Friday News And Views

C-59 Disc (Image courtesy of Colnago)

Road Disc Brakes: Today's post will be pretty much all about disc brakes for road bikes. This Colnago seems to be the first of what is thought to be a fast growing segment in road bikes for the coming years. Okay, so they switch to disc brakes. Big deal. Well, actually, it is a very, very big deal.

In reality, several things will need to be figured out before the dust settles and we have the bikes figured out and who they will appeal to.

Racers: All along the mantra for road disc has been that it will make road biking safer for Pro racers and those who make road racing a high priority activity. Why? Because the now standard carbon rimmed wheels are not very good at dissipating heat, which can cause tubular tire failure, and blow clincher tires off as well. (See Joseba Beloki whose accident in the '03 Tour is held up as the "poster child" for road disc brake safety.) Road disc brakes take the heating from the rims and put it on the rotors. No chance for heat related tire failures. Okay, so that's good, right? Well, maybe. The argument goes that rotors on road bikes will be smaller and thus less able to deal with heat and will fade and/or warp more easily. We'll see in the end, but that is a valid concern.

If you look closely at the Colnago information, you will note that they had to "beef up" certain areas of the frame and they made an entirely new fork to deal with the new forces of disc brakes. More weight? Yes, probably, but that isn't a big deal, since anybody's road bike at the Pro level can easily be built far below the weight limit set by the governing body, the UCI. A bit of extra added beef to handle disc brakes just means they won't be able to run the power crank. No, the real issue here is ride quality. The necessary reinforcing done for disc brakes will, for now, come at the expense of ride quality. Think about the newly revealed Trek Madone ridden to victory last weekend by Fabian Cancellara. That new design wouldn't be possible with disc brakes. Maybe we'll be seeing disc road bikes for racing in the mountains only?

Enthusiasts and Commuters: Some hub-bub is being made for road disc brakes and commuters. The thought here is that a light-weight bike could be designed for all conditions. Cyclingnews.com and Bike Radar tech editor, James Huang seems to think this is where road disc can make the biggest impact. He also emphatically says that road disc brakes are not about more power, but better modulation. I agree with the latter, but I'm not sold on the former. Upper tier enthusiasts may benefit, and in reality, these may be the only early adopters, considering the high price of entry, (which I'll get to in a minute), so my thoughts may not even matter here. But I do know that the "average" road cyclist we help at the shop equate disc brakes with more power. When they find out it is about modulation, I think the sexiness of disc brakes on a road bike will be slim to none. But I could be all washed up on that one. The other side of this coin is that commuter/practical bikes aren't road racing bikes and having disc brakes on a road racing bike won't matter to commuters anyway.

Room for Hydraulics

Collateral Effects: One of the  main reasons that road disc brakes never materialized earlier is that a hydraulic caliper couldn't be developed with a hydraulic lever and have that lever do shifting duties like we have in mechanical brake/shifter set ups. Well, Shimano unwittingly, (or maybe not), opened that door wide open with Di2. Since electrical impulses are not proprietary to any one source to operate Di2, outside sources saw that they could develop triggering mechanisms that could be housed in lever bodies that could then be freed up to do hydraulic duties. This meant no clunky adapter boxes under the stem, as is common in cyclo-cross hydraulic brake set ups.

Formula did the Colnago brakes, and TRP also is showing a similar lever at the Taipei Cycle Show, which is closing soon. Both companies expect to be delivering product by late summer. Obviously, using a Di2 dependant lever will make the price of entry to road disc brakes high, so until the mechanical calipers that are rumored to be in development show up, the "common cyclist" like need not be bothered just yet.

Finally, one has to wonder if road racing bikes really need to have disc brakes for the average cyclist. Why? Because the road racing bike isn't really the right bike for most people anyway. In the meantime, bicycles that do work for average cyclists already are available with disc brakes. Now.

Of course, racing breeds development, and development may be done that benefits the average cyclist eventually, so having road racing bikes with disc brakes may be a great advantage at some point, but my opinion is that for now, it is a curiosity that needs to be waited out until everything gets sorted.

And there is a lot of sorting to be done yet.

Have a great weekend. I'm ditching out for a bit to go on a vacation, so posts may be a bit hit and miss next week. Stay tuned for updates from the road.  

March Winds

Rest before turning with the wind

March winds- They have quite a reputation in these parts, and boy, did March ever live up to that reputation yesterday!

I headed out knowing that the wind was supposed to be about 15-20mph. Forecast to be from the South, I also knew I wanted a tail wind for the return trip, so I headed south first. It always takes more time to reach gravel going South rather than North, but I am glad I chose going South first yesterday.

Getting to the edge of town I could feel the intensity of the wind in the more open country. This sure didn't feel like 15-20 mph to me! More like 25-30mph with higher gusts. Oh well, I was out here and I put my head down and ground out the miles South.

It was pretty readily apparent when small furry animals were flying by my head that the wind was stronger than the weatherman had predicted. Well, I am being a bit over-dramatic, there weren't any small furry animals flying by my head. That was because they probably were either hiding or in Southern Minnesota by the time I had got out of town.

Now I have been in some pretty intense winds on my bicycle and during the putting on of Trans Iowa a few times. This was starting to become reminiscent of those experiences. If these were 20mph winds, I am a monkey's uncle.

Drafting corn stalk bales.

I thought at first it would be nice to go all the way to Tama County, but after two miles and a sharp pain in my right knee was beating up my brain, I thought the better of it. I was maybe crawling at the high velocity of 4mph, spinning as much as I could, but the knee wasn't liking the sustained high load.

I couldn't coast, because the minute I stopped pedaling on a down hill I would come to a halt. The wind was so strong, I was either pedaling as hard as I could, on down hills, or pedaling harder than that.

Okay, so a right turn should alleviate the pain and suffering, no? Ha! If anything, it was even worse than before, because now I had to wrestle the bike from being thrown into the ditch. This was ridiculous. I found a respite suddenly where there was little resistance. What? I looked around, and there was a house about 500 yards off the road with some trees about it. The wind was going so fast and so straight that I was catching a draft off the house. Crazy! Once I cleared the house, and got from behind the shadow of its draft, it was like someone slammed my brakes on again.

Eventually I came up along some piled up corn stalk bales and stopped to rest. It was eerily calm behind them all the way across the road, but you could hear the wind ripping about all around me.

Barns For Jason

Well, two miles or so of this battling cross winds was enough, so I turned with the wind after another short respite for my legs, and it was obviously very fast. I clicked it up into the big ring and hammered it all the way back home.

It was fun to go at a high rate of speed on the gravel roads. The ol' Orange Crush rig handles pretty well, actually, and with the IRC 42mm tires I have on there, I am pretty happy. They are not as fast as the bigger Bontrager XR-1's, but I can have fenders for now, which is greatly appreciated while it is still messy.

So I finally pulled back into the homestead and finished up the ride. It was good to get out there, but I sure could do without all that wind. I figured I worked pretty hard, so a longer ride would have only done damage to the knee, which calmed down after I got back with the wind on my bike. Going against it, or even getting a sideways blast, wasn't doing it any good.

And another thing, I couldn't help but think about Trans Iowa V4 while I was out riding. That was a windy son of a gun that year, and I recalled riders telling me they had gotten blown right off their bikes into the ditch that year, or knocked over by the unrelenting winds. The gusts of over 40mph weren't quite there today, but the consistent wind was very similar. Let's hope T.I.V8 doesn't have anything of the like!

March Winds

Rest before turning with the wind

March winds- They have quite a reputation in these parts, and boy, did March ever live up to that reputation yesterday!

I headed out knowing that the wind was supposed to be about 15-20mph. Forecast to be from the South, I also knew I wanted a tail wind for the return trip, so I headed south first. It always takes more time to reach gravel going South rather than North, but I am glad I chose going South first yesterday.

Getting to the edge of town I could feel the intensity of the wind in the more open country. This sure didn't feel like 15-20 mph to me! More like 25-30mph with higher gusts. Oh well, I was out here and I put my head down and ground out the miles South.

It was pretty readily apparent when small furry animals were flying by my head that the wind was stronger than the weatherman had predicted. Well, I am being a bit over-dramatic, there weren't any small furry animals flying by my head. That was because they probably were either hiding or in Southern Minnesota by the time I had got out of town.

Now I have been in some pretty intense winds on my bicycle and during the putting on of Trans Iowa a few times. This was starting to become reminiscent of those experiences. If these were 20mph winds, I am a monkey's uncle.

Drafting corn stalk bales.

I thought at first it would be nice to go all the way to Tama County, but after two miles and a sharp pain in my right knee was beating up my brain, I thought the better of it. I was maybe crawling at the high velocity of 4mph, spinning as much as I could, but the knee wasn't liking the sustained high load.

I couldn't coast, because the minute I stopped pedaling on a down hill I would come to a halt. The wind was so strong, I was either pedaling as hard as I could, on down hills, or pedaling harder than that.

Okay, so a right turn should alleviate the pain and suffering, no? Ha! If anything, it was even worse than before, because now I had to wrestle the bike from being thrown into the ditch. This was ridiculous. I found a respite suddenly where there was little resistance. What? I looked around, and there was a house about 500 yards off the road with some trees about it. The wind was going so fast and so straight that I was catching a draft off the house. Crazy! Once I cleared the house, and got from behind the shadow of its draft, it was like someone slammed my brakes on again.

Eventually I came up along some piled up corn stalk bales and stopped to rest. It was eerily calm behind them all the way across the road, but you could hear the wind ripping about all around me.

Barns For Jason

Well, two miles or so of this battling cross winds was enough, so I turned with the wind after another short respite for my legs, and it was obviously very fast. I clicked it up into the big ring and hammered it all the way back home.

It was fun to go at a high rate of speed on the gravel roads. The ol' Orange Crush rig handles pretty well, actually, and with the IRC 42mm tires I have on there, I am pretty happy. They are not as fast as the bigger Bontrager XR-1's, but I can have fenders for now, which is greatly appreciated while it is still messy.

So I finally pulled back into the homestead and finished up the ride. It was good to get out there, but I sure could do without all that wind. I figured I worked pretty hard, so a longer ride would have only done damage to the knee, which calmed down after I got back with the wind on my bike. Going against it, or even getting a sideways blast, wasn't doing it any good.

And another thing, I couldn't help but think about Trans Iowa V4 while I was out riding. That was a windy son of a gun that year, and I recalled riders telling me they had gotten blown right off their bikes into the ditch that year, or knocked over by the unrelenting winds. The gusts of over 40mph weren't quite there today, but the consistent wind was very similar. Let's hope T.I.V8 doesn't have anything of the like!

An Amazing Day

Bald Eagle on the Cedar River

Sometimes you just have to stop and really give what is going on around you some serious thought. Too bad most folks are in such a hurry, or trying to cram their cell phones into their heads, not even digesting what it is that is going on around them. (Actually, they are probably doing all of that at once.)

Take for instance yesterday. I was on an extended ride home from work. Going the long way around, and why not? It had been 7 degrees Fahrenheit the morning before, and by 2pm yesterday it was 67 degrees Fahrenheit with a brilliant sun in the sky. The swing in temperatures meant that we were seeing the 60's for the first time since last year, so the air felt positively hot to me. Riding with no coat or gloves. Glorious!

So instead of putting my head down and hammering, I decided to back off the pace a bit and look around. It was pretty windy, even the geese were down along the shoreline of the Cedar River dodging the constant 20mph plus winds. Then I saw it. A Bald Eagle in a tree.

These days seeing a Bald Eagle, while cool, isn't all that big of a deal. Well, not as big of a deal as it once was. In fact, I remember a time when you would never have seen one here. It wasn't all that long ago either. So when you think things won't ever change, well....they do. It just takes time, but they do. The eagle is a good reminder of that here where I live.

More Fender Love

So I waxed on about fenders on yesterday's post, and then I went out and tested them, which I will report on here now.

I knew with these warmer temperatures that I could find some in-town muddy, peanut buttery roads. I did, and the IRC 42mm tires did the "pizza cutter" and I got about as much mud, gunk, and gravel mixed in as I could about anywhere. The fenders were set up high off the tires, but not ridiculously so, and I never got clogged up or heard a scratch from a rock. The only thing that could stop this rig would be clay type B Road stuff, which no bike I am aware of can traverse when it is wet, or even just moist sometimes.

So the deal here is that the fenders get to stay on for the long haul, or at least until I get tired of the plasticky look. Maybe I'll end up with bigger meats on here again, I don't know, but if so, then they would also have to come off.

All I know is that a nice set of orange painted metal fenders with black pin striping would look rad on there. Hmm......

In the end, it was an amazing day. Super temperature swing, Bald Eagle sighting that had me slowing down to contemplate it all, and a successful fender test. It doesn't get much better than that.

An Amazing Day

Bald Eagle on the Cedar River

Sometimes you just have to stop and really give what is going on around you some serious thought. Too bad most folks are in such a hurry, or trying to cram their cell phones into their heads, not even digesting what it is that is going on around them. (Actually, they are probably doing all of that at once.)

Take for instance yesterday. I was on an extended ride home from work. Going the long way around, and why not? It had been 7 degrees Fahrenheit the morning before, and by 2pm yesterday it was 67 degrees Fahrenheit with a brilliant sun in the sky. The swing in temperatures meant that we were seeing the 60's for the first time since last year, so the air felt positively hot to me. Riding with no coat or gloves. Glorious!

So instead of putting my head down and hammering, I decided to back off the pace a bit and look around. It was pretty windy, even the geese were down along the shoreline of the Cedar River dodging the constant 20mph plus winds. Then I saw it. A Bald Eagle in a tree.

These days seeing a Bald Eagle, while cool, isn't all that big of a deal. Well, not as big of a deal as it once was. In fact, I remember a time when you would never have seen one here. It wasn't all that long ago either. So when you think things won't ever change, well....they do. It just takes time, but they do. The eagle is a good reminder of that here where I live.

More Fender Love

So I waxed on about fenders on yesterday's post, and then I went out and tested them, which I will report on here now.

I knew with these warmer temperatures that I could find some in-town muddy, peanut buttery roads. I did, and the IRC 42mm tires did the "pizza cutter" and I got about as much mud, gunk, and gravel mixed in as I could about anywhere. The fenders were set up high off the tires, but not ridiculously so, and I never got clogged up or heard a scratch from a rock. The only thing that could stop this rig would be clay type B Road stuff, which no bike I am aware of can traverse when it is wet, or even just moist sometimes.

So the deal here is that the fenders get to stay on for the long haul, or at least until I get tired of the plasticky look. Maybe I'll end up with bigger meats on here again, I don't know, but if so, then they would also have to come off.

All I know is that a nice set of orange painted metal fenders with black pin striping would look rad on there. Hmm......

In the end, it was an amazing day. Super temperature swing, Bald Eagle sighting that had me slowing down to contemplate it all, and a successful fender test. It doesn't get much better than that.

Randomonium

More disjointed meandering today... Enjoy!

Disgustingly dirty!

Muddin':

This "tweener season continues with a day of snow, then a day of thawing. I have been riding the Snow Dog to work lately and have found a couple urban mud holes to try my skills at.

It's pretty amazing when I look at how deep the wheels are sinking in, (over the tires and up onto the rims at points), and yet I can keep moving forward while keeping my balance.

The real tough thing to negotiate is to cross back over where I have gone before and try to not get taken out by my previously made deep ruts. It ain't easy. The real bad thing about this is that my bike is disgustingly dirty. Like a low down, jacked up Ford F-150 with 36" mudders. This will take a while to get all cleaned up again. But man! It's soooo much fun!

And to ward off any Eco-critcisms, these places I am riding are both not sensitive. One is a former drive in theater lot, (or more correctly, what hasn't been eaten up by urban development), and the other is a tiny stretch along Highway 63 which levels itself out every rain storm. So no worries there, and given that each of these stretches are far enough from each end of the route, I get most of the goop slagged off before I arrive at my destination.

Lejeune Update:

Well, the spokes which were the last thing I was waiting on have been delivered. These were hand cut and threaded on a Japanese spoke cutting-threading machine. A friend in town has this amazing machine, and I am grateful for the work done.

Now on to lacing these wheels up onto the Salsa Delgado rims. Then it will be time to throw on a set of Panaracer Pasela shoes. Once that point is reached, the bike simply will need new cables and housings, along with a rebuild of the bearings throughout with new grease. Finally, a new wrap of fresh bar tape, and then it will be on to riding some gravel.

I suspect by the time I get through everything, the gravel should be pretty dry out in the rural areas, so timing should work out great for this.

NAHBS Update: 

I saw more of James Huang's Bike Radar coverage of NAHBS, which if you haven't checked out, you should. It's as good as going to the show as anything, minus the people. (Which could be good or bad depending upon your viewpoint.) I myself would like to go to NAHBS someday and just talk to every interesting person I could, then go home and look at James Huang's images in the comfort of my home with a cuppa joe in my jammies. (But that's just me maybe)

Anyway, all that to say that the "all-road", "fat road" term did indeed pop up more and was tagged as a trend that would be making inroads on your local bike shops soon. I guess we all could see that coming if we were paying attention.

For Ben:

Well, Ben won't see this right away, most likely, since he's off riding fat bikes in Northern Minnesota, but I have to confess I am liking the fenders on my Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" rig. Ya know, if they don't cause too much calamity on the gravels, I think I am going to get some nicer ones to mount up on to it.

It'd be cool to get some aluminum ones, then paint them a contrasting color, but that would be better for the "fat road" bike he and I have discussed before. Well, we'll see, but I am just saying the fenders are starting to grow on me.

Okay, that's it for this time..........

Randomonium

More disjointed meandering today... Enjoy!

Disgustingly dirty!

Muddin':

This "tweener season continues with a day of snow, then a day of thawing. I have been riding the Snow Dog to work lately and have found a couple urban mud holes to try my skills at.

It's pretty amazing when I look at how deep the wheels are sinking in, (over the tires and up onto the rims at points), and yet I can keep moving forward while keeping my balance.

The real tough thing to negotiate is to cross back over where I have gone before and try to not get taken out by my previously made deep ruts. It ain't easy. The real bad thing about this is that my bike is disgustingly dirty. Like a low down, jacked up Ford F-150 with 36" mudders. This will take a while to get all cleaned up again. But man! It's soooo much fun!

And to ward off any Eco-critcisms, these places I am riding are both not sensitive. One is a former drive in theater lot, (or more correctly, what hasn't been eaten up by urban development), and the other is a tiny stretch along Highway 63 which levels itself out every rain storm. So no worries there, and given that each of these stretches are far enough from each end of the route, I get most of the goop slagged off before I arrive at my destination.

Lejeune Update:

Well, the spokes which were the last thing I was waiting on have been delivered. These were hand cut and threaded on a Japanese spoke cutting-threading machine. A friend in town has this amazing machine, and I am grateful for the work done.

Now on to lacing these wheels up onto the Salsa Delgado rims. Then it will be time to throw on a set of Panaracer Pasela shoes. Once that point is reached, the bike simply will need new cables and housings, along with a rebuild of the bearings throughout with new grease. Finally, a new wrap of fresh bar tape, and then it will be on to riding some gravel.

I suspect by the time I get through everything, the gravel should be pretty dry out in the rural areas, so timing should work out great for this.

NAHBS Update: 

I saw more of James Huang's Bike Radar coverage of NAHBS, which if you haven't checked out, you should. It's as good as going to the show as anything, minus the people. (Which could be good or bad depending upon your viewpoint.) I myself would like to go to NAHBS someday and just talk to every interesting person I could, then go home and look at James Huang's images in the comfort of my home with a cuppa joe in my jammies. (But that's just me maybe)

Anyway, all that to say that the "all-road", "fat road" term did indeed pop up more and was tagged as a trend that would be making inroads on your local bike shops soon. I guess we all could see that coming if we were paying attention.

For Ben:

Well, Ben won't see this right away, most likely, since he's off riding fat bikes in Northern Minnesota, but I have to confess I am liking the fenders on my Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" rig. Ya know, if they don't cause too much calamity on the gravels, I think I am going to get some nicer ones to mount up on to it.

It'd be cool to get some aluminum ones, then paint them a contrasting color, but that would be better for the "fat road" bike he and I have discussed before. Well, we'll see, but I am just saying the fenders are starting to grow on me.

Okay, that's it for this time..........

NAHBS: So, What Did You Think?

All City fat tire roadie: A result of NAHBS?

NAHBS, or the "North American Handmade Bicycle Show" just concluded yesterday in Sacramento, California. It's a "big deal" for cycling nerds in the same way that SXSW is for music, film, and interactive nerds, so if you haven't heard of it, don't feel bad. It's only a thin slice of humanity that even gives a rip about this stuff. But for those who pay attention, it is like the Detroit Auto Show for cycling, but without all the cash, and show girls, and hutzpah. Anyway...

On Frostbike weekend, I went to The Cutters Ball III which was held in the building where Eric Noren of Peacock Groove does his frame building. He had his NAHBS show bike frames all displayed in his office. We got there early enough that Eric was able to spend some "quality time" with us. This opportunity was highlighted by about a half an hour discourse by Eric while we all stood slack-jawed in awe.

Let's just say Eric has a "certain way with words" and a presence that fills a room, not unlike a talented actor might have. He is a very charismatic person, no doubt. Well,anyway, he got on with a bit about NAHBS and how the "Industry" sends their minions to the show with cameras in hand to basically "rip off" ideas from the hand made bicycle builders which then appear on new bicycles the following year. Eric was pointing out how "fat road" was one of these ideas, (but certainly not the only one). Okay, while you can say what you will about Mr. Noren, I believe he has a point worth considering.

Surprisingly, (or maybe not), there weren't too many of these at NAHBS

Look at this years show. I'm willing to bet that if you wade through the mainstream media photo galleries you will note the term "fat tired road bike", or "fat road" used a lot.  If what Eric says is true, you will be seeing more of that in the future at bike shops.

The other thing, which was maybe obvious to predict, was the multitude of ways that builders were integrating Di2 into their designs. I suspect some tricks used at NAHBS will be showing up on mainstream bikes soon that reflect this.

My take on the show, (other than the fact that it is over the top), was that besides the fat road bikes, I saw touring, adventure, and off road bikes make a big impact this year. It wasn't the urban/fixie heavy show that it has been in the past, but those bikes were certainly well represented. That may be a trend, or it may be just a reflection of the locales of the attending builders, due to the far west location of the event this year. I can not say, but I do not recall so many 29"ers, as a for instance, being shown in quite a few years. Add to this the off road adventure bikes like the Hunter single speed drop bar bike, and the Ahearn fat bike and you can see a different flavor to the event than it had at Austin last year.

I liked the detail of Ira Ryan's city bike/trailer combination. The more I looked at the photos of it, the more impressed I was by it, (although the ax insignia on the top tube plate was a bit baffling for me), and this bike deservedly won an award at the show this year. I also liked the Gallus classic inspired 650B full rigid mountain bike. It was just really cool.

Rick Hunter of Hunter Cycles definitely was one of my favorites this year with his "Dirt Tour" bike and a killer orange 29"er. Great looking and practical bicycles. I also liked the Cielo Mountain Bike, which was a grey and black 29"er. very classy! Components were highlighted and Paul Components really opened up my eyes with a new 170OLD hub for fat bikes featuring Industry 9 guts. They also showed some trick looking "Mini-Moto" linear pull brakes to work with "fat road" bikes.

Okay, that's what I saw that was of interest. What did you like, or not?

NAHBS: So, What Did You Think?

All City fat tire roadie: A result of NAHBS?

NAHBS, or the "North American Handmade Bicycle Show" just concluded yesterday in Sacramento, California. It's a "big deal" for cycling nerds in the same way that SXSW is for music, film, and interactive nerds, so if you haven't heard of it, don't feel bad. It's only a thin slice of humanity that even gives a rip about this stuff. But for those who pay attention, it is like the Detroit Auto Show for cycling, but without all the cash, and show girls, and hutzpah. Anyway...

On Frostbike weekend, I went to The Cutters Ball III which was held in the building where Eric Noren of Peacock Groove does his frame building. He had his NAHBS show bike frames all displayed in his office. We got there early enough that Eric was able to spend some "quality time" with us. This opportunity was highlighted by about a half an hour discourse by Eric while we all stood slack-jawed in awe.

Let's just say Eric has a "certain way with words" and a presence that fills a room, not unlike a talented actor might have. He is a very charismatic person, no doubt. Well,anyway, he got on with a bit about NAHBS and how the "Industry" sends their minions to the show with cameras in hand to basically "rip off" ideas from the hand made bicycle builders which then appear on new bicycles the following year. Eric was pointing out how "fat road" was one of these ideas, (but certainly not the only one). Okay, while you can say what you will about Mr. Noren, I believe he has a point worth considering.

Surprisingly, (or maybe not), there weren't too many of these at NAHBS

Look at this years show. I'm willing to bet that if you wade through the mainstream media photo galleries you will note the term "fat tired road bike", or "fat road" used a lot.  If what Eric says is true, you will be seeing more of that in the future at bike shops.

The other thing, which was maybe obvious to predict, was the multitude of ways that builders were integrating Di2 into their designs. I suspect some tricks used at NAHBS will be showing up on mainstream bikes soon that reflect this.

My take on the show, (other than the fact that it is over the top), was that besides the fat road bikes, I saw touring, adventure, and off road bikes make a big impact this year. It wasn't the urban/fixie heavy show that it has been in the past, but those bikes were certainly well represented. That may be a trend, or it may be just a reflection of the locales of the attending builders, due to the far west location of the event this year. I can not say, but I do not recall so many 29"ers, as a for instance, being shown in quite a few years. Add to this the off road adventure bikes like the Hunter single speed drop bar bike, and the Ahearn fat bike and you can see a different flavor to the event than it had at Austin last year.

I liked the detail of Ira Ryan's city bike/trailer combination. The more I looked at the photos of it, the more impressed I was by it, (although the ax insignia on the top tube plate was a bit baffling for me), and this bike deservedly won an award at the show this year. I also liked the Gallus classic inspired 650B full rigid mountain bike. It was just really cool.

Rick Hunter of Hunter Cycles definitely was one of my favorites this year with his "Dirt Tour" bike and a killer orange 29"er. Great looking and practical bicycles. I also liked the Cielo Mountain Bike, which was a grey and black 29"er. very classy! Components were highlighted and Paul Components really opened up my eyes with a new 170OLD hub for fat bikes featuring Industry 9 guts. They also showed some trick looking "Mini-Moto" linear pull brakes to work with "fat road" bikes.

Okay, that's what I saw that was of interest. What did you like, or not?

Upgrading

It's been a while now since Guitar Ted Laboratories has been operational. Years have gone by, and in all that time, I never had one of the essential items for an operational bike shop: the "beer fridge".

Stocked and Chilled!

Not that one has to have this, but it sure seems to go together with bicycle work in a recreational sort of way. Much akin to barbecuing, bicycle work is somewhat more enjoyable for me when I have a beer reward at the end.

Maybe that's just me though.

Anyway, I got some work done on a bicycle that will be making the almost annual trek down to Texas with me. I can only take two bikes, and I was going to take By-Tor down with something-something I can't mention yet, but that isn't going to happen in time. So, I went with a "Plan B" which should prove to be very good in a number of ways.

Candy Apple Red Goodness

The recently completed WTB Frequency/American Classic wheel set was going to need testing. I was wanting to pop these on the Titus, but that would take a 15QR axle kit that I don't have time to get now.

So, I remembered I have to finish up the review on Twenty Nine Inches for the Milwaukee Bicycle Company 29"er. I decided to put those new wheels on that rig, and take it down to Texas, but first, I had to modify the drive train.

Off came the 18T Surly cog and a 22T Surly cog went on in its place. Even with the amount of riding I have done this year already, (which is a ton more than I have this early since 2007), I still am going to end up walking some ups with that 22T on the machine. But at least I should be able to ride more than I would have anyway. I know the last single speed bike I took down there was a 32 X 18 and it was severely limited in what I could pull off with it in that rocky, tough terrain down there.

The Milwaukee also has a bit better "trail" set up to it. It is very maneuverable and has a bit taller bottom bracket for better clearances. Important to have this down there in the rocks!

The wheels here will be covered in the newest tires from WTB, the Bronson TCS models which have a grippy, aggressive tread design which appears to be much better suited to loose rocks than the Geax AKA's that were on it previously.

So, the Lab got upgraded and so did the Milwaukee 29"er. That and some tidying up around the house made for a successful day yesterday.

Upgrading

It's been a while now since Guitar Ted Laboratories has been operational. Years have gone by, and in all that time, I never had one of the essential items for an operational bike shop: the "beer fridge".

Stocked and Chilled!

Not that one has to have this, but it sure seems to go together with bicycle work in a recreational sort of way. Much akin to barbecuing, bicycle work is somewhat more enjoyable for me when I have a beer reward at the end.

Maybe that's just me though.

Anyway, I got some work done on a bicycle that will be making the almost annual trek down to Texas with me. I can only take two bikes, and I was going to take By-Tor down with something-something I can't mention yet, but that isn't going to happen in time. So, I went with a "Plan B" which should prove to be very good in a number of ways.

Candy Apple Red Goodness

The recently completed WTB Frequency/American Classic wheel set was going to need testing. I was wanting to pop these on the Titus, but that would take a 15QR axle kit that I don't have time to get now.

So, I remembered I have to finish up the review on Twenty Nine Inches for the Milwaukee Bicycle Company 29"er. I decided to put those new wheels on that rig, and take it down to Texas, but first, I had to modify the drive train.

Off came the 18T Surly cog and a 22T Surly cog went on in its place. Even with the amount of riding I have done this year already, (which is a ton more than I have this early since 2007), I still am going to end up walking some ups with that 22T on the machine. But at least I should be able to ride more than I would have anyway. I know the last single speed bike I took down there was a 32 X 18 and it was severely limited in what I could pull off with it in that rocky, tough terrain down there.

The Milwaukee also has a bit better "trail" set up to it. It is very maneuverable and has a bit taller bottom bracket for better clearances. Important to have this down there in the rocks!

The wheels here will be covered in the newest tires from WTB, the Bronson TCS models which have a grippy, aggressive tread design which appears to be much better suited to loose rocks than the Geax AKA's that were on it previously.

So, the Lab got upgraded and so did the Milwaukee 29"er. That and some tidying up around the house made for a successful day yesterday.

Friday News And Views

Mud boggin'

The "Tweener Season" continues. Today we are slated for a "wintery" event, yesterday was spring-like, and the day before? Wintry.

The battle between Winter and Spring has been engaged but it is going the way of Spring soon. The thing is that now the frost is starting to draw out of the ground and it is making everything really wet and boggy.

I have found a few places on the way to work that I can ride my fat bikes through and have a bit of fun in the mud. I guess I never really grew out of that desire to play in the mud.

That reminds me of the time, I think I was just starting out in school, where I ran away from home, (or more correctly- never came home from school), and played under a house that was on jacks being prepared to be moved.

The underside was a total mud playing heaven and I think about ten of us were under this house throwing mudballs at each other. When my Mom found me, it didn't go too well for me! I suppose it was pretty dangerous for us younginz to be in that precarious situation.

Anywho.....The pedals in the image are some of those new Fyxation Mesa items I put on the Snow Dog. Lighter by 200 grams than the Atom Labs they replaced, and fair grippy enough, it seems. If it does snow today, maybe I can verify that snow won't pack up in these like they do metal pedals. But, either way, they will be getting wet and dirty, and stressed. We'll see how they hold up. I also have some black Mesa MP's, (MP = metal pin),  on By-Tor which are getting similar treatment.

T.I.V7 image by Steve Fuller

More media coverage for Trans Iowa has appeared in the form of a feature story in "Iowa Momentum Magazine" here. T.I.V8 "in race reporter", Dave Mable, himself a previous T.I. vet, wrote up the piece based upon his previous experience and that of past winners John Gorilla and Joe Meiser with a bit of a nice quote from three time finisher Tim Ek to end it all with. in the article, Joe Meiser mentions the "sub-24 hour" subject. It seems that is a "golden carrot" for some of the faster guys. One thing about that subject that needs to be 'splained  a bit. Seems a bit of a controversy about the subject has arisen.

Back in Trans Iowa V1, we were working on a shoestring not only budget-wise, but in terms of manpower. Other than Jeff Kerkove's folks in Algona, I was the only other guy on the course running the event. This means that several things weren't done as well as we'd have liked, including the finish line.

The finish was going to be facilitated by the Decorah Time Trial folks, and no one from Trans Iowa, (namely me), was there. I was in Cresco, Iowa, 30 plus miles out as the course ran, waiting to catch the leaders going by to alert the Decorah folks in case of ultra-early arrivals. Looking at the scribbled records, such as they are, I noted the first rider I saw, (which wasn't the first two, but that's another tale for another time), went through Cresco at 5:00am. We know that the next rider after that definitely wasn't in under 24 hours, and he came through a half an hour past the first rider I saw.

No times were recorded by the Decorah folks that I have ever been made aware of, so we had no times for finishers. We could only guesstimate the times. Is it possible that the top three riders at T.I.V1 finished in under 24 hours? Sure it is. Do we know for certain? No. We did promote that riders did break the 24 hour barrier though,  since it seemed to be good for all concerned. The only hard times I had for riders was the passage of Cresco, and that being incomplete due to the aforementioned "story" concerning the first and second place guys. (That I ain't tellin, so don't ask.)

The "golden carrot" that is a "sub-24 hour Trans Iowa" is still in effect, as far as I am concerned. T.I.V1 was not only understaffed and under-recorded, but it was only about 305 miles long too. No T.I. since has been planned to be so short. And again, the whole idea of the sub-24 thing is goofy anyway, since we don't run the same course every year. Just ask Ira Ryan. I'm sure he'd agree that his second victory was a bit tougher than the first. (Who, by the way, doesn't claim a sub-24hr T.I. Kind of interesting to note that.)

Pedacab art in Nepal. (Image by Jeff Kerkove)

 Speaking of "Mr. 24", as he used to be known as, Jeff Kerkove is with his Topeak-Ergon team mate, Sonya Looney in Nepal, of all places, about to take on the "Yak Attack" event.

Yak Attack? Yep. If you want to find out more about this crazy, awesome event, see Jeff's very informative post about it all here.

I feel really happy for Jeff and Sonya. I used to work with Jeff back at the shop when I first started there. I've met Sonya a few times as well, and she is an awesome person. This opportunity they have is beyond cool. I wish them all the best.

I always tell people that Jeff is the most disciplined person I've ever met, so when I read his post about being really intense about this event, I know it is "off the charts" intensity that most of us will never understand. So far, it looks as though everything is going their way, and as long as the body holds up for those two, I expect them to do quite well at this event. I'll be following along as much as I am able.

Finally, one more bit of exotic stoke: If you don't know Mike Curiak, you should get to know him a bit through his blog. Mike is a big time adventurer, and lately he has been detailing his adventure from last summer on fat bikes and pack rafts in Alaska with four other guys. Incredible photography and story telling like only Mike can do. See it here. Note that he's posted seven entries so far as of this posting. Make sure you scroll down to read through them all. Simply mind blowing stuff there.

Okay, if you are not into reading, get out and start riding! have a great weekend and keep the rubber side down, ya'all!

Friday News And Views

Mud boggin'

The "Tweener Season" continues. Today we are slated for a "wintery" event, yesterday was spring-like, and the day before? Wintry.

The battle between Winter and Spring has been engaged but it is going the way of Spring soon. The thing is that now the frost is starting to draw out of the ground and it is making everything really wet and boggy.

I have found a few places on the way to work that I can ride my fat bikes through and have a bit of fun in the mud. I guess I never really grew out of that desire to play in the mud.

That reminds me of the time, I think I was just starting out in school, where I ran away from home, (or more correctly- never came home from school), and played under a house that was on jacks being prepared to be moved.

The underside was a total mud playing heaven and I think about ten of us were under this house throwing mudballs at each other. When my Mom found me, it didn't go too well for me! I suppose it was pretty dangerous for us younginz to be in that precarious situation.

Anywho.....The pedals in the image are some of those new Fyxation Mesa items I put on the Snow Dog. Lighter by 200 grams than the Atom Labs they replaced, and fair grippy enough, it seems. If it does snow today, maybe I can verify that snow won't pack up in these like they do metal pedals. But, either way, they will be getting wet and dirty, and stressed. We'll see how they hold up. I also have some black Mesa MP's, (MP = metal pin),  on By-Tor which are getting similar treatment.

T.I.V7 image by Steve Fuller

More media coverage for Trans Iowa has appeared in the form of a feature story in "Iowa Momentum Magazine" here. T.I.V8 "in race reporter", Dave Mable, himself a previous T.I. vet, wrote up the piece based upon his previous experience and that of past winners John Gorilla and Joe Meiser with a bit of a nice quote from three time finisher Tim Ek to end it all with. in the article, Joe Meiser mentions the "sub-24 hour" subject. It seems that is a "golden carrot" for some of the faster guys. One thing about that subject that needs to be 'splained  a bit. Seems a bit of a controversy about the subject has arisen.

Back in Trans Iowa V1, we were working on a shoestring not only budget-wise, but in terms of manpower. Other than Jeff Kerkove's folks in Algona, I was the only other guy on the course running the event. This means that several things weren't done as well as we'd have liked, including the finish line.

The finish was going to be facilitated by the Decorah Time Trial folks, and no one from Trans Iowa, (namely me), was there. I was in Cresco, Iowa, 30 plus miles out as the course ran, waiting to catch the leaders going by to alert the Decorah folks in case of ultra-early arrivals. Looking at the scribbled records, such as they are, I noted the first rider I saw, (which wasn't the first two, but that's another tale for another time), went through Cresco at 5:00am. We know that the next rider after that definitely wasn't in under 24 hours, and he came through a half an hour past the first rider I saw.

No times were recorded by the Decorah folks that I have ever been made aware of, so we had no times for finishers. We could only guesstimate the times. Is it possible that the top three riders at T.I.V1 finished in under 24 hours? Sure it is. Do we know for certain? No. We did promote that riders did break the 24 hour barrier though,  since it seemed to be good for all concerned. The only hard times I had for riders was the passage of Cresco, and that being incomplete due to the aforementioned "story" concerning the first and second place guys. (That I ain't tellin, so don't ask.)

The "golden carrot" that is a "sub-24 hour Trans Iowa" is still in effect, as far as I am concerned. T.I.V1 was not only understaffed and under-recorded, but it was only about 305 miles long too. No T.I. since has been planned to be so short. And again, the whole idea of the sub-24 thing is goofy anyway, since we don't run the same course every year. Just ask Ira Ryan. I'm sure he'd agree that his second victory was a bit tougher than the first. (Who, by the way, doesn't claim a sub-24hr T.I. Kind of interesting to note that.)

Pedacab art in Nepal. (Image by Jeff Kerkove)

 Speaking of "Mr. 24", as he used to be known as, Jeff Kerkove is with his Topeak-Ergon team mate, Sonya Looney in Nepal, of all places, about to take on the "Yak Attack" event.

Yak Attack? Yep. If you want to find out more about this crazy, awesome event, see Jeff's very informative post about it all here.

I feel really happy for Jeff and Sonya. I used to work with Jeff back at the shop when I first started there. I've met Sonya a few times as well, and she is an awesome person. This opportunity they have is beyond cool. I wish them all the best.

I always tell people that Jeff is the most disciplined person I've ever met, so when I read his post about being really intense about this event, I know it is "off the charts" intensity that most of us will never understand. So far, it looks as though everything is going their way, and as long as the body holds up for those two, I expect them to do quite well at this event. I'll be following along as much as I am able.

Finally, one more bit of exotic stoke: If you don't know Mike Curiak, you should get to know him a bit through his blog. Mike is a big time adventurer, and lately he has been detailing his adventure from last summer on fat bikes and pack rafts in Alaska with four other guys. Incredible photography and story telling like only Mike can do. See it here. Note that he's posted seven entries so far as of this posting. Make sure you scroll down to read through them all. Simply mind blowing stuff there.

Okay, if you are not into reading, get out and start riding! have a great weekend and keep the rubber side down, ya'all!

Is Someone Waking The Sleeping Giant?

SRAM has Rock Shox, Shimano...?

"Let sleeping dogs lie", as the saying goes, and it means that you should leave well enough alone. However; I think it is too late for that. It would appear that the "giant" has been roused.

What am I talking about? Shimano, of course, and I think we're all about to see the component "giant", ( and I mean that literally and figuratively), jump in with a flurry of technology and componentry the likes of which has not been seen since the mid 1990's.

It was back then that the "CNC machine craze" took mountain biking by storm. New components were being cranked out with an almost weekly regularity in the early part of that decade and Shimano's grip on the mountain biking component world was slipping. In fact, some cheeky riders were going so far as to say that an "all American", or at least a "non-Shimano" build was the way to go on your mountain bike. Shimano was "The Man", and that didn't cotton to well with the industry, and with the riders.

Well, with one fell swoop, Shimano dramatically deep-sixed all of that with the introduction of the XTR component group. It was so well designed that even today the group is revered by mountain bikers old enough to remember it. But Shimano didn't stop there. They introduced "linear pull", or "V" brakes, revolutionizing braking for mountain bikes, and then introduced another newer XTR that set the bar so high that they nearly extinguished all competition for mountain bike parts by the year 2000.

However, this little company that wouldn't go away started to amass companies into its fold and became a force to be reckoned with. The name was SRAM, and even Rock Shox, the venerable fork manufacturer, fell into the fold. Now SRAM nearly had a complete build kit avaialable to manufacturers of frames. Everything but wheels, but as you all know, even that they have now.

SRAM Rise wheels

If SRAM made headsets and a few other components for the cockpit, they could have a complete build kit for a bike. Shimano sees the OEM spec going away to SRAM in many areas, so this didn't sit well with the Osaka Japan based company. It seems that the early rumblings of an "XTR-like" revolution are in the works all across the board at Shimano.

According to the latest "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News", Shimano has filed several suspension patents of late for forks and hydraulically adjustable seat posts. Not only that, but they are chasing an electronic component to all of this as well. The patents apparently show plans for an electronically controlled damper for suspension, and a electronically controlled height adjustable seat post. (Can you say "no cables"?)

Then yesterday news broke of a slew of components, including a Di2 Alfine 8 and 11 speed internally geared hub, lighter weight mechanical road brake calipers, and new "29"er specific parts" including a double XT and XTR level 38/24T crank set, and a new XT level UST wheel set.

So Shimano is obviously up to some dramatic things. If they do a suspension fork, it would be an earth shaking move that "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" says could drive some independent fork and suspension manufacturers out of business by squeezing them out of their lucrative OEM business.

Whatever happens, Shimano is sure to shake things up in a big way real soon. Look out! The giant stirs.......

Is Someone Waking The Sleeping Giant?

SRAM has Rock Shox, Shimano...?

"Let sleeping dogs lie", as the saying goes, and it means that you should leave well enough alone. However; I think it is too late for that. It would appear that the "giant" has been roused.

What am I talking about? Shimano, of course, and I think we're all about to see the component "giant", ( and I mean that literally and figuratively), jump in with a flurry of technology and componentry the likes of which has not been seen since the mid 1990's.

It was back then that the "CNC machine craze" took mountain biking by storm. New components were being cranked out with an almost weekly regularity in the early part of that decade and Shimano's grip on the mountain biking component world was slipping. In fact, some cheeky riders were going so far as to say that an "all American", or at least a "non-Shimano" build was the way to go on your mountain bike. Shimano was "The Man", and that didn't cotton to well with the industry, and with the riders.

Well, with one fell swoop, Shimano dramatically deep-sixed all of that with the introduction of the XTR component group. It was so well designed that even today the group is revered by mountain bikers old enough to remember it. But Shimano didn't stop there. They introduced "linear pull", or "V" brakes, revolutionizing braking for mountain bikes, and then introduced another newer XTR that set the bar so high that they nearly extinguished all competition for mountain bike parts by the year 2000.

However, this little company that wouldn't go away started to amass companies into its fold and became a force to be reckoned with. The name was SRAM, and even Rock Shox, the venerable fork manufacturer, fell into the fold. Now SRAM nearly had a complete build kit avaialable to manufacturers of frames. Everything but wheels, but as you all know, even that they have now.

SRAM Rise wheels

If SRAM made headsets and a few other components for the cockpit, they could have a complete build kit for a bike. Shimano sees the OEM spec going away to SRAM in many areas, so this didn't sit well with the Osaka Japan based company. It seems that the early rumblings of an "XTR-like" revolution are in the works all across the board at Shimano.

According to the latest "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News", Shimano has filed several suspension patents of late for forks and hydraulically adjustable seat posts. Not only that, but they are chasing an electronic component to all of this as well. The patents apparently show plans for an electronically controlled damper for suspension, and a electronically controlled height adjustable seat post. (Can you say "no cables"?)

Then yesterday news broke of a slew of components, including a Di2 Alfine 8 and 11 speed internally geared hub, lighter weight mechanical road brake calipers, and new "29"er specific parts" including a double XT and XTR level 38/24T crank set, and a new XT level UST wheel set.

So Shimano is obviously up to some dramatic things. If they do a suspension fork, it would be an earth shaking move that "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" says could drive some independent fork and suspension manufacturers out of business by squeezing them out of their lucrative OEM business.

Whatever happens, Shimano is sure to shake things up in a big way real soon. Look out! The giant stirs.......

So, I Was Thinking Again.....

Gale force winds, mini blizzard = Trouble

........and that's a dangerous thing for me!

The winds were howling, and then a little blizzard of snow came in with that. Not a good idea to be riding a bicycle much. (Although I ran a couple errands) This left me with catching up on e-mails, doing some tidying up in the Lab, and left time for some thinking.

The idle mind is a fertile playground for weirdness in my case. So it was yesterday when I saw the following in an e-mail with reference to me:".....international man of mystery and gravel roads everywhere" 

 That's what Grannygear, my friend in SoCal has used to refer to me since before I knew him. Well, maybe not the "gravel roads" part so much, but "International Man of Mystery", yes. The ironic part about this is I've never been out of the U.S.A., so "international" I am not, but I suppose my writings have gone all over.

At any rate, here's the weird part. The mere reading of "international man of mystery and gravel roads everywhere" made me think of the following idea........

What if there was a gravel road riding club called "Gravelo El Loco"? There could be jerseys, and we all could buy these rad gravel colored pants and ride in solidarity.

Twin Six 3/4's knickers (Image courtesy Twin Six)

Ah me! Maybe I'm just a dreamer.

I have always liked the Pirate Cycling League's older jerseys, (Or maybe they were some shop jersey's from Lincoln?) that had "Lincoln NE" on them. Anyway, I thought it might be a cool idea to have every "Gravelo El Loco"  jersey have the city you hail from on the lower back too, like those Lincoln jerseys did.

It'd be like a brotherhood and sisterhood of gravel freaks everywhere. You know, us crazy gravel road riders", in other words, el loco. 

Well, like I said, I have some nutty ideas sometimes, and that snippet of a sentence I read typed by Grannygear somehow fired the "Gravelo El Loco" synapse. Don't ask me how or why. Like I say, my brain doesn't work like most peoples brains do.

So this is just a crazy idea. I haven't got the money nor time to put into the idea to make it happen, but I think it would be fun. Would it be successful? Who knows, and frankly, I don't really care. It's just a fun idea I came up with and that's probably as far as it will get. Kinda like that gravel stage race idea I had last year. I just do not have the time for anymore non-sense like that in my life right now.

I mean, it isn't like I'm not busy, or anything!

So, I Was Thinking Again.....

Gale force winds, mini blizzard = Trouble

........and that's a dangerous thing for me!

The winds were howling, and then a little blizzard of snow came in with that. Not a good idea to be riding a bicycle much. (Although I ran a couple errands) This left me with catching up on e-mails, doing some tidying up in the Lab, and left time for some thinking.

The idle mind is a fertile playground for weirdness in my case. So it was yesterday when I saw the following in an e-mail with reference to me:".....international man of mystery and gravel roads everywhere" 

 That's what Grannygear, my friend in SoCal has used to refer to me since before I knew him. Well, maybe not the "gravel roads" part so much, but "International Man of Mystery", yes. The ironic part about this is I've never been out of the U.S.A., so "international" I am not, but I suppose my writings have gone all over.

At any rate, here's the weird part. The mere reading of "international man of mystery and gravel roads everywhere" made me think of the following idea........

What if there was a gravel road riding club called "Gravelo El Loco"? There could be jerseys, and we all could buy these rad gravel colored pants and ride in solidarity.

Twin Six 3/4's knickers (Image courtesy Twin Six)

Ah me! Maybe I'm just a dreamer.

I have always liked the Pirate Cycling League's older jerseys, (Or maybe they were some shop jersey's from Lincoln?) that had "Lincoln NE" on them. Anyway, I thought it might be a cool idea to have every "Gravelo El Loco"  jersey have the city you hail from on the lower back too, like those Lincoln jerseys did.

It'd be like a brotherhood and sisterhood of gravel freaks everywhere. You know, us crazy gravel road riders", in other words, el loco. 

Well, like I said, I have some nutty ideas sometimes, and that snippet of a sentence I read typed by Grannygear somehow fired the "Gravelo El Loco" synapse. Don't ask me how or why. Like I say, my brain doesn't work like most peoples brains do.

So this is just a crazy idea. I haven't got the money nor time to put into the idea to make it happen, but I think it would be fun. Would it be successful? Who knows, and frankly, I don't really care. It's just a fun idea I came up with and that's probably as far as it will get. Kinda like that gravel stage race idea I had last year. I just do not have the time for anymore non-sense like that in my life right now.

I mean, it isn't like I'm not busy, or anything!