[dehoopta]

TI Designs, thanks for the offer. I am either going to get these things changed or buy a VCR. I am mainly using them to break-up the monotony of the trainer. I don't aspire to be "just like Lance", just want to keep fit and maybe improve a bit. :)

[Ti Designs]

The last few years have been harsh for training in new england. My best purchase in terms of performance was the VCR that sits in my basement in front of my trainer. I've watched my tour tapes so many times I can sing along with Phil Ligget, I know all the riders from those tours by name, number and team. I've even gone so far as to find older tapes to see the stars before they were that well known. Just to keep it interesting, find yourself a copy of Stars and Water Carriers and 23 Days in July. 23 Days in July is the story of Phil Anderson's bid to win the 83 Tour, but it also shows Pascal Simon take the yellow jersey only to lose it before Paris. Then watch the 2002 tour and watch his brother do the same thing! I think the most interesting comparison is between Stars and Water Carriers and The Triplets of Belliville. One is the story of Eddy Merckx in the 73 Giro, the other an animation, but you'll see they have things in common.

One other thing you may want to get - a tape rewinder. For a while I had just the VCR, then all my tapes were at the end, and I had to rewind them before watching them again. Now there's a sequence: Box, VCR, rewinder, box.

As for the Carmichael tapes there is some stuff there worth learning about, but it comes in such a boaring presentation. I found myself counting how many times he says "just like lance" to keep from falling asleep.

[dehoopta]

I will give that a try. My bike funds are being funneled into the Serrota bike fund. Once I get enough, I am off to the dealer for a fitting. After that I might be able to afford some tapes.

thanks for the Siskel and Ebert evals of cycling videos!

[keno]

for no bucks at all there is a series of 60 minute trainer workouts that beat the hell out of tapes, and I have lots of tapes. Take a look at the intervals on www.fasttandem.com. They are progressive, two a week, and, if I had known, would have started two or three months ago except outdoors didn't really start to be serious here until a month or so ago. They are very intense and absorbing. If I get at all into double digits I'm sure my riding will be much improved.

keno

[dehoopta]

Thats a nice site. I will give it a try, but I don't think I can give 60 minutes a night (80hr/wk job, three kids and a wife-not particularly in that order). Still, it is a great way to gradually build up your workouts

[keno]

only TWO per week. If you try them you'll see that they are too intense for daily use.

keno

[spiderman]

my wife bought me the cts book
and encouraged me to sign up for their
personal coach option...
...i checked out the website
and considered the possibility...
but also found the conversation
to be very much one way...
i became a forum member instead...
...and whether the core forumites
intend to provide a coaching service for free
or not,
that's really what has happened
...at least for me.
thanks!
maybe there should be a 'coaching section'
in the e-options...
where we can list our riding style,
training goals,
strengths, weaknesses
and learn from each other
more intentionally/deliberately...
i'd even be willing to pay a consulting fee
to james or serotta
just as long as i'm not directed
to his own personal/private 'coaches are us' website... :no:

[The Dominatrix]

It's almost as bad as cyber coaching where someone you never met e-mails you a trining plan once a month.

Ed,

Sometimes that's all the client wants and needs. Not everyone wants or needs regular interaction with their coach.