We all knew that Shimano was bringing 12 speed to the road, and it’s finally here… What comes as a surprise to me, is that they updated both the Ultegra (R8100) and Dura-Ace (R9200) groupsets at the same time. Wireless receiver is now in the rear derailleur. One one hand, this means you don’t need a separate D-Fly to integrate with the bike computer, but on the other, it means that Shimano…
August 2021
Lynskey GR300 vs Giant Revolt vs Road Bike
I get asked frequently whether I like the Lynskey GR300 or the Giant Revolt better, this video discusses that and a little bit of “if I can only have one bike” question vs a road bike.…
Graeme Obree
As a relative newcomer to the sport of cycling, there’s a LOT I don’t know about what’s come before. Last night, as I was swapping the BB in a friend’s bike, and complaining about UCI regulations for TT bikes, he mentioned Graeme Obree’s story. I found the video that he shared (linked below) very interesting from a historical perspective, and oddly comforting as I discovered that the UCI was just as strange…
Garmin fēnix 6 Firmware 19.10
A massive jump in major version since the last “stable” release of the Garmin fēnix 6 firmware. Annoyingly, they haven’t released the binaries for the adventurous, and I haven’t been able to make Garmin Express deliver the goods, so I’m still running the 18.80 beta. The major version change sort of makes sense given how many new features were added, although, I’m a bit confused by the number of jumps. The change…
Ribble Announces Ultra SLR / SL Aero Road Bikes
There’s a lot to like about the Ribble Ultra SLR / SL, and one niggle. Looking at the frame, you can guess, in an educated way, that it’s going to be fast. The shapes are right, and the tire gaps are tiny. Big claims are made around the cockpit, and they’re probably right. It will be very interesting to see how those play out in independent testing. Normally, this is where I…
To ERG, or not To ERG, that is the question
TIL – there is a diversity of opinion around whether using ERG mode when doing a structured workout is a good thing. Maybe because I’m biased, I wasn’t able to find much actual argument against it (best I found was this), and a whole lot for, in a nuanced way, (another Slowtwitcher), albeit mostly from companies who have made a business selling structure for the smart trainer. Personally, I have a really…
Check HR Sensor Battery Level
I find it really annoying that my Garmin doesn’t warn me when the battery for my heart rate (HR) sensor is getting low; it does for every other battery powered device I have connected. This is my workaround for that, fortunately the battery usually lasts a long time, so I don’t have to do it very often. …
Horribly Hilly Hundreds 2021
I originally signed up for the HHH last year, and when it was canceled I deferred my registration for this year. Unfortunately, their signup was early in the year, you know, back when COVID vaccine availability was still a nebulous thing, so I ignored it… Well, karma intervened; I won’t be punting on what will certainly rank among the most challenging things I’ve done… Wish me luck, and if you’re at the…
Another nail in the Keto coffin
I have lots of opinions. Some of them are well-founded, other’s a bit more fluid ;). I do try to keep on top of the important ones, with the idea that as the best available information changes, it might be necessary to change my opinion as well. This is not shaping up to be one of those cases. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t think that Keto is a great diet for…
Ride Across Wisconsin 2021 – one day / 228 miles / 22 mph average
The 2021 Ride Across Wisconsin (RAW) is the most epic thing I’ve ever done. This video attempts to break down the ride as it happened for me, discuss what I learned from doing something at this scale, and the observations afterwards. Dave Blodgett’s Donation Page Welcome: 00:22 Getting Dropped: 6:38 Recovery: 8:56 “Winning” RAW: 10:55 What I learned: 12:28 Observations: 15:43 …