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von bikesnob28hb | 1. Juli 2011 · 22:07

On to Kaltern

Today’s stage, with 141km and 300+0m elevation gain, was the second toughest of the Transalp. Due to the length I started the climb to the Passo Tonale (600m up) very motivated but cautiously. David was some minutes ahead, then we had a huge blast downhill for 40km. Just the right steepness and nice curves. I jumped from one group to the next and felt like Jens Voigt. Then another rather steep climb followed by a very long climb to the Gaupenjoch where David and me worked together to make it to the top.

After another long and beautiful descent we worked together on the slopes of the Kaltern valley and put the hammer down at the last stretch where we overtook quite some riders. This was an excellent team performance, even better than our team time trial attempts in Saiko. We also achieved our best stage result yet and got the evening special price for least hours raced for combined body weight.

Our meat dinner was well deserved. We also detected evidence of Nagai-san’s previous activities here on behalf of Fassa Bortolo (see photo). Tomorrow is the last day at we hope to finish with a good showing.

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von bikesnob28hb | 30. Juni 2011 · 16:52

Real Food

David and Juliane enjoy some real food in Livigno – big steaks for
the whole team last night powered us up the ridiculously steep
Mortirolo Pass today, by the memorial to Marco Pantani, whose victory
there on a Giro d’Italia stage thrust him onto the world stage.

We had a good day today, MOB and I finished 173 in the Masters class
— our highest placing yet. I was glad to do the entire 1250m elev climb, much at a 15-20% grade, without putting a single foot to the ground. (Think 2x Kazahari
Rindo). I passed many walking/resting riders, and did not see many of
those we have finished with in recent days.

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Getaggt mit DJ, Juliane, Tabemono, Transalp

von bikesnob28hb | 26. Juni 2011 · 09:54

15 minutes before the start

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Getaggt mit Alpen, Berge, David

von bikesnob28hb | 25. Juni 2011 · 22:54

The night before

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von bikesnob28hb | 28. Februar 2011 · 13:04

New Parts

I just love the moment when I come home from works and a new parcel with some bicycle parts has arrived at my home during my absence.

This is part of the new handle assembly for my Peugeot Galibier. It will replace the current bullhorn handle bar. I am just waiting for the stem, so that I can replace the whole unit. I will keep the bullhorn with levers and cabling so it will be relatively easy to swop both assemblies. I just love the Tektro brake levers for its simplistic, light design.

New wheels. My Campa Zonda rims have been reduced to less than 1 mm width due to extensive braking in the mountains of Bremen. I was looking for something very light and a reasonable price that would be a match for my (body) weight. These wheels are advertised by Nelson Vails, so they should be just fine.

This one is not for me. Unfortunately. And with frame size 52 cm it is too small for me anyway. But I mange to buy this blue Chesini Criterium frame from 1996 for Hiroshi of C Speed who will covert it into something even more beautiful, I am sure of. Europe is a heaven of old steel bike frames.

I just love the headbadges of Italian bikes. My favourites are Bottecchia, Olmo, CIOCC and Chesini. The Chesini headbadge consists of a metal badge glued to the steering tube and a rather rough engraving with white paint above and below.

There is a bike show in Bremen on March 12 and 13th with a special exhibition about Italian classic steel bikes. I will send some photos later.

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Eingeordnet unter 2011, Bits&Pieces, Chesini Criterium, Moser Leader AX, Uncategorized

Getaggt mit Handles, SB, Tektro

von bikesnob28hb | 27. Dezember 2010 · 17:38

PEE (positivo espresso europe) winter report

The damp, grey days of winter are upon us so its time to dust down the winter bikes – scrape down mine really, cracking off the crust of mud from the last outing. However, PEE’s other member didn’t have a winter bike, so it was time to get busy with some banging and screwing.

Take one very pretty titanium frame (not unknown to another PE member), a pair of new SKS mudguards, a drill, a saw, a hammer and a sketchy knowledge of engineering. And you get this… British engineering at its best (thats right – the same engineering that gave you Rolls Royce aero engines….)

not enough clearance on the front forks. So some sawing, drilling

and three brackets reclaimed from an IKEA cupboard…

at at the back – more sawing and drilling, just one IKEA bracket and some cable ties

Not very pretty, but effective.

and here is the PEE clubhouse bike park. Two winter bikes, one fixie, one mountain bike (found in the garden – now repaired after MOB broke it!), Juliane’s BD1 and her trusty Kalkhoff (made from scaffolding poles). The summer bikes have gone south for the winter.

…and at the back you can just see the wheel that MOB broke.

Happy Holidays to Positivistos everywhere. See you on the road in 2011.

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von bikesnob28hb | 20. Dezember 2010 · 06:10

Multi-use Garmin

„…As soon as I got home, I turned off the Garmin. THE GARMIN!!! It was right in front of me the whole time. I quickly ran upstairs and plugged it in to my computer. “Please download! Please download!” I said over and over. Sure enough, it downloaded and the full telemetry of my ride came up, including a map and running time stamp of my ride. Clear as day, you could see where I stopped at the stop sign, where I got hit by the car, and where my bike came to rest. On the corresponding time stamp, you could see the speeds, the stops, and even where my heart rate spiked as she hit me. Then you could see when my bike was moved out of the street, then when I picked it up and fixed it and got it back home. All of it was on there. I called the police department to say I had this but they were reluctant to do anything. They said it was a matter for the insurance companies and refused to add it to the file. That left me a bit disheartened.

Nevertheless, I called the driver’s insurance company in the morning. Not surprisingly, the driver had already made a claim and insisted it was my fault. They wanted me to give my statement, which I did. During my statement, I mentioned the GPS telemetry. Instantly, the agent perked up and asked if I could send it to her. I told her that I was happy to send it to her in any format she wanted: a screen shot, several screen shots, the whole file, even the Garmin itself, anything she wanted. Anyway, I sent it to her and she was able to see exactly what happened, how it happened, and when it happened.

Within a day, the driver’s insurance took responsibility for the accident and I was able to get my bike fixed and once I was able to train properly again, I was back at it. Without my Garmin, I don’t know if this would have happened. It certainly would not have happened as quickly as it did. The insurance company was absolutely top notch. Once they realized what had happened, they acted swiftly and professionally. What proof would I have had without the Garmin? What would the outcome have been?

So, to our fans and followers out there who are thinking about using GPS, here is another important reason to use one. I am very grateful that I had it on that day, and grateful to the insurance company for knowing what they were looking at. I will carry my Garmin with me for much of the foreseeable future. Be careful out there.“

Why Every Cyclist Should Ride With GPS – Black Dog Procycling.com

Great story.

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von bikesnob28hb | 17. Dezember 2010 · 07:33

Ekiden Ride – January 2 – A Positivo Espresso Tradition (since 2008)

Save the Date.

January 2 is probably the only day of the year that any cyclist in his (or her) right mind would ride down National Route 1 from Kawasaki to Odawara then up to Hakone. Usually a miserable road, full of speeding trucks and unhappy salarymen trying to get back to base after losing yet another sale, on January 2 the outbound lanes are shutdown for part of the morning, just a long enough window for the outbound leg of the 87th running of the Hakone Ekiden (collegiate running relay), watched live by millions of spectators and nationally televised as well.

The runners start at 8AM in Otemachi, and get to Hakone – Ashinoko around 1:00-1:30PM.

Last year, reports indicate that a significant portion of the crowd was there just to see MOB and Manfred ride by in their JCRC „D“ Class Champion jerseys.

Two years ago we met in Kawasaki at 8:15 or so, and that worked out okay. This year, we will trade cellphone numbers ahead of the day, so we will not get into trouble if separated (as happened last year to some riders). The key is to stay far enough ahead of the runners so you don’t get asked to get off the road by one of the 20,000 police and 25,000 volunteers, but not so far ahead that you are riding in traffic. This is most difficult in the Kawasaki-Yokohama stretch, where there are frequent, long red lights (which must be respected, given the crowds, cross traffic and ever-present police). … I would not mind meeting somewhere beyond Yokohama Station this time, to skip the least pleasant part of the ride. Or start a little earlier and plan a decent rest stop after we get through Yokohama and out past Totsuka and onto Shonan coast/Sagami bay.

In any event, the main event is the climb from, effectively, sea level, at Odawara up to 875 meters elevation above Ashinoko. After Ashinoko, we leave the race and adoring crowds behind, head up to Hakone Pass, then take local Rte 20 (MOB’s „favorite road in Japan“) to Atami Pass, then burn up our brakepads on the descent to Atami Station, and hop the Shinkansen home (25 minutes to ShinYokohama, more like 40 to Shinagawa). Bring your bike bag (or let me know if you need one — I have a spare).

The 2010 report is here, or is it here, or here? Okay, there were at least 3 reports. Not to mention MOB’s more detailed explanation of the event and concept than I just wrote above, here.

And the very entertaining report from the Jan 2009 version is here.

There is no 2008 report. I did the 2008 version alone, and bailed at Odawara due to New Year’s lethargy and equipment issues (later revealed to be a small but growing crack in my titanium frame’s bottom bracket — now rewelded and serving as a winter bike for the PE London chapter.

For anyone who wants to bring less-serious or fit riders, the Odawara bail out is a very relaxed and easy option. For anyone who wants to ride further than Atami, there are plenty of other options, of course.

Details about meeting time and place to follow.

I will also post a link on the TCC site in case there is interest.

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von bikesnob28hb | 15. Dezember 2010 · 07:03