Per the “On Review” post below, we’re racing in the BURN 24 Hour Challenge this coming weekend, and we brought NiteFlux on board as a sponsor to help out the BMCC (the folks that build all the wonderful trail at Dark Mountain).  The lights we have on review, the Photon Max Extreme and Photon 8 will both go into the prize pool once the sun comes up. That’s right, you might win these lights if you’re at the 2009 BURN 24 Hour. Until then, we’re cramming as many miles on them as we can so we can do a proper review.

Conversely, we’ve had the Light & Motion Seca 400 on review for a couple of months now, and three of us have logged lots of miles on it, ranging from crazy cold 20º rides to moderate 60º and 70º rides.  This is one of those items that seems to give me a different opinion of it every time I ride it…so the BURN 24 Hour will be the final ride before we publish our review of it and the NiteFlux lights.  Given that we’re riding these lights side by side, even swapping mid-ride on occasion, the reviews will be separate but include comparisons to one another…which is fine, because they’re quite different.  Look for it next week, after we’ve slept through the Memorial Day holiday.

I’ve been using the Simple Strap from ByeKyle for the past three months, riding it in mud and wet conditions as well as dry and dusty.  I’m happy to report that it’s held up exceptionally well and held my stuff in place the entire time.  In fact, the only time I lost something, which I think was a CO2 tube, was because I didn’t bother looking at the online instructions and installed it incorrectly the first time.

I know, I know, you’re looking at this thinking “how in the world can you strap it on incorrectly?”  While I’m sure it’s not as complicated as other things you can strap on, trust me, you can do it wrong.  The important thing is, once it’s on the right way, you’re unlikely to lose anything, and it’s much quicker and easier to get to your stuff than digging through a seat bag, which is the point.  ByeKyle’s founder, conveniently named Kyle, developed the Simple Strap after experimenting with electrical tape in a race.  He flatted, the tape wouldn’t come undone, and he started thinking…

Hit ‘more’ to read the review, see photos of the original Simple Strap sewn with dental floss and get the lowdown…

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In honor of Bike to Work Day, which was last Friday, Xtracycle employees posted this video to show why riding to work makes so much more sense than other alternative transportation.

I can only imagine what the onlookers thought of the pink donkey rider.

Lake Norman, the largest man-made lake in North Carolina and, coincidentally, where I’d love to live one day, has finally put some concrete plans in place to develop a bicycle path to circle the lake, with stops at Lake Norman State Park and other key interest points.

What separates this plan from prior efforts is it has a budget.  The NC DOT has earmarked $171,000 to complete a detailed Lake Norman Regional Bicycle Plan.

The Charlotte Observer reports that The N.C. Department of Transportation has selected Lake Norman and its four counties (Iredell, Catawba, Lincoln and Mecklenberg) over other sites in the state because of the long-time demand for such a system.  News articles from the as early as the 1980s chronicle residents’ interest.

It could take more than a decade for the plans to be fully realized, but by having a plan in place, future road widenings and repairs can incorporate bike lanes and paths into the design.

Jeff Archer, owner of First Flight Bikes in Statesville, NC, and the Carolina Thread Trail, a 15-county effort to connect communities with trails, are both on the steering committee for the project.

Residents can provide input tonight at the last of three town hall meetings concerning the plan.  7pm at the Davidson Town Hall, 216 S. Main St., Davidson, NC.  Contact Bjorn Hansen of the Centralina Council of Governments at 704-688-6501 or bhansen@centralina.org for more info. (graphic from Charlotte Observer, click to enlarge)

I followed up with Peter Wilborn of SCBikeLaw.com to find out a little more about the SC cycling law we recently posted about. The law was enacted back in Summer 2008, however we just heard about it when George Hincapie tweeted a little kudos for it (Bikerumor didn’t launch until July 2008).  Here’s our conversation:

BIKERUMOR: So, tell us what it means that a cycling safety law was passed.

PETER: Basically, it means cycling has become so important that the legislature of SC has revamped its cycling laws. It means that cyclists are having their voices heard in the halls of power for the first time, and that to me is the most important thing this law says about our growing cycling culture.

BIKERUMOR: How do these laws protect cyclists?

PETER: It’s like the violence against women laws…those don’t end violence against women, but it makes people think about the action and how to make it better. For cycling, these new laws mean people are thinking about cyclists and realizing that they’re allowed on the road.

From a legal perspective and as a lawyer that fights for cyclists rights, it gives me new tools that let me do my job better. With this new law, it’s given police departments the interest to entertain legal and educational seminars about how to handle a cycling case, how to examine a scene and a case. I’ve noticed a huge change in the response from police officers in how they react and handle complaints about harrassment. Many cyclists thought that the police were not on their side, but now attitudes are changing, and that’s a HUGE deal.

The new laws help shift the responsibility to the drivers. For example, now the cyclist can choose to use the road rather than a multi-use path, whereas before, by law, the cyclist had to use the multi-use path if it was available…meaning drivers could argue that the bicycles weren’t allowed on the road. Now, the laws explicitly state that cyclists are allowed on the road.

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The new Sampson Diablo SL bike is finally on the road in producton form, 60 days later than anticipated, but with some in-house lightweight goodies that look very nice.

Weight is just 14.2 pounds when built with their new Stratics SL group (read about that here) and Stratics s3 titanium pedals.  Here’s what founder Eric Sampson has to say about it:

“The great part is the bike is amazingly stiff, and features our SAS damping for exceptionally smooth, vibration free riding. With the sew-ups, it simply glides along! All in-the bike has a full MSRP of just $6,999 with a custom paint and Stratics SL group. Naturally, groups from Shimano, Sram or Campy are also available too.”

Besides the frame, some of the Sampson Stratics components are what make the package so light:

 

• Stratics SL crankset – 645g with bottom bracket
• Stratics SL Race cassette – 88g for an 11-23, machined out like the SRAM Red cassette
• Stratics 1/2g cage bolts

 

Hit ‘more’ for details and photos on these parts and the frame…

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Vita McDonalds?  I know menus at McDonalds have regional differences in other countries, but it must be radically different to get a “Vita” in front of it…Anyway:

PRESS RELEASE: Professional racing team Amore & Vita-McDonald’s, sponsored by Limar helmets and Elite components, will compete in the United States this year.

The team will compete in events, including Virginia’s Air Force Cycling Classic on Saturday and Sunday, May 30th and 31st; Pennsylvania’s TD Bank International Championship on Sunday, June 7th; and Minnesota’s Nature Valley Classic from Wednesday, June 10th, through Sunday, June 14th.

Elite and Limar products are distributed in the U.S. by ProNetCycling, who is responsible for sending this release.

PRESS RELEASE: A new women’s cycling magazine: She Pedals: The Journal of Women in Cycling will launch its debut issue on September 1, 2009. Envisioned and edited by Dena Eaton, a 20 year veteran to the sport, She Pedals will be the first women’s cycling magazine dedicated to inspiring women to ride. Whether it is a Six Day Madison, an Epic mountain bike race, a Tour, or a Charity fundraising ride, She Pedals will provide insight into the world of all women on wheels.

She Pedals is designed to be a magazine for all women who ride. “The goal is to weave a publication that gives women of all ages, abilities and cycling interests something to inspire them…” said Dena. It will be a quarterly print publication with feature articles, interviews, photographic essays as well as columns dedicated to riding, training, nutrition and lifestyle. A competitive track cyclist, Dena said the magazine will cover some aspects of competitive cycling but not necessarily the mainstream events on the calendar. “Cycling has a reputation as a very insular sport and I believe a publication such as She Pedals may help expand the definition of cycling to include the larger population of riders who are the real backbone of the sport.”

The quarterly publication will be printed in runs of 15-18,000. The debut issue is offered free to anyone who registers at www.shepedalsmagazine.com. Subscriptions will be available starting with the December issue.

She Pedals will also debut its first issue at Venus de Miles, Colorado’s first women’s only ride, in Boulder and at the Dirt Inspires Women’s Trail ½ Marathon, in Aptos, California both on August 1, 2009.

From the folks that brought you the “3 Feet Please” jerseys, which promotes (though not linked to) the “3 Feet 2 Pass” campaign, which seems to have some momentum (read this and this), comes a new website that allows cyclists to report, mark and share cycling incidents and trouble spots.

Using Google Maps, the site allows riders to mark the location of the three events Road Guardian co-founder Joe Mizereck says matter: Close calls, collisions and deaths.  It’s free to use, and anyone can visit the site and create a report that marks the location and details.

The hope is that by creating a worldwide system of reporting, riders can learn of danger spots and, more importantly, identify recurring trouble spots that may aid city engineers and traffic planners in future street building plans.  Check it out at RoadGuardian.com.

From Clemmons Bicycle:

We would like to invite everyone to come out and join us this Wed afternoon for a special edition of our famous Wed Afternoon Road Ride. We will be doing the normal Wed group ride, but we will have about 15 Super-Light Exotic Storck road bikes available for you to test ride. The Storck demo fleet will include select sizes of Fascenario 0.7, Fenomalist, Abosolutist 0.9, Scenario C1.2 and Vision Light. The demo fleet will be here around 4pm, so come on out early to get sized and set up. Andy Hale, the Storck National Tech Rep and Team Vandekitten Mechanic, will be here to educate and answer all questions/concerns. We will also have nutrition products from Power Bar available to sample and store wide sales. Call or e-mail to reserve the German Beauty everyone wants to ride.

Interesting Facts:

• Lightest Frameset in the World 1194g (57cm Fascenario 0.7 Frame, Fork, Ceramic Headset)
• Highest stiffness – to – weight ratio in the world
• Storck patented VVC process removes excess resin from carbon resulting in dramatic weight reduction and increase strength (Editor’s note: We have video of this HERE)
• 1k carbon fiber weave, full monocoque front triangle made with ultra high modulus fibers
• Hybrid rear entry dropouts are stiff and sercure, includes replacable hanger
• Proportional tubes optimized for frame size

Eddie Merckx dropped by the Astana lunching for a quick visit during today’s rest day.  Photo from Lance’s Twitter stream.

Why different bikes?  Well, the Giro d’Italia’s stage 12 time trial is unlike any other TT in Grand Tour history.  First, it’s really, really long.  60.6km (37.66 miles) to be exact.  Second, it’s constantly up and down…there’s very little flat area for full on hammering in a tucked aero position.  Strong climbers are expected to fare better than dedicated time trial specialists.  So, what’s up with the bikes?  Well, they’re basically road bikes set up for time trialing…at least Lance Armstrong’s (above) and Levi Leipheimer’s (hit ‘more’) are.

Also after the break, a map and elevation profile of the stage 12 time trial course.  Hit ‘more’ to see them…

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