tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73458593465627057292024-03-08T20:59:34.299-05:00Cyclecell Bike JournalCyclecellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435094675842836125noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345859346562705729.post-67812684641916326052009-02-09T23:23:00.008-05:002009-02-10T00:19:26.044-05:00Of Bikes & Ice Cream: A Warm Day in WinterHey all, long time no see!<br /><br />For various reasons, I haven't been able to get in a solid ride since hittin' back State-side. (bad weather, cold weather, no-sunlight weather, bike-still-in-a-box, meteor crashing on my toes, etc.) But with it being sunny and in the mid 60's (that's like 15C), I just can't waste the weather. So the SL <span style="font-weight:bold;">FINALLY </span> makes its debut in NC! <br /><br />Saturday I decided to ride out to the historic downtown Apex area for lunch and a workout. Since starting to ride in the area, the old town Apex has always been the most scenic (it also gives you a brand new appreciation of the town's name ~_^). After a rather annoying head-wind climb into the old town area, I was pleasantly surprised that a good few specialty shops were replaced by eateries. I counted 2 sandwich cafes, 1 pizzaria, 1 mexican restaurant for food! Here's a street-side view of South Salem st:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/IMAG0119.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/IMAG0119.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <br />The plan was to get a sandwich and chill for an hour or so...but parking space, a.k.a. sidewalk space, were all taken up by other bikes! I saw entire <span style="font-weight:bold;">FAMILIES</span> riding out here for lunch! It was awesome chatting with the excited kids on their streamer bikes!<br /><br />Anyway, as I was hungry, I settled for the next-best solution for lunch:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/IMAG0118.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/IMAG0118.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> That's right! No old town is complete without its ice cream parlor! And business was good! I waited a whopping 20 minutes for my turn, but the icy-creamy goodness was sooo worth it! =D<br /><br />After Apex, it was my favorite stretch of road: 6 miles of 2% downhills and tailwind! Perfect time to crank up the speed...until I realized a senior rider on an old-school steel frame-converted TT bike was tucked away right behind me...AND HE KEPT UP! o.0 I was definitely impressed, hehe!<br /><br />Of course, after the nice downhill stretch to New Hill, I lost him quickly by turning back onto 751 to go through Jordan Lake:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/IMAG0120.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/IMAG0120.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Seriously...days like these really highlights the kind of potential for bike trips in NC! Its GORGEOUS!<br /><br />...and for the record, the ride wasn't completely cakewalk either. Here are the stats: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/4ca497cb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/4ca497cb.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Cheers! and expect more ride reports to come!Cyclecellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435094675842836125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345859346562705729.post-85437969963395140862009-01-21T15:05:00.003-05:002009-01-21T15:11:21.099-05:00back in the shopAfter a week-long recovery from jet lag, I finally got around to bringing the SL over to Frank's for reassembly and maintenance today.<br /><br />Besides the usual check-ups and cleaning, there's also been a recall on the SL's fork. Apparently somebody rode his SL into a pothole and the fork cracked, so now they're recalling & replacing a good portion of forks. Details on the recall at <a href="http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/news/12976/">http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/news/12976/</a><br /><br />Assuming the bike is ok to ride, I should be on it this weekend. Anyone up for braving the cold?Cyclecellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435094675842836125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345859346562705729.post-42258359966789030142009-01-04T02:55:00.004-05:002009-01-04T03:21:34.531-05:00How would YOU spend new year's day?...BIKING, of course!<br /><br />Woke up at 5:00a.m. to prep up for the ride (only 2 hours of sleep, and just in time to see my bro come home from his parties =P). Then headed out in full cold gear to join about 50 others at the president's building for the annual flag-raising ceremony. Apparently this has been a tradition for almost a decade for bikers in Taipei...pretty sweet way to start the new year. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009027.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Full cold gear @ new year's flag-raising ceremony. Behind the camera was a small group of highly controversial human rights protesters (not to be confused with bikers).<br /><br />After the ceremony, we headed out for the day's ride. First, we went across the entire cite (my clipless pedals HATE frequent stoplights!), passing by Taipei 101 on the way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009030.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009030.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Taking a proper pic of 101 is harder than i thought...stupid backlight!<br /><br />After that, we hit some epic McDonald's (that and 7-eleven are the most bike-friendly rest stops here =P) for breakfast and made our way up Xiping highway over a small mountain. The climb wasn't so bad, but the sweat + cold winter wind was more of a danger at the peak, where we all regrouped.<br /><br />Then we descended into some really well-known (among the locals) old towns: Pingxi and Jingtong. The pack leader chose Jingtong for our lunch destination, and for good reason:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009031.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009031.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Old-school train station...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009032.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009032.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> ...and a crap ton of food booths across the colonial-style main-street. YUM!<br /><br />After the food break, it was a smooth descent back into Taipei city, passing the zoo along the way (bunch of people lined up to see the pandas from china lol...happy new year?). All in all a good 70km leisure/cultural ride. Highly recommend it to anyone visiting Taipei.Cyclecellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435094675842836125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345859346562705729.post-44330654829358374702009-01-04T01:52:00.004-05:002009-01-04T03:20:49.527-05:00Recovery rideAfter that grueling climb (srsly, it hurted like hell!), I decided to go on a recovery ride...ALL FLATS<br /><br />The ride started at the river-side park. Praised as the 5-star bike lanes, there are currently 200km worth of these bike-and-pedestrian-only paths along the rivers in Taipei. And I have to say...its definitely 5-star quality (except the under-construction sections...and when there's no need to dodge kids, dogs, baseballs, rugby balls etc)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009001.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> View of Da-zhi bridge from the river-side park<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009002.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Can even see Taipei 101 from here!<br /><br />Of course, biking in taiwan inevitably involves the other favorite pastime: FOOD!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009004.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Oyster pancakes, barbeque pork, ball soup, fried tofu for lunch @ Guan Du temple...YUM!<br />Also learned something interesting: there's a CRAP TON of bridges around the taipei area.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009005.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Guan Du bridge...connects to somewhere >.>;;<br /><br />After passing by the Guan Du area, we continued down the park lanes, then transitioned to some road until hitting 101甲 road...the beginning of another tough climb. Definitely skipping this one today =P.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009007.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Yeah...this is as far as I'll go for the day.<br /><br />Not too shabby for a recovery ride, but there's definitely more to come!Cyclecellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435094675842836125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345859346562705729.post-55610706097929508542009-01-04T01:39:00.006-05:002009-01-04T03:20:16.938-05:00The wind bellows --> north coast rideAbout a week ago I took another trip up that windy, rainy mountain. Except this time around it was sunny and calm, and I had good company. <br /><br />The climb was definitely more forgiving without the rain and wind, though it still poses a challenge. After sprinting up the whole thing (yeah, 39/26 means sprint!) and regrouping with the stragglers, we did the one thing we do best: eat!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009014.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> On the menu: all-you-can-eat yam & ginger soup! (Not on the menu: all-you-can-drink Johnny Walker Green Label...we found the owner's private stash!)<br /><br />And of course, since I couldn't take a picture LAST TIME I was up here (stupid weather, read post below), I had to make up for it this time around:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009015.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> The iconic canopy at the top of 風櫃嘴, with the gang.<br /><br />Instead of descending the same way we cam up, we decided this time to go down the other side of the mountain and tour the north coast...which involved first a rather nerve-wrecking 15km descent, complete with its repetoir of steep hairpin turns and freaked-out drivers =P <br /><br />Upon our safe descent to the coast, we headed north along the scenic shoreline. Here's a sample look:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009018.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> We only had time for 1 picture at the coastal way before I took off after some hotshot on a TT bike that passed us =P...raced him for about 10km before having to stop at a fork in the road and wait for everyone else lol<br /><br />Of course, being able to sprint ahead had its advantages...did manage to sneak in a few more pictures at 富貴角, the northern-most point in taiwan:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009021.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> At the iconic lamp house...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009022.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> ...and getting real excited! (6.5kg bike ftw!)<br /><br />And a couple more shots of the (really) beautiful north coast:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009024.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009026.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TaiwanBike2008-2009026.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />After that, it was a coffee break and a sprint home...suffice it to say I raced some other hardcore roadies during the 1-hour-long ride and ended up beating some motorcycles too =PCyclecellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435094675842836125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345859346562705729.post-83087578591381413202008-12-22T01:19:00.003-05:002008-12-22T01:55:06.206-05:00Conquering 風櫃嘴 + Fury of the ElementsAfter much turmoil and nearly missing the flight, me and the bike miraculously arrived in Taiwan ON TIME (much love and thanks to the China Airlines folks at JFK!). So I had the SL re-assembled as soon as I arrived. <br /><br />That brings us to today, Monday the 22nd. <br /><br />Thanks to the jet lag, I got up before 5:00 a.m. With nothing else to do, and a sexy bike waiting, I just decided to hop on the road with the shorts, UA base layer, jersey, and PI arm warmers, intent on taking down 風櫃嘴 (Feng Gui Zui), one of the toughest peaks around the Taipei area with pops. <br /><br />As soon as we got on the road, I realized the size of the challenge in front of us: cloudy-to-drizzly weather, bit of a chill, and a first experience on the 39/53T crank (12-26 cassette). Dad had a nice triple crank T_T. lol<br /><br />Without much trouble, we maneuvered the city streets, got onto the bike lanes by the river bank, and connected to the base of the mountains by the National Palace Museum. Note of interest: all 7-Elevens sport bike racks and outdoor seating for bikers in TW, and there was conveniently one right at the base.<br /><br />1 Snickers bar and hot chocolate later, we took on the peak. Here's a quick feel for the mountain:<br /><br />Base --> peak road length: 10km<br />Base --> peak elevation gain: 648m (about 2000 ft)<br />First 3.2km elevation gain: 203m, gradient 4~6%, occasional 12%<br />Remaining 6.8km elevation gain: 445m, gradient 11~13%, occasional 4~6%<br /><br />Stats seemed pretty solid, and the first 3.2km served as a great warm-up on the new crank. Not too bad. However, as soon as we transitioned into the winding, hairpin-turn-filled mountain road, the gradient quickly ramped up to the challenging levels that separate men from boys. <br /><br />Compounding the challenging geography was the weather. Apparently the drizzles in the city area (a basin) were simply leftover waters AFTER clouds have dumped its bulk on the peaks...and we ate the fury of wind and water by 1/2 way up the peak. <br /><br />Despite the challenging slopes, we had anticipated being able to hit the peak without having to take a break. We ended up taking 3. I'd attribute the first to dealing with the quickly dropping temperatures, the second was to throw on a poncho at 1/2 way (it started raining sideways then!), and the final one...was about 30m away from the peak.<br /><br />That final stop illustrates the difficulty of the climb by that point: 14% gradient, sideways rain, and we were in the cloud (< 10m visibility), and incredible gusts. The gust got so bad, the headwind blew me to a stop while power-climbing! 0.o Definitely had to stop and get off the bike at that point, and we walked the final meters. <br /><br />After a little rest at the peak and meeting a fellow biker who drove up to check the peak conditions (real shocked to see we made it to the top), we decided to forego the rest of the planned route and descend the way we came up. Both of us had to ride the brakes the entire way...it was that scary maneuvering the wet, blind, and windy hairpin turns. Ran in to a solo rider on a hardtail MTB, then a group of 3 on folding bikes tryin' to take on the mountain near the bottom (they were wearing polos and khakis, btw). Gave them fair warning, but all just smiled and said thanks.<br /><br />We were near hypothermia by the time we got back to the 7-Eleven and proceeded to down 2 large hot cocoas each...finally gaining control over fingers. Before we got to the 2nd cup, that lone MTB rider joined us...the mountain and its elements got to him =P<br /><br />Moral of the story: taking down 風櫃嘴 & fury of the elements is definitely hard mode, and requires at least raw power and a touch of insanity. <br /><br />Good thing I have plenty of both!<br /><br />P.S. No pictures for this entry, since we didn't wanna harm the camera. Mebbe tomorrow though! Planned is a long coastal ride with rolling hills.Cyclecellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435094675842836125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345859346562705729.post-20100584702272805442008-12-18T12:10:00.011-05:002008-12-18T13:42:12.037-05:00The SL is here!After months of drooling at the TCR Advanced SL frame for a few months, the components finally arrived! And of course, Frank (awesome mechanic) made extremely quick progress on delivering the build and fit despite the busy holiday season!<br /><br />Thanks to all who made this bike build possible: Grandpa for the frame and fork, mom & dad for some of the components, Joseph at Giant for the nametag decals, and Frank & Kevin @ the Cyclery for putting it all together!<br /><br />This sleek stallion's gonna turn heads!<br />(Actually, I think it already has while having its pictures taken...)<br /><br />Without further ado... LETS TAKE A LOOK!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL014.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> View of the whole bike. Stealthy~<br />Full carbon composite ISP frame & fork. Ksyrium SL Premium wheelset. Weighs 14.75lbs (6.59kg)...need to add a few tenths of a kg to get it UCI-legal =P...Edge 705?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL017.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Drivetrain view. Full Dura-Ace 7900 components. The gear teeth and chain has been revamped this year to make shifting much faster and smoother. The trick now is to keep it all clean!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL001.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Gorgeous chainring. 53T = POWER!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL002.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Matching rear derailleur. The larger cogs on the cassette are made from Ti, iirc. saves weight!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL018.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> PRO Stealth Evo carbon integrated stem & handlebar. In addition to sleek styling, it also offers an extremely ergonomic grip on the flat bar in addition to the hoods and drops.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL019.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Dura-Ace 7900 Dual-Control Levers. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL007.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Much change has been made since 7800; the levers point outwards alot more now, allowing for easy shifting via fingers (instead of having to push with the wrist). Braking is real easy too!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL020.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> PRO Stealth Evo's matching cpu mounting unit. New home for the gps!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL013.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> The biggest surprise of the handlebar: aesthetically matches the SL frame down to a "T"!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL008.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Front brake. Also sportin' the 7900 two-tone styling.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x217/dukeofyang/TCRAdvancedSL023.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Beauty of ISP: the seatpost was cut according to my height, although the new saddle mount unit allowed for insertion of spacers, allowing for a good amount of height adjustment capability. On top is the 1-year-old Topeak Allay 1.0 saddle that I've been using. Highly recommend it!<br /><br /><br />This machine will definitely see a great amount of climbing in the coming weeks, months, and years. Expect tales and pictures!Cyclecellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435094675842836125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345859346562705729.post-88993552211178630752008-12-05T13:20:00.003-05:002008-12-05T20:24:17.999-05:00Hello, world!...I've been bitten by the cycling bug for a short while now, and the addiction just seems to worsen by the week.<br /><br />At some point between browsing cyclingnews and reading tour results, I figured its about good time to start a blog to share my riding experience and thoughts. Hope you all will enjoy the reads.<br /><br />Cheers!Cyclecellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03435094675842836125noreply@blogger.com0