Sexy Pic

Listen closely to Paul in the short video. I thought I was taking pics, but hit video by mistake... Funny stuff!

GamJams Reviews: Trainers and Rollers - CycleOps Fluid

It takes a LOT to get me on the trainer!

I mainly use it as a pre race warm up, especially for cross season.

I will also use it in a group session.

This past Tuesday we had a select group at Atlantic Performance Training facility thanks to Joshua and the Virginia Beach Wheelmen. This was really cool! We were all hooked up with heart rate straps and our stats were displayed on a screen ahead of us on the wall. We were instructed to get into specific zones and hold it for specific times. I didn't know we were being recorded but it was super cool to see the graphs at the end of the session.

This is the only trainer I've had but I really do like it! It's very quiet, smooth and easy to setup. I've seen other people using other brands, and lets just say that I'm glad I have the CycleOps Fluid 2! Another great addition is the front wheel block which essentially makes your bike level as you'd be while riding on the road.

I think I saw a travel bag or case for these units at the shop. That would be great as they tend to be big, heavy, and awkward.

Some assembly is required

If you're in the market for a good trainer, This one gets the nod from K-Blogg!

A good view of the front wheel block, and the sweat that I dropped like it was HOT on Tuesday night!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Chris Horner @ Bike Beat Hilltop Va Beach

After a most excellent trainer session with the Wheelmen at Atlantic Performance Training center, a few of us hurried a little further towards the ocean to catch the tail end of Chris Horner meet and greet! I will include the trainer session in Fridays post.

I have known Dave Wilson for a long time and it was great to catch up with him. His shops and staff are always top notch. It was also great to say a quick hey to everyone there, it was a nice reunion of sorts.

I'd like to thank everyone involved in bringing Chris to this area to give us his amazing takes on the pro peleton!

I showed up more than fashionably late and wearing a shirt I didn't expect to be wearing in public. As Chris was talking to my Goonz on how to make it to the big leagues, he couldn't help but stare at my "mullets rock" t-shirt! Too funny!

Best of luck to Chris, Astana, and my Goonz!

CX Finals Weekend 08

Can you say "cold and windy"???

Thanks for the photo Chad... More to come!

GamJams Review Winter Training Tires (Assortment)

The first tire we'll look at here is the Vittoria Cross XG Pro. These are currently rolling on my multi use Velocity rims. I use them as my pit wheels/tires and for weekly training rides. They have a really cool silver tread and black sidewall. I just recently used these on the infamous Saturday morning Contes ride at the beach. I pumped them up to 60psi and they rolled rather nicely, and I never got dropped by the roadies! So, they roll very well on the road although by looking at the tread pattern, you'd think the opposite.


With this tread pattern, you can run the tire in either direction depending on what you're looking for. If you go with the middle arrows pointing forward, you will have the go fast option. I go that way in the front and run it the other way in the rear for traction.
Just lastnight I used these tires on our Wednesday night ride from the Norfolk Contes to Ipswich (trails) and back. It's a varied suburban ride with lots of road and bridges and some killer trails right in the middle of the ride. I failed to check my psi before the ride and did it with the 60 I had from Saturday. That was great on the road sections, but kind of a rough ride in the highly technical trails. I was bouncing off of the roots, and losing traction on turns. I wouldn't say this is the tires fault. You shouldn't be in the trails running that high of a psi!!!

The Specialized All Condition Pro tires have been used by me for just about a year. I picked them up last year as my winter road tire. Due to budget restraints I kept using them all year!!! They match my Slingshot CX bike so well that I think thats the main reason for the purchase.

Anyway, they seem to roll very well in all conditions and in severe cornering they have some very tiny knobs for added traction. They work most excellent in the rain! I had one incident where I cornered hard and fast in a parking lot and slid out on my hip for like 20 feet but I chalk that up to that particular parking lot being slick as hell when wet! (It was my good hip!)

As you can see theres still some life in them. I've noticed a bit of cracking forming like dry rot in the tires which I'm not too happy about. But I don't recall any flats while using them. They come in all kinds of color combos that will more than likely match what you've got.

Vittoria Cross XN Pro ---Both Vittorias were reccomended by Daniel Dalton. These I must say are the funnest most versatile tire I have! At home in any terrain, and suprisingly well in all of them. I've used these on Danbo's famous Ironcross training rides up in New Kent county which is chock full of varied content from road, crush and run, to dirt. These tires rock! They're not Ironcross worthy in my book though. And be careful with these, they wear out rather quickly on the road...

What review wouldn't be complete without talking about my tried and true race tires? The Tufo tubulars have done me right for the past 3 seasons (cx that is). No clincher even comes close to the feel of a tubular. I typically run these at 25 to 30 psi which provides me with a form of suspension and wicked traction with no chance of pinch flatting. This current season, I decided to glue the tires on myself. I found it to be very easy and take note of the clean glue job.

Whatever brand you go with cross tires, tubulars are the way to go! I use tubulars as road race tires too. All on Ksyrium SL's

The tried and true Maxxis Raze! These are my all time favorite corss tire period! I got these just before they were released here in the states from the Maxxis team truck at Wissahickon. They put a lot of work in the design of these tires. The row of knobs along the center line allow you to roll un interupted and the more aggressive knobs along the side ensure that off camber sections and turns will be slip free. This is the ultimate Ironcross tire, and all around CX tire. Works very well on and off road.
These are worn down more than 50% but are still riding really well. I'm not a big fan of buying semi-slicks when my half worn tires can be my semi slicks. I will be buying replacements of these for the next season.

These are my first cross tires. The Maxxis Locust. They work great on the road with those 6-pack blocks of knobs. But when things get wet watch out, they load up like crazy and don't shed the mud at all. I think the Raze model evolved from these.
And that wraps up my winter tire review. I was gonna just do the road tire, but thought that cross tires are used during the winter too so why not. Hope you enjoy it, and feel free to ask questions if you have any. And check GamJams atleast every week for all things cycling!

My Trashmore CX pics

Trashmore CX 08