News
News
Celebrating with Lance
“Ten laps to go,” Lance Armstrong joked as he led off a string of two dozen invited guests on a ride around the 5-mile mountain-bike loop that circles his 444-acre ranch in the Texas Hill Country. It was Mother’s Day morning, and the seven-time Tour de France champion was having fun with friends, including many from the bike industry, who were helping him celebrate the opening of his new Austin bike shop, Mellow Johnny’s.
New Hampshire ride to raise money for reading programs
The Nashua Adult Learning Center is hosting the Second Annual Ride to Read cycle fundraiser on Sunday, September 14, 2008. Rain or Shine. This year, we have added another 100 mile route. This new route starts and ends at EMS in Peterborough, NH. All other routes, begins and ends at the Adult Learning Center, 4 Lake Street, Nashua. Proceeds to benefit the literacy programs offered at the Adult Learning Center. Event will offer 5 cycle routes: (2) 100 mile, 50 mile, 25 mile and 5 mile Family route.
This Week in Pro Cycling – May 13, 2008
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the latest edition of The Prologue, the weekly summary of news from the world of competitive cycling by your friends at VeloNews.com.
The Baraboo Sharks take the win at Muskego.
The Baraboo Sharks take the win at Muskego.
Crit Carnage
Crit Carnage
2008 Giro d’Italia Tech: FSA’s new brakes
FSA’s new brakes, to replace its black Gossamer-level ones still on many Giro bikes, is the SLK. For the Tour, K-Force brakes with identical calipers and titanium hardware and carbon pad holders will be on all FSA-sponsored teams, according to FSA’s Claudio Marra.
2008 Giro d’Italia Tech: Shimano shifters
While Caisse d’Epargne’s Lastras is using Campy electronic, Shimano’s new cable-actuated shifters with cables under the tape is on the bikes of High Road’s Kanstantin Sivtsov, and Gerolsteiner’s Johannes Fröhlinger, Davide Rebellin, and Matthias Russ.
2008 Giro d’Italia Tech: Electric shifters
Mounting the battery pack for Pablo Lastras’s electronic shifting system requires three heads among the Caisse d’Epargne mechanics to figure it out.
2008 Giro d’Italia Tech: Skippy’s bike
Skippy plans on riding the Giro, Dauphine and Tour courses in their entirety on a solid magnesium Selle San Marco saddle. He finds the saddle comfortable and says it particularly shines in the rain.
2008 Giro d’Italia Tech: Skippy
As always, Skippy, the Aussie who follows the Grand Tours on his bike, is here again, his 10th straight Giro. This will be his 11th straight Tour de France this July. He says he does it in the name of handicapped sport and had planned to do it on a handcycle this time, but he could not obtain the support necessary.
2008 Giro d’Italia Tech: Teams use all sorts of different brake pads on carbon rims.
Teams use all sorts of different brake pads on carbon rims. Saunier Duval’s Scott team bikes all use yellow Mavic pads on their Mavic carbon wheels.
2008 Giro d’Italia Tech: Maggie’s custom 150mm stem
Long shaft: that is a custom 150mm carbon-wrapped aluminum stem on Bäckstedt’s bike. Maggie is always pushing the limits of any carbon bike made in a stock mold.
2008 Giro d’Italia Tech: Zipp’s 808 is a fast stopper, too.
Like many other riders, Bäckstedt uses super-deep Zipp 808 wheels in a lot of road races. Many choose the wheels because they prefer the braking to that of a 404 or a 202. CSC’s Fabian Cancellara, for instance, has repeatedly raved to Zipp about the braking with this wheel. Zipp’s Andy Ording says it is due to the toroidal shape of the rim being carried through to the braking surface. All other Zipp models have parallel brake tracks — the toroidal shape stops before the braking surface. “We did it strictly for aerodynamics,” says Ording, “but an extra benefit is better braking.” Why? Ording theorizes that when the entire lower edge of the pad contacts the rim first, it squeegees water and grime outward and gives immediate braking response, rather than a delay while material trapped under the pad moves away.
The 2008 Joe Martin final women’s podium
The 2008 Joe Martin final women’s podium (left to right) Robin Farina (Cheerwine), Catherine Cheatley (Cheerwine), Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine), Mackenzie Woodring (Colavita-Sutter Home) and Marisa Asplund-Ownes (Cheerwine)
The 2008 Joe Martin final men’s podium
The final men’s podium (left to right) Tyler Wren (Colavita-Sutter Home), Anthony Colby (Colavita-Sutter Home), Rory Sutherland (Health Net), Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly), Edward King (Bissell) and Aaron Tuckerman (Jelly Belly)
San Rafael talk will benefit NorCal mountain bike program
At all levels of sport, mental fitness often sets athletes apart from competitors. On Thursday, June 5, 2008, Marvin Zauderer will speak on "The 5 Core Skills of Mentally Fit Athletes," and will present steps that all athletes can take to strengthen important mental skills. Whether you're a competitive athlete, recreational athlete, coach, or parent of an athlete, this presentation will give you tools that you can use. The talk, sponsored by Marin Cyclists (http://www.marincyclists.com/) and a benefit for the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League