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Review: Fizik R4B Road Shoes

Review: Fizik R4B Road Shoes

Cycling shoes don’t last forever, especially when you ride and sweat lots. Over time, they just collect sweat, road spray, and dirt and need to be replaced. I got a solid two seasons out of my Giro road shoes, and I headed to the shop to see if they had anything that would work. I have a hard time finding shoes that are a good fit, as I have really odd feet. They are not the same length at all, which I am told is common. They are really wide at the balls of my feet and reall

Media Monday: Omcycling Rides the Welland Canal

My Love for Tires Never Tires: Part 1, Trying Tubeless and Wide Wheels

My Love for Tires Never Tires: Part 1, Trying Tubeless and Wide Wheels

Spring calls, and riding outside is becoming a lot more enticing. I cannot wait to get out more and explore. Last year as usually happens after a long Buffalo winter; the roads were awful. Potholes, gravel, salt, and glass were everywhere. The first thing I did was to get out the tubeless set up. It was time to rekindle my love for road tubeless. I had given up the summer prior when I wore out a set of Schwalbe Pro Ones, and they simply would not seal anymore. I was really pi

Why Getting Your Head Kicked In Is Not Always a Bad Idea

Why Getting Your Head Kicked In Is Not Always a Bad Idea

The other day I took my upgrade to CAT 4 for road racing after talking to some friends on a coffee shop ride. I had been hesitant to pursue it, and I doubt that based on my results anyone would force it on me. So I asked out loud at 22 mph in a paceline, "What do you think I should do?" One friend commented, "You better get that upgrade and get out there next year and win." This wasn't really what I expected to hear, nor was it what I was looking to hear! We laughed and talke

Two Days of Buffalo Stage Race: Once You Stop Learning, You Start Dying

Two Days of Buffalo Stage Race: Once You Stop Learning, You Start Dying

Albert Einstein once said, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.” A learning experience would be a good way to describe this past weekend’s Two Days of Buffalo Stage Race. There was a lot to learn, and that was the beauty of it all. The event started with a short time trial of 4.5 miles followed by a 30-minute circuit race a few hours later. Day two was a relatively flat 26-mile road race. These distances and times are for the men’s cat 5, obviously "higher" categories ha

Safety on the Road

Safety on the Road

Last week, I experienced something new. I never thought that this would happen. It was an event that really made my heart race. It wasn’t a good thing though. I was hit by a car. I was stopped at a red light behind a car. When the light turned green, I quickly started up and entered the intersection. I was 75% of the way through following the car in front. Just as the car in front passed through, a car from the right ran the red and drove right into me! Shortly after, the dri

Review: Suomy Sfera Helmet

Review: Suomy Sfera Helmet

I guess maybe I am losing it, buying another helmet, but I really love the Suomy Gun Wind helmet that I bought this spring. I have so many helmets that just don't quite fit right, but the Gun Wind was perfect. When I saw the cheaper Suomy Sfera aero helmet, I saw it as an easy way to replace lots of helmets that don't quite fit. Okay, let me explain. The Sfera in matte black is a fantastic looking helmet that will go with just about any kit I have, unlike the Gun Wind that I

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 5: Actually Going on Your First Ride

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 5: Actually Going on Your First Ride

Okay, you have been bearing with me for days, and now you are actually going out on the road. You know how to get the bike ready, and you practiced some skills off road. Today, let's look at where to go, how to try to track what you accomplish, and how to put it to good effect. Start with a good route Your first ride will go better if you pick a good route to start off on, avoiding crazy traffic and seeking good pavement. I would recommend that you try a park or bike path out

City Routes: Two Parks and a Lighthouse Route

City Routes: Two Parks and a Lighthouse Route

Riding a good route is always lots of fun, and by good route I mean one that has good options. The routes I ride have lots of options for workouts and adding mileage. They also have spots to stop for supplies, air, drinks, and nutrition. Today, I want to share a good solid ride that will give you lots of good options that I will point out along the way. I hope that you like this first installment of City Routes. The Two Parks and a Lighthouse Route is one that I ride all the

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 1: The Benefits of Cycling

A Beginner’s Guide to Cycling, Part 1: The Benefits of Cycling

I am gathering feedback on the blog, and an old friend asked me about buying a new bike. She explained in an e-mail that she had read a bunch of information, and she wanted to get into riding but could use some help. I promised to try to help. This might be my toughest assignment yet! This is the first in a multi-part piece on getting started. Even though the question was about what to buy, I think there is a little background to cover first and a little follow up on how to g

Review: Handup Gloves

Review: Handup Gloves

“I don’t always wear gloves, but when I do I prefer Handup Gloves.” I wear gloves on the bike for three reasons: when it’s cold, when I need grip, and when I think I might crash. So if you see me on the road bike on a warm day with gloves, be careful. Handup Gloves started as a small company whose marketing was to make a better glove for the bike so you don’t mess up that hand up. Hand ups are a part of cyclocross that I just love, and I have seen lots of good stuff from mone

Review: Suomy Gunwind Helmet

Review: Suomy Gunwind Helmet

I have three simple questions when looking for a bike helmet: does it provide good protection, does it fit the size and shape of my head, and does it come in a good colorway? My recent purchase of the Suomy Gunwind ticks off all these boxes perfectly! Suomy is a company that many of us in the US are not familiar with unless you happen to watch a lot of cyclocross or buy lots of motorcycle gear. The owners worked for many years in the motorcycle industry and after importing ot

Thinking of Tubeless? A Quick Guide

Thinking of Tubeless? A Quick Guide

tube-less (adj.) without tube. Getting flats is part of riding a bike. There is really no way around it, just the ability to choose one compromise over another. Do you want to roll faster and get more flats, or do you want to get less flats and roll a little more slowly? Exploring tubeless wheels and tires might be a compromise that interests you. Running tires without tubes has been around in the mountain bike world for a while. Trail shredders seeking low tire pressures had

Mirror Mirror, On the Bike, Day 1

Mirror Mirror, On the Bike, Day 1

So, today began commuting with the Bike Peddler's "Take A Look Mirror" after a short ride yesterday to set it up. I have been commuting more and more to work, which is a simple 3-mile ride for me. As I head across the city, I run into some really rough stretches of traffic on Main, Amherst, Bailey, and Suffolk before getting to the school where I teach. There is just a lot of traffic, and it is often heavy even at 7 am. Cars and school buses drive rather recklessly, and I wou

Do You Need a Mirror?

Do You Need a Mirror?

I picked up a Bike Pedaler's Take a Look mirror after seeing a review in Bicycling. The $12 mirror clips on to glasses or helmet and provides a good field of vision. It comes in regular and compact. I opted for the regular version. It's not huge by any means. I have been commuting to work, and the streets are crazy, and I was chased a block last week by a hopefully friendly pitbull. I figured why not? I took the mirror out for a test ride around the block and it performed wel

Riding in a Pack, Part 4, 20 Random Thoughts on Group Rides

Riding in a Pack, Part 4, 20 Random Thoughts on Group Rides

Here are a bunch of random points that may or may not have found a place neatly in the previous series, but they are grating on me, so I am going to let them all out in one shot! Group rides are a great way to make friends and influence people. (That sounds familiar....?) Be nice and appreciate the group leader. Take it easy on the brakes. Modulate your speed by altering your pedaling first and foremost. Learn how to do basic repairs, like change your own flats, use a mini pu

Riding in a Pack, Part 3, Rotating

Riding in a Pack, Part 3, Rotating

Come on, ride the train, hey, ride it Come on, ride the train, hey, ride it -'C'mon 'n Ride It (the Train)' by Quad City Djs In this installment, we will tackle moving through the group. Everyone can utilize signaling and drafting even when out with just one other rider. There are also times when the group will just form two lines that never change, and these two columns will just move up the road with the lead riders doing lots of work and everyone behind simply taking a fr

Riding in a Pack, Part 2, Drafting

Riding in a Pack, Part 2, Drafting

NOW this is the Law of the Jungle — as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back — For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack. -Rudyard Kipling "The Law of the Jungle Once the pack order and communication has been established, it is time to start riding efficiently. The strength of the

Riding in a Pack, Part 1, Signaling

Riding in a Pack, Part 1, Signaling

Riding in a pack is one of the most essential skills that a rider can develop. I think it is also one of the hardest to do right. Once a rider develops a rudimentary sense of pack riding, it will open a lot of new opportunities for them. Three key skills are signaling, drafting, and rotating. Go faster by sharing the work... If you want to go faster, and who doesn’t, one way is to share the work. Pack riding allows the riders on the front to do more work and the riders on the

Hamburg Road Race: One Turn Leads to Another

Hamburg Road Race: One Turn Leads to Another

photos by Evan Grucela, See more at www.rongrucela.com I looked straight at it, the yellow BBC sign with the arrow pointing right. I looked straight at the road sign, Taylor Road, and then I looked over at the marshal who appeared to be holding back traffic to my left with both arms outstretched. Did this mean, “Go straight or go right?” I headed into town straight ahead, a race pretty much over at this point. I’d gone the wrong way! This year has been purposely different f

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