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Knuckleheads? Chesterfield? Chris Horner?

by John Neugent

Tech articles | Commentary articles |

John Neugent probably knows more about bicycle wheels than anyone else alive. Maybe more about bikes as well. He's spent his life in the bike business, at every level. He now owns Neugent Cycling, a firm devoted to delivering world-class equipment at the lowest possible price. If you are in the market for a set of wheels, please, check out John's site. He really knows his stuff. —Chairman Bill

Author John Neugent

Les Woodland's book Tour of Flanders: The Inside Story - The rocky roads of the Ronde van Vlaanderen is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

John Neugent writes:

When it comes to an online website, I go to bikeraceinfo.com. Bill and Carol do a great job. To be honest, I don’t know how they can keep up with it.

For video coverage, Chris Horner’s YouTube Channel is my favorite. If you have already seen it, the terms knucklehead and Chesterfield are all words you familiar with.

The first video I ever saw was on TV in the early ’70s. From then on it was any TV coverage that was available on any bike race. Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen were the only game in town.

I have to admit though that most of the racing was boring. Despite their knowledge of the sport the show was directed to a more general audience. It would be easy to assume that most of the peloton spent much of their time just staying in the pack, out of the wind.

I‘ve been in the bike industry since ’73, but my racing days are long past and were limited. So my knowledge of strategy at the highest level of racing is nonexistent. Chris Horner not only provides the strategy, he makes it exciting. He maps the race like a chess board where each rider’s strengths, weaknesses, and fitness levels are seen as vital team tools. Riders with their face in the wind are “putting on a show.”

Anyone who is not using the specific strategy Chris likes is a knucklehead, and when he’s home he’s sitting on a Chesterfield. For those old enough to remember, that’s a couch. I did manage to tune into NBC once or twice but the biggest knucklehead is NBC for not renewing Chris’ contract. Bob Roll and Phil Liggett are fine but they are still playing to a different audience.

Chris covers most of the important road races in Europe so if you have not watched them you are missing out.

Here's the link to Chris Horner’s YouTube channel Chris Horner - YouTube

John Neugent was one of the first to establish the making of quality hand-built wheels in Taiwan around the turn of the century. He now owns Neugent Cycling, a firm devoted to delivering world-class equipment at the lowest possible price.