Posts Tagged ‘Caveman’
The sweetest bike of all. 2009 Specialized Epic S-works
The 2009 Specialized Epic S-works.
The press has hyped the bike up and Susi won the XC World Champs on it, but DANG, I was especially surprised by: a) the suspension and b) the weight. And, yes, it is a really pretty bike.
As you can see in the background, I tested the bike on a not-so-old lava flow at Edison snow park outside Bend, to see how the new Specialized Armadillo Elite (Fast Trak 2.00) tires would hold up through the sharp lava. I ran into big lumps of sharp lava as hard as I could (to test the tires for tire cut resistance) but every time the suspension just ate up the much anticipated jolt. When the suspension is not active, bike is 100% rigid- unlike anything I’ve felt since… well, since my Tarmac road bike. The New Epic’s suspension is definitely a few cuts above the “old” Epic. And I’m sure many cuts above anything else out there.
Caveman’s clever trick to lube a needy chain WITH YOUR CAR’S DIP STICK!
How to lube a rusted bike chain when you have no (Squirt) chain lube.
Disaster strikes. The airline took your luggage hostage. You have to pre ride the course, so you borrowed a bike, helmet, shoes 2 sizes too big and clothes. (Yay for someone else’s used chamois!) Read more about why and how this was the worst travel of my life: Flying the friendly skies.
But oh dear, no chain lube to be found!
Levels of lube:
– Best case scenario would obviously be Squirt lube.
– A very distant 2nd would be the other stuff they call chain lube. (But you’ll have to decontaminate your chain before re-applying Squirt once your luggage comes)
– When I was a kid I once sprayed energy drink on my chain every time the squeak got bad. It worked pretty well, but I realized the spraying intervals became really frequent and of course the noise came back worse than ever. And then the monumentous BONK on the way home when all your carbs went on the chain. (Like I said, I was a kid)
– Last resort would be:
Caveman’s clever trick to lube a needy chain WITH YOUR CAR’S DIP STICK!
1) Pop the bonnet. (Hood) in USA. *Read more about the bike at the bottom of post.
Caveman’s New Potatoes with garlic and honey
Ingredients:
Dig up a few handfuls of New Potatoes from the vegetable patch. (about one double handful per hungry cave-person.)
5 World Champions
Caveman (XTERRA), Rebecca Rusch (24hr), Paolo Bettini (Road), Chris McCormack (Ironman), Christoph Sauser (Mountainbike).
Yes, Specialized had 5 World Champions last year! Quite a big deal. We got together at the start of the Tour of California, and here is a peak from behind the scenes:
