First Annual Semi-Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide

If you’re like me—or my wife (who I hope is reading)—you’re a bit behind in your holiday shopping. And since everyone else has published at least some form of a holiday gift guide, I thought it would be appropriate to provide one of my own—albeit at the last minute. So without further ado, I give you…

 The First Annual Pavé Semi-Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide!

1. We begin in an obvious place: Rapha (who’s accepting UK, US, and Canadian holiday orders (to be received by Christmas) until 2pm GMT on the 20th). I was a recent recipient of the new Knitted Hat and neoprene Overshoes—two items I’ll need as winter continues to entrench itself up and down the Eastern seaboard. The 100% merino wool hat is one of the softest I’ve ever owned. It looks and feels great on the bike—both under and without a helmet; and is stylish enough to be worn around town. And since this is a Rapha product, there’s a tiny "Chapeau!" on the tag in the hat’s lining—a little extra motivation to get you going on those cold winter days. Better still, it’s not itchy, a common problem with wool headgear. I now have both the Knitted Hat and the original Rapha Winter Hat, and this one’s overtaken the latter’s place at the top of my headgear food chain.

As for the Overshoes, a good set of neoprene foot coverings is a staple of any rider’s winter/spring wardrobe. These are tough, with zippers and seams certain to stand up to months of pulling, tugging, and scraping. The zipper pull locks down against itself, and the reflective tab on the heel offers a bit of added visibility on overcast days—and you know you’ll be wearing them on overcast days. Like the Knitted Hat, the inside reveals a brief musing on riding in Belgium, as well as instructions for care and cleaning. One note on fit: I wear a 44.5 shoe and found my sample XL overshoes to be very baggy around my skinny ankles. Yes, XL is a size too big per Rapha's site, but I'm wondering if even an M would have fit better.

2. Another great last-minute gift idea is a magazine subscription. Boring? Yes, if it’s a subscription to something found easily in any local bookstore. But how about something more obscure? Maybe something French or Italian? Italy’s Bicisport and France’s Vélo are two terrific options. Better still, they’re both available for subscription via Amazon.com’s magazine service. Yes, they’re in a foreign language, but there’s something to be said for a bit of foreign reading laying casually on your coffee table. Expensive? Yes, but well worth the money if the recipient appreciates some of the finest coverage and photography Europe has to offer. (Bicisport’s issues frequently run over 300 pages—the May issue covering the Classics is perhaps the finest single publication all year.) Amazon now makes it easier than ever to get on board—order soon to ensure delivery of your first issue by the start of the season.  Here's a link for Vélo; and one for Bicisport.

For the book lover, there are several offerings to satisfy all tastes—several, in fact, are on my wish list as well.

3. The 2009 Edition of Rouleur’s Photo Annual has arrived. You can order it from Rapha to have it for the holidays. The latest edition of Rouleur (Volume 15) is out too—you might as well throw one in if you’re already paying the expensive shipping costs.

4. It’s a bit harder to get (you’ll need to have it shipped from the Netherlands), but Cor Vos has just released a massive collection of his best images from his 30+ years covering the sport called Emotions. Next to Graham Watson there’s not a more legendary name in cycling photography. It’s quite pricey (about $150) and it won’t make it to you in time for holidays; but, it’s hardbound and comes in its own stylish slipcase—another worthy addition to any fan’s coffee table.

5. As far as on-the-bike items are concerned, the #1 gift on my wish list isn’t available at least until January, so an IOU might have to do. Giro’s Prolight helmet was unveiled at this year’s Tour to an apparent lukewarm reception—from the riders at least. I like its retro style though, and its low weight and improved retention mechanism look to make it the most comfortable helmet on the market. I wonder how well it fits over caps?

And since we’re moving up in price, why not take advantage of the holiday season to treat yourself or the cobble-lover in your life to a nice set of classic-inspired tubular wheels?

http://handspunwheels.com/blog/handspun_neo_classics/

6. Handspun’s Neo Classics hearken back to a day when the best wheels were made by hand. On these babies, DT’s 32-hole 340 hubset comes laced 3x with Supercomp spokes to a set of Mavic Reflex’s—the grey CD rim coating is your only option (but it’s the only one you want anyway). You can even have them tied and soldered for a slight up-charge. Remember, these are not wheels built by a machine—they’re laced, tensioned, and trued by an expert wheelbuilder right here in the USA. If you need the merits of riding tubulars explained to you, well…this isn’t a gift for you. On the other hand, if you or someone you know appreciates a solid, comfortable ride on a hand-built wheelset that can handle just about anything you subject it to—then these are right up your alley. Your cobbled alley, that is.

7. And last, but certainly not least, why not order some lovely new clothing to go along with your new helmet and wheels?  May I offer a suggestion?  Orders being taken through the 21st for delivery by the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

So there you have it, Sweetheart--I mean, Reader.  A short, but comprehensive guaranteed to please any Pavé rider or fan.  Better start shopping though, time's running out.

Monday Musings - Giro Wrap-up, Boycotts, and More!

Lots to talk about today. Let's jump right in!

1. Better late than never for Phillipe Gilbert. We tagged him for Stage 4. He waited until Stage 20. It was a well-deserved win for a rider who's been in the thick of it since the season started. While other Classics stars were getting rested or arrested, he decided to contest a Grand Tour. If he rode for me, he wouldn't race until the Belgian Championship, then he'd be off to the Tour for another try at a Grand Tour stage win!

2. You heard it hear first: Thomas Voeckler will win the French Championship and a stage at the Tour.

3. We've already covered Danny Pate's near-miss in Stage 18, but in doing so we failed to mention the gaffe by Saxo Bank riders Bak and McCartney. Not sure what they were thinking (maybe Van Poppel switched teams for the day), but in the final sprint they made absolutely no attempt at teamwork whatsoever. (In case you missed it, you can see the video of the finish here.) Check-out how they began the sprint on opposite sides of the road!?! No lead-out, no attack-counter-attack strategy. Just two riders from the same team efficiently spoiling their numerical advantage. Well done, boys!

4. And speaking about tactical gaffes, let's return to Serge Pauwels, the victim of an error we discussed last week. While all of Belgium is a-twitter (no pun intended) with Kevin Seeldraeyers and his quest for the maglia blanca, Pauwels quietly finished with or near the leaders on the final 3 summit finishes culminating with 8th place on Vesuvius and 21st place on GC. While we're not getting too carried away, it's interesting to note, particularly given Sastre's success during the past week. If the Belgian Championships were next week, he and Gilbert would be my favorites. Maybe he wins a stage in the Tour de Suisse?

5. Let it be known: I'm officially boycotting the media boycott of Lance's media boycott. Actually, I had planned to say something, but I couldn't limit it to 140 characters. Seriously though if you want proof of my earlier claim that any bashing of Lance is like pulling the veil off Santa Claus, then please check here for several cases in point. And if you want more than that, check-out Bicycling's Boulder Report here and here. They've pretty much got the whole darn thing covered. Is that more than 140? Anyone else miss the days when the only number riders had to worry about exceeding was 50?

6. That said, it goes without saying that Lance has to be considered a favorite for this year's Tour. I still think the years he spent drinking beer and training for marathons will hurt him when it counts most, but he certainly has to included in the conversation. In case you're wondering, that conversation has started here and here. Don't know about you, but Contador can't be happy to read that Bruyneel is essentially going to wait and see who the leader will be once the race begins.

7. And speaking of Astana, I wonder if the soigneur/handler's hat in this photo following Stage 17 might provide a clue as to whom might become a major sponsor of the "new" Astana:

8. Not sure if you read Outside Magazine, but it’s worth thumbing-through periodically for the coverage they grant cycling. This month’s issue contains two bits of reading we found interesting. The first is an essay by Jason Gay in which he proposes that the extinction of the curmudgeonly bike mechanic is a bad thing for the industry. I’m glad to see someone’s got my back. As the article says, without grumpy wrench-monkeys, who will protect the world from this?


The second piece is an article from Bucky McMahon detailing his experiences at the 127-mile L’Eroica sportif event. It's a great chronicle of a legendary event.


Unfortunately, you'll need to grab a copy yourself, as the articles aren't available yet online.


9. Moving away from racing, Rapha has recently published an excerpt from the soon-to-be published second volume of their "Great Road Climbs" series. The topic: Mont Ventoux, the focal point of this year's L'Etape du Tour. As always, the feature highlights some fine writing and photography by Graeme Fife. With Mercury-Viatel in the 2001 Dauphiné the riders climbed Ventoux from the backside and descended mid-race into Bedouin. I remember the ascent as being very slow--after all I was in the second car. Sprinters (Jimmy Casper really hangs in my mind) and dropped rouleurs clung to the sides of my car like flies. They would hang-on until a commissaire came back and waved them off, only to grab another pull once the moto rounded the next bend ahead of my lumbering Mondeo. The weather went from sunny and hot at the bottom to cold and windy at the summit. The descent to Bedouin was one of the most terrifying of my life. Ventoux truly is site to behold.

10. The Rouleur website published a feature on Fausto Coppi's 1952 Bianchi. Wow.

11. Taylor Phinney won the U23 Paris-Roubaix yesterday. I'm trolling for videos as we speak, so rest assured that as soon as I find something I'll post it. Needless to say, the kid's a stud. I'm curious as to whom will line-up to secure his services over the next few years. Will he stick with Lance and Trek? Extra kudos too to his DS, none other than Axel Merckx, one of the nicest and most deserving guys in the sport.