CogSnob : : Cycling Reviews, Rides, and Reality.

Reviewed: 2010 Giro Prolight Helmet

2010-07-07T23:24:06Z

For the past several years, I have been a loyal Specialized S-Works Helmet wearer. I am a big fan of the lightness combined with the open vent system that keeps my noggin from burning-up on hot days. Call me luke-warm when it comes to the Specialized 360 Strap System--I can never seem to get the chin strap exactly how I would like. So, after 4 loyal years, I decided I would take the new Giro Prolite Helmet for a spin.

Overview

The first Prolight made its debut back in 1985, some 25 years ago..back when hand-sewn lycra covers were the it thing. Thankfully Lycra paved the way for today's molded EVA foam-based helmets and open air venting system.
At first glance, the 2010 Prolight looks a great deal like the award winning Ionos made popular by Big Tex (I have heard that Alberto Contador wanted a helmet other than the Ionos, and that he helped initially test the Prolight product early last year). The main aesthetic difference is the Prolight's lower profile and slight modifications on the vent design. Thankfully, the real difference isn't in the aesthetics, it's what's under the hood. ]]> What we liked:

Dubbed the "lightest helmet on earth", the new Prolight weighs in at an amazing 190g! That's nearly 40 grams less than our Specialized S-Works and a full 120g less than the popular Ionos mentioned earlier. So you may ask, how the heck did Giro reduce the weight so significantly from their previous flagship product (Ionos)? Quite simply, one thing: Elastic for plastic in the retention system. While the traditional RocLoc system found in the Ionos, and the similar 360 Strap system from Specialized do a nice job at keeping the helmet properly affixed to your noggin, they are plastic. And when counting grams, plastic is heavier than elastic.

To me, lightness is one of the factors to consider when shelling-out cash on a new helmet, but the one thing about the retention system that I love is the pure comfort. Think fitted ball cap versus the traditional plastic 9 hole system on your favorite baseball cap. It is light, snug and extremely easy to set-up. In fact, we opened the box, adjusted the chin strap, and the internal 3 hole fitting option (small, medium, and large options) to our liking, and hit the road. The entire set-up took less than a minute.

After a month of riding in all types of Spring and Summer weather, we are happy to say that the strap system is the truly the cat's meow. It is such a simple concept, we wonder why someone hasn't thought of it before?!

The snob in us:

When comparing the new Prolight to my current Specialized S-Works 4th Dimension Cooling System, I knew the Prolight's 25 air vents had to do something pretty radical to keep up. So how did the Prolight compare? After a solid month in 70 to 90 degree riding, I was generally disappointed. So much so, that I forgo the comfort in the Prolight retention system and strap-on an additional 40 grams of sweet, air-vent heaven with my Specialized S-Works helmet. It is really too bad, I do so love the concept of the elastic retention system.

Our recommendation:

If supreme lightness, ease of configuration and comfort trump your need for coolness and airflow, then the new Giro 2010 Prolight is nirvana for you. However, if you are an Ionos and S-Works wearer that is tempted to go lighter, stand down! The Prolight will disappoint right where it ultimately counts---keeping your noggin cool and hot summer days.

Where to buy:

Excel Sports (www.excelsports.com) for $199.95

Reviewed: Blackburn AirStik 2 Stage Pump

2010-06-02T21:22:10Z

Overview

A while ago I learned that cheaper is rarely better. Yes, most of the things I/we utilize on a daily basis are all manufactured in Chinese factories, but thankfully a great deal are engineered elsewhere. That means the mind and might of a few smart individuals have their hand in the creation and design of a certain category of products that I find trustworthy and can truly rely on. To that end, I tend to spend top-dollar on things that provide a high degree of safety, peace of mind and sustainability. High quality car and bike tires, dress shoes, tents, and portable bike pumps are a few of the items that I will pay top dollar for. And let’s face it, who want’s to be in an auto accident due to a sidewall blowout because the higher priced tire just wasn’t worth the extra $80 at the time?? I personally don’t like to play the coulda’, and shoulda’ game...$80 is well worth the freakin peace of mind for me.

So while some people may question the addition of portable bike pumps to my list above, I would be happy to tell them my story of having to walk my bike back home...for 12 miles...in the rain due to a failed “cheap” portable bike pump. Some would ask, “why do you use a manual pump instead of a CO2 pump?” Call me ole’ fashioned, but I liken it to taking a lighter instead of matches on a camping trip. I know the matches have a lower failure rate than the lighter (less things to go south). Yes, CO2 inflators are nice...and have their place, but as with the lighter, things can more easily go wrong with the base technology.

Enter the Blackburn AirStik 2 Stage portable bike pump. For the past two years, I have... ]]>

Why do I like the Airstik?

A few years ago, I wrote a review of the SKS pump that failed and left me stranded in the middle of God’s country. In the case of the German SKS, both the engineering and the production failed to produce a compelling product. The design, proved too unstable and not well thought out from a riders perspective. The manufacturing followed suit, creating a product made from substandard materials--prone to breaking and malfunction.

The BlackBurn’s AirStik on the other hand excels both in the areas of design and manufacturing. Is it as light as the SKS? Absolutely not, but by no means is it “heavy” (the AirStik weights 84g). Would I have opted to carry a slightly heavier pump on that fateful ride than the SKS? Sure, if nothing else I could have used it to mimic the pummeling of the German SKS product engineer...that would have been sooo satisfactory, but I digress.

Made from high quality aircraft aluminum, the AirStik, just feels like a pump should feel...heavy, durable and dependable. The nozzle easily fits a presta valve stem and has a threaded cap--allowing the head to be tightened and loosened during the pump process. The two stage feature worked as advertised and allowed much quicker inflation to the tire in the initial pumping process. Once a moderate volume of air filled the tire, I found switching to the second stage was much more manageable (and easier on my Popeye’s), providing more pumps to volume ratio. In general, I found I could fill a tire to 80 PSI in about 4-5 minutes, tops. That beats the heck out of walking in disgust after slaving for 30 min on a failed pump.

The Snob In Us Says

In order to maintain adequate contact with the stem, we had to apply a considerable amount of pressure to the top of the head unit. Not uncommon with portable pumps, we just wished that the head provided a more ergonomic design for our fingers.

Our Recommendation

Buy this pump if you want a super dependable, rugged product that won’t leave you stranded on the side of the road saying I shoulda, coulda, woulda...

Reviewed: BG S-WORKS Road Shoe

2010-04-24T17:36:52Z

Overview

Back in 2008, we reviewed the Specialized BG S-Works Road Shoe and generally had good things to say about the top end performer within Specialized's road line-up. It is justified to state that we have adequately put these shoes through the paces the last two years....tallying-up a few miscommings since the initial review. With the introduction of the 2010 version (which debuted during last year's Tour de France), we were jazzed to see if Specialized had refined the product, addressed the issues we had found.

]]> What we liked

A few of the issues we had with the older version of the BG S-WORKS Road Shoe, dealt mainly with the overall fit and the configuration of the BOA Lacing System. The good news it that Specialized realized this and made modifications in both areas for the better. So, with that said, lets break down these two issues:
BOA Lacing System
Since the BOA lacing system was a one-way ratcheting mechanism on the old shoe, it hindered the ability to easily get the shoe on and off. Basically, the ratchet mechanism would limit the total slack in the overall system and prohibit a "full" opening of the lacing. I liken it to pulling-on a ski boot with one of the buckles still fastened.
I am happy to state that the '10 model now features a two-way Boa ratcheting system on both the upper and lower "strap areas". Specialized states, "The two independent Boa dials optimize closure in each zone: top dial locks the ankle and heel down, mid-foot dial snugs the arch and forefoot."
I found that these independent systems allowed more slack for me to fully open the shoe upper for easy on-and-off.
Fit and Overall Comfort
The older version's comfort was directly tied to the fact that the upper strap (the strap closest to the toe-bed), was a strap, and not part of the BOA system. Quite frankly, I never really found a comfortable setting for the strap, so I just set it and dealt with it being too loose or too tight (depending on the sock). I would then use the arch BOA dial to compensate for the forefoot's shortcomings.
As mentioned above, the 2010 version of the shoe now has a BOA dial in the forefoot area instead of a strap...and it is heaven.

What else did we like?

Replaceable heel tread with internally recessed screws. Ok, about time with this one! My older pair resemble the moon's surface after a few years worth of walking off the bike.
Mesh-venting on the carbon sole under my toes.. Man, I really love this feature. Yes, I know it sounds silly, but having the added ventilation on the bottom of my feet really helps on those warm days (we have had but a few).
Stiff, Stiff, Stiff. Made with FACT 12.0 carbon, the sole is one of the stiffest things I have ever had on my feet. Can I feel the difference from the FACT 10.0 carbon in the old version? Yes. The power transfer is absolutely amazing. Combine that with the glove-like fit of the upper and you get a shoe that is designed to push the pedal forward with maximum efficiency.

The Snob In Us

In general, we loved the shoe. However, we are still trying to get over the high gloss look (we have the black version) which Specialized calls, "...water-resistant Micromatrix upper material". I am cool with it being all that, but I really don't want to feel like I am going to a wedding when heading out for a long day in the saddle.

Our Recommendation

Light, stiff, super fit, with easy, on-the-fly fine-tuning options...the 2010 BG S-WORKS Road Shoe from Specialized is the best shoe I have ever worn (sorry Sidi lovers). With a price tag of $350.00, it is well worth the money just knowing that the folks at Specialized are continually fine-tuning their products and learning from past releases.

Where To Buy

Specialized.com

Reviewed: Panache Arm Screens

2010-03-16T04:36:02Z

Spring is in the air here in Colorado and we are anxious to ditch the full-blown winter riding gear that has been part of our lives for the last 5 months.

Part of the transition to warm weather clothing is wearing our trusty arm and leg warmer's. If you asked the average cyclist what he/she ranks as the top cylcing-specific clothing accessory, most will tell you that warmers tend to fall into the "must-have" category. For us, they fall in the love/love-hate category...we love them when they are on...and we love them when we don't have to wear them.

Overview

Our problems with arm warmers stem from the fact that they are too warm for mild weather occasions---still requiring protection on the arms for wind and UV protection.

Enter Panache Arm Screens from Panache Cyclewear in Boulder Colorado. It is safe to say that these aren't your granpappies arm warmers.

]]> The Good

Made from CoolTouch™ Mesh, the perforated fabric allows the appropriate amount of airflow over the skin while keeping you safe from harmful UV's...and just warm enough on those 50-60 degree days.
We love them for the snug, compression-like fit that comes without the use of traditional grippers. Our hat's are off to Panache for finally getting the warmer concept right...now I can finally laugh at my friends with farmers tans.

Available in white, the Panache Arm Screens can be purchased for $45 at www.panachecyclewear.com.

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