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Masters Cycling is the new magazine for "geezer jocks"

Extra. Extra. Read all about it. Get your old geezer cycling news right here.

Yup. GeezerJocks, LLC. is publishing a new cycling magazine aimed at the gray-haired set. The magazine is called Masters Cycling and will be published five times a year.

In all seriousness, what do you think about this?

On the surface, my first thought was that this is completely ridiculous. Do old people want to read about other old people? I would think they are just like everyone else who enjoys reading magazines and seeing images of people doing unattainable things with unattainable bodies. The whole celebrity culture is built on this very premise.

On the other hand, one of the largest generations of Americans, the baby boomers, is on the verge of retirement. And they are one of the most active generations of old people. These are not people that will wither away into the sunset. No. Many of them will be cycling.

So maybe this is a smart move?

I really don't know. Any baby boomers out there that might shed some light as to whether this is a good idea?

Oh yeah, I just realized that the magazine is really only for older men, what, with the title of Masters Cycling and all. Who's going to cater to the older women? What about Mistress Cycling? Oh, yeah that has a different connotation. Come to think of it Mistress Cycling might be a great idea, but it would have to be one of those sexy calendars, however. You can have the idea, but I get a percentage of the royalties. ;-)

(Via FutureLab)

Crank Brothers is at it again, going to give Chris King a run for the money

I'll tell you what. Crank Brothers is fast becoming the premier high-end bike component manufacturer out there. Give them a few more years and I think you'll find every major bike part or accessory has been reinvented by this crew of design mavens.

For 2008 they've announced several new products, including wheels, headsets, a new single speed crank, and a seat post.

While none of the new designs are as game-changing as their pedals were when first introduced, they are aesthetically beautiful. Only time will tell if they can hold up to day to day abuse.

Headsets

About time someone give Chris King a run for the money. I've never understood the fascination with headsets, but here you go Chris, some genuine design competition.

Single Speed Cranks

Now these are downright gorgeous. Clean looking and very minimalist modern. Kind of like my Ikea kitchen, but with more fit and finish. Would go nicely on my Monocog 29er, but cost almost as much as the bike at approximately $300.

Wheels

Now I've seen this hub and spoke design done before, but it sure does look clean, doesn't it? The only trouble for me is that there are just two colors, Cobalt Blue and Opium Red. I prefer a more subdued wheel and let my riding do the talking (yeah right), but that's just me.

Seat Post

It's not clear to me if Crank Brothers bought the Speedball seat post line from Maverick or simply licensed the design, but they do plan to continue development of this innovative seat post that let's you lower and raise the post depending on the terrain. Shrewd move on Crank Brothers part, after all there are only so many innovations that can come to the seat post.

So let's see...the Crank Brothers lineup now consists of the following; pedals, cranks, bottom brackets, wheels, headsets, and seat post, not to mention accessories like pumps, hand tools, and cleats. So what's next? Skewers and hubs sold separately, handlebars (maybe buy the design of one of those crazy Mary, H, or Jones bars)...what am I missing?

(Via Cyclelicious)

Tour de Brew Mountain Bike Race - 2 out of 3 ain't bad

That's what I'm talking about! A race that brings two of the three major components to sustain a happy life. All that's missing is the sex. That's right I'm talking about bikes and beer.

Sure you've been to fat tire festivals and hauled your coolers of frosty cold ones out to the 24-hour race campsite, but have you ever raced through a brew pub? I didn't think so.

Now you can, ladies and gentleman...at the Tour de Brew in Allentown, PA (via Smithers). Which, by the way, is part of the Lehigh Valley and is quietly becoming a mecca of all things cycling.

But I digress.

Why didn't anyone think of this before? It's absolute genius. Why not bring your mountain bike race right through a brew pub or bar? Maybe even grab a pint on the way through. It would be great for us also-rans that end up in the bottom third of the field. Our new excuse..."yeah I would have podiumed, but they just broke the seal on a new keg of IPA, I just had to give it a try."

DNF would be a badge of honor.

Testrider.com while promising, launches prematurely

I get a ton of press releases in my inbox daily. Most of them silly, but a few catch my eye. The other day I received a press release from TestRider.com a new site that will provide video reviews of bikes and accessories from experts and let users rate and decide.

Sounds cool, so I checked it out. The site was featuring a video review of the new 2008 S-Works Transition Time Trial bike. While the review was well produced and the reviewer seemed credible, it felt more like an infomercial than a review. I don't want to be overly harsh here since reviews are difficult to do well and nobody does them perfectly, but I would like to provide a bit of constructive criticism since I'd like to see this site do well in the future.

Why should we care?

Quite simply, it's time the bike review evolves into three dimensions and breaks beyond the 2-d world of the printed page in a magazine, the gratuitous "sneak-peek" bike porn photos found on blogs, and the sometimes hit-or-miss reviews of MTBR.com. Yes. Testrider.com is on to something with their professional quality video reviews and user ratings, but they need to hold back their launch until they do most of the following:

1) Give us all sides in your reviews; pros and cons, not just the pros. Of the four reviews currently on the site, there were no critical words about any of the products. The reviewer seemed to give the new Sram Rival road gruppo a perfect 10. What will the higher-end Sram Force group get, an 11? Give us the con side too and a basis for comparison.

2) Change that proprietary video viewer out for one that's shareable. For one thing, it's too small and there aren't enough user options. But the main thing is that it must be shareable if you want it to become viral. Better yet, post it on YouTube and embed their viewer on your site. People will find your site through YouTube and spread the word for you.

3) Each review should have it's own page with the video embedded and written specifications as well. How about some links to where you can buy it? This could even mean additional revenue to TestRider.com if it uses affiliates.

4) Allow users to submit video reviews as well. It looks like user reviews are planned for the site, but I would recommend that they be more than just user ratings for products you review. Maybe hold contests for users to submit their own video reviews and you'll get more content faster and a more highly engaged user base.

Ok...there you have it. My four-step plan to help TestRider.com take the bike review to the next level. I'm sure a lot of hard work went in to the four reviews that have been completed already, but you need to temper the excitement and take a deep breath. This press release was a bit premature. Maybe implement a few of the suggestions here (and possibly in the comments) and hit the streets strong in a couple of weeks. I think it will be welcome.

2008 Kona Bikes preview

I'm officially declaring Kona part of the big four five bike manufacturers. That's right, their lineup of bikes is every bit as comprehensive as Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, and Giant. Sure we don't see their road bikes in the Tour de France - yet - but, Kona attacked the market from another angle.

Clearly most well known for their big hit bikes, Kona has really rounded out it's lineup in recent years. They've also shown that they can react to trends quite quickly as they were an early adopter of the 29'er and have fixies, cruisers, and commuter bikes - all very hot right now - in their quiver.

The Dirt Rag blog's got the goods on all that is new for Kona in 2008. Most notably for this 29'er cross-country aficionado is the expanded line of 29-inch wheeled bikes. Says Dirt Rag, "they now offer 4 models; one singlespeed, two hardtails, and a new 2.5” travel dually."

The Hei Hei 29 (pictured above) looks fast and is intended to be a lightweight cross-country dual-suspension bike. It's made from the same lightweight Scandium as the 26-inch Hei Hei and looks worthy of the race course.

Good stuff from Kona. Just need some more retailers to carry their stuff (at least here on the east coast) and they should see excellent growth for years to come.

Giant introduces new 2008 Giant Trance X, still no 29ers

It's getting to be that time of year again when bike manufacturers start wooing the press with their latest secret projects straight from the lab. Somehow Singletrack Magazine always seems to be on top of these things.

So the big news from Giant in 2008 is that they filled a hole in their lineup of mountain bikes. Yup, looks like the most exciting thing we can expect next year is the new Giant Trance X. The Trance X is a "trail" bike with 5 inches of travel and sits between the original Trance (with 4.2 inches of travel) and the "all-mountain" Giant Reign.

Now don't get me wrong. This looks like a nice bike. It's got the Maestro suspension design that Giant introduced a few years ago to much fanfare and many favorable reviews, and the reviewer at Singletrack seemed to have a blast riding it.

But I've got to wonder if this is the best Giant can do?

A few years ago Giant made a gutsy move and canceled their contract with Performance Bike. They did this - so the analysis goes - to get out of the low-end compete on price cycling game and move up market. A good move for the long term, I'd say. They began innovating again and the Maestro suspension was an excellent demonstration of such innovation.

One big question remains, however.

Giant, do you have any plans for a 29er lineup? It is simply hard to believe that despite the major bike media's desire to suppress the enthusiasm for this segment of the market, Giant is content to grow their revenue with a business as usual strategy. They must believe that their competitors Cannondale, Trek, and (now even) Specialized are making a strategic blunder adding 29ers to the lineup.

So here are my questions for the readers...

Am I crazy to think that to be a major player in the bike business a 29er lineup is required?

Where do you think Giant stands on the continuum of major players in the bike manufacturing biz?

If you believe, like me, that without a 29er strategy they are on the way out, who will take their place near the top? Kona? Santa Cruz?

Update July 3, 2007: The Dirt Rag blog's got more details on the 2008 Giant lineup for those that are interested.

Bike Magazine and Dirt Rag start blogs

The biggest problem magazines have in this Web 2.0 world of citizen generated media is that by the time their publication comes out each month the news that they report is already old. Bloggers and forum participants have already discussed and analyzed it all before the magazine even goes to print.

Nevertheless, magazines have a role to play in that they have considerable resources that the everyman blogger does not. One of the biggest advantages is that they are able to attend numerous press events, trade shows, festivals, and races. This gives them access to breaking news and information as well as the ability to interact face-to-face with industry insiders. Its the monthly publishing cycle, however, that limits their ability to leverage this advantage over the many bloggers out there trying to keep up with happenings in the sport that they love.

How do you solve this problem? Why, start a blog, of course.

Well that's exactly what both Bike Magazine and Dirt Rag have done. Good for them too. Now they won't be letting that first mover advantage go to waste. This is a great move for each of these publishers as I am sure that over time they will find that the blog will only serve to bolster their credibility. In addition, the blog will serve to humanize the magazine a bit more. While there is no doubt that the magazine itself takes on a personality of its own, it is sometimes difficult to get a feel for the individual voices that do the writing. Not only that, but readers will be able to comment in real time which will no doubt help the writers of feature stories for print get an idea of how people may react to certain points of view, product launches, news, etc.

Ok...enough pontificating. Here's what I suggest. Now, keep in mind each of these blogs is brand new and have not yet hit their stride. Head on over for a visit and subscribe to the feeds as I have done. In a couple of months I'll do a follow up and we'll see where they stand.

(Photo via Flickr)

World Naked Bike Ride in a city near you this weekend

While I'm on the subject of naked cycling, Michael Green of BikeBlog reminds us that the World Naked Bike Ride will take place this weekend. Nearly 70 cities around the world will be taking part in this peaceful ride to "to celebrate cycling and the human body. The ride demonstrates the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and is a protest against oil dependency."

Here's a trailer to the 63 minute video titled "Indecent Exposure to Cars," which documents past World Naked Bike Ride events.

So this is my question. Do you think these types of events achieve their goal? Do they really bring the right kind of attention to help change minds? I'm all for getting together and riding naked around the city (done legally with permit and all), but do it for the fun and frivolity of it all. I have to wonder if these kinds of protests only serve to demonstrate to the wider public that cyclists are just a bunch of crazy anarchists?

Floyd Landis competes in first mountain bike race in 9 years, doesn't fare well

There's being in shape, cycling shape, and then there's mountain bike shape. I don't care who you are or how fit you may be if you haven't been mountain biking in a while, you are going to struggle.

Such was the case for Floyd Landis, yesterday at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado. While there were a few notables - Ned Overend, Travis Brown, Jay Henry, and Ross Schnell - the field of elite men was not especially competitive. Despite this, Landis only managed to muster a 36th place finish and was passed by Shonny Vanlandingham who started four minutes behind and won the women's race. (Via VeloNews)

He blamed his lackluster finish on the time off the bike during his doping hearing, saying:

There were quite a few weeks when I rode a reasonable amount, 200-to-300 miles a week...Then that hearing; I didn't ride at all. You're sitting there. The next thing you know, you're eating doughnuts and you don't even care. It was awful.

Now sure, if he ate one less doughnut and kept the training going he would have fared better, but I'll bet he wouldn't have cracked the top 15. It's going to take a lot more than miles on the road and good eating to compete with the big boys in the pro mountain bike world. In the 9 years that you've been away Floyd, mountain biking has grown up and the elite mountain biking world does all that, plus they get dirty.

Let this be a wake up call to all those past and future Tour de France winners out there (Lance are you listening?), that you can't just turn around and think you'll start dominating in the mountain bike world without even trying. This is not a game you can play in your retirement.

Still, it would have been fun to watch the Lance and Landis showdown at Leadville, even though they might have been competing with each other in the middle of the pack.

Read my letter to Lance Armstrong after he backed out of the Leadville 100.
Read my letter to Floyd Landis admonishing him for scaring Lance.

2008 Shimano Deore XT preview - better than XTR?

Just about all of your favorite major media outlets have a preview of the new 2008 Shimano Deore XT group set online right now. I believe Singletrack Magazine was the first to get its preview up, but Bike Magazine also has a good write-up.

To me, the XT group is the poor man's XTR. But ironically it usually is a better choice than XTR if weight is not your only criteria. The system is simply more durable. I'm of the mind that Shimano's XTR group really should be considered for the pros only that have a troop of people maintaining their bikes. They've got the money, time resources, and incentive to bend parts back in place or replace worn cogs after every hard race. If you take your riding seriously, but don't make a living from it, you are better off with XT.

Funny thing is that every few years it seems that Shimano releases the XT group with even better technology than it's flagship XTR group. I can remember reading a magazine's recommendation to go with XT way back in the 90's because of it's advances over the (then) current XTR, and this year may be no exception.

The most notable advance on the XT for '08 is the "Shimano Shadow" rear derailleur. Essentially the Shadow is a reduced profile derailleur that draws the hanging mechanism closer to the rear cogs and out of the way of danger. In fact, the entire derailleur is behind the quick release bolt so it is protected from damage if the bike crashes or is dropped on it's right side. (See the side by side profile comparison photo - notice the Shadow version is on the right).

Of course the group maintains many of the characteristics and options that Shimano brought to market with the 2007 XTR group. For more information I recommend the following from the GC archives:

• Overview of Shimano's new XTR group set with options explained
• Explanation of dual control and low normal shifting