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How to Avoid Frozen Bottles in Sub-Zero Weather: Insights from Winter Cyclists
from Rookie’s keyboard, It’s -11°C, the streets are slick with frost, and you’re staring down your 7-mile ride into the void—because that’s what winter cycling is, isn’t it? A long, cold stretch of your soul clashing with the elements, desperately trying to stay hydrated while your water bottle freezes into a mini ice rink. Yeah,…
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Understanding the Power Play: Why Breakaways Matter in Paris-Roubaix
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends So, there you are, watching the chaos of Paris-Roubaix unfold on your screen, the battered roads tearing into the peloton, and then—bam!—someone, maybe a lone rider or a small group, breaks away from the pack, pedaling furiously into the unknown. It’s a curious moment, isn’t it? Why risk it? Why…
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The Hill Laughs, But You Pedal Anyway: Why I Love Uphill Cycling
You think you know what pain is until you start climbing. Until you find yourself on a long stretch of road that feels more like a mountain than just a hill. Every pedal stroke takes you higher, closer to a kind of madness. Your thighs are burning, your calves are cramped up tight, and your…
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Roller Brakes Never Had A Chance…
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends Today, I decided to write a short piece on roller brakes – a somewhat obscure braking system. This post compares the advantages and disadvantages of disc and roller bicycle brakes in relation to one another. Definitions Disc Brakes – hydraulic or cable-operated calipers (jaws in simpler terms) that grab a rotor attached to the hub…
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A Genius Way To Install Fenders On a Road Bike Without Eyelets
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends Yersterday, I made a post on the importance of mudguards in the world of road cycling. I realize that there are many people out there who would like to add a set of full fenders to their road machines but don’t know how due to the lack of clearance and…
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Mudguards Are Not For Losers (on road bike elitism)
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends Honestly, I experienced a slight burnout from writing so much for the site over the past few weeks. (If you are wondering why production has slowed down a bit.) But I have prepared another piece on a topic that has annoyed me for quite some time, namely the hatred toward…
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Fixed-gear Essential Knowledge: Pista Drops
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends In this short piece, I will discuss the so-called pista drop handlebars. Many rookies might mistake them for standard road drops. I know because I was one of those rookies once upon a time. The Differences Pista drop bars (PDBs) are built specifically for track bicycles ridden on a velodrome. They are…
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Tig Welded Frames = Domination
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends In this post, I will discuss two of the three classic ways to assemble a steel frame. They are: a. Lugs b. Welding c. Brazing I already have a post on brazing, so today I will focus on TIG welds. TIG Welded Frames TIG welding stands for Tungsten Inert Gas welding. During…
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Stopping The Aero Bars Addiction
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends Here’s the deal – where I live people seem to be getting a little too “addicted” to aero bars…for real. Yesterday, a man came to the shop asking for aero bars designed “specificially for a hybrid”. I wasn’t at the terminal, but I insitnctively looked at him when I heard…
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Curved Frames? Maybe… or maybe not
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends It’s time to dissect another cycling topic. I am dedicating this evening’s post to tube shape. There are two main options – straight (the classic choice) and curved (the snob/alternative variant). My preference is for straight as I like classic things. But don’t worry. I will still try to be…