CogSnob : : Cycling Reviews, Rides, and Reality.

Reviewed: Solo Lugged Bib Shorts

2010-02-14T17:57:24Z

Those crazy Kiwi's from Solo, known for producing high-contrast, design-heavy jerseys (much like TwinSix), entered the bib short arena last November with the "Lugged Big Short".

As we have commented on in previous posts, the bib short race is one filled with big names like Assos, Giordana, Castelli, and Rapha. And as you can imagine, the barrier to entry in entering the race at the high-end is not for the timid.

Leave it to a Kiwi to trudge head-long into the space, aimed directly at the names mentioned above.
After the jump, find out why we think this newest entry into the bib short game is worth looking at.

]]> The good
The most important attribute that we noticed immediately is the detailed styling of the short. As we have commented in previous posts, the high-end Assos shorts and their frail chamois stitch patterns leave us un-impressed. On the contrary, the Solo "Lugged" has beautiful, high-quality stitching that looks to last forever.

Next, the chamois. One of the biggest measurements we use to determine the overall quality of the product, the chamois on the Lugged, is quite impressive. Solo calls it their Italian 'Aero Sotto' chamois---with no seams and exceptional breathability. After two weeks and over 200 miles, we have to rank it up with the best we have ever ridden. Not as comfy as the Rapha Bib Shorts over the long-haul, but darn close.

Lastly, the overall light-weight construction and handy little cargo pocket near the top-back of the short are things that we found to be impressive from such a newcomer in the space.

The snob in us
As we have discussed here before, most American's don't fit the traditional European sizing parameters that tend to follow the high-end clothing manufacturers, um, based in well, Europe. While the overall sizing was a bit more close than the likes of Rapha, our thighs felt the pinch of the overly tight silicon leg gripper and "petersham loop". No, we don't have Fabian thighs, but we would consider them---normal. While the grippers did a fantastic job of keeping the bibs in place on our leg, they did so at the cost of being a bit too tight.

Our recommendation
Wonderful styling, sturdy construction and a mean chamois put this bib short in the top of our list---up there with our Panache and Rapha bib shorts. Priced at $205.00, you can buy them at the solo.cc website.

Reviewed: Gargoyles Cardinal Eyewear

2010-01-12T20:52:57Z

Overview

Reviewing cycling specific eyewear is a favorite category for us at CogSnob. Why? With our base elevation and average UV exposure here in Colorado higher than most of the lower 48, the quality of specs on long rides is paramount. Buy a bad pair of sunglasses and head out for a long ride in the high-country and you will see what I mean.

Over the last two-years, we have reviewed a host of cycling specific performance specs including the Oakley Radar Path (our overall favorite) and the popular Oakley Jawbone. What have we learned you ask? The lens quality and field of vision are the biggest factors to consider when buying cycling specific eyewear...period.
Look as cool as you want, but if the specs don't excel in this category--looking fabo on your club ride won't matter.

That is exactly why we loved the new Cardinal from Gargoyles. Quite frankly, Gargoyles had dropped-off our radar for a while. With the recent entry of Giro in the space and the utter dominance and professional backing of Oakley, we forgot about this once popular option.

Before Oakley dominated the mindset of the populous, Gargoyles were the "it" pair of specs. Who could forget the shades Arnold wore in the Terminator, or Clint in Sudden Impact? Heck, back then, the military even took note and selected Gargoyles as their chosen eyewear for all military personnel. And while the decades have changed, the Gargoyle patented, Toric Curve Lens, has pretty much stayed the same.

]]> Gargoyle states, "The Toric Curve Lens allows light to transmit directly to the eye. No refraction, no distortion. Precision-molded and hand-finished, the design provides 210° of seamless wraparound protection, plenty of room considering our own peripheral vision is only 180°."

The Good

Between myself and another tester, we tallied roughly 500 miles wearing the Cardinal's. So, how did they rank? Damn good.

Field of vision: Like the Oakley Radar Path, the Cardinal's offer a wonderful, unobstructed view due to the omission of a bottom frame. This point alone is the single reason, we gave the Oakley Jawbone's a lower Cog rating due to the fact that the bottom frame impaired our vision when looking over the left or right shoulders.
Wind dampening: Again, very impressive. The large size of the lenses--following the natural facial curve, did a fantastic job of keeping ole' man winter's gusts from our eyes during rapid descents.
Solar/sun dissipation: More of a "traditional" tint (when combined to the Radar's Black Iridium Lenses), providing a natural diminished tonal quality. The Gargoyle folks told us that the Cardinal comes in two lens color technologies, Signature Green and Drive. Gargoyles' Signature Green lens provides a unique balance of target and background brightness to help in the tracking and location of objects in motion against a variety of outdoor backgrounds including Earth, sky and water. The Drive (our test pair) is Gargoyles' smoke colored lens, which reduces light intensity without altering the color of objects. This lens technology has been formulated for varying light conditions and provides the most natural color vision possible.
Overall durability: High marks here as well. We weren't kind to our pair--putting them through the normal treatment regimen. Our favorite test is the 25 mph "drop" scenario. The lenses survived the drop with a few wipeable smudges, and no scratches whatsoever. Try as we might, we couldn't scratch the lenses at all. Gargoyle's official description states that "the Cardinal incorporates Gargoyles' Ballistic Defense technology into their lenses, making them 5-6 times more impact resistant than regular polycarbonate lenses. Developed from a superior blend of polymers by Carl Zeiss Vision®, the Gargoyles Ballistic Defense lenses are designed for military, safety and sport applications and exceed all ISO and ANSI test standards, as well as the MIL-STD 622 ballistic test, which consists of stopping a .22 caliber bullet at 20 feet."
Other things we liked: We were thrilled to see that the nose piece was truly adjustable. If you have ever worn a pair of Smith's, you know that they state the nose-piece is adjustable, but we found them to be anything but.
Lastly, the price. Retailing for $110, that's nearly $50 off the popular Oakley and Rudy Project specs.

The Snob In Us

Unlike the Oakley Jawbone and Radar, the Cardinal's don't offer an easy method for switching lenses. Small thing really, but having an easy mechanism for switching between lenses is always a nice option.

Our Recommendation

We loved these specs. No, their frames don't come in neon green or sport fancy clasp style lens apparatus thingies, they offer a fantastic field of vision with nearly indestructible lens coating technology...at nearly $50 off the comparable Oakley specs.

Creating a Computrainer Workout

2009-12-29T16:45:34Z

I was asked recently how I create computrainer workouts to use with my indoor trainer. So I thought a write-up might be useful to others.

The videos I use are from The Sufferfest. Much of my workouts are based off older videos from The Sufferfest, but this method applies to the new videos as well as probably working with any video you can create timings for and apply to a computrainer.

First off my trainer is the Cycleops PowerBeam Pro, it has a built in PowerTap that also adjusts an electromagnetic resistance thingy. The PowerBeam works with the PowerAgent software to download and analyze workouts as well being able to create workouts based on several different criteria.

To start I take the Sufferfest video and import it into iMovie on my Mac. Then at each transition between workout segments I create a split in the video. Once I have all the video split, I can click on each split to get the length of time for each segment. I try to make the spits whole seconds, iMovie allows splits smaller than 1 second but that just gets painful to calculate and fill the eventual gaps.

I take the timings to these splits and enter them into a workout in the PowerAgent software. Then I apply the appropriate intensity to each segment. Right now I have things setup to work in power zones. The power zones are created based off a field test I did for sustained power and fall into five categories of Recovery, Endurance, Threshold, Race pace, and Max. So for me, race pace is 4Watts/Kilo (248Watts for 20 minutes divided by 62 Kilos). Max is around 281Watts (this is like a five minutes sustained average), although I tend to push the max to around 350-400Watts depending on how strong I am feeling. I align these PowerBeam categories with the intensities in the Sufferfest video, so a 10/10 is Max, 9/10 is race pace, 8/10 is Threshold, 5-7/10 is Endurance, and everything below 5/10 is recovery. There is no exact science that I apply for this, just whatever seems right and what I can actually do. If I cannot complete the 60 minute workout then I created something too hard and I go back and tone things down a bit.

The next iteration I plan on doing is rather than using Power Zones based off my field test will be to create Power Zones based off some setting higher than my field test. So I'll probably start out with Power Zones 2-5% higher (harder) than what I have tested at. I am not really looking forward to this, so I keep putting it off. I should just man up and do it though.

This first screen shot is an image of the workout in the PowerAgent software.

The second screen shot is what the workout looked like when I did it.

Hope this helps.

VHoldR ContourHD Helmet Cam

2009-12-28T19:01:48Z

I have been riding for about a month now with a helmet camera from VHoldR called the ContourHD. There are a couple notable helmet video cameras out all having a varying degree of price and quality, but after about a month of research I decided to bite on the Contour. One the the challenges I had was to find one that I could hold in my hands and see how big or small it was, how heavy it might be, and how easy it was to use. Luckily I found the REI Flagship store in downtown Denver had a display model.

There are three variations of the Contour; the original which seems hard to find, the ContourHD a 720p camera, and the ContourHD 1080p camera. With some help from the "Which to Buy" page on the VHoldR site, I chose the 720p version. Specifications of the various models are on the VHoldR Tech Specs site.

Attaching the ContourHD to my helmet ended up being pretty simple. Out of the box the camera came with two mounting attachments. One attachment had a sticky tape back to adhere to a smooth surface, the other attachment was designed to slip into the strap of ski goggles. There are additional attachments available for purchase including an attachment for bicycle helmets. I was impatient and rather than ordering the bicycle helmet attachment I used a strip of high strength velcro with the goggle attachment and mounted it on the left side of the helmet. To my surprise this works perfectly. Using the Rollsys Retention System on my Lazer Genesis helmet I gently snug up the helmet fit and cannot even tell the camera is attached. So far with both road biking and mountain biking as long as the helmet is properly fitted I don't even notice the extra few ounces on the right side of the helmet. The fit has been awesome.

To operate the ContourHD, there are two buttons. A power button, and a record slider. That's it, it couldn't be any easier. Both buttons are easy to access even when wearing winter riding gloves for the most part. The record slider is a little stiff to move back and forth, but I have already gotten some mud crammed into it so that might be part of the problem. I am not sure how to clean it, unfortunately. To aim the camera two red LED lasers light up when the power button is pressed and point to where the camera is aimed. Pretty easy to see what will be recored. The one trick in the beginning was setting it up for when I am riding the road bike. Since I am not as upright when on the road bike, the first time the only thing that was recorded was the pavement 10 feet in front of me. So there is a little trial and error to dial in the aiming, but it only took one try.

Processing and creating videos is the hard part. I am sure this will totally depend on the tools and experience of the producer though. I am a novice, well a beginner. I use iMovie 8.x on my Mac Pro. There are several approaches that can be used with iMovie depending on what you want as the outcome. Originally I was doing all sorts of preprocessing, image stabilization analysis, and fancy speed adjustments. Doing all those things can add up to days of work for a 5-10 minute web ready video. My latest few videos I do little to no optimizations, and can have a web ready video uploading to Vimeo in less than an hour (not counting the processing time).

To check out my videos created using the ContourHD see my channel on Vimeo.com. Low-res podcasts are available on iTunes.

40 MPH is the Speed I Ride from Mike Berg on Vimeo.

Reviewed: Lake CX140 Boots

2009-12-05T17:49:55Z

It has already been a cold start to ole' man winter here in Colorado. Needless to say, the only thing positive about this fact was the chance for us to try out the Lake CX140 Boots. After years of riding with every bootie, shoe/toe warmer we could get our hands on, it was nice to omit that step from our winter-morning getting dressed routine.

Introduced last January to the Lake Winter Shoe line along-side the higher priced CXZ302 ($269.99), the CX140 takes a different approach to keeping your feet warm. Having ridden in sub 30 degree conditions as well as wet, miserably cold conditions, I was generally pleased with their performance, with a few caveats.

]]> Unlike its higher priced, fully lined sibling (CXZ302), the CX140 is really a waterproof "shell" made of eVent™ waterproof, breathable material with an adjustable neoprene collar. It's important to note that because it is a shell, the boot contains no thermal characteristics and relies on your winter socks to keep you warm.

The Good
In our experience, the boot really shines in wet weather. We found the boot great for days where the thermometer was above 40 combined with drizzle or conditions where the road had a slight skim of water (that eventually ends-up on your shoes). In one case where literally everything was wet (you know the day..), the eVent material kept our feet dry without a trace of moisture while the neoprene ankle collar kept things sealed from the top-down.

We also like the side mounted push/pull BOA lacing system that allow for easy on-bike adjustments.

The Snob In Us
We had a bit higher expectations of the boot providing a bit more insulation and warmth than it actually delivered. However to their defense, Lake bills the boot as a shell for wet-winter riding and leaves the heavy-lifting of insulation to its sibling, the CXZ302. We also found the BOA lacing strap near the top of the upper-arch not appropriately aligned and therefore would "dig-into" the neoprene lining and eventually became a bit uncomfortable during really long rides.

Our Recommendation
The Lake CX140 is a fantastic boot for wet winter riding conditions where the thermometer is above 45 degrees. Lacking proper insulation, the boot relies entirely on your thermal socks for warmth. If you are looking for a boot to provide warmth as well as water resistance, check out the Lake CXZ302 with 3M Thinsulate™ toebox lining and a Thermosol composite insulating insole.

Where To Buy
LakeCycling.com for $189.99

I will beat my ass today, to kick yours tomorrow.

2009-11-15T01:08:32Z

Video

This is what I awoke to today, winter on the Colorado Front Range. So far it has not been so bad, but day to day it is hard to tell if it is going to be warm and nice or cold and nasty. We already had a 30 inch snow fall which melted away in a few days with 60 degree temps. Since then the weather has been mild and mostly in the 60-70 degree range and aside from being a bit windy it has been great cycling weather.

Well all that has changed today. No way I was going to be out in the cold wet rain and snow mix, so I whipped out the new Sufferfest workout called the Downward Spiral. Downward Spiral is the seventh edition of the Sufferfest workout videos. Last winter Sufferfest helped me build up some power and shed a few pounds during the times it was too cold or wet to be riding outside. The Sufferfest videos provide motivational eye candy and upbeat music to what is otherwise a mundane, boring, uncomfortable, hot, uninspiring indoor cycling workout (if you don’t get the hint, I hate indoor trainer workouts).

]]> My approach this year to indoor training is a bit more targeted with the help of my Cycleops PowerBeam trainer. I can do power based training, setting the thresholds for power that I want to be working at. So, if I set it for 300 Watts, when I am turning the pedals the trainer provides 300 Watts of resistance. So the first thing I did before working out to the Downward Spiral was to create a PowerTap workout, which basically is a timing list of what efforts I want to exert through the different intervals on the video. This gave me a preview of the “fun” I was going to have. One thing that should be noted is that I have not used the PowerBeam that often yet, so I don’t have my maximum, sustained, and threshold power numbers dialed in yet. I have done one field test, which afterwards I found the back brake had been rubbing quite a bit, so much the wheel did not coast for more than one or two seconds, so I don’t think that test is very valid.

Anyway, the Downward Spiral starts out with an easy warmup and some fun first person downhill footage to watch. Great fun to watch, especially since I doubt I will ever experience the real thing ‘cause I am a wuss and downhillers seem to be begging for broken bones, but it does look like fun. After a little more than five minutes the tempo picks up to prepare the body for the downward spiraling intervals. There are several visual queues that prompt for the up coming transitions, as well as an audio queue. This is a great improvement over the previous Sufferfest videos. The intervals start and the fun begins with pro race footage. I have to admit initially I may have not gone as hard as I could, mainly because I wanted to make it through the whole workout, but also I don’t think I have the power setting dial in quite like I should on the trainer. However, as the first set progressed I increased my effort and worked up a sweat. I forgot how much I sweat! I made it through the first set of intervals and was happy to have five minutes to recover before doing it again. This section of the workout takes you through some nice mountain biking of the great northwestern U.S. I’d like to check the featured trail out sometime, looked pretty easy and fun, I couldn’t figure out why those guys in the video kept getting off and walking... Anyway, back to the intervals. The second set follows the same methods as the first with a few extra short sprints at the end. I was having some issue with the Powertap unit for part of this set, it kept loosing the signal betwix the head unit and the resistance unit, so I wasn’t able to take full advantage of the second set at first. Finally, made it through the last set and to the final cool down section. Check out the power data from the workout:

I’m looking forward to more challenging, sweaty workouts from The Sufferfest over the winter months to keep me entertained and in shape.

Colorado High School Cycling League Fundraising Kickoff Ride - Success!

2009-11-02T00:37:42Z

The inaugural Bacaro Fundraising Ride to help fund the Colorado High School Cycling League kicked-off from Boulder's Bacaro Restaurant last Sunday morning amidst a beautiful October snowstorm. Led by Tom Danielson of Garmin Chipotle, the ride was a testament to the love and passion of the sport and provided a hint to the support behind the newly formed cycling league.

While the ride was cold and wet, the corresponding lunch at Bacaro's in downtown Boulder proved to be just what everyone needed to eat, warm-up and talk about the future of mountain biking in Colorado. The restaurant was at capacity for the event with Boulder's own Connie and Davis Phinney in attendance to provide their support for the initiative.

To get involved with the league, visit the organization's website and pledge any amount you feel will help propel the sport into your community. Additionally, you can sign-up and join the next monthly Bacaro ride on November 21st, in Boulder, CO.

See you there!

The Output Of My Experience With Spyns

2009-10-23T03:36:22Z

Many of you reading this blog may have noticed my personal crusade to help others avoid the experience I had during this year's Tour de France as part of a guided cycle tour with a company called Spyns. While airing dirty laundry on my soapbox doesn't come anywhere near the mission of CogSnob, I feel compelled as a cyclist to offer my help and assistance to those seeking their dream trip in the saddle.

Today, we launched a site called "Spyndled" that is designed to help others understand what to look for when choosing a cycle touring company for overseas travel. Our post a few weeks ago was a hint at what we were aiming for with the site. Feel free to check it out, make comments and forward it to your friends, family, or anyone you know that is planning a trip with a touring company in the future.

Selecting a Tour Company: 10 Tips You Need To Know

2009-10-01T03:41:39Z

This past July I was fortunate enough to be able to take the time out and head to France and see the Tour de France first-hand. As part of the experience, I hired a top-rated British Columbia based touring company called Spyns “to take care of my every need” while in-country.
Trust me when I say, paying money to help me experience the sport I love so dearly was a huge leap of faith. But hey, I did my research and felt the decision to hire the company was a sound one.

Fast-forward through my 10 day experience with Spyns, I sit in Paris, waiting for my plane, wondering what the hell just happened. The reality is that the trip I paid for didn’t actually happen and I ended up with a steaming pile of disappointment.

Instead of delving into the details, I thought I would create a list of sorts that you can use when hiring your own touring company for overseas travel. Unfortunately, these lessons came at a fairly high price, but have armed me for life. I think they will help guide you as well.

So what do you look for prior to making your decision and what do you need to mindful of when when in-country?

Before You Travel:

Websites, brochures, and written references are nice, but you want to actually talk first-hand with someone who has traveled with the company before. Ask the tour director for a list of contacts that YOU yourself can choose from.
Find out the size of the currently registered group (and what the expectations are before departure) and compare that number with previous years trips. Be wary of a tour company that has experience with smaller groups but has vastly increased their numbers for your trip. In the case of Spyns, the 2009 number was roughly 80 individuals more than the 2008 number.
Prior to departure, ask for a final itinerary. Yes, a few things may still be up in the air, but most of the details SHOULD have been ironed-out before you actually leave. Look for and demand an itinerary that not only mentions dates and locations for trip items, but provides specific times and guide names as well.
Absolutely do not pay with a check! If things go horribly wrong, you have zero recourse for getting your money back. If the tour company insists on a check instead of a credit card, then find another tour company--period.
Make note of communication patterns with the tour company up to and prior to your date of departure as they are likely to manifest into a full blown issue when you are oversees. In the case of Spyns, I often would call in the middle of the day, only to receive an answering service. And when I did receive a return communication, It was 7 to 10 days after my initial inquiry.
Ask your tour director for the total number of native speaking company members that will be onsite supporting the efforts of the tour. To properly organize a trip of any size, a standard 1:3 ratio is common (1 support member for every 3 tourists).

In-Country:

When you arrive at your destination, you should have a welcome kit with a final trip itinerary in your hotel room. No I am not being hoity-toity here. This is what one would expect after paying a significant sum of money—a final itinerary is the least of what I should find in my hotel room. A cycle jersey, cap, sunblock or t-shirt are standard items for cycle tours. If you don’t at least have a final itinerary…DEMAND ONE!
As it is a cycle tour, a huge concern of yours should be the bike you will be riding for the duration of your travel. If you shipped your own, you will need to schedule time with the tour mechanic/s to help assemble the bike and make sure everything works as it should. In the case of Spyns, we were without our promised mechanic, bike-stand and even basic necessities like a bike pump.
Make note of how the bikes are transported. Any and all vehicles transporting your bikes should have the appropriate bike rack or trailer. HAULING BIKES INSIDE VEHICLES IS NOT ACCEPTABLE as damage can more easily occur to derailleurs, cables and other small parts. Ask your tour director early on as to how the bikes will be transported.
Be wary of last-minute changes to lodging and/or itinerary. When traveling in France during the tour, hotels, restaurants, and attractions book-up solid. Your director should have no need to change anything as drastic as the items mentioned above during your stay. If you do notice a hotel change has been made last minute and not part of your final itinerary, DEMAND AN ANSWER as to why the change was made.

By utilizing these tips as well as being diligent, observant and cautious, you can avoid or (at worst) mitigate any problems that may derail your overall experience in the saddle during your oversees adventure. For me, I look forward to heading to France in 2010, with lessons learned and nothing but my rubber side down for a few weeks of R&R!

Reviewed: Giro Lusso Gloves

2009-08-27T07:23:19Z

It wasn't that long ago when I thought of gloves as a yearly-renewal purchase...a kind of inauguration of the summer riding season. Needless to say, when I invested in a pair of leather Rapha Criterium Gloves a few years ago, I entered into a new understanding of what a good, year-after-year glove should be.

So, there I was happily enjoying my 3rd full year's worth of my Crit's, when I stumbled upon "the ultimate in glove bliss"...the new Giro Lusso. The Lusso's have ditched the traditional Chamois Leather for Pittards WR100X leather on the palm and Cabretta for the back. The traditional Chamois is ultra-soft when new, but requires regular cleaning and a bit of maintenance to keep comfortable (and a dose of leather conditioner). As I tend to maintain cycling wear (including gloves) like I maintain the weeds in my backyard (uh, never), the Lusso's fit more into my lifestyle. The Pittards Leather can be easily added to a wash cycle just as you would wash your bibs or favorite jersey.

Additionally, the Lusso's padding is made of 3mm thick Technogel that won't squash or flatten over time and is strategically located throughout 3 panels. I found the pads as or more comfortable than my old Criterium's...even throughout long double-century rides when your hands feel like they have the flu.

Available in either black or white and nicely priced under $70.00, the Giro Lusso's re-define what a quality summer riding glove should be. You can get your pair at CompetitiveCyclist.com

Reviewed: Pearl Izumi P.R.O. OCTANE BIB SHORT

2009-07-13T03:25:21Z

Over the last year, we have done our best to try the latest and greatest cycling bibs available. Yes, the market segment is somewhat dominated (on the high-end) by Assos, Giordana, Castelli and such--but we are always looking for the underdog. The "underdog" being a company that doesn't have the market-share, reach, or marketing, but still excels in craftsmanship and "engineering". To that point, we have reviewed the Panache Eleven Bib Short (excellent summer bibs) and the 2XU Elite Cycle Bib Shorts (super price and super chamois).

To be honest, the brand Pearl Izumi just simply fell off of our radar. As we are snobs, our taste for the cycling upper-end steered clear of the mass-marketed companies like Sugoi and Pearl Izumi. When Pearl launched their new, made in Italy, P.R.O line featuring their anatomic transfer fabric, we took note. Not just because of the price tag (a full P.R.O kit will run you $500), but because they are actively targeting the higher-end cyclist. Yes, the discerning cyclist is a whole different class of rider than their normal mass-market class of rider that doesn't mind the larger sizing and neon-blaze green color scheme's. The high-end rider can smell a loaf a mile away.

With that, let's tell you what we liked:
]]> 2XU Elite and almost as good as the FI. Mille bib shorts from Assos believe it or not (we are luke warm on the FI.Mille's).
The snug-fit didn't seem out of place...and like any bib worth it's salt, the feel off-the-bike is a bit uncomfortable compared to being on-the-bike.
Lastly, we have noticed others mentioning they hate how tight the red compression gripper is at the thigh...we disagree and think it is one of the pieces strong points.

The snob in us says:
It really comes down to two small things for us. One, the chamois doesn't extend far enough towards the front (up to the belly button) for our tastes. While it can be seen as minor for some, those riding aero bars--off the front of the saddle, may find the padding shortfall too uncomfortable to handle. Lastly, the color white has always been hard for us...while it provides a nice contrasting color scheme, it looked like something the cat dragged-in after our long ride.

Where To Buy:
Excel Sports, Boulder CO

My First Road Race in ~18 years - Deer Trail

2009-04-30T04:46:38Z

Saturday I entered my first road race in nearly 18 years. My history was not all that big of a deal since when I tried this as a youngster I was not that good at it, and I am not claiming I am good at it now. However, I think I am much better at it than before. Going at this as an adult has been a different experience. For the past couple of years now the bike has become an outlet for frustrations, disappointments, a place to meditate and think, a place to be angry over things that in the big picture are not significant, to wonder how I might be able to make a positive impact for others one day. The bike has become my "church".

]]> So in preparation for my BIG race this summer, the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race (a 100 mile mountain bike race that averages above 10,000 ft in elevation and has 14,000 feet of climbing), I thought getting used to some "race pace" on the road would be good practice. Overall things went fairly smoothly, better than I expected, sort of...

I was in the first heat of the day for the older folks, 35+ Cat 4 racers. It was cold out, 38 degrees, with a ~15mph wind out of the Northeast. For some reason I thought the race started at 8:45 and at 8:20 I thought I had some extra time. So I did a small warm up lap around town and I noticed quite a crowd at the start line. That's when I realized the race started at 8:30, Doh! I wasn't really nervous until then. I lined up sort of near that back since I was nearly tardy, the back is not a good place to start since there are more people to fall down in front. I had about 5 minutes to collect my thoughts when I notice my heart rate was at 150 bpm, that's when I realized I was nervous! The race started, it was a neutral start with a state police car leading the front. They were followed by the race officials on a couple of motorbikes, then the peloton. Neutral lasted less than a mile and the state police car pulled off the road and the race officials put some distance between them and the bikers.

For the first half of the race I felt great. The course was 42 miles and was L shaped, so it was out and back down each leg. At the first turnaround point I managed to move myself up to the front 10 guys. We zipped along doing between 35-38mph. I was still feeling fine. When we got to the first turn, I ended up getting caught off guard at how slowly we went around it, and forgot to change gears. Coming out of the turn everyone stood up and took off, while I was still in my 11. So I wasted time getting into a manageable gear to catch back up, and that took some effort because of the nearly direct headwind. After catching back up I was on the wrong side of the group, completely exposed to the wind, and I started burning matches trying to keep pace. I slowly worked my way to the other side of the peloton, which is really hard to do! Imagine 30 guys on bikes, bumper to bumper, shoulder to shoulder, doing 20+ mph into a gusty headwind. Well I got out of the wind for about 60 seconds. I found myself riding the yellow line (can't cross the yellow line), when the guy in front of me seemed to just give up. I had no place to go but backwards... suddenly I was ejected out the back of the lead group, and once again totally exposed to the wind. I tried for 5 or 6 miles to bridge back, and always remained within about 100 ft. A couple of guys also trying to catch back up hung on my wheel and would not take a turn so I could catch my breath. Finally with my heart rate pegging between 190-195 bpm I finally popped.

So I limped along for several miles trying to recover. Finally I caught a small group that wanted to work together to try to catch back up. It was some relief from being in the wind the whole time, but on the hills I was much stronger than the others and they complained about my pace. So I ended up slowing a little as I knew if I tried to go on my own I would end up popping again. We went along until about 5 miles from the end when I decided to drop the rest. I stood up and launched, and after a minute or two I looked back to see I had torn the group up as they tried to match my pace.

I ended the day feeling way stronger than I expected. On one hand happy at my results, on the other hand disappointed that my mistake at the 20mi mark probably cost me a better result.

Next race is this Saturday, Lookout Mountain Hill climb. It's not much of a race, more of a time trial than anything. 4.8 miles climbing 1800ft. I think the average grade is about 7% with a few little spots going up to 10% or so. It is a 100% threshold effort, which means I'll be keeping my heart rate around 185-190 bpm for hopefully less than 24 minutes. I will wuss out if it is raining though. Not so much because of the rain but more of trying to warm up on a trainer in the rain for an hour or more will be counter productive.

CogSnob '09 Club Ride Jerseys

2009-04-28T03:16:49Z

Just in time for Spring, we finally put through our order of CogSnob Club Ride jerseys from Hincapie Sports. If you are in the North Denver Suburbs and want to join our weekend rides, drop us a line, we would love to have ya! (we'll even throw in a jersey!)

Ellsworth Truth Take 2(004)

2009-03-23T01:08:58Z

Well there was an issue with my Ellsworth Truth. Last week I went to the Ellsworth web site to ask a technical question on what was the prescribed negative travel setting for the rear shock. I wondered since the Fox shock was specially tuned for the Truth if I should follow the setup from the Fox manual or if there was something different I needed to follow from Ellsworth. In order to receive technical support I needed to register my Truth. So I filled out the online form and put that it was a 2007 frame since that is what I thought I had bought and also entered the serial number.

A very short time later, Tony Ellsworth (founder, owner, designer of my bike) emails me Subject: "Your 2004 Truth". Then Tony writes "I hope you got a good deal". I was concerned and confused. After a few emails back and forth with Tony I was wondering what the deal was. Later that weekend after doing some research I emailed the guys at Schwab Cycles.

The Schwab guys on Monday called the Ellsworth guys to confirm the SN and date, ect. It ends up that my Truth is likely a 2005 frame. It seems that the 2005 models had a different rear triangle, so Ellsworth took some 2004 frames they had left over and rebuilt them with the new rear end. Either case, it was not a 2007 frame like I thought. I figured I overpaid for the bike by at least $750. The Schwab Cycles guys were good enough to make me happy though. First they offered to swap the frame for a 2009. I was not so interested in that since there is not a huge difference in frames. So I countered that they put a Fox F100 RLC shock on. For a small reasonable amount of dinero, since the shock retail is more than $750, and my estimate was in my favor, we agreed that it was a reasonable compromise.

There remains some mystery around all this since Schwabe did not become an Ellsworth dealer until 2005. And apparently they did not buy this frame until 2007 for a customer. This happens to coincide with my first sighting of the bike in early Feb. 2008 when it had been waiting to be picked up by the customer. Hmmm, oh well. I am happy and the Truth climbs like a jack rabbit. It is awesome.

So this is the latest pic with the new Fox F100 RLC fork, the wheels and tires I had originally ordered too. If the bathroom scale is accurate enough, the kit weighs in somewhere between 24.5 and 25 lbs. Not too shabby for an aluminum full suspension XC bike. I have seen carbon bikes come in around 23 lbs at 3x the price. Plus I probably would have compromised a carbon frame by now since I have a tendency to crash pretty hard on the trails

Reviewed: 2XU Elite Cycle Bib Shorts

2009-03-10T03:23:05Z

Overview
Known for their high-performance compression wear, 2XU has been steadily beefing-up their line to accommodate a full range of clothing, with and without compression. Since we consider ourselves somewhat of self proclaimed bib snobs, we didn't hesitate putting a pair through the paces.

The Good
The craftsmanship feels like a nice Assos or Giordana that we have in our closet, and the 2xu.com site states that they are made with "Swiss dimpled airflow technology and Japanese extreme moisture management fabrics". We did like how the straps seemed to blend into the body when we settled into our riding position. Like most high-end bibs, they (straps) will be a bit tight and awkward until you reach over into a riding position.
The fabric is one test, but for our money, the chamois better do the talking. While the "Fusion Pro Chamois" didn't feel as substantial as that of the Rapha Bib Short or Assos F.I. Mille S5 Bib Shorts, after several weekends of 80+ miles, they totally and completely surprised us. We now wonder what is so special in the Fusion Pro material? It has us wanting more information.

The Snob In Us
Truly, these are remarkable bibs, except for one thing. We found the area that joins the chamois to the inner thigh material very, very tight. Not so much uncomfortable on the bike, but when off the bike, we felt a bit uncomfortable. Our guess is that this is a carryover from their compression heritage with a very functional purpose: help blood-flow and reduce muscle damage.

Our recommendation
While Assos, Giordana, and Rapha make a wonderful bib with fantastic chamois providing unparalleled craftsmanship, 2XU has completely caught us off guard with the Elite Bib Short. Retailing around $60 less than similar featured Assos, we are adding 2XU to our new favorite list. You can find them at www.gearandtraining.com for $140.