Just a matter of minutes after I posted the “You just won a bike” post yesterday, I started seeing a trickle of information on Twitter about the Colnago C59 Disc. It wasn’t long before most of the large bike sites had the story. I will let the pictures tell the story.
Lets just add that to the list of “I want” bikes. There is already talk by the luddites that disc brakes are an added weight issue and unwanted complexity. One person on Twitter even said he refused to use discs on a roadie because it wasn’t Euro cool! If that guy reads the blog, you sir are a Euro tool! Apparently Di2 is fine, but discs, no. I can only shake my head. More info on the links below.
Brad Wiggins (Sky) retains the lead after stage 4 of the Paris-Nice. Gianni Meersman (Lotto Belisol) took out the stage win on the 183km stage between Brive-la-Gaillarde and Rodez. More info at cyclingnews.com
Current standings after 4 stages.
1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 13:30:52
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:00:06
3 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:11
4 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:00:14
5 Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:18
6 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
7 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:20
8 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:29
9 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha Team 0:00:33
10 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Astana Pro Team 0:00:36
Imagine you have just received an email from a huge cycling website (Disclaimer : Not Non Pro Cycling) saying you have won the bike of your dreams. Any bike, any gruppo. Any wheels. What would it be? What is your dream bike?
Here are a few I would have trouble choosing between.
Volagi™ Liscio Dura-Ace
The Volagi™ Liscio Dura-Ace. A roadie with disc brakes is right at the top of my list. Maybe fit it out in SRAM Red.
Just look at those seat stays. Line me up with a Kirk JK Special and I would be a happy rider.
So there are just a few I lust over. CF, Ti, Steel, there is something there for everyone. There are plenty more. Let me know in the comments what you would like if money wasn’t an option.
Floaty floaty. The new Speedplay Light Action pedals have a load of float. So much so that the first couple of rides I wore them, I felt like I wasn’t clipped in. Check this out.
Compared to the Shimano SPD-SL pedals, that is a lot of float.
I have now done just over 130km with them. Just shy of 5 hours riding, and I have to say, I love them! Even though there is a load of float, you get used to it quickly and now I don’t notice is that much. You still need to take care if you leap out of the saddle and attack a climb. With so much float it is easy to go to far and clip out. I don’t know that I would be comfortable in a bunch sprint in them, but hey, it isn’t like I am racing Cav and Griepel every time I ride.
They aren’t called light action for nothing. I have bad knees from not looking after myself when I was young, and unclipping the SPD-SLs had become uncomfortable, especially for my right knee. It wasn’t painful, just uncomfortable. The Speedplay light Actions are so easy to unclip. It takes some getting used to. I was sitting on the saddle adjusting my male parts and swung the left leg out for better access and my foot popped off the pedal. Now that I am aware of it, it isn’t an issue, but people used to a tight fitting cleat will need to be aware. I have been told it isn’t an issue with the Zeros.
So that is float covered. It was one reason I got them. The other, being double sided. Oh boy, this one makes me very happy. My worries at a set of lights is now gone. I have probably clipped in and out a total of 30 times so far and I can do it every time, with out fail now. It is a huge benefit of these pedals. As I have explained before, probably 80-90% of the time I was ok with the Shimano SPD-SLs, but the time I did have trouble was nearly always uphill, at a set of traffic lights with an imbecile behind the wheel of a huge 4WD thing who was in a hurry. Now I am clipped in and away with out even thinking about it.
Walking around with the coffee shop covers is a little bit trickier than the SPD-SL cleats. I think because they are narrower. Once again, I am used to it already, but I wont be going ballroom dancing in them.
So far, so good with the Speedplays. I will have another look in a few months after I have had to maintain them.
