GamJams Review: Seatposts and Saddles

My perfect seatpost would be:
a. The adjust-ability, sturdiness and strength of a Thomson
b. The bling of a Bontrager XXX Lite
c. The lightness of an AX - Europa Carbon Seatpost (85g)
d. The setback of a Ritchey WCS

Since that seatpost doesn't exist, I'll make do with what I have. On my road bike I have a Specialized Pave Seatpost that came on my S-Works Cross frameset. Besides the funky (gimmicky) insert in the post, the seatpost compliments a carbon bike. Ride-wise feels no different than high end aluminum (Ritchey WCS or Thomson) or other carbon seatposts (Bonty XXX Lite) that I have. I don't recall if the adjustment was an issue when I set up over 2 years ago either (man I hope that post isn't stuck in the tube).
The cross bike, 29er and fixie have a Thomson. All are straight except the one on the cross with a setback. Thomsons are made to be on anything off-road. The tilt-adjustment is a no-brainer and superior than any other seatpost I've used. And it's strong without being an anchor. My 27.2/250 weighs in at an acceptable 220g (claimed). The only downside of the post is the minimal setback (offset). It is limited to 15mm compared to a Ritchey WCS with an offset of 25mm.
The other seatpost that I have is a Bontrager XXX Lite. It's basically a straight seatpost with up to 5mm offset. It's nice on the eyes and the one bolt adjustment works great. I have this on my TT bike because I needed a long (400mm) non-setback post on my compact-framed TT bike and it's what my LBS had at the time. The carbon does take the chatter out of my aluminum TT bike making that "Hour of Pain", well in my case, an Hour plus, a little more bearable.

Saddles are so personal. My road bikes and cross bike have Fizik Arione on them. It fits and doesn't cause numbness. It has long rails so you can push it forward for TTs or set it back for climbing. (Check out Floyd Landis' ToC setup).
I also used a Specialized Toupe on my old road bike and now resides on my fixie. After an initial break in period of my sitbones, it felt fine up to a ride of 1.5 hours. 2 hours in the saddle would be painful. It's light and looks good especially in white.
The TT rig has a cheapo Forte/Performance Brand T1 saddle. For $40 and a padded nose it works.

Bike Thieves Suck

The mainstream population put down their Big Mac and $9 frappy-latte coffee drink long enough to finally find out that LA is back in racing because they heard on E! or another entertainment site that his TT bike got stolen (and eventually recovered) at last week's ToC.

A bigger story and more egregious, that won't get close to the press coverage, is David Zabriskie's house break-in last week while he was also at the ToC.
The Salt Lake Tribune as well as a dozen other cycling sites and forums posted the news.

Here's the laundry list of what was taken:
Black 2008 Subaru Outback, Utah plate A189NC
Black 2006 Toyota Scion, Utah plate 094VWM
Giro D Italia race medal
Olympic Seiko watch
Beijing Olympic ring (silver) with initials "DZ" engraved ($4,000)
Olympic time trial bike, plus 12 other bikes (combined value of $100,000)
Cervelo (black/red) bike frame -- team issued ($5,000)
Tag Heuer watch ($6,000)
Bose speaker/receiver system ($15,000)
Sony 52" flat screen TV ($4,000)
Two MacBooks and one Mac desktop, plus hard drive ($8,000)
A pair of Space legs, a recovery compression system for legs ($5,000)
Seven Marvel sideshow statues ($11,000)

Yeah, bike thieves suck.

Speaking of comebacks - Tiger teed off at 2:10 in Match Play competition. Watch those TV ratings go up for the Golf Channel and CBS' weekend coverage (if he makes it to the weekend).

Dismal Dash Time Trial Registration Open

Enjoy a weekend of racing in Suffolk and kick off the first BAR races in the 2009 VA Cycling season. Race the Sleepy Hole Smackdown on Saturday and the Dismal Dash Time Trial on Sunday.

The Dismal Dash Time Trial registration is now open on Bikereg.


White Marsh Shopping Center
1226 White Marsh Road, Suffolk, VA 23434

General Info: ChampionChip timing provided by Kale Running. First rider starts at 9:01 AM with 1-minute intervals. Pls. be at the staging area 5 minutes prior to your start time. Start times will be written on the back of your number.

Entry fees include $2 USCF and $1 VCA fee. Unlicensed racers (CAT 5 or Women CAT 4 only) must purchase a one-day license for $10. Annual licenses are available for purchase online at USA Cycling.

No refunds, race runs rain or shine. Cat 5 Men are permitted to ride in Masters Time Trials. The TT categories are for prize distribution only. Results will be provided to VCA who will award BAR points. If you have questions regarding VCA BAR points visit their website at Virginia Cycling Association.

***FOR 2008 VCA BAR winners: Sign up for event under 2008 BAR Winners, entry fee is waived but $2 USCF and $1 VCA fee payment is required ($3). Fill out online registration and email promoter obrienkim@gmail.com with your DD TT race category.

Packet pick-up: Saturday, March 14, 2009 at Sleepy Hole Criterium, 4700 Sleepy Hole Road, Suffolk, VA between 11 AM and 2 PM. Packets can also be picked up at the race on Sunday between 8 AM and 11:30 AM.

All racers must present a valid USCF license (or purchase a one-day if your category qualifies) at time of packet pick-up and sign the USA Cycling release form. Racers under 18 years of age must have parent/guardian signature on release form. One-day license (CAT 5 men and CAT 4 women only) will be available for purchase at time of packet pick-up (CASH ONLY). All USCF rules for Time Trials apply. Portable toilets will be available onsite. No warming up on course, trainers recommend.

For Course Description: A flat, out and back course (u-turn around) with only one turn.

Questions: Email Kim at obrienkim@gmail.com

Thank you Sponsors

CITY OF SUFFOLK, ALL ABOUT BIKES, WHITE MARSH SHOPPING CENTER, KALE RUNNING