OFF THE RIVET

Le Grande Boucle

2013-06-27T23:00:00.000-04:00

So here we are. In less than 24 hours, the most important race in cycling will roll from Porto Vecchio with eyes on Paris. Almost four hundred eyes will fix similarly, with flashes of yellow, green, polka dots, or solo flyers for epic stage wins filling their dreams tonight—that is, if they can find a way shut for some much needed sleep. This is the Tour de France. No one rides the Tour de France for training. Le Grande Boucle sits atop almost any aspiring cyclist’s wish list. It is cycling.

The gateway drug for any fan of bike racing, this race stops the world in its tracks and captures its attention. Not just the pinnacle of cycling, the Tour de France sits upon a high pedestal for all sport. This year is particularly important, being the 100^th edition of the race. But what makes le Tour so special? Why has it transcended cycling into the sports mainstream? There are harder, longer, tougher races. There are races that punish, humble, or even crush the strongest riders on earth more than the Tour. Why exactly is the Tour so special?

It seems like the Tour excited passions from the very beginning. The French were a very passionate people when it came to cycling—and there was significant prize money available for meager cyclists who were accustomed to a rough lifestyle. Cheating was rife in the first editions—mainly because the riders raced overnight, when foul-play was hard to detect. But controversy and prize money doesn't simply turn into the most successful bike race the world has ever seen.

The truth is, the Tour simply has this perfect combination of history, geography, stature, and culture to create a perfect storm of awesomeness—to use a technical term. France in July is simply unbeatable. The geography of the country is almost tailor made for a bike race. Two major mountain ranges, rolling terrain, and flats in the south for sprint stages. No other race has ever really staked a claim on July. July is le Tour’s to have and to hold, forever. It is the ideal weather for bike racing, and from its first edition to its last, the Tour de France will dominate July.

So now that we've explored a bit of what makes this race what it is, let’s look at what will be special about this year’s edition. For the first time ever, the Tour will visit Corsica with a sprint stage. A flat stage 1 is a rarity for the Tour, and this is the first time in 40 years that a true sprinter will pull on the yellow jersey after a bunch kick. Look out for Mark Cavendish, who has a fully committed team and badly wants to wear yellow in Corsica.

The first few stages of the race could be hectic. There is always so much nervousness in a race where every single rider in the peloton is gunning for a result. This year could be more tumultuous than usual, with stage 2 already presenting two category climbs. Look for a breakaway rider to climb into yellow and hold on for dear life until the Team Time Trial in stage 4. Don’t check out until the mountains though. Cross winds could easily play a role in the stages following the TTT. You won’t see someone win the tour in these winds, but you could see a favorite lose it if they are not attentive.

Stage 2

Stage 8 is the first mountain top finish. This is far too early to officially decide anything, but Sky will look to control the final climb and spring their man, even if only for intimidation purposes. It may be earlier than they would like to find themselves in yellow—although it worked out fine last year for Sky.

Stage 8

The ITT in week 3 will be an interesting watch for sure. It is not a straightforward flat ordeal. Two second category climbs will make for some big time gaps. The two legendary Alpine climbs, Mont Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez both make an appearance in the final week in stages 15 and 18 respectively. This is (hopefully) where the fireworks ensue with the race hopefully decided late in the final week.

However it plays out, it will be a special three weeks. The Tour always is. That is what makes it the best race on the calendar every year. It just is.

Community Breeds Culture

2013-05-31T11:03:00.001-04:00

There is strength in numbers. All over society you can see examples of it. Come to think of it, society itself bears out a whole being greater than the sum of its parts. In cycling, the peloton—or group ride—is the perfect metaphor for this phenomenon. The group operates at a level that is unachievable through an individual effort.

There is probably no better week to talk about cultivating cycling culture than the week of the Philadelphia Bike Race. Over the years it has known many names, but this year it has started a new, with fresh race organization and sponsorship. It is a true showcase for our city and its cycling community. Cycling will be more visible to the “others” (aka non-cyclists) in Philadelphia this weekend more than any other weekend of the year.

So what though? What responsibility do we have as cyclists to our community? Well it’s simple: Community breeds culture. That is, communities—hopefully positive ones—can grow and influence until there is no longer a simple like minded community, but a pervasive culture. This is how we change our city’s landscape to one that embraces cycling—by cultivating a robust and positive cycling community.

A thriving community means good things for every cycling-related stakeholder—whether manufacturer, retailer, consumer, or sponsor. Manufacturers and retailers get to sell more products. Consumers get better infrastructure and more market parody, and sponsors get a larger market and more return on their investment. So often each of these stakeholders work individually to achieve their own markers of success. Manufacturers try to sell. Sponsors try to market. Consumers lobby for respect on the roads. Retails try to stay in business. But what if each of these entities focused only on community? What if we tried to grow cycling as an idea rather than a product?

Admittedly, that sounds a bit too vague and conceptual for my own liking. A good lofty goal to shoot for, but connecting the dot of wherever you are reading this, to a full-fledged cycling utopia is not simple. This weekend is a fantastic opportunity to start working towards that goal. Come out, attend a group ride, watch the race, and be a member of the community.

At Cadence, we are committed to this idea of community. We understand that it is what keeps us in business. Products are cheaper online. They can be shipped quickly to your doorstep. We appreciate that customers come to us to put their fingers squarely on the pulse of the cycling community—whether to chat about the Tour, or get suggestions on local club rides.

It is our responsibility as a cycling stakeholder to not just be here to sell things, but to work on sharing our love of cycling. This passion and love for all things cycling is what binds a community together. It is the common thread we all share. There is such diversity in the cycling world—from business leaders to students, professionals to the most basic of beginners. All of these crazy people are brought together by a simple love of pedaling.

This community is a two way street. You get more when you give more. A vibrant cycling culture benefits everyone—even drivers. They would probably scream otherwise, but more bicycles are good for non-cyclists. Better bicycling infrastructure keeps cyclists organized and safer in traffic. Not to mention, more cyclist-motorist interaction means a better understanding between the two groups.

The objective is easy, and it is obvious to see all the benefits. Doing it is hard. You can start by coming out to all the great events that surround the race this weekend.

Build community. Ride your bike. Be a presence at your local shop of choice. Frequent group rides. Mentor a lost beginner. Hang back with someone who is getting dropped. Help someone fix a flat when you could just ride by. Join a team. Do a race. Ride a century. Do your part to build cycling culture.

Customer Bicycle Spotlight: Serotta Meivici Limited Edition No. 15 of 21

2013-05-17T10:35:00.000-04:00

These have been weeks playing catch-up. I don’t like to make excuses, so I won’t, but it’s obvious that I haven’t had much time to write lately—or more accurately, made time to write. We’ve had a hectic couple weeks at Cadence, and my attention was spent on things like, you know, helping run a bike shop. We have new owners. We have a new upstairs. We have new product. The only thing we don’t have is a new blog post for the last two weeks—so I am making time to write right now. Here’s to smooth sailing—and regular updates—from here on out.

We have a great luxury as Cadence mechanics to lay our hands on some of the nicest bikes available today. The new bikes that go out of this shop have some of the newest and most advanced technology available, and I feel lucky to work on them. But I get even more excited about some of our customer’s bikes. We have some incredibly well thought out, rare, and beautiful builds that roll through our doors. Bikes that don’t just come out of boxes, but are special and individual, shedding light on the owner’s personality and sometimes even the history of the sport. This week I wanted to share one of those special rides: No. 15 of 21 Special Edition Serotta Meivicis. It was a build Cadence did before I arrived here, but I take great joy in working on this rare bike whenever I get the chance.

This bike is literally the 15^th Meivici to be made by Serotta. The first 21 were numbered on the downtube with a special edition badge. The first of these, No. 1, was raffled off in 2005 to benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation.

Davis Phinney rode Serottas throughout his career, so when he was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease, they decided to raffle a dream bike to benefit the foundation. This Meivici doesn’t have any specific connection with Phinney, other than being in the same series of bikes as the one that was raffled off.

The build components were chosen with the utmost care, all handmade in their country of origin—Serotta, Campagnolo, Enve, Lightweight. Pretty special stuff.

So many pictures here, so keep scrolling for extra special goodness:

Serotta Meivici with Campagnolo Super Record, Enve Cockpit and Post, TRP carbon brakes, and Lightweight tubular wheels

A beautiful iconic headbadge.

This bike is bursting with carbon, from the cages to the brake calipers...

Full EDGE cockpit--from before they were ENVE.

Once the fit is completely dialed, the steer tube will be trimmed.

The name doesn't disappoint.

Keeping with the theme of carbon, TRP SL brake calipers.

Full carbon hubs

This Meivici features custom paint and geometry.

Can't forget the carbon rails.

Such a beautiful layup.

On a build like this, the devil is in the details. Taking the time to properly align the logos of the cables makes for an extra classy ride.

The numbered downtube badge also features the signatures of the big-wigs at Serotta, Ben Serotta...

...and Mike Lopez.

Rides like this one don't come around often, and I consider myself lucky to work on and interact with this special cycle on a regular basis. Now wipe up that puddle of drool and GO RIDE!

A Little Spring Cleaning: A Simple Guide a Spotless Bike

2013-04-25T10:29:00.000-04:00

Spring sprang a couple weeks back. The occasional April shower is going about bringing the random May flower, and as such, the shop is brimming with bikes rescued from a winter of non-use. We’re busy and it feels good. With all of this repair work though, I have become increasingly aware of an epidemic in cycling. One that should be taken care of—nipped in the butt, as it were, before our city’s mechanics are sent to therapy, driven to the brink by the endless stream of sugar coated tri-spaceships, muck-covered MTBs, and road bikes covered in some kind of black road sludge I don’t even want to talk about. Clean your bikes! There was a time when a clean, well-maintained bicycle wasn’t a rare bird, but a badge of honor that most would be embarrassed to be without.

Maybe it’s our fault. Maybe the bike mechanics of the world haven’t done a good job explaining it to people. Well if that is the case let me be clear beyond any doubt: Keeping your bike clean is the single most important thing you can do in maintaining your ride. So many issues—from slow shifting or bad bearings to creaks and rusted cables—can be wholly avoided by keeping your bike clean and dry. It’s not hard. It doesn’t take any special tools. It doesn’t take any special skills—in fact, if you can operate a spray bottle and move your hands back and forth in a basic wiping motion, then I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you would probably make a good bike cleaner.

So that’s our soup de jour: Dirt, mud, sports drink, and road grime and how to rid your ride of them.

I get asked often what is best to use when cleaning a bike. Is there some kind of magic potion that melts the mud away with no effort? There might be, but I haven’t found it. If it does exist, it’s probably ripe to give you cancer down the road and contaminate your drinking water. So I’ll just stick with soap and water. Crazy right? Soap and water: you have it right now under your sink at home. The only other things you need for this rocket-science-meets-brain-surgery-type procedure is a few rags (old t-shirts work great) and maybe an old soft bristled paint brush if you really want to get in the nooks and crannies—which you should. You also want to have some basic lube on hand. Cleaning is crucial, be re-lubricating everything after you clean it is the cherry on top of the whole situation. It’s what makes the cat purr if you will.

So you’ve got your supplies, now let’s get to cleaning. Start with the simple things. With your soap and water mixed into a small spray bottle, wet your rag and wipe down the frame and wheels. You may want to spray some directly on the bike, which is fine, but be mindful of where you are spraying. If you’re cleaning an MTB, you have to be very careful of avoiding the discs and brake pads—which can become easily contaminated. Disc brake rotors are best cleaned with denatured alcohol and a lint free rag. Though it’s not as big of a deal on a road bike, I also try to avoid the braking surface on the rim, as it causes some loud brake squeal until all of the soap residue has burned off. Again, alcohol and a clean rag work best for braking surfaces. Keeping braking surfaces clean—regardless of what type of brake your using—improves brake pad life and will save you money down the road.

The pros use power-washers, but I don't recommend this for regular riders. The high pressure of the water can easily work it's way into bearings, which can do much more harm than good. Pros do it because it is very quick, and they can replace parts whenever they need--not a luxury many regular riders have...

Be detailed about your work. Take pride in getting the bike looking good. It will motivate you to ride and give you a sense of pride in your steed. It makes you feel faster. Spray onto the paint brush and use it to get into all of the small frame and fork crevices, then wipe clean with your rag. Don’t forget the bottom of your down-tube and under the bottom bracket. Those are notoriously dirty areas that are easy to overlook.

Now on to the not so obvious. Cleaning the drivetrain will help the bike keep shifting well. Derailleurs get clogged with road grime pretty easily, and will begin to bike and respond slowly if they are dirty. Use the paint brush to work up a later of soap on both derailleurs to wash out any built up dirt or sticky residue. Wipe out as much of the soapy lather as possible. If you have any kind of compressed air on hand, this is an ideal place to use it. Blow out the derailleurs to get rid of any leftover soapy water and then relube all of the pivot points. Use the same technique on any road brake calipers to keep them moving freely and your braking feeling crisp.

Keeping your chain and cassette clean is something that takes a lot of attention, but will pay large dividends in the life of your chain and cassette if you are attentive to them. The best way to clean a cassette is to remove it from the bike and clean each cog individually, but if you don’t have the tools for that, use your brush to work some of the dirt loose and then floss between each cog with a thin rag or old shoelace. Built up dirt and lubricant on your cassette can cause slow shifting and will wear your cassette faster. Keep it clean and your wallet will thank you.

Clean chains are a matter of correct lubrication techniques. Depending on which lube you choose to use, you will have to lube your chain more or less often, but the rules remain the same. After the lubricant has soaking into the chain, you should run it through a rag until it looks clean on the outside. Excess lube on the outside of your chain actually attracts dirt—which will in turn make your entire drivetrain dirty and impair performance.

And that’s about it. Doing these simple steps does not take long and I guarantee will keep your bike running better longer, with longer maintenance intervals and less money spent on replacement parts. It’s a no-brainer, but like most things in life, people neglect it because they think they don’t have the time or skills to devote to keeping their ride looking good. They think, “That’s what my LBS is for. My bi-monthly tune-up will take care of that.” If you are waiting for two months of build up on a well used bike, you can rest assured that you will eventually pay for worn out parts or services that could have been avoided.

You can then take the money I just saved you, and use it to buy me a beer while we sit out on the patio of one of the great pubs in this city, enjoying this great spring weather. You’re welcome.

The Rite of Spring

2013-04-09T11:26:00.000-04:00

Click…chunk. Click…chunk. I grab two gears and stand on my pedals. My bike lurches forward under me as I crawl up my favorite wooded climb. Rose Glen road is in some other reality. One where civilizations don’t exist—as if everyone lived in old field stone houses situated on wooded lots with clear cold creeks running through their yards. Small stone walls border each driveway—built from the same stones that support the roof of the house that sits fifty yards from the freshly paved road under my tires. It’s brisk. The sun shows through the still bare trees and every couple pedal strokes it shines warm on my covered arms.

Rose Glen is in another world, but it couldn't be more than two miles from the doors of our shop. We all ride here on our too-short breaks from our too-busy lives for exactly one mile of another world. It’s a nice effort, but not one you can’t slog up if your legs are feeling too heavy. Mine don’t feel heavy today though. I wind up along the wooded road just a mile, and then back down into the small valley that flanks the river on both sides, only to climb out again.

Spring air feels different. I’m sure there is some scientific difference—moisture, humidity, temperature—all contributing to a distinct essence of spring in the air.

Today is my favorite ride of the year: the first ride of the year without gloves. The road hums under my tires as I pedal, and for the first time since fall, I can feel it—I mean really feel it in my bare hands. It means the season is here, and that warmer times are ahead—that I survived the winter, and that getting ready for a ride is no longer a 20-minute ordeal. Most importantly though, it means I am more connected with the road below me—more connected with the world that surrounds me. By shedding the layers that a Philadelphia winter demands, I open myself to the soft breeze and the warm sun of the spring; opening me to the other world entered when I turned onto this wooded climb.

Our hands are the leaders of touch. Through them we experience the texture of our rides. The road through the tires, through the wheels, fork, stem, bars, and finally to your hands. You can feel the ride, the wind, and the sun all through your hands—and that is why I look forward every winter to shedding those hampering gloves. Through the winter I can’t help but feel space between myself and my bike. With thick fleeced bibs, balaclava, thick gloves, wool socks, and multiple layers it’s no wonder I feel out of touch. It wears me down, all winter long; as I look forward to today—the first day I’m again officially reconnected with the road.

It’s not really about the gloves though. It’s about what the gloves stand for, or more accurately, stand against. Nobody likes riding through the grey dead winter. Shedding my gloves, I know I am finally within a stone’s throw of the light at the end of the winter tunnel that is spring.

Pagans used to sacrifice a virgin to herald the coming of spring, Christians have Easter, Jews have Passover, and cyclists take off their gloves. They are all ways to celebrate rebirth, renewal, and the new life that comes along with a fresh spring season.

So shed those gloves people! I’m sure you already have—it’s over 70 degrees as I write this. Spring is here. Ride your bikes. Start panicking about your fitness levels. Curse yourself for not riding more over the winter. It’s time for all of that. Don’t let a day go where you don’t ride when you could have, because before you know it winter will be back, and you’ll be donning those same damned gloves.

A Real Sagan vs. Merckx Comparison

2013-03-29T13:15:00.000-04:00

It has been an exciting spring. The early classics have been marked by unpredictable weather and unpredictable racing. The clear headline story, though, has been the ascension of Peter Sagan to the darling of the cycling media. This is not without good cause, as his performances in huge races have been great. I cannot help but be a little annoyed at just how quick we are to anoint Sagan as the greatest rider since sliced bread. He is impressive, young, and full of potential that he is beginning to fulfill—but if we are being objective, he is not even the best classics rider currently in the peloton.

This lack of perspective, has even led to what I would call ridiculous comparisons between Peter Sagan and Eddy Merckx. Now I’m no stranger to sports media hyperbole, but I have a hard time even putting Sagan in the same sentence as Merckx. This is no dig against Sagan. I just think we have lost perspective on just how unmatched Merckx was, and probably ever will be, in his accomplishments. So here is a healthy dose of perspective on the company in which you are putting Sagan, when you claim he is, “the next Merckx.”

A quick disclaimer before we get into this: I am very aware of how different the era of Merckx was than today. But doping conventions, number of days racing, and the overall parody in the peloton aside, Merckx’s list of palmarés is borderline absurd, and I would venture to doubt if it will ever be equaled—or even approached again.

Merckx’s arrival on the cycling scene was a pretty great one. He turned pro in 1965 after winning the amateur world championship in 1964. In addition to his prowess on the road, Merckx was a great track star and won the Six Days of Ghent—one of the premiere six day races, which were huge back then—in his rookie season. He didn’t waste much time announcing his arrival into the pro road peloton either, winning Milan-San Remo the following year, before his 21^st birthday—the first of SEVEN times he would win that race. Sagan is 23 this year—and considered a “young” star of the peloton.

Merckx was off to a great start and he didn’t slow down. Listen to his list of wins from the following year (he was 21, and turned 22 in July of this season): Second consecutive win at Milan-San Remo, La Fleche Wallonne, Gent-Wevelgem, 2 stages of the Giro d’Italia, and another win at the Ghent Six Day. Oh and I forgot one: The World Championships. But at this point Merckx was not yet in his prime.

Already having won enough races to make an entire career, he began to hit his stride the following year in 1968 riding for Team Fæma. At age 22, Merckx won his first Giro d’Italia—he also won the Mountains and Points classifications, as well as 4 stages. That year he also won Paris-Roubaix, the crown jewel of the classics calendar, along with the Tour de Romandie and the Volta a Catalunya.

It’s worth stopping here for a moment to point out some things. Merckx at this point is still younger than Sagan currently is, and just finished a season where he won Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia in the same season. A feat which—in our age of incredible specialization—is unlikely to ever happen again.

Sounds like an incredible season, right? Surely one any cyclist would be eager to endure. It was far from Merckx’s best. The next six seasons were Merckx’s magnum opus. From 1969 to 1974 Merckx was otherworldly, winning the Tour de France five of those six years, including four straight—not too shabby. Even more impressive considering the year he didn’t win the Tour, he won the other two remaining grand tours, the Giro and the Vuelta a Espana.

From 1970 to 1974, he won two grand tours every year but one. In that season, 1971, he only won the Tour de France general classification, points classification and four stages. Other victories from that “off year” were his second of three world titles, Milan-San Remo, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Giro di Lombardia, Omloop “Het Volk”, Paris-Nice, and Criterium du Dauphine Libere.

Only NINE riders in the history of cycling have won two grand tours in one season. Merckx did it four times, and incredibly three straight years from 1972 to 1974. I would be dumbfounded if Sagan ever cracked the top 10 in the general classification of any grand tour in his career.

His list of stage wins is also the most of all time. Mark Cavendish has gotten a lot of press lately for being great at winning stages in the grand tours; he has 36 so far. Eddy Merckx’s total? 64! 34 of those came at the Tour de France on cycling’s biggest stage.

So his grand tour resume is rather impressive, but what is most impressive about Merckx is that he did not just focus on those races. He was also incredibly dominant in classics style races. Merckx has won 19 of the cycling “Monuments.” (The monuments consist of the five biggest one-day races of the season. They are Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and the Giro Di Lombardia). Merckx’s total of 19 is far and away the most of all time. Roger De Vlaeminck, another great Belgian, has 11, which is good enough for second place.

Sagan has yet to win one—but he has a good chance at his first this weekend’s Tour of Flanders.

I’m not meaning to belittle Sagan here. He is a great young rider. My point is this: Sagan is not the next Eddy Merckx. He is not even on the same continent as Eddy Merckx, let alone the same neighborhood. The problem I have is that making that kind of comparison belittles Merckx’s greatness. Sagan will be lucky to have half as much success as Merckx did, but that should speak more to Merckx’s greatness rather than Sagan’s failures.

I’m as excited to see what Sagan can do in his career as anyone else, but calling him the next Eddy Merckx is not only pre-mature, but it is outside the realm of normal sports hyperbole. To be honest, it’s insulting to every cyclist who is more deserving of such comparisons—as well as to Merckx himself.

So let’s slow our roll a little bit on cycling’s new Wunderkind. Let’s reserve judgment for when he has actually won enough to be in the same sentence as even Tom Boonen, or maybe even Phillipe Gilbert, because he is not even there yet.

But here’s to hoping he will be one day…

A Short History of the Longest Day of the Year

2013-03-15T14:03:00.001-04:00

Popular logic says that the longest day of the year falls on the summer solstice. In 2013, that happens to fall in late June—the 21^st, to be specific. But the longest single day for a cyclist comes this weekend; the professional peloton will depart from Italy’s cultural center, Milan, heading south-west towards a city situated on the Mediterranean coast, just across the French border from Nice. It doesn’t seem like an insane distance to travel in a day—especially by train or car. This is no car race though. The peloton will travel via bicycle—which should have been obvious to you—not as the crow flies, or even the most efficient paved route, but rather nearly 300kms at race pace to San Remo.

Merckx

Let me give you a second for that to sink in…

300kms is roughly 185 miles. Now I don’t know about you, but that strikes me as a long day. It is, in fact, the longest single day of the one-day race calendar, and the first of the great cycling monuments of the year. To ride 185 miles in one shot is a feat in itself, but to race that distance is something to behold. Milan-San Remo, or “la classica di Primavera,” as it is sometimes called, is an epic day in the saddle. That epic day, luckily for you, is this Sunday. It is a race that is sometimes overlooked for the colder, wetter, cobbled classics of Northern France and Belgium, but it deserves your attention and has a list of champions littered with the greatest cyclists of all time.

Like any race of historical significance, Milan-San Remo was started by a newspaper. La Gazetta dello Sport, the same publication that created the Giro d’Italia, decided to run a one-day race from—you guessed it—Milan to San Remo. At first, organizers didn’t even know if the route was feasible. They asked a few prominent pros of the time to pre-ride the course and determined that it was rideable. The first edition of the race went off in 1907.

The earliest edition of the race was “only” 288km, but over the many years since its inception the course underwent slight changes and now covers 298km. Though the race has always been long, several climbs have been added throughout its history to make the race more unpredictable and more difficult.

The now-famous Poggio di San Remo climb was added in 1960 and sits in the final Kilometers of the race. It is a climb that has made a race that was once a guaranteed bunch sprint into a race where a late attack is possible. Though the race still usually ends with a whittled down group sprinting for the win, in a 300km race anything is possible—which make for some really exciting racing.

Eddy Merckx in his 2nd of 7 victories

As is the case with many professional races, Eddy Merckx holds the record for most wins with 7, but the list of champions is not limited to great classics strong men. Because the race can come down to a sprint, great riders like Mark Cavendish, Oscar Freire, Mario Cipollini, Erik Zabel, and Matthew Goss, who are all known for their finishing kick, exist alongside all-arounders and strong-men like Fabian Cancellara, Simon Gerrans, Paolo Bettini, Sean Kelly, and Laurent Fignon. The absolute giants of the sport have targeted and won this monster of a classic. Names like Moser, De Vlaeminck, Coppi, Cinelli, and Bartali give this race a historic significance to rival the biggest races in modern calendar.

Moser

So what should we look out for in 2013? Well that is the great thing about racing: Anything can happen. Peter Sagan and Vincenzo Nibali are both on great early season form, and could play their cards at different points in the race. The former teammates won’t have to worry about stepping on each other’s toes now, and look for each team to put all their cards in one basket. Nibali will be riding for a late move on the Poggio, while Sagan’s Cannondale teammates will ride for a bunch kick—keeping their fingers crossed that Sagan can follow attacks late in this marathon.

One of the most memorable recent finishes as Haussler and Cavendish's finish comes down to a tire.

We can’t leave out all the race’s former champions that will be returning as well. The previous two champions—both Australian—are now teammates on Orica GreenEdge. Simon Gerrans and Matthew Goss will have different roles depending on how the race plays out, but it’s safe to say that they will be marked men. Fabian Cancellara won here in 2008 with a fantastic final Km attack that held off a charging field, but given his dominance in the last 5 years, its unlikely that anyone will let him get away without massive difficulty.

MSR winds along the coast for the later part of the race which makes for amazing scenery.

What do I think is going to happen? I don’t know, and honestly I don’t care. That is, I don’t care who wins. I simply want to sit back and enjoy a beautiful race and a beautiful sport. Whoever comes out on top though, you better believe I will revel in 2013’s longest day of the year.

It's Time to Get Pumped About the Classics

2013-02-25T15:56:00.000-05:00

This past weekend saw the kick-off of 2013’s spring classics campaign with the running of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The longstanding kickoff of the cobbled classics is usually the first half of a weekend double with Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, but the later was cancelled due to an overnight snowstorm. The right call without a doubt, but it points to the extremely unpredictable nature of racing in the north of Europe in spring. That specifically makes the spring classics such a special time of year. There is no telling what can happen—due to weather or simply bad luck—in these monuments of the cycling calendar.

A race like the Omloop is a semi-classic and won’t make or break a career, but it is surely a gauge of early season fitness and a stage for up-and-comers to make their mark on the cobbled calendar. The biggest thing for me, though, is simply that it means the classics are upon us. That gets me going. So today I put together a veritable smorgasbord of images to get you psyched for the classics that are coming. Some classic, some recent, these images should get your blood pumping for the races that are just around the corner.

I'm rollin' sans caption for these, so kudos if you can name all these guys. If you want to know of who, where, or when these photos were taken, let me know and I'll let you know.

Mark D'Avino at Cross-Worlds

2013-02-18T09:05:00.000-05:00

This blog, believe or not, doesn't really have a large travel budget. By not large, I mean that it doesn't have one at all. I lucked out though. Cadence's newest killer mechanic, Mark D'Avino, decided to head to cross worlds on his own dime to take in the event as a rabid fan and amateur cross racer. I asked Mark to pretend Off the Rivet was his post race psychiatrist and lie down and talk about his feelings about what he saw on that snowy day in Louisville. This is what he gave me, stellar stuff:

"Deciding to travel to Louisville, Kentucky for the first UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships ever held in the U.S. is one of the best decisions I will ever make as a cycling fan. The streets of this seemingly quiet mid-western city came alive with cycling’s global culture. For those of you unfamiliar with cyclo-cross, quite simply, the Belgians rule the sport. Both on the track and off, they came to Louisville in full force.

A sea of light blue dominated the first row of the start line at the Elite Men’s race, as their small country had 7 of the top 10 riders at the 2012 Worlds. But what really floored me was the fan base that accompanied these athletes across the pond. It may seem crazy that Western Europeans would come in droves to watch only four hour-long races (Juniors, Under-23, Elite Women, & Elite Men), but the best way to explain it is to draw a comparison to the Super Bowl. If one day the Super Bowl were held outside the U.S. (I know, such a thought is sacrilegious!), our fans would also flock to the airports to go watch their favorite teams battle it out. For this event, packs of Belgians and Dutch, all wearing gear to prove their authenticity and support for individual riders, roamed Louisville’s streets.

Serious fans get custom jackets made. Now you know.

I knew I was in for something special the moment I got off the plane. I hopped into a cab and felt like a kid in a candy shop. Pro riders out on training rides swarmed the city. Closer to the venue, everywhere I looked I saw another world-class cyclist pedaling around in his or her nation’s colors.

I went straight from the airport to the venue because I knew there was only an hour left of the official pre-ride of the course. Seeing the pros pre-ride and the mechanics dial in and wash bikes was a huge reason I wanted to go to Louisville. Around the world people could watch the race online, but only those at the venue had the chance to see the best up close and personal, and I was ready to take full advantage. As I trudged through the mud and took in the sights and sounds, I made a beeline for the team tents to try to see behind the scenes. I soon found myself next to the bike of the (then) current world champion, Niels Albert. I took photos, taking in all the little details that go into a build of this caliber. World champions get those wonderful rainbow stripes on just about every part of their bikes, and Niels’ mechanic was especially eager to show off the stripes under the saddle.

After poking around the venue for a while, I headed back to the hotel to relax and anticipate the epic day of racing that was to come.

The next morning I showed up at Eva Bandman Park ready for an action-packed day of world class cyclo-cross. Due to adverse weather conditions, the planned two-day event was condensed into one day with all four races going off on Saturday. While this was a huge curveball to the racers’ training plans, it actually made for a better event for spectators. Without an afternoon and night in between the U-23 race on Saturday and the Elite Women on Sunday morning, the energy and course conditions were allowed to build and crescendo for the main event, the Elite Men’s race. The day started off well below freezing with about two inches of snow and a course full of frozen ruts. Watching the best juniors, U-23, and women in the world give it everything they had was amazing. Riders had a ton of different styles and a huge variation in quality and type of bike. I expected that the best riders from each country would have the highest quality equipment that the industry has to offer, but this did not hold true, particularly in the juniors’ race. This was something I would never have known from watching the webcast at home. There were plenty of racers with a generation or two-old component groups and less than cutting edge frames—some even with the stickers you would see on a messenger’s setup downtown. I suppose this is a nod to the fact that 'cross, while huge in some circles, is still a fringe sport. (I haven’t been to an international road race, but my instincts tell me that the best juniors there all ride top-level machines.)

The back-to-back races made conditions worse and worse as the day went on, climaxing with an extremely messy final race, with snow falling during the final 20 minutes. My experience during the Men’s Elite race is something that I will never forget. I had positioned myself to watch the heat of the battle, right at one of the most technical parts of the course. Knowing that there was bound to be some real action, be it a crash or an attack, on this steep and slick downhill, I arrived early and secured a spot right on the fence. Fortunately, with social media and cell phone cameras I was lucky enough to find photo proof of what I experienced.

I’m the third guy from the top left corner of the shot, screaming my head off in surprise as a rider and bike come flying at me. The USA rider sliding down the hill in the photo is multiple-time national champion, Ryan Trebon. At 6’5” he was easily the tallest rider on the course. With his height and the bike to match, you can only imagine what it was like to have all that coming my way. Trebon had made a wrong move navigating the ditch/lip in the top right corner of the shot and went straight over his bars. He did a full-on flying squirrel, hit the ground HARD, and then slid right to my feet as his bike toppled end over end. Queue my memorable moment: I grabbed his wheel and held on to his bike to keep it from crashing down on top of him!

Super high photo quality courtesy of Instagram

After Trebon slid down the hill, he remained in the curled up ball shown in the photo for about 15 or 20 seconds. The crowd watched in suspense as he squirmed and let out a few groans of pain. I was certain he had broken bones. He stood up, stared right at my friend Cassidy and me, and said, “That’s it. I’m done. Get me out of here.” The look on his face was unforgettable. His face was fully caked in mud, and the only feature that shined through was his intensely blood shot eyes. After he stood up and realized that he was going to be okay, he grabbed his bike and took off running as the crowd let out its biggest roar of the weekend in support. Soon after, he left the course and took a DNF.

From the start of the men’s race I was utterly blown away by the intense concentration and attitude of the riders. They were warriors. From the second the start gun went off, these riders were in battle. They gave literally everything they had for an hour’s slog through mud and snow, as an impassioned, noisy crowd greeted them around every corner. At no point did I see any rider’s concentration wane for even half a second. Nothing was on their minds except the grueling task at hand. It was the most thrilling sporting event I’ve ever seen in person. If you ever get a chance to attend a CX world cup, especially if it returns to the USA, do your best to be there."

The Hardest Month

2013-02-08T16:20:00.002-05:00

February is the hardest month. It is about survival. The brittle cold wind whips against the faces of cyclists as they suffer to turn over the pedals. There is a still warm bed they left, for what? They left for the coming spring and summer, but certainly not for February.

February is the hardest month, so it was shortened. No one could stand the extra days, so they did away with them, leaving the bare minimum. Four weeks of windswept rain and freezing fingers is all anyone could stand, so that calendar was truncated—the extra days would be slipped in elsewhere. Every four years February is even harder. The suffering gloom and gray stays for a day further. March is denied to us for an additional 24 hours.

Through the depths of our East Coast haze we pedal though February searching for form. Ice cream headaches without ice cream happens in a cold only found on such a search. There is something inside that gets us out of that warm bed to struggle with layers of lycra, only to put our selves in pain during the hardest month of the year. Every ride ever undertook in February has been met with hesitation, but left with blithesome pride.

February is the hardest month so that we might know the spring. We should be so lucky to have 31 days in February so we would know the spring three days better for it. Spring greens are brighter when they have suffered through a deep gray winter. So it is with everything. How do you know the joys of winning if you have never been crushed in loss?

Black could be called gray were it not for white. What would your fondest summer ride be without your wettest February trial? Quickly throwing on bibs and a jersey wouldn’t feel so good unless you have spent upwards of 20 minutes getting dressed in February.

December and January are cold, but not hard. A ride is so easy to skip in January. Spring is far off, and for pete’s sake, you’re supposed to have bad form in January. December and January are for the pros. They can train for their salaries in the depths of our winter at their off season homes in Spain and Italy. But now, February—in all her grotesque beauty—is upon us. Even as I type this, the gloom hangs over my little row-home mocking my inside-ness. February is our warning that the season is too close to put off anymore.

February is the hardest month because it is too late to wait it out. If you stay in that warm bed, you’ve missed the winning break. It’s gone; so far up the road it’s out of sight. You must slog it out against February so that you might not get dropped in spring. The time for excuses is gone. February was that excuse and now it’s here.

February is the hardest month and we need it to be. This is a sport for those who find something in the suffering. I can’t deny I like to think of myself as someone who rides in February, taking pride in the look I get when I say that I rode in the mid-20s. Riding in February is dreadfully hard and that is why we should cherish it. We should cherish the context it gives to this sport, so that we might appreciate the beauty of cycling more fully.

February is the hardest month and I hope it only gets harder.

What to Watch Out for in 2013: Part 2, Your guide to tech...

2013-01-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

The cycling industry is being turned up to 11. Every major component manufacturer has now released or will be releasing an 11 speed group. For 2013, this is the story to watch. Compatibility issues will abound as riders scramble to get the latest and greatest. Have no worry though, these upgrades are worth the trouble, as every new 11 speed set up I have come into contact with has been stellar.

Shimano 9000 and 9070

The biggest splash in the road industry has been the introduction of Shimano 11 speed in both mechanical and Di2 options. We have had the chance to work on both here in the shop and both are incredibly impressive. These were a huge step forward for the Japanese component manufacturer, as the 7900 generation of 10 speed was disappointing to some. Di2 in its 10 speed form has been nothing short of revolutionary, and the 11 speed generation is just as impressive.

The new 9070 group will ship in 2013

Both 9000 and its electric brother 9070 are, at least for me, on the top of the heap when it comes to flagship groups right now. The shifting is phenomenal on both groups--which is standard operating procedure for Shimano. The front derailleur performance specifically is best in the industry for both mechanical and electric offerings.

9070 boasts a hidden seat post battery

The new brake design is a commendable rebuttal to Sram's new brake design earlier in 2012, though the Chicago based component manufacturer still takes the cake when it comes to weight. 9000 is still no pig though. Cannondale has spec'd their top of the line Evo with 9000, and it weighs in at a svelte 11.84 lbs OUT OF THE BOX.

2013 EVO Nano. 11.84 lbs out of the box

Simply incredible.

Sram XX1 and New Road Offerings?

Don't think that Shimano is taking over the industry in one fowl swoop though. Sram has released an 11 speed configuration of its own--this one for the dirt though. I recently had an opportunity to ride a bike equipped with the new XX1 and it is bar none the best MTB set up I have ridden. I have been true to Shimano for a long time when it comes to MTB components, so this isn't easy for me to admit.

The new XX1 group. Notice anything missing?

XX1 completely changes the way you think about MTB shifting. 1x11 offers just as wide of a gear range, without half of the components. No front derailleur and no front shifter or cable means a huge weight reduction and a more simple system. It's kind of a no-brainer.

The group runs silent. Sram's chainring and rear derailleur design make for an absolutely smooth and quiet shift with no chain-slap. I purposefully took the bike off of ledges and curbs to see if I could get some rattle out of it: Nothing.

Though I am still partial to Shimano's MTB hydraulic brakes, I think if I were going to plunk down the cash for a new group, it would no doubt be for XX1.

The XX1 redefines "big" when it comes cassettes. A 42 big cog...

As far as Sram's paved offerings for 2013, I think we can absolutely expect hydraulic road brake levers, which are already being ridden for cross use. This is a pretty big deal in my opinion, as it is another step towards making cables completely obsolete for road bikes--which is a good thing in my mind; hydraulic and electric are more dependable and easier to maintain.

Sram Hydraulic Road levers on the pro cross circuit

This is pure speculation, but I also expect that Sram will be rolling out an 11 speed road group as well. They clearly have the technology figured out with XX1. There is no good reason at this point to not match its competitors by turning it up to 11.

Formula kills the cable

While we are on the subject of doing away with cables, lets take a look at Formula road hydraulic/electric compatible road levers. Colnago is already spec'ing a road bike with them and it looks impressive.

Hydraulic and Electric in one

I wrote to Formula to see when these would be available to the larger public for aftermarket retail, and they said "stay tuned." That's it. I will absolutely tuned to this though, as I think these could be amazing for anyone who has the cash (it will be a huge price tag without a doubt) to drop.

Several of our customers are already running electric with mechanical disc brakes for cross use, and this is the next logical step. Huge performance gains are to be had. Self-adjusting hydraulic brakes are a huge upgrade compared to mechanical cable-actuated disc calipers.

Other than the price, I'm sure it will be another no-brainer.

Cannondale Slice RS is part of their great 2013 line-up

Personally, I can't wait to see what these innovations bring--from new shifting, brake or aero technology. They have potential to really change the way we ride in a great way--making riding more enjoyable for everyone, and hopefully getting more people out and riding bikes and turning it up to 11.

What to Watch Out for in 2013: Part 1

2013-01-14T15:59:00.000-05:00

2013 is shaping up to be quite a year in cycling and endurance sports. There are no shortages of great story lines, product releases, and epic races poised to play out while we all watch. Believe it or not, early season racing is already getting started down under, and the pedal-to-the-metal mud-fests that are cyclocross are about to culminate at a fever pitch in the next few weeks. A 2013 Buyer’s Guide from Velonews arrived this weekend at the shop, a harbinger of all the great tech innovations this year will offer. So divide and conquer we must. There is simply too much to cover in one epic post. We’ll start with the race calendar.

The perennial season opener, the Santos Tour Down Under will get underway in less than a week’s time! It’s hard to believe. I feel like just two days ago we were wrapping up a thrilling 2012 campaign. Australia’s biggest annual cycling event, the Tour Down Under is a great bench test to see who is really going well for the beginning of the season.

GreedEdge is looking for a strong start at the Tour Down Under.

The six-day stage race has become the must-see for early season racing, becoming a prize in its own right, rather than simply a warm-up for the coming season. There will be riders gunning to take early wins before everyone gets up to speed for the real meat and potatoes of the season that comes later. Look for the Aussies to do well on home soil.

Luke Durbridge at the recent Australian National Championships

Green-Edge will be expected to have a strong showing—and they should. They are bringing a strong line up that features last year’s winner Simon Gerrans, newly crowned double Australian national champ Luke Durbridge, and 2011 Milan-San Remo champ Matt Goss, as well as veteran Stuart O’Grady—who is somehow still racing (this year he will turn 40).

Simon Gerrans

The race will also be a mark to see who has good early season sprinting legs. Not all teams have announced their rosters for the race, but expect some big name riders like Tyler Farrar, Andre Greipel, and the aforementioned Matt Goss to battle for early season stage wins.

Switching from sunny Australia to Louisville in February, the UCI Cyclocross World Championships will be the next big event on the map. Making its first appearance ever on American soil, this race is a must see for anyone who is curious to see what all this cyclocross hype is about. Die-hard fans, like our own mechanic Mark D’Avino, will be making the trip to Louisville to see the race, as it is pretty rare to see a race of this stature in America—especially in a sport that is utterly dominated by Europeans (specifically Belgians).

A grassy stair section of the Louisville course.

There are no two ways about it; Cyclocross is fun to watch. The sport seems made for TV. One-hour long hammer fests through some of the craziest conditions winter can throw at you. Who wouldn’t love to see the sport’s best suffer through that? You know I’ll be watching.

Sven Nys

The ‘cross season so far has been riveting. Sven Nys has been dominant, even at the age of 36—winning 3 world cup races, 4 races in the Superprestige, 2 in the BPost Bank Trophy series, and 5 other victories. Not bad for a guy racing against guys as many as 14 years his junior. Regardless of the track and weather conditions, I think Nys has to be the favorite. Don’t expect a blowout though. Nys has battled throughout the season with current world champion Niels Albert, and teammates Kevin Pauwels and newly crowned Belgian national champion Klaas Vantornout. Vantornout recently bested Nys for the Belgian national championship—a jersey that Nys had donned in 2012.

Jonathan Page

Americans like Jonathan Page, Tim Johnson, Jeremy Powers, and Ryan Trebon will no doubt be gunning for a strong showing on their home turf. These guys are superstars when they race domestically, but the racing overseas is simply on another level. Jonathan Page is the only one of the group who lives and races most of the season in Belgium, and he recently won the American national championship in Wisconsin. He has also previously podiumed in Cyclocross Worlds in 2002. To me, he is the American with the best shot at a good showing. Johnson, Trebon, and Powers all have huge fan followings, and will no doubt be the belles of the ball for those in attendance, but I fear they are long-shots to actually make some noise in the race. I hope, though, that they prove me wrong.

Jeremy Powers

Then comes the real protein in the racing season, as everyone’s spring classics campaign will be in full swing. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad will be ridden on Feb. 23^rd and will kick off what is hopefully a spring classics season that rivals the excitement of 2012.

The Belgian cobbles of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

But that’s a long way off, or at least it seems that way for now. We’ll have plenty to say of the spring classics as they approach. It is, after all, my favorite time of the racing season. But I think I’ve given you enough to watch out for until then. Check back next week as we look at the tech innovations that will change the way you ride in 2013…

2012: The Year When the World Didn't End

2013-01-03T08:48:00.001-05:00

A little more than a year ago, I took over this blog. Admittedly, I didn’t really fully understand what I was getting myself into. I had no idea what it was like to create content on a regular basis, even if it is only once a week. Once a week can be trying when you are also wrenching full time, in addition to juggling a professional freelance career in the amazingly robust world of professional tuba playing. That being said, it was a great year and I had more fun than I anticipated writing Off the Rivet.

The Olympic Games: One of the highlights of 2012

For 2013 I am working on trying to expand Off the Rivet even more, with additional contributions from the rest of Cadence’s expert staff, as well as a more diverse look into every aspect of the sports we love. Before I start off down that road, though, I want to pause for a minute to review the year that was 2012—what a year it was!

One of my first posts on Off the Rivet was a look into things that I thought would be big in 2012. So lets start by looking at how wrong I was…

It’s easy to look back at this post and say “What was I thinking with some of this stuff?!?” But in truth, I wasn’t that far off with where I was going. Though Shimano’s electric shifting did become far more accessible with Ultegra Di2, the real story of the year was Shimano’s release of their new 9000 and 9070 groupsets—taking them into the age of 11 speed.

Not to be outdone, Sram had a group of their own released, which was a big step forward from previous generations of Red. Even though Sram is still without an 11-speed road group and electric shifting, their contributions in the component industry have come through the introduction of the first 1x11 MTB group, XX1, as well as the long anticipated road hydraulic disc brakes. The later of which has the potential to completely reshape both wheel and frameset design.

Sram's hydraulic road levers were spotted first on Tim Johnson's Cannondale cross rig.

To be honest, outside of the Olympics—which was firmly placed on the calendar well in advance—and Mountain Biking, which grew in popularity as I thought, my predictions were a bit askew from there on out. That’s okay though. I harbor no ill will towards 2012.

Boonen wins at Gent-Wevelgem

On the race calendar, 2012 was a doozy. Tom Boonen had a spring for the record books—winning the overall at the Tour of Qatar and finishing 2^nd at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. That, however, was only the beginning of Tommeke’s scorching spring. He went on to win a stage at Paris-Nice, before going on a tear of major one-day classics wins at E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders, and an epically dominating win in “The Hell of the North,” Paris-Roubaix. He is the first rider ever to win those four cobbled classics in the same season, as well as the first rider to ever do the Flanders/Roubaix double twice in their career. It was his third win at Flanders and his fourth at Roubaix, putting him in the most exclusive company for those races alone. 2012 may have been the year that Boonen made his case for the best classics rider of all time, and certainly of his generation.

While the crafty Belgian dominated the spring, riders of the Commonwealth would dominate the summer stage races. Ryder Hesjedal had a break out performance at the Giro d’Italia, making him the first Canadian to ever win a Grand Tour.

The real star of 2012’s multi-day races though, was the now-recently knighted Sir Bradley Wiggins. Wiggins logged what was arguably the best stage-racing season of all time winning the Tour de France, Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie, and the Critérium du Dauphiné—the first rider ever to win all four races in a single season, in addition to being the first British rider to with the Tour. He capped it off by winning his 7^th Olympic medal, becoming the most decorated Olympic athlete in British history—a record he shares with fellow cyclist Sir Chris Hoy.

Unfortunately, despite all of this, 2012 will probably be known for another event, of which so much ink has already been laid to paper. I won’t waste any space here to talk about it, other than to say that it is a complete shame, if there ever was such a thing. In the long-term, this may be good for cycling, but currently there is a multitude of major cycling figures with a whole mess of egg on their faces without a paper towel in sight.

Things are looking up though. The world didn’t end after all—as so many idiotic doomsayers suggested. So that’s good. Maybe we should all just be happy that there is cycling at all in 2013—or anything in 2013 for that matter. I can’t wait until some civilization in the distant future discovers a diatribe by some lunatic from today that predicts the end of the world and thinks that somehow we knew something they don’t. Or maybe they won’t be that stupid. One can only hope.

So let’s raise a glass…

Here’s to 2013: May it be whatever you want it to be and more—but I’ll settle for some good times and good beers.

Beware of Your Winter Wears...

2012-12-20T14:51:00.000-05:00

Winter riding can be a love/hate endeavor. Beautiful landscapes often make winter riding a joy. The desolate look of winter provides an amazing backdrop for any cold weather ride and surely keeps me coming back for more. But winter riding is not all barren trees and snow-lined winding country roads. There is all that damn clothing.

Dressing for winter can be a real drag. Finding the exact right balance of warmth, breathability, and wind or water protection can sometimes seem like a Rubik’s cube with no solution. Overdressing or under-dressing can be equally devastating to your winter miles. So here is my winter what-to-wear guide, a step-by-step (or more accurately, layer-by-layer) guide to staying comfortable throughout Philadelphia’s toughest months.

Dressing for any climate—hot or cold—starts in the same place: your skin. It is the first layer, not the last, which often is the most important in staying dry and warm. The goal here is to create what is called a “micro-climate” around your body. This allows your own body heat to keep you warm. The way you create said micro-climate is by choosing the right base layer.

Base layers come in all different types from warm to cold weather specific and everything in between. You need a base layer that will wick moisture (your sweat) away from your skin. Moisture against your skin is a sure fire way to get cold. This prevents a warm layer of air against your skin (the micro climate).

Craft, Castelli, and Capo offer fairly extensive base layer options, most of which have great wicking abilities. For extreme cold weather, go for a base layer that also has wind-stopping materials on the front side. Beware of too many wind-stopping layers though; these materials often don’t “breathe” well. When a material doesn’t breathe, it does not allow the moisture that has been wicked away to evaporate. It locks it in. You will eventually be soaked to the skin if this is the case.

This guy: Don't be this guy.

After you have a quality base layer, it is time to start working outward in layers. This is where your own personal judgement will come into play. Everybody is different. Every ride condition is slightly different. You will have to make the call as to what pieces of kit are specifically suited to the current temperature and conditions. There are, however, some principles to guide these decisions. Here are my personal thoughts on what works for me:

On top of my base layers, I always opt for a warm, but very breathable garment. This could be a long-sleeved fleeced jersey for really cold days, or something lighter for those middle of the thermometer rides. I always opt for something very breathable here because I want this layer to pull my sweat further away from my skin. If the temperature was between 50-65˚F, then this would likely be my final layer. I might opt for a wind vest over this depending on the wind conditions.

Layering popped collars = Not cool. Layering for winter cycling = So cool.

Personally I always opt for a layering approach rather than one very heavy winter coat—although this is a simply a personal preference. In my opinion, I want what I am wearing to be as versatile as possible. I opt for a long sleeve jersey and wind jacket or vest instead of a full winter coat. This allows me to unzip or simply take off my outer layer on a climb—when the wind is low and you are working more—and then put it back on for the descents where the fast speeds mean higher winds. Some people do prefer the simplicity of a nice jacket though: base-layer, jacket, done. If you go with the full winter jacket though, you don’t have those additional options as the conditions change throughout the ride.

Balaclavas are great for really cold weather. As a bonus they are guaranteed to make you look like a creepy stalker.

For seriously cold rides (sub 30˚) you’ll really have to pull out all the stops to stay warm. This means pulling out the balaclavas, heavy wintergloves, winter specific shoes, and even supplemental warmers. Fleecedwind-blocking bib-tights are not cheap, but you will not regret the purchase when it is 25˚ and you’re riding at an additional 20MPH of wind chill. At these extreme temperatures, keeping the wind out is your first priority on top, and you should opt for a wind-proof jacket for your last layer.

Feet and hands are always problem areas for these super cold rides, but here are some strategies I gleaned from my Dad, who was an avid skier: When it comes to gloves and shoes, sometimes less is more. Two layers of socks are not necessarily better than one. More insulation can cause your shoes to fit too tight, which restricts blood flow, and too many socks can cause your feet to sweat excessively, which will bring the cold quickly. Opt for a very thin wicking sock and a thick, but not too thick wool sock. It is very important that your shoes still allow space for your foot to move and not be overly restricted.

The Assos "Lobster Claw" is great for keeping the wind out, but maybe not ideally suited for office work.

Gloves can follow the same priciples. Buy one size too big so there is room for a warm pocket of air. Instead of just going for thicker bulky gloves, try simply throwing some hand warmers in there. They are well worth the $2.

For the outer layer of your gloves and shoes, follow what we said before: Keep the wind out. Get wind-blocking shoe covers. The thickest gloves around won’t do much if they let the cold wind contact your fingers. And finally, keep your extremities as active as possible. Move your hands to different positions on the bars often. Wear your shoes a bit looser than normal so you can move your foot around when you feel the cold coming on.

Overall, there is a long learning curve to dressing for the cold. Following these simple guidelines will give you a great head start, but there is no substitute to simply getting out and seeing what works for you. Test your winter dressing abilities on short rides with convenient bail points. This way if you get your wardrobe horribly wrong, you are not far from home. Before you know it, you’ll be the one giving advice to the newbies on how to dress to impress.

Failure by Another Name

2012-12-13T08:04:00.001-05:00

Cycling is a sport filled with failure. Out of countless entries, only a single rider wins—sometimes by nothing more than the width of a tire. And while second place gets to stand on the podium, there is an emotional chasm the size of the Grand Canyon between winning and second place. Just ask whoever was second place in last year’s Paris Roubaix, uhhhhh… Oh I guess I can’t recall. What is more telling than that? I am an avid cycling fan, and Paris Roubaix could be my favorite race of the year, and I can’t remember, without significant mental difficulty, who got second.

Does anyone remember the podium from important races?

So why do we keep going? Why keep competing if the odds are so not in your favor? Arguably an athlete could do everything right in their training, preparation, mental preparation, and race strategy and still never win a race. So how do we deal with this? How do we cope with constantly losing, getting dropped, and bonking? Well I’m not sure. If I knew, I would probably be some kind famous sports psychologist.

Though my career in sports psychology is on a less than stellar trajectory, I have become somewhat of an expert on rejection in high-stakes situations. My other field of choice, music, is equally rife with rejection. Believe it or not, professional tuba playing, or any musical instrument for that matter, is an incredibly competitive field, with as many as 150 tuba tooters showing up for an audition for a single job in a major orchestra or band. Pretty much on par with a ProTour cycling event.

Most famous disappointing second place ever.

About a week and a half ago, I took one of these auditions, to join The President’s Own Marine Band in Washington D.C. I will spare you the details of the audition, but I ended up runner-up out of 85 or so tuba players for a career-worthy job, playing tuba for the President. Disappointing would be an understatement. Like second place in Paris Roubaix, it is a result of which I should be wickedly proud—yet at the moment of the rejection, I couldn’t help but feeling as if it would have been easier to simply get dropped in the first 15k, or in my case, getting eliminated in the first of four rounds.

So I am left standing there in the Marine Barracks in Washington empty-handed, while the guy who beat my by a tire gets a great job. How do I deal with this? Well a week later, I am still figuring that out, but it is safe to say I am at least started down the right road. I used cycling as a model.

2nd place by a tire

I thought about the look of utter dismay on Heinrich Haussler’s face after getting beat by a tire in 2010’s Milan San Remo. After the disappointment wore off though, he bounced back. Using failure as a motivator, Haussler bounced back to win a stage at that year’s Tour de France.

So there it was. I already knew how to deal with failure. I had seen it play out countless times in bike racing. Failure becomes a motivator when you twist the perspective. It can be a useful tool to honestly confront your weaknesses and address them. This is a time where denial can be damaging. Sometimes difficult and brutal honesty is a bitter but necessary pill after a failure in any walk of life.

An almost successful race can also be a great opportunity to pat yourself on the back. When you get down to it, second or last place, there are always some positives to take away from any result. Be honest with yourself and look at what you did well. Specifically looking at what went well and exactly how you went about it, will allow you to replicate those factors while working to improve upon your weaknesses.

I’m not writing this as a sob story. Maybe there is some level of catharsis involved here, but dealing with failure is a skill that everyone, competitive or not, needs to perfect. Sometimes despite perfect preparation you just fail. It is unavoidable. It’s what you do next that counts.

Wrap Like a Pro: A Simple Step by Step Guide to Bar Tape

2012-11-29T22:13:00.002-05:00

I’ve heard that a pro mechanic’s best way to lift the spirits of riders before a difficult stage is fresh white bar tape. It’s a confidence booster. Fresh white tape just looks clean and fresh, and can make your legs feel the same.

Bar tape is one of those things—one of those mystical things on a bike that go just a bit beyond their utilitarian purpose. There is a touch of magic in that ribbon that is wrapped around your bars. Some people might just look at it like something to cover your cables, but I believe it is an essential point of style and soul for a bicycle. Whether authentic leather, soft cork, old-school fabric, or a cutting edge synthetic material, your tape speaks about you as a cyclist and your axe. Take pride.

So how exactly do you make sure that your tape looks as pro as your shaved legs and tall socks? Here’s how:

Now, I’m not one to quell someone’s individual creativity, but I do think you should thoughtfully consider whether you really want that glo-green tape on your orange and red bike. The classic rule in cycling is white, but a modern classy approach would be to match your bartape to your saddle.

Once you have picked out your chartreuse and pink striped tape, how exactly do you wrap this stuff so that it looks as good as it can? Practice. Though it looks simple, wrapping tape can be deceivingly difficult to make look really great. It all boils down to a couple factors. Keep the tape tight, and keep the wraps evenly spaced—then you just have to master the tricky figure 8 around your brake hood.

Here is my step by step how-to:

Start by opening the box. There should be two rolls of tape, two short strips of tape, and bar ends. Throw the short strips of tape right into the garbage, or use them for some kind of folksy arts and crafts project. They won't be needed here. Fold back your brake hoods and you are ready to begin...

The first step is simply taking any backing off of the adhesive side of the tape, if there is any. I find it is easiest to take all of it off right at the beginning, but some people prefer to take it off as they go. (I feel like there is a joke or two somewhere in that sentence, but I'll leave it...)

Start at the bottom of the drop in the handlebar. Wrap with a bit of overhang in the tape that you can tuck in later. I always wrap towards the outside of the bar. This is so as a rider's hands rotate around the side of the drops, it works to keep the tape tight, rather than loosening the wind. I don't actually think it makes a huge difference, if you are using an adhesive backed tape, which direction you wrap in, this is just how I have always done it.

Your first wrap around should be taut without stretching or breaking the tape. Pay attention to this throughout the process. Keeping the tape tight will make it look better and last longer without moving.

Pay attention and keep each successive wrap even and parallel to its predecessor. It just looks sloppy otherwise.

When you get to this point, this is where you'll have to pay attention. I use a figure-8ish pattern to wrap around the hoods, which in my opinion is the cleanest way to avoid any gaps around the hoods. There are many different ways to do this, I just happen to think my way is the best. In my experience, this is how most of us professional mechanics do it, though I have never taken any kind of official survey or anything, so don't hold me to that. Okay, on with the wrapping...

Cross behind the hood and begin to angle upwards to swoop over the top.

Complete said swooping and wrap again behind the hood, crossing your previous wrap.

Remember to keep the tape taut throughout. Bring the tape behind the hood, this time angling downward to go under the hood--an upside-down swoop, if there is such a thing.

Another view of crossing behind...

Commencing upside-down swoop. Riveting...

Once you have swooped under, we need to start heading north to complete wrapping the flats of the bar, so you are once again going to cross behind the hood, making sure you cover any part of the bar or shifter that may be exposed after folding the hood back into place.

Crossing behind...

Wrap upwards, overlapping slightly with the over the top wrap you made before.

Continue wrapping up the flat of the bar. Pay attention to the spacing of your wraps a the bend and make it look as neat as possible.

When you get to the point you would like to stop at, grab a pair of scissors and cut the tape at an angle like above. This will make for a clean perpendicular edge to your wrap.

Post cut...

See? The diagonal cut is crucial to a well finished tape job.

Finish with some nice black electrical tape. Spend the extra .17 on the nicer electrical tape. The cheap stuff has really terrible adhesive that will degrade and become gooey and gross when you sweat on it. Also leave the logo-ed finishing tape that comes with the tape off. It just looks tacky to me. You don't need to advertise for your bar tape while you ride.

Tuck the starting overlap inside the bar and finish neatly with whichever bar ends you prefer. I always like locking ones like the Cannondale ones here. They stay in place so well.

The finished product. Simple and classy, just like your local blogging bike mechanic.

The Art of Transition: A Triathelete's Source for Free Time

2012-11-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Triathlon is a struggle of seconds. Many of you reading this probably devote hours, early mornings, and countless calories towards becoming just a few seconds faster. So it stands to reason that an opportunity to save minutes would suit most any triathlete’s fancy. When I asked my colleague and pro triathlete, Jack Bracconier, what I could do with this blog to help make my multisport readers faster, he did not hesitate to say transition.

Jack Bracconier gives us his personal take on transition.

So many athletes, of every ilk or specialty, myself included, train incredibly hard only to overlook simple logistical factors that can really affect their race results. Transition is a major logistical detail for multisport athletes, and is an area of the race often ripe for improvement. These improvements can save minutes without hours of training; just a well thought out approach and a little practice can change your transitions from a weakness to a strength—an opportunity to gain significant time on those who choose to leave transition as an afterthought.

So how do you go about saving said minutes, you ask? Well, I am a simple mechanic—not a great authority on transition technique. Luckily though, Jack offered to walk me through the key aspects of transition, and how he personally approaches transitions in a race.

His overall transition mantra is simple: Less is more. “You should only do the bare minimum while you’re actually in transition.” This means pre-packing all of your nutrition and having it ready to go on the bike. This means laying out your helmet and glasses just so.

“Think ahead,” says Bracconier “As soon as you are out of the water, you are thinking: What am I doing right now? What am I doing next?”

Make a list of every step you will take in your transition. It may seem like overkill, but I don’t know of anyone who has ever come away from a race saying, “You know, I planned the logistics a little too well, and that came back to bite me.” That doesn’t happen. Plan it out. Write it down.

Be thoughtful about how you organize and lay out your things. Practice so you know exactly where each item is...

There are also a couple products that Jack sees as crucial to his fast transition times. Body Glide will make that difficult struggle of getting off your wetsuit take much less energy. A Bento Box and a race belt will allow you to pre-pack your nutrition so you don’t have to worry about eating in transition. “Tri-shoes and speed laces for your running shoes can easily save big time in both transitions,” advises Bracconier.

This is the breakdown Jack gave me as to how he personally approaches each transition during the race:

“T1

Immediately when you step foot on solid ground begin to unzip your
wetsuit. The goal during the run from water to transition is to pull
your wetsuit down to your waist and remove your goggles with swim cap.

One you arrive at your bike, pull your wet suit to your ankles
(ankles should be re-applied with Body Glide) and take lateral steps
to get out of your wet suit without sitting on the ground.

Once the wet suit is off, grab your helmet, which is laid with straps
open and quickly put that on followed by glasses if you prefer to ride
with them.

Now you are ready to begin your exit of T1. Pre-load your bike with
any nutrition you want on your ride. You can use a Bento Box to pack
Gu's or preferred food.

Run your bike to the mounting line and jump on with your shoes pre-
clipped into your pedals. Having Triathlon specific cycling shoes will
save you a minute in both T1 and T2. Once you are on your bike, pedal
with your feet on top of your shoes up to race pace than coast while
your slide your feet into your shoes.

As you approach the final quarter mile of the ride, unstrap your
cycling shoes and slip your feet out to put them on top of your shoes.
This will allow you to hop right off your bike barefoot at the
dismount line. Once your hit the ground, take off running for your bike
rack.

Rack your bike, remove your helmet and grab your running shoes. Have
your shoes positioned so that you can put them on one at a time
standing up at your rack. Be sure to have pull laces so that you do
not waste time tying your shoes.

Place everything you need for your run in a small pile next to your
shoes so that you can grab it and run out of T2 as fast a possible.
This should include your race belt and run nutrition. As you are
running out of T2 and onto the run course clip your race belt around
your waste and place your nutrition in your kit pockets or into your
race belt. This way you save time packing it while standing still in T2.”

There are some very simple things that people often overlook in what Jack has laid out for you here. Things like: accelerating to race pace before coasting to put on your shoes, or not sitting down to take off your wetsuit are the kinds of details that have to be thought out in advance. Jack had a rule of thumb that said,"Don’t do anything standing still that you could be doing while your moving and don’t do anything during the race that you could prepare beforehand." Something simple like clipping on your race belt as you are running out of transition, rather than standing still at your rack, could be the difference between several places. These all add up to massive chunks of time in the overall race.

You better believe that the Brownlees practice transition.

The last word of wisdom that Jack imparted is this: Practice. The off-season is a great time to perfect your transition technique. It doesn’t take hours—merely 20-30 minutes once a week will make your transition technique second nature, which is exactly what you want. “It’s a great thing to add into a recovery day,” says Bracconier. On race day you want to focus on just that: the race. Not transition, not nutrition, not anything other than going fast.

The Wilier Zero.7: Everyone should want it, only a lucky few can have it.

2012-11-12T23:37:00.002-05:00

Wilier does not create bikes for everyone. They are not Trek. They are not Specialized. Wilier bikes are not designed for the masses. They are not the Olive Garden, they are La Pergola—a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Rome. They create bikes for people with discerning taste, for people who appreciate a race bike as art, as well as a performance machine. Style and tradition share equal importance with performance and innovation in Wilier’s design strategy. The two sides complement each other in their bikes, each side feeding off the other, pushing innovations in performance and style to their absolute pinnacle.

Italian design and style.

The Wilier Zero.7 perches comfortably atop this pinnacle. The new quintessential Italian racing machine, the Zero.7 offers riders a world without compromise, striking a lovely balance between performance and comfort. No more are people forced to choose between a brittle, brassy, race machine and a sluggish, soft, long-haul rouleur. Wilier found a way, though proprietary carbon design technology, to offer both sides without compromise.

The iconic head-badge.

Wilier collaborated with FSA on certain design features of the Zero.7 frame as well as customized FSA K Force Light components. The bottom bracket on the Zero.7 is yet another BB standard called BB386EVO, which, despite adding to the long list of bottom bracket standards, contributes greatly to the ride quality of this frameset and is compatible with several common cranksets. The asymmetrical dimensions of the 386EVO allow for what Wilier claims is a 30% increase in stiffness, while also reducing weight.

BB386EVO: Large and in charge.

Pretty much every manufacturer out there has a proprietary BB design though. The Zero.7’s true innovation comes when you look into the exclusive carbon technology Wilier implemented on this frame. Wilier has used a carbon fiber blend they call 60 TON since the introduction of the original Cento1. This blend is predominantly made of a carbon fiber known as MR60H, which can withstand 60 tons of pressure per square millimeter. This makes for an incredibly stiff and strong carbon blend. New for the Zero.7 though, is Wilier’s use of a technology called Special Elastic Infiltrated Film, or S.E.I. Film. This film, which was developed for the aeronautical and automotive industry, is injected between layers of 60 TON carbon. The S.E.I. film's elastic qualities dramatically increase vibration dampening and impact resistance.

Asymmetric stays allow for a wider, stiffer, and lighter BB area.

Now I realize that is a whole lot of technical verbiage, which probably doesn’t mean much to you. Here, though, is why this stuff is important: Normally, to reduce vibration and improve impact resistence, a manufacture will use a lower modulus carbon in certain areas of the frame. Lower modulus carbon is heavier, more immune to impact, and less stiff than high modulus carbon. Wilier eliminated the need for that lower modulus carbon by using the S.E.I. Film. This means more super high modulus 60 TON carbon in the Zero.7 frame, making it very light and stiff and thanks to the S.E.I. Film, comfortable and strong—a race frame without compromise.

A truly beautiful ride.

All of this technology is meaningless, however, if the bike does not perform on the road. In spending an extended period riding this bike, I was impressed by many of its features. This bike has personality. That is what truly sets it apart from other flagship models I have ridden. I am a lucky guy in the sense that my job affords me ample opportunity to ride some of most high-end bikes and components in the world. The Zero.7 is more lively than any other bike I can ever remember throwing a leg over. It goes. It wants to go faster than you can make it; you can feel it each time you pedal. Pushing forward with each stroke, it begs to be ridden at the absolute limit. I think this can absolutely be attributed to this bike’s extreme low weight and efficient power transfer.

Asymmetric bottom bracket design.

Despite flying like the fastest bikes I’ve ridden, the Zero.7 does not beat you up. This alone is an accomplishment, as the industry sprints towards the stiffest ride possible. It is refreshing to see a bike maker put real design features, like the S.E.I. Film, into areas that contribute to increased rider comfort. Comfort is a difficult feature to quantify, and because of this, it is also difficult to get marketable stats that objectively quantify rider comfort. Unfortunately, this has made comfort a second-hand citizen to stiffness. Bike makers can easily spit data about how stiff their frame is, and how that will make you faster, but comfort is another animal. Not only is it difficult to quantify, but once you quantify it, there is still a great deal of selling that has to be done.

This bike was set up with Campy Super Record, which made it a complete Italian masterpiece.

Let’s not get the wrong idea here though. The Zero.7 is built to go fast—up and down hill. Wilier, as usual, has done a masterful job in creating a geometry that makes the Zero.7 feel racy, but predictable. I had no problem charging descents to the point that I had spun out my largest gear. I love going downhill. The Zero.7 scratched that itch and then some. I was struck by the way this bike holds a line. The tapered head tube lent confidence-inspiring stability at 35+ MPH. Where my wits would normally get the best of me, I found myself pushing on, buoyed by this bike’s impeccable handling.

Wilier Triestina always does it with impeccable taste.

Along with this racy geometry, comes an aggressive fit, which could be cause for concern for a less flexible rider. This fit is common in these flagship models across the industry, as they are often designed around the needs of the European Pro Peloton. I’m fairly average sized though, and I had no problem setting the Zero.7 to the same measurements as my usual road rigs.

Some of the custom FSA components and special design features.

The only real obstacle between this bike and utter racing domination is price. At $5k for the frameset and about $12k as I rode it, this bike is not for the faint of wallet. It is not uncommon for any manufacturer’s flagship model to ring in over five figures these days though, and if you’re willing to spend the cash, you truly get a masterpiece of carbon, metal and rubber. New for 2013 though, is Wilier’s Zero.9, for those of us who aren’t able or willing to shell out premium dough. The Zero.9 packs all the same features as the Zero.7 except for some of the really premium carbon technologies I talked about before. That said, the Zero.9 still comes in as a sub-1,000 gram frameset, which is incredibly respectable in any situation.

With all the customization, this bike looks amazing from every angle.

The overall impression I am left with after shipping the bike back to Wilier, is that I would like it back. In a world where every bicycle maker on earth is shooting for the perfect balance of weight, stiffness, and comfort, Wilier has struck a perfect chord; bringing the three together in a harmony that I, heretofore, hadn’t experienced. Like a fine wine or rare diamond, the bike is not for, or even accessible to everyone, but it wasn’t designed to be. If this kind of bicycle design was easily affordable than it wouldn’t be so special, nor would it be such an occasion when you get to throw a leg over a machine like this. I hope I get to again very soon.

Some additional pics for your viewing enjoyment:

One Speed to Rule Them All

2012-11-05T21:58:00.001-05:00

There are times when I thrive on the forward thrust of the bicycling industry. It has a collective sense of constant momentum that can be inspiring. Many times, it feels good to be a part of that. But just as often, I find myself moving back towards the great simplicity a bicycle can provide. The biggest R&D budget in the world can’t buy the repetitious circles carved out at a varying cadence over miles and miles. Riding is more than just being the fittest and fastest. Sometimes the simple act of pedaling gives you so much more.

That brisk feeling on my way to the trails while wondering if I have overdressed for the first cold weather ride of the year. The latest and greatest this forward-looking industry produces cannot give you that feeling. Simply riding does.

I always try to keep myself grounded in that way—constantly striving to remind myself why it is I ride a bike. So often stripping away all of the extracurricular accoutrements makes me feel closer to knowing exactly what it is that gets me out of a warm bed in the morning to suffer.

It was with this idea in mind—and light pocketbook in hand—that I set out to build my newest MTB: a singlespeed Cannondale Trail SL 29’r with many a modification. The best part of a singlespeed is that it is not a huge commitment. This one, as it comes from Cannondale (before my extras) comes in under $1,000, which seems to be an increasingly rare feat in the performance bicycle world these days.

Riding a mountain bike is an activity that sells itself, and riding a singlespeed, while daunting at first, can be a joy for anyone who sticks with it. I won’t muddy this up with my words—rather I will just show you the build and let you appreciate it for what it is: a simple machine that I love to ride.

Check it out:

It's a slick looking ride...

I tried Q-rings for my SS on a whim and was not disappointed

Cannondale and WTB collaborated to develop the new Nine Line 2.0 tire that I am running on the rear. I'm a big fan. 'Nuff said.

Garmin 500 and Ergon grips complete the cockpit.

Cannondale changed the geometry of this frame dramatically for 2013--mirroring their amazing Flash geometry from previous years. For some reason though, they decided to shorten the head tube--making it not readily compatible with their Lefty fork--which was confusing, but non-compatibility is no match for the creative minds of Jamie Brock and myself in the shop...

These aren't exactly XC bars, but I got them because they are wide and have a lot of sweep, something I like for a SS bar. I have trimmed them slightly, but still run a pretty wide bar for the extra leverage.

I've ridden Egg Beaters for years now and never saw a reason to change.

The WTB Bronson 2.2 is my rubber up front. It has great side nobs to really grip in the corners.

As a bonus, I'm gonna include some more pics of another SS build we are working on in the shop right now. Can you say custom steel Ritte 29'r?

A custom steel 29'r from the new masters of cycling style from California.

A Niner Bio-centric BB makes chain tension a breeze even with vertical dropouts.

It's all about the details...

I hope you guys enjoyed a quick look at these super fun bikes. Hopefully you can catch some inspiration to build up your own!

Don't Let Sandy Rain on Your Training: A Core Circuit for Rainy Days

2012-10-29T16:04:00.000-04:00

I can’t think of an athlete that doesn’t benefit from a strong core. Let me take that one step further: I can’t think of a living human being that wouldn’t benefit from having a strong core. Core strength affects everything from your posture to chronic back problems. For cyclists, triathletes, and runners core strength is crucial to our training. Many cyclists make the mistake of thinking that riding a bike is an endeavor reserved only for our lower extremities—not so.

Ever had back, shoulder, or neck pains after a long ride or run? It could be your core telling you you’ve got some work to do.

So as I sit here stranded inside waiting out the behemoth that is the FrankenSandyApocolyptic Hurricane of 2012, I am not letting this day indoors ruin my training schedule. My coach, Michael Gibbons of Walton Endurance, sent me a core workout for today that requires little or no equipment, and will provide a gut/hurricane-busting workout all without having to leave The Weather Channel’s coverage of all the carnage.

I can't say for sure, but I don't think this is real footage of Sandy.

A perfect remedy for a state-of-emergency induced day indoors, this workout is an advanced one, but can be tempered to fit anyone’s ability level. Doing any of these exercises without a stability ball makes them easier for beginners, so adjust as you see necessary.

Start with a basic warm-up. You know, the standard self-myofascial release. Don’t feel bad; I had to look it up too. Myofascial release is a way of limbering up the connecting tissue between your muscles, most often with a foam roller. This is a pretty good guide to warming up in this manner.

Here is the circuit—which you can do 2-3 times through depending on your ability level.

1. Supine Bridge (with stability ball)

Lay flat on your back (or on the stability ball). With knees bent, lift your pelvis upwards until your body is straight from your shoulders to your knees. Do 20-30 reps.

2. Side Plank (with top leg up)

Begin by lying on your left side with your left elbow flexed and the outside of the left foot in contact with the ground. Hold your right arm tight to the side of the body. For added difficulty, lift your top leg. Hold for 30-60 seconds and repeat on the opposite side.

3. Plank on stability ball

Begin by laying face down on the ground with the elbows flexed. Brace yourself and hold for 30-60 seconds. For added difficulty, you can either put your feet or elbows on the stability ball like in the pictures.

4. Side Plank (with lower leg up)

A similar technique is required here as with the other side planks, this time you simply lift the lower leg. Hold for 30-60 seconds.

5. Knees to chest on stability ball

Start in a push-up position with your feet elevated on the stability ball. Roll the ball forward until your knees reach your chest. Do 20-30 reps. Most of the exercises to this point have been quite easy to convert to do without a stability ball if you don’t have one. This one is a bit more difficult to do without a ball, but you could substitute another workout of your choice like a double leg lift or something similar.

6. Prone Cobra (on stability ball)

This one is difficult for me, but it can do wonders to strengthen your back—which I desperately need. Lie face down, or lean your hips on the stability ball. Extend your arms, and flex backwards like in the picture. Do 20-30 reps.

Rest and recover for 1-2 minutes between circuits. The recovery period is and important part of any workout. Don’t neglect it. Cool down with an active stretching routine like this or this.

Think of this as a perfect antidote to cabin fever, rather than simply a workout. Incorporating a circuit like this one into your weekly training will undoubtedly reap major benefits for your comfort while riding, running, swimming, or even sitting on the couch—which it looks like I might be doing for the next 48 hours. Happy hurricane season everyone!

Inside Winter Training with Pro Triathlete Jack Braconnier

2012-10-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Despite popular belief, triathlon is not a summer sport. You may think it is, but it’s not. That is when the races are, what the events are designed for, and all of the equipment made for, but trust me when I say that triathlon is not a summer sport.

Everyone trains hard during the summer, clocking the miles religiously, rain or shine; never missing a workout or taking a day off because they don’t feel like it. But if you really want to up your triathlon game, you need to start thinking of triathlon as more than just a summer-time sport. Winter is where the gains are to be had.

The last race of your season is not an end to the current campaign, it is the beginning of next year. If you have found your results plateauing after a season’s worth of dedicated training, a solid off-season training program is how you step up your game.

Now, when I write, I want to write from a point of expertise. I don’t want to spit some half-true inkling that I may have overheard from a guy who knows a guy who’s brother knows a guy who knows something. If I am not an expert in the field I am writing about, then I seek out an expert to give me the down and dirty, so that you can trust what you read here. Unfortunately for my own fitness and race results, I am not an expert in training or fitness. So I called in someone who is: Pro triathlete and Walton Endurance coach, Jack Braconnier.

Handsome, isn't he?

Jack has some seriously impressive running and triathlon palmarés, and a Kinesiology degree to boot. I talked with Jack about what goes into the delicious soup that is a successful off-season training program. Walton Endurance has a slew of classes this off-season that are specifically designed around launching you on your most successful campaign yet. Jack filled me in on what exactly their training program focuses on, and what you should be thinking about to get yourself to the podium next season.

“Basics and technique.” That’s all he had to say. See you guys next week.

....

Well, I lied. He had more to say than that, but it is true that any great off-season plan is centered on basics and technique. “You should start with an honest assessment of your strengths and weakness, then use basic techniques to address them.” He offered this example, “If you are slow off the bike in the run, it could be because you are relying too much on your muscular strength during the bike. This athlete should work on bringing up their leg speed on the bike to transfer that load more to their cardiovascular fitness to keep their legs fresh for the run. You could do this by incorporating fast cadence drills into an endurance ride.”

See what he did there? He saw a weakness and then used a basic cycling technique to correct that weakness. So that’s the name of the game here people, the off season is all about working on what you are NOT good at, all while building towards your next campaign.

It’s not just about leg speed though; there are so many other bicycle basics that contribute to being a good racer. If you’re constantly crashing—work on bike handling. If you’re new to clipless pedals and don’t have solid pedaling technique—work on one-legged drills. If you’re constantly winning—then…well, in this case you should probably step up and do some harder races.

The second half of any successful off-season plan is base. Think of building your base as the fitness equivalent of laying a foundation upon which you will build a house. Base building is all about fighting your urge to crush it. “Low and slow” is where you will find your base. I’ll add one to that: “Low, slow, and long.” Base training should be focused on getting in a large volume of low intensity miles.

“Walton Endurance’s Fall Class is designed around this” Jack says. “We start at a low intensity and slowly build through the Winter Class.” This building structure is what makes your fitness really come to life when you incorporate some high intensity work in the spring. “That high intensity work that so many triathletes focus on, only truly pays off when you have built a solid base.”

Winter group rides are a great way to build your base. Don't worry about speed, just get the miles in your legs.

Jack wants the focus of his athlete’s off-season programs to be centered around these techniques and endurance and Sub-LT efforts. That is how you build a great base.

“So sell me on Walton Endurances Fall Class. Why should a triathlete sign up for the class rather than just doing a bunch of fast cadence work on their own?” I ask. A few reasons:

Competition. “At the beginning of the Fall and Winter class we do a field test. This makes it really easy for athletes to track their progress and compete—which is the main motivation for so many serious triathletes.” The physiological numbers that you get from the field test are used to gauge all of your efforts throughout the class. You can also use them to track your improvement over many months and workouts in a very scientific objective way.

Structure. Anyone who has trained for an event over a long period of time—which pretty much every triathlete has—knows that a set in stone structure is easier to abide by than a loose organization of workouts. Walton Endurance classes give you that. You are committed. There is a whole group of peers who will be quick to give you a hard time when you miss out on a workout or take it easy in a class. This type of structure ALWAYS makes for a more successful training regimen.

Customization. “Everybody is different.” Says Jack. “Your training programs should reflect that.” This is the biggest advantage of coming to a place like Walton Endurance for your training needs. These are real humans who are interacting with you on a one-on-one individual basis. They can change each workout to specifically suit your needs. You’re not simply printing out some training program that may or may not have worked for some guy on the internet—your literally getting a custom training program, based around numbers that are specific to your physiology, your strengths and weaknesses, your wants and needs.

Fall offers some of the most scenic riding of the year, but it is also prime time to set yourself up for next year.

I hope you don’t take my word for it though. Come in and check these guys out. Brian Walton is a huge name in professional cycling, and he has stacked his coaching roster with Braconnier, five-time track masters World Champion Dana Walton, and former pro mountain biker Michael Gibbons. They know what they’re doing—and more importantly, they know how to help you win. Their Fall Class starts November 5^th. You can get all the info you need here.

Don’t wait. Next season started yesterday.

Why Honesty Has To Be The Only Policy

2012-10-15T23:59:00.001-04:00

I didn’t want to do it—I really didn’t. I’ve tried to avoid this for a while now, tried to keep my eye on the ball, as it were, writing about things I thought were more currently relevant than everyone’s favorite Texan. It seems unavoidable though. I had hoped that this issue would pass, like a minor sinus infection. I wanted to just be able to move on, to get on with the sport I love, but alas I have to look this thing in the face and deal with it. Here is my obligatory Lance post:

Yeah, we're not happy about it either Lance.

I have never really been a “Lance guy,” if there is such a thing. I have a propensity to root for the underdog, making the whole of the Discovery/US Postal gang a little too dominant for my liking. I decided a long time ago that the circumstantial evidence surrounding the situation meant that it was likely that there was some kind of doping going on.

But I’m not mad about the doping. I’m really not. Doping is surely wrong, and should be punished, but what really gets me depressed about the state of the situation is everything surrounding the doping. The completely ubiquitous nature of the doping culture is what is most surprising about this week’s revelations.

As a naturally cynical person, I wish I could believe that the state of the doping culture in the peloton was not so complete. USADA's report confirms what I only scratched at in my most pessimistic moments.

When you get down to it, I don’t really think many people care that their heroic Texan cheated his way to utter dominance in an era where this was commonplace. I think what is really crushing is just how unwilling he is to come clean. It is insulting. It is insulting to every fan that trusted the sport was clean. Still, in the face of overwhelming evidence, Lance rails against a total hurricane of damning doubt. Like a lie detector will save any shred of integrity that he still has with any actual fan of cycling that is not living in complete denial.

It’s going to be painful, but the only real way out of this going forward is complete honesty—on the UCI’s part, and on current riders’ parts. I’m not really interested in what Mr. Armstrong has to say about it going forward. To be honest, Lance is the least significant variable in this equation for cycling as it moves forward. The most pressing issue here is that cycling still seems to have a culture that tolerates dishonesty.

McQuaid

Take the UCI’s response: “The sport has moved on.” I’m not convinced it has. The UCI’s plight in all of this is more depressing than any single rider. Who is worse: A rider who dopes in a culture where it’s the norm, or the governing body who sanctions such a culture? Dick Pound, former president of WADA,said, “They can’t be so blind to not know this was going on.” I agree.

Former WADA leader, Dick Pound.

This doesn’t just speak to the sports past. This is just as much about the current state of cycling. The UCI lived in a state of constant denial of any US Postal doping allegations, so how am I to take Pat Mcquaid’s assertion that “the sport has moved on?”

So what about the current riders? Leipheimer said in the Wall Street Journal Thursday, “I am sorry that I was forced to make the decisions I made.” And though throughout his statement Levi does his best to own his decision to dope, I really hate that previous sentence. “I am sorry that I was forced…” David Zabriskie said in his statement, “I questioned, I resisted, but in the end, I felt cornered and succumbed to the pressure.”

Lance and (former) friends

To me this is such a huge shame. Time after time, scandal after scandal, everyone in this sport passes the buck. I’m not trying to say that these guys admitting to doping was a bad thing. I’m the one sitting here preaching about honesty. I just want someone—anyone—involved in this to come out and really own what he did. I want someone to say, “I doped because I wanted to win. Not because someone forced me to, but because I wanted a leg up on the competition.” Everyone likes to play the victim here, but they were miscast, and they’re doing a hack job to boot.

Look at a case like Christophe Bassons, who was literally asked to leave the sport by none other than Lance Armstrong when he spoke out about widespread doping in cycling. Take Emma O’Reilly, Armstrong’s former masseuse, who he sued for a million Euros when she spoke out about US Postal’s doping program to author David Walsh. Think of all the riders whose potential was wasted because they refused to dope in order to be successful in cycling. These are the real victims of cycling’s profuse dishonesty. Honest lives were ruined by people too small to face the truth of their own moral failures.

There are times in my life where I feel as though I am getting sick. I should probably go to the doctor, but I really don’t feel like it. It is such a hassle. “Maybe it will pass,” I think. One week later I have a full-blown sinus infection complete with pink eye.

Cycling has gone one step further. We are lying on a hospital bed with a serious case of pneumonia and are still refusing treatment.

Maybe I’m jaded. Maybe I’m over-reacting. Maybe this sport is clean now, or we are at least on our way there. But maybe not. The tide may have turned, but it’s too soon to say for sure. Only time will tell how honest we all really are.

Building Your Ideal Commuting Machine

2012-10-04T23:25:00.002-04:00

I like building things. More specifically, I like building bikes. People ask me all the time, “If money were no object, and you were building your dream bike, what would you get?” The truth of the matter is though, that I don’t think I have one end all dream bike. If I had endless bike funds—which I don’t—I would build many bikes. None of them would be $25,000 masterpieces. I would build bikes that are very well suited to specific things. I would have one of every category: road, mountain, singlespeed, city bike, retro cruiser, etc. Each would serve its very own specific purpose, and I would choose every component to perform its job just so. In this manner I would build the bicycle stable of my dreams.

Somewhere near the top of that list would be a tailor made commuter bike. Commuting is one of those areas where having just the right equipment for the situation can be the difference between arriving to work energized and ready to go, or prepared to separate head from body on the first unlucky co-worker who talks to you.

Not all commutes are created equal, though. So how do you decide which set-up is best for you? Well luckily for you, you have someone like me to walk you through it.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the many benefits of commuting by bike here. After writing that article, I was inspired to build a commuting masterpiece of my own. For a few years I had commuted on my regular road bike, constantly installing lights, then taking them off. Regularly getting caught out in the rain, I would yearn for full fenders, but never really wanted to put them on the bike on which I also race.

A beautiful bike to be sure, but probably not well suited to commuting.

So I embarked to build something only for commuting. Luckily I already had a single speed that I used for zipping around the city and whatnot on the rare occasion that I would get a haircut, or had a quick errand to run where parking was scarce.

I crafted this bike in the image of my ideal commuter bike. Something perfectly suited to my 10-mile ride that I could leave just so, and over many many miles completely ride into the ground. I needed a bike that was begging to be ridden into the ground. That is the number one concern of any well-crafted commuter: durability.

The finished commuter.

If you are commuting on a daily basis, and have a commute of more than a few miles, than you can rest assured that you will be putting more miles on your commuter than every other bike you own. Your steed needs to be able to handle that load. Comfort, durability, and convenience need to be on the top of your list when deciding what to use for your build.

Before we make any decisions though, we need to decide what type of commute you have, and then choose our build around what is best suited for that. I will use my own commute as a case study:

My daily commute is exactly 10 flat miles each way, consisting of busy city streets and a long stretch of a combined bike and pedestrian path. Because of the nature of living in the Mid-Atlantic, terrible weather is par for the course and my bike has to be ready for that. Because of the hours I work, it is likely that my commute will often take place in the dark, especially during the short days of winter.

Single speed drive train: simple and dependable.

A single-speed is well suited to this type of commute. I don’t have a terribly long distance or any major hills to struggle up. There is simply no reason to invite the problems and maintenance that comes with a multi-speed drive train unless you really must. Single speeds need little to no adjustment, and the cog, chain and chainring lasts exponentially longer than any modern 10-speed set up of which I’m aware.

If you had a longer commute than mine, however, you might opt for a modern ten-speed drive train. The same goes for a commute with rolling hills. No one wants to struggle for 15+ miles each way with rolling hills, only to have to work an 8-hour shift—so don’t. A commute like this might be better suited to a more traditional road or touring set up.

Phil Wood: Bombproof

I wanted a set of wheels that I could literally set and forget. So I built myself a set of 32-spoked wheels, laced between the ever-bombproof Phil Wood track hubs and Velocity rims. Aside from changing flats, I’ve never had to take these wheels off the bike since I originally installed them. In the two years since I built them, they have never needed a true or a hub adjustment.

Pasela TourGuard

Choosing my rubber was quite simple actually. I didn’t go for anything but flat protection. Though this phrase is often overstated, there might literally be nothing worse than having to change a flat in the rain when it's dark and 50 degrees out. The Panaracer Pasela Tour Guard tires in a 25c are incredibly durable. When these wear out though, I will be stepping up to the 28c version though. Bigger is always better—when it comes to rubber anyway.

RaceBlade clip-ons, with cat cameo.

Fenders are an absolute must for any commuter. If I had my druthers, I would have gotten some rugged full coverage fenders, but because of the frame I had available to me, I had to opt for some clip on race blades—which still get the job done just fine. Fenders are the accessory that are kind of lame to have on your bike until the exact moment that they aren’t. It only takes one wet ride to learn that lesson.

For longer commutes you may also want to opt for a rack and pannier bag system. My ride is just short enough that I don't get too bothered by a back pack, but if I was carrying more cargo or had further to go, I would surely decide on panniers. You can even get super stylish ones from our friends at Laplander Bags, like this:

I’m not a big fan of riding at night, but sometimes you have no choice. Until someone invents teleportation for commuting purposes, there will be occasional instances where I will have to ride home in the dark. Reflectors don’t cut it. You have got to light it up.

I have a USB chargeable mini-Newt NiteRider light illuminating my path, and a Knog Skink 4-LED flasher on the rear. For night riding I think this should be an absolute minimum. While I don’t always subscribe to the more is better mantra, I would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to being seen by 3,000lbs of metal and the sometimes-idiotic plebeian pilots that fill our streets.

Chicks dig bells.

Don’t discount the merits of a nice resonant bell either. Yelling “on your left” makes me think you’re a jerk even if you’re the nicest guy around—not to mention the fact it usually makes people move to their left. I’ve had so many seriously close calls yelling at people that I had to switch to a bell. It’s so much more cosmopolitan.

And there you have it: a complete commuting machine. This is really only have the equation though. We have covered the hard goods side of things, but the soft good—that is, what is protecting you and your body—will have to wait for a future post. Until then, you can start the lobbying process with your significant other for the funds to build your perfect commuter.

Kris-Kross Will Make You Dismount, Run, and Remount. Or You Can Just Jump.

2012-09-28T09:25:00.000-04:00

Kids these days with their video games and camera phones, backwards hats and baggy pants. They are even riding fat tire road bikes now! Back in my day we sent telegrams and took Daguerreotypes, and all of our road bikes had 21c tires. We certainly didn’t ride them off road, let alone with beer hand-ups, dollar grabs, and cowbells. What is this cyclocross all the kids are doing these days? And why do their brakes never work well?

Let’s face it. Cyclocross is blowing up, nay, has already blown completely and is now expanding like the post big bang universe in which we ride. People everywhere are adopting wide knobby tires and complaining about their brakes. Racing drop-bar bikes on the grass and mud in the mucky mid-Atlantic autumn is a lesson in toughness. Cyclocross is far from an American phenomenon, though. Like almost everything cycling related, its roots lie in Europe.

As you might expect, the acute origin of cyclocross is much debated. I think it is safe to say that the sport evolved out of off-season training rides in the northern European countries (mainly France and Belgium). Riders, in preparation for the coming road season, would brave the harsh elements of winter and resort to off-road riding to avoid disastrous road conditions. Running up impassable sections would warm the feet and toes, while also providing a more complete workout. Handling skills were honed. Muscles were honed. Men were made tough.

Interestingly enough, the first sanctioned cyclocross races took place in France in 1902—even before the Tour de France—although at this point in history, road cycling was already much larger than cyclocross. Racing grew organically until 1910 when Octave Lapize attributed his Tour de France win that year to off-season cyclocross training. The sport quickly became international.

In 1924 France hosted the first international competitions in Paris, and in 1950 UCI sanctioned the first cyclocross World Championships.

The first dominant force in the sport came in the late sixties in the form of a man named de Vlaeminck—but not the de Vlaeminck you already know. Eric de Vlaeminck, Roger’s brother, won 7 cyclocross world championships—six in a row from 1968-1973. Even “The Badger” himself, Bernard Hinault, was a prominent racer in cyclocross in the mid-80s, though he is better known for winning the Tour 5 times.

The sport's first dominant force, Eric de Vlaeminck

Storied past aside though, what has made ‘cross become so big in the US recently? That, I believe, has much more to do with the culture that surrounds ‘cross, in addition to the race itself. Much like mountain biking, cyclocross boasts an atmosphere centered on inclusion, drinking beer, and suffering—which for roadies who disdain the seriousness and occasional douchbaggery that haunts road riding, can be a welcome change. Plus who doesn’t like playing in the mud?

Ben Berden gets dirty

Cyclocross’s rapid ascension in the United States may also be due to the fact that we are simply SO far behind Europeans in this sport. In the entire history of the Cyclocross World Championships an American has only graced the podium once. A feat, which will surely be improved upon soon—or at least, we all hope, as 2013’s edition of Worlds will be held on American soil in Louisville. Recently the sport has been utterly dominated by Belgians, with many races becoming only a question of how many Belgians will finish before the next country breaks up the train of light blue, black, yellow, and red.

Sven Nys, one of the most dominant Belgians of the last 10 years

Recent Belgian dominance is actually quite astonishing. Since 2002, the Belgians have swept the podium at Worlds a remarkable FIVE times—winning no less than 25 medals (8 gold) during that period.

America's rising cross star Ryan Trebon.

You shouldn’t have to worry about being lapped by a flying Belgian in your local races though, just expect good times and hard riding. The Mid-Atlantic region touts one of the most robust cyclocross race schedules in the country. You can surely fill most all of your weekends from now until the end of the season if you so desire. Check out the MAC series if you are looking for some really well run introductions to ‘cross racing and culture.

That is maybe the best part of the whole equation: Cyclocross is not about intimidation. It’s about just jumping in, giving it a go—and maybe drinking a beer on the way.

Speaking of “jumping in,” I will leave you with what might be the greatest 18 seconds of cyclocross footage ever recorded. Don’t worry though; Joey is okay.

Wheels and Reels: Off the Rivet goes to the movies

2012-09-20T10:29:00.001-04:00

It’s time to face facts. I can’t ride my bike constantly. It’s just not possible. The human condition stipulates that I at least take some of my time to eat, sleep, and have at least some, albeit usually awkward, human interaction. So be it. You can’t win them all I guess.

Whether weather, scheduling, or unabashed laziness, there are circumstances that foil our best attempts to permanently fix ourselves to our saddles. Don’t sweat it though. I have a way to get your cycling fix from the comfort of your couch, or loveseat, or whatever luxurious seating apparatus you have at your disposal. Get your popcorn ready; we’re going to the movies (not literally, though, don’t ask me to go to the movies with you).

I multitask with the best of them—just ask my wife (don’t ask her)—so even while not riding my bike I immerse myself in the wonderful world of cycling through movies—all while still getting my chores done. I made a list. I crafted this list not as an end all list of cycling movies, but simply my favorites.

Movies are a great way to lose your self. Like music, they afford us an opportunity to exit our own existence and live in someone else’s for a while. They can make us appreciate what we have, yearn for something better, or simply take us somewhere new—if only temporarily. All of these films do one or all of these things. I know I’ll never get the chance to do the things the cyclists or even mechanics get to do in these films—so I love to let myself live in their stories for just a while.

I want to make something clear right off the bat: This list is by no means a marker of great quality. In fact, several of these films are on my favorites list precisely because of their lack of said quality. Sometimes a bad film can be just as, if not more, entertaining than a good one. But don’t fret; this is no list of stinkers. There is some real quality cinema on this list. Let’s take a look:

I’m impatient, so I’ll start with my favorites:

The Triplets of Belleville

A quirky, animated tale of a grandmother who must rescue her son, a professional cyclist, who is kidnapped during a stage of the Tour de France. This movie is legitimately good—it has won awards and stuff—but also extremely entertaining. I aspire to have calves like his one day.

A Sunday in Hell

A classic to be sure, A Sunday in Hell, follows favorites Roger de Vlaeminck and Eddy Merckx as they take on the Hell of the North, otherwise known as Paris-Roubaix. Beware; this movie will make you itch to punish yourself on the bike.

Breaking Away

I was rightly chastised when I started working at Cadence for never having seen Breaking Away—something I’m now embarrassed to admit. Brady literally insisted I watched it as soon as I could muster. I’m glad I did. It’s a coming of age story and all that, but more importantly, there is plenty of bike racing and even some motor pacing from a semi-truck—which Brady tells me, impressively was not edited. They literally filmed the kid riding behind a semi at over 50 MPH. I’m not sure if I actually believe it, but hey, why not?

Stars and Watercarriers

From the same filmmakers that did A Sunday in Hell, Stars and Watercarriers this time follows the Giro d’Italia. This is cycling in its prime. What I adore about these movies is that they are not just rehashing what happens in the race. It’s more about everything in the periphery. The lead-up, preparations, the caravan, everything else other than the race, turns out to be just as exciting as all the pedaling.

Rad

Young BMX racer, Cru Jones, endeavors to win a race called “Helltrack.” ‘nuff said. Amazing 80s BMX montages, and a love story to boot make this one of my absolute favorites of all time.

Quicksilver

1986 was a good year. It brought us both Rad and Quicksilver, and while we’re at it, some of the coolest people I know, myself included. Kevin Bacon becomes a bike messenger. I know I probably had you at “Kevin Bacon,” but this movie is also filled with fantastic 80s cycling scenes that feature some bike handling that is still impressive today.

BMX Bandits

I’m not gonna lie. This movie is really really bad. So bad that it is really really entertaining. So bad that Nicole Kidman, in her first movie role ever, could not save it. That said, you need to see this movie. I’ll give you a quick rundown of a couple of my favorite scenes and you decide if it is worth your time. Here’s a hint: it is.

Scene: Australians don pig masks and rob a band by driving a gloriously 80s van through the front window.

Scene: Bad guys are about to mow down a group of 100+ kids riding BMX bikes in their direction with a trunk full of semi-automatic weapons. (I’m not making this up, watch the movie). When Nicole Kidman closes the trunk and throws away the key. The villains are not fully thwarted though, until the mass of bike riding 12 year olds rides by throwing bags of flour at them. Yup.

And at the end, they somehow get the money to build a sweet BMX track. What else do you need to know? You know it is quality cinematography when the whole movie is available on YouTube.

There it is, my friends. This is what you’re doing on your next rainy day stuck inside. Curl up under a warm blanket and dream of cycling glory, and Australians in pig masks…

Epilogue:

Have you ever gotten lost in the depths of YouTube? Well I just did. And let me report that there is some weird stuff out there. There is also plenty that will amaze you. Here are two bike related videos that I found in the depths of YouTube that will redefine what you think is possible on a bike. If you thought you were a good bike handler, think again.