felt...

gets more aero with this little number. i can't help but think that it looks more like a tt with drop bars. i bet this is fun to ride.

giant is coming out with new road bikes for next year. nine to be exact. intergrated seatpost looks like will be the big thing on their top end. different 'tubing' and angles. stiff head tube. upon first look...i'm glad i got my ocr this year.

[amitabha...]

finally...

muddy moots...
Originally uploaded by divine_gear

able to get out on the gristle for some real riding. went out with the guys from the shop last night, and it was muddy fun.

despite the twenty-nine front; the gristle handles rather quickly. i was able to turn and move quicker than i thought i would be (i'm not sure if any of that was due to the carbon bar too). i felt rather confident rolling over things with the twenty-nine (that just might be the confidence i gained in ct, but still...) up front. i thought that it would be a little more difficult pulling up the front to get over things (pulling up a twenty-nine vs. a twenty-six), like rocks on short rolling terrain, but i had no problems there. the only 'problem' that i had was the fact that it does take a little more to get moving, but once i got it moving i was able to 'catch-up' to the leaders rather quickly. either it had to do with the twenty-nine, or i just might be in decent shape this year.

the fox is nice and stiff/solid. just how i like my forks to handle. so that's really good news.

i don't think i need to say anything about the performance of the ybb...that just kicks ass; period. however, i would like to 'sing' the praises of custom geometry again. the bike just feels right. i felt like i climbed better than before on a single speed, and it just really responded to my movements. i'm really happy with it. there's a lot to it. so if you are able...go custom. granted; it has to be a bike that you do not plan on getting rid of...and i don't; not this one.

i rode it free last night, but i will begin to play with it fixed; once i'm in dryer conditions, and by myself. i don't want to play 'catch-up' on a fixed with a bunch of people...that might be bad.

i look forward to many more rides on the gristle. great bike.

namaste...

this is my...

new project...
Originally uploaded by divine_gear

current project that i am embarking on. i picked up this little giant rincon from shop's donation 'bin'. it was my size so i said what the hell.

then it hit me what i wanted to do with it. eight speed internal. nice.

so that's where the bulk of the money is going to go. i've got the cockpit figured out, changing the crankset to a single up front, singlulator in the back to pick up the slack. the brakes and levers were taken off another donation...some old dia-comps. i'm going to throw a 'new' bb in there...i have a couple laying around, so i'll try a few and see what works. and finally...i would love to load this thing up with baskets and such for shopping and getting around.

good times.

namaste...

just like all cycling magazines...

i am asking this question way too early, and i don't even know if this has been brought up; simply because i stopped reading cycling magazines.

but like i wrote in another post; what if contador goes after the vuelta?

first off that would be amazing.

second...if he wins the vuelta; is he a better cyclist than lance? (or at least could he be, obviously).

my argument is, and has always been, lance has only trained for the tour, and no other race. so lance ought to kick ass at the tour, since that's the only thing he has ever done, and been concerned with.

whereas contador is competing in all the grand tours; i believe makes him a more of a well rounded rider; esp. if he wins on a consistent basis.

namaste...

i've been looking at these...

since i picked up mine...



obviously i enjoy the twenty-niner/twenty-sixer platform; however...have you seen the freaking price tag on these things. really who is going to spend this amount of money on a singlespeed? i understand that the cost is all wrapped up in the fork, but holy shit! i'd be interested to see how their sales do this year on these.

put a different fork on, lower the price, sell more...i ought to be an economist.

or pick up the geared version, and make it a single speed after you sell off everything else.

thanks to lance...trek is just overpriced bicycles. man, that's just unjustifiable. at least mine's custom ti.

namaste...

ben's big dummy...

ben's big dummy...
Originally uploaded by divine_gear

in action.

congrats...

to contador. you deserve it. kicked ass where and when it needed to be kicked.

ricco...what are you thinking making those comments? you're not too smart. i'll have to chalk that up to 'best young rider' mentality. what if csf group was helping astana? who cares? they are allowed. speaking of csf group...sella kicks ass. it was great watching him win three stages.

that being said...will the tour officials come around? maybe. i know that they do have the 'right' to allow one more team in. worst case...astana doesn't get in, and there is one more grand tour after that...they could kick some ass in that one too, and make the tour officials really look like an ass.

team highroad did well. that's good news for an american team, and i really think slipstream did well too, for what they went through. i look forward to seeing them in the tour. and at least now when sports 'conversations' go on around me, i am able to ask...'name the two americans to ever wear the maglia rosa'. try that at your next cocktail party...as long as you are not surrounded by roadies.

namaste...