Best part argument

by schmalz

Where’s the love?

After last week’s venting of the e-spleen over bad bike parts, we’re going to turn the page of our fuzzy, pink padlocked diary, and start a fresh page.  This week gives us a chance to demonstrate our devotion to those special parts that have found a place in our hearts. The question is simple and direct, what was the best piece of bike equipment you’ve ever had? 

 

119 Comments

Anonymous

are definitely standout items. Unfortunately though, I don’t think I improved at all. Very hard to define it and there are so many variables. I might have become a better racer over the years and so I am able to be more competitive. Faster, I doubt.

Anonymous

by Exte Ondo

Tiger Balm

handmade silk tubs

Troxel aerolid

corncobcassettes

biopace

avocet cycloputer

GP4/GL330/GEL280rims

double leather straps

Rossin custom track frameset

anything Keirin Certified

karlwithak

a good coach who bases you training on how to win

any classic video (one that has Bartoli or VBD winning are better)

these two things will help you more than anything

Anonymous

IPod Shuffle, Trainer, SMP Strike Saddle. Would not be able to ride during the winter months without the first 2. Strike saddle for me is the best thing on my bike.

Anonymous

American Classic 4 drum rollers. The 2 small rollers in the front provide great resistance. I’ve had them for 15 years and they still run smooth.

Anonymous

Amazing, that thing wipes EVERYTHING off…you can clean your frame, tires, chain, even 2 weeks old bird crap on your car…and of course not to mention a baby’s butt…scary to think what’s in that stuff

schmalz

With the Kreitlers, I bought mine used in 1992. I’ve replaced one belt.

Costco baby wipes are a gift from the heavens.

Anonymous

mavic ksyriums are a solid investment. certain bike snobs have their (legit) gripes about mavic’s constant marketing-driven gimmickry and their products’ lack of user-friendliness when it comes to maintenance, but ksyriums stand up to more abuse than the majority of disposable crap pumped out by the bike industry. they’re one of the few pieces of equipment that you see on the road for more than a couple seasons. 2009 ‘s second tier model is basically the top of the line from a year or two ago only 200 bucks cheaper.

Anonymous

‘xactly. kysriums suck b/c the hubs suck. neuvation and performance sunglasses, the only way to go

Anonymous

Man, one set of my Mavics have taken me like 20k miles and I swear to God I havent even had to true them once except when I crashed once and had one wheel re-trued then. Those things are bomb proof. Crazy hard. Also really light. Not clear why I would spend over $1k for carbon rims that can and will eventually crack and are generally heavier when I can ride Mavics and have the hard and light benefits and lose a touch of aero that doesnt matter to my ride style anyway. Mavics rule and I wont buy anything else after my experience so far. If the hub squeeks – mine has never – just replace the bearings for $50 and keep riding…thats no reason to avoid.
Chris M

Anonymous

I’ll second (or third or fourth) Ksyrium SLs. Just a bomb-proof set with minimal issues. And they look great. Worth every penny.

Fizik Arione? Not feeling that one – literally. Mine was a taint crusher. Made me feel like Zack Efron by the end of FBF races.

Anonymous

the invention of any nutrition bars/gels.

years ago i can remember being handed this random flexible plastic-like thing at a road race one day, wrapped in shiny foil, by a company rep promoting their new product. it was straight out of the life cereal commercial: “try it, you’ll like it!”

it was a powerbar.

Anonymous

tried to eat a powerbar, almost broke my teeth…clif bars or gels a better choice in the wintertime.

Anonymous

is my bitchy wife. The more she goes off, the more I’m motivated to get the fuck out of the house and train/race – which has been more and more and more. Works really well.

Anonymous

bar and stem…carbon for those parts are overrated..they are not as light, they cost a lot more…and one crash, they are done. You get more out of aluminum stuff.

Anonymous

Without bikereg.com, we wouldn’t know where the races would be or how to sign up…without NYvelocity.com, we would not know how cool we could look when racing

Anonymous

first CX
Merckx Addidas Shoes with laces, “custom” drilled for “Mavic/Look” pedal…
Cinelli 1A stem
66-44 bars, or 65-42 for crits…

Anonymous

Was a work-a-day sport back then, and now the races are slower, on expensive plastic slide rulers…

Anonymous

It’s your wife. Get the f–k back in the house and empty the dishwasher. And while you’re at it, you might give some thought to paying those bills that are stacking up. And I don’t care if Lance Armstrong is at Branchbrook this weekend

Anonymous

billy mays cracks me up, but not as much as that video. that was hilarious, i was dying the entire time

Anonymous

Ain’t nuthin like a cold steel hardtail! with the right gearing it can fly with the best of the roadies out there! by the way I love this website! y’all yankees sure crack me up! I invite any of y’all to come on down to north florida for some fried okra and possum!

Anonymous

shimano u-brake
“SIS” shifting
Winning magazine
funny bikes
podium girls in italy or spain (my girlfriend’s idea)

ps, headsock you took most of my ideas!

encore: any 1990’s cycling video.

Anonymous

BAHH!! … goddamn … used to be workaday … now justa buncha … goddamn SLIDE rulers … plastic … goddamn …

what?

Anonymous

please stand up, please stand up…

Bunch of mamby-pamby nut huggers…

Toe clips and wooden shoes (or was that wooden rims?), now thats bike racing!

Steel is 4rizzle my sizzle-brizzle-shizzle!!!

Anonymous

hemingway could throw the f–k DOWN in a sprint. drunk, bearded, no leg warmers… it was awesome.

Anonymous

From AVD site: “Every Week a Sexy Overall Leaders Jersey is give out”

Is it sexy? Like with nipple holes?

Anonymous

I love my specialized toupe saddle and I also have the ass of a third-world dog. Some people testify by the arione. I tried the arione and it made my penis and nuts go numb. Is there anyone out there whose ass is compatible with both saddles?

Anonymous

is a DB. Cmon, a 50 pt bonus because you pre-reg for the series? That jersey is meaningless. mmmwwwaaahhhh!!!!!!

Anonymous

Uh….what is the difference between a 3rd world dog’s ass and the ass of a dog from a first-world country?

Anonymous

like i said it reflects the organization of his races, and the goons that race in them, “assclown.”

Anonymous

to contrast AVD’s website and email with the missive that was sent out by CRCA this AM. Mike Green’s clearly written and focused letter reminded us that using Central Park to race comes as a privilege. AVD’s races have the appearance of rolling potential trainwreck.

Anonymous

A**clown if you don’t like the way the promoter is running the race then don’t do his race then.Just email A**clown remarks you email Gangster hide behind your little computer and think of stupid stuff to comment on.A**clown.com

Anonymous

Did someone just use the word ‘missive’ on this thread? Seriously?

(I prefer e-pistle*, myself, when referring to a missive sent via electronic mail.)

*That coinage is trademarked, b1tches, so keep your greasy mitts off of it.

Anonymous

assclown, i don’t race the spring series for that very reason. wouldn’t touch it with a 10 foot carbon fiber pole.

Anonymous

“Every Week a Sexy Overall Leaders Jersey is give out”

SEXY TIME! JAGAMESH!!! I LIKE RACE BIKE. I LIKE SPECIALIZED TAUPE SADDLE. SCHMALZ HAS HAMSTRINGS LIKE WIZARD SLEEVE.

Anonymous

The race is made by the racers, and the same guys in the spring series are in the other races too. You should be grateful that anyone lets you fill a pack.

Anonymous

the use of missive in this lowbrow neighborhood. Perhaps a diatribe or soliloquy to follow this weekend’s races. Let us now set forth from the Park de Central and make our speedy rounds on our steeds banishing the forces of age and darkness.

sincerely yours,

AVD’s Ghostwriter

Anonymous

Spring series rocks, critics that don’t race it have no weight. Unless you can organize, don’t criticize!

Anonymous

If you vote with your feet do you go to the polls barefoot or do you wear flip flops? If you ride there, do you wear those stupid Shimano SPD tevas?

Just wondering, foot guy.

Anonymous

I’m allowed to criticize the poorly run and slipshod management of the Spring Series. Just as I’m allowed to compliment Charlie for his races I’m allowed to criticize AVD for his. Then again like many consumers I vote with my feet and choose not to participate.

Oh, and given 50 pts. for a full season sign up is just silly. I just hope that Scot returns the jersey out of a sense of honor. And he will, he goes to Columbia. They’re the smart kids.

Anonymous

$25 per race, or $30 “late” fee, x # of entries of all catz(50-200?) = $big$, maybe … $1250-5000??? times # of races, over Spring…8, 10??? Could he really be making $50,000 for crap 2 months?

How much does a permit cost?
Are marshals “paid”?
How (high) many pace vehicles?
Ambulance?
Maybe $500

Anonymous

same lame winers post every year, bro stop nickle and diming race organizers, if it was such a get-rich-quick scheme, there would be many more than two organizers competing for race dates.

as for points for prepayment, maybe it benefits those who budget better but if you’re really going for points, you’ll race every race and prepaying saves you money, and gets races going on time so where’s the beef? I think AVD should make it pre-reg only, like some other races…

Anonymous

you try setting up for a park race at 330am..and I’m sure his expenses are higher than you think…insurance, for example? Not that he couldn’t make a better website, post results a little faster etc…not everyone is on it like Charlie I…but i’m pretty grateful that there races where you don’t have to spend a whole day driving there and back, and spend $50 in gas and tolls on top of the entry.

people need to stop bitching. We have it pretty good here.

Anonymous

Oh yeah, once the Spring Series wraps up AVD just retreats to his Hamptons idyll

You guys are nitwits.

Anonymous

You would be there to see him pay the marshalls.It isn’t cheap. Don’t forget insurance, 5 bucks a rider. I doubt he clears a big profit. Capitolism at it’s finest. Find a niche and fill it. If there was no demand there would be no spring series.

Anonymous

If you don’t like it, then move to Springfield, XX and ride a Wed night crit in the Dildotronics parking lot. Or don’t race. And if you think it is so easy, try putting on a race in CP.

Anonymous

the only reason he is there is that NYC is a bunch of saps that will eat whatever is spoonfed because so many are completely apathetic, and will never put on a race. That is why there are so many subteams, duh, no need to put on a race…it isnt for the social aspect, or the super team support, composite teams (Wilmington, Mt. Holly, etc);
they are all cat? waterbottleprimescumbuckets…the only team in CRCA that is a team is Empire. Sakonet is gone, they were great, Kyoo did all he could, Foundation is a band of IDKW…
The rest completely have lost the plot…

Anonymous

“lost the plot”

Your plot I assume …

“completely apathetic”?

… and that differs from your attitude how?

“waterbottleprimescumbuckets”?

Wow. You’re with the times. You omit spaces for effect.

Can anyone just get their head out of their ass for one second and just ride their *ucking bike, enjoy this awesome sport, and keep their inner voices to themselves?

If there is one thing I’ve noticed when hanging around great riders, is that their is minimal BS. You don’t get great by walking around like a prissy, bitter, grumpy, twisted, graying curmudgeon. Revenge is great motivation, but having a loser’s monologue pulsing through your head is probably why you sound like the “In My Day” guy from SNL, and why you ride like him also. If you’re a young guy, then it is even sadder.

Training Tip: Steer clear of NY Velocity comment threads. Negative energy effects your riding and racing. For riders new to NYC, stop the NY Velocity habit EARLY before guys like this sour your enjoyment of the racing. Trust me, it happens all the time. Each year well meaning guys with a passion to ride walk the other way when they realize just how many tools are in this shed. Resist the temptation.

Bike racing is a vicious, inspiring, beautiful sport. Poetic almost. All this crappy “back in the day” bull crap is the antithesis to that. Race. Have fun. Don’t get wrapped up in this. Seriously, you know those convicted child molesters who still go to pre-teen beauty pageants or boys gymnastic competitions? That is exactly like these prissy weirdos who have nothing better to do that take a local scene seriously.

You can almost see them in their bib shorts, rag in hand, waiting for some local promoter to post results for a FUN park race, and being left with a 10 year case of blue balls because they’re never going to upgrade to the 2s, and their wife is screwing their “coach”.

Anonymous

I agree that the CRCA system does kind of foster an entitled atmosphere for some. Most people in the club’s contribution to putting on a cycling event is standing at a pole in CP twice a year, and there are those who shirk that. Having to work with a team to volunteer and put on a race would diminish a lot of the whining. It’s hard work, and you wind up having a lot of respect for the people who do it.

No disrespect to the people who work very hard for CRCA, because there are many.

Anonymous

why would i want to put on a race?

it’s like saying if you like watching movies you’ll have to direct one every year.

Anonymous

Why would you want to put on a race? Who do you think puts on races, jackhole? Pixar? Racers do.

Anonymous

The cut-out on that thing is badass. At 200lbs and having gone through a few saddles, the SMP keeps the blood flowing to THE most important piece of equipment every man on this planet owns. Will never go back to a saddle that isn’t shaped like the SMP.

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