Governor Schwartzenegger Rides Diablo

Went for an early ride before work this morning and happened upon Arnold - in the flesh.

He dropped his security team at the Dips and we didn't see them again! Dude was throwin' down.

Apparently he was talking smack with Fabian Cancellara at the Tour of California - you know, some Austria vs Swiss rival monarchy kind of stuff... and Fabian called him a poser who couldn't make it up a Category 1 climb without bottled oxygen. So he's been training for a couple months on the exersize bike at the Capital Gym and today was his assault on The Mountain.

So we got to the bottom of the Bump and I decide to show the Terminator what a clean pair of heals looks like. I hammered up to the Upper Washout and max out my heart rate and when I look back - HE'S RIGHT ON MY WHEEL!!!

The Gov had a super high-tech, interesting bike that looked custom for his super powers, I asked him a few questions about it to get him talking so I could get a few breaths and recover.

Whoa... your derailleur doesn't have any cable... how does it shift - electronics, radio frequency remote control?

The derailleur changes gears automatically. As the wheel turns and begins to speed up, the two weights on the derailleur spin faster moving the chain to a higher gear. As you slow down or brake, the wheel slows down and the derailleur weights slow down moving the chain to a lower gear.

What about the front, OMG is that a 73t chainring?

The AutoMax High/Low Function is like a high/low option on a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). It gives you 7 high and 7 low gears. There are two gear sprockets on the front crank where the pedals are and a high/low shifter on the left hand grip of the handlebar.

So you can really spin out a 183-inch high gear on a 12% grade?

The general perception is that 21 gears are better than 10 or 15 - and now you can even find bikes with 24 or 28 speeds! The fact is that many of these gears are duplicates. A typical 21 speed bike has 7 gears in the back and 3 in the front to give you 21 in all. The problem is that when you change gears in the front you will usually be in the wrong gear in the back - it's why people are usually riding in the wrong gear. It's confusing. With AutoShift and AutoMax, you'll have 7 high and 7 low gears. A simple twist of the left hand will allow you to select High or Low and AutoShift does the rest! You'll always be in the right gear!

Ever thought about turning it into a fixie?

Many people think it's faster because you aren't wasting time shifting. Since AutoShift is always in the correct gear, your pedaling cadence is maximized. In addition, when you stop or slow down, AutoShift automatically comes back to first gear. With a 21 speed, you'll have to manually shift down and you may not be in the proper gear when you start again or speed up.

Looks like you can really carve the single track with that suspension fork and everything, huh?.

Well, it's not a mountain bike meant for aggressive off-road biking, it performs very well on trails. It comes equipped with 2-inch wide all-terrain tires that have a center ridge for low friction road travel and side tread for off-road trails.

You don't wear a helmet, whyzz dat?

Well with AutoShift, since you are not constantly focusing on finding the proper gear, you'll be able to concentrate on the road and enjoy the experience. With hands-free shifting, you can keep both hands on the handlebar at all times and use the brakes faster. Also, this unique upright frame design keeps you looking straight ahead and not down at the ground. I don't need a stinking helmet.

So about then we were coming past the Ranger House and he sees me shaking loose my legs for the sprint ... but he pulled ahead a little bit... gave me "the look", and said "Hasta la vista, BABY!" and that was the last I saw of him. Nobody's going to believe this.