The outside of my left knee was feeling odd all day yesterday. As if I had tweaked it somehow at Spinning. I still rode the trainer last night but did not go crazy with the workout. I did a basic hour at a pace that was a little more than tempo. Gearing was 42x17 or 18. I cannot remember. Afterward I was not tired and did not leave a puddle of sweat. My legs were good but were perfectly happy to stop at an hour. No sense in extending my efforts right now.
Earlier in the afternoon I thought that I might be able to put one of the two sets of brake levers I have laying around onto the fixed gear as a top mount lever so I wouldn't have to mess with the tape job. That was a no go though. The shimano clamp could not be stretched enough to fit onto the bar over the tape or opened up enough to be snapped directly over the untaped section of bar. The Dia-compe brake could have worked but the bar is a little fatter up by the stem and the clamp could not be closed up again. So, I guess I am left to buy a cheap top mount at the shop.
Viewpoint: Most "Hey look at me" Rider Ah yes. Attention whores in cycling. There are so many. I think there is a little attention whore in all of us. It could be the color of our bike or the color coordinating of accessories (shoes, wheels, etc) There are plenty of examples the local schlub seeking attention but usually it boils down to trying to look good on the bike.
When you move to the pro ranks, the actions become a little more garish. There are the victory salutes of winning riders, the special gear often worn by the winning team on the final stage in the Tour. Cipollini may have been the all time "Hey look at me" rider with his outlandish outfits.
That brings us to this year's winner Paolo Bettini. Ol' Paolo won Olympic gold in the summer of '04. What was the month? August? He had a great ride no doubt and was proud of his victory. He showed up the rest of the year with his gold shoes, gold helmet, gold handlebar tape and gold accents on his bike. Okay, he was proud of Olympic victory. I'll give him that. The '05 season starts and what is Paolo riding, the same gold crap. At the end of the '05 season, more than a year after his Olympic victory, he was still decked out in gold. Get over it, already. I'm guessing he intends to don the gold attire until the next the next Olympics or he retires, whichever comes first.
With Cipo, I always sensed a certain playfulness and showmanship with his antics. Bettini's constant wearing of gold, however, seems to have more of a bragging nature. As if he is reminding everyone that he won a gold medal and will not let you forget it.
Earlier in the afternoon I thought that I might be able to put one of the two sets of brake levers I have laying around onto the fixed gear as a top mount lever so I wouldn't have to mess with the tape job. That was a no go though. The shimano clamp could not be stretched enough to fit onto the bar over the tape or opened up enough to be snapped directly over the untaped section of bar. The Dia-compe brake could have worked but the bar is a little fatter up by the stem and the clamp could not be closed up again. So, I guess I am left to buy a cheap top mount at the shop.
Viewpoint: Most "Hey look at me" Rider Ah yes. Attention whores in cycling. There are so many. I think there is a little attention whore in all of us. It could be the color of our bike or the color coordinating of accessories (shoes, wheels, etc) There are plenty of examples the local schlub seeking attention but usually it boils down to trying to look good on the bike.
When you move to the pro ranks, the actions become a little more garish. There are the victory salutes of winning riders, the special gear often worn by the winning team on the final stage in the Tour. Cipollini may have been the all time "Hey look at me" rider with his outlandish outfits.
That brings us to this year's winner Paolo Bettini. Ol' Paolo won Olympic gold in the summer of '04. What was the month? August? He had a great ride no doubt and was proud of his victory. He showed up the rest of the year with his gold shoes, gold helmet, gold handlebar tape and gold accents on his bike. Okay, he was proud of Olympic victory. I'll give him that. The '05 season starts and what is Paolo riding, the same gold crap. At the end of the '05 season, more than a year after his Olympic victory, he was still decked out in gold. Get over it, already. I'm guessing he intends to don the gold attire until the next the next Olympics or he retires, whichever comes first.
With Cipo, I always sensed a certain playfulness and showmanship with his antics. Bettini's constant wearing of gold, however, seems to have more of a bragging nature. As if he is reminding everyone that he won a gold medal and will not let you forget it.
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