Don't ask me because I can't tell you.
It was cool- really cool.
Enough said.
Time to pack and get some sleep before I leave in a few hours for Taiwan and Japan.
Tim
Showing posts with label Shimano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shimano. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Some stuff and whatnot
I won't go into details of today other than to say; I've had better days.
Tomorrow is going to be better though, without a doubt. Why? Because I am gong to be at Shimano HQ getting the lowdown on what's coming in the next year... the stuff they didn't even whisper about at Interbike. Yeah... the really cool sh@%. What's even better is that not only do I get to see my friends there and then touch and feel the newest of the new, but I also get to go for a ride on the parts! I get to ride a bike as part of "doing my job". Sadly, it won't be a Masi, but I'm sure I'll get over it long enough to enjoy being on a bike ride. Any bike ride is better than no bike ride. And the icing on this joy-filled cake? Sushi. Ah yes, the joys of spending time with Shimano- sushi for lunch! My old friend Daniel Limburg is no longer working for Shimano, having left the industry to pursue a different career, but his "replacement" (which there never really will be) is a great guy- Tyler Meyers. Tyler is new to Shimano, but no stranger to the biz and seems fit for the job. If nothing else he possesses the two main ingredients to a successful Shimano OE Sales contact; 1) a great sense of humour and B) a Shimano credit card! WOO-HOO!
If you're as big a bike dork as I am, and I know many of you are, then you are familiar with New Belgium Brewing and their bicycle friendliness... hell, they have a beer called Fat Tire Ale! And... they have a damned cool website! You should go check it out and play around... man I wish I had that kind of budget! They are in the midst of something they call The New Belgium Brewing Urban Assault Ride. Which brings me to this... scroll down a bit and tell me what you see? That's right; one of the coolest beer brands on the planet is riding around spreading beer-flavored love aboard a Masi SoulVille! Baby... that's damned cool! AND... New Belgium and I are like family; I was photographed on the first day of Outdoor Demo with one of the cuter members of the New Belgium family for the Show Daily that is printed each day by BRaIN. So, if you're 21 or older and into beer, I hope you'll give New Belgium a little look-see.
Thursday is the day I leave for Taiwan and then Japan. I haven't finished unpacking and doing laundry from the East coast demo event last week and I am already heading back out the door. The good news from the week is that I am healing very well. The knee is doing great and if the slight soreness I have around the knee is still bothering me around January/ February, the doc will do arthroscopic surgery on the knee and clean it out- if needed. So... I'm hoping it isn't needed, of course. But it's still good news. The arm is slowly coming along, regaining the last few degrees of extension and the thumbnail is growing back as well. All in all... I'm getting there. Even the blood is doing better and is stabilized with the thinners. I should be off of the thinners by the end of the year as well.
Ok, I gotta get to bed here before the long day tomorrow shows up bright and early. See you all later!
Tim
Tomorrow is going to be better though, without a doubt. Why? Because I am gong to be at Shimano HQ getting the lowdown on what's coming in the next year... the stuff they didn't even whisper about at Interbike. Yeah... the really cool sh@%. What's even better is that not only do I get to see my friends there and then touch and feel the newest of the new, but I also get to go for a ride on the parts! I get to ride a bike as part of "doing my job". Sadly, it won't be a Masi, but I'm sure I'll get over it long enough to enjoy being on a bike ride. Any bike ride is better than no bike ride. And the icing on this joy-filled cake? Sushi. Ah yes, the joys of spending time with Shimano- sushi for lunch! My old friend Daniel Limburg is no longer working for Shimano, having left the industry to pursue a different career, but his "replacement" (which there never really will be) is a great guy- Tyler Meyers. Tyler is new to Shimano, but no stranger to the biz and seems fit for the job. If nothing else he possesses the two main ingredients to a successful Shimano OE Sales contact; 1) a great sense of humour and B) a Shimano credit card! WOO-HOO!
If you're as big a bike dork as I am, and I know many of you are, then you are familiar with New Belgium Brewing and their bicycle friendliness... hell, they have a beer called Fat Tire Ale! And... they have a damned cool website! You should go check it out and play around... man I wish I had that kind of budget! They are in the midst of something they call The New Belgium Brewing Urban Assault Ride. Which brings me to this... scroll down a bit and tell me what you see? That's right; one of the coolest beer brands on the planet is riding around spreading beer-flavored love aboard a Masi SoulVille! Baby... that's damned cool! AND... New Belgium and I are like family; I was photographed on the first day of Outdoor Demo with one of the cuter members of the New Belgium family for the Show Daily that is printed each day by BRaIN. So, if you're 21 or older and into beer, I hope you'll give New Belgium a little look-see.
Thursday is the day I leave for Taiwan and then Japan. I haven't finished unpacking and doing laundry from the East coast demo event last week and I am already heading back out the door. The good news from the week is that I am healing very well. The knee is doing great and if the slight soreness I have around the knee is still bothering me around January/ February, the doc will do arthroscopic surgery on the knee and clean it out- if needed. So... I'm hoping it isn't needed, of course. But it's still good news. The arm is slowly coming along, regaining the last few degrees of extension and the thumbnail is growing back as well. All in all... I'm getting there. Even the blood is doing better and is stabilized with the thinners. I should be off of the thinners by the end of the year as well.
Ok, I gotta get to bed here before the long day tomorrow shows up bright and early. See you all later!
Tim
Monday, June 02, 2008
Shimano Dura Ace 7900
I wasn't going to do a post about the new Shimano Dura Ace group. The press embargo was lifted, so everybody and their brother has been talking about the group today. It's worthy of the hype- believe me- but I just didn't feel "up to it" with all the battles I've been having with our lovely healthcare system (it's the "system" I have the problem with). Today being a particularly annoying day, I just wasn't "in the mood"...
... but in the end, I am still a total bike nerd and new widgets excite me and I have numerous good friends at Shimano on top of it all. So here I am.
This is the same picture everybody has been using of the group- the plastic parts molded just for the picture and for the sample cases to show manufacturers (like me). For wax and plastic, they are pretty.
I'm not going to go into too much detail because both VeloNews and CyclingNews do a much better job than I could hope to.
That said, I do have to lend my comments, especially since there is a little confusion among folks;
Shifters- this new shifter does have much better ergonomics to me and my big hands. The new body shape is better. I still think the SRAM hoods might feel slightly better, but that is because of the flatter section that transitions from the bar to the hood. BUT... these new hoods are much better than the older ones- in my opinion. The new levers also add carbon lever blades and reach adjustment- two great features. Reach adjustment just makes so much sense and is long overdue. SRAM already has it, so it's not a first... but it's a welcome addition. Much has also been made about the new cable routing all being under the tape. THIS is the best feature to me. Sincerely, I always hated the exposed cables, so this is the best thing about the entire group to me. Almost.
Front Derailleur- Yep it works and it's lighter. What else? Not much... except that the shift plates were redesigned so that there is no longer a "trim" position in the front shifter. The pre-production samples I played with shifted flawlessly... as well-maintained show samples almost always do. The jury is out on this one. SRAM was getting slammed for not having trim adjustment until Red came out. With Shimano going backwards... it makes you wonder.
Rear Derailleur- Carbon fiber pulley cage and a wider gear range are the big bits. The carbon cage is now ubiquitous with other brands... so why not Shimano. Like the front, the rear gets new cable pull ratios for even quicker feeling shifts. SRAM's 1:1 ratio is hard to beat- even for Shimano- but if anybody can, it's the folks in Japan.
Chain- My biggest gripe with Shimano has always been the frailty of the chains- for me. Some folks never have problems with the Shimano chains, but I have been plagued. Whether it's been a chain I installed (which raises concerns) or one installed by somebody else, I have never gotten good wear from the chains and have had numerous chains break. The new chain should help with that problem. Best feature of the chain (and possibly even the best feature of the group) is the reusable master link! Gone are the days of wondering if you got the Hyperglide pin installed correctly. Like the master link used by SRAM, this one works great and is tool free... but this one can be used multiple times... unlike the SRAM link (though, I admit that I have used mine numerous times without a single problem or degraded shifting performance... but you're not supposed to and you didn't hear it from me...). More importantly though, the new chain is directional- meaning it must be installed a certain direction. This is supposed to enhance the shifting and improve chain wear. If all of it works as marketed (and Shimano almost always does) then this chain should make me a happy man.
Crankset- This is a tough one for me... I hated the 7800 series (for looks) when it debuted, but I ended up really digging it as time went on. You simply can not argue with the stiffness of the cranks. They are stiff... S-T-I-F-F. The new crankset is lighter and supposedly like 20% stiffer. WHOA! I don't think that all comes from the new hollow big ring, but that must help. I'm not sold yet on the looks- yet. I have to confess that I really love the looks of both the Red and Record cranks. Both are just very sexy to me. Sorry. But neither has proven to be as stiff as current Dura Ace and new Dura Ace is supposed to be stiffer. As a heavy sprinter, crankset stiffness has been a big deal to me. I'm happy to trade a few grams and the carbon "oooh" factor for a bit more stiffness. A new compact crank is now officially available with the Dura Ace badge now too. For some folks that won't mean a thing, but for the ever-growing population of compact devotees, this is huge news. So, I'm still trying to like the new looks, but I know I'll like the new stiffness and Shimano's best of breed shifting (sorry, nobody has ever beaten Shimano's chainring shifting performance).
Brakes- Shimano brake calipers have always served as the industry benchmark and Dura Ace has been the mantel carrier for the brand. The new brakes are lighter and stiffer and stop even better. The new pad compound is much better in the wet and is soil-your-skinsuit good in the dry. The new arch shape increases power and the new pads add more stopping power than you're likely ever going to be able to control. SRAM has some great brakes, truly gorgeous, but the braking power is still just a step behind Shimano. The new Red brakes are way close to the current Dura Ace, but the gap might just be opening a little with these new brakes. No denying, again, that I prefer the look of the SRAM calipers... but I have to tip my hat to Shimano for overall braking performance... they haven't been beaten yet, in my mind.
Cassette- The new cassette is kinda like the old cassette. The cogs have a newly designed tooth profile and better aluminum cog carrier that is supposed to improve shifting while being lighter. Ok... I trust them. The best news is that more size options are available than ever before; 11-21, 11-23, 11-25, 11-27, 11-28, 12-23-12-25 and 12-27. That's a lot of options and combined with a compact, that 11-28 is gonna be WAY popular. SRAM is giving Shimano real competition on this item, with the Powerdome cassette, but it is a real splitting of hairs to pick a winner between the two. The SRAM Red cassette is lighter and really cool with it's hollow design (though noisy). Shimano and SRAM are close here, but the "old" Dura Ace might've lost a little to the Red cassette. The new Dura Ace cassette is gonna either close the gap or make things simply too close to call now.
Hubs- Yeah right. Outside of Paris-Roubaix custom team wheels and a few folks who still prefer custom wheels (like me), nobody buys hubs anymore. It's a complete wheel world now. Gone are the days of buying a group and having new wheels built to your spec- consumers have almost entirely forgotten that joy (if they ever knew it). I personally miss those days and would love these hubs laced to some nice rims with a nice spoke and nipple combo... but even I ride prebuilt wheels now. That said, these new hubs are sweet. The bearings are beyond smooth and are now adjustable with a simple allen wrench. The rear freehub mechanism is still titanium and still engages really quickly. What else do you wanna know? That's what I thought...
Here's the deal- I've only played with sample parts in a controlled environment and they worked with 100% perfection. I haven't actually ridden anything yet. Once I can get my hands on a group (which might never happen) and I am fit enough to ride again, I promise I'll give a more in-depth review. That said, like all things Shimano does, they do their homework. The company can be beaten up for being slow to respond at times and maybe being too conservative, but they don't make too many mistakes... ever (I still say their pedals are the best on the market and I have become addicted to their shoes as well). Some people are complaining that the group is still too heavy- 2052gm vs the 2181gm of the current group. Well, a little extra weight might be the difference between riding and walking for many of us. Seriously- how many of us are riding le Tour or the Giro? Yeah, that's what I thought. These parts are still light enough that Pro Tour teams have trouble keeping bikes heavy enough to pass the UCI weight limits. I don't know about you, but a 15lb bike under my heavy ass is guaranteed to break- I promise you. These parts are light enough for riders who are much more picky about weight because they make a living on a bike... so they're light enough for me.
The thing that most folks will complain about is the lack of backwards compatibility with older groups or other groups. Most of the new parts, due to the enhancements/ changes/ upgrades, will only work with the new group. But these changes are long overdue and I am happy to see them. For the most part, Dura Ace has been unchanged since 2004... which is too long.
Shimano's PR Manager is a guy named Devin Walton. I've known Devin for many years now and I can honestly say that he's a truly top-notch guy. Devin is paid to be the mouth of the company and to tow the company line... but knowing him gives me that little extra bit of security because I trust him. I've had beers with the guy and have talked to him for years... he's good people. He's pretty excited about the stuff- no doubt because he's more aware of the PR war with SRAM than most people. Frankly... that buys a little of my attention.
Like I said, IF I ever get some parts to bolt to a frame, I'll report my findings. But on the surface of things and based on the prototypes I've touched... Shimano is back in the fight after a couple years of fighting for attention. This is what I talked about a few years ago when SRAM entered the group market; competition breeds innovation. Something both Shimano and Campagnolo needed.
I'm excited. The future looks bright for high-end enthusiasts.
Tim
(PS- For the record... Campagnolo is barely mentioned because I haven't ridden anything from Campy newer than 2004 product. I happen to know changes are cooking there as well and I am anxious to see what they bring to the table.)
... but in the end, I am still a total bike nerd and new widgets excite me and I have numerous good friends at Shimano on top of it all. So here I am.
This is the same picture everybody has been using of the group- the plastic parts molded just for the picture and for the sample cases to show manufacturers (like me). For wax and plastic, they are pretty.
I'm not going to go into too much detail because both VeloNews and CyclingNews do a much better job than I could hope to.
That said, I do have to lend my comments, especially since there is a little confusion among folks;
Shifters- this new shifter does have much better ergonomics to me and my big hands. The new body shape is better. I still think the SRAM hoods might feel slightly better, but that is because of the flatter section that transitions from the bar to the hood. BUT... these new hoods are much better than the older ones- in my opinion. The new levers also add carbon lever blades and reach adjustment- two great features. Reach adjustment just makes so much sense and is long overdue. SRAM already has it, so it's not a first... but it's a welcome addition. Much has also been made about the new cable routing all being under the tape. THIS is the best feature to me. Sincerely, I always hated the exposed cables, so this is the best thing about the entire group to me. Almost.
Front Derailleur- Yep it works and it's lighter. What else? Not much... except that the shift plates were redesigned so that there is no longer a "trim" position in the front shifter. The pre-production samples I played with shifted flawlessly... as well-maintained show samples almost always do. The jury is out on this one. SRAM was getting slammed for not having trim adjustment until Red came out. With Shimano going backwards... it makes you wonder.
Rear Derailleur- Carbon fiber pulley cage and a wider gear range are the big bits. The carbon cage is now ubiquitous with other brands... so why not Shimano. Like the front, the rear gets new cable pull ratios for even quicker feeling shifts. SRAM's 1:1 ratio is hard to beat- even for Shimano- but if anybody can, it's the folks in Japan.
Chain- My biggest gripe with Shimano has always been the frailty of the chains- for me. Some folks never have problems with the Shimano chains, but I have been plagued. Whether it's been a chain I installed (which raises concerns) or one installed by somebody else, I have never gotten good wear from the chains and have had numerous chains break. The new chain should help with that problem. Best feature of the chain (and possibly even the best feature of the group) is the reusable master link! Gone are the days of wondering if you got the Hyperglide pin installed correctly. Like the master link used by SRAM, this one works great and is tool free... but this one can be used multiple times... unlike the SRAM link (though, I admit that I have used mine numerous times without a single problem or degraded shifting performance... but you're not supposed to and you didn't hear it from me...). More importantly though, the new chain is directional- meaning it must be installed a certain direction. This is supposed to enhance the shifting and improve chain wear. If all of it works as marketed (and Shimano almost always does) then this chain should make me a happy man.
Crankset- This is a tough one for me... I hated the 7800 series (for looks) when it debuted, but I ended up really digging it as time went on. You simply can not argue with the stiffness of the cranks. They are stiff... S-T-I-F-F. The new crankset is lighter and supposedly like 20% stiffer. WHOA! I don't think that all comes from the new hollow big ring, but that must help. I'm not sold yet on the looks- yet. I have to confess that I really love the looks of both the Red and Record cranks. Both are just very sexy to me. Sorry. But neither has proven to be as stiff as current Dura Ace and new Dura Ace is supposed to be stiffer. As a heavy sprinter, crankset stiffness has been a big deal to me. I'm happy to trade a few grams and the carbon "oooh" factor for a bit more stiffness. A new compact crank is now officially available with the Dura Ace badge now too. For some folks that won't mean a thing, but for the ever-growing population of compact devotees, this is huge news. So, I'm still trying to like the new looks, but I know I'll like the new stiffness and Shimano's best of breed shifting (sorry, nobody has ever beaten Shimano's chainring shifting performance).
Brakes- Shimano brake calipers have always served as the industry benchmark and Dura Ace has been the mantel carrier for the brand. The new brakes are lighter and stiffer and stop even better. The new pad compound is much better in the wet and is soil-your-skinsuit good in the dry. The new arch shape increases power and the new pads add more stopping power than you're likely ever going to be able to control. SRAM has some great brakes, truly gorgeous, but the braking power is still just a step behind Shimano. The new Red brakes are way close to the current Dura Ace, but the gap might just be opening a little with these new brakes. No denying, again, that I prefer the look of the SRAM calipers... but I have to tip my hat to Shimano for overall braking performance... they haven't been beaten yet, in my mind.
Cassette- The new cassette is kinda like the old cassette. The cogs have a newly designed tooth profile and better aluminum cog carrier that is supposed to improve shifting while being lighter. Ok... I trust them. The best news is that more size options are available than ever before; 11-21, 11-23, 11-25, 11-27, 11-28, 12-23-12-25 and 12-27. That's a lot of options and combined with a compact, that 11-28 is gonna be WAY popular. SRAM is giving Shimano real competition on this item, with the Powerdome cassette, but it is a real splitting of hairs to pick a winner between the two. The SRAM Red cassette is lighter and really cool with it's hollow design (though noisy). Shimano and SRAM are close here, but the "old" Dura Ace might've lost a little to the Red cassette. The new Dura Ace cassette is gonna either close the gap or make things simply too close to call now.
Hubs- Yeah right. Outside of Paris-Roubaix custom team wheels and a few folks who still prefer custom wheels (like me), nobody buys hubs anymore. It's a complete wheel world now. Gone are the days of buying a group and having new wheels built to your spec- consumers have almost entirely forgotten that joy (if they ever knew it). I personally miss those days and would love these hubs laced to some nice rims with a nice spoke and nipple combo... but even I ride prebuilt wheels now. That said, these new hubs are sweet. The bearings are beyond smooth and are now adjustable with a simple allen wrench. The rear freehub mechanism is still titanium and still engages really quickly. What else do you wanna know? That's what I thought...
Here's the deal- I've only played with sample parts in a controlled environment and they worked with 100% perfection. I haven't actually ridden anything yet. Once I can get my hands on a group (which might never happen) and I am fit enough to ride again, I promise I'll give a more in-depth review. That said, like all things Shimano does, they do their homework. The company can be beaten up for being slow to respond at times and maybe being too conservative, but they don't make too many mistakes... ever (I still say their pedals are the best on the market and I have become addicted to their shoes as well). Some people are complaining that the group is still too heavy- 2052gm vs the 2181gm of the current group. Well, a little extra weight might be the difference between riding and walking for many of us. Seriously- how many of us are riding le Tour or the Giro? Yeah, that's what I thought. These parts are still light enough that Pro Tour teams have trouble keeping bikes heavy enough to pass the UCI weight limits. I don't know about you, but a 15lb bike under my heavy ass is guaranteed to break- I promise you. These parts are light enough for riders who are much more picky about weight because they make a living on a bike... so they're light enough for me.
The thing that most folks will complain about is the lack of backwards compatibility with older groups or other groups. Most of the new parts, due to the enhancements/ changes/ upgrades, will only work with the new group. But these changes are long overdue and I am happy to see them. For the most part, Dura Ace has been unchanged since 2004... which is too long.
Shimano's PR Manager is a guy named Devin Walton. I've known Devin for many years now and I can honestly say that he's a truly top-notch guy. Devin is paid to be the mouth of the company and to tow the company line... but knowing him gives me that little extra bit of security because I trust him. I've had beers with the guy and have talked to him for years... he's good people. He's pretty excited about the stuff- no doubt because he's more aware of the PR war with SRAM than most people. Frankly... that buys a little of my attention.
Like I said, IF I ever get some parts to bolt to a frame, I'll report my findings. But on the surface of things and based on the prototypes I've touched... Shimano is back in the fight after a couple years of fighting for attention. This is what I talked about a few years ago when SRAM entered the group market; competition breeds innovation. Something both Shimano and Campagnolo needed.
I'm excited. The future looks bright for high-end enthusiasts.
Tim
(PS- For the record... Campagnolo is barely mentioned because I haven't ridden anything from Campy newer than 2004 product. I happen to know changes are cooking there as well and I am anxious to see what they bring to the table.)
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Back to work...
Back in the office today. Back to working and trying to get a new catalog written. Fortunately, I get to recycle most of the Fall catalog in this new Spring catalog. But with all the new models I'm adding, I have to write a bunch of new copy anyway. I'm rewriting or tweaking a few other things as well. I think I have the pagination worked out, so the "flow" of the catalog is largely ready and done... I just have to finish writing the darned thing and then work with our Creative Director, Pete Demos, to get photos taken. Lots of work ahead... for sure.
I admit that I had a hard time focusing after being out for the past 5 days. It was hard to concentrate and the day seemed to go by very slowly. I think the ride yesterday- my first century in a couple years- just left me feeling a little loopy too. I was ready for a nap by noon! My legs were dead and heavy and getting up or sitting down was frequently accompanied by a grunt or groan. However, I went for my hour lunch ride today and the legs did loosen up a bit and actually feel much better now than they did this morning. That's a good thing. Hoping/ planning to ride this weekend and then there is a big ride on New Year's day that climbs a local mountain that I hope to do as well. But I think I'll be on my SRAM bike since it has an 11x26 cogset instead of my 11x23 on my Campy or Shimano bikes (I know, I know... I'm spoiled.)
Speaking of spoiled, I have been meaning to send a special thanks to my good friend Daniel at Shimano. My older Shimano carbon sole shoes were damaged by my Thanksgiving crash- I wore a nice big hole through the carbon sole. Daniel helped me into a new pair of the new SH-R220 shoes. These are the second tier pro shoes with heat moldable insole and upper. Not only do they look pimped-out hot, but they are incredibly comfortable. I LOVE THEM and highly recommend them. In fact, the Shimano shoes and pedals both get the Masiguy Two Thumbs Up Seal of Approval. All of my road and track bikes use the Shimano SPD-SL pedals and all of my road shoes are Shimano as well... even on my SRAM and Campy bikes. Come to think of it, my mountain bike uses Shimano SPD, my cross bike uses Shimano SPD and my new concept flat bar bike has a new set of XTR pedals. I even have Shimano mountain shoes and a bithin' new pair of Shimano "commuter" shoes (thank you Chad for those). Yes, I'm spoiled... I know it.
Further speaking of spoiled (as in you folks)... I'm working on a Masiguy podcast that I hope to have set up and the first episode posted by the end of this week or early next week. Ideally I will be able to post a few episodes while in Taiwan the 5th -12th. Keep your eyes peeled for details here. I am working on creating a new blog to support the podcast, but the podcast itself is supposed to be called The Masiguy Podcast... for lack of a more creative title. I thought of using the title I've been planning to use for a book I have been intending to write for the past 17 years- The Bald Man Speaks... but that would just be confusing. More details will follow in the coming days, so stay tuned. It'll be a very low budget production for a while, as I work out the kinks, but it will hopefully launch soon!
Ok, time to shut down and relax.
Tim
I admit that I had a hard time focusing after being out for the past 5 days. It was hard to concentrate and the day seemed to go by very slowly. I think the ride yesterday- my first century in a couple years- just left me feeling a little loopy too. I was ready for a nap by noon! My legs were dead and heavy and getting up or sitting down was frequently accompanied by a grunt or groan. However, I went for my hour lunch ride today and the legs did loosen up a bit and actually feel much better now than they did this morning. That's a good thing. Hoping/ planning to ride this weekend and then there is a big ride on New Year's day that climbs a local mountain that I hope to do as well. But I think I'll be on my SRAM bike since it has an 11x26 cogset instead of my 11x23 on my Campy or Shimano bikes (I know, I know... I'm spoiled.)
Speaking of spoiled, I have been meaning to send a special thanks to my good friend Daniel at Shimano. My older Shimano carbon sole shoes were damaged by my Thanksgiving crash- I wore a nice big hole through the carbon sole. Daniel helped me into a new pair of the new SH-R220 shoes. These are the second tier pro shoes with heat moldable insole and upper. Not only do they look pimped-out hot, but they are incredibly comfortable. I LOVE THEM and highly recommend them. In fact, the Shimano shoes and pedals both get the Masiguy Two Thumbs Up Seal of Approval. All of my road and track bikes use the Shimano SPD-SL pedals and all of my road shoes are Shimano as well... even on my SRAM and Campy bikes. Come to think of it, my mountain bike uses Shimano SPD, my cross bike uses Shimano SPD and my new concept flat bar bike has a new set of XTR pedals. I even have Shimano mountain shoes and a bithin' new pair of Shimano "commuter" shoes (thank you Chad for those). Yes, I'm spoiled... I know it.
Further speaking of spoiled (as in you folks)... I'm working on a Masiguy podcast that I hope to have set up and the first episode posted by the end of this week or early next week. Ideally I will be able to post a few episodes while in Taiwan the 5th -12th. Keep your eyes peeled for details here. I am working on creating a new blog to support the podcast, but the podcast itself is supposed to be called The Masiguy Podcast... for lack of a more creative title. I thought of using the title I've been planning to use for a book I have been intending to write for the past 17 years- The Bald Man Speaks... but that would just be confusing. More details will follow in the coming days, so stay tuned. It'll be a very low budget production for a while, as I work out the kinks, but it will hopefully launch soon!
Ok, time to shut down and relax.
Tim
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
All I can say...
All I can say is... wow!
Went up to Shimano's HQ today for the yearly new product meeting. As always, I can't say anything about what I saw and I always respect that request and won't broke those rules now. BUT... cool stuff is coming.
Other than that, my good friend at Shimano- Daniel Limburg- took us out on a really fun MTB ride at Aliso Woods. Yes... I rode an MTB... one with 26" wheels too. Won't say what brand, though it wasn't a Haro, but I sure did have fun. It's been at least two years since I've ridden a geared mountain bike and an even longer time since I've ridden trails that were as demanding as these were (for me). The XT group was awesome... not that I have any idea of how anything else works. My only complaint was that the demo bike I was on was possibly a little small, though an XL sized bike, so I could not keep the front end on the ground. Even on the slightest rise, the front end wanted to lift off the ground. That said, I didn't crash once and I cleared everything without getting off and walking- which is pretty amazing for me. The trails and the scenery were both awesome. For as poor a mountain bike rider as I am, I really do enjoy riding in the dirt and I really had a good time stepping outside of my usual comfort zone. Daniel, myself, Jill Hamilton and Wayne Doran rode the trails and tested some new stuff... and I really had a blast.
Thanks to Shimano for the usual great hospitality... even if there wasn't any sushi involved.
Tim
Went up to Shimano's HQ today for the yearly new product meeting. As always, I can't say anything about what I saw and I always respect that request and won't broke those rules now. BUT... cool stuff is coming.
Other than that, my good friend at Shimano- Daniel Limburg- took us out on a really fun MTB ride at Aliso Woods. Yes... I rode an MTB... one with 26" wheels too. Won't say what brand, though it wasn't a Haro, but I sure did have fun. It's been at least two years since I've ridden a geared mountain bike and an even longer time since I've ridden trails that were as demanding as these were (for me). The XT group was awesome... not that I have any idea of how anything else works. My only complaint was that the demo bike I was on was possibly a little small, though an XL sized bike, so I could not keep the front end on the ground. Even on the slightest rise, the front end wanted to lift off the ground. That said, I didn't crash once and I cleared everything without getting off and walking- which is pretty amazing for me. The trails and the scenery were both awesome. For as poor a mountain bike rider as I am, I really do enjoy riding in the dirt and I really had a good time stepping outside of my usual comfort zone. Daniel, myself, Jill Hamilton and Wayne Doran rode the trails and tested some new stuff... and I really had a blast.
Thanks to Shimano for the usual great hospitality... even if there wasn't any sushi involved.
Tim
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Guilt by association...
I almost feel bad for my fellow judges... but not too bad!
I've been meaning to post this news for quite a while, but I've been a tad busy and I'm terribly disorganized these days (stop it). I will be a video contest judge with the likes of Phil Liggett, Bob Roll and my fellow members of the Spokesmen Podcast (David Bernstein- the Fredcast, Carlton Reid- BikeBiz, QuickreleaseTV, Tim Grahl- Crooked Cog and Donna Tocci- Kryptonite). Yep, me with my frequently flailing arms in the same booth as arms-a-flailin' Bob Roll and the voice of cycling himself... Phil Liggett. I'm so beyond unworthy of this, it's amazing. BUT... I'm still gonna do it! The judging will be done at Interbike, so it should be a pretty fun gig.
Here are the details- the contest is sponsored by Shimano and New Belgium Brewing- the folks behind Fat Tire Ale. The rules are here... so go read them and then start filming. Who knows, maybe your video will be the one we like the most. Wouldn't that be pretty cool?
Seriously, I ain't that cool, so I consider this pretty danged exciting for a bike dork like me.
Tim
I've been meaning to post this news for quite a while, but I've been a tad busy and I'm terribly disorganized these days (stop it). I will be a video contest judge with the likes of Phil Liggett, Bob Roll and my fellow members of the Spokesmen Podcast (David Bernstein- the Fredcast, Carlton Reid- BikeBiz, QuickreleaseTV, Tim Grahl- Crooked Cog and Donna Tocci- Kryptonite). Yep, me with my frequently flailing arms in the same booth as arms-a-flailin' Bob Roll and the voice of cycling himself... Phil Liggett. I'm so beyond unworthy of this, it's amazing. BUT... I'm still gonna do it! The judging will be done at Interbike, so it should be a pretty fun gig.
Here are the details- the contest is sponsored by Shimano and New Belgium Brewing- the folks behind Fat Tire Ale. The rules are here... so go read them and then start filming. Who knows, maybe your video will be the one we like the most. Wouldn't that be pretty cool?
Seriously, I ain't that cool, so I consider this pretty danged exciting for a bike dork like me.
Tim
Sunday, May 20, 2007
I'm a ramblin, ramblin, ramblin, ramblin, ramblin man...
It's been a while since I've cut loose with a full-on ramblin' post. So go grab a beer, or other bevvy of choice, and hang on...
Ivan Basso- You have got to be kidding me! No... really! "I know it's hard to believe, but trust me- all my previous wins were done clean... I was going to cheat with all that blood... but I got caught before I actually cheated. I know it was wrong, but..." (Not an actual quote, so please don't come suing my broke bike nerd ass.) Seriously? Really? On top of it, Bruyneel says that he's really disappointed that Basso lied to him. Umm... really? No sh@t Sherlock! I am trying to believe that he/ Discovery didn't know what the outcome would be if the investigation in the Puerto case continued... but I'm having a really hard time. No... really, I am.
Floyd Landis- Floyd's arbitration hearing has gone from pretty good, to ok, to not so good, to downright freakin bizarre. Now-former manager Will Geoghegan makes incredibly stupid phone call to Greg LeMond to try and intimidate him the night before he is to take the stand as a witness for the other side. Ok... that alone is one of the stupidest things I think I have ever heard. Really, this puts him in a league of nearly his own on the jackass/ idiot lists. What a dumbass! But... poor Floyd... I love you brother and want to believe the very best about you... but how do you not fire the asshole the second you know he did something so stupid? You find out what he did, just minutes/ few hours after the fact and then you don't do anything about it and try to hope it just goes away? Really? Man, that was a bad, bad move. Prior to this bombshell, I was totally in the "I am waiting for the evidence" camp. Now, I am terribly frightened for Floyd. Even if he is innocent of the doping charges, it is safe to say that his days of racing are likely over. With this ugly circus, which many believed would highlight a shitty anti- doping system, what team would want to sign him? This really does screw Floyd's chances pretty badly. Unless the anti-doping folks do something even dumber (dumberest), there's pretty much nothing to do but wish Floyd a great post-cycling career. Like I said, I love ya' buddy... but, man, that was a pretty stupid thing. That said, I'll still happily buy you a beer if I ever get the chance.
Thursday was the bike industry bike to work Industry Cup Challenge- sponsored by Specialized. Haro had it's best turn out yet, with 17-18 of 26 employees riding in to the office. Me, I rode in and back myself. First time since I've been with the company too... since I live 40 miles from work. So my commute was a whopping 80 miles. Heck, I used to ride 80 miles a day nearly every day when I was seriously racing, but those days are long since gone. I was riding super strong, for me, on the way in to work- making it in less than 2 hours (and that's with all the lights and stops). However, the ride home was a totally different story... taking me more like 2 hours and just shy of 45 minutes. I bonked, blew up, cramped, fell apart at the seams and generally stunk to high hell. It was almost laughable, except that I could find the energy to make any noise. There is one good climb on the way home (Torrey Pines, for you locals) and I was nearly swerving up the hill in the bike lane. I love the climb too- it's one of my favorites- but my legs were simply ca-flooey. I saw the Care Bears, Smokey the Bear and that duck from the Aflac commercials. One of them, I'm not sure which because I was totally hallucinating at the time, encouraged me to keep pushing on the pedals so I wouldn't fall over and have the little old lady on the old touring bike run over me. Thanks for the words of inspiration, who ever you were/ are. All that whining aside, I'd love to find a way to do that more often than every 2+ years. It's actually a really great ride and I have always had a soft spot for early morning rides. All those years of hard training early in the morning made a mark on me.
As much as it freaks me out to admit, it is time to create the next Masi catalog. I've already begun putting some ideas down. I'm sketching out what and how I want to say all the things that will hopefully entice all of you who have not already purchased a Masi to realize that you simply must have one. (You know you want one... or a new one.) If you've got great ideas, suggestions, requests, or whatnot... lemme know. Let me just say that you are going to like what you see... I promise. Really.
A&F Pro Development team- I love my team! These guys just keep rocking! Not only did Mark Hekman win Athens Twilight, but he held on to win the overall for the Southeast Crits race series. Sweet! I mean... super sweet! These guys then went on to roll strong at the Joe Martin stage race. Mark finished a very respectable 18th overall- not bad for a guy who is a crit specialist. The team rode strong in support of Mark, since he is clearly on a roll. It isn't a win, but it is another strong performance from a team that keeps on fighting it out with the biggest domestic teams in the US. Way to go guys!
Saturday afternoon I got out for a little ride. Just an hour to spin the legs loose after a hard Thursday. I didn't ride on Friday because I had a very super top secret meeting with Shimano. I could tell you, but... you know the drill. Special warm and fuzzy thanks to our man Daniel and his Shimano credit card... sushi is so yummy. I guess this makes me something of a whore, since our very good friend from SRAM, Brian Billington, visited just the week before and went for a ride with us and then went to lunch with us. Jeesh... I guess I am a slut. Anyway, to my point... on my ride, I stopped by Adams Avenue Bicycles to visit with my good friend Andrew Lee. Andrew and all the guys at Adams are just amazing guys. I love'em... in a totally normal, bike nerd way.
Andrew and his crew are some of the finest mechanics around this town, which is part of why I stopped by to see them. I had a technical issue to ask them about my drivetrain- for some reason, no matter what I do, the chain skips on the 11t cog. It never skips anywhere else. The shifting is totally perfect on every other gear. No skips, no nothing. The lockring for the cassette is the proper one for an 11t cassette, so the chain isn't hitting that. If you shift up the cogset slightly, you can see grease marks on the integrated spacer for the cog, indicating that the chain side plates are hitting the spacer. It is a general theory that this is why the chain is skipping- if I apply hard pedaling force, the chain slips over the 11t cog, as if the chain isn't grabbing the teeth. It's weird... excluding Daniel and Brian, anybody got any ideas? The cogset, though a few years old, has only seen a few rides and the 11t is nearly virgin since I haven't been able to ride in it. You guys at Campy got any ideas?
Ok... I think I'm done for now. Maybe...
Ivan Basso- You have got to be kidding me! No... really! "I know it's hard to believe, but trust me- all my previous wins were done clean... I was going to cheat with all that blood... but I got caught before I actually cheated. I know it was wrong, but..." (Not an actual quote, so please don't come suing my broke bike nerd ass.) Seriously? Really? On top of it, Bruyneel says that he's really disappointed that Basso lied to him. Umm... really? No sh@t Sherlock! I am trying to believe that he/ Discovery didn't know what the outcome would be if the investigation in the Puerto case continued... but I'm having a really hard time. No... really, I am.
Floyd Landis- Floyd's arbitration hearing has gone from pretty good, to ok, to not so good, to downright freakin bizarre. Now-former manager Will Geoghegan makes incredibly stupid phone call to Greg LeMond to try and intimidate him the night before he is to take the stand as a witness for the other side. Ok... that alone is one of the stupidest things I think I have ever heard. Really, this puts him in a league of nearly his own on the jackass/ idiot lists. What a dumbass! But... poor Floyd... I love you brother and want to believe the very best about you... but how do you not fire the asshole the second you know he did something so stupid? You find out what he did, just minutes/ few hours after the fact and then you don't do anything about it and try to hope it just goes away? Really? Man, that was a bad, bad move. Prior to this bombshell, I was totally in the "I am waiting for the evidence" camp. Now, I am terribly frightened for Floyd. Even if he is innocent of the doping charges, it is safe to say that his days of racing are likely over. With this ugly circus, which many believed would highlight a shitty anti- doping system, what team would want to sign him? This really does screw Floyd's chances pretty badly. Unless the anti-doping folks do something even dumber (dumberest), there's pretty much nothing to do but wish Floyd a great post-cycling career. Like I said, I love ya' buddy... but, man, that was a pretty stupid thing. That said, I'll still happily buy you a beer if I ever get the chance.
Thursday was the bike industry bike to work Industry Cup Challenge- sponsored by Specialized. Haro had it's best turn out yet, with 17-18 of 26 employees riding in to the office. Me, I rode in and back myself. First time since I've been with the company too... since I live 40 miles from work. So my commute was a whopping 80 miles. Heck, I used to ride 80 miles a day nearly every day when I was seriously racing, but those days are long since gone. I was riding super strong, for me, on the way in to work- making it in less than 2 hours (and that's with all the lights and stops). However, the ride home was a totally different story... taking me more like 2 hours and just shy of 45 minutes. I bonked, blew up, cramped, fell apart at the seams and generally stunk to high hell. It was almost laughable, except that I could find the energy to make any noise. There is one good climb on the way home (Torrey Pines, for you locals) and I was nearly swerving up the hill in the bike lane. I love the climb too- it's one of my favorites- but my legs were simply ca-flooey. I saw the Care Bears, Smokey the Bear and that duck from the Aflac commercials. One of them, I'm not sure which because I was totally hallucinating at the time, encouraged me to keep pushing on the pedals so I wouldn't fall over and have the little old lady on the old touring bike run over me. Thanks for the words of inspiration, who ever you were/ are. All that whining aside, I'd love to find a way to do that more often than every 2+ years. It's actually a really great ride and I have always had a soft spot for early morning rides. All those years of hard training early in the morning made a mark on me.
As much as it freaks me out to admit, it is time to create the next Masi catalog. I've already begun putting some ideas down. I'm sketching out what and how I want to say all the things that will hopefully entice all of you who have not already purchased a Masi to realize that you simply must have one. (You know you want one... or a new one.) If you've got great ideas, suggestions, requests, or whatnot... lemme know. Let me just say that you are going to like what you see... I promise. Really.
A&F Pro Development team- I love my team! These guys just keep rocking! Not only did Mark Hekman win Athens Twilight, but he held on to win the overall for the Southeast Crits race series. Sweet! I mean... super sweet! These guys then went on to roll strong at the Joe Martin stage race. Mark finished a very respectable 18th overall- not bad for a guy who is a crit specialist. The team rode strong in support of Mark, since he is clearly on a roll. It isn't a win, but it is another strong performance from a team that keeps on fighting it out with the biggest domestic teams in the US. Way to go guys!
Saturday afternoon I got out for a little ride. Just an hour to spin the legs loose after a hard Thursday. I didn't ride on Friday because I had a very super top secret meeting with Shimano. I could tell you, but... you know the drill. Special warm and fuzzy thanks to our man Daniel and his Shimano credit card... sushi is so yummy. I guess this makes me something of a whore, since our very good friend from SRAM, Brian Billington, visited just the week before and went for a ride with us and then went to lunch with us. Jeesh... I guess I am a slut. Anyway, to my point... on my ride, I stopped by Adams Avenue Bicycles to visit with my good friend Andrew Lee. Andrew and all the guys at Adams are just amazing guys. I love'em... in a totally normal, bike nerd way.
Andrew and his crew are some of the finest mechanics around this town, which is part of why I stopped by to see them. I had a technical issue to ask them about my drivetrain- for some reason, no matter what I do, the chain skips on the 11t cog. It never skips anywhere else. The shifting is totally perfect on every other gear. No skips, no nothing. The lockring for the cassette is the proper one for an 11t cassette, so the chain isn't hitting that. If you shift up the cogset slightly, you can see grease marks on the integrated spacer for the cog, indicating that the chain side plates are hitting the spacer. It is a general theory that this is why the chain is skipping- if I apply hard pedaling force, the chain slips over the 11t cog, as if the chain isn't grabbing the teeth. It's weird... excluding Daniel and Brian, anybody got any ideas? The cogset, though a few years old, has only seen a few rides and the 11t is nearly virgin since I haven't been able to ride in it. You guys at Campy got any ideas?
Ok... I think I'm done for now. Maybe...
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
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