No reason, just thought I'd brighten my day with a look at my front wheel. It's just a track hub. It's attached to a wheel (also 'just a wheel') which fits into the front forks of my Colnago Saronni track bike. OK, they are Velocity Aerohead rims, I think, but you can't see 'em here.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
McQuaid on Armstrong's 'cleanliness'
Pat McQuaid may wish to revise his words, or not, if they are correctly reported: "He'll probably never shut up the no-gooders but it might give him the opportunity to prove he can do it clean."
To me that suggests that Lance hasn't yet proved "he can do it clean". I'll say no more!
To me that suggests that Lance hasn't yet proved "he can do it clean". I'll say no more!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Lance returns: do we care?
Well it will kick up some dust, sure. Lance Armstrong's comeback is in the grand US tradition of retiring at the top yet seeking another "final" blaze of glory. Indeed it can't be easy to step out of the limelight and start a "normal" life, if cancer-survivor LA's life could ever be called normal. So a comeback - a well-planned, targeted one at that - could give LA another shot at proving whatever it is he's trying to prove. His innocence, perhaps?
He says he's clean and I take him at his word. He says it's for cancer-fighting publicity, but there must be something in it for him as well. Assuming he does come back, whatever the reasons, does he link with the cleaned-up residue that is Astana, banned from Le Tour 2008? Or does he seek a pure, clean break with the past? I hope the latter - but suspect he'll fall in with the "trusted" old Bruyneel team, irrespective. I'd like to be proven wrong on that.
Lastly, if he does join Astana and they get a berth at Le Tour (no guarantees there but probable), will he be top dog? One assumes so, but will it be the case if Contador has an edge in week 3? Contador's still young, so I suspect he'll roll over easily, but it won't necessarily be easy for him, either.
He says he's clean and I take him at his word. He says it's for cancer-fighting publicity, but there must be something in it for him as well. Assuming he does come back, whatever the reasons, does he link with the cleaned-up residue that is Astana, banned from Le Tour 2008? Or does he seek a pure, clean break with the past? I hope the latter - but suspect he'll fall in with the "trusted" old Bruyneel team, irrespective. I'd like to be proven wrong on that.
Lastly, if he does join Astana and they get a berth at Le Tour (no guarantees there but probable), will he be top dog? One assumes so, but will it be the case if Contador has an edge in week 3? Contador's still young, so I suspect he'll roll over easily, but it won't necessarily be easy for him, either.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
One day I'll fold all of my bike sites into one location
Yes, one day. Maybe tomorrow.
Anyway, for those new to addicted2wheels.com here's a summary guide.....
Where you are now is my main focus - bikes, bike racing and physiological stuff. However you could click away madly and find....
Anyway, for those new to addicted2wheels.com here's a summary guide.....
Where you are now is my main focus - bikes, bike racing and physiological stuff. However you could click away madly and find....
- Bike racing for almost anyone, which is helpfully easy to understand and full of pics
- Dopage du Jour, my almost chronologically obsessive documentation of doping stuff
- Bike racing - the penultimate guide, for a homestyle pudding of info on my way of training and racing
- and my old, old stuff at gtveloce.com, including the gallery and my extensive collection of essays on racing and training.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Topeak JoeBlow 2
Well it was a great pump whilst it lasted. It seems to have some spring arrangement in the head that has failed... otherwise good, strong pump that could handle over 140psi... watch the snap-action clamping lever, though, it bites! (And the pin around which it rotates periodically works its way out, too.)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Mountain scenes to calm the nervous rider
Nothing quite like a mountain stage in a Grand Tour to calm a rider's nerves... if they are sitting at home watching it all on TV of course... these images are from some Le Tour 2006 pics taken by Brett Lyons. It's Col de la Croix de Fer.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Great work, CSC - maybe
A great stage? Maybe. Actually I don't particularly like to see days like this. It smells like bad sportsmanship, a bit like the old US Postal 'launch' move, but not as obvious. Here we see 3 CSC guys basically gang up (it's called 'teamwork', ha ha) on one isolated guy in yellow - a typical bully-boy gang thing to do. It's great that CSC has a strong team, and that they play to win. I'm sure they are all great guys, too. There's also no law against being good, or great, or working as a team. Indeed at this level of the sport collusion like this is accepted and indeed encouraged. I just don't like to see it.
Thankfully CSC individually are weaker in ITTs - which will even things out. And sure, it's all part of the game and gripping to watch - but I personally like to see a select group of individuals fight it out, man to man (or woman to woman or whatever you prefer). It's just a bit pathetic - akin to bullying - to see 3 guys - in this case Sastre and the Schleck brothers - take turns in attacking Evans (or whoever it may be tomorrow).
OTOH it was a joy to watch Menchov attack - and what a move it was! What a shame he took that slippery bend too quick - and too tightly - and ended on the deck. To my mind it's Menchov vs Evans in this race and only the unexpected or CSC can break it up. Rest day, then back to it.
Just my opinion.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Le Tour: efforts unrewarded - yet?
I had mixed feelings about a stiff and sore Evans hanging tough in what proved a punishing but not decisive stage 10. What were Riis and CSC on about? Yes, it was impressive teamwork. Yes, they have some amazing riders and at least 2 GC contenders, but what were they expecting? To drop everyone on the flat? Or was the plan simply to dislodge Cunego and Valverde on the first climb and then keep them behind? Was that the plan? To thin the field?
Or were they hoping to hurt an injured Evans? Or all of the above? It seemed that CSC were scheming and hammering to little effect, other than exhausting Voigt and Cancellara. Sure, they got close to launching someone, but it didn't really happen. We all knew that Sastre wasn't going to get away, surely? So was the real plan to boost Schleck up the leaderboard? At least they achieved that, if little else. A puzzled Menchov saw both sides: On the climb to Hautacam CSC went on the attack with Carlos Sastre and eventually got Fränk Schleck away. "It's a little bit strange [what CSC did]," Menchov said. "Well, it's not really strange since CSC had to try. In the end it worked out well for them."
Although the rest day will help them - and everyone - recover, in essence it was a big tactical and power display for small reward - with most of the racing still ahead. They have indeed removed some threats, but will the Sastre-Schleck 1-2 punch be enough when Ricco is sitting on, waiting to pounce?
Ahhhh, crystal ball time. One Pyrennean stage to go. Ricco grabs another win. Ricco edges closer on GC. Evans lets the golden fleece go, hoping to get it back in week 3. Schleck and Menchov battle it out in the Alps. Sastre tries to get away, but is marked. Ricco gets away, grabs more time. Indeed, bring on the Alps. And that delicious, long time trial..
Or were they hoping to hurt an injured Evans? Or all of the above? It seemed that CSC were scheming and hammering to little effect, other than exhausting Voigt and Cancellara. Sure, they got close to launching someone, but it didn't really happen. We all knew that Sastre wasn't going to get away, surely? So was the real plan to boost Schleck up the leaderboard? At least they achieved that, if little else. A puzzled Menchov saw both sides: On the climb to Hautacam CSC went on the attack with Carlos Sastre and eventually got Fränk Schleck away. "It's a little bit strange [what CSC did]," Menchov said. "Well, it's not really strange since CSC had to try. In the end it worked out well for them."
Although the rest day will help them - and everyone - recover, in essence it was a big tactical and power display for small reward - with most of the racing still ahead. They have indeed removed some threats, but will the Sastre-Schleck 1-2 punch be enough when Ricco is sitting on, waiting to pounce?
Ahhhh, crystal ball time. One Pyrennean stage to go. Ricco grabs another win. Ricco edges closer on GC. Evans lets the golden fleece go, hoping to get it back in week 3. Schleck and Menchov battle it out in the Alps. Sastre tries to get away, but is marked. Ricco gets away, grabs more time. Indeed, bring on the Alps. And that delicious, long time trial..
Monday, July 14, 2008
Le Tour turns on a crash?
I've had some "memory" pain in my right shoulder this Aussie Winter from a fall I had last year - which was on top of a much worse fall I had on the same shoulder in 1988... when I clipped the wheel of another rider who decided in an instant that the right side of the bunch was somehow better than the left. Of course I shouldn't have overlapped his wheel, but when you have momentum after coming off the slight rise and swooping right turn into Heffron Park's main straight you sometimes close up a bit as the lead riders hit the wind. So I was in the wrong place when that sudden move happened. I gather Cadel Evans faced a similar situation in yesterday's stage, unless the plastic bag in the front wheel story is actually true. Whatever caused it, Cadel will be stiff and sore in the next stage. It doesn't matter how tough you are, you still feel pain and lose some agility for a few days.
Valverde had his bad luck last week and has had time to recover. Evans may not be so lucky as he faces the Pyrennees and almost certain attacks. I won't blame him for cracking just a bit and losing time. It may be better than pushing too far and losing far more. He can afford to lose a minute or 2, but no more.
Meanwhile Ricco has lived up to expectations: Italy's Riccardo Riccò opened up the throttle to distance his rivals on the Tour de France's Col d'Aspin in a move similar to the late Marco Pantani to gain a solo win in Bagnères de Bigorre. The chase including classification favourites finished over a minute behind Riccò and included race leader Kim Kirchen (Team Columbia) and a bruised Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), who crashed on the decent of the Col de Peyresourde.
Oh how I wish he - or a clean Pantani - had been around when Lance was racing.
Valverde had his bad luck last week and has had time to recover. Evans may not be so lucky as he faces the Pyrennees and almost certain attacks. I won't blame him for cracking just a bit and losing time. It may be better than pushing too far and losing far more. He can afford to lose a minute or 2, but no more.
Meanwhile Ricco has lived up to expectations: Italy's Riccardo Riccò opened up the throttle to distance his rivals on the Tour de France's Col d'Aspin in a move similar to the late Marco Pantani to gain a solo win in Bagnères de Bigorre. The chase including classification favourites finished over a minute behind Riccò and included race leader Kim Kirchen (Team Columbia) and a bruised Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), who crashed on the decent of the Col de Peyresourde.
Oh how I wish he - or a clean Pantani - had been around when Lance was racing.
Friday, July 04, 2008
It's that time again
Everyone knows it's July, and July means Le Tour. And everyone who cares knows that Cadel Evans came 2nd last year, and as the winner isn't in the game this year that leaves Evans as the 'favourite'. However anyone who has ridden a bike for 3 consecutive weeks, no matter how far or how fast, knows that you can have one or 2 bad days at just the wrong time. You can catch a cold, or fall, or just get dropped and not get back. Although Armstrong made it look ridiculously easy to get 7 in a row, he did have bad days. He also had a great team and a great deal of luck, especially considering almost everyone he beat was doping. But it's not so simple any more. There are no dopes, hopefully, and no stand-outs either.
So after this 3-week-long lottery on wheels it could be Evans, or Valverde, or Menchov. Or we may get another Pereiro from out of the blue. Let's just hope we don't get a Landis, a Vinokourov or a Rasmussen.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Heart-rate monitors and servicing
On a more light-hearted note, kinda, my Polar M22 is getting on a bit. It's been great - just 3 batteries in 8 years, and one new strap. Thinking of which, pictured here is the transmitter strap in question.
It's younger than the M22 itself by about 5 years, nevertheless Polar want me to read the tiny date markings anyway. I'm pretty sure the M22 battery has carked it - it "rebooted" itself once and then simply went blank a week or so later. I have no problem with Polar's agent in Australia wanting this detail, it's more the pain I am going through in getting the info to them that annoys me.
They want me to print out a form that doesn't format in Firefox. Oh joy. I have to use Internet Explorer instead, but they didn't say that until I'd filled out the form already! How about a warning at the top of the form, rather than the bottom? What about online submission of the form? Anyone at Polar Australia (called Pursuit Performance, btw) heard of the 21st Century?
Worse still, the M22 is a "best effort" repair as it is no longer supported with new parts (as against batteries and parts still in stock). Great. I'm thinking there may be some alternative options in the cycling-specific heart rate monitor business after this little annoyance. Only problem is that the Polar agent does do a good job overall. Do I stick with the devil I know?
It's younger than the M22 itself by about 5 years, nevertheless Polar want me to read the tiny date markings anyway. I'm pretty sure the M22 battery has carked it - it "rebooted" itself once and then simply went blank a week or so later. I have no problem with Polar's agent in Australia wanting this detail, it's more the pain I am going through in getting the info to them that annoys me.
They want me to print out a form that doesn't format in Firefox. Oh joy. I have to use Internet Explorer instead, but they didn't say that until I'd filled out the form already! How about a warning at the top of the form, rather than the bottom? What about online submission of the form? Anyone at Polar Australia (called Pursuit Performance, btw) heard of the 21st Century?
Worse still, the M22 is a "best effort" repair as it is no longer supported with new parts (as against batteries and parts still in stock). Great. I'm thinking there may be some alternative options in the cycling-specific heart rate monitor business after this little annoyance. Only problem is that the Polar agent does do a good job overall. Do I stick with the devil I know?
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Interesting way of putting it...
I've got an existing, legally binding contract, yes. But I have received a better offer. What should I do?
(a) announce to all the world that I'm switching mid-season
(b) talk to my legal advisors first and stay quiet
(c) politely say thanks but no thanks, I have an existing contract.
I guess I would have a good think about it, since it is a great opportunity. In any case we have the answer right here: Gilmore learned that her contract with Menikini-Selle Italia would not allow the transfer, and she decided to remain with the Italian squad for the remainder of the season.
Contract is valid, team doesn't want to let me go. End of story, unless I want to break the contract...
(a) announce to all the world that I'm switching mid-season
(b) talk to my legal advisors first and stay quiet
(c) politely say thanks but no thanks, I have an existing contract.
I guess I would have a good think about it, since it is a great opportunity. In any case we have the answer right here: Gilmore learned that her contract with Menikini-Selle Italia would not allow the transfer, and she decided to remain with the Italian squad for the remainder of the season.
Contract is valid, team doesn't want to let me go. End of story, unless I want to break the contract...
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Don't we all know that feeling?
From CN, quoting Cancellara after his breakaway stage win in the Tour of Switzerland: "Kim Anderson was shouting to me that I had to keep going strong, to go for it, go for it, but in my head I was thinking, 'where is this finish line?' I knew that the sprinters behind me would accelerate to 70 kilometres per hour whereas me, on my bike computer, I wasn't even doing 60. So I was a bit scared and was wondering where the hell the finish was."
Don't we all know that feeling of impending capture? You've gone first a long way out and are just hoping the bunch doesn't catch you before the line. Except if it was me I'd be going well under 50kmh, it would be a crit and the bunch sprinters would be lucky to crack 60, if that. It still matters!
Don't we all know that feeling of impending capture? You've gone first a long way out and are just hoping the bunch doesn't catch you before the line. Except if it was me I'd be going well under 50kmh, it would be a crit and the bunch sprinters would be lucky to crack 60, if that. It still matters!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
2 wins in a row for McEwen
Well he knows how to win, and how to prepare to the level he needs. And he also has a bit of experience at 'doing it on his own'. But he has also had a few guys helping him these last few years - with spectacular launches like Steegman's 2 years ago and more recently a couple of Lotto guys who would expertly move him into the final corners first. But come July there will be no such help as protecting Evans will be task numero uno. McEwen will have to jump on someone's wheel and fight it out with the big trains, assuming the trains actually run this year (it will be a bit grim without Boonen and Petacchi). It may be the right year to be on your own in the sprint, actually.
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Boonen takes a break - yeah, right
Boy, was that short. OK, he claims his drink was spiked and it wasn't his fault - God knows I believe him, too - but at the 'I'm sorry' press conference last week, Boonen said that he would take 'a short break' from racing. Damned short, since he is starting in the Ster Elektrotoer today.I'm guessing won't try to bring any attention to himself by winning any stages...
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Monday, June 16, 2008
Valverde hard to crack
He alawys looked the goods, although suspicions have clouded his recent career. Now he has shown his 2008 form, who will be able to beat him to Paris? Evans will clearly try, and may have the edge in longer, flatter TTs, but he may not have the advantage elsewhere. Whilst Cadel has Popovych to help him in the mountains, Valverde also has Tour-winner Pereiro up his sleeve. It's looking like a real dogfight, once again. Throw in some rejuvenated Frenchmen like Dessel, plus almost anyone on teams CSC and High Road and it's looking good for a boilover in July. From CN: Overall winner Valverde reckons the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré is one of the best on the cycling calendar. "This is the most important victory of my career so far," said the Spaniard. "Because of the prestige of this race but also because of the time of the year when it's held. This week allowed me to judge the condition of my adversaries. I came with a good condition myself after the training camp we had in the Alps."
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Alan Peiper: interesting thoughts on form and fitness
Alan Peiper is a rough, tough Aussie battler from the old days. No easy path to the pro peleton for him. And he recently assessed Michael Rogers' form in the mountains..He noted that the glandular fever had passed and that he 'looks good', which is apparently what really matters. Well, we know what he meant - I think. From CN: "Michael has had a good progression," his Team High Road directeur sportif Allan Peiper said. "His first race back after so many different problems was the Tour of Catalunya last month. His weight is down. He looks good, that's the main thing. He came to a training camp in the Pyrénées for three days and he was riding his time trial bike in between the mountain sessions. Now we have to see his resistance and his recovery."
Weight down, looks good. Yep, that's what it takes.
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Tuesday, June 10, 2008
No way can I beat this guy, so I did anyway
Well so it seems. 'The Murcian appreciated the uphill terrain in Privas. "I'm a complete rider," he admitted. "But as a sprinter, on a flat road, there's no way I can beat riders like Hushovd. Today's sprint was a special one. I accelerated with power 300 meters before the line."'
Yeah, OK, Valverde's a bit of a sprinter, but to beat Hushovd? In a sprint? What's wrong with the world? Apparently the uphill finish did him in. So Hushovd is strictly a biggest-cog high-end speed on the flats kind of guy. Or - my personal preference - he just chose the wrong gear...
Yeah, OK, Valverde's a bit of a sprinter, but to beat Hushovd? In a sprint? What's wrong with the world? Apparently the uphill finish did him in. So Hushovd is strictly a biggest-cog high-end speed on the flats kind of guy. Or - my personal preference - he just chose the wrong gear...
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
3TTT seatpost failure
Doe sit look like a strange angle? It's a lightweight 3TTT seatpost that fitted into the slightly smaller than 'usual' diameter seat tube of my cabon-framed Look KG76. You can see that it has had fluting milled out and painted black. It and the Look frame (with Mavic ensemble) were sold new to me by Steve Hogg in 1990, so it was about 17 years old when it finally snapped, although it wasn't used for maybe 5 or those years and was never my only bike.
Did it look like it was about to fail? Nope, not at all. I looked and looked again several times at this very component and saw nothing untoward. Did it make any sounds or strange sensations? Well that's harder to answer... maybe. For perhaps 3 or 4 years the bike made a strange creak that seemed to come from the saddle, and the "fix" was to lower the saddle slightly. However I swapped saddles somewhat later and raised the seat height without inducing the creak. So I thought it was indeed saddle-related. Nevertheless it made me nervous and I feared that the carbon frame (with bonded aluminium lugs) was getting "flexy". So I examined it very carefully and could find no cracks or even a creak.
However 50 metres before it broke I felt that the saddle had swung very slightly to one side. Not an especially unusal event as the post can't be over-tightened without cracking the carbon tube. So I slowed to stop but had to get around a corner first... and it was in that corner (at about 25kmh) that 2 things happened. I leaned the bike at a small angle and I put weight on the saddle. (Bear in mind that 1km earlier I had descended at 50kmh and took a hard left hander - seated - at speed without drama.) Anyway, I think now that the crack was invisibly growing from the fluting and gradually circumnavigating the seat post. Only the merest connection remained when I entered that final corner, and I probably rose out of the saddle slightly and knocked the post out of alignment. When I sat down again the crack no longer aligned and simply collapsed under my weight. It took me by surprise and I ended up on the deck.
So the lesson is to expect the unexpected, look at everything for fatigue and don't push aluminium to destruction.. replace it early. And yes, I still use the KG76 today and the frame itself is fine. Touch wood (or carbon).
Did it look like it was about to fail? Nope, not at all. I looked and looked again several times at this very component and saw nothing untoward. Did it make any sounds or strange sensations? Well that's harder to answer... maybe. For perhaps 3 or 4 years the bike made a strange creak that seemed to come from the saddle, and the "fix" was to lower the saddle slightly. However I swapped saddles somewhat later and raised the seat height without inducing the creak. So I thought it was indeed saddle-related. Nevertheless it made me nervous and I feared that the carbon frame (with bonded aluminium lugs) was getting "flexy". So I examined it very carefully and could find no cracks or even a creak.
However 50 metres before it broke I felt that the saddle had swung very slightly to one side. Not an especially unusal event as the post can't be over-tightened without cracking the carbon tube. So I slowed to stop but had to get around a corner first... and it was in that corner (at about 25kmh) that 2 things happened. I leaned the bike at a small angle and I put weight on the saddle. (Bear in mind that 1km earlier I had descended at 50kmh and took a hard left hander - seated - at speed without drama.) Anyway, I think now that the crack was invisibly growing from the fluting and gradually circumnavigating the seat post. Only the merest connection remained when I entered that final corner, and I probably rose out of the saddle slightly and knocked the post out of alignment. When I sat down again the crack no longer aligned and simply collapsed under my weight. It took me by surprise and I ended up on the deck.
So the lesson is to expect the unexpected, look at everything for fatigue and don't push aluminium to destruction.. replace it early. And yes, I still use the KG76 today and the frame itself is fine. Touch wood (or carbon).
Monday, June 02, 2008
Giro 2008: A certain strangeness about it all
It's was a strange Giro. Beautiful, with punishing mountains and stirring breakaways. Simoni trying, endlessly, to recapture his youth. Ricco attempting again and again to stamp his name on the record books. Sella brilliant, suprising himself as well as us with multiple stages; and Di Luca's power slowly leaching away like a stain And then there's the overall winner: Contador. His 2nd Grand Tour win and possibly the most remarkable. Let's not forget that he had not trained for the distances involved in a 3-week Grand Tour, nor had he done the mountain repeats that would be "normal" training for the toughest stages. Instead he entered the race with an open mind and his body fresh. It wouldn't work for me, or for anyone I know, but it worked a treat for him. Of course he would have fancied his chances on some of the stages, just because he is at a decent professional level anyway; but to pull off the overall - against competition whose only goal in training has been this race is - indeed - remarkable. His physiology must be "perfect" for this style of race, and for the mountains themselves. Or the other riders are rubbish. I'll leave you to ponder how Contador has been able to achieve what seems to have been impossible for his teammates, Kloden (sick) and Leipheimer (still somewhere out there).
As Contador said himself: "I never could have imagined it – I was at home when the team called me...," Contador recalled of his entry into the race following Saturday's mountainous stage through the Alps. "The team wanted me to come here and I wasn't convinced that it was the right thing to do. ... Playing in the final to win it all – it's something that was unimaginable a month ago"
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