Topic: The Cycling Thread

[Plastique]

Doping, such as was common in second half of 1990s and 2000s, changes the strategy and tactics that can be (were) employed during races.  e.g. Since Vino stopped being able to get away with blood doping so easily, he became an "ordinary" elite rider, not the lunatic attacker and grand tour podium rider we used to watch and wonder "WTF?"

I wonder whether he'd have stood out so much if everyone was drugged up.

Indeed with doping that provides large boosts in performance far harder to administer over the last seasons or so

Better testing?

[Swagomatic]

I had a major misadventure on my road bike Friday, and a minor misadventure on my bike Saturday,.  Friday, I was about 12 miles into my ride when I started feeling/hearing a clunking noise coming through my pedals.  I stopped to see if there was anything to be done, and I determined that the noise was coming from my bottom bracket.  I rode home with that irritating noise needling at my brain.  I assume that the bearing is roached and it will have to be replaced.  Bummer

Saturday, I took my mtn bike out for an off-road spin.  I was cutting across a desert mountain pass, and I had to lift my bike over a fence.  I leaned the bike on the fence, wasn't careful, and the bike fell and landed on the rear derailleur.  Luckily, nothing was damaged but, somehow, the cable was pulled loose (I'm sure I didn't tighten it properly last time I messed with it).  Anyway, I had to make a pit stop at my sis's house to fix it (I didn't have a little wrench in my pack).  So, I took the wrench with me and set off again.  When I finally got to my riding spot and about 3/4 of the way up the mountain trail, the cable came loose again.  I fixed it again, but I had to push my bike up the last couple hundred yards of trail to the top.  The ride down was a lot better.  I rode for a total of 3 hrs 42 minutes, about 45 minutes of which was messing around with my bike.

Sunday, I rode again on my mtn bike, this time on the bike trail.  All in all, a pretty good weekend (though it was very hot).  I wore a long-sleeved dry-fit shirt and it seemed to keep my arms a lot cooler than bare arms exposed to the sun.

[Alex Simmons]

Doping, such as was common in second half of 1990s and 2000s, changes the strategy and tactics that can be (were) employed during races.  e.g. Since Vino stopped being able to get away with blood doping so easily, he became an "ordinary" elite rider, not the lunatic attacker and grand tour podium rider we used to watch and wonder "WTF?"

I wonder whether he'd have stood out so much if everyone was drugged up.

We'll never know, however his performances before the EPO era were middle of (an elite) pack.  It started to change with World championship win. Then the cancer came and well the rest is history.

Indeed with doping that provides large boosts in performance far harder to administer over the last seasons or so

Better testing?

Well things like the biological passport have had a fairly sizeable impact.  By tracking a range of parameters on a regular basis, doping control can see when blood markers vary unusually and then apply a "risk management" approach to actual doping controls.  IOW they are not testing more, but are being more targeted in testing by identifying the riders that have a higher proportion.  Still, if anything I think testing rates have dropped, which is a shame.

It costs a lot.  e.g. when you consider the entire cost of the Australian Sports ADA, each test costs ~ $1,000.  So how many tests are you going to schedule?  Hence they tend to take a targeted approach.

[pandamonium]

I f-ed up the bolt for my seat post. Goddammit. The bolt isn't stripped, but the part where you insert the tool to loosen/tighten is now rounded. HURRAH.

[WC]

I f-ed up the bolt for my seat post. Goddammit. The bolt isn't stripped, but the part where you insert the tool to loosen/tighten is now rounded. HURRAH.

I need a new one of those too. I have to fight like a champion to get a monkey or crescent in there, and a socket doesn't have enough clearance on the seat stay end to fit on to the nut (too stripped down anyway). It's easy enough to loosen and steal, but a bitch to tighten up, and it's always slowly dropping the seat. Every few months I have to wrestle with it to right it, and it strip it worse for wear. Want to get an allen wrench dealy instead. Suggestions? Hardware store? LBS? Online?

[pandamonium]

Yeah, my seat dropping all the time was a huge reason why the post seat bolt is not round instead of Allen shaped. When I figure out what I'm going to do for mine, I'll let you know.

[lonely moa]

There is the memorial to Tom Simpson just shy of the summit of le Ventoux.  Always decorated with a variety of cycling paraphenalia, an ode to the first (known) Tour rider to die from drugs.  It's a nice ride up that hill if one isn't in a hurry.

[GodSlayer]

I f-ed up the bolt for my seat post. Goddammit. The bolt isn't stripped, but the part where you insert the tool to loosen/tighten is now rounded. HURRAH.

[jaypee]

I destroyed my freewheel and need to buy a new one. And so I will.

[Henning]

Anyone post this yet? (NSFW nudity)
http://bikeportland.org/2012/06/17/lots-of-smiles-and-flesh-for-miles-the-2012-world-naked-bike-ride-photos-73404

For the first time this year, my parents are somewhere in among this wave of flesh....  How proud am I? Very.
Hooray for Portland!

[GodSlayer]

Anyone post this yet? (NSFW nudity)
http://bikeportland.org/2012/06/17/lots-of-smiles-and-flesh-for-miles-the-2012-world-naked-bike-ride-photos-73404

For the first time this year, my parents are somewhere in among this wave of flesh....  How proud am I? Very.
Hooray for Portland!

amazing how many women were cheater! ...if a man showed up dressed amongst a group of naked women people would probably call him a pervert.

[Alex Simmons]

[jaypee]

I don't think the rear wheel on Chuck Norris' bike would get so warped from a low speed collision. It's more likely that the wheel would come out unscathed and then go on to talk about how dinosaurs are liberal propaganda.

I've seen that sort of thing happen before though. Car hits bike, bike is fine, the indent in the car's bumper pops itself back into place.

[DK]

I need a new bell for my bike. At the moment it goes ping, which is no use to warn stupid pedestrians to get out of the cycle lane. Especially those with headphones on and busily texting someone.

[jaypee]

You know what's better than a bell? Smacking them in the back of the head. I've done that. Recently.

This is great:

http://madison.craigslist.org/mis/3074664363.html