Mavic R-SYS Wheelset

Over the past few months Mavic has quietly introduced their newest wheel technology to the cycling world. Among the latest and greatest from the French company comes the R-SYS wheel set. A carbon/al-u-min-e-um dream team intended to relieve the aging Ksyrium from its duties atop the pre-built, hub/rim kingdom. Le Tour provided the most prominent display of the R-SYS wheels carrying Soler to a win in Stage 9. Soler opted for a Cosmic Carbone Ultimate on the rear and the R-SYS on the front. The R-SYS wheels have received rave reviews from PROs and journalists alike: accolades for their stiffness, comfort, and claimed 1355 gram weight. But is this wheel set the next generation wheel? Is this wheel technology vastly improved and in a world of desirable cycling goodies are they worthy of the top spot?

I have ridden every generation of the Ksyrium wheels, ranging from the all-black, first generation wheels in 2000 to the most recent, ode to the Helium, ES model. The Ksyrium is a staple in the pre-built wheel market and performs flawlessly for roadies and cross racers alike. The Ksyrium was the first wheel tough enough to provide large riders with a light, fast, durable wheel option. Mavic claims the Ksyrium range will shuffle in 2008, losing the top spot to the R-SYS. In 2000, when the Ksyrium was introduced, it was immediately evident that the wheel market as we knew it was about to change.

I thought it would be interesting to compare the R-SYS wheels to the Ksyrium SLs based on my ride experience alone. No weight comparisons, no technological marketing mumbo-jumbo, just wheel against wheel. After 200 miles on each, here are my thoughts:

The first thing I noticed about the R-SYS wheels were the aesthetics. I hated the look. Art commented that the R-SYS wheels look like wagon wheels and, honestly, I think that is the best description I’ve heard. The hubs are chiseled down to the absolute minimum (they barely cover the bearings and axle) and the hubs define the look of "2008," the “chiseled” look that both Mavic and Shimano have embraced. In 2005-06, this minima style was reserved for less expensive products from Mavic and I can’t help but initially view the hubs on the R-SYS as something reserved for the entry-level components. In time, I am sure that I’ll adjust to the new style and my aesthetic tastes will be re-programmed. But hey, I had a difficult time when the Oakley Factory Pilots disappeared. With the tiny hubs, the spokes look very long and their round profile is reminiscent of Udon noodles.

The nipples are similar to those used in the Ksyriums, although they are now in a lime (citron) color. The graphics are tough to read. After a long hard look, I was able to spot the R-SYS logos, which are created from a series of lines that look more like a DNA sequence than a rim graphic. (Honestly, if I stared at them for much longer, I was certain I would have seen a schooner.) The rim profile is low, like the newer style ES wheels, which I personally feel make the ESs slightly more compliant than the SLs. I am sure some testing equipment in France would say I am wrong, but my reviews are based on my perception in the real world and not statistical data or static load tests.

The rear wheel has a similarly minimal appearance and the rim profile matches the front. However, the non-drive side spokes are Zircal (aluminum) like the previous generation Ksyriums. The aluminum spokes allow for greater clearance on the drive side allowing the dish of the wheel to favor a stiffer build. The spokes are all black and this makes it hard to detect the difference in materials and spoke thickness.

As I installed the wheels into my bike, the initial ugliness dissolved and what revealed itself was a new and unique appearance to my bike. My standard SL3s are all silver and I preferred them when they were all black. Somehow the mix of black spokes with the silver rim added a dimension that all black simply can’t. When on the bike, the wheels look awesome!

So, how did they ride? Well, first let me say that I rode them back-to-back on the same bike with the same tubes/tires as my SL3s to try to minimize the differences between wheels sets. I tried to be as scientific as possible in a completely unscientific study. Here’s the scoop. They were marginally better than my SL3s. I was simply not floored by these wheels in the same way I was when I first switched from the Heliums to the Kysriums or from the SLs to the ESs. The R-SYSs feel laterally stiffer than the SLs and where I felt I could detect a discernable difference was in the lack of rear wheel wind-up that is so common in other wheels during a hard acceleration (a downside to the previous generation Ksyriums). When I threw the R-SYSs hard into a corner, the wheels tracked nicely, providing a stable feeling while cutting in at the last moment. Then again, I never felt the SL3s were short in this category. Additionally, I can't say the comfort was any less or more than with the SL3s. The Colnago is a great bike and comfort is one of its strong suits. I have yet to ride a wheel that the Colnago couldn't tame. In a group setting, where acceleration is key to closing gaps, both the SLs and the R-SYSs feel great and the difference is hardly detectable. In fact, it’s tough to justify the difference in price between these two wheel sets.

So, what would prompt me to buy the R-SYS wheels?

1. If weight were a major concern to me, they would be a great place to start. 1300 grams and change is light, especially for a wheel that rides like a wheel that is 200 grams heavier. The dollar to gram ratio favors the upgrade in wheels as opposed to spending it on boutique German components.

2. If I were searching for a light, tight set of clinchers to pimp, this would be it. They look cool and I am severely loyal to Mavic.

In my opinion, the R-SYS wheels are a tiny bit stiffer than previous Ksyriums. I think this wheel set differs most from the Ksyriums in appearance and less in ride characteristics. If you have a set of Ksyriums and you are thinking of upgrading, I would recommend investing in a bike fitting or a top level tune-up, one that replaces all your cables and housing and installs some PRO white tape. These areas will increase your speed, make your bike fun to ride, and pay dividends in other areas. If you are searching for some lightweight, bad-ass wheels the R-SYS and Ksyriums will both do the job very well.


Plus, you get one of the cleanest magnet arrangements out there.

PRO is PROGRAM GO!

Sleight of Hand

Things are pretty bad in the cycling world right now. Or are they? I am still not sure. What I am sure about is that all of my favorite riders from the 90s have either been implicated, convicted, or have confessed to using performance enhancing drugs. Should any of this come as a suprise? Not really. Cycling is either facing its inevitable demise or its finest hour.

The idea that a PRO can subject themselves to a three-week Grand Tour and expect to finish let alone win with only mineral water and a fig bar is the kind of story you tell your kids at bed time. The physical punishment these warriors endure is incomprehensible and there is no way a natural body can recover following the day-after-day abuse of a Grand Tour. Despite the overwhelming evidence of rampant drug abuse, I don't want to view cycling through a tainted lens of doping. That is to say, I know there is drug (ab)use and I've known there was ever since my interest in cycling began. I simply want to say, "not my kid". I guess I am in denial and this is the first step in recovery.

I stood in front of my cycling magazine collection today and 90% of the PRO cover faces are gone from the PRO world. BUSTED. See you in two years fellas - if at all.

In many ways, the PRO world is a suspension of disbelief. When I hear about the wattage a PRO produces or see them grit their teeth in the mountains, I wonder: how much of this performance is natural talent and how much of it is the 50,000 training KMs. And of course, how much of it is chemically-enhanced? The suspension of disbelief is much like a magic show.

Do I want to know how they saw the woman in half or how a magician can pour a pitcher of water into her hand and it disappears? No, I don't. And I don't think I would enjoy the magic act (or cycling for that matter) if they were simply doing things that I am perfectly capable of. Watch how Houdini packs his suitcase while blindfolded, see how I magically dip my frites in this mayo. That doesn't sound very entertaining. Baseball enjoyed a good run in early 2k when homeruns were commonplace at every game. Was that a result of steroid use? I must admit, it was cool to see highlights where balls rarely landed in the infield. Is the sport of cycling capable of retaining an audience and big dollar sponsors without the punishment of the grand tours and subsequent drug use?

What makes cycling so enthralling? The venues, the superhuman performances, or the suffering the riders endure? I see very little TV time dedicated to a Belgian Kermesse. Without a superhuman difference between athlete and spectator the allure begins to fade. And since the dawn of cycling, a superhuman difference required some type of enhancement.

So, what is to come? Where are we going and how much damage has cycling sustained? Is it repairable? And before we ask if it is repairable, maybe we should ask "can the sport return as its former self without performance enhancing drugs?"

And Stuff

Compliments of our pal ZD.

PRO is PROGRAM GO!

Now this is PRO.

PRO Defined

What's up with the word PRO? A noun, an adjective? Well, both actually. PRO is used to describe equipment, an attitude, a practice. It is a word that has many meanings and can be used interchangably. When I write the word, I use all caps to make it more pronounced, to give it more punch. But, in many ways, the use of caps helps to convey my love for things PRO and the use of caps gives the word some heart and soul. When I'm watching cycling, cruising a bike site, or reading a magazine and I come across something that is indicative of PRO racing, or the PRO culture, I say "that's so PRO. Or when it's really insanely PRO, I may say something like that's so f#@*ing PRO.

Well, I came across a site the other day that contained some images from Paris Roubaix that were simply too much, even for a seasoned PRO like myself. Paris Roubaix is always a great place to spy equipment and practices that are head and shoulders above the more routine races on the season's calendar. I think CSC is a team that's not afraid to bump it up a notch, evidenced by some of these shots. Check out how insane the 303s look when shod in the black and green Pave EVO CG tubular tires. I mean, come on that is about as PRO as it gets. And when you have a team car rooftop filled with these machines, my little brain begins to swirl and smoke under the stress of computing the total PRO-ness.


Check out this action, too: 180mm cranks? When I labored in the trenches and some 5'4" goof ball on a $300 road bike would drop in asking for a 58t chainring and 180mm cranks in order to tackle the local highway overpass we would laugh him outta the shop. But when I see a 180mm crank in the PRO ranks... well then, that my friend, is PRO, F'ing PRO to be exact.


PRO can be an attitude. Like when Jens Voight grits his teeth while pulling the entire break away or choosing to train in 38 degree rain. Racing anything for 24 hours is PRO, skipping desert for 6 months is PRO and so is a massage after a wicked hard weekend of racing. Drinking black coffee as opposed to a carmel, mocha, equalized, double tall frappa-whippeo is also PRO. So use the term freely as you will; make it your own, take PRO to the races, the group rides and airwaves.

Ronde Van Vlaanderen

Pocket Change

In the opening sequence of The Bones Brigade Video Show, Lance Mountain, rolls out of his house in the AM then rolls back home just before midnight; spending the entire day skating and relying only on his skateboard for transportation.

My buddy Matt and I always talk about how simple things used to be and how our bikes and riding were all that mattered. Despite growing up worlds apart, we have the same childhood memories. Our daily summer schedule was the same - wake up, eat breakfast, ride bike, eat lunch, ride bike more, then head home for dinner. All of this was always possible with mere pocket change. We both remember our bikes took us to places near and far. In those days, it was a BMX bike and there were no gears, rarely a flat tire, and the biggest mechanical problem was a loose headset that was easily repaired with the human vise grip, namely, your hand.

Over the years, although my bikes became more and more sophisticated (and expensive), I make it a point to return to the simple days. Now I do it on a 1968 Schwinn complete with fenders and steel rims. I run my errands on it, ride it in sandals and shorts (often no-handed), and I rarely lock it up. The freedom of this simple machine can be intoxicating, I even find myself blowing off my errands just to keep riding.

Hurray for the simple machine and the pleasure it brings!
Hurray for the car-free, hassle-free leisure of a bicycle!
Now, if I could just get by on my pocket change.

Wild Card

You've got to hand it to a team that arrives at Le Tour on a wild card entry and then goes on to put the smack down. Here's to the little team that could.

Photo Courtesy: Barloworld

Jitensha Studio

I have visited hundreds of bike shops around the country. No matter where my travels take me, the smells and sounds inherent to bike shops bring me a sense of home and comfort. I aim to visit shops that are doing something unique, something different than the others. Often, these shops are focused on an aspect of the cycling world that is dear to them, something driven by their passion. One such shop is Jitensha Studio, located in Berkeley, California. (Jitensha is bicycle in Japanese.) This past May, I made a point to visit this gem of a shop.

Jitensha is centered around the mantra that the bicycle and the products that surround it need be merely simple and functional. Jitensha offers custom steel, lugged frames designed specifically for a rider's needs, and have purposeful names such as the All Around and the All Purpose Bike. Owner Hiroshi Iimura designs each bike for a specific function or rider and relies on a highly selective list of frame builders to produce his frames.

Hiroshi has been designing bicycle frames for over thirty years and his style is one of simplicity and beauty. His designs are displayed throughout the shop and they invariably capture the essence of the bicycle, that is, each machine has clean lines, beautifully sculpted lugs, and is painted in crisp colors. The finished product is a purification─a reduction of the superfluous─and leaves only that which is neccessary for the task at hand. Hiroshi feels the lugs reflect the artistic nature of a bicycle frame and shuns the mass produciton of tig-welded frames.

My emotions are always stirred by this approach to the bicycle. In a world of over-engineered, over-hyped crap, Hiroshi's approach is warm and welcoming, a reminder of why the bicycle crosses cultures and needs no explanation or translation. I realize Hiroshi's creations are a world away from the high-tech machines ridden in the PRO Tour. however, I don't see these as two ends of the continuum, rather I look to both "worlds" often to find balance. Jitensha's approach is similar to that of Grant Peterson and rightfully so, Jitensha was Grant's local shop before and during the days of Bridgestone. Thus, it seems natural and safe to assume that Hiroshi's influence made its way to the bikes produced by Bridgestone.


In addition to offering frames and complete bikes, Jitensha also provides hand-selected components, such as Honjo-hammered fenders and a beautiful selection of Nitto products. Probably the most exciting element found in Jitensha is the departure from the standard bike shop. Hiroshi knows his products, understands his place in the bike world, and does it better than anyone else.

JITENSHA STUDIO
2250 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
510•540•6240
Winter Hours:
Tues - Sat: 11:00 - 5:00
www.jitensha.com

Jitensha was originally posted on 12-21-06.

SRM Telemetry

Real time data from SRM's wired riders.

1987 Tour de France - La Plagne

A Sunday in Hell

Pre-Race Medical Check

Excitement fills the air in late June as the "Tour Day France" rapidly approaches. The discussions begin to circle about each rider's fitness: who will be strong enough over the first three weeks in July to take the coveted crown? I especially enjoy the discussions about who can excel in the mountains and against a clock. (As if the fomula is that simple.) With the exception of some PROs, most arrive at the Tour in peak condition. My buddy ZD and I always get a kick out of the pre-tour medical checks. Each PRO is carefully examined to insure proper health and and the "fitness" to tackle the weeks ahead. This pre-tour ritual is akin to a boxer's weigh-in before a bout. Publicly, the rider is evaluated under the media's watchful eye. I have to wonder how this plays to a rider's advantage. In year's past, this was really the first opportunity to see if Jan has been able to arrive at the Tour ready for three weeks of battle or if it will take Weeks 1 and 2 to get into form.

The best part about this pre-Tour ritual is the form these athletes show. As they lie on the doctor's table with their heart rates in the 30s, they look part Frankenstein, part Ivan Draggo, and part machine. I am almost waiting for someone in a lab coat to proclaim "It is alive!"

PRO cyclists have such an odd build: concave chests, chicken arms, and enormous legs. Covering these features is a thin layer of skin and almost zero fat. Then there's the tan lines that are literally branded on their skin. PROs are an interesting breed, in any other capacity, these individuals look sick and emaciated. Just think back to Rasmussen in the 2005 Tour.

The Pre-Race Medical Check was originally posted on February 13, 2007

Photo courtesy cyclingnews.com

Discovery Goes Green

PRO is PROGRAM GO!

Podium wear

1989 Paris Roubaix

The Lance Feeling

Among the annals of cycling, few cyclists have talked about the experience of being a professional cyclist with the level of detail and intimacy of experience as expressed by Lance Armstrong. For a guy so known for his taciturn intense nature, he seems an unlikely source for insight into what it means to devote your life to bicycle racing. His press conferences are famously brief. His interviews were timed even before he won his first Tour.

And yet, there among the pages of It’s Not About the Bike, and Every Second Counts are details fine as grains of sand. The miracle is his unembellished objectivity. Losing weight means suffering. For all the world, losing weight is this great mystery, a riddle even the Sphinx cannot answer. In the media Jane Q. Smith tells the reporter how she tried every diet, every new system, every drug and all to no effect. What you never hear the unsuccessful admit was that hunger gnaws at you like a guilty conscience.

Lance was one of us. Post-cancer, he was a bit of slacker. Beer and golf aren’t really the training regimen of a PRO cyclist. He made the choices that any of us might make on a Saturday afternoon. But then he got serious.

There is no way to sugarcoat what he did year after year. He lost weight because he ate fewer calories than he burned. He operated like our government—at a deficit. He’d come back from a training ride and skip lunch. As he said, “I was hungry all the time.”

At first, that sensation is disconcerting. Your body says, “Something’s wrong. We need calories.” You have difficulty concentrating. But after a few days, there is a familiarity; the diet is just part of the routine. And then the scale starts to drift.

Lance embraced that feeling and made it just another form of suffering no different from lactic acid. He spoke of a “sweet pain” that comes with fitness. Weight loss was just a mundane task to be ticked off like taking out the trash. Just one more “to-do” before winning the world’s greatest bike race.

It’s that time. For all those with mid-summer ambitions, this is the time for the sacrifice: small meals, no snacks, skipped desserts, refused beers. Less you is PRO. We know the secret; it’s as simple as suffering. This is the time for the feeling.

Padraig is feeling the pain as he walks the razor in preparation for some huge mid-season events. Padraig found the strength between hunger pangs to share his thoughts and compile this report.

The Ego

In the mid 90s, while working in a bike shop in Southern California, I had one of the funniest bike shop moments of my 20+ years in the industry.

It was a Monday and things were quiet. The staff is down to three: myself, a sales guy, and a mechanic. A customer came in whom I recognized from the past weekend. He had been in on Saturday and talked at length with one of the sales guys about a sweet Trek 5200. Today, he was prepared to test ride the bike he was after. After some small talk and and a change of clothes he realized he had forgotten his license. Test ride policy clearly stated that a license was a must and there was no way around this. Well, the sales guy working that day was also a roadie and a bit of a hammer so he thought it would be fun to tag along with the customer to talk with him about the bike, answer questions, and, ultimately, sneak in a ride on the clock.

In a short time, both riders were suited up and ready to go...it was time for a test ride. It was just before 11:00 AM when they rolled out of the shop. At 1:30 PM, our ego-maniac, hammer, sales guy came riding back into the shop, alone and looking troubled. The test rider and the new Trek 5200 were gone.

Dejected, sweaty, and embarrassed, our sales guy went on to tell us the story: They had ridden into some of the smaller hills just outside of town. There, the customer was doing some hill repeats to get an idea of how the bike would climb. First in the saddle, then out. Now our sales guy was quite the racer, fast and aggressive when on the bike, and fiercely competitive and after a few climbs, got in on the action, first keeping pace with the customer, then pushing it a bit, and eventually trying to out sprint the customer. Somewhere between the bottom and the top of the climb and probably just below our sales guy's lactic threshold the customer (and the 5200) had simply hung a left and disappeared. Our sales guy had spent the remaining time speeding around the area, up hills and down hills. Everywhere. There was no sign of the 5200 (or the customer). Evidently, Mr. Sales' ego had taken over, taking with it an expensive machine.

Who knew if the customer had originally set out to steal the bike or if the opportunity was simply to great to pass up. Either way, to me, it was so damn funny. Even though his ego got the best of him in this situation, he certainly wasn't an accomplice to the theft, and he was really sorry, and really embarrassed. The shop felt the cost of the bike was certainly worth the rights to tell the story repeatedly, and to never let him live this one down.

Live like a PRO

Remember when the French press began their whole "anti-Armstrong" campaign, insinuating that LA cheated in order to win the Tour? Lance and company fired back at critics with this simple and effective piece emphasizing Lance's dedication to training and preparation.

The message extends beyond Lance to other cyclists who take their sport seriously. I am too old to dream of turning PRO, however, I continue to take my riding seriously. I am careful of the types and quantities of foods I eat, I monitor how much sleep I get, I listen to my body, and I focus on my machine and the equipment I choose. I make sacrifices in life to get the most out of my body. I enjoy reading about the lives of the PROs and I look to them for training methods and practices that I believe make me a better cyclist. This is why I am drawn to insight about teams and their preparation and the reason I seek out information written by the mechanics, DS, coaches, and the doctors who care for the riders. The PRO cycling world is out on the front lines testing and refining methods. Teams are broadcasting much of this information for us to receive, analyze, and implement.

Cycling is one of the few sports where, as a fan, you can be as close to the PROs as possible. A cyclist can watch a race and relate to the pain felt and understand the effort put in during training and the sacrifices made during the season. I have no idea what it's like to get hit by a 181 kg linebacker or to travel at 560 kph in a drag car, but I do know what it feels like to run empty during a long ride, or to suffer during a 40-minute climb. I have seen 205 flash on my heart rate monitor while bridging a gap or while trying to hang on the wheel of the local TT king. So, whether you are screaming in a PRO's face on Alpe D'Huez or riding the exact same bike as your favorite rider, cycling is a sport that allows the fan an up-close and hands-on experience.

The parallels between the average (serious) cyclists and the PROs allow us to have an understanding of what is required to compete at a high level and gives us the ability to truly be in awe of these great athletes.

Live like a PRO was originally posted on 12-30-06

1996 La Flèche Wallonne

The Frame Pump

The frame pump is a thing of the past. Like a pay phone, the frame pump has been replaced by a smaller, lighter, and more convenient technology. Over the past 10 years, mobile phones have become the standard and so have the lovely, petite, CO2 cartridges. CO2s make the art of a flat change a more rapid and efficient process, getting a ride back on the road in seconds, and without the elbow and shoulder stiffness of yesterday. The frame pump was genius. It passed through many iterations: from a device capable of only low pressures and one's defense against the occasional country dog to a high-tech device that is smaller, lighter and capable of pressures above 120 psi. But like the pay phone, today the frame pump is only great in a pinch. This weekend, perfect in its execution, the frame pump was my savior. I own a black Silca frame pump with a Campy head. This trusty frame pump has aided me in several jams. At the time of its retirement I had perfected the art of the quick flat change complete with 110 psi. I had even requested a pump peg on my then new, custom steel frame to accommodate my trusty mate.

Traditionally, the frame was the mounting location for the "frame" pump. Seat tube, top tube and even tucked in behind the seat stay. I thought I had seen them all. In 1999, one hot summer morning, a long-time friend rolled up on the ride start presenting a very curious mounting location for his frame pump. In all the years of cyclists coming and going, dropping off their bikes for service, me selling pumps and even riding with frame pumps, I had never seen this frame pump trick. In my mind, I could not define what I was seeing. What is that?

Then, before he could respond, I realized I was seeing something completely new:


I was in awe. The frame pump had been a staple of the cycling world for so long that it seemed a stretch that I would see it carried in a new manner. After I took in the peculiar placement of the pump, I took to figuring out how this placement would not cause any functional issues, first confirming that turning the bars would not interfere with the pump or cables.



This weekend on my ride, I placed the frame pump in the QR/bar position. Oddly, it seems that my streak of flats ended this weekend with the implementation of my trusty frame pump. Is there a rule that when the monetary value of a flat drops so does their frequency? With the frame pump I eliminate the cost of a CO2. Later this week, I plan to replace my wasted CO2s and eventually go back to using them as my primary source for on-the-road flat repairs. But for now, I am enjoying carrying my frame pump and sporting in it as an ode to my old friend who taught me this unique style.

PRO is PROGRAM GO!

Summer


Winter

Colnago Production

Tubular Tires

The tubular tire is a thing of absolute beauty. It's as traditional and steeped in lore as the drop handlebar itself. It was the tubular tire that carried many of the sport's greatest PROs of yesterday to victory and it continues to be the choice of PROs today.

The PROs continue to use tubulars for both the ride and the security they offer. A puncture at speed becomes less of a hazard since the tire is glued to the rim. For those of us who are not part of the PRO Tour, tubulars work well as a race tire and are a special treat for all those hours of training. The feel and speed of a tubular becomes a boost on race day, providing a welcomed alternative to your training wheels.

The clincher tire has been revolutionized in the last 10 years and it rides wonderfully. But there's something magical about a tubular. I rock the tubulars in the warmer months; after the roads have been washed clean by the spring rains and most of winter's damage has been repaired. I have ridden tubs from the beginning of my love affair with the road and, over the years, I've developed a few tubular guidelines.

Never ride tubulars immediately following a rain - Following even a light rain, the small and sharp debris will be washed from their hiding places in the crags of the road and deposit themselves (usually sharp side up) on its surface. Riding tubulars immediately after a rain all but guarantees a flat. After a rain, opt for the clinchers and do your wallet a favor.

PRO shops will stretch their inventory - The pre-stretch helps with installation and the aging will give the tires a more supple ride. When in doubt, smell the tire. If the rubber remains pungent, wait to use. Do it right, do it like Julian. If your local shop does not partake in the stretch, purchase your tubulars in bulk (four at a time) in the off season and pre-stretch the tires on some old tubular rims away from direct sun and in the cool damp confines of your basement. (Store them right next to your finest wines and your award-winning truffles.) There is some debate over the aging of the tubulars: Julian favors the aging of the tire while Jobst Brandt says this is hogwash. I learned that the ride of the tire is more supple as it ages; however, there's a limit. Age the tire too much and you'll end up with a brittle hoop of garden hose.

Glue them properly - This is always a tough subject and there are many ways to stick a tire on a rim, like glue tape, 3M™ Fast Tack, and trim adhesive. I've always been of the mind to use genuine tubular glue and follow the gluing techniques I learned a long time ago. If you have any doubt in your ability or your knowledge, seek professional help. Screaming into turn four of your local crit is the wrong time to learn that your glue job was sub par. Take it to the local PRO shop and let them work their magic. The confidence you gain will be worth the $30-$45 bucks they charge you to glue some tires. And you won't have to worry about gluing yourself to your couch, your truing stand, or your rear wheel.

Securing the valve - If you are riding a deep section wheel, make sure to test your valve extentions prior to gluing your tire. Discovering a leak at the valve after gluing will be a messy, time-consuming error, and one that can be easily avoided.

Carry a spare - Naturally, you're going to be one of a few cyclists, if not the only one, on a ride with a tubular so it's your responsibility to bring a spare. Again, if you're riding deep section wheels, attach a valve extender to your spare and roll up the spare tightly so that it doesn't monopolize the storage space in your jersey. Another option is the under seat tubular bag. "They're boxy, but they're good."

Brush and glue - Glass and debris on the road are your biggest hazards. Given that a flat with tubs is a high stakes repair, watch for glass and brush your tires after riding through broken glass because this will help remove the sharp pieces before they have a chance to burrow into the latex tube. Check your tires for cuts and holes and apply a touch of super glue to any breaks in the rubber. This will help keep debris from making its way into the tube via the existing holes.

Experiment with pressure - The tubular tire delivers the smoothest, dream-like ride, capable of riding at a lower pressure without risk of a pinch flat and they're comfy, even with 140 psi. However, the extent of a tubular's benefits are not properly realized without the correct pressure. Use a good pump with a good gauge and experiment with the pressure that gives you the best combination of comfort and performance.

Tubulars remain on the fringe of cycling, reserved for those who prefer the ride and performance, appreciate the history, or are willing endure the additional labor of love. Flatting a tubular is a pain in the ass for everyone involved, but with the tips above I've been able to manage the task. Thus far, this season, I've done my best to ride my Carbones as often as possible. I've flatted three times this season and the cost for replacing a tire is damn expensive, but the ride is amazing and there is no sound like that of a hard, out-of-the-saddle acceleration while riding atop a tubular tire.

Sportsbalm #3 Warm-Up, Cajaputi Oil

The summer temperatures are in full swing and with them come white handle bar tape, white socks and, of course, a lighter, gentler embrocation. My first choice for the summer months comes from Sportsbalm: #3 Cajeputi Oil, a product that Sportsbalm claims is ideal for temps in the 23ºC - 30ºC range.

Sportsbalm has been a fixture in the PRO peloton for many seasons and was the embrocation of choice by Lance and the U.S. Postal team. If it's good enough for the boys in blue, then it's certainly good enough for me. SportsbalmUSA.com provides an excellent product breakdown, and outlines the benefits of each one. The Web site claims Cajeputi Oil is preparation oil, perfectly suited for application prior to race time. The #3 is formulated using two ingredients: vegetable oil and Cajeputi Oil. Both reduce the risk of cramping and keep the muscles supple and well fed.

Today's conditions: Sunny, mild at sign-in, 20ºC, no wind, expected high of 26ºC

So, how does the Cajeputi Oil perform? This stuff is the shiniest embrocation I have ever used. And let's face it, the shine is PRO. The Cajeputi Oil begs to be applied heavily because the oil is so thin it literally leaps out of the container (and with the squeeze bottle there's no way it's going back in once it is out). The vegetable oil base means that applying too much #3 will give your legs the flypaper effect. (Who knew there was so much debris at shin level?) The smell is light and a touch on the medicinal side, but it's a subtle effervescence and you need to be up-close to really smell it. As a side note, if you're looking for the warmth so common in embrocations, then I would suggest bumping up to Sportbalm's Start Oil.

In sum, if you like to sport the embrocation on every ride, then the Sportsbalm #3 Cajeputi Oil is the perfect choice for the warmer months when a standard embrocation is simply too hot.

Overall Heat Rating - Low to non-existent
Euro-Style Rating - Insanely high, mirror-quality sheen
Smell - Light and sweet, PRO
Durability - Extremely high (despite its thin base, this stuff goes on and stays on through sweat, rain, and extremely humid conditions. If you are not careful you will be rocking the flypaper style.)

Now...I saved the best for last. As a cyclist, I am a huge fan of equipment and equipment to help care for my equipment. I love Giro's helmet pod and a great gear bag that separates my dirty gear from clean, and I am a total sucker for a bag designed to carry my embrocations. Does it get any better? Make certain that when you buy the works from Sportsbalm, you order yourself one of the Sportsbalm logo bags so you, too, can rock the PRO Soigneur style.

PRO is PROGRAM GO!

The Cupertino bus is a fixture in the Northern California cycling scene. So much in fact that it appears on Google Earth when you type in Cupertino's address.

Cupertino Bike Shop

Lance Armstrong Alpe D'Huez 2001

Just Like Old Times

Stage 16 of the 2007 Giro had all the emotional grittiness of an epic mountain stage, but at the same time, it wasn't the pain, the cold, or even the elevation gain that caught my eye. Instead it was the photos posted at cyclingnews.com.

In the summer of 1997, the pages of Cycle Sport were filled with beautiful images from the Grand Tours, highlighting all of the season's racing action. It was the first year that I began to devour every photo and piece of text I could get my hands on, and there were some impressive riders in the peloton (doped or not). The photos seemed to come alive: the riders were three dimensional, tan, covered in sweat, blood, and pain as they fought their way to victory. Instead of wide shots with multiple riders, there were more close-ups and photos that featured one rider exposing all of the great detail. There was also a yellowish hue to the photos, especially the shots taken in the extreme peak summer heat. Maybe the difference is digital vs film and magazine vs web. But today's Cycle Sport photos mimic those of the Web (often when my Cycle Sport subscription arrives I have already seen the images online).

This past Tuesday's stage coverage of the Giro was a throwback to the great photography I used to see. Even though the imagery lacked the yellowish hue of the old days, the photos of Garzelli leaped off the screen, in the same way the images of old did. Garzelli rode like a true champion, and his battle for the stage win was captured in a simple, beautiful way. There were the wide-angled vantage points that captured the pain of the chasing groups, but there were also beautiful shots of Garzelli alone, up-close and in great detail, the weather and terrain provided the idyllic backdrop to give the images depth and dynamism, complete with the omnipresent texture and grittiness that makes for an epic stage.

For a moment, it was easy to look past the scandal that plagued the month of May, and come face-to-face with the pure essence that draws all of us into this sport we love.

Home and Away

In the eighties, when plain black shorts were set aside for the newer, more radical black shorts with logos, the PRO peloton had taken a step up, raising the level of their game. Fast forward twenty five years and the game is completely off the hook! Jokingly, my friends and I would see the PROs of the nineties and early 2k and comment on how insanely PRO the red or white short is. Then, we would instantly dismiss the notion of wearing them ourselves. In the world of the local criterium or group ride, a rider had better be f#*king fast in order to wear them.

Cycling kits have evolved and morphed despite the canvas remaining unchanged. A jersey and shorts are all that teams, clubs, and shops have to work with, and even with the static nature of cycling clothing, they manage to re-invent cycling gear every season to give the sport a new look. To the untrained eye, it's the same tight-fitting, bright-colored clothing, but to the cyclist the subtleties are evident. Take for example the Tour: it used to be that the Tour leader wore the yellow jersey in place of their team jersey. The team's graphics were stuck on the front, the remainder of the PRO's kit was standard issue. Today everything is yellow, right up to the glasses; the leader of the Tour looks like he rode straight off the pages of a Dick Tracy comic.

Modern cycling kits make no apologies and takes no prisoners. Teams, clubs, and shops have all begun embrace the use of white or red in shorts, rewriting the unwritten rules of the past. Red and White are no longer limited to just the big boys. Back in the day, if I were to show up on a group ride dressed completely in red and failed to do anything other than drop the entire group I would be laughed at. I remember lusting for a pair of red Castelli yPRO3 shorts and thinking, If I were only fast enough to sport those.

I am all for the use of red and white in the shorts, and we have waited too long to bring them into the mainstream. I have a pair of white Assos shorts that I keep in reserve for those special days and it's always a treat to break 'em out. With the red and white hurdle cleared, I guess it's only a matter of time and budget before cycling clubs/teams develop both a "Home" and "Away" kit. Now that will be PRO!

Bicycle PRO Shop

When I travel to Washington, D.C., one of my favorite places is the Bicycle PRO Shop located at the foot of the Key Bridge in the heart of Georgetown. Besides being permeated by the government, D.C. is also home to a very hardcore road and messenger scene. A walk through DuPont Circle will yield a mass of amazing fixed gear machines, some Mad Max in style and others look like they have rolled out of a velodrome. Road cyclists are everywhere, mostly making their way out of town to hit some of the sweet rollers in Virginia and Maryland.

When you step foot into the Bicycle PRO Shop (BPS), you are blown away by the sheer amount of cool Euro gear. When visiting BPS, I advise beginning with a visit to Dean and Deluca, which is just up the street, for an espresso or coffee of the day. With cup in hand and the sweet taste of the bean, you can truly take the time needed to wade through all the eye candy. As you pass through the door, first stop is the showcase to the right. Inside you'll find relics from a simpler time, some cool, old Campy gear, and perhaps an odd French headset or BB. Littered about in the same case are all of the high-zoot, Gucci tweaks that you may have heard about but never thought you would see in-person: from a full ti cassette from a small Italian manufacturer to an all-carbon rear deraileur. Clearly, you can see that somebody has a passion for all things road and isn't afraid to offer customers products to make their machines unique.


Meander further into the shop and you'll find a selection of tires that would make any hard core cyclists drool (and I ain't talking about 50 pairs of Michelin PRO Race tires either). The selection is vast and BPS has a tire to fit your individual needs. Vittoria EVO Pave CG anyone? It was here that I first saw the original Campagnolo Carbon crank of 2002. You may remember the hype that accompanied this crankset: Campagnolo had machined down their existing Al crank and then applied a layer of carbon fiber to increase rigidity and decrease weight. The result is a crankset limited in numbers and completely handmade in Italy. The cost: well above retail ($1,000 was most common) and they were impossible to get a hold of. During that visit I saw not one, not two, but three pairs, a remarkable feat for any shop!

In addition to the amazing road bikes, BPS also dabbles in the sweet MTBs. Full-suspension or hard tails, you decide. At the time of my last visit, the selection of Santa Cruz bikes was second to none. With a look into the crevacies, the shop always yields a gem or two. In 2003, well before the recent interest in cross, a gander toward the ceiling at the front corner of the shop uncovered an amazing ALAN cross frame. As a side note, the staff at the shop are always welcoming and knowledgeable about the products.


A unique aspect of the BPS is the bike shop located next door. Yes, you read that right, one door down is home to Revolution Cycles, a rapidly expanding chain of Trek dealerships in the D.C. area. Revolution came about when, back in the late 90s, a few of the BPS employees decided to strike out on their own and open a shop. Whether it was their love for the neighborhood or habit, they decided to open it directly next door. A gutsy move if you ask me but also a testiment to the size of the cycling community in the area. Both shops seem to be doing well. My photos from Bicycle PRO Shop may be a bit dated but they convey the seriousness of the shop as well as just how much sweet gear is packed in this place (literally from floor to ceiling).


When in D.C., be sure to drop by and visit Coppi's, a wonderful organic restaurant, named after the one and only.

Photo courtesy: Bicycle PRO Shop

Bicycle PRO Shop
3403 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-337-0311
www.bicycleproshop.com

Catching the Criminals

At the Landis hearings the testimonies by Drs. Don Catlin, John Amory and Wolfram Meier-Augenstein add up in a surprising way. It never seemed possible—let alone likely—that the average public would follow the science involved in the IRMS testing, but the transcripts are comprehensible. Near real-time access to the proceedings has been possible thanks to Trust But Verify. Surprisingly, Catlin, Amory and Meier-Augenstein were able to paint a coherent picture of issues that seem to give any reasonable person pause to consider the contents of Mr. Landis’ urine last July.

Catlin has essentially testified that to be a WADA-accredited lab, one of the most important responsibilities a lab shoulders is not bearing witness against another lab. The distinction is significant in that it defines a lab’s duty not as fact-finding instrument but enforcement apparatus.

Amory provided testimony on the only peer-reviewed study of testosterone gel use as a recovery aid. This is exactly what WADA alleges Landis did. The study says it doesn’t work. Now, athletes have been known to be terminally stupid, stupid enough to believe that old wives’ tales will make them invincible. Considering that it is possible that Landis could, unfortunately, be that stupid (witness his dealings with one Will Geoghegan), Amory went on to testify that Landis’ test profile didn’t fit any known profile of metabolized testosterone gel. Put another way Amory said, “Eating a truckload of oranges won’t make you faster, but if you try it anyway, your urine will come out orange and as we can see, Mr. Landis’ urine is still clear.”

And flown in from Ireland, Meier-Augenstein told us in terms accurate to a thousandth of an inch close is good in horseshoes and hand grenades but the margin of error in the LNDD work was too great to consider positive. This is like dropping a bomb in Iran. It’s close to Iraq, and shares 75% of the spelling, right down to the order of the first three letters; could the difference between “Q” and “N” really be that big a deal? Only if you want to avoid an international incident. Oops.

Occasionally, an accused athlete will cry out that he or she is the subject of a conspiracy. Judging from the LNDD records, the work seems too shoddy to meet the standard for deliberate. So that brings up the question: Could it be WADA believes it must not only not lose any case it prosecutes, but it must also get results? Could it be that Pound, Tygart and company believe the organization must have periodic prosecutions no matter how tenuous the data? This smacks of the often-rumored scene in which Dick Cheney screams at the CIA: “Find me some damn WMDs!”

Catlin’s testimony is the most disturbing of the bunch. Testimony concerning the WADA laboratory code of ethics that Catlin drafted—but was changed by someone else—shows that labs are not to testify against other labs. WADA strategy is to circle the wagons first and foremost. In other words, prosecution trumps truth. What is shocking is that finding the truth is not a priority. Implicitly, the mission is to get positive tests and then to do anything necessary to support the result, rather than make sure the result is accurate.

Whether or not Landis doped, the system exposed in the course of these proceedings should not be tolerated. It is not based on a presumption of innocence nor does it place a supreme value on fact. American tax dollars should not fund this operation. It seems likely now Landis didn’t dope and WADA and USADA are colluding to cover the incompetence of the lab with an organizational structure designed not to protect the sport but to legitimize careless lab work as irrefutable proof. USADA is funded by Congress. If you vote, you get say in whether or not these practices continue. By writing your Congressman, you might help save cycling from a fate worse than doping.

This entry was written out of love, frustration and a desire to see some clean, healthy competition in the PRO peloton. Thanks to Padraig for this great contribution.

Paris Roubaix 1985 Finish

Bikes You're Sure to Like

Cycling as a lifestyle. That's how Bridgestone presented their bikes to the U.S. market. I heard it loud and clear. Pineapple Bob (pictured below) was the first cyclist in print to whom I could relate. He was just a guy, who rode his bike and happened to be featured in ads for a cool bike company. No endorsements, no multi-year, multi-million dollar racing sponsorship. Bridgestone was good like that because they featured real cyclists. Some I even knew: I recall one Bridgestone catalogue featured none other than our regional Bridgestone sales rep.


To this day, Pineapple Bob still represents the simple things in life: Shorts at work, wool jerseys, a functional bicycle, and a low maintenance haircut. Simple. I've never met Bob and I don't know if any of these attributes are even accurate as they relate to Bob (except maybe the haircut), but the image of Bob represents how I've always wanted to live my life. A lifestyle compass, if you will.

The bicycle industry at a retail level is filled with people who have put their passions and love before wealth. Let's face it: if your goal is to make serious cake, the bike industry in any form is not the place to be. There is an old saying among the heads of state: If you want to make a million dollars in the bicycle industry, start with two. Since I started writing this blog, I have tried to capture the look-and-feel of the bicycle shop as I see it through my experience and years of service. My perspective may be different than some because I literally grew up in a bicycle shop where my earliest kid memories involve bicycles and the feel and smell of it all. I can recall decades of bike shop employees, mechanics, part-time sales people, gophers as we used to affectionately refer to them, customers, both good and bad, and bicycle-related products (also, both good and bad).


Look at this cover from the 1994 Bridgestone catalog, specifically at Pineapple Bob, the wooden bench, and the specialty tools hanging in the background. This image captures the very essence of the bike shop and the people who make the retail world go 'round. When I see this image I can't help but think about the old days and pure enjoyment I would receive from simply arriving to face a day in the shop. Pineapple Bob has always been a reminder of my life direction and mantra. When I see Bob's image in any capacity I am reminded to keep it simple, keep it real, and keep it focused on my passion for cycling.

Below is an old piece called "Moustaches and Pineapples: Bridgestone's Grant Petersen Speaks Out" by Chris Kostman, which originally appeared in California Bicyclist in August 1992. This interview provides insight into Pineapple Bob's life and how his image became an icon for Bridgestone, and for me.

CK- Tell us about Pineapple Bob.

GP- In 1985 we had an advertising agency doing our ads and I didn't think they were doing a very good job of selling the bikes, so I and a few other people expressed our dissatisfaction with the ads. So the president at the time said "Do you think you could do any better?" I said "yeah" and he said "O.K., you be our advertising agency. So we needed a model and everyone looks fatter in pictures, so you need someone with just phenomenal legs for them to even look normal. Well, Robert has the best legs around and he looks like a six-day rider in Europe or something. His legs are just amazing and you start with something good like that and you've got the leg thing covered, anyway. He's also a good rider, he's easy to work with and he's a friendly guy that I get along with personally, too. He's a good friend, so we just use him for our ads.

CK- How did you know him and how did he get his name?

GP- I didn't know him then. We hung around the same bike shop, Hiroshi's Jitensha Studio in Berkeley, and I sort of made the connection there. Hiroshi's daughter, Natsumi, named him Pineapple Bob because there were two or three other Bobs that hung around the bike shop. Robert grew up in Hawaii and his hair shoots our like a pineapple so she called him Pineapple Bob just to differentiate him from the other Bobs. By the way, I don't call him Pineapple Bob. Mostly his friends call him Robert. I'd only call him Pineapple Bob if I were joking around. By the way, don't go a whole lot into this in your article, because we like to keep him a mystery and anonymous. He's going to be in a video that we're doing, but he's not going to have a speaking role.

Assos ClimaJet

I quote SETH when I say, I think I may have stumbled upon the Taj Mahal of cycling pieces: the Assos ClimaJet rain cape. Great cycling clothing is measured by the comfort it delivers in uncomfortable circumstances and the Assos ClimaJet delivers in wind and rain, and even when the temp falls into that ambiguous range between layers.

The Assos Service Life
Like you, my cycling wardrobe consists of my regular pieces and then my collectables. My collectables go back as far as 50 years but they only see the light of day when I am moving or re-organizing. My regular pieces, however, see duty year-round and some date back as far as 17 years and are my nuevo-vintage collection. The common denominator to my "neuvo-vintage" pieces is that they are all Assos. There are two statements that accurately describe the Assos brand:

1. It's VERY expensive.
2. It's damn nice stuff, both in fit and durability.

When the topic of Assos comes up, people tend to focus solely on price. What I don't hear in Assos discussions is how durable the stuff is. I have some winter gear from 1990, which remains in heavy rotation in the cold months, and shorts from the 1994 era, which continue to provide comfort surpassing many of today's cycling clothing leaders. As a side note: clothing, like helmets and shoes, have fit characteristics that compliment some riders and not others, so the "great fit" may not be unanimous among cyclists.

I received the ClimaJet as a gift, and had I not, I would have never been introduced to the magic this jacket creates (dropping $275 on a rain jacket was not exactly in my seasonal budget). The technology supporting this jacket claims the material expands upon contact with water and closes the pores of the material blocking the rain, yet allowing air to circulate. Whether this claim is fact or marketing hype, the ClimaJet is the perfect solution when the wind is chilly, or the threat of rain looms, and it's the go-to when all other layers are to heavy or too light. The ClimaJet has evolved from the original Clima Micro jacket and, for the ClimaJet, Assos has made some refinements, toughening up the material to avoid rips, redesigning the zipper to increase durability and ease of closure and made modifications to the cut, thus streamlining the fit and reducing its overall foot print; great for when it comes off and goes into your pocket.

Rain and Wind
When the rain begins to fall, the jacket provides excellent coverage. If the showers are spotty and the rainfall is light to consistent, I tend to notice the cool effects of the rain on my face, legs or feet before I notice it on my core, proving that the jacket is going its job. When the cats and dogs begin to fly the jacket will let rain in, but at this point the barrier created traps the warmth and provides your core the protection it needs to keep you and your appendages moving.

Limiting this jacket to rain duty sells the jacket short: the Clima Jet is a technical piece, more technical than most of wind-proof jackets out there. It blocks wind with ease and keeps the front of your shoulders warm in a way that a vest simply fails to do. The slim cut allows for the ClimaJet to rest comfortably against your body eliminating the flapping effect common on most full cut, long-sleeve, rain and wind jackets. As your body begins to heat up, there is a small build-up of perspiration from the inside of the jacket, but far from the greenhouse effect you get with a PVC rain cape. If the ClimaJet were any color other than ghostly white you would be unable to detect the build-up. The jacket is vented on the sides and the location of the vents reduces the ingress of water while providing the necessary fresh air into the "micro-climate".

This past weekend the temps were cool and the wind was blowing pretty hard. I rode to the ride in the ClimaJet and peeled it off about 20 minutes into the ride, before the action became heated. When the ride finished, I pulled the ClimaJet from my pocket and donned it for the 20-minute ride home. The jacket was warm and kept my body temp regulated (neither too cold, nor too hot). It was the perfect accompaniment to the cool-down period that makes for my commute home.


Crazy Talk
$275 for a technical poncho is crazy talk. I was perfectly happy with the PVC rain cape I have had for years, tattered and torn and stained from years of service. This piece is highly technical, extremely durable, light, easily stuffed into a pocket, and downright comfy. I would highly recommend the ClimaJet to anyone who rides in the rain on a regular basis or experiences spring to the likes of Northern France or Belgium. For me, the only shortcoming of the jacket (pun intended) is the length in the back because I prefer the mud flap effect to keep the grit and water off my tail bone and, due to the slim cut, it becomes tough to stuff the rear pockets full of essentials. Bump your sizing by one if stuffing your pockets and the extra length are important. The added bulk at the shoulders and in the mid-section will be minimal and the added room at the waist will be appreciated.

At All Cost

Is it any wonder that WADA is going after Floyd Landis tooth and nail? Consider a possible situation in the abstract: A cyclist tests positive. Following an evaluation of testing procedure, auditors find that procedures were skipped, machines mis-calibrated and rights violated. A reasonable person could be forgiven for coming to the conclusion that the resulting black eye to WADA would undermine public confidence to such a degree that there would be little respect for the findings. Kinda like how we view intelligence reports of WMDs by the CIA in say, oh, any Middle Eastern nation. Put another way, if WADA were to lose such a case, many people would—rightly or wrongly—come to the conclusion that the organization lacked the ability to catch the real dopers and would mistrust any result as yet another false-positive. Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? WADA knows lost cases undermine credibility, which is why the organization believes it can’t afford to lose a single doping case. But such a strategy is counterproductive.

Whether you believe Landis’ Wiki-defense or not, the truth is none of us really know if he doped. He makes a compelling case for his innocence, but we really don’t know. And the truth is there are cyclists who are innocent of doping but whose names have been forever tarnished. Take the case of hapless Danilo Hondo.

Danilo Hondo has been shown to have had such a low concentration of Caphedon in his body that it not only didn’t affect his performance but it was most probably too tiny an amount to be deliberately administered. Put another way, he didn’t mistakenly take too little, such as might happen in an error concerning order of magnitude where someone takes 10mcg instead of 10mg. This guy didn’t intend to dope and didn’t benefit from the presence of the drug in his system.

He received the same penalty as a rider who doped in order to win as a result of a policy known as “strict liability.” It dictates a zero-tolerance environment (adopted to give the appearance of being tough on dopers) in which any stray compound found in a pro’s system results in a penalty.

Another hypothetical: Suppose you are driving down the street in a 35 mph zone. You approach a construction site that is soon to be a new school. You miss the new 25 mph speed limit sign and an officer notices continued rate of speed. He pulls you over. In the United States, the officer has leeway to give you a warning instead of a ticket for what would otherwise still be a minor infraction. In the world of WADA, you don’t drive for two years. Period.

Some people may think that the “strict liability” standard is reasonable. It is not. American jurisprudence is built on the idea that intent is significant when a crime is committed. The courts in America hold that the penalty for striking a pedestrian with your car should be different if you never saw the pedestrian and did so only accidentally than if the pedestrian was your former boss and you waited outside of work for the chance to run him down and subsequently backed over him before fleeing to Tahiti. Grading crimes according to severity helps to give the public the perception that outcomes are fair. Stealing a pack of gum is not the same as stealing a car, no?

In the Landis case the defense has accused WADA and the lab at Chatenay-Malabry of poor record keeping, shoddy lab work, changing and erasing computer data and refusing to let their representatives attend a procedure WADA’s own rules grant. An American prosecutor accused of such action could wind up disbarred.

WADA tested B-samples of Landis’s urine to which the A-sample was clean—this is a clear violation of its own procedure. Logically, if the A-sample was clean, the B-sample cannot be tainted, provided the lab did the work correctly in the first place. If the lab didn’t do the work correctly then it shouldn’t be permitted to perform any further testing until an audit of its procedures and equipment has been performed. In finding a B-sample positive when an A-sample is negative, only one thing has been proven: The lab is not performing its science consistently. Repetition of results is one of the most basic standards of science and any lab that can’t manage that isn’t much of a lab.

Because the administrative process is not transparent and WADA and USADA seem engaged in a win-at-all-costs ideology, we are unlikely ever to learn the real truth to whether or not Floyd Landis doped at the Tour de France. If we cannot be certain that the outcome was justly based on fact, then there are four victims: The first is Landis; he deserves an outcome based on the truth, whether he doped or not. The second is WADA; if we are not convinced justice was served, we will not trust it is fulfilling its mission. The third is the sport itself, which is losing fans due to the general mistrust for all cyclists in the PRO peloton. And the final victim, of course, is us; if we are not convinced WADA is pursuing its mission competently and that the athletes are clean, we are robbed enjoyment of our favorite sport.

This entry was written out of love, frustration and a desire to see some clean, healthy competition in the PRO peloton. Thanks to Padraig for this great contribution.

Photo Courtesy: www.theage.com

PRO is PROGRAM GO!

Deep section carbon wheels deliver amazing performance and define the modern PRO style, however, some also come with an annoyance: a clicking sound that seems to present itself over rough surfaces. I have traced this noise to the valve and the resonating click, which comes from the valve snapping against the carbon valve hole. I tried numberous times to address this sound, both on my Reynolds Stratus tubulars and my Cosmic Carbone PROs, but it was the delicate touch of a PRO mechanic that provided the ultimate solution. At the 2005 Interbike show, I was treated to an up-close and personal view of Thor Hushovd's Look 585, fresh from his 2005 season. Among the PROness, I noticed one small, but amazingly simple PRO mechanic fix for my valve problem: electrical tape. A single piece of electrical tape is placed perpendicularly with the rim; it's pierced by the valve and adhered to either side of it.

From that moment on, this is how I roll.

1999 Amstel Gold Race

Scott Sunderland's 1998 Amstel Gold.

Omerta

The term “Omerta” is known as the silence of the mob. Don’t rat. Until recently, the term has only been used in connection with the mafia. Recently, though, Omerta has come to be identified with cycling’s collective silence on the problem of doping. Attached to the term in its original usage was an odd sense of honor and integrity, a captain-goes-down-with-the-ship mentality. If caught, you defended yourself without implicating anyone else and if convicted, you did your time … quietly. Plea deals were for drunks, not gangsters.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we present Ivan Basso, Mister “I was only researching the possibility of doping, but didn’t actually dope just yet.” If you want to be an honorable louse, this is how it is done. He will tell nothing of what he might know, only of his involvement in what he says was yet to become doping. Lest anyone think his admission is a step in the right direction, this is Omerta at its classic best. He has copped to only what they have irrefutable proof of. This isn't a light bulb in the darkness but a flashlight pointed the wrong way--after the Giro victory was on the books.

Should anyone think his admission will help turn the tide against doping, what he has done, in fact, is teach his brethren a sort of low-impact plea. His statements were to full disclosure what the Toyota Prius is to a carbon footprint. Frankly, his behavior stands in stark contrast to what are now the typical displays of mob togetherness as seen in trials such as John Gotti's and on the Sopranos: "If I'm going, you're going too." Should we actually praise Basso for his amazing integrity? Not if we want a dope-free sport.

This entry was written out of love, frustration and a desire to see some clean, healthy competition in the PRO peloton. Thanks to Padraig for this great contribution.

The Tan

Summer is almost here, and with it comes white tape, high mileage weeks, and insane tan lines. A cyclist's tan line is something that almost defies explanation to a non-cyclist: a striped leg created by shorts and socks, a pale hand punctuated by a dark circle, or the white area in front of your ear from the helmet strap, where literally "the sun don't shine". To a non-cyclist, the tan lines that are so common to us, warrant a double-take.

For me, the tan line is a mark of accomplishment, a sign of your dedication to logging miles on your machine, and a statement that shouts: "despite all of my other commitments, I still find time to ride my damn bike!"

Each season I place the bottom of my shorts on the same tan line I randomly established over 20 years ago. Back-to-back seasons have etched a tan line so defined that it would require a two month, Speedo-induced holiday on the world's finest beach to simply undo it. In the off-season, I barely lose my tan line despite the dark and cold winter and the etched line serves as a great reminder of seasons' past.

Forget tracking the KMs, the quality of your season can simply be measured by your tan.

Paris Roubaix 2004