Within the feedback on yesterday’s publish, the venerable “Urchin” shared this new product from Odyssey:
Okay, yeah, THAT’S AN INNER TUBE.
Yeah, yeah, I do know, there are two completely different air chambers, it’s bought two valves blah blah blah, however let’s get actual right here, it’s a goddamn tube. You recognize it, I do know it, Odyssey is aware of it, even MTBro within the video tail-whipping repeatedly down the path like a cat with a burr caught to its ass is aware of it:
And if I sound indignant, I’m not. If something, I’m deeply reassured, for it proves that completely every part within the biking world comes full circle. I predict as soon as hydraulic disc brakes go totally digital (sure, that’s proper) you’ll want some type of redundancy machine within the occasion of both lack of energy or fluid or each. Most certainly, this may take the type of a discreet emergency lever:
This could act on a wound metal cable hooked up to an auxiliary stopper that grips the rim:
I’m unsure what they’d name it, however “Contingency Velocity Retardener” has a pleasant ring to it.
In the meantime, yesterday I took to the street on a bicycle with a cutting-edge air-filled tire bladder system in addition to entrance and rear Continency Velocity Retardeners:
Bear in mind how I mentioned the Milwaukee was a implausible bike however there’s simply one thing particular in regards to the Faggin? Nicely, it most likely gained’t shock you that after driving the Faggin for 3 days in a row then switching again to the Milwaukee I now really feel precisely the alternative:
As I’ve talked about, I’ve formally given up making an attempt to know bikes. Nevertheless, I haven’t given up bloviating, so listed below are my main theories as to what’s happening:
These final three days on the Faggin have been chilly and wet, however yesterday was heat and sunny, so naturally I felt higher on the Milwaukee
Because the tires very slowly lose air like all tires do I’ve inadvertently discovered myself in type of a #whatpressureyourunning Goldilocks Zone. Nevertheless, by the following journey they’ll be barely too low, at which level I’ll resolve the Milwaukee feels barely extra sluggish than the Faggin, till I lastly get round to topping off the tires, at which level I’ll suppose it’s somewhat on the stiff aspect once more till they progressively deflate themselves again all the way down to the Goldilocks Zone and the cycle begins a brand new
It’s pink
All of this obsessing ought to final till the brand new tires I ordered from Rivendell for the Roadini lastly arrive and I begin fixating on that once more.
Now the place the hell’s that UPS truck?
I’ll additionally confess I’m experiencing the same inversion in terms of the drivetrains: till now I used to be considering that the Tremendous Document on the Faggin was nicer than the 105 on the Milwaukee, however now I’m wondering if it isn’t the opposite manner round. The kinds of people that fancy themselves aficionados and tastemakers typically favor Campagnolo, and it’s not laborious to know why. On the similar time, in terms of mechanical, Shimano has the sting in a single space, and I’m stunned no one ever appears to say it: particularly, it’s very simple to brake and downshift on the similar time as a result of the brake lever can be the downshiftershifter. As I recall, this was how Lennard Zinn justified Campagnolo digital again within the early days of EPS:
As absurdly particular because the above passage from Zinn is, in my case all of that is past theoretical and much more ridiculous, since not solely are my racing days lengthy behind me, however I don’t even have anyone to journey with, which implies I’ve no must ever attempt to sustain with anyone–and I can guarantee you my common velocity displays this, or not less than it could if I have been nonetheless utilizing Strava. Which I’m not anymore.
However yeah, I’m actually having fun with the 105 stuff.
Anyway, having established I’m utterly unqualified to assessment go-fast street bike stuff, I’m nonetheless going to replace you on the Pearl Izumi footwear I acquired again in 2022, seen beneath of their present state:
I’ll remind you that these are their finances footwear–so budgety in actual fact that they appear to be marketed as a lot for indoor spin bike use as for precise biking. Talking of which, you’ll see I’m utilizing Look Delta cleats (or their generic equal), which have additionally fallen out of favor amongst cyclists whereas on the similar time turning into the usual cleat for indoor spinning. So why do I take advantage of them?
Nicely, like many cyclists, I used to make use of Look Delta pedals again when when you have been a “severe” roadie you both used Look or Time, or possibly Speedplay. Then someday through the 10-speed period Campagnolo launched the Professional-Match pedal, and in some way I began utilizing these:
They have been superb pedals, although in typical Campagnolo vogue they have been utterly overdone, proper all the way down to the two-piece cleat with a steel half and a plastic half and even somewhat piece of grip tape for the underside of the cleat.
Then Shimano SPD-SL got here out and like seemingly everybody else I switched to these, and I had nary an issue with them. Certainly, I’d nonetheless be utilizing them at this time if it weren’t for the Vengeance Bike:
That bike arrived with the Look pedals (Delta, clearly), and if there’s one factor I can’t stand it’s having two completely different pedal methods going on the similar time. (I make an exception for “street” pedals and “mountain” pedals, however even that I discover annoying.) But because the official Traditional Cycle Outdated Crap Check Pilot it wouldn’t do for me to journey the Vengeance Bike with fashionable pedals. So as a substitute I purchased some previous Shimano Look Delta-compatible pedals off a sure web site the place folks public sale stuff. These pedals are very top quality, however typically they appear to be crap and no one needs them, so consequently you may typically get them for in regards to the worth of an interior tube or two. So I purchased one other pair, and one other, and earlier than I knew it I used to be utilizing Look Delta-compatible Shimano pedals on all my street bikes.
I preserve that means to modify again to the SPD-SLs, however at this level it simply looks like a trouble–and talking of hassles, I simply changed the cleats on these footwear, however as a result of I waited so lengthy even the screws themselves have been worn down and I needed to Dremel little notches for a screwdriver into them to get them off, however not earlier than first making an attempt to get them off with a pair of needle-nose pliers and badly pinching the pad of my pinkie within the course of, leaving a nasty welt that was as painful as it’s ugly. So let that be a reminder to go forward and verify your cleats–or, even higher, don’t hassle with any of this nonsense in any respect and simply journey in sneakers.
As for the footwear, since getting them I’ve worn them for many of my cleated street driving and have been extraordinarily happy with them. The heel pad thingy that aids strolling will not be replaceable, however as you may see it’s barely worn. The Velcro (or its generic equal) can be pretty much as good as new, and general I can’t discover a single factor to complain about, the disastrous pinky welt being 100% my fault. Often I nonetheless put on my Sidis, which I’ll admit do really feel somewhat higher, however they’re additionally fairly beat up, they usually don’t really feel so a lot better that I don’t nonetheless go for these more often than not.
So there you go–although once more, you actually can’t go mistaken with sneakers.
