The new wheels

There are so many wheels to choose from even after you narrow down the type of bike you want to ride. So many people ride hybrids, mountain bikes, and road bike to get around town. I have even seen people use full suspension mountain bikes to ride in the city.

I prefer a road bike design. My previous frame was more of a racing frame and it broke(and it was 25 years old). This frame is a more sturdier touring frame. It is probably better for daily commuting. I would ride a hybrid but I think it is better served for shorter commutes.

But, all that aside it was time for the new wheels. The old ones served me fine but I was having them trued every two months, more my fault than the wheels. But, as time goes by I have found that the wheels need to change because my riding is not.

The wheels I have picked out are the deep v design type made by Mavic. More specifically they are the CXP-33's. The deeper aero design is what cyclist call "bomb proof." A lot of people prefer the Velocity Deep V rims but I think that they tend to be more trendy than just plain out great rims. The Mavic's are better built. Their rims are also lighter and welded at the seems as oppose to being pinned like the Velocity Deep V's. This gives a seamless construction that doesn't seperate are the joint over time.

The hubs are made by Surly but I do not see any clear cut difference between them and some of the others in that price group. Maybe because I am not an expert but I can say that most hubs do very well when taken care of. Right now I have what some would call crappy hubs(Suzue Basic). I would say they are great for the money. I rode a 102 miles on them in one day and over 1000 since I have had them. Furthermore, I bought them used.

The last point is when you buy something like this try to use your local bike shop. You might be able to save 20 bucks online but when they fail you will look like an ass when you want your local bike shop to fix them. Especially if you asked their advice on what to buy in the first place. Plus, developing a good relationship with your local bike shop will probably save you tons of money and time in the long run.

Well, they come in next Friday. See you on the road.

Not much to say

I have had a rough week. My wife has been looking for work for a month now and nothing is going on.

As a birthday present I am getting some new wheels. I will post a pic this week.

My internet was broke for a week. I will start blogging more consistently now that it is up and running again.

My Bike and cross training

This is my bicycle. It is always evolving. I am hoping for some new wheels with my tax return. The carbon fork is a new addition that was picked up a couple of weeks ago. The bike before this was was tragically broken and the frame was replaced. Its a great commuter bike.

I ride fixed for the most part. For the next two weeks I will be riding single speed due to a leg injury. I hurt my leg riding fixed. Which leads me to the next part!!!

Cross training is very important. I didn't realize how much your muscles develop unequally when you do not workout other than riding. When my leg started hurting I went to the doctor and he said that my tendon was irritated. So I went to the bike shop to see what they thought. The first thing he asked was what kind of cross training I was doing. I said none and he laughed. So, in short the problem is slowly and painfully being corrected.

Now I am stretching after rides more consistently and concentrating more on my core. If you pick up any Bicycle Magazine you will see a whole section every month talking about different exercises to do. Its a good place to start. I would also talk to your Bike Shop and ask what they do. If they ride they will have all the answers. If they don't ride you need to find a new bike shop with actual cyclist that work their.

New Blog for KC

With Inauguration Day around the corner, the city falling apart, and another year amongst us I thought I would try my efforts at a blog.

Not much to say about me. I am very opinionated and I like to cycle. I know Kansas City is a horrible town for cycling. But, in its defense it has some of the best cyclist, die hard commuters, and greatest bicycle shops in the country.

It has the worst schools and some of the most one way city leaders but it has some of the kindest people too. Maybe this blog will be an outlet for something outside of Tony's KC and for something more positive. Maybe someone will even read it and say something I said was a good idea. Or...at least help me figure out where I am wrong.

One thing I hope to do is at least show the city like I see it. Outside of the confines of the cozy downtown office or from your car on the morning commute. And not from what you hear from the sometimes disconnected Kansas City Star. One thing I am lucky for is in my profession I get to see a lot of people in the city. So, this is how I see it on the street and in first person.