Easton Velomax Vista SL Wheelset Sucks

So a few posts ago I talked about the Tirreno Razza 900 bike I got from Performance. I still love my bike, everything is great, except for the wheels. Now I know that I am 250 lbs, and I know that I ride a minimum of 75 miles a week. I ride hard. All of these thing shouldn't matter for a good aluminum wheelset.

So what happened? It all started a few months ago. I was riding to work and I hear this loud noise.  I figured I had just rolled over a rock and it plinked off my frame.  No biggie, just a little chipped paint.   But then I heard a sound like plinko, the spoke had broken.  These are beefy looking spokes, but the nipples are not double butted, that doesn't matter.  The spoke had broken about 10 mm above the nipple.  Not at the bend, and not in the middle.  I took it in, the guys at Performance were great, they suggested that maybe there was a defect in one of the spokes.  OK I thought, stuff happens.  They replaced the spoke and off I went.

Two days ago, I was riding home from work, this time I was on totally smooth pavement, the plinko game in my back wheel started up again.  I just knew it was the replacement spoke.  What are the odds of multiple spokes breaking?  But just as I had hoped it wasn't, another spoke had popped.  I had been told several times by friends that the Mavic Open Pro wheels are the best for hard riders, so when I took the bike back to Performance again, I bought a new wheelset.  I'm still waiting for it to come in, but I'll post about it when I get it.

The problem?  I have a pair of 5 or 6 year old Ritchey DS Pro wheels on the Specialized I bought from a friend a few years ago.  I rode that bike hard before I got this one.  I have never broken a spoke.  I bought a vintage Italian steel bike, I rode that pretty hard before it got stolen, I never broke a spoke.  I bought a pair of Mavic Kyserium (sp?) wheels for my mountain bike and the spokes have never broken.  Even the cheap wheels that I replaced with the Mavics never broke, came out of true, sure.  But popped spokes, never.

Basically that wheelset sucks.  I'm looking forward to riding the open pros.

Vinokourov "Vino" Wins Stage 13 at the Tour De France

"Stage 13: Alexandre Vinokourov is back

So, Alexandre Vinokourov is back in the Tour de France but exactly who will win in Paris is still unclear as we enter the final week. Depending on who you speak to, it will either be Michael Rasmussen, Cadel Evans, Alberto Contador , Andreas Kloden OR Alexandre Vinokourov! It looks unlikely to be Levi Leipheimer now but he has kept his hopes alive by moving up into fifth place."

- Versus.com

After the crash early on, I held out hope for Vino, although there were many others who wrote him off. Even if he can't win, his continuance and persistence through injury is a testament to himself, as well as his country of Kazakhstan. I am throughly impressed and motivated by Vinokourov and team Astana. He is truly inspiring. I hope they continue to impress.

giro di peninsula

Sunday I rode the 100k in the Giro Di Peninsula. First I'll tall about how my bike did, then I'll talk about how I did.

My Tirreno Razza 900 did pretty well. After about 50 miles the pedals started making some unpleasant noises. The scratching sound from my rear axle didn't get any worse. I noticed a chip in my carbon fork, and it's clear that the Isis platinum bottom bracket won't last too long. I'll need to get the MegaQuad bottom bracket.

I guess it is just dirty. I'll need to clean and lube the pedals, I'm a little worried about the chip in the fork since I have heard that damaged carbon forks are suspect, but maybe that was only the old forks.

As far as me. I am stronger than I thought I was, but not as strong as I'd like to be.

London to Close 9 Miles of Roads to Encourage Cycling

London is serious about climate change, I wish our cities would take cycling specifically, and the environment generally more seriously. However, even though it isn't here, its good to see someone trying to change transportation habits, even for just one day.

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