Use Protection

In the roadie community, its easy to take yourself to seriously sometimes. It can be easy to get caught up in the complexities of leg shaving, kit matching, bike cleaning, and power wattage reaching. On the other hand, there are some in the community who are new to cycling and might mistake the term "derailleur" as verbage quite offensive in nature. Whether you are a roadie who needs to check in with reality, or a newbie looking to learn the ropes, Londons Tranpsortation bureau has created a friendly, illustrated PSA on cycling safety. It could just be my male train of thought, but I cant help but thinking there is something a little more devious about this poster than other government sponsored cycling saftey campaigns I've seen. Regardless, put your helmet on, strap up, and hit the roads!

Summer check-in

After a long hiatus, it's back to blogging! I kicked things off in Colorado with Ride the Rockies, then quickly found myself in Michigan for a week at the lake with the family. With only enough time for a haircut between, I took off straight from detroit for Venice. After a bit of a logistical snafu getting out of rome, I made my way back to Phoenix. With one last minute trip to Park City cancelled, I'm now home in the hot city for the foreseeable future. Rather than bore you with tales of my adventure, i'll leave you with one picture that I think sums up my summer rather well. cheers.

Ride the Rockies 2011!

It is official! This summer, I will once again be pilgrimaging to Colorado to participate in the 6 day Ride the Rockies. Two years ago, my uncle and I entered the lottery on a whim knowing nothing of what lay ahead when we received confirmation of our entry. The exciting days in the saddle and the breath taking scenery made for quite the experience. This summer I will return to Colorado, but this time with the lady! I've somehow managed to trick her into becoming quite the elitist roadie; I don't think it is too out of line to say we are both super excited about the prospect of doing some riding through the Alps of the west. This years route goes through the towns of Crested Butte, Buena Vista, Edwards, Steamboat Springs, Granby, and Georgetown, and hits a number of notable passes through the Rockies. Each day will be between 50 and 80 miles, and traverses some of the most scenic cycling territory outside of Europe. The only problem with Erin joining me, is that I've been bumped further down the list for who/what gets priority to sleep in the tent compared to last year....

Sun Devil Criterium Featuring Fixed Gear Crit

As we launch head long into the road cycling season, race after race seems to pop up on the calendar. Most of these are dime a dozen, with the typical cheap primes and crappy music. This spring, the ASU Cycling and Triathlon Club is looking to change all of that! ASUCTC is hosting the Sun Devil Criterium this coming Sunday, and for the first time in the Club's history, there will be an open category Fixed gear race held after the P,1,2 race. With a $15 buy-in, and prizes provided in part by State Bicycle, its tough not to race! This is an opportunity for a gloves off, unsanctioned fixie race to see who really is the fastest guy on the road with one gear. Come for the races, stay for the action. I hope to see everyone there on Feb. 20th! More details at ASUCTC.com

Down But Not Out

About two weeks ago I was hit by a car. Despite the violent nature of the accident(t-boned by a Range Rover), I somehow walked away from it more or less unscathed. I suffered a concussion and damaged knee, which resulted in some back/neck pain, and headaches in the days following the accident. Although I am just now feeling up to running and swimming, I count myself as fairly lucky- all things considered. The same cannot be said for my bike, my beloved Orbea. I rode the Orbea for about 2 and a half years, and the bike had taken me on great rides not just at home in AZ, but across several states in the Union. I had upgraded just about everything except the drivetrain, and had it tuned just right. Now, I face the challenge of finding a suitable replacement. In all honesty, it will likely be an upgrade from a technical standpoint, but I absolutely loved the way that bike moved underneath me. Comfortable enough for a long day in the saddle, lively enough to take you to the finish line in a hurry. RIP Orbea, you will be missed!

Not to be Out done

A few months ago I posted a clipless cycling shoe designed for street use by Mission Workshop. Not one to lie down without a fight, Chrome bags has recently joined the clipless pedal sneaker industry with its latest line of cycling shoes designed for everyday used. Chrome's shoe line has been around for not quite a year now, and although they only had cycling sneakers available, I knew it was only a matter of time before they released a SPD compatible platform cycling shoe. This product is the epitome of what Chrome is all about: making quality products for use by cycling enthusiasts in an urban environment- a niche that has yet to be fully realized by the cycling industry as a whole. I can't tell you how many different setup's I have tried out on my commuter bike ranging from full blown carbon cycling shoes and look pedals, to traditional clips and straps. Either way you are making sacrifices in performance, handling, saftey, or comfort. Hopefully, this latest addition by chrome marks a new trend of practical cycling products that are as fitting on the bike as they are off the bike. More info on the Chrome website, and at Superb

New Helmet From Orbea; Odin, Thor and Rune

With companies like Giro, Bell, and Specialized dominating the cycling helmet market, its always nice to see another company working their way into the scene. Recently, Spanish cycling manufacturer Orbea released a line of road and mountain helmets, with several levels of cost and features. My shop recently got a full inventory of these helmets in stock, and while I have yet to make a decision as to whether I like the aesthetics of the line, I must say that after a couple rides, I really like the feel of the Odin (pictured above). With options in white, red, blue, and black, there is a look for every racer. Priced at $200 for the Odin, $150 for the Thor, and $100 for the Rune, there is an Orbea helmet for every race budget.

New Project

I've been tossing around the idea of building up a tandem cruiser for some time now, and have come close to pulling the trigger on one multiple occasions. Its not for lack of bikes, but I have always had a special fondness for the vintage tandems you occasionally see locked up outside coffee shops, or hanging idly in a friends garage. Since I have no terrible need for a tandem, I had all but put the idea out of my mind when, all of the sudden, an old Schwinn Twinn frame popped up on Craigslist. Now, I have never been good with avoiding impulse buys, but having done some research into the going rate of vintage tandems, I knew I had found a keeper. Although race season currently preoccupies my bicycle budget, my new, yellow Schwinn Twinn will patiently sit in a position of honor in the garage, patiently waiting to be restored to its prior glory! I will be sure to post updates as the project progresses, but in the mean time check out this cool website devoted to all things schwinn!

Cycling Tips

As race season approaches, everyone seems to be gearing up for victory this spring. One unique attribute of cycling is that in addition to the physical contest of the sport, there is a large degree of tactical prowess to be successful in events such as the Criterium. If you are just entering the sport and do not have access to the resources of a team or racing club, have no fear; Cycling Tips is a blog that covers all the basics in an easy to comprehend format. In one post, Cycling Tips covers the finer points of paceline ettiquette and maneuvering using toy-soldier like cycling figurines. Even better, the blog names said figurines in order to make the sitations come to life. One example of this includes Mark Renshaw (formerly of HTC-Columbia) exasperatedly maneuvering away from a tiring Cadel Evans (BMC). Even If you have no intentions what so ever of entering a competitive cycling event, Cycle Tips can apply to your weekly training rides. Check out more at

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2010/11/rolling-through/

Hot bike!

Just when I start accepting the fact that Fabian Cancellara will race on a Trek Speed Concept, I come across this picture of a custom painted Specialized Shiv. This may seem odd since I don't generally get excited about Specialized bikes, but the paint scheme on Spartacus' Shiv is simply incredible. The lettering is simple but clear, the yellow accent on the fork and head tube add a much needed splash of color to an otherwise monochromatic theme. The matching disc and Zipp front wheel (808?) really seal the deal. Unfortunately, with team Leopard now sponsored by Trek, there is a high probability that this bike will never see a race. Hopefully, the boys at Trek can create a Speed Concept with as much character and class as this!

The Leopard attacks

As soon as I heard that several riders from Saxo Bank were splitting to join a new, unnamed team, I knew it could only bring good news. Over the next few weeks and months, high caliber riders from across the peloton began announcing their intentions to join this new team as well. Headed by the Schlecks, Cancellara, O'grady, and a few other top dogs, the team was shrouded in secrecy until recently. Over the past few days it has been impossible to ignore the unveiling of this mysterious new team: team Leopar-Trek. Based on their combined experience and race resumes, Leopard was ranked the number one team in the pro tour on their first day of existence. To carry this team to victory this coming spring, Trek has teamed up with Shimano to provide DA and Di2 equipped Madones and Speed Concepts.

Product Review: Lazer Genesis RD

Over the past several years, I have spent an inordinate- some may argue excessive, amount of my income on bicycle parts and apparel. Some purchases were admittedly rather frivolous novelties such as the vintage aerobars, or the Nishiki pursuit bike. Others break my bank, but end up being a fantastic use of oh-so scarce college funds. One such example is my Lazer Genesis RD helmet; I've ridden in my Lazer for about 8 months, and it is by far the best helmet I've ever worn. Whether wearing a cycling cap as I often do, or simply wearing it with a pair of sunglasses, the Lazer's roll-lock retention system easily adjusts on the fly. Styling wise, it seems to be one of the better looking helmets out there; it doesn't help that the Lazer is more unique than the Giros, Bells, and Specialized helmets you frequently see on the roads. For those a little more budget minded, the Lazer O2 comes with the same roll-lock system and classy Lazer styling, but at a more reasonable $100-$120 pricetag. The Lazer Genesis retails for about $170, but for those looking for a little more bling, the Lazer Helium has the same styling with a few additional carbon bits. That said, if the Genesis is good enough for professional cyclist Liz Hatch, its good enough for me.

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone has had a great transition into the new year. I've taken somewhat of a Hiatus over the holidays and focused on family and work. This spring I plan to begin posting again with a new gusto, especially as the spring racing season starts up around Europe and the U.S. As may be evident after just a few of these blog posts, I really enjoy the work of the Rapha Coninental project. Just in time for the new year, Rapha released a sneak peak at some of the rides videos they will be releasing this spring. A pretty neat little clip in my opinion... http://vimeo.com/17540701