Paris equipment

Robert Chung

On Jun 24, 6:14*pm, "b...@mambo.ucolick.org" <b...@mambo.ucolick.org>
wrote:
> On Jun 24, 1:07*pm, ilan...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > I also told him that I wanted to get a
> > Garmin, but at the time no power meters were compatible, so it was
> > either GPS (and the superior Garmin computer) or power measure, so I
> > told him: "C'est les Watts que je prefere". *In case you don't get
> > this last part (you have to have be totally immersed in outdated
> > French popular culture):http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=F0ivS16j6FM
> > and no power meter company has thought of using this as a slogan
> > either....
>
> I wish I could be like David Watts.

He is so gay.

Tom Kunich

"Bill C" <tritonrider@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:0fba87bc-6589-4da5-b5f8-b14a3e32ab5b@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> How fat was the guy on the weight weenie bike? It really cracks me up
> when someone going on and on about the weight of the bike and
> equipment, and spending $100/gram to reduce it is overweight.
> No problem if they want to do it, but it just amuses the hell out of
> me.

The French aren't fat. At least not in the way that Americans are. When a
fat person walks up to a Frenchman, he will normally address them in English
if he can speak it well enough.

Mike Jacoubowsky

"Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote in message
news:lbidnXZqdvJ7P_zVnZ2dnUVZ_hninZ2d@earthlink.com...
> "Bill C" <tritonrider@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:0fba87bc-6589-4da5-b5f8-b14a3e32ab5b@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
>> How fat was the guy on the weight weenie bike? It really cracks me up
>> when someone going on and on about the weight of the bike and
>> equipment, and spending $100/gram to reduce it is overweight.
>> No problem if they want to do it, but it just amuses the hell out of
>> me.
>
> The French aren't fat. At least not in the way that Americans are. When a
> fat person walks up to a Frenchman, he will normally address them in
> English if he can speak it well enough.

That might be true in the Île-de-France region. In the 'sticks, there are
plenty of overweight folk. Not as many as you'd see in the US, but it's a
myth that the French are, in general, skinny. Unfortunately, most Americans
don't know much of France beyond Paris.

And even in Paris you're likely to see pensioners who appear rather well
fed.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

RicodJour

On Jun 24, 9:44 pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:
> "Bill C" <tritonri...@verizon.net> wrote in message
>
> news:0fba87bc-6589-4da5-b5f8-b14a3e32ab5b@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
>
> > How fat was the guy on the weight weenie bike? It really cracks me up
> > when someone going on and on about the weight of the bike and
> > equipment, and spending $100/gram to reduce it is overweight.
> > No problem if they want to do it, but it just amuses the hell out of
> > me.
>
> The French aren't fat. At least not in the way that Americans are. When a
> fat person walks up to a Frenchman, he will normally address them in English
> if he can speak it well enough.

I was enjoying this thread until now.

R

joseph.santaniello@gmail.com

On Jun 24, 11:12*pm, ilan...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Jun 24, 10:55*pm, "joseph.santanie...@gmail.com"
>
>
>
> <joseph.santanie...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Jun 24, 7:12*pm, ilan...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > > Now that I've upgraded to a modern bike, I can actually converse with
> > > the "elite" doing laps around Paris parks. I am quite impressed by the
> > > number of people riding tubulars with carbon rims. I talked to a 60
> > > year old guy who has been riding tubulars for at least 45 years and he
> > > says he repairs them himself, it takes him between 30 minutes and an
> > > hour, and since he's retired, he has nothing better to do. Maybe he
> > > should start a business. Otherwise, I doubt that the younger guys
> > > (still 40+) are doing that. The big question is: If they're already
> > > riding 1200g aero wheelsets in training, what to they use in racing?
> > > The answer: They don't race, they only ride laps around the park, and
> > > apart from the old guy who rides over from Paris (I asked), they must
> > > drive over to avoid getting flat tires. Oh, and not one power meter in
> > > the bunch, probably too heavy.
>
> > > After today's ride, I went to nearby Cycle du Tourmalet which supplies
> > > these people with their equipment and leaning unattended on the the
> > > outside wall was a Cervelo R3-SL. Of course that is a poseur frame, I
> > > have the same one, but I don't have Lightweight wheels either. Yes,
> > > the bike had a $5000++ wheelset. The bike also had what looked to be a
> > > Tune quick releasehttp://www.starbike.com/images/tune/ac14_sandstein.jpg
> > > So a real "weight weenie" bike. I did find the fatal flaw: it actually
> > > had a power meter, the one by Polar, so you have a bike with all the
> > > lightest most expensive equipment with a second rate power meter.
> > > Obviously, he thought that SRM or PowerTap were too heavy for hilly
> > > Paris.
>
> > > So, hardly any retro grouches around here. Mostly a lot of old men
> > > with expensive bikes. In France, most people retire at around 60 years
> > > of age and have very healthy pensions, so they are able to get good
> > > equipment. As I said before, it's funny to see 80 year old guys on the
> > > latest carbon frames.
>
> > > -ilan
>
> > Tubulars are making a big comeback here too with all the deep carbon
> > wheels. I get those guys to give me their punctured top-dollar tires.
>
> > "What do you want that for?"
>
> > I guess the guys at the bike store figured somebody who dropped $3000
> > on a flexible wheelset would swallow the bit about being told to just
> > throw the tire away. Lots don't even know how to change the tire, so I
> > guess they were just going to let the bike shop throw them away for
> > them when they brough t the wheel in to get the tire changed.
>
> > Joseph
>
> I don't get why they ride tubulars. At the track, I got a rear disc
> which weighed 1500g (400g more than their wheelsets!) and I ended up
> being faster than before. I don't see how a 1700g aero clincher
> wheelset is going to be such a disadvantage. Anyway, that's what I
> plan on getting (though it will be 200g heavier because of the
> PowerTap). Apparently, people are also starting to ride clinchers on
> the track, which seems to confirm my theory.
>
> -ilan

Because they haven't done any research, and just bought the top of the
line. I opted for aero clinchers so I wouldn't need to monkey with
using carbon specific pads and switching when using other wheels, and
for the rolling resistance (how good at glueing could I be?). Not to
mention the multiple-flat issue.

Joseph

Keith

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:09:12 -0700 (PDT), ilanpsi@gmail.com wrote:

>On Jun 24, 10:38Â*pm, Keith <nos...@nospam.com> wrote:
>> On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:12:05 -0700 (PDT), ilan...@gmail.com wrote:
>> >Now that I've upgraded to a modern bike, I can actually converse with
>> >the "elite" doing laps around Paris parks.
>>
>> I've been meaning to get back on the Vincennes track for 5+ years
>> now...do you ever go there ?
>
>I was there today. It's actually quite pleasant. The nice thing is
>that there are different types of groups, the old guys who ride 22-24
>kph, the average big group 28-32kph depending on mood, and the "fast"
>group at 40kph (it usually breaks off from the main group). People are
>generally friendlier than you would expect, given the proximity to
>Paris.
>
>The most amazing thing I saw recently was 2 weeks ago, a 75 year old
>guy riding there with a 2007 California champion jersey. I asked him
>about it and it turns out that his brother, who is also French, moved
>to California 40 years ago and is now totally cleaning up in the 70+
>age group, so he gives his brother some of his extra jerseys. I tried
>looking him up without success, he apparently lives in LA, right near
>the Hollywood Bowl.

Nice story, I really need to get out there, maybe next week, the kids
will be off on vacation, do you have an RBR Jersey ? ;-)

ilanpsi@gmail.com

On Jun 25, 1:27*pm, Keith <nos...@nospam.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:09:12 -0700 (PDT), ilan...@gmail.com wrote:
> >On Jun 24, 10:38*pm, Keith <nos...@nospam.com> wrote:
> >> On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:12:05 -0700 (PDT), ilan...@gmail.com wrote:
> >> >Now that I've upgraded to a modern bike, I can actually converse with
> >> >the "elite" doing laps around Paris parks.
>
> >> I've been meaning to get back on the Vincennes track for 5+ years
> >> now...do you ever go there ?
>
> >I was there today. It's actually quite pleasant. The nice thing is
> >that there are different types of groups, the old guys who ride 22-24
> >kph, the average big group 28-32kph depending on mood, and the "fast"
> >group at 40kph (it usually breaks off from the main group). People are
> >generally friendlier than you would expect, given the proximity to
> >Paris.
>
> >The most amazing thing I saw recently was 2 weeks ago, a 75 year old
> >guy riding there with a 2007 California champion jersey. I asked him
> >about it and it turns out that his brother, who is also French, moved
> >to California 40 years ago and is now totally cleaning up in the 70+
> >age group, so he gives his brother some of his extra jerseys. I tried
> >looking him up without success, he apparently lives in LA, right near
> >the Hollywood Bowl.
>
> Nice story, I really need to get out there, maybe next week, the kids
> will be off on vacation, do you have an RBR Jersey ? ;-)

I'm usually dressed as a "man in black", jersey, shorts, bike (Cervelo
R3-SL). Otherwise, I'm the only person with a PowerTap hub, except for
Robert Chung, either way, it will be someone from rbr.

Unfortunately, I'll be in the Alps next week training for faster
Vincennes times (no other choice until I get my new aero wheels),
otherwise, I'm there once or twice a week.

-ilan

Robert Chung

On Jun 25, 5:30*am, ilan...@gmail.com wrote:

> I'm usually dressed as a "man in black", jersey, shorts, bike (Cervelo
> R3-SL). Otherwise, I'm the only person with a PowerTap hub, except for
> Robert Chung, either way, it will be someone from rbr.

I'm in California now and will probably leave my PT here when I get
back to Paris. When I do get back, I can't imagine any distinguishing
characteristic that makes me easy to spot from among the other Asians
circling either Vincennes or Longchamps.

Tom Kunich

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <MikeJ@ChainReaction.com> wrote in message
news:TBj8k.2675$LG4.1881@nlpi065.nbdc.sbc.com...
> "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote in message
> news:lbidnXZqdvJ7P_zVnZ2dnUVZ_hninZ2d@earthlink.com...
>>
>> The French aren't fat. At least not in the way that Americans are. When a
>> fat person walks up to a Frenchman, he will normally address them in
>> English if he can speak it well enough.
>
> That might be true in the Île-de-France region. In the 'sticks, there are
> plenty of overweight folk. Not as many as you'd see in the US, but it's a
> myth that the French are, in general, skinny. Unfortunately, most
> Americans don't know much of France beyond Paris.
>
> And even in Paris you're likely to see pensioners who appear rather well
> fed.

I spent two weeks running around the Dijon area and then about a week in
Paris. I did see "fat" French but they weren't the HUGE people that
Americans or Brits often are. In fact I would hesitate to call them fat at
all and refer to them as overweight meaning that they were bigger than they
should be but certainly nothing like you can see in any supermarket in the
USA.

Tom Kunich

"Robert Chung" <rechung@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:498261b8-79c6-4286-93bc-5914ce1b728c@v26g2000prm.googlegroups.com...
On Jun 25, 5:30 am, ilan...@gmail.com wrote:
> >
> > I'm usually dressed as a "man in black", jersey, shorts, bike (Cervelo
> > R3-SL). Otherwise, I'm the only person with a PowerTap hub, except for
> > Robert Chung, either way, it will be someone from rbr.
>
> I'm in California now and will probably leave my PT here when I get
> back to Paris. When I do get back, I can't imagine any distinguishing
> characteristic that makes me easy to spot from among the other Asians
> circling either Vincennes or Longchamps.

What about the huge mouth? (Eyes rolling)

Bret

On Jun 25, 7:48*pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:
> "Mike Jacoubowsky" <Mi...@ChainReaction.com> wrote in message
>
> news:TBj8k.2675$LG4.1881@nlpi065.nbdc.sbc.com...
>
> > "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote in message
> >news:lbidnXZqdvJ7P_zVnZ2dnUVZ_hninZ2d@earthlink.com...
>
> >> The French aren't fat. At least not in the way that Americans are. When a
> >> fat person walks up to a Frenchman, he will normally address them in
> >> English if he can speak it well enough.
>
> > That might be true in the Île-de-France region. In the 'sticks, thereare
> > plenty of overweight folk. Not as many as you'd see in the US, but it'sa
> > myth that the French are, in general, skinny. Unfortunately, most
> > Americans don't know much of France beyond Paris.
>
> > And even in Paris you're likely to see pensioners who appear rather well
> > fed.
>
> I spent two weeks running around the Dijon area and then about a week in
> Paris. I did see "fat" French but they weren't the HUGE people that
> Americans or Brits often are. In fact I would hesitate to call them fat at
> all and refer to them as overweight meaning that they were bigger than they
> should be but certainly nothing like you can see in any supermarket in the
> USA.

You guys went to France to count the fat people? I've been there
several times and am happy to say that I have no opinion on the
subject.

Bret

Carl Sundquist

"Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote in message
news:0bWdnWJc-vf6aP_VnZ2dnUVZ_sninZ2d@earthlink.com...
> I did see "fat" French but they weren't the HUGE people that Americans or
> Brits often are. In fact I would hesitate to call them fat at all and
> refer to them as overweight meaning that they were bigger than they should
> be but certainly nothing like you can see in any supermarket in the USA.

Change supermarket to all-you-can-eat-buffet.

ilanpsi@gmail.com

On Jun 24, 7:12*pm, ilan...@gmail.com wrote:
> Now that I've upgraded to a modern bike, I can actually converse with
> the "elite" doing laps around Paris parks. I am quite impressed by the
> number of people riding tubulars with carbon rims. I talked to a 60
> year old guy who has been riding tubulars for at least 45 years and he
> says he repairs them himself, it takes him between 30 minutes and an
> hour, and since he's retired, he has nothing better to do. Maybe he
> should start a business. Otherwise, I doubt that the younger guys
> (still 40+) are doing that. The big question is: If they're already
> riding 1200g aero wheelsets in training, what to they use in racing?
> The answer: They don't race, they only ride laps around the park, and
> apart from the old guy who rides over from Paris (I asked), they must
> drive over to avoid getting flat tires. Oh, and not one power meter in
> the bunch, probably too heavy.
>
> After today's ride, I went to nearby Cycle du Tourmalet which supplies
> these people with their equipment and leaning unattended on the the
> outside wall was a Cervelo R3-SL. Of course that is a poseur frame, I
> have the same one, but I don't have Lightweight wheels either. Yes,
> the bike had a $5000++ wheelset. The bike also had what looked to be a
> Tune quick releasehttp://www.starbike.com/images/tune/ac14_sandstein.jpg
> So a real "weight weenie" bike. I did find the fatal flaw: it actually
> had a power meter, the one by Polar, so you have a bike with all the
> lightest most expensive equipment with a second rate power meter.
> Obviously, he thought that SRM or PowerTap were too heavy for hilly
> Paris.
>
> So, hardly any retro grouches around here. Mostly a lot of old men
> with expensive bikes. In France, most people retire at around 60 years
> of age and have very healthy pensions, so they are able to get good
> equipment. As I said before, it's funny to see 80 year old guys on the
> latest carbon frames.
>
> -ilan

I was walking around my neighborhood last night and came across a
bunch of 20 something guys hanging out with their track bikes. This
fashion only hit Paris this year, and as usual I am annoyed at their
tall gearing. I asked them about it and most of them were riding
47x17. I pointed out that at 28kph they were pedaling something around
80rpm's or less and being inefficient. With "normal" gearing like
42x17, the bike would be much more responsive, you could easily
accelerate in the saddle at typical 25-30kph and also, a track bike is
supposed to be elegant and spinning is more consistent with that
philosophy. They had never considered any of this, and actually didn't
know too much about anything, except their bikes and equipment were
pretty well though out. Actually, they were interested in track
racing, and one of them had tried out La Cipale, but had a horrendous
experience were all the regulars treated him with poorly. I pretty
much expected as much, which is why I've never gone there.

None of them had any caliper brakes and they weren't wearing gloves
either. I told them they could used gloves to brake but had never even
heard of this technique. However, they seemed sort of interested, one
guy said he would try putting on his 42 front chain ring.

When I got home, I actually took my track bike out of moth balls and
rode out there in my 15 year old tubulars and the 50x14 gear I had
left on the bike when I brought it back from the US. They were quite
impressed by the bike which had pretty much all the original 1981
equipment except for Speedplay pedals which I had to swap from my road
bike. I felt like some old WWII veteran bringing out his old uniform.

Anyway, a fairly good experience.

-ilan

Bill C

On Jun 28, 2:53*pm, ilan...@gmail.com wrote:

>
> I was walking around my neighborhood last night and came across a
> bunch of 20 something guys hanging out with their track bikes. This
> fashion only hit Paris this year, and as usual I am annoyed at their
> tall gearing. I asked them about it and most of them were riding
> 47x17. I pointed out that at 28kph they were pedaling something around
> 80rpm's or less and being inefficient. With "normal" gearing like
> 42x17, the bike would be much more responsive, you could easily
> accelerate in the saddle at typical 25-30kph and also, a track bike is
> supposed to be elegant and spinning is more consistent with that
> philosophy. They had never considered any of this, and actually didn't
> know too much about anything, except their bikes and equipment were
> pretty well though out. Actually, they were interested in track
> racing, and one of them had tried out La Cipale, but had a horrendous
> experience were all the regulars treated him with poorly. I pretty
> much expected as much, which is why I've never gone there.
>
> None of them had any caliper brakes and they weren't wearing gloves
> either. I told them they could used gloves to brake but had never even
> heard of this technique. However, they seemed sort of interested, one
> guy said he would try putting on his 42 front chain ring.
>
> When I got home, I actually took my track bike out of moth balls and
> rode out there in my 15 year old tubulars and the 50x14 gear I had
> left on the bike when I brought it back from the US. They were quite
> impressed by the bike which had pretty much all the original 1981
> equipment except for Speedplay pedals which I had to swap from my road
> bike. I felt like some old WWII veteran bringing out his old uniform.
>
> Anyway, a fairly good experience.
>
> -ilan- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Sweet. Good stuff Ilan. It's nice that they were receptive and
actually interested too.
I thought I saw something about increased support for the Six Day in
London too in the last few days and was going to go back and read it,
but can't find it right now. There's so much they could do with track
racing and betting, like the Off Track Betting stuff they do for horse
races to really expand the revenue stream, and create some publicity
buzz around it. It's made for the modern attention span and tastes.
Maybe we need Michael Ball to grab some track stuff and run with it
in a whole new way Like Dana White did with MMA just as it was dieing
out. Now it's exploding.
Bill C