Friday, January 09, 2009

Friday News And Views


Ritchey Design Sponsors Trans Iowa: As many of you know, Ritchey Design is sponsoring T.I.V5 with tubes and rim strips for the participants. I want to thank Ritchey, and the 17 guys that have responded to my call for your tire/wheel size. The rest of you guys need to get on the stick here! Let me know by e-mail what wheel size, ( ie: 26", 700c), and what tire size you plan on running at T.I.V5 so you will have a tube and rim strip awaiting you at the race packet pick up. (Details on the pickup to be posted later.) If you don't get me your tire size/wheel size in by the end of the month, I am just going to tell Ritchey to supply the non-responders with 700X35mm tubes and rim strips to fit a 700c wheel. (That seems to be the going size so far)
Once again: Thanks to Ritchey Design!
How Low Can You Go?: Once again, the subject of low, low gears on a 29"er has been broached on mtbr.com. Click the link and gaze at the 39T rear cog in that cassette. Yes....39T!! It is pretty amazing that the derailleur will work on that dog, but apparently it does. Although a 39T rear cog is total overkill for most Mid-West riding, I am still intrigued by this. It would be cool just to get one and make it work.
However; I can certainly see where the 36, 38, and yes, maybe even a 39T cassette cog would be worth while. Last fall riding at the Interbike Outdoor Demo, I rode a fire road back up into Bootleg Canyon which was an ever increasing grade as you went on.........and on........and on, for well over a mile! The fire road wasn't very technical, but imagine riding technical single track like that for more than a mile. How about miles? Yes, they have climbs like that out there. Apparently, so do they that live amongst the Alps. So, as "clown-bike" as it looks, this idea has legitimate reasons to be. Look for Shimano, (or someone else) to be making a 12-36T cassette sooner than later.
Save Me From The Tweakers!: Obviously, the weather sucks for riding across much of North America. How do I know this? By the increase in inner-web tweakers. The forums are full of these nincompoops that are splitting hairs and declaring their psuedo-knowledge as infallible truths. If you do not agree, you are castigated as worse than a leper and are designated as a target for unwarranted personal attacks. Nice!
While these tweakers are always there, it seems that the disease is spreading now that ice and snow have rendered much of our trails unrideable. Rain and dreary conditions have conspired to make many of us into these ogres of the net. So, let's all hope for some better weather and that folks can get out there and ride instead of pounding out inane drivel on their keyboards. It will make for a much better world. Trust me!
Okay, that's it for this week folks! I gotta go out and shovel snow. Yay me!
Ride a bike if you can!

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