New Gear

I placed an order online today for the last few tri-gear things I wanted to get (some of which I actually do NEED).

1. A CO2 pump and some cartridges for if I get a flat out there. Lighter, smaller, and faster than a regular pump. One of those things I hope I don't ever need to use! I went with the genuine innovations microflate. I figure simpler = better and found a favorable review here.
2. A transition bag. This item is riding on the fence of necessity. I could surely get by without one, but certain features of this bag will make things much easier for me, such as, two internal mesh shoe pockets (to hold both my running and cycling shoes for those of you unfamiliar with the multishoe aspect of multisport), an expandable mesh bottom compartment for wetsuit or towel, removable waterproof bag, it zips open to open ALL the way , plus lots of pockets for waterbottles, mp3 player, foodstuffs, cellphone, etc. I went with the TYR bag pictured here. It was a lot less expensive than some of the "triathlon" brand ones and had everything I think I could need. 3. Speed laces. This should be interesting. I'm going to try it out a bit before any races, but I ordered some Yankz! (that is their exclamation point, not mine) laces that allow you to put on and take off your shoes without any tying or untying. In the world of triathlon transition, the tying of shoes is a serious time sucker. I'm pretty slow at the actual sports, so I hope to have the quickest transitions I can to help my times. ;)

Bike Storage

I'm going to need to seriously address the bike storage issue when I move. Currently, I'm able to keep the bike hanging on my wall in the dining room (classy, I know) or on a stand in the office. In my new place, however, it is unlikely that the bike will be able to just be "out." There is evidently a street level bike room in the building, but I didn't remember to ask to see it when looking at the new apartment. There is also ample storage downstairs in the laundry room and possibly enough room in our storage unit, but we'll have to see. Ideally the bike would be part of an elaborate shrine-like display somewhere in the center of the apartment - hah! Seriously, hanging it from a hook somewhere out of the way would be nice so that it is safe in my abode with me, but the aesthetics of the apartment and keeping peace is much more important to me. I'm going to limit myself to my good road bike for the time being (plus the mountain bike that Heath is using for Muddy Buddy), so it's not like I'll need to go so far as to get the Delta Cezanne storage unit below (though maybe someday - gotta admit that is a pretty slick setup!).

Tridiva

Came across this triathlon gear site somehow this morning. They haven't got a ton of stuff, but a lot of what they have is cute. The tri top is adorable (but pricey), and some of the jewelry is nice, particularly compared to some of the other triathlon jewelry I've come across. (Can you say tacky!?!) Maybe after my race I'll reward myself with the Half Ironman necklace (pictured below) that has tags for the distances of each leg. Seems like it would be a nice memento.

new frustration. i'm changing the tires between my two bikes since i'm going to be primarily using my "good" bike. i was excited to change to my newer tires on my main wheelset, thinking that the tires were easier to mount than my old tires. but crap. turns out that the problem isn't with the tires, but with the rims. my hands are in huge pain from trying to seat my good tires on my good rims. back to it shortly. ugh.

I've been quite proud lately for how much I've been teaching myself about taking care of my bikes. I'm not terribly knowledgeable yet, but I'm getting better. It's pretty satisfying to be able to fix or adjust something by myself. Plus, it's going to make me feel a whole lot better on longer rides (like in Ireland), knowing that I will be equipped to deal with mechanical issues should they arise. Tonight I decided to work on the brakes on my 2nd bike (the one I'm taking overseas). When I was putting new tires on yesterday, I noticed the brake pads were set way too tight, even with the quick release levers open. I managed to mess around with the cables and the various adjustments to get them working properly. I also cleaned up the drivetrain, which was really gross and gunked up. Now it's all shiny and clean. This weekend I'll be looking at and working on my old mountain bike at my parents' house in Michigan. I'm hoping it's still in decent shape and I can get it cleaned up and in good working condition without putting too much money into it.

Ah, bike tires. I am completely new at buying bike tires, so I've been doing a lot of research on them and talking to various people lately. The Michelin tires have consistently gotten good reviews as far as comfort, performance, and durability, so I've sprung for some of those. I decided on the Michelin Krylion Carbon tires for general training and for my trip Ireland. They are built for durability and puncture resistance, so while I'll be bringing a spare to Ireland, I doubt I'll have to use it. I'm going to put them on both of my road bikes. I got the grey/black ones, figuring red or yellow wouldn't look too great.


Those ones are rated great for lots of miles but are not so great for racing. When I'm going to race, I'll switch over to the Michelin Pro 2 Race tires. They have a lower rolling resistance and are lighter. These come in lots and lots of cute colors, including the lovely sky blue (pictured below) that I got. I think they will look great on my Kestrel for races.


Tires are sorta expensive. But, I'd rather have good ones that will last me (and I fully trust these will) than have to replace cheapies over and over. Plus, anybody that knows me knows that I found THE best prices possible on these. eBay was the winner for both types. For each set, I got the PAIR for about $10 more than ONE tire would cost at a bike shop. I can't wait to get them!

How can three bikes possibly be enough? I need at least two more - at LEAST. :) Yes, I have managed to collect three bikes in the past year, and yes, I still feel that I need more. I can justify all this, really. Honest, I can.

First I got my hybrid/comfort bike, which is great for fitness and recreational riding on the limestone paths, etc. It even carried me through my first triathlon, so I love it for that reason. However, as people flew past me on road bikes, tri-bikes, in aero position, I felt like a gigantic sail and was ready to upgrade.

So, I got myself a road bike. I got a deal on a quite nice road bike, a Kestrel Talon. Full carbon frame, with Ultegra 10-Speed components, aero tubing, internal cabling. Very nice. I adore it and am able to slap some Carbon Stryke's on there and get into aero to reduce that whole frontal surface area wind drag thing.

But, seeing as how that is such a nice bike, I was quite scared at the prospect of taking it to Ireland with me (and to and from there), where it might be left outside, be in the elements a lot, etc. So, I remembered a friend of mine was looking to sell his road bike since it was too small for him. Turns out it fits me just fine and is a perfect "beater" bike for Ireland, bad weather rides, the trainer, etc. It needs to be cleaned up a bit, but is nice (aluminum with carbon fork and stays, carbon seatpost, 105 components, some cool looking wheels).

So here's where I'm at now. I'm sure all of you (whoever you are) are VERY aware (/sarcasm) that road bikes are not the ideal mode of transport for multisport athletes. The seat tube angles, aero position, and how that impacts the muscle groups, which then impacts the muscles for the run, etc etc. Thus, I need a Tri-Bike or Time Trial (TT) bike. These have a steeper seat tube angle, bar end shifters at the ends of the aerobars (so you don't have to go un-aero to shift), and well I think those are the main differences. The one pictured below is the Cervelo Dual, which consistently pops up as a favorite of mine with glowing reviews, good looks, great components, and a decent price point. At $1800 with Dura-Ace components, this bike is practically a steal. That may seem like a ton of money to some, but, trust me, I can find bikes that cost more than my car (and I don't drive too bad a car). I'm pretty sure my budget will require me to wait until next season for a tri bike, but I had a little down time this afternoon and felt like posting this. And wow did it get long!


(p.s. Isn't it pretty? /drooooool)
(p.p.s. I also "need" a mountain bike, but hopefully my old Trek back in Michigan is salvageable! Hmm that actually means I own four bikes...)

TnT Kickoff Event was Saturday, and training began yesterday. I'm still pestering them about getting it so that I can set up my webpage. I'm frustrated that my fundraising is being held up so much by that simple fact. Hopefully I can get it going soon and get a bit of money in. I am trying to come up with some fundraising ideas and have a few so far. Hopefully they work and I'm able to get some money fairly quickly here. Training starts off nice and slowly, so hopefully I'll be able to manage alright. I have to bike tonight and am going to try to do my circuit from my trainer tonight as well.

I may be getting a bike from my friend, so I'll have a bad weather/trip to Ireland/Mindy can borrow/beater bike. I'm getting a great (and by great I mean phenomenal) deal on it, and it has all the features (materials, components, etc) that I was hoping against hope that I could get. I just will have to lean it against the wall in my apartment unless I feel like investing in a rack that holds two bikes. I'm excited though, since I was in need of a bike for Ireland, and this will be great to have even beyond that trip.