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Featured Review: Bontrager Race X Lite AC Clincher Tire
by Minnesnowtan

Price Paid: $60.00 at Lutherville Bikes
Review Date: September 12, 2009
Used product for: 3 months
Overall Rating: 5 of 5
Value Rating: 5 of 5

Bike Setup:
Specialized Sequoia (alum w/CF Fork), Alex rims (oooh..), Sora 3×8 gearing (aaah….) Topeak rack & trunk bag.

Summary:
I was looking for Race X Lite Hard Case but somehow got the Race X Lite AC. The labeling mentioned flat protection and the sales guy played that up in a big way. In the store, I thought that the AC was “HC” for hard case. I had previously bought a set of Bontrager Race Lite Hard Case tires in 32mm for my hybrid, and they never went flat. So I liked the Hard Case label, and maybe I am a bit of a Hard Case too.

This was my first time ever installing a tire without a wire bead. It didn’t form a U channel in which to pour in some baby powder. It was weird, but I figured it out and got it on properly. That was at home on the couch, I don’t want to do it again on the street, but I could. I may not have to.

After a few hundred miles of riding, (some limestone trail [NCR] and lots of road) the tire looks almost like new. The is a scrape of some rubber, but it is minor. I do recall a time or two where something hard shot out from under my tire, and that abrasion is probably the result.

In contrast, my front tire (Specialized All Condition Sport) has soft tread that gets a lot of small cuts, one of them currently open and gaping (but still small). Although the front tire has been around longer than the Bontrager, it is certainly less than 1,000 miles old and makes the Race X Lite AC look pretty darn good.

Recommended pressure is 100-130 psi, so I stay at 100-110, as I am a fairly light 160 pound rider. The ride seems the same as with the previous tire (Specialized All Condition Sport, which handles well enough but is a hole-magnet), maybe slightly less grippy than its soft treaded predecessor. But it is very similar in handling from what I have experienced so far, and that is good.

My front tire needs to be replaced (due to its small gaping cut) and I may put another Bontrager Race X Lite AC on it, but this time in 25mm rather than 23mm. I may be commuting to downtown, and want something that grips in the wet and is flat resistant as well. If anyone else has experiences with this (or other) tires, please post reviews so that we can learn from you.

I rated this overall as a 5 because it has done all that is expected of it so far, and value a 4 because bike tires should not cost what car tires cost.

Strengths:
It has been doing well for 300 to 500 miles so far, and on some rough roads, downtown Baltimore city streets (such as the Hanover St bridge which has a lot of debris on and near it).

Weaknesses:
$60 for a bike tire? I can get a good, and I mean very good car tire for $66 new online. Other than the price, not enough time with the tire to find any flaws, if there are any. The LBS who sold me this bike aren’t thrilled to see Bontrager on my wheel as opposed to Specialized. Oh well

Similar Products Used:
Bontrager Race Lite Hard Case in 32mm on my former bike, a hybrid. I started club riding on it, never a flat. Had trouble keeping up, but no flats.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships will return to Greenville, S.C. for a fifth consecutive year in 2010, with new dates set for September 18-19, 2010. The Championship weekend features the USA Cycling Professional Time Trial Championship on Saturday and the USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship on Sunday.

USA Cycling, Inc., which owns and sanctions the event, has extended the licensing agreement for 2010 with Medalist Sports, a sports management company that specializes in the planning, promotion and production of professional cycling and fundraising events. Medalist Sports has produced the Championships since 2006. The Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships is part of the USA Cycling Professional Tour, a men’s-only, season-long calendar comprised of UCI events that determines the best professional rider and team on American soil. It is also one of 17 national championship events that USA Cycling, Inc. sanctions across five disciplines in the sport for amateurs and professionals.

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Atlanta – Team Type 1 will field a versatile roster sprinkled with international flavor and experience when it begins its third season as a men’s professional team in 2010.

In 2009, Team Type 1 won 55 races, finished fourth in the National Racing Calendar (NRC) standings and captured the King of the Mountains title at five races, including the Tour of Missouri. In two seasons, the squad has registered 100 victories and 219 podium (top three) finishes.

Team Type 1 is the world’s only professional cycling team with a roster that includes riders who have Type 1 diabetes. Established in 2004 by Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge, the team strives to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes.

Southerland said the team’s previous success paves the way for an expanded racing calendar in 2010 that will include competition in North and South America, as well as Europe, Asia and Africa.

“We have had two great years with a great group of guys,” Southerland said. “The beauty of our team is the impact we have. With this roster, we hope to leave a long-lasting – and winning – impression on people around the globe.”

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A national program is offering race promoters the opportunity to send their top amateurs to the 2010 edition of the Nature Valley Grand Prix (Minnesota & Western Wisconsin, June 16-20) to compete against the country’s top men and women professional bicycle racers.

Entering its third year, the “Nature Valley Pro Ride” will select amateur men and women at regional races around the United States to become part of a pair of Nature Valley composite teams for the 12th annual edition of the five-day stage race that begins June 16.

The Nature Valley Grand Prix is the top ranked event on the 2010 USA Cycling National Race Calendar (NRC), attracting tens of thousands of cycling enthusiasts, pro athletes and avid recreational riders to Minnesota.

“This is a chance for a race promoter to raise the participation and visibility of their event at no extra cost,” Nature Valley Grand Prix Race Director David LaPorte said. “As for the riders who are selected, they can look forward to racing in front of huge crowds and being treated like a rock star at our event.”

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WATERLOO, WI–A bike designed for the people has been recognized by the people. After weeks of online voting, the Trek Lime was awarded the 2009 “People’s Design Award” at the 10th annual National Design Awards presentation ceremony held the evening of October 22nd by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in Manhattan. The Lime edged out 197 other nominees for the prestigous “public choice” award, and joins the ranks of past recipients such as the Zon Hearing Aid and Tom’s Shoes. The award was presented to members of Trek’s engineering and industrial design teams by culinary and television personality Tyler Florence.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by an institution like the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt,” said Trek Brand Manager Eric Bjorling. “There are a lot of people who put their heart and pride into the Lime project and this is validation of that dedication.”

Introduced as the answer to the millions of American adults who do not ride a bike, the Trek Lime bike was the first to feature Shimano’s revolutionary Coasting system. At the center of Lime’s design is the reminder that riding a bike should be as enjoyable today as it was when you were a child. With its comfortable, upright riding position, automatic transmission and pedal brakes, Lime is designed to ride the way we did as kids — spontaneously, socially, and to experience the sheer joy of motion. Lime is the ideal bike for the casual rider who wants a fun, convenient and stylish way to run out for a cup of coffee or a breath of fresh air.

MIRAMAR, Fla. - Who dares to believe they can keep up with seven-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, on a bike? Well the people behind Clear2Go, the sports water bottle with a replaceable filter, are giving would-be cyclists around the country the opportunity to do just that.

From October 26th through December 7th, 2009, fans, amateur spinners and fitness buffs can enter for a chance to win a one-on-one bike ride with Lance Armstrong in his hometown of Austin, Texas by going to www.Facebook.com/C2GoRideWLance and entering the “Ride with Lance Sweepstakes.” Participants can earn additional entries by uploading photos of themselves in keeping with the sweepstakes rules and photo entry themes explained on Facebook.

The grand prize winner and a friend will receive an all expense paid trip to Austin where the winner will get a personal bike ride with Lance and their very own TREK® bike to ride and keep.

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LOS ANGELES, CA – The host cities for the record-setting Amgen Tour of California professional cycling road race were announced this morning via a Twitter exchange that took place shortly before 9 a.m. PT between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and some of America’s most accomplished cyclists, including Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and George Hincapie. This marked the first time an event of this stature has ever been announced via Twitter.

Along with the overall announcement of the race, the four cyclists also revealed their intentions to participate in the fifth-annual event, considered to be America’s most important and prestigious cycling race.

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong’s announcement of his intent to compete in the fifth-annual race was met with enthusiasm from race organizers and fans. After mounting an incredible comeback to professional cycling in 2009, competing in the Amgen Tour of California and other top races around the world, including finishing third in the 2009 Tour de France, Armstrong will start the 2010 season on his newly formed Team RadioShack. Returning to the Amgen Tour of California for the second consecutive year, Armstrong is expected to be a top competitor in the race.

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California will travel to 16 host cities throughout the state over the course of eight days from May 16-23. After four years of being positioned in February, the date change will allow the Tour de France-style road race to visit locations that wouldn’t have been possible in February, including the very first mountain-top finish in race history.

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Pedal Force TT2 Time Trial Frame Pro Review - By Steve Cooper

Targeting budget minded cyclists, Pedal Force has dominated the performance/value segment with frames that handle on par with bikes costing many times more. Their TT2 Triathlon/Time Trial frame, list priced at $900, is no exception. In performance terms the TT2 surrenders nothing to its higher priced brethren, and from an aesthetic perspective the TT2 is alluring and draws lots of attention at any event.

For the review, Pedal Force supplied their large 54.5 cm carbon weave frame with a mid-level component package and matching fork, seat tube clamp and teardrop seat post. At 1420 grams for the frame, 460 grams for the uncut fork and 260 grams for the seat post, there are lighter time trial frame packages but with careful component selection and a little deeper budget an ultra-light TT rig can be built.

Fully assembled, our TT2 just surpasses the 17 pound mark, very respectable for a time trial bike. With a 75.5 degree seat tube, 73.0 degree head tube, and 980 millimeters axle to axle the TT2 is a steep, triathlon/time trial specific ride. Top tube lengths match seat tube heights for the full range of frame sizes. The large frame provided enough seat post shaft length to match my road seat height to bottom bracket axle of 32.5 inches. While there is another inch of seat post above the minimum insertion point, I feel as though I’m at the outer range of the large TT2’s fit window.

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Los Gatos, CA - ROCKTAPE, the leader in kinesiology tape for athletes, has added two new Triathlon-specific products to their series of Active-Recovery tape.

ROCKTAPE’s Active-Recovery (AR) series of tapes are designed to enhance performance and recovery, and engineered to meet the demands of endurance athletes like runners, swimmers and cyclists. Unlike regular compression garments and tapes, ROCKTAPE’s AR series can be used both to apply compression to promote recovery, or decompression to relieve pain and swelling.

The newest addition to the ROCKTAPE AR series is Instant Message tape, or IM TapeTM, which comes in two colors - IM Yellow and IM White. Both tapes are ‘message ready’. Using any black permanent marker, athletes can write race age or numbers on the tape, and families and friends can write personal messages on the tape as a way to show support.

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BERKELEY, Calif. – The Bay Area’s cycling social event of the season, the NorCal League’s CycleFest 2009 will feature the CEO of Slipstream Sports, Jonathan Vaughters, as its special guest at its main annual fundraiser, a three-day gathering, November 6-8 in Mill Valley.

Vaughters, said, “It is an honor to be invited speak at the NorCal CycleFest. Two of the pro riders on the Garmin-Slipstream team, Lucas Euser and Steven Cozza, raced mountain bikes in the NorCal League, and so from the perspective of somebody like me, the importance of a program like NorCal’s cannot be overstated. I am delighted to support it and urge everybody reading this to add their support too. This is the future of cycling in the USA.”

Vaughters, formerly a Europe-based pro rider, has a reputation for fostering talented young riders and helping them through the difficult years when they progress from the junior level to ground zero in the senior ranks. The philosophy of his team has always been to do things differently while maintaining a strong ethical position, to which end he pioneered a transparent, drug-free cycling team early in the new millennium.

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