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10.) DI2 and disc brakes on my cross bike…
I only managed to get the darn thing built up in time for one race, but that race was the Bend Ice Bowl, and folks? When you can’t feel your hands, all the arguments against disc brakes & electronic shifting disappear. Quickly. A revelation.
9.) Flo Wheels…
They aren’t light, but they’re aerodynamic as all get-out, and they’re bomb-proof. …and cheap. Holy cow, these things are inexpensive. You get to pick 3 out of 4, right?
8.) The new “light” drink mixes…
Eat your calories, drink your electrolytes. Makes sense to me. Makes sense to enough people that all the bigger players in the sport nutrition game are jumping on the bandwagon. Cliff’s new product in the category is pretty great, and that’s what I’m soaking in now.
7.) Rolling resistance testing of tires…
Thanks to folks like Al Morrison and Tom Ahnhalt, riders can now make informed decisions about gear that will actually make them faster. Better yet? The manufacturers have been paying attention, and have responded with better, faster products. The same thing is starting to happen with aerodynamic testing. Excellent.
6) The Castelli Gabba Jersey…
If you race bikes in the rain, you should buy one. Full-stop. The very rarest of things, an absolutely perfect product.
5) A ridiculous little bell on my bike…
Yup. I put a ridiculous little bell on my bike. It’s absolutely flabbergasting how effective a tiny little “ping” is at clearing a path through normally oblivious multi-use trail traffic. It sounds like Mary Poppins rolling through, but people clear out like you’re aiming a cannon their way. Who knew?
4) The Hola App for the Chrome browser…
The UCI has a YouTube page, and they live-stream a huge portion of the year’s race calendar on it, including all the Cyclocross World Cup races (Women’s races included!) The problem, though? They sold video rights in the US to a cable channel that isn’t available in my area. As a result, the YouTube feed is blocked, and there’s no way to watch on the TV. What’s a desperate fan to do? Click the Hola button on the browser toolbar, and YouTube thinks you’re watching from the UK, or Denmark, or Belgium… wherever the feed originates. Problem solved.
3) Cyclocross Nationals are in Austin next year…
Yeah, this is a year away, but I already love it. Get ready for a weird time…
2) The rise of Enduro Racing…
People having FUN racing their bikes? Damn…
1) Pat McQuaid out on his ass…
‘Nuff said, eh?