Between the Whirled Cup and the Annual Touring of the France there is much to consume the attention of the international sports (or “commie sports” as we call them here) enthusiast, and while as usual I’ve managed to miss most of the latter event thus far, I did happen to note this story:
Firstly, Huub Artz is a great name for a boutique company that makes overpriced hubs that are way too loud:
[Sorry, your loud hub sounds stupid.]
Secondly, ,this is absurd:
The Dutch rider was pulled up by the vehicles of the UCI race commissaires, and on the television coverage he could be heard asking them: “What’s the limit? Can you explain what’s wrong? Everybody does it.”
The cameras then showed one of the officials inside the car bending forward to mimic an aerodynamic position on the bike. Along with earlier footage of Artz in the race, it was soon apparent that this related to the rule that states a rider cannot use the forearms as a point of support on the bike.
I’m sorry, but this is America, and even in an event that doesn’t take place anywhere near America I say that riders should be free to assume whatever position they want on a bicycle. It’s called Freedom of Movement, look it up!
If you’re free to leave and return to your own country then it goes without saying you should be able to visit any part of your bicycle with any part of your body that you choose, and penalizing someone for doing so is nothing less than a violation of their human rights.
Not only that, but allowing riders more on-the-bike flexibility (literally and figuratively) would bring new talent to the pro peloton by encouraging athletes from other UCI disciplines such as artistic cycling to make the transition to stage racing:
Plus, last time I checked, pro cycling was hastening the Climate Apocalypse:
So shouldn’t we be doing something about all those support vehicles? Well, if artistic cyclists take over the peloton and they’re allowed to assume whatever on-the-bike position they want, then we can finally get rid of team cars altogether! This is because if a rider flats or otherwise falls victim to a mechanical he will then be able to share a bike with a teammate without having to wait for a spare wheel or bike change:
It’s called “teamwork,” and you can look that one up too–though it may not be safe for work to do so:
Speaking of the Tour de France, everybody’s still making a big fuss over tire width:
People have been using “wide” tires on road bikes forever, so why the hell are we supposed to care about a few more millimeters of rubber on a Tour rider’s bike?
The data paints a fascinating picture of how modern race bikes are being optimised, and why the number printed on the tyre sidewall no longer tells the full story.
It’s the same story every year and it’s really not fascinating at all–but not only is this somehow newsworthy, but we’re also supposed to care about whose tires are the biggest:
It’s always a dick measuring contest, isn’t it?
Sorry, but it’s truly exhausting to watch the cycling world rediscover the same thing over and over again:
I mean people knew pretty early on that drop bars were useful on mountain bikes:
But 39 years later here’s Canyon to the rescue!
It’s built for “ultra-distance adventure bikepacking racers,” which is way too many words:
Who rides XC hardtails anymore? Canyon has the answer with this new Exceed CFR Gravel bike build… and it’s ultra-distance adventure bikepacking racers… in addition to classic cross-country and marathon riders. Dropbars on a mountain bike? Yes, please, say the backcountry lunatics riders taking on tough multi-day adventure bikepacking races like Tour Divide, Silk Road, Atlas & Hellenic mountain races.
And now they won’t have to “piece together compromises” when embarking on their ultra-distance adventure bikepacking races, because they can order a compromise straight from the factory:
This is certainly convenient, but you know what’s even better than a mountain bike that comes with a factory drop bar conversion? A bike that you don’t have to forget to leave on your roof rack because it comes pre-driven into the garage:
They really should have called it the “Frontal Impact” or the “Crumple Zone,” though I suppose that wouldn’t have evoked its key feature:
If you are a male born between, oh, let’s say 1965 and 1978, you’re still (barely) able to ride a Fred bike. Not only that, but you’re also at at your peak purchasing power, and etched into your subconscious is this:
So sure, they can make up all the crap they want:
Pinarello says, “The new configuration disperses road vibrations more efficiently through the four connection points, while the lower linkage minimises rebound, delivering a smoother, more controlled ride.”
But that, and nothing else, is what the Dogma X and its signature X-Stay is all about.
Oh, well that’s not entirely true, it’s also about Fifteen Thousand American Fun Tickets™:
Pricing is on the upper end of the spectrum and in line with the current Dogma F range. The Dogma X frameset will set you back £5,500 / $6,950 / €6,700, while full builds are £12,600 / $15,500 / €14,900.`
Though that isn’t so bad if you go halfsies with a friend:
