RoadCycler.com

Bamboo bikes on the rise?

Justin Cooper — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:54:57 +0000

The folks at the UK Guardian were lucky enough to ride a bamboo bike made by the bike designer and manufacturer Craig Calfee. Calfee is known for his high-quality handmade carbon fiber bikes, and his bikes made out of bamboo are nothing short of amazing. Bamboo is an incredible material that is mostly environmentally friendly (according to the Guardian, Calfee uses responsibly grown bamboo too). After reading the following quote, I’d love to try one of Calfee’s £3,000 (~$4,900) bamboo bikes: When I first sprint off, nothing happens for a split second, ...

The state of Steel road bikes

Justin Cooper — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:59:52 +0000

The cyclist site has a quick post about the state of steel bikes, including some popular models, and a discussion on the resurgence in steel frames. We’ve only reviewed one steel road bike on RoadCycler.com, the popular Bianchi Brava (a great bike!), but there are many more out there; many of them from artisan framebuilders. I personally think a big reason steel is never going to go away is that it’s relatively cheap. It helps that it’s easy to weld, it is manageable by even the smallest companies, and it actually ...

Tour de France is a GO for Armstrong

Justin Cooper — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:37:08 +0000

Lance Armstrong certainly knows how to stay in the news. The latest on Armstrong is that he has been cleared by the French anti-doping agency over the questions surrounding his latest drug test, and the incident with the shower. He passed the test, but was later found under suspicion due to his request to take a shower prior to taking the drug test. The shower was ok’d by the official requesting the test, so it was a bit strange that there was outrage following the event. “The [agency] has decided to ...

Armstrong expected to race the Giro, Tour de France uncertain

Justin Cooper — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:19:30 +0000

According to the organizers of the Giro d’Italia, Astana’s Lance Armstrong will be participating in the race on May 9th. Surprisingly, the twittering phenom hasn’t raced the Giro in his career, so this could be an interesting showing. It’s doubtful he’ll actually go for the win, but it will could help with training for the Tour de France. The big question is if the organizers of the Tour de France will let Armstrong race. According to the Agence Française de Lutte contre le Dopage (AFLD), Armstrong took a shower prior to taking a ...

A “4th hand” with the Park Tool Cable Stretcher

Justin Cooper — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 01:17:52 +0000

Wired’s Gadget Lab has a quick rundown of the Park Tool Cable Stretcher. I haven’t had to use this yet, so I’ll have to take their word for it that it’s a recommended tool (when hasn’t a Park Tool done the job well…). From Park Tool site: Commonly referred to as a “4th Hand”, the Park Tool Cable Stretcher pulls cables tight. It features one-hand operation with a thumb lock to hold the cable tight while your hand is removed to tighten pull-up bolts and nuts. I’ve been looking around for more tools ...

Broken collarbone sidelines Armstrong

Justin Cooper — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:52:03 +0000

Lance Armstrong’s comeback is starting to dim as he is dealt a blow from a broken collarbone in a crash. The crash occurred near the end of the first stage of the Vuelta Ciclista Castilla y Leon race, around 16 kilometers from the finish. Armstrong mentioned it was the first of this type of injury in his career. “I’m miserable,” said the record seven-time Tour de France champion. “I just need to relax a couple of days and then make a plan.” Armstrong was caught up in the fall with around 15 ...

Britain’s Cavendish wins Milan-San Remo

Justin Cooper — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:23:19 +0000

Mark Cavendish beat out Heinrich Haussler to win the Milan-San Remo race. The finish was quite close, at only about half a wheel’s distance between the two, but Cavendish prevailed for his first win at the Milan-San Remo. Lance Armstrong finished in the rear, eight minutes behind Cavendish. Armstrong is trying to fend off a sore back, and this could have accounted for the poor finish. Official Site

Clever bicycle tube umbrella hack

Tyler Cooper — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:56:59 +0000

Most people who lock their bikes up in a big city every day usually just remove the quick release bike seat in favor of a more permanent system in order to keep their saddle out of the hands of thieves. Not this clever individual. Instead of locking the seat in place, why not take it with you, and use the empty tube to hold your umbrella in case of that unexpected rain shower. This is the type of thing that only a commuter could dream up. [Via BikeHacks.com]

Astana among the 16 teams announced for the Tour of California

Justin Cooper — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 22:21:52 +0000

Lance Armstrong, and Alberto Contador’s team Astana will be one of the 16 teams competing in the Tour of California in 2009. Team Columbia, with George Hincapie and sprinter Mark Cavendish will also be competing, which could make things pretty interesting. The stage race takes place on Feb. 14, and will be televised on the Versus channel. The other eight teams that have been announced so far are Ag2r-La Mondiale (FRA), Garmin-Slipstream (USA), Liquigas (ITA), Quick Step (BEL), Rabobank (Netherlands), Team Columbia (USA), and Team Saxo Bank (DEN). I have a feeling Contador, ...

Bike powered christmas tree

Tyler Cooper — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:17:20 +0000

Over in Barcelona, Spain, they are taking Christmas trees to a whole new level. As a way of promoting a cheap point to point bike rental system that went live in Barcelona last year, Bicing has set up a completely electric tree that is run by bicycles. It is worth noting that the system is using a battery setup to store power generated from the bikes, as there isn’t always someone riding a bike to keep the tree glowing. The batteries get juiced up during the day (when the lights are ...