The Official DMF Bicycle Thread

[bryant8]

I'm assuming there will be aid stations along the route, correct?

We always run our own SAG in addition on major rides to avoid lines and have items that we like.  Like boiled potatoes covered in salt.  

As far as Race Caps, I've got no FHE with that product.  However, I would suggest trying the product before you blindly plan on using it during a major event such as this.  You certainly want to know what to expect, or know that the product will work for you.

+1 on the potatoes

+1... never try new things on race/event day.  Best to try them out during a training ride to see how your system handles the added variable into your on bike nutrition.  I keep my bike nutrition simple... electrolyte tabs, water, tested calorie sources.

I do use Hammer Nutrition products (Hammer Gel/Hammer Bars/Perpetuem) and highly recommend them to others.  

without saying... I'd bring more chamois-buttr and spare shorts

[psycledelic]

I highly recommend Hammer Nutrition.  But not that close to such a big race.  I used the Race Caps during prep for my last 1/2 Ironman, along with Perpetuem and Recoverite.  I had a little trouble choking down the orange-vanilla Perpetuem in my drink bottles, but when mixed thick and used out of gel flask, it was kind of like eating orange cake batter.  Much better on the tummy (for me at least). 

I would definitely stock up on the butt butt'r.  I always pack a couple Aleve also.  Nothing worse than a headache and your ass cheeks rubbing the skin off each other. 

[Monster Dave]

+1 on the headache meds, I hadn't thought of that. I got a nice pair of Pearl Izumi bibs this month with their Pro level pad and construction and they are awesome. That being said, I'll bring a spare pair of shorts just in case (for sure).

I agree about not trying anything new so close to race day - last thing I want to do is inadvertently cause myself any problems!

We'll have our own SAG truck for me, so I've started stocking up on bulk items that I'll need for food - Costco is great for stuff like that! Randy, thanks for reminding me about the boiled potatoes and salt - I love those! There will be some aid stations but they are pretty spaced out.

[Monster Dave]

You guys/gals hear the news? Looks like Contador tested positive for blood doping during the Tour de France this year.


...he's blaming it on a drug that was given to a cow, in which he ate the meat from during the tour, and that's how it got into his system....



Boo. 

[gh0stie]

You guys/gals hear the news? Looks like Contador tested positive for blood doping during the Tour de France this year.


...he's blaming it on a drug that was given to a cow, in which he ate the meat from during the tour, and that's how it got into his system....



Boo. 

best cycling news I've heard all year....I hate that guy

[Monster Dave]

On the flip side, Armstrong is having a tough time getting through the federal investigation of suspected doping and fraud in professional cycling while he was with US Postal. According to what I read this morning, several people have been called to testify in front of a grand jury which raises the intensity of the investigation.

It seems like someone's going down and going down hard. Former team members of US Postal have testified that everyone was well aware of doping that was going on at that time on the team and that Armstrong participated like everyone. And since Lance is at the pinnacle of this sport and the investigation, I'm sure he'll be the "fall guy" either way.Apparently the push by prosecutors is to have an indictment by January as the statue of limitation on some of the charges expire at that time. The prosecutors seem pretty confident.

So the question is: Is this a look of frustration at how ridiculous this whole thing is or "damn, they caught me now what do I do"?




I really hope that he didn't do it. He's such an inspiration to so many people for many reasons. That being said, things don't look good.

[sbrguy]

first off he didn't use blood doping drugs.

second it seems that the small amounts are so small that it was probably contamination.

armstrong is not the savior at least it seems like he is no longer the saint everyone thought, sure he survived cancer but he may have made all his money becuase he cheated, how much would his livestrong organization raise if he came in 10th every year in the tour? not much is my guess.

[Monster Dave]

first off he didn't use blood doping drugs.

second it seems that the small amounts are so small that it was probably contamination.

armstrong is not the savior at least it seems like he is no longer the saint everyone thought, sure he survived cancer but he may have made all his money becuase he cheated, how much would his livestrong organization raise if he came in 10th every year in the tour? not much is my guess.

So far that's still up for debate. In any case, if Contador did or didn't use doping drugs this will surely mar his reputation to some degree and UCI testers will probably be looking at him a bit closer than they have been (which is probably a great deal already!).

If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that the Live Strong organization has risen higher than Lance's reputation. However, if they do find hard evidence that he did dope, I'd guess that both would be left in ruins.

What I'm curious about is that everything (publicly released) so far from the investigation could be pure circumstantial evidence or hear-say. There's hasn't been any concrete evidence as far as I know. So how could they get an indictment on suspicion??

[sbrguy]

yeah but really the only reason the livestrong organization ever got off the ground is bc of his tour wins "guy survives cancer wins tour 7 times in a row, etc".

now other people survive cancer but don't nearly get as much of an organizaqtion than what he made, you have pro players in other sports doing charities but they don't get as much publicity as he did.  my guess is bc he basically "won the super bowl" every year after surviving cancer, but what if all those wins were only there becuase he cheated?.. if he didn't win those tours is his organization as big as it is today? my guess is no, it would be a charity but nowhere near as big as it is now.  those bracelets didn't take off until the 3rd or 4th tour that he won that really made livestrong what it is today.

its interesting but i don't think contador did it on purpose the amounts just are too little.. and afterall landis admitted to taking drugs but not to that particular positive test.  i still don't think he did it for that particular test he got dinged, he took it at other times and didn't get dinged.

[stateprez]

its interesting but i don't think contador did it on purpose the amounts just are too little.. and afterall landis admitted to taking drugs but not to that particular positive test.  i still don't think he did it for that particular test he got dinged, he took it at other times and didn't get dinged.

+1.  If Contador was looking for (or needed) an advantage, something that small wouldn't be worth the risk- especially since people had been busted for it.

As for Lance- he lost me when he started banging the Olsen Twins and doing Mich Ultra commercials.  Maybe they can raise money recycling the rubber in the Livestrong bracelets.

Cheating in cycling is as widespread (if not more) as in every other professional sport.  If Lance hadn't won his Tour's someone else who was doping would have.  Some people need to wake up.

[Monster Dave]

It's just sad. When I started cycling, Armstrong was my first figure of inspiration; we even met him last year.

In all fairness to Contador, hopefully he'll be back in the game soon enough. Honestly, you'd have to be really stupid to blood dope (in the first place) but even more so at that level of professional cycling. If you can't do something on your own with your own abilities then why cheat - I could never understand that - whatever you might win through cheating is ultimately hollow and worthless, so what's the point?

Oh well, I suppose after this is all over we still have the solid rep of Eddy Merckx to fall back on...oh wait he doped too....crap! 

[gh0stie]

Lance hasn't tested positive for doping, so as far as I'm concerned, he is still very much a "hero" to many.

Those who don't care much for him anyway for personal reasons (i.e they think he's a jerk, or don't like who he's banging) will always find ways to validate their feelings by clinging to any negative press about him, and regurtitating to anyone who will listen.

These people seem to want to convince us that everyone hates Lance......not the case

gh0stie
Lance Fan club member #9098488

[Monster Dave]

I didn't mean to imply that he isn't still an inspiration to me - he certainly is. I just hope that they don't find that he has lied all these years.

Here's to hoping: 

[Kopfjager]

Haven't seen a bicycle pic on here lately. Just saying.

[DRKWNG]

Haven't seen a bicycle pic on here lately. Just saying.

Who cares??!!  I want to bang an Olsen twin!!