Old friends and old bikes are often what we cherish most. My 2005 Specialized Sirrus Pro Disc is one of those bikes that I have enjoyed for the past five years. While I am waiting on the completion of the muse, I have been putting more miles on the Sirrus. I rode this bike on the 2005 and 2007 Dalmac. I remember the 2005 ride for how easy it was, my dad and I were on the East route. I remember the 2007 ride as the year I did not have the time to prepare, and paid in pain tickets. Same bike different experiences. That is what I love about this bike.

Who was the hobgoblin of the Brittany moor?

Known as the hobgoblin, Jean Robic was one tough bastard. He crashed during the 1944 Paris-Roubaix race and finished with a fractured skull. His short stature and crash prone riding style led the press to largly ignore him. Robic was best known as the winner of the 1947 Tour de France. He did not capture the Yellow Jersey untill he finished in Paris. Robic was one of the only men in history to race for and win the yellow jersey on the ceremonial final stage. Robic was one of the greatest cyclo-cross racers of the 1940's. He was a French Champion and the first World Cyclo-Cross Championship in 1950.

May Showers

It has been raining much in northern Virginia. Finding the time to ride has been fleeting. I am looking for that double rainbow.

The 50 minute challange

Today, my good friend Aaron called to tell be that his first ride of the year netted him 11 miles and it only took him 50 minutes. Ok, very good. I can do that easy. I couldn't wait for my ride today. 95 degrees no problem. I managed to go 11 miles in 47 minutes. I was very thirsty by now and took a drink of my water. It was quite warm. I was now now about 8 miles from home, another drink and it felt like bath water. I didn't want any more water. Total for the day 19 miles 1 hour 30 minutes. Your move..AP

Road Muse Unobtainable

This is my 4 wheel muse. A gulf blue 2008 Vantage.

That's my indoor bike

While the Seven is relegated to the floor, I have been out riding the Specialized Sirrus. The Sirrus has one year of Dalmac experience. I like the Sirrus, and it does everything I need. The Seven has not been forgotten and has received a few new accessory's this week. A Fi'zi:k seat bag, and a carbon water bottle cage.

When to Ti and when not to Ti

Can you guess which bolt is made from titanium in this photo? The bolt on the right is Ti. When is it right to use a Ti Bolt? I have developed a formula over the years. W(weight in grams) x L (lenght in mm) = X. When I was a kid I had no Idea what titanium was, I just wanted to go fast. My first bits of titanium were for my cherished Klein. A 118 bar from Bontrager, and some Titanium crank bolts.

Actually, there is no formula... and in most cases an aluminum bolt is lighter and less expensive. I will use titanium for bolts over 20mm and when soft aluminum threads are not strong enough. I needed a solution to allow me to use my Reynolds Ouzo Pro seat post. I went from a M5x30 Stainless bolt to a M5X35 Ti bolt to solve my thick carbon-fiber seat rail issue. The titanium saved me 5 grams at a cost of $15. You can make your own formula to figure out if titanium is worth the cost.