@##=#<5,L>@##=# There are precious few people in New York with the depth of cycling knowledge that Zoltan Tisza posses. If you catch him at Sids, where he works as their ace mechanic, he is usually schooling somebody on anything from frame building to proper dismount technique. When he is not at Sids he is can frequently be found riding with one of his pupils, Zoltan insists on riding with all his cycling clients to personally coaching them on technique. His lessons come from hard one knowledge that Zoltan learned growing up riding in Hungary – Road, Cyclocross, Track and Mountain. Lee3 has leapt from comment box gadfly to NYVC correspondent to file this report:

An Afternoon With Zoltan Tisza
By Lee Malone III

NYVC: How old were you when you started racing?
ZT: Eleven for road and cyclocross, thirteen for track.

NYVC: What were those early days like?
ZT: I grew up in the suburbs and got a bike at an early age. We didn’t have kids’ bikes where I grew up, so I rode under the top tube of an adult one – which is how I learned to ride. I rode one summer in a strange sideways position until my parents bought me a nice bike – it was kind of like a Russian race bike. Only two sizes were available; and both were too big. So I had to put the seat all the way down and had to reach for the handlebar because custom fitting wasn’t available. The roads were mostly dirt roads, so I basically rode cyclocross all the time, which gave me good bike handling skills.

When I was young, sports in Communist countries were basically competitions between the East and West. The Communists put a lot of money into all their sports programs — weightlifting, soccer, gymnastics, whatever — and they were a big deal. So I signed on for cycling. At that time, when you decided that you wanted to race, you went to the community sports club. When you first signed up, they gave you a free bike, coach, and mechanic right away. But behind the club, there was a factory or company where, after a certain age, you would basically be forced to take a job.

NYVC: Were you doing group rides even back then?
ZT: Yes, from the start, one of the guys I began riding with from a young age eventually went to Canada to race and soon found himself on the Canadian national cyclocross team. To me, his success showed how rigorous our training regime was. A year later, he asked me if I wanted to try racing. I did, and ever since then, I’ve been hooked. .
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NYVC: Did you have a coach early on?
ZT: Yes. My coach was George Hazai, who later became the national coach for Hungary. He coached guys like Laszlo Bodrogi, who was just getting into the program as I was leaving. George is my inspiration for coaching. He’s got more than 25 years experience as a coach, and he knows more about the sport than anybody who I’ve ever met. The training program I use with my clients is modeled after his.

The first thing George taught me was spinning technique, so he limited the number of gears I could use. (The program’s limited budget was also probably a factor…). He also told me to write down everything that I did, because that would help me get better. I began with a 46/16, and, as I got older, got more gears — which instilled good pedaling skills that helped me later on.

NYVC: When did you start coaching here in the States?
ZT: I started in 2000. I was picked up by John Eustice to work with CRCA. Now I coach and consult a few mountain bike racers, tri-athletes, and entire CRCA teams. I also coach a couple of athletes in Taiwan. Back in Hungary, I had a shop, and I did a lot of fit sessions. I strongly believe that the proper fit is the first step to successful riding.

NYVC: When did you start working with Sid’s? Can you talk about your relationship with Cannondale?
ZT: In 1999, I worked at Bay Ridge Bikes. Their mechanic, Gerald, taught me how to be a better mechanic myself. (He also helped me a lot with my English.) He is one of the nicest people I’ve met since I’ve been here. In 2000, I started at Sid’s Bikes Shop. The owner of Sid’s, Allen Schulmann, noticed my love of and experience in this sport, and subsequently gave me the responsibilities of working directly with bike manufacturers and customer fitting. I had tried many frames before, but the Cannondale was the most impressive, and I developed a good relationship with the technical staff — I was even invited to the factory. They’ve asked me about how I felt when I spin on climbs and sprints, and what I tweak to work better for me.
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NYVC: What advice can you give to riders here about training with a coach?
ZT:
• Being organized is one of the most important things. You must be able to follow your program!
• After every training ride, make a note of how you felt and how you recovered.
• Recovery is a big part of your training! Try to sleep at least 7 hours during the night, or take naps.
• Take a recovery or fun ride on your mountain or cyclocross bike to work on your bicycle handling skills.
• You can’t cut corners in training, but at the same time, be flexible.

Zoltan can be reached at Sid’s bike shop and via email, Zoltantisza@aol.com

And soon to be online, www.zoltancoaching.com.

If you’re ever spinning in the park, say hello. Zoltan is always full of great advice — and you’re sure to get a good workout if you are holding his wheel!
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Zoltan’s Palmeres::

• Coaching: 7 years (2 years Team Manager)
• Racing: 15 years (Road, Cyclocross, Track)
• Fitting: 15 years (clients include national champions, triathlon Olympic distance World Cup winner, Ironman World Cup winner)
• Professional mechanic: 14 years
Coaching Specialties:

• On/off-season training.
• Program starts with fitting; then, depending on the individual, re-teach pedal stroke and bicycle handling skills, and develop/refine race specifics such as acceleration, sprint, climbing, and intervals.

Specialty as a Racer:

• Overall – with particular interests in Road (sprints, climbing) and Cyclocross
Personal Record (Key Highlights)
• Road
– Mountain Budapest Championship: 1st place
– Long Distance Budapest Championship: 1st place
– Long Distance National Championship: multiple podium placements
– Mountain National Championship: multiple podium placements
– 100 km Team Time Trial: 4th place
• Track
– Pont Race National: multiple podium placements
– 3000 m Individual Time Trial: 6th place
• Cyclocross
– Cyclocross Budapest Championship: 1st place (2x)
– Cyclocross National Championship: multiple podium placements
• International Grand Prix
– Hajuboszormeny Grand Prix Team: 1st place
– XX. Bukk-Mountain Grand Prix: 2nd place overall/2nd stage 20 km Time Trial: 2nd place
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Personal Philosophy
I believe in taking a “hands-on” approach to training. Great results require preparation. This involves personal, one-on-one attention not only to fitness, but also to strategy, endurance training, technique, and bicycle handling skills. My passion for pursuing excellence in this field has led me to develop unique strategies for targeting my clients’ individual problem areas which, when properly addressed, consistently produce exceptional results.

Services offered:

– Fitting
– Coaching
– Technical expertise
– Bicycling handling skill