in Louisville this weekend! This is a big deal: the first time a world championship cyclocross race has been held in the U.S., and the first time that the top Euro talent such as Niels Albert and Sven Nys will be racing here.
This will be the best chance ever for U.S. riders to earn a rainbow jersey, as we have the home turf advantage for once. And not only U.S. riders- local riders!
I really like Logan Owen's chances for a win. Right now there are only a couple of Belgians that can beat him in his age group. This is the kid that I try not to get lapped by in local races. I used to beat him when he was 15 and racing as a Cat 3....
Zach McDonald, another local, recently decided to race the National Championships as an elite and not U23- and still took third place. His form is perfect right now and he is a contender in the U23 race.
With the very best from Europe here, an American world cyclocross champion is a bit of a long shot- but the chances are better now than they were when Page got his silver medal. Jeremy Powers will get a second row start I think- if there is a dry course and Powers has a great race, he could win.
Can't wait to see how this unfolds!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
Don't give a shit about Lance Armstrong
What do you do you if you have a dark heavy secret that you have kept buried for so long? Of course, you go tell Oprah (for a lot of money I'm sure)
I honestly don't care about Lance- he is not the first and won't be the last professional athlete to cheat and then lie about it. The bigger problem is that his national and international governing body helped him do it. If Lance really did care about the sport, about the only thing he could do at this point is say: " I could only get away with this because the UCI and USA Cycling helped me." Then we could get rid of the people in charge of those organizations and we might see some real change in the sport. Right now if I want a racing license I have to mail a check to USA Cycling or the UCI if I want to race in Canada. Steve Johnson and Hein Verbruggen are still in charge and acting like nothing is wrong. If the governing body of the sport is cheating, and everyone knows it, how can anyone ever take bicycle racing seriously? Lance has not only screwed over his past competitors- he is screwing the next generation too because right now nobody is interested in sponsoring a bicycle racing team. Can't say I'm surprised.
To those that say "Lance Armstrong still won those 7 tours because all his competitors doped too..." In a way they are right- I don't care about what place Basso would up with either. What I do care about is that there was probably some poor Colombian kid that would have beaten Lance on a level playing field. Any legitimate competition needs rules. At this point its looking like a rigged game with the UCI in charge. If some people are allowed to dope and others aren't, you might as well retroactively move the finish line. Now bicycle racing is about as legit as WWF wrestling.
Screw it. Unless there is change where it counts- I'll be riding in a wool jersey in any event that doesn't require a license from USA cycling or the UCI.
I honestly don't care about Lance- he is not the first and won't be the last professional athlete to cheat and then lie about it. The bigger problem is that his national and international governing body helped him do it. If Lance really did care about the sport, about the only thing he could do at this point is say: " I could only get away with this because the UCI and USA Cycling helped me." Then we could get rid of the people in charge of those organizations and we might see some real change in the sport. Right now if I want a racing license I have to mail a check to USA Cycling or the UCI if I want to race in Canada. Steve Johnson and Hein Verbruggen are still in charge and acting like nothing is wrong. If the governing body of the sport is cheating, and everyone knows it, how can anyone ever take bicycle racing seriously? Lance has not only screwed over his past competitors- he is screwing the next generation too because right now nobody is interested in sponsoring a bicycle racing team. Can't say I'm surprised.
To those that say "Lance Armstrong still won those 7 tours because all his competitors doped too..." In a way they are right- I don't care about what place Basso would up with either. What I do care about is that there was probably some poor Colombian kid that would have beaten Lance on a level playing field. Any legitimate competition needs rules. At this point its looking like a rigged game with the UCI in charge. If some people are allowed to dope and others aren't, you might as well retroactively move the finish line. Now bicycle racing is about as legit as WWF wrestling.
Screw it. Unless there is change where it counts- I'll be riding in a wool jersey in any event that doesn't require a license from USA cycling or the UCI.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Sandy Hook
I've been ruminating on this. I have a daughter in kindergarten; its hard not to. Then I saw in the paper this morning that NRA's answer is "a good guy with a gun" in every school. I liked McSchwinn's response the best: "they have shown that they are clearly out of ideas. Its time to stop listening to them".
"A good guy with a gun" is a good analogy, I think, for the way people view roads. There are a lot of people that feel that in order to be safe, you have to be inside a larger chunk of steel than the next guy. In a way, they are right. But that is not a game that I want to play and not a world I want to live in. Its true that I might get run over by a car, but it would be certain that I'm fat and unhappy and suffer a coronary event with the alternative. Why not design roads and vehicles in a way that looks out for the safety of everybody? I don't want a doofus with a gun in my daughters school for that added false sense of safety, and I don't want to have to rely on a two ton machine just to get to work or the grocery store in one piece.
By the way, do you know what was state of the art with respect to guns when the Second Amendment was written? Powder and loose balls. A rifle wouldn't be invented for 100 years. How many kindergartners do you think would have died if that kid had to stop and reload after every shot?
"A good guy with a gun" is a good analogy, I think, for the way people view roads. There are a lot of people that feel that in order to be safe, you have to be inside a larger chunk of steel than the next guy. In a way, they are right. But that is not a game that I want to play and not a world I want to live in. Its true that I might get run over by a car, but it would be certain that I'm fat and unhappy and suffer a coronary event with the alternative. Why not design roads and vehicles in a way that looks out for the safety of everybody? I don't want a doofus with a gun in my daughters school for that added false sense of safety, and I don't want to have to rely on a two ton machine just to get to work or the grocery store in one piece.
By the way, do you know what was state of the art with respect to guns when the Second Amendment was written? Powder and loose balls. A rifle wouldn't be invented for 100 years. How many kindergartners do you think would have died if that kid had to stop and reload after every shot?
Done with USA cycling
I've been disappointed with the governing body of bicycle racing here in the US for a while but this article at Velo News is pure gold. So here is my first resolution of 2013: I am not purchasing a racing license from USA cycling until there are some big changes and maybe Steve Johnson is gone. I am conflicted about this a little because I feel that at the local level, people have been putting on excellent races and series under the auspices of USA cycling- such as the Seattle Cyclocross series and the MVA. I have also done OBRA and MFG races though, and I know they are awesome and these people are making a tremendous effort on the grassroots side of the sport and it shows. OBRA's approach is what is going to grow the sport of bicycle racing in the long haul. Through hard work and a love of the sport, OBRA has developed the largest cyclocross series in the world by participation. Its a bottom-up, people power approach. USA cycling is a top down, republican-trickle-down-economics approach. And interestingly a lot of professional riders are not happy with this approach either. I'm not going to support USA cycling if they are going to actively interfere with OBRA or any other alternatively sanctioned series or event.
Sometimes I think bicycle racing is a pointless narcissistic endeavor that I should just abandon entirely. There are plenty of other ways to ride a bicycle. But then on the other hand I think that it really is a beautiful sport, physically demanding, and a lot of fun. I am proud of my modest achievements as an amateur bike racer, I have had fun doing it, and I am proud of the power in my legs.
So this year it might be MFG cyclocross races and the odd trip down south for OBRA road and track events. I really wish WSBA would follow the lead of OBRA though- and ditch USA cycling.
Sometimes I think bicycle racing is a pointless narcissistic endeavor that I should just abandon entirely. There are plenty of other ways to ride a bicycle. But then on the other hand I think that it really is a beautiful sport, physically demanding, and a lot of fun. I am proud of my modest achievements as an amateur bike racer, I have had fun doing it, and I am proud of the power in my legs.
So this year it might be MFG cyclocross races and the odd trip down south for OBRA road and track events. I really wish WSBA would follow the lead of OBRA though- and ditch USA cycling.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Is bicycle culture accessible?
First of all, what the hell is "bicycle culture"?
As someone who might be in a skinsuit on the velodrome on a friday night or dressed like a hobo pulling kids or groceries in a trailer on wednesday morning or riding to work any old day in a plain old wool jersey- I struggle with the question. I get opinions on what bike you should be riding, what clothes you should be wearing, and what kind of riding you should be doing all the time. Most of the time it is contradictory. For as much time as I spend riding or repairing or geeking out on bikes, I don't feel all that wired into a bicycle community. So when the racers are talking down their noses at hipsters, and the tweed set are doing the same towards the idiotic Lance Armstrong wannabes- who is right?
Everyone has preferences for certain equipment or styles of riding. Mine has changed a lot in the last 10 years, and probably will continue to change.
The secret, I think, is this: if you are riding a bicycle and you are having fun- you are doing it right and you are a part of it!
As someone who might be in a skinsuit on the velodrome on a friday night or dressed like a hobo pulling kids or groceries in a trailer on wednesday morning or riding to work any old day in a plain old wool jersey- I struggle with the question. I get opinions on what bike you should be riding, what clothes you should be wearing, and what kind of riding you should be doing all the time. Most of the time it is contradictory. For as much time as I spend riding or repairing or geeking out on bikes, I don't feel all that wired into a bicycle community. So when the racers are talking down their noses at hipsters, and the tweed set are doing the same towards the idiotic Lance Armstrong wannabes- who is right?
Everyone has preferences for certain equipment or styles of riding. Mine has changed a lot in the last 10 years, and probably will continue to change.
The secret, I think, is this: if you are riding a bicycle and you are having fun- you are doing it right and you are a part of it!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
De-squealing brakes
Its the season for howling brakes. I thought I would share my understanding of the problem and see if anyone has thoughts to share. A little squeal is okay, but if you see pedestrians cringing when you stop at an intersection or you find yourself avoiding the front brake to save your eardrums- time to solve the problem. Although it can be nice to announce hard braking required when a car pulls in front of you...
A shudder or squeal occurs when the brake momentarily locks up and then releases the rim. If this happens at a low frequency, shudder occurs. At a higher frequency it is a squeal. I think of it as being similar to a shimmy: it is a resonant frequency that can be caused by many small things. So there is not one universal fix. The main contributor is a bow string effect of the brake cable. The longer the bowstring, the worse the shudder and squeal. When the brake is applied, the fork deflects backwards. This draws the cable tighter, like a bow string. Which causes the brake to momentarily but suddenly lock the rim. It does not happen as much on the rear brake because the frame doesn't move in response to braking as the fork does. Also doesn't happen as much with sidepull or V brakes because there is no bowstring- the cable attaches directly to the brake.
If you look closely at my commuter here (with the squeal issues) the cable stop is at the usual place on the headset. That leaves about 12 inches of bowstring. I solved the problem of brake shudder on my cyclocross bike with a fork crown mounted cable stop. That leaves about 1.5 inches of bowstring, and totally eliminated brake shudder. I've had the same results on other bikes. The fork crown on this bike, which I had R&E cycles make after the demise of the stock fork, doesn't have a hole in the fork crown so its not an option. I didn't think to specify that when I had the fork built because I assumed that any steel fork aside from maybe a track fork would have a hole. I was wrong. Its otherwise a great fork.
Frictional qualities between the rim and brake pad can also cause squeal and shudder. A new rim can be quite grabby at first, until the surface gets worn in a little. Tubular glue on the rim surface can cause squealing. The brake pad material can make a big difference. In my experience, salmon brake pads squeal less, brake much better in wet conditions, and don't wear the rims out quite as fast as black compounds. Sometimes taking a brillo pad or sandpaper to the rim and brake pad can eliminate squealing. In this case the brake pads were getting thin so I replaced them (Yokozuna salmon pads) and the problem is solved.
Finally, its possible that laxity where the brake pivots on the cantilever post or in the parallelogram linkage on V brakes may facilitate squealing.
The amount of fore/aft movement of the fork under braking influences shudder and squeal, as described above. A properly designed fork can help eliminate the shudder. Modern cyclocross carbon forks have gone to truly massive fork crowns and oversize lower headset bearings to minimize flex between the cantilever posts and cable stop. It seems to me that a fork crown mounted cable stop is an easier, lighter, and more elegant solution. For a steel fork- the fork blades should be oval in cross section at the crown and taper down below the cantilever posts to a nice small radius bend near the dropouts. This makes it so that fore/aft flexion occurs mostly below the cantilever posts where it won't create the bow string effect. This also makes it so that more up/down flexing occurs over bumpy terrain, improving ride quality. The current trend of making straight-bladed steel forks bugs me! Its done either to mimic carbon forks or save labor, but there is no functional reason for it that I am aware of.
A word on discs, because I know what you're all thinking... I know, hydraulic discs are awesome. I have used them. They belong on suspension bikes because they have unsurpassed power and modulation. I don't have my own yet but someday I will. Hydraulic discs are overkill on a road racing bike or cyclocross racing bike. But on a cargo, commuter, or mountain bike its probably worth the added weight and complexity for the truly awesome braking power. Going down a steep hill in a rainstorm with a trailer? I've done that many times, and you have to be really careful!
I'm not sold on cable actuated disc brakes. They have the same drawbacks as hydraulic discs in terms of weight and complexity but aren't as powerful because of cable flex. The pads have to sit really close to the rotor so they are more prone to brake rub if the rotors are warped. Cantilevers are maligned as much as they are because of tricky setup. A properly set up cantilever is just as powerful, or nearly so, compared to a cable disc. A poorly set up cantilever is admittedly awful. No power, poor modulation, and noisy. The most common pitfalls are a straddle cable that is too high, resulting in no power, or crappy pads. I don't even bother with the stock black pads anymore. They are immediately replaced with salmon pads.
So before you toss your cantilevers in the garbage, tinker with them a little. Lower the straddle cable and change the pads. You might be surprised.
Frictional qualities between the rim and brake pad can also cause squeal and shudder. A new rim can be quite grabby at first, until the surface gets worn in a little. Tubular glue on the rim surface can cause squealing. The brake pad material can make a big difference. In my experience, salmon brake pads squeal less, brake much better in wet conditions, and don't wear the rims out quite as fast as black compounds. Sometimes taking a brillo pad or sandpaper to the rim and brake pad can eliminate squealing. In this case the brake pads were getting thin so I replaced them (Yokozuna salmon pads) and the problem is solved.
Finally, its possible that laxity where the brake pivots on the cantilever post or in the parallelogram linkage on V brakes may facilitate squealing.
The amount of fore/aft movement of the fork under braking influences shudder and squeal, as described above. A properly designed fork can help eliminate the shudder. Modern cyclocross carbon forks have gone to truly massive fork crowns and oversize lower headset bearings to minimize flex between the cantilever posts and cable stop. It seems to me that a fork crown mounted cable stop is an easier, lighter, and more elegant solution. For a steel fork- the fork blades should be oval in cross section at the crown and taper down below the cantilever posts to a nice small radius bend near the dropouts. This makes it so that fore/aft flexion occurs mostly below the cantilever posts where it won't create the bow string effect. This also makes it so that more up/down flexing occurs over bumpy terrain, improving ride quality. The current trend of making straight-bladed steel forks bugs me! Its done either to mimic carbon forks or save labor, but there is no functional reason for it that I am aware of.
A word on discs, because I know what you're all thinking... I know, hydraulic discs are awesome. I have used them. They belong on suspension bikes because they have unsurpassed power and modulation. I don't have my own yet but someday I will. Hydraulic discs are overkill on a road racing bike or cyclocross racing bike. But on a cargo, commuter, or mountain bike its probably worth the added weight and complexity for the truly awesome braking power. Going down a steep hill in a rainstorm with a trailer? I've done that many times, and you have to be really careful!
I'm not sold on cable actuated disc brakes. They have the same drawbacks as hydraulic discs in terms of weight and complexity but aren't as powerful because of cable flex. The pads have to sit really close to the rotor so they are more prone to brake rub if the rotors are warped. Cantilevers are maligned as much as they are because of tricky setup. A properly set up cantilever is just as powerful, or nearly so, compared to a cable disc. A poorly set up cantilever is admittedly awful. No power, poor modulation, and noisy. The most common pitfalls are a straddle cable that is too high, resulting in no power, or crappy pads. I don't even bother with the stock black pads anymore. They are immediately replaced with salmon pads.
So before you toss your cantilevers in the garbage, tinker with them a little. Lower the straddle cable and change the pads. You might be surprised.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Tyler Farrar races cyclocross
Its not every day a punter like me gets to line up next to Tyler Farrar. Before the gun went off I told him I remembered when he showed up at South Seatac back when he rode for Cofidis. Now he is a grand tour stage winner and he still shows up to the local cyclocross race! I think that demonstrates a real love for the sport. He kept telling people taking his picture before the race that he isn't good at this. Yeah well with legs like that you can't go too wrong. I've seen legs like that before- on a quarter horse.
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