Because of my love for rough roads, cobblestones, dirt, etc., I am constantly on the lookout for tyres that will hold up to the abuse, and more importantly, reward you with excellent handling and ride.
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A few weeks ago, I took delivery of a brand new set of Velocity’s latest rim offerings, the A23. I have been begging and pleading for them to come out with a wider tubular rim for ‘cross for some time now, but they decided to release a clincher for now…jerks. Just teasing, I love the folks at Velocity, and they have always produced solid rims, great customer service, and the widest range of rims in the biz. I’ve been a Velocity guy since my bike messenger days, and I always look to them for my rims. 
The Spring Semi-Classics are underway, and we have a month before we get to my favourite week of racing, but around the US, racers are starting to toe the line. Everyone has a specific pre-race ritual and procedure that they go through before a race, and they can be vastly different. I have developed a few pre-race rules over the years, and they continue to be refined and adapted to different conditions. Since most of the racing that I do is within a couple hours, travel is usually involved, and that is where many of the rituals start. The very first ritual is of course, breakfast.
Horsepower. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I hear Rollin’s name. Here is a guy that has made most of his career by winning sprint victories at criteriums, or a stage at the Tour of California. I’ve been following Rollin for the past few years, and have witnessed him go from just another elite amateur to a quality Pro-Tour level contender for the Classics. He is definitely one of my big riders to watch, and I think he will really show his hand this Spring.
This past weekend, bicycle dorks descended upon Richmond, VA for the annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show. I was able to partake in the show last year, as it was in Indianapolis, but this year someone had to run the shop. So, because I wasn’t going to make it down there, two of my comrades graciously volunteered their time to pitch Winston’s Brand down at the show. So, I handed off all of the CX Blends Embrocation I had ready, a few tubs of Winston’s Cobble Cream, and sent them on their way. Following their Twitter posts and pictures kept me stoked the whole weekend, even while stuck at the shop all day. So, Winston’s made a bit of a splash at NAHBS, and made it into the hands of some good folks. Hopefully, we’ll get some good reviews and press, and see what happens.
As March is nearly upon us, everyone has been pouring over race schedules, training plans, carefully watching their diet, and trying to do all the right things. One thing that always befuddles me, is that while the training is focused, and their other details mentioned are dialed, most racer’s bikes are not.
Getting through the Fall/Winter/Spring deluge of rain, snow, sleet, hail, and mud can be a challenge for you, but think about what it does to your equipment. We’ll talk more about what to do to prepare your race bike for battle after being subjected to the elements throughout the winter, but here is a better idea; a bad-weather bike. This is the bike that you don’t have to rely on to race, it’s the one that can get dirty, and one that you don’t feel horrible about when it gets beat up a little.
Alright, embrocation isn’t an end all be all way to win bike races, but many folks turn to it to give them a mental, and physical edge. When a racer is feeling really good, legs are dialed, bike is dialed, training has gone right, the icing on the cake could be showing the legs at the start of the season. To show up at the start line with everyone else bundled up, and you roll up calm, collected and bare-legged, it can be enough to unnerve many around you. It becomes a statement of your intent, and confidence in your abilities at that point, and goes beyond the basic physical benefits. VDB was a great example of a rider that would show up at the Classics bare-legged and win races….and Yauheni, if you go back a few posts.
Riding through the seasons requires numerous articles of clothing and accessories to protect your body from all that Nature can throw at it. Depending on the part of the country or world that you live in, your extremes may be very different from mine, but everyone will see cold at some time or another. I always think of Andy on the Gavia when it gets really cold and awful….
Photo by Darcy Kiefel
It is finally time for us here at Winston’s Brand to release our version of chamois creme; Winston’s Cobble Cream. It has taken quite a bit of experimentation, and resulted in many batches being thrown to the curb. Now, I know everyone’s chamois creme is the best of the best, and the longest lasting, and adds 100 watts to your anaerobic threshold. We don’t claim any of those things, but we will claim that our chamois cream is petroleum-free, paraben-free, and a vegan product.
We have tested our current formula for over 6 months, and it is a great blend for 4-5 hour rides, and keeps your skin slick and rub free. There will be a thicker version that will be released in the coming months, and it will be for rainy conditions and longer rides. The chamois cream can ship immediately and will come in an 8 oz jar for $20.
