Wrenching and bike maintenance

[dc]I[/dc]t all starts with some spy photos: blacked out parts, blurry shots of cyclocross races, SRAM team guys with suspicious shift levers and cranksets.  Then SRAM made a splash early last year by redesigning their flagship group and releasing it just prior to the spring classics.  They have marketed their new group as the best mechanical group on the market, making waves about Boonen winning Flanders and Roubaix on the new gear and have Hammered the media with their successes.

But how is it, really?

Some of you may have gathered that I'm something of a SRAM fanboy, and having ridden SRAM for the past 5 years (starting with the old original Force which is still kicking on my cyclocross bike) I wanted to do this methodically, piece by piece.  I've started with the shifters, as they're the most important part of the group (in my opinion) and will compare them to the old model Red shifters that they have replaced.

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[dc]T[/dc]ires are a very personal thing, and changing them can represent a significant investment in the unknown.  That being said, last year I published my first impressions on the Michelin Pro Race 4 SC tires that I picked up at Velofest.  I was hesitant at the time: I was replacing an extremely durable, nice riding set of Vittoria Rubino Pro IIIs and had poor luck with Michelins in the past.  Specifically, the Pro Race 3s that I used had an extremely short lifespan and were somewhat puncture prone.  I was hoping that the Pro4s had rectified this problem.  Much to my surprise, the Pro 4s gave a very favorable first impression, and were extremely solid during the first 250 miles that comprised my first impression. 

Having spent the rest of the season on them it's time for my final thoughts on their performance, their value and make my recommendation.

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