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Vittoria Rubino Pro Tire Review

When looking for tires, most people have a set of requirements based upon their riding conditions: lightweight and supple for racing on smooth roads, durable, high volume and puncture resistant for riding gravel grinders, or somewhere in between for everyday training tires.  In most cases, training tires are durable, all condition clinchers that won't leave you stranded by a puncture from a road cinder the size of a pin head.  Vittoria's [easyazon_link identifier=”B000HDNCHI” locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”n” tag=”taicoaandthed-20″]Rubino Pro[/easyazon_link] fits all these requirements, which is why I've put about 5000 miles on a pair of them.  Here are the results of a season's riding:

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Dura Ace 9000 Wheel Photos

Looks like Shimano's new Dura Ace carbon wheels were on display this past weekend (on top of a Team Sky support car.)  These look like 60mm rims to me, but they could be 78mm depending on the perspective.

Interestingly, it appears these wheels are set up for 10 speed, so they probably didn't go on the bikes that have been testing the new 11 speed Dura Ace 9000.

Photos after the jump:

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More Dura Ace 9000 Photos

As I talked about in my previous post about the new 11 speed Dura Ace group, there has been some wholesale redesign of the group.  Some new photos (actually scans, it appears) have surfaced, giving some more depth and detail to the group.

First up, the rear derailleur:

Dura Ace 9000 Rear Derailleur

From what we see here, it looks like they've redesigned the P-Knuckle a little bit and stylized the outer parallelogram pieces to look more “swoopy.”  The barrel adjuster also appears revised, and looks to be metal (could be glossy plastic, but aluminum would be nicer.)  The cage shape looks a little more angular with more material on the bottom of the cage.  Overall it doesn't look too bad, and I'm sure it will be typically smooth, Shimano trademark operation.

More photos after the jump:

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The Irrelevance of the Triple

The irrelevant triple[dc]S[/dc]ince my previous post apparently stirred up a bit of controversy, I think it's appropriate to address the following question:

"Why didn't you include triple cranksets in your comparisons?"

Well, the simple explanation is because triples are irrelevant.

"What?"

Yes, they're irrelevant.  With the rise of compact gearing and wide range cassettes, triple cranksets have been relegated to the dustbin of cycling history (with the notable exceptions of loaded touring and possible commuters.)  But the question remains, why is this the case?  Let's find out.

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Choosing Crankset Gearing

As winter gives way to spring, riders are storing their trainers and heading outside to ride on their favorite roads once again.  Spring is also the time in which many people consider upgrades to their bike, and one discussion I've seen relatively frequently is the “compact vs standard crankset” question.  Apparently, choosing crankset gearing is one of those things that people have a hard time deciding upon.  They post to forums, newsgroups, and Facebook groups, asking for an opinion on which crankset gearing their friends use.

Why not figure out which crankset gearing works best for you?

What are the benefits of each?  Which type of gearing should you use?  Let's explore the question of choosing crankset gearing and help you figure it out.

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