Monthly Archives

March 2023

News March 28, 2023

New Garmin Beta Process Actually Works – 13.09 Is Available

I haven’t had a chance to dig into the new Beta yet, just installed it about 5 min ago. But the news here isn’t all the good stuff below. It’s that their new process for getting Beta firmware works, and my approach for knowing to check for it also works 👏. The big thing that stands out here is “Added Wrist Based Running Dynamics”, which was a feature that launched with the…

Blog March 20, 2023

Have a Specialized Mirror Saddle? You might need to skip the Chamois Cream.

I ran across a post on Reddit the other day where someone claimed that they were told that using chamois cream with the saddle might destroy it. That seemed really strange to me, because the Venn diagram of people who buy expensive 3D printed saddles who’s entire reason for existence is to enhance comfort, and people who use chamois cream is probably a circle.…

News March 20, 2023

Garmin Changes Beta Program

While I didn’t have an issue with the previous Alpha/Beta processes, I can see how the implementation narrowed the usefulness to the data collection process. Complexity limits the number of people running the updates, fewer people means less diversity in testing. The TL;DR here is that you won’t need a computer to get the updates. But the process is still manual, in that you need to check for updates on the device;…

News March 16, 2023

Hypershell Seems Like a TERRIBLE Idea

I might be missing something here, but this Hypershell thing seems like a terrible idea. It’s difficult for me to stress how horrible this appears to be. To be clear, I don’t mean that it won’t work. It probably will, at least if you define “work” narrowly, and briefly, enough. It appears to provide lift/press assistance to the upper leg. But there are two huge problems with that. The 1HP (peak) output…

Blog Featured March 8, 2023

Comprehensive Carbon Wheelset Warranty Breakdown

I like to think about the the cost differential between a “premium branded” carbon wheelset and lesser known brands (also referred to as “Chinese wheels”, although I’m not a fan of that term) as breaking down into two categories: extra insurance and signalling.…

News March 3, 2023

I like big bottles, and I cannot lie…

Trek’s got back… or, sorry, 34oz water bottles for sale on their website. So I know that size shouldn’t matter, but I don’t understand the fascination with tiny water bottles. Dehydration isn’t cool, it impacts performance, and I don’t care about Rule #52. Things that make you slower, are stupid. Putting more water on the bike makes sense on so many levels, unless you have a team car following you to hand…

News March 2, 2023

Garmin Releases Forerunner Epix, er…, 965

If you love the Garmin Forerunner 955 form factor, I’m more of a fēnix guy, but lusted after the AMOLED display on the Epix, or Venu models. The new Forerunner 965 is the thing for you. There are also a bunch of new software features, but those are coming to the 955 (and probably the fēnix/Epix as well) in the next feature drop. Overall, it looks solid, and pretty. I’ve never been…

Blog March 2, 2023

Continental GP 5000 S TR Redefines Tight

First, I want to say that I really like the Continental GP5000 TL. It’s a fantastic tubeless tire. Fast, puncture resistant, durable; sure some of them were a little snug, but nothing crazy. But I recently picked up a couple GP5000 S TR, because it should be just as awesome, and Conti, we need to talk.…

Featured Guide March 1, 2023

Install 2022+ Trek Speed Concept Handlebar Base Tower

I needed to add some height to my bars. Figuring out the right part was a little harder than I expected, we’ll talk about that and show how to install the taller base towers.…