Oh the joy of a new Giant Liv bicycle

I cannot contain my joy any longer - I LOVE MY NEW BIKE!

Okay, maybe I didn't need a sixth bike. Maybe I already lack sufficient space in my home to lean a bike, maybe it is only possible to pedal two wheels at a time, which leaves 10 wheels idle at home -- but I love my new bike. It has changed my life.

You know the old story of how you can never change a person, or how sometimes we cannot change ourselves until we are forced to do so? Well I give credit to my brand new bicycle for wrapping change in one big blanket of love and pleasure. Yes the bike matters, and it might not be the bike you expected.

For me, change came at a price of $575.

No I did not leave off the last zero.

This modest machine has everything I want in a bike and I happily ride it everywhere. In fact, I think of places to go, simply so that I can ride this bike. Do you want to see it.

↴↴↴

It's a Giant Liv Alight City (2015)! It's perfect.

Advanced technical features of this bike:

• It's blue.
• It's super duper comfortable.
• It has a matching bike rack and fenders included in the bargain price.
• It has a bell, which I happily discovered while trying to shift gears. 
• It has really nice handlebar grips.
• It has a pie plate (not featured above). I am pretty sure I was 8-years old when I last had one of those on my bike.
• It has a kickstand! I bet you can't even remember how convenient those are.

Actual full specs which proves it has a fork and crankset and spokes and other important stuff.

After years of focusing on $6500 bike frames and $2500 wheelsets and $250 saddles, and top of the line components, I swear this bike brings me - I dare say - more pure joy than almost any bike I own (okay I admit they ALL bring me joy, that's why I need six). There is no such thing as junk miles or intervals on this bike. I ride it how I want, where I want, when I want. I zoom, I float, I smile.

And the world around me has changed.

Since the introduction of this fine machine into my life, I have noticed tons of other people in Denver riding bikes in t-shirts and pants and sandals, riding whatever rolls on two wheels, riding no matter the weather. And - they are all smiling. Smiling on a bike! Apparently there is pleasure in cycling. It's happening out on the roads of Denver, Colorado every single day. And I am out there with 'em.

The other good thing about this bike is that I do not need to wear a $195 Rapha road jersey to pedal in public. I can be so bold as to wear a hoodie and yoga pants (on my way to yoga class, of course) and feel just fine about my identity. Also, true to my character, I researched city bikes for two years to find just the right bike. This is the one.

I did make it out for a ride on my standard road bike this past Sunday. It felt like the bike weighed about 4.5 pounds under me, light and zippy in comparison .... but I missed having a bell. And a kickstand.

Change your life - buy a bike! (no matter if it's your sixth)

Happy Giant Liv Alight City bike photos:

A plastic pie plate; I'll keep it until it cracks off.



You kick it, and the bike stands.

It's a yoga mat carrying machine.

A very friendly handlebar with a hidden bell.

Happy dog to greet me upon my return from Pilates Class (not included).

Life is good. I love my new bike!


I bought my bike at Giant Denver in the USA.

Where have all the stolen bikes gone?

A bike is more than the sum of it's parts

Yesterday, on a snowy morning, I ventured down to the Denver Police Bicycle Auction out of pure curiosity. I had no idea what to expect, in the end it ended up being both fun and educational.

You might remember that my awesome old cruiser bike had it's origins from a police warehouse in southern California. My brother Tom bought it for me. I hauled it back, on top of my car, from California to Colorado two years ago. Whatever the price my brother had paid for that fine gift, plus the added cost in gas to drive it back to Colorado, was surely worth every penny. I love riding that bike. It's success story inspired me to attend the Denver Police city bike auction yesterday in downtown Denver.

My first adopted very old, very rusty cruiser bike.

It was impossible to walk through the racks of bikes at the police auction without thinking, Oh, somebody must have been heartbroken to loose that bike. Our bikes become good friends to us, having traveled the miles, they have been there to lift us to new heights or greater speeds. They have been there during our greatest triumphs, each bike with a particular purpose or place in our history.

I tend to buy bikes with great thought and keep them for a long time. I also like to take good care of my bikes. To loose a bike is indeed a heartbreak. Under such loss, it might be even worse knowing someone else is out there riding it.

Shopping for a new love. Racks of bikes at the Denver Police Bicycle Auction. Every single bike sold to a new owner, the lowest bid was $20.

Every three months, the Denver Police Department auctions off inventory of bicycles collected from thieves or insurance companies, left abandoned or never claimed. You won't find $10,000 bikes among the racks, but you will find bikes that had meaning to somebody.

I found the pattern of buyers in attendance quite interesting: some buyers went for the retro bikes, some for hipster commuters, some for kids bikes, some looking for a deal to resell, some buying junk; the majority just wanting a bike for themselves or a family member. If you have high standards - this is not the place for you. If you are curious and might be looking for an around-town bike, upon which you will NOT need to record your STRAVA segments, this might be the place for you.

One thing for sure: someone is really missing these custom bikes and the new owners were very happy to pick them up.

You can see the love and care that went into this bike.

Awh, Somebody rode happily to work on this bike with matching stem and wheels.

Awh, someone got all crazy with the black and white tape and everything -- you'd think someone surely would have recognized this bike as their own.

Buyers present at the auction included: cyclists looking for a good $125-175 commuter bike that could be locked up anywhere; a father and son who purchased a nice Cannondale bike for $425 (I imagined the boy riding Ride the Rockies with his father this summer or racing his first race); a retro Schwinn bike for $175; a Specialized mountain bike for $150; a $50 Trek kids bike; a $50 Huffy cruiser.

A $50 Huffy bicycle going on the auction block, next to older and newer Trek bikes. That down-shifter Trek bike to the left was very popular (click image to enlarge). Brand names also seemed important to some.

In all, 120 bikes where auctioned off in just 90-minutes. The adrenaline and excitement were high. I was as happy for every successful buyer as I was for myself when I raised my bid ticket #31 to confirm a $60 highest bid for a bright pink cruiser bike. Instantly I owned a frivolously fun new bike to ride around my neighborhood park.

The bike I adopted on a snowy day in February for $60. I plan to spiff it up a bit.

If interested, check with your local city to see if they have bike auctions. Information on the Denver Bike auction can be found here: Denver Auction Gallery. The city hires a professional cowboy-clad auctioneer company to run it's As Is/Where Is sale of bike inventory. Being at the auction felt much like buying a bull at auction - you must act quickly to the calls of the rapid auctioneer. The City of Denver is not in it to make money, rather to clear out bikes left locked around the city, and to empty their warehouse.

Some bikes are pure junk (in fact one bike came with the bike lock still attached), but there are a few diamonds in the rough. The winner for the bike I would never ride and least want to own, went to this Pinarello bike below. It had clearly been in a very serious accident (gave me the creeps), but was aggressively bid for, and went for the top price of the day - $1050. Do not buy this bike if you see it on Craig's List, it should be destroyed.

A very beaten up carbon Pinarello bike

Some bikes striped of their dignity, sold in lots of bits and pieces, left to nothingness except to the wise bike builder. The guy who sat two seats down from me during the auction, said he found an old Campy groupset in one of these lots two years ago and bought the whole lot for $30 (hmm, I still need a rear campy derailleur hanger - reason to go back).

A Lot of bike remnants

Some of the children's bikes went for $30. It left me wanting to pick up a couple and donate them to the numerous non-profit bike organizations which distribute bikes to children in the area (see a list here: Denver Charity Bike Organizations). Or maybe deliver a bundle of wheels to be rebuilt. Next time I go to the auction, I need to haul a trailer with me. 

Some rims, spokes, cogs and tires - you might find something worth saving in this Lot of wheels sold As Is.

Keep your bike safe

Denver consistently ranks in the top ten cities nationwide for bike theft. Over a million bikes are stolen every year across the United States. With the sport of cycling growing, the poularity of biking to craft beers, and the encouragement to commute by bike, this trend of bike theft will only increase. What you can do to keep your prized possession safe:

1. Document ownership of your bike(s): take photos and document the bike's serial number and all parts. Retain all purchase receipts.
2. Register your bike with local and national registries. File ownership with insurance companies before a problem occurs.
3. Do not leave your bike unattended. Do not store bikes unlocked inside home garages. Avoid locking your bike in high-risk areas of town. Never ever lock up your very expensive road or mountain bike and leave it unattended. Use staffed bike corrals or bring your bike inside with you whenever possible. Cover your bike when leaving it inside your car. Lock it twice when leaving it on car bike racks. Lock your bikes at home when leaving on vacation or if you live in a high crime area.
4. Buy a good lock (or two!) when locking any bike on the street, secure both the wheels and frame.
5. Remove, or take with you, any easily removed accessories. Use locking skewers on wheels, locking saddle rings and screwed-on lights. Install fixed baskets and panniers.
6. Mark your bike so that it is easily identifiable by description.
7. Buy a bike that you can comfortably lock up around town, like a $60-125 Denver Police Bike Auction bicycle!

Register your bike

If you own a bike, you should register it with your local police department. Any bike found and not claimed within 30-days in Denver, goes into the warehouse for auction every three months. If you live in Denver you can register your bike at the Denver Bike Registry (Google for your local bike registry website). Bike Denver offers more information including filing a police report, posting the theft on Craig's List, Social Media and searching EBay. Also register at Bike Index, plus the National Bike Registry. If your bike is stolen, act fast, post flyers everywhere and at bike shops.

FAQs about attending the bike auction:

• Upon arrival, you will be required to register for the auction with your driver's license to receive a bid ticket number with your name on it.
• You will have about an hour to look over all inventory inside the warehouse. Make notes on the auction catalog provided. Circle the bikes you might be interested in, they will be auctioned in order of item number. 
• The main auctioneer begins the bid (typically $20-30) increasing the amount as he sees fit. You cannot shout out an amount, instead you accept the current bid by raising your bid # card, don't be shy if you want it, bid, but keep in mind your budget. Assistant Auctioneers keep track of movement in the crowd of hundreds. If the main auctioneer points to you and says "sold.." you nod with approval (and a smile).
• You may leave the auction at any time to claim your property by first paying at the registration desk with cash (no checks) or credit card (3.5% fee attached), with a city sales tax added to all purchase amounts. 
• Walk your paid receipt back to the warehouse to claim your new bike. All purchases must be collected during the time window of the auction, so bring an enpty car(s) or rack. 

An unusual setting to buy a bike - at the Denver Bicycle Auction.

Bikes waiting to be adopted.

Someone bought this Schwinn bike for $175. Sorry to whomever lost it.

I was very happy with my new pink bike purchase yesterday. But I learned much more - I need to take some steps to insure the safety of ALL my bikes. They are like old (and new) friends to me and I want to keep them safe for a long time.

Catching up with tech advances in cycling

Who says a bicycle never changes

Did anyone else complete the 2014 Cyclingnews Reader Poll? Sure I know all the riders, sure I know all the races, and most certainly I have my opinions on who and what are the best. But then the tech questions appeared before my eyes. Uh-oh I don't know all these, I realized in shame.  There have been a lot of new technological equipment changes and advances in the bicycle industry over the past year(s). I need to catch up.

Advances are so numerous, the Cycling News poll devoted two pages to best new tech advance and best new product. I copied the two pages onto an email to myself, titled it "Learn" and sent it off to myself as a message to get-with-it. Today it has become my Sunday homework, and now, yours.

What is the Best New Product?

• Speedplay SYZR pedal
• Schwalbe ProCore tubeless tire system
• Garmin Edge 1000
• Shimano XTR Di2 electronic mountain bike transmission
• GoPro Hero 4
• Giro Synthe aero road helmet
• Fabric ALM saddle
• Zwift virtual group ride indoor training system
• Campagnolo Record/Super Record road group
• SRAM Force CX1 1x11 cyclo-cross bike transmission
• Don't know (this is NOT an option, you will know once you read the reviews below) 

Take the time to read up on each of these new products and you will know a lot about recent developments in our sport. I have selected some of the best written reviews by leading tech reporters from varying sources found across the web (actually my favorite reviewers are Logan VonBokel, James Huang and Ben Delaney but I have ventured to offer a variety). In order of new products listed on the Cyclingnews Reader Poll, please read:

• First Look: Speedplay Syzr Mountain Bike Pedals, Updated Cleats – Interbike 2014, Review by Andrew Reimann of CXMagazine
• Interbike: Schwalbe Procore dual-chamber tire system Review by Francis Cebedo of Mtbr.com
• Garmin Edge 1000, Review by Ben Delaney of BikeRadar.com
• Reviewed: Shimano XTR Di2 is capable, at a steep price Review by Logan VonBokel of VeloNews
• GoPro Hero 4: Everything You Need to Know Review by Grayson Schaffer of OutsideOnline.com
• Giro Launches High-Performance Synthe Helmet Review by Mike Yozell of Bycling.com
• First look: New saddles from new brand Fabric Review by Adam Newman of Bicycle Times
• Zwift: Indoor Training, Made Bearable Review by Patrick Brady of Red Kite Prayer
• Campagnolo Super Record RS groupset review Review by Matt Wikstrom for Cycling Tips
• SRAM Force CX1 groupset launched Review by David Arthur of Road.cc

The fact that I had to dig past every major online sales site to find a review of the new GoPro Hero 4 might indicate who is making a gazillion bucks on the newest product released.  If you read Logan VonBokel's review of the new Shimano XTR Di2 you will read how he thinks it is "The best group." Now that it is winter in Colorado, I think the Zwift Indoor Trainer would come in very handy.

What is the best new tech advancement?

• Full-suspension fat bikes
• BioShift automatic shifting
• Focus RAT quick-release thru-axle system
• Inexpensive power meters
• Direct-mount road brakes
• Canyon MRSC magnetic suspension system
• Automatically adjusting safety lights
• Schwalbe ProCore tubeless tire system
• Advanced aluminium frames  
• 3D printing
• Don't know (this is NOT an option, you will know once you read the reviews below)

Next take the time to read up on each of these tech advancements. Again I have selected some of the best written reviews by leading tech reporters from varying sources found across the web. In order of new tech updates listed on the Cyclingnews Reader Poll, please read:

• Fat bike mega gallery - Interbike 2014 Review by Josh Patterson of Bike Radar
• Hands-on with the Bioshift Automated Bike Shifting System Review by DC Rainmaker of DCRainmaker.com
• AngryAsian: Bring on the thru-axles Review by James Huang of Bike Radar
• Product Reviews: Power Meter Buyers Guide Review by Road Bike Action. Also read AngryAsian: Why are power meters so expensive? Review by James Huang of Bike Radar
• Reviewed: Disc who? Shimano’s rim brakes of the future Review by Caley Fretz of VeloNews
• Eurobike 2014: concept bike unveiled by Canyon - the MRSC Connected Review by Timothy John of Road Cycling UK
• The Best Commuter Bike Lights Review by Eve O'Neill of TheSweetHome.com
• First Ride: Schwalbe Procore dual chamber system Review by Danny Milner of Mountain Bike Rider
• Aluminum: Call It a Comeback - Bicycling Review by Joe Lindsay of Bicycling.com
• 3D Printing: The Printed World News by Filton of The Economist

What this homework exercise has taught me is that bikes do indeed change and advances are continuously made as man is forever trying to improve. It also makes me realize there is an endless amount of gear to spend my money upon and an old bike is any bike older that three years. Mostly this quick review of tech advances in the bike industry for 2014 has taught me that I should have been a gear tech reviewer. Could you imagine the pure happiness of package after package of this goodness arriving at the doorstep of your office, or being flown out to new tech press announcements? I would love my job.

Look how happy these people look to be riding a bike indoors? That might be the biggest advancement ever in cycling.

Somehow I ended up not linking to any Cycling News tech reviews, for a full list of their reviews, please read: cyclingnews.com/tech

Related posts by Pedal Dancer®: The bikes that won the 2014 Tour de France

The bikes that won the 2014 Tour de France

The fastest bikes on earth

It took us three weeks to learn their jerseys and faces, their dossards and their names (or rather how to pronounce their names), and now on the day after the 2014 Tour de France finished in Paris it is time to look at the road bikes that carried the men of the peloton to victory.

Vincenzo Nibali's two road bikes - shark model and final yellow winners model of the Specialized S-Works Tarmac.

A list of the STAGES and the BIKES that won the 2014 Tour de France

Stage 1  GIANT  Marcel Kittel (Giant)
Stage 2  SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 
Stage 3  GIANT  Marcel Kittel (Giant)
Stage 4  GIANT  Marcel Kittel (Giant)
Stage 5  BIANCHI Lars Boom (Belkin)
Stage 6  RIDLEY André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol)
Stage 7  SPECIALIZED Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
Stage 8  FOCUS Blel Kadri (Ag2r-La Mondiale)
Stage 9  SPECIALIZED Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
Stage 10 SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 
Stage 11 RIDLEY Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Belisol)
Stage 12 CANYON Alexander Kristoff (Katusha)
Stage 13 SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 
Stage 14 SPECIALIZED Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Stage 15 CANYON Alexander Kristoff (Katusha)
Stage 16 SPECIALIZED Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Stage 17 SPECIALIZED Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Stage 18 SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 
Stage 19 CERVELO Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp)
Stage 20 SPECIALIZED Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
Stage 21 GIANT Marcel Kittel (Giant)

*10 stage wins on Specialized bikes, although they did sponsor three teams at Le Tour. 

The BIKES of the overall classification jerseys of the 2014 Tour de France

Yellow jersey: SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)
Green jersey: CANNONDALE Peter Sagan (Cannondale)
Polda-dot jersey: SPECIALIZED Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo)
White jersey: LAPIERRE Thibaut Pinot (FDR.fr)

All the bike reviews from the 2014 Tour de France:

I know that I personally got so wrapped up in daily race tactics and news during the 2014 Tour de France, that I skipped over these Tech reports. They are certainly worth a read, for each year manufacturers and mechanics use the Tour as a launch pad for some of the latest technology.

The Tour de France and Grand Tours bring out the best of the tech writers in cycling. They happily gather around the latest greatest equipment with unprecedented access and the excitement of kids in a candy store. Here is an extensive list of many of the bike reviews completed in the past three months.

If you are interested in a specific bike manufacturer, a rider's frame, want to learn more before buying a new bike yourself, want a sneak peek at the 2015 road bike frames, or simply like to drool over really cool bikes - this list is for you.

Art and custom bikes 2014
One-of-a-kind graphics - 21 Days of Tour Tech, Ben Delaney, Bike Radar
Top 5 - Custom Pro Frames of the Tour de France 2014, (video) Bike Radar
Custom Painted Specialized Shiv by Kristian Von Hornsleth, Oli Woodman, Bike Radar
Custom US$18,000 Cipollini RB1K, Ben Delaney, Bike Radar
Cannondale lets animals loose on the Tour, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Ridley's new retro paint scheme for Lotto-Belisol, Cycling News
Creating Custom Bikes at the Tour, (video) Bicycling

General road reviews
Best New Bikes And Tech - Tour De France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
Road Bikes of the 2014 Tour de France, Bicycling

Time Trial bike reviews 2014
Time trial gear, part 1 - 21 Days of Tour Tech, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Top five TT bikes, (video) Bike Radar

The bikes of the cobbles
The Bikes For The Cobbles | Tour De France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
What Will Teams Ride for the Tour's Stage 5 Cobbles? (video) Bicycling

BMC
Van Garderen's BMC SLR01, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Tejay van Garderen’s BMC TeamMachine SLR 01, David Arthur, Road.cc
Tejay van Garderen’s BMC Teammachine SLR01, Caley Fretz, VeloNews 
Tejay van Garderen’s BMC Team Machine SLR01, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Tejay van Garderen's BMC Teammachine SLR01 (video) Global Cycling Network

Bianchi
Bianchi Infinito CV, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Bianchi launch Aquila CV time trial bike, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Bianchi’s new Aquila CV time trial bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Bianchi Aquila CV launched (time trial bike), Robin Willmott, Cycling News

Cannondale
Cannondale Supersix Sagan LE, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Peter Sagan’s ‘Green Machine’ Cannondale SuperSix Evo, David Arthur, Road.cc
Peter Sagan’s Cannondale SuperSix EVO, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Peter Sagan’s Cannondale Synapse Evo Hi-Mod, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews 
Peter Sagan’s Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Peter Sumner, Road Bike Review

Canyon
Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 9.0 Pro long-term, James Huang, Bike Radar
New Canyon aero road bike, Sam Dansie, Bike Radar
Canyon Aeroad CF SLX (video) Bicycling
Katusha’s Canyon quiver, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Luca Paolini's Canyon Ultimate CF SLX, Cycling News
Alexander Kristoff’s Canyon CF SLX 9.0, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Alexander Kristoff’s brand new Canyon Aeroad CF SLX, David Arthur, Road.cc
Alejandro Valverde’s Canyon Ultimate CF SLX for the classics, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Alejandro Valverde's Canyon Ultimate CF SLX (video) Global Cycling Network

Cervelo
Cervelo R5, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Andrew Talansky's Cervelo R5 Pro Bike, (video) Global Cycling Network
Johan Vansummeren's Cervelo R5, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Daniel Martin’s Cervelo S3, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Colnago
Colnago V1-r aero road bike launched, James Huang, Bike Radar
First Ride: Colnago V1-r  Matt Phillips, Bicycling
Yukiya Arashiro’s Colnago C60, David Arthur, Road.cc
Bryan Coquard’s Europcar Colnago V1-r aero race bike, David Arthur, Road.cc
Colnago C59 Italia review, CyclingNews

Felt
Felt road and cyclocross bikes for 2015, James Huang, Bike Radar

Focus
Focus Izalco Max AG2R, Warren Rossiter, Bike Radar
Christophe Riblon’s AG2R Focus Izalco Max, Caley Fretz, VeloNews 

Fondriest
Fondriest 2015 road range launched, Warren Rossiter, Bike Radar

Fuji
Fuji Altamira SL, Warren Rossiter, Bike Radar
Netapp-Endura’s new Fuji Transonic aero road bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Fuji Introduces New Aero Road Bike, Joe Lindsey, Bicycling

Giant
Marcel Kittel’s Giant Propel Advanced SL aero bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Marcel Kittel’s yellow Giant Propel Advanced SL, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Marcel Kittel's Giant Propel, (video) Global Cycling Network
Lawson Craddock’s Giant TCR Advanced SL, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
John Degenkolb’s Giant Propel Advanced SL 0, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Giant performance road, mountain and cyclocross 2015, David Rome, Bike Radar

Kemo
Kemo's big debut, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar

Lapierre
Nacer Bouhanni’s Lapierre Aircode, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Sneak peek: Lapierre 2015, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Lapierre Aircode aero road bike, Mat Brett, Road.cc

Look
Look 695 Aerolight, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Look launch 795 aero road bike, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Daniel Navarro's Look 695, Mat Brett, Road.cc
First Look: Look 795 Aerolight Frame, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Merida
New Merida Reacto KOM, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Rui Costa’s world champ Merida Reacto KOM, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Orbea
Orbea 2015 road range - first look, Simon Greenacre, Bike Radar

Pinarello
Pinarello Dogma F8 launched - Chris Froome’s new Tour de France bike, Sam Dansie, Bike Radar
Chris Froome’s Pinarello F8, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Chris Froome's Pinarello F8 photos, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Chris Froome's Pinarello F8 Tour de France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
Bradley Wiggins’ Pinarello Bolide, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Ian Stannard’s Pinarello Dogma 65.1 Think2, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews

Ridley
Ridley Helium SL, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Andre Greipel’s Ridley Noah Fast and Helium SL, David Arthur
Tony Gallopin’s yellow Ridley Helium SL, David Arthur, Road.cc

Scott
Sylvain Chavanel's Scott Addict, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Sylvain Chavanel’s IAM Cycling Scott Foil, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Svein Tuft’s pink Scott Foil, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Specialized
Vincenzo Nibali’s yellow Specialized S-Works Tarmac, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Vincenzo Nibali’s shark Tarmac, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Vincenzo Nibali's Specialized Tarmac Bike, (video) Global Cycling Network
Vincenzo Nibali’s Specialized Tarmac & the McLaren Tarmac, Cycling Tips
Specialized's 2015 Tarmac Race Bike, (video) Bicycling
Alberto Contador's Specialized S-Work Tarmac, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Mark Cavendish’s custom S-Works Venge CVNDSH, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Mark Cavendish’s custom painted Specialized S-Works Venge, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Mark Cavendish's New Specialized S-Works Venge (video) Global Cycling Network
Tony Martin’s stage-winning Specialized S-Works Shiv, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
The £16,000 Specialized McLaren S-Works Tarmac revealed, Cycling News
$20,000 Specialized S-Works McLaren Tarmac, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Alessandro Petacchi's S-Works Tarmac, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Rigoberto Uran’s Specialized Shiv TT bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Tom Boonen’s limited edition S-Works Venge, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Tom Boonen’s Specialized Roubaix SL4, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
First Ride: 2015 Specialized Tarmac, Mike Yozell, Bicycling

Trek
Trek 2015 road range - an overview, Matthew Allen, Bike Radar
Trek Émonda SLR, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Test riding the new Trek Émonda, Cycling Tips
Trek Emonda - Lightest Production Road Bike, (video) Global Cycling Network
2015 Trek Emonda (video) Bicycling
Fabian Cancellara’s Trek Domane for Paris-Roubaix, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Trek Speed Concept 9 Series, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Trek World 2014 - Lots of shiny 2015 bikes, Dave Atkinson, Road.cc

Wilier
Martijn Maaskant’s UnitedHealthcare Wilier Triestina Zero.7, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Special interest topics:
Pro Mechanics' Top Tips - Tour De France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
Team Sky's Custom Jaguar F-Type Coupé, (video) Global Cycling Network
Team Sky Mechanics' Truck Tour | Tour De France 2014 (video) Global Cycling Network
So what really happened to Alberto Contador's Specialized Tarmac yesterday at the Tour de France? David Arthur, Road.cc
That's Not How Carbon Fiber Works, Matt Phillips, Bicycling
Road disc brakes will be "race legal by 2016" - industry executive, Sam Dansie, Bike Radar
Shaving your legs makes you faster, Jeff Jones, Bike Radar
Specialized test aerodynamics of a beard (video), Bike Radar

Pedal Dancer - A look back at the bikes of 2013:  All the Road Bike Reviews of the 2013 Tour de France

Pro Pedals and Bikes

What kind of pedals do the pros use? 
What kind of bikes and components do the pros ride?

Visitors to my blog today are again wondering about the type of pedals world tour riders use on their bikes. I wrote two popular posts on the topic awhile ago and readers are landing on those previous topic pages, however I thought it good to offer a quick update on the 2014 equipment used by pro team.

OLD POSTS:

• What pedals do the pros use? (an explanation of pedal sponsorship)
• ProTeam Equipment 2013 - Bikes, Components, Wheels, Tires 
• ProTeam Equipment 2013 - Pedals, Saddles, Clothing, Helmets

I did not update these posts for the 2014 season, but here are the pedal brands used by the teams in 2014, plus their bikes and components.

Laurens Ten Dam's Belkin team Bianchi bike with Shimano pedals.  Photo by Willie Reichenstein for Pedal Dancer®

Mark Cavendish's SWorks Venge bike with Look pedals.  Photo by Willie Reichenstein for Pedal Dancer®

Christian Knees' Team Sky Pinarello bike with Shimano pedals.  Photo by Willie Reichenstein for Pedal Dancer®

Jens Voigt's Trek bike with Shimano pedals.  Photo by Willie Reichenstein for Pedal Dancer®

2014 Team, Bike Sponsor, Component (drivetrain) Sponsor, Pedal Sponsor:

Ag2r-La Mondiale: Focus bikes, Campagnolo, Look pedals

Astana: Specialized bikes, Campagnolo, Look Pedals

Belkin Pro Cycling: Bianchi bikes, Shimano, Shimano pedals (Pioneer)

BMC Racing Team: BMC bikes, Shimano, Shimano pedals

Cannondale: Cannondale bikes, SRAM, Speedplay pedals

Confidis: Look bikes, Shimano, Look pedals

Europcar: Colnago bikes, Campagnolo, Look pedals

FDJ.fr: Lapierre bikes, Shimano, Shimano pedals

Garmin-Sharp: Cervélo bikes, Shimano, Garmin pedals

Giant-Shimano: Giant bikes, Shimano, Shimano pedals

IAM Cycling: Scott bikes, Shimano, Shimano pedals

Orica-GreenEDGE: Scott bikes, Shimano, Shimano pedals

Lampre-Merida: Merida bikes, Shimano, Look pedals

Lotto-Belisol: Ridley bikes, Campagnolo, Look pedals

Movistar Team: Canyon bikes, Campagnolo, Look pedals

NetApp Endura: Fuji bikes, Shimano, Shimano pedals

Omega Pharma-Quickstep: Specialized bikes, SRAM, Look pedals

Team Katusha: Canyon bikes, Shimano, Look Pedals

Trek Factory Racing: Trek bikes, Shimano, Shimano pedals

Team Tinkoff-Saxo: Specialized bikes, SRAM, Looks pedals

Team Sky: Pinarello bikes, Shimano, Shimano Pedals

Although these equipment brands sponsor the teams, there will be some swapping out depending on rider requirements. 

As you can see Speedplay pedals have all but dissapeared in the peloton, you will find them limited to Cannondale Pro Cycling team bikes, and on Drapac Professional Cycling Team (they ride Swift Carbon bikes with SRAM), and some others.

Also see the list at: Pro bikes: Who’s riding what in 2014, and what it all means, By Caley Fretz, VeloNews. Published Jan. 23, 2014

According to CyclingTips, the groupset count for 2014 is (WorldTour teams only):

• Shimano: 10 teams
• Campagnolo: 5 teams
• SRAM: 3 teams

There are excellent photos of each team bike by Cycling Tips: See the bikes part 1. and See the bikes, part 2.

Photo for the Day - Computers

When tracking every pedal stroke is a passion

Chris Froome and Richie Porte with their power meters on a training ride in Snowmass, Colorado in 2013.  Photo by Karen Rakestraw at Pedal Dancer®

Seeing these two riders out for a training ride in Colorado in 2013 was such a thrill. Hi Chris, Hi Richie, was about all I could say.

And I tried hard not to run them over.

Wow, is that who I think it is! Yes it is!  Photo by Karen Rakestraw at Pedal Dancer®  click images to enlarge

Did you know that Team Sky switched from using SRM power meters to Stages Cycling power meters for 2014. Yes, Chris Froome, well-known to be quite attached to his SRM will have to trade allegiance because his team signed a new contract in 2014 with Stages Cycling.

Stages Cycling is a Boulder, Colorado, based company. They manufacture a light-weight affordable ($699-899) power meter located in the crank arm of the bike. I find it interesting that team SKY also uses the services of Training Peaks, another Colorado based company. SRM is a German company. Read more: Team Sky switch to Stages Cycling power meters for 2014, By Road.cc

For a team known for exacting details and optimizing every performance enhancement possible through technology and training, people will pay attention to the equipment used by this team. It can translate to big sales to amateurs who want to ride like the pros. Although I'd still like to know why Team Sky's water bottles are green - proof that not everything should be copied.

Securing a sponsorship contract for monitoring the power of arguably the most powerful professional team in cycling must have been a tremendous celebration at the home offices of Stages Cycling. It is also a tremendous responsible for the young company. Road.cc did a complete review of the Stages Cycling power meter, read it here: Stages Power meter. Here is Team Sky's announcement of sponsorship: Stages Cycling join team for 2014

Stages Cycling manufactures only the alloy left crank arm, you'll still need a bike computer and software for reading power output. Compatible with Shimano Dura-Ace, Ultegra, SRAM, BB30, FSA, read more about Stages Cycling technology here: accelerometer based cadence measurement

Stage Cycling power meter is that small adding only 20g to the base crank arm weight.
Photo from Stages Cycling website.

Cycling software

I came across this lengthy list of computer software recently shared by RoadBikeRider in their newsletter, the list was compiled by Canadian cyclist Darren Cope and groups many of the miscellaneous software applications or apps for cycling. The number is far more than I ever expected. Thankfully the writer gives us his review and opinions.

Check out the list of cycling computer software and apps here: darrencope.com/cycling-software

Bikes at the Race

ProTour and Continental Team Bikes

The bikes that raced the races in 2013

The enormous Eurobike bicycle and equipment manufacturer exposition took place in Germany this past week and Interbike (the much smaller American cousin) begins on September 18th in Las Vegas. This is the time of year when the new models come out, when supplies in bike shops are limited because no one wants to stock an outdated 2013 bike when the new models are waiting to be shipped, that is once the bikes stop being paraded around and displayed at tradeshows.

Still the racing season is not over yet, these bikes continue to be raced upon. This is a farewell of sorts to the best and fastest of them all - those dream machines ridden by the pros which we all wish we could own and ride ourselves. I was fortunate to hang with the best this year.

Today I took the time to compile recent shots of each of the team's bikes I saw this year. Seventeen different frame models from 20 different pro bike teams. I list not only the team's bike manufacturer sponsor, but the frame models that each pro team rides. All photos below © by Karen Rakestraw at Pedal Dancer®

Next year, the 2014 fleet of bike frames might appear with new paint schemes, slight changes, or remain much the same. I hope they show up with even more flashy colors and graphics. Time to print up the supply of rider name tag labels to affix to the bikes, begin the inventory wishlists between the teams and equipment sponsors, and schedule some quality bike team mechanic time.

Say goodbye to these old bikes of 2013, a new crop is arriving soon. 

What will Peter Sagan's bike look like next year?

Will Brent Bookwalter get a new badly needed bike label in 2014?

UCI ProTeams

BMC Racing Team (USA) - bike: BMC
Team bike models: SLR01 (road), bmc TR01 (aero), TM01 (time trial)

Cannondale Pro Cycling (ITA) - bike: Cannondale
Team bike models: Supersix EVO HI-MOD Team (road), Slice RS (time trial)

RadioShack Leopard Trek (LUX) - bike: Trek
Team bike models: Trek Madone 6.9 and 7.9 (road), Speed Concept 9 Series (time trial)

Sky Procycling (GBR) - bike: Pinarello
Team bike models: Pinarello Dogma 65.1 Think 2 (road), Pinarello Dogma K (road), Pinarello Bolide (time trial)

Team Argos-Shimano (NED) - bike: Felt
Team bike model: Felt F1 (road), Felt AR1 Series (aero), Felt DA (time trial)

Team Garmin-Sharp (USA) - bike: Cervelo
Team bike models: R Series (road), S Series (aero), P Series (time trial)

Team Saxo-Tinkoff (DEN) - bike: Specialized
Team bike models: Tarmac SL4 (road), S-Works Venge (aero), S-Works Roubaix SL4 (classics), Shiv Pro (time trial)

Omega Pharma Quickstep (BEL) - bike: Specialized
Team bike models: Tarmac SL4 (road), S-Works Venge (aero), S-Works Roubaix SL4 (classics), Shiv Pro (time trial)

Orica GreenEDGE, Australia (AUS) - bike: Scott
Team bike models: Scott Addict SL (road) and Plasma 3 (time trial)

Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team (NED) - bike: Bianchi 
Team bike models: Bianchi Oltre XR (road) and Chrono (time trial)

UCI Professional Continental Teams

Champion System Pro Cycling Team (CHN) - bike: Fuji
Team bike models: Altamira (road), Fuji SST (aero), Norcom Straight (time trial)

UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team (USA) - bike: NeilPryde
Team bike models: Alize (road), BURAsl (aero), Bayamo (time trial)

Team Novo Nordisk (USA) - bike: Colnago (an all diabetic team of riders)
Team bike models: C59 and M10 (road), K-Zero (time trial)

COLOMBIA (COL) - bike: Wilier Triestina
Team bike models: Cento 1 SR, (road), Zero 7 (aero), Twinblade or Blad (time trail)

UCI Continental Teams

Bissell Pro Cycling (USA) - bike: Pinarello
Team bike models: Pinarello Dogma 65.1 Think2 (road), Pinarello Dogma K (road), Pinarello Bolide (time trial)

Bontrager Cycling Team (USA) - bike: Trek
Team bike models: Madone 7 Series (road), Speed Concept (time trail)

Optum Presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies (USA) - bike: Orbea
Team bike models: Orca GDR (road), ORDU GDR (time trial)

Jelly Belly p/b Kenda (USA) - bike: Focus
Team bike models: Izalco Team SL (road), Izalco Chrono (time trial)

Freddie Rodriguez Jelly Belly Focus American National Champion Road Bike

Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home (USA) - bike: Jamis
Team bike models: Xenith (road)  SL or Team, Xenith (time trial) T2/T1

5-hour ENERGY presented by Kenda Racing Team (USA) - bike: Devinci
Team bike models: Leo SL (road) and Leo T2 (time trial)

The End of the parade of bikes

On a side note, if Cannondale happens to have a used but safe fork hanging around that would fit my Cannondale Evo Supersix - I'll take it, my bike, and my cycling career have been benched until I locate one. Thanks in advance. 

I recently compiled this post: All the Road Bike Reviews of the 2013 Tour de France. Just in case you are in the market for a new road bike.