Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please
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ultimobici
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by ultimobici on Thu Jul 30, 2015 2:48 pm
elSid wrote:I can't believe the USA Pro Challenege is pitching the Arapahoe Basin parking lot as a "mountain top finish" for the 2015 edition Sure, there will be some gaps, but it's a 4-5% grade for 5 straight miles from Keystone (shudder). This actually could have been an interesting finish if they'd move the finish line a few miles east to the top of Loveland Pass, thereby adding in a few switchbacks and some decent gradients. Why the hell stop just when the climb gets interesting??! The race used the same perplexing strategy a few years ago when they set the finish line halfway up flagstaff mountain.
Three (possibly four) of the seven stages this year - and every year - will almost certainly end in bunch sprints. There is an 8.5 mile out-and-back TT in the tourist trap of Breckenridge. Based on previous years, some of the only interesting footage - the high speed descent off (beautiful) Independence Pass into Aspen - will be lost due to camera feed issues.
I'm not as familiar with Utah, but at least last year, the course for ToUtah was far, far more challenging and interesting.
It's already climbing almost 500m higher than the Col de La Bonette. The climb is also more than 40km long and starts at 2500m. To add elevation and length would be inhuman and potentially dangerous. It's one thing to climb that high for fun, quite another to race at that altitude.
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LeDuke
- Posts: 2025
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- Location: Front Range, CO
by LeDuke on Thu Jul 30, 2015 4:04 pm
elSid wrote:I can't believe the USA Pro Challenege is pitching the Arapahoe Basin parking lot as a "mountain top finish" for the 2015 edition Sure, there will be some gaps, but it's a 4-5% grade for 5 straight miles from Keystone (shudder). This actually could have been an interesting finish if they'd move the finish line a few miles east to the top of Loveland Pass, thereby adding in a few switchbacks and some decent gradients. Why the hell stop just when the climb gets interesting??! The race used the same perplexing strategy a few years ago when they set the finish line halfway up flagstaff mountain.
Three (possibly four) of the seven stages this year - and every year - will almost certainly end in bunch sprints. There is an 8.5 mile out-and-back TT in the tourist trap of Breckenridge. Based on previous years, some of the only interesting footage - the high speed descent off (beautiful) Independence Pass into Aspen - will be lost due to camera feed issues.
I'm not as familiar with Utah, but at least last year, the course for ToUtah was far, far more challenging and interesting.
I don't get it either. As I said, they a) Have OK locations at best, and b) They don't make the best use of their locations. The top of Loveland Pass is only a few miles down the road. If you're going to shut down that road, take it all the way to the top.
And it's not like A-Basin is a bustling metropolis during the summer. AFAIK, they are one of the few resorts that doesn't have a bike park built in yet. Might as well stop at Keystone, then; at least there will be people there. Cyclists, even. Wearing flat brim hats and drinking Monster.
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djconnel
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by djconnel on Thu Jul 30, 2015 4:17 pm
Gotta have a place for the VIPs to watch the finish. How's Loveland Pass? I suspect the parking lot is better.
On Andy Schleck -- please don't use his bikes as a positive example. He couldn't even reach the drops without getting out of the saddle. And it wrecked his ability to control his bike on descents.... in my opinion. He clearly could have used a bit less "slam" and a bit more fitting.
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petepeterson
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by petepeterson on Thu Jul 30, 2015 4:28 pm
RE: Bonnet being tested in a neck brace. I support that from a bio passport perspective.
On the yellow bikes: The yellow wheel decals ruin it every time. I think sticking to a solid frame colour and maybe bar tape is enough. Schleck/Cancellara and Gallopin bikes are the best.
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MiddMan
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by MiddMan on Thu Jul 30, 2015 4:32 pm
The West gets a lot of love for cycling and rightly so, big mountains, big sky, Califorina is about the size of France as it is! But I would like to see a Tour of New England. We have gap roads, mountain passes (sure they're under 5000 feet, but you can have one after another), plus villages are closer together and nowhere is all that far from NYC or Boston.
On a completely different note, to echo another post here, I also think Sagan was the best all-around rider. He's fun, takes chances, light-hearted, but still serious about racing. That's why people love him.
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Tomstr
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by Tomstr on Thu Jul 30, 2015 4:33 pm
The Evans bike for me please. A LOT of Slam 'n Drop plus the graphics on the Easton wheels are illest. I'd love to try a pair.
I never knew Andy ran that much Slam, that adds a bit of (needed!) street-cred for me.
Ride it like you stole it
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nathanong87
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by nathanong87 on Thu Jul 30, 2015 4:46 pm
djconnel wrote:Gotta have a place for the VIPs to watch the finish. How's Loveland Pass? I suspect the parking lot is better.
On Andy Schleck -- please don't use his bikes as a positive example. He couldn't even reach the drops without getting out of the saddle. And it wrecked his ability to control his bike on descents.... in my opinion. He clearly could have used a bit less "slam" and a bit more fitting.
we talmbout yellow bikes aka aesthetics aye? and slammed yellow bicycle looks gud =)
i think andy wrecked his own ability to control bicycle, not the slam. Evans can descend slammed. Pinot can't descend period.
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LeDuke
- Posts: 2025
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- Location: Front Range, CO
by LeDuke on Thu Jul 30, 2015 4:54 pm
ultimobici wrote:It's already climbing almost 500m higher than the Col de La Bonette. The climb is also more than 40km long and starts at 2500m. To add elevation and length would be inhuman and potentially dangerous. It's one thing to climb that high for fun, quite another to race at that altitude.
The fact of the matter is that there are plenty of places around CO where you can START a ride at a higher elevation than you'll ever finish at in the Tour, Giro, etc. They shouldn't limit the race because it's "too hard" for some.
Sorry, no, you won't be able to produce the same power you did in France at 600m, up in CO at 3,000m+. But, it's hardly the "death zone"; plenty of overweight Americans climb to the top of Mt. Evans from Idaho Springs every year with no ill consequences. Drink water, wear sunscreen.
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KWalker
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by KWalker on Thu Jul 30, 2015 5:12 pm
nathanong87 wrote:djconnel wrote:Gotta have a place for the VIPs to watch the finish. How's Loveland Pass? I suspect the parking lot is better.
On Andy Schleck -- please don't use his bikes as a positive example. He couldn't even reach the drops without getting out of the saddle. And it wrecked his ability to control his bike on descents.... in my opinion. He clearly could have used a bit less "slam" and a bit more fitting.
we talmbout yellow bikes aka aesthetics aye? and slammed yellow bicycle looks gud =)
i think andy wrecked his own ability to control bicycle, not the slam. Evans can descend slammed. Pinot can't descend period.
Andy's position was clearly overslammed, he could barely pedal. Cuddles at least could pedal. Inability to perform on a bike trumps aesthetics to a degree. Coulda just ran a less negative stem, checked all the boxes.
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lippythelion
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KWalker
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by KWalker on Thu Jul 30, 2015 5:28 pm
Oh yes, there is. Go to any local race and look at the number of guys that can't spend more than 5 minutes in their drops and also can't handle a bit on a technical course for shit. Its staggering.
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tymon_tm
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by tymon_tm on Thu Jul 30, 2015 5:49 pm
nathanong87 wrote:the worst attempt i've seen at a custom pro bike leader jersey is paolini when he was wearing pink in giro. no one thought he'd have it probably and the 3m vinyl overlay hack job was comical at best
actually IMO this looks the best. rather than spraying yellow (or pink) all over it, they just made some small
pinkie patterns.
kkibbler wrote: WW remembers.
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nathanong87
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by nathanong87 on Thu Jul 30, 2015 6:00 pm
tymon_tm wrote:actually IMO this looks the best. rather than spraying yellow (or pink) all over it, they just made some small pinkie patterns.
tuft's bike doe. painted and the foil lettering in italian colors. THIS is well thought out.
ryder's bike also actually with the pink accents on the cranks ... if only that stripe on the ARX was pink.
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prendrefeu
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by prendrefeu on Thu Jul 30, 2015 6:24 pm
At that size and in those colors, Tuft's bike just looks cute. Like a kids bike.
Paolini's "quick job" is better than Ryder's "we thought this out" job, in my opinion.
Exp001 || Other projects in the works.