Leica1956

From class outings.

Posted in 29er, Bike Shop, Bikes, MTB | Tagged B&W, Bike Shop, Cycling Photographer in Ohio, Cycling Photography, Cycling Photography in Ohio, D4, Nikon, Nikon D4, Ohio | Leave a comment

3T and Prologo Upgrades

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Rodney

Too much pressure on your perineum?

After a little long distance riding in the drops last year, I ended up with some painful issues. So for this year, I thought I’d try a new saddle. Then I said, “I want a new seat post for the new saddle.” Then the old stem didn’t match, so I needed a new stem as well. After some bargain hunting, I found all three.

I wanted to try a cutout saddle, for my perineum issue. There are quite a few options available. I looked at a few and decided on the Prologo Zero Pas Saddle. It has a nice cutout in the middle to relieve some pressure. It’s as wide as my Fizik and about as long, so it’s not a big change in shape. It does seem to have a little more roll to the top, which I sort of like that more. I’ve only done a few short rides and so far it’s very comfortable. Hopefully now that the weather and work have calmed down, I’ll get some long rides in.

The seat post and stem are from the 3T Pro series (the less expensive ones). The seat post is the Palladio model, not the carbon version. I like the offset (25mm) and 0.5° tilt adjustment. Plus the clamp won’t tilt, even if the bolts loosen up. The clamp is a bit strange to use at first, until you get the hang of it. The stem is the ARX alloy stem. It weighs 9g more than the Team stem, but it’s half the price.

So far I like them all. They look good, feel good and they didn’t cost an arm and/or leg. I’ll let you know more, as I put more kilometers on them.

Posted in Bikes, Product, Reviews | Tagged 3T, Cut out saddle, Cycling, Cycling Photographer Ohio, Cycling Photography in Ohio, Cycling Products, D4, Nikon, Nikon D4, Prologo | Leave a comment

Vittoria Brave Cycling Shoe Review

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Rodney

Vittoria Brave Cycling Shoe

I’m like most cyclists, I don’t have a ton of cash and I hate to ride with cheap gear. I have a family, a home and I’ve returned to school. This leaves me with little money for my cycling habit. So, when I need to replace things or upgrade them, I tend to be very picky. I also tend to spend some time researching the product and a place to find the best price.

Vittoria shoe is a separate company from the well-known tire company. Vittoria has been making shoes since 1976, so they’ve had some practice. Most of my research yielded customers with good experience. Plus the shoes come with a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects. This means, I get a little piece of mind concerning the quality of the shoe. The shoes are hand made in Italy, by people who care about their craft. They are not like some of the Italian companies who have it made somewhere else, and then stamp their name on it.

“A product that contains a history, since 1976, and for the one who chooses it, it’s a guarantee of innovation, style, quality and price.” (Vittoria-shoes.com, 2013).

The price was reasonable, they retail in the US for around $145.00, they’re comparable to the Giro, Apeckx or a pair of Sidi’s on sale. I went to bike shops and tried on about 20 pairs of shoes before deciding on the Vittoria’s. The Vittoria shoes felt far more comfortable and, compared to the others, the styling is beautiful. When it came time to purchase the shoes, I decided to go with my favorite bike shop. Buying from you local bike shop is not always the least expensive option. However, with a product like shoes or helmets, that can cost way more than I’m willing to gamble with; you may want to pay a little extra for the service and convenience they provide. I have owned three different brands of cycling shoes in the last 5 years and they are all different sizes. I’ve had size 46, 45 and 44, so I didn’t want to guess which size I needed.

The shoes are comfortable and light. The fit is better than any shoe I’ve ever owned. They look way nicer than any shoe I have, so the basement trainer is the only place I’ve ridden with them. I’m in Ohio and the last week was rainy and freezing. This week we got 8 inches of snow (in March). Hopefully in the next week or so, I’ll be able to get them out on the road and break them in proper.

More later.

Posted in Product, Reviews, Vittoria | Tagged Cycling Photographer in Ohio, Cycling Photography, Ohio Cycling Photographer, Rodney Urton, Shoes, Vittoria, Vittoria Brave Cycling Shoe, Vittoria Review | 2 Comments

Bianchi, CX

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Rodney

I found this chained to a bike rack on my class field trip / photo walk this morning.

Posted in Bikes, Cyclocross | Tagged Cycling Photographer in Ohio, Cycling Photography, Cycling Photography in Ohio, Cyclocross, D4, Dayton, Nikon D4, Ohio, Photo Walk | Leave a comment

January Base Miles

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Rodney

It’s been strange in ohio, one day it’s below freezing and 3 or 4 days later it’s close to 60°. But, it’s an adventure! Right?

WP_000470 coldcurve

panda

longshadow

WP_000471

Posted in Art, Cycling Roads, From the Bike | Tagged Cycling, Cycling Photographer in Ohio, Cycling Photographer Ohio, Cycling Photography, Cycling Photography in Ohio, Cycling Roads, Lumia 900, Motobecane, Nokia, Ohio, Ohio Cycling Photographer, Ohio Cycling Photography, Roads, Winter | Leave a comment

Rapha Festive 500

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Rodney

This year I have a GPS, so I can actually participate in the #festive500 that Rapha puts on. Last year I sorta did it, but I didn’t have a GPS and I couldn’t count any of it. Of course last year the weather was much nicer!

The idea is to ride 500km between 12/24 and 12/31.

All rides need to be outside (no trainers in the basement).

Day 1 (12/24/2012)

So my luck is as wonderful as ever! We start with 30° F and freezing rain! I managed to get in 35.5 km and then a long hot shower. The ride felt good and I learned that my shoe covers are not as “waterproof” as I like them to be. I also learned that I “NEED” a good pair of waterproof winter gloves. I lost feeling in my hands about 1/4 of the way into the ride and that was really the only bad part. It’s hard to shift, when you can’t feel your fingers!

Fenders might not be a bad idea either.

Yes that’s ice in the grass, it was freakin cold!

gar

Day 2 (12/25/2012)

Christmas day! What did santa bring me? Well he was nice enough to keep the rain away! However, he replaced it with some wicked cold (12-15 mph) winds and dark clouds. So with the wind chill factor, it was about 20° F. I still got 40 miles (65 km) in, so it wasn’t a waste. Although I’m still trying to warm up, 4 hours later. Mental note – I need to start saving for some Deep Winter Tights

Tomorrow is going to be a real test. The weather people are saying this could be the most snow we’ve seen in a long time! Woopie!

day2

Day 3 (12/26/2012)

Well, it looks like someone is conspiring against me. Thanks Mother Nature (love you too).

Last night we got a couple inches of snow (so I thought I’d get the 29er and hit the woods). Then this morning the freezing rain started again! There’s a weather warning out and the plows around here are (well they’re not quick). Seeing as the trails are 20-30 minute away by car, I thought I’d ride a little around home. But the roads are way too icy and it became more like ice skating. After 2km I said enough. The cars are bad when it’s dry, horrible when it’s wet and I think they have orders to hit you when the roads are like this.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better! Or, it’s time to get a Pugsley!

500-Day-3

Day 4 (12/27/2012)

More snow, although the road crews are starting to clean things up a bit. Rode for little while, but the motorists were nuts, so called it a day.

Day 5 (12/28/2012)

A little sun today, but no ride. Promised the little one that we’d go to the Center of Science and Industry. He’d done a perfect job on one of his papers and that was the reward he picked. So we drove to Columbus and spent the day there. We had a blast and I rode the trainer in the basement. No miles but it was worth it to see him so happy!

Day 6 (12/29/2012)

4 or 5 more inches of snow last night. The road crews got it all cleaned up fairly quickly. But, it was right around the freezing temp and the roads were wet and sloshy. I need fenders or my butt and back are going to lose all feeling! Inadequate water proofing + freezing temps = short rides

rapha500

Day 7 (12/30/2012)

A little more snow, but more family activities had been planned. No ride today

Day 8 (12/31/2012)

snow

It’s not going to happen, but I’ve had a fun time and I’ve learned what I need to make my rides more comfortable. So, it’s not a waste. I’ve also got a few really great rides in and I’ve seen some beautiful roads. I’ll start purchasing the right gear for next year and I’ll look back at the last week with fond, if not frozen memories.

blister My blister from wet hands all day