Sunday, March 31, 2013

Happy Easter Blessings To All From Cycling Dynamics.

Somewhere in Austria.

While we cannot remember where we received this photo from, and with sincerest apologies to the photographer, this picture indeed captures the majesty of the Good Lord's Earth, and the blessed beauty of cycling.

Happy Easter to all.

He has risen!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Wheel News: In The Hustle & Bustle Of Mavic’s New Cosmic Carbone 40C, Zipp Releases Two New Wheelsets, And SRAM Wheels Completely Disappear Off Of Their Website.


 Image Courtesy Stradalli

Somewhat lost in the news of Mavic’s new carbon clincher, not really a carbon clincher 40C release, Zipp released two new, more affordable wheelsets, the 30 Clincher and 60 Clincher.  Meanwhile, a perusal of the SRAM website shows all of their wheels have completely disappeared. 

While news of the former wheelsets are indeed good news, news of the latter situation is kind of odd.  However, it is not too surprising since SRAM own Zipp, and the new wheels are competing directly with the S27/S30 and S40/S60 lines.

Time will tell if my hunch is correct or if SRAM is going to unveil a whole new line of wheels.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for an upcoming article on the “Who’s, What’s, Where’s and Why’s of Carbon Wheels.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! A Recap Of The Week


Tirreno-Adritico Stage 6, 2013.  When Sport Becomes "Entertainment"

There has been a lot of stuff going on around here as of late.  From the Mountain Bike U.S. Cup round at Bonelli Park, to the San Dimas Stage Race next weekend, to the usual amount of road shenanigans and hazards to endure while on my regular rides, to some equipment testing.  Heck, even Milan-SanRemo had issues and was shortened in length due to weather.

First the Shenanigans.  While neglected street surfaces continue to lead the rankings in the Road Hazards Department, the Health Hazards Department is still headed by “Gardeners” with leaf blowers.  Smoke and drink all you want folks, heck, you can even play Russian Roulette with greater safety than inhaling the contaminated air these leaf blowers foster.   The airborne particulates we now breathe are what’s going to kill us all, not Second-Hand Smoke, Smog or “Climate Change.”

On the equipment front, I got out on my recently rebuilt by Zipp rear SRAM S40, and thus far she is straight and true.  I was also reminded why I like my SRAM OG-1090 11-28, even if it is nosier than my SRAM PG-1050 11-32 (which is on my Mavic Ksyruim’s), but it is all smooth, forward motion, with just the right gear ratios for me to get the best workout I can.  I also have recently been provided a 2013 SRAM Red rear derailleur, courtesy of Tweaked Sports of Glendora, California.  As soon as I get my hands on the crankset, front yaw derailleur, and shifters, I will give an in-depth review of how they perform on a Trek 2.3 which came standard with a Shimano 105 gruppo.

In the Personal Improvement Department, I have located some climbs in my local area that range from 12% to 18%, and I have begun a regular regimen of tackling them to get back the climbing legs I lost over the winter.  Climbing them is indeed physically challenging, but even tougher still is the mental aspect screaming out “It is too tough.  Go home and drink a beer!”  Get past the mental part, and it is just a hill, I say.

As for the days “Professional Racing” news (Remember, Pro’s are nothing more than people paid to do what pretty much everyone else does for free – Cheat), Milan-San Remo went down today, and down it did indeed go.  In the never-ending search for ever more difficult routes, the organizers scheduled big climbs over passes susceptible to terrible weather, and the race had to be cut short with a boring race resulting.  And, this is on the heels of the disastrous Stage 6 of Tirreno-Adriatico and its wet, dangerous 27% climbs, necessitating “Paperboying,” walking the bike, and flat-out abandonment by a large number of participants.  Not good.

So, why my skepticism of racing these days?  Well, racing has gone from being a sport worth appreciating to a spectacle designed to entertain the casual observer.  This was done in the lame attempt to attract more viewers.  The downside of this flawed way of thinking is that you chase away the core of the sport – The Purists.  The Purist is someone whom enjoys cycling for what it is, not for what it can me molded into purely for entertainment purposes. 

So, to those whom seek the spectacle, I say this: If you want sports, play it.  If you want entertainment, go play with yourself. 

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Mavic Unveils Their New Non-Full Carbon Clincher, Carbon Clincher – The Cosmic Carbone 40C


Sex and the carbon clincher - French style.

While the battle over full-carbon clincher safety rages onward, Mavic has taken a different approach (for them, though similar to the solution Mad Fiber chose) to combating heat build-up under braking.

So, why is this Big News?  Well, the most experienced wheel maker in the business, up to this point, has shied away from carbon brake tracks due to safety concerns.  This seems to be a unique, and conservative step for Mavic, which could end up paying big dividends in advancing clincher technology.

The specs:

  • Price: $2750 (includes Yksion Grip tires; price subject to change)
  • Weight: 1545 grams, claimed (without quick releases)
  • Availability: June 1, 2013 (subject to change)
  • Tubeless compatibility: None
  • Rim depth: 40mm (Other rim depths for the Cosmic Carbone C are in development)

Cutaway of the new Cosmic Carbone 40C.  Note the foam core, carbon brake track, and aluminum rim isolated from spoke holes, thus increasing strength.

Link to an excellent article on Road Bike Action Here.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Why I Should Have Grown Up To Be The Head Of A Public “Works” Department.



Why make such a proclamation you ask?  Well, it is plainly clear to me that as far as “Leadership” in any Road Department is concerned, actually carrying out the function of the job is the last thing on anyone’s mind.  I mean, name another job (other than politician) where you can be a complete failure in your capacity, and not only never be fired, but still get paid, and receive a pension on top of that?  Well, we can add government bureaucrat to the list of occupations where actually doing your job is not a requirement.

See, if I had the forethought to think of only my own existence and future, I would have become the head of any government road department.  No more responsibility or accountability - Period.  Call it money for nothing, just like that song by the band Dire Straits (however, try as one might, chicks are never free). 

From bad pavement due to neglect, to potholes, to faded paint lines, lack of clear, concise signage, completely illogical signal sequencing, and probably the worst nightmare of all – A complete lack of any street sweeping, our roads flat out, completely suck!  And, I am told there are people assigned to take care of these responsibilities, just as I am told I must pay taxes to take care of the people whom are supposed to be taking care of these things.  The money goes in, and no services come out.  This sounds like the perfect crime to me.  And, we all suffer for it. 

However, in the spirit of Capitalism and ingenuity, a whole cottage industry has grown up just trying to keep the air inside of our tires.  And, there are some pretty clever ways to keep our tires filled, however, one cannot escape the poor, and ever worsening, conditions of our roads.  Put it this way, there is a reason the greatest consumable by volume in the activity of cycling are tubes and tires.

As for me, I don’t do anything fancy while I ride my bike.  I basically ride the public roads in my local area of Southern California, and occasionally take it to the bike paths for variety.  And, if there is one consideration in the forefront of my mind while I am out pedaling for fitness, it is the probability of flats, because our publicly funded roads are absolute garbage.  And, the situation is not getting any better. 

Yeah, what a fool I was.  I mistakenly chose a career whereby I have to actually work for a living.

Maybe in the next life…

Friday, March 8, 2013

Living With The SRAM S40 Wheelset – The One Year Mark


As you may be aware, I have been living, and been pretty happy with, a set of SRAM S40 wheels.  I have elaborated on their features, their pluses and their minuses in an earlier review (SRAM S40 Wheelset Review, Cycling Dynamics, 09-11-2012), thus here is the latest update on our steady relationship.

First the facts:  I like these wheels.  Yeah, they are not the lightest things out there, but their design, construction, and aesthetics impress me.  However, for those whom have been following my relationship with these wheels, there has been one real, nagging problem – Spokes breaking.  The odd things is, I seem to be breaking a rear spoke every thousand (1000) miles, as I had a tick over that mileage when I broke the first one.  Now, at just a tick over two-thousand (2000) miles, I broke another rear spoke.  I hope this is not going to be a trend.

To date, the two broken spokes have been on the non-drive side of the rear wheel only (the front wheel has been trouble free).  The first time, it took almost two months to get the issue resolved (the wheels were under warranty), but that was due to my local SRAM dealer, not SRAM themselves.    

On the second occasion, whilst riding along a flat road, I heard the same “Plink” sound I heard in Ojai (during the Ojai Century Ride, June 2012) just before a rear spoke broke on that first occasion.  Well, that familiar “Plink” resulted in another non-drive side, rear spoke breaking at exactly the same place as the previous occurrence – Right at the base of the spoke-hole on the rim.  You could still hear the tip of the spoke rattling around inside the wheel. 

So, off to Pasadena Cyclery (Pasadena, CA) I went in search of mechanical genius Michael.  He resolved my issue the first time, thus I sought him out on this occasion, as well.  The first time he helped me out, SRAM stated they would send out a complete set of spokes, which turned ultimately into three spokes (replacing the broken one and the two adjacent).  This time SRAM wanted to the wheel back for an inspection and a complete re-lacing.  So, all boxed up, off the wheel went to Zipp (owned by SRAM) in Speedway, Indiana.   

Well, here I am three weeks later (it was about a ten day turn-around), the wheel has all new spokes, was trued, and I am ready to try it out again.  At this point, if you were thinking I may be a little gun-shy, well, you would be correct.  The wheels remind me of my Ducati motorcycle, as well as an Italian ex-girlfriend – Temperamental, but a pleasure to work with.   

While the wheel was off at Zipp, getting, well, Zipped, I have been riding on my trusty 2005 spec Mavic Ksyrium’s SL’s.  These wheels are smooth, light, and are the proverbial definition of “Bomb-Proof.”  However, the S40’s now have new tubes and tires on them (along with my trusty SRAM OG-1090 cassette), and I will be swapping the wheels out soon for a test run. 

Keep your fingers crossed.  Mine are.

Arrangement Of The Non-Drive Side Spokes.

Editor’s note: If anyone would like to share their experiences with SRAM wheels and broken spokes, feel free to enter them into the “Comments” section at the bottom of this posting.  Please keep ‘em factual, and keep ‘em clean, and I reserve the right to edit (or delete) comments not relevant and informative.   

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Sixteen Teams Selected to Compete in 2013 Amgen Tour of California

2013 Teams

UCI ProTeams:

BMC Racing Team

BMC Racing Team

Team Info
Team Website
Liquigas-Cannondale

Cannondale Pro Cycling

Team Info
Team Website
Omega Pharma - Quick-Step

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step

Team Info
Team Website
Orica-GreenEdge Cycling Team

Orica-GreenEdge Cycling Team

Team Info
Team Website
RadioShack-Leopard-Trek

RadioShack-Leopard-Trek

Team Info
Team Website
Team Garmin-Barracuda

Team Garmin-Sharp

Team Info
Team Website
Saxo-Tinkoff

Saxo-Tinkoff

Team Info
Team Website
Vacansoleil-DCM

Vacansoleil-DCM

Team Info
Team Website

 

UCI Professional Continental Teams:

Champion System

Champion System Pro Cycling

Team Info
Team Website
Team NetApp-Endura

Team NetApp-Endura

Team Info
Team Website
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team

UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team

Team Info
Team Website

 

UCI Continental Teams:

5-Hour ENERGY presented by Kenda

5-Hour ENERGY-Kenda  

Team Info
Team Website
Bissell Pro Cycling

BISSELL Pro Cycling

Team Info
Team Website
Bontrager Livestrong

   Bontrager

Team Info
Team Website
Optum Pro Cycling

Optum Pro Cycling

Team Info
Team Website
Team Jamis-Hagens Berman

Team Jamis-Hagens Berman

Team Info
Team Website

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Scenes That Make Our Legs Hurt Just Looking At Them.

Somewhere in Italy.

And remember, photographs never do the true incline justice.  This baby is steep!

Friday, March 1, 2013

Closing Out The Week - Team Wiggle Honda Will Be Exciting To Watch In More Ways Than One.

Rider Rochelle Gilmore.  Image Courtesy Skins.

Thank the Maker for Team Wiggle Honda, women's professional cycling team - Proving that all female cyclists don't have to look like Marianne Vos.