Birmingham Bicycle Company, Inc.

A GREAT RIDE FOR A GREAT CAUSE!!!

2008-09-30T08:41:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was the MS 150 ride in Orange Beach, AL. The ride had a great turn out and the Cureseekers were a big part of that. We had over 20 riders, with many MS rookies and lots of Top Bananas, push themselves and do a really great ride. We hope to grow the team again next year and get more riders wearing the "Polka Dots of Power". We would like to thank everyone who participated in the ride and especially all of the volunteers who made it such a great experience. Thank you!! Join the movement.

NEW BIKE DAY!!

2008-09-23T08:55:00.002-05:00

Ian just picked up his new ride, a custom painted Gunnar Roadie. The color is "Pink Panther" with an old school panel look. The frame was built by the same masters that build Waterford steel frames using 0S2 tubing. The parts mix includes SRAM Rival drivetrain, Fulcrum Racing 7 wheels, Profile carbon fork and Thomson stem and post. Check out http://www.gunnarbikes.com/ for more

Tour of Missouri

2008-09-16T11:22:00.002-05:00

So, I just flew home from the Tour of Missouri and boy are my arms tired. Ok, all kidding aside. My arms are tired, but that is because I was on moto duty the whole week. Riding around on the back of a moto carrying a set of wheels for six stages (I was along side the road for the TT) makes the arms a bit tired. I'll fill in with some more details later.

Congratulations - Jennifer Schuble has won a gold & two silver medals in cycling

2008-09-10T23:21:00.002-05:00

Way to go Jennifer - we're proud of you!

Musings (continued)

2008-09-04T17:51:00.004-05:00

Sunday - US Pro Road Race Championships. But first, Josh and I were selected to "support" the Stars and Stripe Challenge Ride. This was a charity ride sponsored by Palmetto Peloton Project, a local non-profit organization that raises money for cancer advocacy and research. They had a turn out of about 500 riders. This meant we had to get up early to get our car ready and get to the course for a 7:30 am rollout. This, while everyone else was still snug in their beds. Oh well, that's the breaks. We snuck back to the hotel after parading the riders around for one lap of the course. We joined the rest of the Mavic crew and got the other cars and the motos ready for the big show.

If you ever get the chance to ride in the race caravan at a pro race, DO IT. NASCAR has nothing on the pro caravan. Screaming along, inches from the car in front of you. You've got cars on the left moving up, cars on the right moving back, and don't forget about the motos. Every time you turn around, there's another moto making your life interesting. They buzz about like you just through a rock at a bee hive.

We supported this race "euro" style, which meant Mavic 2 and 3 (the cars) and Mavic moto 2 actually started in front of the peloton. Once a break got off the front, Mavic moto 2 would drop behind them until the gap was sufficient for a car to drop in. Then, if a chase group developed, the same thing would happen. Moto drop back, then a car, with the other car dropping behind the break. Confused yet? I was initially. But since I wasn't driving I just focused on jumping.

The course consisted of a small circuit and a large loop. The total race consisted of 3 small circuits, 4 big loops, and 3 more small circuits. The first circuits were supposed to be somewhat parade laps. WRONG!!! About a half-mile into the race, the racers decided it was game on and hit full gas. The front of the caravan was still pretty compacted at this point. So, everyone was pushing hard to make room for the race. Nothing like starting the race flat out. That is why one of the TV motos dumped it on the first lap.

Once we got to the bigger circuits, things calmed down a bit. Then we hit Paris Mountain and it did it's job. A group of 12 got off the front. We dropped in behind them (after screaming down the back side of the mountain). Each time up the mountain, the break would shed some people and the group would close. The last time up the climb, those that were left pretty much regrouped. With this, we were pushed to the front and stayed there for the remainder of the race. We were diverted off course before the finish, so I didn't get to see it. But if you take a look at the finish line photo, you'll see Mark (driving the moto) and Collin (peeking over Mark's shoulder) had a front row seat and managed to get the Mavic moto front and center in the money shot.

It was an uneventful race for me as I didn't exit the car. I did see Collin pull a mussette bag out of a chainring from the back of the moto. However, the ride itself was anything but boring. Josh was pushing the Saab 9-3 Aero Sportcombi to its limits to hold our position. That, and he had a goal of making one of the VIP's that rode with us car sick. He didn't succeed in that, but I was sliding around like crazy trying to hang on to my seat and a set of wheels. Fun times!!!!

It's a good thing I have skinny legs.

Now, off to Missouri...

Musings from the jump seat of Mavic 2 (or How I spent my Labor Day weekend)

2008-09-02T15:15:00.004-05:00

I got the call a while ago that I would be on the Mavic crew for the US Pro Championships weekend in Greenville. Labor Day weekend couldn't get here fast enough. I had some major news throw a kink in life early in the week, but by the weekend, I was ready to go.

I arrived on Friday, just in time to take care of some of the mundane tasks involved with the running of a neutral support crew. That involved washing the truck (the BIIIIG yellow one - fortunately, the trailer was staying at the hotel for the weekend so we didn't have to wash that), sorting the wheels (yes, all of them) and neutral bikes, and just making sure everything looked good for the sponsors. The first lesson I learned was to make sure you have plenty of clearance when jumping into the truck. I jumped in to grab some gear and BAM, caught a SRAM Force rear derailleur in the top of the head. OUCH, lesson learned and only minor bleeding.

Saturday was the time trial. We set up five pits along the circuit. I spent the day under a yellow tent watching the riders scream through a pretty hairy off-camber turn. I was sure someone was going to stack it in that corner, but everyone made it through safely. These are pros after all. However, you could still definitely tell who had spent some time training on their TT bikes. They were sailing through the corner in their aerobars and maintaining speed. The others...SKETCHY. Sitting up, grabbing the brakes, and changing lines several times through the turn.

We finished our official duties in time to head out for a ride. A group of 6 of us went and did the long loop of the road race. This included the ascent of Paris Mountain. Paris Mountain is a nasty little bump that gains about 1,000 feet over 3.5 miles. The pros would tackle it 4 times, we opted for only once and it HURT!!!!!!

Stay tuned for the road race report...

These go to 11...

2008-08-19T10:06:00.006-05:00

We have finally got our hands on the brand NEW Campy Chorus 11 spd group and it is a absolute work of art. All of the changes to the group for 2009 look to be real improvements over the 2008 group not just cosmetic changes. You have to see the group in person to really appreciate how narrow the chain is and how tight the spacing on the cassette is. If you get a chance stop in and check it out. If you want to be the first to own a Campy 11 spd group, here are the spec's for the group we have in stock: crank set: 172.5 53x39, cassette: 12x25, front derailleur clamp: 35mm (1 1/8"). The cassette is compatable with all Campy 9 and 10 spd freehub bodies. The complete group (shifters, front and rear derailleurs, brakes, cassette and chain) sells for $1979.99 Go to Campy's web site for all technical spec's.

Which is better, number one or number two?

2008-08-18T15:26:00.002-05:00

The Olympic track events have been going on for a few days and British rider Chris Hoy rode a very impressive Keirin final over the weekend. You can watch him ride the field off his back wheel here: http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0816_sd_ctm_hl_l0632&channelcode=sportcy

Perhaps even more impressive though was Theo Bos's 2006 Keirin World Title race which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMsotvad5nA

Bos did not reach the Olympic finals because of a round two qualifying crash.
While both wins are almost unbelievable, Bos's rainbow jersey dash has to be one of the most remarkable displays of sheer power ever recorded on a velodrome.

Look Cycle USA Recalls Keo Pedals

2008-08-06T14:24:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON D.C. (BRAIN)—The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Look Cycle USA, have issued a voluntary recall of about 40,000 pairs of Keo pedals.The steel axle inside the pedal can break, posing a fall hazard to cyclists.Look Cycle has received 14 reports of incidents with broken pedals, including seven injuries which resulted in scrapes, cuts, contusions, elbow pain and a knee injury.
The recalled pedals are black and were sold separately from bicycles. Pedal models include the Keo Classic, Keo Sprint, Keo HM and Keo Carbon. The model name is printed in white on the side of the pedal. Date codes between January 2004 and December 2005 are included in this recall. The date code for the Keo Classic, Sprint and Carbon pedals is on a dial stamped onto the pedal. The date code for the Keo HM is on the bottom of the pedal, with the letters A through L corresponding to the month, and the numbers 4 and 5 indicating 2004 or 2005.
These pedals were sold at specialty bicycle retailers nationwide from January 2004 through July 2007 for between $100 and $500.The pedals were manufactured in France.Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled pedals and return them to the place of purchase, or contact Look Cycle USA to arrange for shipping and free repair.

Quiz Time

2008-08-04T13:33:00.006-05:00

As the dog days of summer drag on, tempers have begun to fray like an eight year old brake cable. Cyclists are yelling at motorists, motorists are yelling at cyclists, cyclists are even yelling at each other. Things are just getting a bit crazy out there. Therefore, in the interest of public safety, as well as my own sanity, here's a lighthearted quiz for everyone.
1. When someone in the group yells "Car Back," the appropriate action to take is:
A) Drift into the path of the overtaking car while using your rear view mirror to make sure there really is a car approaching.
B) Stay the course. The road belongs to you as much as that #$!@& car.
C) Stop as quickly as possible so any cars in sight can go by unimpeded.
D) While communicating your actions to your fellow cyclists, get into a single file line and maintain a safe distance from the right hand edge of the road while allowing room for the motorist to pass the group, which he/she will hopefully do in a safe and courteous manner.
2. When you decide to move off the front of a paceline you should:
A) Accelerate several miles an hour and move over to the yellow line.
B) Nothing. The responsibility is on the second wheel to come around you.
C) Move out of the way to the right OR drift back and forth a bike width to the left. Either is acceptable.
D) Look left to make sure the lane is clear, flick your right elbow a few times, move a few bike
widths to the left and soft pedal as you move towards the back of the pack. Before moving
back into the paceline, be sure you are the last rider in the line.
3. The rider in this graphic is demonstrating:
A) His support for Florida State University.
B) His support for the Atlanta Braves.
C) Signals for "Look over there to the left," "Look up ahead at that," and "Watch out for the roadkill".
D) Signals for Left Turn, Right Turn and Slowing.
4. In a rotating paceline, if the right hand part of the group is moving at 23 miles per hour, the left hand part of the group should be moving at what speed:
A) Who knows, I don't like word problems.
B) 23 miles per hour as well.
C) 25 miles per hour.
D) 22 miles per hour.
The answer to each of the questions was D. Give yourself 25 points for each correct answer. Hopefully you made a 100%.
While this was a tongue in cheek little quiz which should have made you smile, please remember that we operate on the roads as a group and our collective safety is everyone's responsibility. If you aren't sure what to do in some situations, approach a more seasoned cyclist you respect and ask them what to do.

2008-08-02T22:11:00.004-05:00

Check out this guy's bar tape (It's the glow in the dark stuff)...can you guys please find this stuff??

From: A Six Gap Flickr Acct.

Tour de France - the extra stage?

2008-07-31T01:40:00.003-05:00

Something Cyclocross This Way Comes

2008-07-24T20:16:00.005-05:00

Lately the temperature and humidity in Birmingham have both hovering in the mid 90s and making the afternoon rides downright unpleasant. Granted that hasn't stopped most of us from riding as hard as we can as often as we can, but it just seems to take some of the pleasure out of it.

All of the heat and humidity are making me really look forward to the arrival of cyclocross season. The schedule for the 2008 season has been released and BBC is sponsoring the opening race of the season on October 5th. The venue will be the same as last year's Homewood race.

Last year's race was an epic event with several carbon components left for dead on the course. There is little reason to doubt this year's course will be any easier on the super lightweight stuff.

Take some inspiration from the guys pictured here- the picture dates from the days before Tullio invented the quick release skewer. Steel and wool ruled the day.

BIG E'S OPTIMUS TI 29ER!!!!

2008-07-18T18:57:00.004-05:00

Check out Eric's new ride, a Vassago Optimus Ti 29er single speed. The frame is built in the USA using 3/2.5 Ti and Paragon Slider dropouts for chain tension. It features Vassago's Wet Cat geometry, making the bike climb the nastiest technical sections like a wet cat climbs the drapes a grandma's house. Parts include Avid BB7 brakes, Truvativ Sylo crankset, Fox 29 fork and Thomson stem and post. Look for this sweet ride on your next dirt ride.

Google Maps TdF

2008-07-18T11:49:00.002-05:00

Check it: Google Maps TdF

That's all.

Tour de France - Rabbid Style

2008-07-17T00:51:00.003-05:00

Riccò sinks his fangs into the Col d'Aspin.

2008-07-14T11:00:00.001-05:00

Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval-Scott) may very well have uncorked this year's Tour de France highlight with an emphatic win in Stage 9. The Italian climbing specialist was comfortably in the main group with four kilometres remaining to the summit when he unleashed a scorching attack that arguably evoked recollections of Lance Armstrong and the late Marco Pantani. Riccò didn't let up much after that initial surge, either: he made quick work of the small chase group ahead of him and then continued to rocket ahead, erasing a near-four-minute gap to lone breakaway leader Sebastian Lang (Gerolsteiner) in just three kilometes (1.86mi).
By the time he crested the summit, 'the Cobra' had given himself 30s on Lang plus another minute on the peloton. Fortunately for Riccò, there wasn't much of a reaction from the main bunch so he managed to hold nearly all of that lead over them through the remaining 26km-long (16.2mi) descent and crossed the line as the day's undeniable hero. Time will tell if the general classification contenders' decision to let him go will come back to 'bite' them in the end: although Ricco professes to only seeking stage wins, it shouldn't go unnoticed that only 2'35 now separates him from the leader's jersey and there's still plenty of climbing to be done.
Riccò's weapon of choice for his assault on the Aspin was his usual Scott Addict Limited, only in this case Scott provided the 25-year-old with a bold custom finish just in time for the Tour. Menacing-looking cobras adorn the head tube, fork, integrated seat mast and seat tube in honor of Riccò's nickname and team sponsor fi'zi:k even got in the game with a custom Arione saddle. Read more...

We got WiFi...and so can you.

2008-07-07T18:01:00.008-05:00

In addition to the box lunches that we are offering through Dishin' It Out for $7.00 during the Tour de France, we also offer Wi-Fi internet access to all our customers that want to hang out at the shop. So you can stay in touch the the wired world, eat some great healthy food and watch the Tour. What more could you ask for?

Lunch and Le Tour together...?!

2008-07-07T17:47:00.004-05:00

Lunch with BBC & Dish'n It Out
All During the Tour de France

You don't have to miss out on watching the Tour during the week!

Starting on Tuesday July 8th your invited to come hang out at Birmingham Bicycle Company for lunch and to watch a stage of one of the most famous road races in the world.

Delicous made-to-order box lunchs from the fine folks at Dish'n It Out will be available every week day for $7.00!

Verus' will show that day's stage re-broadcast starting at 11:00am.

You will need to order from the menu below by 10:30 am and...

1. Stop in the shop and ask for your pre-ordered gourmet meal.

2. Sit and relax with friends while you watch the Tour
and eat some delicious food!

Dish'n It out Le Tour Menu

www.dishnitout.com phone: 871-5444
1111 Dunston Avenue Crestline Park 35213
Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm Saturday 10am - 2pm

Tour de France
LUNCH SPECIALS $7.00
July 8 - 21
*we suggest pre-ordering by 10:30am

SALAD TRIO:
Tarragon Chicken Salad with dried cranberries, Fresh Fruit, &
Tortellini Pasta Primavera with Crackers & Pita Chips
~

South Western Grilled Steak Salad with corn, black beans…,
Tortilla Chips, & Loaded Baked Potato Salad
~

Gazpacho, Spicy Pimiento Cheese with walnuts Sandwich
or Veggie Wrap, & Potato Chips
~

...bottled water & sodas will be available.

For more information visit our website at
http://www.bhambicycle.com/
1105 Dunston Avenue • 205.870.8330
Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs. & Fri. 9:00AM- 6:00PM; Wed. 9:00AM- 7:00PM; Sat. 9:00AM- 5:00PM

Tour de France - Flashback 1989

2008-07-06T23:16:00.002-05:00

Tour de France - Flashback 2003

2008-07-02T23:37:00.003-05:00

Armstrong attacks Ullrich after fall

Cycling Terms: Mix & Match

2008-06-30T22:21:00.001-05:00

1. bus stop flop
2. invisible hill
3. knocking and pinging
4. PowerBarf
5. mountain goat
6. In the dining car
7. feeling the chain
8. bug gulp
9. interval
10. Lollipops
11. hammerfest
12. more yammerin’ than hammerin’
13. ironclad
14. “I’m at the end of a hard training session.”
15. spin and grin

a. Swallowing a flying insect whole, without chewing
b. Speedplay pedals
c. Having a fun time in a low gear
d. A steel bike
e. What happens when you fail to click out fast enough at a stop sign
f. A headwind
g. Superb climber
h. What you say when an MTB rips past you on a hill
i. A brutally fast ride or race
j. What you do when a dog in chasing you
k. What happens when that PowerBar doesn’t sit well
l. A good pull
m. Running out of energy on the uphill
n. An easy ride
o. Riding at the back of the pack

How well did you score?

STEEL...STILL THE REAL DEAL!!!!

2008-06-23T17:54:00.004-05:00

Matt just picked up his new steel stead, a custom Waterford R-33. It is a 64cm frame built from True Temper S3 tubing. This allows a steel bike to be built as light as many carbon frames out there. Parts include SRAM Red group, Reynolds Ouzo Pro fork, and Thomson stem and post with Fizik Arione saddle. Wheels are hand built using Phil Wood hubs laced to Mavic Open Pro rims. What a nice ride!!!

LOOK...IT'S NEW BIKE DAY!!!

2008-06-20T15:01:00.002-05:00

Diane just rolled out on her new ride, a Look 586. It is decked out with SRAM's Red group, Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels, Vittoria tires, FSA bar and stem and Arundel carbon cages. Check out how clean the integrated seatmast is on the Look bikes. As pictured, the bike weighs under 16.5 lbs.

Who needs two wheels when one will do?

2008-06-18T17:30:00.007-05:00

Just as Race Across AMerica 2008 is finishing, Ride the Lobster is underway with racers that must be from another galaxy. Well, maybe not from another galaxy; however they are taking riding a unicycle to a whole level. How about 800KM to be exact? If you are not very good with the metric system, that works out to be about 497 miles. That is a whole bunch of miles on one wheel and two knees – ouch.

If you would like to read more about it and sign up for next year’s race, be sure to check out their website at: Ride The Lobster.