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Illness and Training
It tickles in the throat, taunting you, daring you to get out in the cold and train through. There may or may not be a little voice in your head mocking you: "If you were a real hardman, a little cold wouldn’t bother you." "What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger.""Do you think that [insert arch rival/nemesis’s name here] takes the day off due to such a minor cold.""—— is probably
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Bikes Are Not Art
Most bicycle frames have no soul. They are mass produced by automatons or human automatons in gigantic factory complexes in Asia. All lugged steel bicycles have similar dimensions, use the same tubes and are bound together using the same methods. Aluminum frames are produced the same way, mostly by robots from identical tubes. Carbon bicycles take the similarities a step further, most
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PowerCranks Update–Update Overdue–Sprinting–PowerTap Ordered
It has been awhile since my last update. There have been a few developments, none of them dramatic. My goal this last week was to pedal the cranks for 45 minutes straight through. I succeeded, but was obliged to stop pedaling for one 15 second and one 35 second period due to outside stimuli. Also, I must note that after 45 minutes my taint area feels like someone has been repeated
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This Just In–Shaming Works–PVB Buys Clip on Fenders.
I was at the Cambridge Bicycle and none other than cycling VIP, Pierre Vanden Borre came in and exercised his team discount to purchase clip on fenders and a super soft Cambridge Bicycle shirt. Now we can stick PVB out in front on rides and not have to sample the local gutter water. I, for one, am very pleased with this development. (PVB declined to have his picture taken for this post)
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Shop Review: Wheelworks–Expensive, But You Get What You Pay For.
Wheelworks is the benchmark that I measure other area shops against. They have incredible stores of product in stock, new and old; they retain an impressive array of spare parts for vintage and obsolete bicycles; they carry enough flashy product lines to make even the most jaded roady pay attention; their service center is unrivalled for attention to detail and thoroughness. When you walk
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Clip-on Fenders-Mounting Advice.
Every sloppy ride, there is someone who refuses to use clip-on fenders, thereby spraying their friends and frenemies alike with road slop. I am forever hassling these riders and in some cases, I stop inviting them on rides (PVB, even though you are a prime offender, you will always be welcome on my rides). The purpose of this post is not to complain about lack of fenders, it is to make
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Two Bottle Cages Break on One Ride–Explanations?
I rode lots this last weekend. Some people noticed that I have a janky red Lucite/clear plastic second cage on my Basso. I endured some ribbing.It is because two weekends ago, I broke 2 cages on one ride. The ride was 5-6 hours and the roads were bumpy, wet and salty. The cages are quite old. I got them when I bought a Tomassini as a complete bike 4 seasons ago. The cages had been used for
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Photos of the Wilier Alp d’Huez
Suprisingly, after an 18+ hour training week (not counting around town miles), I have very little to say about cycling. The miles and hours have rendered me silent and sore. While returning my Basso to the bike room, my cherry red track bike drew my attention. Two summers ago, I bought this bike by mistake on eBay. I was having a bite to eat before driving out to Lenox, MA and browsing track
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Basso Loto–An Italian Lugged Steel Delight
This bike was a Craigslist score: 0 for the frame, fork and complete Shimano 600/Dura Ace gruppo. The parts were in a box, but it was the complete gruppo, Dura Ace hubs laced to Campagnolo Omega ceramic rims included. As I am Campy rider, I sold most of the Shimano stuff on eBay, recouping my investment and even turning a modest profit. I kept the Turbomatic Saddle, ControlTech seatpost,
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Product Review: Fizik Microtex–Looks Good, Grips Good But Can Be Stinky.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifThe Microtex is very thin tape. So thin that when I got my first roll via mail, I was skeptical that such thin tape could offer any shock or vibration dampening. Happily, I have not noted any extra harshness in my handlebars since using it. In fact, I like that the bars feel a little more immediate, which gives me a corresponding feeling of confidence,
