Welcome to the weekly video roundup! Sure, it’s an icy mess in Portland right now, but I have some videos to entertain you and cheer you up.
Our first video (above) is the latest from Col Collective, which features Italy’s Colle delle Finestre. (the descent is posted, too; it’s very relaxed, no narration)
This is a funny video explaining how to make every ride EPIC. Includes advice on bike types, Instagram filters, and clothing.
The Taiwan KOM Challenge is a tough ride. It seems to be in the fondo category, attracting everyone from amateurs to pros. It isn’t the climb with the most elevation gain in the world, but it’s one of the longest.
Russ and Laura of Path Less Pedaled posted ‘5 bikey gifts under $50’, which is nice.
..and then they posted a sequel:
PLP also put up a great video giving alternative to the Brooks B-17 saddles.
Bookmark this video on ‘how to service your road freehub”. You’ll need it eventually.
This video showing how to adjust suspension sag is a great example of why Youtube is great- it would be much harder to describe this in a shop manual.
I liked this urban MTB (basically, big BMX) video. Desjardins is a freestyle MTB rider- again, basically BMX, right? Some of the tricks are in more natural terrain. The whole thing is fun to watch. (language warning for the music)
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GCN did a nice Mythbusters-style comparison of riding with and without fenders: (spoiler: they help)
For those who like to see factory tours, the automated welding robots in this video are fun to watch. Looks like MIG.
Hunters usually pack deer out on their back or on a loud quad. Here’s a slightly humorous alternative. (warning: dead deer)
Racing
There’s a few videos from the insanity of Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships:
Giant put up a quick vid from SSCXWC:
Sven Nys was here and covered in the GCN roundup (skip to the 7 minute mark if that’s what you’re after):
Elsewhere:
Artistic cycling is interesting. If you’ve never seen it, watch this. (there were also highlights from day 3)
‘Dirt Road Century’ in Alabama. Not really racing but it feels like it.
Honorable Mentions
This week’s honorable mentions: cycling in North Korea, in the snow, and comparing heavy bike vs heavy human.
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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The GCN boys were hilarious in making fun of “epic” rides. The digs at Jan Heine and many of his followers were delightful, even for those of us who like Jan and appreciate many of the things he has done. I happen to enjoy much of what they made fun of, even to the point of doing much of my riding when the sun isn’t shining and having many favorite routes that include unpaved and unmapped roads. Nicely done.
I also enjoyed seeing some honesty about Brooks saddles by PLP. Most of us folks who were riding extensively before decent synthetic saddles were available tossed our Brooks into the bin as soon as we found one of the many superior options. It’s nice to see some of the newer riders discover that some old-style equipment really isn’t superior to modern products.
I love GCN. They bust on each other but clearly enjoy the comradeship. Also, you learn a lot from their episodes.
Not many people knew about ‘epic’ until John Watson changed is handle from Prolly to the Radavist and started riding gears. Pre Instagram or internet we were rollin’ back to back double centuries through the entire 80’s Jobst Brant style on 19c tubulars with no water bottles or helmets. Feels damn good to be alive!