Cancellara Takes Flanders
Fabian Cancellara has won the 2013 edition of the Tour of Flanders with a commanding performance. Such an impressive ride from a top notch athlete. Congratulations!
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Lifefactory
Our Southwest tour has come to an end, and I am back in LA in front of the computer once more. The trip afforded me the opportunity to use some new products, and first up are Lifefactory bottles. These bottles are made of glass sheathed in a silicone sleeve. The glass bottles are made in Europe and the sleeves in the US, with final assembly in the US. We had a collection of four bottles in the van with us, and after two thousand miles of driving the roads of the Southwest, the bottles held up perfectly. Mind you, we did not treat these bottles well. They were thrown around the van, dropped out the side when opening the door, tossed amongst each other without much care, and rattled around on the hard floor of the van while driving rough unpaved roads. The bottles never gave any indication of breaking. They are tough, and can handle harsh treatment. The silicone sleeves completely protect them from the rigors of travel and camping. The Lifefactory bottles are a perfect travel companion, and are easily washed thanks to the wide opening. There are different caps available, and many colors to choose from. The bottles are available directly through Lifefactory’s website.
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Monument Valley
This would be such an epic ride. Definitely one of the most beautiful spots I’ve seen. Funny thing is, I saw the same guy on the recumbent traveling up this road. This guy is determined to see the Southwest.
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Entering Colorado
Just before taking this shot, we passed a man on a recumbent with trailer, powering up this lone stretch of road. Hats off to someone willing to endure long stretches of road like this, even if they are on a recumbent.
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On La Brea
Shinola, Swrve, Sycip, and other made in the USA brands coming to Shelter Half soon. More to follow.
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Chrome Truk Pro
The Chrome Truk is the latest addition to the Pro Line of shoes in the Chrome catalog. The shoe incorporates the new dual-density FlexPlate™, providing a rigid sole from the heel to the ball of the foot, and a flexible toe area. This new feature makes the Truk Pro a shoe that can be worn comfortably all day, every day. My firsthand impressions are of a shoe that feels light, and is great for both walking and riding. The materials are all top notch, and the construction incredibly solid. I feel this shoe will last a very long time, which should come as no surprise from my past experiences with Chrome shoes. I have a few pairs of Chromes that I’ve been wearing for more than two years, and they are still in great shape. The Truks come in black or grey, and are available now directly from Chrome.
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Milan-San Remo 2013
The 2013 edition of the Milan-San Remo race was full of surprises from Mother Nature. Rain turned to snow, forcing organizers to cut the race short and transport riders via bus to resume racing into San Remo. At the end, Gerald Ciolek (MTN-Qhubeka) came in first, with Sagan and Cancellara 2nd and 3rd respectively. The above photo is from © Roberto Bettini.
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Shinola Runwell LTD Edition
Shinola created this one-off brass plated Runwell for the Baselworld show in Switzerland next month. Shinola is kicking it into high gear, with a new website up and running, and pre-orders being taken for their beautiful watches. Shinola has combined into one company my two obsessions: watches and bicycles.
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Cervelo RCA
It’s light, it’s beautiful, and it is very expensive. The Cervelo RCA is live on the Cervelo website. Initial riding impressions are very positive. Cervelo continues to push the boundaries of what can be done with carbon.
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SRAM Red
I have been a big fan of SRAM Red components since first using them several years back. When the updated gruppo was released, I pored over the details, and made the decision I would have to upgrade. Unfortunately, reality and budget set in, and the big purchase never happened. But, in the last month of riding, I’ve been getting irritated by the drivetrain noise coming from my older cassette, so I decided to splurge and upgrade to the newer version. SRAM had been receiving criticism for the noise, and the way it was amplified by the design, so this was a major point in thinking through the redesign. The engineers listened, and successfully solved the noise issues with the new SRAM Red XG-1090 X-Dome cassette. This cassette has been the single most important upgrade I’ve done on my bike. Over the weekend I did my regular loop, and the drivetrain was dead silent. It was such a pleasure not hearing anything, and the peace I felt during the ride was worth the investment. To top it off, the new cassette is also lighter, so the Cervelo has gone back to a sub 14 lb weight. I highly recommend this upgrade. Now, if only I could upgrade the rest of the gruppo, I would be one very happy cyclist.
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