Argyle Gargoyle... gonna name my bike Gargoyle =D

Never really found the pattern all that fascinating so I was surprised when Elmo told me the pattern was 'in' since last year. Looks like it has some staying power because everywhere I look, it's as if the pattern just came into vogue recently or maybe it's just because I'm paying more attention to it.

Skewed parallelograms viewed on an angle. What really got me into it was the 12k weave on the new bike frame. The very bike frame that made me run around like mad trying to find the not so ubiquitous 30mm seat post collars. Also dropped $100 for a $50 front dérailleur so I could have it expedited to me. The exact same front dérailleur on my old with a different clamp size. What a waste of money, I didn't get the other two parts I needed so I couldn't get the bike completed anyway. Well that's a story for another time. The cheaper 12k weave is much more noticeable than the 3k weave which looks like regular carbon fiber, the stuff that you see in golf clubs, car interiors and the like. The top sheet of any carbon fiber piece is really a cosmetic layer that lends nothing to the structural integrity of the piece (I'm just trying to make myself feel better since I didn't drop the extra money for the 3k weave).

The bike was in the shop for a month, finally picked it up last week. Need some cold weather tights before I complete the century I promised for the MS Bike Tour. Tried riding it yesterday and without my gloves, had to turn around pretty quick because I had issues holding onto the handlebars with the cold biting through. The build ended up costing quite a bit more than I estimated. Still cheaper than getting a brand name stock bike with the same components but not as much as I was hoping for. Looking back, I would've done things differently... should have just bought a quality expensive bike right off the bat.

I paid $125 on eBay for the saddle, now it looks cheap compared to this bottle cage. I can't imagine paying $125 for something that really doesn't affect your riding... read the review, it's hilarious. Love Bike Snob's writing.

While we are on the subject of bikes, check out the sweet furniture created by Andrew Gregg using bike parts. Was made aware of it through this WSJ article, additional information at Inhabitat or just go to Gregg's site, Bike Furniture.

Comedy and Tragedy

Rugby: “On Saturday, France meet England at Stade de France. On Sunday, South Africa meet Argentina at Stade de France. On Monday, New Zealand meet Australia at the airport.”

Custody Battle: Huntington, WV (AP) - A seven-year old boy was at the center of a Cabell County courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulation requiring that family unity be maintained to the highest degree possible. The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried and said that they also beat him. After considering the remainder of the immediaty family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him. After two recesses to check legal references and confer with the Child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Notre Dame Football Team whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.

Tragedy: I'm an idiot. Had an entire month to compare the specifications of the new frame to my existing one and I didn't. So with the MS Bike Tour coming up tomorrow morning, I have two frames sitting at the LBS stripped with components laying around. Turns out the new bike needed a 30mm seatpost collar (rare, searched 8 stores in NYC), a 34.9mm front dérailleur clamp (paid $100 for it to be overnighted to me, but now I can't get the other two parts so I just wasted my money) and my existing headset which I believe is a Cane Creek IS-2 won't fit into the head tube even though many others have used the same headset with no issues. Damnit, I might just ride my LeMond Poprad, though I'll need to dig up some allen keys to adjust the seat post. %*@)$*%

Support me as I fight MS in the 2007 MS Bike Tour!

On Sunday, October 14th, I will be one of 5,000 cyclists participating in the 23rd Annual MS Bike Tour. I will be cycling 100 miles (for real this time) to raise money for the MS Society. This year the Tour's goal is to raise more than $2.6 million, and I want to help the MS Society reach that goal. To make a pledge to me, you can simply click on this link or mail a check (made payable to "MS Bike Tour") to me.

Together we can conquer this devastating disease that strikes young adults in the prime of their lives. The support you provide is vital to making continued strides in the battle against MS.

Want to Ride and Raise Money? I've already recruited Jonlin and his crew to join the Credit Suisse team, some of the guys on the Seadogs should be joining too (I just need to remind them =T). We are only a few riders away from our goal of 175 riders so sign up today! Why join the CS team? We get our own private area, nice hearty breakfast and storage area. And if you need it, the captains even have a bunch of training rides scheduled. Check out our team blog for additional information!

Choose from 30, 60, or 100 miles, the 30 mile route is very easy and you'll get to see NYC as you've never seen it before. For you photographers out there, this is your chance to get some incredible shots of the city. If you need a bike, I have an extra 52cm cyclocross bike for you! If you prefer, you can even do all your miles on a stationary bike in your own home or at the gym.

Unable to participate? Would you consider donating? It's for an incredible cause and like all donations it's tax deductible. You can pledge your donation to me here or if you prefer, feel free to pledge the donation to the CS Team in general! Last year my goal was $500, ended up raising $1,284.16, it'll be a little tougher this year since I'm not working at CS anymore but hey, no sweat! Thanks in advance!

Cycling 2007 (MS Bike Tour Recruitment)

(Photo from BikesDirect, my stem is already flipped =P)

Purchased a new bike, bibs, jersey, and helmet earlier in the summer but haven't been cycling as much as I did last season. It got somewhat boring taking the same rides all the time but with all the eating I've done in Buenos Aires and Bariloche, I definitely need to get some time on the bike when I get home. Also found a few other cycling nuts on the Seadogs (already rode once with Kwonie, kicked my ass) so I have some people to ride with now.

When I initially considered purchasing a new bike, I started researching gruppos first since they pretty much define every bike. With cars it's the engine, but in cycling it's the drive train since your legs are the engine. The two titans in this area are Shimano (Japan) and Campagnolo (Italy). SRAM is a newcomer based in America. Though they are established in the mountain bike industry, they are relatively new to road cycling. At the time I was conducting my research they only offered two lines, Rival and Force. I'm a big fan of competition so I was drawn to the SRAM Force Gruppo, the issue is that there are few bikes from the major manufacturers that feature SRAM components. Since I'm relatively new to cycling I haven't fallen into either of the Shimano or Campagnolo camps which made myself more open to SRAM's 'Double Tap' system.

With the gruppo chosen and the lack of Force equipped bicycles from the major manufacturers I considered building my own bike before coming across the Motobecan Le Champion Force from BikesDirect. I really wanted a carbon fiber frame (haven't been a fan of aluminum frames since my Mongoose Solution BMX bike, landing jumps on that stiff bike wasn't fun) but figured the carbon fiber fork would absorb most of the road vibrations. Besides I could just swap in another frame when I had sufficient time to conduct research (almost jumped in on the Pedal Force group buy). The current frame is a rebadged 2005 Fuji Team SL, a bit long for me but nothing I'm not used to, the Lemond Poprad was also a bit long for me. The price was below what I would have paid for the individual components and it still left enough room in the budget for a new frame and saddle. I must've bid on over 15 Specialized Toupe 143 saddles on eBay but haven't won any of the auctions. Trying extremely hard not to pay over $100 for one but may have to break the bank if I don't win an auction before the MS Bike Tour. Can't imagine riding for more than 50 miles on my current saddle.

Anyway I've been loving the bike though I tend to mis-shift at times and throw the chain off the front chain rings. There have also been other minor issues identified in the forums but I'm too much of a novice to notice. Naturally after I plunked down the cash for the bike, SRAM recently
announced a new gruppo slotting in above the Force called Red. All the components look amazing and are light, but my favorite piece is the new cassette. Though it's made out of mundane steel, the craftsmanship is impressive. Aside from the first and last cog, the entire set is machined out of one piece of steel. I want to purchase one just to put on display!

Shimano and Campy are also coming out with some fancy gear, both have been working on their electric shift systems (Shimano, Campy). Not sure what the benefits are with electric shift systems, any battery would definitely outweigh the benefits of losing any cables. Maybe it's like the paddle shifters employed by F1 teams. Having the machine shift for you is much faster and exact than doing it manually... think we still have a few seasons before they make it into production.

This season I also started wearing a helmet regularly, I've gotten quite comfortable with my snowboarding helmet and figured if I fell like I did while snowboarding when on my bike, I wouldn't be getting back up. Worth the money and hassle of donning the Giro Atmos every time I go riding. Naturally right after I purchased it, Giro announced it's replacement, the Ionos. Happens every time... the Livestrong foundation also sells it's own version of the Atmos, didn't think too much about the entire black and yellow set-up until I saw the photos of Lance and Edwards on some charity ride. The color combo looks pretty badass, looks like Edwards and his entourage of Secret Service riders.

While all my friends seem to be taking up golf, cycling is fast becoming a sport where networking and business can be conducted. Will snowboarding be next? Am I ahead of the curve? Who's interested in riding in the MS Bike Tour this year? It's an easy ride (30 miles) and you'll get to ride in traffic free roads (FDR, Lincoln Tunnel for example). Consider joining the Credit Suisse team! We are usually the largest team so we get our own private area. Lots of benefits! Use code tcweek07 to get the discount registration fee through Saturday! Jake, visit NYC during the week of October 14th so you can ride, we can shoot for the 100 miles! Alternatively if you would like to donate, please click here!