Welcome to the weekly video roundup! Sorry for skipping a week of the roundup. Perhaps one of these weeks I’ll actually catch up on my video queue. This first video is the best thing I’ve seen in a while. I like pro bike racing, and the GCN crew did a fun and creative race on Majorca’s Sa Calobra (aka Col del Reis). What really clinched it as a great video to me is that Carlton Kirby did the commentary- he is probably the best-known voice on Eurosport for racing (not just cycling, also Paris-Dakar and more). Anyhow, enjoy.
This is a fairly normal “look at the new road bike” promotional video, but I’m including it because it shows a lot of the beauty in the Malibu mountains. The big hairpin near the end is the Snake on Mulholland Drive, right near Rock Store, Jay Leno’s favorite little diner, famous among cyclists, motorcyclists, and drivers.
This is an artful video of riding (fixie) in Seoul. The concept seems familiar but it’s a new (very chill, very artsy) video. The dirtbike flat bars are distractingly wide:
The ambiance in this video about the Three Peaks cross race is nice. It’s light on showing the route or the race, but it’s a pleasant video. The bumpy ride at the 4 minute mark reminds me of some nearby roads.
More ambiance- riding in the Alps from a few months ago. It’s so pretty. This is a great “lean back and watch” video.
Isla seems to be the best brand for kids bikes, but here’s a video showing the flexibility in Trek bikes. I like the seat handle and adjustable cranks.
This “ride video” from Atlanta attracted me at the beginning for the bagel slicing. I wonder if the one fellow rode the full 200k on the bakfiets- if so, impressive.
Summer in Winter Park looks like fun:
If you like fondos (sportifs to the Euros), here’s GCN’s list of the top 6 fondos. I was surprised to see several in the USA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDL5a1MzkWo
In the “plans and dreams” category, look at these roads and trails in Bali.
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GMBN has a good “how to ride loose [gravel] turns” video. Useful for MTB and CX types.
And this week’s GMBN episode is interesting- the hosts talk about their scariest cycling moments and about an AWD fatbike headed to the South Pole (at 7:40).
Sven Nys. Cyclocross skills. Trek’s factory track.
Brunelle and crew crashed into a motorcyclist in France, who chased and fought them. I’m confused what happened in the restaurant, though:
Racing
I didn’t come across any local race videos this week. Elsewhere:
Biketoberfest (in Maryland?). Starts slow.
Costume Cross V by State Bicycle Co in Tempe Arizona: (lots of handups, night racing, spicy language)
GCN quizzes pros on pro racing rules:
Local WTF moments
Local Joe Biel had a scary-close pass from a huge flatbed truck. (warning: spicy language)
Elsewhere: disturbingly close pass at night and another one.
Honorable Mentions
This week’s honorable mentions: wordless snippet of cycling in SF, PLP reviews the Exposure Joystick bike light/flashlight, Oregon Field Guide on Dufur (great place to go cycling), Giant’s factory-tubeless hydraulic disc brake race bike and what gentrification looks like in Tijuana, Mexico.
Inclusion criteria: If I’ve missed something, post it in the comments! I prefer videos published in the last week or so. Note if there’s a specific point in a long video that is worth highlighting. Also note if there is colorful language. I will delay videos containing pro racing spoilers by 7 days.
– Ted Timmons, @tedder42
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Brunelle is truly an ass. Running a red light at night with no lights with heavy cross-traffic? Then swinging first when the motorcyclist just pulled him over to yell at him, rather than knocking him off the bike? He should have thanked his lucky stars it was a motorcycle rather than a truck and apologized.
I was amazed that the motorcyclist didn’t just knock him over. I can’t say I will shed a tear when Brunelle finally gets creamed for good.
Brunelle: hit-and-run is NOT cool… hope that motorcyclist kicked his ass… supposedly the restaurant footage is another cyclist chasing the motorcyclist to ensure his hit-and-run buddie’s safety…
Joe Biel: take the lane!
I was passed by trucks that way multiple times when I rode Astoria to Brookings. I suspect drivers are told to ignore the safe passing law and look out for themselves first.
It’s kinda sad- people blame cyclists for taking the lane, but when something like this happens they say the cyclist should take the lane.
Meh.
It’s not the same people saying these things.
How wide is the lane? How consistent is the lane width? I think some drivers just assume it will fit or else you would be holding a primary lane position.
those aren’t the same people…
the two sides are:
1) take the lane
2) roads are for cars, get off the road!
I read your valuable comments and thinking about this. It’s not easy. You know that Passing time is difficult more than riding.
The trek 20in superfly (no suspension fork) is listed at 18lb for $420 (same as the $500 islabikes with fenders?)
having just recently helped my kid to learn to ride and having gone to Islabikes to see the product in person now when I see that Trek video it looks so very much like a gimmick the way they advertise the ability for the bike to “grow”…
they might as well have substituted a Brompton in there…
We owned a Superfly (purchased second-hand). It is comparatively light weight and a great bike. Competitive with Isla IMO.
Competitive, but I think Islabikes are better for longer rides for the kids, considering all of the extra thought put into geometry suitable for kids, and the little details that make them more comfortable to ride.
Lots of info on that here:
http://www.islabikes.co.uk/info-hub/understanding-holistic-design
Or look at this blog’s comparison of geometry between Islabikes and a similar Novara bike, particular with regards to the Q factor and the brake levers:
http://www.twowheelingtots.com/islabikes-beinn-20-review/
The Superfly’s geometry might be better for suited for mountain biking than the regular Islabikes, because it has a longer wheelbase, but the crank arms seem way too long. The crank on a Beinn 20 large is 127mm, while the crank on a Superfly 20 is 150mm!