Doping, Dérailleurs, and Demise

In the last week or so, perhaps the biggest news in the cycling world has been the (choose one):

1) admission of guilt
2) statement of fact
3) damage control

issued by 7 time Tour winner Lance Armstrong.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/lance-armstrong-issues-statement-over-usada-doping-charges/2012/08/23/839262ae-ed8f-11e1-866f-60a00f604425_story_1.html

After almost 2 decades of racing, no veritable proof provided, and countless millions the USADA has spent making an example of him, he has decided to simply ignore the whole thing. He and his former teammates KNOW who won those races, and dear Travis can't take that away. This leads me to wonder what good will come of such a circus? Will little kids stop dreaming of racing their bikes professionally because a hero is presumed guilty? Will Trek, Oakley, Nike and countless other sponsors abandon their Golden Boy following this statement of ??(public flogging of Tygert and the USADA is how I read it). And what do I do with my little yellow wrist bands? Wear them with pride as I do my part to fight cancer or hide them in shame because the founder was tainted? In the end, it's not about the bike. It's about public personalities, ego, $$, and image. Which leads me to ask, going back 4+ years, how many KOM, sprint signs, amateur events and more involving FT3 could be called into question? EPO? PBR? Where are those samples?

In technology news, what about these new-fangled Type 2 derailleurs?

http://www.sram.com/news/introducing-sram-type-2-rear-derailleur

For those of us who have suffered years of chain slap over rock gardens, can we finally have the peace of mind (and quiet) we deserve? Call me old-fashioned, but I thought mountain biking involved a lot of inherent noise. We grunt up climbs, holler down descents, yell at aggressive motorists, and scream like children when we hit the ground. But now, NOW, we have the chance to bring calm to our drivetrain, serenity to our ride, confidence and ease in wrenching on our bikes. Have we gone too far? Is a noisy rear derailleur what has kept us from enjoying our sport? From landing on the podium? Next thing you know, they'll tell us cable shifting is ancient history, and we can avail ourselves of the latest in electronic shifting, auto-trimming, and....oh yeah, we already have that. And it IS pretty f'n sweet!!

Finally, perhaps we can take a moment of our Type 2/Di2 induced silence to mourn the loss of a new friend's old friend. Last week, Newbie's Stumpy suffered a devastating cracking of the down tube. We thought of duct-tape, or perhaps another FT3 welding party, but the damage was done. In an attempt to set the Guiness record for oldest warrantied frame replacement, Specialized was contacted and apprised of said failure. I'm told the rep "didn't sound too confident" and, alas, their lifetime warranty doesn't really cover a "human" lifetime. I wonder if it's a question of intended use? If they knew the hell that frame endured just in the last few weeks, I'm sure they would flatly deny any claims. Remember to pass on your condolences and any tips on a (medium) replacement frame. RIP!

Oh, and it's Tuesday! Let's ride. Bring your performance enhancements, your 80's equipment, and your 90's fitness, and let's ride!

A late return by wifey may force me to drive straight to the Knott. Will update later this afternoon.

ONE!