Two Wheel Blogs

Two totally different items that are somehow related:

Photo number one: An image that I rarely (never) seem to see when I am out riding. While I would not mind encountering this sight once in a while on the roll, I am sure it results in the rider becoming quite sore in certain areas.

Photo number two: An image I captured during the State Time Trial last Sunday. This poor chap on a nice Trek apparently had a seat binder failure resulting in...well... suffering, I am sure.

Photo: 

As you have probably read, Mark and I did some hill climbing yesterday. While I was not in shape to take my share of the pulling, I did feel really good and time permitting, I would have liked to ride a lot longer. Apparently we scored some TSS points, and the way I slept last night it was evident (I slept later this morning than I have in years).

I finally woke up this morning hoping to hear from G-wiz who talked of riding a century today, but the call never came. Probably for the better, because today it is hot and humid outside. Hot and humid should not bother me, but I guess I need some recovery because I just could not get the enthusiasm needed to go outside.

I'm dragging. Work's been a bear, digging out from the holidays and a week away under the weather. I've been getting up too early and staying up too late this week. And to top it off, I don't think I've quite kicked this thing. it just seems to want to hang on.

Still I couldn't resist hopping on the trainer this afternoon to verify a few things and try out a couple of ideas I got at last night's seminar.

First let me just say, if you ever get a chance to go see John Cobb talk. Take it. This guy is so smart it hurts; but he talks about bicycle aerodynamics in terms so simple anyone can grasp the concepts. I highly recommend it.

What is this, Thursday? Business trips can be so de-stabilizing. It's good to be back home again. Home for the rest of the year, what little of it remains. Now at least I can get back to something like normal. It's hard to believe how out of it you can get in only 3 days on the road.

Maybe it's hydration. As much as I try to stay hydrated when I travel, I still think I don't get enough water. It's hard to gage though; and the last thing I want is to flood myself so much I have to excuse myself from business meetings too often.

I have seen this done before and often wondered why in the heck someone would do this to a saddle...and here I am doing it.

First of all, there is a very good reason for doing it. Second of all, not everyone should rush out and do it.

I have enjoyed the feel and performance of a fine leather saddle for some time now. Recently I acquired this new Brooks Swift model which is a bit narrower than the B-17 that I have used in the past. While I like the narrower profile, lighter weight, and generally stiffer shell, I have noticed something in recent weeks.

Many manufacturers of MTB bars on the market will tell you some things in the advertising/website. Often reported are numbers like width (length), rise (length), sweep (angle), and up-sweep (angle).

Without getting into my disdain for up sweep (excessively), I want to discuss the un-reported data a bit.

Let's say you want to try a new handlebar on your bike. You are a performance enthusiast, and you want to try something different, but you don't want to change more than one variable if possible. As a performance guy, you want to change only one thing and see what it does for you...let's say you simply want to change the angle of your wrist by changing the "sweep" of your bars without changing the reach.