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Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
- Thread starter Probert
- Start date
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
First mountain stage of the year and Narito Quintana wins! Took 4 minutes out of the leader Gaimon from Garmin, and now only trails him by 4 sec. He'll likely take the lead tomorrow in the TT or one of the like 3 remaining mountain stages. Tour of San Luis is great!
First mountain stage of the year and Narito Quintana wins! Took 4 minutes out of the leader Gaimon from Garmin, and now only trails him by 4 sec. He'll likely take the lead tomorrow in the TT or one of the like 3 remaining mountain stages. Tour of San Luis is great!
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
Big attack by Cadel on Thursday to take what is a commanding lead in the Tour Down Under, 13 seconds. Gerrans chipped away a little yesterday withh some time bonuses but unless Evans falters on Woolonga Hill today he's probably the winner.
Big attack by Cadel on Thursday to take what is a commanding lead in the Tour Down Under, 13 seconds. Gerrans chipped away a little yesterday withh some time bonuses but unless Evans falters on Woolonga Hill today he's probably the winner.
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
Ask for it and you shall receive! Cadel attacked with Porte on Willunga and got dropped. Porte won the stage by 10 seconds over Ulissi and Gerrans. Gerrans retook the lead by 1 second, he should be able to hold it in the city crit tomorrow.
In South America, Narito took the lead in the TT and likely will go on to win the Tour.
Ask for it and you shall receive! Cadel attacked with Porte on Willunga and got dropped. Porte won the stage by 10 seconds over Ulissi and Gerrans. Gerrans retook the lead by 1 second, he should be able to hold it in the city crit tomorrow.
In South America, Narito took the lead in the TT and likely will go on to win the Tour.
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
It's a shame that it appears as if Gerranns will win solely based on time bonuses, he wheelsucked the whole way up the hill. I don't understand a 5 day tour with minimal climbing, the biggest climbs are still hills, has so many time bonuses. How about you throw in a time trial?
It's a shame that it appears as if Gerranns will win solely based on time bonuses, he wheelsucked the whole way up the hill. I don't understand a 5 day tour with minimal climbing, the biggest climbs are still hills, has so many time bonuses. How about you throw in a time trial?
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
Amid the Olympics more racing! And a good day for my 2 favorite teams! OPQS DOMINATES Qatar with Niki Terpstra winning from a break of 5 that contained a team mate. And Boonen winning the field sprint from a reduced bunch. OPQS had shattered the bunch earlier. I think at one point they had it down to 25-30 riders and like 5 were Quick-Steppers.
Then Sacha Modolo wins for Lampre in Mallorca!
Amid the Olympics more racing! And a good day for my 2 favorite teams! OPQS DOMINATES Qatar with Niki Terpstra winning from a break of 5 that contained a team mate. And Boonen winning the field sprint from a reduced bunch. OPQS had shattered the bunch earlier. I think at one point they had it down to 25-30 riders and like 5 were Quick-Steppers.
Then Sacha Modolo wins for Lampre in Mallorca!
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
So Opening weekend in Belgium is in the books! As upset with yesterday's race as I was, I am thrilled with today's results. Aggressive riding both days, but yesterday, evil Sky won with Stannard (and GVA spitting the bit in a heads up sprint). Today Belkin and Omega split the race numerous times, finally getting 10 away with about 70K to go. 5 Omegas and 3 Belkins. Boonen finished it off ahead of Hofland.
So Opening weekend in Belgium is in the books! As upset with yesterday's race as I was, I am thrilled with today's results. Aggressive riding both days, but yesterday, evil Sky won with Stannard (and GVA spitting the bit in a heads up sprint). Today Belkin and Omega split the race numerous times, finally getting 10 away with about 70K to go. 5 Omegas and 3 Belkins. Boonen finished it off ahead of Hofland.
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
Awesome weekend of racing in Italy with Strada Bianchi and Roma Maxima. Kwiatokowski (OPQS) won on Sat and Valverde won on Sunday (His first ever win in Italy). Paris-Nice is underway in France (with not mountain top finishes OR TTs) and Tirreno-Adriactico starts in Italy this week. Its always a great race and there are a couple of INSANE hills this year.
Awesome weekend of racing in Italy with Strada Bianchi and Roma Maxima. Kwiatokowski (OPQS) won on Sat and Valverde won on Sunday (His first ever win in Italy). Paris-Nice is underway in France (with not mountain top finishes OR TTs) and Tirreno-Adriactico starts in Italy this week. Its always a great race and there are a couple of INSANE hills this year.
RaceBoarder
Waiting for the Snow to fly...
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
I just started working as a mechanic/sales person at a shop that deals in Specialized bikes... Just wondering what USCHO's bike people think of the brand...
Never really delt with the brand directly before and I'm just trying to get some real world opinions on the brand... Obviously they make a quality product, and I've liked what I've seen initially... But there is some hate against them out there as well...
I just started working as a mechanic/sales person at a shop that deals in Specialized bikes... Just wondering what USCHO's bike people think of the brand...
Never really delt with the brand directly before and I'm just trying to get some real world opinions on the brand... Obviously they make a quality product, and I've liked what I've seen initially... But there is some hate against them out there as well...
rufus
rock and roller
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
My first few bikes were all Specialized. Bought my first real road bike, a Specialized Sirrus back in 1989 because the bike mags(which you could actually learn stuff from back then) said that their bikes were dead-on in the handling department. No compromises or relaxed geometry so people could feel more comfy on them, just good racing bikes modelled after the best of the Italian and French road racers. So when it came time to try a mountain bike in 1993, went for a Stumpjumper. Needless to say, for that time period, pretty much a decade, I was pretty much a Specialized fanboy.
I kinda cooled on them after that, as the intense hype and marketing kinda left me feeling cold. And their road bike designs didn't appeal to me either, not many of today's do. I like road bikes that look like bikes, and I like steel road bikes. Bought a full suspension Stumpy a few years ago, but that frame is up on Ebay right now, as I'm looking to move to a Niner RIP 9.
Final verdict is yeah they make good products, but they also just relentlessly hype everything, and they do business with a heavy hand, quick to sue anyone who infringes on one of their patents, or markets something that sounds even vaguely similar to their name or product. Force their dealers to buy pretty huge dollar numbers of product if they wish to stay a dealer(granted, they aren't the only one). I guess I'm soured a bit as it seems their initial love of the sport has been surpassed by their chase of the almighty dollar.
My first few bikes were all Specialized. Bought my first real road bike, a Specialized Sirrus back in 1989 because the bike mags(which you could actually learn stuff from back then) said that their bikes were dead-on in the handling department. No compromises or relaxed geometry so people could feel more comfy on them, just good racing bikes modelled after the best of the Italian and French road racers. So when it came time to try a mountain bike in 1993, went for a Stumpjumper. Needless to say, for that time period, pretty much a decade, I was pretty much a Specialized fanboy.
I kinda cooled on them after that, as the intense hype and marketing kinda left me feeling cold. And their road bike designs didn't appeal to me either, not many of today's do. I like road bikes that look like bikes, and I like steel road bikes. Bought a full suspension Stumpy a few years ago, but that frame is up on Ebay right now, as I'm looking to move to a Niner RIP 9.
Final verdict is yeah they make good products, but they also just relentlessly hype everything, and they do business with a heavy hand, quick to sue anyone who infringes on one of their patents, or markets something that sounds even vaguely similar to their name or product. Force their dealers to buy pretty huge dollar numbers of product if they wish to stay a dealer(granted, they aren't the only one). I guess I'm soured a bit as it seems their initial love of the sport has been surpassed by their chase of the almighty dollar.
manurespreader
Still upright
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
I have a Roubaix and it's a great bike, other than the wheels are too heavy, but I concur with the previous comments. There are some very nice steel bikes out there now days, though my buddies all ride Felt's, which they like. But overall they're not bad. I do think Specialized is a bit on the arrogant side.
BTW, I saw that Bradley Wiggins was in a road accident and it may affect his season.
I tried out a new stationary trainer today and it was leaps and bounds above the older ones. My heart rate rose to 165 average from 130 on the other trainers, and everything else I did rose too. The thing steers, tracks your watt output, has a video screen with a pace line you can jump onto, And it was easier to pedal if you did.
It made riding a trainer semi decent.
I also tried out the new electronic shifting bikes and I'm definitely faster. Though for the money, I'll pass.
I have a Roubaix and it's a great bike, other than the wheels are too heavy, but I concur with the previous comments. There are some very nice steel bikes out there now days, though my buddies all ride Felt's, which they like. But overall they're not bad. I do think Specialized is a bit on the arrogant side.
BTW, I saw that Bradley Wiggins was in a road accident and it may affect his season.
I tried out a new stationary trainer today and it was leaps and bounds above the older ones. My heart rate rose to 165 average from 130 on the other trainers, and everything else I did rose too. The thing steers, tracks your watt output, has a video screen with a pace line you can jump onto, And it was easier to pedal if you did.
It made riding a trainer semi decent.
I also tried out the new electronic shifting bikes and I'm definitely faster. Though for the money, I'll pass.
RaceBoarder
Waiting for the Snow to fly...
Re: Your 2014 EPO Free Cycling Thread
Thanks for the opinions...
I can see where you guys are coming from with the arrogance that Specialized guys can carry... With the shop owner, everything Specialized is the latest and greatest thing ever... Anything else is a downgrade, no matter where you are in the Specialized line of bikes... I just can't see myself selling with that kind of attitude... I'd rather know where my product stands in the real world and use honesty with my customers... Just trying to sift through the company lines and see where their products truly lie...
I know Specialized makes some great products... My first "real" MTN Bike was a Specialized HR Comp back in 2001... We have a couple of Epics in the shop right now and I would certainly like to see what kind of employee discount I can swing with one of those
Then again, a StumpJumper FSR would work too 
Thanks for the opinions...
I can see where you guys are coming from with the arrogance that Specialized guys can carry... With the shop owner, everything Specialized is the latest and greatest thing ever... Anything else is a downgrade, no matter where you are in the Specialized line of bikes... I just can't see myself selling with that kind of attitude... I'd rather know where my product stands in the real world and use honesty with my customers... Just trying to sift through the company lines and see where their products truly lie...
I know Specialized makes some great products... My first "real" MTN Bike was a Specialized HR Comp back in 2001... We have a couple of Epics in the shop right now and I would certainly like to see what kind of employee discount I can swing with one of those
Then again, a StumpJumper FSR would work too