The CYCLING THREAD: Road, Freestyle, Mountain Bikers..

polaris_x wrote:

PJGirl321 wrote:

Plus it's Cancellara's (who is my favorite pro) home turf although he's not having a good tour this year.

he won the prologue and will probably win the ending TT ... that's all he cares about ... looks like most of the TDF contenders are using the TDS as training rides ...

I understand that and I get that he is not an "all-rounder"...but overall I think he generally does better in the GC. He is not having a great year in general. He had no support in Paris Roubiaix from his team and I think if he did he would have won. Granted I know he came in second which is great but he was the favorite going in. The hope is for Frank Schleck to defend Tour de Suisse and I am sure Cancellara wants to do his part there, too.

i'll be taking my bike down to the outer banks tomorrow.

never been there before. looking forward to exploring the island...

snow_board_rider wrote:

I took my Mt Bike out for a short ride yesterday and after a small 6ft drop my derailer link thingy broke when I landed . When I stopped and lifted my bike to see what happened the rear tire fell off. Not a good start to the riding season. Now my bike is at the shop for a $100 fix up and I found out that I'm too rough for the bike that I ride. Looks like it's time for a better bike.

6 foot drop is pretty deep
my bones would ache
goodluck

Vittoria Diamanté Pro road tires are good and they cost around 65 each.

g under p wrote:

I'm riding down south again towards Boca Raton maybe a 50 mile roundtrip depending on the weather. It's now the rainy season as we now get more amd more much needed rain.

I worked on my road bike today broke it down, cleaned and lubricated it. Inspected it, reversed my tires and noticed they need to be replaced badly.

Anyone know of some excellent road tires that cost less than a $75 each?

I rode over 150 miles last week and only 75 this week due to weather situations. I plan on putting in about 200 miles this upcoming week depending on what our S. Florida weather will do. Today I spent $78 bucks on gas some 23 gallons, I hope that should last atleast two weeks.

Peace

Continental Grand Prix 3000 tires are excellent. They have a good feel, wear well, and it's very rare that I get a flat.

g under p wrote:

The Juggler wrote:

g under p wrote:

The OBX is awwesome fun place to visit for rest and relaxation. We vacationed their for many years mostly in the northern areas Corrolla/Duck to get away from the hustle of Nags Head/Kill Devil Hills strip. I usually rode my bike from Corrolla to Nags Head early mornings about 60 miles round trip. Beautiful and scenic as you can see the ocean and the intercoastal waters even with headwinds coming back home.

Well have a great time...I caught my first Marlin 25 miles off the Banks, just don't get caught in any hurricanes as we did in '98 Bonnie I think it was. 8-)

Peace

i only wish there was another road other than route 12 that had better views of the water. we're in corolla. i haven't been going on that long of a trip. today i'm headed down to duck and back. it's about 30 miles. few hours and then i'll hit the beach. it's cool down here but i prefer the jersey shore.

I've done that same ride from Duck to Corrolla and back, that's a good short ride. I miss seeing the wild horses that used to roam free in the early 90's. The one's that were left were moved north of Corrolla for their own safety where you only have axis with 4 wheel drive. OBX is very nice but the beaches here in Palm Beach FL are just as nice or even better. I gather there's no place like home.


My ride home from work on Friday was in the rain with not too much wind 1:27:00. Soaking wet and dangerous with the many Floridian drivers down here. I don't know how the Pros ride races in the rain but then again they have no cars and pedestrians to deal with. Made it home safely but my toukas is still hurting at this moment. Going for a short ride tomorrow somewhere new maybe join up with a group for a easy ride.

Peace

I've always heard Florida is bad with the drivers combined with the poor cycling infrastructure.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/01/ ... ion_203023

Outside: In Febuary’s issue of Outside, Bill Gifford looks critically at the Livestrong Foundation and how its funds are spent. Many believe that Livestrong is in large part a means for Armstrong to boost his own credibility should he stand trial for doping charges. Questions began to arise regarding where the Livestrong Foundation spent its money once Greg Mortenson was exposed for using money donated to the foundation he promoted in Three Cups of Tea to promote his books.

The questions that Gifford ultimately found needed to be addressed were: where does Livestrong end and Armstrong begin, and what would come of one without the other.

“In a sense, Livestrong and Lance are like conjoined twins, each depending on the other for survival,” wrote Gifford. “Separating them—or even figuring out where one ends and the other begins—is no small task. The foundation is a major reason why sponsors are attracted to Armstrong; as his agent Bill Stapleton put it in 2001, his survivor story ‘broadened and deepened the brand … and then everybody wanted him.’ But the reverse is also true: Without Lance, Livestrong would be just another cancer charity scrapping for funds.”

Gifford did not uncover any legal misuse of Livestrong funds. That being said, he reported that, “Livestrong spends massively on adver­tising, PR, and ‘branding,’ all of which helps preserve Armstrong’s marketability at a time when he’s under fire. Meanwhile, Armstrong has used the goodwill of his foundation to cut business deals that have enriched him per­sonally, an ethically questionable move.”

Gifford found that the foundation unquestionably has some dubious financial dealings, including a for-profit active lifestyle website also called Livestrong. In addition, the foundation does not currently fund research, an endeavor many people still credit Livestrong for doing. According to Gifford, the benefit Armstrong gains most from the foundation is the image of himself as a charitable individual. Good press from his foundation gives him credibility for his good character when scandal allegations arise.

Conversely, should the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency uncover proof to substantiate Floyd Landis‘ doping accusations, Armstrong’s name would subsequently bring his foundation to ruin.

Gifford’s conclusion is that, “if Armstrong turns out to have used drugs, then It’s Not About the Bike — Livestrong’s creation myth — will ring just as false as Three Cups of Tea.”