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Featured Review: Hutchinson Fusion 2
by JJsKHS

Price Paid: $25.00 at chainlove.com
Review Date: October 20, 2009
Used product for: 6 months
Overall Rating: 5 of 5
Value Rating: 5 of 5

Bike Setup:
Giant TCR C1, Ultegra, Ksyriums

Summary:
I ordered a pair of these this past spring after reading positive reviews and finding a deal online. Little did I know what kind of value I was getting.

I have ridden 2,000+ miles on these tires and raced on them about 10 times. I won’t attempt a superficial ride quality quantification other than to say “they ride swell”. They have never slid out in fast crit corners or crazy descents, even in wet conditions (taking proper precaution of course).

They have also not flatted once. In fact, the only time I have had to pull them off the rim is when my crappy tubes have ruptured at the valve stems. By the way, the ease in which you can pull these tires on and off the rim can’t be overstated. I hardly needed to use levers even when they were brand new.

My pair are starting to show their wear and I’ll be replacing them soon. They have all sorts of miniscule cuts in the center tread from a season of abuse and the sidewalls are starting to fade (still, never a flat from the road). And I am 100% positive I will replace them with an identical pair of Fusion 2’s.

These tires may or may not stand toe to toe with your $60-$70 boutique tires, but for what it’s worth, they’ve more than proven themselves to me. All season long, through rainy races and over patches of gravel on my most ridden routes, every time I’ve looked down I’ve been reminded of the stubborn quality of these Hutchinsons. The name is ingrained in my mind as I have praised these tires to my riding buddies all season.

Not to mention that they also look really sharp.

Strengths:

• durability
• a child could put them on a wheel without using levers
• solid cornering grip in both wet and dry conditions
• looks

Weaknesses:

• Hutchinson is a weird sounding name (seriously, that’s it)

Similar Products Used:
Michelin Pro2Race

By Eric Kenney

I get this question often this time of yr. “how do you NOT train?” Especially for the competitive cyclist or triathlete who has been racing all summer, sometimes every weekend, not training hard and racing all the time can feel very strange.

The Off Season:
First off I want to stress the word “OFF” in off season. Off means Off! The first and most important aspect of your next season is being totally fresh and completely motivated for next season. Now is the time to start that process.

Less is better here. Catch up on work, family, and drop off the bike at the shop for a tune up. Have them check it over for cracks in the frame along with full safety check. Racing is very hard on your equipment. The key with this faze is to make sure you are 110% ready to start training come the start of your program. The under trained, over motivated athlete will beat the perfectly training under motivated athlete every time! Come the beginning of “base training” you should be itching to train. It should be all you think about, so when its 20 degrees and freezing rain, your pumped up and ready to put in a solid training effort! This is also the best time to sit down with your coach and/or teammates to discus what your goals will be for next year. How did you perform this year? What was good? What was bad? What will have to be different with your preparation for 20, etc

Here are five easy steps for an effective off season.

1. Off time:
Take an extended time of ZERO training. This will be deferent for every one. 2 weeks for some, 2 months for others. How ever much time you need to be totally rested and motivated to train again.

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Featured Review: Brooks Swift Titanium
by Iasonas

Price Paid: $280.00
Review Date: October 26, 2009
Used product for: 2 years
Overall Rating: 5 of 5
Value Rating: 4 of 5

Bike Setup:
Raleigh Supercourse (1973)/ Raleigh Interntionl (1972) / Medici Pro (1990s)/ All campy Record 10 speed system.

Summary:
This may be an unorthodox way to start, but very few would be the alternatives on what I would put on a classic 1970’s Raleigh. Those were coming with Brooks B17 actually but still, this saddle suits them much better. I think that it is either the most beautiful or at least one of the handful of those saddles that really look beautiful. When it comes to looks I was also considering the San Marco Royale, but the idea of riding on leather to me was not exactly that of having a plastic layer underneath. Once heavy thick leather breaks in, it is a different situation. The surface level softness is not really my aim when it comes to a saddle. The Swift takes way too long to break in. You need to work on it a lot and use lots of that proofide (not a lot at once, but a thin layer at a time). I also used a fair amount of leather wax in the beginning (wax based shoe polish also), which did not do as good a job as proofide. A B17 breaks in within a month or so. The swift may take at least 1000 miles and a number of proofide applications for you to sense the initial change. In the meantime you get used to the harder ride and you appreciate how well it is contoured. I can feel the bounce of the titanium rails more than that of the leather!

This saddle is not for everyone. It is for those of us that have the patience and the will to break it in and form it, and in the meantime for us to adjust to it as well. It is the saddle to use if you want to have those sudden bursts of acceleration and be able to slide on it. In the beginning I needed good padding. Now, I can easily ride it without any padding. The swift will likely never become very soft. It is not meant to be. It is a classic performance saddle. For randoneuring it may be slightly hard even after break-in. Like a thoroughbred horse, its elegance and grace are unmatched, but it will not do for just any type of riding and it takes patience and work to get it there.

Strengths:

• Beautiful just to look at.
• Once it breaks in it is comfy.
• Titanium rails have great elasticity.

Weaknesses:

• Takes patience and time to break in.
• Expensive.

Similar Products Used:
Brooks B17

The BMC Racing Team today announced the signing of current World Professional Road
Champion Cadel Evans to a three year contract. This partnership will create mutually beneficial
opportunities for both the current World Champion as well as the BMC Racing Team.

“Cadel brings a wealth of experience in the Grand Tours to the team.” BMC Racing Team President
Jim Ochowicz stated. “As I said earlier, our team will have multiple chances to measure ourselves
against the greatest teams in the world. We are pleased that we will have the opportunities to send out our most successful riders, now including Cadel Evans, to tackle these challenges,” Jim Ochowicz
added. Cadel Evans compliments the current team roster that consists of seasoned professionals and
young emerging talents.

Winning a Grand Tour
Cadel Evans took second place in both the 2007 and 2008 Tours de France. Now Cadel Evans wants
to win a Grand Tour. “Cadel Evans heard about how our team was expanding by signing big-name
riders like George Hincapie, Alessandro Ballan, Marcus Burghardt, Karsten Kroon and other strong
racers, and this news immediately fired him up with the idea of riding for such a flexible, engaged and
passionate team,” explained BMC Bicycles owner and BMC Racing Team co-owner Andy Rihs. The
thirty-two year old Australian cyclist who lives in Switzerland is looking forward to building a newly
fortified program with the BMC Racing Team. Cadel Evans believes the BMC Racing Team will help
him accomplish his goal of winning a Grand Tour.

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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.

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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Stage 10 Results
1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam - 3:56:19
2 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
3 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Saxo Bank
4 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana
5 Adam Hansen (Aus) Columbia-HTC - 0:00:29
6 Francisco Pérez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 0:00:31
7 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale - 0:00:37
8 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Saxo Bank - 0:00:39
9 Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Française des Jeux
10 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step

General classification after stage 10
1 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 40:26:41
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto - 0:00:07
3 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank - 0:00:36
4 Tom Danielson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream - 0:00:51
5 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas - 0:00:53
6 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi - 0:01:03
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-NGC - 0:02:04
8 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia - 0:02:24
9 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Astana - 0:03:01
10 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale - 0:03:13

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Stage 9 Results
1 Gustavo César Veloso (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia - 5:21:04
2 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre-NGC - 0:00:21
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 0:00:40
4 David De La Fuente (Spa) Fuji-Servetto - 0:00:41
5 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
6 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto
7 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas
8 Javier Ramírez (Spa) Andalucía-Cajasur - 0:00:53
9 Joaquím Rodríguez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 0:01:12
10 Tom Danielson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream

General classification after stage 9
1 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 36:26:40
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto - 0:00:07
3 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank - 0:00:36
4 Tom Danielson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream - 0:00:51
5 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas - 0:00:53
6 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi - 0:01:03
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-NGC - 0:02:04
8 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia - 0:02:24
9 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Astana - 0:03:01
10 Juan José Cobo (Spa) Fuji-Servetto - 0:03:08

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Stage 8 Results
1 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-NGC - 6:04:54
2 David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - 0:00:33
3 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank - 0:00:36
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto - 0:00:44
5 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
6 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
7 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale - 0:00:50
8 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas
9 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia
10 Joaquím Rodríguez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne

General classification after stage 8
1 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto - 31:05:02
2 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne - 0:00:02
3 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi - 0:00:08
4 Tom Danielson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream - 0:00:13
5 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank - 0:00:29
6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas - 0:00:46
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-NGC - 0:01:26
8 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Astana - 0:01:37
9 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia - 0:01:46
10 Juan José Cobo (Spa) Fuji-Servetto - 0:02:03

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