Road

Do NOT Subscribe to FLOBIKES!

by editors on October 2, 2020

Flobikes is advertising itself as the best way to watch the Giro d’ Italia in the USA. Only $12.50 a month, they say. Cancel anytime, they say. What they don’t say is that they will immediately charge your credit card for $150 for a year subscription, and when you try to cancel your subscription, they won’t give you your money back. They keep your money and say they won’t charge you for the upcoming year. Here’s how they word it on their FAQ:

When you cancel your subscription, you will retain Pro access until the end of your billing period. During that time you will continue to have access to the entire FloSports network on the web and through our mobile and TV apps across 25+ sports. To see when your subscription will end, click Manage on the subscription page in account settings.

In other words, they appear to allow monthly subscriptions at $12.50 a month and infer that you can unsubscibe anytime, when in reality you’re paying $150 immediately and not getting any of it back no matter when you decide to cancel. It is a classic bait and switch and while nothing on the site is technically incorrect they do their best to hide what they are doing at every single page of their website.

Be warned. If you want to watch Flobikes be ready to pay $150 immediately. If not, DO NOT DO IT!

[Link: Better Business Bureau & Truth In Advertising]

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Forerunner 745 Good For Bikes, Too

by editors on September 16, 2020

Sometimes new bike computer money might be better spent on a new watch. While Garmin’s new Forerunner 745 was designed with triathletes (ahem!) in mind, it works great as an on-wrist bike computer, too. Obviously it is also solid training partner thanks to a load of onboard tech.

To help athletes better prepare for a race or training cycle, the Forerunner 745 includes key performance monitoring tools from Firstbeat Analytics like VO2 max, training load, training status and aerobic and anaerobic training effects. Athletes will even receive on-device running and cycling daily workout suggestions based on their current training load and VO2 max.

But it’s not all training, the Forerunner 745 also includes Garmin Pay, and when paired with music from Amazon Music, Spotify or Deezer the 745 can hold 500 songs. Garmin says the battery will last for a week in smartwatch mode, up to 16 hours in GPS mode, and 6 hours in GPS mode with the music blasting. It is available now in black, neo tropic, magma red or whitestone and has a suggested retail price of $499.99. For all the official details from Garmin, please follow the jump.

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Prudhomme Tests Positive, Negative

by editors on September 14, 2020

[Update September 14, 2020] According to Reuters, Christian Prudhomme has now tested negative for COVID-19 and will be back on the Tour de France in full force tomorrow. Having been only one week since he tested positive are we to believe he was miraculously cured, or was his positive test a false positive? We may never know. Either way it’s great to have him back.

[September 8, 2020] There’s nothing we’ve loved more this month than watching the Tour de France. Seeing the riders in a big old pack for a couple hours a day had us forgetting for a moment that it will still be awhile before we feel comfortable back in the peloton that we miss so much. Then, on rest day, the organizers did massive COVID-19 testing (650 people tested) and five TdF support staff tested positive. One of them was Tour Director Christian Prudhomme, according to a story in The Guardian.

“The testing campaign revealed that Christian Prudhomme has tested positive for Covid-19. The director of the Tour will now quarantine for seven days,” read a statement from race promoters ASO. “Although he was not part of the ‘race bubble’ and had not been in direct contact with any of the riders and their entourage, Christian Prudhomme still decided to get tested.”

So far, no racers have tested positive so it appears that we get at least six more days of racing before the next test. We hope Prudhomme gets well quickly, and that none of riders get sick in the coming days, because damn, it’s so good to watch a grand tour right now.

[Link: The Guardian]

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Socked with Swiftwick Pursuit Ultralights

by editors on September 4, 2020

Swiftwick sent us some Pursuit Ultralight socks to try out. They look good and Merlino wool is a super plus. Here’s the lowdown from the manufacturer:

The Pursuit Ultralight wicks moisture and dries quickly, so your feet stay dry and blister-free wherever your adventures take you. The thin, breathable design also features a reinforced heel and toe to maximize durability. It has all the benefits of merino wool but is extremely lightweight, ensuring a great fit in any performance shoe.

We’re looking forward to trying them out on an upcoming roll through the hills.

[Link: Swiftwick]

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BORA Hansgrohe Keeps Tour Team Solid

by editors on August 24, 2020

Despite some injuries and other problems, BORA Hansgrohe will keep their Tour de France team unchanged. So for 2020 they are rolling with Felix Grobschartner, Gregor Mühlberger, Lukas Postlberger, Emanuel Buchmann, Lennard Kamna, Daniel Oss, and Peter Sagan. It will be great to see them racing next week, won’t it? For the official word, please follow the jump.

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BOA’s New Li2 Dials In Style & Function

by editors on August 24, 2020

Our favorite cycling shoe closure company BOA is announcing and even better, smaller, more durable dial for perfect fit on cycling shoes. It’s called the Li2. Here’s what they’re saying:

Li2 is the ultimate in fast, effortless, precision fit. The lightweight and low-profile dial platform offers unprecedented durability against impact, abrasion, and contaminants such as dirt and debris. Compact in size but packed with power, Li2 offers benefits designed to meet the needs of cyclists at every touchpoint during a ride. Multidirectional tightening and loosening allows for incremental adjustment to accommodate foot swelling on long rides, or a tighter fit for steep climbs and sprints.

Better is better, right? This dial is showing up on shoes from Fizik, Scott, Rapha, Gaerne, Lake and DMT this fall, with Bontrager, Giro, Louis Garneau, and Specialized jumping in for 2021. For all the official details from BOA, please follow the jump.
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Every Cycling Event Is Cancelled

by editors on July 1, 2020

Editors’ Update: United States of America Cycling announced today (July 1, 2020) that all the following National Championship events have been cancelled for 2020: Pro and Am road, mountain, Grand Fondo, and elite, junior, and masters track. If you have a title from last year, lucky you. You get another year to hold on to it!

May 13, 2020

Rather than post a growing list of events that have been cancelled thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic take this as an reminder that EVERY SINGLE CYCLING EVENT that you were looking forward to riding, racing, watching live, or streaming online has been cancelled.

And while many event promoters have optimistically moved their events forward a few months, we’re going to guess that there will no mass start events going down for at least a year. Time to figure something else out. . . TTcross? TTmtb? TTcrit? TTgravel? Maybe? If anyone is hosting any solo racing events, please let us know. In the mean time we’ll be here tickling our keyboards.

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Apple Watch Buckles Up With UAG Bands

by editors on June 9, 2020

We’ve ridden all winter with an Apple Watch safely tucked beneath the cuff of our arm warmers and felt fine knowing the watch was tucked in and safe. Now that summer has arrived and we’re more likely to be riding without arm warmers Apple Watch’s post and hole band closure looks a little more worrisome — especially during a rough MTB decent. Though we’ve yet had our watch band bust open, it doesn’t seem like a good idea to wait and see. That’s why we were stoked to see that Urban Armor Gear has added a Tang buckle to a silicone strap that keeps the clean lines of Apple’s silicone band while adding the security of a buckle.

The UAG bands come in two styles the Scout and Civilian. The Scout is a single color band that comes in three colors (black, olive, and orange) and retails for $29.95. The Civilian features tow layers of silicone, a “branded stainless steel buckle” and  comes in two colors (black/orange and  slate/orange). It retails for $39.95.

We haven’t tested them yet, but we can say for sure that the buckle makes us feel a whole lot better about taking our Apple Watch out into the wilds. We’ll let you know how it goes. For more info, please click the link.

[Link: Urban Armor Gear]

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Garmin Rearview Radar Pairs With Phones

by editors on May 13, 2020

Garmin’s Varia rearview radar was a bit of a problem for people who use their phones as their cycling computers, but thanks to Garmin’s new Varia app (and the updated RVR315 and RTL515), those days are over. Now, cyclists can pair the Varia to their phone and roll out — no Garmin head-unit required. And if they use Ride with GPS it will integrate. Sadly, Garmin’s Varia app does not work with Strava. Ouch.

“Our previous generation rearview radar with tail light quickly became a staple for cyclists around the world, providing peace of mind during any ride, day or night,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. “With the new RVR315, RTL515 and Varia app, we’re bringing those state-of-the-art safety features to even more riders, helping to ease some of the anxiety they can experience when on the road.”

For all the details, including images and prices, please follow the jump, or click here for DC Rainmaker’s complete review.

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USA Cycling Still Rolling Toward Olympics

by editors on March 20, 2020

With pretty much every world cycling event cancelled and most of the world shut down, USA Cycling would like to remind everyone that they are still doing their job to make sure that the best American athletes make it to Tokyo if, indeed the 2020 Summer Olympic Games are held.

Here’s what they’re saying:

The current plan is to select and announce the USA Cycling Olympic Team(s) from May 1 through June 3 and make all selections public no later than June 10.

The USOPC selection deadlines are as follows:

Track Cycling – May 1, 2020

BMX Freestyle – May 15, 2020

Mountain Bike – June 1, 2020

Road – June 1, 2020

BMX Racing – June 3, 2020

Should the IOC determine it necessary to change the dates of the Games, USA Cycling will adjust accordingly and provide new information through direct communication to our athletes and coaches, on our website, and through social media channels.

For the rest fo the story, please follow the jump.

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