This winter has been harsh for cyclists. The snow and ice are fierce, but what really gets me down is the salt. Sure it melts snow but it also corrodes bikes parts and ruins steel frames. If not for the salt, I would be able to ride from December through April without overhauling my bicycle.

Two roads I traveled yesterday: Winchester--a huge pile of salt waiting to attack my steel frame (notice my tracks); Sudbury/Wayland--unsalted and therefor too slick to ride safely. Perfect examples of some of the rigors of winter training in New England.




Which would you prefer cycle on?
RMM

Our boy, and employee, Craig "Jackson" Roth will be holding it down for Boston this weekend in the 10th installment of Monster Track. Monster Track is the messenger race of messenger races and can only be raced on a fixed gear with no brakes. This has led to problems with the man in years past and obviously to more than a few wrecks, but hopefully this years events will go off without issues or injury! Craig will be heading down on his new whip, which he just got built up. It is an Affinity frameset that he won last year at Monster Track 9 for being the fastest out of town racer, and is also sporting a fancy velocity wheelset he won at the Chicago NACCC last year for coming in 3rd overall. Incase you don't know those are both way more than respectable accomplishments and we at Cambridge Bicycle are thankful for the representation he is giving not only our shop but our city as well at these events! So if you are in NYC this weekend make sure to hit up Monster Track X and later this year the NACCC are coming to Boston!

This weekend was the first time that almost the entire CB category 3 squad was able to ride together. We had a nice long ride out to Harvard, up the notorious Oak Hill Road winter climb and to the fussy little Harvard General Store, to Weston and home. The route was incredible, good roads, little traffic, pleasant weather and great company. We had one flat and one bonk, luckily within five minutes of each other.

We just got a store front renovation by means of new photos of employees, friends and customers commuting in the winter. Our friend Tasha of Pedal Power Photography and the Cambridge Bicycle Race team took all the photos and they look amazing!!

I had the opportunity to attend the exclusive Indy Fab Party last night that opened their weekend long gallery show. I was instantly blown away by the presentation and organization of the event. The bikes were all beautifully displayed either hung from the high ceilings or on wooden platforms, with spot lighting accentuating the amazing handmade frames. The attention to detail was palpable in the lug work all the way down to the fender supports of the commuter bikes. It was also great to see all of the employees there who were obviously proud of the amazing company they are apart of. Luckily I got to take a few shots before I succumbed to the mingling that is inevitable at these events, bike talk, bike talk, and more bike talk. It did feel good to be surrounded by a group of people with so much passion for bicycles. Racers, framebuilders, shop owners, magazine editors, photographers all deeply rooted in the New England cycling community and all at the same place at the same time. I strongly recommend stopping by the show, you won't regret it! The show is viewable by the public today(2/21) and tomorrow(2/22) from 12-5pm at 132 brookline ave in Boston.

Everyone loves a scandal. In cycling that means doping and cheating. Festina was a great team. The team's soigneur was pulled over and caught with 250 vials of EPO and steroids. Further investigation revealed that systematic doping was behind Festina's success. The 1998 "Festina Affair" exposed widespread systematic doping in cycling. TVM was one of the first other teams to be implicated.





I love memorabilia from disgraced and/or defunct organizations.

RMM