Revolutionary Sisters

While I've seen a couple of BCCers pull off a fixie-skid or two, pull a "mad wheelie", and even pedal backwards for a few feet, never have I seen something quite as impressive as these two sisters.

secret training/secret racing

and speaking of BMX bandits, Bull City Cycling's own Baby Dave kicked it at ABA East Coast BMX Nationals this weekend. i'm not entirely sure when the east coast became its own nation, but i guess it was only a matter of time.

from what Dave tells me, he overcame crashes in the qualifying heats to make it to the finals in his category, only to get crashed-out by another local guy who shall remain nameless, but who shares the name of a (non-bicycling) wheel of amusement (hint: it's not Ernest Q. Merrygoround of Carrboro). however, i wasn't there and i don't know anything about bmx racing (other than what can be learned from watching "Rad" 14 times), so i don't want to actually blame someone else for causing Dave's crash. i actually wish Dave would explain it, but apparently his skills as a part-time I.T. guy (in addition to his full-time student gig), do not extend to blogging. if you want to see official evidence, check it here. nice work!

also, let it be noted that bmx-ers not only get to list their club name in their results, but also their nicknames, no matter how ridiculous ("Princess", for someone who was not Dave) or unoriginal (there were two "Hollywoods", neither of which were Hollywood). also, is "Boobie Girl" an appropriate nickname for a 13 year old girl? i dunno, but some of these dudes probably went to prison after the race.

the other things i learned from this event was that (1) Dave dented his new frame in one of his crashes and (2) Dave was pissed that he dented his frame. thing #1 was not surprising, but thing #2 sort of was. i had assumed that Dave's bmx background made him one of those guys who doesn't care what happens to his bike and/or body. however, he is, in fact, as protective of his equipment as the most meticulous roadie. so let this be a lesson to everyone: just because someone races mountain bikes in cut-off Dickies, doesn't mean he don't treat his bike right.

Lance at Leadville

Check out this clip from CNN's iReport section on Lance's ride at Leadville:

Well, it's not the Champs Elysees, but the red carpet is a nice touch, and the crowds aren't half bad.

One thing that I noticed in the interview session was that Lance came awfully close to saying that he doesn't know how to change a flat. I suppose that makes sense, and I imagine that he was running tubeless tires, which probably adds an extra wrinkle, but I was still surprised by his (almost) admission. I guess it didn't matter, since he didn't seem to have any trouble rolling the flat across the line.

Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Shifting eReviewed

So there have been rumors flying around for years, and pictures dropping for almost that long, but it seems as if Shimano's electronic shifting for road bikes is finally here. You can find pics of the new system anywhere on the net, there are a decent reviews, and even some videos that show the system in all of its chirping glory. Word on the street even has it that Tucson correspondent Patrick even got to ride a Di2-equipped bike and said it was totally radtastic (his wording may have varied).

By far the best review out there is the one provided by CyclingNews, which goes into great detail about the system, but also makes it a point to compare it to other similarly priced groups. If you're interested you should definitely read the article, but if you're pressed for time I'll summarize it for you:

Di2 is the bizzomb. It's smoother than a roadie's legs after a nice long shower, faster than pro cyclist's doping denial, more reliable than hipster's fixie, and as regular as a peloton's nature break. In short, it is without peer or rival, and all the cool kids should rush out and get it. Think I'm exaggerating? Here are two quotes from the article:

"Calling all skeptics... electronic shifting is the real deal!"

"After our initial sampling last summer in Japan and now two solid months of near-continuous use on a proper test group, we can confidently say that shifting-by-wire doesn't just work; it's flat-out awesome." --James Huang

OK, so I believe them: it sounds pretty cool. And any of the kinks of the system -- batteries, interference, weight, reliability, serviceability -- seem to be well accounted for. Kudos Shimano.

But that got me thinking: can it really be that great? How much greater is it, really? For the sake of comparison, I decided to do a little pricing. I went to the Colorado Cyclist catalogue (currently my only bike porn) and did a little back-of-the-envelope figuring. Here's a price comparison for the similar components for standard Dura-Ace and Di2:

Di2:

Rear Derailleur: ...899.99

F/D Braze-on: ...749.99

STI Levers: ...929.99

Battery: ...99.99

Battery Charger: ...119.99

Charger Cable: ...7.99

Front Wire Kit: ...169.99

Rear Wire Kit: ...279.99

[Not included: System Checker, 356.99]

Total: ...$3,257.92

Dura-Ace:

Rear Derailleur: ...299.99

F/D Braze-on: ...149.99

STI Levers: ...699.99

Shift cable set: ...21.99

Total: ...$1,171.96

Difference: ...$2,085.96

This means that all other things being equal (cranks, cassette, brakes, etc.), the Di2 system is almost three times more expensive than a standard Dura-Ace system (2.78 times, to be exact).

My point is not that Di2 is expensive (though obviously it is) or that it is or isn't a good system (having not ridden it, I can't say), but to question whether or not it is three times better regular Dura-Ace, a component system that had so many reviewers drooling? And this is my issue with the (otherwise good) CyclingNews review: you've done a good comparison, but since most people other than bike magazine guys and pros will be buying this system, should price be something that's at least discussed? And if so, can you honestly say that as "flat-out awesome" as this system may be, that it's three times better than standard cable-actuated systems? Really?

Color me skeptical. At least CyclingNews' gushing is a bit more restrained than some others, I suppose. (Uh, when would you want to shift the front derailleur while sprinting, my Competitive Cyclist friend?)

I'm sorry to get my rant on this morning, and I hope my retro-grouch isn't showing, but it seems to be that things have gotten a little out of hand here. Granted, I'll never ride Di2, and probably not even standard Dura-Ace for that matter (I'm still rocking a 9-speed 105/Ultegra groupo), so my opinion might not mean much, but at some point enough has to be enough, and I'm drawing the line at groupos that cost over $3k: it is my Waterloo.

There it is, my eReview: Di2 just isn't worth the cost. I say this without every having ridden it, of course, but there you have it: imparted wisdom based on no evidence whatsoever.

Ride on!

monday

yawn. computer models are running and the internets are boring/depressing.

stopped by the durham skate park construction site yesterday and it looks like a bunch of dirt. can anyone tell me if this thing will be open to bikes? i certainly hope so, otherwise, we may end up in the waterslides

Leadville Feed

Despite being somewhat suspicious of the whole "Twittering" thing, it seems like the thing done good when it comes to the Leadville 100. You can follow the race on Twitter here if you like.

It's not nearly as cool as following the Tour on Velonews of CyclingNews, but it allows you to keep up with what seems to have become the most important mountain bike race of the year. (Despite the fact that it's exclusive, over-priced, and lacking any technical challenges. And we're not there. But not bitter. Promise. Sweartagawd.)

Edit 1:48 pm: Lance is destroying the field, having built a lead that's over 15 minutes with something around 15 miles remaining. The crowds look huge (that is, mountain-biking-in-the-US-huge, not Tour-huge), and Lance has one his signature looks of determination. It looks like he'll be close to the course record, even factoring in wet, cold conditions for a few hours this morning. Dayum.

Edit: 8:06 pm: I would have 'tweeted' about this on our list to the right, but I dunno how. There, I said it.

fleet fox

here's a post that actually involves me riding my own bike in durham. wonders never cease.

returning home from a terrible ride (in which i felt like my previous post, but without a World Cup level of exertion), i saw a fox trot across Campus Drive. i'm talkin' about a real fox, not the network that shows good animated sit-coms and polarizing news programing (which dominates the googled search results) or some actress who i think stars in a movie alongside of some transforming robots and who seems to eschew clothes in favor of underwear (at least as far as the googled image search is concerned). it didn't seem to be too concerned about moving quickly, but i wasn't able to take a picture of it.

in any event, as downtown durham gets further yuppified and hipsterized, the rest of the town is getting wild.

'You try to hang with me 'n' I'll have you pedalin' squares'

So if the Floyd was a little too old skool for you, bring it into the 'oughts' with this beauty from MC SpandeX:

I think that BikeSnobNYC might even approve of this. Naw, probably not. Still, the good MC manages to parody both racer-boyz and hipsters, which takes some rhetorical flexibility. I like it.

[Edit: Doh! As I'm not a regular reader of BikeSnob I wasn't aware of the fact that he'd actually posted about this video yesterday. So now rather than wondering whether or not he approves of 'Performance,' you can go to his post and read all about it. Sorry dudes!]

Some early Pink Floyd for your afternoon

Here's an animation of Pink Floyd's "Bike" for your listening enjoyment:

Clink linky make play-y.

I've got to admit that my knowledge of early Floyd from the 60s is pretty limited, but I'm always amused when I stumble across their weird version of British psychedelic rock. Since my teen years were steeped in classic rock from the local radio station (pre-iPods, my friends), later Floyd always feel stale and rehearsed, but something about this is rather charmingly bizarre.

Note to self: if these lyrics make sense, you're too altered to ride, basket or not.

i've been there, man

i found this clip on the internet and i was trying to craft some verse, both profound and hilarious, to accompany it. but, it pretty much speaks for itself.



well, the ethics of the blogosphere dictate that i just can't post a video i nabbed from another cycling site and call it a day. which isn't to presume that any of this is either profound or hilarious, but it might be worth reading if you're dodging work.

the thing that really gets me about this video is its somewhat nightmarish quality. it's different than those cycling nightmares like "damn! that's a nasty looking crash" or "shit! someone stole my bike" or "fuck! i've shown up to the big race, but i forgot my shoes and i have to borrow some that are too small and use different cleats" or the classic "gee willikers! i've shown up to the big race, but i'm naked except for one knee warmer and a powdered wig". it's one of those recurring dreams that is haunting because we've experienced it before and know it's going to happen to us again. and again.

also (and here's where i put on my wannabe cinematographer's hat (beret, actually)), it works so perfectly as a single shot. one camera. one cut. one subject. if it was a movie (a Hollywood movie, probably not one of those pretentious French films), there would have been like 90 cuts in this sequence: multi-angle shots of the fall, in slow-motion/close-up to Absalon's expression/cut to the lead rider getting away/cut to the trailing riders closing, then passing/flashback to a 3-year old Absalon falling off his tricycle and crying/cut to the Swedish rider patting him on the back/flashback to his mom giving him a band-aid and a baguette with Nutella and helping him back onto his tricycle/cut back to him pushing his bike up the hill/etc. no, this is just one, slow, painful shot. all the context we need is right there. the body says "no". it is simple and final. nothing that chattery brain says can change that.

and still, you're out in the woods. the broom wagon's not coming. no helicopter is going to fly you off the mountain. mom's not going to bring you any Nutella. you get up and push your self home.

keep pushing.

Showing us how it's done

This just in from a correspondent in the UP: the 2009 Ore to Shore was an overwhelming success, complete with a finish line sprint and a blue ribbon. Seriously folks, this guy does not mess around. Let's go to the tape...

That's James in the video, ripping up the trail with reckless abandon. Here's a quick summary of the event from his father Chris:

James decided to go with the single speed rigid trike by Radio Flyer, which seemed like a good choice based on the conditions. In the trunk he stashed a baggy of Teddy Grahams and a Brett Favre figurine (he holds no grudges I guess).

Eat your heart out Leadville riders. It might be kinda early to say yet, but I think that Andy Schleck might need to keep an eye on this guy for the future. Stateside, JD, it looks like you and Luke need to start thinking about your training program.

Really, there's not much that can to make you remember the joy of being on a bike more than to see how a kid's eyes light up as he or she is rolling around on two (or three) wheels. With that in mind, remember that our partner Trips for Kids - Triangle has another "Take a Kid Mountain Biking" event coming up in October. Past iterations have been a great success, so contact them now if you'd like to be a part of things.

The event will be held in conjunction with the TORC Fat Tire Festival on October 3rd. Mark your calendars!

Bad news for The Shack

CyclingNews is reporting that George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer are in talks to form a BMC team. It looks like Team Shack (seriously, we need to get this name thing sorted out) won't be the American superpower for which many have hoped.

On the other hand, it does mean that there will be at least two and probably three teams with a strong American presence in the Tour next year, assuming things continue as planned. Of course, the chances of their not being major shakeups -- drug positives, injuries, retirements, or team spats -- between now and next July are slim to nil.