SB Nation User Blog: nickel17

Travel/ride with Cervelo

nickel17 — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:48:16 -0000

VDS becomes RDS?

nickel17 — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:23:15 -0000

My new ride

nickel17 — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:52:41 -0000

Christmas has come early at my house! Yesterday I brought home my new Symmetrics-issue 2007 Norco CRR SL Carbon with Dura-Ace and it's sweet! Thanks to folks here for advice and consultation - I went with the carbon and I'm happy about that. Lots of nice detailing on this frame. Too bad the weather here sucks this weekend and I have to head out of town on business for a couple of weeks, but I can't wait to get on the road! The oats are made by FarmPure, one of Symmetrics' sponsors, so I get to make some gluten-free pancakes to fuel up before I head out. These guys think of everything!

via lh6.ggpht.com

via lh4.ggpht.com

via lh3.ggpht.com

via lh5.ggpht.com

Carbon or Alloy?

nickel17 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:26:15 -0000

I'm about to make my first bike purchase in some years. I have options on two Symmetrics-issue Norcos, a brand new 2007 carbon and a 2008 alloy, both full Dura-Ace at very good prices. I had originally intended to go with the alloy as I plan to use the bike for training, not racing, and just for enjoying the road. Plus you can get a set of light fenders on there easily, which helps alot out here in the rainforest.

But having seen the carbon, which is a beauty at this price point, and with the difference in price from the alloy being a scant few hundred dollars, I'm wondering if I'll regret passing up on the carbon every time I hit a bump or make a quick maneuver. Then there's the fact that Svein rode to his silver at Worlds on one of these - that's cachet plus resale! So what do you more experienced riders think? I'm getting mixed opinions from the locals, and I don't want more bike than I need. But then, temptation...

Should have done this before, but this is the carbon:

via lh3.ggpht.com

and here's the alloy:

via lh3.ggpht.com

Not the best view of the carbon (and not my kitchen), but you get the gist. The alloy would have Dura-Ace rather than Ultegra (as shown). I promise better photos when I've made the purchase...

Ridley quits Silence-Lotto

nickel17 — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:09:23 -0000

Among all the toings and froings, another bike manufacturer seems a bit less that satisfied with getting bang for their sponsoring buck. According to BikeRadar,

The riders of Silence-Lotto won't race on Ridley bikes in 2009. The Belgian bike manufacturer announced it will end its sponsorship of the Belgian ProTour team and will sponsor the Russian team Katusha, successor of Team Tinkoff.

Story here.

Hmmm, perhaps Cadel will be rethinking the Katusha conundrum. Or maybe that elusive winning TT will come on another ride...

Olympics All Events Wrap-Up

nickel17 — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:00:16 -0000

Well, our various non-cycling Olympics posts have gotten buried, so it seemed like a good idea to make a space for posting some of our highlights of the Beijing Games. Some of the best was saved for last - Canada actually started to get in the medals in the second week and made a respectable showing; track cycling continued to thrill; and we also got treated to the first BMX events at the Olympics. BMX had to be the sleeper hit for me, although watching my Brit kinfolk clean up at the track sweetened the pure excitement of those events. And for the road, Tony's performances, Nicole's win, Samu's face as he stood on the podium, and Rebellin's blast through to silver on his 37th (!) birthday were all inspiring moments.

via www.cyclingnews.com

But in the "saving the best for last" category, Matthew Mitcham was pure gold. Everything about his path to that medal is the stuff of sporting history, and that final, brilliant dive in the 10m platform competition was poetry in motion. This from Fox Sports:

AUSTRALIAN Matthew Mitcham last night produced the dive of his life to win a shock gold medal in the men's 10m platform and end host nation China's stranglehold on the Beijing Olympic diving competition.  The 20-year-old Sydney diver produced the highest scoring dive in the history of the Olympics with his sixth and final effort to become Australia's first male Olympic gold medallist in diving since Dick Eve in 1924.

via www.cbc.ca

It took me a good half an hour to collect myself after watching this win - I had been enjoying his performances off the platform throughout the competition, but like many was stunned at the result. I admire divers anyway, but that level of focus at that moment is simply remarkable - it was joy to watch both the dive and the following moments. Matt not only performed brilliantly, he won hearts with his character.

And another highlight I have to mention is Ryan Cochrane's performance in the 1500 Free - watching this 19 year old keep his head together against the best there is in that event and bring home the bronze, then give a completely unassuming interview right after was first-rate.

via www.cbc.ca

There are many moments I have missed and could go on about, but I'll now leave it to you to add some of your own...

UCI announces launch of 'world calendar'

nickel17 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:09:10 -0000

CN reports that the UCI has announced a new ranking system that

will combine the existing ProTour races plus the monument events organised by the Grand Tour organisers. It will come into effect from next season and will feature both individual and team classifications.

Under the proposed terms, participation in the 2009 and 2010 Tours de France will be governed by the agreement signed by the teams and ASO on 18 June. From 2011 onwards, the classifications of the UCI World Calendar would confer the right to participate, with either seventeen teams of 9 riders or eighteen teams of eight taking part.

The announcement of the new system was made on Monday morning in Beijing and followed several weeks of discussions between the UCI and EPA (Editions Philippe Amaury, the owner of ASO and Société du Tour de France).

According to CN

ASO and the other Grand Tour organisers are yet to respond, so it remains to be seen if they will fully accept the terms of the proposal. If so, it would mean that political stability would finally return to the sport. "The unanimous backing of this plan will also allow the parties involved to put an end to the various proceedings under way," states a UCI press release issued after the announcement was made. "This will allow the complete reintegration of the French Cycling Federation within the auspices of the UCI."

Cadel Evans to stay with Silence-Lotto...

nickel17 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:39:50 -0000

provided they come up with the right back-up. Just what that will entail is, as yet, unclear.

According to The Age,

CADEL EVANS will likely sign up again with his Belgian Silence-Lotto team so long as they can bolster the calibre of riders who can support him in next year's Tour de France — unlike this year when he was isolated for most of the race in which he finished second.

Before he flew out from Beijing yesterday after his fifth in the Olympic Games road time trial on Sunday, Evans said he plans to contact his team this week to get an update.

"It looks like I'm going to stay. I'm pretty sure I'll stay with the Belgians," he said before flying to Paris en route to his home in Switzerland.

Meanwhile, he made good on his promise to wait until his departure from Beijing to speak out about Tibet.

Fox reports that:

He complied with International Olympic Committee protocols during the Games to leave political protest out of the Olympics, keeping his views on Tibet quiet until he flew out today.

"It's a sad situation and I think similar to what happened with the Australian Aborigines," Evans told the Seven Network.

Evans is reportedly on his way to visit the exiled Tibetan Olympic team in Switzerland.

More news in this season's trading bazaar...

nickel17 — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:59:25 -0000

and the demise of Gerolsteiner. I just saw this in PezCycling's news round-up:

Belgium Wants Kohl
First it was Quick.Step, now Silence-Lotto have thrown their hat in for the Austrian talent. Is there anything else to say really? Gerolsteiner dying, young Austrian talent needs team, Belgian teams desperately need Grand Tour talent, but both have awful histories of destroying Grand Tour hopes...beware Herr Kohl, be very wary.

Has anyone well else picked up on this story? It's the first I've heard of it. I decided to post it here as the main Bazaar thread is now lost under all the Olympics threads. Here's the link.