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trp r960 calipers
i am just as guilty of looking ahead to the months to come before i've even taken stock of the days that are happening right in front of my eyes. but come spring-time (yes, that far ahead) the thousands of sheep that frequent the island's pastures produce happy little gambolling offspring. and it is a fact of agricultural and rural life, that sheep are the most predictably unpredictable animals in the universe. a farmer once told me that sheep were born with a death-wish, and i have seen nothing in the years since that would prove that statement wrong. not being of a farming background myself, i have done no serious research into the average number of offspring that each ewe produces, but a quick poll amongst the vc d'ardbeg peloton generally reckons on two. and that's what provides the perennial dilemma.
if mother and one lamb are on one side of the road, while number two son/daughter grazes or gambols on the other side, it's a dead certainty that one party, startled by approaching carbon and lycra, is going to cross to the other. if i'm on a really unlucky day, both will make inroads to the white line in the centre and decision time becomes panic time. panic time, and to a lesser extent, decision time, means handfuls of braking power and one or two swerves along the way. good brakes make it a lot easier to return home with that sportwool in the pristine condition it left. and currently affixed to a very nice colnago cx-1 (review before christmas) are a pair of red, cnc machined and forged trp aluminium alloy calipers.
much as it probably goes against my self-made image as a connoisseur of all things bicycle and with an extensive knowledge of same (indeed, who am i kidding?), i have always been of the opinion that a set of brakes is a set of brakes, is a set of brakes. just goes to show how wrong it is possible to be. even more surprising is the background of the manufacturer of same: trp is an acronym for tektro racing products, and up until now, i have spent much of my cycle repair career replacing duff cantilever brakes with cheap, but very efficient tektro substitutes. to then find out that tektro have both ends of the market covered came as somewhat of a surprise.
the r960 calipers are anything but cheap, in every sense of the word. they are beautifully machined from 6061 aluminium with titanium hardware, and in keeping with their mass market accomplices are of the dual pivot persuasion, with a well placed titanium bolt to adjust the centreing. even the brake pad holders have small bolts fitted to the trailing end allowing adjustment of the pad angle. however, after removing the campag record calipers that arrived on the colnago, i cabled and fitted the 960s, and without any further adjustment at all, the brakes worked perfectly straight out the box. there is a quick release mechanism built in, unfortunately made from black plastic, but if you're a fan of vicenza, you'll be happier using the quick release mechanism built into the ergopower levers.
doubtless much of the stopping credit must go to the swissstop pads in very stylish and functional pad holders - in freezing rain, gritty roads and on what are new fsa rims, there was never even the hint of a squeal. but let's face it, if you bought a set of bog standard brakes you'd expect the same (though whether you'd get it is another matter), so why pay a king's ransom to do likewise. as with everything that weighs less and costs a lot more, one must always accept the law of diminishing returns. it's a bit like a ten watt amplifier - if you want it to sound twice as loud you have to square the output (100 watts): for seemingly infinitesimal improvements in performance, looks and feel, the numbers after the pound/dollar sign tend to get a lot larger.
like a decent pair of merino socks, the finest recommendation that can be levelled in the direction of these brakes is that they were almost unnoticeable in operation. i say almost because completely would be a total lie. the smoothness by which these calipers slowed or stopped the colnago, was quite remarkable - total control at all times in all conditions. no locked wheels at all. fortunately, by way of comparison, i had covered a number of kilometres with the original campag calipers in place, so there was something to compare with. and while it's not noticeable at all, at least directly, the trp r960s weigh less than the campag record skeleton calipers. these are very, very good brakes, achieved with no shouting or kerfuffle. they were very easy to fit, and on a red and white bicycle (i tested the red anodised version - also available in black) colour co-ordination was peachy keen.
if you're a weight weeny, style guru or just plain want a pair of brakes that gives you as much smooth control as you can handle, these are them. i'm kind of wondering how i've managed without them till now.
trp r960 calipers are available in red or black anodised finish, weigh a scant 120 grams per wheel and cost £269 ($417). distributed in the uk by upgrade bikes, to which many thanks for the test pair. you can check their site for a list of dealers
trpbrakes.com | upgradebikes.co.uk
posted on wednesday 17 december 2008
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................dhb merston long sleeve jersey & rogate thermal bib tights
having made it as far as art college, free of the turmoil of functional life, and eager to change the world without becoming a part of it (whatever happened to idealism?), the next step was to buy a half decent drumkit and get myself into a band. it's quite likely the very best further education establishment from which to launch yourself into the world of rock 'n' roll, almost better than being at music college where it's all dotted minims, crochets and quavers (cheddar cheese flavour preferably). but the problem that faces every future band of superstars is what name should be stencilled on the front of the bass drum - unfortunately an almost retired trend these days. you see, you can't be too offhand, because when that recording contract drops through the letterbox, you want to make sure that your intended stardom is linked with a name that will stand the test of time.
the guy that joined us as rhythm guitarist (and the only guy with a van, even though he couldn't drive) had a notebook with pages and pages of possible names for bands that he'd jotted down over the years. unfortunately, from this almost endless selection, our final choice was one that i'm too embarrased to relate here, but it just goes to show that even with the wherewithal, it's still possible to get it wrong.
doubtless a similar hurdle presents itself to manufacturers of stuff; in this case i'm thinking of articles of cycle clothing. a jersey is a jersey, and a pair of bib tights is, well, a pair of bib tights. you could apply seasonal duties to the name, but maybe a greater differentiation is required. dhb, wiggle's own brand clothing, has opted for rural english villages: at least that's what they sound like to me. oakshott, runcton, wickham, amberley - maybe they are village names, i know not, but it's an intriguing way to solve the problem. and i'm hoping that wiggle will forgive me my preconception that dhb clothing was distinctly budget; it has proved to be anything but.
the rogate bib-tights are mid weight thermals, with a dhb embossed comfy bit, front zip, windproof/water resistant knee panels, and ankle zips to relieve the strain of getting them on and off. the bib section on the back goes all the way up to the shoulder blades, and the fit is quite excellent. being of narrow proportions, i wore the small size. freezing rain and sub zero temperatures made this the ideal time of year to test to destruction (me, that is). the knee panels really do make a difference, but overall these italian made leg coverings proved anything but budget in practice. and they do look good, with not a saggy bit in sight. i would perhaps have been pleased with a bit more cosseting of my boney posterior, but more ample proportions would probably find the comfy pad just dinky-do.
obviously, in the cold and rain, it would be inviting hypothermia to cycle sans jersey - in this case, a medium size dhb merston jersey. sizing is bound to be quite a problem for any company, since i doubt whether there is any such thing as mr, or mrs average cyclist these days. generally speaking, pretty much every jersey, whether short or long sleeves, inhabiting the large and unruly pile at the side of the bed is labelled medium. so it made perfect sense to ask wiggle to send a medium jersey to go with the tights. sleeves (long) are great, nice length, warm and cosy; the body just ideal, particularly when you consider i am long of torso, but in the chest area across the collar bones, the jersey was a tad on the baggy side. nothing too flappy, but just not as close fitting as i'd have liked.
however, i can buzz about details of fit all i like, but when it comes right down to it, this is one cosy, cosy jersey - i am luddite enough to prefer plain colourways without those swoopy stripey bits, but when wearing, you wouldn't notice. and it is very superficial of me. the t-iso fabric is medium weight with a brush-backed fleece which proved highly breathable (really), and the elasticated waist has that clear gloopy stuff on it to stop the jersey heading north in use. the front zip goes about half-way down the jersey, and brownie points went through the roof on finding a zipped pocket midst the three statutory rears. such a pocket should, as i have said on many previous occasions, be mandatory: if i knew how to lobby the uci, believe me i would. i have to point out that this fine, long-sleeved jersey retails at less than £30, yet the feature set comes from something a lot more expensive.
there is no point in owning any item of cycle clothing if it doesn't fit properly or do what it's supposed to, no matter what the cache or cost. this stuff from dhb fulfils both criteria, and again i must apologise to wiggle for being of the misapprehension that dhb was budget clothing. it might be from a pounds-in-your-pocket point of view, but that's where it stops. both items were designed and manufactured in italy which makes the price even more of a wow. any slight misgivings over the jersey fit (maybe i should have tried a smaller size) have to be overwhelmed by all the foregoing.
i'm convinced.
dhb rogate tights retail at £53.82 ($83) and the merston long-sleeve jersey at £29.35 ($45). it's available in red, yellow or black (tested).
posted on tuesday 16 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................on the positive side
a good many months ago now, i pointed out the vacuity of much of the advertising intended for our consumption: six bicycle ads which all portrayed the bicycles in virtually identical fashion, but which basically came down to - we make this bike - buy one. there's always the possibility that we have all become so inured to this style of persuasion that we expect little more, but that should not be the case, either on behalf of the consumer (you and me) or the so-called, creative industry; we should all be striving to leave this mediocrity behind.
however, as in most walks of life (no pun intended) the cream will generally rise to the top - you just have to keep your eyes open. a correspondent of mine quite obviously had his eyes open and alerted me to an advertisement (scene shown above) advising the pedal stopping qualities of stella artois, a tipple i have never tasted (nor am i likely to).
while this is hardly an advertisement for bicycles or cycling, it does make rather creative use of them and the manner in which the ad has been produced would not disgrace the pages of rouleur. if you're into the technical angle, you should read further here, but to watch the advert itself, follow this.
but moving along closer to the world of cycling - well, ok, it's not really about bicycles at all, but it does feature chris hoy, a bicycle, and has one of the finest slogans it has ever been my pleasure to witness. if you cast your minds back a few months to those wonderful moments in beijing, when the british sprint team trounced the sprinters from france, this puts it all in wonderful perspective. and if daniel pasley is watching, there's another t-shirt slogan in the making. it has been remarked that scotts porage oats should have busted the budget for this one, but we are having a credit crunch after all.
still...
but finally, and most satisfactorily, we make it to the real world of cycling - maybe not an ad for a bicycle, but for apparel with an endless heritage and a five year history. produced by the real creatives at antidote also responsible for that peanut butter ad, this shows yet again that someone somewhere understands just what makes some of us tick.
rapha have always done things their way, i only hope that simon has retained all those early ads that used to be on his wall of pain when rapha were two floors below in perren street. some of those were very clever.
just shows that there is some hope for all as we approach the new year. keep your eyes open.
rapha.cc | stella artois | kelloggs
posted on monday 15 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................endura xtract zip top
this piece of cycling apparel had me quite mystified: if you read my article on layering just the other day, you would be aware that the recommendation was for three layers for optimal cosiness. then endura go and send a rather strikingly stylish top and describe it as a mid-layer. so that's me lost. if would normally wear a baselayer, topped with a regular cycle jersey (with sleeves of long or short persuasion depending on weather) and all encased in some sort of outer shell - at this time of year that would be a waterproof. and generally that would be just fine and dandy, thank you very much. so where does the mid-layer fit in?
not wishing to make more of a fool of myself in public than is usually the case, i did ask how endura saw this fitting (no pun intended) into the grand scheme of things, bearing in mind the foregoing dress code of normal attire. it seems that the plan is to replace the jersey with the mid layer - in this case, the endura xtract top - before scrabbling inside an outer shell. so that's what i did, in this case the outer shell being endura's stealth softshell. one has standards you know.
it's a great time of year for testing this kind of thing, because it's flipping perishing over here just now, and since i had bicycle photos to take at bunnahabhain distillery (about 24km north of bowmore) on a cold and occasionally wet saturday morn, i took the opporchancity to find out how a mid-layer works.
and it really is the weirdest thing; harking back to my article on layering, the general idea, apparently is to try and stop getting too hot, because that affects efficiency and comfort. but all the way north, over hill and down dale, the xtract top, if anything, may have been doing its job just too well: over the entire 24km, it felt as if i was wearing a refrigeration unit on my torso, but one that was self-regulating depending on my input/output. i mean this as no criticism; after the inital weirdness wore off, i began to realise what it was doing. that this wasn't just my imagination was borne out by being comfortably warm while dawdling about the distillery taking pictures - because it wasn't any warmer at bunnahabhain than anywhere else on islay. since i have already tried out the stealth top's windproofing, the cooling wasn't due to aerodynamics.
weird probably needs a bit more exploration, so the following day, this mid-layer examination changed tack and added another layer into the equation to see if it was possible to overload this refrigeration feature. so on a freezing cold rainy sunday, i popped a mid-weight long-sleeve winter top over the xtract followed by the stealth top. such is the fineness of the xtract, this really didn't emulate the michelin man profile you (and i) may have expected, but it did up the cosiness factor a bit. yet, despite being out emulating a belgian cyclist for three hours, overheating never happened. how the heck do they do that?
the xtract fabric is advertised as a high wicking polyester fabric, with a long zip at the front, a feature that gave me a modest amount of trouble, or at least the insulating flap behind it did. being of such a fine thickness, the flap tended to curl the wrong way and catch in the zip either when zipping up or down. this was more of an irritation than a serious problem, and the fabric is sufficiently stretchy to allow pulling over the head even with the zip fully closed. there's a small, zipped side pocket that will hold loose change, mp3 player or some such, but i'd have been slightly happier if there were a couple of pockets on the back, making it more versatile if used as one of three layers without a jersey. the sleeves are very long, which is a major bonus as far as i'm concerned, and it would appear that endura must figure that you'd be happy to wear it as an outer layer in better weather, given that there are reflective bits here and there. as such, those rear pockets would be an even better idea.
seams on the sleeves are flatlocked and in contrasting white to the top's solid black. a white endura logo appears at an angle on the front and a black on black logo features at the back of the high collar. endura, in my opinion, have lacked that endearing style that would keep roadies happy - this might be a turn in our fortunes. i'm 5'10" and of relatively slim build; i tested the medium size top. it's very flattering to the figure, always assuming you have the figure to flatter. if you have bulges where you'd prefer not to have, be careful where you're seen in public. endura's xtract zip top retails at a fabulous £34.99 ($52) in sizes ranging from small to xxl. you can find a list of dealers on endura's website.
in an associated update, the cold, inclement weather has allowed extended testing of those endura deluge gloves, of which i had not had a chance to assess the waterproofness. happy to say, after sunday's three hours of incessant cold rain, hands were warm and dry.
posted on sunday 14 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................twittering
seriously, i have absolutely no idea why i'm twittering at all, but twittering i am. if you want to follow the nonsense (maybe i should call it insight) then you can find me at twitter.com/twmp. i doubt it will change your life.
or mine for that matter.
lance armstrong twitters at twitter.com/lancearmstrong, dave zabriskie at twitter.com/dzabriskie, george hincapie at twitter.com/ghincapie , scott nicol of ibis cycles twitter.com/chuck_i, johan bruyneel twitter.com/johanbruyneel and velonews twitter.com/velonews to name but a few.
you have been warned.
posted on saturday 13 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................bbc sports personality of the year 2008
if you're a realcyclist, resident in the united kingdom, then you will probably be aware of tomorrow evening's (sunday 14th december) bbc sports personality of the year award, being broadcast at 19:00 gmt. in the top ten nominations, there are (believe it or not) four cyclists: rebecca romero, nicole cooke, bradley wiggins and chris hoy. strong competition for top spot is likely to come from world motor racing champion, lewis hamilton and swimming gold medallist, rebecca adlington.
as has been repeatedly, and correctly pointed out by editor of the comic, robert garbutt, the only way a cyclist is going to win, is if every voting cyclist opts for one rider, irrespective of who their real favourite is. chris hoy is the only one with a realistic chance of winning, so i would echo the exhortations of the comic and recommend that, when voting commences by telephone during the broadcast, vote hoy. if the vote is split between all four cyclists, then there's a strong chance that none of them will even make the top three.
and while we're on the subject of sports persons of the year 2008, christine mclean, interviewed in the post several months ago, e-mailed me today to say that she has been voted shetland's sports person of the year. thoroughly deserved and on behalf of all readers of these black and yellow pixels, i pass on our congratulations from one scottish island to another.
we are not worthy.
posted on saturday 13 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................detour - the movie. bromley video. dvd £18.99
the tour de france, in my humble opinion, strides the fine line between status quo (the band), and fawlty towers (the tv programme). status quo, after a promising start with pictures of matchstick men at the beginning of 1968, seem then to have found a winning formula involving very few guitar chords, which they have continued to churn out year after year to great commercial and financial success. their fans lap up every last nuance (sarcasm is the lowest form of wit) and now turn out with their kids at the seemingly annual tour of the principality. and it's doubtful that there are any more chords in use now, than in the early days.
fawlty towers, on the other hand, lasted only two series (twelve episodes) before john cleese and connie booth moved on to other things, feeling that the sitcom had run its course, and the best plan of action was to knock it on the head before it became run of the mill. two extremes with plenty of room in the middle for manoeuvre. le tour probably strides nearer to status quo than to fawlty towers. aso have obviously found a winning formula and are intent on milking it for all it is worth. witness the drama that surrounds the announcement of the following year's route, the amount of space it gains in the specialist, and often non-specialist, press. while there are numerous stage races that precede the tour, they are all fulfilling the position of metre stick of form, and are seemingly judged on that criteria.
somehow, at the end of july, you cannot see aso saying 'well, that's all folks' and leaving the riders to their fate at the giro or vuelta for evermore. neither of these two fine races seem even to approach the behemoth that has become le tour. but with a conscientious nod towards fawlty towers, there are various attempts to re-invent the formula: starting in different countries; adding in/taking out the ventoux or alpe d'huez; no prologue etc - you get the idea. so it is perhaps no surprise that john trevorrow and denis donoghue, not content with their fifteen minutes of fame in the original
they certainly picked the right one to follow: the start in london, vino out for blood doping and rasmussen evicted by his own team while in the yellow jersey. but what makes this parochial and yet insightful at the same time, was the possibility that australian cadel evans might realistically have a chance at nabbing top spot on the podium in paris. trevorrow and donoghue, if you have not seen the first movie, are as australian as they come, with every bit of national pride and loyalty that goes with it. seemingly a passport to freedom of access, they have little trouble shooting the breeze with robbie mcewen, stuart o'grady, mick rodgers, cadel and other australian riders on the tour that year. professionalism isn't their principal attribute, but this is more than made up for in enthusiasm and irreverence, managing to speak to christian prudhomme, jean marie leblanc and pat mcquaid along the way; and in a manner that would not befit messrs ligget and sherwin.
the latter two make a brief cameo appearance, while the racing footage is overlaid with their (sometimes surprisingly inept) commentary. i wouldn't miss le tour for anything, even though my cynicism struggles to cope with its central importance to the genre, but detour - the movie removes some, if not all of the clinical status surrounding the official dvd release of the 2007 tour, and the inevitable books that seek to place it in context with more serious commentary.
essential if only to point out the emperor's new clothes.
bromleyvideo.com | detour-themovie.com
posted on saturday 13 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................layers are not just for photoshop
as can perhaps be seen from the photograph at the foot of this article, baby it's cold outside. the water feature is a sea loch that almost splits islay in two, yet the edge was frozen as was a modest amount of so-called moving water, so hard pedalling was called for on the in and outward journeys, though a double espresso in the middle certainly helped. but excluding the hard pedalling, which is fine if you're alone but can be a deterrent to sociability in company, where should a cyclists gain their warmth.
the obvious answer - clothing
it really makes very little difference as to your preference for apparel supplier, since the majority of clothing ranges are happy to provide suitable attire all the way from the inside to the outside. but just how many layers are enough? the general consensus from those involved in survival techniques (remind you of any sunday rides that you know?) is that three layers would be optimal; basically a thermal baselayer, a light(ish) weight midlayer and an outer shell that is ideally windproof and waterproof, though for the time being, as cyclists, we'll exist on water-resistance at the very least. of course, as the saying goes, your mileage may vary. my three layers on thursday morning this week would likely be working a tad harder than on a ride through hyde park.
it has been my experience, not only in my early days as a novice cyclist, but through many i have met, that warmth at all costs is the order of the day. i can empathise with this, but it often proved to be a cycling faux pas. heating up is great: there is little more satisfying on a perishing cold day than being warm and cosy by the end of main street, except that if such is the case, then by bridgend i'll have a very red face, steamed up rudy projects and an aura that could normally only be achieved by several plates of ready brek. if you're warm inside the first one and a half kilometres, then you're likely overdressed.
the best breathables on the market, despite accessorising with mesh on the back and zips under the arms, still struggle to shift as much moisture as can be produced by your average, flailing and floundering cyclist. and if said moisture is not being expelled to the atmosphere, then you've still got it under whatever number of layers you are wearing. as the road wends its merry way into the arctic headwind, that moisture is going to cool, and you either have to pedal harder, or you too become cool. such a problem is multiplied drastically if you experience a puncture or mechanical, because then you're going to cool down a lot quicker than you'd hoped would be the case.
so in order to maximise the layering effect of cycle clothing, and to remain comfortable and safe, it is better (honestly) to remain slightly on the cool side rather than electric blanket in front of a peat fire warm. aside from anything else, too warm is not too efficient. the real outdoor guys who swagger up the sides of mountains would suggest the removal and addition of layers depending on the prevailing conditions; not such a practical idea on a bike, unless the team car is trailing you down uiskentuie strand, in which case you're sorted. otherwise, make sure you have a suitable selection of warm, layer aware clothing to choose from if, like me, you have no intention whatsoever of resorting to the dreaded turbo trainer over the winter months.
whoever called it global warming?
posted on friday 12 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................being seen in the right gear
i can recall all too vividly, the quandary invoked by my first proper road bike; those two front chainrings caused me a lot of mechanical and philosophical sleepless nights. it was, i am almost ashamed to admit, a ten-speed racer acquired from the future mrs washingmachinepost's mail order catalogue, though there are mitigating circumstances. firstly, i knew sod all about bicycles, other than how to pedal in a forward direction, and it had arrived with a poster showing the cycling team sponsored by the very same folks who's logo was on the downtube of my not too expensive racing bicycle. surely they wouldn't ride rubbish would they?
i have no recollection whatsoever of having assembled the bike, but i'm sure i must have done, since almost nobody - certainly in those days - sends out a new bike with pedals in place and the handlebars pointing towards the front. however, it makes perfect sense that the chain was firmly held in place at the front by the 42 tooth chainring. with only five sprockets at the rear (yes, it really was that long ago), in order to gain access to my full ten gears, i was obviously going to have to pull the left-hand downtube lever to shift onto the 52 tooth ring. and herein lay the problem hinted at above.
i had no idea what happened to the gears when and if, my left hand was wont to pull that lever. yes, i knew the chain would somehow find its way to the outer ring, but did this mean that the derailleur at the rear shifted the chain all the way back to the largest sprocket? and should i wait until i'd moved into the smallest sprocket before shifting into the big ring? i can hear the whole of the back row desperately trying to stifle their sniggers and guffaws, but this was a real dilemma. of course, now that i know; now that i maintain twenty speed systems and think nothing of re-cabling ergopower levers, i too can see the funny side.
yet, in this day and age, when every strategic transport policy exhorts more and more folks onto bicycles, the skill of being in the correct gear at the correct time seems just as far away as ever. while on holiday a couple of weeks ago, very much to the disconsolation of mrs washingmachinepost, i rarely shut up about the myriad holiday pedallers manfully struggling up inclines with burley trailer in tow while in completely the wrong gear. if i make the not unfair assumption that many of these cyclists were having their only annual outing on a bicycle, having hired from the holiday park, the memory of such hard physical work simply to transport the offspring less than a couple of kilometres will have done little to encourage participation of a transport scenario when back at the daily grind.
i cannot aportion blame in this instance, because i have essentially non-cycling colleagues on islay who have continually laid claim to not having the faintest idea of which gear to be in at a hypothetical point in time and space. 'whichever gear makes it easier to pedal' seems not to be what any of them wish to hear. maybe we can blame the motor car? from what i recollect of driving lessons, there was generally a loose indication of what would be a suitable gear to be in for each possible fragment of a journey, and i believe that those who have enquired, are rather expecting a similar answer relating to their bicycles: keep it in three going along shore street, but put it in one on the way up to the hydro, and once passed the smiddy, pop it into fifth.. only you and i know it doesn't work that way. so the first person who can produce derailleurs for dummies should be able to retire on the proceeds after a year or two.
hmmmmm.
posted on thursday 11 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................endura deluge winter gloves
we are a simple people. no flexing suspension joints for us, at one time no tubes unless they were round and saddles that look as if they could slice cucumber in their days off. brake levers were brake levers with cables coming out of the top, and gear levers sat on the down tube. the stem was height adjustable, held in place by an internal wedge, the headset was one inch and outside the head tube, and the bars curved the way bars are supposed to curve.
progress is a wonderful thing.
of course progress and styles are all relative things; in comparison to some of the full suspension jobbies that occasionally grace the pages of singletrack, the cutting edge carbon fibre of the road world looks positively svelte. so much of the knobbly world has migrated to tarmac, often due to economies of scale and the wishes of the marketing departments. therefore when features of one world crossover into the other, it is understandable that mojos might clash.
such has happened with the endura deluge gloves. these are a pair of perfectly functional, warm, cosy, well fitting gloves, with a cordura waterproof outer concealing a permanently attached but loose soft, warm inner. the cuffs are stretchy and long, allowing covering over of jersey/jacket sleeves, or a deal of coverage underneath. they're thoughtfully appended with substantial pull tags allowing the right hand to be adjusted properly while the left hand is already gloved. a velcro strap allows final adjustment at the wrist. large reflective panels feature on the fingers and back, while the palm is generously padded with regions of gel (which do their job remarkably effectively). if you want excellent weather for a period of time, acquire some endura waterproof gear - everytime they have sent me such, i have had to wait for days on end for precipitation that would allow the veracity of their claims to be checked. so far, they have not been found wanting. i'll need to get back to you on the waterproofness of the deluge gloves, because yet again, it hasn't rained.
endura are a well known brand in the world of off-roading, perhaps less well kent on the skinny wheels side, which is a pity, because they feature some truly excellent cycle clothing which is almost as applicable to the roadies amongst us. much of this is perception, which these gloves do little to dispel. is it really necessary to print the word waterproof in white letters acros the cuff, cordura along the thumb; endura cordura on the back of the knuckles, and gel zone on the palms? it says all the same stuff on the card attached at delivery, so i really can't see why it's necessary to place it all over the glove too. they would look so much better with simply endura across the back. i know i venture into trivia land here, but style matters too, particularly when the gloves are matched with endura's very smooth looking stealth softshell jacket. despite its considerably larger surface area, it says less than half as much as the gloves.
a truly excellent pair of gloves marred by too much writing, and a snot wipe that should be on the thumb, not the finger above. still, they are more than practical for bendy bars, even if their image leans more towards the knobbly side, and at £34.99 ($52) they're a bit of a steal.
waterproofing story when it rains.
update
i have since been able to test the gloves in a veritable downpour over a distance of about 40km, when the islay rain just got heavier and heavier while on my way to talk to schoolkids about the joys of cycling (exactly). sad to say, the legend, 'waterproof' amounts to nothing even close; by the time destination was reached, the gloves were a sodden mess, both inside and out. very disappointing. i'd suggest they change the wording to 'water-resistant' since that currently stamped on the cuffs is plainly not true.
posted on wednesday 10 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................prendas mobile phone socks
i own an ipod touch, given to me for my birthday by mrs washingmachinepost perhaps in a vain attempt to keep me occupied, shut me up for a while, and allow me the pleasure of my unapproved jazz without imposing upon the surrounding masses. it's identical, nearly, to the vastly popular apple iphone, one of which i would dearly covet, were it not for the fact that i am completely mobile phone agnostic. i often wonder how the human race ever made it this far without them, bearing in mind the number of motorists who still seem to be incapable of driving without one stuck to their ear, the number of times i heard 'i'm just on the train' while heading off on holiday, and the annoyance of talking to my daughter who texts people while she's supposed to be listening to me expounding on the virtues of nano-technology carbon fibre.
many years ago there was a (now defunct) quality mountain bike title to which i cheerfully subscribed and even sold, at one point. i have now seen the error of my ways regarding the knobbly tread brigade, but what pushed me to disassociate myself with said publication was the inclusion of a group test of the best mobile phones for cycling. i sit here typing on my macbook pro, i spend the better portion of my day in front of an imac dealing with more junk e-mail than is strictly necessary for one person and i am surrounded by telephones and yellow post-it notes, urging me to call people who phoned when i was out. meaning that, when i don helmet and cleats to ride off into the sunset, i do not wish to be troubled by telephones - mobile or otherwise.
however, i am willing to admit that i am in the minority (i need only mention my aversion to mobile phones, and sycophants within hearing distance immediately interject with their 'well, i only use mine for emergencies, and when i'm away' - methinks thou doth protest too much) since some of my finest colleagues in whichever peloton has been gracious enough to accept me, seem always to have a pay-as-you-go, smart phone or blackberry, buzzing, glowing or playing wholely inappropriate pop music just as we hit the first bend of a long climb. and many have been known to exit the coffee stop and phone home to inform thus. i do find it all sad, and i'm sure it will come back to bite them (or me) at sometime in the not too distant future.
however, should you find yourself in the 'how could i ever survive without it' category, mick and andy at prendas have the ideal solution for keeping it safe in that back pocket along with the spare tube, a multi tool, a banana and an energy gel that you didn't realise was leaking - the mobile phone sock. apple still sell something similar for smaller ipods, but this one has the kudos that it is made in italy, and bears the prendas logo and world championship bands. it therefore has the secondary feature of being the very item in which to carry the phone when you're a civilian, adding to the panoply of secret handshakes upon which many of us have come to rely. cost is a mere £3.95 ($6), so if you have more than one mobile phone (don't get me started) ...the ideal stocking filler for every cyclist apart from me.
posted on wednesday 10 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................lightweight wheels all round
it has been my great good fortune, and indeed perhaps the making of the post, to have been able to test a few of the rather exclusive range of products from german company carbonsports. they are those very clever carbon people that would like to relieve us of vast quantities of cash for probably the finest wheels on the planet: lightweight. in fact, german cycle magazine roadbike nabbed a few top time triallists to put a range of carbon wheels through their strenuous paces, then say which ones they thought best. guess who won?
until this month, these wheels and components such as their skewers and lightweight rear derailleur were the uk preserve of bespoke cycling, but this is now no longer the case; exclusive uk distributors are now wiggle, the phenomenally successful mail order cycle folks.
just to show the british government how you really make a difference to spending, wiggle are celebrating their acquisition by deducting ten percent (and that's quite a large reduction considering the price of lightweight wheels) before christmas. five different wheelsets are available, including the standards (?) obermayers, lightweight c and both the ventoux 190 and 240s. and if you favour kitting yourself out like next year's re-confirmed milram team, wiggle are also the uk distributors of focus bikes (milram will ride focus and lightweight for the 2009 season). hopefully lengthy waiting lists will become a thing of the past as wiggle are promising healthy stock levels, and worldwide shipping as far afield as australia with free postage and packing - short interlude: when lightweight in germany sent a pair of ventoux for a washingmachinepost road test last year, the postie popped his head round the door and said 'i've got a box in the van for you, but i don't think there's anything in it' - nuff said about the weightlessness.
posted on wednesday 10 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................the high life dvd. bromley video £17.99
i do not currently, nor have i ever, spent any time on the european continent, especially in the company of cycling greats from past or present, and their acolytes, to know whether the esteem in which many of them are currently held, compares favourably with that engendered towards robert millar. it's not normally the british/scottish way when it comes to cyclists. milar, during his racing career was famously asked by a uk journalist what he did for a real job.
at the braveheart dinner in late october this year, three items of millar memorabilia sold for figures in excess of prices paid for trinketry associated with mr armstrong. a framed and signed polka dot jersey from his championship year of 1984 reached a fabulous £3200 - even a modern representation of that peugeot jersey donated by mick and andy of prendas sold for more than £1000.
but lest you receive the impression that millar receives such adoration due to his propensity as a cash cow, author of in search of robert millar, richard moore, told me that even in paperback and after more than a year in publication, the book is still selling in the hundreds per week. regular readers will not be surprised that this hero-fest takes place in these yellow and black pixels - it's not for nothing that i own the domain robertmillar.net and a substantial collection of articles relating to his thirteen year professional career. i am not alone in this: having approached one of britain's finest cycling apparel purveyors in the hope that they may have been able to work towards a souvenir jersey to celebrate the 25th anniversary of millar's king of the mountains win in 1984, i received a large number of e-mails from millar fans across the world willing to spend their money in acquiring just such an item. the man, the cyclist, the champion is held in high esteem, in what seems to me at least, to be an order of magnitude higher than almost any other british sportsman in recent history. and all this towards a man who disappeared around the turn of the century.
in 1985, granada television followed millar through the season, possibly in the hope that robert would repeat the previous year's success. that, of course would have been the very stuff that movies are made of, and sadly millar's '85 tour never looked like approaching his magnificent 1984. the film, with its superb soundtrack by steve winwood, was aired on television in 1986 and subsequently released to an adoring fanbase on vhs video. it has long been out of print in this format, and its transition to the current media de jour - dvd - has taken substantially longer than any of us would have liked.
when i started collecting and storing all the millar print that i could lay my hands on (ably supported by lance sanderson), i contacted david bromley of bromley video about the possibility of just such a product, his optimism made it seem that only a matter of months would pass before i, and a league of expectant fans would be holding the disc in our hands. sadly, for one reason or another, the gestation time has stretched longer than any of us would have liked - when we invited richard moore over to islay for the launch of the hardback of in search of... in june 2007, i had to acquire a dvd copy of the vhs tape to show at the event. the official release, at that time, was still a few months away.
however, all things come to those that wait, and our patience has been rewarded by the release of this single disc containing the original granada documentary, the millar feature from another of the bromley video stable the britpack, a short picture gallery and an interesting and revealing interview with richard moore. it seems that all our christmases have come at once - if there is a millar fan in your life, the brownie points received by placing a copy of this under the tree will last for an entire year. robert brought many present day cyclists into the fold by being a character of admiration, spiky personality and all. he may well have mellowed in that department over the years, but for all those who have not seen the high life before, have now been presented with a great treat. if you own a copy on videotape, it's not going to last forever...
if there were a national curriculum for aspiring cyclists, this would be compulsory source material.
posted on tuesday 9 december 2008
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................twin six alpe d'huez jersey
it is 1952, the tour de france. as the stage from lausanne to alpe d'huez started, fausto coppi trailed his team-mate carrea by five minutes and four seconds, totally unexpected at that stage of the race. the temperatures across europe were reaching 40 degrees - 18 had died from the heat in italy alone. when the stage had finished following the alpe's twenty one bends across 15km, coppi had turned the deficit into a five second lead. normally one to remain reserved and quiet in the face of adulation, coppi beamed with unconcealed pride.
"i don't really understand why we, the climbers, were not attacked more violently before bourg d'oisans. i guess they could see from my face that i wasn't about to let anyone get ahead of me."
coppi went on to win the 1952 tour from stan ockers by a rather monumental 28 minutes, bernard ruiz a further six minutes adrift. that was the first year that the alpe had been incorporated in the le tour, mainly at the behest of george rajon, who owned an hotel atop the mountain. his lobbying of the tour's governors was by way of ensuring the commercial stability of a tourist resort that usually only prospered when the snows fell. in the grand scheme of all things, it is perhaps fitting that it's first vainquer should be il campionissimo.
despite its strategic importance and initial success in that tour of '52, alpe d'huez did not reappear on the route until twenty four years later in 1976, since when it has become as much a part of the tour as the yellow jersey itself. and a jersey it is that twin six have produced to celebrate this finest of alpine climbs - in fact, this is the second and finest version released, and available to those of us on this side of the pond from urban hunter. faced in black it has the fine heraldry of the big ring pub emblazoned not only on the left side of the jersey, but writ large on the reverse. the concealed zip is of the halfway down the front variety, just the length required when down to the last two hairpin bends. splashes of yellow and black on cuffs and across those three back pockets are a welcome highlight.
i will concede that short sleeves are rather inappropriate for british weather conditions at present, but i doubt whether there will be any grimacing or 'oh no, you shouldn't have' when the wrapping paper is removed on the 25th (if you catch my drift). cost is a manageable £55 (velogear sell the same across the water for $70).
fausto would be proud of you.
urbanhunter.biz | velogear.com
posted on monday 8 december 2008
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