Miss Mia Sopaipilla keeps an eye out for terrorist hummingbirds.
Miss Mia Sopaipilla, Herself, and I have not been watching the Democratic National Convention.
If you know you’re going in for a colonoscopy, do you really need a preview of coming attractions? Can’t we skip the short subjects and move on to the feature?
“Well, the good news is, we think we’ve located your head.”
I know, I know — there have been a couple zingers suitable for endless repetition, the best so far coming from Ms. Obama. And MoJo’s Kevin Drum wonders whether the virtual convention might replace the MeatWorld model, which was basically just a cumbersome, volatile, prime-time campaign ad anyway.
The pace is livelier than live conventions; more people get to speak since their segments can be more tightly controlled; and in an era of media sophistication I’ll bet viewers like it better. They know perfectly well how it’s being put together and they don’t mind.
Maybe so. But I think that in “normal” times people still like to gather in their little groups and rub elbows, surreptitiously trading greenbacks and gossip. Hell, sometimes even I miss Interbike, if only because it got me out of the fucking house.
Mad Blog Media 
August 19, 2020 at 8:53 am |
We gave last night a pass. I am in the middle of a new book and it is more compelling than all this showboat stuff when the outcome is a foregone conclusion.
August 19, 2020 at 11:12 am |
Any thoughts out there on Litespeed Gravel titanium bikes? They are on sale. Also, 105 vs Ultegra build kit? I’m thinking of thinning the herd and that would seem to replace both my old Cannondale CAAD5 and the Salsa LaCruz.
August 19, 2020 at 11:43 am |
Hybrid convention?
August 19, 2020 at 12:20 pm |
I was reading Nick Legan’s Adventure Cycling review from a couple years ago and it seemed like it could be a good merging of road capabilities and mild offroad.
The garage is packed. If I could combine capabilities and get rid of some stuff it would help.
August 19, 2020 at 12:38 pm |
If Nickles liked it, I’d consider that a sound recommendation. He’s fussy. Also wrote a book on gravel cycling.
I’d look hard at the GRX option rather than 105 or Ultegra. You get a 30×36 low end on that one. Otherwise 105 is the new Ultegra, IMHO.
August 19, 2020 at 12:58 pm |
Why not the 30/42 low gear using the 11-42 cassette?
August 19, 2020 at 1:25 pm |
I don’t know jacques schitte about GRX plus I noted that was a ten speed and wondered if that was in for instant obsolescence. I’m running a 34×36 low gear on the LaCruz right now and that seems to usually be enough.
Seems they don’t have any dealers near us.
August 19, 2020 at 1:35 pm |
I don’t see an option for an 11-42T cassette on any of the gravel-specific bikes, Paddy me lad. Where are you seeing that?
Also, instant obsolescence? Puh-leeze. I’m still rocking 7-, 8-, and 9-speed. Got two 10-speed drivetrains and I never ride ’em.
GRX is Shimano’s “gravel-specific” group. Nick could give you chapter and verse on that, ’cause he’s full time at Shimano now.
I like the subcompact 46/30T IRD Defiant cranks with an 11-34T cassette myself. That GRX crank is ugggggggg-lee, like most modern cranks.
August 19, 2020 at 1:41 pm |
Well, GRX would be great if it is a good gruppo, as the bike is on sale for 2700 bucks, complete. I almost fainted when I saw that.
My problem with 9 speed is trying to find spare parts. The usual places I would try to order replacement shifters, etc, seem to have forgotten about 9 speed. So I am running years old equipment on three bikes and praying it doesn’t break.
If it does, I’ll have to break into Patrick’s garage and steal stuff.
August 19, 2020 at 1:51 pm
Everybody is out of everything right now. I’m working with a distributor on a review bike as we speak, and the poor sods are out of inner tubes, rear derailleurs, and all manner of this and that.
When you’re looking for special bits, keep an eye on Rivendell and Merry Sales. I’ve had some luck with Tree Fort too. Also, Harris Cyclery, once and forever the home of Sheldon Brown. Also, moreover, furthermore, and too, Peter White Cycles.
Finally, don’t forget your local shop, which may have a back room full of treasure, courtesy of riders “upgrading” from 9-speed to whatever the flavor of the month is.
August 19, 2020 at 6:48 pm
Broken Spoke has boxes of old stuff. I dropped by there and found a couple of half smashed derailleurs that they gave me and I was able to make one good one out of them. Gave them five bucks in the tip jar.
August 19, 2020 at 1:44 pm |
Here you go.
https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/product/component/grx-10-speed/CS-HG500-10.html
August 19, 2020 at 1:48 pm |
Hm. It may be labeled GRX, but I don’t believe that cassette will work with the GRX rear derailleur, which seems to max out at 36T. Weird. In any case, it doesn’t look like Litespeed offers a bike with that cassette.
August 19, 2020 at 1:52 pm |
Funny, its labelled GRX but if the deralleur maxes out at 36 what good is it? Unless there is an extra large version of the GRX rear derailleur
August 19, 2020 at 1:54 pm |
I just got a reply from Litespeed saying, regarding the 11×42, “It will work on the GRX 600 or the GRX 800 set up as a 1×11 but not with a double chainring”
August 19, 2020 at 1:59 pm
There you have it. The 1X To Rule Them All. I have a 1X, but it’s seven-speed — Shimano 600 crank (38T chainring) and Shimano 105 rear derailleur, which maxes out at 28T. Sucks to be me.
Also, and too, re: dealers. I think these Litespeed guys are largely customer-direct these days, bypassing the IBD. You’d be cool with handling final assembly, yeah?
August 19, 2020 at 3:21 pm
Apparently they ship bikes assembled. But I’ve built several from framesets and none have had the wheels fall off on a fast downhill (yet), so I’m as good as anyone at screwing things up.
August 20, 2020 at 4:43 am
Once again, I am confused. Ten speed GRX cassette, right? But it doesn’t work with a 10 speed GRX double crank? I get long cage rear derailleurs for larger cassettes, but this fine print is killing me. Patrick, 1×7 sounds just great to me. All you need and nothing you don’t. Easy, sleazy.
August 19, 2020 at 3:33 pm |
After 5-6 months of quarantine, then an extra week of staying inside because of the smoke … no, attending a live convention still sounds like a shitty way to spend a day.
August 19, 2020 at 4:03 pm |
I’ve only been to two political conventions: the Founding Congress of the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) in 1977, and the Colorado Democrats State Assembly and Convention in 1988 (I was a Jesse Jackson delegate).
I’m not sure that I was trading up when I swapped the Commies for the Democrats.
Smoke pretty bad up there, is it? During my hike today I could see a substantial haze tracing the Rio. I’m not sure whether it was from the fires in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, or a combo platter.
Click here for a larger version.
August 19, 2020 at 6:50 pm |
I was up in my office today to do some classified. The whole Rio Grande Valley up between Los Alamos and Pojoaque looked like a nuclear war had been waged. Smoke was thick from all sorts of fires. God, it was dreadful.
August 19, 2020 at 7:35 pm |
Added a 5th fire today, but also got a tiny bit of rain. So it’s kind of like sharing a VW bus with Jay and Silent Bob right now.
August 20, 2020 at 7:36 am |
Pine Gulch fire near Glenwood Springs, CO now 2d largest in CO history…..and still growing. Lotsa smoke and haze here on the Front Range.