Jason Golod Blogs » Cycling

Deliman Says Thanks

Jason — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 19:18:02 +0000

Thanks to all of the friends and family who made turning 35 so much fun. Well, the stuff we did was fun, turning 35 really wasn’t all that fun. The thing that really sucks is the fact that I am so damn tired right now. Pictures posted soon of the festivities and the fat new Electra Rally Sport StreamRide…the best birthday present I have ever recieved. This thing has motorcycle tires on it. Coaster brake, with three gears inside the rear hub, plus the extended frame is good for the 6′-4″ frame I have. And, for the super-geek in me, I scored a Parrot CK3400 Bluetooth, handsfree car kit for the Tahoe. Thanks to Cameron, Tito, Dori and Doug for this little piece of geekery. The 3400 integrates with the factory On Star phone in the Tahoe, but also throws off GPS signals via Bluetooth and has a color screen so I can see a picture of who is calling me. Pretty pimp. I also received a sweet detail sander (for the Bob Vila in me), red wine and gift cards that will cover me wherever I travel to…and who can forget the pull-my-finger-fart keychain and flaming cycling socks? Thanks again to everyone. Now back to work.

Cycling is a Social Sport

Jason — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:47:57 +0000

I looked outside today and saw the sun. That is not a big deal to most people, but when it is the beginning of the rainy season and it was supposed to rain today, it was a reason for me to get out on the bike. I figured I didn’t want to use up more than 2 hours total, with clean-up, so I would just ride the 22 mile loop from here to the end of the bike path in Mill Valley. Basically, the light where you would turn left to go over the hill to do the Paradise Loop or turn right to go to Sam’s. Anyway, when I got there I just rode out to Sam’s and came back. But, as I was turning left at the light heading in to Sausalito on my way home, I rode up on a guy named Jim. Jim was up here from L.A. for some work dinner and decided to spend a couple of extra days to hang out with his grandmother. We rode the 7 or 8 miles back over the bridge together and chatted as we went along. It got me to thinking that while cycling appears to be one of the most solitary sports (and it is many times), it is also a social sport. Most avid cyclists ride in group rides during the week or on weekends and then there are times like today when you just end up talking to someone along the way. I am sure Metzler or Andy Mac are going to flame me for this, living in the “Gay Bay” and all, but whatev. Bring it.

First Bike Ride With GPS

Jason — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 05:08:42 +0000

Ok, I have to say, the GPS receiver is pretty awesome. It works right out of the box. It only needed to be charged for 2 hours before first use and when I plugged it into the computer after my ride today, everything worked the first time…rare. Anyway, one of the coolest parts of using the Garmin Forerunner 201 GPS receiver is that I can upload data to Motion Based so that I can compare rides, split times, see the ride on topographic maps, satellite maps, street maps and a whole lot more. Anyway, you can check out the ride I did today in the howling summer winds here in SF. I have to say, today was really windy here, which always makes for good times on the bike. Here is the link to my ride on Motion Based and I would recommend you install the Adobe SVG Viewer (they have a link to it) so that you can check out satellite maps and full motion maps of the ride. Pretty slick.

Garmin Forerunner 201 is Here

Jason — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 16:06:48 +0000

Ahh, the Garmin Forerunner 201 is finally here. What is it? It is a GPS receiver that is made for runners and cyclists. It is pretty small and is about the width of two regular sized digital wristwatches. It ran me about $130 delivered with the handlebar mount, and when you see what it allows you to do, I am sure you will understand why I bought it. Basically, the GPS unit will allow me to record all of my rides and download them to my computer. Then using the new Garmin Training Center Software or better yet, the online Motion Based system, I can see the elevation change, mileage, speed, split speeds per mile, and compare it to previous rides to see how my fitness level is progressing. Actually, if you go to the Motion Based website right now, you can see the ride I normally do 3 times a week on the home page. You can get an idea of what kind of statistics a GPS receiver can give you.

The Garmin 201 will do all kinds of other stuff as well, and if I were still running (been a long time), I could wear it like a watch to see the same kind of data for my runs. At this point, they would be pretty sad. Anyway, I will try and post my ride info here today when I get back.

Giordana Tenax Bib Shorts

Jason — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 04:45:19 +0000

Following up on yesterday’s review of the Santini CX Bib Shorts, I rode my brand new Giordana Tenax Bib Shorts today for the first time. These are luxury bibs. The lycra fabric is soft and supple and similar to the feel of my Castelli Y bibs. The Stratus O.F. insert is made from a contoured foam that is thicker and a little more rigid than most pads you will find today. Putting on the Tenax bibs, I thought to myself that these are very nice cycling shorts.

I purchased a pair of XXL Tenax bibs and I am 6′-4″ with a 36″ waist. They fit very well, but I would not have minded an extra inch in height. All in all, they are very comfortable. Taking them out on a 30+ mile ride today I was quite happy with them. However, I have to admit, after riding the Santini CX’s yesterday, I was expecting the Stratus O.F. pad to fit in a similar way, but with a little more sponge. That was not the case. The Stratus O.F. pad felt a bit rigid the entire ride and while the fabric feels absolutely great everywhere else, the pad was a little disappointing to me…especially after spending $125 for a pair of these bad boys. Don’t get me wrong, I love these shorts. But, comparing them to the Santini’s, I would actually choose them if I had to choose between the two.

Since these just got the Editor’s Pick in Bicylcling magazine for best Top of the Line Bib Shorts, I am going to switch the order that I wear them next week and wear the Tenax bibs on Monday and the Santinis on Tuesday to see if that makes a difference. I will keep you posted.

Santini CX Bib Shorts – Reviewed

Jason — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 23:22:25 +0000

Today is the first day of my bib short review. I rode just over 40 miles today over into Marin and back around on the “Paradise Loop.” I decided to wear a pair of Santini CX Bib Shorts with the perforated anti-bacterial chamois (not the gel chamois some people sell). These are the pro shorts and I have to say that I was overly impressed with these shorts. I normally ride Castelli bibs and they are very, very comfortable and feel great even after a long ride. But, even wearing these for only a couple of minutes I realized they are really superior.

First of all, the Santini CX’s are form fitting (provided you get the right size…you will most likely need to go up one size from traditional Italian sizing). Once you put them on, they don’t move. I mean, they really don’t move. They are thin up top and you almost forget that you are wearing bibs. I am 6′-4″ with a 44″ chest and 36″ waist. I have the XXXL’s and they fit great. If you are my height, I would recommend the XXXL’s simply for the extra height they will give you. I have a pair of XXL’s and they can be a little restrictive at times.

Secondly, the chamois is money. At first I felt that the chamois on these shorts might leave a little to be desired as far as padding is concerned, but I was completely blown away. Really, the pad is great. It took its place and did not move a centimeter on the ride. Surprisingly, they seemed to have padding exactly where I needed it, and I don’t ride some cushy seat either.

These are really great shorts. And, at the price that you can find them on the web ($89 at the time of this writing) they are probably the best buy around. I don’t think you can go wrong picking up a pair of two of these shorts for $90.

Tomorrow, I will be taking out the new Giordana Tenax bib shorts so stay tuned.

UPDATE: July 21, 2005

I rode the CX’s again yesterday and I have to say that the thin, perforated pad on these is really second to none when it comes to comfort on the bike. I am not sure why it is that a thinner, less advanced pad is twice as comfortable, but it is. These shorts conform to your body once and they stay there for the rest of the ride. You can’t go wrong with the Santini CX bibs.

Giordana Tenax Bib Shorts

Jason — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 17:34:35 +0000

Just took delivery of two pairs of Giordana Tenax Bib shorts. These are the top rated shorts behind the Assos top of the line bibs in the recent Bicycling magazine review of the best cycling accessories. I will be taking these things out for a spin today. The first thing I noticed about the Giordana Tenax shorts were the pad. It is quite thick and light. Not thick that would get in the way, but amazingly thick and cushioned for the weight and comfort that these shorts provide. I will be doing a write up on the top of the line shorts from Giordana, Castelli, Santini and Pearl Izumi (and Assos if someone sends me a pair) in the next week or two. I also have some new Santini CSX bibs that I have yet to ride. I forgot I had them downstairs.

Will Lance Win?

Jason — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 13:34:57 +0000

Will Lance Armstrong manage to win the Overall Calssification at this year’s Tour de France? Does anyone care? I am having a bit of trouble being a Lance fan this year. Maybe it was the second half of his book and how it is a bunch of crap in light of the fact that he was cheating on his wife for 5 years. Maybe it is the fact that he doesn’t race in the rest of the big euro Giros during the summer like most of the rest of the riders in the Tour do. Maybe it is Sheryl Crow and the fact that OLN has turned the television coverage into one big commercial and sponsored message presentation. I don’t know what it is. Anyone else feel the same way?

San Francisco Summer Cycling

Jason — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 15:51:18 +0000

Well, Summer is officially here. I woke up looking forward to a 35 mile ride this morning and when I looked outside, the streets were soaking wet. I was a little tardy on ordering some new tires as the rear on my bike is quite worn and has very little tread left on it and surely it is ripe for a puncture. Seeing how I have to ride down a long hill with lots of turns to get out of here, I think I will wait until this afternoon to go for a ride. Hopefully, the wind will stay down long enough for me to get out there and come back. I did however stock up for some Summer cycling tune-up essentials. I bought two Continental Grand-Prix tires, new brake pads (for dry and wet weather), tubes, air cartridges, and a dry/wet jacket.

Continental Grand Prix 4 Season Tires

Jason — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 00:33:21 +0000

I purchased a set of the Continental Grand Prix 4 Season tires as they were touted as the best wet weather cycling tire on the market. They are quite sticky and made from a soft rubber compound. The only drawback is that they wear pretty quickly. I went through the rear tire in less than 4 weeks of riding. I ended up puncturing two tubes in two days of riding before I realized that the tire had worn thin and was no longer suitable for riding. I still have the Grand Prix 4 Season on the front however and have put a Continental Gatorskin on the rear. The Gatorskins wear much better and are a great performing tire. If you are in the market for some new cycling tires or tubes, the best place I have found is at Bike Tires Direct. I have been buying my tubes and tires there for almost two years…they are great. They are also offering deals on 10 packs of Continental tires, but the savings is pretty small.

Jason Golod Blogs » Cycling

Deliman Says Thanks

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