Boure Elite bibshorts

I picked up two pair in the "Wade's World" scratch and dent section of their site https://boure.com/ . The stuff is apparently designed by Ned Overend of road/mountain/triathlon/runner fame, it's made in Colorado and the prices are quite reasonable for the quality. This is the return policy from their website:
"Our 100% satisfaction guaranty is absolute. At any time you have tried them and decided you want to return them, we will refund the purchase price against your credit card or as credit against a different item. Satisfaction is defined by you, you have to be happy enough with them to keep them".

As for the bibs themselves, the fabric is pretty standard lycra, they're cut to fit properly in the cycling position, they have good but not too much compression, the upper is a breathable mesh and the braces are on the wide side which I prefer, there is no slippage off the shoulders. The leg grippers are pretty standard fair, not too tight but they also don't ride up, there is no ipod pocket and the logos are tasteful and not too flashy.

The chamois is one of the thinner one's I've tried, quite the opposite of the type one usually finds with Pearl, Giordana or Assos. However, with my Prologo saddle which is a bit more padded than say an SLR or a Toupe, the combination works very well (for me). If you prefer that your chamois not feel like you are wearing a diaper, these bibs are definitely worth checking out.

As for sizing, at 5'6" and 155 lbs. I take a medium in virtually every bib I've tried and I fit a medium in these as well. The people there answer the phone and are worth calling if you're not sure about sizing or the difference in their different models. So far these bibs have performed admirably up to and including a 67 miler.

I'm trying out the Serfas Seca RS tires and so far they have been great. I did get caught in 2 heavy rain storms and they did great.

What's the difference, lighter weight?

Crank bros smarty pedals.

Don't waste your time. One ride and one pedal is all seized up, the other feels very rocky. End story.

Giordana Corsa Bib Shorts

Pickep up a pair when they went on sale at Competitive Cyclist. Great bibs; the fit is not very good off the bike but once you get on the bike, everything falls right into place. They also remain comfortable over the long haul.

DZ Nutz Chamois Cream

I had never used chamois creme prior to these, but this one works as advertised. I did a back-to-back on consecutive days with the same pair of bibs; the ride using the creme was more comfortable as the creme reduced friction significantly. Pricey, but highly recommended.

Selle Royal Respiro "Athletic" Saddle

I picked up this saddle recently to try to see if a wider saddle would work better for me. It was cheap and it is very heavy (365g claimed, 417g actual), but it is also supremely comfortable. I actually like it so much that I think I will keep it on the bike despite the heft. It replaced a Specialized Toupe, and added about a half pound to the bike. But saddle is somewhere I will not make compromises anymore.

I think you got some duds. I've never had a problem with my Crank Bros pedals and know legions of people who swear by them.

Smarty's suck. They're pretty much OEM BS made to look like Candy's. Rest of the Crank Bro line is a different story.

nothing really cool, more utility as winter approaches...

castelli diluvio shoe covers (training rides)



adidas climawarm MTB shoe covers (commute)

Oh, sorry. Now I know what you're talking about. Those do suck, but I've still never seen one seize up.

2009 Roubaix SL2.......Very nice ride. Stiff where it needs to be with out giving a rough ride. The bike lives up to it's intended job. Handling is spot, Stiff in and out of the saddle, yada yada yada....nothing negative to report

2008 Zipp 404 Clinchers.....Definitely a fast wheel set. I love how when I hang the bike up the wheel will will spin back and forth till the stem ends up on the bottom. That takes a smooth hubset to do that. The Zipps MAY feel a bit faster than my Carbones but if they are it is not by much. Only negative so far is that the rim is a bit bigger than most. Mounting my GP4000's are a real chore.

Assos spring/fall socks, yellow to match bike. Good fit, comfy all that matters. Assos chamois creame, great stuff. 2009 DuraAce 50mm carbon clinchers, I can't say enough about them as garysol1 said about the zipps, wheels roll back and forth till stem stops at bottom, very stiff, very quiet love them. Only problem is I don't want to put other wheels back on for winter.

I know, they have bad reviews. I've been running SPDs on the mtb and LOOKs on the road. For some reason the smartys came on my Defy Advanced.. who knows why. Figured I'd give them a try. Love the mechanism, but as I said, one pedal barely turns. It takes force to turn it.

Giordana Silverline shorts I got on sale at CC.

It's like a big hairy Italian woman massaging your bottom. 'tis nice.

this is my new signature

mine still work after 6 months

Angelo and Guido will be paying you a visit

Wait, what?

Well I'll admit I only paid $40 for the pedals.The bearings do not seem as free spinning as the $200 pedals but they do not bind or restrict movement.
I figured on taking the center plug out and injecting some synthetic grease and see what happens.

VELOCITY TUBULAR RIMS:

HATE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had my Powertap and a front DT Swiss 240 hub laced on to these new rims. The wheel build could not be better as they are incredibly true and just simply work great. However, the rims are one of the worse as I have ever used. The only and biggest problem I have with them is that the surface where the tire contacts the rim is huge. So wide in fact that I have a very very hard time getting the tires to sit properly in them. The first time I went to put tires on them, both Veloflex Carbons and Continental Competitions, I wasted several Tufo tapes because I could not get enough of the tires to adhere to the width of the rim. Just the very middle part would contact well, but the sides of the rim (contact area) would have the tire floating on them. I've never had this problem with several other wheel sets I have. I even got some wider Vittoria Pave tires to see if the wider tire would do better only to get similar results. Gluing the tire works better, but the moment you ride the tire the first time you realize that the sides come undone some. Not very confidence inspiring.

Replaced my Specialized Toupe Team saddle with the Specialized Phenom SL - I wanted to keep the blood-flow of the specialized but hated the plastic tips. Review on my blog here: https://sigberto.blogspot.com/2009/10...phenom-sl.html

Of course, I hadn't seen the Specialized Romin when I ordered that saddle. No complaints.

Assos leg warmers:

Very good. I've had mine for 3 years now. Holding well over time. The material is very warming. As a side benefit, it is highly durable. I was involved in a crash today and not a single strand or thread was out of place. Even under my L knee where I ended up with road rash.

SRAM Force: grown to love it
SIDI Ergo 2: they get it done.

Assos S5 Mille bibs.

Very very nice. Like them far better than the F13. S5, which is supposed to be a higher level in their line. The pad is something most people rave about with Assos, but I have always rated as average to OK. The pad in these are very very good. The fit and compression actually feels better the higher level ones. I can seriously see myself ordering a couple of more of these.

Assos Robo Cap

By far the best cap I own. I have tried about 4 different ones and they are either too sweaty or don't fit right. These are extremely comfortable, fit just right over my head and ears, and are warm enough by themselves on temps of 30-40 degrees with wind, which I don't feel at all! I used them today in 50F weather and same results. Simply love it.

Stainless bottles(screw plug top or spout)

Love them.Fit in a standard cage,no funky taste,easy to clean,and colors to match anything.

Priced anywhere from $7-$15 ($25 for Cervelo colors)at LBS,Lowes,and Home Dopey(found mine at Lowes).

Mitch, did your dad like the gift bike?

He loved it