April 12, 2006
If you're a cyclist and you feel that not enough objects and epithets are thrown at you from passing drivers, may I suggest this jersey currently available on eBay:
Last night I tried out some demo wheels: Easton Orion IIs. The wheelset was around 14 ounces lighter than the Shimanos I use. BIG difference. My bike was much more responsive and I marveled fellow riders with my newfound strength.
Conclusion? He with the most dollars has the most competitive advantage. That's one thing I really like about running; it's about physical fitness. Sure, you can drink some fancy sports beverage and wear a $200 pair of shoes. But the extra equipment expense is negligable. In cycling, on the other hand, some guy passes me riding his $8000, 15-lb all-carbon machine. I had no idea how much a single pound of weight mattered until I rode on race wheels last night.
All those f*ckers. Pisses me off, how hard I've been working at getting stronger, when a lot of what has been slowing me down appears to be my nineteen and a half pound bike.
Posted by megabeth at April 12, 2006 10:49 AM
Chain Cleaning Boy is right...and nothing pisses off the $$$ throwers than somebody kicking their butt riding on a real piece of #$%^! While the good bike matters, if you're in shape and strong, you can eat their lunch. And his advice on investing in wheels is right - reduce wheel weight. Want free speed? Pump tires. Cheap speed? Higher performance tires (and tubes).
Posted by: Scooter at April 12, 2006 12:44 PM
Thanks for the advice. I am definitely going to buy some lightweight race wheels for my bike as soon as I finish doing the research. I'm also getting new tires on my old wheels that will be faster than what I have now.
Posted by: megabeth at April 13, 2006 03:58 PM