euphoria before total implosion

Product Review: Road Tire Mini-Reviews

I have been racing for 4 seasons and riding road tires for about 10 years.   I have used many different tires and have had something to say about each tire.  In this post I offer some of the knowledge about road clinchers that I have accumulated over the years.  I base all of these reviews on my experiences.  In the future, I may post a  "word on the street" guide so that I am offering a more

Product Review: Zipp 404 Tubulars–Light and Fast, But Not Very Durable

Note: I recently sold these wheels to make room for a set of Edge Composites 2-68’s laced to DT240 hubs.  
Zipp’s are fast. F***ing fast. These wheels are super light, the hubs roll smooth and the aerodynamic advantage of these wheels is noticeable. The torpedal shape and the dimples make a difference.
Even better, these wheels are stiff. They were noticeably stiffer in a sprint or in

Product Review: Gore Tool Glove–Warm Enough, But Not Very Durable

When I first got this glove, I thought it was the best glove I had ever used for between 30 and 40 degrees. It was has great temperature and moisture regulation, and the silicon gripper on the finger tips added confidence when braking and shifting. They are moderately water resistant, but even when wet, they retain some warmth (though not as much as when dry). The glove is effectively

Why Shave the Legs in Winter?

I was just in the shower shaving my legs after spending 2.5 hours sweating on the trainer. I was considering the absurdity of shaving in winter. No one is going to see your legs. Even on a group ride, you will be wearing tights.

My usual schedule is to shave my legs on Tuesday and Friday evenings. I maintain this same shaving schedule while in training, in winter and summer. I allow my

Shop Review: Cambridge Bicycles–They’ve Always Treated Me Well

Before I start this review, which I have been putting off, I need to state that I race for this shop’s team. In fact, I am one of the managers of that team. But the team and the shop are administratively and financially separate. Cambridge Bicycles is my team’s title sponsor. As always, I will keep my review honest. Luckily for me, there is nothing scathing to write.

As many of you know

New Bicycle Laws in Massachusetts:

Copied directly from the MassBike website (http://www.massbike.org/bikebill/index.htm):

What the New Bicycle Law Means for you: A Practical Guide

Changes for Bicyclists

1. Safer Signaling : Bicyclists were already required to use hand signals when stopping or turning, but now it is clear that you are not required to signal when you need both hands on the handlebars, such as when

Frustration

So I strap my Basso into the trainer to do 1.5 hours of base miles. Shortly after starting to ride, I try to shift into the big ring. The front derailleur wouldn’t move far enough over to the right to move the chain on the big ring. I accept this and continue pedaling. 7 minutes into the workout, I realize that I am not going to be able to continue in the little ring; I wasn’t working hard

The Bike Room

Up until 6 months ago, I lived with bikes. If my foot wandered out of the bed in the middle of the night, my toes were likely to get wrapped around a spoke. When I had guests over for dinner, I had to move my road bike out of the dining area. I cleaned my drivetrain at the kitchen table, washed parts in the kitchen sink and did major overhauls in my living room with a beach

2009 New England Road Race Calendar

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 Plainville Spring Series Plainville, CT Criterium Sun, 05 Apr 2009 Criterium de Bethel Bethel, CT Criterium Sun, 05 Apr 2009 Michael Schott Memorial Marblehead, MA Road Race Sat, 11 Apr 2009 Plainville Spring Series Plainville, CT

PowerCranks Update–Regular 10 Minute Intervals–20 Minutes When I Push

I have been having increasing success with the PC’s.  It is fairly easy to keep pedaling for 10 minutes or long at low power output.  I have been keeping my heart rate in what a coach would call base.  If I push through the discomfort, I can now pedal the cranks for 20 minutes straight, which I do at the end of the PC portion of my workout so that I don’t burn out early.     My biggest problem