general cycling discussion Archives - Page 3 of 7

2012 ProTeam Kits – Part 1

2012 is here, and with the turn of the new year, contracts in the pro ranks renew and riders are free to present their new team kits for the coming season. Let's take a look at some of the team kits that have been revealed thus far:

Astana pro cycling team

Pro Team Astana is sporting a look that is very similar to their kits from last year. There is a lot of pastel/aqua/electric blue paired with bright yellow and white. Of course, these colors intimately mimic the flag of the sponsoring nation. Everyone will know that the team is the brainchild of Alexander Vinokourov, and is designed to fly the colors of (make glorious power of wonderful nation) Kazakstan.

The kit itself would benefit from some darker colors to separate the pastels from one another, but we've become used to seeing this design (it's basically unchanged from last year) so it's not a big deal.

Shrewd in the transfer market, you can look for Vinokourov to be flanked by Janez Brajkovic, Borut Bozic and Roman Kreuziger.

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Tags: cycling, jersey, pro cycling, racing|

Garmin Sensor Mounting

A few posts on various forums have popped up recently about the poor design of the Garmin GSC-10 speed/cadence sensor. One of the issues that people have been having is the method of attachment for the sensor itself, and some have had problems with sensors falling into the spokes and being destroyed. There must be some way to prevent this, right?

Garmin's method of attachment is a pair of simple zip ties. The sensor is (supposedly) prevented from rotating around by a small rubberized strip on the bottom of the sensor itself. While this typically works just fine, if the zip ties are not snugged down as tight as they can get or if you have chainstays that are oddly shaped, there may not be enough friction to keep it from rattling loose (especially on rough or unpaved roads.) While some people have rectified the problem by drilling small pilot holes in the chainstays and the bottom of the sensor case and screwing the sensor to the chainstay. For those of you who aren't in the business of taking a drill to your multi-thousand dollar frame there's a simple solution that costs nothing more than a few scraps of old bartape.

By simply strapping a couple scraps of bartape to the chainstay under the zip ties, the zip ties can be tightened up enough to keep the sensor from moving around. Not only does the bar tape prevent the ties from slipping, they also compress and provide extra pressure on the zip ties, ensuring they stay tight. This will allow the sensor to be positioned more precisely, prevent the speed sensor arm from being ripped off by the spokes and prevent the entire unit from rattling loose and falling into the spinning spokes.

Who ever though something so simple could be so effective (and get scraps out of the garage.)

Tags: bike, drivetrain, wrenching|

Counterfeit Culture

Fake Pinarello

A while back I wrote a long post about the growing problem of people buying ripoff carbon frames from China and trying to pass them off as legitimately produced and sold bikes. Pinarello is perhaps the biggest victim of this scam these days, although other companies such as Cervelo and Trek are not immune. For that reason, consumers need to be extremely careful where they spend their dollars. For example, eBay is full of scams just like the one highlighted here.

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Tags: bike, internet, road bike|

New SRAM Red

SRAM has been leaking photos and details of their redesigned flagship Red group steadily over the past few weeks. Here's the teaser we've seen:

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Tags: bike, drivetrain, news, SRAM|

Winter (Bike) Refreshments

[dc]P[/dc]art of the problem with the winter/off season is that most cyclists suffer from withdrawal. There's a dearth of riding outside in the fresh air, sunshine is distinctly lacking, our well earned tan lines are fading, people are missing their mid-ride social stops with their buddies and miles are generally of the long, steady distance and are performed on a trainer. While some take to the sofa to put on their winter weight (much like a hibernating bear,) some take to online forums to discuss the latest news and gadgetry and some hit the slopes or the gym to get their endorphin fix, you CAN spend time with your bike and not hate it. This time spent can be of the intimate type (get your mind out of the gutter) that will let you appreciate your bike more when the time comes to climb back on and shed those accumulated winter pounds.

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Tags: bike, drivetrain, Motivation, wrenching|