Cobra drop bar

Just in time for the race season: a sleek, ergonomic carbon road bar from Profile Design. Now I can finally clip on my aero bars properly. My previous road bar, an ITM flat wing, was very comfortable but not clip-on friendly.

The rose garden of Spa (le rosier spadois)

Le rosier is a monster: 5500m of mental and physical exhaustion. A highly recommended climb just outside of downtown Spa. Even though there’s some fan-tas-tic cycling to be had in the south of Belgium, tomorrow in a few hours I’ll venture into the cobblestoned hell of Flanders for more carbon-induced lactic acid.

Spa treatment

I’m about to escape to Spa for some cycling in the rain and downtime with my missus. Fired up the iPod with some unpresumptuous hip hop from the soul, de la that is. No bitties in my BK lounge.

Pop quiz

Did you pass the test?

Via Pieter

The most beautifullest thing in this world

Is maxing out on one of the Tour of Flanders ascents. Keith Murray may have been rapping about other things, but you haven’t lived until you’ve climbed the Berendries and other lactic acid boosters. Thanks to Jordi the human roadbook for a fab ride.

en vogue

Possibly the only thing hotter than the new Badu album is the 2008 Trek Madone. I’ve never been a Trek fan, but this design is dope!

Photo source: Bike Hugger. Review at Cyclingnews.com. Replace the Bontrager wheels and saddle with some Mavic and Selle Italia gear and you’ve got yourself quite the race monster.

the secret to a fast bike split is…

a teardrop helmet and body position. Here are some lab notes from the boys at the MIT wind tunnel:

80% of all the power a cyclist outputs goes into overcoming air resistance (the other 20% goes into rolling resistance, accelerating the rider and bike, etc.).
Roughly 75-80% of aerodynamic drag is due to the rider and only 20-25% is due to the equipment (bike, wheels, helmet, etc.).

And also:

A common misconception about equipment is that of the order of aerodynamic importance for aero-gear. Most think that the frame matters the most, wheels next, and helmet last. Some even think that the components come before the helmet. In reality, a well designed aero-helmet will save you more time (power) than anything else. The drag difference between a vented road helmet and an aero-helmet is 2-4 times larger than the difference between a good aero-wheelset and a 32-spoked wheelset.

In other words, if you want to go faster on the bike without investing in a TT bike, buy an aerohelmet (and learn to live with the ridicule of wearing one) and refine your body position.

Found on PezCyclingNews via 3coach.be.

Eifel hideaway

Spent the night in Daun, a small resort town in the West German hill country known as the Eifel. Wellness treatments for the missus, cycling for me. Random notes:

• Eifel. Great place to visit. Friendly folk, fair cuisine, good service, lush surroundings, lots of space, peace and quiet.
• Ideal location for burning fat. The hotel, which sat atop a 1k, 13% incline, had a pool, weight room, indoor cycling area and various running trails.
• Just down the road was a 400m, 21% monster which I climbed once before wisely calling it a day.
• Dined on goat cheese salad, sirloin steak and a soul-warming (and wildly underpriced) 2000 Hautes Côtes de Beaune.
• Paid a quick visit to the Ring on the way home before releasing my inner-Stig on the Autobahn.

living room bike fun

Bought myself some cycletrainers today. Comes with a bike thong (no, really it does). My ‘Sartori Pro Tour’ trainer is now sittin’ pretty in our living room. And it only took me an hour to set up. Bob the Builder I ain’t.

2008 Wilier Izoard

French for ‘foaming at the mouth’. In case Wilier is looking for test drivers, I’m game.