Back in Black

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INSIDE:
Fyx as you know it, but blacker/
Street sightings.
Ranting as a profession.
Tour De Ville
Fyx on Ventoux
Other stuff vaguely related to cycling

FASTLANE FRIDAY

Post Tourmatic Stress disorder.

After a month of suffering I thought I'd be happy to see the back of tour, but I'm missing it already and can't wait for next years.

SKIL for sure.

Tour De Ville

Finally.

Virtual walk through Tour of the shop I'm destined to visiit - and always recommend to anyone visiting London.

As well stocking great NOS knick knacks, frames, clothing and parts - they are handsome devils and very friendly

Shifterbikes

No secret that Dan is always behind online - so here's what is cooking...

SB also stock all your MKS, Nitto, Izumi needs as well as Skin Grows Back gear, Swerve clothing, track cogs, brakes, levers, cables, outer, and experience - you just can't buy that online.

Adventures of Miss Catt, Goldstein and Gus

Miss Catt is one half of Skin Grows Back, Gus has his own bike shop and as far as I know, Goldstein is still an accountant.

Here's them tackling Ventoux on TRACK BIKES and in pimpin' SIDI style.

I asked Catt was it as brutal as it looks on TV...

Nah, it was nothing ;) haha.

I certainly didn't feel as smooth as Schleck or Contador looked but I was much more stylish than Lance and my bike was waaay cooler!! ;) "just keep pedalling" a wise man once told me.

The TdF tackles Ventoux from Bedoin, usually. The Malaucene Route is 1 km shorter but slightly steeper, allegedly. I have ridden it twice from Malaucene: once on a fully laden MTB in 2003, the second time on Cookie Monster (fixed) in 2004(with no extra gear to carry)- Goldstein and I flew to France and 'toured' for three days(I had a rack on the back of Cookie with tent etc) then Goldie

s lovely wife flew over, got a hire car and drove the 'support Renault' to indulge the rest of us, what a woman!

The first part out of Malaucene is quite steep and then the terrain varies, there are the occasional false flats and then turn a corner and look at a wall of road, the avg grade is about 7% but up to 12% in parts, although when the trees thin out at the top it is pretty windy and seems somehow steeper(and was really hot too!)

I rode the second time with Goldstein and Gus(who also rode fixed), they waited for me briefly at the cafe before riding together to the top. Goldstein said "you were pretty quick", Gus said "you weren't as slow as I thought you'd be", When I went to buy sweets at the top an American was saying to his mate "hey look at this guy, he's a real hero, he rode a fixed gear to the top", Goldstein said "its a chick", the guy didn't believe him and waited until I came back... The whole trip I kept having people come to talk to me about the bike, Goldstein reckoned he was going to retire and become my agent. Most of them were older French or Italian men, alas my French and Italian so sadly lacking as to make the interactions brief, but there was much patting of my back and nods and smiles!

I changed my gear at the top and therefore descended faster than Gus(when I stopped to take a pic of Cookie in a lavender field Gus caught up and saw me with my bike in a ditch and thought I'd binned it), but slower than Goldie on his carbon roadie. Cookie actually descended better than the loaded MTB(v brakes), only had a front brake and my legs, of course.

Cookie has earned his retirement, I am still looking for the last few gold finishing touches and then he will look as great as he has been to me!

Cameo Courieringering.

Between jobs there is always lots to see.

Blowing your own trumpet.

One VERY happy customer emailed this in.

I just wanted to let you know how impressed I am with the "in-house brand" chainring I ordered from you several months ago.

I ordered a 46t ring with the polished finish and not only is it engineered extremely well, it also compliments the component selection on my fixed-gear conversion.

The finish goes well with my Phil Wood cog, and the smooth, silent operation of the drivetrain is worth twice the price that you charge.

Thanks for making such a fine product.

Griz

Reno, Nevada.