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Super Bike? Or Super Hype?
There hasn't been a blog update for a few days - sorry about that. I'm trying to get used to a new schedule at work, and there hasn't been a lot of writing time.Anyhow. . .With the 2016 Olympics having...
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An Unusual SunTour Derailleur
A couple of days ago I got a question from a reader, Phil S., about this derailleur he found in a box of old inventory he got from a closed bike shop. Pictures of the derailleur were also floated...
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New Old Bottom Bracket Standard
In a move that shouldn't really come as much of a surprise, several bike companies are releasing new mountain bikes this year with a new and improved bottom bracket system that promises to solve...
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Compass Chinook Pass Tires
I recently put some new tires on one of my bikes and got my first opportunity to try out the very nice traditional-looking Compass brand tires -- specifically, the 28mm Chinook Pass. The Compass tires...
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More Wireless - This Time From FSA
There's another new entry in the electronic shifting sweepstakes - this time, a wireless group from FSA: the K-Force WE, which I assume stands for "wireless electronic." It is the company's first full...
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The Case for the Battery-Free Bicycle
Batteries are all around us - and our reliance on them is constantly growing. Think of all the objects in our daily lives that now use them. Our computers, cell phones, and watches, of course. Some of...
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Another "Ultimate Commuter"
I'm always reading and hearing about bikes that tech junkies have christened "the Ultimate Commuter" -- the very claim itself inevitably makes me skeptical. Combining lots high tech computing power and...
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The First American to Win the Tour de France
Who was the first American to win the Tour de France? Everybody knows that one: Greg LeMond in 1986 - right? The first (and officially the only) American to do so.Well, not exactly.Though largely...
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Bicycle Pumps Have Gone High Zoot
Is it just me, or are bicycle pumps getting the full zoot treatment lately?It seems to me that the trend started about two years ago when the newly reorganized Silca released theirSuper Pista Ultimate,...
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Rolling Coal - Has It Happened To You Yet?
They call it "Rolling Coal," and it's the latest salvo in the war on the environment and anyone who even appears to care about it. These jackasses modify their diesel pickup trucks to dump huge plumes...
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Santini L'Eroica Collection
This past weekend was the annual L'Eroica ride -- the original L'Eroica -- in Gaiole, Italy. I'm guessing there aren't too many people reading this (if any) who were fortunate enough to be able to take...
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What Would We Do Without the UCI?
If it weren't for those innovation-stifling UCI regulations keeping bike design stuck in the stone-age, just think how advanced bikes would be today.Yes . . . just think.Read enough bike industry...
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Crazy Cranks
What could be simpler than a bicycle crank? It's hard to imagine a simpler, more efficient mechanism for transferring leg motion into circular motion into forward motion. But almost since the beginning...
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Missed Milestone and a Look Back
It just occurred to me today that I missed a couple of milestones for The Retrogrouch Blog.The blog recently marked 3 years, and also recently passed 1,000,000 views. Okay - in the big scheme of things...
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The Voices In Your Head Say "Ride Faster"
Hearing voices when you ride? It might not necessarily be a sign of severe mental illness IF you have the new "smart" goggles from Oakley - the Radar Pace.Unlike other "smart" goggles we've been...
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Retrogrouch Reading: Greg LeMond - Yellow Jersey Racer
"For me, cycling's about more than just the racing. It's a strong part of the culture, but it's not everything. Ever since I first rode a bike, a sense of freedom and escape has been a large part of my...
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October Sunday Ride
I managed to get out for a nice little fall leaf ride today - a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, with golden sun, a light breeze, and temperatures about 60. I chose the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath for my...
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Reviews Re-Viewed
Over the years, I've taken time to write about some of the products I've bought and used for cycling. Typically with these product reviews, I've been writing about things I've bought and paid for...
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Retrogrouch Reading: A Cycling Lexicon
Phil Carter and Jeff Conner have spent much of their lives completely "besotted" with bicycles. For Carter, of Carter Wong Design, a lovely brass headbadge rescued from an abandoned rusty bicycle...
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Retrogrouch Reading: The Bicycle Artisans
Is the bicycle dead? Dating back to the 19th century, one could argue that the pedal-powered machine is a relic from a bygone era - irrelevant in today's world. But is the bicycle dead?That is the...
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