TECHNOLOGY ? PELLIZOTTI? WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT

Dave suggested I write about Franco Pellizotti (he lost his appeal and was suspended for two years from bike racing this week), and Susan suggested I write about new technology. I am not going to say too much about Franco. He didn't test positive his blood values were suspicious. I do not have much to say really. I do know when I had surgery 10 years ago my hemocrit level was over 50. I don't know why but I would have been kept from racing. I guess the bottom line for me is they are really just guessing he took drugs. Does not seem fair.
Technology next. Velonews has decided that 29er bikes are the innovation of the year. I guess that is cool, but I am pretty sure they have been around for a lot longer than this year. That being said I got mine this year and, yes, it is cool. I am not the born again 29er owner though. I have a Trek Superfly 100 Elite. It weighs in at 23 pounds with pretty big tyres. It goes fast up hill and it seems to do everything else pretty well also. It doesn't have those 29er issues one reads about. It goes around switchbacks, it does a wheelie as well as I can manage, it rides over rocks and through snow better than my 26 inch bike. It only has 100mm of travel but with the big wheels that seems like enough. I also have 26 longer travel Ibis Mojo HD. That really flies downhill but my Trek is still a fun descender. What I am convinced is it is a better race bike and a great long distance machine. If you haven't ridden one you should give it a try, even If you are small. Two of the best female mountain bikers from the USA both ride 29ers and they are 5'4" and 5'2".
Now one last bit of technology. Fischer Skis have been selling a ski called the zero for a fe years now. It has only been available as a race classic ski. An expensive quiver ski. It has had lots of success though. Next year they will have a wider version called the super light.
I have had a chance to ski on that ski a couple of times and I am duly impressed. It feels like a wax ski. Fast, no noise and good kick. I really feel this ski is going to be the ski of choice for those that classic ski at Meissner and Mt Bachelor, or even more as I used this ski through some fresh snow and it worked quite well. Time will tell but this seems like a real revolution in the nordic world.
I am off to Europe next week. I will be writing about our adventures in the blog so keep abreast. I am looking forward to some warmer days on the bike. Thanks for reading.
Don