Pablove auction happening right now!

The rock-n-roll world is stepping up big time for the Pablove Foundation and its fight against children’s cancer. Our friend Jeff Castelaz is less than two weeks away from swinging a leg over his new Felt F1 and riding across the country for his Pablove Across America tour. Now you can do your part for the Foundation by bidding on these hot items.

You can score rare signed items from Shirley Manson, Silversun Pickups, Eagles of Death Metal and Ziggy Marley. Or how about this: Have legendary Green Day and Nirvana producer Butch Vig record your band!

Go to the auction now. And when you’re done there, check out Pablove.org to find out more details about the ride and the Pablo Foundation.

British Bike Toss

Ouch. This hurts. Two different Garmin pros, two different Brit's, two different drivetrain problems at the worst possible moment(s) and, at over a year apart, each potentially costing a place on the podium.

Two different tossed bikes.

Bradley Wiggins and David Millar - two icons of the sport. Two guys we admire and respect. The heat of the moment is often tough to manage, especially when things go wrong. Rather than sweep it under the rug or treat it like the elephant in the room, we're putting it out there.

While it pains us to know how each race might have ended sans these mechanicals, our further observations include: Wiggo has a long way to go before he can huck a bike like DM, and a Felt F1 would appear to be even more aero than a Felt DA under some circumstances.

Riding for Pablo

Perhaps you’ve already heard the story of Pablo. Many cyclists have. It’s a moving story, and it’s one that Pablo’s father, Jeff Castelaz (pictured above), wants to tell. It’s a story Jeff needs to tell.

In May 2008, Jeff’s son Pablo was diagnosed with bilateral Wilms’ Tumor, a rare form of children’s cancer. A little more than a year later—on June 27, 2009—Pablo’s battle with the disease came to end. Pablo was 6.

For Jeff, the pain of losing his son is still raw. It’s in his life, every day.

There are also many other things in Jeff’s life that help him get through the days. One is music—Jeff is the co-founder of Dangerbird Records, a Los Angeles label that’s home to Silversun Pickups and a host of other influential rock bands.

Another is cycling. Jeff is a competitive rider and a member of Southern California’s Velo Pasadena club. He likes to ride time trials and has done many century rides and a double century from Seattle to Portland.

Lately Jeff has been trying to ride more miles than ever before, and on October 10 he will embark on the ride of his life. Pablo’s ride. It’s called Pablove across America. It starts in St. Augustine, Florida, and finishes in L.A.

More than 3,000 miles in 30 days—it’s an ambitious schedule that works out to more than 150 miles per day, six days per week. Jeff will be accompanied by his friend and coach Rich Babington the entire time.

There are a number of reasons Jeff decided to do this ride. One is simply to help him deal. “Turning the pedals is something I need to do,” he says. “It’s part of my grieving process.”

Beyond that, Jeff’s ride—or rather, Pablo’s ride—has grown into a movement. The mission is to raise awareness and money for the Pablove Foundation and its fight against children’s cancer. As the Pablove Mission states, “We wave a flag for anyone to see. On it are these words: Kids get cancer too. They need your help. It’s not somebody else’s problem.”

Jeff has been joined by many friends in the past few months—powerful friends like Lance Armstrong and celebrity friends from the music industry who are supporting the ride and the Pablove Foundation.

Jeff has also gained some new friends. Friends like Felt. That sweet carbon fiber Felt F1 SL you see in the photo above is the bike Jeff will ride across America. We’re proud to sponsor the Pablove Foundation and look forward to bringing you reports from the road as Jeff embarks on this incredible journey.

Check out Pablove.org to find out more details about the ride and the Pablove Foundation.

Rolling with the Garmin-Slipstream team

A group of about 70 lucky cyclists and fans of Garmin-Slipstream joined the team for a ride that departed from Garmin's British headquarters in Southampton, England, the day before the start of the Tour of Britain.

Journalist Luke Webber of British Cycling was also along for the ride. Check it out.

How it feels to win a grand tour stage

Garmin-Slipstream's Ryder Hesjedal gave Garmin-Slipstream its second consecutive stage win at the Vuelta a España on Friday. He also became the first Canadian to win a stage at the Vuelta. Afterward, he spoke with Bicycling.com's Joe Lindsey. Here's what Ryder had to say.

Felt F4 vs. Beer

Stuff Magazine checks out the Felt F4:

http://bit.ly/Suq0r