Is it ok for Heroes...

...to do training rides in Chicago wearing Leopard Trek replica jerseys?

Does anyone else want one?

Name this Junior

without looking it up - photo by James Mason

¿Eso si que es?

Inspired by this unknown by me talented rider/dresser at the Nevada City Bicycle Classic and by walking into a cycling clothing store in Davis and seeing these socks on the wall. They are officially cycling socks by Sock Guy. The shoes are not specifically for cycling. The chihuahua is pictured for his outstanding beauty - booty I should say.

Peter Falk, Rest in Peace, (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011)

Tour De France, 1974

1 Speed Hero in Love

Kayley Ashworth - Superstar bmx EDIT from JC Pieri on Vimeo.

Via J of TATI Cycles fame.

Tenspeed Hero Screening: Breaking Away, Grant Park

HEROES!  Bring your Masi Gran Criteriums down to the majestic Grant Park in Chicago this evening. Enjoy grand civic achievements. Cheer on The Cutters. Jeer frat boys and Italians. Ponder the complexities of gear-ratios, social class and national identity. Make an Oscar winning transition from unfettered adolescence to uninteresting adulthood. This is a very special night. 

*not necessarily organized by Tenspeed Hero, but we aspire to such great events.

Tenspeed and Brownshoe

Honor and Hero

Derailleur display at Missing Link Bicycle Co op, Berkeley, California

John Tomac Is God

A Hero on the road for the 7-11 and Motorola squad (and National Criterium Champion), Johnny T was mostly known as a monster on the mountain. Let's have a moment of appreciation for the most stylin' singletrack surfer to ever spin a Tioga tension disc.






Get radstoked.

"I think it is a beautiful piece of design"

Pez has an excellent interview with an anonymous entity about design elements and branding in cycling. The critiques may strike some as harsh, especially the treatment of red-black-white bikes in the amateur and professional peloton, but I'll agree that that color scheme is so common now and something newer needs to take over.

He/she does wax lovingly on the paint schemes of old Kleins. Sigh, who wouldn't want to be this guy, railin' it on a hot flo' Klein?

Paradise

You can tell this is California where the California Poppies grow like weeds - beautiful weeds. And Pegorettis litter the bike racks. Unlocked, Dura-Ace/Campy equipped Pegorettis.

Later I saw Woody from Above Category riding this bike. They appeared to be made for each other.

"a rare steak is a good breakfast for what lies ahead"

Motivational Speaker

Rapha Cycle Club SF

Luke, ask your brother if Tenspeed Hero can have your old Citroen back.

It is easy to make jokes about Rapha, just as it is easy to make sex jokes or to revel in the inevitable fall of a once great cyclist. (For the record, I did not rejoice at the falls of T. Hamilton, F. Landis, nor am I enjoying the all but certain fall of other talented American cyclists). 

Yet, the stuff that folks might criticize about Rapha is the stuff that brought us to Rapha in the first place: 

 

1. Cycling clothes that you really could wear off the bike.  2.  The notion that sitting and drinking espresso is as integral to cycling as listening to Italian opera is, and time permitting, riding a bike is. 

If I may, I would like to offer a few unsolicited observations on Rapha. Rapha products are pricey. Rapha Products tend to look good and fit well. The fact that the cycling caps come in multiple sizes almost makes up for the $40 and up price tag. Other manufacturers of cycling clothes such as Assos are even pricier than Rapha. The "Free Shipping" on orders over $150 seems like they are throwing a bone to a vegetarian considering an issue of Rouleur goes for $20 plus $20 shipping. But once you start ordering it is hard to resist throwing in a pair of socks, knee warmers or a t-shirt so I guess the free shipping does come into play more often than not. 

In short, if spending $200 for a jersey is wrong, I don't want to be right.  

When Tenspeed Hero HQ finally gets a La Pavoni, I hope to tamp the grinds with a Chris King/Rapha Espresso Tamper.

Sammy

Remember when you Heroes were obsessed with mini-Cokes and they were flowing like water?  Can we bring that back?

(Heroically) Rescued Duck

This handsome if scruffy Cayuga duck moved into the farm today. He came with a name, Scooter, but my sourdough starter is already named Scooter. So if any of you would like to help us come up with names please send your suggestions written on a $20 bill attached to a Seven Sola 29 SLX (the one with the blue paint) mountain Bike with Crank Brothers Cobalt XC wheels, Shimano XTR component group, Fox 32 Float Fit  Terralogic Fork and Ritchey WCS OS Carbon Rizer Bar. Or, if you don't have the $20 bucks, post it as a comment.
Things you should know about this duck: he is tall (long necked) and appears black but when his feathers come back fresh they will be a lovely iridescent color like oil in a rain puddle.  At the moment he has no feathers on the back of his neck from the constant harassment he received from the bills of two frat ducks at his former home.

Classic Repair Manual

Via Con Dios Cowboy Hero

As many of you know, Jenny from the PR department lives on a farm on Mt. Diablo. This morning we let the ducks out to graze as we do every morning. About ten minutes later Jenny looked out her office window and saw Cowboy, the large drake on the left, lying on the ground, his neck stretched out in front of him. I was in the kitchen fixing breakfast when a red eyed Jenny appeared in the doorway and said, "Cowboy's dead."  We both had difficulty wrapping our minds around this. We had just seen him eating with his girls and looking vigorous. It sounds cliche but the phrase, "But we just saw him. He looked fine," kept running through our heads. But maybe that's the best way to go - suddenly.

Cowboy was a big sweet, one-legged duck, but he was a little ornery. So not really sweet in the traditional sense of the word. I suppose he could be described as having a sweet ornery streak. It wont be the same without him limping around in circles.

Concord California

Yes, Brandon and Ryan do take their bikes off sweet jumps. Jenny and I were driving in Concord to deliver the manifold to the shop that is in the process of getting her sweet (if I may use the word twice in the first two sentences) Mustang running when we spied this lovingly made bmx/mountain bike, um, park? Hideout? Something like that. 

We immediately pulled over. Cautiously, I approached the group of youngsters. One cannot be too careful in a situation like this - they could bolt or they could turn on me with their shovels. The two leaders, Brandon and Ryan were duly impresed with my Hero credentials as soon as I introduced myself.  

Above we see Brandon and Ryan hard at work building dirt ramps. To the left sit three jokers giving much appreciated tips like, "Bigger," and "More shovel."

Brandon is the one in the air. The jokers think twice before making more wise cracks. Then they make more wise cracks. 

The three jokers were talking about cameras. I overheard the words; "Olympus," Expensive," "it looked like a box," and "Roland Barthes." 

This scene reminded me strongly of growing up in Sacramento - except I didn't have a bike. But my friends and I spent a lot of time making ramps and digging holes to jump over. Like Brandon and Ryan, we did all of this on other people's property. And I did it with other people's bikes.

Tenspeedhero's third white pony spotted on Sheridan road

I suppose this is easier than going up no handed

Leipheimer's Butte Montana

Levi's dad is a car dealer just like Dave from Breaking Away.