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Source: Cyclingnews News Headlines
Friday, September 2, 2011
12 Bike-Buying Tips
BEFORE YOU GO
Sketch yourself. Grab a pencil, paper and some brutal honesty. Now make two lists. The first is an inventory of your current status as a cyclist or, for first-timers, your fitness level: how competitive you are, how much time you spend riding (or working out) each week, your highest achievements on a bike. The second is your ultimate vision of yourself as a cyclist: completing multiple charity rides each year, kicking butt on the local race circuit, riding to work every day, and so on. Then, imagine a rider who fits between the two—the bike that's right for that middle-ground you is the minimum you should purchase. Buy below that level, and you won't have enough room to grow.
Get on the horn. Look up the bike shops closest to you. Convenience isn't the deciding factor when choosing a shop, but the ideal shop is one that's easy to reach. Then call at least two or three of them. Note what brands the shop carries. Ask whether the shop specializes in a particular bike style—if you're looking for a road bike and the shop carries mostly mountain bikes, it's probably not a good fit. Also, ask what kind of service plan the shop offers on a new bike purchase; a year of free tune-ups is a good starting point.
Click and read. Hit the websites of your chosen brands, which tend to be organized so that it's easy to find the bikes that match your intended riding style. Study frame materials, components (wheels, derailleurs and cranks in particular--you can spot them right away on the bikes at the shop) and price, if it's listed. A model line will often have the same frame, with more expensive wheels and parts as the bike prices go up. Frames last longer than components, so we generally recommend investing in a higher-quality frame worthy of parts upgrades later, if need be.
Tap the locals. Ask your cyclist friends what they like and don't like about their current bikes; you can judge by their riding style whether you should have the same concerns. Also, ask for opinions on local shops or the bike models you found on the Internet. If you don't know many cyclists, e-mail a local cycling club. Bonus: You'll have people to ride with when you have your new bike.
AT THE SHOP
Stroll the floor. Check out the models you've researched. Eyeball those easy-to-spot components, and note if they don't match the specs you saw online. Similar-level components from a different manufacturer shouldn't be a concern. If you see lower-level components than those stated on the web, with no corresponding drop in price, ask why.
Choose your champion. If a salesman hasn't approached you, seek one out. Talk about what you're looking for, and the models you've researched. The reaction should be along the lines of, "I can show those to you, and I have a couple of others you should look at."
If you feel like you're being pushed to look at a bike that doesn't suit you, a race bike when you don't race, or a cruiser when you plan to ride a serious commute, hold your ground or head to another shop. But if the salesperson listens to your goals and recommends a slightly different bike style than you were considering--say, one with a more upright position versus a more stretched-out ride--just ask why. There may be a good reason for the switch.
Look up and down. Check out the bikes a step above and a step below the bike you like most. Ask your salesman about the pros and cons of the frame material, components, rider position and intended use of each bike. If the bike you're considering still seems to be the best fit at the best price, you may have a winner.
Hat Tip To: Bicycling Magazine
Moda Nocturne review
Moda's titanium audax bike has been designed with winter riding in mind, but the beautifully finished frame and racy wheels and tyres deserve some summer outings too. There's nothing sleepy about the Nocturne when it comes to speed, and the spec sheet is tempting, too.
- Highs: The Moda climbs well and corners hard. To our eyes the frame is a beauty, too. We love the polished finish and etched graphics.
- Lows: Stiff wheels and skinny tyres mean the Nocturne isn't as comfortable as some rivals. Curved mudguards would offer better protection from spray than the Nocturne's flat ones.
- Buy if: You want one bike for summer sportives, winter training and even the odd race.
The Nocturne is titanium wearing its Sunday best. The highly polished frame and etched graphics look fabulous, while butted tubes keep the frame's weight down. Get up close and the neat, precise welds only add to the impression of quality.
It's willing to play when the road gets twisty, needing little persuasion to change direction quickly or hold a tight line. That said, it's also stable enough to be a relaxed ride after many hours of pedalling. The Moda's tall head tube will suit riders whose backs give out long before their legs, which is great for sportives or audax riding.
But that's not to say the Nocturne isn't made to go fast. The American Classic Victory wheels are light and stiff, helping the Moda fly up hills. Skinny Kenda tyres also keep the rotating mass down and the average speed up. In fact, with the mudguards left in the shed we'd happily race on the Nocturne.
Those same wheels and tyres are less forgiving than you'd expect of a bike designed for four-seasons riding, though. In isolation the Nocturne is comfortable enough, but you feel more shaken by rough roads than on some other titanium bikes.
We'd consider trading a little speed for more comfort by fitting wider tyres. Heavier-duty mudguards are another possible upgrade before winter rolls around. Blade style guards might have a certain minimalist cool, but 'guards which curve around the tyre do a better job of protecting you and the bike from spray.
This style of bike often earns its keep as a fast commuter during the week. The Moda has mounting points for a rack on the seatstays, but the luggage carrier would have to share the mudguard eyelets down at the rear axle. That's not the end of the world, but if you do plan to carry loads, separate mounting points can be a better bet.
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Original: BikeRadar.com Road Bikes & Gear
Snap-on CDI Torque Preset T-Handle torque wrench review
Torque wrenches are a must-have for home and shop mechanics who regularly deal with lightweight frames and components. Virtually all torque wrenches rely on user knowledge to work properly. It's up to the person holding the tool to know to stop applying pressure once they receive an alert that may come via a click, beep, needle indicator or otherwise.
The Preset T-Handle torque wrenches from CDI Torque – a division of Snap-On – on the other hand, are truly idiot-proof. They use a clever torque-limiting clutch that simply won't allow the user to apply any more force than intended, no matter how much you continue to twist the thing. This contrasts with other wrenches where the only limiting factor is your arm strength. Much like fuel caps on newer cars, CDI's T-Handle will click once the intended torque is reached – and if you continue twisting, just keep repeatedly, benignly clicking – thus almost completely taking user error out of the equation.
As CDI's Glenn Kalnins puts it: "If you take the 5Nm [wrench], turn it and get one click, that equals 5Nm. Take it and have it click 10 times, you still only get 5Nm out of the tool." In fact, we discovered during testing that about the only way to misuse the CDI T-Handle is to apply it to a fastener with left-hand threads. In order to prevent damage to the tool, Kalnins recommends using the T-Handles solely for final tightening of fasteners and definitely not for breaking them loose.
The big, rounded handle fits comfortably in your hands and the magnetic socket allows for quick bit swaps (additional bits aren't included but a 4mm one comes standard). While the torque settings aren't adjustable, CDI offer the T-Handle in 4, 5 or 6Nm options to suit most needs, with the 5Nm wrench being most common for stems and the like. Color-coded handles helped us pick up the right wrench off the work bench and the numerical rating is molded right into the handle. All the same, we'd rather CDI mark the handles with big color-contrast numbers too, since in most people's brains, 'yellow' doesn't automatically equate to '4Nm'.
CDI include a calibration certificate on the back of each T-Handle package and Kalnins says each wrench should hold its setting for 5,000 clicks – or about a year of regular use in a shop environment – after which it'll start clicking at progressively lower torque values. At that point, it should be sent in for recalibration, though given the nominal cost of the tool, we're guessing most users will just get a new one.
Speaking of cost, CDI's US$30 T-Handles are roughly 50 percent more expensive than the more common TorqKey options marketed by Ritchey, Bontrager and others. The CDI version is an indisputably nicer tool, though. Home users with just one or two bikes to service are likely to take a lot longer than a year to hit 5,000 clicks so that additional cost should be amortized over a pretty significant lifetime.
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Credit: BikeRadar.com Road Bikes & Gear
RSP 31Eight Ergo bar and Race stem review
Although there's a slightly odd pronounced anatomical shape to the drops, this combination is great value for money – you even get bar tape included in the price. Don't expect a refined ride quality; it's not bad, though.
We'd like to see better quality bolts – there's already some corrosion on the bolt heads – but we can't really complain considering the price. Both components are on the weighty side, but for building on a budget this is good.
This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine.
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Original: BikeRadar.com Road Bikes & Gear
Masters Road Nats continue with 11 criterium titles
The 2011 USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships continued Thursday with the criterium on a sunny, warm day at Northwest Crossing in Bend, Ore. By the end of the exciting day of racing, 11 national titles were distributed. Close to 200 riders competed in the criterium Thursday, which consisted of laps of a one-kilometer course with four corners and two bends.
Source: USA Cycling News Headlines
2011 Goulburn to Sydney Cycling Classic launches in Sydney
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Source: Cyclingnews News Headlines
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Grotts gives U.S. top 10 in junior XC at Mountain Bike Worlds
Howard Grotts gave the U.S. its best finish in the junior menandrsquo;s cross country race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in over a decade on Thursday.
Source: USA Cycling News Headlines
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