With wheel technology marching steadily on (and prices marching steadily up), it’s nice to look a step or two down the range to find a darn impressive  sexy wheel.  When Easton’s EA70 XCT 26in wheels arrived (a 29er version is also available), I was taken aback by how cool they looked.  Given the number of positive comments our similarly stealth Project 24.2 Rocky Mountain Element MSL has attracted, I have the feeling that others will agree.  Of course, there’s more to the EA70 XCTs than good looks: click through for more photos, specs, and pricing…

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See all of our Project 24.2 posts here!

With my half of 24 hours worth of racing- to say nothing of hundreds of hours of training- on the table, I was excited when Ergon’s Jeff Kerkove suggested that we give the company’s technically-oriented GA1 Leichtbau ergonomic grips and matching HA2 gloves a try.  With Jeff himself no stranger to long rides and given the grips’ popularity among New Mexico’s endurance racing set, I though that Ergon might be on to something.  Weird or wonderful?  Pass the break and start another lap to find out!

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See all of our Project 24.2 posts here!

Along with the Elite wrist band reviewed last month, the good people at Road ID sent out their new Supernova safety light to help us safely through a winter of training for 24-hour racing.  Claimed to be “the brightest, lightest, most durable security light in its class,” the Supernova is powered by two CR2032 batteries (the same sized used by many bike computers).  At 20g, Road ID’s little light comes in four lens colors (white, red, blue, and green) and is waterproof to three hundred feet.  Fortunately, all of its use so far has been above the surface.  Click more to find out where the Supernova is hot- and where it’s not so hot.

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See all of our Project 24.2 posts here!

In order to meet the seatpost ideal of solidity, adjustability, and light weight, Ritchey have rethought their long-standing 1- and 2-bolt clamp designs. As others have learned (often the hard way), highly leveraged brittle hardened steel or titanium bolts are not always up to handling the forces generated by big riders and (especially on mountain bikes) hard landings. Ritchey’s new 1-Bolt seatpost design, seen here in its WCS Carbon version, presents a new take -the SideBinder- on saddle clamping. After several months on my single speed and our Project 24.2 race bike, it holds a lot of promise, with only a few minor considerations. Click through for more…

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See all of our Project 24.2 posts here!
By the time that this post goes live, we’ll be well on our way to Tucson to compete in the Kona 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo.  Under the guidance of Tom Jones from JBV Coaching, our training has gone well- the intensity-focused workouts had me feeling a bit ragged, but the way in which we completed a 93mi training ride put my mind to rest: if we can keep eating, this 24-hour duo thing will be do-able.

Hit the jump for more pictures and equipment updates…

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See all of our Project 24.2 reviews here!

What is better than putting on your stretchy pants on a crisp winter morning knowing you are going to be looking good (i.e. like an awkward and weird cyclist) as you take your warm up spin through the local college campus to check out the sights? Not much else ’cause even if the laymen student doesn’t appreciate your fancy stretchy pants, you know that your Louis Garneau’s Enduro Bib Knickers 2 are hugging your buns keeping things warm and comfy. Hopscotch your way across the break to get the specifics on the knickers.

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As we enter the standard January drought conditions here in the Southwest, it is finally time to get out on the trails again. We have to enjoy the brisk temperatures and warm sun as we prepare our legs for next month’s 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo.  This has allowed us to spend a little time on the trail/road/snow in our fancy new US-made socks and arm warmers from Swiftwick. Jump past the break to see how things are shaping up.

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See all of our Project 24.2 posts here!

Specialized‘s EVO designation is attached to products that are targeted at riders who don’t readily fit into one category or another. Intended to be pro-quality gear for those whose focus isn’t necessarily racing, EVO bikes and accessories are designed to be both burly and efficient. For riders who expect a high level of performance- but aren’t willing to accept the compromises that race gear often makes.

At least that’s my interpretation. In any case, Specialized designed the S-Works EVO MTB shoe “was developed to meet the needs of aggressive trail riders who demand more from their gear.” Seeing as I consider myself to be an aggressive trail rider and know that I ask a lot of my gear (flattery is an extremely effective selling tool), the S-Works EVOs seemed like they would be a great fit. Hit ‘more’ for photos, pricing, and initial impressions…

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See all of our Project 24.2 posts here!

After a number of years essentially ‘winging it’ when it came to training for 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, it hadn’t really occurred to me to engage a coach.  Much like bike fit, if -like me- you’ve been riding and even racing for over 20 years, you just kind of know how to train, right?

A trick question, obviously.  When my race partner Alex suggested talking to Tom Jones at JBV Coaching, I was intrigued- and a bit worried.  After all, I ride because cycling is fun.  And training -actually training- didn’t sound like much fun at all.  Our first meeting with Tom put most of my fears to rest- in addition to an impressive resume as a coach, racer, physicist, and mechanic, Tom is also a nice guy. While we won’t give away any of his trade secrets, go beyond the fold to find out what we’ve learned so far…

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See all of our Project 24.2 posts here!

For the most part, it’s hard to get too excited about stems.  If they do their job well (and most do), they’re essentially unnoticeable.  Of course, if they don’t they’re ugly, flexy, or (if they do their job especially poorly) fail catastrophically.  That said, when we posted early word of Ritchey’s new C260 line of stems this fall, people got pretty excited.

Owing to its 260 degree clamp and gently curved 3-bolt steerer clamp, Ritchey’s WCS C260 stem tests 3-4x stronger in its aluminum form than any previous Ritchey stem- while being 30% stiffer than the preceding 4Axis design.  Throw a unidirectional carbon wrap over the same basic design and weight goes up by ~15g (to an actual 110g in our 90mm size) and stiffness by an additional 16%.  Oh, and it’s prettier, too.  After a couple of months on my Project 1.1 single speed and Project 24.2 race bike, has the C260 lived up to its light/strong/sexy billing?  Hit the jump to find out…

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