The Cycling Thread

[Rick Danger]

[this book may be hard to find or out of print. But if you have the opportunity to pick up a copy either in hardcover or paperback, I recommend that you do !]


hardcover______________________paperback

Tour de France/Tour de Force Updated and Revised 100-Year Anniversary Edition
by James Startt Forewords by Greg LeMond and Samuel Abt (hardcover/paperback; price varies)

For three weeks each July, millions of fans from around the world descend upon the French countryside to cheer on the "forcats de la route," or slaves of the road—the riders competing in the Tour de France. The event has captivated people for nearly a century who gather to witness the strength of the human spirit in its struggle to endure and overcome incredible obstacles to rise to the ranks of heroism. Covering over 2000 miles in 21 days, the cyclists make a grand circuit of the country, crossing over both the Alps and the Pyrenees mountains before racing to the finish line along the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Now almost one hundred years old, the legendary bicycle race has a rich and colorful past.

Tour de France/Tour de Force offers a one-of-a-kind look back at the Tour's history and its heroes. Arranged chronologically and illustrated with hundreds of wonderfully evocative photographs dating back to the Tour's beginning in 1903, it documents the great victories and the harrowing disasters, the glory and the agony of this amazing competition. From the astounding stories of early cyclists who looped around France on rudimentary two-wheelers to contemporary chapters emphasizing the tactics and winning moves employed in recent races, the drama of the Tour comes to life in these pages.

Featuring race results from 1903 all the way through to 1999, plus an introduction by three-time Tour winner Greg Lemond, and special sections on the evolution of the Tour de France bike and the controversial issue of performance-enhancing drugs, Tour de France/Tour de Force is the consummate guide to this truly extraordinary event in the world of sport.

James Startt left competitive cycling to pursue photography and journalism full-time. An American living in Paris, Startt has covered professional cycling events for a variety of magazines worldwide, published several books on cycling, and edits the official Tour de France Web site.

When the Tour de France was first held, it was only six stages long. Each of those stages, however, was a grueling ultramarathon averaging 400 kilometers for a total Tour length of 2,400 kilometers. The largest margin of victory in the history of the Tour--2 hours, 48 minutes--comes from this race. From 1903 to 1999, Tour de France/Tour de Force covers the history of the world's greatest cycling race in words and pictures.

All the great riders are profiled: Lucien Petit-Breton, "King" Rene Vietto (who never won), Eddy "the Cannibal" Merckx, Bernard "the Badger" Hinault, Greg LeMond, Miguel Indurain, and of course, Lance Armstrong. Tour de Force also traces the event's evolution; for example, Pyrenees climbs were added in 1910, ensuring that versatile riders would come to dominate.

Author James Startt shares stories of ingenuity (when Francois Faber's chain broke in the last kilometer of the 1909 Tour, he simply ran his bike across the finish line), tragedy (Tom Simpson collapsing and dying on the climb up Mont Ventoux in 1967), and triumph (Lance Armstrong's 1999 Tour victory). Lavishly illustrated, Tour de France/Tour de Force is essential reading for cyclists and cycling fans alike.- M. Stein

[Rick Danger]

Whether you'll be riding through the cold weather months, or the bike is ready for a long winter nap, it's probably not a bad time to spend a little time caring for your steed. This is meant as a 'tune up' in-between annual professional care (depending on how much you ride each year and in what kind of conditions).

On a recent stop at my local bike shop, I picked up a copy of the "Bicycle Maintenance Guide" put out by Finish Line. It presents Finish Line products in a "how to" guide on cleaning and lubricating your ride.

http://www.finishlineusa.com/downloa...og_%202010.pdf

You might be thinking "Yeah, sure. They're promoting their products." True, but since Finish Line makes a complete line of bike care products it's a message worth listening to. Back when I was a kid we'd look through discarded cans of motor oil at the local gas station, find ones with oil still in them and liberally pour the liquid gold on our chains. Life isn't as simple as that anymore.

Three Finish Line products I can personally recommend. First is their Speed Degreaser. My only mistake buying this product was I should have bought TWO cans. Spray it on and the dirt and grease melts like butter in a hot frying pan. In about a minute the surface is clean, dry, and ready for lubrication. I would NOT recommend using it in a closed room, and I do wear eye protection and mechanics gloves. But this stuff saves alot of time and gets the job done. You can also use it to clean dirt and grit from your rims for improved braking performance with caliper and V-brakes. If you have carbon rims (or a carbon frame) you might want to check before using a solvent product.



Next tool I've used for years is a chain cleaner. If you've time to break the chain, clean and lube it off the bike then more power to you. But I've gotten good results using a chain cleaner, either from Park Tools, Pedro's, or Finish Line. Fill the unit with a cleaning fluid or a "one-step" cleaner/lubricant and start turning the crank. TIP: You will probably want to keep the bike as upright as possible, or cover your rear wheel to prevent the fluid from dripping all over your rim. You can also remove the rear wheel and stick a screwdriver across the dropouts to hold the chain in place.



Next, after my chain dried I lubed it with Finish Line's new Ceramic WET lubricant. Ceramic WET is a wet-style synthetic lubricant enhanced with nano-sized platelets of boron nitride and micron particles of fluoropolymer which builds a ceramic coating on metal surfaces. It is a full waterproof lubricant, so it can be used on any bike. YEAH RIGHT. I read all that. Bottom line is I used it on both my road and mountain bikes, and I was surprised how quiet the chain and the entire drive train has gotten. It's actually scary.



I also cleaned and lubricated dérailleur and brake pivots, cables and barrel adjusters, brake lever and shifter pivots, and stanchions (on the MTB).

Finally, if you have a steel frame it's vital that you clean and inspect the frame for chipped or cracked paint. Once rust gets hold you're in for trouble. Touch up paint, as well as cleaning and applying a polish such as Pedro's Bike Lust or Finish Line Showroom Polish are good ideas. My road bike has a steel alloy frame. I've had it for twenty-five (25) years, and it's still rolling !



http://www.finishlineusa.com/
http://www.parktool.com/
http://www.pedros.com/

[Mister Emporia]

Great idea for a thread - and great contributions Rick. I've also appreciated your input over on the Chicks and Bicycles thread! Thank you! Since there seems to be just a smattering of we cyclists on here, it seems, maybe we should each offer up a few details about our obsession? As in:

#1) How many bikes do you own?
#2) What do you ride?

[Mister Emporia]

Ok - I can start-

I own 5 bikes: But the three I ride the most are:

1) Road: Specialized Tarmac SL-2 with Dura-ACE components and FSA cranks...
2) Cross: 2011 Specialized CRUX....SRAM Apex components
3) Kicking around town: '86 Peugot converted into a SS

[Mister Emporia]

Next, after my chain dried I lubed it with Finish Line's new Ceramic WET lubricant. Ceramic WET is a wet-style synthetic lubricant enhanced with nano-sized platelets of boron nitride and micron particles of fluoropolymer which builds a ceramic coating on metal surfaces. It is a full waterproof lubricant, so it can be used on any bike. YEAH RIGHT. I read all that. Bottom line is I used it on both my road and mountain bikes, and I was surprised how quiet the chain and the entire drive train has gotten. It's actually scary.

Thanks for recs Rick....any idea on cost of the Finish Line lube in $US?

Also - for a very good and environmenally sound de-greaser, consider Simple Green:



Dilute about 1:1 with water before you put it in your chain cleaner...or spray it directly on your cassette and then scrub with an old toothbrush....the shit is amazing and smells great - and won't eff up the environment...we're cyclists after all!

[Rick Danger]

Originally Posted by cyclodog

Thanks for recs Rick....any idea on cost of the Finish Line lube in $US?

I paid $9.95 USD for the 4 ounce (120ml) bottle of Ceramic WET. Interestingly enough, Finish Line lists their Ceramic WET lube as being non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, and fully biodegradable.

Originally Posted by cyclodog

Also - for a very good and environmentally sound de-greaser, consider Simple Green

Yah mon ! Gone through alot of bottles of Simple Green in my day. I used another biodegradable degreaser to clean my chain this time around. I also like Orange Glo, a citrus based cleaner.

However, you are right. The Speed Degreaser is not biodegradable and is not safe for carbon frames and parts.

Speed Degreaser is a ‘dry style’ degreaser, which means that once it cleans, any residue evaporates off – leaving the parts clean, residue free. Speed Degreaser is at the top of the charts in cleaning power, about equal to our Citrus degreaser. It is not biodegradable though. It’s fast – literally melting off grime and crud from parts. You’ll want to have some old rags or newspaper under the bike because Speed clean literally rinses the junk right off – then dries within 30 seconds to leave parts squeaky clean with no oily-film residue like left by other degreasers. If you want to clean fast, spend no time wiping down parts, and have parts ready for relube right away – Speed Degreaser is the choice for you.

http://www.finishlineusa.com/frequen...htm#degreasers

Also, if you have hydraulic disc brakes you do not want to let the brake fluid contact any painted or finished surfaces, esp. carbon frames and parts.

[Rick Danger]

Specialized S-Works Epic 29er.



Despite the clean and simplistic lines, the S-Works Epic 29er is Specialized's top-of-the-line MTB.

At under 22 pounds (10 Kg) this is the lightest full suspension 29er in the world: carbon fiber frame, SRAM XX gruppo; oversized bottom bracket, carbon crankset with ceramic bearings paired with a SRAM XX spider and 38/24t rings; tapered head tube, sealed cartridge bearing pivots, Specialized/Fox FlowControl Mini Brain shock with Brain Fade inertia valve, air spring, and adjustable rebound; Roval Control SL 29 XC wheelset with carbon rims; custom Avid XX World Cup R magnesium body brakes and carbon brake levers with titanium hardware.

Now just fork over $9400 US and it's yours !

[Rick Danger]

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Martín and the second or maternal family name is Bahamontes.

Federico Martín Bahamontes (born 9 July 1928) is a Spanish former professional road racing cyclist.

Biography
Bahamontes was born in Santo Domingo-Caudilla (Toledo), of Cuban descent. His family was devastated during the Spanish civil war and Bahamontes' father, Julián, took the family to Madrid as refugees. There Julian Martín lived by breaking rocks before opening a fruit and vegetable stall.

"My father was neither a red nor a fascist - he simply didn't like the idea of people coming along and demanding he give away olives, butter and chickens into which he had put to much work, so we left Toledo," Bahamontes said.

Bahamontes worked as a delivery boy. His hero and eventually his friend was Julián Berrendero, winner of the Tour of Spain in 1941 and 1942 and later selector of national teams.

He began racing in the late 1940s, winning his first race, wearing a baseball shirt on 18 July 1947. It was 12 years to the day before his first Tour de France triumph.

He took the mountains jersey and won the first stage of the 1953 Tour of Asturias at 23, while still not a full professional. The Spanish cycling federation picked him for the 1954 Tour de France the following year and his instructions from the national coach was "Try to win it." He didn't win but he did win the mountains competition and finish 25th.

Bahamontes was a climbing specialist to whom reporters gave the nickname the 'Eagle of Toledo. He rode in a distinctive upright style, staring ahead, his shorts pulled high on his thighs, his hands repeatedly changing position on the handlebars. He won the Tour de France in 1959, and won the Tour's "King of the Mountains" classification six times (1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964). He also took second and third places overall in 1963 and 1964 respectively. In total, he won seven Tour stages.

He was also second in the 1957 Vuelta a España, and won the mountains competition then and the following year, 1958, when he finished 6th. He also won the mountains competition in the Giro d'Italia in 1956.

Bahamontes was not initially considered a contender for in the 1959 Tour de France, but he benefited from an early escape on a stage in the Pyrenees, and then won a mountain time trial to the Puy-de-Dôme. Into the Alps, he combined with fellow climber Charly Gaul to extend the lead into Grenoble, and although French riders Henry Anglade and Jacques Anquetil cut their deficits, neither made up enough time to threaten Bahamontes' overall lead. He won by just over four minutes from Anglade, and became King of the Mountains too.

Anquetil was whistled as he finished the Tour on the Parc des Princes because spectators had worked out that he and others had contrived to let Bahamontes rather than the Frenchman Anglade win. The French team was unbalanced by internal rivalries. Anglade was unusual in that he was represented by the agent Roger Piel while the others had Daniel Dousset. The two men controlled all French racing. Dousset worked out that his riders had to beat Bahamontes or make sure that Anglade didn't win. Since they couldn't beat Anglade, they contrived to let Bahamontes win because Bahamontes, a poor rider on the flat and on small circuits, would be no threat to the post-Tour criterium fees that made up the bulk of riders' - and agents' - earnings.

In 1960 Bahamontes got no further than the first few days of the Tour. The writer Roger St Pierre said:

"One of the most poignant photographic images in Tour history captured the dejected Spaniard sitting on the platform astride his suitcase, head in hands as he waited for the train to take him back home having abandoned the race before it even really got going.

In 1963 and 1964 Anquetil exacted revenge. In the 1963 Tour de France he beat Bahamontes into second place. Bahamontes and Anquetil performed well in the Alps and on one stage were first and second overall, three seconds apart. However, the Spaniard's efforts to retain his mountains leadership rebounded on him. He was unable to break away from Anquetil on the stage to Chamonix and Anquetil's victory in the time trial sealed his fourth Tour win, with Bahamontes 3:35 behind. Bahamontes insisted he lost the race because of collusion between Anquetil and the Tour organiser, Jacques Goddet. He said:

“They gave him (Anquetil) an extra second at the end of stage 17, where he'd got all the peloton to work for him and a motorbike had given him a hand as well. I had the yellow jersey but there was no point continuing to fight even with just four days to go. There was a time trial the following day and I knew the whole thing had been set up against me.”

A year later, in the 1964 Tour de France Anquetil took his fifth victory and the margin over Bahamontes in third was 4:44; Raymond Poulidor took second place. Bahamontes at least had the satisfaction of his sixth King of the Mountains win and two more stage wins (bringing his total Tour de France stage wins to seven).

Bahamontes' Tour in 1965 marked the end of his career. He floundered on the mountains where once he had flown. He finished the day to Bagnères de Bigorre, at the foot of the Tourmalet, only just inside the time limit. He tried a colourful attack on the col du Portet d'Aspet next day and then climbed out of the saddle and out of the Tour de France for ever.

Riding style
Bahamontes was a talented climber but a poor descender, sometimes taking one foot off the pedal to take mountain bends like a speedway rider. He landed in a cactus bush descending the Montserra as an amateur and thereafter refused to descend mountains alone, once waiting at the top of a col in the Tour de France for other riders to arrive. He reached the top minutes before a chase group arrived, and famously passed the time eating ice cream by the side of the road.

He was also temperamental, throwing his bike down a ravine to stop any pressure to continue riding when he dropped out of the 1956 Tour de France on the col de Luitel. The following year he dropped out again when the retirement of his team-mate, Miguel Poblet, left him without support. He held on to his bike but took off his shoes.

Retirement
Bahamontes retired to run a bicycle and motorcycle shop in Toledo. There he receives letters every week, some addressed to "F. Bahamontes, Spain" and sometimes to his name and with a picture of an eagle.

He is mentioned in the French film "Le Fabuleux Déstin d'Amélie Poulain", known in English as "Amélie". Amélie finds a box of toys left behind by an owner of her flat. She returns them to the owner - by now a middle aged man - and he is reminded of his childhood, part of which involved watching Bahamontes ride to victory in the 1959 Tour de France.



Palmarès
1950
Spain national amateur road championship

1952
Vuelta a Albacete

1953
Circuito Sardinero

1954
Nice-Mont Agel
Vuelta a España: 2nd overall
Tour de France: Winner mountains classification

1955
Clasica a los Puertos de Guadarrama
Monaco - Golf du Mont Agel
Mont Faron
Vuelta a Asturias

1956
Tour de France: 4th overall
Giro d'Italia: Winner mountains classification
Vuelta a España: 4th overall

1957
Mont Faron
Vuelta a España: Winner mountains classification, Winner stage 3;2nd overall
Vuelta Ciclista Asturias

1958
Spain national time trial champion
Giro d'Italia: Winner stage 4
Spain National road race championship
Saint-Junien
Subida a Arrate
Tour de France: Winner stages 14 and 20, Winner mountains classification; 8th place overall
Vuelta a España: Winner mountains classification; 6th overall

1959
Subida a Arrate
Tour de France: Winner overall classification, Winner mountains classification,Winner stage 15
Vuelta a España: Winner stage 4

1960
Subida a Arrate
Vuelta a España: Winner stage 13

1961
Cenon
Monaco - Golf du Mont Agel
Nice - Mont Agel
Riberac
Subida a Arrate

1962
GP de la Magdaleine
Juliénas
Mont-Faron
Subida a Arrate
Tour de France: Winner stage 13; Winner mountains classification
Ussel

1963
La Touloubre
Miramas (FRA)
Mont-Faron (b) (FRA)
Tour de France: 2nd overall, Winner stage 15, Winner mountains classification

1964
Escalada a Montjuich
Six Days of Madrid (with Rik Van Steenbergen)
Mont-Faron
Subida al Naranco
Tour de France: 3rd overall, Winner stages 8 and 16, Winner mountains classification
Ussel

1965
Escalada a Montjuïc
Tour du Sud-Est
Vuelta a España: 10th overall

[from wikipedia.org]

[Rick Danger]

Limits on money (unemployed), space, and time have forced me down to two bikes. I had a third, which I gave away to my best friend who runs 5Ks to help him with his training and encourage him to consider entering a few biatholons.

Here are the lads catching some sun on a crisp autumn day, after a short ride:



My mountain bike is a Specialized Rockhopper Comp FS, "hard tail". The frame is an S-Works A1 Premium Plus aluminum, clad in black gloss paint with burnt orange lettering outlined in silver. It features a Answer Manitou Spyder R front fork with a Ritchley Logic headset. The components are an eclectic mix: Shimano Deore XT rear derailleur, SXT front derailleur and SXT shifters; Dia-Compe V brakes and levers; Specialized bottom bracket with "Strong Arm Comp" crank arms and Sugino 22/32/42 chainrings and Ritchey Logic SPD pedals. The seat is a Specialized Revolution saddle mounted on a Ritchey Expert seatpost. Specialized "Speed Rise" handlebars and stem. The wheelset uses Ritchey aluminum hubs, Rock Comp front rim and Rock OCR rear. The tires are Continental Town & Country, 26" x 1.90". If you look closely you might notice the NiteRider Classic 35 watt dual beam headlight.



My road bike is a Steve Bauer Whirlwind, built for me in 1988. You may recall that Steve Bauer was a Canadian cyclist who rode on the La Vie Claire, Weinmann / La Suisse, and 7-Eleven teams. He was 3-time Canadian national road race champion, and made a name for himself on the European pro circuit finishing 4th in the 1988 Tour de France, winning the first stage and wearing the yellow jersey for five days; winning Dauphiné Libéré (1989), and placing 2nd at the grueling Paris-Roubaix (1990).

The frame is Tange "No. 1" chromium-molybdenum steel, lugged and brazed, with a striking blue/orange/black paint scheme. The original Shimano Ultegra 600 headset, bottom bracket, derailleurs, and brakes remain. I replaced the original Shimano "Biopace" chainrings with Sugino "75" 42T-53T rings. Nice that the old legs can still crank a 53. The original 171.5mm crankarms were replaced with 175mm arms. The original downtube shifters and brake levers have been replaced by Sachs "Ergopower" integrated brake/shift levers. This is a 7-speed setup with 13-21T cogs at the rear. I replaced the original Bauer saddle (which matched the paint scheme) with a Selle Flite Titanium model on a Control Tech titanium seatpost. The front fork is the original steel unit, with Modolo handlebars held by a Nitto stem. The wheelset uses Mavic GP-4 rims on Ultegra hubs, with Continential Sprinter tubulars. The Conti's can take a maximum inflation of 170psi, so rolling resistance is a happy afterthought ! The cyclocomputer is the original Cateye Vectra unit: like a Timex watch, simple and reliable. Much like the bike itself. It just keeps ticking.........



I ride these two equally. Given the rough condition of some of the roads I tend to ride the Whirlwind during the day only, while the Rockhopper appropriately clad in black is my night riding machine. I was actually pulled over by the police one night around 1AM, but that's a story for another time.

And always remember our corporate motto:



Be safe out there...................

[dill99]

This is how I get down. FUJI TAHOE 29 in PRO. Everyday in San Fran.