Staring at this Alcyon

Waiting for coffee...

I spotted this Alcyon!

photo Cyclingart

Last Sunday's fun Frfuggitivi made a welcomed stop at Musette Caffe for a delicious cortado. 

As I waited for my cortado I curiously looked to my left and discovered this beautiful Alcyon bike! What a beauty! Of course, you must look pass the obvious rust and imagine a sleek racer from the early 1900s.

The French Alcyon cycling team was associated with a winning tradition. It started in 1906 and spun Tour de France champions; Francois Faber (1909), Octave Lapize (1910), Gustave Garrigou (1911), Odile Defraye (1912), Nicolas Frantz (1927, 1928) and Maurice Ed Waele (1929). 

I hope Thomas will, one day, re-store it.

1928 TdF avec Alcyon bikes:

 Leducq leads Frantz.

via bikeraceinfo.com

1986 Tour: Bauer Power!

Bauer Power!

I remember fondly when Steve Bauer first rode the Tour de France in 1985... he finished in 10th overall - it was phenomenal. He spent 17 days leading in the young rider's classification and Canadian fans would be screaming, 'Bauer Power!'

Journalist, Robert Zeller from the Globe and Mail was one of the handful of reporters dispatched to cover Bauer in his inaugural Tour. His daily reports - were important reading, opening Canadian fans to the Tour and making Bauer an instant cycling hero.

This is a superb image of Bauer riding one of the two TT stages during the 1986 Tour, his second year as a professional for La Vie Claire. He finished a solid 23rd overall.

Review: Duro Primera 25mm Tires

Ready to roll

All photos Cyclingart

I promised myself that I would finally replace my worn out tires at the start of this riding season.

My tires were due for a change - complete with those pesky small nicks that turn into larger nicks. I'm trying to avoid that.

Maximum tire size for my Khamsins...
The clearance is good!

Perhaps it's by fate, I discovered Veloguys on Twitter.

Last Saturday, I got myself into contact with Darcy & Bjoern of Veloguys. With their faithful companion, Riot the Border Collie they have a cozy service bike shop in Vancouver. What I found was their online shop selling good cycling components & accessories with excellent sale prices... especially on tires. My search ended.

Printing error,

These are not 23C but 25C!

Call it perfect timing as the friendly Veloguys had a pair of new Duro Primera 25C tires on hand for me. What are Duros? They are a Taiwan based tire company started in 1945 making quite a range from car to bike tires.


The wider tire did not disappoint on my unpredictable Sunday ride to Ft. Langley. The Duro Primera's are a solid training tire, designed with long tread life, with good numbers too - TPI: 120 and only 205G. It has a good outside tread with a solid center and I look forward to testing them. The Pros are already using 25C tires with direct benefits.

Rain beckons!

Good test on the uneven Pattullo Bridge...

Last Sunday's Frfuggitivi ride test...

The Primera's handled the rough sidewalk of the Pattullo Bridge and the uneven industrial roads without a stammer. It held it's course. The new Primera's were grippy and yes, I noticed the advantage of the wider tires. That is, tire adhesion - I felt more stable on the road and more confident. May be it's my pre-conceived notion of thinner tires equaling a light tire, I threw that out the window. I ran my Duro Primeras at 85psi (front) & 95psi (rear) from the Twitter advice from an Australian cyclist that swears on his new 25's over his 23's. One thing, before you decide to try 25's check to see that your rims will fit them. I made sure to check and found out that my Campy Khamsins do take a maximum 25's.

Feeling confident!
Embracing the 25C world.

Did I mention unpredictable? It rained and poured at times and the Primera's rode confidently on the wet roads. I was more than soggy but the tough grippy Primera's rode on and on in the rain. I'm more than happy to have them and I have discovered the new sweet spot on 25mm tires. Easy to embrace these performance tires. The Duro Primera's are not for racing but are study solid training tires - goodbye 23's ...hello 25's!


Huge Thanks to the Veloguys!

Raining and I'm actually smiling...

nice and grippy with the wide Primeras!

Friday File: The Original Millar Time, Mannhiem Colossus & The Canadians Are Here

It's Friday File...

The original Millar Time.

"I enjoy climbing. I enjoy seeing people disappear behind me."

Robert Millar, 1985. KoMs, 1 stage - 1984 Tour de France.

The Tour de France clock (the one I have on my left margin of my blog) is ticking showing 14 days until the le big race. Let's talk briefly on Robert Millar.

One of the finest pure climbers ever to ride. Winning the KoMs and fourth overall in 1984, he also won several mountain stages. That was 29 years ago.

It is hard to believe he is the only English speaker to win the polka-dot jersey. I can't think of anyone on the horizon that will be good enough to sit alongside Millar. We can happily re-live his great accomplishments via youtube (Stage 11 Guzet Neige). And it's good that he's back with the occasional articles on cyclingnews.com The upcoming Tour should be the right forum for his astute observations and clever wit. I'm looking forward to it.

This may be the 1962 Tour, Altig looking dapper

avec special 'cycling cap.'

via breadwinnercycles.tumblr

One rider that was not a mountain goat was Rudi Altig. Track specialist turned monster sprinter and lover of yoga, the German was nicknamed, 'The Mannheim Colossus,' winning the green jersey, wearing the yellow jersey for 5 days & winning 3 stages in the 1962 Tour.



I'll be up early to watch le Tour...

Coverage: Steephill.tv

via letourdefrance

New Canadian National Jersey gets a re-design...

This beautiful jersey will be used by Canada's cycling teams in the World Championships, World cups and other major events for the next four years!

Kudos to Canadian riders this week...

Scorching!

via photonews

Yesterday, TT specialist, Sven Tuft rode to a commanding performance in Ljubljana, Tour of Slovenia to win the 8.8km ITT in 9:55. Pancake flat and short course - perfect for Tuft...

“The capital city of Ljubljana is beautiful,” said Tuft. “This was a nice course for going flat out. There wasn’t anything tricky about it. The roads were in good conditions and it was nice not to race in the rain.”

Smile of the day.

Rolling going for the baked goods, 2013 Giro

via Luk Benies

The 28th Tour of Beauce is currently running. Dominique Rollin (FDJ), fresh from a solid 75th in the Giro d'ltalia is on the Canadian National Team. He joins forces with Hugo Houle (AG2R), Christian Meier (Orica GreenEdge) & Guillaume Boivin (Cannondale) to form an Canadian Champions team. 

"I have good form, feeling strong and confident for a place on the podium."

The Tour of Beauce concludes Sunday.

Current results.

Zach Bell of the Champion Systems team won today's Stage 6 of the Tour of Korea.

David Veilleux is going to the Tour!

Congratulations to David Veilluex (Europcar) on going to ride his first Tour de France!

Exciting moment for the 25 year old rider who is rising steadily up the highest levels of the sport. 

Yes, I’m very excited; obviously my fitness is good and I’m looking forward so much to being in Corsica for the Grande Depart. I’ll be there to help the team – in Pierre Rolland and Thomas Voeckler we have two of the race’s key players and I want to give them as much support as I can. For every cyclist it’s their dream to ride the Tour de France – and for me it’s coming true.

  

And just one more from the Giro...

Fabio Duarte, Tre Cime di Lavaredo. 

Hesjedal: 'Boom, down.'

Before his fall.

via GrahamWatson

It is still unknown whether Ryder Hesjedal will begin the Tour de France. Team doctors are accessing his condition since crashing out of the Tour de Suisse. Nervous time for Garmin-Sharp and for his legion of supporters. I'm crossing my fingers that he does start in Corsica and to get back to his brilliant self.

Cycle racing is full of unpredictability and accidents often happen. It's amazing that given the proximity of riders, accidents like this don't happen more often. 

His most recent tweet...