by Andy Laub on October 14th, 2009
I know, it’s a weird spelling. But get used to it.
Locals John (of Rib Mountain Cycles fame) and Lisa Nowaczyk are opening up a new bike shop in Weston. Look for it in Spring of 2010 on Schofield Avenue (Google thinks they’ll be directly under the train bridge but I suspect they’ll be in the vicinity of Pawn America) link updated to actual location.
No official word yet on what brands to expect, but fans of the sport can be thankful for what looks to be another quality shop in the area.
For now, have a look at their Facebook page.
by Andy Laub on September 25th, 2009
As a bike enthusiast, I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about what my ideal setup would be. There are so many different varieties of frames and components out there that there truly is something for everybody. So here’s a question: what is your ideal bike? It doesn’t have to be some super-expensive custom-in-all-aspects rig – it just has to be the bike that you want it to be.
I guess I’ll start. I have two ideals – one for around-town / road use, and the other for trail use. I’ll start with the road bike, since I basically have it: a LeMond Poprad:
It’s a steel frame with disc brakes, as it’s technically a cyclocross bike. I run mine with slick tires since it rarely sees offroad use. There’s not really much about it that I’d like to change, although I would like it if the wheels were a bit stouter – there are a LOT of train tracks in Wausau.
The mountain bike? That’s not so clear-cut. I’m in the midst of mountain madness right now, which makes no sense at all considering it’s the end of the season, and instead of being at Nine Mile I’m sitting on my computer. I’ve put a little under 150 miles on my mountain bike this year – a pittance compared to the 3000+ on the road bike in the same amount of time.
Still, one can dream. My ideal mountain bike starts with a steel 29er frame. Throw in a nice Fox fork, some light disc-specific wheels, and we’re on our way to bike paradise. On top of that, let’s add a SRAM X-0 rear derailleur and grip shifter, a Truvativ single-speed crank, and some nice Avids for stopping. Top it all off with some nice Thompson/Ritchey/whatever hardware in the cockpit and a set of Egg Beaters and we’re set.
I guess that wasn’t so hard after all. Your turn!
by Dino Corvino on August 23rd, 2009
On Friday I spent a good amount of time at the base of Granite Peak. Over the course of the day I saw many people ride up the hill. I found this to be a shocking activity, given the size and scale of that climbing. For me, I assume that there is a secret network of trails that are not primarily up hill, and thusly far more enjoyable.
About 6 pm I glanced up the hill and I saw a fellow up on top clearly on a mountain bike. Just sort of standing there. He was what felt like miles away, so I assumed he was going to turn around, and ride back down the road to the state park that is ontop of the hill. But, nope. He took off plummeting down the hill. I was an amazing sight to see, the controlled descent, the speed of it all, the terrifying fearlessness.
You see, at the bottom of the hill was a rock concernt. The first of its kind. So, these folks with dogs and bikes, they were walking through something totally new. This rockship hurtling down the hill must have realized sometime on the way down that he was shooting straight for several hundred young people and a very loud jam band.
When he arrived at the base he stopped and looked around. His steed was a Specialized that I did not recognize. He asked me what was going on, and I told him it was a rock show. He said he likes to pedal up the road, and drop down the hill. I said he was a brave man. He laughed, and said that stupidity happens when one gets older.
Who else rides on Granite Peak?
by Dino Corvino on May 22nd, 2009
Today Andy and I spent a little bit of time talking about biking, so naturally I ended up on youtube looking at clips. This one stuck out to me. It had this sort of amazing soundtrack, and the amazing speed with which the riders were rolling at. I truly love this clip, and look forward to making this video show up at my house.
by Dino Corvino on April 29th, 2009
This just rings as something I always wanted to do, always.
by Dino Corvino on April 28th, 2009
by Andy Laub on April 23rd, 2009
In light of Dorel’s recent acquisition of Cannondale, this news is not so surprising:
…those manufacturing days in Bedford [PA] (pictured) are slowly coming to an end as Dorel Industries announced yesterday its shifting Bedford’s operations away from bicycle frame manufacturing by 2010, and to Taichung, Taiwan. All Cannondale 2011 model year bikes will be sourced from Asia, according to Dorel.
Sad. Here’s hoping Cannondale doesn’t go the same way as GT, Schwinn, and Mongoose (also owned by Dorel). The brands used to mean something – before they started showing up on Walmart bikes.
by Andy Laub on April 22nd, 2009
I am convinced that Trek employs the best graphic designers in the industry, and this is why:
- The new 29er Crew website and the Superfly
- Lance’s new ride and Contador’s one-off
- Basically the entire Trek website, actually
It’s all delicious. I leave you with some more high-profile Project One work.
by Andy Laub on April 21st, 2009
Let’s kick this off with some Danny Macaskill:
by Andy Laub on April 21st, 2009
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