The Cycling Thread

Originally Posted by Bluepete

Brakes are Avid Juicy 3's. I nearly went over he bars first time I squeezed the lever!

Ridiculous power!

Pete

Awesome I have the Juicy 5, they are just awesome of course I haven't done that yetmy front disk is huge!

Stop it now guys, you're giving me disk brake envy! (I'm still using XT V-Brakes, the parallel link ones that squeal like a siren if you give them a good pull...)

The Vuelta de España began on Saturday in Seville with a team time trial. Yesterday they headed from Seville to finish in Marbella. How strange to see the riders heading down the famous Ronda Road which as some of you know is a famed biker route that I play on a lot.

I tried to plan with precision, gauging the point they were on that road, to how long it would take them and myself to get to the same point so that I could see them go by.

I could not have timed it better! As I arrived the first Police outriders came by,then some more,then TV motorbikes, a Shimano mechanics car and then within a minute lots of lights and motorbikes heading the front of the peloton. The 4 riders that had a close to 4 minute lead before I left the house,had now been caught. This stretch of road now was perfect and flat. The entire field came past in a "whoosh" followed by the massive number of back up vehicles. Just seconds of action to see,but a great experience.

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by Pedrosa

The Vuelta de España began on Saturday in Seville with a team time trial. Yesterday they headed from Seville to finish in Marbella. How strange to see the riders heading down the famous Ronda Road which as some of you know is a famed biker route that I play on a lot.

I could not have timed it better! As I arrived the first Police outriders came by,then some more,then TV motorbikes, a Shimano mechanics car and then within a minute lots of lights and motorbikes heading the front of the peloton. The 4 riders that had a close to 4 minute lead before I left the house,had now been caught. This stretch of road now was perfect and flat. The entire field came past in a "whoosh" followed by the massive number of back up vehicles. Just seconds of action to see,but a great experience.

Quite the strangest start to a grand tour I've ever seen, apart from a similar test at the start of the Tour of Poland a couple of years ago.

Yes, they woosh past you on the flat and even when climbing the mountains they still woosh past you.

I wished the Vuelta was moved back to its original month the calender, as its never been the same since it moved to September, but I'd still like to go and see it in the mountains, but never any of the flat stages

[fizzwheel]

RIP Laurent Fignon

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

RIP Laurent Fignon

Aye.... just read the news now. Only 50 years old, too

RIP

Just seen it here... RIP

[maviczap]

RIP 'Professor'

Just finished his book. Such an iconic figure in the System U jersey, what a team

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by maviczap

Just finished his book. Such an iconic figure in the System U jersey, what a team

I'm reading that book at the moment. I'm really enjoying it so far.

I agree about the System U Jersey. I had a System U water bottle when I was a teenager. I loved that 1989 Tour, was on the edge of my seat every single day. I always thought Fignon was a bit strange / aloof. Reading the book has changed my opinion of him.

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I'm reading that book at the moment. I'm really enjoying it so far.

I always thought Fignon was a bit strange / aloof. Reading the book has changed my opinion of him.

+1

What happened to the great jersey designs we once had, System U, Ariostea, Super Confex, Carrera, Chateaux D'ax, even Castorama wasn't bad.

Although I draw the line at Le Groupment

These days there's no colours or imagination

That's why Fignons era was such a great time for watching cycling