GregHoge said:

Oh man I do need a new rain jacket ....  When they say it's fragile, now fragile are we talking?

That 'fragile' was appended to the reviews AND the fact that they chose such a low-vis color put me off from even considering the Shakedry.

FWIW, I've found GoreTex jackets, when bonded to a light textile to be pretty good.  An issue for me when it comes to cycling rain jackets is that it seems Gore discourages venting options like pit zips.  I'm reasonably satisfied with my Showers Pass Double Century jacket.  

I have a shakedry that has held up great for several years. Fragile might refer to the fact that it would not stand up to a crash or a snag as well as more flexible fabrics. I read somewhere that it is for road riding only. In other words you don’t want to ride it in settings where it could snag on something (think mountain bike or cyclocross). I agree with others that it is one of my favorite purchases 

I got my ShakeDry jacket the day before our Catskills weekend however many years ago that was. It kept me dry without overheating on that crazy day we climbed Devils Kitchen in the pouring rain.

I have also worn it backpacking in the rain on a couple of occasions but wouldn't want to make that a regular practice. I could imagine it not doing well with a big snag and also I would be worried about the shoulders wearing out under a heavy pack or extended use.

Fragile in that you'll destroy it if you put in the dryer kinda of stuff.

Sometimes I wear mine to pre-ride cx courses in the rain, no issues -- I don't remember any, but I'd be surprised if I haven't crashed with it.

Something to keep in mind, the material that makes it waterproof is a coating, it will last years if you maintain it correctly -- again, no dryer, I have put mine on the washer almost never, maybe two times in 5 years, only if it gets crazy muddy -- the coating is supposed to eventually wear off, and then you could send to gore-tex to recoat, altho I presume that is no longer the case, as the coating is the thing they want to stop using.

eloy said:

Fragile in that you'll destroy it if you put in the dryer kinda of stuff.

Sometimes I wear mine to pre-ride cx courses in the rain, no issues -- I don't remember any, but I'd be surprised if I haven't crashed with it.

Something to keep in mind, the material that makes it waterproof is a coating, it will last years if you maintain it correctly -- again, no dryer, I have put mine on the washer almost never, maybe two times in 5 years, only if it gets crazy muddy -- the coating is supposed to eventually wear off, and then you could send to gore-tex to recoat, altho I presume that is no longer the case, as the coating is the thing they want to stop using.

I've had GoreTex jackets for years and years.  For cycling and hiking/walking/skiing.

GoreTex is almost always a laminate.  In most jackets it's bonded to some kind of nylon fabric exterior.  what makes ShakeDry different is that it isn't laminated to anything.  

GoreTex jackets typically have a Durable Water Resistant (aka DWR) that limits water's ability to soak into the nylon exterior.  That coating definitely wears off.  There are both sprays and washing machine treatments that can refresh the DWR Coating.  There's one that is supposedly enviornmentally friendly from a company called NikWax--I currently have a big container of their wash-in treatment as collectively our family has many garments that can benefit from the occasional DWR refresh.  A DWR coating is also on other waterproof jackets (from eVent and many others) and its also used for things like Castelli NanoFlex, Pearl Izumi Pi Dry, and Giordana AquaNo.  Also anything that has GoreWindStopper as a laminate.  

I've been using both the sprays and the washes for years.  They are said to work best on a clean garment, which means running it through a washing machine and sometimes a dryer.  From my experience that seems to be true.  So long as you use the right settings, it should last a long time.  I had a GoreTex PacLite cycling jacket from Gore.  It withstood many a machine wash, but eventually the seam tape starts peeling off.  After I'd guess well over 15 years.  

I think the fragility was about the fact that there wasn't a laminate on the exterior.  Perhaps with the ShakeDry one should have used a spray.    

Specialized completely cuts their ambassador program — including Lael Wilcox 

https://www.velonews.com/news/gravel/adventure-no-more-specialized-ends-contracts-with-dozens-of-paid-ambassadors/

Dear Peter
You've been disappointing me as a person since 2010

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/peter-sagan-wout-van-aert-disappointed-me-as-a-person-at-the-tour/

Life Time Grand Prix announces 2023 athletes

https://www.velonews.com/news/gravel/life-time-grand-prix-announces-2023-athletes/

Wonder how this could affect cyclocross in the US, as Mani, Nuss, Farhinger, Werner, Brunner, Haidet are all in the list. At least looks like Hosinger and White could stay focused on CX 

A couple of other notables on the lifetime list are Alex Howes, Lachlan Morton, and Ruth Winder, who I guess un-retired (or add to the list of roadies turned gravel racers)

I don't think it will have much of an effect on US Cyclocross, other than supporting some 'crossers who don't have a road or mtb sponsorship program.  Honsinger, for example, races the road at the WWT.  I'm thinking White probably has a road team lined up for 2023, even though his last team, Best Buddies, folded.

It seems to be more an effect of there being little sponsorship money in cross.  Which itself could be an effect of there being less and less national visibility of the sport.  Which might be a result of no high-profile national race series.  

I'm interested in Howes and Morton, if only because they are no longer racing road for EF.  I wonder if this is a way for EF to save costs, as these guys were barely racing the road.  Now EF is freed from UCI salary requirements and don't have them on the roster.  

I'm not 100% certain that Morton isn't still being paid by EF in 2023 , granted, not on the race roster 

Yea he's part of their alt race/content team.  (Or something like that)

Mark Taylor said:

I'm not 100% certain that Morton isn't still being paid by EF in 2023 , granted, not on the race roster 

He's being paid.  But I'd guess that his pay is not contingent upon UCI regulations.  Considering Vaughters reputation for being cheap, I figure it means his pay went down.

His pay may of gone down , IDK , but then again ,he would be an attractive addition for sponsors else where ,maybe he leveraged this , Who knows 

Our favorite local mountain bike trails at Cunningham got a write up by IMBA highlighting the diversity in types of riders who use the trails  

https://www.imba.com/blog/bike-parks-part-3-cunningham?fbclid=IwAR2WbBUEOarMnTnZiQZ82RjMm_csRU4EUAtGdjtr_CmRKNhsVO7KnFB3ZsU

PatrickGrehan said:

Our favorite local mountain bike trails at Cunningham got a write up by IMBA highlighting the diversity in types of riders who use the trails  

https://www.imba.com/blog/bike-parks-part-3-cunningham?fbclid=IwAR2WbBUEOarMnTnZiQZ82RjMm_csRU4EUAtGdjtr_CmRKNhsVO7KnFB3ZsU

Super cool. Sweet to learn about Peak Bicycle Pro Shop too, always wondered if there was a friendly bike shop close by.

My one time at Cunningham this year, I was surprised to see a family taking in the double-track on bikes that didn't seem all that ready for trails.  

NYT article (paywall) talks about movement to keep roads dirt (not to pave) in upstate NY and makes specific reference to Farmers Daughter

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/07/nyregion/dirt-roads-hudson-valley-chatham.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

A long, non-cyclist explanation of why the reflexive, 'oh, hit by a car, were you wearing a helmet?' consideration is not only stupid, but part of the problem.

Mark Taylor said:

https://theradavist.com/2022-cyclocross-nationals-on-film/

You didn't tell me it had this gem  

"Within a year of seeing Keith Snyder shooting portraits in the parking lot, I picked up a few issues of Rouleur Magazine. "

While most people know, Keith, of course, was part of Kissena for many many years, and possibly needs to be credited for the super bowl ride to Bear Mountain. 

His old tumblr is a good way to check some of the portraits (including one of yours truly)
https://digitalstillsucks.tumblr.com/

Some gems in there for sure...
The Murphy brothers, Evan, and Kyle (current US national road champ)


Hyde riding for the Jam fund, way before he became US national cx champion:


Sometime Kissenista Mike Garrigan, this might have been the year he became Canada's CX national chamption, etc... etc...


cheers!

The Super Bowl ride was actually his birthday ride 

Keith is the Flying Dutchman of Kissena. He'll appear out of the mist 50 miles into your long Sunday ride, tear away at your legs until eventually you'd turn south back towards the bridge and watch him vanish back into the mists where he'd come from.

Much like @Bruce van-Schalkwyk he is part man, part myth. Part of everything amazing in the Kissena legacy.

Wout out of Strada Bianche and will race Tirreno instead
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wout-van-aert-out-of-strade-bianche-after-illness-disrupts-training/

It's the opening sentence of their article on it.

Love VeloNews these days.

https://www.velonews.com/news/road/wout-van-aert-to-skip-strade-bianche-start-season-at-tirreno-adriatico/

Who needs editors when you have AI?

500 words on Wout's 2023 season:

Wout Van Aert, the Belgian cyclist, has been on an incredible trajectory over the past few years. With his impressive performances in 2021, many are looking forward to what he can achieve in the 2023 season.

One of the reasons for Van Aert's success is his versatility. He excels in multiple disciplines, including road cycling, cyclocross, and time trials. In 2021, he won the Strade Bianche, the Amstel Gold Race, and a stage of the Tour de France. He also won the Belgian National Time Trial Championship and took silver in the Road Race Championship. Furthermore, he won the Belgian Cyclocross Championship and came second in the World Championship. This versatility and ability to perform at the highest level across multiple disciplines make Van Aert a formidable opponent for any race he enters.

The 2023 season presents a few significant challenges for Van Aert. Firstly, he will be competing in the World Championships on home soil. The championships will be held in Leuven, Belgium, and the pressure will be on Van Aert to perform. The home crowd will be behind him, but there will also be increased expectations on his shoulders. However, with his experience in handling pressure and the fact that he has performed well in previous World Championships, he is certainly a strong contender for the win.

Another challenge for Van Aert will be the competition he will face in the Grand Tours. The 2023 season will feature the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, and the Vuelta a España. All of these races will have tough competition, including other top riders such as Tadej Pogacar, Primoz Roglic, and Richard Carapaz. However, Van Aert has shown that he can compete with the best, as evidenced by his stage wins in the Tour de France and his second-place finish in the 2020 Strade Bianche.

One area where Van Aert could potentially improve is in his time trial performances. Although he won the Belgian National Time Trial Championship in 2021, he struggled in the individual time trial at the Tokyo Olympics. He finished 8th, over a minute behind the winner, Primoz Roglic. However, he has shown improvement in this discipline over the past few years, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him continue to make progress.

In terms of his schedule for the 2023 season, Van Aert has not yet confirmed his plans. However, it is likely that he will focus on the Spring Classics, the Grand Tours, and the World Championships. He may also target some one-day races, such as the Milan-San Remo and the Clasica San Sebastian. These races are well suited to his skillset, and he has already achieved success in many of them.

In conclusion, Wout Van Aert is undoubtedly one of the most exciting riders in the peloton. With his versatility, experience, and ability to perform under pressure, he is a strong contender for any race he enters. The 2023 season presents several challenges for Van Aert, but with his talent and work ethic, he is well equipped to overcome them. Cycling fans can look forward to another thrilling season from the Belgian star.

@Jules  Is it ChatGPT? 

mugwump said:

@Jules  Is it ChatGPT? 

Yes it is

mugwump said:

@Jules  Is it ChatGPT? 

The eager-to-please issue comes up.  The 2023 Worlds are in Glasgow.  The only World Championships in Leuven in 2023 are the Dance Sport worlds.

https://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Group/Leuven_-_Belgium_on_22_09_2023_-7959

Maybe the robots know more than we do.