The Spin Cycle

New Sponsors

More new sponsors coming soon (as soon as I get logo graphics). I've just signed with Speedplay (who's pedals I've been using for 4 years now), and also you'll see me riding a Dolan ARC on the track this year. Also on the team, but not yet added to the side roll, is Colorado Altitude Training. Look for announcements on 2 additional sponsors in the next week or so.

Winterizing

I hate the winter. I really, really, hate the winter. Don't get me wrong, I eventually adapt to the cold, but I still don't perform like I do in the heat. Give me a sprint tournament with temperatures in the 90's, and I'm a happy man, especially when i get to watch all the other delicate flowers in the infield wilt. I guess if I were a baseball pitcher, I'd be the closer who's fastball gets faster the hotter the temps get.

What this means is that I'm constantly in search of stuff to keep me warm during those long winter rides. Here's some of the stuff I've found to be very useful:

Buy the Way

Several reviews on the web lately…

Stephen Cheung at Pez has a review of one of the new Cycle-Ops fluid trainers. Myself, I prefer an adjustable magnetic trainer, because it’s nice to be able to use with my track bike. I like the Elite Volare Mag with the “Elastogel” roller. It’s quiet, light, adjustable, and has a wide resistance band that lets me use it for everything from a hard training session to a nice cool-down spin after an event. Elite claims that the “Elastogel” roller cuts down on tire wear by up to 20%, as well as cutting noise. I can’t comment yet on the tire wear, but it sure is quiet, though not as quiet as a fluid trainer. The price is right, too, especially when compared to an adjustable fluid trainer.

CyclingNews has a whole slew of recent reviews including Campy Winter clothing, a new carbon bottle cage from Arundel, the Guru Carbonio/Ti road bike, and the Specialized Turbo Pro cycling computer.

Finally, VeloNews has it’s 2004 Buyer’s Guide out now. If you’re looking to buy a new bike, component group, wheelset, or other road, cross or mountain bike accessory this year, you need to go out and get this issue.