the league(s)

Are you one of those cycling dorks who doesn't really follow other sports and are secretly jealous of those other dorks who have fantasy football leagues?

Probably not.

However, if you're looking for something fun to do during an ice storm or whenever you're not reading your favorite local bicycling-related blog, maybe enter a "virtual director sportif" pool. They take a little time to set up, but you don't need to tinker with them each week. (Of course, if you pick a dude who breaks his leg or gets busted for doping, you're stuck with him for the season, but sometimes, that's how the world works.)

So, check out one of the big ones at Podium Cafe. Post your team name in our "comments" section and I'll add you to a mini-league.
Or, join our lower-tech Canadian (are those terms redundant?) friends for a spring classics-only competition at Fort Garry.

Act quickly, deadlines are like, now.

new year/new gear

Okay, so the year isn't that new. But nice riding weather is just around the corner and I'm finally going through the process of re-cabling and re-tire-ing (although not retiring) bikesand swapping off old broken things for shing new ones.

Like most of you, the fellows at BCC often covet shiny new things, but enjoy some of the less glamorous but reliable and affordable things. Take for example wheels. Through technological advances in design and manufacturing, they now make wheels that are many thousand dollars. And, through technological advances in marketing, they have also found a way to sell these ridiculous things, despite the fact that they are often more fragile and possibly impossible to repair and may or may not stop under wet or icy conditions.

So I was curious when Dave at Durham Cycles mentioned this wheelset. Seemingly, simple, repariable without any proprietary parts (I'm looking at you, Mavic spokes), and made of metal. I'm also intrigued by the new "fatter" 23mm rim width. I eventually jumped on the bandwagon and got a 29er mountain bike, after people had hyped bigger wheels as the next big thing, and it really is a design development worth embracing. Same goes for tubeless mountain bike tires (although not tubeless cyclocross tires just yet). However, I've been reluctant to make the switch to fatter road rims since you supposedly need to adjust your brakes when you change wheels.

So dear readers, anyone try out these fat rims? Notice smoother ride? Better cornering? Fewer flats? Increased telepathic powers? Holler back and let me know.

returning to form

We're back. We've been training in secrecy at an undisclosed location run by monks. And I've finally figured out how to win a bike race (forward to 1:20 or click here for the secret).


Also, learn how to win a rap-off.

Our science is too tight. More wisdom later.