09-11-2001; No, We Didn't Forget - And, We Never Will!

"We will forever defend these shores, and to the death, if necessary."

Darryl Bustamante
President CEO Cycling Dynamics

I Learned About Riding From That.

Jess; 86-years young, and still going strong.

The Pace.  To some, it is a matter of life and death.  It is the difference between a good ride and a bad one.  It is where a man tests himself against other men in the heat of battle (and, I’ve seen the gals do it, too).  We brake for no one.  The passing scenery is but a blur.  Snot-rockets are a minor annoyance.  It is the stuff of legends.  And, the process repeats itself wherever, and whenever, groups of cyclist dwell.    

I used to be that kind of cyclist.  Then, I met Jess. 

86-years young, with nothing to prove, Jess subscribes to the philosophy of actually enjoying the ride.  His ear-to-ear smile has been honed by countless, thousands of miles of riding, with all kinds of cyclists, over varied terrain, in all kinds of weather.  And, after sampling the battle more times than he could remember, he had finally achieved cycling bliss – The union of Human, Mind, and Bike. 

And, what was the secret Jess discovered?  Well, turns out, it was as plain as the road in front of him.  He concluded volume, rather than outright-intensity, was the answer.  And, you know what?  He was absolutely correct, and, after trying his method for myself, it really is a good way to go. 

My prior riding routine was to go out and do all-mighty epics, stopping at no less than killing myself, or it just was not a proper ride.  Whether in a group, or alone, if I was moving, I was hammering.  I mean, we, as cyclists, are told (and expected) to go out and hammer, hammer, hammer, and when in doubt, hammer some more, right?  I started to become a pretty good cyclist, though my hammering made it difficult to ride more than four or five times a week, as any more mileage just left me physically exhausted, and with a very sore ass.  The routine, believe it, or not, even led me to occasionally avoid the bike for extended periods of time.  I was not having any fun.  Something had to give.

I met Jess one day at a local coffee stop where he was talking to a group of friends, which he said, "liked to hammer."  Jess, being the prophet of motion he now was, only greeted them to say “Hi,” then, he was off to do his own ride.  I asked to tag along, and that was when he explained how he rode, extolling the virtue of riding at a slower pace, whilst riding for more extended periods of time.  Time pedaling became the key, not necessarily total mileage.  I liked the concept.  Intrigued, I wondered why I did not realize this sooner.  So, off we went at 13-15 Miles per Hour, for a little over an hour, and then stopped for coffee.  And, it all felt so good, too.  For the first time in my cycling career I did not care how fast I was going, nor what anyone on the road thought about my pace.  It was LIBERATING!  It was FUN!  I loved my bike AGAIN!  It all made so much SENSE!  

My new riding routine now has me doing rides, the Jess way, of course, of an hour, to an hour and a half, and I usually end up with 15-to-25-mile rides.  I also began to accrue mileage riding six-to-seven days a week with no discomfort or stress.  I am not only getting fit, I am a whole lot happier mentally, my ass does not ache, and I am really enjoying my rides.  Plus, I can even take in the scenery, too!  Sheesh, what’s not to like?! 

Thusly, in the grand scheme of human existence, I am now enjoying cycling more than I ever have.  I am finding new routes to ride, have begun to vary my start times (from sun-up to sunset), and I have even learned to ignore the high winds off the coast that used to keep me indoors in the late afternoons.  Now, I just cruise along at a slower pace, for more extended periods of time, and the wind is more of a training aid now.  Neat stuff. 

Summing it all up, I am not criticizing other cyclists, or their methods, as truly to each their own.  The trouble, as I see it, comes from those who see the ride as nothing but a selfish, hammer-fest of glory, punishing all-comers.  They, and their methods, not only discourage others from becoming long-term cyclists, they are also missing out on the pure joy of the ride.

They need to meet Jess.

 

Tested: Schwalbe Durano HS464 25C Clincher Tires

Back in November, 2015 I did a quick write-up about the Schwalbe Durano HS464 tires.  It was more of an introduction, really, however, I promised to get back with the results of my on-road findings once they were mounted up and had some significant mileage on them.  And, wow, are the results impressive.

It actually took me awhile to get around to mounting the HS464’s up, as the previous version, the HS399’s, just refused to wear out.  I had mounted that version the summer of 2013, so the HS464’s had some REALLY big shoes to fill.  I now have them on two wheelsets, the latest being my trusty, bomb-proof, Mavic Ksyrium SL’s, in addition to my go-to SRAM S40’s (which I love!). 

And the results?  They are absolutely the freest rolling tires I have ever used, and I have used a lot of the biggies – Bontrager, Continental, Hutchinson, and Michelin – And none, absolutely none, have provided the feedback, and performance, I am currently experiencing.  The dual-compound tread (harder, faster-rolling center, softer, grippier, more pliant on the sides) has light very light siping, so all conditions, save for Noah’s Flood, should present no problems whilst riding out-and-about.  The Raceguard function adds two layers of nylon for added puncture protection, and from personal experience, it really, really works.  I am also very surprised with the incredible performance, being these are not even Schwalbe’s out-and-out high performance tires.

The tread detail.

To sum it all up, while tires can be a very subjective thing when looked at purely from a passionatehuman angle (Marketing Departments), if you are seeking tires with certain attributes, seek out people who have experience using products you are interested in.  They’ve done the work.  That’s how I discovered the Schawlbe’s, even though many people were telling me to try Brand A or Brand Z.

And, if you have not tried Schwalbe tires, I highly recommend that you do.  They roll like Tubular's, and even sound like them, too, as they cruise along.  Very cool.  

The Specs:

Model: Durano DD HS464

Type: Clincher, Folding

Tread: Dual Compound, With RaceGuard Puncture Protection,

Use: Race, Performance, High-Mileage

Weight: 245 Grams

PSI Range: 85-115

Available Colors: Black

Retail Price: $65.87 USD

Spotted Along The Santa Ana River Bike Trail: Random Acts Of Storage?

 

Santa Ana River Bike Trail, Costa Mesa, California.

With Storage Centers popping up like weeds everywhere, it was probably inevitable this would happen, sooner or later.

As to the reason for this random act of POD, well, no one seems to know for sure.

This may indeed fall under the heading of, "Things best left unsolved."

Yes, There Is Still Life On This Blog.

When I started this project it was with the best intentions to inform, and share with others, a common thread of this activity we call Cycling.  Well, that mission has remained true, although some of my former, personal biases have been brought back to reality via a more focused attention on the passing scene.  Allow me to espouse.

When I began Cycling Dynamics, I was still pretty much riding hard core, evaluating new products quite often, was still very interested in professional racing, and I still thought Cycling Coalitions were benevolent factions, with everyone’s best interests at heart (Hah!  Share the road?  Heck, those anarchists want to OWN the road, and, at taxpayer’s expense!).  Well, quite a few things have changed, as I have had my, as alcoholics call it, a personal moment of clarity.

Riding is the reason we live.  And, if it is not, you really are missing out.  I have seen people on old beaters having the time of their lives, smiling, and waving at people, while the “Roadies” astride their $10,000, plastic wonders are snarling, frowning at, and flipping off, the masses.  My guess is, deep down inside, they know they are total douchebags for spending that much money on a bicycle, whilst pretending to be a professional racer.  Cycling is about getting out there, seeing where the road takes us, seizing the moment(s), bothering to enjoy the scenery, a total experience, aboard two-wheels. 

In the realm of always trying out “New Stuff,” well, I have finally seen that charade for what it is – To suck revenue out of the pockets of the masses, and deposit said money into the pockets of the Industry, merely for their own needs.  In totality, what this means is I intend to write reviews on items that have some actual, real value to cyclists, not just the latest, lightest, most expensive, useless gadgets, parts, nutrition, or items of clothing.  Cycling stuff is expensive, and upgrading, purely for upgrading’s sake, is just not sensible (hear me, Garmin?  And, that goes for you bike manufacturers, too!).  If I see some value in something, then I will try it out, and I will share the results with all of you.  Then, you can draw your own conclusions.

As for professional bike racing, while I still give it a cursory glance, the truth is, I really could not give a shit, anymore.  Basically, the product is a complete fraud, and why the hell should I pay attention to grown men (and now the ladies, which if you criticize that even more awful product, somehow you are a Misogynist), being paid for what is essentially their hobby?  I mean, I have to work for a living, so excuse me if my heart does not skip a beat because Mark Cavendish happens to ride by. 

As for the un-pleasantries of our past-time, well, just by being out in public, we will encounter assholes, be they in motor vehicles, on bicycles, or even walking/running.  We are in a Post-Decorum Age, and as long as you are not being an ass yourself, the most difficult thing you will ever do in your life is deal with other human beings.

So, there.  And, if I have not pissed you off by now, stick round.  In the next few months, give me a chance to do so.  Then again, I just may inform, or even entertain you, too.

Meanwhile, I’m going riding.

Ringing In The New Year With Peter Sagan & The Movie "Grease?" John Travolta, And Olvia Newton-John, Would Be Proud.

Merry Christmas To All From Cycling Dynamics.

Image courtesy of fat-bike.com

Yes, we find being Politically Correct extremely boring.

God Bless, to all!