Gluing Cyclocross Tubulars

There is no question that tubular tires have a distinct advantage in cyclocross racing. I had a pretty good experience racing the Michelin Mud 2 during my first cross season but this year I couldn't resist the urge to go tubular. I wanted the full experience so I took it upon myself to do some homework on gluing cyclocross tubulars and then have a go at it. The first thing I found out was that every expert has their own expert way of doing it. I consulted three trusted sources, Leonard Zinn, Sheldon Brown and my local bike shop mechnic Josh, whom I trust more than the other two combined, and found no strict concensus on any part of the process other than one thing. You MUST use belgian tape!

After soaking in all the good advise I decided on my technique. 2 layers of cement on the basetape of each tire (cured for 24 hrs in between applications). 2 layers of cement on the rim with a layer of belgian rim tape applied after the second coat is applied. This is where I am as of tonight. Finally I will apply one more coat of cement over the tape and stretch on the tires. One great tip that I employed was to mask off the brake track on each rim with electrical tape. This makes applying cement to the rim much less tedius and makes for a much cleaner edge. So far, no disasters. If all continues to go according to plan I will have these bad boys fitted on tomorrow night and ready to ride by Thursday. The final step will be to add 50ml of Caffelatex sealant to each tire (just in case). I know it will add a little weight but I dont have Stu Thorne waiting in the pit with countless sets of wheels and a fresh bike every lap so the insurance is worth a little peace of mind. With a brand new set of custom hand builts (Shimano Dura Ace 7800 32h hubs, Velocity Major Tom 23mm wide rims, and Sapim CX-Ray 3x spokes) fitted with a fresh pair of Vittoria Cross EVO XG tires I will have no excuses. Its time to go fast and put these puppies to the test!

And the winner is...

You didn't have to race this weekend to be a winner at the Mass Ave Criterium. Thanks to our great sponsors Cannondale, Hartman Dentistry, Indiebike.com and The Aristocrat Pub, four lucky people were able to celebrate a victory this weekend. Congratulations to our winners:

Cannondale CAAD10 Frame- Brad Harris

Hartman Dentistry Teeth Whitening- Kevin Schlameyer

Aristocrat Pub Gift Certificate- Dianna Magee

Indiebike.com Gift Certificate- Curtis Williams

In addition to those mentioned above we want to give a huge thanks to all of our sponsors including Angie's List, OrthoIndy Trauma, and National Moto+Cycle Co. Your support made this event possible and a great time for all.

Win a Cannondale CAAD10 frameset and more…

Team Indiebike.com p/b Angie’s List is excited to be supporting the 2011 New Belgium Brewing Mass Ave Criterium. In addition to racing, the team will be at the event all day with some other exciting things going on. For one day only Angie's List will be registering new members for just $20. That's more than half off. All new members will also be entered to win one of several amazing prizes. The grand prize will be a FREE Cannondale CAAD10 frameset (winner chooses size). Other prizes will include a free teeth whitening session and consultation from Dr. John Hartman Dentistry, as well as gift certificates from our other sponsors including indiebike.com and The Aristocrat Pub and Restaurant.Team Indiebike is also glad to welcome National Moto+Cycle Co. as a new partner. National will be at the team tent all day showing off their amazing line of motorized vintage board track racing style bicycles. It doesn’t do any justice to try to describe these machines in words. You just need to come out and see them. Warning, once you have seen it you will want one!
The team will be hanging out all day, warming up for their races, getting people signed up for Angie’s List and giving away cool prizes. Make sure to stop by and be part of the action.

Hot Days...

We are in the middle of a sustained heat wave and it is starting to take it's tole. When it's consistently 85 degrees by 9:00 am the window of opprotunity to get in a ride without risking a heat stroke is pretty slim. You cant drink fast enough and even if you stay hydrated the air is so humid most days that your sweat doesnt even evaporate.

It's no wonder this time of year is limited mostly to crits in this part of the country. 45min to an hour is about all you can stand. Choosing to race last weekend's Downtown Indy Crit was pusing the limit of determination and insanity. Team Indiebike p/b Angie's List had 11 entries across all events and the fields were massive by local crit standards. Despite the numbers, the best finishes were a mediocre 5th and 8th place by Sierra and Ryan S. respectively. The rest of the team was mostly relegated to pack filler. Ryan and Dustin both suffered severely after overcooking it on a (way too early) late race attack.

As the heat continues most of us continue to suffer through and put in whatever miles we can as we long for the cooler autumn air to arrive. As the road racing season nears an end for this year one big event still remains and is creeping ever closer. The New Belgium Mass Ave Criterium is now less than two weeks away. Team Indiebike p/b angies list will have a full roster on the start list and will be the first ones called up to the line in most races. This is the IN state criterium championship for most categories so all of the guys and gals on the team will be laying all out for a chance to be called the best. Make sure to be there and be part of the action!