Short Killer

One of the biggest destroyers of cycling shorts is the infamous velcro used to tie the saddle bag to the seat post. If you've ridden long enough you have undoubtedly ruined a perfect pair of shorts when it rubbed on the edge of the "male" side of the Velcro, fraying the inside of your shorts to look like a cotton ball.

Well, a quick and simple way to avoid this is to either use a saddle bag that doesn't use velcro or find an alternate place to affix your bag. I've been riding for years with my saddle bag tied just above my rear break with no problems...no bag falling off....no squeezing of the brakes since I go under it, etc.

This can be done with pretty much most frames, but some frame/saddle bag combos just won't work. Experiment and you'll find whether it works for you. Definitely a quick and easy way to avoid ruining your expensive shorts.

Felt F2 with '08 Dura Ace demo and review

I had the opportunity and pleasure of test riding the Felt F2 frame with the 2008 Shimano Dura Ace today with our friend Q who is the demo guy at Felt.

This is the same bike that the Chipolte/H3O team is riding and racing on.

I personally enjoyed riding the Felt F2 with the new, 2008, fresh off the press, not yet available to shops Dura Ace 10 speed. The set up was the most responsive bike I've ever ridden. The Felt, uhum, felt responsive to every one of my moves.... I sprinted, torqued it, climbed in the saddle, climbed out of the saddle, time trialed, cornered...did it all. And it took it like a champ.

JT pointed out that the headset felt straight and stiff....and I agree with him and I like it! It reminded me of riding on a track bike. I like that!

The Shimano groupo was responsive and I liked the ergonomics of the hoods. Some folks felt that it stretched them out too much...and I can see that... but for me, they felt great. My hands were relaxed and I felt I had the right control at all times, including while climbing. The shifting was super crisp and responsive.

All together...I'd give it an 8.5 out of 10.