Power and Cycling
I am a truly powerful cyclist, No… no I don’t have a power meter to prove my power out-puts and nor should I have too, but if SRM, CycleOps, Speedplay etc, are reading this post I would love a power meter to add to my list of cycling equipment. (Polar need not apply)
I must admit that I am not an above average cyclist. Due to being a tall cyclist I have a huge amount of experience in solo efforts off the back of a bunch. Now I’m normally off the back of the bunch as I feel that breaking away out the front isn’t enough of a challenge as chasing. I’m also a shy introverted person and fame would not go well with my personality.
For me I love a good chase. Very rarely do I deliberately allow myself to let the door open on a bunch ride. It generally opens when I switch off or have a brain fart. Brain farts with me area very common thing, hence I tend to do most of my riding solo (please note I called it riding and not training – training would refer to me having enough motivation to take up racing).
How do I know I have awesome power I hear you ask…. well I managed to have a 14 tooth sprocket on my cluster shatter, disintegrate to pieces. Now this is due to intense power output.. no doubt!
As the cluster was a Campagnolo Record 10 Speed cluster and Campaganolo being one of the companies that I sponsor (Yes I buy their products – they have not yet seen my true potential as a non professional social cyclist) Yes Campagnolo I
believe you should sponsor Tall Cyclist. Well if not sponsor then put me down as a heavy weight component tester program. Oh I’ll give you feedback when things go
wrong. The single piece of the sprocket I did manage to find has taken pride of place on my key ring so that I can remember daily about my awesome power output or complete single sprocket failure. As a Campagnolo product evangelist I will go with the awesome power. Sure maybe the cluster had been on the bike for more the 5000km and was due for replacement at some point (Due to a new cycling budget – this had been postponed!).
I would also like to point out that the clustr or bike had not been cleaned for the pictures. I keep my machines as clean as possible at all times. The “Bike Cleaning” post is to follow soon.
Giant XTC Advanced 2009
I have always been a fan of Giant Mountain bikes. Just this week I have now become a true believer in the Giant Bicycle Company. About two weeks ago I was having a chat with Wilson (no not the basket ball from “Cast Away”), he asked when I was coming out for a Mountain bike ride with him. 
Now I’ve had a problem with my XCT C1 from day one, not a huge problem just a small vibration coming from the rear brake. As I was running through the vibration issue Wilson (who is works at a local bike shop who’s website I run for them) said they had the same issue with another customer and Giant replaced the frame!
I wasn’t after a new frame but he did say to drop it off and they’d have a look at it for me. We changed the rear brake assembly and disk rotor and the vibration was still there. So a new frame is sent from Giant under the warranty. Within 5 days the frame had arrived and has been built. The new Giant XTC Advance composite frame looks great. The only negative is it’s only a 20’ frame (making it a Large) my old XTC C1 frame was a 21’ which was a touch small for me, the new frame is now to small altogether and is going to be sold.
The differance is due to the the largest frame made on the replacement warranty frame is a 20′. I’d love to keep it but no point if I can’t ride it. see below the before and after shots. The XTC C1 had only been ridden around 300km, most of it on bike paths!
Before: 2007
Giant XTC C1
After: 2009
XTC Advanced 2009 Frame
When Retro just isn’t Cool
When a work colleague takes up cycling I’ve always found that offering them encouragement when they first start is the best approach.
When they come to you and ask about carbon bikes and advise on other components and accessories you start to feel like the old wise man sitting in the corner.
But if you work with me…. it’s not an option to leave you bike in the office while you are out at a client site for the day. Please be advised I may or may not have been involved in what you are about to see.
May I introduce the Sold By: Schafer’s Cycle Works, Grafton NSW 1990… no 1980… wait, oh look I’m tipping it a 60’s – 70’s model frame, when men where men and technology was a steel works with a brand new Blast Furnace and steel tubes had just started rolling out of the steel mill. They made a prototype.. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the “Schafer”, purchase price AUS$200 in 2009 (if you had held onto this from the original day of purchase it would have been considered a profitable investment)
The Schafer has a few core features I need to point out at this time, along with its supreme weight ratio and Shimano
component she has the following no longer… let’s just say utilised features
“Retro Gear Shifters”, not only set in a uniquely functional location for ease of use but cast in aluminium which was revolutionary for the time of this creation. I must admit the modern 105 brake calliper upgrade where a safety requirement as the old brake could not contain the sheer weight and braking power required to bring this stead to a halt.
So when you work colleague asks you to take a look at there bike for the first time, and you are like me presented the flag ship upgrade from the “Penny Fathing”
please be kind. Offer those words of encouragement I started this write up with, 
In my case I used something along the lines of “it’s a starting point!” when on the inside I was thinking, “My word.. what a boat anchor” or “its worth more as scrap metal based on its weight”
The additional lack of a feature was a gears, I was amazed to see a six…. yes you read that correctly.. a (6) speed cluster on the back. Now when I was a kid… oh going back 25 years, I’m pretty sure my Dad had this exact setup.
But to look at this form a positive perspective another cyclist may have been born, if he keeps training on this baby he will be one of the strongest climbers to ever take to the road. Now to the point of this write up. If you work in an environment that requires work mates to let off some steam every now and again, I’d suggest you keep your (in this case) pride and joy out of the office. I or maybe even another individual would have been seen riding the sled through the office, and at the end of the day when you return to the office some additional bling may have been added.
The carboard homemade front basket really did it for me, the amount of value add it brings is truely priceless.
On Top of the Savoie
A view from the top of a climb we did on Day 2 of the six day Mancation, Please use the mouse over the image to view the complete picture. It’s a panoramic shot… enjoy!
Moving the Troops
Being a cyclist, and the only person in the office that has a serious addiction to spending large amounts of cash on anything and everything to do with two wheels (that does not have an engine). The people I work with tend to send me a ton of cycling related spam. On this occasion I must admit I had to post this picture.
Moving the Troops
