Carlsbad to San Clemente in Flirtees!

Just got back from another glorious vacation in California. My fiancé has the good sense to live there so I am down often, but this is the first time I've worked in a road ride.


Mainly this is due to my hatred of flying with bikes. So I was super glad to find Synaptic Cycle's Joe Bartoe who rented me a wonderful carbon steed for less than I would have paid to bring my bike on the plane one way.


The bike was a "Liscio" by American company Volagi, which is apparently the only one to include disc brakes as a standard feature on their road bikes. I was skeptical but won over in the end. I would almost say this bike was even better than having my own with me.


Here are the other big wins of my experience with Synaptic:

• The bike was fitted against measurements from my road bike emailed in advance so it arrived ready to ride
• It was delivered and picked up by the super affable Joe
• It came with full Ultegra, and the saddle and pedals of my choice. 

Top marks for Synaptic Cycles, and I am sure I will be in touch again soon. 


So with my borrowed bicycle, Gerhard and I set out for his first "real" bike ride (i.e. I made him stop to buy bottle cages and H2O receptacles at the local REI before we set off). We went from his place near La Costa Ave all the way to Pedro's in San Clemente where we gobbled down ten tacos and a lot of pop before turning back for a glorious tailwind push home.


All told, we conquered about 115km together, and it was wonderful!! Highlights of the ride included:

• Carlsbad Boulevard closed to cars for a triathalon course (which was nearly finished and didn't have any racers left on it) giving us a very large cycling lane for our personal use
• The old highway 101 now closed to cars through Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, but is still open to bikes, making it the biggest rec path I have ever seen
• Unusual road signs like "Tank Xing" as we rode through range after range *yikes* 
• The sweet sweet taste of tacos to shut down a full-body bonk
• A very welcome tailwind all the way home
• The chance to show off my new Flirtees Kit (Thanks Casey!) [Find Flirtees on Twitter and Facebook]
• The part where we were finally finished. ;) 

Now that I'm back in Toronto where it's hotter than Cairo, riding bikes seems less fun. In fact, anything but sitting motionless in my air-conditioned office seems less fun. Til the heat wave breaks, guess I'll continue California dreamin'.

Photos by Gerhard Gross 

VOTE FOR CATHARINE!

Catharine Pendrel has made it through round after round and now it's down to two. Please vote for Catharine. No disrespect to Simon -- he's amazing too -- but let's have our world champion XC mountain bike racer get the nod!!!

GO CATHARINE GO!!

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/interactive/olympics/

REVIEW: Pearl Izumi Kit Goes From City to Singletrack

A few weeks ago, a special delivery arrived at my front door containing some items from Pearl Izumi. A discerning shopper, I have been carefully evaluating it all ever since. So if you're thinking about updating your cycling wardrobe, I can say with authority that Pearl Izumi is a great place to look. Here's why:

On the "Canyon" Shorts (pictured in "Silt")


Pearl Izumi calls these their "Go anywhere, do anything" shorts and it's true — they're flexible as all get out. On the outside, they look like a nicely fit short that casually goes from commute to trail ride. On the inside, there is a removable chamois-short that makes them oh-so-comfy (it's the same "3D" chamois technology as the Symphony shorts reviewed below, so read on!). But the best part? When it's time for the chamois to hit the laundry pile, I can easily just throw on my Symphony shorts or another chamois-short and keep the outside layer going. This is important stuff because I wear them almost every day, now that there are mountain bike trails between me and the office. I feel a lot better about showing up in this kit rather than full-on spandex. The one thing I would change? A little zipper or velcro on one of the pockets. Then again, the fabric is so soft and silky and hangs so nicely, I'd worry that bulking up the pockets would interfere with a really nice athletic fit. So jury's out on that. (Photo: amazing limited edition graphics on LTD MTB Jersey and adjustable waistband on the Canyon Shorts)

On the LTD MTB Jersey (pictured in "Peacock") 


Besides featuring limited edition graphics, this jersey has a lot going for it. First of all, full-zip. Yes. All jerseys should be full zip IMHO. Next it's got a great lightweight feel to it, and the waist is free-moving enough that it doesn't get bunched up around your middle. It looks great fully-zipped, which is a must during gnat season and hey, it even matches my backpack! (Photo, clockwise from top: Super comfy "3D" technology on the Canyon Shorts chamois liner; Me outside my office, going from singletrack to city ... and back again ... showing off my LTD MTB Jersey and Canyon Shorts; handy snaps to keep the liner and outer-shell of the Canyon shorts moving in sync.)

On the "Symphony" Shorts (in Black and Safety Orange)

The chamois and trim are bright orange, making them easy to spot in an overflowing cycling shorts drawer. Important, because if they're in the clean pile, they're the ones I'm reaching for. I've worn these shorts a lot in the month+ I've had them and the chamois is one of the best I've enjoyed, ever. It's as supple as they day I took them out of the box, and it wicks sweat away as promised so it's very comfortable to ride whether it's 30 minutes to work, or 3 hours out on the trails. The grips on the cuffs are great — I've had grips that actually cut into my leg (you know what i'm talking about) but these ones have nice round grippers (they remind me of the stoppers on cabinet doors to keep them from slamming) that I hardly notice at all while they keep my shorts firmly in place. Although not a functional feature in any way, I love that they're grey on the inside, while black on the outside ... attention to detail is always well-received, and a sign that Pearl Izumi is on it. Length is also good; not too short, not too long. There are a TON Of colourways available too which makes these fun to stock up on.

On the "Transfer Lite Racer-Back Baselayer" (in the picture above ... but you can't see it)

I also picked up a great racer back undershirt for these early season rides that has already come in handy more than once. Sometimes you need that "just enough" layer to keep you going and Pearl's is the most comfy I've tried. The neck even comes up high enough to keep those spring gnats out of your sports bra. And that's a huge plus. (gross. gnats.) And the tail is long enough you don't get mid-section bunching. Very sleek.

So ... if like me, you find yourself in a cycling wardrobe update year, I highly recommend the offerings from Pearl Izumi. You can get it at many fine Toronto retailers or enter your postal code to find a shop near you.

Happy Trails!

Top Cycling Blogs for 2012!

Unfortunately, Racer Diaries didn't make the cut for the 2012 Cycling Blog Top Dogs -- but I'm super stoked to see that the top mountain biking blog belongs to a woman! So three cheers for MTB and extra fist pumps for girls who ride.

Officially Unofficial Olympic Team - US/CAN

Great news for Ontario mtb sweetheart, Emily Batty! Can't wait to see Catharine Pendrel on the podium, too! Thanks Cyclingdirt.org.

 
Watch more video of The Dirt 2012 on cyclingdirt.org

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!!

And this Friday is extra good ... May The 4th Be With You!

Race Track: Santigold - Disparate Youth

Put this in your playlist. Santigold's new album, Master of My Make Believe is out NOW! Another reason May is a merry month. Stoked.